Stoic Entertainment is convulsing with excitement to announce yet another amazing celeb to join Kittens In A Cage. From American Idol finalist to a Tony nom to TV star and back again in the newest theatrical blockbuster - Jekyll & Hyde - we landed Constantine Maroulis!!!
Born in Brooklyn, New York and later raised in the nearby suburbs of New Jersey, Constantine James Maroulis
grew up surrounded by a wide array of polarized music from classic
rock, alternative and spirituals to jazz and jam band antics. It was
not unusual to see Constantine onstage at a Summer Stock theater
production while afterwards heading straight to a nightclub to front a
band. There, he gained the invaluable experience of burning both ends of
the entertainment candle that would help him nail his audition that
garnered his spot to attend the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music.
During this time Constantine worked consistently to build his impressive resume that included lead roles in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Jesus Christ Superstar,
along with his first work in the dramas of William Shakespeare and a
slew of student and indie films. Additionally, Constantine was singled
out for an apprenticeship at the legendary Williamstown Theater
Festival, there he appeared on the main stage in Pulitzer Prize winning
playwright Donald Margulies' God of Vengeance.
After
completing school, Maroulis returned to his native New York City where
he soon landed the role of Roger in the ever-popular musical RENT.
For the better part of the next year Constantine electrified audiences
nightly, receiving critical praise touring North America and Asia with
the show. Upon completion of the RENT tour, Constantine returned to Manhattan where he busied himself with his rock band by night and auditions by day.
By chance, a friend coaxed him into auditioning for American Idol.
He not only made the cut but eventually, Constantine became a finalist.
There he performed everything from Tin Pan Alley standards like "My Funny Valentine," rhythm and blues classics like Otis Redding's "Too Hard To Handle," and the epic stadium rock of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," which he would later record when he was personally invited by Queen guitarist Brian May.
Soon
after that season ended, Maroulis embarked on the traditional sold out
summer arena tour for American Idol finalists. This, on the heels of the
multi-platinum selling American Idol Season 4 CD where
Constantine contributed his moody rendering of "My Funny Valentine."
Eventually Maroulis was able to find time to record his own very first
solo album simply titled Constantine.
Constantine
yearned to get back to his theater roots, subsequently doing just that
in 2006 when he was cast in his first Broadway leading part, this for a
special limited engagement of the Tony nominated musical The Wedding Singer. This was followed by another ensemble piece with the eclectic 1960s off-Broadway gem Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
where Constantine garnered a string of excellent reviews. Spinning off
of that run Constantine surprised audiences when he was added to the
cast of the classic daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful where a part was written especially for him in the role of Constantine Paros.
Maroulis took a meeting with the producers of a particular 1980s hair metal mix tape musical entitled Rock of Ages,
which had tried to ignite interest out of town with limited success.
Yet something happened soon after Rock of Ages opened off- Broadway, the
magical cast led by Constantine himself would soon start people
talking, in no time it debuted on Broadway to critical raves and packed
houses nightly. The show itself was honored with a Tony nomination as well as the aforementioned nod to Constantine himself.
Now the father of a toddler named Malena James, Maroulis has taken fatherhood to heart and merged it with his rock star chops which led him to become the face for Disney's Rock Star Mickey Mouse toy where he was seen in the national television commercial performing the Kinks classic "You Really Got Me."
Constantine has consistently made himself available for charitable
causes, lending his talents to Broadway Cares, St. Jude's Children's
Fund, The Hellenic Scholarship Foundation and the Sarcoma Foundation
just to name a few.
Maroulis worked diligently with the Neiderlander Organization to create a re-imagined version of Frank Wildhorn's epic musical Jekyll & Hyde. Constantine is currently co-starring with the talented Deborah Cox and embark on a massive 25-week tour before arriving on Broadway in 2013. Stoic Entertainment is lucky to have caught Constantine while he is in town so that he can play with us in Kittens In A Cage.
What ever Matron wants, Matron gets... Don't step out of line because Gigi Bermingham
as the Matron will make you wish you were never born. This cellblock
gestapo is a force of nature. Run for cover if you're in the path of
her wrath! Gigi recently made her directorial debut with YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at Antaeus Co.
in North Hollywood (L.A. Weekly and Ovation-recommended!), which was
not a bad way to prepare for the role of the controlling Matron in Kittens In A Cage. As an actor, she received the 2012 Garland Award and was nominated by the LA Drama Critics Circle for her performance in HERMETICALLY SEALED at Katselas Theatre Co. Other awards include the LA Stage Alliance OVATION and LA Drama Critics Circle Awards for her solo comedy NON-VITAL ORGANS. In 2012 she has also appeared at Pasadena Playhouse in THE HEIRESS with Richard Chamberlain and Julia Duffy; and at Antaeus in THE SEAGULL. Her film work includes Rob Reiner's ALEX AND EMMA and the upcoming SAVE THE DATE. She can currently be seen onstage at Antaeus in CABARET NOEL (through December 17) singing in French.
From the moment Gigi read her first line in the script, we all fell in love with her. A HUGE thanks from Stoic Entertainment for joining this incredible ensemble.
Our campaign is half over, or half started, pending
your level of optimism. You have all exhibited that critical show of
support for us and faith in our abilities and for that I will be forever
in your debt.
As of this moment we are %31 percent funded. And this fact is thanks to you and your generosity.
I
wanted to ask you to be generous once again by re-posting our link to
you friends on Twitter and Facebook and by telling your friend's about
us. Perhaps you know someone who would love this project, someone who
might love a weekly laugh or someone who wanted to support us but never
quite took the action to click on us and donate? Now is the time.
Did
you know that if we generate enough "hits" it increases our chance at
becoming a staff pick? If we can make that happen, the donations will
come barreling in. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1431763706/original-web-series-kittens-in-a-cage
Here is the link.
Very grateful,
Jillian Armenante
Straight off the stage of The Geffen Playhouse, Laura Heisler joins her feline compatriots in Kittens In A Cage
as Lois. From her impressive Broadway credits to her endearing indie
film roles, you'll fall in love with this incredible actress, but don't
be fooled. You don't land in the big house just for takin' some dope. Laura Heisler currently lives in LA, after working as an actor in New York City for many years. TIME OUT NY named her as one of twenty actors "who keep NYC theater's heart beating," and the following year THE VILLAGE VOICE cited her as one of six actors ("Singular Sensations") in a special Obies feature. Laura made her Broadway debut in the play CORAM BOY, and recently received Lucille Lortel and Drama League Award nominations for her work in KIN, directed by Sam Gold, at Playwrights Horizons. Laura also appeared in DORIS TO DARLENE and PEOPLE BE HEARD, both at Playwrights Horizons; she starred in THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE, by Liz Meriwether, at Naked Angels; she originated the title role in the world premiere of Sarah Ruhl's acclaimed play EURYDICE
at Madison Rep, and she has acted in numerous plays Off-Broadway and
regionally, including Williamstown Theatre Festival, South Coast Rep,
McCarter Theatre, Soho Rep, Woolly Mammoth, The Old Globe, and many
others. On television, she has guest-starred on episodes of GREY'S
ANATOMY, BONES, THE MIDDLE, THE DEFENDERS, NUMB3RS, and UGLY BETTY. Her
film work includes the indie horror YELLOWBRICKROAD, COLD SOULS, COACH, and FORGED. Laura just completed a run in the world premiere of BUILD, by Michael Golamco, at The Geffen Playhouse. Stoic Entertainment is incredibly excited to welcome Miss Heisler to the fold. If you have already donated to help get Kittens In A Cage
on the little screen - Thank You! If you haven't pledged yet, please
do it today - we only have a little more than two weeks to go. Meow!
Rebecca Mozo
wandered her way in to Marquetta State Prison with just a ukuele and a
smile. Oh, yeah... and a homicide rap. But was it really her fault? Her
character Junie doesn't think so. See if this fresh meat can make it
through Episode 1 by watching Kittens In A Cage in 2013! Miss Mozo
attended Rutgers University and studied at The Globe in London. Shortly
thereafter she moved to Los Angeles and the first job she landed was
playing Anya in The Cherry Orchard opposite Annette Bening, Alfred Molina and Sarah Paulson at The Mark Taper Forum. Rebecca has been nominated for several Ovation awards and has appeared in regional theaters across the country including In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play at South Coast Repertory, A Noise Within, The Colony and Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey where she appeared in "I Capture the Castle" and is the only actress to play the part of Cassandra Mortmain in the U.S.. Rebecca has appeared in television shows such as Medium, Cold Case, Pizza Time and Young and the Restless. Film credits include award winning indie film Zerophilia, Headless Horseman, The Waterhole
and They Bury Their Own opposite John Glover. She also narrates audio
books including the entire Vampire Diaries series. She is a member of Antaeus Company in Los Angeles and is a very proud Jersey Girl.
And Stoic Entertainment is beyond proud of having this Jersey Girl (who is born run with tramps like us) in Kittens In A Cage
If you haven't had a chance to support our project, please do so today.
We have a big cash mountain to climb and only have a few days left to
get to the top!
Jillian Armenante,
award winning actress, playwright and director and Jim Anzide,
award winning artistic director and producer have teamed up once again
to dream up the perfect idea... this time, for a web series.
Already in a love affair with the genre of 1950's women in prison
flicks,
Jillian wrote the script based on the play Kittens In A Cage by Kelleen
Conway Blanchard.
We felt it was time for a web series to capture the tone of archetypical women’s prison movies with a
twisted, wicked and hilarious sense of humor. We assembled an incredible cast
for the first read through and knew in an instant that we chose the perfect piece.
The reading was so well executed by our actors, and so well received...we could barely be contained from fits of uncontrollable
laughter. Twenty plus years in the business, this doesn't happen very often, trust me.
Our cast and cameos are
from some of your favorite television shows, movies, popular webisodes and
bands. Some of our celebrity guest cameos that we can tell you about at this moment are Joel McHale, Amy Brenneman, Constantine Maroulis and Michaela Watkins.
And we've only just begun the process!
We know that you'll be
coming back every week to see this very funny and talented cast of incredible characters and be
surprised by who might be showing up in one of the supporting roles.
We've called in a lot of favors but there is still so much we have
to pay for, rent, buy, lease... steal?
The biggest challenge
facing us is that we are filming it as if it is a feature. We want to
guarantee that we will have our actors, crew and locations for an
extended period of time. We will be shooting over 90 pages in just 21
days. It's a HUGE undertaking, but it will guarantee that we will have
the first two seasons in the can. Jillian has spent 25 years in front of
and behind the camera. Jim and Jillian are multi-award winning
producers who are used to rivaling the odds and meeting with great
success. They are also doppelgangers.
We need your help!
And we will reward you in many different ways for doing so, including
your favorite new web series - Kittens In A Cage!
We are so thrilled to
announce the amazing cast and crew that you just witnessed in the video clip.
Just click on their name below to see their IMDB page. Cast
▪ Jillian
Armenante as Barbara
Winchester - Cannibal
Production
Team
▪ Jillian
Armenante - Executive
Producer/Director/Writer/Composer
▪ Peter
Alton - Cinematographer
▪ Jim
Anzide - Producer
▪ Alice
Dodd - Associate Producer
▪ Michele
Dunn - Costume Designer
▪ Kathleen
Pardo - Hair/Make Up
▪ Mark Nichols - Composer
▪ Dan Gellert - Music Mixer
▪ Gary Smoot - Logo Design
▪ Kelleen Conway Blanchard - Based on the play by
Photo: Ian Johnston; Francesca Mondelli in Annex Theater’s “Kittens In A Cage”
Published at TheSunbreak.com August 14, 2012.
Okay. I shouldn’t like Kittens in a Cage at Annex Theatre (through August 25th; tickets).
I really shouldn’t. It’s a riff on lezploitation and reminded me of a
really bad ’70s softcore porn about lesbians in prison that someone (who
was totally not me) might have watched on Skinemax when they were
fifteen. But I can’t help it. I love Kittens in a Cage.
Yes, it’s campy. There’s not a message, or a greater purpose. There’s
a one-armed matron who has all the vigor (and lines) from a B-movie
villain. There’s no redemption and the most traumatizing thing that
happens actually doesn’t matter because this is a land without lasting
consequences for our leading ladies.
But it has a ukelele! A pretty lady sings with a southern twang (I’m
from Tennessee so this made my stomach backflip)! And gorgeous women
kissing one another and having feelings! And I learned so many new ways
to refer to my genitalia (most of them were fish related, but still they
were clever)! And it’s the first show I’ve seen in a long time that has
an all-female cast with a female playwright (ladies writing about
lady-loving–unheard of)!
Under impeccable direction by Bret Fetzer, Kittens in a Cage
by Kelleen Conway Blanchard is a joyous bad-girl romp through a
lesbian-loving field of daisies where bitches get shanked in the shower.
So, the plot–and there is one–focuses on Junie (played by the
dark-haired vixen Francesca Mondelli), who was unfortunately backstabbed
by her friends after innocently shooting a bankteller in the neck. It
could happen to anyone.
Junie’s no-good friends sold her out and she’s sent off to a woman’s
correctional facility run by the one-armed matron (Lisa Viertel) and the
rough around the edges prison guard, Nancy (Katie Driscoll). Viertel
and Driscoll play beautifully off each other with clear affection and
unrequited love though they both despise the uncleanliness of
homosexuality. (Their exchanges reminded me wonderfully of Captain
Monica Stark and Cookie in Psycho Beach Party.)
Junie then becomes the object of affection as the “new fish” (sorry,
brief pause while I chuckle) in a pool of despicable inmates who are all
several steps away from the line of sanity. Quickly, Junie falls for
her cellmate, Vickie (played by the omg-I-want-to-cuddle-with-you Laurel
Ryan) which don’t sit right with the other fishes, specifically the big
kahuna, Jeanine.
Jeanine (Tracy Leigh), played with an accent that sounded unbelievably like AppleJack from MLP: Friendship is Magic,
lusts after the seemingly simple Junie and has some of the best
references to vaginas and cunnilingus I have ever heard. Jeanine’s
over-the-top “I’m gonna get you” panache is paired with the subtle and
remarkable Erin Pike who plays the silent Barbara, incarcerated for
eating a girl scout troupe.
But of course, not all can be happy in a lesbian prison. Sigh. No.
You can’t just have hot people in skimpy outfits, lusting after one
another. We can’t just live in that world…of imprisonment. Oh no. Dark
and nefarious things are happening. Our resident crazy (played by the
seamlessly shifting Erin Stewart) comes to deliver the harrowing news in
true “I took a few too many blue pills,” fashion: The matron likes to
“fix” the inmates with science! Cue the sound of things buzzing and a
green light cue.
Speaking of lighting and sound, we have the talents of Tess Malone
and Kyle Thompson, respectively. Malone’s lights get creepy at all the
good parts. And Thompson’s SCIENCE! noises seemed to be taken direct
from Bride of Frankenstein (in a good way). Not to mention the songs which I absolutely wanted more of, written by a very talented man named Rick Miller.
At this point I’d normally advocate for some deeper meaning.
Something that would elevate this play to the next level, make it more
than just a lesbian comedy with a lot of cleavage. But, I can’t do it.
In its B-movie, lezsploitation simplicity, Kittens in a Cage
resonates. It’s not the same crap (see: wedding/dinner party gone awry).
It’s mocking exploitation as opposed to actively exploiting (seriously,
I stopped looking at cleavage when Junie started singing). And hey,
it’s actually funny in a clever way.
Especially in a season of Annex’s that has been unbelievably male (I’m looking at you, Lewis and Clark), Kittens overflows
with female talent with the additional bonus of incredible singing,
acting, grisly biting of license plates, and a truly funny script. Kittens in a Cage
may not be a change-your-life night of theatre, but it’s certainly a
welcome relief to the heat. Especially in a time when women are still
having the “Women: Do they have a sense of humor?” debate, I’ll take Kittens in a Cage over A. R. Gurney any day.
So what’s not to love about a play starring 7 local powerhouse
actresses and written by an equally strong local, female playwright?!
Given the dearth of substantive roles for women in theatre and film, it
is great to see a show like “Kittens in a Cage” infused with so much
estrogen and feminine prowess. (I’m just not sure why they didn’t
choose a female director for the show as well!).
Written by Kelleen Conway Blanchard and directed by Bret Fetzer,
“Kittens in a Cage” is “a tough love story about bad broads that can’t
get no breaks!” It tells the story of a young girl named “Junie” (played
by Francesca Mondelli) who finds herself in the middle of a bank
robbery that went wrong. Basically, she was set up by her thug friends
and framed for the crime, an act that ultimately lands her in prison
where she meets the other characters of this jailhouse comedy.
The prison is headed by the always fabulous Lisa Viertel who plays
the “Prison Matron,” – a Doctor Evil type of character who has a
prosthetic hook arm, a tortured fondness for monkeys, and an undying
belief in the power of science to reform the inmates.
“Junie” is schooled in the world of prison life by her cellmate,
“Vickie,” (played by Laurel Ryan), who is a bit of a pyromaniac herself.
In time, the two develop a romantic connection with each other as they
defend themselves against the other inmates and against the Prison
Matron’s scientific experiments as well.
Rounding out the cast includes: “Nancy,” the closet lesbian, Barney
Fife-ish prison guard (played by Katie Driscoll) who is in love with the
prison matron; “Jeanine” (played by Tracy Leigh), the redneck, lesbian
murderess whose got eyes for “Junie”; “Barbara” (played by Erin Pike),
the Hannibal Lecter-like cannibal with a sweet tooth for Girl Scouts;
and finally the actress, Erin Stewart, who plays a variety of roles, one
of which is “Lois,” a baby killing pill head.
The entire cast does a great job, and it is obvious that they are
having a lot of fun in their respective roles; and when I saw the show
on opening night, it was obvious that the audience had just as much fun
watching them.
Indeed, the play is packed with the kind of bawdy, lowbrow humor that
you would expect from a comedy set in a women’s prison : a lot of
lesbian jokes, a lot of girl on girl action (in all senses of the word),
and a lot of pulling things out of vaginas. In short, it is just a good
time, not to be taken too seriously.
Finally, the technical design is NOT the focus of this production.
Suffice it to say that the set and lighting designs are simple and
functional. Here, it’s all about the actresses, as it should be!
“Kittens in a Cage” plays through August 25th at the Annex Theatre on Capitol Hill. 1100 E. Pike St. For tickets call 206-728-0933 or on the web at www.annextheatre.org
After photographing K. Brian Neel with his two darling kittens I dared to photograph the “other” kittens hot in Seattle right now: the ladies starring in “Kittens in a Cage.”
I was able to get 5 of the 7 actresses at my studio the last week of
their performance here in Seattle and I believe they have only 2
performances left: Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Home stretch ladies!
Special thanks to my dear friend Wynne Earle for her help with stylizing and lighting on this set.
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