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Dragons in the Crease, a play which premiered last year at New York Theater Festival’s Summerfest 2019, will be presented by The Theater Project at 7:30 PM, Tuesday, June 30, online via Zoom, as part of The New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Stages Online. Based on a real event, the play concerns a college student with a severe stutter who has been asked by his professor not to speak in class but instead write his questions down. Because of the media coverage that ensues, the incident becomes a national news story, changing both their lives forever.
Dragons in the Crease was one of ten finalists in the 2020-21 Woodward/Newman Drama Competition, an exclusive honor offered by Bloomington Playwrights Project, remembering the many great dramas Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman performed together.
The cast of the June 30 performance is Alex Leondedis, Dara Lewis, Jack Coggins, Terri Sturtevant, Gary Glor, Bryan Rodriguez, Andre DeSandies, Deb Maclean and Sabrina Alamo. It is directed by Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina.
The playwright, Joseph Vitale, is a member of The Theater Project’s playwrights’ workshop and a semi-finalist for the 2012 Eugene O’Neill Theater/National Playwrights Conference. He is the author of a dozen full-length plays, including, Murrow, a one-man show about the life of Edward R. Murrow (called “a dramatic masterpiece” by the Huffington Post), which premiered at The Theater Project and was later performed Off-Off Broadway in 2016 at The Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. His one-act, The Monster Under the Bed, was voted “Best Play” at both the 2018 St. Paul (IN) Theater Festival and the 2019 One-Act Jamboree at the Rhino Theater, Pompton Lakes, NJ. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Dragons in the Crease was one of ten finalists in the 2020-21 Woodward/Newman Drama Competition, an exclusive honor offered by Bloomington Playwrights Project, remembering the many great dramas Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman performed together.
The cast of the June 30 performance is Alex Leondedis, Dara Lewis, Jack Coggins, Terri Sturtevant, Gary Glor, Bryan Rodriguez, Andre DeSandies, Deb Maclean and Sabrina Alamo. It is directed by Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina.
The playwright, Joseph Vitale, is a member of The Theater Project’s playwrights’ workshop and a semi-finalist for the 2012 Eugene O’Neill Theater/National Playwrights Conference. He is the author of a dozen full-length plays, including, Murrow, a one-man show about the life of Edward R. Murrow (called “a dramatic masterpiece” by the Huffington Post), which premiered at The Theater Project and was later performed Off-Off Broadway in 2016 at The Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. His one-act, The Monster Under the Bed, was voted “Best Play” at both the 2018 St. Paul (IN) Theater Festival and the 2019 One-Act Jamboree at the Rhino Theater, Pompton Lakes, NJ. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Dara Lewis (Evelyn Whitehead) Recent roles include a witch in “Macbeth” with Shakespeare ’70, Romaine Vole in “Witness for the Prosecution” with ActorsNET of Bucks County and Mary Ellis in “The Best of Enemies” with The Theater Project. She has worked extensively with the Passage Theatre in Trenton, NJ, as an artist mentor in the youth education program and continues her acting studies at the Karl Bury Studio and the Lucid Body Institute, both in NY. daralew@gmail.com
Alex Leondedis (Jeffrey Lowery) is very excited to be working with The Theatre Project and joining the cast of Dragons in The Crease! Alex, originally from Kansas, is currently a student at Boston Conservatory working towards a BFA in contemporary theatre. Alex has recently been seen in “Her Naked Skin,” “Correct Me If I'm Wrong: A Devised Play” and “EPHEMERA: A Freshman Devised Performance” at Boston Conservatory and in “Twelfth Night” with Courtyard Shakespeare. Alex hopes you enjoy the performance! leondedis@gmail.com
Jack Coggins (Richard Mowbray) is originally from Boston. His major roles have included Marc in Yasmina Reza’s “Art,” David Lewis in Claude Solnik’s “A Walk on the Beach,” Andrey Botvinnik in Lee Blessing’s “A Walk in the Woods,” and reporter John Scali in Joe Vitale’s “Back Channel.” He awaits the release this fall of Adam Sentoni’s film, “P.H.I.L.,” in which he plays Owen Ceras. He has also found a creative outlet in fathering (Stone, 25; Elijah, 23) and shares a Hoboken home alongside wife Jill. cogginsjack@yahoo.com
Terri Sturtevant (Bernice Sundstrom) is a veteran NJ stage actress. Her work at The Theater Project includes “Fuddy Meers,” “Wilde Night in the Rockies,” “Penny Pennyworth” and “It's a Wonderful Life.” A few of her other favorite roles include Vivian Bearing in “Wit,” Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy,” Carrie in “A Trip to Bountiful,” Martha in “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and Dotty in “Noises Off.” crazyjewishmama@aol.com
Gary Glor (Stephen Lowery) has had featured roles in many Theater Project productions, including “Best of Enemies,” “Exit Strategy,” “Moonlight & Magnolias,” “Artist Descending a Staircase,” Defying Gravity,” “The Ski of Our Teeth,” Omnium Gatherum,” going all the way back to “Beyond Therapy” in 1995. He has also appeared in productions at George Street Playhouse, Hudson Theater Works and Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, among others. He is an MFA graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts/Rutgers University. Gglor55@gmail.com
Deb Maclean (Marion Hodges) At The Theater Project, Deb has appeared in a number of productions, including “The Hunchback of Seville” (Espanta), “Moonlight and Magnolias” (Miss Poppenghul) and “The Bride’s Dad” (Mother.) She has performed in other theaters in
New Jersey, such as Luna Stage Co. and the Garage Theater; in Los Angeles, and in New York, most recently with ANDTheatre Co. She also did Russian voice work for “Rocky IV.” Deb is founder, producer-director and performer with Lunatic Fringe, NJ’s top improv comedy
group, now in its 23rd season. She performs in two original solo shows: www.motherhoodandlosingit.com. Debmaclean97@gmail.com
Andre DeSandies (Gideon Flores/TV Host) is one of the founding members of The Theater Project, where he played Flan in the inaugural production of “Six Degrees of Separation.” Other roles there have included John in “Oleanna,” Lawrence in “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls,” and the Reverend in “Crowns.” When he’s not acting, André plays steel drums. He thanks Mark Spina for his confidence and his wife, Gail Lou, and daughters LC and T.S. for their constant and
continuous support. frddysndy@gmail.com
Sabrina Alamo (Girl) has a BFA in Theatre Performance from Kean University. She regularly performs in educational children’s theater performances and is a theatrical teaching artist for grades K-12. Sabrina is also a member of Actor’s Equity Association’s EMC Program. Theater: “Flowers: A Thorny Romance Story” (PPADC), “Itzel: The Pirate Queen,” “Return to Sender” (New Plays for Young Audiences), “Brick City,” “Las Cruces” (Premiere Stages), “Comedy
of Errors” (Kean Players on Tour). TV/Film: “The Hunt with John Walsh” (CNN), “Son of Sam” (Investigation Discovery), “The Cosplayer.” www.sabrinaalamo.com
Bryan Rodriguez (Boy) Recent performances include “Vagina Monologues” with Antrim Playhouse and Dobchinsky in “The Government Inspector” with Dragonfly Arts. Bryan is a rising BA Theatre Studies senior at Montclair State University where he co-directed “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” and “Seminar” through the F.A.S.T. program. He is a member of the Dirty9, an MSU improv/sketch comedy ensemble and a member of Home Of Happiness, a NJ Rocky Horror cast. Instagram: @Budbryan. Email: Imbryanrodriguez@gmail.com
Shanjala Irving (Stage Manager) is a native of Dallas, TX and her love for the theater pushed her to move from her hometown in 2012. She has worked as a non-equity stage manager in New York and New Jersey for the last six years. She has worked with The Theater Project on various shows for the last four years including “Moonlight and Magnolias,” the Kaleidoscope Kabaret One-Act Festival and “It's A Wonderful Life.” Shanjala's experiences also include New York theaters such as the NYC Fringe Festival, the June Havoc Theater and the Metropolitan Playhouse. She continues to strive to help create and assist creatives to bring theater to the masses.
Dominick Mastrodonato (Production Intern) has previously interned in The Theater Project's productions of “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” He is a graduate of Saint Peter's University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a minor in Theatre Arts. domjohnmastro@gmail.com
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