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Teachers
A note from the
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Fall 2009
The latest news, events, and announcements
We are very pleased to say that there have been many success stories this year. There have been more industry bookings for film and television roles, more kids getting into elite universities for theatre, more independent films with our students in them, and more kids getting cast in local and school plays than ever. After expanding our curriculum last year, broadening the scope of the work by partnering with Neal Bennett’s amazing Industry Film School, www.industryfilmschool.com and raising the bar higher than I ever thought possible on the level of acting technique taught at the school, we feel it’s made a real difference. All classes are working at a very high level. More and more the program is mirroring the level of training I received at Mason Gross School of the Arts. More and more the students who are not as serious about their craft are giving way to those who are hungry and committed.
Here are just some of the accomplishments of our students and staff this year.
I’d first like to congratulate Dan Cooley as our newest teacher here at Actors Playground. The work Dan did with the The New Mystics Theatre Company last year was nothing short of brilliant. His keen eye for directing, his humor, and his uncanny sense of ensemble were invaluable to me and the rest of the company as assistant director of the Playground’s production of Bang Bang You’re Dead. Over the years, Dan has successfully coached many of the Playground’s students and has been an integral part of what the Playground has accomplished since 2005. Hiring him as a teacher was a no brainer folks.
I also want to congratulate Megan Sambataro on her recent marriage to a terrific guy, Jerry Donovan. Megan has been my only other teacher at the school and the only other keeper of the philosophy of the school since its inception. She has been my trusted and steadfast assistant artistic director through all the school’s trials and tribulations. It is a rare thing to find a teacher who approaches the work with integrity, treats her students with respect, teaches the craft at its highest level, and conducts her class with discipline yet does not forget that acting is supposed to be fun. It is a rare thing indeed! I wish you all the happiness in the world Meg!
Longtime Playground students Lauren Annunziata and Jen Blakeslee have both been accepted to the prestigious TISCH School of the Arts at NYU for acting. Lauren and Jen are the seventh and eighth Playground students to be accepted to this elite program in the past four years. We are very proud of both of them. Carpe Diem!
Longtime Playground instructor and contributing artist Adam Richman reached an important milestone in his career when he was a guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and The Jay Leno Show to promote the new season of his hit show Man vs. Food on The Travel Channel. Adam was his usual funny self in the interviews. He looked like he had been a guest on the show for years. You can find out all about Adam and his show at http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food. We are all very proud. Love ya bro!
Two very longtime Playground students each booked a national commercial. Julia Barnett appeared in a T-Mobile commercial while Taylor Rogers appeared in a GO GREEN commercial on Nickelodeon. Taylor and Julia are also both leads in the Actors Playground production of Bang Bang You’re Dead and Taylor is also a company member of The New Mystics Theatre Company. Good job guys!
Besides the four national commercials he appeared in last year, the unstoppable Lloyd Clay Brown appears as Jimmy Hurley in the Miramax feature film Doubt starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie is based on John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name. The film opened in December to rave reviews and is already rumored to be a strong candidate for an Oscar. Lloyd is a longtime Playground student. Bravo Lloyd!
The unstoppable Tina Siciliano will appear in the feature film Dishonorable Vendetta. Tina also has appeared in an international commercial for Jump Shoes, four national print ads including: Ray-Ban Eyeglasses, Pinc Premium Jeans, two different Parenting Magazine Ads, and four different thesis project films for Columbia and NYU film schools.
The New Mystics Theatre Company, under the direction of Dan Cooley and its esteemed Artistic Director Joey Madia, enjoyed its best season ever. New Mystics is a company of young actors who perform plays and conduct workshops about social issues, including; violence, bullying, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy. You can learn all about this unique company at http://www.newmystics.com/theatre.html. If you would like more information about New Mystics or know of a school that may want to book us, please call us at Actors Playground 732-935-1800. Please remember that New Mystics is introducing a new show this year promoting anti-violence called Voices Of Violence and many new parts will be available. Auditions for the company will take place in the fall. Stay tuned for exact dates and times. You must be a least 13 years old to audition.
The incredible Katie Steinberg, a longtime conservatory student at Actors Playground—and one of it’s best, recently played Juliet in Red Bank Regional’s production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Not only was her performance absolutely brilliant but even more incredible is the fact that she got the role as a freshman. You rock Katie!
John D’Leo has had quite a year. He appears as Adam in the upcoming movie The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. He also plays Ethan Hawke’s son, Vinnie, in the upcoming feature film, which will be at the Sundance Film Festival, Brooklyn’s Finest, which also stars Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin and Lili Taylor. As if that wasn’t enough, John just recently appeared as Robbie in an episode of ABC’s Life On Mars which stars Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli. John was extremely powerful in this featured role. Most recently, John was cast in a feature film, which is still untitled, in which he has a terrific scene with Bruce Willis. Not a bad year huh? Well done John!
Elijah Boothe wowed the record crowd at last year’s U.S. Open with his rendition of the National Anthem. You could have heard a pin drop at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Elijah sang. He was also recently cast as Young Simba in Disney’s long running Broadway musical The Lion King. We are so proud of you Elijah!
Besides playing the lead in the Actors Playground production of Bang Bang You’re Dead, Dan Bartkewicz has appeared in many plays and films this year. Since 2006 Dan has been in nearly 20 professional stage productions in New York and New Jersey. He was recently accepted to the Two River Theatre’s Local Artists Network in which he is currently a member of the understudy company. Dan has also worked with the Manhattan Children’s Theatre and Lovecreek Productions in NYC, in which he won critical acclaim for his work in Six Characters in Search of an Author. Besides the 11 indie films he has appeared in, Dan plays the lead in the infamous Haunted Hayride and in its upcoming sequel. Mr. Bartkewicz also plays the lead in the independent film Spoiler Alert. Watch out for Dan and other Playground students in the upcoming Chinery Brothers zombie thiller Night Shift.
Longtime Playground student Lauren Duca is now a company member of the prestigious improvisation theatre troupe Death By Improv. She also will attend Fordham University in the fall. You go Lauren!
Besides her appearance on NBC's The Today Show last Christmas Eve, the amazing Emily Ellison or Double E as we call her, appeared in a national commercial for Zwinky which was seen extensively during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Emily can also be found on the front covers of the latest Carolina Harmony book as well as Mother Daughter Book Club Part 2 and Cookie Magazine. Double E has also been in four different Macy’s ads as well as ads for Murine, Kohl’s,Goodies and Burlington Coat Factory. Emily is a longtime Playground student who is part of the Conservatory Kids program. Way to go Double E!
Combining the talents of young people at both Actors Playground and Industry Film School has become a trademark of our partnership and has led to many successful student films. Continuing with this tradition, the schools have come together again to create a short film that will be submitted to many film festivals across the country called The Audition. The film is written and directed by myself and Dan Cooley and its director of photography is Neal Bennett himself. The cast is a very talented group of young actors including; Adam Lucidi, Katie Steinberg, Sam Springsteen, Daisy Hoagland, Zane Schacht, Evelyn Giovine, Taylor Rogers, and Brandy Mitchell who is also the Playground’s newest teaching artist who recently appeared in the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women.
Actors Playground’s premiere tour of Bang Bang, You're Dead, written by one of America's finest playwrights, William Mastrosimone, will be ending in December 09. The play has proven itself to be the most powerful force ever conceived to fight school violence. The playwright himself gets hundreds of letters every year from students everywhere admitting they had thoughts of committing violent acts in their schools but had a revelation when watching this powerful play. Our incredible group of young actors has already performed at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, Manalapan High School, Rumson Fair Haven High School, Carteret Middle School, Ocean Township Intermediate School, and for the Patterson Middle School system. The company has many gigs booked for the fall in New Jersey and New York. The company will receive the rehearsal and show schedules this week.
Special thanks to Carol Thompson and Barbara Marchant and the rest of the executive board at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University who voted unanimously to sponsor our production of Bang Bang You’re Dead. I was very proud to be alumni that day. Having the play performed for the public at an institution such as Rutgers is vital to the tour because many schools were apprehensive about the play and its subject matter. With no help at all from any newspaper or publication whatsoever except for Donnie G’s The Rag we were able to secure performances with a little help from our friends. I want to thank all the people who have gone out of their way to help us in this endeavor; Terri Thomas and Sandy Taylor of the Monmouth County Arts Council, Principal Jeff Simon of Manalapan high School, Vice Principal, Chris Lanzalotto of RFH, and teachers like Jamie Julianna, and Cosmo Braico, and parents like Esther Murphy, Donna Kostecky, Barbara Steinberg, Maria Steinberg, Gail Warren, and Denise Hoagland.
And let’s not forget the kids, who in the face of adversity, a scattered rehearsal schedule, no stage manager, no budget, no crew whatsoever, banded together to create this tremendous production in which they speak for those who can no longer speak. It is an honor for me to have an amazing actor cast in each role, but the true honor is directing actors who are all great people as well. I doubt I’ve ever had a cast with such commitment, character, and conscience.
Lastly, I want to congratulate my old friend, fellow Rutgers MGSA almni, and contributing teaching artist at the Playground, Brian Milli on the opening of his new acting school in Bergen County New Jersey called Bergen School of Drama www.bergendrama.com Brian is a great teacher and an accomplished actor and his curriculum and philosophy are very similar to ours at the Playground . All of us here at the Playground wish him and his school all the success in the world. If you know anyone in the tri-state area that is looking for a good acting school in their area, this is the place to go.
I’m looking forward to our best year yet. Thanks again to all of you who have believed in our little school and all that it stands for; honesty, integrity, and commitment to all our students. Excelsior!
Ralph Colombino
Word on the Playground 2008
It has certainly been a happy season at Actors Playground School of Theatre. This has been a very exciting semester for us. Since we joined forces with Neal Bennett and his amazing Industry Film School an entirely new and extremely important facet has been added to the curriculum. I feel that Neal's contribution to our students and their work has enhanced the school tenfold.
Emily Ellison appeared on NBC's The Today Show on Christmas Eve morning. Double E, as we call her, is a longtime Playground student who is part of the Conservatory Kids program. Besides the Today Show, Emily has been modeling nonstop for Ralph Lauren. Good Job Double E!
Besides the four national commercials he appeared in this year, Lloyd Clay Brown has just finished filming a major role in a Miramax feature film called Doubt starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie is based on John Patrick Shanley's play of the same name. Way to go Lloyd!
The amazing Emily Woods wasw seen in the ensemble of the equity theater production of Charles Dicken's The Ghost's Bargain at Two River Theater. We're proud of you Woodsy!
Jake Tavill will also appeared as McDuff's son at Two River Theater in their upcoming equity production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The production was conceived and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, with magic designed by Teller. It was quite a show. Bravo Jake!
Longtime Playground students Dan Cooley and Rich Palmros have created a radio show called Midnight with Dan and Rich which can be heard on Click Radio www.hearnewbrunswick.com every Wednesday night at midnight. The show supports local bands, artists, and actors and is funny, topical, and extremely cutting edge. Sorry kids, this is an 18 and up show. Great work Dan and Rich!
The New Mystics Theatre Company, which is run out of Actors Playground is in the middle of another successful season and has cast three new actors from the Playground into it's incredible company, they include Taylor Rogers, Brittany Hadley, and Megan Lee. Congratulations guys! You can learn all about this unique company at http://www.newmystics.com/NewMysticTheatreCompany.html
Industry Film School has begun it's first full season at the Playground this year and we are proud to have them. Their program has the most current and comprehensive curriculum of film studies that I have ever seen and is taught by the best film teacher I have ever known--Neal Bennett. You can learn all about industry Film School by visiting http://www.industryfilmschool.com/
One of America's finest playwrights, William Mastrosimone, has agreed to consult and oversee my production of the best play ever written regarding school violence--Bang Bang, You're Dead. The play has been the most powerful force ever conceived to fight school violence. In the hundreds upon hundreds of schools where it has been performed throughout the country, there has not been one incident of major violence. The playwright himself gets hundreds of letters every year from students everywhere admitting they had thoughts of committing violent acts in their schools but had a revelation when watching this powerful play. I will try to involve as many Playground students as I possibly can. The show will tour schools over the next year and a half so hopefully this will give everyone a chance to be involved.
CONGRADS TO THE GRADS!
Over the past year we have had many students who were accepted into some of the finest universities for theatre. Almost all schools named below have been rated in the top five for acting schools in the country. All of us at Actors Playground are very proud of all our graduates. Here are some of them.
Ines Garcia was accepted into Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and The Tisch School at New York University.
PLAYGROUND KIDS ON THE TUBE
THE PLAYGROUND GOES TO NYC |
