Tag Archives: Empire Stage

Pigs Do Fly Productions to present Tom Dugan’s CEMETERY PUB – March 13 – 19, 2023

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents an
East Coast Premiere:
Cemetery Pub
March 3 – 19

“… fast-paced script, which is taut and sharp… Cemetery Pub is a terrifically entertaining piece of theatre…”
Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes, May 2022

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

January 24 2023

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals will begin shortly for Pigs Do Fly Productions’ production of playwright/actor Tom Dugan’s Cemetery Pub.  This will be only the second time the play has been produced – the first time was in May 2022 in Dugan’s own Backyard Theatre in California. Cemetery Pub will run from March 3rd through March 19th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

Set in the old-time and slightly run-down O’Brien’s Tavern (also known as the Cemetery Pub) across from St. Gertrude’s Catholic Cemetery as well as from the railroad tracks, Cemetery Pub is a dark comedy, and features a trio of fascinating characters: Dixie, the young owner of the bar, Ken O’Brien, Dixie’s uncle, and Danny, Dixie’s long-lost cousin.

Tom Dugan

This three-character play is somewhat of a departure for playwright Tom Dugan, who is well known to South Florida audiences for his award-winning play (and performances in) Wiesenthal, and several other one-person shows: “I grew up in a big Irish Catholic family, I had over 60 first cousins, aunts and uncles,” he explains.  “As the second youngest of the clan, no one sat me down to explain, who was who and what was what.  I was on my own to figure out my family history – I cobbled together a family narrative, based largely on half pieces of information, fortified by my own imagination.  My older siblings have pointed out to me recently that most of my assumptions are wrong, but they also pointed out that my version was much more entertaining.  This got me thinking about writing a play based not on the facts of my family story but rather the rumors and embellishments I came up with.”

“How I feel about this play is ‘Wow’”, says Pig’s Do Fly’s Executive Producer Ellen Wacher.  “It’s definitely a departure from many of the shows we’ve done in the past.  But it’s superbly written – I can visualize each scene – and it has a great deal of humor integrated with its serious subject matter and the characters’ lives.”

“To me, Cemetery Pub defies classification,” says the production’s director, Deborah ‘DK’ Kondelik.  “It is deadly funny, full of mystery and suspense, and at times even farcical. The characters and relationships are distinctively off-beat and captivating; there is an edginess to the play, a tongue-in-cheek kind of humor that will titillate audiences.”

Kondelik has cast Caroline Dopson as Dixie, David Corey as Ken, and Todd Bruno as Dan.

Cemetery Pub’s Stage Manager is Joseph Long, Dean Landhuis is the show’s Scenic Designer, David Hart will do the Sound Design, Preston Bircher will create the Lighting Design and serve as Technical Director, Jameelah Bailey will handle props, and Director Deborah Kondelik will coordinate Costumes. Jessica Kaschube is the Company Manager.

Tickets for Cemetery Pub are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

Cemetery Pub
By Tom Dugan
March 3 – 19, 2023
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

Tom Dugan:  Dubbed by critics “A National Treasure,” for the past twenty years Tom Dugan’s one-man plays have thrilled audiences from Beverly Hills, to 42nd street, and have been the subject of many PBS programs throughout North America.   His play Wiesenthal, (Produced by Daryl Roth) honored with multiple awards and nominations (N.Y. Drama Desk, N.Y. Outer Critics Circle, L.A. Ovation, L.A. Drama Critics Circle), has enjoyed productions in Israel, India, Australia, Italy, and Mexico. A feature film of Wiesenthal is planned for 2024. 
Mr. Dugan’s one person plays include The Civil War Trilogy, Robert E. Lee – Shades of Gray (100% Sweet -Bitter Lemons), Frederick Douglass In The Shadow Of Slavery (“the best history lesson ever!” – Peninsula News) and The Ghosts of Mary Lincoln (Spellbinding – LA Times), The twentieth century trilogy; Tevye In New York! (“Delightful” – Broadway World) Wiesenthal (“Masterful”- Backstage), Tell Him It’s Jackie. (“Brilliant”- Curtain Up). Tevye In New York will have its Florida premiere at The Delray Beach Playhouse in December 2023. For more information contact; Tom.dugan@outlook.com

  • Tom Dugan
  • Dave Corey
  • Caroline Dopson
  • Todd Bruno
  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY – November 4 – 20

13 Tuesday Sep 2022

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“…the perfect show for these times – many of us have faced uncertainty, loss, and the struggle of rediscovering who we are and who we want to be – difficulties the characters in this show face with much humor and grace.”  Andrea Stephenson – Broadwayworld.com

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

September 13, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals will begin shortly for Pigs Do Fly Productions’ production of the Jones, Hope, Wooten comedy, The Savannah Sipping Society.  The show will run from November 4th through November 20th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

Filled with laughter, hilarious misadventures, and the occasional liquid refreshment, The Savannah Sipping Society focuses on four unique Southern women, initially strangers, as they successfully bond and find the confidence to jump-start their lives.  Together they discover lasting friendships and a renewed determination to live in the moment – and most importantly, realize it’s never too late to make new old friends.

“This play is absolutely perfect for us,” says Pigs Do Fly’s Executive Producer Ellen Wacher.  “It completely fulfills our mission to produce plays that highlight actors – and characters – over the age of fifty, who are doing interesting things with their lives.  And these four women are certainly doing that!  We have assembled an amazing cast, who will bring these four women to life with humor, grace… and perfect timing.  And I can’t wait to see it!”

Ellen Wacher
Deborah Kondelik

“Everyone needs purpose, self-affirmation, and connection,” says the show’s director and Pigs Do Fly Productions’ Artistic Dirctor, Deborah Kondelik.  “The Savannah Sipping Society is about four women of a certain age, being accepted for who they are and realizing that there is more to life than they can imagine. It is through friendships and influences that the women in the play relearn how to have fun, make discoveries, and flourish. After all, ‘girls just wanna have fun!’”

Kondelik has cast Dalia Alemán as Randa, Barbara Bonilla as Marlafaye, Janice Hamilton as Jinx, Carol Sussman as Dot,and Donna Pacheco de Castro as Cordelia.

The Savannah Sipping Society’s Stage Manager is Joseph Long; David Hart will do the Sound Design; Preston Bircher will create the Lighting Design; director Deborah Kondelik will provide Costumes and Props, and MNM Theatre Company’s Jordon Armstrong and Johnbarry Green will Design and Construct the Set.   Jessica Kaschube is the Company Manager.

Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, collectively known as “Jones Hope Wooten”, enjoy the reputation of being three of the most popular and widely produced playwrights in the United States. They specialize in writing laugh-out-loud comedies and creating vivid strong roles for women.  Between them, they’ve written classic television, hit movies, and Off-Broadway comedy.

Tickets for The Savannah Sipping Society are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

The Savannah Sipping Society
By Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten (Jones, Hope, Wooten)
November 4 – 20, 2022
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Ellen Wacher
  • Barbara Bonilla
  • Carol Sussman
  • Janice Hamilton
  • Dalia Aleman
  • Dalia Aleman, Barbara Bonilla, Carol Sussman, Janice Hamilton, Donna Pacheco de Castro
  • Barbara Bonilla, Carol Sussman, Dalia Aleman, Janice Hamilton
  • Janice Hamilton, Barbara Bonilla, Dalia Aleman, Carol Sussman
  • Deborah Kondelik (Director) & Ellen Wacher (Executive Producer)
  • Dalia Aleman, Ellen Wacher, Barbara Bonilla, Carol Sussman, Joseph Long, Janice Hamilton, Deborah Kondelik, Donna Pacheco de Castro

World Premiere: EDUCATING ASHER Debuts at Empire Stage July 29 – August 14

18 Monday Jul 2022

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A World Premiere at Empire Stage

Eytan Deray’s  
Educating Asher
Debuts July 29 – August 14, 2022

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

July 18, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Multi-talented South Florida actor and cabaret artist Eytan Deray has added playwright to the list of his accomplishments.  His new play, Educating Asher, will have its world premiere at Empire Stage.  The production will open at July 29th and run through August 14th at the popular Fort Lauderdale venue.  

Eytan Deray

“I started writing Educating Asher 5 years ago as personal therapy after finding out about a beloved teacher’s passing,” Deray explains. “Now it’s a fully realized portrait of grief, friendships between generational gaps, and the importance of teachers/mentors in our life. This play is for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, and my hope is that audiences will leave the theatre not just moved, but ready to start a much-needed conversation.”

Hiding in the kitchen at a reception for a funeral, Asher is not quite sure how to process his grief over the loss of his former middle school teacher, Elliott Weiss, who he hasn’t spoken to or seen in five years. His boyfriend Mark tries to encourage him to talk to Mr. Weiss’s widower, Nick, but to no avail. Soon enough, Asher is forced to confront his grief when Elliott’s ghost appears in the kitchen with him. It’s only now that Elliott is gone that Asher can finally say everything he ever wanted to the teacher that changed his life.

Seth Trucks

“Eytan’s play is deeply personal, somewhat autobiographical, and he has brought in a team of his close friends to help him tell this story,” says Educating Asher’s director Seth Trucks. “It’s been a very powerful experience, the cast is amazing, are all working beautifully together, and I cannot wait to share his play with everyone.”

Trucks has cast Murphy Hayes as Elliott, Michael Harper as Mark, and Noah Levine as Nick.  Eytan Deray will play Asher.

Harold Petion will serve as the production’s Stage Manager.  Lighting Design is by Preston Bircher, Set Design is by Johnbarry Green and Jordon Armstrong, and Sound Design is by Seth Trucks.

Tickets for Educating Asher are $25 and are available online at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Educating Asher, to arrange to see a performance, or for interviews or photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Educating Asher
July 29 – August 14, 2022By Eytan Deray
Directed by Seth Trucks
Tickets: $25
For tickets:
www.empirestage.com / 954-678-1496
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
All performances take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

  • Eytan Deray
  • Michael Harper
  • Murphy Hayes
  • Noah Levine
  • Seth Trucks
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray, Noah Levine
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Michael Harper, Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray
  • Eytan Deray
  • Murphy Hayes, Eytan Deray, Noah Levine

Empire Stage to Present Yasmina Reza’s ART April 29 – May 15, 2022

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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“…This comedy crosses cultural barriers with such ease …a limber comic exercise
 in escalating tensions.” ~ Ben Brantley, The New York Times

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

April 6, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? These are just some of the questions that are asked, but not necessarily answered in Yasmina Reza’s award-winning play, ART.  ART will open at Empire Stage on April 29th and run through May 15th.

ART is a fascinating, clever, and often comedic exploration of both art and friendship.  Serge, one of a trio of three long-time friends indulges his penchant for modern art and buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. His friend Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes “art”. The third member of the trio, Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.  As their discussions move from the theoretical to the personal, the three friends are forced to ask questions not only about the nature of art, but about the nature of friendship.

Amir Darvish

“I have been wanting to direct and work on ART for several years”, says the show’s director, Amir Darvish. “To me, productions that really resonate are those that delve deep into relationships and how those bonds are tested. I want to make audiences think and laugh at the same time. How a simple event can mean so many things to different people and the viewing audience.  What can we tolerate? When do we speak up? Who are our friends?”

Empire Stage Executive Producer David R. Gordon agrees wholeheartedly. “I am very excited to be working with Amir Darvish on this project.  ART is not the type of play we typically do here at Empire Stage, and I am very curious to see how many of our regular patrons show up to see it.”

Darvish has cast Dean Nigro as Yvan, Ben Prayz as Serge, and David R. Gordon as Marc.  Gordon recently garnered excellent reviews in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ 2 Across.

David R. Gordon, Dean Nigro, Ben Prayz

Yasmina Reza’s ART premiered in 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The play, translated by Christopher Hampton, subsequently ran in London in 1996 and on Broadway in 1998 and garnered numerous awards during all three runs, including the Molière Award for Best Commercial Production, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle for Best Play, and the Tony Award for Best Play.  ART has been produced in 30 countries and translated from the original French into 45 languages.

Brian Bloomer will serve as ART’s Stage Manager, Preston Bircher is the show’s Lighting Designer, Dean Landhuis is the Set Designer, and David Hart is the show’s Sound Designer.

Tickets for ART are $35 and are available online at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Empire Stage please visit www.empirestage.com.   To arrange for interviews or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

ART
April 29 – May 15, 2022By Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Amir Darvish
Tickets: $35
For tickets:
www.empirestage.com / 954-678-1496
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
All performances take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

  • Amir Darvish
  • Ben Prayz
  • Dean Nigro
  • David R. Gordon
  • David R. Gordon, Dean NIgro, Ben Prayz
  • Dean Nigro, David R. Gordon, Ben Prayz

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents 2 ACROSS March 4 – 20, 2022

03 Thursday Feb 2022

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

March 4 – 20, 2022

“A charming, character driven comedy” ~ Los Angeles Times” 

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 3, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals will begin shortly for 2 Across, Pigs Do Fly Productions’ upcoming ‘reprise’ production of Jerry Mayer’s ‘comedy of crosswords and romance’. The show will run from March 4th through March 20th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

2 Across finds two strangers, a man and a woman, on board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. Alone in the car, the only thing they have in common is that they are both doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.  Soon the puzzles they unravel are more intriguing than any crossword puzzle could ever be.

Ellen Wacher

“2 Across was extremely successful when we presented it in 2019, and I am often asked not if, but when we will be bringing it back,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “Presenting it again is an exciting prospect – it’s a delightful two-person comedy that totally meets with our company’s mission – to show people over the age of 50 who are interesting and active and real. I was captivated by these characters’ development, and I believe our audiences will be too.”

Deboralih Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who directed 2 Across in 2019 and helmed Pigs Do Fly’s recent successful production of Helen on Wheels is looking forward to revisiting these characters: “It has been said that opposites attract,” Kondelik said recently.  “Whether or not that rings true remains to be seen in Jerry Mayer’s hilarious yet poignant romantic comedy.  One thing that is guaranteed though, is a delightful very early morning romp by two strangers on San Francisco’s BART train.  The tie that binds is that both of them are hard at work on the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle.  Although they tackle the puzzle with very different approaches, they soon discover commonalities that cannot be ignored.”

Michele Verdi and David R. Gordon will star in 2 Across, and both are excited at the prospect of exploring their diametrically opposite characters: Verdi’s Janet is a responsible, honest, rule-abiding psychologist, and Gordon’s Josh is part-free spirit, part executive, part dreamer, and part Peter Pan.

Playwright Jerry Mayer has written scripts for All in the Family, M*A*S*H*, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the Bob Newhart Show (where he served as story editor).  His first play, Almost Perfect ran for a year and a half at the Santa Monica Playhouse.  Other plays include the musical You Haven’t Changed a Bit, and Other Lies and Dietrich and Chevalier, The Musical.  

Tickets for 2 Across are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

This press release along with actor head shots can be viewed online at:  TBA

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

2 Across
By Jerry Mayer
March 4 – 20, 2022
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Ellen Wacher
  • Jerry Mayer
  • Michele Verdi
  • David R. Gordon & Michele Verdi
  • Joseph Long, Deborah Kondelik, Michele Verdi, David r. Gordon, Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents HELEN ON WHEELS December 3 – 19!

03 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
Soars Back With
Helen and her gang… all ready to raise a ruckus!

“‘Helen on Wheels’ is a lovely play about real people, and its gentle humor provides the structure for a very funny lesson on living your life, and no one else’s, no matter how old you are.”  ~ Mary Ann Johnson, MD Theatre Guide

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

November 3, 2021

Ellen Wacher

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Pigs Do Fly Productions’ Helen on Wheels managed just one performance before the pandemic forced the show to shutter in March 2020.  However, Pigs’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher vowed Pigs Do Fly Productions and the show would be back when the time was right. Now, with Florida COVID numbers consistently dropping, and audiences starting to attend theatre, Wacher feels “It’s time to bring the gang back!”   Helen on Wheels will run from December 3rd through December 19th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance on December 2nd.

“We were devastated when we had to close down,” Wacher says, “But of course it was the right and only thing to do.  We’ve had to make a couple of changes due to scheduling issues – a new director and two new cast members, but I am more than confident our audiences will love this production of Helen on Wheels. It is totally enjoyable, far out, very funny, and fits our Pigs Do Fly mission – to show people over 50 doing interesting things with their lives – to a ‘tee’.”        

Deborah Kondelik

“I am so pleased to be working with Ellen Wacher again and most happy to be directing another Cricket Daniel play,” says the show’s director Deborah Kondelik. “I loved directing The Lost Virginity Tour for Pigs Do Fly, and I am certain that Helen on Wheels will be just as entertaining and engaging. We theatre artists are all grateful to be back after such a long hiatus.”

A feisty, bingo-playing, gun-toting, ruckus raising, independent woman living in the small town of Crockett, Oklahoma.  That’s Helen Wheeler, the title character in Cricket Daniel’s comedy Helen on Wheels.  When Helen isn’t locked up in the local clink, she’s on her front porch shootin’ up critters and the local kids.  Not even the local sheriff, who has already taken away all her ammo and her driver’s license, can manage to uphold the law when it comes to Helen, her sidekick Zona, and their daily “Thelma and Louise” antics. 

Beverly Blanchette will return as Helen, as will Carol Sussman as her best friend and partner in crime Zona. Todd Bruno will reprise his role as Nelson, and Michael Gioia and Steven Chambers have joined ‘the gang’ as Elmer and Seth.

Helen on Wheels’ Scenic Designer is Dean Landhuis, David Hart is the show’s Sound Designer, Preston Bircher is the Lighting Designer, and Joseph Long is the production’s Stage Manager.

“I am thrilled to have Helen on Wheels produced by Pigs Do Fly Productions,” playwright Cricket Daniel said recently.  “This play is very personal to me because it was inspired by my own mother, who loved two things… my Dad and Bingo!  I had an absolute blast creating these characters.  I think the heart of Helen on Wheels is the friendship between Helen and Zona.  Everyone needs a best friend that will wipe your tears… and help you break out of jail.  Everyone needs a Zona!”

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

There will be a preview performance of Helen on Wheels on December 2nd; the production will open on December 3rd and run through December 19th.  Tickets are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com. Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

Masks covering nose, mouth, and chin must be worn in the building
at all times in order to attend.
There will be no refreshments available.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Helen on Wheels
By Cricket DanielPreview Performance: Thursday, December 2 at 8 pm
Runs from December 3 – 19, 2021
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Or call 954-678-1496
Performances: 
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

  • Beverly Blanchette
  • Carol Sussman
  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Michael Gioia
  • Todd Bruno
  • Ellen Wacher
  • Todd Bruno, Deborah Kondelik, Michael Gioia, Steven A. Chambers, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman, Joseph Long, Ellen Wacher
  • Todd Bruno, Michael Gioia, Steven A. Chambers, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman
  • Deborah Kondelik, Ellen Wacher, Joseph Long
  • Deborah Kondelik, Ellen Wacher
  • Michael Gioia, Beverly Blanchette
  • Steven A. Chambers

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents HELEN ON WHEELS – March 5 – 29, 2020

11 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
Helen on Wheels
March 5 – 29, 2020

“‘Helen on Wheels’ is a lovely play about real people, and its gentle humor provides the structure for a very funny lesson on living your life, and no one else’s, no matter how old you are.” ~ Mary Ann Johnson, MD Theatre Guide

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 11, 2020
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  A feisty, bingo-playing, gun-toting, ruckus raising, independent woman!  That’s Helen Wheeler, the title character in Pigs Do Fly Productions next outing – Cricket Daniel’s comedy Helen on Wheels.  The show will run from March 6th through March 29th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance on March 5th.

Ellen Wacher

“We had such a great response to our recent production of Cricket Daniel’s The Lost Virginity Tour that I was pumped to look at this play too,” says Ellen Wacher, Pigs Do Fly’s founder and Executive Producer.   “Helen on Wheels is totally enjoyable, far out, very funny, and perfect for us, and for the times.”

Elizabeth Price, who recently received glowing reviews in Primal Forces Productions’ Villainous Company will direct Helen on Wheels: 

“Nostalgia for the past, good times. Pushing boundaries, living out loud. Seeing what’s really important, not buying into what people think we should be and do, missed chances, new opportunities… these are things that everyone, no matter what their age, can relate to.”  Price says.

Elizabeth Price

“The play is about a woman who has lost the man she spent her whole happy life with, and now she’s acting out in crazy but hilarious ways as she looks for who she is on her own,” she says. “Another chance for love comes along and she has to decide which way to go. Essentially, we get to see how the sweetness of the past doesn’t end when something new begins.

“This company has a great mission,” Price continues. “I want to see and tell stories that reflect what the whole of life looks like, not just life’s early phases.”

Price has cast Beverly Blanchette as Helen, and Carol Sussman as her best friend and partner in crime Zona. Rounding out the troupe are David Hyland as Seth, Todd Bruno as Nelson, and Dave Corey as Elmer.

“I am thrilled to have Helen on Wheels produced by Pigs Do Fly Productions,” playwright Cricket Daniel says.  “This play is very personal to me because it was inspired by my own mother, who loved two things… my Dad and Bingo!  I had an absolute blast creating these characters.  I think the heart of Helen on Wheels is the friendship between Helen and Zona.  Everyone needs a best friend that will wipe your tears… and help you break out of jail.  Everyone needs a Zona!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

There will be a preview performance of Helen on Wheels’ on March 5th; the production will open on March 6th and run through March 29th.  Tickets are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

Helen on Wheels
Preview Performance: Thursday, March 5, 2020
Runs from March 6 – March 29, 2020
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents THE LOST VIRGINITY TOUR – October 31 – November 24

07 Monday Oct 2019

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

The Lost Virginity Tour
October 31 – November 24

“When liquor laced cookies are the highlight of our week, then it’s time for us to shake things up.”– The Lost Virginity Tour

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 8, 2019
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Four women ‘of a certain age’ will take to the road and revisit the locales where each lost her virginity in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ The Lost Virginity Tour by Cricket Daniel.  There will be a preview performance on October 31st and the production will run from November 1st through November 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  

The Lost Virginity Tour is a funny, profound, and provocative play about four women in their golden years – not talking about their grandkids or their knitting circles, but talking about sex and love, and recalling their ‘first time’ with often hilarious but sometimes harrowing detail.   This humorous and adventurous road trip through memories conjures up the choices we make that shape our lives forever, and the friendships that hold us up when we can’t walk on our own.

Deborah Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who directed Pigs Do Fly’s recent sold out production of 2 Across, will helm The Lost Virginity Tour: “Old folks ain’t what they used to be! And Pigs Do Fly Productions has a noteworthy mission – to do productions that feature characters over 50 years of age, and oftentimes much older,” she says.  “The plays we present are populated with vibrant, intriguing characters who make “getting older” much more fun than the typical older characters we saw in plays of bygone eras.  This play by Cricket Daniel is a perfect fit for Pigs Do Fly because it features four unique women taking an inimitable, one-of-a-kind road trip. Everyone should come along for the ride because it promises to be filled with tons of raucous laughter and also a few poignant tears.”

Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher agrees: “Pigs Do Fly stands for people over 50 living interesting, active lives,” she says.  “And…WOW!  The Lost Virginity Tour fits our mission to a “T”. It has humor, some serious moments, and always strong characters who reflect our lives and who we are today.  We have assembled an amazing cast and I totally believe that those who come will be affected by this play – I know it will inspire laughter, introspection, reflection, and even a few tears.”

Kondelik and Wacher have assembled an impressive cast to travel together on The Lost Virginity Tour: Leigh Bennett, Barbara Bradshaw, Diana D’Ambrosio, and Barbara Sloan will, as Sloan’s character Rita says “…Make like dough and roll”!

“As a playwright, it is very gratifying to give female actresses of a certain age a great vehicle to shine on stage,” playwright Cricket Daniel said recently. “Having a play with one leading role for the older actress is rare, let alone four.  It was fun to create these characters who get to laugh, cry, and play together on stage.  As a former actress, I would have killed to play one of these roles!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

The Lost Virginity Tour will run from October 31st (preview performance) through November 24th.  Tickets for The Lost Virginity Tour are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

The Lost Virginity Tour
Preview Performance: Thursday, October 31
Runs from November 1 – November 24, 2019
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
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Empire Stage Presents CLEMENZA & TESSIO ARE DEAD – August 15 – September 8

12 Monday Aug 2019

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Direct from The New York City Fringe Festival
Empire Stage Theater Presents the South Florida Premiere of
Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead
August 15 – September 8

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

August 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Empire Stage will present a limited 13 performance run of Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead by Gregg Greenberg from August 15 – September 8. The play – a clever and humorous parody of the classic 1972 movie “The Godfather” (based on the novel by Mario Puzo), was originally produced as part of the 2009 New York City Fringe Festival.

Shari Upbin

Shari Upbin will direct the production, which will star Troy Stanley, Christopher Dreeson, and Aaron Bravo.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead takes a look at two little-noticed cogs in the Mafia machine and shows how those wise guys who are often overlooked can actually have the most fascinating stories of all.

Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio are two longtime foot soldiers of the Corleone crime family, but after more than 40 years of service, upper management changes in the organization, and a perceived lack of respect from the incoming generation leads them to wonder if they’re being put out to pasture (or under it). But with the handwriting already on the wall, is it possible to change what fate has already decreed? Well, yes – but only if someone is cunning enough to radically change the script.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead will run at Empire Stage Theater form August 15 – September 8. Empire Stage Theater is located at 1140 North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $35 ($20 for Aug 15 preview performance). Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.

For more information about this production, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Clemenza & Tessio are Dead
August 15 – September 8
By Gregg Greenberg
Based on the movie The Godfather (1972), screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo
Tickets: $35 ($20 for August 15 preview)
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
To purchase tickets:
www.empirestage.com or 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

 

Romance, Comedy & Crosswords! Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents 2 ACROSS – March 7 – 24

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

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Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
2 Across

March 7 – 24

“A charming, character driven comedy” ~ Los Angeles Times”

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals have begun for 2 Across, Pigs Do Fly Productions’ upcoming production of Jerry Mayer’s ‘comedy of crosswords and romance’. The show will run from March 7th through March 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

2 Across finds two strangers, a man and a woman, on board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. Alone in the car, the only thing they have in common is that they are both doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.  Soon the puzzles they unravel are more intriguing than any crossword puzzle could ever be.

Ellen Wacher

“This is our first play that focuses on a relationship between two people,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “It also totally meets with our company’s mission – to show people over the age of 50 living interesting and active and real lives. I was captivated by these characters’ development, and I believe our audience will be too.”

Deborah Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who starred in both of Pigs Do Fly’s recent successful productions of The Ladies Foursome, will direct 2 Across: “It has been said that opposites attract,” Kondelik said recently.  “Whether or not that rings true remains to be seen in Jerry Mayer’s hilarious yet poignant, romantic comedy.  One thing that is guaranteed though, is a delightful very early morning romp by two strangers on San Francisco’s BART train.  The tie that binds is that both of them are hard at work on the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle.  Although they tackle the puzzle with very different approaches, they soon discover commonalities that cannot be ignored. The stumbling block is that both are married . . . to someone else.”

Barbara Sloan and David R. Gordon will star in 2 Across, and both are excited at the prospect of exploring their diametrically opposite characters: Sloan’s Janet is a responsible, honest, rule-abiding psychologist, and Gordon’s Josh is part-free spirit, part executive, part dreamer, and part Peter Pan.

Playwright Jerry Mayer has written scripts for All in the Family, M*A*S*H*, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the Bob Newhart Show (where he served as story editor).  His first play, Almost Perfect ran for a year and a half at the Santa Monica Playhouse.  Other plays include the musical You Haven’t Changed a Bit, and Other Lies and Dietrich and Chevalier, The Musical.

Tickets for 2 Across are $39 and are available on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

2 Across
By Jerry Mayer
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
March 7 – 24
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 866-811-4111
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Like Us on Facebook! 

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