Ensemble Member, Therese Plaehn

Following her production of Richard Vetere's new play at Gloucester Stage Company (opposite Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano), Ensemble Member and Literary Manager, Therese Plaehn is currently in rehearsal for Stephen Belber's TAPE Off-Broadway.

"Stephen Belber's acclaimed three-person drama Tape, which was also adapted into a 2001 film, will make a New York return in September at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex." - Playbill.com

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/153755-Stephen-Belbers-Tape-Will-Make-Limited-New-York-Return-Casting-Announced

Therese was also featured in Barefoot Theatre Company's 2010-2011 Season with our 2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series both in NYC and LA as well as in our Basement Workshop Series this past spring.

Therese Plaehn

Therese is thrilled to be a member of Barefoot! A.R.T.- Paradise Lost (dir. Daniel Fish), The Lady Hamlet (reading w/ Kate Burton dir. Peter DuBois) MFA A.R.T's Institute with the Moscow Art Theatre at Harvard. Institute credits- The Winter's Tale, Hamletmachine, History of the American Film, The Little Tragedies. Other theater- Dancing at Lughnasa (Gallery Players), The Cripple of Inishmaan (Queens Theatre in the Park), The Well of the Saints (Sugan Theatre, Boston), upcomingDying City (Stonington Opera House). TV- Onion News Network (IFC), 12:21 Demetri Martin Comedy Lab (BBC). BA in English Providence College. Therese Plaehn comes to us originally from Scituate, Massachusetts and is a proud aunt of 14 nieces and nephews. She recently graduated with her MFA in acting from the American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre's Institute at Harvard University. She received her BA in English from Providence College and studied arts at the National University of Ireland, Galway for a year.

photo by: Michael Mallard.

Ensemble Members featured in New Monthly Theatre Event

Barefoot ensemble member and playwright Stephen Gracia and founding member, Michael LoPorto's monthly theatre event, Dialogue with Three Chords continues August 25th with Absolute Beginners.

"Two brothers bear witness to the end of a bloody family tradition as their neighborhood quickly becomes unrecognizable."

This new play by Stephen Gracia is set in the Hell's Kitchen of 1983. The Westies are falling apart, gentrification is coming on quick, and there's a dead body in the bathtub that someone needs to atone for.

D3C features new plays written by Gracia and directed by LoPorto the fourth Thursday of every month at Mr. Dennehy's Irish Pub at 63 Carmine Street, NYC. They will be staged readings with live music, a talk back, poetry readings, and more.

Start time: 8pm.

D3C is free with a suggested donation of $3.

Absolute Beginners features Barefoot ensemble member Charles Everett. The cast also includes Sean Meehan, Jennifer Skura, Matthew Ferretti, and Carol LoPorto.

Live music will be provided by Ridley Parson.

For more information, visit:
www.dthreec.blogspot.com
www.mrdennehys.com

Ensemble Member, Mark G. Cisneros DIRECTS!

Ensemble Member / Director of Marketing, Mark G. Cisneros takes on the role of director once again for Rob Santana's new play, MY NIGHT WITH FRIDA.

Mark G. Cisneros

2002 OOBR Award winning actor with a career in Theater and Film for over 11 years. Theater: Walkabout by Marcus Haupt (the Flea Theater), The Sons of Juan Perez by Roberto De Los Reyes (the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater), and ?De Donde? with the Barefoot Theatre Company (Looking Glass Theater). Television: Third Watch (with Ann Margaret) and As the World Turns; Film: Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, New York, accepted to the Havana Film Festival in 2003; As producer with his previous company On A Quest he is proud to have produced and starred in two successful plays (La Habitacion by Barbara Colio-accepted to The NY International Fringe Festival, and Rising Sun, Falling Star by Yolanda Rodriguez at the 78th St Theater Lab). Mark is currently Director of Marketing of the Barefoot Theatre Company. Member Since 2009.

Don't miss an opportunity to see FRIDA KAHLO on stage, as performed by Masha Mendietta! My Night With Frida takes place December 9, 1934, in Depression-era New York City. It's the night Diego Rivera's infamous mural 'Man of the crossroads' becomes a target for demolition by haters of Lenin and what he stands for: The Red Menace! This mural, created in the bowels of Rockefeller Center, and a chance to meet Frida Kahlo in the flesh, become an obsession for Daniela, a latina photographer.

The workshop production is written by Rob Santana & directed by Mark G. Cisneros. CAST: Yvette Quintero, Masha Mendietta, Stanton Powell, Jorge Ortiz. Where: Manhattan Repertory Theater, 303 W 42st, 3rd flr. When: Sat Aug 13- 9pm, Sun Aug 14- 8pm, Wed. Aug 17- 9pm for TKTS: 646-329-6588 ($20.00)

Ensemble Member, Mark G. Cisneros DIRECTS!

Ensemble Member, Mark G. Cisneros makes his director debut TONIGHT!

A FREE concert reading of "My Night with Frida" by Rob Santana presented at the closing night of East 3rd Productions' ENTER: PLAYWRIGHT Theater Festival.

Directed by Mark G. Cisneros
Featuring Athena Colon, Masha Mendieta, Jorge Ortiz, Stanton Powell, and Charles Casano

Reading will be followed by Q&A with playwright Rob Santana
ADMISSION: FREE!!!

Mark will also be seen in Barefoot Theatre Company's upcoming bareNaked Workshop Series featuring Tim Pleahn's West Asheville on June 20th at The Cherry Lane Theatre.

Mark G. Cisneros

2002 OOBR Award winning actor with a career in Theater and Film for over 11 years. Theater: Walkabout by Marcus Haupt (the Flea Theater), The Sons of Juan Perez by Roberto De Los Reyes (the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater), and ?De Donde? with the Barefoot Theatre Company (Looking Glass Theater). Television: Third Watch (with Ann Margaret) and As the World Turns; Film: Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, New York, accepted to the Havana Film Festival in 2003; As producer with his previous company On A Quest he is proud to have produced and starred in two successful plays (La Habitacion by Barbara Colio-accepted to The NY International Fringe Festival, and Rising Sun, Falling Star by Yolanda Rodriguez at the 78th St Theater Lab). Mark is currently Director of Marketing of the Barefoot Theatre Company. Member Since 2009.

pictured: Mark G. Cisneros with Joseph Sousa at 70/70 Horovitz Project

Ensemble Member, Michael LoPorto returns to Park Playhouse...

July 19 – August 14, 2011 – Tuesday through Sunday at 8:00pm
in Albany’s Washington Park
Premium, Reserved Tickets are now on sale and going fast!

About The Show: Outrageous, hilarious, a teeny bit offensive, off the wall, and the winner of a record 12 Tony Awards are just a few things that THE PRODUCERS is. But it is never boring and you will find yourself holding your sides with laughter as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom sing and dance their way through the greatest show biz scam that there ever was!

The Producers contains material and language which parents may deem inappropriate for children under 13

The Production Team:

Director: Michael LoPorto
Choreographer: Geoffrey Doig-Marx
Musical Director: Justin P. Cowan
Production Dramaturg: Russell M. Dembin
Scenic Designer: William Davis
Lighting Designer: Vincent Vigilante
Costume Designer: Olga Mill
Sound Designer: David Gordon
Technical Director: Timothy Bornt
Production Stage Manager: Michelle Hines
Assistant Musical Director: Andy Roninson
Assistant Choreographer: Ashley Simone Kirchner
Assistant Stage Manager: Elizabeth Ellis
Scenery by Upstate Scenic

Michael LoPorto

Selected directing credits: One Night Only: A Benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS featuring Lea Delaria (The Loews Theatre, New Jersey), the off-Broadway production of CJ Thom's Eightballs: A Cocaine Comedy (The Lafayette Theatre), the world premier of six of the nine plays that make up Israel Horovitz's New Shortsfeaturing Lynn Cohen (The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Theatres), Fiddler On The Roofin 2004, South Pacific in 2005, Grease in 2007, and Annie Get Your Gun in 2010 (all at Park Playhouse in Albany, NY), Birds In Church & Dirty Talk by Joe Pintauro (The Pantheon Theatre), Tongues by Sam Shepard (BRIC Studio), the 35th anniversary production of The Indian Wants The Bronx by Israel Horovitz (Gloucester Stage Company), Behind The Fence by Richard Stremme (Theater for the New City), the first New York revival of Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie? by Don Peterson (The Looking Glass Theatre), and the world premier of Complete Control (DUMBO Theatre eXchange), a workshop production of Next (The American Theatre of Actors), a production of an abridged version of The Hunger Arts (The 92nd Street Y), a staged reading ofMohammad's Radio (Bleecker Street Theatre), a book trailer for Jennifer L. Pozner'sReality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV entitled "Reality Rehab with Dr. Jenn" (www.realitybitesbackbook.com), and the world premier of Next (HERE Arts Center) - all written by Stephen Gracia.

Michael is also a musician who has appeared on numerous independent releases and has toured most of the east coast as a drummer in several bands, at such notable venues as CBGB, The Continental, The Knitting Factory, The Pipeline, Don Hills, Coney Island High, The Charleston, The Trash Bar, The Midway Cafe, The Safari Lounge, Café Nine, The Living Room, L'amour, and The Tune Inn.

BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, 2004.

Michael is a founding member of Barefoot Theatre Company and an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

New Play by Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano part of Gi60!

Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano's short play, Welcome Back Home will be presented in this year's Gi60: International One Minute Play Festival - Live U.S. Edition 2011.

50 original plays in 50 minutes! Theater with no time to spare! Performances on Friday, June 10 8:00 pm and Saturday, June 11, 8:00 pm. Tickets: $10.00 (all proceeds to student scholarship fund) Reservations strongly recommended! Please call (718) 951-5000 X 2768. For more info about Gi60 and the Live UK Edition on June 12, visitwww.gi60.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194449010601662

Francisco Solorzano

Currently appearing in East 3rd Productions' NYC Revival of Strange Snow; World Premiere of Richard Vetere's LAST DAY at Gloucester Stage Company this summer. Theater: adapted, acted and directed in the workshop and world premiere of Dog Day Afternoon (Theatre Row Theatres). Select acting credits: World premiere of Horovitz's What Strong Fences Make (Bleecker Street Theatre, Boston Theatre Marathon), Nilo Cruz's Bicycle Country (Spanish Repertory Theatre, Theatre Row Theatres), The Water Engine (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh, Scotland), Israel Horovitz's The Indian Wants the Bronx (Gloucester Stage Company/78th Street Theatre Lab) & A Mother's Love(Boston Playwrights Theatre), Beirut Rocks (EST Marathon, dir Jo Bonney), Sins of the Mother (with Ethan Hawke as well as Bobby Cannavale, Michael Stuhlbarg and John Doman, dir by Jo Bonney at numerous locations including The Actor's Studio, Bleecker Street Theatre, 59E59), Los Muertos (Stella Adler Theater with Mark Ruffalo), Israel Horovitz's New Shorts (Theatre Row Theatres with Lynn Cohen), 45th anniversary revival of Lanford Wilson's Balm In Gilead,Six Hotels (GSC, dir Israel Horovitz), Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie?, Oprhans, Never The Sinner, subUrbia(Various NYC Theatres) including the reading of Horovitz's The Little Shock (with Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Peter Boyle, Fisher Stevens, and Peter Dinklage). Directing credits: Mary Gallagher's ?De Donde? which won the OOBR award for excellence,Kingdom Come (Bouwerie Lane Theatre), Joe Pintauro'sMetropolitan Operas (The Pantheon Theater), Rising Sun, Falling Star (78th Street Theatre Lab), the reading/workshop of Horovitz's The P Word at the Bleecker Street Theatre with Marin Ireland (Barefoot's bareNaked Reading Series and for NY Playwright's Lab at The Cherry Lane Theatre), and many others. Executive producer of the 70/70 Horovitz Project (a worldwide, year-long festival celebrating Israel Horovitz's 70th Birthday with 70 of his plays.) Film:And The World Goes Round (2009's Cannes Short Film Corner), Love Simple (HBO NYC Latino Film Festival) and Between Something and Nothing (NYC's 20th anniversary NEW FEST Film Festival.) BFA: CUNY'S Brooklyn College; a founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Barefoot Theatre Company since 1999. Recipient of the 2009 Graduate Theater Organization of Brooklyn College, CUNY's Alumnus of the Year Award. Member Since 1999.

Ensemble Member, Francisco Solorzano featured in STRANGE SNOW

The work of Ensemble Members, Francisco Solorzano, Eric Nightengale, Lorraine Rodriguez, Joanna Jacobsen and Jennie West can be seen in East 3rd Production's revival of Stephen Metcalf's STRANGE SNOW...now playing...

Michael Mallard, Kathleen Wallace, and Francisco Solorzano will star in Stephen Metcalfe's Strange Snow, to be presented by East 3rd Productions at The Theater at 2 Great Jones Street, May 12-June 11. Ricardo Riethmuller will direct.

In the play, an early spring snow covers the ground as a brother seeks to repress the dreams and aspirations he once sought; a sister grasps at the chance to realize her beauty and potential to love again; and a friend searches for his own redemption in the companionship left within the ruins of the Vietnam War.

The production will feature sound design by James Bigbee Garver, light design by Eric Nightengale, costume design by Jennie West Alexander, and production design by Michael Mallard.

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/04-2011/michael-mallard-kathleen-wallace-francisco-solorza_36166.html

pictured above: LtoR, Francisco Solorzano, Lorraine Rodriguez & Patrizia Hernandez

Ensemble Member, Luke Leonard

Since January, Barefoot Theatre Company Ensemble Member, Luke Leonard, has been working in The Vaults at 14 Wall Street as a Swing Space artist-in-residence developing his latest production, GRBL (Gay Rodeo By-Laws). Next weekend, there will only be three opportunities to see the culmination of five months of hard work.

Please accept this invitation to the Monk Parrots 2011 Spring Gala on Saturday, May 21 at 7pm. There will be a preshow reception followed by the performance of GRBL, an after party with a lot of wine, prosecco, and food, plus fabulous raffle prizes and silent auction items. Please visit the following link for more details:http://grbl.eventbrite.com/. Additional opportunities to see GRBL:

*Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 2 PM (Followed by a Q&A with GRBL creators moderated by director/writer/actress and Monk Parrots Board Member Nicole Potter-Talling.)

*Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 7 PM

*These performances are free, but RSVP is required: info@monkparrots.org

Ensemble Member, Tala Ashe at The Public...

Congratulations to Ensemble Member, Tala Ashe on her work with The Public's PublicLAB presentation of Urge For Going...now in previews.

TALA ASHE

Regional and New York Credits: Welcome to Arroyo's (Old Globe Theater), Urge for Going (Ojai Playwright's Conference and Public Theater's New Works Now), Aftermath (Guggenheim Works and Progress with NYTW), Again and Against (Labyrinth Theatre Intensive), Autophagy (Drama League), and Love's Labour's Lost (Huntington Theatre Company). Television and Film Credits: "Covert Affairs," "30 Rock," "Law and Order," "As the World Turns," "All My Children," "Circumstances" (Sundance Institute Film Lab) and "Waiting in Beijing." BFA in Acting from Boston University's School of Theatre and trained in London at LAMDA.

URGE FOR GOING
By Mona Mansour
Directed by Hal Brooks

March 25 - April 17

Featuring Omid Abtahi, Jacqueline Antaramian, Tala Ashe, Demosthenes Chrysan, Ramsey Faragallah, andTed Sod

Jamila, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl growing up in a Lebanese refugee camp, is desperate to escape the small and impoverished world she calls home but her greatest source of inspiration, her father, may also prove to be her biggest obstacle. Mona Mansour, a member of The Public's Emerging Writers Group making her major debut with this production, fuses global politics with the intimacy of coming of age in this searing new play.

for more info: http://www.publictheater.org/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,141/id,1026

Ensemble Member, John Gazzale

Check out ensemble member John Gazzale's performance in the upcoming show "Birds on a Wire" presented by the VOICETheatre in association with The Drilling Company! March 9th-20th at 236 West 78th Street. "It is a family story of resilience, forgiveness and foreclosure during one of the greatest ecological disasters America has ever faced, the dust storms of the 1930’s. A family and community fight for the most basic principles and rights in life, to have a home." For tickets, call 212 201 9337.

Pictured with Barefoot Family member, Betty Hudson.

Ensemble Members at The Secret Theatre

We are proud to announce that two of our Playwrights, Daniel Graff and Mark von Sternberg have works being presented at The Secret Theatre this month for the 6th Annual Long Island City One Act Festival.

Mark von Sternberg's Lost in Buenos Aires was first seen in our reading series in 2001 then again in 2010's SMASHED. Daniel Graff's Maharaja Palace was first developed during a retreat for Barefoot Studio Pictures and then seen also during SMASHED, a night of short plays in the works at The Sackett in Brooklyn, NY.

Ensemble Member, Jeremy Brena reprises his role in Lost In Buenos Aires as well as Barefoot family member, Andrew McLarty and Mack Exilus . Congratulations to all!
Tix: http://www.secrettheatre.com/home.html

Daniel Graff: Black Man's Dilemma, Maharaja Palace.

Mark von Sternberg: Lost in Buenos Aires

SIX - The Sixth Annual Long Island City One Act Festival is proud to present new work written by predominantly NYC based writers performed by new actors and directed by new directors.

Each year the The Queens Players invite new writers to submit new one acts. Although a predominantly classical acting company like most actors the members of the QP encourage and support the mounting of fresh, new plays every year. The festival takes place over 3 weeks in three stages. The program of plays in the first two weeks are selected by audience votes and the winning plays and casts go on to the final third week climaxing on the closing night with the winning play, playwright and cast being presented with a trophy followed by an after party.

Ensemble Member, Francisco Solorzano

Ensemble Member, Francisco Solorzano reunites with Advisory Board Member, Israel Horovitz in collaboration with LAByrinth Theater Company.

This week, Francisco will be seen opposite Ensemble Member Tala Ashe, Lynn Cohen as well as Jeremy Sisto and other exciting artists for LAByrinth Theater Company's Barn Reading Series featuring short plays by Israel Horovitz.

NEW SHORTS by Israel Horovitz

Directed by Israel Horovitz and Scott Illingworth

Dec 16 & 18 at 8pm

Israel Horovitz's New Shorts include Just The Way You Are (an intervention from hell),Inconsolable (on suicide), The Vote In Orange (on the night France elected a Fascist candidate for the presidency), Beirut Rocks (on the radicalization of an American Arab), What Strong Fences Make (on the radicalization of an Israeli Jew).

Featuring Scout Cook, Jeremy Sisto, Francisco Solorzano

Tickets for all readings in the Barn Series are FREE to the public. No reservations necessary. Free tickets will be distributed an hour before curtain on a first come, first served basis.

LABpass Members can make advance reservations as a benefit of their membership. If you are a LABpass member, please call 212.513.1080 to make your reservation. For information on becoming a member, click here.

All readings will take place at:
THE CHERRY PIT
155 Bank Street
NY, NY 1004