​

 

 

 

 

 

The Playwrights May 6th Staged Reading

 

MATTHEW ETHAN DAVIS

(A Reflection from the Moon)

Productions include: Eddie, Sleep At Your Own Risk, Falling Awake, The Midtown International Theatre Festival, co-produced by T2E. Falling Awake, nominated as "Most Outstanding New Play,” Sleep At Your Own Risk, The International Solo Festival and published in an anthology of plays from the festival, Ticket to Eternity, New York International Fringe Festival, co-produced by T2E, The Three Minute Hamlet, The Cell, Super Romantic! Highway 5.9, Emerging Artists Theatre Company. BFA, MFA, NYU Tisch School for the Arts, MA, Hunter, Deaf Ed.

 

GINA FEMIA (Jump)  has written 32 full-length plays which include ALLOND(R)A (Winner: Leah Ryan Prize, Runner-up: Yale Drama Prize), We Are a Masterpiece (Winner: The Doric Wilson Award), The Mermaids' Parade (Semifinalist, The Relentless Award), Annie and the Fat Man(Honorable Mention, The Kilroys), For The Love Of (Theatre of NOTE, Original Works Publishing), and The Violet Sisters (Great Plains Theatre Conference). She is the 2019 Writer-in-Residence with Spicy Witch Productions, a current member of Page 73's Interstate 73 and an Alum of EST Youngblood, Pipeline Theatre’s PlayLab, and New Georges' Audrey Residency. Gina has received residencies with Page 73, Powerhouse, NTI at the O’Neill, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and Fresh Ground Pepper.

 

SUSAN HANSELL(A History) Susan’s plays have been presented in NYC at The Harold Clurman, The Ohio Theatre, and at The Tank, and regionally at The Midwest Dramatists Festival, Project Artaud in San Francisco, The San Francisco MOMA, The Tempe Center for the Performing Arts (Phoenix), The Tucson Players Theatre, and at The William Inge Festival, among other venues, and include Affair on the Air, American Rose (a Jane Chambers finalist), At Dawn with the Rain and the Stars, Every Concentrated Fragment, Little Kings, My Medea (a Best American Short Plays series selection), Rollover Othello, Waiting for a Table at the Garden of Eden, Who Will Witness for the Witness, and 14 Ladies in Hats (selections in Heinemann’s More Monologues for Women by Women).  She is a Dramatists Guild member.

 

JOEANN HART(13 Minutes) is the author of the crime memoir Stamford ’76, A True Story of Murder, Corruption, Race, and Feminism in the 1970s (U. of Iowa Press, April 2019), and the novels Float and Addled. Her full-length play Darwin’s Basement had a staged reading at the Gloucester Stage Company in July 2018. A ten minute play, Keno, was an Official Selection of SWAN Day Boston 2013 and was produced at the Boston Playwrights Theater. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

 

BRETT HURSEY (Hang-ups)  Brett’s comedies have appeared in over two hundred and fifty theaters across the country including venues in Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hollywood, as well as internationally in England, Belgium, Luxembourg, Romania, Australia, South Korea and Canada.  He's also had over fifty off/off-off Broadway productions in Manhattan.

 

MARK OKLADEK(Crossroads of the World) is excited to have one of his pieces included in the Altered Minds stage readings and is truly grateful for the efforts put forth by Producer Celine Havard, Director Brian Henry, and the performers Jason Yudoff and Jake Lesh in presenting this work. He was born in Europe, raised in Canada and the Midwest and has made Hell's Kitchen his home since the late 70s. After a hiatus of some 20 years, he returned to playwriting four years ago and has started creating a new body of work.  

 

LINDSAY PARTAIN(Penny for your Traumas?)  is an Oregon playwright, graduate of Pacific University, and a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is currently an editor for the online literary magazine Cascadia Rising Review which features works by Pacific Northwest artists. Lindsay’s pieces The Dark Horse & Until the Earth Breaks Open were recently produced at INKfest in California. Her play Shimmers was chosen as a 1st place winner for Smith & Krauss' “Best 10-Minute Plays of 2019,” and her monologues Curves and Backfired were chosen for their “Best Female Monologues of 2019.” Her collection of work is available on New Play Exchange.

​

​

​

The Directors

​

DANIEL CAPALBO JR. (Jump)has been working in many areas of the theatre world for the past three decades. He is pleased to be working on this play and on this project because he is also a retired therapist. This particular subject matter is something he is very familiar with. Dan feels that addressing mental health issues openly is vital to the growth of our society as a whole. Sharing some experiences through the arts is a great way to begin the dialogue.

​

RUI DUN  (A History)  is a theater director from China, based in Brooklyn, New York. She has collaborated with artists from China, Turkey, England, United States to create work that speaks of cross-cultural experience and the human condition. Credits include The Author's Voice (3LD), The Feast (3LD), The Mistress of Wholesome (3LD), Anne Frank Lives! (Hudson Guild Theater), SHINKA (assistant director, PCTF), If Women Rose Rooted (devisor, The Tank), June Is The First Fall (assistant director, New Ohio Theatre). MFA: Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.
 

JUDY DODD (Penny for your Traumas?) is an actor, writer and director. Recent projects include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The #Metoo Plays. Most recently, she directed Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. at the Ramaz School. Her play, He Said, He Said was produced as part of The #Metoo Play Festival.

​

CELINE HAVARD(Hang-ups) has directed, acted and produced Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway and Regionally for over three decades. Havard was a founding member of Abingdon Theatre Company, Stagedotorg and The Alternative Theatre Company. She's worked with many NYC theater organizations including Pulse Ensemble Theatre Co., The Greenhouse Ensemble,  Intar, the Women’s Project and The Drama League. Havard edits books, plays for stage and screenplays as a Script Doctor and ghost writer. Havard's goal is to serve, share knowledge, and nurture and support her collaborators with work that betters the world in some way!

 

BRIAN HENRY(Crossroads of the World) “The Henry Family Show”.  Performing Arts School (Phila.), NYU, Lee Strasberg institute, American Dance Machine, Mme. Gabriella Darvash, Maitland Peters, Alan Langdon, John Lehne, James Price.  Arab,Rolf, Fyedka, Tommy Djilas, Junior Mister, Apostle, Jesus, Rooster, Big Jule, Smirnoff,Daimyo, Boomershine, Jessie Mae Burst, Rusty, Melville, Uli, The Man,Drosselmeyer, Dr. Coppelius.  Broadway revival, “Fiddler on the Roof,” Topol, Jerome Robbins, Sasha (the Slavic one), Motel the Tailor.  Playwright, “The Gajo Rom”, “The Disappearing Act”, “All the Clown’s Men”.  Lead Producer, Chelsea Rep LAB, “Director’s Choice One-Act Spring Fest”, Shetler Theatre, June 12-16.

 

WILLIAM ROUDEBUSH(A Reflection from the Moon) Bill is currently a member of the Playwright/Director Unit at New York’s ACTORS STUDIO. Regionally, he has directed over 250 productions at such theatres as Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, The Hanna Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Syracuse Stage Company, Theatre Virginia, The Fulton Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Florida Studio Theatre, GeVa Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Mint Theatre Company, Miami Opera Guild, Palm Beach Opera and many others. His book “ Acting By Mistake” is available at bookstores or online at  HYPERLINK "http://www.xlibris.com" www.xlibris.com as is his website at williamroudebush.com. Additional Note: Bill is currently running a class based on his book. For complete information contact: dentay1@juno.com.

JEAN TAIT (13 Minutes)has directed Hello Dolly (starring Pamela Myers and Harvey Evans), Saving Grace, the award-winning Over the River and Through the Woods, Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, the critically acclaimed Over the Tavern, Pack of Lies, Tsunami Tales, and Steel Magnolias (starring Donna McKechnie, Pamela Myers, Sally Mayes and Emily Swallow) in addition to numerous musical reviews with Donna McKechnie, Amanda McBroom, and Linda Purl.  For the Alternative Theater Company, Jean has directed The Audition, The Proceedings, and Can You Hear Me Now in The #Metoo Plays.