Photo by Sue Coflin
McCafrey, Ferrin, Gibson
Language of Angels More>>>>
Summer Moon Rising - August 24, 2009
Broadway Stars Jennifer Ferrin, Andrew Samonsky and Chad Goodridge
appeared
in Summer Moon Rising Fundraiser. Joining them were Emily Ackerman, Blaire Brooks, Andrea Caban,
and David Lee Nelson as performers at Coyote Rep's Summer Moon
Rising benefit on Monday, August 24 at New World Stages.
Proceeds from the event will help the development of a new play
about breast cancer survivor Anna Warren Schumacher.
This new project, currently
in development, is a play about a young breast cancer survivor and the
particular challenges she faces in light of her age, raising her
young child, and the severity of this disease. This event raised
funds for Coyote REP to develop this piece and to raise awareness
for the Young Survivors Coalition.
The acclaimed Project Shaw series continues
with a starry reading of The Devil's Disciple.
THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, written by George Bernard Shaw in
1896, is a thrilling comedy that employs the unlikely backdrop of the
American Revolution. Some of Shaw's most iconographic characters fill
out this story of revolt: of one country against another, as well as of
the inexhaustible battle of the human spirit - how we choose to create
and define ourselves in the face of societal expectations. In this play,
we find ourselves in 1777 New Hampshire where Dick Dudgeon opens his
heart to life. Along the way, everyone else goes through profound
changes of discovery, hope and strength.
Mrs. Dudgeon — Ms. Mary Beth Peil
Christopher Dudgeon — Mr. Dan Truman
Essie — Ms. Emily Young
Judith Anderson — Ms. Jennifer Ferrin
Rev. Anthony Anderson — Mr. Charles Edwards
Lawyer Hawkins — Mr. Howard Kissel
William Dudgeon — Mr. John Martello
Major Swindon — Mr. John Bolton
Richard Dudgeon — Mr. Euan Morton
The Sergeant — Mr. Larry Gleason
General Burgoyne — Mr. Edward Hibbert
Host: Howard Kissel
Produced and directed by David Staller.
Location: The Players Club which is
located in Manhattan at 16 Gramercy Park South.
The 39 Steps Broadway - Cort Theatre
(April 29 - October 26, 2008) - Roundabout Theatre (January 4, 2008 -
March 29, 2008) - Boston (Sept, 2007 -
October, 2007)
Watch some terrific clips featuring Jennifer
Ferrin and the cast ~HERE~
Check the The 39
Steps
section for a lot more information, photos and videos.
Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
Based on an original concept by Simon Corble
and Nobby Dimon
Based on the book by John Buchan
Synopsis:
The 39 Steps is billed as a hilarious
whodunit, part espionage thriller and part slapstick comedy, adapted for
the stage from the famous film and novel. Shots ring out across a
crowded theatre and Richard Hannay is lured into a world of intrigue by
a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy. When she winds up dead in his
flat, he flees London with both the police and a secret organization -
the 39 Steps - hot on his trail.
The play was
a runaway hit in London and the winner of the 2007 Olivier Award
for Best New Comedy, this tongue-in-cheek thriller features four actors
taking on more than 150 roles, and will feature
original London star Charles Edwards (as
Richard Hannay), Jennifer Ferrin
(as Annabella, Pamela and Margaret) with Cliff Saunders and Arnie Burton
as the clowns.
The work was first seen at London's Tricycle
Theatre in 2006. A Huntington press release states, "After its American
premiere at the Huntington, The 39 Steps will be produced on
Broadway by Bob Boyett."
An eerie cycle of ghost stories, set in
the cave country of North Carolina. After a young girl is lost in a cave
on the edge of town, there is a Rashomon-like investigation of her
disappearance and the fate of those who survive her.
Performances
were held at the
Clark Studio Theater which is part of the Lincoln Center Institute
for the arts in education. The theater accommodates an audience of
up to 120 people.
Cast: David Spangler (Seth), Lois Gibson
(Kendra), Karl Herlinger (JB), Jennifer Ferrin (Celie), Jerzy
Gwiazdowski (Michael), Stacy Salvette (Allison), Sarah McCafrey
(Danielle), Jeffrey Cusimano (Billy)
Crew: Director-Gaye Taylor Upchurch,
Cinematography-Ian Bloom, Lighting Design-John Burkland, Asst.
Director-Ryan Good, Stage Manager-Devan Hibbard, Technical
Supervisor-Brant Thomas Murray, Set Design-Evan O'Brient, Soundscape-Richard
Upchurch
To learn more about the story behind
Language of Angels, read the review
written by Lora for JenniferFerrin.net.
...The
effortless way in which Ms. Ferrin illustrated Celie's character
displayed her charismatic gift as an actress. It reaffirmed her talent
and dedication as well as the bravery in accepting roles that inspire
her.Review
In Marion Bridge, three women in their
thirties come 'home' to Cape Breton to be with their dying mother. Each
in her own way tries to deal with the painful loneliness the lives they
have chosen for themselves have left them with-each is trying to
reconcile what they have become with what they thought they wanted out
of life and with what they thought their parents wanted for them.
Nothing, of course, has turned out exactly the way anyone imagined it
would.
Performances were held at the
Urban
Stages Theater in New York City. Established in
1983. The mission of Urban Stages/PPP is to: 1) discover and nurture
exceptional new plays from diverse cultural backgrounds that speak to
the whole of our society; 2) present these plays free-of-charge in the
New York City Public Library Systems; 3) introduce students in the
public school to theatre arts by bringing teaching artists to the school
system free of charge (4) produce new plays Off Broadway to launch these
works to the theatrical community thus allowing them to address the
multifaceted issues facing our contemporary world.
Pictured to the right are
Christa Scott-Reed, Henny Russell, Susan Louis O'Connor. Photo by
Pavel Antonov
Cast: Susan Louise O'Conner (Louise),
Christa Scott-Reed (Theresa), Henny Russell (Agnes), Jennifer Ferrin
(voice), Victor Slezak (voice)
"... crisp direction, simple yet effective
production values and credible performances by the cast succeed in
creating a moving experience "
CurtainUp
"Marion Bridge," which opened last night at
Urban Stages, is an old-fashioned play written with great care. It is
well served by the quiet, steady pacing of the director, Susan Fenichell.
So are the actors.....
N. Y. Times
Marion Bridge should be—if the
there's any justice in TheatreLand—the play that makes stars out of
Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor and rising actress Susan Louise
O'Connor. Beautifully directed by Susan Fenichell and splendidly mounted
by Urban Stages, it's a terrifically entertaining and engaging work. I
highly recommend it.
nytheatre.com
"It's the story of a couple over a 17-year
period, 1974-1991," Ross told Playbill.com. "It's about Ted and his
relationship with his wife, Liz, and how it evolves — as seen through
the pages, stories and characters in the New York Times. It's underlying
idea is how the media infiltrates our lives — but it really packs an
emotional punch." More information on the story is available
at
Theatermania.com
The play was produced by the
Sonnet Repertory
Theater, Inc. SRT was founded
in September of 2002 by a handful of North Carolina School of the Arts,
University of North Carolina alumni. Since it's inception, SRT has
blossomed into a full-fledged, New York State supported, not-for-profit
theater company, comprised of artists and creators from very diverse
backgrounds. As the company evolves, at its core, Sonnet Rep remains
supremely dedicated to classic theater and the pursuit of excellence on
the stage.
Performances
were held at the
Blue Heron Arts Center. The production was part of SRT’s
Bard’s Backyard summer series which features stage reading workshops
that allow the creators to work alongside theatre professionals as they
continue to develop and explore their material.
The Sonnet Rep cast included Jordan Leeds (I
Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) as Ted and Lisa Brescia
(Broadway and national tour of Aida) as Liz, Jennifer Ferrin
(Jennifer Munson on "As the World Turns"), Kevyn Morrow (West End's
Ragtime), Anne L. Nathan (Broadway's Thoroughly Modern Millie
and Chicago), Bill English (Broadway's recent Twentieth
Century), Michael Arkin (Boys Gets Girl Off-Broadway) and
Robyne Parrish. More at
Playbill.com
In addition to Brescia and
Leeds, The Times boasts the luxury Broadway casting of Anne
Nathan (Assassins, Thoroughly Modern Millie) who delivers
Keenan’s one-liners like a young Thelma Ritter, Jennifer Ferrin
(Emmy-nominee for As the World Turns) who lands the biggest laugh
of the night with an inspired send-up of a fashion model, Robyne
Parrish who does a great Meryl Streep impersonation and has an
impressive soprano, Kevyn Morrow (Ragtime, Tambourines to
Glory and a host of Broadway roles) who sings the lovely ballad
"Time" at the end of the show, Bill English (Twentieth Century)
who sensitively plays one of Ted’s students and Michael Arkin in a
series of solid supporting turns. All in all, it’s an impressive company
and Keenan and Ross must be thrilled to know that The Times will
probably never be sung or performed so well again.
American Theater Web
Hamlet
(October, 2004)
Playwright - William Shakespeare
Synopsis:
Shakespeare wrote this play
in 1600-1, based in itself on versions of the story written throughout
the previous century, in particular that by Thomas Kyd. He used the
Senecan Tragedy conventions of revenge, adultery, incest, murder,
mutilation and general carnage and included features such as ghosts,
insanity, suicide, a play-within-a play, all of which are to be found in
Shakespeare’s play.
The
play was produced by
Working Mutt Productions. Working Mutt uses new and
established material to present events in and out of theaters, public
spaces and found sites. The production of Hamlet was done at the turn
of the century Opera House in Bedford-Stuyvesant while the building was
undergoing renovation. The play was held in the basement, as above
ground the building was being renovated into an apartment complex.
Instead of the traditional set changes, the audience moved from set to
set.
The cast consisted of
Lucas Hall (Hamlet), Jeff Burchfield
(Polonius), Jennifer Ferrin
(Ophelia), Robyne Parrish (Gertrude),
Nick Jaeger (Horatio), Jerri Micelli (Laertes), John Halbach (Clown), Timothy Eulich (Rosencrantz/Fight Director),
Caleb Orion (Guildenstern), and Nick Capodice (Osric/Core).
...As something of a traditionalist, this
reviewer is loathe to say it, but this "Hamlet" was sorely in need of
additional cutting. Shakespeare's plays are already long by modern
standards and this one is his longest, but add to the running time the
many moves of the audience from set to set, and by the end of the
three-hour-long play, it's a tossup who is wearier, the audience or the
actors.
With this said, if you're in good health and sure of step, don't let the
length of this show dissuade you. "Hamlet" may never be presented by a
more dedicated and talented group of young professionals.
The Brooklyn Papers
The Life
and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
(April 24-26, 2003)
Author - Charles Dickens
Adapted for the stage by David Edgar
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Oliver
Synopsis:
Nicholas
Nickleby is one of Dickens’ earliest works in the episodic and
melodramatic style familiar from The Pickwick Papers, and was
published serially 1838-9. It is the story of the Nicklebys (Nicholas,
his mother and sister Kate) who have been left penniless by the death of
Mr Nickleby. In their poverty and desperation they seek help from
Nicholas’s uncle - the difficult and oppressive Ralph Nickleby who is a
usurer. Nicholas immediately bothers his uncle due to his independent
attitudes and is sent to Dotheboys Hall to teach. He witnesses the
mistreatment of orphans there by Wackford Squeers. Disgusted by this and
particularly the treatment of Smike, Nicholas thrashes the evil Squeers
and escapes with the lad Smike who becomes his close comrade. Nicholas
continues on his mission to end ill-treatment. He saves Kate from Sir
Mulberry Hawk’s insults and makes a home for the family. Ralph gets his
comeuppance eventually despite his continued evil and although Smike
dies of consumption, there is a general sense of justice at the novel’s
close.
Nicholas Nickleby was the featured
performance in the spring of 2003 by the School of Drama at NCSA.
It involves two hundred and forty pages of text which translates into
twelve hours of material. Twenty-four actors took on the roles of one
hundred and fifty characters translating into approximately seven
characters per actor. Forty-one masks were used to help complete
the transformation of the actors into various characters.
Twenty-one
songs were included. This huge undertaking was accomplished in
just five months by Studio IV, the graduating class of 2003 from NCSA
and won them major accolades for their work. While 5 months may
seem like a long time to some in completing the production, it should be
noted that within that time period the class completed four other fully
staged productions meanwhile preparing for the huge undertaking of the
Royal Shakespeare Company's widely lauded production of "The Life and
Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby."
..... "As I stood at the stage at our final
performance, singing the last chorus of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'
with the faces of the audience members, faculty and peers staring down
at us, I couldn't help but realize that this was the best production I
would ever be in. Sure there may be higher budgets, turbans or
floating staircases in my future, but never again will I be given the
time to put so much of myself into on project." - Ryan Hill -
more>>>>
Performances
were held at the
