Betsy is Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored!

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A new children's show written by Judy Sheehan

Directed by Amanda Thompson

October 16 - November 21

Looking Glass Theatre, celebrating almost 20 years of productions strengthening the voice of women in theater and the arts, proudly presents Betsy is Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored, BORED!, a new play for children which explores the power of imagination written by Judy Sheehan, one of the original cast members of the long-running Off-Broadway show Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. Looking Glass resident director Amanda Thompson directs the production, which opens Saturday, October 16 and runs through Sunday, November 21 with performances Saturdays at 12pm and 2pm, Sundays at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under. TDF vouchers are accepted. Running time is approximately 50 minutes without intermission; show is appropriate for ages 3-10.

As the play begins, audiences of all ages meet poor Betsy, who is stuck at home on a rainy Saturday, when her parents say the single most annoying thing any parent can say: use your imagination. Hah! Betsy imagines herself as a star balloon baseball player, a famous Egyptologist, and a scientist/inventor with a talking cat for a best friend. It’s all fun and games until her imagination comes to life and moves in with the family. Imagination is way more powerful than Betsy ever suspected. Parents: be warned. After seeing this show, your kids might unleash the power of imagination. Yikes!

Playwright Judy Sheehan, a New York City parent and the tenth of 12 children, has written many works, including two plays for kids: I Hate Spinach and Betsy Blue or I Was A 9-Year Old Blues Diva, both produced at Looking Glass Theatre. She’s written numerous other plays, including Alice In Ireland and What To Do About Nothing. Sheehan is also the author of two novels: ...And Baby Makes Two and Women In Hats, both published by Ballantine.

Director Amanda Thompson is a New York City based director and acting teacher. At Looking Glass Theatre, she has instructed two sessions of acting interns and directed numerous productions including Badger and Maddy, Potato Girl, and Ampersand: a Romeo & Juliet Story Acts One and Two (winning Best Direction and Best Production among other Forum awards). NYC credits include Hatching (NYC Fringe), Dismemberment (Player’s Theatre), Dismissing Robert Fink and Litmus (Manhattan Rep Theatre). Thompson has assisted for directors Lear Desbessonet and Rachel Dickstein, and playwright (and Obie-winning actor) Heidi Schreck.

This new production features an ensemble of Looking Glass rookie and veteran performers, including Toccara Castleman, Suzee Dunn, Ryan McCurdy, Jacquelyn Schultz and Mary Beth Walsh. Creative team includes: Christina Neubrand (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Kelsey Lynn Stokes (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) and Ryan Metzler (Lighting Designer).

Click here for company bios.

LOOKING GLASS THEATRE - Looking Glass Theatre’s mission is to theatrically and truthfully reflect a female vision on the stage while creating a community of artistic freedom. We fulfill this by presenting female directors' visions of original works or the classics and by staging new plays either written or directed by women. This includes children’s shows and educational programming as well as our semi-annual festival of new works, featuring emerging women playwrights and directors, each season. In 2009 nytheatre.com said, “Looking Glass Theatre deserves kudos for consistently programming affordable shows for families that really are produced and staged with the youngest theater-goers in mind.” In 2008, The New York Times called Looking Glass Theatre’s Adventures of the Puppet Princess “charming” and “especially amusing to children under 10...a substantial introduction to the culture of Bali.”

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BETSY IS BORED, BORED, BORED, BORED, BORED!

October 16 - November 21, 2010

SCHEDULE: Saturday @ 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., Sunday @ 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

TICKET PRICE: $15 Adults, $12 Children 12 and under

This show is now closed.

ADDRESS: 422 West 57th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, DOWNSTAIRS

APPROPRIATE FOR AGES 3-10!

COMPANY BIOS

TOCCARA CASTLEMAN (Leah) is very excited to use her imagination to play a lovable cat in the production of Betsy is Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored! In real life, she plays an actress, writer and super fun human being who loves the color blue, Chicago and puppies! Find out more about her at toccara-castleman.com.

SUZEE DUNN (Sis) has been in New York City for two years now! She grew-up in Cereal City USA (Battle Creek, MI). Suzee started her relationship with Looking Glass Theatre this summer through through Planet Connections, then came onboard as a summer acting intern, and now gets to be in a show! YAY! She loves to nanny/ babysit for a living and truly enjoys kids! Suzee loves owning on the wii and eating macaroni and cheese! She also hopes you have an awesome day! Peace and love. ILY KE iv

RYAN McCURDY (Dad) is pleased to be making his New York stage debut with Looking Glass Theatre. He has been in New York just over six weeks, having arrived from Savannah, GA, where he enjoyed playing roles such as Bobby Strong, Bat Boy, Jamie Wellerstein, Juror #5, and Love Potion #9. As a musical director, he has enjoyed playing such scores as Pippin, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Rocky Horror Show. During the work week, he can be found at Signature Theatre Company as their marketing intern. He is frequently very tall. When he is not on stage, he enjoys drinking sweet tea and wearing 3D glasses at 2D movies. Thank you to Amanda and his fellow castmates for such a fun experience, and, of course, love to his parents! You can keep up with him at ryanmccurdy.com, which seemed to make more sense than jimgalentes.com. Bye!

JACQUELYN SCHULTZ (Betsy) is thrilled to be in this fun show! At last, being a child at heart has paid off! She hopes that everyone will use their imaginations from now on! Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

MARY BETH WALSH (Mom) is thrilled to be returning to Looking Glass Theatre. A graduate of James Madison University, she recently completed two years as a touring actor for Theatre IV in Richmond, VA before moving to The Big Apple. Mary Beth's favorite color is GREEN and she loves to build tents out of bedsheets and pretend she is an explorer! Thank you to Looking Glass for giving me the opportunity to shine and thank you to my friends and family for your love and support. Friend/Family love!

JUDY SHEEHAN (Playwright) is the author of two novels: ...And Baby Makes Two and Women In Hats, both published by Ballantine. She has also written many plays, including Alice In Ireland and What To Do About Nothing. She has written two plays for kids: I Hate Spinach and I Was A 9-Year Old Blues Diva, both produced at Looking Glass Theatre. Those were fun. Judy is the mother of a great kid named Annie, and is the tenth of twelve children. Her bedroom wall is decorated with handbags, backpacks and purses of many styles and colors.

AMANDA THOMPSON (Director) is a New York City based director and acting teacher. Previously at the Looking Glass she has taught two classes of acting interns and directed four times in their Writer/Director Forum including Badger and Maddy, Potato Girl, and Ampersand: a Romeo & Juliet Story acts one and two (both acts winning best Direction and best Production among other awards). Other NYC credits include Dismemberment (Player's Theatre), Hatching (Fringe Festival), Dismissing Robert Fink and Litmus (Manhattan Rep Theatre), A House Full of Dust (Wings Theatre), Life is a Dream (Festival of Fools), and Baldy (Abingdon Theatre). She has assisted for directors Lear Desbessonet and Rachel Dickstein, and playwright Heidi Schreck. She graduated from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Theatre and Psychology, where she directed One for the Road and Weldond Rising. Thanks so much to the cast and the staff at the Looking Glass.

KELSEY LYNN STOKES (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) is an actress and novelist/playwright hailing from Canada, having also lived in Dubai, U.A.E for six years. She is currently attending the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, expecting to graduate in May 2011. Her first novel, Clouded Visions, was published in 2008 by IUniverse. In addition to several shorts, you will be able to see her as ‘Ali’ in an upcoming independent feature film entitled Monitor. Kelsey would like to thank all cast and crew members at Looking Glass Theatre for the opportunity to be involved with Betsy.

CHRISTINA NEUBRAND (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with Looking Glass Theatre on Betsey is Bored… She is a native Texan who recently moved back to The Big Apple after working as the Drama Specialist at St. John’s Episcopal School in Dallas where she directed and choreographed Bye Bye Birdie, Everyman, Barnum, and Cinderella. Christina earned her M.A. from NYU in Educational Theatre and is delighted to be working as a teaching artist in the city facilitating a multitude of after school programs from cooking with five year olds to theatre making with high schoolers. Some of Christina’s favorite roles include Medusa in Persephone with MBS Productions, Riff in Puss in Boots with Theatre Britain, and Kim in Bye Bye Birdie with Brooklyn Family Theatre. She is also a company member of The Drama Club. Christina loves gold fish, silly bands, and slumber parties with her BFF.

RYAN METZLER (Light Design / Sound Design) is the former Light Designer in Residence for Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and Looking Glass Theatre. Select New York credits include: Stone Cold Dead Serious (Clurman Theater at Theatre Row); North of Providence (Altered Stages); Eden (chashama); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (The Richmond Shepard Theatre); and La Boheme (Inwood Shakespeare Festival). He has been active in charity work, designing for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit One Night Only (Loews Theater, Jersey City, NJ), the musical Hear Our Song (Riverspace Arts Center, Nyack, NY) for the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, and Songs for a New World (Beckett Theatre at Theater Row) for the PM3 Foundation. Ryan has ALWAYS wanted to build a model airplane out of Cheerios.