|
From StamfordPlus.com Entertainment
“Selected Shorts,” produced by Symphony Space in New York City, is co-presented at Westport Country Playhouse by the Westport Arts Center and Westport Country Playhouse, and sponsored by WSHU. Hosted by Isaiah Sheffer, the evening’s program will be ““Pets!,” funny and unexpected stories about people, pets and their problems, inspired by the dogs in three writers’ lives. Sonia Manzano will read Ana Menéndez’ “Story of a Parrot,” about a beautiful bird that makes a woman reflect on her marriage; Bernadette Quigley will read Gail Godwin’s “St George,” about a medieval scholar who raises a real dragon in her apartment; and Isaiah Sheffer will read Robertson Davies’ “The Cat that Went to Trinity,” a gothic tale of a Frankenstein cat. Sonia Manzano is known to millions of children and parents through her role as Maria on “Sesame Street,” a character she has played since 1971. Her theatre credits include “The Vagina Monologues,” “The Exonerated” and the original production of “Godspell.” She has won 15 Emmy Awards, received a 2003 Hispanic Heritage Award and was inducted into the Bronx Hall of Fame in 2004. She has written for “Sesame Street” and for the Peabody Award-winning Nickelodeon series “Little Bill.” She is the author of the picture book “No Dogs Allowed!” and “A Box Full of Kittens,” which was published last summer. Bernadette Quigley recently originated the role of Aviva in “The Goldman Project” at the Abingdon Theatre. Her other Off-Broadway credits include Marina Carr’s “Portia Coughlan”; “God of Vengeance”; and lead performances at the Irish Arts Center in such plays as Billy Roche’s “Poor Beast in the Rain” and Kenneth Branagh’s “Public Enemy.” She played Chris in the National Tour of “Dancing at Lughnasa,” having understudied the role in the Tony Award-winning play on Broadway. Her extensive regional work includes “The Crucible” at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Cincinnati Playhouse, for which she received the Acclaim Award for Outstanding Actress. Her film and television credits include “The House Is Burning,” Jim Sheridan’s “In America,” “Before and After,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Third Watch.” She can be seen in the film “A Dog Year.” Isaiah Sheffer is artistic director of Symphony Space in New York and host of NPR's "Selected Shorts." A founder of Symphony Space, Sheffer is also a playwright and creator of the book and lyrics to several works including "Demons and Dreamers," based on the life and work of Isaac Bashevis Singer. He is currently creating the libretto for a modern-baroque opera-ballet about the making of the American Constitution, "A More Perfect Union." About the Authors Robertson Davies (1913-1995) was considered one of Canada’s premier men of letters by virtue of his fiction, journalism and essays on topics relating to literature and the theater. Davies trained for a career on the stage with London’s prestigious Old Vic Company, but during World War II he returned to Canada and became known for his novels of Canadian manners. He is best known for his three trilogies, “The Salterton Trilogy,” “The Deptford Trilogy” and “The Cornish Trilogy.” Gail Godwin is the author of 10 novels, two collections of stories and the nonfiction novel “Heart: A Personal Journey through Its Myths and Meanings.” Her novels “The Odd Woman,” “Violet Clay” and “A Mother and Two Daughters” were all nominated for the National Book Award, and “Father Melancholy’s Daughter” and “A Southern Family” both appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. “Queens of the Underworld” is her most recent novel. Ana Menéndez is the daughter of Cuban exiles, who fled to Los Angeles in the 1960s and eventually settled in Miami. She worked as a journalist for six years, first at The Miami Herald, where she covered Little Havana, and later with the Orange County Register in California. She is a graduate of NYU’s creative writing program, where she was a New York Times fellow. She is the author of the collection of short stories “In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd,” which was a 2001 New York Times Notable Book of the Year and whose title story won a Pushcart Prize; and the novel “Loving Che,” a national bestseller. Now in its 21st season on the airwaves, “Selected Shorts” is produced for radio by Symphony Space and WNYC, New York Public Radio. The award-winning program is heard locally on Saturdays at 3 p.m. on WSHU (FM 91.1). Upcoming “Selected Shorts,” co-presented by Westport Country Playhouse and Westport Arts Center at the Playhouse, will be “Are We There Yet?,” stories that take place on trains and planes, in cars and berths, about encounters and adventures that would not have been possible without modern transportation, on Monday, May 19. Actors and authors will be announced. Tickets to “Selected Shorts” are $15, $20 and $25. The Westport Arts Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating arts experiences that contribute to individual growth and community enrichment. WAC believes that encouraging the arts is essential to the renewal and well-being of society. WAC works hard to bring to the community a rich, accessible roster of visual and performing arts programs, including exhibitions, concerts, lectures, children's classes and outreach programs. Westport Country Playhouse is now open year-round, welcoming 85,000 audience members annually, following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005. On its legendary stage are theatrical productions, educational programming and special events, including film, readings of short fiction and new plays, and a Family Festivities series. The rich history of the Westport Country Playhouse dates back to 1931, when New York theatre producers Lawrence Langner and his wife Armina Marshall created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s cow barn. Now celebrating its 78th season, the Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 35 of which later transferred to Broadway. Its roster of actors reads like a "Who's Who" of the American theatre. Westport Country Playhouse serves as a treasured home for the performing arts for audiences and artists alike, and as a true cultural landmark for Connecticut. For more information or reservations for “Selected Shorts,” visit www.westportplayhouse.org, or call Westport Country Playhouse box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com |
