Little Firehouse Theatre |
PRESS RELEASE
Not Just a Play, It’s a Work of “ART” Bergen County Players to Conclude 2002 -2003 Season With ART, Winner of 1998 Tony Award for Best Play Onstage May 3 Through June 1. |
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Oradell, NJ. April, 2003. The Bergen County Players, one of America’s foremost little theatre groups, proudly concludes its 2002-2003 season with the award-winning comedy ART at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell on Saturday, May 3 through June 1. ART was written by Yasmina Reza and translated into English from French by Christopher Hampton. ART, which was first performed in Berlin before moving on to Paris, won the 1996 Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the 1996 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy for its sold-out performances on London’s West End. When the success moved onto Broadway, the play won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Play with veteran performers Alfred Molina, Alan Alda and Victor Garber. The comedy revolves around the longtime friendship of three middle aged, middle class men: Serge, Marc and Yvan. The balance of their friendship is jeopardized when one member of the trio, Serge, purchases a pricey modern art painting, which happens to be completely white. In this case, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder as Serge seems to be the only one of the trio to see anything but a white canvas. Via the lively repartee between the actors throughout the play, the audience comes to realize that true friendship is in itself a work-of-art in process. Just as one can develop an appreciation of a new genre of art when introduced to it, the men have to learn how to keep their bond of friendship strong. Much like Manhattan modern art enthusiasts must trek across the water to see the work they love at the MOMA’s temporary home in Queens, Serge, Yvan and Marc must evaluate what lengths they are willing to go to in order to preserve their friendship. Alyson Cohn of WYCKOFF will direct the Bergen County Players’ production of ART. Some of Cohn’s directorial credits include “Marvin’s Room,” “True West,” “Proposals,” “Six Degrees of Separation,” and “Lips Together, Teeth Apart.” In addition to being a director, Cohn is an actress, a musician, a NJ certified teacher and the mother of two. She is founder/director of Music Together of Northern New Jersey. Cohn has a B.F.A. in Theatre and Music from Syracuse University. Marc, the skeptical aeronautical engineer, will be portrayed by Larry Kadish of NEW MILFORD. Kadish is a versatile actor who has performed in productions of "Moon Over Buffalo," "I Hate Hamlet," "1940's Radio Hour," "Marvin's Room," "Thumbs," "Pinocchio," "Murder in Green Meadows," "Shadow Box," "Eastern Standard," "Biloxi Blues," and "Deathtrap." He also has had roles in all four of the Players' radiobroadcast shows. Kadish earned his BFA in acting from Connecticut State University. Eric Zengota of CLIFFSIDE PARK makes his debut with the BCP in the role of Serge, the divorced dermatologist who aspires to become an art collector. He’s appeared in more than 30 productions literally up and down the East Coast, as Amos Hart (“Chicago,” Portland, Maine), Tom/Phyllis/Leslie (“Sylvia,” Players Guild of Leonia), Vinny Geiger (“Practice,” Off-Off-Broadway’s Perry Street Theater), Shawn Keogh (“Playboy of the Western World,” Georgetown University), Baby John (“West Side Story,” Arlington, Va.) and Sir Evelyn (“Anything Goes,” Lake Worth, Florida). While in Florida he worked on Burt Reynolds’ TV series “B.L. Stryker” and the Robert Redford film “Havana.” In addition to his acting interests, Eric is a copy editor and staff writer at The Record. Larry Landsman of WYCKOFF will portray Yvan, the ever-agreeable stationer. Landsman has appeared numerous times on the BCP stage, most recently as Fagin in “Oliver.” Other credits include roles in “The Heidi Chronicles,” “Aladdin,” “The Foreigner” and “Lend Me a Tenor,” among others. Some of his BCP directorial credits include Rupert Holmes’ “Thumbs,” “A Few Good Men,” Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach” trilogy and “Lost in Yonkers,” as well as “Into the Woods,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The 1940’s Radio Hour.” In addition to directing all four of BCP’s live radio broadcasts, Landsman served as BCP president for two years. He works in New York for the SCI FI Channel. Marissa Dolkart of NEW MILFORD will support Cohn as assistant to the director. Michele T. Roth of NEW MILFORD and Anita Esteve of ELMWOOD PARK will split the producer responsibilities. Leslie C. Cohn of RIVER EDGE will serve as stage manager. Steve Moldt of CRESSKILL lends his expertise to the set design and construction. Rozella Devincenzo of ORADELL and Joan Dietrich of HILLSDALE create the interior set décor. Lighting Design will be conceived by Allan Seward of BARDONIA, NY and be operated by Tim Brosnan of RIVER EDGE. Sound will be designed by Rob DeScherer of WOODCLIFF LAKE. Michele Blum of OAKLAND will design the costumes. Property masters will be Marge Stafford of HACKENSACK and Nadja Hoyer-Booth. Staci Beth Block of HACKENSACK will design the make-up. Alan Zenreich of ORADELL serves as production photographer. Sharon Podsada of EMERSON serves as the show’s graphic designer. The 2002-2003 Season is a special one for the Bergen County Players, as the group is celebrating 70 years of creating entertaining community theater. The Players are marking this milestone by paying tribute to their past and planning for the future. The BCP has come a long way from the original small group of actors performing at the “Y” in Hackensack back in 1932. Over the years, their path led them to perform in such venues as a lake resort in Upper Saddle River, a soap factory in River Edge and the former Bergen Junior College in Teaneck, now Fairleigh Dickinson University. Not only does the BCP have an interesting past, so does the building in Oradell, NJ that they have called home for the past 58 years, the Little Firehouse Theatre. As the current name suggests, the building was originally used as Oradell’s firehouse until a newer one was built in 1949. In conjunction with its 70th anniversary, and in order to enhance BCP theatergoers’ overall experience, the BCP renovated the Little Firehouse Theatre’s lobby and lounge, thanks to the help and talents of Robin Schultz Interior Design. TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION “Art” opens Saturday May 3, 2003 and runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 1, 2003 at the: Little Firehouse Theatre
Those interested in benefit theatre parties or group sales can call (201) 262-0515. For more information on the Bergen County Players visit www.BCPlayers.org. For Immediate Release Contact:
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