Tennessee Women for the Vote at the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center observed Women’s History Month through a dramatic exploration of the debate over suffrage. Reprising a play the company performed to honor the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, Director Catherine LaMoreaux adapted it for the Zoom and Facebook screens. The company both entertained theatrical fans and history buffs through Dr. B. Ayne Cantrell’s Tennessee Women for the Vote.  

            The playwright set her piece in the summer of 1920. Both pro and anti-suffrage leaders gathered to express their views. Dr. Cantrell included actual speeches delivered by the characters. As attendees advocated their positions, Tennessee legislators prepared to vote on whether to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. 35 states had already affirmed it. If one more approved, women’s suffrage would become enshrined in the Constitution. Would the Volunteer State become the needed 36th?

             Your correspondent watched the Facebook presentation of Tennessee Women for the Vote from Cinnaminson, NJ. A Quaker graveyard in town is the final resting place of suffragist and author of the Equal Rights Amendment Alice Paul.   

            The performers used authentic period costuming. In addition to large brim hats, the women wore the traditional white apparel that symbolized the women’s rights movement. Susan Roberts even adopted the same color for the opposing Heckler’s attire. She accentuated with a large American flag over her left lapel. The lone male in the cast, Barry Leonard, dressed like a 1920s lawyer. He wore a hat, tan jacket and black bow tie.

            The playwright included historical figures from the Tennessee suffrage movement as characters. The actors delivered performances that captured their conviction and, in some cases their misguided, passion.

            Anna Paone portrayed Catherine Talty Kenny the Chair of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage League. The character served the gathering’s emcee. Ms. Paone delivered her lines advocating the suffrage with authority. Through subtle nodding and pursed lips, she displayed attentiveness while showing her agreement with those supporting the cause.

            Shauni Ramai played the Chair of the National Women’s Party, Sue Shelton White; the only Tennessee woman arrested for her suffrage work. She explained her reaction to President Woodrow Wilson’s duplicity. While advancing national self-determination abroad, Wilson became reticent on allowing woman’s suffrage in the US. With the deceptively mellifluous voice of a Southern belle, she described a bonfire in front of the White House. Ms. Ramai discussed how she “burned the President’s hypocritical words.” Later, she placed an effigy of Wilson into the flames.

            The playwright took poetic license with Lide Smith Merriweather. The real Merriweather passed away seven years before the events in the play. Dr. Cantrell made a solid artistic choice including the legendary suffragist in the story. The Memphis News-Scimitar eulogized Merriweather as “the prime mover in the cause of suffrage in Tennessee.”

            Emily Niemeyer brought out this principled figure’s personality. She delivered an emphatic oration listing all those permitted to vote. Being included with those who could not demeaned females. Ms. Niemeyer decried how women must “protest legal classification with the idiot.”

            Dr. Cantrell’s play showed how the suffrage movement intersected with the advancement of civil rights. The rally included two African American leaders: the physician Matte E. Coleman (played by Tyechia Smith) and educator J. Frankie Pierce (Mimi B. Francis). They asked that in return for their contributions to the women’s suffrage movement, that women voters support improvements for their community.

             Other figures who spoke to affirm the suffrage included the President of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association and Vice President of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association, Ann Dallas Dudley (Justine D’Souza). Ms. D’Souza delivered the powerful line, “Give women the vote to clean up the ballot box.” Sheema Sahane gave another stirring oration as Martha Elizabeth Allen. The show’s director, Catherine LaMoreaux, portrayed one of the suffragist leaders in the crowd.

            Not all the characters who attended this gathering shared the suffragists’ views. Three participants opposed women’s right to vote.

            Barry Leonard portrayed Tennessee attorney John Jacob Vertrees. Mr. Leonard’s not-so-subtle head shaking and dour countenance showed his disagreement. He declared it with the tone and rationality of a skilled counselor. Mr. Leonard voiced the belief that “only those who bear arms” in the military should be allowed to vote. He added the chauvinistic tripe of the time that “women are too emotional” to choose candidates for office. He concluded by declaring that Tennessee women didn’t want to vote.

            A female speaker followed him. The President of the Tennessee State Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage and the Southern Women’s League for the Rejection of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment Josephine Anderson Pearson (Laura Paone) stated her opposition. Ms. Paone declared that she performed “God’s will” by opposing women’s suffrage. She could have stopped there. Then she said, “Women wanting the vote are modern Eves.” Once again, she made her point. But there was more. With a Southern accent, Ms. Paone implored people to reject the amendment on racial grounds. It would “destroy the Southern way of life” by “enfranchising Negros.” Interesting choice of words from someone who believed, “Suffrage will lower women by allowing them to take part in politics.”

            As the Heckler, Susan Roberts’ character advanced the antediluvian argument that voting would take women away from their families.

Tennessee Women included an authentic soundtrack. Mimi B. Francis sang a stirring a capella rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” with suffragist lyrics. Director LaMoreaux used recordings of songs from the era at the beginning and end of the program.  

            The director included professional ending credits. Ms. LaMoreaux included photos of both the actors and the real-life figures they played during the evening.

The virtual setting allowed Dr. Cantrell to witness the live broadcast. In addition to commending the performance, she gave viewers insights into the play. She told the audience that she wrote Tennessee Women for the Vote during the late 1980s for what was then Women’s History Week.

            Dragonfly presented the show through permission of the Tennessee Women’s Project. They also received a Grant from the from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

             “Women’s votes are human rights,” became the show’s theme. Although the event in the story occurred over a century ago, the message regarding voting rights maintains its relevance today.

            Dragonfly will present a special program for its next Wednesday night reading. Incorporating both Women’s History Month and St. Patrick’s Day, they will perform Spreading the News by Lady Gregory. The show will be streamed live on Facebook and Zoom at 8:00 PM on March 17^th.

Little Women Produced by the Edison Arts Society

The Edison Arts Society commenced Women’s History Month with a dramatic reading of an American classic. The organization collaborated with the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center to present Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women as a radio show. The event occurred via Zoom on Tuesday, March 2^nd.

             The ensemble from the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center last performed Alcott’s story on February 3^rd.  While an outstanding program, the company presented a more polished rendition of the show for this event.

            Little Women invited the audience into the home of the March family. With father gone fighting the Civil War, Marmee (played by Monic Shah) and her daughters Jo (Shauni Ramai), Meg (Anna Paone), Amy (Laura Paone) and Beth (Justine D’Souza) prepared to spend the Christmas Season without him. The play followed the four sisters’ journeys from adolescence into little women. The enchanting characters and wonderful interpretations the actors gave them made for an entertaining evening of theatre.   

            Shauni Ramai portrayed the headstrong Jo. Ms. Ramai captured the character’s contradictions. Ostensibly, a writer with an “independent spirit,” Jo longed to keep her family together in the wake of their father’s absence. Ms. Ramai best illustrated this during the scene where Mr. Brooke (Thom Boyer) expressed his affections for her sister Meg. With charm, Ms. Ramai exclaimed that “Mr. Brooke is being disagreeable towards Meg. And Meg’s liking it!”

            Although the Dragonfly team presented the radio show version of Little Women, they allowed the Zoom audience to see the actors. Shauni Ramai again took advantage of this opportunity to showcase her unparalleled proficiency for non-verbal communication. Ms. Ramai expressed Jo’s thoughts and feelings through her gestures, expressions and eye movements. She accentuated many of them with her “Christopher Columbus” exclamations.   

            Anna Paone portrayed Meg; the character who doubled as the show’s narrator. Also skilled in the art of non-verbal communication, Anna showed Meg’s coyness towards Mr. Brooke. Her laconic answers to Jo’s inquiries regarding her feelings expressed her interest with the same skill. Anna demonstrated her character’s love for her ailing sister, Beth. Anna struggled to express the words as she became lachrymose while recounting her sister’s illness. 

            The show’s other actors displayed their histrionic skills to perfection. Laura Paone delivered Amy’s malapropisms with aplomb. Her insistence on using good “vocibulary” and being “perfectionary” added humor the show. Justine D’Souza displayed poignancy through her enactment of Beth’s health struggles. Catherine LaMoreaux allowed Aunt March’s toughness to come through in the way she thundered her dialog. Monica Shah contrasted her by speaking Marmie’s lines in a soothing tone. Thom Boyer added his inimitable vocal style to the roles of Announcer and Mr. Brooke. Craig Mayer showed the kindness in Beth’s musical benefactor Mr. Lawrence. Susan Roberts gave the different servants she portrayed their own unique personalities.

            Dragonfly made two casting changes from their February 3^rd production. In that show, Nathaniel Tomb played Laurie and Nick Endo portrayed Professor Bayer. For the Edison Arts Society performance, the two actors switched roles. Mr. Tomb   showed both Laurie’s love for and heartbreak over Jo. Mr. Endo adopted a well-crafted German accent with which to woo Jo as the German pedagogue.  

            Gloria Dittman, the president of the Edison Arts Society, complimented the “exciting” coalition between the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center and her organization. Those interested in learning more about the group can visit their website at Edison Arts Society.  They are currently hosting an art exhibit at the Edison Town Hall.

            The Dragonfly Multicultural Art Center returns to Zoom and Facebook on Wednesday, March 10^th. Continuing their recognition of Women’s History Month, they will perform a reading of Tennessee Women, a show that explores the history of the women’s suffrage movement. More information about the group is available on their website: Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center (dragonflyartsnj.com).

All About Eve at the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center took audiences behind the curtain to expose the alternate side of theatre. For their February 10^th, Wednesday night reading, the company used a virtual arena to present the radio play version of All About Eve. The audience warmed up to this story quick.

In the preliminary situation, Margo Channing (played by Ann Grippo) had conquered theatrical stages as a sought-after actress. Playwright Lloyd Richards (Thom Boyer) tailored his lead roles specifically for her. Margo’s love interest, Bill Sampson (Nathaniel Tomb), prepared to direct his first Hollywood movie. A loyal maid, Birdie (Susan Roberts), loyally served her. In addition, Lloyd’s wife Karen (Susan Holtz) introduced her to a fan who had followed Margo’s latest show across the country: a young woman named Eve (Shauni Ramai).

Quite a pleasant backdrop. But a trap opened up underneath these given circumstances. Margo missed the cues that Eve didn’t simply aspire to meet her idol: she longed to be her idol. Aside from acting as Margo’s assistant, her focus shifted to seeking the limelight. Eve took the stage as Margo’s understudy. She tried to strike up a relationship with Bill. The dialog she used to open up to critic Addison DeWitt (Noah Stanzione) didn’t mask her ambitions.

With this in the backdrop, Margo confronted her most challenging role yet: playing an “ageless” ingenue both on and off the stage.                

Dragonfly’s production team used the radio play script of All About Eve for this performance. They still allowed the audience to watch the actors play their roles on both the Zoom and Facebook platforms. The cast showcased excellent costuming. Noah Stanzione used a jacket, open shirt and a cravat to accoutre the ambitious critic, Addison DeWitt. Ann Grippo varied her attire nicely for Margo Channing. She wore a robe with a towel on her head when in the character’s dressing room. For her public persona, she wore a fashionable jacket and scarf that suited the character.    

Shauni Ramai’s character said, “My heart is in the theatre.” From Ms. Ramai’s performance, one would surmise that the role became the actor. Ms. Rami brought her signature enthusiasm to this performance. She burst with joy to reflect her character’s thrill when meeting her idol. At the show’s conclusion, Ms. Ramai delivered an animated acceptance speech.  

The Eve character gave Ms. Ramai the opportunity to play an oblique figure. With deadpan diction, Susan Roberts explained to an incredulous Ann Grippo that Eve was “studying her as if she were in a play” or “a blueprint.”

Ms. Ramai enacted the character’s ruthlessness. While trying to woo Margo’s love interest, she spoke with a seductive tone that contaned a hint of malice in it. Her malevolent eye roll when blackmailing Susan Hotz’s character expressed Eve’s mercilessness.

Ms. Rami employed her talent for non-verbal expression in other creative ways. When lying to Addision about Eve’s past, she flinched. During the same scene, she also performed an authentic impersonation of Noah Stanzione’s character.

It’s always interesting to watch an actor portray another actor. Ann Grippo accepted the challenge of playing aging starlet, Margo Channing. Nathaniel Tomb’s character described her as a “hysterical screaming harpie.” Ms. Grippo brought that temperamental personality to the Zoom and Facebook platforms.

At times, Ms. Grippo’s performance could draw comparisons with Faye Dunaway’s interpretation of Joan Crawford from Mommie Dearest. Her dramatic delivery of her dialog, the use of the martini glass prop and her longing for Bill “to love (her) and not Margo Channing,” captured the personality of this high-strung character. Ms. Grippo allowed Margo’s frustrations over her own aging coming into conflict with the ageism in the industry to project in her voice.    

Ms. Grippo showed Margo’s passions controlling her during an argument with Lloyd. Ms. Grippo and Thom Boyer made this one of the show’s most memorable scenes. Mr. Boyer delivered the cryptic riposte, “It is time the piano realizes it has not written the concerto.”

While familiar with the 1950 Hollywood film, the performers didn’t study it prior to the show. The actors presented their own interpretations of the characters. Through his haughty accent, Nathaniel Tomb showed Bill’s egotism. Noah Stanzione’s diction expressed Addison’s cynicism. Susan Holtz also selected a solid accent and used well thought out vocal inflections for Karen.

Anna Paone performed the play’s introductory announcements. Catherine LaMoreaux managed the sound effects. Laura Paone portrayed the Operator, the Waiter and Miss Caswell.  

All About Eve showed that cynicism, intrigue and skullduggery can take place in theatre. The performers at the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center showed the audience just how entertaining it is to watch it.

To honor Black History Month, Dragonfly will present excerpts from Angelina W. Grimke’s Rachel. This drama was the first play written by an African American to be produced in the United States. This reading will take place at 8:00 PM on February 17^th. For more information, please consult the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts’ Facebook page.    

Little Women an Old-Time Radio Drama Based on the Book by Louisa May Alcott Presented by the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center transported their audience back to the mid-nineteenth century through an early twentieth century medium this February 3^rd. They did so in the form of a twenty first century rendition of a radio show broadcast. Dragonfly presented an engaging version of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved bildungsroman Little Women via Zoom and Facebook.

As with all Dragonfly “old-time radio shows,” the company opted not to show their audience a blank screen. They allowed spectators to watch the actors perform live. The latter leveraged the set-up to showcase their histrionic prowess.

The show introduced theatregoers to the March family. Jo (played by Shauni Ramai) harbored an interest of becoming a writer. She unwittingly became the love interest of Laurie (Nick Endo). Meg (Anna Paone) pursued a traditional family life after Mr. Brook (Thom Boyer) sought her affections. Amy (Laura Paone), the pseudo-intellectual of the group, displayed a fondness for malapropisms. Beth (Justine D’Souza) rounded out the quartet of siblings.

The young ladies’ mother, Marmee (Monica Shah) encouraged her daughters to pursue happiness. Their Aunt March (Catherine LaMoreaux) tempered them. The two performers played these oppositional roles perfectly. Ms. Shah always spoke with a soothing, ethereal voice. Ms. LaMoreaux delivered her lines with the sternness of a drill sergeant.

During an exchange between Laurie and Jo, Nick Endo’s character informed Shauni Ramai’s, “You’re on fire.” Ms. Ramai’s performance made it difficult to determine whether Mr. Endo referred to the role or the person playing it.

Shauni Ramai shows an extraordinary ability to communicate her characters’ feelings through non-verbal means. Ms. Ramai exercised this skill throughout her performance as Jo. When discussing Jo’s corresponding with Professor Baer (Nathaniel Tomb) “a lot,” her mouth twitched slightly to express her interest in him. During a conversation with the professor, Ms. Ramai allowed a bright smile to develop on her face as she described Jo’s love of writing prose.

Ms. Ramai displayed the same aptitude when speaking the dialog. She spoke the show’s funniest line. When catching Mr. Boyer’s character wooing Anna Paone’s, she observed: “Aunt March, John Brook is acting dreadfully and Meg is liking it!” She also captured the character’s ambivalence over rejecting Laurie’s advances. Ms. Ramai’s tone showed Jo’s disappointment that he failed to contact her while traveling through her new home, New York City.        

Both Ms. Ramai and Anna Paone both delivered heartrending performances when discussing Beth’s illness. Justine D’Souza’s acceptance of Beth’s condition added to these scenes’ emotional impact.

As with previous radio shows Dragonfly presented, they broadcast authentic commercials. For this show, Thom Boyer’s smooth baritone promoted Lux Toilet Soap.

Two actors stepped in to play key roles just prior to the virtual call for “places.” Nick Endo volunteered to perform the Laurie character. Mr. Endo explained that he’d never done a cold reading under these circumstances. Even with his eleventh-hour entry into the cast, Mr. Tomb composed his own melody for a song he performed in a German accent.

Susan Roberts and Craig Mayer completed the cast. The former played Hannah and the servants; the latter portrayed Mr. Lawrence.

As Meg, Anna Paone observed, “Love and tears go very close together.” Dragonfly’s rendition of Little Women both moved and entertained the audience by showing them how much. The company posted a recording of the performance on their Facebook page.

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center’s upcoming programs will appeal to a variety of audience tastes. In addition to their regular Wednesday readings, they have scheduled plays for both theatrical fans and history afficionados.

In honor of Black History Month, they will present Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop on February 24^th. The latter depicts a fictitious account of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the evening before his assassination. On March 10^th, they will present Tennessee Women: a story regarding Volunteer State suffragists. They last brought it to the stage in 2020 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of women’s enfranchisement.

Archie Andrews: An Old-Time Radio Show Presented by the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center opened the new year with a Christmas reprise. The company presented a Holiday themed Archie Andrews comedy in the style of an old-time radio show.

Dragonfly became the latest community theatre company to revisit this classic art form. On January 13^th, they gave it a twenty first century makeover. Instead of tuning in on their dials, audience members logged on to Zoom and Facebook.

Archie (played by Nathaniel Tomb) planned to visit Veronica (Shauni Ramai) at 3:00 PM. She informed his dad, Fred (Arthur Gregory Pugh) that she needed to postpone their get together for an hour. She secretly wanted to go to Stacy’s Department Store to buy him a Christmas present. Upon discovering he had some free time, Archie decided to go Christmas shopping for her. He and Jughead (Tom Scudmore) also went to Stacy’s.

Fred realized that he still needed to purchase a gift for his wife Mary (Susan Roberts). He too went to the department store. Mary and Betty (Anna Paone) headed there to do some shopping of their own. Comic situations and misunderstandings followed. Each character attempted to avoid the character for whom they shopped. They also coped with the officious Floorwalker’s (Laura Paone) harassment.

The show included outstanding production for an internet performance. Excellent sound effects occurred throughout the show. They included a phone ringing and even the noise of Archie bumping into a mannequin. A musical score opened and closed the program.

To enhance the authenticity, the company performed an old-time commercial during the program. In addition to reading the stage directions, an enthusiastic Catherine LaMoreaux plugged Swift’s Premium Franks by praising their “dinner quality meats.”

The slang written into the script helped to transport audience members back to the Riverdale of the 1940s. Nathaniel Tomb’s high pitched “gee whiz” and Anna Paone’s “golly that Jughead” captured the essence of both.

The performers used outstanding voices for their characters. Shauni Ramai articulated a southern belle voice for Veronica. Tom Scudmore delivered a machine gun barrage of the word ha as Jughead.

Following her performance as Julia in Dragonfly’s rendition of The Room, Laura Paone showed herself just as adept at playing characters who exist in reality. As the Floorwalker, Ms. Paone became the perfect straight person for the comedic confrontations.

Her obnoxious tone and serious expression contrasted well opposite Nathaniel Tomb’s slow-witted Archie. When she accused him of stealing the jacket he wore into the store, he said that he’d pay for it then turn in the sales receipt to get his money back. Mr. Tomb delivered an awesome monolog of Archie’s realization that he then wouldn’t have a jacket.  

Laura Paone’s theft allegation against Mr. Pugh’s character led to another comedic outcome. He’d placed a bottle of perfume in his jacket to hide it when he saw his wife. He explained this to Ms. Paone’s character. When the Floorwalker didn’t see her, she suggested that he suffered from delusions. Ms. Paone inquired if he, “sees spots before his eyes.”

The comedy kept coming. While Susan Roberts’ character tried on a bathrobe, Anna Paone placed her dress and jacket on an empty rack. A store attendant (Matt Holbert) removed it without her noticing. Lacking anything else to wear, Ms. Roberts’ character walked around the store wearing just the robe. Once again, the Floorwalker accused a character of shoplifting. Ms. Roberts’ emotional explanation enhanced the humor.  

Even though performing a show intended for radio, Dragonfly didn’t black out the screen. A good artistic choice as it allowed the audience to experience the stellar facial expressions of Shauni Ramai, Nathaniel Tomb and Anna Paone.

Even in an era defined by smart phones, the internet and remote meetings, classic radio still endures. The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center paid a worthy tribute to an enduring art form.

Those who missed the original broadcast can watch the replay on their Facebook page.    

What’s in a Name? Presented by the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

A librarian by trade, playwright A. P. Scobolete crafted an unforgettable take on the seamy side of the stacks. The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presented an online reading of the unsettling, yet comical What’s in a Name? on November 18^th. 

Alene (played by Molly Barber), Amy (Susan Holtz) and Eileen (Anne Grippo) worked in a library funded in part by an unsettling benefactor. Mr. Smark (Barry Leonard) used both his financial influence and interest in erotic tomes to harass the librarians. They complained about his behavior to their manager, Antoine (Nathaniel Tomb). He responded that, “Patrons have a right to request any book they want.” He also reminded them of Mr. Smark’s financial generosity. After new hire Elaine (Ashley Biel) joined the team, the women decided to address Mr. Smark’s behavior themselves.  

The library’s issues exceeded those presented by their prurient patron. The staff also dealt with a micturating mutt, a malfunctioning copy machines and, in Queens at least, onanistic bibliomaniacs prowling the aisles.

This set-up certainly hooked the audience. The memorable performances the actors delivered kept those watching engaged for the entire show.           

Barry Leonard met the challenges of portraying Mr. Smark. Ms. Scobolete’s text depicted the character as a deviant. Mr. Leonard found the latent humor in this despicable figure. He found creative ways to bring it to the Zoom screen.

Mr. Leonard’s delivery made Mr. Smark into an embarrassing more than a threatening figure. The artistic choice allowed the audience to laugh at the character’s offensive dialog.  

Mr. Leonard ensured those watching could also chuckle at the person delivering it. The Zoom format limited the actor’s ability to perform the character’s extreme mannerisms. Mr. Leonard compensated through his use of exaggerated facial expressions. They made Mr. Smark’s inappropriate comments seem more like immature attempts at flirting.

Mr. Leonard’s chose appropriate attire for the character. The beige jacket, dark tie and white shirt suited someone with a fondness for twirling a cane.

One would struggle to think of any theatrical works featuring heroic librarians. Enter Molly Barber. Ms. Barber showed great imagination in her development of Alene. The performer displayed the character’s toughness when subjected to Mr. Smark’s unwanted advances. She showed the character’s professionalism and frustration when bringing the issue to her boss. Ms. Barber performed a memorable scene that introduced the audience to the mischievous and clever sides of Alene’s personality.

The four performers who played the librarians worked well opposite one another. Each captured her character’s unique personality. Ms. Barber portrayed Alene’s inner strength. Through her expressive reactions, Ms. Holtz played Amy as the emotional member of the quartet. Ann Grippo portrayed Eileen as the serious one. Ashley Biel played Elaine as the comedian. Her deadpan delivery made the one-liners sound even funnier.

 Susan Roberts’ dry wit enhanced the characters she portrayed. Nathaniel Tomb’s deep voice and slow speaking suited someone running a library. Anna Paone read the stage directions without flaw; quite an achievement since most of the characters’ names sounded alike.  Performers Catherine LaMoreau, Nimisha Patel and Monica Shah completed the cast. 

 In addition to the creativity of the overall story, the playwright showed imagination by working in the Shakespeare references. The show contained both serious and comical references to the Bard’s question: “What’s in a name?”

Ms. Scobolete’s play showed that books aren’t always the most interesting things in a library. During the talk back session, Ms. Scobolete told the audience that some real events inspired her to write this piece. Fans of What’s in a Name?  can hope the playwright has more experiences that may provide material for a sequel.  

Battles: New Plays about Conflict at the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center took the concept of conflict to a further stage this September 22^nd. As part of the company’s Tuesday night readings on Zoom and Facebook, they featured three 10-minute shows in which characters didn’t just clash: they battled. To the delight of theatre afficionados and the consternation of hockey fans, most of the combatants confined their fighting to the verbal variety.

            The evening opened with Matt Levy’s Just Jokes. To add authenticity to the piece, comedienne Erica Spera wrote the play’s quips. The show featured a verbal duel in which each character (Russell Dolan and Samantha Mishinski) took part in a roasting competition versus the other. Political campaigns seemed civil by comparison. As a twist, the playwright crafted a surprise ending that gave the piece heart. Matt Maran, Nick Endo and Justine D’Souza supported the cast.

            Show Me State playwright Deborah Tagasz showed writers how to innovate. Mr. Tagasz may have written the first play to include the trio of a 90s soft drink, a Yuletide gathering at a gas station and the town of Cloverdale, Indiana. Can of Surge and the Spirit of Christmas introduced the audience to two sisters (played by Justine D’Souza and Amanda Padilla). While traveling to a family gathering on Christmas Eve, they encountered car trouble. The hospitality of the gas station attendant (Susan Roberts) couldn’t prevent these sisters from engaging in that honored Holiday tradition of letting out their repressed anger at one another.

            The battle rolled into the emergency room compliments of Jane M. Lee’s Family Emergency. The premise fused the hostility of a Jerry Springer program with the warmth and irony of an O. Henry story. It also featured an unusual setting for a family get-together. A patient (Ann Gripps) entered the ER because of a head injury. Another one (Haneen Arafat Murphy) arrived due to a broken nose. In the course of treating these women, the doctor (Seema Shahane) figured out that they were both sisters. The physician could have swapped her stethoscope for a referee’s whistle when Ms. Gripps said, “I only get into altercations once a week.” Instead, the doctor opted to counsel the siblings.          

            Anna Paone introduced the show by warning the audience that it contained some “spicy” language. This seemed superfluous. As residents of the New York and New Jersey areas: isn’t that the only kind of language we understand?

            The actors in these pieces played outstanding opposites to one another. These approaches amplified the conflict. In Just Jokes, Ms. Mishinski’s Steven Wright-esqe demeanor contrasted well with Mr. Dolan’s animated approach. Ms. D’Souza, Ms. Padilla and Ms. Roberts all delivered strong performances that allowed Ms. Tagasz’s dialog to drive Can of Surge and the Spirit of Christmas’ story. During Family Emergency, Ms. Grippo delivered her lines a bit slower than normal speech whereas Ms. Murphy spoke at an accelerated pace.

            The characters engaged in vigorous skirmishes during the three pieces. Interestingly, all three playwrights crafted positive endings for their work. If only life could imitate art more often.  

New Plays about Relationships at the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center

Relationships provide a fruitful topic for writers graced by the inspiration of muses Melpomene and Thalia. 70 such playwrights submitted their takes on the subject to the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center. The group’s production team selected their three favorite shows. They then presented them during their most recent Tuesday reading broadcast on Facebook and Zoom. Your correspondent witnessed the latter this September 8^th.     

Australian playwright Adam Szudrich’s Rosa and Leo opened the program. Mr. Szudrich’s grandparents influenced this engaging tale about two Nazi concentration camp survivors. They fell in love while imprisoned, lost touch after their liberation then reconnected decades later. This story contained both poignancy and realism. The script included a host of comical counters. Mr. Sudrich showed cleverness through the way he crafted them. He applied these quips so that they balanced the overall story’s somber theme.

The setting worked well with the online format. The characters interacted with one another via a phone call.

Performer Susan Roberts played Rosa. She delivered her dialog with an authentic Jewish accent. She also dropped Mr. Sudrich’s zingers with aplomb. They included memorable witticisms. “Leo, some people make me weak in the knee, you make me weak in the stomach.” And: “There’s a nice place you should live. It’s called reality.”

Ms. Roberts relayed the tragic events of Rosa’s life movingly. The performer delivered a heartrending portrait of her life after the war. She described how the experience of the camp traumatized her marriage.          

Barry Leonard played Leo: a conflicted man. The character possessed sybaritic tendencies while feeling bound by “tradition.” In this complex personality, Mr. Leonard found his character’s heart. The performer expressed it best when he sang with Rosa. 

Playwright Vicki Riba Koestler’s drew inspiration from the recent college admissions scandal. Her show Anything for Addison, allowed the audience to sit in on Dr. Vera Carruthers’ (played by Amada Padilla) meeting with movie stars Jason Larkin (Jimmy Peoples) and his wife Daphne (Shauni Rami). Dr. Carruthers questioned the couple regarding anomalies on their daughter Addison’s application. The piece concluded with an outstanding plot twist.

Mr. Peoples played Jason as low-key. He remained calm under Ms. Padilla’s tough, yet professional questioning. Their demeanors contrasted very well with Ms. Rami’s Daphne.

Ms. Rami portrayed Daphne as a diva who just finished her tenth espresso of the morning. She utilized exaggerated gestures to express the character’s flamboyant personality. The quick flip of her hair from her shoulders and lowering and raising of her eyebrows were spectacular. Ms. Rami utilized her scarf as a prop brilliantly. She also performed a hysterical “Z-movie actress” attempt at a Scottish accent.

The final play in the trilogy also explored a topical subject. As in Mr. Szudrich’s play, the characters interacted via technology. Heidi Mae’s And You’re Bringing? showed the downside of inviting a “technically challenged” person to participate in a Zoom meeting. Sisters Jill (Laura Paone) and Wilma (Anna Paone) discussed the plans for their parents’ anniversary party. Enter exit re-enter and disappear again sister Dylan (Susan Holtz). The latter couldn’t manage the online format. Her screen cut out, she failed to center the camera properly and disconnected the other meeting participants.

As fans would expect from a Heidi Mae play, And You’re Bringing? contained a savory helping of humor. The menu for this party included vegan marshmallows. Wilma described one of the “losers” Dylan dated as getting “PTSD from working in a pizzeria.”  She told her Jill that her kids “live on cereal, mac and cheese and twenty-dollar bills.”

Getting cast to perform in one of Heidi Mae’s plays thrills thespians. The actresses in this one channeled that enthusiasm into their performances. Anna Paone spoke emphatically and used expressive hand gestures the entire show. Susan Holtz and Laura Paone delivered their own animated interpretations of Ms. Mae’s characters, as well.    

Anna Paone read the narration portions of each script to the audience. Since the performers didn’t act from a conventional stage, this aided spectators in understanding each playwright’s vision.

The Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center has been performing online readings since March. Those with better technical skills than Dylan who want to build a relationship with the organization, can also indulge their pleasure-seeking tendencies. Interested fans can apply their time to watching the Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center’s Tuesday evening readings on either Facebook or Zoom.