Full Productions

An HB Ensemble Production

Playwright: Justin Fleming

Director: William Carden

Cast: Karen Idlewild, Pete Idlewild, Jonah Idlewild, Sam Beckett, Laila Robins, Grege Mullavey, Dennis Michael Hall, Fritz Weaver, Anna Minot.

 Set: Ray Recht Costume Design: Amela Baksic Lighting: Chris Dallos Sound: Robert Auld Casting: Stephanie Klapper CSA* Production Stage Manager: David Apichell Assistant Director: Catherine Siracusa Dramaturg: Maxine Kern Pianist: Steven Lubin Technical Director: Carlo Adinolfi Master Electrician: Joshua C. Allen

Burnt Piano was performed March 3rd – 18th, 2001

Synopsis: Karen Idlewild goes on a trip to Paris with her father, Peter and her son, Jonah to see an author named Sam Beckett, whom she loves. She struggles to get a hold of Beckett as he believes all of his fans are dangerous, so he won’t respond to her letters. Beckett’s wife and other people in his life are also an obstacle keeping Karen from seeing Beckett.

An HB Ensemble Production

Playwright: Nagle Jackson

Director: Karen Ludwig

Cast: George Bartenieff, Georgina Bates, Felipe Bonilla, Fabio Costaprado, Beth Dzuricky, Lisa Ingrisano, Amanda Plant, Carol Rosenfeld, Sean St. John, Tom Tagliente

The Quick-Change Room was performed July 13th-29th

Synopsis: Set against the crumbling of the Soviet Union, as observed backstage at the Kuzlov Theater in St. Petersburg, THE QUICK- CHANGE ROOM is the comedic metaphor for the too-rapid transformation of Russia from communism to free-market capitalism. Nina, the daughter of the wardrobe mistress, has been cast as Irina in a revival of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters. Using her considerable talents—theatrical and otherwise—she persuades management that what Chekhov’s play needs in the New Russia is “music…some songs…maybe even some dances.” Chekhov’s masterpiece becomes, for marketing purposes, an American style musical titled O My Sister! The venerable artistic director is kicked upstairs—after all, “Russia doesn’t need great men now; it needs clever men”—and the long-reigning prima donna ends up working in wardrobe. A funny-sad commentary on current events, the metaphor of the quick-change room is not lost on the audience as the world around the acting troupe changes as drastically and as quickly as the world outside.

An HB Ensemble Performance

Playwright: Susan Sandler 

Director: Gus Kaikkonen

Cast: Scotty Bloch, Cynthia Harris, Joel Rooks, Marilyn Sokol, Joyce Van Patten

Set: Ray Recht Lighting: William Armstrong Costume: Suzanne Chesney Sound: Robert Auld Choreographer: Liz Curtis Associate Choreographer: Tony Scheppler Production Stage Manner: Shiraz Biggie Technical Director: Christopher Hoyt Casting Consultant: Stephanie Klapper Running Crew: Takumi Mitobe, Jorge Esguiera, Matthew Tischler, Julio Pena, Koichiro Scenic Charge Artist: Adris Krumkalns Scenic Artist: Chelsea Clarke, Amanda Raglevsky Technical Director: Christopher Hoyt Master Carpenter: Michael Merunka, Jr. Electrics Crew: Matthew D. Britt, Andrew Kerr-Thompson, Benjamin C. Tevelow, Krista Kujat Build Crew: Noelle Neglia, Tadhg O’Mordha, David Sih, Matthew Tischler, Luchia Dragosh, Marissa Vila, Ryen Herrman, Mary Willis White, Kathleen Peirce.

Appearing Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association

Under the Bed was performed April 20th – May 5th, 2005

HB Studio’s  2004 Founders Memorial

 Playwright: Horton Foote 

Director: William Carden

Cast: David Adams*, Carol Goodheart*, Pearce Green, Tim Hopper*, Kahan James*, John Juback*, Richard Mawe*, Jim McGurn, Rochelle Oliver*, Jess Osuna*, Kathleen Peirce, Amanda Plant, Lorca Simons*, Victor Slezak*, Adam Stern, Mark Thornton*.

Scene: Michael Schweikardt Lighting: Greg MacPherson Costume: Suzanne Chesney Sound: Sten Sevrson Fight: Ian Marshall Production Stage Manager: Shiraz Biggie Production Manager: Matthew D. Britt Technical Director: Paul Bradley

*Appearing Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association

The Habitation of Dragons was performed December 4th – 5th, 7th – 11th, 14th – 19th, 2004

Synopsis: It’s 1935 in Harrison, Texas. George Tolliver has decided to run for county attorney general, but his older, and more successful, brother Leonard tries to dissuade him because the family’s backing has already gone to another local lawyer, his brother-in-law, Billy. George runs, though, after lashing out at the more successful Leonard for less than moral support in the past. At the same time, their late father’s brother Virgil appears on the Tolliver family’s doorstep, asking for shelter now that he’s old and broke. It’s a hard decision for the widowed Mrs. Tolliver since Virgil once abandoned them years ago when they needed money; still, they take him in. Within days, Leonard’s wife Margaret is found out to be having an affair with Wally Smith, her husband’s handyman. On the very same afternoon, both of Margaret and Leonard’s young boys drown while swimming in the river with Wally. Believing this to be a punishment for her adultery, Margaret has a breakdown and is institutionalized. In his grief, Leonard lets his law practice crumble and in despair reveals to his mother that he’s always known his father committed suicide and did not die accidentally. Things aren’t made any easier when Margaret’s brother, Billy, murders his sister’s lover and now a neighbor wants to blackmail the Tollivers with a packet of love letters sent from Margaret to Wally Smith. Eventually, Margaret returns home to beg her husband’s forgiveness. At first Leonard refuses, but he realizes he does want to start over again and he forgives Margaret before she shoots herself with the gun Leonard was going to use on himself. George, having had to make up for Leonard’s absence, has rediscovered his calling as a lawyerand has finally risen to the responsibilities of his own new marriage, impending fatherhood and leading the sorrowful Tolliver household.

An HB Ensemble Production

Playwrights: Eugene Ionesco, Tennessee Williams, Fernando Arrabal, Don Nigro, Horton Foote, Christopher Durang, Harold Pinter,

Directors: Aleksey Burago, Kate Bushmann+, Rasa Allan Kazlas+, Ian Marshall, Amy Wright.

Cast: Georgina Bates, Stephanie Braxton*, Jim Boerlin*, Emily Cain, Snezhana Chernova, Daniela Dakic, AC Davidson, Toni Ann DeNoble, Nick DeSimone, Pascal Escriout, Koichiro Goto, Elizabeth Grey*, Hanna Hayes, Cordis Heard*, Ryen Herrmann, Gregory Higgins, Genc Jakupi, James LaChere, Philip Kushner, Barry McBrien, David McElfresh*, Rachel Murdy, Etienne Navarre, Noelle Neglia, Dara O’Brien, Marci Occhino, Tadhg O’Mordha, Kathleen Peirce, Marilyn Porayko, Paul Pryce, Anil Ramani, Sophia Remolde, Judy Rosenblatt*, Tony Siniscalchi, David Shih*, Catherine Siracusa, David B. Sochet*, Michael Spence, Ying Yu Tan, Thomas Tinelli, Matthew Tischler, Sharon Wajswol, Derek Wong, Marius Zilberstein.

Stage Manager: Alan Bluestone Production Manager: Shiraz Biggie Assistant Directors: Alan Bluestone & Sharon Wajswol Production Assistant & Set Design: Emily Chain Costume Design: Kanlaya Phoutinane Costumes and Projection Sketches: Catherine Siracusa Props: Elizabeth Grey Sound Editor: Kenneth Feldman Choreography: Georgina Bates Original Music & Lyrics: Nick DeSimone.

*Appearing Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association, +Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers

Two Evenings of One-Act Plays were performed in 2006

EVENING A

The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco:

The Long Goodbye by Tennessee Williams:

Picnic on the Battlefield by Fernando Arrabal:

EVENING B

The Daughters of Edward D. Boit by Don Nigro:

The Dancers by Horton Foote:

The Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang:

Mountain Language by Harold Pinter: