"Our son's acting ability has
improved DRAMATICALLY since he's been attending Columbia Gorge
School of Theatre!"
says John Schneider, star of "Smallville," "The
Dukes of Hazzard" and co-founder of the Children's Miracle Network. |
Columbia Gorge Repertory Theatreand
Stephen Thompson
Present
Suburban
Dreams
A New
Musical
An Equity Staged Reading
December 6, 1998, 7:30 pm
Musical Theatre Works
440 Lafayette, New York City
with
Valerie Accetta*, Jay Aubrey*, Jennifer Blake, Darren
Buck,
Michael Dion, Darren Dooley*, Tonya Doran, Daisy
Eagan*,
Clayton Fletcher*, Joshua Furr, Akiko Kiuchi, Johnny
Blaze Leavitt,
David Marcus*, Jennifer Kathleen Murray, Julius P.
Williams III,
and David Zack*.
Music, Lyrics, and Book by
Stephen Thompson
Directed by
Jesse
Merz
Stage Manager
Nadine Graham
Assistant Stage Manager
G. Arwen
Nichols
Click here
to read about the
NYC Theatre District production & the CD with "American
Idol's" Constantine Maroulis
About the Cast and Crew
Valerie Accetta* (Narrator/Ms. Marshall) comes to New
York directly from the Broadway national tour of State Fair
co-starring with John Davidson, playing Margy. Originally from
Columbus, Ohio, she attended the University of Miami. Regional and
summer stock: Pump Boys and Dinettes (Prudie), Joseph . . .
Dreamcoat (Narrator), You Can't Take it With You (Essie), The
Sound of Music (Maria), Noises Off (Belinda/Flavia), and Pippin
(Catherine) which also toured to England and Scotland. She thanks
God, her parents, sister Julie, family, teachers, & friends
for their love and encouragement.
Jay Aubrey* (Officer Mackenzie) is thrilled Suburban
Dreams is his first project in New York, having recently moved to
the city from Chicago. Favorite past roles include Howard Crabtree
in Whoop Dee Doo!, Titania and Puck in two separate productions of
A Midsummer Nights Dream, the Holy Ghost in Christopher Moore's
Pope Joan, Emcee in Cabaret, and the solo performer in The Night
Larry Kramer Kissed Me. Jay lives with his roommate Melanie and
wants a dog really badly.
Jennifer Blake (Mary) is a recent graduate of the
Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. in musical theatre. There she
appeared in Into the Woods, Marat/Sade, and as Rosie Alvarez in
Bye-Bye Birdie. A native of Alabama, she has also performed at the
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, as well as the Lyric Stage in
Boston. Thanks much to Sean for his constant support and Julie for
her encouragement.
Darren Buck (Martin) Thanks to Stephen & Jesse for
the opportunity to play a gospel villain. NY Theatre credits: This
Ester (Chelsea Playhouse), Somewhere in Texas (Musical Theatre
Works), Absolute Tuner (Ohio Theatre), Inhabited (Lower East Side
Tenement Museum). Love to Claudia.
Michael Dion (Mark) was last seen playing numerous
roles in the 30th Anniversary production of Hair at Third Eye
Repertory. He also performed the role of Gregory Salazar (Vampire
Hunter) in the Sourceworks Theatre production of Vampire Lesbians
of Sodom at the Duplex. Other favorites include Ozzie in On the
Town, Tobias in Sweeney Todd, and Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me.
Michael is a recent graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory's Music
Theatre program. Love to Eron.
Darren Dooley* (Mayor Mackley) has been seen by New
York Audiences in A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden, The
Wizard of Oz at Madison Square Garden, Foibles at City Center, and
performing his own cabaret act around town. Regional credits
include Zarzuela starring Placido Domingo, The Coconuts, The
Student Prince, H.M.S. Pinafore, Once Upon a Mattress, and
Oklahoma. He may also look familiar from his film and commercial
work. Darren is thrilled to be part of this project and thanks
God, his family, Jesse Merz, and Stephen Thompson.
Tonya Doran (Martha) is pleased to be performing in New
York after touring the U.S. with Magic School Bus Live. She also
toured Europe as Dionne in Hair. Other credits include Ti Moune in
Once on this Island, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Melanie in
The Goodbye Girl. Tonya would like to give many thanks to Mary
Rogers and to her friends and family for their endless and much
needed support.
Daisy Eagan* (Andrea) received much acclaim for her
performance as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, including the
1991 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She has
performed many times on and off-Broadway and in concert, including
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. Her performance was
highlighted in the 1993 PBS Great Performances series. Daisy can
be seen on film in HBO's 1990 film Judgment, in Paramount
Picture's 1995 release Losing Isaiah, and in Trimark's 1997
release Ripe.
Clayton Fletcher* (Mike) has been busy "shaking his
booty" with Mira Sorvino in Spike Lee's upcoming Summer of Sam.
New York Theatre: Time Bomb at Theatre Row Theatre and Valley of
the Shadows with the Trinity Players. Regionally: Forever Plaid at
the Wayside Theatre, Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story at Seven Angels
Theater, and Godspell at the Columbia Gorge Repertory Theatre. He
is grateful to be reunited with Jesse Merz and to be a part of
this great new musical.
Joshua Furr (Muff) moved to Brooklyn this week from
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Credits include Picasso at Lapin Agile,
The Wild Duck, Laura, The Nerd, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret,
Godspell, Runaways, Don Pasquale, and Hello Dolly at such theatres
as Main Street Theatre, Mercyhurst Players, Erie Playhouse,
University of Cincinnati and the Indiana University Theatre. He
received a B.A. in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University.
Akiko Kiuchi (Marsha) was born and raised in Japan. She
moved to the U.S. to study communications at West Virginia
University, where she finally pursued her dream and started
singing as a member of the University Choir. She was last seen as
Pamina in Mozart's Mateki (The Magic Flute in Japanese) and
continues her training in NYC. She is very excited to be a part of
Suburban Dreams and thanks Jun, friends, family and her teachers
for their support.
Johnny Blaze Leavitt (Mac) is a recent arrival to NYC
from Chicago. He has performed various roles in such rock musicals
as Joseph..., Grease, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Return to
Forbidden Planet, and Buddy...the Buddy Holly Story. His passion
for improv comedy has lead him to work with such companies as
TheatreSports NH, and Chicago's Second City. He would like to
thank Jesse and Stephen for this opportunity.
David Marcus* (Mr. Mitchell) has appeared nationally in
tours of Grand Hotel, City of Angels, and Oliver! His regional
credits include Edward Rutledge in 1776, Archibald Craven in The
Secret Garden, Louis in Lost in Yonkers, the Phantom in Maury
Yeston's Phantom, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, and Che in Evita.
Having begun performing at age 13, David studied voice and music
at the University of Maryland, near his hometown of Columbia, MD.
Ever and always, with love for Deidre.
Jennifer Kathleen Murray (Michelle) Regional & NYC
credits include: "Young Esther"- Orphan Queen (new musical based
on Book of Esther)- Genesius Guild; Sleeping Beauty- Yates Musical
Theatre;"Ida Covey"- Dakota Sky Diary/ The Fifth Season (new
musical)- Dramatists Guild, The Olney Theater; "Mary"-The Secret
Garden - Allenberry Playhouse; "Little Red Ridinghood"- Into the
Woods; "Louise"- Carousel; "Sr. Leo" - Nunsense I & II; "Val"-
A Chorus Line; and many others. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Music
in Musical Theatre from CUA. Much love to family and husband,
actor Mark Montague.
Julius P. Williams III (Todd) is now a Junior in Vocal
Performance Musical Theatre at NYU's School of Education. He has
recently been seen in NYU's The Memory of All That, A Gershwin
Centennial Celebration, and has been seen as Annas in Jesus Christ
Superstar and in the chorus of Carousel. This is his first non-NYU
musical theatre production in New York, and is glad to be a part
of this very special new piece of work. He is very excited about
his future career and the release of the Star Wars prequels in
'99.
David Zack* (Jeff) most recently appeared as the Prince
in Sleeping Beauty at the historic Ivoryton Playhouse in
Connecticut. Other regional credits include Perchik in Fiddler on
the Roof (Rockwell Productions), Sky in Guys and Dolls and Magaldi
in Evita (Jupiter Theatre), John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin
Drood, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, and Rooster in Annie.
Non musical credits include Trent in Six Degrees of Separation,
Father Dan in Jeffrey, and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing.
David is from Fairfield, Connecticut, and he would like to
dedicate this performance to the memory of his favorite teacher,
Jack Strauss.
Nadine Graham (Stage Manager) is a published playwright
from Brooklyn. Her play entitled The Basement at the Bottom at the
End of the World won the Young Playwrights Festival and was
produced at the Public Theatre in 1994. It was recently published
in the book Multicultural Theatre II (Meriwether Publishing). She
holds an M.F.A. and B.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch
School of the Arts.
Jesse Merz
(Director) grew up in Parkdale, Oregon and received a BFA in
Acting from NYU/Tisch.
NYC directing: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton (Sanford
Meisner Theatre), Affects of Gamma Rays... (scene showcase,
Theatre 779), and he stage managed Skeet Ulrich in Reckless
(Atlantic Theater). Regional directing: Godspell, Juvie, and Once on this Island
(Columbia Gorge Rep,
WA). An Equity actor, Jesse has appeared off-Broadway, in regional
theatre, and on national tours. He is the Artistic Director of the
Columbia Gorge Repertory
Theatre and School of
Theatre. Born with a cleft lip, tomorrow he jets off to Los
Angeles to be the keynote speaker and to co-direct a show on the
Widesmiles Cruise to Mexico. Then he goes to St. Maarten
(Caribbean) to teach an acting workshop. Spring plans include
producing/directing Sir Isaac Newton again, directing a show at
the Paper Lace Theatre Company, and producing/directing Suburban
Dreams. Thanks to Stephen, Tricia, Richard, Nadine, Arwen, Carl,
the awesome cast, and Jesus!
G. Arwen
Nichols (Assistant Stage Manager) received her BA in
Theater and Psychology from Otterbein College. Directing: Snow
White and the Seven Hackers and Waiting in Oblivion (Both written
with the cast at Columbia Gorge Rep, WA); Wind in the Willows and
The Hobbit (Oregon Children's Theater); Enchantments and
Charlotte's Web (Prescott Fine Arts Association). Stage
Management: Godspell (Columbia Gorge Rep, WA), 1776 (Otterbein
Theater) Arwen wrote the book and lyrics for Enchantment's a
musical performed at the University of the Pacific, CA and The
Prescott Fine Arts Association, AZ. Thanks to her supportive
family and Jesse.
Stephen Thompson (Music, Books, Lyrics, and Musical
Director) earned his playwriting and theatre wings at Tisch School
of the Arts where he received his BFA in Dramatic Writing. He is
the collaborator and writer of plays, musicals and screenplays
that have been produced regionally and in NYC including Aftermath
at The Garde Art Center in New London, Verfremdung in NYC, The
Troll Knight in Mansfield, CT, and music for the children's
musical The Bremen Town Band with performances in Los Angeles and
Chicago. He currently lives in Willimantic, CT with his girlfriend
and his two cats and teaches music and theatre at The Norwich Free
Academy during the day while plotting his next project, a true
modern rock opera. He is more than thrilled to be working with
this incredible cast and crew and to be co-producing his magnum
opus with CGRep and Jesse Merz. It is truly a Suburban Dream come
true. He would like to thank Tricia, the love of his life, and his
friends and family in New York and outside. Special thanks to his
mother, the greatest mother in the world, and to God.
* denotes member of the
Actors
Equity Association, the union of professional actors
and stage managers in the United States.
Columbia Gorge Repertory
Theatre is the producing organization of the Columbia
Gorge School of Theatre (www.cgst.com) in White Salmon, WA,
and is also devoted to producing quality theatre in New York
City.
About Suburban Dream: The first act of Suburban Dreams
(then titled School) was originally produced at NYU's Dramatic
Writing Wing in 1994. Columbia
Gorge Repertory Theatre will produce this musical
off-off-Broadway in May 1999. Your feedback is welcome and
appreciated.
Repertory Theatre |
Now Showing
& Buy Tickets |
Theatre Company
|
Suburban
Dreams
A New
Musical
May 5 - 29, 1999 (4 weeks),
Wednesday - Saturday, 8 pm.
&
The
Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton
A New Farce
May 9 - May 30, 1999 (4 weeks), Sun 3 & 7
pm, Mon - Tues 8 pm.
Presented at
The Producer's Club II Theatre
616 9th Avenue, btwn 43rd and 44th Streets, New
York City.
|
