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| The Catholic Church is on trial in Rosaries
and Vodka, a new play written and directed by Daniel
Haben Clark at LaMaMa ETC beginning on March 24th. The wrenching
new work is a character study chronicling an Irish Catholic woman whose
life journey between the depression and the postwar era is a case study
on the failure of the Catholic Church’s stubborn policy on divorce.
Posey Malone, a beautiful young woman with two children is abandoned by her alcoholic husband in the midst of the Great Depression. Although allowed to get a civil divorce for legal convenience, she is forbidden by the church to remarry while her ex is still alive; this would amount to self excommunication. Of necessity she enters the business world and becomes very successful for a woman in that period. Despite her great virtue, her attractiveness leads to her being pursued by many men. She likes, and even loves, some of them. Despite many opportunities, she never marries due to her devoted following of Church doctrine. Slowly she turns to drink herself. In early middle age her ex-husband dies suddenly, leaving her finally free. But her trials and tribulations do not end there. Through all of this her faith never waivers. Posey grows old. While she has been true to her religion, it has betrayed her. At the end, she is still leaning on the twin props of her existence, 'Rosaries and Vodka'. DANIEL HABEN CLARK (Author and Director) has done a number of plays at La Mama, ETC going back to 1964. They include The Acting Lesson, The Singing Lesson, An Interview, Love Me or I'll Kill You, The Dowager's Hump, and Tiny Tim and the Size Queen. Fairly early in his career, he took to directing his own plays 'in self-defense.’ In 1998, he returned to acting, after a forty year hiatus, in an out-of-town production of Tiny Tim. He also appeared in the film version. Daniel also appears in this production of Rosaries & Vodka in a number of historically relevant 'cameo' appearances. 
KAT JAMESON (Posey Malone) Originally from Key West, Kat has appeared in The Stepford Wives, on TV in Law and Order and As The World Turns. In addition, she has appeared in many independent films. JOE DE FEO (Lewis, Teddy, Ned) Appeared at Tosos Two in Movie Lover and Street Theater. He was in the films NBA Jammin', Slasher Film, Horror Film and Gunner Jake. On TV he has appeared on L.A. Law. ALIZA HEDGES (Isela, Joanie, Secretary, Linda Lay, Lorraine) trained at Oxford University and Regents College in the UK. She recently played Abigail in Circle in the Square's The Crucible, Mary in War Times, and Morgan in the independent film Ghost Tours. BRENDAN BURKE (Jack, Pierre, Sonny) Winner of a "Spotty" award, Brendan has appeared in many Spotlight On festivals including roles in Michael Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Chalk It Up. He hails from Ottawa. EUGENE SOLFANELLI (Pat Murphy, Announcer, Omar and Kent Landesman the Third) In addition to acting, Eugene serves as Managing Director of the Rising Phoenix Theater Company. As an actor and fight choreographer, he was most recently seen in Boston in Edith Stein by Arthur Giron. MELISSA NEARMAN (Elaine) has played Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, Madge in Picnic and the title role in Desdemona, a Play About a Handkerchief. JORGE RIOS (Gus, Caryl, Viktor) Born and educated in Santiago, Chile and in New York. Jorge spent many yeas as one of the Singing Rios Bros, touring the world, playing concerts, TV, clubs, etc. from the Catskills to Madrid and Mexico. As an actor, he has done about 15 Off-Broadway shows in venues such as the Blackfriars Theater, the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, the Hudson Guild and the Wesbeth Theater. His many TV commercials and voice overwork crowd his resume. Mr. Rios writes music and lyrics in several languages and is an accomplished pianist. He thanks God for keeping him active for so many years. MARJORIE CONN (Della, Lady Eve, Leticia) was acknowledged with an award by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force for her contribution to Gay and Lesbian theatre in Provincetown. She is also founder of Conn Artist Performance Event (C.A.P.E.) Inc. & the Ptown Fringe Festival, a nonprofit theatre company that believes in giving everyone a chance. Conn has performed the play Lorena Hickok & Eleanor Roosevelt: A Love Story by Pat Bond all over the country. It is the longest running show in Provincetown since 1994. The companion piece written by Conn, The Honeymoon Years of Eleanor Roosevelt & Lorena Hickok premiered in 2002. This and two of Conn’s other plays, Miss Lizzie A. Borden Invites You For Tea and Thar She Blows: Disguised as a Boy She Went A’Whaling are published in Lost Lesbian Lives. She can be reached at connartists@yahoo.com CHRIS KELLY (Jesus, Voice of the Faithful,
Stage Manager) Chris appeared in Sin Times Seven at the Greenwich Street
Theater last October. He has his own cable TV show, Sunrise Fitness in
Philadelphia. He is also a poet. |
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