Actor Spotlight |
 Barbara Rhoades A tall (5'10"), voluptuous redhead, Barbara Rhoades has been lighting up the stage and both small and big screens since the late 1960s. Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, the now Weston resident just finished a lively stint on ABC's One Life to Live as 'the mother from hell' Irene Manning, and lit up the New York stage last spring in in Love, Loss and What I Wore. Rhoades started out as a dancer in Funny Girl on Broadway and on such TV shows as Sammy Davis' weekly show and specials. Universal Pictures brought her out to LA to star in Don't Just Stand There with Robert Wagner and Mary Tyler Moore, putting her under contract at the end of the contract era. She starred opposite Don Knotts as the lady bandit Penelope "Bad Penny" Cushings in The Shakiest Gun in the West in 1968. Barbara has appeared as a series regular and in more than 100 guest roles on TV, running the primetime table. Mystery lovers might have caught her on It Takes A Thief, Ironsides, Mannix, Columbo, Kojak, Alias Smith and Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Trapper John, MD, Murder She Wrote, The Blue Knight, and into the new millennium on Law and Order. But Barbara is also an extraordinary comedienne, appearing in episodes of Love, American Style, Maude, and The Odd Couple, as well as in the role of private detective Maggie Chandler on the groundbreaking sitcom Soap. And it goes on! Rhoades film credits include There Was a Crooked Man opposite Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda, and Up the Sandbox starring Barbra Streisand, She played a police officer, "No Balls" Hadley, in 1977's The Choirboys and a Vegas hooker who picks up Art Carney along the road during his Oscar-winning performance in Harry and Tonto (1974). She appeared in Scream Blacula, Scream in 1973 and played Marsha Mason's best friend in Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (1977). Taking a break to raise her family, she returned to the screen in 2007, appearing in First Born with Elisabeth Shue. Upon leaving LA, Barbara moved to Connecticut with her husband, Bernie Orenstein, writer & producer of such shows as Sanford & Son, Kate & Allie, and Cosby. Their son graduated from NYU Law this spring. She also has three step daughters, two step sons and seven grandchildren. A member of the Theatre Artist Workshop and a valued member of SKTC, Barbara appeared last season in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Don't miss her on February 25th as Nancy in Edward Albee's "Seascape"! |
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Greetings!
It's been an exciting start to the new year, with unseasonably warm temperatures and great turnouts at SKTC events. We are growing!
Last week, I attended a forum at Long Wharf Theatre given by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Offices of Culture and Tourism (that's a mouthful!) on "Placemaking for the Arts" and came away charged up and on a mission. The mantra at the forum was this:
Great art creates great places. Great places attract great talent. Great talent creates great jobs. So I went directly to the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission meeting that night and made an impassioned plea for a theatre...an arts center... a concentrated hub for arts in Newtown with theatre, concerts, affordable classes ... not in ten years, but now! I was thrilled at the response. If you believe as I do that this is something we need, drop a note to me at info@straykatstheatrecompany.org and I will make sure it gets heard!
Meanwhile, I hope to see you at "Seascape" on February 25th, starring the delightful and beautiful Barbara Rhoades and equally delightful though somewhat less beautiful Tom Zingarelli.
SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE! Kate Katcher Artistic Director P.S.: Check out the wonderful write-ups in the Danbury News Times and Newtown Bee who attended "Butcher's Cabin" on January 14th. I've copied them on to the Home Page of our website while I figure out what to do with them! Click on The Articles and scroll down. |
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Up next: Albee's "Seascape"
Saturday, February 25th at 7:30
Barbara Rhoades and Tom Zingarelli star as a recently retired couple at odds with how to spend the rest of their lives: seize the day and set a course for new experiences or take a well earned rest? The question is amplified when they are joined on the beach by another, rather unusual couple, played by Sean Hannon and Wynter Kullman.
Edward Albee received his second Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "Seascape" which opened on Broadway on January 26, 1975 featuring Deborah Kerr, Barry Nelson, Maureen Anderman and Frank Langella, who won the Tony for Best Supporting Actor. Albee's first Pulitzer Prize was for "A Delicate Balance" in 1962.
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SKTC at STONE RIVER GRILLE
  Despite the ill-timed snow on January 21st, SKTC opened the Play With Your Food series at Stone River Grille to an almost capacity crowd! Gary Sseri treated his guests to an exquisite menu with six entrees to choose from including Filet Mignon! And the audience delighted to three one-act plays by Michael McKeever, David Ives and CT playwright Susan Cinoman. Our next date is Saturday, March 3rd and, if reservations warrant it, an additional night on March 2nd.
So don't delay! There are only 40 reservations available per seating to accommodate the serving of a full dinner of freshly prepared food!
And SKTC will provide the entertainment: a menu of one-act plays by playwrights David Ives, Louise Wasserman, Paul Dooley & Winnie Holzman and James Thurber, read by an ensemble of SKTC company members.
Stone River Grille is located at 1 Glen Road in Sandy Hook.
Tickets are $65 per person and include an appetizer, salad, entree, coffee and dessert. Cocktails, wine or beer are also available.
Call 203-270-1200 to reserve or go to www.stonerivergrille.com.
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Gift Certicicates Available
Need a gift for a Birthday? Anniversary? For any occasion, how about giving an evening at the theatre?
Consider a Gift Certificate to Stray Kats Theatre Company! One-size fits all!
Just click on the picture of the gift certificate to go to our order page.
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About Us
Stray Kats is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicating to promoting thought-provoking, high-quality theatrical content.
Contact us: 203-514-2221 or info@straykatstheatrecompany.org
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