The 10-Minute Play Festival has brought together several West Windsor and Plainsboro people in a presentation featuring a collection of comedies by several writers and two original short plays written by former West Windsor residents, Dan Maurer with “The Road Not Taken,” and Nick Palmieri with “Sleep Talking.” The shows, for mature audiences only, will be performed in a 100-seat black box theater at Arts YOUniversity, 4 Tennis Court, Hamilton, on Saturday, September 8, at 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served during intermission. Call 609-586-3008 to reserve a $10 ticket..##M:[more]##
Two West Windsor-Plainsboro High School graduates, Jillian Ritchie, Class of 1998, and Palmieri, Class of 1997, are producing the event with Dan Spalluto of Hamilton. When Palmieri, Ritchie, and Spalluto asked Michael McClure, the owner of Arts YOUniversity, if they could produce an evening of 10-minute plays in his blackbox theater, he said yes.
“I thought this would be a perfect time to try to showcase a piece of written work, so I wrote his first play, “Sleep Talking,” in June,” says Palmieri. “I asked Dan to read and direct it and I’m excited to see it develop,” says Palmieri. Actors include Ritchie; his brother Chris, a graduate of High School North, Class of 2003; and McClure.
“Because it is a short play, I won’t give away too much, but it is about how our dreams are interpreted from the person we sleep next to,” says Palmieri. “Monty, the main character, fears he is going to be found out through his dreams. It gets crazy when his favorite childhood heroes show up.”
Palmieri moved to West Windsor in 1989 at the start of fifth grade. He played basketball at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School for the freshman and varsity teams. Palmieri, who graduated from Rider University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, works at Madison Square Garden as a manager accounts payable in the finance department. He lives in North Brunswick.
He still plays basketball with some his WW-P friends competitively in New Jersey and New York leagues. “I love sports,” he says. “Working at Madison Square Garden affords me the opportunity of working for the New York Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty.” Palmieri also plays basketball for the MSG company team in the city during the winter.
He tries to keep active during the off-season by playing soccer locally. “Jillian was mostly responsible for throwing me into that sport when we both rekindled our relationship from high school,” he says. “We kept in touch in college, but about two years ago, we reached out to one another and it has been great.”
Ritchie, who has a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and a master’s degree in education from Rutgers, has been teaching language arts for four years at Applegarth Middle School in Monroe, and is now working on a bully prevention program for schools. She has also been teaching youth acting and creative movement at ArtsYOUniversity for the past year.
“She’s an aspiring actress with a great deal of talent and we’re hoping that some pieces that I’ve written on my own as well with her can catapult both of us on a more regional scale,” says Palmieri. “She is a very motivating person and that has offered acting roles for me at Kelsey and other area theaters.”
Palmieri played the role of Tino DeFelice in the Italian mob comedy “Breaking Legs” at Kelsey in March. “I never did any plays in high school and I wish I had, but I guess it took me an additional 10 years to come out of my shell,” he says. “I’m just glad I finally did.”
He was recently nominated for a Perry Award by NJACT for “Best Ensemble Actor” for the role. “So, that has been kind of fun and no matter what happens I’m excited just to be considered,” he says. During “Breaking Legs” he met Dan Maurer, another former West Windsor resident. Maurer played the role of Mike Francisco in the play.
Actors include Kim Lowden, Chris Palmieri, both of West Windsor; Dan Maurer, John Maurer, Palmieri, Ritchie, all former West Windsor residents; and Monica Nordeen of Plainsboro. Also, Caroline Vassallo of Princeton; Spalluto; Glen Calhoun of Robbinsville; Jennifer (Barron) DeVenio of Monroe; Alycia Bauch-Cantor of Ewing; and Paul Dunleavy. Directors of the evening include Ritchie, Palmieri, Spalluto, Dan Maurer, and John Maurer.
With a passion for writing, one of Palmieri’s goals is to sell a movie script as an Indie writer. “Of course it would be great to sell a blockbuster, but baby steps,” he says. “Selling a script that is smart and funny is what I am working at — usually after work.”
— Lynn Miller
10-Minute Play Festival, Arts Youniversity, 4 Tennis Court, Hamilton, 609-586-3008. www.artsyouniversity.com An evening of comedy features a collection of comedies by several writers and two original short plays written by area artists Dan Maurer and Nick Palmieri. The shows are for mature audiences. Register. $10. Saturday, September 8, 8 p.m.
Actors include include Kim Lowden, Chris Palmieri, both of West Windsor; Dan and John Maurer, Nick Palmieri, Jillian Ritchie, all formerly of West Windsor, Monica Nordeen of Plainsboro; Caroline Vassallo of Princeton; Spalluto; Glen Calhoun of Robbinsville; Jennifer (Barron) DeVenio of Monroe; Alycia Bauch-Cantor of Ewing; and Paul Dunleavy.
