Zach Fontanez News

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre will continue its 2023-24 season with Driving in Circles, a tour-de-force new musical, written, composed and performed by Jay Eddy.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) concludes its 2022-23 season with Alligator-a-Phobia in 3D!, a play with music by Jay Eddy.

On Saturday, January 11, I had the pleasure of seeing THREE PIGS at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.   This was an excellent start to a new decade of theatrical experiences!  The stellar cast brings their A game to this Chris Gensur adaptation of this classic children's tale. 

On Sunday, October 6, I had the pleasure of participating in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HAUNTED CABARET at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  I say, a?oeparticipating,a?? because this musical comedy with book by Phill Hill not only involves audience interaction, but goes one step further and lets the audience vote (by applause) to determine what happens, like a a?oechoose your own adventurea?? stage show.  Ricky Altamirano directs a spectacular cast of five that includes himself and showcases the strong talents of all five cast members in five well written and wonderfully performed roles.

On Saturday, April 27, I had the pleasure of seeing SNOW WHITE at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  This is an excellent season finale to what has been another wonderful season at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre.  Under the direction of Frank Root and choreography of Cassie Carroll, the stellar cast has once again brought life to Phill Hill's brilliant writing that keeps the children enthralled while simultaneously providing entertainment for the adults. 

The Connecticut Children's Theatre (CCT) at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre continues its 2018-2019 season with Snow White. This show will take place at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre for a six-weekend run beginning April 13th.

The sun will come out at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT, beginning Friday, November 30 - December 30 as Annie hits the Mainstage. This musical provides the perfect holiday adventure for families, in the Cabaret's unique and historic setting. Having been a staple in the community for almost 40 years, patrons love the 'Bring Your Own Picnic' atmosphere and the talent that comes through. Amongst its glittering history, boasts: Kelli O'Hara receiving her Equity card in a production of Phantom at the DCT.

Written and directed by Yukich and presented as part of the Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City, Apes at Play is a short but ironically succinct piece that gets to the core of what it means to live within the possibility of the inexplicable.

A seasoned assassin is hired to wipe out an obscure fringe playwright. Yet as she moves closer to the kill, she uncovers an inexplicable link between herself and the target. Part detective story, part meta-noir, this Kafkaesque comedy takes us on a topsy-turvy quest that explores everything from black holes to criminal clowns.

Castle Craig Players on quest for laughs with Monty Python's SPAMALOT

Coming up March 24th and 25th, we have the theater club's first short play festival. Completely student run, this festival will showcase published plays as well as two original student works. These plays are performed, designed, and directed by the students. As one of the student directors, I can't begin to tell you about how proud I am to be a part of this festival. This is my first time directing outside of classes and I am absolutely thrilled to be directing Smitten written by Mark Harvey Levine. The entire experience has shaped me as a director, actor, designer, and even an audience member. It has definitely impacted how I will look at future productions and has given me even more respect for the various positions involved in making a production happen. Let's meet some of my other fellow directors shall we?

Upon the embarking of tech week and opening the production, I had the pleasure of talking to two of the people responsible for creating the hideaway and the world of The Nether. I spoke with the sound designer, Alec Smith, and the set designer, Andy Esborn. They allowed me to pick their brains for a little as I learned about their position and their inspirations for this production.

It's that time of the semester! The first week of March transports the Bucknall theater at the University of New Haven to Jennifer Haley's cyber world of The Nether. I was lucky enough to get an exclusive first look and talk to the cast about what the process has been like and what you can expect when you come to see the show. Let's find out what they have to say. Shall we?

I recently had the pleasure of joining classmates in the participation of the 49th Annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region 1. I found myself immersed in a world of talented future theatre professionals and current professionals that helped to mold my experience and bring me one step closer to accomplishing my goal.

In taking the class this semester, I learned so much about how theatre makes an impact on our community (yes, that is the class title and it is self explanatory). I learned about other theatre companies make their impact such as La Poca Nostra, the Yes Men, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe. I got the chance to research issues affecting our communities and collaborate with my classmates to make art addressing those issues. This show was certainly one for the books. With a minimal amount of rehearsal time, we put this show together within a matter of weeks. Everyone took on a wide array of responsibilities and I couldn't be prouder of my classmates. Here is what some of them had to say about their experiences:

As stated last week, the concept of family is a very large aspect of this production. Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting the Gibbs family. This week we get an inside look at the perspective of theatre and the production from the Webb family.

Music is in the air at the University of New Haven as the Theatre Club prepares for their third cabaret. The tradition started last Fall under the direction of Robert Vaccaro, who also directed the Spring Cabaret 'Cabaret 2: Electric Boogaloo'. Upon Vaccaro's graduation, the Cabaret was passed to the direction of two time cast member Jared Reynolds. I had the pleasure of speaking with the director, choreographer, and a few cast members about their experiences with Cabaret III.

Welcome back! Now, the first article was called a first look , the second was meet the director , and I suppose you can guess what the third will be Stage Managers! This show is graced with four. One stage manager, two assistant stage managers, and an actor. In the name of metatheatricality, Thornton Wilder constructed a stage manager character that acts as the narrator. I was lucky enough to get the chance to discuss the show and their roles, with Kate Herr (the stage manager) and Zach Fontanez (who plays the stage manager).

Love is in the air this summer as the Castle Craig Players continue their run of famous matchmaking musical HELLO, DOLLY! The beloved Broadway show, which won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, is live on stage through this Sunday, August 16! 

Love is in the air this summer as the Castle Craig Players present the famous matchmaking musical HELLO, DOLLY! The beloved Broadway show, which won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, is live on stage for two weeks only - tonight, August 7, through August 16!