At The Roxy Performing Arts Center
1645 SW 107th Avenue
Miami, FL 33165
(305) 443-5909
 |
|
|
SIN FULL HEAVEN by Ricky J. Martinez
January 18 to February 11, 2007
>> Photo Gallery
World premiere of a play by Ricky J. Martinez.
"the advent of artistic director Ricky J. Martinez as a playwright is a pleasant surprise. The world premiere of Sin Full Heaven
reveals a promising new voice."
- Jack Zink, The Sun-Sentinel
"A bold tale of love, passion and betrayal"
- Dan Hudak, The Coral Gables Gazette
"the classic love story."
- Mia Leonin, Category305
A gothic drama of an overbearing tyrant and his adult daughter, whom he confines to his vast sugarcane plantation. The unexpected
appearance of the housemaid's mariner son sets into motion events that profoundly change each of their lives.
Sin Full Heaven is made possible with the support of Citizens Interested in the Arts, The Dramatists Guild and The Miami Salon Group.
The Cast
Samara Siskind - Luz Esperanza Catalan
Frank Rodriguez* - Luis Anon
Marta Velasco* - Eugeñia Anon
Stephen Neal* - Jose Felipe Catalan
* members of Actors' Equity Association
Samara Siskind (Luz Esperanza Catalan) is thrilled to be back at New Theatre after appearing last season as Sarah in Paradise. Other credits include Desdemona, a play about a Handkerchief (Promethean), Artful Dodgers, Betty's Summer Vacation, Fell in Love with a Girl (Mad Cat Theatre Company), This is Our Youth (Gable Stage), Bash (Juggerknot), Bang Bang You're Dead (Coconut Grove Playhouse), Grandma Sylvia's Funeral (Broward Stage Door), and Sleepwalkers (Area Stage). Also a published playwright, Samara was nominated for a Curtain Up and Carbonell Award for her play Fell in Love with a Girl, and will be featured in Volume II of Young Women's Monologues from Contemporary Plays this summer. Samara holds a BFA from Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Samara would like to dedicate this performance to the memory of her mother.
"alternately radiant and resolute" - Jack Zink, The Sun-Sentinel
Frank Rodriguez (Luis Anon) is a native to South Florida. He graduated from Florida International University with a degree in History and a Masters in Business Administration. He also studied classical piano and linguistics while earning his degrees. As a pianist, he performed selected works of Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Mozart. He also traveled throughout the world learning how to speak French, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and German. Frank is a newcomer to the South Florida stage with Sin Full Heaven representing his acting debut with New Theatre. His previous acting credits include roles in Burning Blue and A Menina e o Vento. He currently studies at the Acting School of South Florida with Michael Gioia, Kim St Leon, Paul Tei, and Miriam Kulick.
"perfect physical type for the role" - Mia Leonin, Category305
Marta Velasco (Eugeñia Anon) arrived in New York from Cuba in 1961. While in New York, she studied with Uta Hagen and Alice Spivak at the Herbert Bergoff Studio, and with Osvaldo Riofrancos, a pioneer of the Hispanic theatre movement, at the New York School of Arts. She was working in a Riofrancos' production when Joseph Papp, the legendary Broadway producer saw her perform and invited her and the company to become the Spanish component of the New York Shakespeare Festival, a partnership that last four years, where Marta co-starred with Raul Julia and Ignacio Lopez-Tarso and other personalities of theatre and film. She moved to Miami in 1972 and after a hiatus that lasted five years, she returned to the theatre in 1977. Since then, her career has been in a constant rise, having been a recipient of numerous awards. For seven years she starred in Sabado Gigante, the most popular Hispanic T.V. program at Univision- Channel 23, and co-starred in Marielena, the most popular Hispanic soap opera of the decade. In 1992, she became part of Telemundo-Channel 51 and was seen on the dynamic program Club Telemundo. Marta also co-starred in the soap opera Morelia at Univision Channel 23 and appeared in the films The Bodyguard, The Substitute and others. New Theatre audiences may recognize her as Hortensia in Nilo Cruz' World Premiere Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams, and Ama in Elaine Romero's World Premiere Barrio Hollywood.
"we revel in Velasquez's wizened humor" - Mia Leonin, Category305
Stephen Neal (Jose Felipe Catalan) is a member of Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild and is a founding member of the Theatre League of South Florida. Stephen's favorite roles include the rascally title character in Tom Walker (New Theatre), Tom in A Town Like Irving (New Theatre), Ross in The Goat, (GableStage) and George Sikowski in That Championship Season (Palm Beach Dramaworks). Stephen is proud of the fact that all four of those productions were nominated for Best Ensemble Carbonell Awards. The last time Stephen appeared on our stage was as a company member of our critically acclaimed 2005 Shakespeare Project, where he played Capulet in Romeo and Juliet; Morocco, Aragon, Tubal and the Duke in The Merchant of Venice; and Banquo in Macbeth. That particular company was singled out as the New Times Best Acting Ensemble in Miami for 2005/2006. Directing favorites include The Taming of the Shrew, The Mikado, Noises Off!, Oklahoma!, A Midsummer Night's Dream and (at New Theatre) Affluenza! Stephen serves as the Business Manager and is a faculty member in the FIU Theatre Department, where he teaches Acting, Directing, Management and Theatre Appreciation.
"convincingly chews the sugar cane stalks lining the walls" - Jack Zink, The Sun-Sentinel
Betsy Paull-Rick (Production Stage Manager) is pleased to return to New Theatre after serving as PSM for over 20 consecutive productions at the Mosaic Theatre
in Plantation. No stranger to the other side of the footlights, South Florida audiences may remember her as Judy in A Chorus Line, Jeanne in Hair, Tiny Tim
in Scrooge, or Diane in 42nd Street, among others. Recent directing and choreography credits include Hair and Fanny & Sadie, both at the
Tamarac Theatre. Betsy is the proud recipient of a Curtain Up Award nomination for Best Choreography for A New Brain, the Musical. She is a graduate of Wayne State
University, a former member of the Detroit Dance Collective, and has also worked locally for Hollywood Playhouse, The Public Theatre of South Florida, Theatre Illuminata,
and Broadway Arts Productions.
|
