Storefront Church Playbill.Pdf
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WELCOME LETTER With only 68 cents in my bank account, I was still convinced that you could make a living doing what you love. It was with this total in my checkbook that I landed my first major acting role. Just “68 cents” is what I was willing to have in order to realize my dream. Acting is a passion, an art, and a need that fills my gut. It is this passion that motivated me eleven years ago to pull together a group of the most talented friends I had and create a Company, a Company I lovingly named the 68 Cent Crew. Over the past ten years, The 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company has grown into a family of loving, supportive, and extraordinarily gifted actors. We are fortunate to have come so far, but it would not have come without hard work, commitment, and a fervent love for what we do. HOW THIS CAME TO BE The second play I was ever in was a John Patrick Shanley play, ‘Italian American Reconciliation’. His words spoke to me profoundly, moving me towards dedicating my life to the theatre. Those close to me know that he indirectly shaped the course of my life and inspired me as a writer, as an actor, as an artist. When John sent me the script with an invitation to direct the West Coast premiere of STOREFRONT CHURCH, I was delighted. Right away I was taken by the themes within the play, personally identifying on so many levels with the messages in this story. There’s a piece of me in each one of these characters. It’s difficult to put into words the honor I feel to have become a colleague of someone who was a mentor from afar for such a long time. I am extremely humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to present STOREFRONT CHURCH to Los Angeles for the first time. Enjoy. Ronnie Marmo Artistic Director The 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE): Ed Dyer (Reed Van Druyten) CREW Alan Ehrlich (Ethan Goldklang) Written by: John Patrick Shanley Aris Alvarado (Donaldo Calderon) Directed and Produced by: Ronnie Marmo Johnnett Kent (Jessie Cortez) Assistant Directed by: Heidi Rhodes Steven Stanton (Chester Kimmich) Set Design by: Danny Cistone Charles Hoyes (Tom Raiderberg) Co-lighting Design by: Matt Richter & Caitlin Rucker Postcard Design: Michael Roud Playbill Design: Sandra McHale Light/Sound Opp: Christopher Kelly Stage Manager: Marisilda Gracia Front of the House: Claudine Claudio and members of The 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company 1 WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST ED DYER (REED VAN DRUYTEN) Ed would like to thank Ronnie and Heidi for allowing him to play the role of Reed Van Druyten in STORE- FRONT CHURCH. Ed has been a member of The 68 Cent Crew Theater Company for over three years now and you have probably seen him in productions such as OUR LADY OF 121ST STREET and 86’d to name a couple. Ed would also to thank his parents and each and everyone of you for coming to the show. Thank you for coming and enjoy the show. ALAN EHRLICH (ETHAN GOLDKLANG) After a self-imposed hiatus from the theatre (during which time he worked as a story analyst for Orion and Paramount and helped develop such films as AMADEUS, THE TRUMAN SHOW and THE HOURS), Alan would like to thank Ronnie Marmo for welcom- ing him back to the stage. He’s been a proud company member of Theatre 68 now for little over a year and has appeared on its stage in 86’d and a one-act festival, CHECK PLEASE. Among his favorite roles in Albu- querque were Estragon in WAITING FOR GODOT and Saturnine in Shakespeare’s TITUS ANDRONICUS. He’s been seen on both television and film and has recently published a novel, PLUNKET IN WONDERLAND — A HOLLYWOOD TALE. For more information, please visit www.alanmehrlich.com. ARIS ALVARADO (DONALDO CALDERON) Aris is a proud member of Theatre 68. As a native New Yorker, he discovered John Patrick Shanley while studying at NYU and was excited to find characters that he recognized. He’s honored to be part of this LA premiere and would like to thank Ronnie Marmo for this opportunity. Some TV credits include COLD CASE, NCIS, recurring on GILMORE GIRLS, and series regu- lar on HEAD CASE and TWENTYSIXMILES. Some film credits include KICKIN’ IT OLD SKOOL and GOD BLESS AMERICA. He would like to thank his family, friends, Theatre 68, Mookie, and his beautiful wife Teresa for all their love and support. 2 JOHNNETT KENT (JESSIE CORTEZ) Johnnett Kent studied Theatre at Darting College of Arts in the UK and received a B.F.A from Towson University. She can be seen in various commercials and has made guest appearances on HBO’s THE WIRE and Comedy Central’s WEB SOUP. Johnnett received critical acclaim from Back Stage Magazine for the LA production of Toni Morrison’s THE BLUEST EYE as Mama. She is excited and honored to work with Ronnie Marmo and Theatre 68. STEVEN STANTON (CHESTER KIMMICH) Before becoming an actor, Steven made his living as a dancer and choreographer where he danced and choreographed for some of music’s biggest artist such as Michael Jackson, Prince and JLo just to name a few. He was also the lead character in the off Broadway hip hop musical GROOVALOO FREESTYLE directed by Theatre 68’s own Danny Cistone. As an actor, he’s starred in numerous commercials — most recently for Lincoln and Allstate — and was the lead in the play DUTCHMAN by LeRoi Jones. CHARLES HOYES (TOM RAIDERBERG) With prior Theatre 68 appearances in BILL W. AND DR. BOB and THE KNIGHTS OF MARY PHAGAN, his other recent L.A. credits include THE BOOMERANG EFFECT and SORDID LIVES at The Zephyr, ONE OF THE ALL- TIME GREATS at West Valley Playhouse and 24 HOURS TO MIDNIGHT at The MET. A film and TV veteran, you have also seen him in more than 200 commercials. 3 WHO’S WHO IN THE CREW RONNIE MARMO (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER) Some of Ronnie’s favorite directing credits include: John Patrick Shanley’s AN ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION, THE RED COAT, the World Premiere of 86’d, LOVE, SEX, AND THE IRS, BILL W. AND DR. BOB, WHAT THE RABBI SAW, A VERY MERRY HAPPY KOSHER CHRISTMAS and the critically acclaimed BILL W. AND DR. BOB, which enjoyed 350+ sold out performances in the past 12 years. Some of Ronnie’s favorite theatre producing credits include the Los Angeles Premiere of Sam Shepard’s THE LATE HENRY MOSS, the 40th Anniversary production of LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS, the World Premiere of John Patrick Shanley’s LAST NIGHT IN THE GARDEN I SAW YOU, BENT, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, LOST IN RADIOLAND, THE HOUSE OF YES, EYES FOR CONSUELA, and WEST OF BROOKLYN (which he also inked). Ronnie was the Artistic Director and the Producer of the critically acclaimed first ever 13 by Shanley Festival which enjoyed a six-month run. He directed the series ADULTS ONLY and LALA LAND. He was nominated as a producer by the NAACP Awards for the productions of THE KNIGHTS OF MARY PHAGAN and SUBWAY SERIES. He received the Robert Pastorelli Rising Star Award for achievements as actor, writer, director and producer at the 2010 Garden State Film Festival. Ronnie just completed a three-year run on ABC’s GENERAL HOSPITAL as Ronnie Dimestico. He continues to serve at the Artistic Director of the 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company in Los Angeles and New York City. HEIDI RHODES (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR) Heidi has been a proud company member of Theatre 68 for three years, either acting in, assistant directing, or directing eleven productions here. Recently she played the mother, Clara, in CRUMBLE (LAY ME DOWN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE), and Marcia, the neurotic asthmatic in OUR LADY OF 121ST STREET. She has been in the arts forever, with a background in dance, visual arts, and archi- tectural design, and can be seen in independent film festivals all across the country. Heidi is very happy to be a part of this wonderful, soulful play; nurturing actors and learning from them and from Ronnie. She gives heartfelt thanks to her family and friends for their steady support and love, and huge thanks to Ronnie for making it possible to have a Theatre 68 family. DANNY CISTONE (SET DESIGNER) Danny has production designed for film, TV, commercials and theatre including FINAL WIT- NESS (ABC/Disney), SCHOOL SPIRITS (SyFy), and STRICTLY SEXUAL (Hulu). Music video designs include Katy Perry’s Candifornia Tour, Pink’s European Tour and Truth About Love Tour, History of the Eagles Tour, Danko Jones, Carbon 9, Michael Duff, Young Wolf Hatchlings and Leo. Some notable stage designs include COPS AND FRIENDS OF COPS (2013 Ovation Nomination), THE MERCY SEAT (Ford), THE KNIGHTS OF MARY PHAGAN (NAACP Award Nomination), THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (2008 Ovation Award Nomination), the 13 By Shanley Festival (Theatre 68), A FEW GOOD MEN (LA premiere), THE LOST PLAYS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS (Actors Studio), ON AN AVERAGE DAY (2008 Ovation Award Nomi- nation, 2008 LA Drama Critics Circle Nomination), and CRUMBLE (LAY ME DOWN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE) (Theatre 68). 4 MATT RICHTER (CO-LIGHTING DESIGNER) Matt is a Los Angeles based Lighting and Sound designer. For Theatre 68: LAST NIGHT IN THE GARDEN I SAW YOU by John Patrick Shanley (World Premiere), THE LATE HENRY MOSS by Sam Shepard (Los Angeles Premiere), LENNY’S BACK & BOY IS HE PISSED, OUR LADY OF 121ST STREET.