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Chekhov's Shorts: A Funny Night at the Theater with a Bear & a Proposal!
Friday, February 21, 2025 @ 7:30PM
Tickets
On-sale soon!
PLAYWRIGHTS' THEATRE OF EAST HAMPTON AT LTV PRESENTS
CHEKHOV'S SHORTS:
A Funny Night at the Theater With a Bear & a Proposal!
Written by Anton Chekhov
Directed by Paul Hecht
Starring Julia Motyka, Daniela Mastropietro, Max Samuels, John Kroft, Dan Kelly & Josh Gladstone.
Chekhov’s THE BEAR and THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL were both written (along with several other farces) in 1888-1889, before his 30th birthday - years before his other major plays: THE SEAGULL, UNCLE VANYA, THREE SISTERS and possibly the greatest play ever written, THE CHERRY ORCHARD. Chekhov's characters in THE BEAR and THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL are good examples of his view of those whose frustrated existence results in decisions ending in foolish, possibly tragic lives. Chekhov often referred to his own work self-deprecatingly, remarking on the success of these farces: “I’ve managed to write a stupid vaudeville, which owing to the fact that it is stupid, is enjoying surprising success.” Come peek into Chekhov’s Shorts with us for a playful evening of staged readings paired with Russian vodka and other sweet treats!
The Cast
JOHN KROFT (Grigory Smirnov)
John Kroft is a New York based actor and has appeared in the city in Dan Cody’s Yacht (MTC) and The Weak and the Strong (La Mama). Regionally, he has performed in such shows as Love All (La Jolla Playhouse), The Tempest (The Guthrie), The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) (Neo-Political Cowgirls), Dutch Masters (Northern Stage), Lifespan of a Fact (Pioneer Theater Company), The Great Gatsby (Bay Street Theater), and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Williamstown Theater festival); as well as a number of workshops for The Sundance Institute, Eugene O'Neil National Playwrights’ Conference, The Geva Theater and The Chautauqua Theater Company. He has appeared on screen in TV shows such as Blue Bloods (CBS) and Red Oaks (AMAZON), the docu-series The Andy Warhol Diaries (NETFLIX); and in the film MASTER (AMAZON), the film MAESTRO (NETFLIX), as well as a handful of other short and independent films. You can also find his work as a narrator in several audiobooks at Audible.com. John is a proud graduate of The Juilliard school.
Photo by Thomas Bruno
Photo by Thomas Bruno
DAN KELLY (Luka)
Originally from Springfield, MA., Dan Kelly is a New York based actor. Dan’s love of performing first became evident when he made his theatrical debut as a Chair in his middle school’s production of Beauty and the Beast at the age of 11. Ever since, he appeared in over 30 productions with community, conservatory, and regional theaters around Western MA. He also often performed standup comedy, and was a part of a Springfield-based comedy improv troupe.In 2015, Dan co-founded Wet Paint Theatre, an entirely student-run theatre company that helped fledgling artists in Western Massachusetts get their work seen. With Wet Paint, Dan wrote, produced, and starred in 2 original musicals, both premiering at The Drama Studio in Springfield, MA. Both musicals completed fully sold-out performances. In 2017, after graduating high school, Dan moved to New York City to attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts to pursue his dream of entertaining. Upon graduating from The Academy, Dan was offered a spot in the Academy’s 2019-2020 Company, which he completed in January of 2020. Since then, Dan has been lucky enough to be working consistently, including on tour with Douglas Carter Beane’s revival of Babes in Arms, Off-Broadway with Midsummer: The Dreamer, and Dear Mom, Sorry for Being a Bitch as well as numerous film projects.
Photo by by Shani Hadjian
Photo by by Shani Hadjian
DANIELA MASTROPIETRO (Natalya Stepanova)
Daniela Mastropietro recently appeared as Blanche Dubois at The Bay Street Theater’s A Streetcar Named Desire for Literature Live, and at Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton’s Scrooge…The Relapse; and is thrilled to return and be a part of Chekhov’s Shorts for LTV. Favorite roles include Lady Macbeth for Hudson Theatreworks, Lucia in For Worse at NJ Rep, Masha in Three Sisters at Columbia University, Ariel Spirit in The Tempest at CSC Young Company, and Annette in God of Carnage at The Blue Room in Chico, California. Films include August in the City (short), Gallina (short), ’79 Parts (feature), Behind The Mirror (feature) MFA Columbia University, BFA Dance SUNY Buffalo. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and dog, Kurt Russell.
Photo by Susan Shacter
Photo by Susan Shacter
KATE MUETH (Elena Popova)
Kate Mueth founded the award-winning The Neo-Political Cowgirls (NPC) 18 years ago to help fill the dearth of opportunities for and stories from the perspectives of women and the under-represented on our theater landscape. She conceives, writes, choreographs and directs new, site-specific theater and dance theater that is “Mind-bending, gorgeous, provocative and wild” in execution. Kate is an Equity actor, a proud Board Member and Officer Emeritus for The League of Professional Theatre Women, and co-founder of The East Hampton Arts Council. Kate has worked as actor/director/choreographer with such luminaries as Blythe Danner, Cathy Curtin, Aida Turturro, Tony Walton, Peter Boyle, Laura Gomez, Florencia Lozano and more. She has performed and/or directed at Lincoln Center, Bay Street Theater, Guild Hall, in Berlin, Helsinki and in regional venues. The She Wolves was built with funding support from Suffolk Country Department of Economic Development and Planning, and The National Endowment for the Arts’ and Arts Midwest’s grant Shakespeare in American Communities. The She-Wolves first look performance came in a summer 2024 run at LongHouse Reserve then visited local East End schools and now makes it’s NYC debut presented in it’s next exploratory iteration. NPC is the standing Performing Arts company in residence at LongHouse Reserve where in 2023 Kate created three performances to activate the gorgeous sculpture and garden grounds. NPC’s 2023 production, THE DREAMER (A Midsummer Night’s Dream Through The Eyes of a Young Girl,) was also awarded grant funding from The National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest and enjoyed four lives, among them an Off-Broadway run at HERE Arts, LTV Studios on the East End, and at LongHouse Reserve. Favorite acting roles include Lady M, Varya, and Mrs. Wadhurst in Tonight at 8:30 with Blythe Danner. History of new, devised works for NPC includes BAUBO, Wody Girtch Mama, Trojan Women Redux, ZIMA!, VOYEUR, EVE, B(e)RD and countless one- offs. HYSTERIA, a “surround fear experience” played to East End audiences as well as attendees at The Old South Church in Boston fall of 2019. The summers of 2016/17 her production of ANDROMEDA, a “Myth for the masses,"Gave voice to the universal refugee," in its performance on the hills of Montauk under the stars. EVE, a 13-room, immersive experience, enjoyed two seasons in the Hamptons then an Off-Broadway run in the fall of 2015 at The Gym at Judson. VOYEUR, a branded NPC site-specific experiential performance made in various unusual spaces, made its European debut in Berlin in July of 2015. Kate has a lengthy biography in theater arts teaching and curriculum building over the past 30 years. Her work in conceiving, developing, directing and teaching theater arts programs continue to annually serve and empower our community’s youth, at-risk, marginalized populations, and through creative programs for women. She has furthered her passion for Arts Education by training with the prestigious Arts Leadership program at Lincoln Center and trained with Jacob’s Pillow in their celebrated Curriculum In Motion Institute, and now serves on their advisory board. She centers her work around shifting American culture to become more invested in the performing arts as ignition for human connection, problem solving, and thriving. She is mother to August Gladstone, a 2022 Emerson College graduate now residing in Los Angeles working for 3Arts Entertainment as he builds towards becoming a show runner writing for film and television. She is proud to share her life with the talented Josh Gladstone, her favorite collaborator. Kate splits her time with work between East Hampton, NYC, nationally and internationally and loves working in college and university settings. www.npcowgirls.org *The Arts hold a profoundly important responsibility to hold the pen for our times, to contradict inhumane proclivities by those in power, and to put forward a bold vision of a better world.
Photo by Josh Gladstone
Photo by Josh Gladstone
MAX SAMUELS (Lomov)
Max Samuels is delighted to return to East Hampton where previous credits include The Dreamer (LTV & LongHouse Reserve) and Angry Young Man (John Drew at Guild Hall). Based in NYC, Max has performed at the New Ohio, Urban Stages, HERE, The Tank, the Robert Moss, and outdoors with NY Shakespeare Exchange. Regional theatre: Portland Stage, Northern Stage, and the New London Barn. TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Upcoming Film: The Floaters and Coronation Day. Max’s voice can be heard alongside Liev Schreiber’s in the upcoming documentary They Fight With Cameras; on podcasts produced by The TEAM and Colt Coeur; and on Audible, narrating Never Quote the Weather to a Sea Lion. B.A. Dartmouth College, M.A. London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Photo by by Dirty Sugar Photography
Photo by by Dirty Sugar Photography
JOSH GLADSTONE (Chubukhov/Producer)
Josh Gladstone is the Creative Director at LTV Studios where he’s currently co-producing the Hamptons Summer Songbook By The Sea series, The East End Underground Live Concert series, LTV’s World Voices series, as well as reviving The Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton and collaborating on dozens of programs with community partners. Recent theatrical projects at LTV Studios include acting/producing Scrooge…The Relapse, co-producing Five Times in One Night with The Actors Studio MFA Program, Scenes of Mirth & Marriage starring Mercedes Ruehl and Harris Yulin, Sea Stories,The Pillowman, The Dreamer with The Neo-Political Cowgirls, (O)n The 5:31, Stupid F*cking Bird, and the new plays-with-music The Free Life and All Mankind Has Lost Its Reason. Josh currently resides year-round in Springs with his wife Kate Mueth, and proudly works with her company The Neo-Political Cowgirls producing site-specific performances at LongHouse Reserve and other venues around the globe.
Photo by by Rod Goodman
Photo by by Rod Goodman
PAUL HECHT (Director)
Paul Hecht is possibly better known as an actor , having received a Tony nomination ( 1967:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) and an Obie award (Henry IV, Pirandello - Roundabout Theater). He has also appeared around the country: American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, Connecticut; The Canadian Shaw Festival and the Guthrie Theater Minneapolis; and also locally at the Bay Street and Guild Hall. He directed Conversation at Midnight (Edna St Vincent Millay) at the 92nd street Y, and Albee's Seascape for the Montauk library. He curated a poetry series at the old Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village and hosted Bloomsday at Symphony Space. He has recorded dozens of books. He is a volunteer at ARF and lives in the Springs with the lighting designer Peggy Eisenhauer.
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