DIRECTED BY: MIKE KELLER & LYLE KESSLER
Production Assistant: Katharine Kessler
There will be one ten minute intermission
DAY ROOM
Young Man: Ali Arkane
Sarah: Christina Catechis
REDEMPTION
Syd Moskowitz: Lyle Kessler*
DO YOU KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE ME
Roya: Bahar Beihaghi
Defense Minister: Dan Lauria*
SAVING GRACE
Lady: Margaret Ladd*
SPIT
Woman: Christina Elise Perry*
Man: Kirk Gostkowski
TEMPTATION
Sue Ann: Bahar Beihaghi
Dr. Amster: Francisco Solorzano*
Dr. Freed: Margaret Ladd*
Dr. Standard: Craig McNulty*
*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actor’s Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this off-off Broadway production.
Lyle Kessler’s Orphans received two Tony nominations for its Broadway revival starring Alec Baldwin and Ben Foster. Albert Finney won the Olivier award in London’s West End production. Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg are among the many actors who have appeared in the play which has been produced in almost every country internationally. He is the Director of the Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Unit. He served as Artistic Director of the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. Mr Kessler’s Master Class for actors, writers and directors meets every Monday night.
Mike Keller has appeared in over 40 different film and television roles, including roles opposite Bill Murray, Kristen Wiig, Forrest Whitaker, and Jennifer Lopez. He is a director member of the Actors Studio Playwright & Directors Unit, and a graduate of the New School for Drama. He recently appeared onstage as “Sonny” in A Bronx Tale musical, and as “Cliff” in William Mastrosimone’s The Woolgatherer, directed by Chazz Palminteri. He also recently directed a reading of Palminteri’s new play at the Actor’s Studio, starring Chazz and Giancarlo Esposito. He has administered Lyle Kessler’s Theater Workshop for over 10 years, and is thrilled to be working with the Chain Theater.
Dan Lauria: has appeared as a guest star in over seventy television episodic programs and more than twenty Movie Of The Week productions plus a score of motion picture credits. Dan is a very familiar face to the off-off, off and regional theatre scene having performed, written or directed over 50 professional stage productions. In 2010/11 Dan was seen on Broadway as the legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the long running production of LOMBARDI, with the beautiful and talented Judith Light directed by Thomas Kail of Hamilton fame. Dan returned to Broadway in the 2013 & the 2014 productions of the Tony nominated; A CHRISTMAS STORY: The Musical, directed by John Rando. However, Dan is most recognized as the Dad on the highly acclaimed Emmy winning, ABC television show, THE WONDER YEARS.
Craig McNulty has been working as an actor with roles in Theatre, Film & Television for over 30 years. His work acting in films includes Spike Lee's CLOCKERS, Tony Daniel's AMERICAN BOHEMIAN, and Tim Pitoniak's PHOTOGENIC. Craig has performed in dozens of plays in New York, favorites include Dark Rapture, Hot L Baltimore, & Balm in Gilead all directed by Amy Wright.
He is an internationally acclaimed and award winning playwright whose work has been produced throughout the world. His plays have been developed at the Actor’s Studio, HB Studio Playwrights Foundation, LAByrinth theater company, Primitive Grace Ensemble, The Collective NY, Naked Angels, REVO Theatre & Fundamental's Mass Rhetorics Theatre Project. He is a member of the Playwrighting/Directing Unit at The Actors’ Studio.Craig is proud to have learned his craft in THE NYC having studied theatre with Lyle Kessler, Uta Hagen, Bill Hickey, Austin Pendleton, Julie McKee, Jose Quintero & Gene Frankel. Karen Zechowy is Craig’s acting coach & fiancé.For all things Craig check out Craigmcnulty.com
Francisco Solorzano is an award-winning Latino actor and filmmaker. Most notably, he wrote, directed and starred in the first ever, critically acclaimed, stage adaptation of the Academy award winning film, Dog Day Afternoon (Off-Broadway). Founder of Barefoot Studio Pictures & Barefoot Theatre Company since 1999. Proud member of The Actors Studio's Playwrights / Directors Unit, AEA and SAG-AFTRA. For more info visit: www.franciscosolorzano.com
Bahar Beihaghi is trained in LeCoq and Method. Previous theater credits: Antigone (Greece 2014), Medea (Paris 2016), Red Wednesday, The Bald Soprano, A Second Birth (New York 2019), Glimpse (New York 2021), Jin, Jîyan, Azadî (New York 2022). MFA graduate of Actors Studio Drama School. Co-founder of PEYDAH Theater Company. She sends all of her love and gratitude to people of Iran, whom she'd love to represent through her art. www.baharbeihaghi.com
Christina Catechis is thrilled to be performing Lyle Kessler's new work. Recent film/TV credits: No Hard Feelings (Netflix), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon), Somewhere in Queens (Tribeca Film Festival), The Deuce (HBO), Little America (Apple TV), and others. She is also a member of One Year Lease Theater Company, with which she devises new work and performs.
Margaret Ladd made her Broadway Debut in The Great Indoors at age 23 opposite Geraldine Page. She has been in many films and plays, including several Broadway engagements. On TV, she starred in Falcon Crest for nine years. She also guest starred in Crisis in Six Scenes and Mozart in the Jungle, playing Claire, Malcolm McDowell's wife. Ms. Ladd also wrote and directed a film “Miss American Beauty” starring Blythe Danner.
Ali Arkane is an actor based in his native New York City. He is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio. Notable theater works include originating the Lead role of Douglas in Perp by Lyle Kessler (The Barrow Group), Fool for Love (Actors Studio), The Headhunter (The Planet Connections), and As You Like It (Arden Everywhere).
Christina Elise Perry - Perry is a film and theatre actor and producer. Highlighted theatrical roles include: Six Corners as Amanda, Fool for Love as May, Hurlyburly as Darlene, Talk Radio as Linda, and Wait Until Dark as Susan (NYIT Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role). Film: In the Dark Room. Training: New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts; School for Film and Television. Perry thanks her family and the Sisu (Finnish moxie) they instilled in her. Instagram: @christinaperryperry, christinaeliseperry.com
Kirk Gostkowski – Artistic Director Chain Theatre ; Select acting credits: World Premiere of Garbageman as Dan Bandana, Nick Moroni (NYC Premiere Keith Huff’s Six Corners), The Pillowman as Katurian (2016 Queens Kudos Winner Best Actor), Talk Radio as Barry Champlain (2015 NYIT Award Nominee for Outstanding Revival), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as R. P. McMurphy, Hurlyburly as Eddie, After the Fall as Quentin, Fool for Love as Eddie, In The Boom Boom Room as Al, True West as Austin, Wait Until Dark as Roat (Nominated as Best Director 2016 NYIT). He is the founder and Festival Director of the Chain NYC Film Festival. Kirk made his film directorial debut with the film Leave Me Behind, which was featured in ten film festivals across the world, won awards, and is distributed through Screen Media Ventures. Appearing next in the feature film: My Sister’s Wedding and on stage in the World Premiere of This God Damn House at the Chain Theatre this March. Kirk is a graduate of Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focused in performance.