Actors' NET Presents RIDING THE COMET As Next Show In Staged Reading Series 5/8

Riding the Comet-New Jersey-based playwright Mark L. Violi's gripping World War II drama about the French resistance helping American G.I.s escape the Nazis is the third in the Actors' NET of Bucks County staged readings series to appear on the Heritage Center Stage in Morrisville. Directed by Kyla Marie Mostello of Levittown, the script in hand production features (alphabetically) Patrick Albanesius, Camryn Barnes, Chuck Donnelly, Mike Gearty, John Helmke, Steve Pié and Katie Skelly. Violi, from Hamilton, NJ, will be at the performance. A talk back session with cast and playwright follows the performance.

DATE: Friday, May 8, 2009 - one performance only.

TIME: 8 p.m. at The Morrisville Heritage Center, 635 North Delmorr Avenue (Route 32), Morrisville, PA 19067.

Suggested donation, $10. Call The NET box office at 215-295-3694 or email actorsnet@aol.com

Coming May 29-June 14, 2009: Booth - A compelling historical backstage tale by Austin Pendleton, author of Orson's Shadow. Based on the true story of Junius Booth, a tormented, alcoholic, 19th-century actor. His glory would be forgotten, yet son Edwin would win fame as a great actor while his other son, John Wilkes, would win infamy as Lincoln's assassin. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree ..." Directed by Cheryl Doyle. Starring George Hartpence, Tom Smith, Carol Thompson, David Swartz, Theresa Forsyth Swartz, Susan Fowler, Ben Weinstein and Jack Bathke.

Web Site: http://www.actorsnetbucks.org

French resistance fighters aid American G.I.s to escape the Nazis in the gripping World War II stage play, Riding the Comet, receiving its debut as a staged reading May 8 at the Heritage Center in Morrisville. 

Produced by the Actors' NET of Bucks County, the drama by Hamilton, NJ, playwright Mark L. Violi's drama a French family helping the G.I.s even as the Nazis close in on their tiny farm house. Kyla Marie Mostello of Levittown directs.

"The father in this play has raised his three children - a son and two daughters - to assist Allied soldiers escaping the Nazis along a route known as ‘the comet'; but, on this particular occasion, things start to go wrong - terribly wrong," Ms. Mostello explains. "The son is missing, the youngest daughter is mute from the trauma of seeing her mother killed and the eldest daughter is developing a romantic interest in one of the escaping soldiers." 

The staged reading stars Steve Pié of Hamilton, NJ; Katie Skelly of Bordentown, NJ; Camryn Barnes of Morrisville; Patrick Albanesius of Hamilton, NJ; Chuck Donnelly of Levittown; John Helmke of Morrisville and Mike Gearty of Langhorne.

"We're very keen on Mark Violi's playwriting," NET Artistic Director Cheryl Doyle said. "In fact, we plan to open our 14th season in the fall with another of his plays- Roebling: The Story of the Brooklyn Bridge. During its development, his Roebling play had two staged readings elsewhere. Perhaps our staged reading of Riding the Comet will be a step toward it also being fully mounted one day." 

Following the staged reading, Ms. Mostello and the playwright will lead a talk back session between the cast and interested audience members.

Riding the Comet will be presented May 8 at 8 p.m. at the Heritage Center, 635 N.

Delmorr Avenue (Route 32), near the Calhoun Street Bridge. Suggested donation is $10.
For reservations or information, phone the nonprofit Actors' NET at 215-295-3694 or
email actorsnet@aol.com. The company's web site is www.actorsnetbucks.org.

 

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