2009-2010

What Are Our Kids Thinking…?

Playwright: Marlene Mancini What Are Our Kids Thinking...? - HB Studio

Director: Marlene Mancini

Cast: Jenifer Badamo, Delia Bannon, Allison Bass, Stephanie Carlisle, Samantha Carlisle, Monique Clemente, Anthony De Palma, Bria Emmanuel, Will Engle, Maia Moore, Nicole Pandolfo, Frida Perez, Grace Powell, Lilian Monique Sherman, Catherine Siracusa, Tom Tinelli.

Contributing Writers: Jenifer Badamo, Agnes Garrett, Nicole Pandolfo Set and Lighting: Giovanni Villari Office Manager: Christina Roussos

What Are Our Kids Thinking…? was performed July 23rd – August 1st, 2010

Dark Rapture

An HB Ensemble Production

Playwright: Eric Overmyer Dark Rapture - HB Studio

Director: Amy Wright

Cast: Shaun Bennet Wilson, Chris Brescia, Candace Bryant, Pascal Escriout, Katy Frame, Ross Kramberg, Dina Lucchesi, Arnie Mazer, Craig McNulty, Rachael Murdy, Antony Raymond, Charles Sprinkle, Giovanni Villari

Set: Giovanni Villari Lighting: Corrie Beth Shotwell Costume: Catherine Siracusa Dramaturg: David Smilow Stage Manager: AJ Dobbs Assistant Stage Manager: Karen Veninga-Zaricor Production Assistants: Samantha Carlisle, Stephanie Carlisle Managing Director: Marlene Mancini Office Manager: Christina Roussos

Dark Rapture was performed June 10th – 27th

Synopsis:  This play takes place in many cities in the United States including, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Barbara, and many others. Escaping from the ‘perfect’ life, Ray fakes his death by setting his own house in Los Angeles on fire and faking his identity in different cities in order to start a new beginning. His wife, Julia goes along with the secret scheme by pretending as if he’s dead and is now dealing with several economic issues as a result of his faked death and the burning of their house. Two men, Vegas and Lexington are in the search of five million dollars that Julia and her husband owe and so, they embark into an investigation trying to find Ray in the many different cities where he could be possibly hiding.

Destination Alaska

An HB Ensemble Production

Playwright: Robert KingDestination Alaska - HB Studio

Director: Peter Bennett

Cast: Jack Davidson, Rosemary De Angelis

Set: Giovanni Villari Lighting: Jill Nagle Costume: Catherine Siracusa Managing: Marlene Mancini Assistant Stage Manager: Stephanie Carlisle Office Manager: Christina Roussos

Destination Alaska was performed March 15th – April 2nd, 2010

Synopsis: Eleanor and her husband, Herb, go on a cruise to Alaska as their 40 year anniversary celebration. Eleanor faces an internal struggle while having to deal with her husband that dumps all of his issues on her, leaving Eleanor no time to relax or be at peace.

The Living Room Plays

One Act Play FestivalThe Living Room Plays - HB Studio

Playwrights: Andrew R. Heinze, Maria Elena Torres, Natalie Bates, Agnes Garrett, Mark Rose, Karen Ludwig, Carolyn Boris-Krimsky, Benny Benowitz, Bill Quigles, C.S. Drury, Nicole Pandolfo, Nora Ferrari, Nancy Redman, Jennifer Badamo, Peter Zinn, Alex Ladd, John J. Murray.

Directors: Jonathan Cerullo, Sally Burtenshaw, Marlene Mancini, Marsha Sheiness, Peter Zinn, Austin Pendleton, Nora Ferrari, Peter Zinn, Arthur French.

Cast: Laurence Cantor, Betsy Johnson, Colin Chapin, Diane Dreher, Jack Davidson, Karen Chitlon, Ric Sechrest, Kristen Vaughan, Daniela Mastropietro, Nick DeSimone, Bill Quigley, C.S. Drury, Nancy Redman, Chris Brescia, Nicole Pandolfo, Kathryn Danielle, Philip Kushner, Arnie Mazer, Alice Gold, Eric Rasmussen, Jody Prusan, Cordis Heard, Tom Tinelli, Suzanne Limozinere, Emily Jon Mitchell, Nick DeSimone, Charles Baran, Nick DeSimone, Beth Adler, Ross Kramberg, Danijela Popovich, David H. Holmes, Catherine Kjome, Ann Rickhoff, Billie Brouse, Karen Zechowy.

Lighting: Corrie Beth Shotwell Costume: Catherine Siracusa Managing Director: Marlene Mancini Technical Director: Giovanni Villari Stage Manager: Stephanie Carlisle Office Manager: Christina Roussos

The Living Room Plays was performed December 4th – 21st 2009

The Invention of the Living Room by Andre R Heinze: On a winter evening of 1943 at an apartment on the Lower East Side of New York, married couple, Abe and Bessie get involved into an argument about using the house’s parlor as a casual hangout place, also known as a living room.

A Proposal by Maria Elena Torres: In the town of Rezekne, Latvia on a Spring of 1890, twenty-two year old, Sarah and nineteen year-old Mendel hangout in Sarah’s apartment. A few moments later, Mendel proposes to Sarah and invites her to move to America with him to start their new life with her daughter, Broche.

Things Change by Natalie Bates: On a midmorning of Lisa’s modest home, she invites in her best friend, Barb to discuss about Lisa’s allegations of her husband seeing someone else.

Wheels by Agnes Garrett: In the living room of a one-family home, Diane and Emma get involved in a feud after Emma went to the park when being told not to.

The Maharini by Mark Rose: In a high-rise apartment near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at a glass-top living room, a mother and her son converse about her upcoming death as her son struggles to figure out the family’s tree and marital history.

Lila’s Ashes by Karen Ludwig: In Jackie’s cluttered living room, she sits with her friend Diane as they converse about the death of Diane’s sister.

Taxi Dreams by Carolyn Boriss-Krimsky: A West Village living room on a Saturday morning before breakfast. Julian, a professor in his early forties, and Serena, a director in her late thirties, sit on the couch, drink coffee and look at the paper. Moments later, Serena talks about her dream revolving around a baby, she mentions the idea of having one but her husband, Julian is not very fond of it.

Who I’ll See When I Get to Heaven by Benny Benowitz: In a rehab center, a mother and a son converse about how their lives would be much better and safer if they moved to the city.

EVENING B:

So Long Lives This by C.S Drury & Bill Quigley: In a cluttered living room, Dan worries about his best friend, Leo’s health state as he carries himself very poorly.

Clutter: I’m Saving My Life and It’s Killing Me by Nancy Redman: At 8 p.m in Nancy’s cluttered living room, she finally finds motivation to clean up her clutter after getting a letter from her landlord stating she will get evicted in a week.

Christmas in New Jersey by Nicole Pandolfo: There is a Christmas party going on in the basement at the house of an old high school buddy of Marie and Vito. Taking a break from the party, Marie and Vito reunite for the first time after six years in the living room of the house and converse on what they’ve been up to for the past couple of years.

Wonderland by Nora Ferrari: A living room in a 50,000 square foot modern home in East Hampton, New York, Mrs. Whittendale gets arrested for breaking into a house and posing as the owner.

4 Rooms of Gloom by Jenifer Badamo: In Rachael’s living room, she converses with her partner, Mike about their relationship and overall commitment.

Reike on the Plains by Peter Zinn: A living room in an old house in Oklahoma City, Sarah sits next to Newt as they wait for African Reikiest, Neema to help them ease their physical and emotional pain.

The Knot by Alex Ladd: During a house break in, married couple, Peggy and Ron are tied onto furniture chairs in their living room. Later on, Justin, the burglar confesses that Peggy is to blame for planning the break in and wanting to kill her own husband, after they have been allegedly seeing each other.

Broken by John J Murray: A living room in Damascus, Syria, a husband and wife are in the middle of an argument. The husband angrily smashes a valuable statue of a ceramic boy which breaks the woman, she then undergoes an unpredictable action.

Bless This House

An HB Staged Reading

Playwright: Lawrence DuKore

Director: Manfred Bormann

Bless This House was performed October 15th -16th

Synopsis: This is a four-character play set in the Red Hook/waterfront section of Brooklyn in 1932. It is the story of a dysfunctional Jewish family and the search by the son, 16 year-old Harry, to come to terms with his parents – and with himself. The father, Benjamin, is a wife beater whose craft as a glazier (creating stained glass windows for churches) belies his abusive nature. His wife, Bessie, is a seemingly willing victim, a peasant woman who escaped from Russia and was eventually “found” by Benjamin on a “shopping tour” of London. One night, Harry comes upon Benjamin about to whip the passive Bessie. The boy grabs a carving knife and threatens to cut his father, whereupon he is ordered out of the house forever.

Earlier, Harry had met and fallen in love with a girl named Lucy, a Jew in name only, an acknowledged atheist, whose parents were left wing, union organizers. Harry, now banished from his house, is going to live with an uncle, a rabbi, living in far off Iowa. The leave-taking, the separation of the teenagers, is painful for both of them.

Act Two is three years later. Harry and Lucy are married and have a year old baby boy. Bessie begs her son to visit his father, if only to see the grandson. And Harry does comply, returning to the house of his birth, albeit with deep anger and resentment. Benjamin is thrilled to be a grandfather and gushes over the baby boy. But Harry continues his quest to learn everything he can about his parents, where they came from, how they met, etc. The “dirty little secret” about his mother is a shocker. He is furious when he finds out that his mother was a prostitute. In his fury, he lashes out at his mother. The good son has become, in an instant, the bad father. Hopefully, in time, the young man will be a better father and a better husband.

The George Place

An HB Staged Reading

Playwright: David Johnston

Director: Kevin Newbury

Cast: Jacqueline Knapp*, Gil Rogers*, Vince Gatton*, Sloane Shelton*, Scott Robertson*, Jane Titus*

Managing Director: Marlene Mancini Technical Director: Giovanni Villari Office Manager: Christina Roussos

The George Place was performed October 7th – 8th of 2009

Synopsis: Brian has returned home for a visit, while his mother Alice has just found out that the there is an available space in a retirement home several miles away.  Over dinner with brother and his wife, Alice and Hart break the news that they are selling their house and moving to the retirement home.  An argument erupts, with Alice and Austin accusing each other of past wounds and grievances.

The Chase

An Ensemble Production

Playwright: Horton FooteThe Chase - HB Studio

Director: Rochelle Oliver

Cast: Matthew Conlon, Nick DeSimone, Katy Frame, Duncan Hazard, Gregory Higgins, Catherine Kjome, Johanna Leister, Arnie Mazer, Andy McCutcheon, Tom Tinelli, Giovanni Villari

Lighting: John Burkland Managing: Marlene Mancini Stage: AJ Dobbs Office Manager: Christina Roussos Costume: Patricia Ashead, Catherine Siracusa

The Chase was performed September 13th – October 1st, 2009

Synopsis: Sheriff Hawes, police of Richmond, Texas and a man he convicted long ago has escaped from the penitentiary. With possibility that Bubber Reeves, the convicted, might come after him, he tries to keep the town from panicking.