Tracey Becker - producer

Tracey Becker began her career as an actress and producer in NYC after training at Wright State, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and with Sandy Dennis at HB Studios.  In addition to appearing in over thirty off and off-off Broadway plays, she made frequent guest appearances on TV networks like A&E, Comedy Central and Showtime performing sketch comedy.  After producing several theatrical premieres for some of New York’s most talented emerging playwrights, she began to branch out into producing other media, as well.  With New Vision Communications, she developed and produced industrial videos and a direct-to-video concert film featuring kid’s recording artist, Raffi.  In addition, she wrote and produced a ½ hour comedy/reality hybrid pilot with her husband, CableACE Award winning producer Joe Falzarano for the Food Network.

Tracey then partnered in Birnam Wood, a theater and film production company dedicated to developing and producing works by new and established writers, primarily from the New York City theater scene.  She produced the highly successful Off-Broadway run of Doris Davis’ “Summer Share” that NBC TVs Jeffery Lyons called “Must-See Theater!”  She then partnered with Dustin Hoffman’s Punch Productions to develop the one-hour TV drama pilot “44 Wall”.    Birnam Wood was also very active with the Museum of Modern Art’s Art Barge, and later the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton, where they produced several series of staged readings of new plays called “Champagne and Sunset” which was sponsored by Moet & Chandon, to wonderful reviews.  Appearing onstage in Birnam Wood’s productions was a litany of New York’s finest talent, from J.K. Simmons and Karen Ziemba to Arija Bareikis and Michael Ian Black in plays by established writers like Murray Schisgal and Christopher Durang, and emerging writers from Ron McLarty to Richard Brockman.

Birnam Wood then financed and Tracey produced actor Scott Renderer’s (“Poison”) debut film, the short “Lie No. 1” which starred David Strathairn and Paul Lazar.  Tracey and her partner then optioned Allan Knee’s play “The Man Who Was Peter Pan” and hired writer David Magee to adapt it for the screen.  The resulting script was titled “Finding Neverland” which was subsequently packaged and sold to Miramax, and which she associate produced.  The film starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet with Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”, “Stranger than Fiction”) directing.  After winning the prestigious Film of the Year award from the National Board of Review, “Finding Neverland” was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 2005 including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, winning for Best Score.

After a move to the West Coast, Tracey then established Beachfront Films where she helped develop a series of short films with Moxie Pictures for “Glamour” Magazine, which feature the directing debuts of Jennifer Aniston and Bryce Dallas Howard.  On tap for 2007, in addition to “Losing Jerry”, is the film “Hysteria”, written by Stephen and Jonah Lisa Dyer and to be directed by Tanya Wexler (“Ball in the House”).  She has partnered with British producer Sarah Curtis (“Mr. and Mrs. Brown”, “Mansfield Park”) on the project, and they have recently been awarded the prestigious Media Programme development grant.  Currently out to talent, Tracey expects to shoot the film in the fall. 

Tracey has spent five years developing the script for “Losing Jerry” with the writer/director, Mitch Ganem, and feels passionately about its inevitable success – especially now that so many talented people have come aboard to support their vision.