The Eggnog Talking

Cast & Crew

Richard Kuntzevich (Playwright/Producer) Wrote and produced The Eggnog Talking at The Studio at The Cherry Lane Theatre in 2004. The production was sponsored by The New York Foundation for the Arts. His play Incognito has enjoyed an international audience; it was presented by The San Quentin Drama Workshop at the New York International Fringe Festival and at The Crash International Theatre Festival in Klodzo, Poland. It was produced by The Berlin Playactors in 1996 and the Theatre der Schauspielschule in Berlin, Germany in 2008.

Sarah Tuft (Director) wrote and directed “110 Stories” at The Public Theater 2004 (with Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Neil Patrick Harris, Neal Huff, Michael Hayden, Tonya Pinkins, Jay O. Sanders, Mary Stuart Masterson, James McCaffrey, Susan Sarandon, Daniel Sunjata, Myra Lucretia Taylor and John Turturro) at Vineyard Theatre in 2003 (cast included Anthony Ruivivar, Thomas Ryan, Stelio Savante) excerpted at Town Hall in 2002 (with Elias Koteas and Chita Rivera) and at the Grove Street Theater in 2001. Sarah directed “Me Tarzan” (Cathy Curtin and Jeff Pucillo) at the Makor Theatre, a “24 Hour Celebrity Benefit Play” in 2000 and assistant directed “24 Hour Celebrity Benefit Plays” in 2003 (director Frank Pugliese, actors Adam Goldberg, Gaby Hoffman and Christina Ricci) and 2002 (Robert Sean Leonard, Natasha Lyone, Mary-Louise Parker and Rosie Perez.) Film: Wrote and directed “Tide,” (airs on IFC, screened at Hamptons and Lake Placid) and “Closing Time,” (screened at Clermont-Ferrand.) Ads and promos include award-winning spots with Peter Bogdonovich, Blythe Danner, Parker Posey and John Turturro, Chris Isaak, k.d. lang and Tina Turner. Painter, photographer, video artist: The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Halle Sud/Switzerland, The Kitchen, Central Park Summerstage, American Film Institute, MTV and PBS. New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Video Art. Sarah is developing a musical, “True Hero” based on “110 Stories.”


Cast in Alphabetical Order

Victor Arnold (Mr. Lazano) He has appeared on Broadway: The Deputy, Malcolm, We Bombed in New Haven, Fun City and Front Page. Off-Broadway audiences saw him in numerous plays, most notably in the original 1967 production of Fortune in Men’s Eyes in which he created the role of Rocky. Regional: Victor in The Price, Matt in Talley’s Folly, Eddie in A View From The Bridge and Jerry in Zoo Story. In the 60’s he co-starred with George C. Scott in the pilot for “Eastside, Westside” and in the 90’s he was a regular in the series “True Blue.” He has guest starred on many TV dramas including “Route 66,” “Kojak,” “Scarecrow & Mrs. King,” “Chips,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Trapper John,” “Law & Order,” “Third Watch,” and “100 Centre Street.” He has been featured in the films “The Incident”, “The Seven-Ups”, “Shaft”, (original), “The Protector”, “Trees Lounge”, “Two Family House” and “The Yards”.

Jerry Ferris (Vince) Last appeared in Mike Casano’s Who Knew at the Producer’s Club. He also appeared in Phil Cioffari’s Love In The Age of Dion, which enjoyed an eight-month run at the Belmont Playhouse. Other credits include Teach in American Buffalo, Max in Bent and John Merrick in The Elephant Man.

Ed Kershen (Sal) recently performed Off Broadway at The American Place Theater in the one man show, “The Godfather Workout”. Also in NYC, The Jewish Repertory Theater, The Actor’s Studio, HB Playwright’s Foundation, Actor’s Advent. Regional Theater credits include: The Guthrie Theater, City Theater(Pittsburgh PA), Syracuse Stage, Kennedy Center, Merrimack Repertory, Wilma (Phila., PA), Forum Theater (Metuchen, NJ), Autumn Playhouse (Warren, PA) Performing Arts Center (Purchase, NY) Feature films: “A Packing Suburbia”, “Poison”,”Sidewalk Stories”, “and The Interrogation”. Television movies: “The King of America” (PBS), “Clara” (A&E) Television series: “Law&Order”, “Law&Order:Criminal Intent”, “NYPD Blue”, “NY News”, most NY Soaps. Many national & regional television commercials and voice overs. Ed resides with his wife, dog, and five cats in Brooklyn.

Jason Kirsch (Rocco) is a native New Yorker, making his professional acting debut just months after graduating from the University of Maryland in 1992.  It was the hit Off-Broadway show Carmine "The Fish" Calamari's Funeral that ran over three years with over 300 performances. Since then, Jason has acted in numerous plays, most recently starring this year in The Edge and The Gust in New York City. Recently, Jason finished up post-production work on the feature film Under Surveillance, to be released shortly in New York. He has also acted in many other films including Love the Hard Way, where he was featured opposite Adrien Brody. In February 2005, Jason will be starring in the highly anticipated World Premiere of Nightswimming, that is being considered for many prestigious writing awards. Between acting jobs, Jason studies with several of New York's top acting teachers (including Austin Pendleton) and practices various other disciplines that make him a unique, dedicated, and powerful actor.

Vince Mazza (Mario) Many thanks to the Director, Playwright, Cast and Crew of this wonderful production for making these last few weeks a great experience.  Past credits range from Film, TV, Stage and Dinner Theatre with roles as diverse as Priest, Baker, Corporate Mogul, Godfather, Milkman, Opera Star, and "Goomba" to name a few.  Presently, Vince travels around the Tri-State area performing in New York Dinner Theatre's productions of "Godfather's Meshuggener Wedding", "Joey & Mary's Irish Italian Wedding", Let's Kill The Boss", and "The Honeymoaners".  Vince's last film credit is a hilarious spicy comedy called "Baby Fat" currently being submitted to Film Festivals nationwide. And one last note, if you happen to watch Korean TV, watch for Vince in a film called "Sad Serenade".

James Murphy (Father Tom) Off Broadway credits include The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Rehearsal, Decades, Most Happy Fella and the New York production of Seymour Barab's one act opera, I Can't Stand Wagner. Regional and in stock he has appeared at the Washington Theatre Wing, New Hampshire Rep, and Long Wharf Theatre. He was Granddad in Theatre at Trinity's production of To Whom It May Concern, Jimmy in Alias Jimmy Valentine at Theatre for the New City and Walter Craig in Craig's Wife with the American Classics Theatre. He was last seen Off Broadway as Dr. Gachet in the musical Vincent at Wings Theatre.

Nick Raio (Officer Joe) is well known for his work on the web, especially for College Humor as Guile in Street Fighter: The Later Years and Nick of Nick’s Commercials which have been seen by millions. National TV appearances include roles on The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Rescue Me and numerous commercials. His film credits can be found in an ever increasing number at www.imbd.com including cult favorites: Mob Queen, Invitation to a Suicide and The Old Man and The Seymour. Nick’s NY accent is the subject along with Amy Heckerling, Pete Hamill and other notable New Yorkers in the documentary If These Knishes Could Talk about the changing sound of New Yawkers. For more info or to contact Nick visit www.nickraio.com

Mike Thurstlic (Ralph) Film: Kinsey. Television: Young Americans (The W.B.); Theater: Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead (Confluence Theatre Co), The Elephant Man (Playhouse Theater Co). Playwright: Puzzle (2004 Philadelphia Fringe Festival). Education: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.


Crew

Misha Siegel-Rivers (Stage Manager) Recent Credits Include: Renita Martin's Five Bottles in a Six-Pack (Cherry Lane Alternative); Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria da Capo (Cherry Lane Theatre); Jon Fosse's Night Sings Its Songs (Culture Project's Below 45), Joe Fisher's Thunderbird (Cherry Lane Alternative), Alexandra Bullen's Wordsworth (Cherry Lane Alternative), Kendra Levin's Double Sophia (Cherry Lane Alternative), David Koteles' Bald Diva (Red Room), Irene O'Garden's Women on Fire (Cherry Lane Theatre), Alex Ladd's Chekhov's Rifle (Greenwich Street Theatre). She has stage managed for Lincoln Center and for NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She also serves as an instructor at the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance, and can be seen performing throughout the Tri-State area as a member of the Niall O'Leary Irish Dance Troupe.

Michele Spadaro (Set Design) New York: Chekhov's Rifle (Greenwich Street Theatre) by Alex Ladd, directed by Nolan Haims. Uncle Bob (Abingdon Theatre), Sweet Eros by Terrence McNally, directed by Austin Pendleton. In Los Angeles she worked for three seasons at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts as a set designer, scenic artist and prop master, and at Al's National Theatre where she designed Showdown in Sonoratown by Joel Bloom of Second City. Her work in film and television is extensive. She has worked as an art director, set decorator or in prop construction on such films as The Prophecy (Christopher Walken), Rubin and Ed (Crispin Glover), Blow (Johnny Depp), Plan 10 from Outer Space (Karen Black), The Lipstick Camera , and television shows including The Secret Lives of Men (Peter Gallagher and Brad Whitford), Turn Ben Stein On , Pearl (Rhea Pearlman), Cousin Skeeter , Remembering WWII (Edward Woodward), The Jenny McCarthy Show , The John Larroquette Show , and The Ben Stiller Show .

Lucy Ito (Costume Design) credits include Blackout (children's chorus only) at the Tarrytown Music Hall, 2002-2004 choral productions at the Harlem School of the Arts, The Tales of Hoffman , Gianni Schicchi and Buosco's Ghost for the Liederkranz Opera.