Curtain Up!
Scenes from "The Good Doctor" by Neil Simon
Directed by Michael McGarty
Friday, May 15, 2 p.m.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Admission is free
Neil Simon’s comic drama consists of a series of vignettes adapted from the short stories of Russian author Anton Chekhov. Narrated by “The Writer” played by Ed Kimak, the vignettes blend Simon’s humor with Chekhov’s satire to explore the eccentricities and struggles of daily life in 19th-century Russia.
The show’s selected vignettes include “The Sneeze” where a nervous government clerk accidentally sneezes on a high-ranking official at the opera, leading to absurd panic. “The Sneeze” features actors Gary Mutz, Tom Cassese, Gail Wetherbee and Carolyn Burgess.
The second scene, “The Seduction,” includes the Writer who attempts to seduce his best friend’s wife, Maria Faer, with the husband’s, Kevin O’Byrne, unwitting help.
The final scene, “The Audition,” has Linda Kelp portraying a young actress who walks four days from Odessa to Moscow to audition for a director’s, Jon Rasmussen, next play.
Scenes from "The Good Doctor" by Neil Simon
Directed by Michael McGarty
Friday, May 15, 2 p.m.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Admission is free
Neil Simon’s comic drama consists of a series of vignettes adapted from the short stories of Russian author Anton Chekhov. Narrated by “The Writer” played by Ed Kimak, the vignettes blend Simon’s humor with Chekhov’s satire to explore the eccentricities and struggles of daily life in 19th-century Russia.
The show’s selected vignettes include “The Sneeze” where a nervous government clerk accidentally sneezes on a high-ranking official at the opera, leading to absurd panic. “The Sneeze” features actors Gary Mutz, Tom Cassese, Gail Wetherbee and Carolyn Burgess.
The second scene, “The Seduction,” includes the Writer who attempts to seduce his best friend’s wife, Maria Faer, with the husband’s, Kevin O’Byrne, unwitting help.
The final scene, “The Audition,” has Linda Kelp portraying a young actress who walks four days from Odessa to Moscow to audition for a director’s, Jon Rasmussen, next play.
DAOR - Jean Wilcox Scholarship
Award Ceremony
Saturday, May 9
2:00 p.m.
Stanley Dollar Clubhouse
Free
The DAOR Jean Wilcox Scholarship for Theatre Arts will be awarded at a presentation ceremony May. 10, 2:00 P.M. in the Stanley Dollar main room. This year’s recipient from the University of California’s Dance, Theatre and Performance Studies program is Chayenne Greenberg. If you think an award ceremony has to be boring, talk to any DAOR member who has attended past ceremonies. DAOR does not do “boring.” You will hear how entertaining and moving the ceremonies have been. Although Chayenne has been chosen for her experience and excellence on stage, she brings a variety of performance experience to the table, including stand-up comedy
The scholarship is given annually to a college student who has shown great potential in the theater arts and wishes to pursue further training. This is the fifth award in partnership with the UCBerkeley TDPS programs and the 14th since the scholarship program was established. It is funded by the proceeds of DAOR’s Naked Stage productions. This year’s scholarship amount is $4,000.
Award Ceremony
Saturday, May 9
2:00 p.m.
Stanley Dollar Clubhouse
Free
The DAOR Jean Wilcox Scholarship for Theatre Arts will be awarded at a presentation ceremony May. 10, 2:00 P.M. in the Stanley Dollar main room. This year’s recipient from the University of California’s Dance, Theatre and Performance Studies program is Chayenne Greenberg. If you think an award ceremony has to be boring, talk to any DAOR member who has attended past ceremonies. DAOR does not do “boring.” You will hear how entertaining and moving the ceremonies have been. Although Chayenne has been chosen for her experience and excellence on stage, she brings a variety of performance experience to the table, including stand-up comedy
The scholarship is given annually to a college student who has shown great potential in the theater arts and wishes to pursue further training. This is the fifth award in partnership with the UCBerkeley TDPS programs and the 14th since the scholarship program was established. It is funded by the proceeds of DAOR’s Naked Stage productions. This year’s scholarship amount is $4,000.
Berkeley Rep Docent Talk
Wednesday, May 6
10:30 a.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Free
DAOR will host a post-show discussion by a Berkeley Repertory Theatre Docent on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:30 AM in the Performing Arts Studio at Hillside Complex. The discussion will be for those who have seen Berkeley Rep’s production of THE MONSTERS, which runs from March 27 to May 3, and would like to discuss their experience of it. There is no charge for the talk.
The Berkeley Rep’s “The Monsters” was written by Ngozi Anyanwu and is directed by Tamilla Woodard. For years, LIL has observed her estranged brother from the shadows—watching, waiting, studying every punch he throws. BIG, an aging but respected force in the local mixed martial arts circuit, remains unaware his little sister has been tracking his career from afar…until she appears unexpectedly on his doorstep. Award-winning playwright Ngozi Anyanwu (“Good Grief,” “The Homecoming Queen,” “ The Last of the Love Letters”) writes and stars alongside Sullivan Jones (HBO’s “The Gilded Age”) in this West Coast premiere of a sibling love story that grapples with reunion and buried resentments. Raw and riveting, “The Monsters” delivers an emotional knockout and wrestles with the demons we must face to reconnect, rebuild, and forgive.
“The Monsters” was developed in The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. This West Coast premiere, a co-production with La Jolla Playhouse, runs until Sunday May 3 at the Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley CA 94704.
For information on the Docent Program, call Diana Insolio at 203-530-1891.
Wednesday, May 6
10:30 a.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Free
DAOR will host a post-show discussion by a Berkeley Repertory Theatre Docent on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:30 AM in the Performing Arts Studio at Hillside Complex. The discussion will be for those who have seen Berkeley Rep’s production of THE MONSTERS, which runs from March 27 to May 3, and would like to discuss their experience of it. There is no charge for the talk.
The Berkeley Rep’s “The Monsters” was written by Ngozi Anyanwu and is directed by Tamilla Woodard. For years, LIL has observed her estranged brother from the shadows—watching, waiting, studying every punch he throws. BIG, an aging but respected force in the local mixed martial arts circuit, remains unaware his little sister has been tracking his career from afar…until she appears unexpectedly on his doorstep. Award-winning playwright Ngozi Anyanwu (“Good Grief,” “The Homecoming Queen,” “ The Last of the Love Letters”) writes and stars alongside Sullivan Jones (HBO’s “The Gilded Age”) in this West Coast premiere of a sibling love story that grapples with reunion and buried resentments. Raw and riveting, “The Monsters” delivers an emotional knockout and wrestles with the demons we must face to reconnect, rebuild, and forgive.
“The Monsters” was developed in The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. This West Coast premiere, a co-production with La Jolla Playhouse, runs until Sunday May 3 at the Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley CA 94704.
For information on the Docent Program, call Diana Insolio at 203-530-1891.
Annual Gathering of the Company
Monday, January 12
2:00 p.m.
Fireside Room, Gateway
Free
Members of the Drama Association of Rossmoor (DAOR) will preview the club’s 2026 programs on all aspects of the theater arts at the annual Gathering of the Company on Monday, January 12 at 2 p. m. in the Fireside Room at Gateway.
The DAOR Artistic Committee will highlight the coming year’s lineup of new Naked Stage productions, inter-active classes, and other social events. The Gathering is an opportunity to meet new members, hear from first-time volunteers about what that participation meant to them and discover ways to help make theatrical dreams come true. Entertainment and refreshments will be included in the program. Team Trivia will pair members to discover fun tidbits about the club’s history and current dramaturgical activities.
ALL Rossmoor residents are welcome! If you’re curious about what the Drama Association offers to members, this is the time to come and hear about our upcoming year’s offerings. For information, please call Gay White at (925)899-1885.
Monday, January 12
2:00 p.m.
Fireside Room, Gateway
Free
Members of the Drama Association of Rossmoor (DAOR) will preview the club’s 2026 programs on all aspects of the theater arts at the annual Gathering of the Company on Monday, January 12 at 2 p. m. in the Fireside Room at Gateway.
The DAOR Artistic Committee will highlight the coming year’s lineup of new Naked Stage productions, inter-active classes, and other social events. The Gathering is an opportunity to meet new members, hear from first-time volunteers about what that participation meant to them and discover ways to help make theatrical dreams come true. Entertainment and refreshments will be included in the program. Team Trivia will pair members to discover fun tidbits about the club’s history and current dramaturgical activities.
ALL Rossmoor residents are welcome! If you’re curious about what the Drama Association offers to members, this is the time to come and hear about our upcoming year’s offerings. For information, please call Gay White at (925)899-1885.
Curtain Up!
Playwrights’ Choice: Seven Plays in Search of an Audience
Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22
2:00 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Free
Playwrights’ Choice: Seven Plays in Search of an Audience
Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22
2:00 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
Free
Curtain Up!
"My Will and My Life" by Harry Cronin
Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16
2 p.m.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
$5 donation to the DAOR/Jean Wilcox Scholarship fund.
The one-person play highlights the impact of the ministry of Father Mychal Judge, the first officially identified victim of the 9/11 tragedy in New York and features area-based actor John Tranchitella, directed by critically acclaimed director Shannon Nicolson. Tranchitella appeared in Rossmoor last November with his moving portrayal of John F. Kennedy in “JFK: A Remembrance.”
Father Mychal Judge was a Franciscan priest and chaplain for the NYC Fire Department. He has been called the “Saint of 9/11”. The story is told by George, a New York City fireman and 9/11 first responder, who was with Father Mychal when he was killed in the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A closeted gay man, George recounts how Father Mychal helped him on his raw emotional journey filled with sorrow, redemption, and ultimately hope.
The play and Tranchitella’s performance received “Best in Fringe” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. The work raises such profound issues that the actor Tranchitella will join the audience for a short 20-minute talk-back after each performance.
The Rev. Harry Cronin, who died in April, 2022,had a varied career as a priest and in the theater. He was a prolific playwright, director and teacher. His many awards included the James H. Mitchell Memorial Award for playwrighting from the University of Notre Dame; a McKnight Foundation Graduate Theater Fellowship at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis; a fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts; and two Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards.
While no reservations are necessary, the show is being performed as a benefit for the DAOR/Jean Wilcox Scholarship for Theater Arts, and a minimum $5 donation will be appreciated.
"My Will and My Life" by Harry Cronin
Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16
2 p.m.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Performing Arts Studio, Hillside
$5 donation to the DAOR/Jean Wilcox Scholarship fund.
The one-person play highlights the impact of the ministry of Father Mychal Judge, the first officially identified victim of the 9/11 tragedy in New York and features area-based actor John Tranchitella, directed by critically acclaimed director Shannon Nicolson. Tranchitella appeared in Rossmoor last November with his moving portrayal of John F. Kennedy in “JFK: A Remembrance.”
Father Mychal Judge was a Franciscan priest and chaplain for the NYC Fire Department. He has been called the “Saint of 9/11”. The story is told by George, a New York City fireman and 9/11 first responder, who was with Father Mychal when he was killed in the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A closeted gay man, George recounts how Father Mychal helped him on his raw emotional journey filled with sorrow, redemption, and ultimately hope.
The play and Tranchitella’s performance received “Best in Fringe” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. The work raises such profound issues that the actor Tranchitella will join the audience for a short 20-minute talk-back after each performance.
The Rev. Harry Cronin, who died in April, 2022,had a varied career as a priest and in the theater. He was a prolific playwright, director and teacher. His many awards included the James H. Mitchell Memorial Award for playwrighting from the University of Notre Dame; a McKnight Foundation Graduate Theater Fellowship at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis; a fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts; and two Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards.
While no reservations are necessary, the show is being performed as a benefit for the DAOR/Jean Wilcox Scholarship for Theater Arts, and a minimum $5 donation will be appreciated.
Rossmoor residents and guests are invited to a sing-a-long with “Mamma Mia”, the 2008 jukebox musical based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA, to be shown on the big screen in the Diablo Room at Hillside on Friday, July 18, beginning at 5:30 p. m. with a bring-your-own picnic dinner. The event is sponsored by the Drama Association of Rossmoor (DAOR) and is free, but reservations are required. The program will feature movie trivia at 6 p. m., followed by the film at 6:15 p. m. Lyrics will appear on the screen.
See Meryl Streep in overalls on a magical Greek Island; see Christine Baranski’s high kicks on a beach; hear Colin Firth and his little guitar ballad; and hear Pierce Brosnan in a rare singing performance. Dress in leisure costume and sing along to “Take a Chance on Me”, “Souper Trouper” and ABBA’ #1 hit signature song “Dancing Queen”.
Along with the bring-your-own picnic dinner, attendees should also bring their own adult beverages, plates, utensils and cups. DAOR will provide water, as well as dessert at halftime.
Please make reservations at rossmoordrama.com by July 16 to allow for adequate seating.
For questions, call (925) 899-1885.
See Meryl Streep in overalls on a magical Greek Island; see Christine Baranski’s high kicks on a beach; hear Colin Firth and his little guitar ballad; and hear Pierce Brosnan in a rare singing performance. Dress in leisure costume and sing along to “Take a Chance on Me”, “Souper Trouper” and ABBA’ #1 hit signature song “Dancing Queen”.
Along with the bring-your-own picnic dinner, attendees should also bring their own adult beverages, plates, utensils and cups. DAOR will provide water, as well as dessert at halftime.
Please make reservations at rossmoordrama.com by July 16 to allow for adequate seating.
For questions, call (925) 899-1885.
