Gray Matters

An original production
BY JACQUES LAMARRE

No memory. No insurance. No opportunities. What's an actor to do?

After an emergency hospitalization, actress Sarah Gray finds herself with faulty memory, no insurance and no opportunities.  Is it possible for an actor with an Etch-a-Sketch for a brain to get back to what matters?

Performances: July 17, 18 19 in New York City
August, 6 - 8 and 13 -15, 2010 in Mystic, CT
September 9 - 12 in Hartford, CT

 

Emerson Theatre Collaborative Announces

Production of Gray Matters

In association with the Midtown International Theater Festival

July 17, 2010, New York, NY.  Gray Matters is a new play written by Connecticut playwright, Jacques Lamarre. Jacques is the Director of Communications for The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT.  Previous work experience includes Hartford Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre/Yale School of Drama and TheaterWorks Hartford.  He has co-written seven shows for international drag star Varla Jean Merman including the current The Loose Chanteuse.  His short play Stool was selected for the inaugural New Works New Britain and was a top ten finalist for the 2009 NY 15 Minute Play Festival.  He has written two children’s plays that were produced by the American Stage Festival.  Gray Matters is his first full-length play for grown-ups featuring real ladies.

Joshua Lee Ramos (Director) is a native of Hartford, CT and a graduate of University of Hartford where he received a BA in Drama and Film.  He is overjoyed to once again take part in the Midtown International Theatre Festival.  In 2008 he made his professional theatre directorial debut with Princebury Productions directing A. R. Gurney's "Love Letters " in Massachusetts. He also did the lighting design for that show that would express the changes in time and compliment the change in emotions. The show earned him critical praise for these elements as well as his direction. Joshua brought the revival of Maria Irene Fornes' "The Conduct of Life" to the Off-Broadway June Havoc Theatre as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival in summer of 2008 as the director, lighting designer and sound designer. Additional regional professional credits include working as a director for "New Works New Britain Theatre Festival," as well as having been a lighting designer for CONNetic Dance in Hartford and for their regional tour. For his first show of 2010 he directed "Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans" for the Hartford Children's Theatre. Most recently he reunited with the Emerson Theatre Collaborative (etc.) as Assistant Director alongside Andrea Andresakis (director) for “Chestina Vanessa Poulson” Other etc. credits include: stage manager for "Harriet²", director for Bill Corbett's and Kira Obolensky's "Hate Mail." He first worked with etc as director of a very successful run of Rebecca Gilman's "Spinning into Butter" for etc. in Fall 2009.  “Working with etc. has been real, educational, humbling and most of all fun”- Ramos.  He would like to thank Camilla Ross as well as the cast and crew of “Gray Matters”. For more on Ramos visit www.joshualeeramos.webs.com

THE CAST:

Debi Freund (Sarah Gray) is quite familiar to Hartford audiences. She has appeared regularly with the Little Theatre of Manchester where she has appeared as Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, Eleanor in The Lion in Winter, Annie Wilkes in Misery. She is a three-time winner of LTM’s Best Actress in a Play award for her roles in Noises Off (Dotty), Two Rooms (Lainie) and The Remarkable Thing about Stardust (Diana). Last season she starred as Bella in Lost in Yonkers for Playhouse on Park, and has appeared elsewhere as Marjorie in Extremities, Sara in Sisters Rosensweig, Susy in Wait Until Dark, and Sally in Lips Together, Teeth Apart. In New York, Debi starred in William Saroyan’s Hello Out There at the Little Church Around the Corner. She is also the resident actor for the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Ct where she portrays Stowe. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Steve Sherman* (Scott Leeds) is so excited to be a part of Emerson Theatre Collaborative's first production in NYC & is honored to consider himself a member of ETC since it's inception in 2008!  Previous ETC roles:  Father Flynn in the Pulitzer Prize winning Doubt, Picasso in Steve Martin's Picasso At The Lapin Agile, & Ross Collins in Rebecca Gilman's Spinning Into Butter.   Off-Broadway:  Claymont (Emerging Artists Theatre), Tony 'N Tina's Wedding (Corcoran Prods.).  Tour:  The Who's Tommy (Dodger), Aladdin (AFT). Other Regional:  Bye Bye Birdie, Little Shop Of Horrors (The St. Louis Muny).  Independent Feature Film:  Dawg's Eye View, Morning Glory, You Fit The Description.  Training: Washington University in St. Louis, British American Drama Academy in Oxford (Yale).   A huge thank you to Camilla, Smilin' Jack, Lisa, Josh, and our incredible cast and crew! Many thanks to all his family & friends for coming...Love&Light.  Dedicated to Ron Kenney.   

Jen Anaya* (Deja Smith) is thrilled to be a part of this great cast performing this fantastic play!  Thanks to the ETC for bringing her on board.  She is excited to join the Midtown International Theatre Festival again after winning Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her turn as Princess Aleysha in Eighty-1 at the 2008 MITF.  Jen has been seen on the New York stage bringing new roles to life in musicals including Angels and No Volvere.  Favorite roles include Frida age 25 in the debut of Casa Blue: The Last Moments in The Life of Frida Kahlo, and Maria in West Side Story. She received a BM from Arizona State University and can be seen in the new web series, “How To Make It To 30” (howtomakeitto30.blip.tv). She thanks her viejitos, her schluta, and all the incredible people in her life for their unwavering love and support.

Kathryn Kates* (Miriam) has recently returned to New York after spending over 25 years in Los Angeles where she was a Founding Member (and producer, actor and co-general manager) of the award winning Colony Theatre; she has many stage, television and film credits but is probably best known for her recurring role on SEINFELD as The Babka Lady.  Since relocating to New York, she has appeared in over 15 plays. Kathryn is a member of Rising Phoenix Rep.

 

NYC & Mystic Performance:
April Woodall* (Sarah Gray) is thrilled to be appearing at the Midtown International Theatre Festival.  Most recently playing at the Theatre for a New City in A Promise Best Kept, her other credits include: Nunsense – The Devon; The Last Night of Ballyhoo - Montgomery Theater; La Cage aux folles - Gateway Playhouse; Little Women, Arsenic and Old Lace, Into the Woods - Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre; Smoke on the Mountain -Hedgerow Theatre; I Married Wyatt Earp, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - Bristol Riverside Theatre; Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell - Keswick Theatre; Thoroughly Modern Millie, Showboat, and The Wizard of OZ - Media Theatre.  Watch for April on the Bio Channel’s Celebrity Ghost Stories. Proud member of Actor’s Equity.  Love always to E & C.

THE CREW:

CamillaRoss (Producer) Outside of producing great theater Ms. Ross is the current
president and founder of the Emerson Theater Collaborative, and a graduate of Emerson College in
Boston. Drawing on over 20 years of theatrical experience, ranging from commercials to regional theater,
Camilla is leading and shaping ETC whose mission is to serve youth, under-represented communities
and artists with an emphasis on diversity. Ms Ross is the theatrical advisor and acting coach for the SPAG
Players at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT. Camilla is a former board member and acting
instructor for the Writer’s Block, Ink of New London, CT. Camilla is currently a part-time business faculty
member of the Three Rivers Community College, teaching a variety of business courses. She currently
sits on the Emerson Alumni Board, and is one of the co-presidents of the CT Chapter. As an actress, she
was seen most recently in Melanie Greenhouse’s premier of Chestina Vanessa Poulson, playing the lead role of
Chessie, John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt, playing the role of Mrs. Mueller, and as Harriet Tubman in Lisa
Giordano’s Harriet Tubman’s Dream.

David Smith (Stage Manager 1) is thrilled to be involved in his second ETC production! David
has recently started his own free theater group for teenagers, Down Stage Center sponsored by the Bully Busters
in Norwich, CT, and just finished directing it’s first production, How the Dinosaurs REALLY Died at the Spirit of
Broadway Theater. David’s favorite acting role was Jack in the Three River Community College’s SPAG player’s
production of Into the Woods the Musical. He would like to thank his family and friends for all their support, tolerance
and gas mileage.

Zoë Hartman (Stage Manager 2 ) has been part of three productions with Emerson Theater
Collaborative. Most recently, she was Melanie in Chestina Vanessa Paulson. Also, she was the Stage Manager
for Spinning Into Butter and the Assistant Stage Manager for Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Zoë has the lead role in the
independent feature film Shadows Never Vanish that is now in film festivals. Zoë can also be seen this summer in
the Happy Madison film Grown Ups. And, she is the VJ for CurlyGrrlz Skateboards CGzTV. Her past acting
roles include Revolutionary Road, Profile and The Big Bad Swim as well as the miniseries The Bronx is Burning and the
television show In Search Of. Behind the scenes – she has worked on three independent feature films either as a
set dresser or production assistant. She recently graduated from Saint Bernard School and, in the fall, will attend
Suffolk University in Boston as a Theater major. Zoë thanks her parents, brother, family, friends and everyone who
is part of ETC for all the love and support.

JonCapozzoli (Lighting) is a Senior at Stonington High School, in Connecticut, and has been
involved in theater for two years. He has worked as a sound technician for Stonington High School's Broad Street
Bears' production of Into the Woods and as leading sound designer for their production of Our Town. He has also
worked as stage manager for The Stonington Broad Street Bears' production of Suessical the Musical. Additionally,
Mr. Cappozzoli is a volunteer at Mystic Seaport. He would like to thank his family and all the individuals he has
worked with in theater for their support.

SarahPaolucci (Designer/Illustrator) has been creating the art for ETC since it’s inaugural
show, Doubt. She works with each director to conceptualize their visions and give them an image that will draw
the viewer in and bring them to the play. Sarah is a freelance illustrator, designer, and artist. She received a BFA
from the Hartford Art School and has studied illustration, painting, and drawing techniques. She also specializes
in custom drawn portraits of pets and people. Although illustration is her passion, Sarah is also an award-winning
graphic designer. She has a successful track record creating advertising, packaging design, literature, logos and
other brand-building programs for consumer and business-to-business clients. www.sarahpaolucci.com