PLAYS IN THE PARK ONLINE PROGRAM
Outdoor Performances of One-Act Plays and Monologues
Friday & Saturday, August 27 & 28 at 6:00 PM
Sunday, August 29 at 4:00 PM
Sparkle Lake Park, 176 Granite Springs Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
The Gypsy Wife: written and directed by Bruce Pearl,
cast: Kate Gleeson and Bruce Pearl
Cliche: written and directed by Keith Whalen
cast: Scott Faubel, Toni Fazio, and Brian Bagot
Distant Relative: written & performed by Bruce Apar
directed by Bruce Apar and Anne Rodgers Pearl
The Rub: written by Albi Gorn, directed by Robin Joseph
cast: Gary Simon and Jacqueline Smith
You Remind Me of Her: written and directed by Bruce Pearl
cast: Bruce Pearl and Priscilla Goldfarb
Uh-Oh (from Love/Sick): written by John Cariani, directed by Richard Troiano
cast: Kate Gleeson and Richard Troiano
Production
Producer – Anne Rodgers Pearl
Stage Manager – Emmy Schwartz
Sound Technician – Nan Weiss
Reservations – Janis Levitt
Publicity – Melinda O’Brien and Jacqueline Smith
Program – Melinda O’Brien and Kim Chandler
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST AND CREW
Bruce Apar (Grandfather, Author, “Distant Relative”) There is nothing like performing for a hometown crowd, and the Apars have called Yorktown home for going on three decades. Bruce is indebted to local legend and Yorktown Stage impresario Barry Liebman for giving him his first big break (since high school), as the Rabbi in the 2010 sold-out run of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Bruce is grateful also to YCP TheaterWorks for putting him in his first straight play, in 2011, “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” directed by the late Joel Karpoff. Next up for Bruce is “All the Wrong Places,” a collection of four short plays that is touring local libraries this fall, co-produced by GoJo Clan Productions, M&M Performing Arts Company and Aery Theatre Company. Bruce’s short play “Hymn to Her” is in the Aery Theatre Company One-Act Festival in September at Philipstown Depot Theatre in Garrison. He thanks YCP President Anne Pearl and YCP’s Board of Directors for staging the first theater production in cooperation with the new Yorktown Arts + Culture Committee, a partnership of the Town of Yorktown and the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce. Bruce bows lovingly to wife Elyse, daughter Elissa, and late son Harrison, who stood all of three feet due to dwarfism and felt 10 feet tall when performing on stage.
Brian Bagot (Cop, “Cliche”) Brian is an actor who has been in several community theater productions in and around Westchester County. He is also a performing member of Blind Tiger Improv.
Scott Faubel (He, “Cliche”) Scott has been performing with YCP since the mid 1990’s, his latest turns with the company being Juror 3 in “Twelve Angry Men” and several roles in “Almost, Maine.” This marks his second turn in “Cliche” and the second time(s) he’s worked with each of his scene partners, Toni and Brian. He is thrilled to be returning to live theater after a year and a half of Zoom performing.
Toni Fazio (She, “Cliche”) Toni has performed in various productions throughout Westchester, Greenwich, CT and New York. Toni has appeared in indie and feature films and has performed as a featured improv player in New York City’s Comedy Club and The Comic Strip. Thank you, Keith Whalen, for writing laugh out loud plays! Love to Richie, Sam and Louie! Mom- Thanks for everything!
Kate Gleeson (Sarah, Uh-Oh Gypsy, The Gypsy Wife) is VERY excited to be acting again in Plays in the Park! Some of her favorite roles are Sarah in The Sisters Rosensweig, Sister Aloysius in Doubt, Madam Arcati in Blithe Spirit, Rachel in Reckless, Reggie in The Laramie Project, and Mother Superior in Agnes of God. Kate wants to thank everyone for coming out and supporting local theater!
Priscilla Goldfarb (Carol/You Remind Me of Her) is a regular at Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic. A retired non-profit executive and former a cappella girl group performer, she is an active member of The Taghkanic Chorale based in Yorktown Heights and of the Mahopac Writers Group. A native of Connecticut she is a 25-year resident of the Hudson Highlands. This is her first appearance with YCP TheaterWorks.
Albi Gorn (Playwright; The Rub) has written plays for 30 years, won numerous playwriting contests and original work festivals, and with his wife, Robin Anne Joseph (Director), run GoJo Clan Productions gojoclanproductions.com. You can check out other scripts by Albi at albigorn.com.
Robin Anne Joseph (Director, The Rub) has been acting, directing and playwriting in and around the NY Metro area for over 45 years. She has directed locally for Center Stage, Fort Hill Players, Chappaqua Drama Group, Logodaedaly, Axial Theatre and her own company GoJo Clan Productions. When not on a stage somewhere, Robin can be found on the “bimah” (stage) at Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings-on-Hudson where she serves as cantor. With her husband, Albi Gorn, she is the co-artistic and managing director of GoJo Clan Productions www.gojoclanproductions.com and co-producer of children Kobe and Jennie.
Anne Rodgers Pearl (Producer, Director “Distant Relative”) is the former President and current Vice-President of YCP TheaterWorks. She has been with the group since 1985 when she played teenaged daughter, June, in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Most recently, she appeared as Ouiser in YCP’s Steel Magnolias. Anne also has many directing credits to her name including, Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound (HTM), The Actor’s Nightmare (YCP), and many, many original 1-act plays (for HTM). Anne works as an optical assistant in Croton and lives in Cortlandt Manor with her multi-talented husband, Bruce Pearl. She is also the proud mother of 3 grown sons and doting grandmother of Charlotte and Oliver. Thanks to all of my fellow board members and friends for helping to make this production possible. As they say, it takes a village. Finally, I’d like to dedicate these performances to our dear friend and fellow board member, Joel Karpoff, who we lost in 2020. We love and miss you, Joel, you brought us such joy!
Bruce Pearl (Author/Director of The Gypsy Wife and You Remind Me of Her and Joe in You Remind Me of Her) is a retired Law Clerk/Court Attorney whose one-act and full-length plays have been produced throughout the Hudson Valley and in NY City. Bruce also directed One Tune Jukebox for the Hand-To-Mouth Players. Favorite roles include Friar Francis in Much Ado about Nothing (Lawnchair Productions), Gremio in Taming of the Shrew and Brabantio in Othello, both with the Babbling Brook Players, Maurice Koenig in Social Security with YCP TheaterWorks, and Karl Lindner in Raisin in the Sun and Judge Philipse in the Burning of New York, both with Shades Repertory Theatre.
Gary Simon (Jeff, The Rub) Gary is an award-winning actor, producer, and artistic director. Though a seasoned veteran of contemporary comedy and drama, Gary seems to have an affinity for performing in original one-act plays, especially those written by Albi Gorn, including Double Date, Regression, The Date Dinger, and the full-length Diminished Capacity. Most recently, Gary was seen in M & M Production’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Lyndhurst Mansion. NYC/Regional Festivals: NY Winterfest, Manhattan Repertory Theater, Samuel French, Strawberry, NY International Fringe, Ariane, Theater Association of New York State, Eastern States Theater Association. Select Westchester/Local theater groups: The Hand to Mouth Players (Board Member), YCP Theaterworks, M & M Productions. When not on stage, Gary entertains his patients as dentist to the stars in Cortlandt Manor, NY, and extends love to his girlfriend Jacqueline, and children Addison and Scott. gdocfive@gmail.com
Jacqueline Anne Smith (Marieke, The Rub) is a National Board-Certified Teacher. She works in Yonkers where she is juggling the challenges of teaching her kindergarten class both online and in person. Ms. Smith has been involved with community theater for over 10 years and is a member of YCPTW’s Board of Directors. The Rub isn’t the first time she has acted with Dr. Simon. They played opposite each other in YCPTW’s productions of California Suite (2013) and Almost Maine (2019) and in Bruce Pearl’s Once More the Butler and Albi Gorn’s Regression (2016). Being part of this show has proven to be a most enjoyable, albeit virtual, trip back to the stage for Jacqueline. Her favorite roles include Mrs. Markham (Move Over Mrs. Markham, 2010) and Savannah (Mama Won’t Fly, 2013) and especially mother to Anthony (2003) and Tommy (2005) and S.O. to the man she is thrilled to be acting with in this production. GDS143!
Richard Troiano (Director/Bill in the play Uh Oh) is enormously pleased that theatre has come back after our National COVID crisis and thrilled to be a part of it. This scene was from a play which he was preparing to present with YCP Theaterworks before COVID forced a cancellation. He hopes to be able to reach a total of fifty plays directed by next year. As an actor he has appeared in countless plays over the years. Some recent favorites include The Death of King Shotaway, One Tune Jukebox, and Andromache, Others are I Never Sang for My Father, Death of a Salesman, and many more. He is very happy that his talented son has completed his internship and will soon graduate from New Paltz State University. He is thrilled to be working with his beautiful co-star on stage and in life, Kate Gleeson. It is always a pleasure. Thanks to Bruce Apar for his persistent work in attaining this space. Thank you to all the people who worked to make this space available to us. A special thanks to Anne Pearl for her diligence and hard work in making this presentation a reality.
Keith Whalen (Playwright and Director, “Cliche”) Keith’s short plays have won awards and been produced across the country. Most recently, his play “White Angel” won Best Play in Theatre Odyssey’s Ten-Minute Play Festival, and his play “Youth for Dark” is a semifinalist in the 46th Annual Samuel French Off Off-Broadway Short Play Festival.