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IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT – STAGED READING

May 21, 2022 @6pm

A disgruntled cop and a whimsical woman meet and find they have so much in common. Will they cross the finish line of life? Throughout the play they come to realize that they are two lost souls just trying to find meaning and a sense of purpose in their lives. They have both gone through a difficult period, she is on the street due to the pandemic and he is trying to help her out. They discover they have something in common and they are trying to find a way to exist on their own terms instead of the terms imposed on them by society. Their relationship is based on helping each other find a course to follow in their lives. They become very involved in the other person’s problems and as a result they are surprised and discover that despite the age difference they just might have a reason for living and succeed in moving forward to do just that…..cross the finish line of life.

This reading is FREE but donations are welcome!
Seating is limited at Heights Arts!
Please email tickets@ensemble-theatre.org to reserve a seat!
Seats are first come first served (via email).
You will receive a confirmation email when your spot is reserved.

As part of Ensemble’s mission, their Stagewrights Unit fosters the development of new works for the stage.
Staged readings offer playwrights the platform to have their work presented to an audience with local artists.
They encourage audiences to participate in survey questions provided by the playwright as well as a post show talkbacks
(when offered/available) following the readings. Audiences are fundamental to their work!

:: MEET THE ARTISTS ::

Molly McFadden (Playwright) For the last 6 years while living in Cleveland, OH Molly has performed in a variety of venues as a singer and performer. But, as Molly will tell you as of late, she has been focusing on her writing. She is driven and what is now her new chapter of her life, other than enjoying her life with her husband and daughter; it is that which keeps her going of late. She is grateful for Stagewrights and Ensemble and tonight she is thrilled to present her latest work, “In the Still of the Night“. This is her fourth play she has come away with from this group. She had with Fish Feel Pain and then moved on to Living on the Moon about her journey with her mother followed by Cease Not to Think of Me then to The Downside which will soon have a full production this summer and now, In the Still of the Night. Molly is not done. She has found her voice and passion and she realizes that as she writes her plays bringing life to her characters, she, like so many writers, is driven because for her she does so for a reason. Tonight perhaps you will discover what that reason is. Tennessee Williams, O’Neill and even Sondheim did. What do you think it is that makes her write. Well she knows, do you? Hope you enjoy the play.

Christine Courtney (Maggie McGinnis) is a firm believer that life is too short to pass up an adventure,  so Chris took up the opportunity to help with the development of new plays coming out of Ensemble Theater’s StageWrights group. There she met Molly McFadden when Molly brought in a few pages to be read and pulled a puppet from her purse. A year later Living on the Moon was born. She directed Living on the Moon in a longer version down at Cleveland Public Theater and was a frequent reader at Ensemble’s Wednesd. night playwriting group, online. This single group of friends was a bright spot in an otherwise lonely and dull life. To the whole group Chris says, “Thank you! See you WednesdAs a child, Courtenay saw the 1954 live television production of Mary Martin’s Peter Pan and was immediately transformed into an 8 year old theater fanatic. A backyard version of the play in Laguna Beach, Ca. earned her a first glowing review written by a columnist neighbor in the Los Angeles Times . Thus, bitten by the bug, she earned a BA and later an MA in Theatre-(Directing Emphasis)  at SDSU where she also taught acting. She proceeded to perform/direct in area theaters over the next 40  years in  San Diego, Ca. and the Charlottesville, Va. region of the Blue Ridge mountains where she and her husband Jim had a small horse farm. She moved to Cleveland a few years ago to be near their daughter Liz and her family. Some favorite acting roles over the years include Lear in King Lear, Bananas in The House of Blue Leaves and Betty Yearn in Landscape of the Body. She has been privileged to direct plays written by Tony Kushner, Caryl Churchill, Charles L. Mee, Paula Vogel, John Guare, Michael Frayn, Craig Lucas., Liz Duffy Adams, David Lindsay-Abaire and now, Molly McFadden. Thanks for the journey, Molly.

Daryl Tatum (Greg Hellman) has performed in some religious based theatre through the years plays including The Old Rugged Cross, Will You Be Ready, An Encounter with Jesus, Desire and Desire2,Whisperers, Gi Gi, Hosea, Things Aren’t Always What They Seem, Sister I’m Sorry, Tell Hell I Ain’t Coming etc… He has been involved in community like theatre Garden Valley Neighborhood House performing Jitney. Can I Speak to Al at the East Cleveland Community Theatre, Radio Golf at the Ensemble Theatre and Fences at the Aurora Community Theatre along with Driving Miss Daisy. He also performed Fences at the Karamu House along with One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show, God’s Trombones, John Henry (Youth Theater) Romeo and Juliet: An African Love Story, Paradise Blue,Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Darryl has been in a few local movies here is a list You can view in your spare time: Swing Lowe Sweet Chariote, Height Girl, Height Girl 2,Hey, Mr. Postman, Caleb a living Miracle and Stand Alone.

 

Cat Kenny (Cashier) has done some work at Clague, Porthouse, CPT, Dobama, Spotlights, Playwrights’ Local, convergence-continuum, and Cleve Shakes. Probably some other places too. She has also written a few pieces of her own! Thank you for supporting live theatre and the presenting of new work!

Dominic Zoeller (Customer) is happy to be working with Stagewrights on the presentation of “In the Still of the Night” by Molly McFadden.  Dominic has spent most of his time in musical theater in Mid-Michigan (including “Scratch the Musical” as Daniel Webster, “Ragtime” as Tateh, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as Isachar and the Butler and “Les Miserables” as Jean ValJean).  Since moving to Ohio in the midst of a pandemic he has enjoyed the role of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and bringing characters to life for some very talented playwrights in Stagewrights, a workshop sponsored by Ensemble Theater of Cleveland.  Dominic is married to his lovely wife Amanda and together they have two amazing daughters, Shelby and Morgan.

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