La Strada Enesemble Theater Announces Two Tom Cavanaugh Productions

La Strada Ensemble Theater proudly presents the East Coast premiere of an explosive evening of two one act plays by M.F.A. Actors Studio trained and award-winning playwright Tom Cavanaugh-Poker Night & The Last Remnants of Cops, Robbers & Hollywood Cowboys.

In Poker Night, five lifelong friends gamble on more than money when the stakes raised wreak havoc on their lives.

"Poker Night was inspired by a true incident that happened at a weekly poker game that I was a part of," said Cavanaugh. "This group of poker players was a very tight group of friends in Hollywood. They had been playing poker together for over twenty-five years, so they knew what each person was 'made of,' they knew how to push each other's buttons, but they also knew each other's secrets. A specific infamous night has inspired me to write a stage and screen version of the story."

The yearning of the American Dream walks the back lots of tinsel town with the threat of disappearing for good in The Last Remnants of Cops, Robbers & Hollywood Cowboys.

Based on stories he heard from the people of Los Angeles, working for more than twenty-four years as a 911 operator and police dispatcher, Cavanaugh has brought their tales to the stage in this forty-five minute play

"Being a 911 Operator all these years has taught me to listen and when people know that you know how to listen, that's when they really open up," said Cavanaugh. "These are true stories and experiences told to me by the real people of L.A. They are sad, funny, pitiful and amazing all at once."

Directed by Founding Ensemble Members Donna Ault-Jacobson & A.J. Ciccotelli, Poker Night & The Last Remnants of Cops, Robbers & Hollywood Cowboys will be performed at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, 66 South Main Street in Ocean Grove, New Jersey from September 23rd through the 25th. Cavanaugh will be in attendance on the 25th for a Q&A with the audience.

In addition, the playwright will be teaching three master class sessions on creating ten minute plays on September 21, 27 & 28, in Studio #2 of the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Open to writers of all ages, beginners, amateurs, and professionals, Cavanaugh will share his experiences as a writer in Hollywood to encourage and nurture storytelling talent.

Poker Night & The Last Remnants of Cops, Robbers & Hollywood Cowboys

By Founding Ensemble Member Tom Cavanaugh

Directed by Founding Ensemble Members Donna Ault-Jacobson & A.J. Ciccotelli

Press Night: September 22 at 7pm

Performances: September 23 at 8pm, September 24 at 2 & 8pm, September 25 at 2pm (with Q&A with playwright Tom Cavanaugh to follow)

Master Class in the Ten Minute Play Craft with Tom Cavanaugh

September 21, 27 & 28, from 6pm to 9pm

$150 for three classes with proceeds benefiting La Strada Ensemble Acting Studio

Please visit us on www.lastradaensemble.org, call us at 732-455-2748 or email us at lastradaensembletheater@gmail.com for more information, to purchase tickets, and to register for the Master Class.

ABOUT LA STRADA ENSEMBLE THEATER: a registered 501(c)3, is proud to present original plays that examine all aspects of the human condition. Theater that engages, challenges, and transforms audiences through live performance for the cultural and educational benefit of the community...as well as entertainment and inspiration. La Strada is proud to call Jersey Shore Arts Center, located at 66 South Main Street in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, its home. Its founding members will be teaching acting classes on Monday nights (5-7 for teens/7-9pm for adults) in Studio #2 on the first floor.