Freestyle Repertory Theatre returns to The Gallery Players with their popular family show, TheatreSports! The completely improvised show is presented as a good-natured competition between two teams of quick-witted actors who challenge each other to create scenes on the spot. Individual scenes are based on audience suggestions, and often willing audience members actually come up on stage to help out.
Ticket are $10 for kids. Parents get in free! Tickets are available at the door (cash only). No reservations required.
2011-12 TheatreSports dates (all Sundays at noon):
September 25
October 23
November 13
December 18
January 29
February 19
March 18
April 29
May 20
June 17
“Kooks on the loose” The New York Times
“A favorite with young audiences” New York Post
“It’s great family entertainment.” New York Newsday
“An innovative approach to children’s theater” Big Apple Parents’ Paper
“As performed by The Gallery Players, The Crucible is one of the finest examples of [local] theater in recent memory. The ample cast gives strong performances all around. Add in atmospheric lighting and the audience’s rapt attention, and you have a show well worth the ticket.”
-The Brooklyn Paper
“A triumphant success! It comes as no surprise that director Heather Siobhan Curran sought trained and experienced actors with considerable stamina for [The Crucible's] coveted roles. And she received them in scores. Every presence on the Park Slope stage deserved rounds of applause as the play did not contain a single weak link. The revered monologues of Miller were delivered with passion, poise and professionalism. [The Crucible is] an impeccably-written story, and the combination of Miller’s learned lines with admirable acting ability is a sure-fire formula.” -Olga Privman, Review Fix
“The Gallery Players brings to life one of the most exciting and well-written works in American theatre. A solid production that is worth the trip and price of admission. [Gil Brady's] John Proctor is explosive and heartfelt. With The Crucible, The Gallery Players continues to uphold its reputation for producing quality theatre.” -Le-Anne Garland, Theatre Is Easy
Producer – Graham Mills/The Gallery Players
Director – Heather Siobhan Curran
Associate Producer – Hannah Mason
Set Designer – Lilia Trenkova
Costume Designer – Megan Q. Dudley
Lighting Designer – David Roy
Sound Designer – Neal J. Freeman
Props Master – Virginia Monte
Dramaturg – Amanda White
Production Stage Manager – Michael Aaron Jones*
Assistant Stage Manager – Kristine Schlachter
Pictured (l to r): Genevieve Gearhart, Lindsay Mack, and Elisa Pupko in The Crucible. Photo by Bella Muccari.
The Cast
Judge Danforth – John Blaylock*
John Proctor – Gil Brady*
Reverend Hale – Daniel Damiano
Tituba – Lisa Darden*
Mercy Lewis – Genevieve Gearhart
Mary Warren – Emily Hagburg
Willard – Justin Herfel*
Reverend Parris – Frederic Heringes*
Thomas Putnam – John Isgro*
Giles Corey – Tom Lawson, Jr.*
Abigail Williams – Lindsay Mack
Francis Nurse – Russell Mahrt
Elizabeth Proctor – Rhyn McLemore*
Betty – Sofia Munn
Ann Putnam/Sarah Goode – Alison Ostergaard
Judge Hathorne – Bob Pritchard
Susanna – Elisa Pupko
Ezekiel Cheever – Joe Regan
Rebecca Nurse – Gina Stahlnecker*
*indicates members of Actors’ Equity Association
Pictured (l to r): Lindsay Mack and Gil Brady in The Crucible. Photo by Bella Muccari.
This exciting drama is both a gripping historical play and a timely parable. Based on historical people and real events, Miller’s classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. The story focuses on John Proctor, a farmer, and Abigail Williams, the young servant-girl who maliciously accuses Proctor’s wife Elizabeth of witchcraft. Proctor brings Abigail to court to admit the lie—and it is here that a monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. Proctor, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a mirror that Miller uses to reflect the anti-Communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s “witch-hunts” in the United States.
Pictured (l to r): Lindsay Mack, Daniel Damiano and the cast of The Crucible. Photo by Bella Muccari.
Performance Schedule
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 PM – Opening night
Sunday, March 21 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, March 25 at 8:00 PM
Friday, March 26 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 27 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, April 1 at 8:00 PM
Friday, April 2 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 3 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, April 3 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, April 4 at 3:00 PM – final performance
Book and Lyrics by Tony Kushner
Music by Jeanine Tesori
“If you have any level of investment in New York Theater, established or independent, you need to go to The Gallery Players production of Caroline, or Change. Please go, you will be glad you did, and you will kick yourself if you miss it. It was an astonishing performance, reinvigorating and inspiring. Mr. Viveros (The Bus/The Dryer) is among the top five voices I’ve ever been in the same room with. I can’t over-hype him enough. The real miracle, though, is Teisha Duncan (Caroline). She has a piece of music that leads to the end of the play, and only minutes into it did I realize that I was sitting there, mouth agape, hands over my eyebrows, in the presence of greatness. If you think that there are no productions worth seeing for $18, this show will change your entire worldview.” -SeanRants.com
“Brilliant material, and a production that does the company proud. If you haven’t seen this musical, you should. Duncan is giving one of the best musical performances I have ever seen on an off-off-Broadway stage.”
-Dan Dinero, Theatre Is Easy
“The Gallery Players’ production of Caroline, or Change lives up to Kushner’s theatre, theatre that can engage us emotionally and then push us politically. Housed in the comfortable yet intimate home of The Gallery Players and with a cast that pounds the stage with vigor and vibrato, this production is explosive.”
-Dan Kitrosser, nytheatre.com
“Caroline, or Change is one of the most difficult but compelling musicals of the past decade. So the mere fact that The Gallery Players, one of Brooklyn’s strongest Off-Off-Broadway theater companies, agreed to stage its first New York City revival is pretty impressive. Jeremy Gold Kronenberg’s elegant, solidly acted revival captures the characters’ emotional insecurities in full detail. Teisha Duncan gives a ferocious, thoroughly physical performance of Caroline that manages to wipe out any lingering memories of Tonya Pinkins’ acclaimed performance in the original production.”
-Matt Windman, AMNY
Brooklyn’s Gallery Players have long held a reputation for producing some of the finest productions at any level of New York theater. And yet despite such a pedigree, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Players had bit off more than they could chew with their current choice of show, Caroline, or Change. Could the Gallery Players pull off a show this profound? The answer is a resounding yes. Every aspect of Jeremy Gold Kronenberg’s carefully nourished production is magnificent.
-Doug Strassler, offoffonline.com
Producer – Lanie Zipoy/The Gallery Players
Director – Jeremy Gold Kronenberg
Music Director – Nehemiah Luckett
Assistant Director – Allison Bressi
Choreographer – Micheal Rice
Set Designer – Edward T. Morris
Costume Designer – Soule Golden
Lighting Designer – Mike Billings
Sound Designer – Jillian Marie Walker
Production Stage Manager – Andrew Zachary Cohen*
Assistant Stage Manager – Marina Steinberg
Pictured (l to r): Daniel Henri Luttway and Teisha Duncan in The Gallery Players’ production of Caroline, or Change. Photo by Bella Muccari.
The Cast
Caroline Thibodeaux – Teisha Duncan
Noah Gellman – Daniel Henri Luttway
Rose Gellman – Eileen Tepper*
Stuart Gellman – Peter Gantenbein*
Emmie Thibodeaux – Elyse McKay Taylor*
Radio – Heather Davis, Markeisha Ensley*, & Nikki Stephenson*
Bus/Dryer – Frank Viveros*
Moon – Gisela Adisa*
Washing Machine – Marcie Henderson*
Dotty – Ellisha Marie Thomas
Grandma Gellman – Gael Schaefer*
Grandpa Gellman – John Weigand*
Mr. Stopnick – Bill Weeden*
Jackie Thibodeaux – Barrington Walters Jr.
Joe Thibodeaux – River Aguirre
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Pictured (l to r): Marcie Henderson and Teisha Duncan in The Gallery Players’ production of Caroline, or Change. Photo by Bella Muccari.
Set in 1963 in sleepy Lake Charles, Louisiana, Caroline, or Change centers its action on the Gellman family and their African-American maid, Caroline. “Nothing ever happen underground in Louisiana / ‘Cause there ain’t no underground in Louisiana / There is only underwater.” Caroline informs the audience at the beginning of the show, and Caroline herself is underwater, drifting through her life, nearly paralyzed by her circumstances – a single mother of four working in a service job to a white family. Caroline spends her days in the basement laundry room, with the Washing Machine (a sultry Caribbean blues singer), Dryer (a fiery R&B singer), and radio (a Supremes-like trio), with an afternoon visit from the young Gellman son, Noah, who is just as isolated upstairs in his home as Caroline is downstairs. A fragile, yet beautiful friendship has developed between Noah and Caroline since his mother’s death. Noah’s new stepmother Rose, unable to give Caroline a raise, tells Caroline that she may keep the money Noah leaves in his pockets. Caroline balks, and refuses to take money from a child – but her own children desperately need food, clothing and shoes…Does she or doesn’t she?
Performance Schedule SOLD OUT Saturday, January 30 at 8:00 PM – Opening night
Sunday, January 31 at 3:00 PM – matinee SOLD OUT Thursday, February 4 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Friday, February 5 at 8:00 PM – Alumni Night SOLD OUT Saturday, February 6 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Sunday, February 7 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, February 11 at 8:00 PM
Friday, February 12 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Saturday, February 13 at 2:00 PM – matinee SOLD OUT Saturday, February 13 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Sunday, February 14 at 3:00 PM – matinee SOLD OUT Thursday, February 18 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Friday, February 19 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Saturday, February 20 at 2:00 PM – matinee SOLD OUT Saturday, February 20 at 8:00 PM SOLD OUT Sunday, February 21 at 3:00 PM – final performance
Pictured (l to r): Nikki Stephenson, Heather Davis, Teisha Duncan, and Markeisha Ensley in The Gallery Players’ production of Caroline, or Change. Photo by Bella Muccari.
By Christopher Durang
Original Music by Michael Friedman
Illustration by Michael C. Malbrough
“Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge has all the Durangian insanity you’ve come to expect. The main attraction is Joanna Parson’s very funny rendering of Mrs. Cratchit.”
-Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times
“Modern, funny, refreshing, and filled with spirit. I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite, funniest moment of the show, and that’s a good thing. Just when you think it can’t get any funnier or more bizarre, it does. Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge is definitely the antidote for those suffering from the syrupy schmaltz so often associated with holidays. If you see one holiday show this season, I recommend this one!”
-J Jordan, nytheatre.com
“Any version of Dickens’ classic in which Scrooge buys the Cratchit family McDonalds’ happy meals for their holiday feast is okay by me. For Durang fans, a trip to Brooklyn would seem to be in the Christmas cards.”
-Erik Haagensen, Backstage
“Christopher Durang presents a masterful mix of merriment and mirth in his absolutely delightful Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, a hilarious send-up of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,†now being given its New York premiere by The Gallery Players. The play is a hoot from start to finish, injecting a breath of fresh air (and numerous topical references) into a beloved holiday tale. Fun for the entire family, it’s a nice yuletide treat for all.”
-Judd Hollander, The Epoch Times
Producer: Robin Mishik-Jett/The Gallery Players
Director: Trey Compton
Music Director: Jason Burrow
Associate Producer: Craig Anthony Bannister
Set Designer: Lilia Trenkova
Costume Designer: Steven Manuel
Lighting & Sound Designer: David Roy
Props Master: Virginia Monte
PSM: Kyle Atkins*
ASM: Emily Louick
Assistant Director: Mikey LoBalsamo
Pictured (l to r): Joanna Parson, Doug Plaut, Angela Dirksen, and Adam Segaller in The Gallery Players’ production of Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. Photo by Bella Muccari.
The Cast
Scrooge – Douglas Rees*
Ghost – Safiya Fredericks*
Mrs. Bob Cratchit – Joanna Parson*
Bob Cratchit – Adam Segaller*
Tiny Tim – Doug Plaut
Boy – Sloan Grenz*
Girl – Carly Vernon
Female 1 – Angela Dirksen
Female 2 – Sarah Amandes
Male 1 – E.C. Kelly*
Male 2 – Greg Kalafatas
Male 3 – Kyle Metzger*
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Pictured: Douglas Rees in The Gallery Players’ production of Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. Photo by Bella Muccari.
Pictured (l to r): Joanna Parson and Adam Segaller in The Gallery Players’ production of Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. Photo by Bella Muccari.
Performance Schedule
Saturday, December 5 at 8:00 PM – Opening night
Sunday, December 6 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, December 10 at 8:00 PM
Friday, December 11 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 12 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, December 12 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 13 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, December 17 at 8:00 PM
Friday, December 18 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, December 19 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 20 at 3:00 PM – final performance
October 24 – November 15th, 2009 – Extended by popular demand!
Music by Jeffrey Lodin
Book and Lyrics by William Squier
Illustration by Michael C. Malbrough
Producer: Heather Siobhan Curran/The Gallery Players
Director: Neal J. Freeman
Music Director: Lilli Wosk
Choreographer: Katharine Pettit
Set Designer: Ann Bartek
Associate Set Designer/Props Master: Elyse Handelman
Costume Designer: Megan Q. Dudley
Assistant Costume Designer: Tracy Klein
Lighting Designer: Tsubasa Kamei
Video Designer/Supervisor: Nicholas Meyer
Production Stage Manager: Caitlin Orr
Assistant Stage Manager: Janice Acevedo
Assistant Director: Allison Bressi
Pictured (l to r): Kenny Wade Marshall and David Perlman in The Gallery Players’ production of Top of the Heap. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
The Cast
Ronny Mauro – Kenny Wade Marshall*
Gil Webster – David Perlman*
Elsa Orwell – Anette Michelle Sanders*
Meryl Dean – Hollis Scarborough*
Coochie Kovack – Lorinne Lampert*
Edgar Callahan – James Andrew Walsh*
Harmon Laybourne – Greg Horton*
Sidney – Ray Bendana*
Joey/Ensemble – Roy Flores
Phyllis/Ensemble – Tina Marie Casamento*
Ensemble – Josh Bates, Ronn Burton, John Cardenas, Kristin Farrell*, Carolyn Hartvigsen, Natasha Soto-Albors*
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
It’s New York City, 1955. The Brooklyn Dodgers are about to square off with the Yankees in a World Series that will net “dem bums” their first title in fifty-five years. So, T.V.’s most popular variety program, ‘Top of the Heap,’ is headed to Brooklyn for a live, remote broadcast tied into the Series. A struggling pair of nightclub comics see this as a chance to bluff their way out of the dives where they perform and into television. But, they soon discover just how high a price they’ll have to pay. Top of the Heap features a timeless jazz-inflected score with music by Jeffrey Lodin and book and lyrics by William Squier. The Stamford Advocate called Top of the Heap, “A gritty musical that takes a look at the darker side of showbiz.â€
Listen to the Broadway Bullet podcast featuring lyricist/bookwriter William Squier, composer Jeffrey Lodin, and director Neal J. Freeman, including performances of three songs from the show.
Pictured: Kenny Wade Marshall and the cast of The Gallery Players’ production of Top of the Heap. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
Top of the Heap is directed by The Gallery Players’ Executive Director, Neal J. Freeman (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Gallery Players; Ensemble Studio Theatre; Sonnet Rep): “Directing Top of the Heap at The Gallery Players is a special privilege for me. As a Brooklyn-based artist, it is easy for me to identify with the struggle of the two leads against the odds to make something special happen for themselves in their home borough. As I walk to rehearsal every day, I imagine the characters working and living on a street just like ours some 50 years ago, and it is both humbling and exhilarating to step into the theater and help to bring the story to life on our stage. I read the piece before listening to it and was immediately captured by the elegance of the story telling. Hearing the wonderfully unique and jazzy score sealed the deal. I knew this was a piece I wanted to direct.”
“Not for nothing is William Squier and Jeffey Lodin’s musical comedy titled “Top of the Heap.†-Rockford Register Star
“A gritty musical that takes a look at the darker side of showbiz.â€- The Stamford Advocate
Pictured (l to r): Kenny Wade Marshall and Anette Michelle Sanders in The Gallery Players’ production of Top of the Heap. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
Performance Schedule
Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 PM – Opening night
Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 PM
Friday, October 30 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 31 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 1 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Thursday, November 5 at 8:00 PM
Friday, November 6 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, November 7 at 2:00 PM – matinee, TALKBACK WITH AUTHORS
Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 8 at 3:00 PM – matinee
Added performances:
Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 PM
Friday, November 13 at 8:00 PM – ALUMNI NIGHT
Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 PM – matinee
Saturday, November 14 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 PM – final performance
Jeffrey Lodin’s (Music) scores include: Young Abe Lincoln (Theatreworks USA, book/lyrics: John Allen-Promenade Theatre and U.S. Tour in 1994-1995, Disney’s Doug Live! (Walt Disney World, lyrics: W. Squier), About Face (BMI, Dramatist’s Guild, NAMT 08, book/lyrics: David Arthur), 100 Years into the Heart (Village Theater 07 Festival of New Musicals, Spirit of Broadway, NYMF 04, book: Richard Vetere, Lyrics: W. Squier), Rebels 1775 (Starlight Theatre, Spirit of Broadway, book: J. Allen, Mana Allen, W. Squier, lyrics: W. Squier, J. Allen), Nice People (book/lyrics: Tony Tanner), Naughty Girl (CAP21, book/lyrics: Scott Hayes, co-music: Christopher Seppe). Currently working on Blindsided By A Diaper (book: Dana Hilmer & W. Squier, lyrics: W. Squier). His songs appear on television: P.B.&J. Otter; film: Doug’s First Movie; the International Children’s Festival (lyrics: W. Squier); cd: A Celebration of Life (lyrics: D. Arthur; vocals: Randy Graff & Judy Kuhn). Recent Music Direction credits include the world premieres of Glimmerglass (Cohen/Drachman/Bolt), Love, Inc. (Marc Castle) and Liberty, the Musical (Goldstein/Goldstein). He has conducted for Chita Rivera and the late great Greg Burge, and played piano for Andy Gibb and Mongo Santamaria, amongst others. He was awarded a 2004 Meet the Composer Grant by the New England Foundation for the Arts. Jeff is a proud member of the Dramatist’s Guild.
William Squier (Book & Lyrics) is an Emmy Award winner (WKYC-TV’s Unusual Phenomenon) whose plays and musicals have appeared Off-Bway: The Treatment of Doctor Love (Playhouse 91); Off-Off Bway: G-Man (Nat Horne Theatre), Babalu (Sanford Meisner, music/co-lyrics: J. Goldstein); Walt Disney World: Disney’s Doug Live! (music: J. Lodin); regionally: Boywonder (Contemporary Arts, Depot Theatre), 100 Years into the Heart (Village Theater 07 Festival of New Musicals, Spirit of Broadway Theatre, NYMF 04, book: R. Vetere, music: J. Lodin), The Klemperers’ New Clothes (Actors’ Playhouse, LA Festival of New American Musicals, music: N. Weiss), Rebels 1775 (Starlight Theatre, Spirit of Broadway, co-book: J. Allen, M. Allen, music: J. Lodin), Route 66 (Kansas City Crossroads Festival 06, Village Theater 09 Festival of New Musicals, co-book: J. Goldstein, music: F. Stark), The 3 Scrooges (Curtain Call, Ingersoll Theatre, licensed by Miracle of 2 Productions, music/co-book: J. Goldstein) and most recently Blindsided By A Diaper (book: Dana Hilmer, music: J. Lodin); television: It’s the Weekend (ABC, music: J. Goldstein), P.B.&J. Otter (Disney Channel, music: J. Lodin); film: Doug’s First Movie (music: J. Lodin); in workshop: ASCAP/Disney Musical Theater Workshop (CA, FL & NY) among others. He received a 2003 Connecticut Artist Fellowship, grants from the Puffin Foundation and the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, the Coleman A. Jennings Award, Jackie White Memorial Award and 11th Annual National Children’s Festival’s new script award. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI.
Production History/Acknowledgements
Jeffrey Lodin and William Squier began writing Top of the Heap in the Tony-Honored BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. The musical was further developed via readings at the Broadway Theater Institute, Collaborative Arts Project 21, the Dramatist’s Guild Musical Theatre Workshop, New American Theater’s New Voices in the Heartland Festival (Rockford, IL), Theater Building Chicago and York Theater Company. It was first fully staged at Curtain Call, Inc., (Stamford, CT) in 2004. Top of the Heap was one of the winners of the 2006 Global Search for New Musicals and presented at the Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theater. It spent five weeks in 2007 at the Spirit of Broadway Theater (Norwich, CT). While the musical was in performance at SBT, it was also given the National Music Theater Network’s ‘Director’s Choice’ Award and performed at the New York Musical Theater Festival.
“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
Producer: Dominic Cuskern/The Gallery Players
Lighting designer: Sarah Watson
Sound designer: Jacob Subotnick
Production Stage Manager: Kristine A. Ayers
Assoc. Producers: Sidney Fortner/Graham Mills
Assistant Stage Manager: Fahim Hamid
Through the month of June, The Gallery Players celebrates playwrights and new works in The 12th Annual Black Box New Play Festival. Each weekend is a new experience as The Gallery Players introduces new crops of talent and celebrates its alumni.
Pictured (l to r): John William Schiffbauer and Kiran Malhotra in The Gallery Players’ production of Father Mike. Photo by Bella Muccari.
Performances take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8pm, and Sunday afternoons at 3pm.
Box 1
June 4-7
Father Mike by T.J. Edwards
Directed by Mark Harborth
The Cast:
Alice Francis – Christine Barclay
Regina Francis – Leslie Boles
Mike Francis – Michael Edmund
Agnes Francis – Sue Glausen Smith
Teresa Miller – Kiran Mulhotra
Angela Francis – Lauren Meley
Michael Francis Jr – John William Schiffbauer
Workshopped at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in 2008, Father Mike is a nostalgic comedy that takes place in 1955 in the home of a proud Catholic family.
Box 2
June 11-14
Nobody Does Carpet Like Bill by Edward Versailles, directed by Barrie Gelles
Bill King – Hank Sbrocco
Richard King – Joey Davis
Tricia – Kristin Wahrheit
Given Our Current Fiscal Crisis by Daniel Damiano, directed by Amanda White
Sharon – Alison Blair
Tom – Mathew Minor
Peter – George Stavropolis
Bill – D.H. Johnson
Unfinished Debasement by Michael Kevin Baldwin, directed by Andrew Firda
Man – Richard Flight
Woman – Sharon Thompson
Bugs by Rich Espey, directed by Barrie Gelles
Mr. Wagner – Andy Stokan
Maddy – Erika Helen Smith
Mrs. Fox – Kristin Wahrheit
Philosophy 101 by Allan B. Lefcowitz, directed by Chad Yarborough
Socrates – Robert Kiernan
Asst. Dean – D.L. Sams
June – Kristin Dausch
Malcolm X Davies – Joe Sonnenblick
Billy – Nelson Felix
Tippy – Alla Bronskaya
Father/Coach – John Levine
Phil – John Rosania
Box 3
June 18-21
Honey & Candy by Lauren Cavanaugh, directed by Justine Campbell-Elliott
Candy – Nikki Gold
Honey – Elyse Brandau
Monitor – David Montgomery
Distastefully Yours by Denis Meadows, directed by Robin Leslie Brown
Gil – Michael Edmund
Mo – John Rosania
Tiffany – Valerie Best
Beautiful World by Kevin Christopher Snipes, directed by Seth Soloway
Hester – Rachel Wright
Ryder – Jeff Campanella
Swan – Andrew Davies
Demme – Jared Rinaldi
Gertrude – Patricia McNamara
Finch – Hank Sbrocco
Inhale by Victoria T. Joseph, directed by Taibi Magar
Rose – Kirsty Meares
Lorraine – Kelly Jackson Garcia
Max – Jesse Wilson
Box 4
June 25-28
In the Shadow of the Lighthouse by Carolina Aguilera
Directed by Dev Bondarin
The Cast:
Alex – Daniela Thome
Antonia – Kate Dulcich
Max – Victoria Garwood
Ryan – David Marshall
David – Lucas Dixon
Judge – TBA
In the Shadow of the Lighthouse opens in 1999 with three friends spending a week at the beach before one of them gets married and moves away. A decade later as the group convenes in the same beach house, the friends realize the cost of the choices they’ve made and find betrayal and loyalty in unexpected places.
Free Readings on Saturdays
Please join us on the following Saturday afternoons at 3pm for free play readings of up-and-coming scripts:
June 13th: The Dog Show by David Ian Lee
June 20th: Dream Wedding by Ellen Orchid
June 27th: Candide by T.J. Edwards
Pictured (l to r): Leslie Boles, Michael Edmund and Christine Barclay in The Gallery Players’ production of Father Mike. Photo by Bella Muccari.
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?
Music and Lyrics by Pete Townshend
Book by Des McAnuff and Pete Townshend
Additional Music and Lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon
May 2-24, 2009
“The Gallery Players does such a bang-up job with The Who’s Tommy that you’ll be asking, Tommy, can I see you — again?’”
-Mike McLaughlin, The Brooklyn Paper
“A smashing production. Tom Wojtunik’s production manages to combine the technical wonder of the Broadway show with a newfound sense of intimacy.”
-Matt Windman, AMNY
Producer: Katie Adams/The Gallery Players
Associate Producer: Katharine Vandergriff
Director: Tom Wojtunik
Assistant Director: Molly A. Marinik
Choreographer: Christine O’Grady
Associate Choreographer: Sidney Erik Wright
Music Director: Paul Seiz
Production Stage Manager: Lara Terrell*
Assistant Stage Manager: DaVonne Bacchus
Set Designer: Michael Kramer
Lighting Designer: Chris Walsh
Costume Designer: Hunter Kaczorowski
Sound Designer: Kate Foretek
Projection Designer: Ron Amato
Pictured (l to r): Brett Travis, Anna Lise Jensen, and Daniel Henri Luttway in The Gallery Players’ production of The Who’s Tommy. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
The Cast
Uncle Ernie – Nathan Brisby
Lover/1st Pinball Lad/Ensemble – John Ashley Brown*
2nd Pinball Lad/Ensemble – Kennen Butler*
Mrs. Simpson/Ensemble – Alexis DeDonato
Specialist Assistant/Ensemble – Hayley Driscoll
Captain Walker – Tommy Foster*
The Gypsy/Ensemble – Marcie Henderson*
1st Officer/Hawker/Ensemble – Tyson Jennette*
Mrs. Walker – Anna Lise Jensen*
Tommy (Age 10) – Daniel Henri Luttway
Sally Simpson/Ensemble – Blair Moore
2nd Officer/Hawker’s Assistant/Ensemble – Alex Pearlman
Minister/Judge/Ensemble – Jan-Peter Pedross*
Cousin Kevin – David Perlman*
Tommy (Age 4) – Anthony Pierini
1st Nurse/Kevin’s Mother – Mia Romero
Minister’s Wife/Ensemble – Chloe Sabin
Kevin’s Father/Mr. Simpson/Ensemble – Mitchell Scott Shapiro
Specialist/Ensemble – Ryan Stone
Tommy – Brett Travis
*appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Pete Townshend’s tale of a young boy’s journey from pain to triumph is the most electrifying evening of rock and roll ever to play in a theatre. The classic ’60s rock opera by The Who was translated to the stage by theatrical wizard Des McAnuff into a high-energy, one-of-a-kind theatrical event. The exhilarating score is timeless in its youthful appeal, giving the show a cross-generational appeal that has made it a smash-hit around the world. The Who’s Tommy’s 1993 Broadway debut garnered five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score.
Pictured: The company of The Gallery Players’ production of The Who’s Tommy. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
Director Tom Wojtunik may be a veteran of The Gallery Players, but this production of the classic rock musical is all new: “It’s very different from the material I’ve worked on at The Gallery Players in the past. At its heart, The Who’s Tommy is a coming of age story, and rock music from its inception has always been about that defining moment in our lives when we break away from our parents and face the world on our own—the elation and fear of this moment has always thrilled me about this story. Our production of The Who’s Tommy will employ a number of technical elements to help tell the story and do justice to Townshend’s terrific rock score—most importantly an elaborate sound and projection design. The Who’s music still retains such invigorating power, it’s hard to believe the original album was released forty years ago. We’re looking forward to blowing the roof off the theatre with a cast of talented signers and a rocking band led by musical director Paul Seiz.â€
Pictured: Brett Travis as Tommy in The Gallery Players’ production of The Who’s Tommy. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.
Performance Schedule SOLD OUT: Saturday, May 2nd at 8 pm – opening night
Sunday, May 3rd at 3 pm – matinee
Thursday, May 7th at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Friday, May 8th at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Saturday, May 9th at 8 pm
Sunday, May 10th at 3 pm – matinee
Thursday, May 14th at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Friday, May 15th at 8 pm
Saturday, May 16th at 2 pm – matinee SOLD OUT: Saturday, May 16th at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Sunday, May 17th at 3 pm – matinee SOLD OUT: Thursday, May 21st at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Friday, May 22nd at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Saturday, May 23rd at 2 pm – matinee SOLD OUT: Saturday, May 23rd at 8 pm SOLD OUT: Sunday, May 24th at 3 pm- final performance
Freestyle Repertory Theatre returns to The Gallery Players with their popular family show, TheatreSports! The completely improvised show is presented as a good-natured competition between two teams of quick-witted actors who challenge each other to create scenes on the spot. Individual scenes are based on audience suggestions, and often willing audience members actually come up on stage to help out. 
