“The Gallery Players puts together a lively, visually appealing production that moves with pace and professionalism…an explosion of absurdity that pits startlingly funny lines against the tragic circumstances of mundane, unfulfilled lives.”
-Jo Ann Rosen, nytheatre.com
Producer: Neal J. Freeman and Brian Michael Flanagan for The Gallery Players
Director: Dev Bondarin
Set Designer: Ann Bartek
Costume Designer: Brad Scoggins
Lighting Designer: Ryan Bauer
Sound Designer: Chris Rummel
Props Master: Virginia C. Monte
Production Stage Manager: Jodi Witherell
Assistant Stage Manager: Doug Faulborn
Pictured (l to r): Burke Adams, Nora Vetter, Emilie Soffe, Sharon Hunter, and Stacey Scotte in The Gallery Players’ production of The House of Blue Leaves. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
The Cast
Artie Shaughnessy: Burke Adams*
Bunny Flingus: Stacey Scotte*
Bananas Shaughnessy: Victoria Bundonis*
Ronnie Shaughnessy: Alex Herrald
Corrinna Stroller: Elizabeth Wood*
Head Nun: Sharon Hunter*
Second Nun: Nora Vetter
Little Nun: Emilie Soffe
Billy Einhorn: Tom Cleary*
MP: David Ojala
White Man: Ronn Burton
*appearing courtesy of AEA
Pictured: Stacey Scotte and Burke Adams in The Gallery Players’ production of The House of Blue Leaves. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
Artie Shaugnessy is a songwriter with visions of glory. Toiling by day as a zoo-keeper, he suffers in seedy lounges by night, plying his wares at piano bars in Queens, New York where he lives with his wife, Bananas, who is. This is much to the chagrin of Artie’s downstairs mistress, Bunny Flingus, who’ll sleep with him anytime but refuses to cook until they are married. On the day the Pope is making his first visit to the city, Artie’s son Ronny goes AWOL from Fort Dix stowing a home made-bomb intended to blow up the Pope in Yankee Stadium. Also arriving are Artie’s old school chum and now a successful Hollywood producer, Billy Einhorn, with his starlet girlfriend in tow. Billy holds the key to Artie’s dreams of getting out of Queens and away from the life he so despises. But like many dreams, this promise of glory evaporates amid the chaos of ordinary lives. Winner of the 1971 Critics Award and the Obie Award as Best American Play.
Pictured: Burke Adams and Victoria Bundonis in The Gallery Players’ production of The House of Blue Leaves. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
Performance Schedule
Saturday, September 12 at 8:00 PM – Opening night
Sunday, September 13 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, September 17 at 8:00 PM
Friday, September 18 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 19 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, September 19 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 20 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 PM
Friday, September 25 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 26 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 27 at 3:00 PM – final performance
“The Tragedy of King Lear is insanely good! The decorated Park Slope troupe pours its heart out on stage, wringing wonderful performances from the cast. Dominic Cuskern portrays Lear with appropriate levels of mania, chastened entitlement and regret. King Lear has extended periods of brilliance.”
-Mike McLaughlin, The Brooklyn Paper
Producing Directors: Sidney Fortner and Dominic Cuskern for the Gallery Players
Production Stage Manager: Kristine Ayers
Set and Costume Designer: Sidney Fortner
Lighting Designer: Emily McGillicuddy
Fight Choreographer: Robert Najarian
The Cast
Albany – Kevin Blackwelder
Kent – John Blaylock*
Curan – Jonah Ramu Cohen
Lear – Dominic Cuskern*
Oswald – Andrew Danish
King of France, Captain, Soldier – Adam Ewer
Fool, Doctor – Andrew Firda*
Goneril – Suzy Kimball
Gentleman 1 – Mark Kinch
Gloucester – Elliott Mayer*
Edgar – Brandon Mears
Herald, Servant 2 – Peter Oliver
Cornwall – Ross Pivec
Regan – Molly Pope
Burgundy, Gentleman 2, Servant 2 – Jerrod Kazumi Popham
Cordelia – Jessica Rothenberg
Edmun – Montgomery Sutton*
*Appearing courtesy of AEA
King Lear (Dominic Cuskern) is amused by his Fool (Andrew Firda) in The Gallery Players’ production of The Tragedy of King Lear. Photo by Joshua Luria.
Players Shakespeare, The Gallery Players’ newly-created Summer Shakespeare Festival, presents Shakespeare’s classic tale of a king’s descent into madness. Dominic Cuskern, a Gallery Players veteran and long-time member of the Pearl Theatre Company’s Resident Acting company, stars as Lear.
King Lear is believed by many to be Shakespeare’s masterpiece. Written as a political and social commentary on post-Elizabethan England, King Lear demonstrates what results when individuals let vanity and greed lead them to trespass the bounds of order and proportion, ignoring their natural responsibility to family, community and country. The chaotic consequences: leaders renounce duty; fathers disown children; children displace fathers; war, homicide, fratricide, suicide, and madness. We join Lear and his counterpart, Gloucester, as they are stripped of position, power, family, and sanity – and in the process, through the unwavering devotion of Kent and the Fool, the filial loves of Edgar and Cordelia – discovering their humanity and what it means to forgive and be forgiven. Lear becomes the antithesis of his former arrogant self; he achieves a life without “lendings” – the accumulated material possessions we cling to for meaning – or the need of them.
NOTE: This show is an addendum to the regular season and is not part of our subscription packages.
Lear (Dominic Cuskern) mourns his youngest daughter, Cordelia (Jessica Rothenberg) in The Gallery Players’ production of The Tragedy of King Lear. Photo by Joshua Luria.
Performance Schedule
Thursday, July 23rd at 8pm
Friday, July 24th at 8pm
Saturday, July 25th at 2pm – matinee
Saturday, July 25th at 8pm
Sunday, July 26th at 3pm – matinee
Monday, July 27th at 7:30pm (Pay What You Can – cash at the door only)
Wednesday, July 29th at 8pm
Thursday, July 30th at 8pm
Friday, July 31st at 8pm
Saturday, August 1st at 2pm – matinee
Saturday, August 1st at 8pm
Sunday, August 2nd at 3pm – matinee, final performance
Producer: Dominic Cuskern/The Gallery Players
Associate Producers: Barrie Gelles, Nina Lutwick, & Hannah Mason
Festival Stage Manager: Andrea Herbert
Scenic/Props Designer: Starlet Jacobs
Costume Coordinator: Dara Fargotstein
Lighting Designer: Scott Andrew Cally
Sound Designer: Jack Kennedy
Where can a playwright find an outlet? Where can an audience see new works? The Gallery Players provides both of these in this Festival. Over the years of producing the Festival, we have developed works by countless playwrights, many of whom continue to work with The Gallery Players each year to incubate their new ideas. More than 300 plays have appeared in the Black Box New Play Festival since its inception and this year will bring even more writing and acting talent to the stage. Who knows what you’ll discover in the Box?
In this video, producer Dominic Cuskern, playwright TJ Edwards, and director Neal J. Freeman discuss The 13th Annual Black Box New Play Festival. See below for an additional video specifically about Box 1, Candide.
Box 1
Candide by TJ Edwards
June 3-6, 12-13, 19-20
Director – Neal J. Freeman
Stage Manager – Kelli Keith
Associate Producer – Hannah Mason
Assistant Director – Brian Letchworth
Props Designer – Starlet Jacobs
Costume Designer – Dara Fargotstein
Pictured (l to r): Len Rella and Montgomery Sutton in Candide. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
The Cast:
Candide – Montgomery Sutton*
Cunegonde – Alice Winslow
Pangloss – Len Rella*
Old Woman – Judy Alvarez
Cacambo – Emilie Soffe
Male 3 – Patrick Toon*
Male 4 – Kyle Minshew*
Male 5 – Andrew Davies
Male 6 – Kyle Metzger*
Female 4 – Amanda McCallum*
Female 5 – Minna Taylor
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
In this video, playwright TJ Edwards, director Neal J. Freeman, and lead actor Montgomery Sutton discuss Candide.
“Candide is ever the fun romp it intends to be. If you’re up for a laugh and feel like a farce, you would do well to check this production out. Totally fun!”
-Janelle Lannon, Theatre Is Easy
Candide has been taught by his mentor, Dr. Pangloss, that everything in the world is for the best. The boy embraces this doctrine on a sprawling, world-wide journey. However, his lessons in the world are quite contrary to what he has been taught in the classroom. Voltaire’s masterpiece, adapted for the stage in rhymed couplets by playwright TJ Edwards (The Pearl Theatre Company), is an assault on society, religion, human nature, education, government and above all, optimism. Candide’s journey is here enacted by 11 actors playing over 75 roles in a madcap journey to discover just what it is that makes life worth living.
Pictured (standing l to r): Montgomery Sutton and Alice Winslow in Candide. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
Performances:
Thursday, June 3rd at 8pm – opening night
Friday, June 4th at 8pm
Saturday, June 5th at 8pm
Sunday, June 6th at 3pm – matinee
Saturday, June 12th at 2pm – matinee
Sunday, June 13th at 7pm
Saturday, June 19th at 2pm – matinee
Sunday, June 20th at 7pm
Pictured (l to r): Montgomery Sutton and Emilie Soffe in Candide. Photo by Neal J. Freeman.
Box 2
A weekend of short plays.
June 10-13
Will You Sing Me a Lullaby by Michael Kevin Baldwin. Directed by Rachel C. Dart.
Michael is a 26 year old in the midst of a quarter life crisis. Intellectually adult, he yearns for the safe and carefree life of his childhood. Anna, his sister, has been bruised by life. Two of them find common ground by singing each other a lullaby.
Al Bashir by Erik Christian Hanson. Directed by Paul Brewster.
An assassination is in the works for President al-Bashir of Sudan. Hank has wanted this for years but his team seems to have last-minute reservations.
Under the Rug by Jamie Gerardi. Directed by Brian Maschka.
Two well-regarded upper crust citizens of New Hope, Pennsylvania have committed ghastly crimes. In this absurdist comedy, the quirky, older couple feels their offenses are fully justifiable. Needless to say the police react differently. The police are perplexed by the couple’s frustratingly circular logic, but also from the fact there is a dead body lying on the antique oriental rug.
A Meeting by Joseph Talarico. Directed by Barbara Danielle Harrison.
A priest and a young man enter a cramped room. The priest wants company. The young man may want something more.
Addiction Anonymous by David M. Korn. Directed by Allison Bressi.
An amusing look at the nature of twelve-step programs and their cultural proliferation.
The Remake by David L. Williams. Directed by Michael LaPolla.
Studio executive Leland is having a problem with Martin, a screenwriter he has under contract. Martin has written a screenplay he won’t show anyone. Leland demands to see the script and learns that Martin has written a remake of a movie that should never have been remade. The one problem? It’s a great script. What to do?
I Love New York by Corey Pajka. Directed by Chad Yarborough.
John Done is an underground poet, or so he likes to think. In reality, he’s an everyday working stiff riding the subway. He finds solace in his mp3 player. The interior of the train takes on John’s inner visions, as his imagination takes control. John spends much of the play trying to work up the courage to really talk to anyone. Can he resolve his fantasy with reality?
Performances:
Thursday, June 10th at 8pm
Friday, June 11th at 8pm
Saturday, June 12th at 8pm
Sunday, June 13th at 3pm
Seven Minutes by Lindsay Joy Murphy. Directed by Angela Dirksen.
Two high school kids stuck in a closet. One a boy with a darker past and the other a good girl born and bed in Brooklyn. They find common ground a spark of something more.
Winter Flowers by Lily Rusek. Directed by Heather Arnson.
Two older sisters are facing a crisis and life and death decisions have to be made.
15 Miles to the Horizon by Jeannine Jones. Directed by William Addiss.
Suzanne has been waiting for her blind date to meet her. He was supposed to be wearing a red tie. A handsome stranger strikes up a conversation. Will Suzanne take the chance? Will the stranger reveal that he was her blind date all along?
Memento Mimi by Denis Meadows. Directed by Kristine Ayers.
Middle-aged Wade decides to take a ferry ride, for old times sake, and runs into Mimi, an old flame. Except it’s not the same Mimi he last saw twenty years ago. Memory and reality clash in the short ride they share across the water.
Dignity by Joe Lauinger. Directed by Barrie Gelles.
The Holly Haven Health Care Center has very strict rules about patient behavior, and the old uncle of John Garfield, who is an elderly patient there, has apparently committed a gave offense against those rules. John has been summoned by Holly Haven’s Director to discuss the matter. The Director is a fierce defender of what she calls the dignity of her staff and moral integrity. Will John agree to the therapy she insists upon?
Karp’s Last Text by Corey Pajka. Directed by Ari Rosenbaum.
Andrew Karp was dumped last night with a voicemail. That’s bad. It’s the morning after and his ex-girlfriend won’t answer the phone. That’s bad. The only way she will talk to him is online or via text. Thats frustrating. Can two people truly communicate through a wall of technology? That’s the play.
Love Thy Neighbor by Camilla Maxwell. Directed by Mike Hayhurst.
A couple in suburban London, prepare for a lovely Sunday afternoon barbecue with friends. When the husband secretly invites the neighbors to join the party, nothing but trouble can ensue. Drinks will be had, preconceptions will be broken and dirty laundry will be aired. You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your neighbors.
Me by Maia Akiva. Directed by Sarah Bennett.
Suppose you were to come face to face with your destiny. The writer wants to find out what ever she can about her destiny but her destiny refuses to give her any information. Is her destiny right? Is it a bad thing to know one’s destiny? Or is it a good thing that will make our life easier?
Performances:
Thursday, June 17th at 8pm
Friday, June 18th at 8pm
Saturday, June 19th at 8pm
Sunday, June 20th at 3pm
Piece of Cake by Nora Vetter. Directed by Brian Michael Flanagan.
A young woman stops in at a bakery to order a birthday cake for her new boyfriend. It becomes a very complicated and fraught transaction but finally she gains clarity.
Hot Fudge Sundae by Corey Pajka. Directed by Tim O’Donnell.
A young man offers his favorite dessert in an otherwordly ice cream parlor. Before he can enjoy it, he’s visited by a strange little girl he is oddly familiar with. Only as the play progresses, and the girl’s life along with it, does he deduce their true link. Their time together is melting away almost as quickly as the sundae.
This Isn’t What It Looks Like by Philip Gerson. Directed by Kelly Johnston.
A soft-hearted liberal repeatedly stabs a sexy right-wing pundit-therapist with a carving knife. Why? To answer this we’re taken on the wild ride of a man forced to question his entire existence when his government job is outsourced to Nepal, his wife turns against him, his teenaged son refuses to leave his room and a curvy conservative talk-show host targets his family. Hilarious and harrowing, the story takes place in today’s nightmarish universe of hate politics, big media consolidation and isolating technology. It follows an average family as it surfs the brave new zeitgeist past the bedside of Terry Schiavo, rental sisters hired to treat video game addiction, and out-migration to California-stan.
Performances:
Thursday, June 24th at 8pm
Friday, June 25th at 8pm
Saturday, June 26th at 8pm
Sunday, June 27th at 3pm
Check back often to view a list of our current news and special announcements!
September 2009
The Gallery Players recently received two New York Innovative Theatre Awards for productions in its 2008-2009 season. Like You Like Itreceived the award for Best Musical Production marking the third year in a row that The Gallery Players has received this award. The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, a part of the 2008 Black Box New Play Festival, received the award for Best Play.
July 2009
Just weeks after announcing their 43rd season, The Gallery Players is proud to announce nominations for nine New York Innovative Theatre Awards for productions in its 2008-2009 season, including two for Outstanding Production of a Musical and one for Outstanding Production of a Play. This marks the third consecutive season The New York Innovative Theatre Awards has recognized The Gallery Players, who have received the honor of Outstanding Production of a Musical for the past two seasons.
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (June 2008) premiered in The 11th Annual Black Box New Play Festival and is nominated for three awards in playwrighting, performance and production: Outstanding Full Length Script, Nat Cassidy; Outstanding Leading Actor, David Ian Lee and Outstanding Production of a Play. The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots was co-produced with Engine37.
The Gallery Players’ production of the new hit musical, Like You Like It (November, 2008) is nominated for five awards in production, design and performance: Outstanding Choreography, Keith Andrews; Outstanding Featured Actress, Brynn Curry; Outstanding Costume Design, Hunter Kaczorowski; Outstanding Featured Actor, Clint Morris and Outstanding Production of a Musical.
The Gallery Players’ production of The Who’s Tommy (May 2009) is nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical.
May 2009
The Gallery Players was proud to nominate Adam Wieckowski of Adam’s Wines and Liquors for the ART/NY DeWitt Stern Local Hero Award for 2009. In a recent ceremony with keynote address by Bill Irwin, Adam was presented with the award! Congratulations Adam, and thank you for your continuing support of The Gallery Players.
Pictured (l to r): Artistic Director Heather Siobhan Curran with Brooklyn business owner Adam Wieckowski.
Auditions for this tongue-in-cheek musical inspired by the 1936 film continue September 7th. Click here for details.
Seeking Season Producers
We are seeking producers for some of the shows in our upcoming 44th season. Click here for details.
2010-2011 Subscriptions
To renew your subscription or to purchase a new subscription and become a supporter of The Gallery Players, click here.
Neighborhood Partners
We're proud to be part of the vibrant Park Slope community. Click here for a list of some of our favorite neighborhood stops, for coffee, wine, and more!
Mention The Gallery Players when ordering for a 15% discount!
The Gallery Players | 199 14th street | between 4th & 5th aves. | Brooklyn, NY 11215
