| The Cast | Production Photos |
2012 season
It Can't Happen Here
Written and Directed by Wallace Norman
The Cast
MICHAEL BERGEN (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; Back Porch Othello) is a graduate of Duke University and the Summer Conservatory at Michael Howard Studios, where he continues to study with Greg Mullavey. Michael has appeared in professional stage productions in New York, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina, and also at the 2011 Woodstock Fringe Festival in Moonbite. Michael is thrilled to return to the Woodstock Fringe this summer and is currently revising his first solo show, Judgment Days.
ALESSANDRO CIARI (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; The Mobius Trip) Alessandro hails from New Jersey and the city, if that's allowed. Cultivated by a family of artists, his repertoire ranges from Avant Garde to playing Apollo in Orestia to clowning around as Roland Maule in Present Laughter. Recently graduated from Michael Howard Studios, Alessandro excitedly looks forward to working with the Fringe.
RENÉE ENGLANDER
(Actor, It Can't Happen Here) Renée S. Englander has been enchanting audiences for years with her quick wit and guiless charm. She is an accomplished artist whose work graces our lobby. She is making her acting debut with the Woodstock Fringe and promises to deliver a rousing performance.
ZACK JACOBS (Resident Lighting Designer) has designed over 500 shows across the country. He has been the resident lighting designer at the Cultural Arts Center of Rockland County, SUNY Ulster and The Woodstock Playhouse. He is the Technical Director/Lighting Designer for The Ulster Ballet (for whom he was one of the originators of their acclaimed production of “A Christmas Carol”, now in its 15th year at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, NY.) and The Vanaver Caravan among others. He has taught lighting at SUNY New Paltz, and is currently on the faculty of the New Visions program at Ulster BOCES. This is his ?th season at the Fringe and is glad to be back. His regular “9 5” is at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House (the oldest continuously operating theater in New York, and the 13th oldest in the country) as Stage Manager/Assistant Technical Director.
ROBERT MCBROOM (Author/ Director: Massaging Sandow, Scenic Design: It Can't Happen Here) has been involved in every aspect of theatre for over 40 years. His stage designs have been seen in New York, St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Cape Cod, Albany and Germany. Upon moving to the Catskills 20 years ago, he took up playwrighting. In 2003 his play celebrating the Woodstock Centennial was produced twice by the Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 his play In God We Trust was staged at the Kleinart Center by the Kingston Rep. For several years he was named a finalist in the National Ten Minute Play Contest, and one of his short plays was performed at that festival in Louisville in 2008. For many years he has designed and advised on numerous productions for the Fringe. He holds a masters degree in stage design and lighting from Carnegie Mellon University.
WALLACE NORMAN (Author/ Director: It Can't Happen Here; Actor: The Mobius Trip; I Am. I Think; Aldo's Garden; Singer: Songs Of The Theatre) is an actor, singer, director and playwright. Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Woodstock Fringe and the annual month-long Festival of Theatre & Song, Norman has directed numerous staged readings, part of the 'First Looks' at the Fringe series and the 2006 production of Women on Fire by Irene O'Garden. He also directed two recent productions of Greetings From Yorkville, at both the 78th Street Theatre Lab and at the York Theatre. Norman directed the successful ten-week Off-Broadway run of Jamaica, Farewell, at the So-Ho Playhouse in the Spring of 2008 and The Great Nebula in Orion by Lanford Wilson at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City. As an actor and singer, Wallace Norman has appeared in more than sixty productions in Regional, Stock and Off-Broadway. Norman has been a soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall, and participated as a singer in the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference Cabaret Symposium. As an actor/manager and arts administrator Mr. Norman has produced over 30 works for the stage, and was a founder of The Gilgamesh Theatre Group, part of the At The Beckett Theatre Campaign on 42nd Street in NYC. Norman also has enjoyed a long association with Golden Fleece, Lou Rodgers, Artistic Director as a performer and arts administrator. He has trained extensively at the Herbert Berghoff Studio in NYC and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and has taught acting at Nassau Community College.
STEPHANIE RUPE (Actor: It Can't Happen Here) is coming into her final year at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where she is studying acting for film and television. She also studied acting at Brown University with their summer program TheatreBridge. She has been participating in school and community theatre since she was nine years old, both onstage and off, and is beyond excited to be able to work with Woodstock Fringe this season.
BETTE CARLSON SILER (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; Author/Actor, Next) is an actor and a writer. She is forever grateful to Wallace Norman and the Woodstock Fringe for helping her to become more adept at both disciplines. Her plays have been produced regionally and in New York City. She lives in Nyack, New York with her two favorite people (husband Ric and daughter, Laurette) and a rather obstreperous poodle by the name of Bella Shmatta. Member AEA, The Dramatists Guild.
RIC SILER (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; Author/Actor: Letter Of Resignation) Ric appeared in this year's One Man Talking Festival in his piece 'Like a Sack of Potatoes'; in last year's One Man Talking Festival in his solo piece, 'The Red Hand of O'Neill', and in 2010 in his solo piece, 'Old Hickory', which went on to a successful World Premiere engagement at the Woodstock Fringe Festival. In the 2011 Woodstock Fringe Festival he read 'Like a Sack of Potatoes'. He recently read his newest piece 'Letter of Resignation' in the Voices From the Fringe in NYC. Ric has also appeared with Ellen Burstyn in 'The Trip to Bountiful', was directed by Edward Albee in 'Counting the Ways', and appeared in the John Sayles film 'Matewan'. He has acted in his plays, 'What of the Bird?', 'Thirty Odd Years' and the WBAI broadcast of 'Where the Rain Never Falls.' A proud member of the Woodstock Fringe Playwrights Unit , his plays have been presented widely in the NYC area and beyond, including The Abingdon Theatre in NYC , Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh, NC, and twice in the TRU Voices reading series in NYC. Ric's comedy 'At Death's Door' was a finalist for the 2010 Playwrights First Award. His comedy, 'Dead Authors' was a finalist in the New Works Program at Terry Schrieber Studios this past winter. Member of Actors Equity, SAG and The Dramatists Guild. Special thanks to Wallace for everything and love to Bette and Laurette.
VICTOR TRURO Actor, It Can't Happen Here; Lamumba, King of The Pygmies; Aldo's Garden): His more recent work includes: Various characters in Moonbite by Ariana Johns, this past summer at the Woodstock Fringe, (Byrdcliffe Theater); Satchel Page's lawyer in an episode of the TV show Are We There Yet? this past summer; David in a Snark's production of Mornings At Seven at the AC Club in Manhattan; Virgil Thomson in Oh Virgil a Woodstock Fringe production of Wallace Norman's bio-play, with music, at Judson Memorial, in Manhattan, directed by Nicola Sheara; Edie Falco's OB-GYN on The Sopranos; sex shop owner, with Jill Clayburgh, in the film Never Again; and Judge Douglas Spivak in a number of episodes of Law & Order. Not to mention four Woody Allen movies.
CLARISSE VAN KOTE (Actor, It Can't Happen Here; The Mobius Trip; Back Porch Othello; I Am. I Think) French-American citizen, is a rising senior at Barnard College and is majoring in Theatre. She also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Fall '11 through the NTI exchange program. She has always been passionate about the performing arts, every since she enrolled in the National Opera School of Lyon France at age 9, and later specialized in acting at her high school. She is now thrilled to work on the Woodstock Fringe Festival and participate in such an exciting theatre experience.
ALESSANDRO CIARI (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; The Mobius Trip) Alessandro hails from New Jersey and the city, if that's allowed. Cultivated by a family of artists, his repertoire ranges from Avant Garde to playing Apollo in Orestia to clowning around as Roland Maule in Present Laughter. Recently graduated from Michael Howard Studios, Alessandro excitedly looks forward to working with the Fringe.
RENÉE ENGLANDER
(Actor, It Can't Happen Here) Renée S. Englander has been enchanting audiences for years with her quick wit and guiless charm. She is an accomplished artist whose work graces our lobby. She is making her acting debut with the Woodstock Fringe and promises to deliver a rousing performance.
ZACK JACOBS (Resident Lighting Designer) has designed over 500 shows across the country. He has been the resident lighting designer at the Cultural Arts Center of Rockland County, SUNY Ulster and The Woodstock Playhouse. He is the Technical Director/Lighting Designer for The Ulster Ballet (for whom he was one of the originators of their acclaimed production of “A Christmas Carol”, now in its 15th year at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, NY.) and The Vanaver Caravan among others. He has taught lighting at SUNY New Paltz, and is currently on the faculty of the New Visions program at Ulster BOCES. This is his ?th season at the Fringe and is glad to be back. His regular “9 5” is at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House (the oldest continuously operating theater in New York, and the 13th oldest in the country) as Stage Manager/Assistant Technical Director.
ROBERT MCBROOM (Author/ Director: Massaging Sandow, Scenic Design: It Can't Happen Here) has been involved in every aspect of theatre for over 40 years. His stage designs have been seen in New York, St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Cape Cod, Albany and Germany. Upon moving to the Catskills 20 years ago, he took up playwrighting. In 2003 his play celebrating the Woodstock Centennial was produced twice by the Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 his play In God We Trust was staged at the Kleinart Center by the Kingston Rep. For several years he was named a finalist in the National Ten Minute Play Contest, and one of his short plays was performed at that festival in Louisville in 2008. For many years he has designed and advised on numerous productions for the Fringe. He holds a masters degree in stage design and lighting from Carnegie Mellon University.
WALLACE NORMAN (Author/ Director: It Can't Happen Here; Actor: The Mobius Trip; I Am. I Think; Aldo's Garden; Singer: Songs Of The Theatre) is an actor, singer, director and playwright. Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Woodstock Fringe and the annual month-long Festival of Theatre & Song, Norman has directed numerous staged readings, part of the 'First Looks' at the Fringe series and the 2006 production of Women on Fire by Irene O'Garden. He also directed two recent productions of Greetings From Yorkville, at both the 78th Street Theatre Lab and at the York Theatre. Norman directed the successful ten-week Off-Broadway run of Jamaica, Farewell, at the So-Ho Playhouse in the Spring of 2008 and The Great Nebula in Orion by Lanford Wilson at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City. As an actor and singer, Wallace Norman has appeared in more than sixty productions in Regional, Stock and Off-Broadway. Norman has been a soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall, and participated as a singer in the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference Cabaret Symposium. As an actor/manager and arts administrator Mr. Norman has produced over 30 works for the stage, and was a founder of The Gilgamesh Theatre Group, part of the At The Beckett Theatre Campaign on 42nd Street in NYC. Norman also has enjoyed a long association with Golden Fleece, Lou Rodgers, Artistic Director as a performer and arts administrator. He has trained extensively at the Herbert Berghoff Studio in NYC and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and has taught acting at Nassau Community College.
STEPHANIE RUPE (Actor: It Can't Happen Here) is coming into her final year at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where she is studying acting for film and television. She also studied acting at Brown University with their summer program TheatreBridge. She has been participating in school and community theatre since she was nine years old, both onstage and off, and is beyond excited to be able to work with Woodstock Fringe this season.
BETTE CARLSON SILER (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; Author/Actor, Next) is an actor and a writer. She is forever grateful to Wallace Norman and the Woodstock Fringe for helping her to become more adept at both disciplines. Her plays have been produced regionally and in New York City. She lives in Nyack, New York with her two favorite people (husband Ric and daughter, Laurette) and a rather obstreperous poodle by the name of Bella Shmatta. Member AEA, The Dramatists Guild.
RIC SILER (Actor: It Can't Happen Here; Author/Actor: Letter Of Resignation) Ric appeared in this year's One Man Talking Festival in his piece 'Like a Sack of Potatoes'; in last year's One Man Talking Festival in his solo piece, 'The Red Hand of O'Neill', and in 2010 in his solo piece, 'Old Hickory', which went on to a successful World Premiere engagement at the Woodstock Fringe Festival. In the 2011 Woodstock Fringe Festival he read 'Like a Sack of Potatoes'. He recently read his newest piece 'Letter of Resignation' in the Voices From the Fringe in NYC. Ric has also appeared with Ellen Burstyn in 'The Trip to Bountiful', was directed by Edward Albee in 'Counting the Ways', and appeared in the John Sayles film 'Matewan'. He has acted in his plays, 'What of the Bird?', 'Thirty Odd Years' and the WBAI broadcast of 'Where the Rain Never Falls.' A proud member of the Woodstock Fringe Playwrights Unit , his plays have been presented widely in the NYC area and beyond, including The Abingdon Theatre in NYC , Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh, NC, and twice in the TRU Voices reading series in NYC. Ric's comedy 'At Death's Door' was a finalist for the 2010 Playwrights First Award. His comedy, 'Dead Authors' was a finalist in the New Works Program at Terry Schrieber Studios this past winter. Member of Actors Equity, SAG and The Dramatists Guild. Special thanks to Wallace for everything and love to Bette and Laurette.
VICTOR TRURO Actor, It Can't Happen Here; Lamumba, King of The Pygmies; Aldo's Garden): His more recent work includes: Various characters in Moonbite by Ariana Johns, this past summer at the Woodstock Fringe, (Byrdcliffe Theater); Satchel Page's lawyer in an episode of the TV show Are We There Yet? this past summer; David in a Snark's production of Mornings At Seven at the AC Club in Manhattan; Virgil Thomson in Oh Virgil a Woodstock Fringe production of Wallace Norman's bio-play, with music, at Judson Memorial, in Manhattan, directed by Nicola Sheara; Edie Falco's OB-GYN on The Sopranos; sex shop owner, with Jill Clayburgh, in the film Never Again; and Judge Douglas Spivak in a number of episodes of Law & Order. Not to mention four Woody Allen movies.
CLARISSE VAN KOTE (Actor, It Can't Happen Here; The Mobius Trip; Back Porch Othello; I Am. I Think) French-American citizen, is a rising senior at Barnard College and is majoring in Theatre. She also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Fall '11 through the NTI exchange program. She has always been passionate about the performing arts, every since she enrolled in the National Opera School of Lyon France at age 9, and later specialized in acting at her high school. She is now thrilled to work on the Woodstock Fringe Festival and participate in such an exciting theatre experience.