Rainbow Place - Comedy with Puppets

On July 22nd, I was cast along with Tony Sawicki and Stephanie Butler of Under the Pink Carpet in a special staged reading of a play called Rainbow Place, a comedy with puppets and live actors (think Avenue Q) that offers a “slice of life” glimpse at several characters who frequent a neighborhood LGBT bar in Chelsea. The reading was one of the many theatrical presentations at the 2007 Fresh Fruit Festival held at the Cherry Lane Theater.

With a twist that would certainly avoid typecasting, I played a fag hag character/Straight woman named Ann who hangs out in the bar with her Gay friends while her boyfriend is home watching sports. Stephanie Butler played Rita, a Transsexual woman who is delighted with her recent SRS (Sexual Reassignment Surgery). Tony Sawicki played the part of a wisecracking leather man named Scott, who although very macho, is a professional florist.

Other actors in the play included Faith Ballenger, Cookie Pemberton, Hans Von Rittern, Michael Lester, Steve Hauck and Christine Tracy-Garrison as patron bar flies.
Rainbow Place was written by playwright Nick Curto, who is also the President of All Out Arts and CIN (Creative Industries Network). The production additionally featured the creations of professional puppeteers Hal Rainbow, who also co-wrote the script, and William Abbott of the famed Swedish Cottage Puppet Theater located in NYC's Central Park.

Photos: Stephanie Butler, Clover Honey, William Abbot, Hariette puppet, Tony Sawicki; and Clover Honey; Stephanie, Faith Ballenger, Neil, Clover and Tony; Cast on Stage at Cherry Lane Theater.