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Creative Team
Director - Jessica Irons
Lighting Design - Andrew Irons
Stage Manager - Monica Robles
Tech crew - Ray Flaks
Costumes - Emilu Dzaik
Choreography - Megan Roe
Cast:
Luci........................................Meghan Covington
Andre.....................................Chris Moore
Sadie........................................Julia Schonberg
Sal............................................Katie Kopajtic
Hulda........................................Alex Abney
The Stranger.............................Mark Cajigao
Understudies.......................Alex Fletcher, June ,
Meet the Actors:
Meghan Covington is a NY based actor, playwright, and producer. Her most notable acting work has taken place regionally on the stages of The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co, The Shakespeare Theatre, Round House Theatre, Theatre J, Olney Theatre in Washington DC, and Firehouse Theatre, Richmond Shakespeare Festival, and Theatre Lab in Richmond, VA. She was also a company member for Synetic Theatre, where she spent 4+ years developing skills in classical pantomime technique, physical theatre, and dance. In NYC she has performed at Theatre for the New City, The Brick, and Manhattan Theatre Source. For River's Edge Theatre Co. she was last seen in Every Brilliant Thing and The Parking Lot. Her plays, mostly spooky in nature, include Ichabod, Riverside Haunts Ep I and II, and The Provider. Meghan has a BFA in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University, and she currently serves as the Artistic Director and Board President of River's Edge Theatre Company.
Jessica Irons (Director)
Jessica, an Ossining resident, and sits on the Board of Bethany Arts Community, and is the current president. She sat on the Board of Ossining MATTERS for 6 years and was president for 2. For 10 years she was the Artistic Director of the award winning , NYC based Andhow ! Theater Company where she fostered new plays from a seed of an idea through to full productions. She directed Off & Off Off Broadway at the Flea, The Ohio, HERE Arts Center, 78th Street Theater Lab, Dixon Place, The Blue Heron Arts Center, The Ontological at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery New Georges and adobe theatre company. She was the Associate Artistic Director of adobe theatre company and the Artistic Associate at Adirondack Theater Festival. As an educator she has directed/taught in Newark NJ, Redhook, Brooklyn, for the 52nd Street Project in Manhattan, Allan Stevenson, Fordham University, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and elsewhere throughout the tri-state area . Locally, she has directed adults professionally for Rivers Edge Theatre Co. She was the original therapeutic arts director at Children of Promise, NYC in Bedford Stuyvesant, where she developed and implemented therapeutic art & theater curricula for children of incarcerated parents. Jessica studied theater at Skidmore College (BA) and Creative Arts Therapy at the New School.
Andrew Irons (Lighting Design)
Andrew is a playwright and a founding member of ANDHOW! Theater Company. For Andhow! he has written Linus & Alora (The Flea Theater), Little Suckers (The Ohio Theater), Non-D, (the Ontological Theatre; Backstage STIMY Award: Powerful Production 2003-2004), Paschal Full Moon (78th Street Theater Lab), and has received readings / workshops of Yakima Man and Iris. His play Tunnel was produced at Expanded Arts. His toy theater piece And Away! was presented at The Brick, as well as with Andhow! at The Connelly Theater. And as an actor and playwright he has worked with several New York theater companies including the Ontological, New Georges, Turnip and 78th Street Theater Lab. His play Linus & Alora was published in Plays & Playwrights Best Plays of 2010. Andrew has been a Teaching Artist at The Hudson River Academy, Sarah Lawrence College’s Summer Writing Intensive, Westchester Community College, Allen Stevenson, and Penobscot Theater Company. He was Program Director for Off the Hook a playwriting to performance program in Red Hook Brooklyn, 2006-2008. He has been teaching in the New York City public school system for the last 8 years. Andrew studied theater at the American Conservatory Theater (Young Conservatory), National Theater Institute, Skidmore College (BA) and Sarah Lawrence College (MFA).
Ray Flaks (tech crew) is an A/V technician and audio engineer from Westchester, NY, and currently based in Ossining, NY. This is his third time collaborating with Rivers Edge Theater Company (Ichabod, Marian), and he is grateful to be working with this wonderful team again. Ray has worked on a variety of theater productions from a young age, including a few recent shows at Bethany Arts Community. He received a BA in Cinema from Binghamton University in 2021, and is excited to continue supporting the arts in his community.
Mark Cajigao (Oberon/Theseus)
Mark is very happy to be working again with River's Edge Theatre Company. He is an actor, singer, director and producer who has worked on stage and in film in NYC, regionally, and as far abroad as Cairo, Egypt. Mark also co-curates RETCo’s Cold Reads series, where every month local actors tackle a different play with no prior rehearsal. He lives with his family in Hastings on Hudson, and holds degrees from Wagner College and The New School for Drama. Mark is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Julia Schonberg (Hermia)
Julia Schonberg (she/her) is an actor, theatre maker, applied theatre artist, educator, and arts worker based in Tarrytown, NY by way of Cleveland, Boston, and Brooklyn. Julia received herBFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University and her MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY's School of Professional Studies. Julia has worked both on and offstage with NY based companies: The Barrow Group, Houses on the Moon, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Superhero Clubhouse, The Bushwick Starr, Brave New World Repertory Theatre, Writopia Lab, Columbia Stages, and River's Edge Theatre Co. She is a founder and company member of The Neighborhood Theatre Project, a theatre company creating opportunities for community building, reflection, and dialogue through original, verbatim theatre making. Julia is the community engagement & outreach coordinator at Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, NY. juliaschonberg.com, theneighborhoodtheatreproject.org @juliamschonberg
Chris Moore (Demetrius)
Chris spent much of his pre-adult life acting onstage and off. His first year out of college he was part of the acting company at Actors Theatre of Louisville (Dracula, A Christmas Carol, Humana Festival). While it was an amazing experience, Chris ultimately decided to transition to the business world. He continues to enjoy theater as an audience member and participant when possible. Chris lives in Hastings-on-Hudson with his wife, very dramatic 6 year old son, and more stoic 1 year old daughter.
Emily Dziak (Snug/Cobweb)
Emily is an actress and scenic artist from Westchester, New York. Her credits include: As You Like It (Rosalind), We Are Proud to Present (Actor 5, Sarah), Kodachrome (Suzanne/The Photographer), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Beatrice), The Green Plays Project (Kara, Actor B), Listening (Hailey).
Alex Fletcher (Prithee Master)
Alex is a long time theater educator and practitioner. NY Credits- Titus, Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet (The Shakespeare Forum) A Hard Wall at High Speed (Astoria Performing Arts Center) and Death Boogie (Brick Theater’s Comic Book Theater Festival). With Rivers Edge (SM)- The Vibrator Play, Circle Mirror Transformation, The Provider, Riverside Haunts, Silent Sky. He is currently teaching chemistry and theater at Eastchester High School and apparently is a good liar based on his appearances in Two Truths and a Lie.
The History the Inspired Peek-a-Boo
The Peek-a-Boo Flats of Tarrytown, NY were a popular, yet controversial destination in Tarrytown in the early 1900s through the 1920s. The flats, located on Wildey Street, were refered to as a strip club or a disorderly house, and many of of the newspaper clipping from the time showed residents distaste for the Peek-a-Boo. The women who worked in the Peek-a-boo were often arrested or send out of town. Some were told they could not been seen on the street after dark without a family member.
Sadie the Goat
An American criminal, gang leader and river pirate known under the pseudonym Sadie the Goat. In 1869, Sadie the Goat joined the Charlton Street Gang, headquartered at a gin mill at the end of Charlton Street on the West Side. Though her real name was Sadie Farrell, she became known as Sadie the Goat because of her favored form of fighting: headbutting men in the stomach and having a male compatriot knock the victim out cold so they could steal his money and valuables without difficulty. She also had the misfortune of having her ear bitten off by the infamous Gallas Mag who was the bouncer at the Hole in the Wall bar. After Sadie the Goat lost her ear, she left the Fourth Ward and found a new home on the West Side with the Charlton Street Gang. The gang had previously decided to become pirates and wreak havoc along the shores of the Hudson River.
John Andre
Major John André was a British officer in the American War of Independence. He was fluent in four languages and a gifted writer and poet, who loved theatre. Due to an series of unfortunate mishaps he was captured by three Americans in Westchester NY, and was quickly identified and imprisoned; he was subsequently convicted of espionage by the Continental Army and executed by hanging on George Washington's orders.
Hulda the Witch
A Bohemian immigrant, Hulda lived alone in a cottage in the woods in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Her knowledge of medicinal herbs and frequent trade with the native peoples made her the object of much suspicion among the Dutch villagers .In 2019 the congregation of The Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns installed a newly carved monument near the north wall of the Old Dutch Church. It records her curriculum vitae in stone: “Hulda of Bohemia. Died c. 1777. Herbalist, Healer, Patriot. Felled by British while protecting the Militia. Buried here in gratitude for her sacrifice.”
William Salsbury
The Main story is this: General William Salisbury (of the Union Army) Lived in the town of Leeds and Like Most Respectable Men of the time Had servants. one night One of his servants, a Young woman either ran away or went out without permission. Salisbury supposedly went out to find her. When he did he tied her hands to the Horse and started riding off some say the horse got spooked and bucked salisbury off , others say he deliberately set the horse off, But either way the horse ran and dragged the young woman to death. They say Salisbury was charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to death, but due to his hi rank in society and friends in high places his date of punishment was scheduled for his 99th birthday. Until then he would have to wear a rope around his neck when in public, and appear in front of the court once every year. Soon the rope became a Silk Handkerchief . The townspeople though knew what shame the handkerchief meant. They say his 99th birthday came and went and he died in his bed at the age of 100. People say they can see and hear the ghost of a horse dragging a screaming Girl / skeleton down Old Coxackie Road , And in front of Salisbury Manor in Leeds they say you can see a woman in gray pointing at the house as you go by.
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About River's Edge Theatre Company
River's Edge Theatre Company (RETCo) is a NY State non-profit organization with the mission to reflect the human experience, spark conversation, and inspire social change through performance. RETCo invites theatergoers to step to the outer limits of their comfort zone as they shed light on some of society's most pressing issues. In addition to producing quality, thought provoking performances in Westchester, NY, RETCo also offers classes and workshops that place emphasis on the social emotional benefits of theatre education, allowing students to collaborate and create in a fun and nurturing environment. River's Edge Theatre Company is a NY not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation and donations qualify as a deductible charitable contribution to the extent the law provides. Make a donation or learn more on our website.
About Bethany Arts Community
Bethany Arts Community is a space and environment where all forms of art can be learned and expressed, where hope & acceptance are the norms. Nurturing the creative process, Bethany welcomes artists, from young to old, and all levels of experience, to explore and create art that the community can engage with. Bethany fosters sharing, connection, and collaboration, in an inclusive culture where people experience the power of art to improve lives and expand their perceptions and perspectives of the world.
The Vision of Bethany Arts Community is to be a model arts community where everyone has access to the arts in a safe, accepting, and nurturing environment, where art is valued for its power to broaden perspectives and challenge assumptions, and where the artistic process results in community engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and personal growth.
Our Values
Accessibility: we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the process.
Collaboration: we work together to inspire the artistic process.
Inclusion: we celebrate diversity in all its forms.
Safety: we offer a haven where artists, audiences, and all communities feel secure and comfortable.
Respect: we are an environment of appreciation, consideration, and trust.
Courage: we encourage our communities to step outside their comfort zones.
Acceptance: we meet people where and who they are with no judgment.
Compassion: we are dedicated to being empathetic, hospitable, and sensitive in all our interactions.
About Groundwork Hudson Valley
Groundwork Hudson Valley creates sustainable environmental change in urban neighborhoods through community-based partnerships that promote equity, youth leadership, and economic opportunity.
Values
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Ensure equal access to a healthy environment for everyone
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Promote inclusion of all community members in decision-making
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Collaborate with residents, governments, and businesses to accomplish positive environmental change
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Foster the development of environmental and community leaders through environmental education and employment
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Transform underutilized public sites into vibrant, accessible, green community spaces designed for and with local neighborhoods
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Champion durable, sustainable projects that promise lasting impact
Special thanks to these special folks for making this and future productions possible:
Michael Goldenberg
H.James Hoff
Irvignton Theater
River Arts
Heather Harpham
Melanie Hoopes
Sioux Madden
Steve & Joanne Auerbach
Asha Bencosme
Jessica Arinella
Lauren Orkus
Billy Poorten
Keika Bleu
Sara Israel
Julia Schonberg
Elizabeth Lynch
Marie-Louise Miller
Stephanie Marango
Kim Spurlock
Joe Dimona
Joseph Sexton
Leslie Seery
Kathleen Rhem
Bill and Lisa Schonberg
Jessica Irons
Susan Kangas
Albert Gorn
Susan Singer
Hastings Yoga
Brighid Uddyback
Yelena Skorobogatov
Dyane Laurin and Pascal Tomecek
Ryan Michael Hayes
And ALL of our donors!
River's Edge Theatre Co's programing was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Special thanks to our 2023 sponsors.
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