MARCH 2020: UNCLE SAM
MONDAY, March 2nd, 2020
THE LIFE (AND AFTERLIFE) OF UNCLE SAM by Matthew Sekellick
Directed by David Girard
Trojan Hotel (41 3rd Street, Troy, NY 12180)
*This is a FREE event. Reservations required.
Sam Wilson and his brother set out from their childhood home in 1789 to build a business and find success in Troy - all in search of an answer to the question: how did Sam Wilson become Uncle Sam? The Life (And Afterlife) of Uncle Sam is a queer epic tragicomedy about a post-industrial city and climate anxiety, complete with a song and dance.
Playwright Bio:
Matthew Sekellick is an artist and writer from the Capital District now living in Philadelphia. He has directed for Torn Space Theater in Buffalo and Hudson Valley Community College; performed in Michoacan, MX and Montreal, and locally with NYSTI, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, and, most recently, on the EMPAC stage. His essays and poems have appeared in Theatre Journal, Studies in Musical Theatre, HowlRound, Jacobin, Peach Mag, and The Alt. He studied at the University at Buffalo, Purchase College, HVCC, and with SITI Company: you can find him at sekellick.netMAY 2019 SESSION: FILM IN THEATRE
MAY 2019 SESSION: THE ABSTRACT
May 13, 2019 @ 8pm
MODELS OF PERFECTION by Katie Pedro
Superior Merchandise Company (147 4th St, Troy, NY 12180)
*This is a FREE event. Reservations suggested.
*This event will be outside in the garden, weather permitting. Dress the part!
Brother and Sister, abandoned on a doorstep they've made their home, are forced to migrate as the environment violently disintegrates. But sister isn't ready to leave it all behind.
About the playwright:
Katie Pedro is a Brooklyn based director and theatre maker interested in making female centric work that deals with reclaiming our historical narratives, queer identities, live video and media and magical realism. Katie works as a Creative Director with Michael Counts and Counts Projects and recently worked as Associate Director of Hoodoo in Berlin, Germany. Past credits: Samuel Beckett’s Play (Troy Foundry Theatre), The Cherry Orchard (Dyckman Farmhouse Museum), Fefu and Her Friends (Sarah Lawrence College), Love Stories My Mother Told Me, Twelve Batches to Midnight (Dixon Place), as well as work with Hunger & Thirst Theatre, The Dare Tactic, and Exquisite Corpse Company. BS Russell Sage College, MFA Sarah Lawrence College.
MONDAY, MAY 6, 2019
OLD SCOUT with Christian Strevy
Monday, May 6, 2019 at 8pm
James L. Meader Little Theatre (Russell Sage College)
*THIS IS A FREE EVENT.
Hi, I’m Christian. When I was a little kid I was a cub scout. But then, I quit. I’m not really sure why, and I’ve kinda regretted it for 20 years, because I do love adventure and gear and making stuff and uniforms and patches and badges and setting arbitrary goals for myself. Now I’m 30 and I want some adventure and I’m not allowed to be an official boy scout. So I’m gonna do it on my own. I’m gonna do the entire curriculum of scouts from Cub to Eagle in one year. This is Old Scout.
Monday, May 6th OLD SCOUT episode description:
Every week on Old Scout we tackle a merit badge. This week we’re taking on the DRAMATICS merit badge! So in the span of five days, David Girard and I will write, direct, and perform a play. When you come on Monday, May 6, we will be performing and filming for our weekly episode of OLD SCOUT. What is the play about? We have no idea. Will it be a disaster? Maybe. Will it be the best play you’ve seen this year? Almost certainly not. Will it be a funky fun adventure? I think! Come be a part of the process!
About the Artists: Julie St. John and Christian Strevy
We’re Christian and Julie and we make movies together. I, Christian, am a writer, director, and performer. And I, Julie, am a writer, director, and only a performer if I’m forced to be one. In 2016 and 2017, we made an original series called Gunner Jackson, that played at the Sidewalk Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, Oxford Film Festival, IFC Split Screens TV Festival, and won best web series at the HollyShorts Film Festival. Our new series is Old Scout, in which Christian does the entire curriculum of Boy Scouts from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout in 1 year. We make an episode a week (released every Thursday) documenting this process
OCTOBER 2018 SESSION: THE SUPERNATURAL
October 29, 2018
THE THIRD BRIDE
By Brianna Keller
directed by Katie Pedro
at Collar Works Gallery
621 River St, Troy, NY 12180
Vienna, 1793. A desperate Countess, pennyroyal tea and a mysterious visitor with a killer bite. Being a woman is bloody business.
Countess Maria Carolina von Lamberg is determined to end her pregnancy. Two years ago, she gave birth to a stillborn son and nearly died in childbirth, a trauma that she never fully recovered from. And while it means that she will not give her husband, Karl, a male heir, Maria Carolina is not about to risk her life for a man who cannot let go of the memory of his beloved first wife. When her best friend Elisabeth refuses to help, Maria Carolina finds herself entangled with Count Liliac, a newcomer to Vienna who seems to have exactly what she needs. But no favor comes without a price. A prequel to Dracula, THE THIRD BRIDE is a female narrative of the vampire legend, exploring what it means to be a mother and the lengths women will go to in order to reclaim agency over their own bodies.
Cast:
Count Karl von Lamberg - David Girard*
Countess Maria Carolina von Lamberg - Raya Malcolm
Countess Elisabeth von Hagenauer/ Louisa - KD McTeigue
Count Liliac- Lucas Phayre-Gonzalez
Stage Directions - Emily Curro
October 22, 2018
Into The River I Went
by Nelson Diaz-Marcano
directed by Margaret Hall
at Superior Merchandise Company (147 4th St, Troy, NY 12180)
Raquel and Ben are high school sweethearts who have gotten engaged to the dismay of his sister, Janet. The two women have been pitted against each other since the day they met by class, culture, and gender expectations. Suddenly they find themselves forced to work together to fight a violent beast that stalks them. Can they come to an understanding in time or will they fall prey to the beast?
Cast:
Timmy/Beast - Tom Templeton
Raquel - Celena Vera Morgan
Ben - Ben Williamson*
Janet- Kristyn Youngblood*
Stage Directions - KD McTeigue
About the Playwright:
Nelson Diaz-Marcano is a Puerto Rican playwright based in New York City. Recently, his play “Rabiosa” was one of the winners at the distinguished Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival and will be published later in the year by them. Other awards include Outstanding Play at the Fresh Fruit festival for “The Diplomats” (now published by OWP) and Best Play at the Downtown Urban Arts Festival 2016 for his play “Radical”. Other recent credits include: “World Classic” (Ingenio Milagro 2018,) “Revolt” (World Premiere - Vision Latino Theatre Company,) “El Yunque in English” (Fresh Fruit Festival 2018,) “Paper Towels” (The Brick, EAT New Work Series,) “Promised Lands” (Stable Cable Lab Co’s,) and “Prison Song” (Downtown Urban Arts Festival 2013.) Nelson's mission is to create work where different cultures are represented, and to raise awareness of their history. ndmstrikes.com
October 15, 2018
Capital Repertory Theatre
Main Stage
111 North Pearl St. Albany, NY
Wives' Tale by Leah Barker
directed by Matthew Winning
In an isolated town blighted by the Dust Bowl, a writer rents a room in a farmhouse run by the charismatic Ruth and her silent assistant, Lydia. Inexplicably drawn to the women and the house, he nonetheless suspects his hosts are not being honest with him. Why do they keep sneaking into his room at night? And how is it possible he wrote a story about the women years before he met them?
Cast:
Hugh Morgan/Stage Directions - Ethan Botwick*
Jury Foreman - Shayne David Cameris*
Coroner - John Noble
Harker - Lucas Phayre-Gonzalez
The Inquest by Roy Proctor
directed by KD McTeigue
When a recluse living alone deep in the American wilderness comes to an untimely end, the local coroner assembles a jury at the recluse’s cabin to determine how he died. The recluse’s young friend, who was with him when he died, has one idea. The jury comes to a different conclusion. Don’t be surprised if the corpse, which is laid out under a sheet on a table at the inquest, has the final say. Roy Proctor adapted his one-act horror play from “The Damned Thing,” a short story by 19th century American author Ambrose Bierce. This play requires four adult male actors. A short horror play by ROY PROCTOR adapted from “The Damned Thing,” a short story by AMBROSE BIERCE.
Cast:
Tenant - Ethan Botwick*
Ruth - Amy Kirkpatrick Rosen*
Lydia - Rachael Yoder*
Shayne David Cameris* - Stage Directions
About the playwrights:
LEAH BARKER is a New York-based playwright, actor, and director. Her plays have been produced by Hartford Stage, Exquisite Corpse Company (many productions across New York City and in New Orleans; Current Playwright in Residence), and Dixon Place. Her selected acting credits include The Cripple of Inishmaan (Centenary Stage Company, BroadwayWorld Regional Award nomination), A Presentation by the People of Lake Victory for Our Leader (the Gym at Judson), The Knick (Cinemax), and Sugar!, an upcoming feature starring Alice Ripley and Robert Clohessy (Atlantic City Cinefest Award for Best Supporting Actress). She has also worked as an assistant director for Lincoln Center Education (Macbeth) and Amore Opera (Don Giovanni). Leah is an honors graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
ROY PROCTOR wrote his first play in 2012 after retiring from a 30-year career as the staff theater critic on the two daily newspapers in Richmond, Va. Since then, he has completed 89 short plays – 55 minutes down to one minute -- that have been fully produced, accorded staged readings and/or produced as podcasts more than 200 times in 23 American states and in 10 countries on four continents. His plays have been fully produced on the stage in a Pacific-to-Pacific arc extending from Los Angeles to Chicago, New York, London, Stuttgart, Bangalore, Misawa (Japan) and Sydney. Proctor writes all kind of plays but specializes in short-play adaptations of classic short stories in the public domain, especially the stories of Anton Chekhov. He lives in Richmond and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
MAY 2018 SESSION: MOUNTAIN VALLEY PLAYWRIGHTS
May 7, 2018
GIRL WITH A CAMERA
by B.A. Nilsson
directed by Erica Tryon
The Church in Troy, NY (2298 12th St Troy, New York)
You couldn’t miss Ivy Wilmot’s photographs during the late 1970's. Beginning with the candid photos she shot for Harper’s Bazaar, she was celebrated for her celebrity features and covers that also appeared in Interview, W, and Rolling Stone. Told during a gallery opening in Connecticut, Ivy’s has chosen eight photographs to tell her story. We learn of her fractious relationship with gallery owner Jeanne Morris; with her father, Julius, an optical engineer with a secret government affiliation that Ivy is asked to betray; and FBI agent Lester, whose friendship with Ivy forces him to question his loyalties.
May 14th, 2018
CHECKING OUT
by Richard Lovrich
directed by David Girard
Collar Works (621 River St, Troy, NY 12180)
Checking Out is the story of Edward, a customer attempting to buy a single pair of colorful socks at a strip-mall scaled, discount fashion store. Cashing out is delayed by special offers, overzealous customer service and dire predictions.
LANDSHARKS
by Brian Sheldon
directed by Katie Pedro
We all strive for our version of the American Dream. How far would you go to get it and what would you do to keep it?
March 2018 Session: Female Playwrights
March 26, 2018
The Charlie Play by Nahal Navidar
Directed by Brenna Geffers
At Collar Works
621 River St, Troy, NY 12180
For as long as Nessa can remember, it’s been her and her dog, Charlie. Charlie, her confidant. Charlie, her best friend. And Charlie is dying. Two weeks away from attaining her MFA in Art, Nessa’s Heart and Mind must find the equilibrium between logic and love and create one last art piece despite Charlie’s rapidly impending death.
Cast of The Charlie Play (In alpha order)
Charlie Barnett: Heart
*David Kenner: Indra/Dr
*Sade Namei: Nessa
*John Romeo: Charlie
*Vanessa Thorpe: Mind
*Member of Actor's Equity Association
NAHAL NAVIDAR is an Iranian-born dramatist raised in upstate New York. Her work is motivated by the exploration of social issues while employing magical elements to awaken the expanse of human emotion. Nahal’s plays have been developed at Silk Road Rising, Ensemble Studio Theatre LA, The Vagrancy Writer’s Group, Rogue Machine Dramaturge’s Table, Coeurage Theatre CoLab Play Development, Pasadena Playhouse, Playwright’s Arena, The Last Frontier Theatre Conference, Golden Thread Productions, Company of Angel’s New Play Series, The Kennedy Center, and The University at Albany.
March 19th, 2018
Josephine Sunshine and the Energy Facility
by Alli Giguere
Directed by Ethan Botwick
At Scarlet Seven Gallery
137 4th St, Troy, NY 12180
Josephine Sunshine and the Energy Facility is a one-act play about navigating memories and escaping abusive relationships. Jo meets Suz and suddenly realizes the power she has to make her own choices in life. By manipulating others, everyone seems to be able to get what they want.
Cast of Josephine Sunshine and the Energy Facility (In alpha order)
James Carola: Karl
Dana Goodknight: Jo
Michelle: Amy Kirkpatrick Rosen: Michelle
KD McTeigue: Suz
Lucas Phayre-Gonzalez: Stage Directions
ALLISON GIGUERE is a playwright and theatre artist from Upstate New York. Most recently, she self-produced and directed a staged reading of her play, “Molly by the River”. Her short play, “What a Shame”, was produced in showcase at SUNY Purchase. She has worked as a dramaturg on multiple projects, including “Serious Money,” with the Purchase Repertory Theatre. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Playwriting at SUNY Purchase.
December 2017 Session: Theatre of Revolt
December 4, 2017
Roan at the Gates
by Christina Gorman
Directed by Yvonne Perry
Starring: Erica Tryon* and Brenny Rabine*
Artistic Director David Girard, Director Yvonne Perry, Playwright Christina Gorman and Actors Erica Tryon and Brenny Rabine
Would you buy a sofa without consulting your partner? How about a car? Change your job? Could you commit a crime and say nothing? And could you still love your partner if she followed her conscience but kept you in the dark? Nat is an outspoken civil rights attorney. Roan, the quiet one, is an NSA Analyst who isn’t even allowed to tell her wife the location of her next business trip. In this topical and thought-provoking new play, a long-time couple confronts questions about their marriage they never thought to ask as their personal relationship collides with national security
Brenny Rabine and Erica Tryon in Roan at the Gates
CHRISTINA GORMAN’S plays have been produced and developed at The Public Theater, American Blues Theater, Alley Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Summer Play Festival, Hangar Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Playwrights Foundation, Prospect Theatre Company, Samuel French Short Play Festival, New Harmony Project, University of Notre Dame, Theatre Artists Studio, Stageworks/ Hudson, Westport Country Playhouse, Lark Play Development Center, Stella Adler Studios, Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Luna Stage, |the claque|, HotINK International Festival, and New York International Fringe Festival. She is a recipient of TCG’s Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, American Blues Theater’s Blue Ink Playwriting Award, Samuel French Short Play Festival Award, New York International Fringe Festival Award for Overall Excellence in Playwriting, and runner up for the Princess Grace Award. Christina was an inaugural member of The Public Theater Emerging Writers Group, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, Ensemble Studio Theatre New Voices Fellow, Stella Adler Studios Harold Clurman Playwright-in-Residence, Women’s Project Playwright Lab member, and is currently an Artistic Affiliate at American Blues Theater.
*This production was presented under the auspices of the Actors’ Equity Association’s Staged Reading Guidelines
December 11, 2017
Then Came the Fall
by Nahal Navidar
Directed by David Girard
Starring: *David Kenner, Amy Miyako Williams and Shayne David Cameris
Actors Amy Miyako Williams and David Kenner (Left to Right)
Indian summer delivers hope and light on a gorgeous morning in Brooklyn Heights. Nasrin, an Iranian-American PhD student, and Donovan, an elevator repairman, plan for a bright future together, but when explosions from the other side of the East River shake their world, the ashes of fear and hatred quietly creep in and haunt Donovan’s mind. In a post 9/11 xenophobic environment where intolerance is the new status-quo, the couple finds themselves questioning if they will survive the fall
NAHAL NAVIDAR is an Iranian-born dramatist raised in upstate New York. Her work is motivated by the exploration of social issues while employing magical elements to awaken the expanse of human emotion. Nahal’s plays have been developed at Silk Road Rising, Ensemble Studio Theatre LA, The Vagrancy Writer’s Group, Rogue Machine Dramaturge’s Table, Coeurage Theatre CoLab Play Development, Pasadena Playhouse, Playwright’s Arena, The Last Frontier Theatre Conference, Golden Thread Productions, Company of Angel’s New Play Series, The Kennedy Center, and The University at Albany.
In 2005, Nahal founded the Fabulous Invalid Theatre Company in the Micronesian island Saipan whose mission was to promote the diverse voices of the Marianas. Nahal’s diverse and multi-cultured background has had the most profound impact on her writing. As a Middle Eastern artist living in a post 9/11 world, her plays investigate issues of cultural identity and often feature characters who feel misplaced and yearn for a proverbial home. Nahal received her M.F.A. training at U.S.C.’s School of Dramatic Arts. She is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild of America.
*This production was presented under the auspices of the Actors’ Equity Association’s Staged Reading Guidelines
December 18, 2017
100 Years
by Richard Dresser
Directed by David Baecker
Starring David Bunce*, Kevin McGuire*, Stephanie Moffett-Hynds, Yvonne Perry*, and Lucas Phayre-Gonzalez
Actors David Bunce, Yvonne Perry and Kevin McGuire (left to right)
Set in the not-too-distant future, this new dark comedy confronts today’s most dire global crises with incisive humor and sly wisdom. In 100 Years Stevie and Joan prepare for what will be a transformative experience. But what will it mean for their life as they know it? And what’s going on with the strange couple living next door? From the playwright of such funny and topical plays as Rounding Third, Gun-Shy and The Pursuit of Happiness, 100 Years confronts today’s most dire global crises with incisive humor and sly wisdom.
RICHARD DRESSER’S plays have been produced in New York, regional theater, and Europe. They include ROUNDING THIRD, which started in Chicago, appeared off-Broadway and has had hundreds of productions. It was recently made into a film starring John C. McGinley and Garret Dillahunt for release in 2016. BELOW THE BELT and GUN-SHY, both started at the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville before moving off-Broadway. BELOW THE BELT was made into the film “Human Error” directed by Robert M. Young which appeared at Sundance. His trilogy of plays about happiness in America includes AUGUSTA (working class), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (middle class), and A VIEW OF THE HARBOR (upper class9. Other projects include the book for a musical, JOHNNY BASEBALL (lyrics by Willie Reale, music by Robert Reale), about the Curse of the Red Sox, which premiered at A.R.T. in Cambridge, and moved on to the Williamstown Theatre Festival. A new bluegrass ghost musical, THE HOLLER (also with the Reale brothers) was workshopped at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. He recently finished “PUBLIC SPEAKING: Three short films starring Treat Williams.” He has also worked extensively in television. He created the web series “Life Coach” for AMC starring Cheri Oteri. He is a former member of New Dramatists and twice attended the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. He currently teaches at Rutgers and is on the board of the Writers Guild Initiative, which does writing workshops with veterans and caregivers among other groups.
*This production is was presented under the auspices of the Actors’ Equity Association’s Staged Reading Guidelines