The Shelter
Formed in 2009, The Shelter is a diverse community of
actors, directors and writers who collaborate in the development and production of original work for stage and screen. Unfettered by any single ideology or method, each member serves as both teacher and student, contributing to an atmosphere that is as nurturing as it is challenging. www.theshelternyc.org
Playwrights’ Notes Eat My Cheer (by Jonathan Ashley): There is cheer, and then there is the cruel, mocking
affectation of cheer that all too often passes for the real thing during the Christmas season. This play is my effort to shatter some plastic smiles, and exorcise the devils they conceal. Enjoy!
Return to the Island of Misfit Toys (by Kitty Lindsay): On stage and off, all my toys become real.
A Burn That Don’t Come Out (by Michael Kingsbaker): A Burn That Don’t Come
Out was inspired by the idea of the underlying motives behind those who give and receive charity around the holidays, the search for what could qualify as a selfless gift, the human desire for companionship and the difference between one’s dignity and one’s pride.
He Knows When You Are Sleeping (by Dave Lankford): A few years after the
death of my father, I saw him in a dream. He was significantly aged and thinner, almost unrecognizable, and in fear, I told him to leave. I have always felt some tinge that maybe it was more than a dream; maybe he wanted to tell me something. Maybe the man who I first confronted about the existence of Santa exists beyond his own death. And if so, who are we to say that Santa does not exist?
Feliz Navi New Dad (by Beth Jasotroch): Feliz Navi New Dad was inspired by the Folgers coffee Christmas commercials from the late 80s. In it, a handsome older brother makes it home Christmas morning to surprise his whole perfect family; he wakes them with the fresh aroma of Folgers. Embarrassingly, this ad makes me cry. But real families aren’t like that. Real families are messy and weird and funny and so much better than any commercial.
Merry Christmas, Kathy (by Meghan Jones): For a child, Christmas is magic and light and toys—lots and lots of toys. I wanted to write a play about being an adult on Christmas Eve when the magic and the toys are gone but the longing for them remains.
A Christmas Family Christmas (by Melinda Smart): I come from a large extended
family, and Christmas around our house is a major affair, chock full of neurotic family nuance and stifling holiday obligation. Year after year we repeat the same traditions and pitfalls of this “joyful” season. On top of all that, Christmas is my birthday (no seriously!) so I take it very personally. It HAS to be fun! But although the holidays never seem to change, seeing my crazy, lovable, adorable family members grow and adapt to each passing year, gives me the fuzzy, cinnamonny warmth that keeps me coming back (as if I had a choice).
F***ing Christmas Eat My Cheer
Written and Directed by Jonathan Ashley With Jonathan Ashley, Michael Kingsbaker, Meghan Jones, Dave Lankford*
Return to the Island of Misfit Toys
Written and Directed by Kitty Lindsay With Michael Bernstein, Paco Lozano, Eugene Turonis
A Burn That Don’t Come Out
Written by Michael Kingsbaker, Directed by Beth Jastroch With Dave Lankford* and T.D. White*
He Knows When You Are Sleeping
Written and Directed by Dave Lankford With Maggie Alexander, Michael Bernstein, Loren Dunn*, Andy Hassel, Meghan Jones, Natalya Krimgold, Emily Turonis
Feliz Navi New Dad
By Beth Jasotroch, Directed by Kitty Lindsay With Maggie Alexander, Leslie Kendall Dye*, Cynthia Shaw, Eugene Turonis
Merry Christmas, Kathy
By Meghan Jones, Directed by Beth Jastroch With Emily Robin Fink and Jordan Kamp
A Christmas Family Christmas
By Melinda Smart, Directed by Meghan Jones With Michael Bernstein, Andy Hassel, Michael Kingsbaker, Natalya Krimgold, Paco Lozano, Wendy Mae Shelton, Melinda Smart* *appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
No Intermission Set Design by Jonathan Ashley Lighting Design by Chris Noke
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers, and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org.
Maggie Alexander got her B.F.A. in acting from UC, Santa Barbara. Some of her favorite roles have included Izzy in Rabbit Hole, Lisa in Boys’ Life, Georgeanne in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Katherine in Proof and Taylor in her one-woman show Trooper. Please check out maggiealexander.net and maggiealexander.blogspot. com for upcoming projects! Jonathan Ashley, writer, director and visual artist, studied fine art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and filmmaking at New York University. He recently illustrated the children’s book Bella Goes Bump in the Night. With the guidance and encouragement of The Shelter, he is developing more stories for stage and screen.
own Kitty Lindsay, and appeared as Tom in The Glass Menagerie and Charles in The School for Scandal this summer at the New Harmony Theatre. Leslie Kendall Dye*. Partial credits: film: Body/Antibody (2010 release), Telegenic, Big Girls Don’t Cry…They Get Even, Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder; television: Clueless, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Charlie Hoover; stage (most recent): The Blue Balloon (New York Theatre Workshop). Training: The Neighborhood Playhouse, Stella Adler, HB Studio and The Joffrey Ballet School. Web site: www.lesliekendalldye.com.
Emily Robin Fink is thrilled to be working with such a multi-talented group of people. Favorite past roles include Portia (Merchant of Venice), Widow Quin (Playboy of Michael Bernstein is an the Western World) and actor, writer and onceAnna (Ivanov). Thanks to upon-a-time filmmaker living in Brooklyn the Shelter 5 for all their hard work! (www.amplecatnap.com). Recent: Celebration (BrookAndy Hassell is lyn Lyceum), Two Gentleexcited to be is his men of Verona (Extant third performance Arts) and You Can’t Kill with The Shelter. He Stephen King (Loco Dawn Films). would like to share his gratitude for being a member of Loren Dunn* is excited to be performing this amazing group of people, not to mention this with the Shelter, again, awesome chance to play both of these very differhaving appeared in ent characters. An alumnus of UNCSA and Girls, Girls, Girls! AMDA. He’s been in a number of productions, and Fidel in last but recently played the lead role (Jerry) in The Full spring’s Motel. He Monty at The Theater Barn. He would like to share recently played Bob in Iron Jaw’s production of his love and thanks to all The Shelter members, Woman of Manhattan, starring the Shelter’s family and friends who continue to help him grow.
Thank You: Margaret Files, Richard Kent Green at WorkShopTheater, Gail at The Gene Frankel Theatre, James Rich, Colleen Schmitz (costumes, Return to the Island of Misfit Toys), Cynthia Shaw, Wendie Mae Shelton, Emily Turonis, and Joe Zook.
Meghan Jones. loves Beth Jastroch is a graduate to act. Meghan Jones of Tisch School of the Arts loves to write. And at NYU and the Stella now Meghan Jones Adler Conservatory. This is can add directing to her third Shelter producthat list of loves. She tion. She would like to is proud of The Shelthank the good people of ter and wishes to thank all those involved for makShelter as well has her two ing F***ing Christmas a jolly old time. She would fabulous casts for the also like to thank the audience for their support opportunity to work with them. As her mother’s and she hopes they enjoy watching Shelter produc- crocheted pillow says, “Merry Christmas Y’all.” tions as much as she enjoys taking part in them (which is a lot!). Michael Kingsbaker is pumped to be celebrating F***ing Christmas with The Jordan Kenneth Shelter. Michael has been Kamp hails from working professionally as Ohio, but now calls an actor for twenty-five Brooklyn home. Since years in commercials, telearriving in NYC he vision, film and theater. In has been a part of muladdition to upcoming work tiple shows. with The Shelter, Michael will be starring in On an Natalya Krimgold has Average Day with the Curious Theatre Company in appeared in a number of Denver. plays and short films in New York City, most recently The Dave Lankford*. Dave’s Hunting of the Snark, Oh theatrical career began the Heartless and Through with the national tour of the Window. She recently his one-man show, 40 graduated from the twoCents a Minute. He now year, Meisner-based actor calls The Shelter his cretraining program at William Esper Studio and she ative home, having conholds an honors degree in English from Wellesley tributed as an actor, writer College. and director to all three
Shelter productions. Training includes T. Sch- trained and studied at Purchase College, T. Schreiber Studio, Stella Adler and The Studio Theatre reiber Studio, True Act with Marc Durso and The Theater Lab with Carlo Altomare. (DC). On the web at www.davelankford.com. Kitty Lindsay is an actor, Melinda Smart*, actress, writer and stand-up comic in singer, dancer and perforNew York City. She is also mance artist, moved to co-founder and administraNYC two years ago from tor of two Manhattan-based sunny Colorado. Melinda theater companies, Iron Jaw is thrilled to be performCompany and The Shelter. ing and writing for the For more information about collaborative Shelter famKitty and her upcoming ily. Current projects in projects, please visit www.KittyLindsay.com! addition to Shelter include her ongoing work as a dance/pop recording artist and, most importantly, Paco Lozano is becoming a new mom. thrilled to be acting on stage again for the Emily Turonis is an first time in over four actor, singer and writer. years. He is grateful In the past year, The to all the members of Shelter has become a The Shelter for havcreative home for her. ing taken him in. Happy *%#!ing Holidays. For J.B. She is weekly delightand M.W., two of many, many prisms in my life. ed and inspired by the performers, writers and directors here before Cynthia Shaw is thrilled you tonight, which makes her quite grateful. to make her Shelter debut. As a hurricane in a well Eugene Turonis acts wrapped gift box, she is a like he writes. Gratepianist/singer turned actor ful for Shelter. Learnwho joyfully studied acting as he goes. This is ing with the wonderful his third Shelter proTerry Schreiber. Her favorduction. ite role is crazy Abigail in Emre Cicek’s Nobesity. There is more to come! www.cynthiashaw.us. T. D. White* is a character actor and singer with history in Sex and the City Wendy Mae Shelton is and Law & Order, and honored for the opportunilive at The Mint, The Red ty to perform with the fabRoom, La MaMa Experiulously talented people of mental Theatre Club and The Shelter and is extremely many other NYC Off-Offgrateful for their generosity, and under-Broadway venlove and support. Recent credits include Ruth in Hot ues. He is executive producer of the award-winFudge Sundae and associ- ning short film Jacques Prevert’s To Paint the Porate producer for Blood Type: Ragu’s recent run at trait of a Bird and has an M.A. in the theater arts Manhattan’s Theatre Source. As an actor she has from Hunter College.
F***ing Christmas
Written and Performed by and
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association