THE CAST
Front Row: Ashley, Jeanette, Ed, Cynthia
Back Row: Crystal, Jason, Terry, Marcus
THE CAST
Front Row: Ashley, Jeanette, Ed, Cynthia
Back Row: Crystal, Jason, Terry, Marcus
George Farley - Ed Nieman
Amy Ware -- Jeanette Sassatelli
Harry Cream -- Jason McClements
Linda Jankowski -- Ashley Sheldrick
Vivian Farley -- Cynthia Petronis
Mike Ware -- Terry Ford
The Maid -- Crystal Martin
The Bell Hop -- Marcus Griep
THE SET
The show takes place in a seventeenth floor Chicago hotel room. The play concerns a meek writer of children’s books and his first time attempt at an extramarital affair. Continually interrupted by zany characters in adjoining rooms, he attempts to continue his quest. His life really gets complicated when his affair partner leaves her husband to move in with hin, his wife inadvertently shows up at the hotel, and he enlists the aid of his crazy hotel room neighbors to help him out of his dastardly self-made situation.
The director considers the show rating as PG13. Sexual innuendo with no vulgar language.
THE CAST BIOS
Ed Nieman (George Farley)
Ed joined SPAO in 1996, and worked behind the scenes for “Barefoot in the Park”. His first stage appearance was as Vinnie, the sun-burned poker player in “The Odd Couple”. Being one who enjoys all aspects of the performing arts, he has served in many on and off stage roles for SPAO, including backstage manager, special effects designer, sound effects designer, musical editor, sound systems operator, and website programmer. His original piece for string quartet and 2 flutes, “Is Love an Illusion?” was the theme song for SPAO’s “Arsenic and Old Lace”. Ed served as Producer for both “Over the River and Through the Woods” and “Lunch Hour”, and has appeared onstage in “Moon Over Buffalo”, “All in the Timing Among Others”, “Rumors”, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, “Murder By Mistake”, “The Foreigner” and “Kiss or Make Up”. His most recent role was the newscaster, Dwight Brookfield in “The Solid Gold Cadillac” In addition to designing the set for this production, Ed also designed and led construction of our “”Don’t Drink the Water” and “Kiss or Make Up” sets. An estimator/project manager for Selby & Smith Sheet Metal, the shy and talented “Community Theater Ed” resides in Stillwater.
Jeanette Sassatelli (Amy Ware)
Jeanette moved to the area from Minneapolis, MN two years ago and found SPAO last fall for the production of “A Bad Year for Tomatoes where she debuted as the frustrated, get-to-the-point sheriff of Beaver Haven, VT. Last spring Jeanette appeared in SPAO’s production of “The Solid Gold Cadillac” as the nosy TV gossip news columnist, Estelle Evans. Jeanette holds a BA in Theatre from Kenyon College of Gambier, Ohio where she appeared, amongst others, as Moon in “The Real Inspector Hound”, Bessie in “Marvin’s Room” and Miss Prism in “The Importance of Being Earnest”. She also appeared as Lillian Hellman in the one-woman show “Lillian” at Kenyon. Jeanette has also worked with community theatre groups in Vermont, including appearing as Daphne in “Present Laughter” and as the March Hare with the Essex Community Players’ production of “Alice in Wonderland” in Essex Junction, Vermont. Jeanette resides in Valley Falls with her husband John and their dog.
Terry Ford (Mike Ware)
Terry has always brought enthusiasm to the stage. Be it a leading role, such as Oscar in “The Odd Couple”, or a small one, like the phone man in both “Barefoot in the Park”, and “Full Moon”, you know he’s going to make it funny. One of the original founders of SPAO, and former president, Terry produced most of our early productions with Jerry Petronis, under the moniker The PetFord Twins. His stage roles have included the SPAO productions of “You Can’t Take It With You” , “The Mousetrap” , “Harvey”, “Bus Stop”, ”All in the Timing, Among Others” - Variations on the Death of Trotsky , "Don't Dress For Dinner", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "The Foreigner" and "Don't Drink the Water". His most recent appearance was in the role of Ed McKeever in “The Solid Gold Cadillac. Now retired, Terry resides in Stillwater with wife Carole and “Wonder Dog”, Louie.
Cynthia Petronis (Vivian Farley)
Cynthia made her debut as an actress with SPAO as the Ozark Chanteuse Cherie in "Bus Stop", and returned as the 'Perils of Pauline' type heroine, Purity Dean in "Pure As The Driven Snow" during SPAO's high school days. She is a veteran performer in SPAO's dinner theater, having started it all off with a lead in our first dinner theatre production of "Poisoned Pawn". Her personal favorite was her role as the mischievous cockney con-artist cook in "Don't Dress For Dinner". Her other Dinner Theatre appearances include "The Odd Couple", "Full Moon", "Moon Over Buffalo", "Rumors", "Murder By Mistake", "Lunch Hour", “Don't Drink the Water", “Steel Magnolias” and most recently as the lead role of Laura Partridge in “The Solid Gold Cadillac”. She has appeared in "Morning's At Seven" at both Schuylerville and Round Lake, and as the wretched southern belle lead character, Carnell Scott, in Round Lake's "The Miss Firecracker Contest". She has worked in just about every area of community theater, from pouring coffee to lead producer. Cynthia resides in Stillwater with her director husband, Jerry. She is a letter carrier for the USPS in Mechanicville.
Jason McClements (Harry Cream)
Jason began his acting career with the SPAO youth theater in 1990. He was an acting member with the Stillwater high school Drama Club and has frequented the SPAO stage for many years. His first SPAO dinner theater role was as the not-so-straight TV director’s assistant in “The Odd Couple”, Jason appeared as Leo the drunken landlord of “Lunch Hour”, and most recently as the love smitten mail boy, Mark Jenkins in “The Solid Gold Cadillac”. Jason loves to play weird characters and the role of Harry Cream is no exception. Jason’s daughter Brittany is working backstage and mother Bonnie is the stage manager. The three generation community theater family is native to Stillwater.
Ashley Sheldrick (Linda Jankowski)
Ashley is a just turned seventeen year old senior at Stillwater High School, where she performs in the band under the direction of Mr. Jim Iaketta. But, by no means is her musical talent strictly instrumental. Ashley has acted, sang and danced in musicals throughout the area. She began her acting career at the age of four, in the SPAO’s summer youth theatre production of "The Sound of Music" and returned in SPAO’s "The King and I", "Fiddler on the Roof", and "Our Town". Her high school roles include "Once Upon a Mattress" and "Cinderella". She appeared with the Schuylerville Theater Company, in "Crazy for You" and The Theatre Company at Hubbard Hall production of the rock musical fantasy “Henry’s House” under the direction of Broadway's Kevin McGuire. We welcome Ashley back as she makes her SPAO dinner theatre debut.
Crystal Martin (The Chamber Maid)
Crystal is making her acting debut, in the role of the Chambermaid. Crystal has worked on theatrical productions for several years as a member of the pit orchestra and as part of the stage crew for several productions, including “Oklahoma”, “West Side Story”, “The King and I” and “The Sound of Music”. Originally from Long Island, she is a student at SUNY at Albany, and currently resides in Albany. SPAO welcomes Crystal to the SPAO stage.
Marcus Griep (The Bellhop)
Marcus is making his SPAO debut. He is a member of the RPI Players, and has appeared in their productions of "Lend Me a Tenor", also in the role of a Bellhop; and as Tim in "Hush Little Celia". Marcus is a senior at RPI, where he also serves on the school's Executive Board and as the President of Acacia fraternity. We are sure that his fellow fraternity brothers will be here to see his performance, but leave the tomatoes at home, guys! Marcus lives in Troy. SPAO welcomes Marcus to our stage family.
A Word From The Director
Ten years ago, when we started dinner theatre, SPAO voted to present comedic productions exclusively. For the past decade SPAO has served up all types of comedy, from high level classics to low level slapsticks, from the highly dramatic to the most absurd door-slamming farces. The comical works of critically acclaimed playwrights and who-the-heck-is-that-guy authors have been presented on the SPAO dinner theatre stage. Some legitimate – some not so; but, all comedy never-the-less.
Finding plays that fit the SPAO comical mold is getting more and more difficult. Many of the old comedy chestnuts are really dated while most comedic recently written plays are either vulgar in content or attempt to provide a moralistic look at modern unconventional lifestyles. Neither is funny to SPAO dinner theatre standards. I send kudos to our play selection committee on coming up with this unknown play written by unknown playwright, Bill Daily.
Mr. Daily’s script begs to break the rules of legitimate theatre. That is the main reason that I decided to direct this play. Now I can break the rules legitimately in an illegitimate dinner theatre setting. Rats! That might make me sound legit to my self proclaimed legitimate community theater cohorts.
Well anyway, “LOVER’S LEAP” deals with marital indiscretions, manipulation, sexual deviancy and suicide but teaches no moralistic lessons, all the ingredients required to form a perfect mix for me to attain the SPAO goal of making people laugh and enjoy themselves.
To achieve that end, all I would have to do is come up with a cast that could throw plot logic and content to the wind and create characters that respond logically to illogical immoral situations. A cast that could give up there own personal values and egos and a crew willing to sacrifice all for the sake of a Jerry directed SPAO comedy. By George, (Farley) I think I found them. You be the judge!
To my cast and crew: Thanks for providing me the opportunity to unleash my directing techniques of comedy on an unsuspecting audience.
To my audience: You have a part in this show. Join in on the fun with the cast! Laugh and enjoy!
Jerry