by BWW News Desk | April 23, 2018
[Note: Some of the information in this article has been corrected from its original printed version.]
Chelsea Marcantel is not an air guitarist. Nor is she a part of an air guitar shredding family. She found the world through a former boyfriend she met in Chicago. “I thought…this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” The relationship did not work out, however, Marcantel found herself going down a “Youtube Wormhole” of air guitar performances. And after watching the acclaimed documentary Air Guitar Nation, she began writing a play about the world of imaginary soloing.
After completing her Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellowship at the Juilliard School, she discovered that her agent had submitted Airness to Actors Theatre of Louisville. It was selected for the 2017 Humana Festival and received rave reviews. It received the 2018 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award, and will be produced by Phoenix Theatre in Arizona and Chautauqua Theatre Company in Chautauqua, New York.
For several years now, B Street Theatre has attended the Humana Festival at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in search of new plays for Sacramento audiences. It was during the 2017 Humana Festival that Buck Busfield (Artistic Director) and Dave Pierini (Artistic Producer) saw Airness. “We thought it was so much fun,” Pierini commented. “It’s our type of play and we knew it’d be great for our first season at the Sofia.” B Street’s production of Airness will also see a collaboration with the Sacramento Chapter of U.S. Air Guitar. “There are several planned performances after the production featuring many of Sacramento’s own Air Guitarists,” commented Artistic Associate Sean Patrick Nill. “It’s really exciting for us,” commented Benjamin Thomas, Vice President of U.S. Air Guitar: Sacramento. “This play has introduced a lot of people to the world of Air Guitar, and we’re happy to team up with B Street and help in that promotion.”
Chelsea Marcantel: Reared by Cajuns in southwest Louisiana, Chelsea has lived and made theatre among the tribes of the Midwest, Appalachia, the Mid-Atlantic, and now the West Coast. In 2016, she completed a Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellowship at The Juilliard School. Her plays include Airness, Everything Is Wonderful, Ladyish, Devour, and Tiny Houses.
Dave Pierini: Dave has been working in professional theatre for over 25 years. Dave is a proud B Street Company Member, having performed in many shows. He last appeared in the Mainstage productions of Dry Powder and One Man, Two Guvnors. Dave also writes for the B Street Theatre’s Family Series, adapting many books for young audiences, most recently, Going West: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Dave was instrumental in forming the B Street Theatre’s Sketch/Improv Company and has hosted a talk show, Sactown Tonight, from the stage of B Street. He has also directed many plays for the Company, most recently, A Moving Day. Dave has also been seen on stage at Music Circus in their most recent productions of West Side Story and Hello, Dolly!
The Setting: Dingy, dirty bars throughout the United States.
Astrid “Cannibal Queen” Anderson – Tara Sissom– Tara is a proud member of AEA as well as an acting ensemble member of B Street Theatre and The New Colony. Chicago credits include Eugene O’Neill‘s The Iceman Cometh, directed by Robert Falls, with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy at The Goodman Theatre, (which received a 2012 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble); Frat; 11:11; Tupperware: An American Musical Fable and That Sordid Little Story (for which she received a 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Original Music) with The New Colony and Literally Sexy II, III and IV and Walk of Shame at Victory Gardens Theater‘s Fresh Squeezed series. Select regional credits include Christmas Carol, The Christians, Clever Little Lies, Mud Blue Sky, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, A Christmas Carol, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Jack Goes Boating, Detroit, Seminar and The K of D at B Street Theatre; Children of Eden, Beauty and the Beast and The Man Who Came to Dinner at Flat Rock Playhouse in Hendersonville. She wrote and performed in B Street Live! a sketch comedy show at the Assembly in Sacramento, CA. She was in the revival of The Goodman’s The Iceman Cometh at BAM in Brooklyn, NYC 2015. Tara co-starred in and co-wrote Treatment, a world premiere at B Street Theatre with Stephanie Altholz and Amy Kelly. She teaches long-form Improv known as “The Harold” with Stephanie Altholz, new play development, audition and booking techniques as well as private lessons through the B Street Conservatory.
Ed “Shreddy Eddy” Leary – Peter Story – Peter is a former intern and now a proud member of the B Street Acting Company. He has appeared on all three stages and is best known for roles such as Theo in The Underpants, Millet in Fuddy Meers, Toad in Frog and Toad, Alexander in Alexander Who’s Not…Going to Move, and most recently as Francis Henshall in One Man, Two Guvnors. He made his directorial debut in 2009 with the Family Series season opener, Go Dog Go. He has worked with Sacramento Theatre Co., Garry Marshall‘s Falcon Theatre, OkRep, and the New Harmony Project to name a few. He resides in LA where he pursues a TV and film career. Some of his appearances include CSI, Without a Trace, Ugly Betty, E-Ring, Quarterlife, and Studio 60. He was also in the feature film Cornered, starring opposite Steve Guttenberg. He wishes to thank his wife Megan for all her love and support.
Nina “The Nina” O’Neal – Stephanie Altholz- Stephanie was seen most recently in One Man, Two Guvnors, A Moving Day, Hand To God, Robin Hood, Speed-the-Plow, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein, Handle With Care, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, The Explorers Club, Snow White and Rose Red, and Elemeno Pea. In the 2017 Mainstage season she co-wrote and performed in Treatment, a commissioned work with company members Amy Kelly and Tara Sissom. Other B Street credits include Gift of the Magi, Seminar, RX, Aliens with Extraordinary Skills, The Snow Queen, Extraordinary Things: Through the Eyes of Anne Frank, Cinderella, Junie B. Jones, Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, I Am a Camera, The Almost Perfect Party, Swiss Family Robinson and A Christmas Carol. Stephanie has been seen at Capital Stage in Reasons to be Pretty, Erratica and Clybourne Park. She has also performed in online videos with Dutchwest, College Humor and Smosh.
Mark “Facebender” Lender – John Lamb– John is a company member of the B Street Theatre. Former roles on the B Street stage include Brother Brightbee et al. in The Book of Liz, Brent in While We Were Bowling, Johnny in Juno and the Paycock, Pete/Danny in Almost, Maine, Clyde in Jack Goes Boating, Nicky Giblin in The Seafarer, Donnie in The Foursome and Huey in Italian American Reconciliation. He has acted in the B Street Family Series productions of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, The Canterville Ghost, The Boxcar Children, The Princess and the Pauper, Johnny Tremain, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Rumplestilskin, The Swiss Family Robinson, Junie B. Jones, Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, The Three Musketeers, most recently, Junie B Jones Is Not A Crook and Going West. Directing credits include Hand to God, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Earshot, The Maintenance Man, Beauty and the Beast and The Big Bang.
Gabe “Golden Thunder” Partridge – Sam Kabede – Sam is a neuroscientist turned actor from Orange County, CA. He graduated with highest distinction from Duke University with a B.S. in Neuroscience, B.A. in Theater Studies and a Minor in Biology. Notable CRT credits: Shrek the Musical (Gingy), Nuevo California (Albert Venado), and Sense &
Sensibility (Mr. Palmer). Other credits: Uncle Vanya (Uncle Vanya), Avenue Q (Trekkie Monster), and The Real Inspector Hound (Simon Gascoyne). Sam has trained at Michael Howard Studios and The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Sam loves to bake, go on long runs, and call his congressperson.
David “D’Vicious” Cooper – Josh Bonzie – Credits Include: That High Lonesome Sound, The Glory of the World, Dracula and A Christmas Carol at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Julius Caesar, Miss Evers’ Boys and The Zoo Story at the University of Oklahoma. Film Credits Include: Rudderless, The Posthuman Project, America and Electric Nostalgia. Josh received the 2014 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Irene Ryan Award for Best Partner. B.F.A. from the University of Oklahoma.
Announcer – TBA
More about B Street Theatre: B Street Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre company producing primarily new work for adults, families and children. The two-theatre playhouse on 2700 Capitol Avenue in Midtown Sacramento is home to the Mainstage Series and Family Series, each created to feature intimate, quality theatre for audiences year-round. Recognized as one of the nation’s top professional theatres, B Street Theatre has produced more than 160 world premieres written by B Street playwrights and numerous productions which were world, national, West Coast or regional premieres.
B Street Theatre was originally founded in 1986 with the purpose of bringing the excitement of live performance to children through the B Street Theatre School Tour. This educational outreach program still serves over 200,000 students in Northern California annually.
B Street Theatre programs include the Mainstage Series, B Street Theatre Family Series and Family Series Student Matinees (for school field trips), B Street School Tours, Sketch Comedy, B Street Acting Conservatory and Studio for Young People, and the B Street Theatre Internship program for pre-professional/post-college training.
