Previews: LOVE, LIFE, AND THE PURSUIT at Script 2 Stage 2 Screen

Script2Stage2Screen will present a fully staged reading of a new original comedy, Life, Love, and the Pursuit, written by Shelly Chester and directed by Don Cilluffo.

Director Don Cilluffo has assembled a talented cast of local actors to bring to life, in an S2S2S fully staged reading, Shelley Chester’s, Life, Love and the Pursuit. Says Cilluffo: “I am so proud to have the opportunity to direct this original drama. It poses a few questions on the definition of what romantic love is, and when it does arrive, can we receive it. Fasten your seatbelts for this rollercoaster ride called love.”

Script2Stage2Screen is the performing arts project of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert (UUCOD), 72425 Via Vail in Rancho Mirage.  

Performances are at UUCOD on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $15 cash or check at the door, or they may be purchased via PayPal on the website at the button below.  Reservations can be made at script2stage2screen@gmail.com.

About Script2Stage2Screen:

Script2Stage2Screen is an innovative performing arts organization for the development of original productions on the stage. Formed in 2010 by a small group of playwrights, S2S2S started as a vehicle to premiere original plays. Since then, it has developed into a diverse performing arts organization in the Coachella Valley with the mission of highlighting social justice, families, sexual equality, the dignity of humankind, and the joy and humor of life.

Playwright's Bio:

Shelley has spent her entire life in theatre. Backstage, on stage, in front of the stage, over the stage, and all points in between. From itty bitty (yeah, at almost 6’ tall, itty bitty was a lifetime ago)! Early on Shelley decided her desire was not to be the star, but to hone her skills as a character actress. She mastered multiple dialects and created unforgettable characters. Her greatest achievement was playing Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. After a performance, she received an honor and a threat wrapped in a handshake. Staring into the eyes of a large man who had my hand in his, he proclaimed, “If I had a gun, I would blow your head off.” A death threat! Now THAT’s a review! Her greatest theatre learning experience came at the age of 16 working eight jobs over five years at the Historic Elitch Theatre in Denver. The first was as a dresser to the stars. Elitch Theatre hosted multiple movie stars such as Ginger Rogers, Patty Duke, Mickey Rooney, Shelley Winters, and Sid Cesar, and her first assignment was dressing Karen Grassle (Ma on Little House on the Prairie). She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, with majors in playwriting and acting. Upon graduation, she became a member of Denver’s Comedy Connection, an Improv troupe where she performed and wrote sketch comedies over three years. She taught acting at ACT Studio and owned an acting workshop - Actors for Actors. After the age of forty, she was kicked to the curb by her agent because she was too old. Floundering to find SOMETHING theatre or film-related, she worked for a division of Warner Brothers, followed by producing all the print, billboards, bus sides, and posters onsite for Paramount Studios. In 2015 she was asked to reprise her role as Head Usher for the Historic Elitch Theatre’s 125th anniversary. That summer, the theatre hosted five staged play readings. The spark was lit! Then hearing a VERY familiar voice on TV, she realized it was Karen Grassle doing a senior tub commercial! Where had she been? Where are all the TV moms after the age of forty? Shelley began to write. And write, and write, and write! Her plays, musicals, and films have three things in common. 1) God is in every play. 2) The lead must be a female over sixty. 3) No one is dying from any age-related illnesses. She is a multiple award-winning playwright whose credits include the Neil Simon Award-winning play, I LEFT MY DIGNITY IN MY OTHER PURSE. Dignity has received numerous awards and has been performed in Utah featuring Clarence Gilyard as Roy and in New Jersey starring the ever-funny Joyce Dewitt as Ruth. Audiences in Texas and Iowa have also enjoyed the play. THE MARRIAGE PICKLE: UNTYING THE NOT received the coveted Robert J. Pickering / J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence and was produced at the historic Tibbits Opera House in Michigan. To date, Shelley has written eleven full-length plays and two musicals. She has written an award-winning screenplay entitled A MIRACLE FOR CHRISTMAS, a heartwarming film that brings back the true meaning of CHRISTmas. Her newest movie, SECRET IN THE TRIANGLE, solves the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle – ET style. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. Writing for women, especially those over 60, is her passion!

Director's Bio:

In the years Don has been with S2S2S, he has won many Desert Theatre League awards for his acting and directing. His most recent award was Best Lead Actor in a Staged Reading, for his role as Kevin in I’m not Rick Springfield. You may have seen him in other fully staged productions includingThe Miracle Worker, Sugar, The Full Monty, The Mousetrap, The Crucible, Southern Hospitality andSordid Lives.

Before moving to the desert, Don was very active with the Grosse Pointe Theatre in Michigan for more than 40 years, directing, acting, and set designing. As a SAG actor he has had the opportunity to meet on set Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Billy Crystal, Ron White, and Clint Eastwood. Outside of theater, Don enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and life in the desert with his partner, Tom. 

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