Theater 50: The Cousins' Book Club
Summary
The Cousins’ Book Club Synopsis: Five female cousins face the issues of aging with wit, wisdom, and a little too much wine.
Writer
Patricia Motto
Patricia Motto’s first published work came in the Byford Booster when she wowed her teacher with two complete correctly punctuated sentences at the age of six. Since then she has at various times taught college-level composition and continues to make a living as a freelance writer. She graduated from law school and became an attorney specializing in sexual harassment. She now has three completed full plays and several one-acts under her belt and is working on turning her Vietnam-era play into a musical. She lives happily with her shelter dog, Fosse, in Elmhurst, Illinois where she also choreographs for and dances with The Tree Town Tappers.
Patricia Motto
Director
Bernadette Armstrong
Bernadette moved to Los Angeles to work in film in the late 1990s and after her first two films went to festivals she took a short hiatus from writing until she fell in love with small theater. Since 2008 she has had several successful theater projects produced in No Hollywood. Her play The Reading Group was named Pick of the Week by LA Weekly Magazine and in 2017 her play Simple Lives was nominated for Outstanding Writing of an Original Play or Musical by the Valley Theater Awards (the only woman nominated.) Bernadette is also the producer and founder of Open Door Playhouse Podcast!
Bernadette Armstrong
Cast:
Goreti da Silva (Sandra)
Since moving to Los Angeles from Canada, Goreti da Silva has worked in many films, tv programs, theatre, and improv shows. Most recently, you may have seen her on Big Little Lies, a Toyota commercial, or heard her voice in one of many radio plays on Opendoorplayhouse.org.
Goreti was awarded The Michael Grossman Most Inspirational Award for her body of theatre work in the Desert; and she won the Valley Theatre Award for her work in “Park Plays: Portland”.
When not performing, Goreti fills her "well" by teaching Improv, Theatre Arts, Playwriting, and Acting to underserved youth who write plays in which they later perform. Though Goreti has produced and directed dozens of plays, she continues to be surprised, delighted and inspired by our next generation of leaders.
Goreti da Silva
Elaine Mello (as Elizabeth)
Elaine Mello is excited to be participating in Open-Door Podcast. Elaine has been working with Bernadette on many projects and continues to do so because of her creative talents and willingness to seek innovative and thought-provoking material. Grateful to be part of such an accepting movement of the arts.
Elaine Mello
Kim Hlavac (Margo)
Kim Hlavac (Playwright/Director) is an actor from New York who graduated from the infamous High School of Performing Arts, from which the movie FAME was created. Kim received her BFA in theatre arts and film from SUNY/Purchase under the tutelage of George Morrison. Other influential acting mentors include Uta Hagen and Wynn Handman. Kim has performed in various plays in New York, TV & commercials.
When Covid put the world on hold, Kim took up writing and put her creativity onto paper. She is so excited to debut her first script and directing skills on Bernadette’s amazing Open-Door Playhouse podcast, with talented actors she met over Station House and VS Theaters’ Zoom readings. Kim has been a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA since 1982.
Kim Halavac
JayCee Porter (as Barbara)
JayCee Porter graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BA in Theatre and a Minor in Musical Theatre in 2018. She’s been acting since she was 3, with her most recent film credits being Separation (2020), La Voz (2020), and Backyard Camping (2019). As a Soprano, she’s starred as the Beggar Woman/Lucy in Sweeney Todd, Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, and Monteen in Parade. This is her first podcast and she’s so excited to be included in this cast of stellar women.
Jacycee Porter
Camille Ameen (as Mary Alice)
Camille has acted on Broadway, off-Broadway & major regional theatres. Most recently, she appeared in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Gilmore Girls. Other TV shows include ER, L.A. Law, Newhart, Roseanne, and Kate & Allie. She had the pleasure of performing in Othello, starring James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer, Garland Wright/Jack Heifner's Colette: Music Hall Sidelights with Kathy Bates, Awake and Sing opposite Nancy Marchand, Miss Julie & The Stronger with Rip Torn and Geraldine Page, Pirandello's Chee-Chee with Actors Theatre of Louisville, and 2 productions each of A Streetcar Named Desire and The Three Sisters. She co-founded a theatre-based non-profit for underserved middle schoolers, which became so successful (went to the White House to accept an award for the organization) that she had to let go of other passions. Now, she's thrilled to be acting again with Open-Door Playhouse. She's extremely grateful for the opportunities she's received.
