The Renaissance Guild

ActOne Series Volume XV Writers

PETER CAVELL is a writer, musician, & performer. He lives in Toronto with his soon-to-be wife and a ferocious cat. As a playwright, his scripts have been performed across the US and Canada. Recent productions include Tales of the Midnight Carnival (Fort Point Theatre Channel, Boston), Happily Ever After (11:11 Theatre, Boston), Death! The Musical (Electric Lethe Productions, London), and Walking the Labyrinth (Electric Lethe, London, Ottawa, and Toronto). Peter is also active as a voice-actor and composer, and is a Musical Director at The Second City in Toronto. More info on his work and adventures can be found at www.petercavell.com

JAMES MCLINDON ‘s play, Comes a Faery, has been selected for the 2010 O’Neill Playwrights Conference. He is currently in residence at CAP21 in New York developing his play, Salvation (formerly, Saving Grace), which will be produced there in 2010-11. His other plays have been developed and/or produced at theaters such as the Abingdon, hotINK Festival, Irish Repertory, Lark Play Development Center, the Estrogenius Festival, Penguin Repertory, Emerging Artists Theatre, and Love Creek Productions; Crossing the Divide Festival in the West End of London; Victory Gardens in Chicago; Lyric Stage and Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston; Colony Theatre, Theatricum Botanicum, Grove Theatre Center, and Circus Theatricals in Los Angeles; PlayPenn Conference, and the Arkansas Rep in Little Rock

JOE FEINSTEIN, up-and-coming 80-year-old playwright from The Bronx, with stops in Long Island, Manhattan, Los Angeles, and suburban Detroit, taught high school and college English, and, as a psychologist, did substance abuse therapy. Productions – short plays – Cornwall-on- Hudson; Sioux Falls; Lebanon, PA; Ann Arbor, Oregon St. Univ.; Paw Paw, MI; Ohio St. Univ.; St.Ives Theatre, Cornwall, UK. One-act play: UNFINISHED BUSINESS, off-off-Broadway. Full-length comedies: BETTER THAN MONEY; THE LAST OF THE AZTECS at Village Players in Birmingham, MI, and AZTECS in L.A.

LARRY PARR ’s awards include HI-HAT HATTIE, Kansas City’s Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, Florida Individual Artist Recipient for HI-HAT HATTIE, INVASION OF PRIVACY, and HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theater’s Annual Play Competition with MY CASTLE’S ROCKIN’ and SUNDEW, and Florida Studio Theatre’s Short Play Competition, STAGES ‘93, and the 1994 Porter Fleming Playwriting Competition. MY CASTLE’S ROCKIN’ was produced at the National Black Theatre Festival. INVASION OF PRIVACY won the 1999 Gold Coast Players best-play award and The National Arts Club’s Playwrights First Award in Manhattan. American Cinema Foundation’s first prize for his screenplay about Hattie McDaniel, and the Sarasota County Arts Council’s John Ringling Fellowship Grant for HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW.

SHARON LISA SMITH was born and raised in Berkeley California, and moved to San Antonio in 94 with her husband and two kids. She is signed with Condra Artista Talent Agency and has done several T.V Commercials and Prints Ads. She has also done several stage plays with Bmo Holy Production, TGR and True Vision Church. She loves writing and directing plays and has her own production company- Hallelujah Films. I love God and my Family and always try to keep peace.

T. JAMES BELICH has written nearly two dozen plays which have been performed as near as Minnesota and as far away as Africa and Australia. Currently he has plays published by Pioneer Drama Service, Playscripts Inc., Heuer Publishing and Big Dog Plays. In 2009 his children’s play “The Princess and the Moon” took 2nd place in East Valley Children’s Theatre’s Aspiring Playwrights contest. In addition to writing, James has also appeared on stage in roles such as Malvolio in “Twelfth Night” and Father Flynn in “Doubt.” He currently resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his wife Kelly and son Jasper. www.playwrighting.org

ActOne Series Volume XIV Writers

Jeanette D. Farr is a playwright and actress originally from Turlock, California, holds an MFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in playwriting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her plays have been produced Off-off Broadway, Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, Singapore, and Japan. Her work has been recognized by the Nevada Arts Council, The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. She is published through Dramatic Publishing, Smith & Kraus, and orignalworksonlinepublishing.com. Many of her plays are posted on www.theatrehistory.com.

Keisha Poiro Since her first production with the Renaissance Guild in 2008, Keisha Poiro’s plays have debuted in London, New York City, Chicago and Michigan. Later this month, her play “Mother-in-War” will debut with the Brevard Little Theatre in Connecticut. Keisha is also a screenwriter, having two short films produced in 2008 and recently optioning her first Hollywood movie script. She has an M.A. from the University of Oklahoma, lives near Dallas, TX and is forever grateful to the Renaissance Guild for first bringing her work to life.

Rebecca Burroughs Ms. Burroughs earned her B.S. in theatre at Southern Illinois University. Her awards include numerous Houston new play reading series, 1999 Rocky Mt. Theatre Association’s contest for $500, 2002 New Colorado Voices for $200 and a production, short plays in the 2004 Playwrights Showcase of the Western Region and the 2005 Colorado Quickies, a public reading in the 2007 Hill Country Community Theatre Playwrights Festival and a short play in the 2009 Play Fest at the San Pedro Playhouse. She’s honored to be with TRG in their new home at the Carver Center.

Dean Lundquist is an award-winning playwright/director originally from Ventura, CA who now makes his home in Singapore. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and holds an M.A. in Theatre Arts from UNLV. He is currently pursuing his MFA in dramatic writing at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts-Asia. His plays have been produced in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Canada and across the United States. Dean is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. Website: www.deanlundquist.com

Trish Sugarek has been writing for fourteen years. Her plays range from prison stories to children’s fables. She has enjoyed a thirty year career in theatre as an actor and director. Hailing originally from Seattle, she has worked in theatres across the country. In 2004 Samuel French/Bakers Plays published two of her plays and has recently published “The Exciting Exploits of an Effervescent Elf”. Her children’s plays all center around Cheets, the effervescent elf. Her ten minute play, “The Waltz” was published in a text book in Cordoba, Argentina.
Trish wants to thank The Renaissance Guild for their support of her work over the years. “To see one’s written word up on stage is the greatest gift a writer can be given”. Visit Trish’s web site at www.writeratplay.com.

Darrell Pittman is an enigma. He once watched 18 high school basketball games during a 3 day weekend. Yet, in between games 17 and 18 he wrote a poem about South African shanty towns, while sitting in an art gallery in Austin Texas. Nikki Giovanni is his favorite author while Dr. Who is his favorite television show. His musical interests range from Stevie Wonder to Willie Nelson to Rachmaninoff to Ludacris to Ladysmith Black Mumbazo. Still, above all else he would also like to publicly thank the person who decided to butter the pecans before putting them into ice cream!

Shannon McLoud is a theatre instructor from Rhode Island, and is constantly writing scripts for her students. Shannon also enjoys directing and performing and is currently pursuing a degree in English Language & Literature with a minor in Creative Writing with Southern New Hampshire University. Shannon is happily married to her biggest fan for 7 years, and the proud Mommy of a 15 month old son. This play came from a long running joke in her marriage, as her husband had a dog named Herbie who was sent to a farm. To this day her in-laws stand by that story!

Ben Tremillo has been writing since the tender age of thirteen, when his heart was broken and his only comfort was filling the empty pages of despair. He’s better now and has been published in various print and online journals, as well as the anthology “Is This Forever, Or What?: Poems and Paintings from Texas”. His ten minute play “The Philosophy of Waiting” was performed by The Overtime Theater in 2008 as part of the San Antonio Playwrights’ Festival. He is a San Antonio native.

ActOne Series Volume XIII Writers

Rich Espey is a playwright and teacher living in Baltimore. His plays have been produced all over the US, but never in Texas! Rich is a two time winner of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival and his award-winning play Hope’s Arbor was produced by Gallery Players in New York City in June, 2008. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, a member of Lizard Claw Playwrights, has served as Chair of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival and proudly teaches science at The Park School of Baltimore. Check out samples of his work and a production history at www.richespey.net.

EM Lewis‘ plays have been produced around the country. SONG OF EXTINCTION won the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award from the American Theater Critics Association, the EcoDrama Playwrights Festival, the Ashland New Plays Festival and the Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play, and was named 2008 Production of the Year by the LA Weekly. Other plays include Iraq War hostage drama HEADS (Best of 2007 in the LA Times, and Primus Prize winner) and INFINITE BLACK SUITCASE. Lewis is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She lives in southern California now – but she’s from Oregon.

Trish Sugarek, a Published playwright, began her acting career in 1978. She has been writing since 1995. She has completed a collection of short plays entitled, CHILD’S PLAY appropriate for the classroom. Her twelve plays range from prison stories to children’s fables. Trish’s work has been featured in numerous play festivals and community theatre venues in New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Chicago, and Texas.
Samuel French has published Trish’s full length plays The Guyer Girls and Emma and the Lost Unicorn and The Exciting Exploits of an Effervescent Elf. These plays have been produced in Washington DC and Boston. The Waltz was published in a text book in Cordoba, Argentina.
Trisha’s adult drama plays have been produced across the country in new Play Festivals and community theatre. Trish recently completed her first children’s book, Stanley, the Stalwart Dragon.

Alex Broun
Born in Sydney, Australia, Alex has enjoyed considerable success in theatre, TV and film as a writer, actor and director. As a writer he has had many plays performed in the USA, South Africa, Canada, Singapore, the UK, Taiwan, the Philippines, Pakistan, Japan and Australia. He has also twice received funding from the Australian Film Commission as well as recently having two short screenplays filmed. One of the world’s leading ten minute playwrights, in recent years he has had over 40 short plays produced in over 200 productions across the globe. He has also recently had three ten-minute plays published in the USA. He is currently the Artistic Director of Short + Sweet Theatre, the largest ten minute play festival in the world that currently plays in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Singapore and Malaysia. Alex lives in Sydney, Australia. He has also recently launched a new website – www.alexbroun.com – where you can access and download many of his plays free of charge.

Dave Tucker is a Seattle playwright whose works have been produced from Seattle to South Africa. His full length drama “If Spiders Made Honey” premiered in Seattle earlier this month and his Christmas comedy “The Last Noel” will debut in Santa Cruz, CA this Fall. Dave also wrote the book and lyrics of the musical “THUGS: A Musical Mafiasco,” and co-wrote the music in collaboration with composer Kim Douglass. Dave is a member of the Seattle Playwrights Studio and the Dramatists Guild.
More info at www.davetucker.org

ActOne Series Volume XII Writers

Hector Machado has performed at various theatres in his native San Antonio over the last decade. He’s also appeared in various independent and industrial films as well as commercials. Hector has enjoyed working with TRG several times as an actor including A Midsummer Nights Dream and Frankenstein. Sunday Drive is his first production as a playwright. Most recently he directed the ActOne Series production, Cleaver. A graduate of the University of Houston , he’s a registered architect and an associate with a local firm. Special thanks to loving wife, Kimberly, for her support, proofreading and feedback.

Michael L. Mercer, 56, is a native of Jackson, Tenn., who has been living and working in San Antonio since August 2001. He worked more than 20 years as a journalist at The Jackson ( Tenn. ) Sun and seven years as a journalism professor at Auburn ( Ala. ) University. Mercer is the journalism instructor and newspaper adviser at the University of the Incarnate Word. He has been married nearly 30 years to the former Kathey Morris, a retired schoolteacher, of Jackson , Tenn. They have two daughters: Dione Michelle Mercer Bedell of Opelika, Ala., and Wanita Nicole Mercer of San Antonio.

Stacey Lane’s plays have been seen at over seventy theatres from coast to coast in the U.S., as ll as in Canada, England, and Australia. She was recently nominated for “Outstanding Playwriting for a New Script of a Play or Book of a Musical” at the Midtown International Theatre
Festival in NYC. Lane is published with Playscripts, Inc. (http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1372), Smith and Kraus, Manhattan Theatre Source, San Luis Obispo Little Theatre, and Scene4 Magazine. She is the recipient of a 2008 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation playwriting fellowship. Special thanks to the Renaissance Guild and you, the audience, for supporting new works. StaceyLanePlaywright@yahoo.com.

Darrell Pittman is happily married to his wife, Khanthaly. He has three wonderful children Marquise, Aisha and Phaunsavanh. His creative outlet is writing and performing original poetry.
He has performed his poetry throughout the state. Some of his more memorable poetry performances include performing in a biker bar and working with the world renowned performance poetry band, “The Wagging Tongues.” Darrell has written three one act plays and this is the second to be produced. Darrell would also like to take this time to publicly thank the person who decided to butter the pecans before putting them into ice cream. Yummy!

Keisha Poiro is a former Honolulu arts and entertainment columnist whose work can also be seen on sites like www.tuppenceworth.ie and www.the-beat.co.uk. In addition to non-fiction, she also writes for stage and screen. In February 2008, her script “Suburban Psycho” was produced by Showbiz Shorts in Los Angeles . In May 2008, her play “Cleaver” was part of the Act One Series by the Renaissance Guild in San Antonio, TX and next month, her one-act play “Mighty Real” will debut in Chicago , Il . Keisha graduated from John Marshall High School in the mid-90s, earned her M.A. from the University of Oklahoma and currently lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas.

ActOne Series Volume XI Writers

Amy Whittenberger moved to Chicago in 2006 after graduating from Florida State University with a B.A. in Theatre. She is the Co-Artistic Director of the Tympanic Theatre Company and her work was been featured in their first production, “Splintered Crosses.” Other credits include Chicago Dramatist’s “Instant Playwright Series,” and “Crowd Pleaser” at The Barestage Theatre in California. Upcoming credits include “The Chicago Chronicles” with The American Theatre Company and “The House Of Weird Death” with Tympanic Theatre. Amy is also a proud member of The Second City Conservatory.

Chantel Linay was born in Spokane Washington to military parents. Her childhood was filled with continual moves from city to city because of her father’s employment in the military. Her schooling consisted of various elementary schools from Mississippi to England, from Alaska to Texas and various locales in between. She went to high school in San Antonio and attended college in Austin Texas. Writing “The Visit” her my first attempt at writing any type of play. She plans to continue her learning and eventually write a full length three act play.

Keisha Poiro is a former Honolulu arts and entertainment columnist whose work can also be seen on sites like www.tuppenceworth.ie and www.the-beat.co.uk. In addition to non-fiction, she also writes for stage and screen. In February 2008, her short script “Suburban Psycho” was produced by Showbiz Shorts in Los Angeles. Most recently, her play “Potty Mouth” was a finalist in FUSION Theatre’s
annual playwriting contest. “Cleaver” is her first stage production. Keisha graduated from John Marshall High School in 1998 and lives in Dallas, Texas.

Kim Bryant Smith has spent more than 30 years as an actor, playwright and poet. He has performed with the Muny Opera and the Black Repertory Theater both in his native St. Louis, Missouri. He now resides in Houston, Texas where he has continued work with theater helping to form the Bridge Players, a church theater group. In 2003, he published his first novel titled For Better or Worse. His writings focus on relationships and family dynamics where he draws upon his own and others experiences.

P. G. Marlar grew up in Los Angeles and retired in San Antonio after a military career. He is a graduated of the University of Maryland with a degree in English. He is an experienced actor with a résumé that includes both film and stage roles. He is a published author (Petroleum Jelly, Publish America) as well as an accomplished screenplay writer.
Mr. Marlar supports the growth of the film making San Antonio. He so believes southeast Texas is the future of the entertainment community. He is a founding partner in AlaMotion Productions of San Antonio, which is currently raising financing for two projects based on his screenplays.

Rachelle Neuman graduated from The University of Incarnate Word with a B.A. in theater. Her first work as a playwright was a full length play titled Brown Pigs and Burgers which ran for five weeks at the Woodlawn Theater. Several of Rachelle’s original short plays were performed as part of the play fest with the Renaissance Theater Guild and at the Steven Stoli’s Theater. In the summer of 2005 Rachelle wrote, directed and performed in, The Three Faces of Yitzhak in Akko, Israel Last November, Rachelle co-wrote and directed an original piece titled Dafur Calls. The musical Hattitude by Rachelle with music by Linda Kaufman and will be performed at the Josephine Theater in August.

Torence White thanks God for the talents he has been blessed with and wants to use them for His glory. Torence made his stage debut in 2005 in Bobby McMorris’ “I’m Still A Man.” He acted in two other plays under McMorris’ direction, “One Way Out” and “Something From The Past.” He also acted in a modern day adaptation of John Steinback’s “Of Mice and Men” and was in TRG’s ActOne Series X. Now, Torence is doing what he has always enjoyed doing, writing. This is his first time to write a stage play and he hopes to write many more pieces, not just for stage, but for novels as well as screenplays.