CAST

Jules, Francis, Hush...................Eric Fletcher

Louise, Miss Mary Pask,
Hush...................................Sue-Ellen Mandell

Colette, Charlotte,
Hush...............................Andrea Woodbridge

Madame Moreau,
Skelton, Katie, Hush............Lexie Showalter

Spider, Julia, Elise...................Shino Frances

Sarah U/S, Fly,
Skelton, Hush..............................Avery Ilardi

Sarah, Hush.................................Rosie Ilardi

Narrator.......................................Brenda Bell

Understudy
(Jules, Frances, Hush) .................Alex Wade

Understudy
("Kurt" for Katie).................Dustin Schlairet

           CREATIVE TEAM

Director/Playwright......................Brenda Bell

Composer..............................Michael Sgouros

Stage Manager....................Nicholas Thomas

Asst. Stage Manager................Kelley Alogna

Production Asst...........................Alex Wade

Choreographer.......................Dustin Schlairet

Costumes...............................Courtney Hansen

Production Manager.................Emma Ruopp

Lighting Designer..........................Jessica Choi

Set Design.....................................Elizabeth Chaney

Marketing/Promo............Andrea Woodbridge

Group Sales.................................Charlene Ilardi

Eric Fletcher's Off-Broadway credits include Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein), Hollow (Henry and Van Ripper), Phantom of the Opera (The Phantom), Beauty and the Beast (Papa), The Little Mermaid (Fish Witch), Cinderella (Madame), Alice in Wonderland (Queen of Hearts), The Selfish Giant (Giant) and Treasure Island (Ben Gunn). Eric earned a BFA in theatre per-formance form Virginia Commonwealth University. He can also be seen around New York as his drag persona Sparkle Monster. Thanks to friends, family and Michael Capecci.

 

Sue-Ellen Mandell has appeared in many regional, Off-off Broadway and Off Broadway productions. She played several iconic roles over the years, including: Blanche: Streetcar Named Desire, Martha: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Ouisa: Six Degrees of Separation, Escalus: Measure for Measure. Television work includes: Celebrity Ghost Stories, Investigation Discovery and commercials. She worked for Comedy Central: playing Hillary Clinton, and collaborating to produce several Mini Mocks. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 N.Y. Theater Festival. This will be her 20th production at The Players Theatre, and she is rooting for, at least 20 more! When not acting, she enjoys teasing her granddaughters and sailing with her “boatman”, Jack! [email protected]

Andrea Woodbridge is thrilled to be back onstage at the Players Theatre! Past credits include: The Hollow (Henrietta), A Christmas Carol the Musical (Ghost of Christmas Past/Franny), The Stranger (Enid), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena, Titania). She would like to thank Steve and Sierra for all their love and support, and Brenda Bell for her amazing friendship. @andrea_m_woodbridge; andreawoodbridge.com

Lexie Showalter is thrilled to return to The Players Theater! Recent theater credits include Mrs Cratchit/Belle in A Christmas Carol (Players Theater), Libby in I’m Trying to Understand You But. . . (Japan Society), Doris in The Stranger (Players Theater) Hero/Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing (SITW), Helena in Midsummer Nights Dream (Players Theater) and Barb in Hope and Gravity (Circle Theater). She’s also a proud cast member and writer of a bimonthly live sketch show Our Bar in NYC. BFA MT from TCU. www.lexieshowalter.com For Mom.

Shino Frances (she/they) is a NYC-based international Theatre Maker. Raised in a Japanese-Jewish household, Shino’s performance career started in diapers when accidentally moon-ing their grandparents’ guests at the dinner table. Directing followed close after, as they enrolled their bestie from next door to act out scenes on the back porch. More recent adventures include an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Full Length Musical award from MITF; two nominations for BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards – Best Original Choreography; Directing Rob Chen’s THE BLU ROOM; and most recently, Dir/Choreo of Sgouros & Bell’s CINDERELLA, this past spring. – A special thank you to all at The Players Theatre & Literally Alive!! @shinofrances

Avery Ilardi is honored to be returning to the Players Theatre stage in a spooky new show. Avery's Off-Broadway credits include Alice In Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, The Little Mermaid, Frankenstein, and Beauty and the Beast. Avery can be seen in the Kars4Kids commericial, laughing it up with the Impractical Jokers, and co-staring alongside Eric Roberts and Matt Rife in The Elevator movie. Much love to Mother, Father, Rosie, Giulia and the rest of my support team who have helped me on my journey, especially Brenda, Micheal, Dustin and the entire cast and crew for their love and support. @averyilardi

Rosie Ilardi is super excited to be in Dark Ladies. She was recently seen in A Christmas Carol as Tiny Tim and is excited to be back on the stage. She can also be seen in the horror movie The Undead. @RosieIlardi

Brenda Bell founded Literally Alive Theatre in 1999 and Be Bold! Productions in 2009. She has written the book and lyrics for each production, including 13 with composer Michael Sgouros. Her adaptations of A Christmas Carol and original musical Tico Tales were featured in Costa Rica at Teatro Jaco. Rumor has it that she wrote, produced and directed her first show at age six when the summer proved to be too boring. Her first love has always been dance and Bell is committed to increasing the role of dance in Off-Broadway musicals. As the owner of the Showboat Theatre, she wrote and produced shows for theatre legends including Mickey Rooney, Jamie Farr, Van Johnson, Mimi Hines and Frank Gorshin. Her writing credits also include Reading Is Cool for Reading is Fundamental and Chasing Phantom, a travelogue that traced the novel of Phantom of the Opera through Paris. She would like to thank this talented cast and creative team for bringing the works of these brilliant dark ladies to life and The Players Theatre for providing the perfect home for her whimsy and always encouraging her to be bold! Special thanks to her husband Michael Sgouros for his unending support and trust.

Michael Sgouros:

Michael has served as music director and composer for the Off-Broadway shows Percussion People, The Selfish Giant, Treasure Island, Stone Soup, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, Phantom of the Opera (Sgouros and Bell), The Little Mermaid, Alice In Wonderland, Tico Tales, Sleepy Hollow, Beauty and the Beast and Frankenstein the musical.   A native New Yorker, Michael has enjoyed performing as drummer/percussionist in a variety of musical settings which have included the American Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi, Ethos Percussion Group, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus and the Broadway productions of The Secret Garden, Falsettos, The Goodbye Girl, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera. He has toured nationally with A Chorus Line and has traveled to Singapore and Costa Rica with the touring productions of Anything Goes and Tico Tales. Mr. Sgouros has worked professionally with Eartha Kitt, Mandy Patinkin, Michael Rupert, Bernadette Peters, Martin Short, Danny Aiello, Michael Kamen, Alison Janney, Laura Linney and Richard Thomas. He has also collaborated with notable percussionists Glen Velez, Stefan Harris, Michael Markus, Danny Druckman and Samir Chatterjee.

Alex Wade (he/him) is excited to be part of this production! Originally from Seattle, he moved to NYC to become a full time actor, a dream he has been pursuing since he was 13 years old. His favorite roles include "George" from Our Town, "Doug" from Gruesome Playground Injuries, and as "Malcolm” in Macbeth. He is passionate about web development, all things nerdy, and the Pacific Northwest.

Nicholas Thomas is an actor, writer, and director from Melbourne, Australia. He works on theatre, film and T.V. and is thrilled to be part of this production.

Kelley Alogna:

Kelley  is a Connecticut based Stage Manager who commutes daily to pursue theatre in NYC. Off-Broadway credits include: Little Mermaid, Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, Sleep Hollow, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast.

Dustin Schlariet has been a part of a handful of productions at The Players Theatre but always loves to be a part of the ones that are filled with MURDER. When he’s not seen dying or killing on this stage he can be found flouncing around town doing burlesque or clown under the name Lucy Goosey. Besitos to his family at home. Love you weirdos.

Courtney Hansen has been part of the Players Theatre, Literally Alive, & Be Bold! teams for over a decade. Love to Alex, the niblings, family, & friends.

Jessica Choi: NYC: Picnic; Asleep at the Wheel (Brooklyn College), The Misanthrope; A Doll’s House (BMCC), Dadabomb (Giants Are Small), I Am Not I, Colorblind’d (FringeNYC), The Gulf (Samuel French OOB). She is a Production Supervisor for Literally Alive and Be Bold! Productions at the Players Theatre.

Elizabeth Chaney:

Elizabeth Chaney is an Associate Professor in the BMCC Theatre Program. Designs include scenery for Sweat, Twelfth Night; scenery and lighting for Marisol, Love is a Blue Tick Hound, The Imaginary Invalid, and Measure for Measure. At The Players Theatre, scenery for The Hollow, Frankenstein, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, and Cinderella. Other set designs include Candlelight by John Patrick Shanley (world premiere with Nylon Fusion), Italian American Reconciliation Play (Royal Family), and “One Glove” music video for Majorette. Elizabethchaney.carbonmade.com.