Harvey Fierstein's Casa Valentina Creative
Director
Ted ThompsonTed was a friend of the late Albert Walsh's since 1977 or 1978. It predated their involvement with The Heights Players but together, once here they collaborated on many shows, Ted as an actor in Albert's production of Neil Simon's God's Favorite and Albert as costume designer on many of the productions Ted directed. He was honored though saddened to take over from Albert on this production, which they had discussed many times on the phone. He is happy to finally, after a 17-month delay, bring this wonderful play to the Heights stage and additionally dedicates his work on this show to his late partner, Richard Majewski.
Assistant Stage Manager
Steven AckermanSteven is happy to work with Ted again after several years absence. Previous Thompson productions he has acted in and/or worked on backstage include I Remember Mama, Enter Laughing, Ah, Wilderness!, Da, Anna In The Tropics, Death Of A Salesman, Intimate Apparel, Women Behind Bars, and Wenceslas.
Stage Manager/Sound Tech
Marialana ArdolinoMarialana is overjoyed to be in the theater again!! Men In Dresses? Y E S! Working again with Ted, and everyone new and old - is exhilarating. Thankful to be a part of the telling of this powerful story. This has been her 16th production with The Heights Players, and she looks forward to MORE. "We are not what other people say we are. We are who we know ourselves to be." - Laverne Cox
Fight Director
Jonas BarrancaJonas is proud to once again bring his knowledge of the language of violence back to his theatrical birthplace, The Heights Players. Previous work as fight director includes: Overtones (Heights Players Virtual Stage), Cabaret (Gallery Players), A Raisin In The Sun (Heights Players), Sea Level Rise (Theatre Row), The Ballerina (Outer Gaea Company), The Brothers Booth (Speakeasy Dollhouse) as well as various TV shows and short films. As a stunt performer he's worked on Law & Order SVU (NBC), The Plot Against America (HBO), Gotham (FOX) and One Dollar (CBS). Jonas is a member of Actors Equity and SAG/AFTRA.
Assistant Director
Jacob Clark BoggsJacob is an actor, singer, writer, and director from the “Goodlife State” of Nebraska! I know the joke’s lost on me as well! He is thrilled to be joining The Heights Players again! He studied film and T.V. at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. He would like to thank Ted for this opportunity to assistant direct Casa Valentina for him! It has been an amazing opportunity to learn and grow!
Choreographer
Eileen DelgadoEileen has been a member of The Heights Players since 1973! She was once dubbed a "chore-tographer" by a dear friend, as she both choreographed and photographed many shows. Her on-stage roles have run the gamut from a tap dancing Amazon (By Jupiter), to a nun with a secret past (The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie), and several quirky roles in-between. Choreography credits include George M!, 42nd Street, Mame, La Cage Aux Folles, Call Me Madam, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sweet Charity, Funny Girl and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, to name a few. Some photography credits: Fiorello!, One Upon A Mattress, Pippin, Death Of A Salesman and Intimate Apparel. The Heights Players has a special place in her heart as it has been a place to create, to form loving relationships and to find solace during challenging times. Thank you to Directors Tom Tyler, Ed Healy, Scott Martin and of course, Ted Thompson, for your trust and your support over the years.
Costume & Graphic Designer
Amanda EnriquezAmanda is a New York City based costume and graphic designer. She currently sits on the Executive Committee of The Heights Players as the Graphics & Media Chair. When not designing graphics and media for The Heights Players season, Amanda is a passionate costume designer whose work has been seen Off-Broadway with Good Morning New York, a new musical and Simius-Broadway Bound Festival. Favorite costume design credits include: A Raisin In The Sun, Gypsy, Crazy For You, Present Laughter, and Stop Kiss. Thank you to Ted and the incredible cast for trusting my vision and allowing me to help find the fabulous inner woman we all have inside of us.
Sound Designer
Peter LopezPeter has designed sound and curated music for many Heights Players productions as well as for other area productions. He’s happy to be working with Ted Thompson again having provided sound design over the years for a number of his shows including Sideman, Fuddy Meers, I Remember Mama, and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Other notable projects: Amadeus, Yentl, Death of a Salesman, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, and last season’s Our Lady of 121st Street at The Heights Players. Deepest love to the three muses: Merle, Alicia and Deena.
Lighting Designer
Alan SporingAlan is enjoying opening The Heights season once more. Working with Ted Thompson again after successes with A Raisin in the Sun and Ruined. He is happy to have live theater back after a year without it. He wishes The Heights success in their upcoming season.
Properties
Emily StoneAs a theater enthusiast growing up in New York, Emily Stone studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and experimented with roles from Shakespeare to Strindberg. Her professional life has revolved around reading and writing: she has worked as an independent bookstore owner, a writer in various genres, and a university professor at home and abroad (currently at NYU). On her travels, she has performed in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and David Ives’s All in the Timing in community productions in Antigua, Guatemala, and directed students from Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University in As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Much Ado About Nothing as part of an all-China Shakespeare performance competition in Hong Kong. She returned to theater just before the pandemic, playing Decius Brutus in a production of Julius Caesar with the New York City Old Time Radio Ensemble Players. She is delighted to be joining The Heights Players.
Scenic Designer
Gary VanderPuttenGary is thrilled (again) to have designed and built this set for this amazing piece of work. Moreover, he is particularly thrilled that this set, which has been used in some capacity in all of The Heights Players’ streaming productions during the pandemic (it’s been a ‘Groundhog Day’ experience for me), will finally, after seventeen months in place, open with its intended show - Casa Valentina. Always a pleasure to work with the ever talented Mr. Thompson and my properties counterpart, Jan.