Palace Theater Shines A Light On The New 2024-2025 Spotlight Series

Throughout the 2024-2025 season, Connecticut's most elegant theater will be shining a light on events that explore local connections and invite audiences closer to the action on stage. A thoughtfully curated collection of presentations designed to entertain, educate, and inspire, the Spotlight Series will focus on remarkable people and experiences while showcasing the art of storytelling.

Table Readings and I Wrote That Author Talks offer insight into the creative process of writing, 2nd Act features the extraordinary things people do in the second half of their lives, while Immigrant Stories presents first-person accounts of moving to a new country and starting over. “Great storytelling is the centerpiece of each of these presentations. Bringing them together into the Spotlight Series creates a focal point to share the stories of our community,” says Sheree Marcucci, Director of Special Projects & Curated Programs for the Palace Theater.

New this season, the Palace will be offering these events as a membership option with additional benefits to patrons. For only $50, members receive four admissions across the series and can decide how to use those admissions. In addition to flexible admissions, benefits include preferred seating, first access to free events and the VIP lunch options (where applicable), and concierge service.  “Many of these events have been a part of the Palace Theater's line-up for several years as individual presentations,” explains Palace Theater CEO Frank Tavera. “By creating a membership package, we are able to offer patrons more value and more opportunities to enjoy as many of these presentations as possible.”

More details are available at palacetheaterct.org. For information about becoming a Spotlight Series member, call Spotlight Concierge Denise Hinkelman at 203.346.2010. Single ticket on-sale dates for the individual engagements will be announced later.

2024 – 2025 LINE UP INCLUDES:

2nd Act Series

September 17, 2024 – Carol Ziske

Carol Ziske embodies the spirit of reinvention and lifelong passion, with a career that has seamlessly transitioned across various facets of the theatre world. An accomplished director, choreographer, actor, and educator for over five decades, Carol demonstrates that it is never too late to pursue new creative ventures and make an impact in the arts.

March 4, 2025 – Bob Tansley

Bob Tansley first dove into directing youth community theater productions as a way of helping further his daughter Brooke's theatrical experience. A retail store manager at the time, he founded St. Mary's Children's Theater in 1992 and established Blessed Sacrament Children's Theater and Post Theatrical Players in 2001. After more than three decades directing and performing in local theater, he founded the Golden Years Theatre Company in 2023, as a way of positively impacting the lives of senior citizens.

April 1, 2025 – Charles Monagan

Charles Monagan is an award-winning writer and editor, whose work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers. He was the editor of Connecticut Magazine for over 20 years, after which he turned to writing fiction. Charley is the author of ten books in multiple genres and penned the book and lyrics for the musical Mad Bomber, which was produced in 2011.

May 7, 2025 – Bob Sagendorf & Mollie The Collie

Bob Sagendorf, a seasoned radio broadcaster in CT and NYC, lost his voice and most of his hearing while being treated for a rare brain tumor. After relearning how to speak, he and his wife committed to raising and training a Rough-Coat Collie, Mollie, to be a therapy dog for autistic children and children with cancer. Bob's story is a 2ND ACT that says a resounding YES to using one's time and newly discovered talents to make a difference!

“i WROTE THAT!” AUTHOR TALK Series

September 7, 2024 – Susan Granger

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood, and movies are her family's business. After working as a child actress, she earned a degree in journalism which led to an illustrious career as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic, syndicating reviews and articles around the world for over forty years. In 2016, Susan published 150 Timeless Movies, a collection of her movie reviews.

November 2, 2024 – Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of seven historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Spectacular, The Magnolia Palace, The Address, and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. Featuring a gripping Waterbury-connected plotline, Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and the glamorous Radio City Music Hall in her thrilling novel, The Spectacular, about a talented young Rockette and a mysterious bomber terrorizing New York City. 

November 6, 2024 – Maria Sanchez

Maria Bruscino Sanchez is the owner of Sweet Maria's, an award-winning cake and cookie shop in Waterbury CT. Maria learned to bake alongside her mother and grandmother, then later at a neighborhood bakery. Since opening Sweet Maria's in 1990, she has provided the area with delicious homestyle sweets and baking classes. She is the author of six cookbooks, all published by St. Martin's Press. 

February 4, 2025 – Chris Belden

Chris Belden is the author of Shriver (the basis for the film A Little White Lie), Carry-on, The Floating Lady of Lake Tawaba, and Who Am I to Judge? He also edited the anthology Closer to Freedom: Prose & Poetry from Maximum Security, which collects prose and poetry composed in the prison workshop he ran for ten years. Appearing with Chris will be Mark Aldrich and Elizabeth Young, who have both brought theater workshops to correctional facilities.

IMMIGRANT STORIES

September 14, 2024 – Neema Syovata

Neema Syovata is a Kenyan American food writer and researcher who uses food as a lens to highlight and celebrate the diverse traditions and complex histories of African cuisines, with a focus on East Africa. Her work explores the intersection between cultural heritage, identity, and culinary creativity.

October 15, 2024 – Selim Noujaim         

When people ask Selim George Noujaim why he emigrated from his native Lebanon to settle in Waterbury, his answer is simple: “I followed a Waterbury girl.” Five decades later, Selim is a former state representative, a successful businessman, and a champion of numerous charitable organizations in the Greater Waterbury area.

May 20, 2025 – Luis Reyes

Born in the USA to immigrant parents, Luis Reyes has had “the privilege of living what all immigrant parents dream of for their children, and that is paving the pathway to freedom.” Growing up, he faced the challenges of being a minority, growing up in poverty, and having a hearing disability to become the first in his family to attend college.

TABLE READINGS

November 9, 2024 – Quentin: A Roosevelt Musical by William Linster

Kicking off our fourth Table Reading Series, composer William Linster will present scenes and musical highlights from Act 2 of his in-development show, Quentin: A Roosevelt Musical, with book and lyrics by Lawrence Alexander, and directed by Carol Ziske. The Table Reading Series is produced by Gracewell Productions.

Quentin is a heartfelt and original exploration of ambition, sacrifice, and legacy, told against the backdrop of early 20th-century America and the First World War. The musical centers around Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of Theodore Roosevelt, who embarks on a forbidden romance with Flora Payne Whitney, a wealthy heiress from a different social sphere.

January 25, 2025 – 4 a.m. Friends by Charlene A. Donaghy

Marlene Deitrich said, “It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.”  Becca, Tammy, and Kim are those kinds of 4 a.m. Friends, with humor and heart - the ties that bind. A myriad of iconic moments, people, and fashion from the 1970s onward propel these friends through six short plays as they fight, argue, support, and love through some of life's most challenging hurdles, growing from their teens to their sixties.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT SERIES

August 22, 2024 – Summer's Comedy Series

So, you think you're funny? This summer's open mic evening is dedicated to comedy! The Palace Theater wants to shine the Spotlight on regional comedians. Hosted by Connecticut's own Summer Orlando, the event takes place on August 22nd from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Whether they are seasoned stand-up comics, newcomers to the scene, or a comedy sketch group, performers are invited to show off their comedy chops in the intimate Poli Club!

March 29, 2025 - Herstories of Hope

Presented during Women's History Month, this speaker event and luncheon will gather a panel of women to share their hopeful stories of moving forward after overcoming great tragedies in their lives. Moderated by author and actress Randye Kaye, the group will include Gillian Issac Anderson, Tracy Beazer Barrett, Joyce Follo Jeffrey, and Lauren Yarger. In turn inspiring and edifying, these Herstories will remind us of the extraordinary resilience of women. During lunch, enjoy a comedic and thought-provoking piece, Giving Birth, by playwright Lauren Yarger, presented by actor Betsy Bucher Maguire.

For information about becoming a Spotlight Series member, call Spotlight Concierge Denise Hinkelman at 203.346.2010. Single ticket on-sale dates for the individual engagements will be announced later.

About the Palace Theater

The 2024-2025 season marks the 20th anniversary since the Palace Theater reopened its legendary doors after a 30-million-dollar renovation was completed in 2004. Located in Downtown Waterbury, Connecticut, the Palace Theater is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit performing arts center with a mission “to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.”

The Palace Theater gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support for the Spotlight Series by the Connecticut Community Foundation and Mary Ellen & Tim Rourke.

For more information, visit: www.palacetheaterct.org.

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