TPNC ONE-ACTS FESTIVAL Creative

Producer/Director/Editor/

Deborah Burke

Why not do it all? ;). Beside being the President of Town Players of New Canaan, she is also the Producer, Video Director, Editor, Switcher, Camera Operator, Set Decorator, co-Music/Sound Designer, and Prop Person for this show, she is also an actor in two of the one-acts. See more about Deborah in CAST listings.

Lighting Designer, and much more!

Patricia Spugani

Patricia Spugani Resident Lighting Designer, Town Players; Box Office Manager, Wilton Playshop; B.A. Technical Theater Lehigh University. "Technical" Theater has taken on a whole new meaning in this Digital world. We are loving the challenge of becoming a production studio and glad to bring you live, compelling theater with local community talent!

Technical Director, etc, etc, etc.

Joel Reynolds

PLAYWRIGHT - Initial Descent

Allston James

[email protected] +1 831 277 1112 Allston James (Initial Descent), based in New York and California, has twice won the British Theatre Challenge in London and is three-time recipient of the William Broyles Award for Distinguished Playwriting, most recently in 2020 for A Hill in Time, a drama set during the Vietnam War. His play The Lated Traveler opened the New York Stage and Film Company’s Readings Series in 2013. In 2020 his one-act Negative Is, Negative Does was produced by Mama Quilla Theatre’s Pangolin Project in London. In March of this year, Tablespoon Theatre Company in Glasgow, Scotland, launched a digital production of his surreal drama Small Time Payback. In 2020, James’ Show Me the Death was shortlisted for the Colm Toíbín International Short Story Award at the Wexford Literary Festival in Ireland. (In 2014, TPNC’s Deborah Burke co-starred in Initial Descent at Eastbound Theatre.)

PLAYWRIGHT -How Does That Make You Feel?

Pamela Weiler Grayson

Also PLAYWRIGHT: Whose Plot Is This? Pam’s musical, Urban Momfare (composer/lyricist/co-book writer), won a Best Musical award at the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival, and was a Critics Pick from Time Out. Pam’s songs and award-winning plays have been performed and developed in New York City and throughout the country, as well as on the Amazon streaming series, “The Other F Word.” She has written for The New York Times and The New York Observer, among others. Pam is a member of Kate Moira Ryan’s advanced playwriting workshop, Theatre Now New York’s National Musical Writers Group, a writer-in-residence at Kervigo Ensemble Theatre, and a board member of Emerging Artists Theatre. Dramatists Guild member. Education: Brown University, Fordham Law School, New York Theatre Workshop, The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. https://www.pamelaweilergrayson.com

PLAYWRIGHT - Shadows and Light

Carol Mark

Carol Mark, (playwright - Shadows and Light), first studied playwriting under playwright Tony Howarth. Her inspiration for Shadows and Light came from a painting of a home that reminded her of the refined southern homes of South Carolina. The artwork was part of the Living Art Event sponsored by the Ossining Arts Council and WCT. Carol would like to thank her talented actors, Laurel, Joe and Chris. She would also like to thank Deborah and all the folks at Town Players and the Powerhouse Theater for taking on the challenge of making theater during these difficult times. And, as always, a special thanks to Bill for keeping the porch light on.

PLAYWRIGHT - Testimonial

Jack Rushen

PLAYWRIGHT - Hazleton

Jim Gordon

PLAYWRIGHT - In Her Golden Years

Steven Korbar

Steven Korbar has worked regularly as a playwright and actor in the Los Angeles area for the last 15 years. His full-length and one-act plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. His short plays, Table for Four, Mrs. Jansen Isn’t Here Now and What are You Going to Be? have all been published in Smith and Kraus’ Best Short Plays series.

PLAYWRIGHT - Ring Tone/Hitting on Women

Bruce Kane

Bruce Kane is a California based playwright whose comedies have been presented in over 600 venues in 22 countries. His play “Ruby Of Elsinore” was a winner of the All Ireland One Act Play Competition. He is the creator of the much performed series of plays featuring Justin Thyme, a hard boiled detective who investigates crimes in such literary masterpieces as Hamlet and MacBeth among others. Kane has also written and produced for American television and film.

PLAYWRIGHT - Welfare

Anne Flanagan

Anne Flanagan is the recipient of several writing awards and zero sports trophies. Her work has been produced throughout the US and internationally. Publications include her comedy Artifice (Dramatic) as well as many short play and monologue anthologies. Anne has taught public school in the inner city, worked as a private investigator, and done time as a pelvic model - none of which were as exciting as one would think. WEBSITE: www.anneflanagan.net

PLAYWRIGHT - The Computer Lesson

Myles Gansfried

Myles’ natural curiosity as an engineer helped him became a set designer, technical prop master and playwright who gained critical acclaim for his gorgeous sets which often took your breath away. Patrons and professionals could tell a set designed by Myles with one look. Then another creative process began to grow within him. He put pen to paper and the plays came out. Myles wrote 5 full-length and 3 one-act plays. Two of the full-length plays were done as Black Box productions at the RTB. His hilarious one-act, The Computer Lesson, was a part of our Evening of One Acts 2017 and a finalist at the Aery Theatre Company’s 2017 One-Act Festival. Sadly, Myles passed away in 2018, but we are so pleased for his work to live on.

Original Creative Team

How Does That Make You Feel? - by Pamela Weiler Grayson - with Deborah Burke and Dana DiCerto
** Welfare - by Anne Flanagan - with Roberto Perez and T.J. Chila
** In Her Golden Years - by Steven Korbar - with Elayne Gordon and Dainelle Testori-Gartner
Hazleton - by Jim Gordon - with Mike Boland and Jennifer Ju
Testimonial - by Jack Rushen - with Ted Yudain and Sally Rose Zuckert
Shadows and Light - by Carol Mark - with Laurel Letteri, Joe Niola, and Chris Ceponis
Ring Tone - by Bruce Kane - with Jake Soleri and Meagan Elliott
Hitting on Women 101 - by Bruce Kane - with Byron O’Hanlon, Catherine Luciani, and Céline Francesca Montaudy
* The Computer Lesson - by Myles Gansfried - with Larry Greeley, Jeff Pliskin, and Roberto Perez
** Initial Descent - by Allston James - with Jennifer Prescott and Chris Prescott
Whose Plot is This? - by Pamela Weiler Grayson - with Cathy Cordaro, Gail Yudain, Albert Insinnia, Deborah Burke, and Elayne Gordon

* NOTE: Our SPECIAL THANKS to the RIDGEFIELD THEATER BARN (RTB) for allowing us to perform these plays AS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AT RTB IN 2019. ** NOTE: Our SPECIAL THANKS to EASTBOUND THEATRE (at MAC) for allowing us to perform these plays as originally produced at the East/West PlayFest in various years.