BWW Stage Mag Chekhov One Acts - Upstart Arts Stage Mag

Chekhov One Acts
 
at Upstart Arts
 
 
 
by
Anton Chekhov
 
 
Starring
 
Stephanie Schwartz
Jennifer Garcia
Eric Suben
Priscilla McFerren
Jonathan Davis
Aliona Garcia
Gayle Eubank
Michelle Denise Norton
Ashar Otto
 
 
 

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Director's Note:

 

Here we are a night of Chekhov plays. One acts, rarely staged or seen, from Anton Chekhov's younger years. Raw bites of humanity at their most selfish and most silly. And so so funny that when we read them in our monthly reading group I laughed so much I was nearly literally on the floor. And so like I do when I find cool things (and a need for a play presented itself,) I decided to share. I hope if you are a fan of Chekhov, you get something from our performances that strengthens that feeling. And if you never thought youi could be, I hope this night makes you laugh and convinces you to give more things, (maybe even Chekhov) a try. I spent years not thinking much about Russian plays and when I did assuming they were overemotional and long like a Dostoyevsky novel.  And here I am today, so in love with a bit of Anton Chekhov's writing, I've put myself out there as a performer. Thank you Meredith Singleton for taking a look at my rehearsal video and giving me some good advice. 

I would be remiss at this point in the history of America, not to mention that while I am making a deliberate effort to bring more of both laughter and joy to the universe, I am also grieving the people being kidnapped off the streets of America and denied their constitutional rights. Please be careful and take care of your communities. We only have each other on this planet and we need to treasure both.

Michelle Denise Norton

Cast

Stephanie Schwartz
NASTASYA TIMOFEYEVNA
Jennifer Garcia
ELENA IVANOVNA POPOVA, ANNA MARTINOVNA ZMEYUKINA
Eric Suben
GRIGORY STEPANOVITCH SMIRNOV, EVDOKIM ZAHAROVITCH ZHIGALOV, DMITRI STEPANOVITCH MOZGOVOY
Priscilla McFerren
STEPAN STEPANOVITCH CHUBUKOV,HARLAMPI SPIRIDONOVITCH DIMBA, FYODOR YAKOVLEVITCH REVUNOV-KARAULOV
Jonathan Davis
IVAN VASSILEVITCH LOMOV, EPAMINOND MAXIMOVITCH APLOMBOV
Aliona Garcia
NATALYA STEPANOVNA, DASHENKA, Groomsman, ANDREY ANDREYEVITCH NUNIN
Gayle Eubank
MURASHKIN, IVAN MIHAILOVITCH YATS
Michelle Denise Norton
TOLKACHOV

Creative Team

Michelle Denise Norton

Director

Gayle Eubank

Technical Director

Ashar Otto

Stage Manager

Meet the Company

Stephanie Schwartz

NASTASYA TIMOFEYEVNA
(Luka in "The Bear"; Nastasya in "The Wedding") is happy to be performing again with Upstart Arts Players. Recent appearances with this wonderful company have been in Othello, Pygmalion, Fresh Start and The Wyrd Sisters. She will soon be seen as Estee in "Magnolia and Moss" in The Supporting Characters Short Play Festival in New Rochelle, NY, as Abigail Adams in "Women and the American Revolution" in St. Paul's Historic Church National Monument in Mt. Vernon, NY and in "The Vagina Monologues" in Norwalk CT. Contact: actorstephanieschwartz@gmail.comp

Jennifer Garcia

ELENA IVANOVNA POPOVA, ANNA MARTINOVNA ZMEYUKINA
Jennifer A. Garcia is a dynamic and versatile actress, improviser, and director who has performed throughout the MidAtlantic region; calling Maryland home. Jennifer showed dramatic range acting as Queen Marie of Anjou and Executioner Geoffroy Thérage in the three Thunderous Productions’ performances of “Saint Joan” by George Bernard Shaw. Jennifer’s acting, improvisational talent, and skill with accents won her the American Immersion Theater Baltimore Troupe Immersioneer of the Year Award for 2024. Her enthralling and hilarious 100+ performances of various roles, including leading, with American Immersion Theater created immersive entertainment experiences transporting audiences into a world of mystery, intrigue, & excitement. Recently, Jennifer had audiences laughing at Highwire Improv as part of a troupe entitled “After Hours”. Jennifer spread her wings directing a new dramatic play “Mom-ish” for Thunderous Production’s One Act Festival. Jennifer’s passion for theatre grew from her studies of English Literature at Florida International University, having earned her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees.

Eric Suben

GRIGORY STEPANOVITCH SMIRNOV, EVDOKIM ZAHAROVITCH ZHIGALOV, DMITRI STEPANOVITCH MOZGOVOY
Eric Suben is an actor and playwright based on Westchester County, New York. Recent acting credits include Bassanio in "Othello" (staged reading) for Upstart Arts, two roles in City Island Theatre Group's Festival of One Acts, and Edgar in the world premiere of Bette Siler's "Easy on the Coffee." Two of Eric's short plays are presently scheduled for production in New York and Michigan.

Priscilla McFerren

STEPAN STEPANOVITCH CHUBUKOV,HARLAMPI SPIRIDONOVITCH DIMBA, FYODOR YAKOVLEVITCH REVUNOV-KARAULOV
Priscilla McFerren loves working with Upstart Arts because it gives her opportunities to play roles in classic plays with special people, many of whom she has known only from the waist up and only since 2020 when we began to come together to read Shakespeare on Zoom during COVID. She lives in State College, PA where she continues to do theatre in person when possible. Thanks to Michelle Denise Norton and Gayle Eubank for these lovely Upstart Arts experiences.

Jonathan Davis

IVAN VASSILEVITCH LOMOV, EPAMINOND MAXIMOVITCH APLOMBOV
Jonathan has been working with Upstart for a while now. I have done local theater, some independent films along with one coming out later this year. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUqSwgBDTdP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Aliona Garcia

NATALYA STEPANOVNA, DASHENKA, Groomsman, ANDREY ANDREYEVITCH NUNIN
Aliona is a Spanish/British actress currently based in Valencia, Spain, and is also the Executive Director of Tiger's Heart Players and co-founder of EliWay Films. She has appeared in countless virtual productions in film and theatre and has appeared in A Sketch of New York at the Producers' Club and The Ballad of Lulu and Dad both in the Secret Theatre and in film. She has recently signed with Agencia Fontanils and is set to appear in the play "Hamblet en el espejo" (Hamblet in The Mirror) in Valencia.

Gayle Eubank

MURASHKIN, IVAN MIHAILOVITCH YATS

Michelle Denise Norton

TOLKACHOV
Michelle Denise spends most of her time directing but could not resist, having discovered she has a favorite play by Chekhov, acting in it.

Michelle Denise Norton

Director

Gayle Eubank

Technical Director

Ashar Otto

Stage Manager
Ashar is a 25 year old vampire is disguise who has done a lot of productions with Upstart Arts that have been both on stage and behind the scenes.

Photos

The Chekhov Crew
The Chekhov CrewChekhov Crew 2
Chekhov Crew 2
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