The Gods of Paderewski Drive |
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| Written By Tom Dudzick | ||
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ALYSSA WALSH |
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DAN MORRIS |
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Voice Overs Monish Bhattacharayya; Nate Chateaux; Suzanne Hibbard Matthew LaChiusa; Andrew Zuccari; Katie Buckner; Sheri Sante |
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The Gods of Paderewski Drive is presented through Paradigm Agency. All rights are reserved. The use of video to record this production is strictly prohibited. Please refrain from taking pictures during the production as it is distracting to both patrons and actors. If you wish to take photographs please let the stage or house manager know and an opportunity can be arranged after the production |
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Cast
Creative Team
Matthew L LaChiusa
Sheri Sante
Jason Stopwinski
Anastasia Teslovski
Chester "Cheetah" Kimmelweckski
Director's Note
When I first received an email from Tom Dudzick requesting ART/WNY to review "Gods of Paderewski Drive" I thought it was either a joke or a mistake. Why would this established, renowned playwright be looking this company up? It turns out that Mr. Dudzick shopped it to a couple of other "established" theaters (even ones that previously produced his more well-known works) but none seemed interested. So he turned to this plucky company.
I cannot fully explain how much this cast & crew has embraced this work. You'll see it on stage (and through cues), for certain, but since the first read all the way to opening night, they have dedicated so much creative effort in presenting this play. ART/WNY may not have been Tom's first choice but this company was his best choice to produce the work.
The reason is simple. We all love this story. Full of humor, angst, cynicism and redemption, the narrative is a easy ride through several months of this semi-functional nuclear family who resides on Buffalo's East Side. And that's what makes it so enduring. "Pad Gods" is story about everyday people trying to overcome their challenges. The narrative is relatable.
We hope you enjoy this story as much as we did. Oh and by the way, the correct pronunciation is PADE - REF- SKI
-Matthew LaChiusa, Director
Meet the Company
Alyssa Walsh-Morris
Alyssa Walsh-Morris (Sally Kozacki), is excited to be making her debut with American Repertory Theater of WNY! Last seen for Post Industrial Productions as Sandy/Guy in Women Laughing Alone with Salad (May 2025), other notable roles include Casey in Anton in Show Business (Brazen-Faced Varlets) in May of 2022, Kate in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Rocking Horse Productions), for which she was nominated for Best Actor in a role by Broadway World Buffalo in 2023. Alyssa also performed for Subversive in the 2022 Miracle in Levittown (Maureen), by local author Michael Fanelli. Some of her favorite roles include M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias (Springville Center for the Arts), Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Rocking Horse Productions), and Penny in You Can’t Take it With You (Lancaster Regional Theatre). Other projects include various roles in Buffalo Writers' Theater Spring productions (2019, 2024) and directing Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark, by Ariel Dorfman, in conjunction with RFK Human Rights (2018). By day, Alyssa works for Hurwitz Fine as a Legal Assistant, and lives in Williamsville with her husband, Dan Morris and their blended family. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!
Danette Pawlowski
Danette Pawlowski (She/Her) is a Buffalo based actor, singer, and improviser. Favorite credits include Katie Fox (The Informer- American Repertory Theater of WNY) and Titus Andronicus (Titus XX-Brazen Faced Varlets). She is a regular Pro Roster player and referee with Buffalo ComedySportz and has performed with improv groups such as A Totally Made-Up Musical, Twisted Sister Act, (Buffalo Comedy Collective) It’s Not the Humidity: Hot Ones Inspired Improv (Buffalo Comedy Collective) and Given Half A Chance (Buffalo Improv House). She has also directed and hosted Drunk Theatre Buffalo’s But…Make It Drunk series. Danette is always grateful for the artistic opportunities ART of WNY provides.
SteveJakiel
STEVE JAKIEL - Selected stage credits: Fool for Love (The Old Man) at ART of WNY, Cabaret (Herr Schultz) with Second Generation Theatre, Superior Donuts (Arthur Przybyszbewski) and The Nether (Papa/Sims) with RLTP, Over the Tavern (Chet Pazinski) at the Kavinoky, Grand Horizons (Bill French) at Lancaster Opera House, Fauci and Kramer (Anthony Fauci) with First Look Buffalo, and Golden Boy (Mr. Carp) and Equus (Harry Dalton) with ICTC. Feature films: A Royal Christmas on Ice, Rust Belt Driller, One Night Only, The Panic, and Malus. Thanks to my family for their constant love and support – and to my Buffalo Polish roots for inspiration!
Anna Lauger
Anna is excited to to be in her first production with the American Repertory Theater, and she's just started her senior year at Lewiston-Porter highschool. Some of her favorite productions shes been in include Fiddler On The Roof, Chicago: Teen Edition, Shrek: The Musical, and Guys and Dolls Jr. Anna has been playing the cello for 9 years. In her free time, she enjoys writing/composing her own music, and hopes to make a career out of it in the future.
Dan Morris
Matthew L LaChiusa
Matthew directorial resume with American Repertory Theater of WNY includes two Artie Award nominations for Direction of Musical ("American Idiot" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"). Other favorite directorial opportunities at ART/WNY include Tracy Letts' "Killer Joe", Martin McDonagh's "A Behanding in Spokane", "The Guys" by Anne Nelson, "Mercy Seat" (multiple playwrights) and "Rust and Redemption" by John Snodgrass.
A 716 playwright, he also received five nominations for the Manny Freid Artie Award for Original Plays ("Axeman's Jazz", "Shine", "Paradigm Bomb", "RED CLAY", and "The Informer"), winning the award for both "RED CLAY" and "The Informer"
As the Executive/Artistic Director for ART/WNY, Matthew built this scrappy blue-collar theater up from scratch, earning multiple company nominations and awards for theater excellence, into a recognizable Buffalo theater uniquely specializing in producing regional playwrights.
Matthew thanks all who've put their hard work and effort, both on and off-stage, into this production.
Sheri Sante
Sheri is a full-time middle school math teacher who loves theater. "The Gods of Paderewski Drive" is the third show she's stage managed here at the Compass Theater. Her previous works include "The Informer" and the Buffalo Writers Workshop this summer. Previous to working with ART of WNY, Sheri served as the director to the Drama Department at John F. Kennedy High School. She would like to thank her family and friends for all their support.
Jason Stopwinski
Anastasia Teslovski
Anastasia "Ana" is thrilled to be making her first, and only, costuming appearance for American Repertory Theater of WNY. Shortly after tech and dress run, she was rounded up by ICE and was deported back to her home in Dandertogmaki, Poland. Ana wants to gain citizenship by June to come to the Arties but is doubtful of her chances because the committee doesn't vote for small theater designers (even though they work their asses off, using 1/20 budgets their larger theater peers have.) She wishes the cast all the luck in the world and promises somehow to send her homemade golumpki via mail to them.
Chester "Cheetah" Kimmelweckski
Chester is thrilled to climb ladders and do what the production team refuses to do, but he's not disgruntled in the least. No, his schlepping up and down ladders then to the booth for the tech run for some free cheese, wine and credit in the program doesn't upset him in the least. Nope. "Cheetah" just did his job. No complains. No bitchin'.
He hopes you enjoy the work he's done ... or even notice the lights.
Heaven forbid the Artie Committee will.
2025-26 Season Dedication
American Repertory Theater of WNY dedicates it entire 2025-26 season to company alumni Hugh Davis Jr who's life was tragically cut short this past summer. The company recognizes the need to draw attention to this country's chronic problems of untreated mental illness, military vets who receive poor health care & services, and gun violence. At the end of this season, ART/WNY will take a portion of ticket sales and donate, in the name of Hugh Davis, to organizations addressing these issues.
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RIP HUGH DAVIS
Who Is ART/WNY
With another season underway, American Repertory Theater of WNY is proud of being one of the only theater companies in the Western New York region that dedicates season slots to highlight local playwrights.
Although the artistic vision is noble in merit, there are some drawbacks from this model. The average Buffalo theatergoer has a tendency to migrate to more familiar plays and playwrights. They also lean towards companies with name recognition for validation of works they may not be familiar with. This is an uphill battle ART/WNY faces ever since the company decided to focus on local works.
Yes, the company has been around for 17-seasons and should have built up the reputation but multiple factors have stunted the growth established theater companies have seen.
Although the days in which theaters were able to produce in rent-free or low rents facilities are coming to a close, ART/WNY's has never benefited this constant luxury. Instead, as is the case with the 545 Elmwood space, every month the company has to pay for the use of it's space. As a result, money that could be used for improving production values, increasing salaries for production personnel, hiring staff for non-production purposes (marketing, grant research, etc..) is difficult to achieve. Much like a goldfish stuck in a small tank, this doesn't allow for ART/WNY to grow outside it's confines.
Additionally, with an over-saturated theater scene that is only producing name recognizable works, ART/WNY struggles for attendance due to an overabundance of easy digestible material that only serves to entertain through familiarity, gimmicks, and non-thought provoking narratives. With ticket prices rising and the ability for people to only afford one or two shows every month, they are going to feel more comfortable not taking chances on a new play or unfamiliar playwright.
The population of Buffalo is roughly 274,678 (in 2023), the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area has a combined population of about 1.3 million (World Population Review). But despite this number working in favor of ALL theaters in the region, a small percent are actual theatergoers. ART/WNY, with other companies, struggles to find ways to emphasize the strong presences of the Dramatic Arts in the region. The primary reason is the lack of media support. There are no longer sources of print-media to reach non-theatergoers to interest them in the Arts. The only current print-media source, The Buffalo News has completely abandoned coverage of the Arts (yet continues to focus on Sports) that has lead to even more apathy and disinterest towards the Arts, especially theater. Online sources for the Arts have emerged but the audiences they reach are far from the numbers The Buffalo News once reached with its subscription base. This leaves a small budgeted theater company, with little means to advertise or promote, only social media and posters in selected neighborhoods (because the price of printing large quantities of posters is financially limiting), new works to a small percentage of people who may be interested in attending the Dramatic Arts.
Perhaps Buffalo, New York isn't the best city to attempt new works. Perhaps the only financially successful companies in this city are those who continue to produce the same well-known musicals and plays. Perhaps those with name-recognition will continue to receive sponsorship, grants, government support, advertisement and attention because of reputation and not creativity. Perhaps small, cutting edge, NYC 1980's Village circa theaters no longer have a place in 21st century America. Perhaps we are finally seeing the end of Dramatic Arts as we once knew it to be.
Perhaps.
But as long as ART/WNY can continue to fight for the company's place at the table, as long as it can continue to survive in a Jurassic Park filled with over-fed apex predators, and as long as there are people who still want to be inspired, enlighten and see thought provoking theater, ART/WNY will continue to be here.
So, who is ART/WNY?
A company that believes in the community in which it serves
A company that supports local artists in their creative journeys
A company that provides a forum for those who are passionate about their crafts but cannot find opportunities to develop them
A company that keeps ticket prices affordable so that all may attend theater
A company that provides a reasonable priced space for other arts organizations to produce their works for extended periods.
A company with a history of taking chances on material
A company with a core belief that theater is a craft and not a popularity contest
A company with limited budgets but will do everything in its power to put on engaging, provocative, powerful and insightful theater despite financial limitations
This is ART/WNY
Love the Art in You.
REVIEWS
Donors
| American Repertory Theater of WNY would like to thank the following for the generosity and support for the 2025-26 season: | |
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Thomas LaChiusa Catherine Burkhart Mark Humphrey Jason Stopwinski Paul McQuillen Megan Zoladz Sheri Sante
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Danette Pawlowski Margaret Hodson Nate Chateaux Ann Perno Erika Kissack Kristine Brown Juli Grygier |
The 2025-26 Board of Directors
Suzanne Hibbard (President); Matthew LaChiusa (Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer); Robert Insana; Monica Morrisey; Mark Humphrey; Danette Pawlowski; Michael Breen
Board Advisors
Catherine Burkhart; Keith Wharton
If you would like to join the ART/WNY Board of Directors, please drop the company an email at artofwny@msn.com or call/text 716-697-0837
The Board is currently looking for members with CPA skills, Business Management skills, Familiarity with Real Estate laws, or simply real "go-getters" in our community.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR ART/WNY
ONE NIGHT ONLY - OCTOBER 18th
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Come join American Repertory Theater of WNY and Inspiration Point for a thrilling night of theater and ghost-hunting. First, enjoy the regional premiere of Tom Dudzick's "The Gods of Paderewski Drive" then get ready to explore the mysterious and haunted corners of the Compass Performing Arts Factory as teams headed by accredited hosts search for signs of paranormal activity. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this event is sure to be a spooky good time! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the supernatural firsthand.
October 18th, following the 5-7 pm performance of The Pad Gods.
To purchase a ticket to the show, the performance/ghost hunt or just the ghost hunt please click the link below
https://www.eventbrite.com/organizations/events
Coming up in December
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