Over 80 Years!
Equity
Library Theater
of New York
(and
The Woodside Players of Queens, The Fifth Avenue Theater of New York)
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Equity
Library Theater has
been presenting short plays (comedy, drama and musicals) by writers from around
the globe, in association with the NYPL, since 1943 as a sort of New York City road-show, with performances rotating among many theaters
built during the Depression in branches of the New York Public Library.
Equity Library Theater won the Off-Broadway Theatre Tony Award twice, in 1953
and in 1977. Today they present their works for all to enjoy in person and in a
virtual setting.
“Actors Free Co-op” meets weekly (Sundays
8-10pm ET) on Zoom. It is a nurturing space to work on monologues, cold reads,
scenes, improv, exercises, commercial copy, get help with self-tape setups,
etc. - whatever the group wants.NO COST WHATSOEVER! FREE FOREVER! Actors of all levels are
welcome. It's OK to just observe. Attend often or occasionally. We'll have
rotating facilitators. (We encourage actors to step into this role occasionally.)
Bring your own material to work on or let the group assign something for you.
The email address of group is:
actorsfreecoop@gmail.com. Folks
can send their contact info to be on our mailing list/get the Zoom link. We
have an Eventbrite account in case actors prefer to sign up for specific dates
there: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/actors-free-co-op-79624123403.We also have
a Facebook page which has the link to Eventbrite signup and
also has our email address: http://facebook.com/actorsfreecoop.
New! Join us at the NYPL Kingsbridge/Riverdale Branch May 4th.
Details here.
All actors are welcome for
an afternoon of scene work, exercises, and conversation about the art of the
stage.
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May 19th and June 23rd at 1pm, Fifth Avenue Theater of New York
presents an hour of short new plays at 650 Fifth Avenue, SW corner of 52
Street, down escalator. Details at www.clubfreetime.com. Free for
all to attend!
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The “In the Grove Players”,
based at Maple Grove Cemetery, in Kew Gardens, Queens, is presenting an
afternoon of short historical monologues May 11th 4pm in their
Cultural Center. Seeking actors to perform short monologues.!
You can view images from
their most recent production here: https://www.friendsofmaplegrove.org/post/the-suffragist-murder-mystery-weekend.
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January 21st, 2024, Equity Library Theater presented an
online performance of short selections from “The Comic Entertainer” compiled by
Henry L. Williams (1902).
May 26th, 2024, at 1pm.
Piano Piano
Studios
37 W 65th St 4th Floor, New York.
Equity Library Theater of New York
presents a staged reading of the 1897 apocalyptic short story “The Star” by HG Wells, with Broadway actors. Runs
about an hour. Seating is limited. Reservations required.
Email: equitylibrarytheater@gmail.com.
“On New Year's Day (about 1900,
presumably), astronomers announce that the orbit of the planet Neptune has
become erratic. Soon it's discovered that a strange luminous object has entered
the Solar System, its gravitational pull causing the disturbance. This story is
often credited with having created a science fiction subgenre depicting the
impact event of a planet or star colliding, or near-colliding with Earth.”
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June
1st, 2024, at 1pm.
New
York Public Library Hamilton Grange Branch
503 W
145th St, New York, NY 10031 (212) 926-2147
Equity
Library Theater of New York presents an afternoon of short plays by fresh
voiced writers. Free to attend!
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“More Tales from The Times - Selections from the Metropolitan
Diary” March 10, 2024, at 1pm. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 331 E 70th St,
New York, NY 10021
Over 20 actors presented short vignettes based on the popular and
often hilarious New York Times Saturday section.
Submissions are being accepted for the Equity Library Theater of
New York Summer 2024 Virtual Play Festival. Seeking short plays (no more than
10 pp/minutes), from playwrights from around the globe. Also seeking monologues
(no more than 5pp/minutes). Musicals welcome! We post your YouTube link of the
performance to the festival site for voting.
One submission per playwright. No submission fees. Please include name,
address, telephone number and email address on your submission. We do not
produce your work; we provide a venue for you to present actors performing your
play. There are no costs involved for anyone. Seeking actors and directors,
too! Deadline: September 1, 2024. Email
submissions to: equitylibrarytheater@gmail.com.
Winter
2024 Virtual Festival! Watch the entries below and vote for your favorite by
texting 631 898 4205.
Voting
ends May 31, 2024
Louis and Clark – David Guaspari
Blue Nightmare Vocation – Hunyah Irfan
The We
Heart Christopher H. Mahoney Through Time and Space Forever Club - Bailey
Jordan Garcia
Where’s This (play) Train Going? – Bruce Guelden
Questioning Authority – Michael Chepiga
I Am the Center of My Universe - Nora Louise Syran
Sadie Hawkins Dance – Ryan Vaughn
Dialogue with an Extrovert – Robert Csoma
Who Needs A Playwright? – Helen Cheng Mao
The Ballad of Lulu and Dad - Festival Cut – Wayne Paul Mattingly
Beautiful Sludge – Gordon Blitz
Dancing Kitties – Sally Connors
AIDEN - A Short Sci-Fi Musical – Clay Herzberg
Call Me Your Queen – Ryan Vaughn
Little Kasia Meets the God of
Death – Andrea Berting
A Small Victory – Matthew Menendez
The Packsaddle Librarian – Benjamin Peel
The Dream People - Patrick McEvoy
For more free events
(theater, dance, workshops, readings, deals, etc.), in New York City, visit www.clubfreetime.com.
Please consider
becoming a member of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, visit www.actorsguild.org for more information. The mission of the Episcopal Actors' Guild
is to provide emergency aid and support to professional performers of all faiths and none
who are undergoing financial crisis. We are also dedicated to helping emerging
artists advance their careers through scholarships, awards, and performance opportunities. See their many events here: https://www.actorsguild.org/calendar.html
This class
is designed for the beginning adult actor seeking experience and feedback. The
class highlights ways to make your performance more natural and spontaneous.
Attendees will work with ensemble building games, script analysis, scene study,
and stage production. New York director Johnny Culver moderates the sessions.
No experience is necessary. Space is limited. The class meets the 4th
Saturday of each month, 12:30 - 2pm. Runs until July 2024, with a performance
at Lincoln Center.
More info,
email: equitylibrarytheater@gmail.com. Or visit
the NYPL site.
We
have another weeknight session, meets the third Thursday of every month, at the
West End Community Church on the Upper West Side at 6pm. Contact us if interested in attending.
And
Now in session! “Queens Public Library Astoria
Branch Writing Workshop”! Meets the third Saturday of every month @1pm. Next
session, April 20th, 2024. 14-01
Astoria Blvd. (718)
278-2220
Bring your five minute or less monologue, poem,
play, story, etc. to share, actors welcome! Details below.
https://www.queenslibrary.org/calendar/writing-workshop-for-adults/002124-0823
Past event! Sunday,
January 28th at 3pm,
“Back to The
Monologue Table”, @ QED Astoria
27-16 23rd Avenue
Astoria, NY 11105.
Equity Library
Theater of New York & the Woodside Players of Queens presented short solo
scenes by local actors. Cynthia Gale Valdes hosted. Watch here!
Click here for a video of our December 2023 performance.
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Equity Library Theater of New York Summer 2023 Virtual and In Person
Play Festival. Watch all submissions below.
Sunset Phenomena – Linda Pallotta
The Actor Prepares – Donna Sisco
Lois Returns – John Minigan (Special Mention – Acting)
Strangers in a City - Steph Prizhitomsky
The Edge of Tonight – Parker
Jenkins (Tie Best Play)
Prodigal Son/Someone Saw Me
– Alexia Star
Coke? I Don't
Like Coke - John McDonnell Tierney (Tie Best Actor)
Boyfriend – Robert Kapler (Tie Best Play)
If I Only Had No Heart – Maripat Allen
The Bunker Thought – Peter Curry
Dog Therapy/Therapy Dog
- Stefan Diethelm
It’s a Dog’s Life – Fran
Handman
My Beau Brian - Rose-Mary
Harrington, performed by Penelope Grover
The Tale of Superfly@ Ball
State University – AJ Dorough
Irresistible Impulse –
Barbara Alfaro
From Train to Train - Steve
Duprey
The Sticking Point – Fran
Handman
Quantum’s Big Picture –
Begonya Plaza-Rosenbluth (Tie Best Actor)
Alone inside the Box – Nick Maynard (Special Mention – Acting)
Guys in the Wild –
Felix Racelis (Tie Best Play)
Street Fight - David Malouf (Tie Best
Actor) (Tie Best Play)
The video contains profanity
and violent language.
Below! Equity Library Theater of New York Summer
2023 Play Festival!
August 12th at 1pm at the NYPL
18 West 53rd Street Branch (212) 714 8400. Featuring short works by: Leonard
Goodisman, Cynthia Morrison, Sophia Valera Heinecke, Zoé
Badovinac, Riley Yates, Sarah Congress, Cynthia
Cooper, Steve Duprey.
August 19th at 1pm at the
Queens Library Astoria Branch 14-01 Astoria Blvd, 11105 (718) 278 2220.
Featuring short works by: Nicholas Bompart, Katie Stahl, Christopher Woods,
Alexia Star, Nick Maynard.
August 26th at 1pm at the NYPL
18 West 53rd Street Branch (212) 714 8400. Featuring short works by: Jack
Rushton, Lenny Hort, Marjorie Conn, Mark Schardine, William Zolla, Paul O.
Mims, Begonya Plaza, Tom Padovano, Dakota Silvey
The
history of Equity Library Theater can be read, here.
Visit the 2023 Secret Theater Summer One Act
Festival, here.
Visit
“Genoveva _Productions”, here.
Visit
Elmwood Community Playhouse, Inc., here.
Visit our
Community Partner, City Gate Productions, here.
Free Theater within the NYC Parks, here.
Writing by Johnny
Culver (here).
Links to other NYC area theater groups:
425 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011 Watch here!
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Exclusive Benefit Performance - July 30th @1pm in New
York City!
Equity Library Theater of New York presented a play by Johnny
Culver.
“The Bermuda Curse”
With:
Sasha Henriques,
Griffin Ostrowski,
Laurie Sammeth,
Cynthia Gale Valdes
Peyton Place, horses wearing blankets, the Flushing train, grouchy
Miss Rivas, John Wayne and more in this one-hour comedy!
Place: The Customer Service Office of a small New York publishing
company.
Time: A Monday in January. A few decades ago. Photos here!
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Past
Event! May 21 at 1pm, The Fifth Avenue Theater of New York presented
an afternoon of short new plays. @ 650 Fifth Avenue, lower level, enter on 52nd
Street.
Featuring
works by Sarah Congress, Michael Chepiga, Laurel
Lockhart, Parker Cross, Denis Meadows, Jen Ju, Julia Genoveva and more. Over 60
people attended the 90 minute event.
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Recently…
“Hide and Seek”
A new play by Dena Levin
June 10th and 11th at 2pm at the New Stage Theater
“This is a play about
David, a sixteen-year-old, in the process of coming to terms with his
sexuality. Adolescence is a difficult
time for most teenagers, and it is for David. Sharing wonderful times with his
Aunt Liz, David becomes aware how people have overcome challenges in their
lives. He becomes enlightened and learns how he will navigate his life, even
with an obstacle, his father!” See photos here.
With: Sasha Henriques,
Griffin Ostrowski, Gus Ferrari, Noah Kleinberg, Julia Genoveva
and Tess Chadwick. Johnny Culver
directed.
St. Mary’s Drama
Guild of Woodside presented
“The Sound of
Music”.
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VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS
OF NEW YORK
The Village
Playwrights presented staged readings of
short plays to celebrate Pride Month on Monday, June 12, 2023, from 7 to
9 pm. More info here.
Equity
Library Theater of New York/Woodside Players presented "Twelve from
Texas" an afternoon of short monologues by Christopher Woods.
Dramatist, poet,
short story writer, Christopher Woods has a knack that is hard to match for
getting to the heart of a character. Taken from his collection of brief fiction
stories, this cast of loveable unconventional characters are a delight to
meet. “Like streetcars – quaint vehicles – if one missed, there’ll be
another one along in a minute.” William Albright Houston Post Drama
Critic. Watch here.
Now playing online, the Fifth Avenue Theater of New York presents a
virtual performance of (View here) “Tales from The Times - Selections from the
Metropolitan Diary”.
Actors perform short vignettes based on the popular and often
hilarious New York Times Saturday section.
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Equity
Library Theater of New York Spring 2023 Virtual Play Festival.
Watch all
selections below.
Winners in
RED!
L'appel
du Vide - Molly Kirschner - Winner - Best Actor(s) TIE
Demon Turkey – Kelly Morgan
- Lallo
UpLyft
– Felix Racelis - Special Mention!
Angelic Intervention –
Barbara Alfaro
Re-in-WHAT?!—Change is Good – Linda Pallotta
Ladies Not Waiting – Riley Yates - Winner -
Best Play TIE
Sorry I'm Late - Dana Hall
– Special Mention!
Sex in the Park – Jack
Rushton
Marriage Counseling –
William Zolla II - Winner - Best Play TIE
The Protest on Ninth Avenue - Jeffrey Ashkin
Smashing Pumpkins – Steven
Carinci
The Mummy Speaks – Cynthia
Morrison - Winner - Best Play TIE
I Guess I Got Good at Hiding
– Josie Parrelli
You Will Not Replace Us –
Denis Meadows
Best Friends - Kareem
McMichael - Special Mention!
Dear Daughter Moon – Lenny
Hort
Socks – Dr. Mary E. Weems
- Winner
- Best Actresses(s) TIE
Just an Illusion: Zipper -
Gretchen C. O’Halloran
Forever and a Day – Jennifer Ju
The Pearl – Donald Falconer
– Best International
Submission!
Life of Shmuel – Ruby
Lowenstein
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Equity Library
Theater of New York presented:
“At Raygar’s”, a new play by John
McCloskey.
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Now Playing! Equity Library Theater of New York
Summer 2022 Virtual Play Festival. Watch all submissions below.
Aaron Leventman – Lovers and Survivors
Amy Engelhardt – The Woods of Exeter
Andy Mayo – The Connection
(Tie - Best Actors)
Barbara Alfaro – The Sirius
Interview
Brandon Fulk
- The Four Horseman
Brian Johnston - Tell It
Like It Is, Mary Louise Brown!, with Maille-Rose Smith. (Tie - Best Actress)
Chris Ferretti – Between A
Rock and Port Authority
Christopher Woods – Salt Mine Exchange
(Special Mention)
Colette Cullen – Everyone’s
Sorry
Ed Friedman – The Price of
Progress
Eloise Coopersmith - My (unauthorized)
Hallmark Movie Musical
Felix Racelis – Love Bomb
(Tie - Best Play)
Fran Handman - The Sticking
Point
Gary Duehr
- Johnny Depp Vs.Amber Heard
Helen Cheng Mao – Stuck in
Limbo (Tie - Best Play)
Jaime Sheedy - The Effect of
Magic on The Death Of Will and Grace (Tie - Best
Actress)
Janis
Butler Holm – Red
Josie Parrelli
- Her Confession
Lenny Hort – A Little Something
About My Powers (Tie - Best Play)
Leticia Arbelo
– Terapéuticas, Lectura dramatizada
Lettuce Eat with Suzanne
Ridgeway – Christmas 2021 (Special Mention)
Marjorie Conn telling a
story by Sophie Virgilio (Special Mention)
Mikki Gillette - We're Just
Talking, Okay?
Phylliss
Shanken – Where is Bunny Boy?
Rex McGregor – Swinging
Campers
Selma Hazouri
– Miss Elizabeth Taylor
Steven Carinci – Who Loves
You, Baby?
Stephen Joseph Olson - The Breakup King (Tie - Best Actor)
Wayne Paul Mattingly -
Anabel, in Barcelona, with Aliona Garcia
Meet our new community
partner! (Below)
Piper Theater in Brooklyn –
Free program for playwrights - Click here.
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Below, watch a virtual
reading of two comedies from the early 20th century; Aunt Maggie’s Will (Mary
Elizabeth Gale, 1910), and The Merediths
Entertain (Whitney Darrow, 1922).
Fifth Avenue Theater
of New York presented a free performance of “More Selections from Spoon River
Anthology” on June 11th at 2pm, in Manhattan at 650 Fifth Avenue (enter on 52nd
Street, down escalator)
Local actors
performed short excerpts from the collection of poems that collectively
narrates the epitaphs of the residents of the town of Spoon River.
With:
Alexis Tandit
Andrew Dinan
Betsy Cruz
Evangeline Johns
Fredda Tourin
Gus Ferrari
Heather Jeanne Violanti
Heather Shore
Janice Kirkel
Joseph Ortiz
Luke Goldthorpe
Marjie Conn
Martha Morenstein
Mathilda Diaz
Stephanie Schwartz
Now
Playing! Equity Library Theater of New York Winter 2022 Virtual Play Festival.
Watch all 40+ submissions here!
Antionette’s
Duck – Wayne Paul Mattingly, Filmed in Spain and Riverdale, NYC
A Milkman’s Serenade – Mark Blickley
(Tie, Best Play)
Curses! Curses! - Elizabeth
Shuler, Performed by Charli Williams
Dakota - Sydnie Belousek, with Ann DellaMonica
Dear Stella
– With Ronnye Halpern, Pam Trester, Susan McQuirk
Email!
– Dana Jaffe (Tie, Best
Monologue)
Enchanted Walhalla Ravine - Farzana Datta
Just a Yellow Cab in New York City – Youlim
Nam
Lincoln’s Birthday – Peggy Terry
Lost Property – Robert Luxford (Tie,
Best Actor)
Out to Pasture – Alison Gilbreath (Tie,
Best Monologue)
Paramour - Rose-Mary
Harrington (Special Mention)
Property is Sacred – Mark Speyer
Rugged Individualism - Terry Smith (Tie,
Best Actor)
Slow
Dating – Adam Szudrich (filmed in New Zealand)
Soul to Squeeze – Meagan J. Meehan (Tie,
Best Play)
Stoned - Scott Carter Cooper
(Tie, Best Play)
Sweet Forgiveness - John
Bettis / Walter Afanasieff
Texual
Abuse - Cindi Sansone-Braff
The
Actor and the Funeral – Jack West
The Best Is Yet to Come –
Nancy Cohen Koan
The
Importance of Being Honest - Brian Johnston
The
Isle Of Wight Festival, Summer 1970 - Annette Perpinan
The Lucky Escape – Eamann Breen (Tie,
Best Actress)
The Time is
Ripe - Pamela Morgan
Two Peds are Stu Peds – S. Joshua Mendel
Waitress! – With Cynthia Gale, Robin Jacobson, Rebecca Marks
Walmart at Christmas-A
Short Play – Marty Maftess
Wrong Kind of Doctor – Beth Evans, with Emily Blake, Ben WIllis (Tie,
Best Actress)
You,
Me, and Marie Curie – Mary Crosbie, Jeanine Calleja
(Special
Mention)
Watch
Here! “In Swirly Letters”, a new play by Johnny Culver.
With Sarah-Ann Rodgers, Phyllis Cox, Bart DeFinna, Tom Morwick, Carolyn Quinn
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Past
Event!
Presenting works by and featuring:
Youlim
Nam – “Just a Yellow Cab in NYC”, with Nicole Lehrman, Ananth Padmasola, Dir. Sophia Treanor
Phil Blechman – “Morning Coffee”, with Hayley Palmaer
Marjorie Conn – “Shopping with Magic Morningstar”
Christopher Woods – “The Pink Dress”, with
Danielle Patsakos
Beth Evans - "The Wrong Kind of Doctor",
with Emily Blake, Ben Willis
Tom Padovano – “Reflections”
Nancy Davidoff Kelton - "An Unveiling, a
Date, and a Shrink", with Sharlene Hartman, Angela Madden, Richard Toth
Daniel M. Wolpe –
“Forever Intertwined”, with Andrew Dinan
Emily Blake – “The Window: My Mother, The
Lockdown, and Me"
William Hugel - “You Don’t Want What I Got”, with
Benjamin Willis, Joseph Ortiz
If you have any questions, please contact fifthavenuetheatre@gmail.com.
The Woodside Players of Queens presented their
2021 virtual holiday performance, on Zoom, December 29th @ 7pm EST. Watch here!
“An
evening of short Vaudeville sketches by Harry L. Newton” (b. 1872).
Presenting: An Oyster Stew, When Johnny Comes
Marching Home, The Jumpkins Jumble, Strenuous Mame - the Bowery Girl, Fresh
Timothy Hay, A Jack and His Queen, The Secondhand Man.
Directed by Johnny Culver, Anne Hammond, Shelia
Spencer, Milton Coykendall.
With: Allison Fradkin,
Andrew Dinan, Candy Brown, Carolle U, Cynthia Gale, Gus Ferrari, Helen Yalof,
Joseph Bowen, Marjie Conn, Paul Jones, Regan Carmody, Robin Jacobson, Ronnye
Halpern, Shelia Spencer, Susan Neuffer, Ted Birke.
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Watch
“Daughter!” by David Gold, here. Recorded on
the streets of New York.
October 4th @ 7pm EST, Equity
Library Theater of New York presented a virtual presentation of “Excerpts from
Spoon River Anthology”.
A deluxe recording can be viewed
here.
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Watch here! The Woodside Players of Queens present
short American plays from 1900 to today![CJ1] Recorded August 20, 2021.
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The Equity Library Theater of New York Summer
2021 Virtual Play Festival! Links to over 60 plays/submissions are below.
Winners in Green.
A Bell Tolls – Monte D. Monteleagre
A Cheap Maid in Chasteside – Craig Gustafson
A Soul to Squeeze - Meagan
J. Meehan
Amy in Belgrade – Edmund Wilkinson
Aunt Velma Considers
Changing Religion - John Arnold TIE
BEST ACTRESS
Barricade - Pamela Morgan
TIE BEST PRODUCTION
Bawdy Maudie - Vivian C.
Lermond TIE BEST PLAY
Cassidy’s Mourning – Triza Cox TIE
BEST ACTRESS
Cinderella and the 3 Bear
Witches – Susan Horowitz SPECIAL
MENTION
Dream
Talk – Emma Goldman-Sherman
Emotional Support Canadian –
Amanda Vick
Extremely Right – Glen
Dickson
Gentle Warren - Steven
Carinci
Get Out Of
My Head! - Youlim Nam TIE
BEST ACTRESS
Glassblower – Judith Glass Collins
Hurricane of Love – Maripat Allen
Is My Truth the Lie? - David
T. Anderson
Jamie's Protest - Leonard D.
Goodisman
Life Under the Prairie –
Barbara Anderson TIE BEST
PRODUCTION
Meconium Aspirations - Mark Blickley
Park Bench Domain – John Corins
Plaque Kills - Dana Hall,
performed by John Madison TIE BEST
ACTOR
Prayer To Him - Yulidal Hernandez Kin
Rita - Protective Shield -
Antonia Kleopa
Sarah Franklin for President
- Matt Sanders and Ariel Aliza Sanders
Scan to Begin – Monique
Herbert
Six Impossible Things Before Coronavirus –
Matt Cogswell
Telepathy – Brian Leahy
Doyle, directed by Kevin Michael Morin
The Neighbor - Selma Hazouri - A man remembers a neighbor from the past TIE
BEST PLAY
The Night Watch – Mostyn
Lyndon Farr
The Pink Dress – Christopher
Woods, with Danielle Patsakos SPECIAL
MENTION
The Uninvited – Rose-Mary
Harrington
The Waiter - Claude Clayton
Smith
The Way That Sand Moves –
Rick Davis TIE BEST
ACTOR
Threesome (A Short Pandemic
Musical) - Zuker and Metz SPECIAL
MENTION
That’s All We Got – Logan
Rogers
Tony Defends A Friend – Dana Jaffe
Training Wheels – Michael Hardstark TIE
BEST ACTOR
Una Noche
En Tejas: When Beyoncé Met Selena - Kevin Ray TIE
BEST PLAY
Unpack:
Key Moments of Romania’s History in a One-Woman Show - Cătălina
Florescu
Visiting Dad - Marj
O'Neill-Butler, performed by Emma Merritt
What If Science Is Real? –
Judy Klass
Your Town – Donald Steven
Olson
Full length plays performed virtually
from the summer and fall of 2021!
Watch them below and text your favorite to 631 898
4205 - play, actor, actress.
This new play, written and directed by P.H. Lin,
and developed by Cate Cammarata’s Create Theater,
made its online debut as part of Create Theater’s Monday Night Reading Series
on May 17, 2021 at 7pm EDT.
A one-act play by Marc Weiner, Cast:
Kimberly J. Yates, Sean Edward Evans, Jacob Lineberry, Crew: Ira Block, Shravya
Kag, Filmed at Playwrights Rehearsal Studios, New
York City.
The Pot Boiler - A
Reimagining (1916) - based on a one-act satire by Alice Gerstenberg
Alice Gerstenberg’s “The
Pot Boiler” is a satire about the pretensions of conventional theater. This
“reimagining” transplants the humor into a modern zoom-age context. Cast: Marty
Goldberg, Ted Birke, Valerie O’Hara, Bill Barry, Perryn Pomatto, Meredith
Sullivan, Sean Buckley, Aleksandar Tasev and Shelia
Spencer – directed by Shelia Spencer.
Jane, a 27-year-old woman with progressive
political views, undergoes brain surgery. The surgery is for the most part a
success except for the fact that she is now, suddenly, a rabid conservative
Republican. How do her loved ones cope with her new
political identity? A comedy that asks the question how much do our political
beliefs shape our lives? Cast: Jane - Brittney McHugh, Jack - Martin Downs,
Lauryn - Andrea Nelson, Bonnie - Vita Carnduff, Ryan - Michael May.
Directed by Vincent Mraz – “I will be working with
senior citizens across Manhattan teaching a virtual sketch comedy writing class
as a 2021
SU-CASA teaching artist.” Runs 80 minutes.
Ghosts From The Well – Jack West
A re-imagined rewriting of Val Burton, Walter DeLeon and Bradford Ropes' 1946 Abbott & Costello comedy
of two people mistaken for traitors during the American Revolutionary War.
Doomed by a curse to be bound to earth forever, their ghosts now haunt a
married couple on Long Island, NY. When an eccentric ghost hunter and his odd,
clairvoyant assistant are brought in to rid the home of the spirits, the ghost
hunter’s mistaken for an old nemesis, there’s a wacky séance - and even bigger
problems. Written by Jack West. Performed by Jack West and Karen Corrado. © Jack West. All Rights Reserved.
Godless – Jarrett Winters
Morley
'Godless' is a one act play that delves into the
origins of the human psyche between Adam and Eve, discusses the controversy
surrounding humankind's perception of a higher power, and how each of us
defines faith. Directed By: Jarrett Winters Morley. Cast: Eve: Lauren Curet,
Adam: Jarrett Winters Morley.
This is a reading of the play Garden Party by Judy
Klass, Directed by Alyssa Borg.
The Girl of my Dreams –
Carole Jackson
With Ted Birke, Richard Callender, Laurel
Lockhart, Susan Neuffer. The play follow Kathryn Coleman, a British girl, from
ages 10 to 37. Although her relationships with her father, grandmother, and
husband are important, it's her mother, Myrna, who is the constant in her life
- for better or worse.
Selections from "Trout Day" -
Peggy Terry
With:
Zoe Avery, Terri Bonica, Ted Burke, Andrew Dinan, Jennifer Finger, Ann Morelli,
Martha Morenstein, Tom Morwick, Olivia Rubrum, Alexis Tandit. In this comedy,
the first day of school goes all wrong when a frazzled parent tries to do away
with an mysterious small town tradition.
Mag
and Ryan, best friends since college, confront doom with Zoom, social
distancing with close-up romancing in a pandemic fatigued world.
Boyself/Girlself - Jack Seamus Conley
A pre-transition transmasculine person (Girlself), who is in the early stages of “coming” out
and uncertain of what the future may hold for them, receives a surprise visit
from a future version of their self (Boyself), who
only has foggy memories of the exchange from the “other” side. As they talk
together about everything and nothing, both “selves” learn something unexpected
about who they are collectively. Directed and written by Jack Seamus Conley, and starring Lea Hulsey (Girlself)
and Chase Nuerge (Boyself).
This is my Block - Talara Ruth
Originally
printed in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary, Talara
reminisces about her childhood neighborhood.
All Gummed Up
(Comedy 1921) - Harry Wagstaff Gribble
With
Ted Birke/Valerie O'Hara/Bill Barry/Perryn Pomatto/Maggi Veltre
(dir. Shelia Spencer). Shelia Spencer is savoring the serendipity of finding
old plays, dusting them off and giving them new life and vitality here on Zoom.
She deeply appreciates the talent she is connecting with today - as well as
that from our theatrical past.
The Census - Leonard D.
Goodisman
Directed
by Monica Hoyt. Director of Photography - Zack Bermack.
Cast: Madison Hemings - Ben Baez, Sally Hemings - Yvette Bedgood,
Census Taker - Gabe Girson, Eston
Hemings - Cole Mackler.
Hippies, Housewives &
Watering Holes – D. M. Larson
Performed
by Long Island’s Afternoon Delight Players.
America's
Theatre presents Love Restor'd -- a haunted tale, a
visitation in the dark night. Our play features, in order of appearance: Len Bellezza as Tom, Susan Horowitz as Becky, and Donna Wall as
Susan.
Starring
Toni Tennille, Julie Cargill, and Trisha Tracy, “Out to Lunch” opens in a
quaint restaurant where the two main characters discuss their lives, dead
husbands and the couple seated next to them. Gloria and Lillian are lifelong
friends in their seventies. When the young server engages her customers, we are
all left to wonder if ‘Feminism’ is the new “F-Word”. Exploring themes of the
female bond, experience, and life-challenges, “Out to Lunch” rallies.
The Middle Of The Night - Elizabeth Robertson Laytin
With
Danielle Patsakos, Carolle U. Elizabeth is a winner
of a 2016 Frank McCourt Memoir prize for her short story Black Sugar, published
in Vol. X No.2 Summer/Fall 2016 of The Southampton Review. Her novel Come Here Go Away for the young
adult audience is available on kindle, amazon.com, and at Guild Hall in East
Hampton, N.Y. Short stories have also
been published on ducts.org, deadmule.com, and in The East Hampton Star.
Now playing! The Equity Library Theater of New
York Winter 2021 Virtual Play Festival. Links to over 70 performances are
below.
(formatted for desktop
viewing, in alphabetical order).
Winners, based on feedback, in red.
A Mother’s
Story – Patrice Hamilton
A Tale of
Stockbridge – Charles Gross
A Turkey is
NOT a Rooster – Jinna Kim (Tie – Best Play)
Across the
Lake – Johnny Culver
Avoiding Unwanted Pregnancy
-Rom Watson - performed by AnnaLisa Erickson,
Bill W and Jimmy K - Andrew
Matthews (Tie – Best Play)
But Did I
Leave The Oven On? – Jake Alexander (Tie - Best
Actor Team)
Chuckles,
The Clown – David Lloyd
College
Without Walls - Matt Sanders & Ariel Aliza Sanders
External
Monitors - Richard Lyons Conlon
First Baby – Alex Perry
(Tie – Best Play)
Frenchie's Fate - Kannan
Menon
Give Me Something Good to
Eat - John Glass
Going
Up – Joseph Vitale, with Scott Cagney, Gary Glor.
Directed by Will Budnikov
Happy
Funeral Day - David T. Anderson. with: Janice Kirkel,
Alexis Tandit, Carolle U
Harlem
Top To Bottom – Jordan Young (Best Monologue)
How Did
Edward Lose his Accent? -Teddy Alexis Rodriguez, PhD
How to Survive from REMNANTS
– Hank Greenspan
Introducing
My Crazy – Marlo K. Shaw
Last Night
Bluey Died - Sam Affoumado
Mamet Mommies Soccer - Greg
D'Angelo
Millard, Is That You? –
Brian Leahy Doyle
Monologue
from “Illspoken” – Blaire Baron
Morning Coffee – Phil
Blechman
Museum Pieces (Monologue) -
Sherry Chiaroscuro
No Rest for a Soul
- Cindi Sansone-Braff
Phony on a Twig - Rex
McGregor
PhotontheTimesSquareShuttle – Lawrence Rinkel
Remember
Me, Mr. Jones? - Christine Benvenuto
Santa and
Spock – Heidi Mae (Special Mention)
Scoundrel by Monte D.
Monteleagre, directed by Kevin Snyder
Spiritual
Counseling – Jack Rushen
Steely
Resolve – Alan Stoltzer
The Apocalypse Is Here But Where's The Iron – Daniel McKamey
The Ballad Of Leslie - Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
The
Campaign – Hannah Williams
The Carpet Washers – Jack
West
The
Galloping Gourmet, based on The Lying Valet, by David Garrick
The Line Up
in the Time of Covid – Barbara Litt
Thomas,
Thomas – Leonard D. Goodisman
This Is My
Block, Part Two- Talara Ruth, with Anne Morelli
Two Ply –
Chef Rossi (Special Mention)
Unpack -Catalina Florina Florescu
WABI SABI -
Rachael Carnes - Directed by Andra Hunter With Zoe
Margolis, Max Gallagher (Tie - Best Actor Team)
Well and On My Own - Ellen
C. Scherer
What’s in a
Name – Lee Franklin
Wise Old
Owl: A Trilogy – Phyliss Shanken
Without
Whom None of This Would’ve Been Possible - Kevin J. Miller
Zoom Mom – Greg Abbott
(Special Mention)
The Woodside Players of New York City 2021 winter season. One act plays*,
some from over 100 years ago, performed virtually. Watch them below!
(thanks to Shelia
Spencer and her actors)
Finders
Keepers – George Kelly – 1923 - Directed by Kevin Snyder
Suppressed Desires –
Susan Glaspell – 1914 - dir. by Shelia Spencer, with Hannah Abney, Farah
Diaz-Tello & Jacob Lineberry (over 1000 views)
Tickless
Time - by Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook - 1918 - directed by Shelia
Spencer
Sham - Frank G. Tompkins -
1920
The
Angel Intrudes – Floyd Dell – 1918
Illuminati in Drama Libre- Alice
Gerstenberg – 1922
Attuned
– Alice Gerstenberg – 1922 - with Shelia Spencer
*all
free to read on Google Books.
__________________________________________________________
Past
Event!
Over
thirty-five short plays.
Fifth
Avenue Theatre of New York Virtual Fall 2020 Play Festival
Winners
in red!
E Minor Seventh – Timothy Nolan
(Special
Mention)
Siggy & Dolph at the Klaustenauer Cafe - by Fred Crecca
Shana The She-Pirate – Emily Battles
Coyotes – Steven Carinci
(Best
Play – tie)
Throne
of the Third Heaven - Philip Reissman
Glasses
– Barry M. Putt Jr. with Allison Fradkin (Best
Monologue – tie)
Who Let The Dogs
Out? – Marian Rosin
Barren Landscape – Steve Gold (Best
actress – Alexis Tandit)
Wounded
Birds - Elaine Kuracina
Deeds Not Words - Rose-Mary Harrington
(Performer
Diana Kyle and Technical Director,
Elizabeth Gordon)
Lyre On The
Floor – Jackson Montana
The Waiting Place - Michael Cunningham,
with Regina Yeager (Special
Mention)
Invisible Foe -
Michele A Miller, PhD
Confessions:
The Hours - Natascha Graham (Best Monologue – tie)
The
Wiggle Room – George D. Morgan
How
I Spent My Quarantine – Ellen Abrams
It's
Not Haunted Real Estate - Sarah Congress (Best
Effects)
My
Turkey Redeemer Liveth – Loretta Wish (Best
acting duo)
Fred
the Projectionist – Fred Pflantzer
Where For Art Thou, Dougnuts
– Michelle Glusto (Best Play
– tie)
Smarter
than You - Richard Bonte
Occupied
Countries - Jack Rushton
Tell Me
How I Did – Justin McDevitt
The United States of Huevos - Tavi Juárez & Stephen Tsimpides (Best Play
– tie)
Frank and Rachel – Nancy Temple
_________________________________________________
In
October 2020, Equity
Library Theater and the Instant Shakespeare Company presented a reading of
“Catherine and Petruchio” by David Garrick. Click here to watch.
Equity
Library Theater of New York presents a reading of a full
length new play:
The
play is based on a book written by American author, Charles Brockden Brown (publ. in 2 vols.1798 & 1815). It
consists of a dialogue between Edwin Alcuin, a Quaker schoolmaster, and Mrs.
Carter, a widow, in Philadelphia in 1798. Alcuin
and Mrs. Carter argue about women's lack of voting rights, their need for
financial independence, and their inadequate access to education and employment
opportunities. Mrs. Carter speaks for all women, sharing her insights about
marriage and divorce as well as politics. As the two debate these issues, they
become friends and, eventually, lovers. The plot includes a remarkable sequence
in which Alcuin travels to a future utopia, The Paradise of Women, where men
and women are equals and where the word "marriage" does not exist.
Though their conversations are serious, there are many light moments and a
subtle romantic subtext.
Caterina Nonis is a director, theatre maker and actor from
Milan, now based in New York. She has collaborated with Page 73, The Habitat,
The InHEIRitance Project, NYMadness,
Shotz! Amios, Theatre East,
KIT, Stella Adler, Modern Shakespeare Project, Match:Lit, among others. At the Venice
Biennale, she studied different approaches to theatre making with directors
Thom Luz and Jakop Ahlbom.
She is an artistic associate of The InHEIRitance
Project, and an SDCF Observership 18/19 Class member.
BFA: NYU Tisch, Stella Adler & RADA. www.caterinanonis.com.
California
native, Dean Linnard is a New York
based AEA actor, singer, solo-performer, and puppeteer. He studied at NYU’s
Tisch School of the Arts, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Since then, he has been
associated with a number of outstanding theater
companies, such as the Portland Playhouse, Vermont Shakespeare Company, and New
Orleans Fringe Festival. Though he specializes in classical material, his
projects have ranged from Shakespeare to experimental performance art, from
children’s theater to Off-Broadway. In 2011, he developed a one-man
adaptation of Hamlet which he performed as a benefit for Young Actors
Workshop in California and as part of Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s New Work
series. He is a Teaching Artist for Broadway.com’s
Broadway Classroom Series. www.deanlinnard.com.
Carolyn Balducci’s publications include fiction &
non-fiction books, articles & reviews as well as translations and poetry.
Her plays include adaptations/translations of
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata; Renaissance comedies, La
Calandra and La Veniexiana; contemporary
Italian comedies; Alcuin: A Fierce & Elegant Plea for the Rights of
Women; and Chekhov in the Hamptons. Original works include Maestro:Pirandello as Recalled by
Ms. Marta Abba; and Giovanni the Fearless, a commedia dell'arte
musical (book and lyrics by Carolyn Balducci; music composed by Mira
J. Spektor). She is a member of the Dramatists’
Guild, BMI and NYWIFT.
___________________________________________________________
Past
event!
“Five on
Fifth – 2020 Summer Play Festival”, Fifth Avenue Theater presents video
recordings of short plays by local writers! Click below to watch.
“Goth Principal: A Hunted
Man” By Alaina Hammond
Starring
Isaac Scranton as Jonny/Gothman
and
Alaina Hammond as Belinda.
“Waitress!”
with Shelia Spence, Alexis Tandit,
Regina Yeager.
“Generation Love” by Nick Bompart.
“Promises”,
by Shirley King, with Julia Genoveva.
“In The
Clair De Lune” - An Online Play, by JB Bruno.
(voted best play)
“All Kinds of Skin” – by Victoria Lau
_____________________________________________
Past
event!
The Woodside Players of Queens Summer 2020 Play Festival.
Short plays by local writers in a virtual setting. Click below to watch!
Baby
Bird On the Isle of Corona written by Rossi (aka Chef Rossi)
with
Celeste Ciulla, Rossi and Charmaine Broad
The
Seal Wife – by Michael Cunningham
(special
mention)
Just a Little Mistake - by Mary Elizabeth Gale
Virgins – by Scott C. Sickles, with Elizabeth Carlsen and Kinga Nowak
The
Effect of Magic on The Death Of Will and Grace – by Jaime Sheedy, directed by D.A.G Burgos
(voted
best performer)
Anonymous
Recipes - by Dane Rooney (voted
best play)
Past
event!
Equity
Library Theater’s Summer 2020 Virtual Play Festival.
Twenty
plays, and links to the performances are below!
The Dead Game, by Lisa Stratton, with Regina Yeager and Alexis Tandit
What Are You
Hiding? – by Elizabeth Shannon and Morgan Southwell
Virgins – by Scott C. Sickles, with Reanna Armellino
and Shay Wisniewski
Book
and lyrics by Mark Evan Chimsky, Music by Zev Burrows
Two
legends meet in the afterlife -- who are they?
With
Jennine Cannizzo (Dot), Emily Iocovozzi
(J), and Ross Neal (The Translator) (tie for best play)
Gloval Covid – by David T.
Anderson, with Yvette Bedgood
Two sisters torn apart
by politics, and a big secret.
With Friends Like That - by Bara Swain, featuring Betzabeth
Castro
Welcome
Wagon – by Peggy Terry, with Regina Yeager,
Alexis Tandit, Elise Valderrama
On
Sacred Ground - by Susan Masters, With Yvette Bedgood (voted best performer)
I Was Here – by Ellen Scherer (tie for best play)
Unmasked
– by Heidi Mae, with Jacob Lineberry, Farah
Diaz-Tello (special mention)
The Other Author – by Tom Misuraca
The Waltz of the Exterminator –
by Heather Violanti, with: Woman -- Taylor Lynne,
Exterminator--Thomas J. Kane, Mouse--Valerie O'Hara, Stage Directions and
Video--Marialana K. Ardolino
It
Ain't Over 'Til the Pink Lady Sings - Written & Directed by Allison Fradkin
Cast:
Nya Noemi as Marva, Emmy Carlyle Albritton as Francine, Briana Velazquez as
Winifred
Crummy – by Johnny Culver, with Elise Valderrama, Haneen
Arafat Murphy, Hannah Abney
Faustus and
the Soliloquy - by Dane Rooney
Putting Up The Shed - by Leonard
Goodisman, with Jacob Lineberry, Benjamin Willis
In The
Toilet – by Madison Mayer
The Dancer – by William Jess Russell (special
mention)
Humanity at
a Standstill – by Bryan Myers
Real
Friends Help You Move – by KK Gordon
Ann Fulton
– by Charles Lupia,
with Susan Palmer Everly
“The
Last Bag” – by Tain
Leonard-Peck
Past Best
Plays from the Equity Library Theater Summer Play Festival!
2020 - I
Was Here – by Ellen Scherer/J. & Dot
Book and
lyrics by Mark Evan Chimsky, Music by Zev Burrows
2019 –
Tina – TJ Harland
2018 -
Paige Esterly - Eve and Adam
2017 -
Michael Verderber - Unending Repetition/Treason
2016 -
Michael Maiello – Looking Through the Glass
2015 -
Hello Mom – Lauren Snyder/Driving Herd – Sam Graber
2014 -
John Ladd – Ashes to Ashes (Drama)/ Scott Haskell – Womanhood (Comedy)
2013 -
Liza Bulos - Attention Shoppers
Past
event!
________________________________________________
Congratulations to the Woodside Players of Queens!
The 2019 Josie Performance Award for best Director
of 2018
Best Director: Kate Remelius
– “Epitaph by Moonlight”
Past
event and returning on Zoom (view here)
Equity Library Theater and the Gingerbread Players
of Forest Hills present a staged reading of the 1921 comedy
"The
Dover Road" by A. A. Milne.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
at 2 PM – 4 PM
New York Public Library 53rd street Branch 18 W
53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Leonard and Anne are two lovers travelling on the Dover Road when their car
breaks down. They are taken to a hotel, which turns out to be the private
residence of the eccentric, wealthy, and reclusive Mr. Latimer. Leonard and
Anne soon discover that they are not the only couple to have been waylaid on
the road. What does the mysterious Mr. Latimer have in store for these couples?
With: Andrew Dinan, Mike Miller, Kinga Nowak, Suzanne Schick, Debbie Smith,
Johnny Tyrone and Bart DeFinna. Johnny Culver directs.
More info 631 898 4205. Free admission. Seating is limited.
Past
Event!
This
fall, a new theater group begins work in Manhattan, The Fifth Avenue Theatre of
New York!
Our
first event will be a reading of new short plays by
local writers, in a casual, free setting, November 9th @12pm in the atrium on
the lower level at 650 Fifth Avenue. Enter on 52nd Street. No admission fee.
Featuring:
St.
John - Lloyd Pace
The
Wonderer - Lynda Crawford
Scary
Mom – Nancy Davidoff Kelton
And
Everything Was Perfect – Monte D. Monteleagre
Lunchtime
- Johnny Culver
More
info, contact us at: fifthavenuetheatre@gmail.com.
Past Event
November
16, 2019 @12pm, NYPL Alvin Ailey Auditorium
203 West 115th Street
Equity
Library Theater presents a reading a reading of a new play
EXTRACTED
by Dwayne Yancey, Directed by Alexandra Scordato.
A
truck driver sleeping in his cab in southern California is awoken by someone
banging on his door. He opens it to find two teen-age girls who say they
desperately need a ride back to New York -- Sam says she's rescued her sister
Libby from drug gangs in Los Angeles and needs to get her home to her family.
Thus begins a strange, cross-country journey full of mysterious characters --
and a dark allegorical tale about modern politics and immigration.
Runs
about 90 minutes. Free admission. More info 631 898 4205.
Past
Event.
The
Woodside Players of Queens present
“Miss
Molly”, a 1918 comedy by Elizabeth Gale!
December
21st, 2019 @2pm Queens Library Forest Hills Branch,
108-19
71st Ave, Forest Hills, NY 11375
A
simple case of mistaken identities in the home of a "crabbed old
misogynist" provides much laughter and mayhem in this short two act play.
Reginald - Johnny Culver
Julian - Frankie Wang
Joe - Charles Huang
Annie - Shelia Spencer
Molly - Cheryl Bear
Cissie – Samantha Whitmore
Pearl
- Alexis Tandit
Miston – Regina Yeager
Director - Jake Dunham
Free admission. Seating is limited. More info 631 898 4205. Great for groups!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Past Event!
Equity Library Theater Summer 2019 Play Festival
Part
One - August 3rd, 2019 @12pm, ,
NYPL Alvin Ailey Auditorium 203 West 115th Street
Tina by F.
J. Hartland (best play)
Directed
by Paula D'Alessandris, w/Alex Etling
The
Soldier Returns - Lionelle Hamanaka
Directed by Nicholas Leung, w/ J.R. Carter, Selear Duke
Rosemary -
Charles Lupia
Directed by Charles Lupia,
w/ Susan Palmer Everly
Father
Figure - Liz Amberly
Directed
by Leslie Kincaid Burby , w/ Maggie Horan, Fred Velde
Attention
Shoppers - Barbara Blumenthal
Directed by Valeria Canigla,
w/ Jacob Linberry, Pilar Adara, Cheryl Bear
Valentine
Shrugged - Wayne Paul Mattingly
With Quinn Warren, Emily Mervosh
HOA -
Laura Huntt Foti
With Kristin Samuelson, Rew
Starr
Meaning -
Tommy Nichols
With Clare Casey
Part Two -
August 10th, 2019 @12pm, NYPL Alvin Ailey Auditorium 203 West 115th Street
Questions
- Rob Dames
Directed by Ted Thompson, w/ Martin Goldberg,
William Barry
The
Divorcee Shower - Lavinia Roberts
Directed by Dianna Garten, w/ Brittney Jo Sowards
Going to
the Dog - Barbara Litt
Directed by Conrado
Falco III, w/ Sarah Quane Smyth, Gamal ElSawah
Doctor Penington - Steve Capra
With
Oliver Conant, Beth Griffith, Justyna Kostek
Service
Not Rendered – Ray Vagge
With Bridget Sweeney, Donna Ross
Find the
Mole - Ken Langer
Directed
by Naman Gupta
Free Admission – More info: 631 898 4205.
________________________________________________________________________
PAST
EVENT!
Equity Library Theater presents:
"Princess Jazzberry’s
Wild Ride"
NYPL 53rd Street Branch
18 West 53rd Street, New York
Saturday, July 13 2019
@12pm
With:
Stephen Zuccaro - Del
Trevor Jones - Mason
Bec Everett - Liz
Christopher Trindade - Ted
Evelyn Dumont - Stage Directions
Written
and Directed by Kyle A. Smith
Kyle A Smith is
a dramatist living in Brooklyn, NY. He has an MFA in Dramatic Writing
from NYU where he was a recipient of the TSOA fellowship. His plays have
been produced or workshopped at The Queen's Theatre, The Tarragon Theatre, The
Goldberg Theatre, The Emerging Artist's Theatre, The Secret Theatre, and The
Bad Theatre Fest. His screenplays and short film have won multiple awards
across the United States. He was recently a finalist for the Princess
Grace Award and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild
Residency, and a semifinalist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries. His short
play Don was published in 2018. Kyleanthonysmith.com. He holds an MFA in
Dramatic Writing from NYU where he was a recipient of the TSOA fellowship.
Also
presenting “Soo Zoo Me”, by Mark Blickley,
a solo performance by Irish actress Maeve
Price. A tale of interspecies romance at the Congo Gorilla Forest in the
Bronx.
Past
Event!!
Woodside
Players of Queens Summer Play Festival
Saturday,
June 15, 2019 at 2 PM – 4 PM
Queens
Library 37-44 21st St, Long Island City, NY 11101
Short
plays by local authors.
Wild Weekend Fernando Buzzar Segall
Time to A Phantom
Zachariah Ezel (winner)
Ocean Front Tom
Cavanaugh
Polly
Scott Cohen
Alzheimer's Diary Steve Gold
Breakfast Alan
Stolzer
Unstoppable Ed Adomatis
Your Digital Past Tanya
Sharma
________________________________________________________________________
Past Event!
Equity Library Theater presents an afternoon of
short plays by Kyle A. Smith.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
at 12 PM – 2 PM
Ailey Auditorium Harry Belafonte-115th Street
Library 203 West 115th Street, New York.
"Missed Connections"
The plays are:
Frisky
Miss Direction
Intrusive Thoughts
Miss Conduct
Don
Miss Education
Free admission. More info 631 898 4205.
Kyle Smith’s plays have been produced and workshopped at The Goldberg
Theater, The Tarragon Theatre, The Secret Theater, The Emerging Artists
Theatre, The Treehouse Theater, The Robert Moss Theater, and Shetler Studios.
His plays include Unstuck in Time, Princess Jazzberry’s
Wild Ride, Whiteout, The Part of Me (Princess Grace Finalist), Blinded
(Goldberg Play Prize Finalist), The Correctable, Inherit the Earth, Revolution,
Don, Frisky, Squashy (selected for Best of Night, Bad Theatre Fest). He was
recently a finalist for the Princess Grace Award, a finalist for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild Residency, a semifinalist for
Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries, and a semifinalist for the Baltic Writer’s
Residency.
His screenplays include Higher Education (1st place festival-wide Chicago Genre
Screenplay Competition, 1st place for comedy at Chicago Genre Screenplay
Competition, 1st place for comedy Las Vegas Screenplay Contest, Runner-up best
screenplay Portland Comedy Film Festival, Silver Award Winner at North American
Film Festival, Finalist Hollywood Hills Screenplay Competition, Semifinalist LA
Cinefest, official selection Focus International Film
Festival, Houston Comedy Film Festival, LA Live Film Festival), A More Perfect
Union (Winner, Best Historical Screenplay, iHolly
Film Festival, 2nd place for historical screenplay at Las Vegas Screenplay
Contest, Finalist Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest, Finalist Twin Falls
Sandwiches Film Festival, semi-finalist LA Cinefest),
Hair of the Dog (Winner of Dark Comedy Award Avalonia Film Festival, official
selection Bad Film Fest, official selection Portland Comedy Film Festival,
Frostbite International Film Festival, Hellfire Short Film Festival), and
Probert Bound (Winner Best Short Screenplay Laugh or Die Comedy Festival, official
selection Austin Comedy Short Film Festival).
His pilot, The Blackout Menace, won the award for Best Half Hour Comedy
Original Pilot at The Hollywood Hills Screenplay Competition, is a finalist at
the Austin Revolution Film Festival, and an official selection of the Finish
Line Script Competition.
His short play, Don, has an expected publication in 2018 as part of the Act
One: One Act Anthology from Top Secret Books.
He holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU where he was a recipient of the
TSOA fellowship.
_____________________________________________________________________
Past Event!
The Woodside Players of Queens presents their
spring 2019 production of five rare one act Broadway comedies from 1910 by
Clare Beecher Kummer and Irving Dale.
Saturday March 9th at 2:30pm
Queens-Forest Hills Library (108-19 71 Avenue,
Forest Hills, NY 11375
E F R to 71st Avenue)
Clare Beecher Kummer - The Robbery
Clare Beecher Kummer - The Choir Rehearsal
Irving Dale - Too Much Salt
Irving Dale – Tickets Please
Irving Dale - The Way of a Woman
Local actors perform these short plays. Suitable for the entire family
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Past Event
Saturday, March 16, 2019
at 2 PM – 3 PM
14-01 Astoria Blvd, Astoria, NY 11102, United
States
The Woodside Players of Queens present local
performing artists!
The Woodside Players of Queens present local artists
in a coffeehouse setting for a casual afternoon of theater, poetry, music,
comedy and more! Free admission. More info 631 898 4205. Great for groups
___________________________________________________________________
Past
Event!
The Woodside Players of Queens Fall Play Festival!
Saturday November 10th@2pm
Queens
Library - Astoria
14-01
Astoria Blvd.
M60,
Q100, Q69, Q19 or N train to Astoria Blvd.
Presenting
short plays by these writers:
The Border - Tony Manzo
With
Isaac Conner, Jane Park
Ventroquilist - Marjie Conn
With
Ms. Crow
Willie - Donald Loftus
With
Rosina Fernhoff, Joanne Halev,
Jeff Knapp
Drama Should Stay on the Stage - Lavinia Roberts
Directed
by Karen Crighton, with Kaitlyn Farley, Sonseray Reed
Sailboat 12 - Greg Driscoll
Don - Kyle Smith (Best Play)
With
Michael Bradley, Chris Trindale
The Will - Glenda Frank
Directed
by Susanna Miller, with Rhonda Addams, Daniel Blankenship, Esq.
Chew on This - Ellen O’Neill
Epitaph by Moonlight - Michael Verderber
Reina – Joseph Bulvid
With Aram Hovsepian,
Alissa Simmons, Antonio Silva
*****************************************************************************************
December 1st
@12pm
NYPL 53rd
Street Branch 18 West 53rd Street
Equity
Library Theater presents: The Lost Virginity Tour, a reading of a play by
Cricket Daniel
“Cricket Daniel’s ‘Lost Virginity Tour’ is one of
those finely-written evenings of theater that both
moves you to tears and has you laughing until your face hurts!
Funny-as-all-heck dialogue, great female characters that any theatre performer
would chomp at the bit to play, all wrapped up in a wonderful atmosphere of
melancholy - Daniel’s ‘Lost Virginity Tour’ is a theatrical treat that should
be performed in theatre’s everywhere!” - Dennis T. Giacino.
With: Terri Bonica-Matassov, Penny Gaston, Debbie Smith, and Linda Vega. Daniyel Hunt narrates, Johnny Culver directs.
Runs 90 minutes. More info 631 898 4205. Seating is limited. Free Admission.
Past event!
The Woodside Players presents:
Rare Short Plays from Early 20th Century Broadway
November 3
@ 12pm, NYPL Alvin Ailey Auditorium @1pm
203 West 115th Street (B C 2 3 to 116th Street)
(212) 666-9393
Private Boarding – 1878 – William Courtwright
Director. Andy Scott
Jason
Ballew, Kevin Buiocchi, Johanna Lee, Caitlin McQuade,
Emma Miller.
The Motor Bellows – 1877 – William Courtwright
Director. Graydon Gund
With:
William Burns, Nathaniel Edward, Luda Millias, Greg
Prosser.
The Great Look – 1912- William Faydon
Director. Jacob Dunham
With:
Charles Baran, Nathaniel Dolquest, Melanie Gettler, Elizabeth McBryde.
The Second Hand Man - 1903 - Harry Lee Newton
With: Ron
Crawford, Kevin David Thomas.
Is It Raining? - 1903 - Harry Lee Newton
With: Ron
Crawford, Sutton Thomas.
When Johnny Comes Marching Home 1903 - Harry Lee Newton Director. Johnny Culver
With: Daniyel Hunt, Laurie Sammeth.
More info:
631 898 4205.
*******************************************************
Past
event!
“Lincoln’s
Birthday”
With: Andrew Dinan, Penny Gaston, Mike Miller, Tom
Morwick, Alissa Simmons
Goofy inmates, Larry and Carl, scheme to get their
favorite show tunes record into their hands, with no help from a Hollywood
legend!
July 26, @ 6:15pm, July 27, @ 6:15pm, July 29,
@6:15pm
Hudson Guild Theater 441 W 26th St, New York, NY
10001.
Tickets here:
http://newyorktheaterfestival.com/lincolns-birthday/
___________________________
Past event!
The Equity Library Theater
Playwriting Summer Festival 2018
Part One
August 4th @12pm
New York
Public Library – George Bruce Branch Auditorium
518 West 125th Street (at Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY 10027-3407
Presenting:
John
Cannatalla – Restless in Limbo
Marlin Thomas – Speak Gods English
Samantha Fox – Cardiomyapathy
Vivian Lermond – Call It Karma
Joshua
Charmatz – Cactus
Maia Henken – Beheld
Paul
K. Smith – A Day of Promise
Arthur Lundquist – Explorers of the Sky
Glenda Frank – Head of House
Matt Haldeman - Sir Edmund Walter…
Spangler's
Spring - Jason Boies
Part Two
August 11th @12pm
NYPL Harry Belafonte Auditorium
115th Street Branch
203 W 115th St, New York, New York 10026
Presenting:
Lizzie Guest – My Berenstein Life
Josiah Mullins – My Mother Is What?
Wayne Paul Mattingly - Worlds Apart
Kyle Smith – Don
Ian Cohen - Old Wounds
Nathan Smith – Monologue
Gary Beck - Clown Show
Paige Esterly - Eve and Adam (winner best play!)
Gordon
Rizzo – How to Get Ahead in Business
Margo
Krasne – Monologue from “Til Death…”
Past
Event!
Space Race presents for the first time to American
audiences the spine-tingling truth behind mankind's greatest adventure.
Experience daring thrills as you hurtle through the terrifying void of endless
space. Enjoy lavish accommodations on the ONLY exospheric vessel with five-star
concierge service! Discover strange new romance on the lunar countryside. Space
Race is science-fiction and comedy in one easy-to-swallow tablet. Space Race
reveals how man actually got to the Moon. Space Race
is available only in limited qualities at select locations.
NYPL Harry Belafonte Library Alvin Ailey Auditorium
Free Admission.
Runs about an hour. More info 631 898 4205.
Past
Event!
Woodside
Players of Queens
Summer
Play Festival 2018
Voted best plays!
Brysen Boyd - Elephant
Nancy Kelton - Finding Mr. Rightstein
June 2nd, 2018 2pm
Queens Library Astoria Branch Auditorium
14-01 Astoria Blvd.
Astoria NY 11105
Free admission
This performance repeats June 16th at the Steinway
Reformed Church
41st and Ditmars, Astoria, at noon. Bring lunch!
Nelson Diaz-Marcano - El Yunque In English
Lane Northcutt - Secretary
Ludovic Coutaud - Look At
Me
Just like the Movies – Peter Scarpinato
Brysen Boyd - Elephant
Nancy Kelton - Finding Mr. Rightstein
Gordon Rizza – How to get ahead in Business
_____________________________________________
Past Event!
The Woodside Players of queens presents:
“Aunt Maggie’s Will”
A
1910 comedy by Elizabeth Gale
The
Woodside Players of Queens and Equity Library Theater of New York present a
staged reading of: Aunt Maggies Will, a comedy by
Elizabeth Gale.
"Madeline is getting married, and is due to
inherit a large sum of money, only if she can prove herself an excellent
housewife!"
The cast of ten recreates this comedy from 1910, fully staged and costumed.
May
12, 2018@12pm
NYPL
Harry Belafonte Library
Alvin
Ailey Auditorium
203
West 115th Street
Between
Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. and Frederick Douglas Blvd
With:
Tiffany Darden, Hailey DePoto,
Kate
Hoffman, Saturday Lawson,
Malinda
Logan, Kinga Nowak, Lil Rhee, Phylis Rossi, Dakota Wollmer
Johnny
Culver directs
Free
Admission
More
info: woodsideplayersofqueens@gmail.com
Past Events!
The Retreat: A Comedy by Enzo Gattuccio.
March 3rd @2pm
NYU Playwright Enzo Gattuccio's
The Retreat tells the scary story of a girl who has been ill for sixteen days.
The play features stress, insanity, Swedish
literature, Swedish meatballs, disgust, social media influencers, and a small,
totally non-threatening corporate retreat center tucked in the woods of the Bay
Area.
Starring Kelsey Ann Wacker.
This event takes place at:
NYPL George Bruce Theater
_________________________________________________________________________
Past
Event!
January 20th
@ 12pm
NYPL Alvin
Ailey Auditorium
Harry Belafonte-115th Street Library
203 W 115th St, New York, New York 10026
A staged
reading of “Hyacinth Goes Camping” based upon “Keeping up Appearances” by Roy
Clarke.
In this
re-imagined version (by Carole Jackson) of the BBC comedy, “Keeping up
Appearances”, Hyacinth is as conniving as ever, as one can be at 30 plus years
old. The gang is back, Richard, Emmett, Liz, Rose, Daisy and Onslow as they
suffer through another one of Hyacinths attempts to shove herself into
society.
"The telephone rings at the Bucket Residence.
Rose's latest gentleman friend, the Earl of Crawford (!) has invited the whole
family to go camping on his estate. Glowing with the possibilities for social
advancement this brings, Hyacinth commandeers Richard to buy the necessary
camping accoutrements and off they go, dressed for the occasion. Now, if only
everything goes according to plan..."
With Kinga Nowak, Scott Haskell, Sonya Rice, Mike
Miller, Debbie Smith, Andrew Dinan, Terri Matassov, Bart DeFinna.
Directed by Johnny Culver.
Also being presented, three new short comedies:
"Oh Mother!" by Sarah Galvin, "Goodnight Irene" by Jean Tessier
and "Love of Life" by Johnny Culver.
Free admission. For the entire family!
Past event!
Equity Library Theater of New York presents a
reading of:
“The Night
before the Night before Christmas”,
A comedy play by Cricket
Daniel.
December
2nd at NYPL George Bruce Branch
518 West 125th Street (at Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY 10027-3407
@2pm
&
December
9th at NYPL West 53rd Street Branch
18 W
53rd St, New York, NY 10019
@12pm.
Lou
has wrestled with a big ball of tangled Christmas lights for the last time! He
is grabbing the sunblock, his Elvis in Paradise album
and his wife Carol, and hopping on the Pineapple Express to Hawaii! However, a
freak snowstorm leaves the couple stranded in the airport and their dream of
sipping Pina Coladas on the beach is in peril!
With:
Johnny Culver
Deborah Smith
Kinga Nowak
Alexa Doggett
Chris Robertson
Directed by Jean Tessier
Free admission,
runs about 90 minutes. For the entire family!
_____________________________________________
EQUITY LIBRARY
THEATER
OF NEW YORK
PRESENTS:
A reading of
“Be
Calm, Camilla”
a 1918 Broadway comedy by Claire Kummer.
November
18th @12pm
NYPL
Harry Belafonte Library
Alvin
Ailey Auditorium
203
West 115th Street
Between
Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. and Frederick Douglas Blvd.
With:
Camilla Hathaway - Alone in the City - Lydia Kalmen
Bill Slattery - A piano mover – Clinton Schreck
Alma Robbins - Haley Klausmeyer
Baxter Pell - Of Fifth Avenue - Tom Meade
Celia Brooke - A Lady of Leisure - Rachel Deutsch
Jo Gibbons - Another mover – Julian Cano
McNeil Brownlow, "Mac" - A Waiter - Tim Mills
Gus Beals - of Broadway - Mark Brystowski
Junius Patterson - Owner of the car - Rasik Ohal
Directed
by Johnny Culver
A
review from 1918...
“BE CALM, CAMILLA” AT THE ALCAZAR THEATRE
“Be Calm Camilla," airy, witty, romantic
fairy tale of Broadway, at the
Booth Theatre this witty, whimsical comedy, by Claire Kummer, ran for months. It is smart,
snappy, up-to-date,
This adroit, epigrammatic writer knows Broadway life to its core. Her
humorous fancy finds wide swing in the droll story of the artless Wisconsin
girl who went to the big cynical city to challenge fame and fortune as a
pianist. "Be Calm” is Camilla's motto, whether in a dismal
little side street hotel, or in a lovely white hospital room after the
automobile has bowled her over, or at the bungalow in the woods where she
convalesces. Everybody is good to Camilla, because she is artless and
unsophisticated, from the burly piano movers, who come to seize her old rattle
trap instrument, and the bibulous old waiter who smuggles food to her, up to
the repentant, but careless, millionaire motorist.
A gay and carefree play this, with blend of
crackling humor and tender pathos. It has delightful character types, including
Belle Bennett, as the heroine; Walter P. Richardson, as the Tin pan alley song
writer; Thomas Chatterton, as “the sixth richest man in New
York"; Clifford Alexander, as a Fifth avenue lizard; Henry Shumer and
Rafael Brunetto,
as the piano movers; Al Cunningham, as the philanthropic waiter; Emily Pinter,
as a “lady of leisure," and the first appearance of Jean Oliver, as the
sophisticated, amusing little hospital nurse. The scenic environment is most
picturesque!
Free Admission. Runs about 90 minutes
Who
We Are…
Mark Brystowski -
Off-Broadway: Every 28 Hours Plays (LAByrinth
Theater Co.), God of Vengeance (Theater at St.
Clements). Other NY credits: Private Disclosures (Shetler
Bridge), Le Cygne(Manhattan Repertory Theater), Fear Festival
(AlphaNYC/Roebuck Theater).
Film/TV: Rotten! (Netflix), Zenith (dir. Ellie Foumbi), Lulu Loves Brooklyn (dir. Gretchen Zufall). Mark recently line-produced the off-Broadway
and touring premiere of Bamboo in Bushwick and The
Nose. Thank you Jackie and Roman for your love
and support.
Rachel
Deutsch - a
recent graduate of NYU (2016) earning a BFA in Drama. Rachel’s previous acting
credits include Tulon in ‘Red Noses’ and ‘Titania’ in
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at The New Studio on Broadway. Her directing
credits include, ‘Science Fair’ at Theater Row and
‘Aliens Coming’ at The Pit. She is also a film actor and a yoga teacher.
Tom Meade -
born and bred and still resides in NYC. Produced and hosted Rant n Rave TV on
MNN for over 10 years. Tom appeared the role of The Bartender in Jack Condon’s
“Orphans of the Digital Era”, and in George Morgan’s “The Wiggle Room”. As well
as a number of short films and plays. Recently Tom
played the role of Sam in the feature “Thru” which opened The NYC Independent
Film Festival. He is currently working on getting his original screenplay
"The Slip" made.
Timothy
Mills – after
graduating from George Westinghouse High School, Tim took a Business of Acting
class with Mark Stolzenberg in 2015. He worked on a
project called The Hard Candy Kid, where Mills was featured as a Berlin Wall
crusader, which solidified his passion for the craft. Since then
he’s been working on his craft through various films & theatre, Mills is
actively working on new projects!
Rasik Ohal - For the
last few years, Rasik has been working mainly in film
and television. Highlights include, The Comedian, Mr. Robot, and Master of
None. He is making an effort to get back into theatre.
Highlights include, Comedy of Errors, Drunkle Vanya,
and The Springfield Boys.
Lydia Kalmen - an
actor, dancer, model, and member of SAG-AFTRA. Recent credits include Lady
Caroline in Enchanted April, Juror 10 (the bigot) in 12 Angry Women, The Diary
of Anne Frank and I Remember Mama.
Claire
Kummer – (1873 –
1958) Composer, songwriter ("Dearie"), playwright and author,
educated at the Packer Institute and in private music study. She wrote the
Broadway stage scores for "90 in the Shade", "One Kiss",
"Annie Dear", "Madame Pompadour", and "The Three
Waltzes". Joining ASCAP in 1934, her chief musical collaborators
included Sigmund Romberg and Jerome Kern, and her other popular-song compositions include
"Egypt", "Other Eyes", "Blushing June Roses",
"Somebody's Eyes” and "Lover of Mine". Today is for you, Claire!
Coming Up!
December 2nd at NYPL George Bruce Branch
(West 125 Street) @2pm &
December 9th at NYPL West 53rd Street
branch@12pm.
“The Night before the Night before Christmas”, a
comedy by Cricket Daniel.
With: Johnny Culver, Deborah Smith, Kinga Nowak, Alexa
Doggett, Chris Robertson, Directed by Jean Tessier
______
January 20, 2018, at NYPL Alvin Ailey
Auditorium@12pm
A reading of “Hyacinth Goes Camping!”, by Carole
Jackson
based upon the BBC series “Keeping up Appearances”
by Roy Clarke. (“Oh Mother!” and “Love of Life”
will also be presented)
“The
telephone rings at the Bucket Residence. Rose's latest gentleman friend, the
Earl of Crawford (!) has invited the whole family to go camping on his estate.
Glowing with the possibilities for social advancement this brings, Hyacinth
commandeers Richard to buy the necessary camping accoutrements and off they go,
dressed for the occasion. Now, if only everything goes according to plan...”
______
March 3rd, 2018, at NYPL George Bruce Branch
(West 125 Street) @2pm
“The Retreat”, a comedy by NYU playwright Enzo
Gattuccio.
June 9th, 2018, at NYPL Alvin Ailey
Auditorium@12pm
A reading of the 1918 Broadway Comedy, “The Wrong
Mr. Wright” by George Bradford.
(Read
it on Google Books, if interested in performing with us)
______
Equity Library Theater and The Woodside Players of
Queens are seeking actors for their spring production of “Aunt Maggie’s Will”,
a 1910 play by Mary Elizabeth Gale, to take place in May,
2018. The script calls for 10 females, but we are open to gender blind casting
in this comedy. Please send resumes and headshots to woodsideplayersofqueens@gmail.com. You can read the play on Google Books.
______
To learn more about Equity Library Theater, please
visit: www.equitylibrarytheater.info. Leave us a message at 631 898 4205, or
email: equitylibrarytheater@gmail.com. We’re also on Facebook!
______
Use of library space by Equity Library Theater for
this program does not indicate endorsement by the NYPL. *Some actors appear
courtesy of Equity/AEA. The recording/photographing of any of the performance
is permitted, only with prior approval.
Thanks Ms., Davis!
Past
event!
The
Woodside Players of Queens Fall Play Festival.
Short
plays by local writers.
November 4th
at Queens Library Astoria@1pm
14-01
Astoria Blvd.
N/W Q19/Q69 to Astoria Blvd
Amy Oestreicher – I’m A
Woman…
Allan Yashin – The Name Game
William Coyle - Living Room
Clinton Shreck – It Had To
Be You
Alan Stolzer - Mrs. Killebrew Confesses
Kevin Chu – Avengers
Sarah Galvin - Oh Mother! (selected best play)
Ellen O'Neill - Chew On This
Sinead Ward – Rub Some Dirt in It
Camille
Schmoeker - Don’t Go under the Apple Tree
Bring
a bag lunch!
Past Event!
Equity Library Theater of New York presents
a reading of
“Miss Belle”
A Southern comedy by Texas playwright
Bill Logan.
Saturday,
October 28th 12:00 p.m.
NYPL Harry
Belafonte/115th Street Library
Alvin
Ailey Auditorium
203 West
115th Street
Between
Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. and Frederick Douglas Blvd.
In the
vein of novelist Fannie Flagg (Fried
Green Tomatoes), Bill Logan takes us to a small Texas town in the 1950’s,
where secrets wait to be uncovered!
Free admission, runs about 90 minutes. More info, call 631 898
4205.
The Equity Library Theater Playwriting Summer
Festival 2017
====
August
5th – 12pm
New
York Public Library – George Bruce Branch Auditorium
518 West 125th Street (at Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY 10027-3407
George Morgan – The Wiggle Room
Directed
by Johnny Culver, with Tom Meade, Mike Miller, Tom Morwick, Max Wingert, John
Zion
Lora Danley – A Midnight Rose
Directed
by Lora Danley, with Wendy Lazarus, Devon Marra, Frances Vignali
Linda Kampley – The Lamp
With
Carla Brandberg, Richard Craven
Susan Masters – Going Home
With
Nikole Rizzo
Rosemary Frisino Toohey
– Grace Goes To Sea
With
Steve Lichtenstein
Steve Fogelman – The Glove
Directed
by Steve Fogelman, with Joseph Rose, Vicki Winters
====
August
12th – 12pm
NYPL
Harry Belafonte Branch
203
W 115th St, New York, New York 10026
Pamela Robbins – Great Strides
Directed
by Pamela Robbins, with Jennifer James Davies, Pia Finnigan, Johnny Culver,
Heather Jeanne Violanti
Amy Oestreicher – I’m A
Woman…
Serena Cates – Five Silver Five Gold
Lynn Marie Macy – Sister Resisters
Matt Sanders – Happy Halloween, Harry Houdini
Emilio Iasiello – Under The Big Top
Seth McNeill – That Bee Gees Song
Vivian Lermond - Beach Wedding
With
Craig Myers, Kelly Taylor
Jack Gilhooey –
Kennedy’s Acolytes
Peter Linari – Guys
Directed
by Peter Linari, with Jon Scott Freda, Lou Martini,
Jr.
====
August
19th – 12pm
NYPL
Harry Belafonte Branch
203
W 115th St, New York, New York 10026
Erin Moughon-Smith – For
Mr. Cuddles
Directed
by Erin Moughon, with Kendra Auguatin,
Emily Long, Sarah Teed
Dana Jaffe – No Good Deed
Directed
by Dana Jaffe, with Andrew Benjamin, Dawn Bianco, Dan Bubbeo,
Eric Leeb Michele Rattray
Katherine Orozco – Treason
Directed
by Ashley Vega, with Rose Gutierrez
Amy Bernstein – The Sacrifice
With
Amy Bernstein
Matthew Ballistreri –
Baby Book
Steve Burton – Close Enough
Directed
by Ruth Alesovsky, John Patrick Hart, with Gerry
Kelly, Debra McNulty, Daniel P. Stravino
Shirley King – Authenticity
With
Christy Donahue
Sam Plotkin – Microcosm
Jack Rushton – Theater People
Michael Verderber - Unending Repetition
Directed
by Michael Verderber, with Katherine
Orozco-Verderber
Jim Gordon – A Stranger Calls
With
Sonya Rice
Anghus Houvouras – Penmanship
Directed
by Rachel Deutsch, with Will Carry, Ram Kanneganti
Free admission to all.
The final votes, via text responses, over three
weeks, are in, for the ELT 2017 summer festival!
Best
comedy. Anghus Houvouras -
Penmanship.
Best
Drama. Katherine Orozco – Treason/Michael Verderber - Unending Repetition (We
considered both short pieces as one unit).
Past “Best plays”
2016 - Michael Maiello – Looking
Through the Glass
2015 - Hello Mom – Lauren Snyder
2014 - John Ladd – Ashes to Ashes (Drama)/ Scott
Haskell – Womanhood (Comedy)
2013 -
Liza Bulos - Attention Shoppers
The Woodside Players and Equity Library Theater of
New York is seeking actors for their fall production, a staged reading of Be
Calm, Camilla, by Claire Kummer.
This comedy opened at the Booth Theater (New York)
Oct 31, 1918 and ran until January 1919.
The Woodside Players and Equity Library Theater
will present the reading in November at the NYPL Alvin Ailey Theater on West
115th Street and the George Bruce Theater on West 125th Street. You can read
the script here:
https://archive.org/details/becalmcamillacom00kummrich
Characters are:
Camilla Hathaway
Bill Slattery
Alma Robbins
Baxter Pell
Celia Brooke
Jo Gibbons
McNeil Brownlow, "Mac"
Gus Beals
Send resumes and headshots to
submission@pineyforkpress.com
Thus fall,
we are presenting a free Actor/Writer workshop at the Queens Library Astoria
branch (14-01 Astoria Blvd). Bring your short written or performance pieces to
share!
Biweekly at noon – September,
2017 thru May, 2018. All genres welcome. Call
718 278 2220 for more info.
December
2nd at 2pm, at the NYPL George Bruce Theater, we present a reading of a
terrific holiday comedy, “The Night before the Night before Christmas”, by
Oregon playwright, Cricket Daniel. The performance will be repeated December 9th
at the NYPL 53rd Street
branch at noon. Free admission.
The Woodside Players of Queens
Present a selection of rare short plays from 19th
century New York and beyond.
These staged readings, directed by Johnny Culver
and Pamela Robbins, include vaudeville, comedy and
farce. Suitable for the entire family!
Saturday June 10th 12pm
Queens
Library - Langston
100-01 Northern Blvd.
Saturday June 17th 12pm
Queens
Library - Astoria
14-01
Astoria Blvd.
Presenting
short plays by these (seldom heard) writers:
Human
Nature – Floyd Dell, 1913, New York
I’m
Going – Tristan Bernard, 1915, Paris
Private
Boarding – William Courtright, 1874, New York
A
Lady to Call – Carl Webster Pierce, 1918, New York
The
Motor Bellows – William Courtright, 1873, Indianapolis
With:
Mark Brystowski, Lauren
Butler, Johnny Culver, Scott Haskell, Lydia Komen, Gary Krigsman, Kinga Novak,
Pamela Robbins, Sonya Rice, Laurie Sammeth, Pamela Tabb
Thanks
to Doris Jones!
ABOUT THE
AUTHORS
William Courtright was an vaudeville writer
and American film actor. He worked with D. W. Griffith and in his later career at the Hal Roach Studios, where he appeared in several early Laurel and Hardy comedies. His best-known role was Oliver Hardy's wealthy Uncle Bernal in That's My
Wife (1929).
His last film, the Our Gang comedy Teacher's
Pet, was also
his first sound film. He was born in New
Milford, Illinois. His wife
was actress Jennie Lee, with whom he appeared in Intolerance.
Floyd
James Dell was an
American newspaper and magazine editor, literary critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. Dell has been called "one of the most
flamboyant, versatile and influential American Men of Letters of the first
third of the 20th Century." As editor and critic, Dell's
influence is alive in the work of many major American writers from the
first half of the 20th century. A lifelong poet, he was also a best-selling
author, as well as a playwright whose hit Broadway comedy, Little
Accident (1928),
was made into a Hollywood movie.
Tristan
Bernard was a
French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. After his first publication in La Revue Blanche
in 1891, he became increasingly a writer and adopted the pseudonym
Tristan. His first play, Les Pieds Nickelés (Nickel-plated Feet), was a great
success and was representative of the style of his later work (generally humorous).
He became known especially for his writing for vaudeville-type performances, which were very popular in
France during that time.
Carl
Webster Pierce was an
American playwright. Many of his comedies appeared on Broadway in the early
20th century, including the original version of “Oh, Kay!” In 1927.
ABOUT US
Scott
Haskell has appeared
in film, television and theatre, and has studied
acting at NYU. He has appeared as Andrey
in The Gingerbread Players production of Three Sisters, and in Pamela Robbins
original production of Deep in the Woods of Old with the St. Jean’s Players.
Gary
Krigsman is
honored to have this unique opportunity to perform with The Woodside Players.
Thank you Johnny! Gary has appeared in several
community theater productions over the past 17 years in Queens, Nassau and the Bronx. Favorite roles include Frank (Over
the River and Through the Woods), Sam Nash (Plaza Suite) X3, Mr.
Dussel (The Diary of Anne Frank) and most recently The Old Man (Prelude
to a Kiss).
Laurie
Sammeth (Cook/Steakpounder, Lady) is delighted to be making her Woodside
Players’ debut. Recent NYC productions: Is That All They Wrote (St. Jean’s
Players), When Rodney Met the Vikings and Halls of Importance (Thespis
Festival), 28 Marchant Avenue, Shades of Blue,Lilliom
(Beautiful Soup Theater).
Lydia Kalmen is an
actor, dancer and model. A proud member of SAG-AFTRA,
recent credits include the complicated Lady Caroline Bramble in "Enchanted
April" and a restless ghost in "A Haunting".
Sonya Rice is delighted to join Woodside Players after
recently working with Johnny Culver and Pamela L. Robbins at St. Jean's
Players' Winter One Acts Festival. Opera credits include La Boheme,
Don Giovanni, Hansel and Gretel, Aida, and The Barber of Seville.
Mark Brystowski is
delighted to be playing with such a lovely ensemble. Off-Broadway: God
of Vengeance (Theater at St. Clements), Every 28 Hours
Plays (LAByrinth Theater Co.). Other NY
credits: Private Disclosures (Shetler Bridge), Le Cygne (Manhattan Repertory Theater), Fear Festival
(AlphaNYC/Roebuck Theater). Mark recently line-produced the off-Broadway and
touring premiere of Bamboo in Bushwick for Working Theater and a
short film, Zenith. Thank you Jackie and
Roman for your love and support.
Coming in July…
July 22 @12pm
NYPL 115th Street Branch
203 W 115th St, New York, New York 10026
(212) 666-9393
Equity Library Theater presents a staged reading
of:
“Lil’ Miss Spitfire-the Musical”
Book
by Samantha Talmage, DGA
Music and Lyrics by Robert Winthrop Talmage ASCAP
This is the inspiring untold story of Annie
Sullivan, the Irish-American immigrant and eventual
teacher of blind-deaf Helen Keller.
A cast of 18 brings to life young Annie’s journey
of courage and perseverance. Sadly, early in her life, she endures the
loss of her mother, Alice and younger brother, Jimmie to tuberculosis.
Her father, Thomas becomes overwhelmed and gives the children away first
to family members, then to the Massachusetts State Asylum. Annie
suffers from trachoma and is functionally blind and unable to read even the
simplest of texts.
Along the way, eight eye surgeries are performed
on this young girl and finally, she can see well enough to make sense of the
printed page. Annie now fully devotes herself to the rigors of learning
and becomes class valedictorian at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.
It is there, Dr. Anagnos, the headmaster offers
her a truly unique position to teach a rebellious blind-deaf girl from Alabama.
Runs about 90 minutes, free admission.
________________
Past
Presentations…
February
11th 2017, 12pm
2017 NYPL
Alvin Ailey Auditorium
115th
Street Branch
203 W
115th St, New York, New York 10026
(212)
666-9393
A reading
of a screen-play by Tom Meade
“THE SLIP”
With Emily
Meade, Phillip Ettinger and others.
Manhattan,
the 1990s.
Celebrity dog walker Jack Meehan is celebrating one year clean and sober. After
a day that includes rejections, potential job loss, and a very strange
encounter in a diner, Jack ends up taking a trip down the rabbit hole that got
him there to begin with. Chance meetings with friends old and new, and a past
love, Jack finds himself in a series of uncomfortable, bizarre
and life-threatening situations. He spends the next 24 hours just trying to get
back home.
Free
Admission.
Equity
Library Theater of New York presents:
“The Bermuda Curse”
A
staged reading of a comedy by Johnny Culver.
March
4, 2017 @2:00PM
New York Public Library – George Bruce Branch Auditorium
518 West 125th Street (at Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY 10027-3407
(A B C D 1 to 125th Street)
(212) 662-9727
With:
Brady Blevin
Julie Kling
Susan Neuffer
Carole Serrano
Peyton Place, horses wearing blankets, the
Flushing train, Chicklets gum, John Wayne and more in this one
hour 1970’s comedy for the entire family! Free admission.
___________________________________________________
The Equity
Library Theater Playwriting Festival – Winter 2017
Saturday January 28th
NYPL 53rd street Branch Auditorium at
1pm
18 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Free Admission
Presenting:
Martha’s King – Linda Ziering
Directed by Cynthia White w/Eleanor Boddie, Susanna
Miller
Rosemary – Charles Lupia
Directed by Charles Lupia w/ Susan Palmer Everly, Charles Lupia
Swimming Out – Minette Greenberg
Directed by Minette Greenberg w/ Cam Kornman, Eve
Sorel, Julie Torres
Tea with the Tin Man – Charles Leipart
Directed by Hall
Hunsinger w/
Penny Lynn White
Free Association - Julie Weinberg
Directed by Norma Medina w/ Colin Chapin, Carole Monferdini,
Anthony Scavone
Expecting Hamilton – Chip Bolcik
Directed by Betsy True w/Nick Webster, Kirsty Sadler
Hookup – Burton Crane
Directed by Burton Crane w/Burton Schwartz
Shock – Meny Beriro
Directed by Meny Beriro w/Kitty
Hendrix, Jo Anna Perrin
Teresa’s Journey – Nancy Palmento Schuler
Directed and performed by Nancy Palmento Schuler
The Reflective Lie – Christina Gluck
Directed by Christina Gluck w/ Laura Hesse
Zero to Hero – Mary Teitelbaum
Directed by Yvonne (Bonnie) Cole w/ Nancy Ann
Finn, Kyle McIlhone
How to be Dead – Benjamin Weiner
Directed by Keith Paul Medelis w/ Kurt Hellerich, Eric Weiner
We the People – John Cappelletti
Directed by John
Cappelletti w/ Doug Rossi,
Barry Sacker
Mountain Dew – J. Lois Diamond
Directed by J. Lois Diamond w/ Minette Greenberg,
Carol London, Julia Torres
OMG – Pete Mergel
Best play today (chosen by the audience texting
their choice to 631 898 4205),
will receive a fancy restaurant gift card!
Use of
library space by Equity Library Theater for this program today does not indicate
endorsement by The New York Public Library. Some actors appear courtesy of
Equity. The recording/photographing of any of these pieces is permitted, only
with prior approval. The order of the plays presented may vary from the above
listing.
Equity
Library Theater past productions have included: A concert by the Village Light
Opera Guild, Short Plays by John Ladd, KK Gordon and
Craig Schwab, ATANST (new plays by New York writers), Ferry Tales (plays set on
the Staten Island Ferry), a new play by Pamela Robbins, Katherine and
Petruchio; (rare David Garrick version from 1750), assorted plays by members of
the Provincetown Playhouse, and our annual winter and summer play festival!
Look on Facebook for more info!
Do you have a full length play you’d like
presented by Equity Library Theater, let us know!
We are always looking for new material to produce.
We are
presenting a free creative writing class at the Queens Library Astoria branch.
Biweekly at noon - September 24th – May 27th,
2017. All genres welcome. Call 718 278 2220 for
more info.
Look for us on Facebook!
Deadline: April 15, 2017 (OVER)
Submissions
are now being accepted for the New York's Equity Library Theater Summer 2017
Play Festival, to take place over two weekends in August at the NYPL Alvin
Ailey Theater and the George Bruce Theater in New York City.
Seeking short plays (no more than 10 pp), from playwrights from all over the
USA. Also seeking monologues (no more than 4pp). Musicals welcome!
Basic set requirements.
One submission per playwright. No unpleasant profanity, as this is a family
friendly festival! No submission fee. Please include
name, address, telephone number and email address on your submission. We do not
produce your work, we provide a venue for you to
present actors performing your play. There are no costs involved for anyone.
Seeking actors and directors, too!
Deadline: April 15, 2017 (OVER)
Email: submissions@pineyforkpress.com
Equity
Library Theater presented Three Hots and a Cot.
Equity
Library Theater presented Plays by my Father.
Equity
Library Theater presented Short plays by Johnny Culver
(here)
Equity
Library Theater presented an afternoon of short plays by John Ladd.
Equity
Library Theater presented Catherine
and Petruchio in 2014!
Equity Library Theater presented The Bermuda Curse
in 2013!
FROM
THE ARCHIVES OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
Equity Library Theater Gives Itself a Party
by ANDREW L. YARROW
Published: February 7, 1988
''AT
Equity Library Theater, the actor is our focus,'' declared George Wojtasik, the
theater's producing director.
Similar
sentiments might be voiced by the director of almost any theater company, but
none could say so with more conviction than Mr. Wojtasik. His
Upper West Side Theater - the country's oldest actors' showcase -will celebrate
its 45th season tomorrow at Town Hall with a benefit called ''My Funny
Valentine,'' a program of Richard Rodgers love songs.
The
theater, which is on the ground floor of an apartment building at Riverside
Drive and 103d Street, has been something of an anomaly among New York
performing-arts institutions since it was established in November 1943. The
founders were Sam Jaffe of Actors' Equity Association and George Freedley, the
theater curator for the New York Public Library.
''It was
founded to showcase artists to people in casting positions and provide free
theater'' to people who couldn't afford Broadway prices, said Mr. Wojtasik. ''At
that time, if actors weren't working on Broadway, they had no other place to
work. The showcase was born with E.L.T., and it even predated the Off Broadway movement by a few years.'' Over the years, more
than 11,500 actors, directors and stage technicians have displayed their
talents to producers, casting directors and agents in at least 600 productions
at the theater, and Mr. Wojtasik said
about 60 percent had gotten paid acting jobs as a result of
those appearances.
With only
about 5 percent of the city's 20,000 Equity members acting for a living at any
one time, the theater has not only served as a remarkably successful theatrical
employment agency, but it has also been a launching pad for hundreds of
performers. Jason Robards was a little-known actor when he appeared
in ''The Petrified Forest'' in 1955. James Earl Jones got his start in a 1959
production of ''Dark of the Moon.''
Also on
the theater's roster of illustrious alumni are Martin Balsam, Ossie Davis,
Danny DeVito, Jack Klugman, Harvey Korman, Anne Meara, Sidney Poitier, Jerry Stiller, Rod Steiger and Treat Williams. And the theater's couples
include Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach, who met in a 1945 production of ''This
Property Is Condemned.''
Jean
Stapleton remembers being ''an aspiring, very young actress'' when she
interviewed for a role in a 1947 production of ''The Corn Is Green,'' which
also featured a young actor named Richard Kiley. ''I was assigned a very small
part,'' Miss Stapleton said, but she was asked to step in with only 10 days' notice
when the leading actress slipped on the ice. ''An agent who saw the show called
me and said I'd be right for the road company of 'Harvey,' '' Miss Stapleton
said. ''I got the job and that was my first big break in theater.''
Tony
Randall's appearances in ''The Second Mrs. Tanqueray'' and ''The Millionairess'' - with Charlton Heston -
during the 1948-49 season did not leadd to immediate
stardom, but he said the theater had been ''absolutely
crucial for many actors' careers.''
''Today, there
are all sorts of showcases, but this is the only one with a real budget and
full productions,'' said Mr. Randall, who is a member of the theater's board.
Equity
Library Theater began its life as a sort of New York City
road show, with performances rotating among 11 theaters built during the
Depression in branches of the New York Public Library. After the library withdrew its support in 1948,
the theater spent a season roaming the city before settling in the Lenox Hill
Playhouse on East 70th Street. It stayed there until 1961, when it moved to the
Master Theater on Riverside Drive.
''It was a
residential hotel for artists, with a theater, studios
and a museum, known as the Master Institute of United Arts,'' Mr. Wojtasik explained. This little artists' colony
eventually withered, and the family that owned 310 Riverside Drive sold the
building in the 1970's, but the theater remained.
In its
early years, the theater presented as many as 56 productions annually, but
during Mr. Wojtasik's 21-year tenure, its season has been reduced
to a more manageable chaotic schedule of four musicals, each of which is
performed for four weeks, and four plays, each with three-week runs. ''When
E.L.T. was formed, the League of New York Theaters said we couldn't do original
works,'' Mr. Wojtasik explained, ''so we only present revivals or
public-domain works.''
The
theater also agreed with Actors' Equity that - since actors would not be paid -
it would try to use Equity members and not charge admission. Tickets now cost
$10 ($5 for the elderly) to help support a $750,000 budget, and the theater
continues to provide opportunities for about 200 actors during each 40-week
season.
''We try
to do the full range of theater over four or five seasons,'' Mr. Wojtasik said. ''Our library concept is to try to do
one classic and one or two American comedies or dramas a season. And of the
musicals, we try to do one contemporary work, one golden oldie and one piece of
fluff.'' A successful revival of ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' just closed;
Thursday, Bernard Pomerance's ''Elephant Man'' opens.
Actors
receive only a subway-and-sandwich stipend of $5 a day, yet 400 to 700 people
audition for each production, and about 100 directors vie for eight chances to
direct each season. Stars may be made at the theater, but name performers
almost never appear. ''I don't want lead roles taken from young actors,'' said
Mr. Wojtasik.
''And I don't cotton to the theory of having a star so that actors can have the
experience of working with a star.''
In 1986,
the theater signed a 15-year lease that will keep it ensconced on Riverside
Drive into the 21st century. Its financial health was also helped by the
addition last year of a balcony with 116 revenue-producing seats, expanding the
theater's capacity to 384 seats.
Given the
many constituencies the theater serves, Mr. Wojtasik is
sanguine about the theater's future. ''E.L.T. will be alive,'' he said, ''as long as actors want to be seen, casting directors need
actors and audiences want to see good, inexpensive theater.''
Survival in the theater is an ancient script that
tells the story not only of individual plays but of entire well-endowed
companies. The Equity Library Theater is a survivor that, touch wood, has no
ending in sight, even as it rounds out 40 years as a dramatic fixture in New
York.
It is now in the final half of its season, with a
mixed bag of plays and musicals to come. Today sees the final performance of
the Equity Library revival of Kurt Vonnegut's madcap ''Happy Birthday, Wanda
June.'' Then the company plunges into rehearsal for the March 10 opening of
''Where's Charley?,'' the Frank Loesser-George Abbott
musical that starred Ray Bolger in 1948. When that closes on April 3, the
Equity Library's stage takes a turn for the tragic on April 14 with that
17th-century epic of revenge, ''The Changeling,'' by Thomas Middleton and
William Rowley. No sooner does that move off the boards on May 1, than the
season's finale, ''Promises, Promises,'' book by Neil Simon, music by Burt
Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, takes over from May 12 to June 5.
E.L.T., as its friends call it, is not sponsored
by either Actors' Equity or the New York Public Library, although each had a
midwife role in its birth four decades and more than 650 shows ago. E.L.T. has
become a watchword in the acting community, although it is a name only dimly
known to those theater-goers who have never ventured
to the Upper West Side to catch its act. It is zealous in its avoidance of any
suggestion that it is competing with any other theater in New York, although it
shares with them its desire for audiences, its earnestness in aim, its
professionalism in execution and its poverty in funding.
At this point, simple description is required to
explain what E.L.T. is, what it does, why it does it and how it does it. E.L.T.
is a theater company, a showcase in which talent, the stockpile of acting
talent that is stored in New York, can exhibit what it can do. It works only
with revivals of shows, some familiar, some not.
In the early 1940's, Sam Jaffe, the actor, got
together with Vincent Freedley, curator of the New
York Public Library. They felt there ought to be some place for actors to show
off their wares, a place where producers and agents could candle the talent and
where live audiences would be a sounding board for performers. The pair found
that they could do plays in 11 libraries - seven in Manhattan, four in other
boroughs - that had little theaters built into them.
The League of New York Theaters said it had no
objection to them doing revivals or plays in the public domain. Actors' Equity
said they could do shows without a contract - that is, no need to pay actors -
but that they should try to use Equity members and that they should not charge
admission. Hence, the name of the company.
E.L.T. was born in November 1943 and took its
first step on Feb. 20, 1944, with a presentation of ''Shadow of the Glen'' and
''Fumed Oak'' in the cramped little theater of the Hudson Park branch library
on Seventh Avenue South. Mr. Jaffe later recalled that it cost $20 to do the
shows, money that came from a $1,000 donation from John Golden.
There are few organizations that can drop as many
names as this modest theater. Indeed, there is probably no other group that can
match E.L.T. when it comes to saying, ''I knew them when.'' Armies of
performers have swept through the casting sessions at E.L.T. and many have
later gone on to fame. A perfunctory glance through the record book finds,
among those thousands of then unknowns, the following: Alvin Ailey, Jack
Albertson, Roscoe Lee Brown, Ossie Davis, Andrew Duggan, Hector Elizando, Alice Ghostley, Lee
Grant, Jose Greco, Earl Hyman, Richard Kiley, Sally Kirkland, Werner Klemperer,
Jack Klugman, Harvey Korman, Darren McGavin, Anne Meara, Kay Medford, Ralph Meeker, Rosemary
Murphy, Lois Nettleton, Sidney Poitier, Tom Poston, Tony Randall, Jason
Robards, Alexander Scourby, Kim Stanley, Jean
Stapleton, Rod Steiger, Jerry Stiller, Elaine Stritch, Eli Wallach and Fritz
Weaver. And that's merely a sampler.
Now, E.L.T. may not have been the springboard to
fame for these and others, but it was indisputably a rung on the ladder up.
Some still remember their E.L.T. experience with affection and gratitude.
Fritz Weaver had a role in Sean O'Casey's ''Within
the Gates,'' an E.L.T. revival during the 1952-53 season. ''I was just back
from touring,'' he recalled recently. ''This was my first New York engagment and it led to everything. I was a cockney soldier
and Tom Bosley was a second chair attendant. It was and is a tremendous
organization for beginning actors.''
Tony Randall, who did two E.L.T. shows in one
season, ''The Second Mrs. Tanqueray'' and ''The Millionairess'' during 1948-49,
is so enamored of E.L.T. that he is a board member today. ''I was an unknown
and it was a chance to be seen,'' he says. ''Someone, a director
or producer, called and asked me if I wanted a role in the show. Agents and
other directors would see me. Charlton Heston was also in that 'Millionairess,'
while Edith Atwater was in 'Tanqueray.' E.L.T. does what Off Off Broadway can't do, because those showcases don't have
the same production values.''
Ossie Davis clearly recalls playing in
''Stevedore'' in 1948-49. ''It was the first important piece I got to do,' he
says. ''It was a professional operation directed by Dan Levin, a quiet kind of
person, but a doer. In that cast were Rod Steiger, Jack Klugman
and George Roy Hill. It was important to me in terms of experience. I had begun
to learn about the craft of acting. I've always felt that we in Equity and in
general underestimate the function of such a theater. As an institution, E.L.T.
has been good to me.''
So much for looking back. One of the key men in
looking to the precarious present (every theatrical present is precarious) and
to the fearsome future (ditto for theatrical futures) is George Wojtasik, E.L.T.'s managing director, and a cheerful, busy
sort who has one leg firmly planted on current realities and the other jiggling
tentatively on more dreamy turf. He has had his job for 15 years and observes
with some satisfaction that nobody else has held it for more than two years
since it was created in 1961, about the time that the company moved from the
now-demolished Lenox Hill Playhouse to its present digs at 103d Street and
Riverside Drive. Before a managing director came along, E.L.T. was run by a
committee of actors and stumbled into all the pitfalls that committees are so
adept at digging.
''Our theater has 273 seats in a building that is
50 years old,'' Mr. Wojtasik says. ''This was the
Master Institute of United Arts once and had ballet, opera workshops and a
theater. The other groups eventually were disbanded, but they kept us on.''
E.L.T. is still being kept on at the building,
although a year or so ago it seemed that they might be forced to move. This
possibility started an ambitious drive to raise $2.5 million to build a new
home, on West 75th Street and Broadway. The money could not be raised, the
lease on 103d Street was extended and now E.L.T. is looking for $180,000 to
restore the theater. Money is tight. A Federal grant, a small one, about $2,000
was not renewed, but Mr. Wojtasik feels that it was
as though a Good Housekeeping seal of approval had been taken away, because
such grants attract others.
Last year, E.L.T. had a slight deficit, $3,000,
the result of using up reserves earmarked for the new building. The 1981-82
budget is $362,000. This was designed to be funded by donations - corporate and
private -as well as by subscriptions and the audience, which is asked to pay $6
per ticket, in recognition of the fact discovered by other institutions that
the cost of free has gone up also in inflationary times. The New York State
Council on the Arts has been contributing $10,000 annually for the past several
years.
Whatever the expenses, they are certainly not
attributable to labor. Directors, backstage artistic staff
and actors work free. From the first day of rehearsals, actors, carpenters, electricians and lighting people get $3 a day to defray
carfare. What with the generous-sized showcase casts, this amounts to about
$45,000 a year.
''We have a reputation for quality work,'' Mr. Wojtasik says. ''We get calls from all over for
technicians. Lynn Montgomery, our producer and
director for 11 years, functions as a placement service. We call E.L.T. an
actors' showcase, but it is a showcase for these others, too.
''I select the season,'' he adds. ''I scout the
directors' work. They must be members of the Society of Stage Directors and
Choreographers. I judge their work and, also, check their temperament with
actors, because we work under special conditions, not for money. I try to match
the play with the director. Once the director is chosen, we have real open
auditions. Sometimes 700 show up, all Equity members, experienced people, not
waitresses who want to become actors.''
Mr. Wojtasik says that
other showcases believe that E.L.T. has an unfair advantage beause
it is allowed to do eight performances - a schedule that makes the company
qualify as an Off Broadway house, even though nobody
is paid - while other showcases are restricted to a total of 12 performances
over several weekends.
''We've earned our concessions because of the
demands for what we do,'' he says. ''We're allowed to do what we do because our
shows are not headed anywhere, they are done solely to give exposure to the
cast. That's one reason, incidentally, why we have so many problems with
musicals. How do you cast someone in a part that was identified with a Bert
Lahr or a Zero Mostel?''
Some E.L.T. productions have, indeed, moved on,
but with results that generally indicate a loss of some quality that made them
sing on 103d Street and whimper in other houses.
E.L.T. has a 40-week winter stock season so there
is always something either onstage or in rehearsal or in audition. Outside of
its full-time salaried staff, working out of its offices on West 46th Street,
personnel is constantly turning over. If someone has
had a lead in a musical, they can't do an E.L.T. musical for the next year.
Some actors do come back; Lloyd Hubbard, a character actorcomedian,
probably holds the record, seven shows, all in supporting parts.
''The future is tricky,'' says Mr. Wojtasik, looking ahead. ''We would like to convert into a
small regional theater, one without any permanent cast. In New York, we can
select the best talent for doing our specialty: big musicals on a small scale.
We do that very well. Anyone who can do 'Street Scene' with a cast cut from 60
to 20 and do it well must be doing something right. We must be kept alive for
future generations of actors.''
A few
reviews:
“An
Afternoon with the Piney Fork Press Theater” - January 7, 2012
David Garrick’s “Katherine and Petrucio” at
Equity Library Theater
www.equitylibrarytheater.info
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and/or privileged material, and/or written works owned by a third party. Please
do not forward anything from this site without the permission of the sender or
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The name
and web site of Equity Library Theater and the Woodside Players and Fifth
Avenue Theater is managed by Johnny Culver.
Johnny Culver
917 691 6884/631 898 4205, johnnyculver@pineyforkpress.com
, www.equitylibrarytheater.info
Managing
Director: Equity Library Theater of New York, The Woodside Players, Fifth
Avenue Theater
Selected Acting (New York)
“The Dead Game” Director/Actor Patient 2020
Secret Theater One Act Festival, New York (Lisa Stratton, playwright)
“Sisters” Father 2020
ELT Virtual Summer Play Festival (Megan McGibney, Playwright)
“Miss
Molly” (1918) Reginald 2019
Woodside Players (Jacob Dunham, Director)
“The Maid”
Workshop Reading Craig
(Father) 2019
Producer’s Club, (Aria Publicover, playwright)
“Gig” George
Reeves 2018
Manhattan Repertory Theater, (K. Wolfe,
Director)
”The Fitting” Tailor 2018
Thespis Theater Festival (D. Stishan, playwright,
Nominated Best Play)
“The Night
Before The Night Before Christmas” Lou (Lead) 2017
Second Street Theater (C. Daniel, playwright)
“L&O:
Spec. Victims Unit” Dick
Wolf 2017
St Pauls Theater, Brooklyn
“Fractured
Fairy Tales” Narrator 2017
St. Jeans Players One Act Festival, Ritz Players
“And Then
There Were None” Rogers 2016
Gingerbread Players
“Oliver!” Brownlow 2016
Boys and Girls Harbor, Heckscher Theatre
“All in
the Timing” Typewriter/Trotsky 2016
First String Players
“Timothy
and Mary” Timothy 2015
Manhattan Repertory Theater, 2017 Columbia University
“Keeping
Up Appearances” Emmett 2015
FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity Showcase (US Premiere)
“Our Town” Howie
Newsome 2014
St. Barts Players
”The Shabbos List” Mike
Green 2014
Thespis Theater Festival
“Nude with
Violin (Noel Coward)” Clinton
Preminger 2014
FAPC Theater Fellowship
“Bye Bye Birdie” Harry
MacAfee 2013
Gingerbread Players
“Anything
Goes” Rev.
Dobson 2012
Maggie’s Theater
“Eben on
the Dark Side” Eben
Scrooge 2011/2013/2018 Manhattan
Repertory Theater, Ritz Players
“To Kill A Mockingbird” Heck
Tate 2011 St Jeans Players
“Amateurs” Wayne
Seabury 2011
Parkside Players
Selected Directing (New York)
“Catherine and Petruchio (Garrick 1754) Director Instant Shakespeare/Equity
Library Theater, 2020
“Unmasked/Putting Up the Shed/Crummy/Virgins” Director Equity Library Theater Virtual Summer/Winter
Festival, 2020-21 (Various playwrights 24 plays)
“The Dead
Game” Director/Actor Secret
Theater One Act Festival, New York (Lisa Stratton, playwright), 2020
“Going
Green” (Annual Children’s Show) Director/Host Thespian Productions, Langston
Hughes Theater, Corona 2017, Lincoln Hospital, Bronx 2019
“St
Peter’s Player’s Talent Show” Director/Moderator Lenox Hill House, 2019
“The Dover
Road” Director Gingerbread Players, 2019/NYPL
2020 (A.A. Milne, playwright)
“Virtual
University” Director Manhattan Repertory Theater,
2019 (M. Sanders, playwright)
“First
Date for Two Soulmates” Director Strawberry One Act Festival,
2019 (P. Cross, Jr., playwright)
“Even
with a Turkey” Director Between Us Productions, 2019
(J. Bulvid, playwright)
“Stockholm
Syndrome/MTA” Director George Frankel Theater, 2019
(var. playwrights)
“The Lost
Virginity Tour” Director Second Street Theater, 2018
(C. Daniel, playwright)
“Auntie
Mame” Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2018
“Reina” Director Manhattan Repertory Theater,
2018 (J. Bulvid, playwright)
“Lincoln’s
Birthday” Playwright/Director Thespis Theater Festival New
York, 2018
“Lunchtime/Waitress” Playwright/Director Deloitte’s Got Talent, Secret
Theater, Fifth Avenue Theater, 2018-19
“Aunt Maggie’s Will (1918)” Director Woodside Players, 2018
“Just
like the Movies” Director Strawberry One Act Festival,
2018 (P. Scarpinato, playwright)
“The
Vigil” Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2018
“Hyacinth
Goes Camping” Director Equity Library Theater, 2018
(C. Jackson, playwright)
“Keeping
Up Appearances” (US Premiere) Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2015, Gingerbread Players, 2017
“Be
Calm, Camilla (1918)” Director Woodside Players, 2017
“I
Remember Mama” Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2017
“Rub
Some Dirt in It” Director American Academy of Dramatic
Arts/River City Stages, 2017 (S. Ward, playwright)
“The Lady of the Hall*” Director Gingerbread Players, 2017
(*Based on the BBC Comedy “Keeping Up Appearances”)
“The
Wiggle Room” Director Strawberry One Act Festival,
2017 (G. Morgan, playwright)
“My Name is Asher Lev” Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2017
“All
in the Timing (Death of Trotsky)” Director Working Actors Studio, New
York, 2016
“Diary
of Anne Frank” Director FAPC Theater Fellowship/Equity
Showcase, 2016
“Asylum” Director The Secret Theater One Act Festival, New York (Kirby Wright,
playwright), 2016
“Edward’s
Closet” Director MITF
Short Play Lab /13th Street Rep/Between Us Prods, New York (Jenn Dlugos, playwright), 2016
“College
Without Walls” Director Manhattan Repertory Theater,
2016 (M. Sanders, playwright)
“Angel on a Yellow Couch” Director Strawberry One Act Festival,
2015 (KK Gordon, playwright)
“Across
the Lake” Playwright/Director New
York 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021
“A
Dolls Life” Director Thespian Productions, 2014
(Martha Patterson, playwright)
“Cowboy Nocturne” Director The Secret Theater One Act Festival, New York (Evan Blake,
playwright), 2014
“Hangin’ with Satan” Director Teatro LATEA, New York, 2013 (Reynaldo Rivera, playwright), 2013
“Something
Good to Eat” Director Between Us Productions, New
York (John Glass, playwright), 2013
“The Bionic Woman Scrapbook” Playwright/Director Love
Creek Productions, the Producers Club, 2012
“Another
Life” Director Strawberry One Act Festival,
2012 (A. Esposito, playwright)
“The Value of Empty Boxes” Director Manhattan Repertory Theater,
2011 (A. Leventman, playwright)
“A
Bite to Eat with Edwina Huffington” Playwright The Puzzle, Marble Collegiate Church, New York, 2011
Acting
Instructor, Working Actors Studio, 2018/Lenox Hill House, 2019
Moderator,
Creative Writing: Queens Library, 2015 – present, Woodside Players Online
Writing Group, 2020 -present.