Zoe Comes Home returns to the Tusten Theatre in May, 2023!

Zoe Comes Home, a dark comedy about depression, backyard “art” and one errant pooch.

Zoe arrives home for a rare visit and finds her estranged mother Gloria, once a respected sculptor, creating monuments from discarded objects in her backyard, causing a conflict with the new neighbor who has a different view of her work. Buried deep in this statuary lies a trauma that must be recognized if mother and daughter are ever to heal.

Featuring local actors: Jess Beveridge, Thomas Cambridge, Susan Mendoza, and R. Scott Porter.

Directed by Laurie A. Guzda

Written by Melissa Bell

Three Performances

Evening Performance
Friday, May 5th at 7:00 PM

Matinee Performance
Saturday, May 6th at 2:00 PM

Evening Performance
Saturday, May 6th at 7:00 PM

About the Play

“It’s a story about mothers and daughters. It’s about an aging woman artist who has been discounted, discarded, and overlooked. It asks how the opinion of one critic who deems her work “garbage” can alter and affect not just the artist but those closest to her. It celebrates the courage to create with belief in your vision against the haunting demons of doubt can only thrive through the healing power of love.”

– Laurie Guzda on what attracted her to directing ZOE COMES HOME 

Susan Mendoza as Gloria and Jess Beveridge as Zoe.

Jess Beveridge with R. Scott Porter playing Cousin Fred.

Susan Mendoza as Zoe’s mother Gloria, an artist suffering from depression.

Thomas Cambridge playing Randall Geoffrey, the neighboring art critic.

ZOE COMES HOME features a cast, creatives, and artists living and performing in the Western Catskills Region:

Jess Beveridge, in the title role of Zoe, has created roles with Farm Arts Collective and NACL Theatre, such as TAVERN AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD and COURAGE.

Susan Mendoza plays Gloria, an artist suffering from depression. Susan is a founding member of the comedy troupe Up & Coming/Comedy Tribe, appeared in the Deep Water Literary Festival ’22, has appeared in numerous film, tv, and stage productions both in the US and Canada, and is a voiceover artist for animation, tv & radio.

R. Scott Porter, another member of Up & Coming/Comedy Tribe, plays cousin Fred. A graduate of Pacific Northwest College of Art, where he studied sculpture and printmaking and as half of “Sincerely, John Head” provided performative art experiences to bystanders in Portland, Oregon, and beyond. He can be seen locally in his recurring role as Captain Lava with the Lava/ Narrowsburg Volunteer Fire Departments. 

Thomas Cambridge, also active with Comedy Tribe, recently completed shooting the new Indie feature thriller “An Angry Boy,” appeared in the Deep Water Literary Festival in Narrowsburg, plus many film and TV roles, plays the role of Randall Geoffrey, the neighboring art critic.

Amber Schmidt, a member of the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, will be the Production Stage Manager.

Director Laurie A. Guzda is an artist, director, and actor, with theatre roots in comedy. A co-founder and director of Up & Coming/Comedy Tribe, Laurie also co-founded Curtain Call Inc., a theatre arts company in Stamford, CT, providing performance and education. She has directed numerous theatrical productions in CT, NY, TX, and CA. Actor, artist, and Creative Director for LAGuzda Creative Arts & Services. 

Playwright Melissa Bell writes plays that explore women’s agency as they navigate their power and repression. Co-writer on NACL’s COURAGE (Honored Finalist, Women in Arts & Media Coalition Collaboration Awards 2019) and is a playwright and ensemble member with Farm Arts Collective. Her play LADY CAPULET, nominated for “Best Adaptations & Modernizations” of 2020 &2021 by New York Shakespeare and Henley Rose Finalist 2017, premiered by Barefoot Shakespeare in Central Park, and is upcoming with other classic regional theatres.

ZOE COMES HOME received early development from 29th Street Playwrights Collective and CreateTheater.

ZOE COMES HOME
by Melissa Bell
Tusten Theatre, 210 Bridge Street, Narrowsburg, NY

Tickets: $25 advance / $30 at door
($20/$25 DVAA members)
Kids 12 and under, free.

In conjunction with Zoe Comes Home, DVAA and the Community Tapestry Project are welcoming submissions, which will be displayed on DVAA’s Balcony Gallery and will serve as the set for the production.

Each ARTIST-contributed “little” sculpture will be added to the “BIG” sculpture.  Individual pieces should be created out of found objects, recycled, or repurposed items, and will culminate when joined together into something new and beautiful, a community tapestry!

To learn more, click here.

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