Van Dirk Fisher, Artistic Director & Producer
Dad’s Client
Written by
Irwin Nayman & Directed by Oleg Braude
Time: The
present. Place: The living room of a suburban home.
Characters
in order of appearance
Dad Frankie Dee
Joy Sasha Painter
Frankie Dee (Dad)
has appeared in numerous productions around the
city at such venues as Queens Theatre in the Park, Players Club, and Samuel
French Festival. Recent credits
include: Cinderella, Follies, and South Pacific, where he has
performed as an actor, singer, and percussionist at the Heights Players theater
in Brooklyn. He has been a member of the award winning Simon Studio in New York
City for six years and appeared in Bard at the Bar, where he received critical
acclaim for his portrayal of the gravedigger in Hamlet. Frankie is also
a New York City Public School music teacher in Harlem.
Sasha Painter (Joy) is a 2005 graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has
since appeared in many La Mama productions and will be making her debut at
Lincoln Center come March. She would like to thank Oleg for this opportunity.
Irwin Nayman (Playwright) holds a BA from Brooklyn College and an MS from Kansas State
University. In addition to writing, he has studied acting at studios in the
city and has appeared on television, film, and stage. As a playwright, his
recent works include: The Village Idiot and What's Your Name?
(Strawberry Festival '05/TSI). Irwin wishes to acknowledge his association with
Manhattan Theatre Club, where many of his plays begin and are read by
extraordinarily talented actors. Special thanks to Oleg, Frankie, and Sasha for
bringing this work to life.
Oleg Braude (Director)
is a theater director originally from the Ukraine.
Recent directing credits in New York include History of the Art Part 6: Birth
of Monsterism, The Shadow, God's Comic, When He Is Not Watching, A Midsummer's
Night's Dream, The PR Team, and This Property Is
Condemned. Thanks to Irwin for his offer to become a part of this great project
and trusting me with his creation.
Comedia/Tragedia
Written &
Directed by Ed Gibbons-Brown
Time: The present. Place: An Upscale New York City
Apartment.
Characters
in order of appearance
Adrian Sid
Judge-Avery
Dave George
Marshall, Jr.
Jeanine Kathleen
O'Loughlin
Erica Lani
Barry
Randolph Brian
Apfel
Who’s
Who
Sid Judge-Avery (Adrian) is happy to be
appearing in The Strawberry Festival. Sid is a frequent
performer throughout the vast and varied venues of the Hudson Valley.
Recent credits include: George, Nude With Violin; Snoopy, You're A
Good Man, Charlie Brown; Conrad Birdie, Bye Bye Birdie;
Fred/Young Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Dr. Chumley, Harvey;
and Orin Scrivello, Little Shop of Horrors. "God bless the
Gophers, Twyla."
George Marshall, Jr. (Dave) 23 years old, George is currently finishing up his Associates Degree in
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie NY,
with a major in History and a minor in Theatre. He hopes to finish up his Bachelors
at Buffalo State and then gain his Masters in Education. Some recent credits
include: Giles Ralston in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and The Record
Keeper in Tom Mula's Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol.
Kathleen O'Loughlin (Jeanine) is delighted to find herself in the big city of New
York, coming from the small town of Rindge, New Hampshire. In her first two
years as a Film Major/Theater Minor at Marist College, Katie has played
Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a ditzy scarecrow in Jack
and the Magic Beans, and Cassie in Neil Simon's Rumors. She is
currently working with the Fourth Wall Theater Company of Poughkeepsie on their
production of Barnum. Katie is excited about making her debut in the
Strawberry Festival!
Lani Barry (Erica) An Arizona
native and current resident of upstate New York has been participating in
theatre since the tender age of six. Currently attending Dutchess Community
College as a Performing Arts major, she debuted professionally in the film
Cove Road, a project patroned by Broken Flowers director Jim
Jarmusch. In her first New York engagement, she plays Erica, a soul-searching
playwright in Ed Gibbons-Brown's Comedia/Tragedia. Lani would like to
thank Ed, Jonathan Keogh, Jennie Barry, and her loving grandparents for their
support and belief in her. Visit www.cove-road.com.
Brian Apfel (Randolph) From the
friendliest candlestick to the scariest villain, Brian has done them all.
Recent roles include: Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The
Ringleader in Barnum, Robert in Proof, Bill Sykes in Oliver,
and Chef Bromden in Cuckoo's Nest. In 2003 he studied acting and
improvisational comedy in Sydney, Australia. Brian currently works as the director
and one of the performers of Off The Wall Improv, a comedy group
established through 4th Wall Productions, Poughkeepsie NY. He also teaches
adult improv workshops and children's acting classes.
Ed Gibbons-Brown (Playwright,
Director) Adept onstage as well as in the
writer's and director's chair, Ed has performed at such venues as The CFM
Gallery, SoHo, NYC, Rhinebeck CENTER for Performing Arts, KAATSBAAN
International Dance Center, and Dutchess Theatre, at which he also directed his
short play The Rorschach Girl. Film/TV acting includes: Mr. Gibb,
starring Tim Daly, Homestead, directed by Rory Kennedy, and War on
Sex, directed by Nae Petrucelli. Ed remains fluent in English, despite
having been born in Pennsylvania. Please visit his website at www.freewebs.com/edgibbonsbrown.
Sara Even (Lights & Sound) Sara Even is a Sound Designer and Engineer out of Westchester County.
She has worked on such productions as A Christmas Carol, Beauty
and the Beast, Honk!, and Saving Aimee. She is extremely
excited to be working with Ed on this project. Break a leg, Ed!
Practical Marriage: Green Cards, Health Insurance
and Deliberate Pregnancy
Music by Ana
Hurka Robles; Book & Lyrics by Lena Moy-Borgen
Directed by Lena Moy-Borgen
Time: Then, and now. Place: Where stories can be told.
Characters
in order of appearance
Lena Lena
Moy-Borgen
Max Sam
Borgen
David Josh
Roberts
Sharon Miyoko
Conley
Danny Jon
Riddleberger
Maria Shawna
Cupples
John Adam
John Roper
Judy Anna
Greenfield
Sam Borgen (Max) is thrilled to be a
part of Practical Marriage. This is his first New York production, and
he would like to thank his cousin Lena for making it possible. His previous credits
include: Film: 1-900, Passenger Seat Regional: Fiddler on the Roof
(Perchik), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), Into the Woods (the
Baker). Hopefully this will be just one of many New York shows for Sam.
Josh Roberts (David) Practical
Marriage marks Josh’s NYC debut. He most recently performed the role of Jamie
in The Last 5 Years for his Acting Thesis at Reed College. In addition to Reed,
he has trained with the British American Drama Academy and the California
Shakespeare Festival, appearing in CalShakes mainstage productions as Young
Pericles (Pericles) and Prince Edward (Richard III). Other roles
include: Jerry (Betrayal), Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream),
Steven/Jesus (Godspell), El Gallo (The Fantasticks), Rev. Parris (The
Crucible), Scarecrow (The Wiz), Angelo (Measure for Measure).
Miyoko Conley (Sharon) is delighted to
be a part of the Strawberry One Act Festival. She is currently a student at the
Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Recently she was in NYU's production of The Bacchae. Other shows
include: Pacific Overtures (Cincinnati's Playhouse in the Park), A
Piece of My Heart, and Equus. Thank you to Lena Moy-Borgen for
letting her work on Practical Marriage yet again. (Dir’s Note: Without
Miyoko, none of this would be possible and Lena is unbelievably grateful to
her.)
Jon Riddleberger (Danny) is currently in
his second year at NYU Tisch's Experimental Theatre Wing. He's been seen at NYU
in Harold Pinter's "Silence" and Caryl Churchill's This is a Chair
When not acting in shows Jon seems to enjoy playing with puppets and was last
seen in The Nose at Theater for a New City. Enjoy the show!
Adam John Roper (John) trained at the
Tisch School of the Arts; first in the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and then
the Experimental Theatre Wing. Adam has done commercial background work
here and there, dancing with the Stanley Love Performance Group, and also
working with the Theatre of the Two-Headed Calf. He is pleased to be working again with Lena & Co. and in Practical
Marriage. Adam lives in East Harlem with his boyfriend and his cat,
Wendella.
Anna Greenfield (Judy) is currently
studying theater at the Experimental Theater Wing at New York University's
Tisch School of the Arts. She is a founding member of the Leave Theater Company
formed in Carmel, California. During her five years with the company, she
performed in various shows including: Tartuffe (Flipote), Romeo and
Juliet (Juliet), The Maids (Madam) and wrote and performed her own
one person show. This past summer, she reprised the role of Juliet as
part of the Shakespeare Festival in Santa Monica, California.
Lena Moy-Borgen (Director/Playwright/Lena) is thrilled to have Practical Marriage be a part of the Strawberry One
Act Festival. She recently graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She
is currently appearing down the street in The Trip to Bountiful at the
Signature Theatre, and is very happy to be in a show where she is allowed to
speak onstage.
Ana Hurka-Robles (Composer/Tech) recently graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the
Arts with a BFA in Film and Television production. She wrote and directed
Wasted Life: The Musical, a short film, which she also co-composed. In 2005,
Ana's video work for the Fringe Festival play Movie Geek won a Fringe Award for
Outstanding Multimedia.
Madrid
Written
by Paul M. Buzinski & Directed by Merry
Beamer
Time: The
Present. Place: Madrid’s plush bedroom.
Characters
in order of appearance
Bob Manus (Potus) was last seen as Major Dan Kirby in the Musical version of The Flying Leathernecks at the Once In A Chance Theatre in the idyllic Pocono Mountains. Says Bob, “If I’d known playing the Duke would be such fun, I’d have donned a cowboy hat years ago!” Love to Liz.
Wende O’Reilly (Madrid)
is
delighted to be reprising the role of Madrid. When else could she justify
wearing her tiara out in public? Other NY credits have included: Merry
Wives of Windsor, The Aquatic Ape, and her two-woman musical Let Me Say
This About That. Thanks to Paul, Merry, Bob and Sam.
Sam Street (Auntie Tess) has performed in numerous venues around NYC. His play, Loggottee Ladies, received successful productions in both NY and Chicago. Sam also appeared as Truman Capote in the 2000 film Isn’t She Great. Thanks to Merry and the cast, and love to Jonathan.
Merry Beamer (Director) This is Merry’s third collaboration directing a Paul Buzinski play (On the Clock, Fiddlin’ N’ Burnin’). Other credits include: Of Men & Mice, The Diviners, Balm In Gilead, Broadway in the Heights, Comedy in the Heights, Neil Simon’s Fools and the Good Doctor, and the ever popular DAPH! Many thanks to the talented cast and Paul, along with much gratitude to Jackie and Paul for another opportunity to work with them.
Paul Buzinski (Playwright) Has had several productions in and around NY. His one-acts Blinders, Blueberry Pancakes, Church Music and Resignation have all been Finalists in Samuel French One-Act Festivals. His play Carefree Drive was produced in both NY and California. His other full lengths, On The Clock and Fiddlin’ N’ Burnin’ also were directed by the wonderful and talented Merry Beamer. Thanks to the great cast and much love to my girl, Jackie. Paul is an associate member of the Dramatist Guild. (212) 889-6789.
Bench
Written
by Harrison David Rivers & Directed by Abigail T. Simon
Time: The Present. Place: A bench
in Central Park.
Characters in order of
appearance
Man Paul Michael Valley
Other
Man Don Meehan
Don Meehan (Other Man) Theatre credits: European production of Fame (Mr. Myers), Workshop
production of Hell’s Kitchen (Angelo)
in NYC; Smoke On The Mountain
(Stanley) at LaCommedia Theatre in Ohio; Footloose
(Rev. Shaw) at Broadway Palm West in Phoenix, AZ; A Christmas Carol (Scrooge) at Jenny Wiley Theatre/Mountain Arts
Center, KY; Crazy For You (Bela
Zangler) at Dutch Apple Theatre, PA; Annie
Get Your Gun (Charlie) at Cornwell’s Theatre, MI. Film/TV: upcoming History
Channel special (Felix Stidger); The Time
We Lost (Daniel) – Venice Film Festival; Lotto (Europe) and Cemzia
pharmaceutical commercials.
Paul Michael Valley (Man)
Mr. Valley’s New York Theater credits include: Thomas Jefferson in 1776 (Tony for Best Revival of A
Musical), Sergius in Arms and the Man,
Roger Reese; as well as the role of Oliver in the New York premiere of Richard
Greenberg's play Hurrah at Last. He
has also guest starred on multiple television series such as Ed, Third
Watch, and Law and Order: SVU.
However, Paul is perhaps best recognized for his six-year portrayal of Ryan
Harrison on the soap opera Another World.
Harrison Rivers (Playwright)
Originally
from Manhattan, Kansas, Harrison relocated to San Francisco after a
four-year stint at Kenyon College in the cornfields of Ohio. He has used his
American Studies and Drama majors to procure gainful employment at a high
school and writes to relieve stress in his spare time. His plays have been
workshopped at CAFEARTS and Playwrights Center in San Francisco and accepted
for production at Theatre-Studio, Inc. and Manhattan Theater Source in New York
City and The Last Frontier Theater Conference in Valdez, Alaska.
Abbey Simon (Director) Coming primarily from an acting background,
Ms. Simon's regional credits include: Awkward
Girl Gets Hugged (CultureProject),
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (A.C.T.), Big Love, Necessary Targets, Ancient
History, The Importance of Being
Earnest and The Vagina Monologues.
She and Mr. Rivers have collaborated on several projects, including the
short films: Drive By Fruiting, What's the Issue, Morality Check and Departure.
Their next theatrical endeavor, Burning,
will premiere at Manhattan Theatre Source in April 2006.
* * * * *
THE CORE PROJECT is an ongoing intensive workshop for writers, directors and actors (or any combination thereof) to develop new plays. Artists will collaborate on the creation and development of vibrant new works for the stage. Projects developed within the workshop will be presented as readings and considered for production in the Strawberry One-Act Festival and future Riant Theatre productions. The Core Project will be led by associate director, Richard Mover and artistic director and producer Van Dirk Fisher. Writers should submit a one-act play, a scene from a full length or a sample of narrative work that they are interested in developing for the stage, no synopsis please. Directors should submit a resume and letter of interest or intent. Actors may contact us by email (therianttheatre@aol.com) or by mailing us their picture and resume to set up an audition. Materials should be mailed to: The Riant Theatre, P.O. Box 1902, NY, NY 10013. Please include a S.A.S.E. for the return of materials.
Upcoming Events
. . .
The Finals
at The Producers Club II
Friday, February 17th
& Saturday, February 18th at 7pm and Sunday, February 19th
at 3pm
Tickets: $25 (includes reception after
the show.)
The Toe Jam Festival Saturday,
February 18th at 1pm, 3pm & 5pm;
Sunday, February 19th at 1pm. Tickets: $15
A fun filled show featuring some of the hottest talent in NYC.
Join us and cast your vote for A Rising Star!
At The
Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th
Street
The
Riant Awards Ceremony & Performance
Four of the Best Plays will be presented.
Monday, February 27th at 7pm; Tickets: $35
Reservations: (646) 623-3488
or Online at www.therianttheatre.com
On Sale At
The Online Store
Riant
T-Shirts: $15.00
Mugs: $10.00 (Colors:
Red, Blue or Black)
The Strawberry One-Act Festival T-Shirts: $15.00
The Best
Plays From The Strawberry One Act Festival:
Volume One: $14.95
The Best
Plays From The Strawberry One Act Festival:
Volume Two: $16.95
Photos of
the play: Photo:
$5. With Silver Frame: $10. Wooden Frame: $7.
Please sign our mailing list form so we can inform you of other
Riant events.
The Strawberry One-Act
Festival is celebrating its 11th season this
summer. The Strawberry Festival, the brainchild of Artistic Director, Van Dirk
Fisher, is a play competition in which the audience and the theatre's judges
cast their votes to select the best play of the season. Twice a year, hundreds of plays from across
the country are submitted for the competition, of which 40 are chosen to
compete. Plays move from the 1st round
to the semi-finals and then the finals. The playwright of the winning play
receives a grant and the opportunity to have a full-length play developed by
the Riant. This summer for the first
time, awards will also be presented for Best Director, Best Actor and Best
Actress. The Award Ceremony and
Performance will be held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space
on February 27th at 7:00pm.
This February the Strawberry One-Act Festival
will go worldwide as we broadcast the festival via the internet on the second
day of each series in the competition.
Go to www.therianttheatre.com.
The Strawberry Festival is a
wonderful opportunity for the audience and the industry alike to see some of
the best talent in the nation. Every
performance features four dynamic one-act plays. Audiences always comment that this is one of the best theatrical
events around. There's always a lot of
buzz surrounding each performance as artists converge and network on future
projects. Several of the playwrights
whose plays are featured in the festival have written for the literary world as
well as television and film. "We
are very fortunate to be able to fulfill our mission, which is to discover
talent and showcase new plays," says Mr. Fisher. "We are very proud of this accomplishment, but the work
doesn't stop there. Competition aside,
everyone's a winner in the festival, because several actors, directors and
playwrights are chosen to work on future projects at the Riant."
Van
Dirk Fisher (Festival Producer/Artistic Director) has produced The Strawberry
One-Act Festival, My Soul Sings Too, Sister; A Play Festival Celebrating The
Spirit of Women, The International Lesbian & Gay Theatre Festival,
directed and written several musicals including Somebody’s Calling
My Name; Sweet Blessings; Tracks; Loving That Man Of Mine and Revelations.
Plays include: A Sin Between Friends; The Banjo Lesson; Mixed Blessings; Hotel
Paradise and The Atlanta Affair. As an actor he has done several voice overs
and commercials and has appeared on the soap opera Loving as Assistant D.A.
Lyndon Haines. He thanks God, his
family and friends for their love and support.