Chazz Palminteri, Bobby Moresco & More to be Featured in The Actors Studio February Events

In February, The Actors Studio will continue its 75th Anniversary celebration as the world's most celebrated and influential membership association for professional actors, directors and playwrights. The legendary studio, located at 432 West 44th Street, will open its doors to the public for two special events, each free and open to the public.

February 17 & 18 at 7PM

IF YOU LOVE ME, a staged reading of a new play by Lyle Kessler

Starring Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri

Directed by Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco

To reserve seats, visit TheActorsStudio.org/75KesslerReading

Join them at The Actors Studio for a staged reading of Lyle Kessler's (Orphans) new play If You Love Me, directed by Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco. Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri (Bullets Over Broadway, A Bronx Tale) leads a cast featuring Gabe Furman, Kathleen Simmonds and Connor Chase Stewart. If You Love Me is a dark comedy that pushes the boundaries of human behavior. Passion, violence and love in this wild dark roller coaster of emotions. Reservations are required.

Saturday, February 25, 3PM & 7PM

The Actors Studio SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The Actors Studio presents two programs showcasing short films written, directed and produced by Lifetime Members of The Actors Studio. The series will take place on Saturday, February 25th (at the Studio) and will consist of an evening and matinee program. Reservations are required. Each program will be followed by a talk-back and Q&A with the filmmakers, guided by the moderator. The following are brief synopsis of the films to be screened and a brief bio on each filmmaker.

3PM PROGRAM - The Actors Studio SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

To reserve seats, TheActorsStudio.org/75ShortFilmMat

Evgeniya Radilova's short film Patrik is a story about an accomplished elderly actor who grew too old for our modern fast paced life and on his way to receiving his final and ultimate lifetime recognition, he gets swallowed up by it mercilessly. It is a human story about trying to age gracefully while being pushed aside by the next generation. And ultimately it is a story about how a real human connection is the ultimate reward we can all hope for in this lifetime.

Kate Taney Billingsley's short film A Man Of His Time is the story of two descendants of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott Decision who meet in a cafe off the New Jersey turnpike. Jim Taney, a descendant of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney who penned the opinion, offers an apology from his family to the family of Walter Scott, a descendant of the formerly enslaved Dred Scott. Through a vulnerable conversation about racism in America, Jim awakens to his own ignorance and discovers why an apology alone just won't cut it.

In Marcia Haufrecht's short film Full Moon And High Tide In The Ladies Room, Babe a waitress in the West Village gets pregnant and her boyfriend Hal gets scared. Two years into Roe v. Wade homeless babe has to make a decision: have a baby, don't have a baby.

In Matthew Dixon's short film Modern Houses, Max Lin had been architecture's celebrated young star. Perched on the cutting edge of form and function, her stunning, sculptural designs challenged the conventional limits of buildings as art. A year ago, her career derailed. Under the weight of brilliance, expectation, endless delays, and the eyes of her own face staring back at her from the cover of Architectural Digest, she cracked. But she's back. Having locked herself away for the last 72 hours, racing to finish the model of what will be her greatest design, she steps back for the final look. It's perfect. And then, from inside, she hears the whisper that every artist fears. Log line: From inside her greatest creation, a star architect hears the whisper that every artist fears.

7PM PROGRAM - The Actors Studio SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

To reserve seats, TheActorsStudio.org/75ShortFilmEvening

In Gabe Fazio's short film Joe Mover, Nicky and Frank spend their last day with their co-worker Joe, at a declining moving company on Long Island. From co-writers and co-directors Gabe Fazio and Lev Gorn.

Javier Molina and Gabe Furman's Wonder tracks the events that transpire when Sammy (Benji Siegel) encounters a heroic drag queen (Jamyl Dobson) and secretly starts dreaming of trick-or-treating as Wonder Woman for Halloween. Confused and fearful of these unfamiliar feelings, Sammy begins to question his gender in relation to the world around him, and how this secret will affect his relationship with his blue collar, single father, Frank (Gabriel Furman).

Sayra Player's short film Broken Broken ...Circled up under the now torn down East River amphitheater, this community comes together to know and see themselves in the stories of others.

In Mark Borkowski's short film Hungry Ghosts, Frank Duffy searches for his missing wife who has relapsed on heroin and disappeared. As Frank's obsession drives him closer to the edge, he is forced to confront his own demons or die with hers. Set in the drug-infested badlands of Philadelphia, "Hungry Ghosts" shines a light on the city's opioid crisis while exploring a family torn apart by addiction.

While each of the events are free and open to the public, space is limited and reservations are required for access. For more information about The Actors Studio, visit TheActorsStudio.org.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS,

IF YOU LOVE ME

Chazz Palminteri

has appeared in over 60 films. To name a few - The Usual Suspects, Analyze This, Mulholland Falls, Jade, Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Legend, and Bullets over Broadway, which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Palminteri wrote the screenplay for the film A Bronx Tale, adapted from his play, and then most recently wrote the book for the Broadway Musical. It was the first time in history that the same actor wrote the one-man play, the movie, and the Broadway Musical and starred in each one. He has starred in over 20 television series and has won 3 Emmy's. Chazz is most recently seen in "Modern Family," "Godfather of Harlem," "Law & Order" and "Gravesend."

Lyle Kessler

(Playwright) is the author of the internationally acclaimed play "Orphans" which recently received two Tony nominations for the Broadway revival starring Alec Baldwin and Ben Foster. Albert Finney won the Olivier Award in London's West End production and Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg are among other notables who have appeared in various productions. "Orphans" will have a West End Revival in London's Trafalgar Theater next Season. Other plays include, "The Watering Place," Collision," Possession," "Robbers," "First Born," "Unlisted" and "Perp." His drama "The Great Divide" received the L.A. Times Critic's Pick. Films include "Orphans," "Gladiator," "The Saint of Fort Washington" and "Touched," written and co-starring Mr. Kessler. As an actor he co-starred with Bruce Dern in the Philadelphia premiere of "Waiting for Godot." He studied acting with Lee Strasberg and actually played him in Mark Rydell's film "James Dean," starring James Franco.

Bobby Moresco

(Director) is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio. He began his work with the Studio in 1983 after being invited into the playwright directors unit by his good friend Roscoe Lee Browne. He has written or directed plays on Broadway, off Broadway, and throughout Los Angeles for much of the last 45 years. His work in television includes critically acclaimed shows such as EZ Streets, Falcone and The Black Donnellys. His work in film as a writer, director, or producer, includes the academy award winning Crash and Million Dollar Baby as well as his latest movie Lamborghini starring, Gabriel Byrne, Frank Grillo, and Mira Sorvino.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS,

The Actors Studio SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

KATE TANEY BILLINGSLEY

(A Man Of His Time) is an actor and playwright, and professor at The Actors Studio Drama School. A Man of His Time is a film adaptation of Kate's short play of the same name. American Rot, Kate's latest full-length play is an expansion of A Man of His Time and is currently being workshopped at The Actors Studio under the direction of Estelle Parsons. Kate's short film, A Man of His Time, won 2nd place in the Audience Choice Award category for NYWIFT/iWomanTV online shorts festival. Kate is a Lifetime member of The Actors Studio and recipient of the Theater Hall of Fame's 2018 Emerging Artist grant, National Judicial College Community, Justice and Service Award and Alex Haley Roots Foundation, Racial Healing and Reconciliation Honor. www.katetaneybillingsley.com

MARK BORKOWSKI

(Hungry Ghosts) is an award-winning writer, director, and actor in film and theatre. His writing has been hailed by the LA Times as "Fireworks and Poetry". He wrote the award-winning feature The Perfect Witness (with Wes Bentley) which won the Fantasia Award and was picked up by Showtime. He recently wrote/directed Hungry Ghosts which was in over 25 film festivals and won numerous awards including Best Short Film at The New Hope, IndieFEST and Philadelphia Film Festivals. Also an award-winning playwright, his work has been published and produced around the world. Some recent productions include Hold at The Collective NY, The Head Hunter at the Abington Theatre, The Godling at Theatre Camden UK, The Daughters of Eve at The Cherry Lane, and Painting Corpses which is currently touring Italy throughout 2023. As an actor, Mark has portrayed memorable characters in such hits as "House of Cards", "Boardwalk Empire", "When They See Us", "Blue Bloods" and countless others. He won Best Actor for The Perfect Witness at the Portugal Film Festival and for "Cucina" at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. Mark is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio.

MATTHEW DIXON

(Modern Houses) wrote and directed the short film, Modern Houses, starring Lili Taylor. It played at over 30 festivals around the world, receiving nominations and awards. Lili is also attached to the feature based on her character in the short. Dixon was selected for The Sundance Institute's Writers Lab and Filmmakers Lab with his first screenplay, Starry Night. It was one of only two scripts sponsored by Sundance that year for the Independent Film Project's "No Borders" conference. His award winning one-hour television pilot script, "The Glass Hotel," had been optioned by HBO for Mike Myers; Dixon was also a co-producer on the project. His screenplay, Fish Story, won the 2020 Best Screenplay Award at the Mammoth Lake Film Festival competition and has been a finalist and semi-finalist for numerous others. His screenplay, Perfect Memory, had been optioned as a co-production by Darren Aronofsky's Chromista Films and the French company, SeBe Films. He directed the documentary One Man Under God, about Michael Newdow, who represented himself before the Supreme Court to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. He was a founding member of two New York theater companies, and his plays have been produced off-off Broadway, where he has also directed. He is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio and has acted extensively in theater, film and television (including "Empire Falls" with Estelle Parsons).

Gabe Fazio

(Joe Mover) is from Long Island, New York. He has acted in film and TV, most notably in The Place Beyond The Pines, A Star Is Born, and I Know This Much Is True. Gabe is also in "The Good Nurse," which is now streaming on Netflix. He has been a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio since 2001.

Gabriel Furman

(Wonder, writer) of Queens, NY is an actor, writer, producer and comedian who has performed at UCB and The Pit. Gabriel started off his career as a professional Breakdancer and DJ in the underground NYC dance scene. He also wrote, produced and starred opposite Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo in the Award Winning Short Mother's Day. Recent Acting includes, TV: "Orange Is The New Black," CBS's "Blue Bloods," and Netflix's "Daredevil." Theatre: Judas in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (La Mama) and Pinky in Our Lady of 121st. (The Actors Studio). Both were directed by fellow Actors Studio member and Academy Award Winner Estelle Parsons.

Lev Gorn

Lev Gorn's (Joe Mover) career in film and television covers over 50 films and TV series. In film, he has worked with Woody Allen, Robert DeNiro, Cary Fukunaga, Edward Zwick, the Russo brothers and many others. He has played standout roles in Emmy-award winning FX's "The Americans" and HBO's "The Wire". Lev currently recurs on Apple TV's "For All Mankind" and Starz' "Raising Kanan". He likes to pump iron and hang out with his dogs.

Marcia Haufrecht

(Full Moon And High Tide In The Ladies Room) has appeared on, off and off-off Broadway in roles ranging from Tondeleyo in White Cargo to Queen Elizabeth in Richard III (with Al Pacino). Last seen in White Woman Black Boy in the role of Carolyn Bryant. TV includes "Law & Order", "L&O: Special Victims Unit," "L&O: Criminal Intent," "The Sopranos," "For Life," "Unforgettable" and numerous made for TV movies. Film: Dog Day Afternoon, Diane, Win Win, and many others. Most recently Something From Tiffany's, and James Grey's Armeggedon Time. Marcia is also a playwright, director, filmmaker and artist. She is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Actors Studio, and Urban Artists Collective. Full Moon and High Tide in the Ladies Room was Marcia's first film. She recently completed her second film, 3 Muses, which is currently doing the film festival circuit.

Javier Molina

(Wonder, director) was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New Jersey. He received his MFA in directing from Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio in NYC. In 2010 Javier was chosen to work as a directing observer in the Playwrights Horizons production of Bruce Norris' Clybourne Park, directed by Tony Winner, Pam MacKinnon. Javier was also chosen as a member of the 2010 Lincoln Center Theater Director's Lab. Recent directing credits include: 2016 Best Director, 120 Hour Film Festival, The Actors Studio production of Motherfucker With The Hat and 2nd Unit on Bobby Moresco's Bent.

Sayra Player

(Broken, Broken) served as the Artistic Director of The Collective NY '18 and from '12 -'19 ran development, curated weekly workshops and produced four theatrical productions and two short films. As an actor she premiered at Sundance, SXSW and Rotterdam film festival. Favorite directors she's worked with: Joe Maggio, Sebastian Mylynarski, Timothy Busfeild, Andre Gregory, Aaron Schrimberg. She has been in 3 films of The Flies Collective. She has three published plays. She has extensive downtown theatre credits and studied in Italy and Poland with the Workcenter for Jerzy Grotowski. She produced and starred in Hurricane Party at the Cherry Lane directed by Maria Dizzia. The short film Uncle Silas, which she directed, starred in and wrote, won the jury prize at Albuquerque Music & Film. Sayra is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio.

Evgeniya Radilova

(Patrik) Named "TV's Bond Girl" by the International Tribune. As an actress her credits include: "Law and Order: SVU," "Limitless," "Elementary," "Blue Bloods," and others. On the stage she played opposite Ellen Burstyn in The Cherry Orchard in a production of The Actors Studio, where she is a proud lifetime member. She is the co-founder of iDare Productions, where she has been steadily producing, writing and directing award winning content. Her short movie Patrik won nine awards from film festivals, and The Spotlight selected her as one of the best filmmakers for 2019 and 2020, for her film El Cavil. For the past 4 years she has been co-producing, casted and stars in the feature film Lost Cos, which just began its festival run. And she has won two Best Actress Awards so far.

 

Both a place and a philosophy, The Actors Studio is an association of artists who, drawing from this common wellspring, have made enormous contributions to American art. Founded in 1947 in New York City by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, and Robert Lewis, the Studio began as a place where theatre artists could gather, privately, to explore new and deeper connections to the work. The founding members, a group of actors, writers, and directors, were committed to redefining the art of acting, to developing a series of techniques an actor could use to search for and express the truth onstage in the moment. The workshop went on to become the most powerful influence on American acting in the 20th century and continues today serving new generations of actors who are committed to the same ideal. Founding Artistic Director, Lee Strasberg, developed a series of techniques and exercises that became known as 'The Method' and changed the art of acting worldwide.

Membership is free. After successfully completing a series of auditions, the actor is invited into membership for life. Membership is bi-coastal, and to support them there are two locations. New York is The Actors Studio's birthplace and administrative headquarters. The only branch, Actors Studio West, is located in West Hollywood, CA. All members benefit from having a home with similar activities on both coasts.

Current leadership of The Actors Studio includes Co-Presidents Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino; Artistic Directors Beau Gravitte (NYC) and Salome Jens (L.A.); Co-Associate Artistic Directors Estelle Parsons, Michael Aronov and Javier Molina (NYC), and Katherine Cortez (L.A.)

Notable members, past and present, of The Actors Studio have included Bea Arthur, Anne Bancroft, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brando, Roscoe Lee Browne, Montgomery Clift, Common, Bradley Cooper, James Dean, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Ben Gazzara, Lorraine Hansberry, Julie Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Celeste Holm, Kim Hunter, William Inge, Elia Kazan, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Lang, James Lipton, Martin Landau, Cloris Leachman, Melissa Leo, Norman Mailer, Walter Matthau, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Clifford Odets, Geraldine Page, Sidney Poitier, Sydney Pollack, Jose Quintero, Jerome Robbins, Mark Rylance, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Stanley, Maureen Stapleton, Rod Steiger, Eli Wallach, Tennessee Williams, Gene Wilder, Shelley Winters and Joanne Woodward, to name a few.

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