Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help

By Katie Forgette

Directed by Mike Boland

Produced by Sarah Lee Michaels

A livestreamed reading on December 6th at 3pm

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Told through the memory of 19-year-old Linda O'Shea, this new comedy by Katie Forgette brings to life the story of the O'Sheas, a cash-challenged, Irish-Catholic family just trying to get through 1973. Linda is attempting to re-enact for the audience the most turbulent day of her life, her own, very personal Saturday Night Massacre...but her family insists on interrupting to tell their side of the story.

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It was a time of old school living. No Facebook, no tweets, no texting, no Skype. A time when public ridicule in a close-knit, hermetically sealed Catholic parish was the ultimate nightmare. And of course, there's Grandma, ruling the household from her upstairs bedroom, banging her baseball bat on the floor to get attention, and service, from the rest of the family. When Linda's parents leave it to her to tell her younger sister about the birds and the bees, the bawdy conversation is somehow overheard by the parish priest...and Father Lovett is not amused. He sets out to confront the family about "the corruption of their eldest daughter's soul."

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Recommended for ages 16 and up due to adult themes.

Click above for a note from the playwright.

In an effort to bring live theater to our patrons,

we will be offering this livestream performance

at no cost.  Donations are accepted and

appreciated for those able to do so.

The link to view the show will be posted here on December 6th.

Meet the Cast

DANDY BARRETT (Grandmother O’Shea) began her theater experience at The Wilton Playshop nearly 40 years ago and went on to appear in many productions, as well as serve on the Board in several capacities, including as President.  Two years ago she returned to Connecticut after a 20-year absence, most recently from Savannah where she helped form The Collective Face Theatre Ensemble.  With TCFTE Dandy appeared as Violet Weston in August: Osage County, Dr. Vivian Bearing in Wit, Berthe in Boeing Boeing, Aurora/Spider Woman in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Violet Venable in Suddenly Last Summer, among others. She also served as TCFTE’s Managing Director. Since her return to Connecticut, Dandy has worked with The Ridgefield Theater Barn, TheatreWorks in New Milford, and The Brookfield Theater.  Now she’s come full circle.

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MIKE BOLAND* (Dad/Lovett/Betty) is an award-winning actor and also a screenwriter. BROADWAY: An Enemy of the People. NATIONAL TOURS: Twelve Angry Men, West Side Story, All My Sons. OFF-BROADWAY: The Orphans’ Home Cycle (Drama Desk Award). REGIONAL: Hartford Stage, Long Wharf, Yale Rep,  Theatreworks, Playhouse on Park, Ivoryton, Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Music Theatre of CT, Thrown Stone, Greenwich Theatre Company, Westchester Broadway, Queens Theatre, Coastal Carolina, Bristol Riverside, Fulton, Engeman, Judson, Virginia Stage, Chenango River, Saco River, Totem Pole. TV: The Blacklist (recurring), FBI, Person of Interest, Zero Hour, Rubicon, Frank and Ernie (webseries – co-star, writer, director). FILM: Bobby Dogs. TRAINING: George DiCenzo, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cotter Smith, Alan Arkin, Penny Fuller, Tony Roberts.  

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SARAH LEE MICHAELS* (Jo) has performed professionally over the last thirty years in musical theater as a singer/dancer/actor. NATIONAL TOURS: Bob Hope USO show, Louisiana Worlds’ Fair, “Ziegfeld”, “Will Rogers Follies”. OFF-BROADWAY: Rubirosa (Lamb Theater). REGIONAL: North Carolina Theater (Jekyll and Hyde), Fireside Theater (Annie),  Minnicapelli Dinner Theater (Arsenic and Old Lace), Theaterworks (Sweeney Todd, Man Who Came to Dinner).  FILM: Stepford Wives (wife), Sex in the City, Manchurian Candidate.   TV: Law and Order: SVU, All My Children, Another World Cashmere Mafia.  Having worked in New Orleans and NYC as a cabaret singer, Sarah is currently a busy vocal coach and acting/voice teacher in Fairfield County, CT, serves on the faculty at University of Bridgeport teaching jazz history/music, and is the current Executive Producer at the Wilton Playshop.  She holds a Bachelor of Music in voice, Masters in music education, and is currently working on her DMA in Musical Arts at Boston University.  

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LISA NASO* (Becky) is so excited to be reuniting with the O'Shea family after last summer's run at Chenango River Theater. Originally from Long Island, she is a BFA Acting graduate of Point Park University. Regional credits include Fun Home (Smithtown Performing Arts), The Wolves (Zoetic Stage), Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (CRT) and Dog Man: the Musical (North American tour). @lisa_naso www.lisanaso.com

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HEIDI WEEKS* (Terri)  resides in Binghamton, NY where she performs with the Chenango River Theatre where she originated the role of Terri in last summer’s world premier production of Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Other CRT credits include Flying,The Smell of The Kill, Other Desert Cities, Broadway Bound, Other People's Money, Crimes of The Heart, More Fun Than Bowling and the one woman show Slut as part of the One Night Stand Series.  Other theatre credits include The Importance of Being Earnest; Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike, Sylvia in the title role, and Hamlet. She was Co-Founder of Southern Tier Actor's Read and studied acting in NYC where she trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse.  Heidi lived in Toronto for 15 years, working extensively in theatre, television and film.  Other credits include Awake and Sing!, Same Time, Next Year and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Heidi was nominated for a NY Emmy award for her role in The Twilight Zone for WSKG Television.  When she is not acting, she operates Mabel D. Orr Fashion Boutique in Binghamton, NY. 

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ANNIE WINNEG* (Linda O'Shea) is thrilled to be taking part in this reading, after performing in last year's world premiere of Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Chenango River Theatre). Other regional credits include Pygmalion (Peterborough Players), All's Well That Ends Well (Adirondack Shakespeare Company), and Come Back, Little Sheba (Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival). In NYC, Annie has performed at the Manhattan Theatre Club, 59E59, New Dramatists, Interborough Repertory Theater, and The Access Theater. She recently finished a two-year engagement, performing in Drunk Shakespeare (Off-Broadway, New York Times Critics Pick), and she had the pleasure of playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice (Columbia University) just weeks before the pandemic hit. While we wait for live theater to return, you can hear Annie provide lead voiceover for The Mercy River Incident (Aeaea Podcasting). For more, please visit www.anniewinneg.com

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*These Actors are appearing through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS

AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS

SAG-AFTRA

through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.

CREW:

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STAGE MANAGER: LAURA PLOSS

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PUBLICITY: KASEY LUCE