Meet the Playwrights
KEVIN ARTHUR is delighted to have his play selected for The New Deal Creative Arts Centers 10×10 Festival. His writing has been performed at the Milwaukee Short Play Festival and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. As an actor, he has worked with numerous groups around the northeast including Curtain Call, Actors Conservatory Theatre, The Harrison Players, The Armonk Players, Bedford Community Theatre, Chill Bucket Production, The Life Mosaic, Phoenix Theatre & Arts Company and the SOUP To Nuts Short Play festival.
MIKE CLARK makes his playwrighting debut with Reality Check. Mike is an actor, vocalist and stage manager who was born and raised in Red Hook, where he first fell in love with the stage. Beyond theater, he loves cooking, game nights, sports, and, in the ultimate case of writing what you know, reality television. He is incredibly honored, proud and thrilled to see his words on stage.
TERRENCE DWYER studied creative writing under the late novelist and short story writer Elizabeth Cullinan at Fordham University. He has had many non-fiction articles published as well as three non-fiction books. Several of his one act plays have been produced regionally. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, serves as a script editor for River & South Review, and works as a graduate assistant for Blue Moon Plays while pursuing his MFA degree in creative writing at Wilkes University.
ASHLEY FRANCE makes her playwriting debut with Same Time Next Week. Ashley is a vocalist and actress who was born and raised in the Hudson Valley. She has been seen onstage in numerous productions over the last 15 years, sharing her talents with the Capital Region and the Hudson Valley. Outside theater, she loves cooking, baking and reading. She is so grateful to have had her piece chosen for this year’s 10×10 and is delighted to see her play come to life.
ANTHONY LEINER is a local playwright born and raised here in the Hudson Valley. This is his third time working with New Deal. First having his play, “The Drive Home” (beautifully directed by Teresa Gasparini and beautifully performed by Dylan Parkin) produced in the 2021 10×10 and directing the hilarious “The House of Maple Street” by Melissa Mathews in New Deals inaugural New Play Festival. He’s been very thankful for having the opportunity to showcase many of his works across Hudson Valley; appearing in both “Howl at the Center” produced by Howl of Playwrights and premiering his first full length play. “Keeping Mary,” thanks to Round the Bend Theatre, directed by Sydnie Grosberg Ronga. But his scope doesn’t stop with the Hudson Valley, he’s won first place with his play, “Hearts and Minds,” at the Manhattan Rep. Theatres 2017 New Play Competition and making it to the Semi-finals with the 2024 Short and Sweet Play Competition all the way in Los Angeles, California. He’s grateful for New Deal for giving New Plays for getting new works their moments to shine and hope to continue to work with them in the future.
OLIVIA SCOTT is the writer, actor, and director of Five. She wrote the play to bring a new perspective to theater. Using inspirations like the narration of a book, and turning it into a physical representation. She uses lighting and sound effects to mimic the chaotic thoughts of the main character. In the past she has worked on many plays including Little Shop of Horrors, Mary Poppins, and Damn Yankees. She also works as an extra in movies and TV shows like Pretty Little Liars and Smile 2. She pursues writing, acting and directing. She focuses on out the the box thinking and creating things people don’t expect. As well as portraying honesty, showing what people really think. She also enjoys writing novels. Episodes of her book Altered is published on Kindle Vella. She lives to create!
MATTHEW SHERIDAN Berskshire On Stage called Matthew’s play NICE DAY a “stand-out” in the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York’s One Act Jamboree this past June. Other shorts include AUDITION (published by Playscripts, produced throughout the US and in Canada) and SMALL TALK (voted Audience Favorite in the New York City 15 Minute Play Festival). Full-length works have been finalists for Creede Repertory Theatre’s Headwaters New Play Program (Creede, CO) and the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival (New Orleans, LA), and include the musical THE AMBITION BIRD which had a workshop production by The Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton,OH) and many festival presentations, including in the UK.
KEITH WHALEN Keith’s short plays have been produced across the country and internationally. His play “Youth for Dark” was a semifinalist in the 46th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, and his play “Exophilia” was an Official Selection of the short play division of the 2023 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival. Keith’s play “The Beauty of Numbers” won Best Short Production in the 2023 Theater Association of NY State festival, and Best in Festival at the Eastern States Theater Association festival in 2024. Keith also writes and directs sketch comedy, and is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild.
Meet the Directors
JUSTIN ANTONIO DORO is honored to co-direct the New Deal Creative Arts Center’s 10×10 Festival this year alongside Teresa Gasparini! Justin holds his bachelors degree in Theatre Arts with a focus in Directing and Theatre for Young Audiences from Piedmont University. Justin also has a passion for new works and couldn’t be more proud to showcase these beautiful stories written by local playwrights! None of this could be possible without the love, support and encouragement Christopher gives him each and every day!
TERESA GASPARINI is a Hudson Valley theatre director, actor and producer and has been involved in hundreds of productions in her 30+ years of theatre experience. Teresa is a founder and the Executive Director of The New Deal Creative Arts Center and has been delighted to be part of the direction team of all the 10×10 Fests since 2021. Special thanks to all the playwrights, Justin, her casts, and the New Deal team!
Meet the Actors
Andrew Austin is a local writer and actor who appeared last year in New Deal’s production of Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” He has also appeared at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck in “Henry V,” “As You Like It,” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” Thanks for coming out everybody, and thanks to Howie Riggs for being a great scene partner.
Brian Cordella is excited to make his New Deal debut with such a talented cast and crew. He can usually be found behind the scenes as part of the crew. Recent credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Guys and Dolls (Light Board Operator) and Murder on the Orient Express (Stage Manager). Brian would like to thank Justin and Teresa for this wonderful opportunity. He would also like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support. I will always love you Grandma!
Ashley France is delighted to return to the stage with New Deal. Favorite credits include Kinky Boots with Rhinebeck Theatre Society, Into the Woods with New Deal, Fun Home with Rhinebeck Theatre Society, and Next to Normal with Troy Acting Guild. Ashley would like to thank her Team for their love and support, and dedicates this performance, as always, to the memories of Kevin & Eric.
Marie Hasenpflug Marie has been acting since 1977 when she performed in the summer season of (what was then) The Sharon Playhouse. Prior to that year she had been seen in a number of local productions with County Players, The New Day Repertory Co, and The Valley Theatre Co. Over the last decades she has appeared in over 100 productions in community, regional stock and Off Broadway theatres. In 1979 she founded The Queen City Stage Co. Their initial production was SAME TIME NEXT YEAR at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Later seasons were held at the Cecilwood Theatre in Fishkill, again at the Bardavon in 1983, and finally seventeen years of intermittent productions at the Cuneen Hacket Cultural Center’s Vassar Brothers Institute. Her work in New York, included appearances with PLAYRIGHT’S HORISONS and THE YORK THEATER Co. Favorite stage roles are Aida in OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, Doris in SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, Brodie in THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (The Cider Mill Playhouse), Anna in WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER (Oldcastle Theatre Co.), Mrs. McGee in CORPSE (Cooperstown Theatre Festival), Amanda in THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Queen City Stage Co), and Dorothea in ELEEMOSYNARY (River Valley Rep.). Recently she was featured in SMALL TIME, an award-winning film presented at the Cinequest Film festival and now available on Amazon. At the Clove Creek Dinner Theater, Marie was seen in OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, LEND ME A TENOR and THE LAST ROMANCE. When the pandemic held up play production she began playwriting. Her plays include BAR LAS ABUELAS, recently a stage reading in LaGrangeville, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR ARRIVEDERCI MAMA and WHO KILLED GRANDMA’S BOYFRIEND. She is thrilled to have STITCHING THE KAMA SUTRA included in this year’s 10X10 FESTIVAL.
Lia-Marie Henry is thrilled to be a part 10×10 for the fourth year! She is proud to be part of the New Deal community and has appeared in many New Deal productions as well as several previous shows at County Players. She would like to thank her family for their constant support, and everyone who’s worked so hard to make this show a success.
Tommy Iorio is very excited to be apart of his very first 10X10! He is a senior at FDR High School. Past roles include Billy Flynn in “Chicago”, Constable Joe in “Tuck Everlasting”, and coming soon at the New Deal Creative Arts Center, Sweeney Todd in “Sweeney Todd”(which he says everyone should see!). He wants to thank everyone involved in this show, including his director, Justin Doro. He hopes everyone enjoys the show!
Erica Jones Woolley is excited to be part of her third 10×10 Fest with The New Deal Creative Arts Center! Her love for theater has grown over the years, from cheering on friends and family in the audience to directing and working behind the scenes with amazing teams. She knows the magic on stage wouldn’t happen without the hard work of everyone involved. Erica would like to thank all the wonderful actors she is working with, Teresa Gasparini for her constant passion for theater, Justin Doro, who has quickly become her favorite director, and everyone at The New Deal Creative Arts Center for their dedication to supporting community theater in the Hudson Valley. And lastly, a shout-out to her best friend, Scott Woolley—thank you for being awesome!
Champ Knecht most recently appeared in What the Constitution Means to Me with the Rhinebeck Theater Society. He made his Dutchess County debut as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the Center Stage production of Twelfth Night, and quickly followed that up with roles in New Deal’s Fiddler on the Roof and The Tempest, and The Iceman Cometh, another Center Stage production. Favorite acting roles include Gary Lejeune in Noises Off, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Medvedyenko in The Seagull, and Simon Bliss in Hay Fever. His directing credits include Angels Fall, The Cocktail Hour, and Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins, among others.
Krista Libertino is thrilled to be returning to the New Deal Creative Arts stage, as Shelby and Aunt in this years’ 10 x 10 festival! Krista is a life long lover of the performing arts! She teaches voice, music and theater classes for a variety of schools and arts organizations in Dutchess County. When she is not in the classroom you can find her performing or working behind the scene in a variety of projects. Some recent favorite projects include: singing for her acoustic duo KD Music on Q92 fm’s Holiday Concert Series. Directing and acting in New Deal Creative Arts Hudson Valley Theater Festival and music directing Sweeney Todd (High School Edition) which opens in November 2024.
Melissa Matthews has been involved with the theater, acting, directing, or designing, for over 30 years. Most recently, she played the nurse in Troupe Enigma’s production of Equus. She is so grateful for the opportunity to continue working with The New Deal Creative Arts Center, to be directed by Teresa Gasparini. Thank you Joe for your fantastic script, to everyone who put their hands on this production and to Francie.
Rebecca Nagle [She/Her/Hers] is excited to be working with such an incredible and talented team for her New Deal Arts debut! She is a Hudson-Valley transplant from Fort Worth, Texas where she studied performance at Texas Wesleyan University. Her upcoming roles include The Importance of Being Earnest (GWENDOLYN FAIRFAX) at Cornerstone Theatre, and past roles include; An Ideal Husband (MABEL CHILTERN) at County Players, Seussical The Musical (YURTLE THE TURTLE/ VLAD VLADIKOFF) and A Murder is Announced (JULIA SIMMONS) at The Creative Theatre-Muddy Water Players, Pride and Prejudice (LYDIA BENNET) at The Stolen Shakespeare Guild, Shrek The Musical (LITTLE PIG/ENSEMBLE) at Plaza Theatre Company, Avenue Q (BAD IDEA BEAR), The Hostage (MISS GILCHRIST), Smokefall (BEAUTY), and Tartuffe (ELMIRE) at Theatre Wesleyan. She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support, and the cast/crew for all of their hard work and for making the show a fun and amazing experience.
John Remington has been dabbling in theater for the last eight years, many shows that have kept the dream alive. He is a founding member of TroupEnigma, a theater production company, and couldn’t be prouder . This is his second 10×10 as a performer and is thrilled to once again make Teresa Gasparini’s life a living hell.
Howie Riggs is thrilled to return for another 10×10 with New Deal. He has appeared in a number on New Deal productions, most notably as Lazar Wolf in “Fiddler on the Roof”. Recent credits include “My Fair Lady” and “Murder on the Orient Express” at the CENTER for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Thanks to Teresa and Justin for the opportunity and, as always, to friends, family and castmates for patience and support.
Laurel Riley-Brown is happy to be returning to The New Deal Creative Arts Center’s 10×10 Festival. She has been acting in the Hudson Valley area for forty years. Some of her favorite recent roles include “Truvy” in Steel Magnolias, “Ethel Banks” Barefoot In The Park, “Mrs. Webb” Our Town, “Mrs. Mayor” Seussical the Musical. Laurel also participated in Fringe Festivals in Providence, RI and Tuscon, AZ acting in original plays submitted by local Hudson Valley playwrights. She is currently an actor with Keith Dougherty’s Murder Mystery Manhattan company. Laurel would like to thank her scene partners Marie and John and Teresa Gasparini for another fun experience.
Jeffrey Sculley would like to thank Teresa and everyone at New Deal for allowing him to stumble across the boards after being away for too long! He also thanks his son, Carrick, and Noa, Ari, and Shay. Some of Jeff’s favorite roles include Uncle Louie (“Lost in Yonkers”), Ebenezer Scrooge (“A Christmas Carol”), Vice Principal Douglas Panch (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”), George (“Same Time, Next Year”), Biff (“Death of a Salesman”), Frank Gilbreth (“Cheaper by the Dozen”), Robin (“Robin Hood”), a pandemonium of Monty Python and Benny Hill rejects (“The 39 Steps”), Clarence the Angel and the Henry F. Potter (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) and Kris Kringle (“Miracle on 34th Street”). By day Jeff works as a special counsel to the law firm of Catania, Mahon & Rider, P.L.L.C. His favorite flavor of Pop Tart™ is Strawberry Frosted. Jeff dedicates his performances to the memory of his Brother Nick, gone but remembered and loved for all days to come. Jeff will strive to live as Nick admonished: loudly and while drinking good booze.
Jessica Thomas is thankful to wade into the theatre world with New Deal Creative. She first dipped her toes in during the Hudson Valley Theatre Festival by reading Charlotte in Jennifer O’Grady’s “Charlotte’s Letters” and Berry Lee in Stacey Upton’s “Like Kissing Moonlight”. She decided to test those waters after being inspired by her middle son Liam’s fun, bravery, and joy in performing with New Deal Creative. After delighting in being a stage mom and loving the energy of theatre, she followed him in as general cast during New Deal’s “Joy”. When not learning more about herself through acting, Jessica is a nurse. She has always felt honored to connect and share in people’s life stories and to be allowed to share the sacred space of some of their most vulnerable moments. The things she has held most dear, and learned the most from, is being the mom of 3 boys.
Geneva Turner (they/them) is a multi-hyphenate award-nominated theatre and film artist based in the Hudson Valley. They graduated SUNY New Paltz with two B.A.s in Theatre Arts (Performance) and Anthropology. Recent roles include Alais in “The Lion in Winter” (Berkie nomination, Bridge Street Theatre), Helen of Troy in “The Trojan Women” (CENTERstage, BroadwayWorld nomination), Lady M in “M*cbeth: Galaxy of Blood (Epiphany Shakespeare), And Horatio in “Hamlet: The Clown Prince” (Epiphany Shakespeare). They teach and direct Shakespeare with New Genesis Productions’ Summer Intensives, and they are studying with IDC to become a SAG-certified Intimacy Coordinator. They are thrilled to be working with New Deal again, this time playing the infamous Gráinne Ní Mháille (aka pirate queen Grace O’Malley), in this riveting dramatization of one of history’s most intriguing mysteries – her fateful chat with Queen Elizabeth I (aka the faerie queen) in 1593.