EVE OF BELTANE Will Premiere At Broadway Bound Festival

Izen and Koepfinger's "Eve of Beltane" tells the oh so familiar tale of forbidden love and examines the very fabric of its nature. Beyond time, beyond space, we find that divine love can penetrate all boundaries - race, nation, and class. This timeless drama features the music and lyrics of Joe Izen with Henry Aronson as Musical Director. Cailín Heffernan will direct. Production Stage Management is by Byron C. Saunders.

"Eve of Beltane" will be presented as a staged reading at The Lion Theatre, 410 W42st St, Theatre Row in the Broadway Bound Festival on August 6, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. and will highlight the talents of Buzz Roddy, Brooke Davis, Erikka Walsh, James Scheider, Paul Sheehan, Sandra Bargman, and Warren Kelley.

Coni Koepfinger (Playwright) Artist and Educator, Coni Koepfinger has taught theatre, literature and composition at Carnegie Mellon and other universities. As playwright-in-residence at Manhattan Rep and Cosmic Orchid Theatre and host of Airplay and Determined Women, Coni is known for connecting artists all over the world. She is co- chair for the National Schoolhouse, a staff writer for the International Center for Women Playwrights and The Center for Conscious Creativity; on the Media Board of the Lifeboat Foundation; a member of The Dramatists Guild and the League of Professional Theatre Women. Her plays have been published/ produced worldwide. Recent works were included the "MeToo" Festival in Harlem; the "Untold Stories of Jewish Women" in Manhattan; and The New American Play contest in LA. So far this year, her "Playing Fate" was chosen for New Blood Series at esteemed Theatre for the New City and "Josie Divine In the Bardo", premiered Off- Off Broadway at the Medicine Show Theatre.

Joe Izen (Playwright) Singer, Songwriter, Dramatist , Joe Izen was born in the city of Binghamton, New York. He began his musical career at an early age, performing at local venues. After attending The King's College, with a degree in Literature and Theatre, he moved to New York and was a regular entertainer at The Bitter End, The Metro Café, The Café Wah, and The Village Gate. He was also a performer at The Improv and Catch A Rising Star. In 1975, he was a featured Artist in a concert at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

While living in New York, Arranger/Producer Larry Fallon, who orchestrated many of Cy Coleman's musicals and was the Conductor/Arranger on Peggy Lee's One Woman show on Broadway, sought Joe out when he was about to record his first solo album in L.A. He asked if Joe would co-write and sing on the record. The two collaborated and recorded what was to become the Jazz fusion work, known as "Finalmente." Billboard Magazine had high praise for both the instrumental and vocal work. The album was produced and distributed by A.V.I. Records.

Upon returning to New York, Joe quite rapidly became a much sought after solo vocalist and studio musician on many popular National and International commercials, including Coke, Coors Light , Chrysler, Dole Fruit, Folger's Coffee and Budweiser. He once again teamed up with his mentor and friend, Larry Fallon, to record an album on the Barclay International Label called "Breeze," where Joe co-wrote and sang on several of the tracks.

As a longtime student and lover of Theater and member of the Screen Actors Guild as well as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Joe was asked to step in as the Director of several regional musicals, including "Annie," "Grease," and "Sound of Music," as well as Jean Anouilh's "Antigone" and the much lighter "Love Letters." Shortly thereafter, Joe was inspired to write the Musical "Verush" about a young European Woman sold into captivity and her struggle to survive in a foreign land. Joe is the Author, Composer and Lyricist on this very exciting work and hopes to bring it to Broadway in the near future. He also has three other properties which are currently under development with his writing partner Coni Koepfinger from Carnegie Mellon University. Joe is Co-Author, Composer and Lyricist on "Eve of Beltane" "Schoolhouse" and "Kingdom Come." As a Songwriter, Joe has been a Contract Writer at Warner Brothers Publishing and has recorded on the A.B. C. Label, A.V.I. International Records and Barclay International Records. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, B.M.I. Music, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He currently makes his home in New Jersey.

Cailín Heffernan (Director) Cailín Heffernan is Associate Artistic Director of Boomerang Theatre Company; Resident Director, National Schoolhouse; Creative Artist with DionysusFest, Athens Greece; and Artistic Advisor, New Light Theatre Company. Formerly, she was Resident Director (2005-11) and Artistic Advisor (2011-17) of Texas Family Musicals; Resident Director of Boomerang Theatre Company (2008-13); Founder/Artistic Director of Manhattan Dance/Theater (1980-98); and Producing Artistic Director of School of Performing Arts at YWCA of NYC (1994-1997).

She most recently directed the highly regarded solo show, "Places," written by and starring Romy Nordlinger at Dixon Place, The Player's Club, and HERE Arts in 2019 produced by Pat Addiss and Laura Fay Lewis. "Places" is set to participate in the Kennedy Center Festival in Washington, D.C. in August and have a month's run in rep with two other female solo shows at the 14th Street Y in March 2020. She directed multi-Obie and Drama Desk winner Kathleen Chalfant in Emmy and WGA Award Winner Rose Leiman Goldemberg's Letters Home for the Lincoln Center Archives. Other recent works were the hugely successful developmental production of "Loveless Texas"at the Sheen Center written/directed/choreographed by Heffernan with music/lyrics by Broadway veteran produced by Boomerang Theatre Company, Henry Aronson; assembled an international cast in an experimental production including the disciplines of Delsarte, Dalcroze, Mime, Live Foley, Music and Dance with Monte Cristo by Jared Reinmuth at Urban Stages presented by New Light Theatre Project; and the devised, immersive musical in a tavern, "Impossible But True" by Dan Furman.

She is the author of two plays - "Rebel Hearts" and "Blooddrinker", the new musical, "Loveless Texas" with composer/lyricist Henry Aronson; and the trilogy of novels, "The House of Atreus".

Henry Aronson (Music) Broadway: MD, "Rock of Ages", "Grease", "The Times They Are A-Changin'", "In My Life", "Little Shop", "Rent", "Rocky Horror", "Starmites". Associate Conductor, "Cry Baby", "Good Vibrations", "Parade", "Saturday Night Fever", "Mail", "Prince of Central Park"; Assistant Conductor, "The Who's Tommy"; Associate Conductor/Piano soloist, "Rocktopia". Off-Broadway: Musical Supervisor, "Rock of Ages"; MD, "King Lear" (Public Theater), "Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera" (NYMF). Conductor, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. In development: Sarah Silverman's "The Bedwetter" (Atlantic Theater Co.), The Wanderer", (Paper Mill Playhouse 2019-20 season). Composer/lyricist of "Loveless Texas" (book by Cailín Heffernan) (Sheen Center, NYC).

Byron C. Saunders (Stage Manager) Byron C. Saunders is an actor, writer, and producer. Recently working on The BCS Experience: History-Arts-Culture-Politics in Review and Discussion, Byron looks at "obscure events in American History and the people who changed the world." As an administrator, he has been a grant writer and business manager.

The Broadway Bound Festival produces playwrights' new work. The Staged Reading of "Eve of Beltane" is scheduled for August 6, 2019 at 2PM. Two additional presentations will be offered later in the month- details TBA.

Contact Marcina Zaccaria at zaccariamarcina@yahoo.com for press and industry reservations.