Kaliyuga Arts presents
March 13 - 15, 2015
Kaliyuga Arts presented a
benefit for Bridge Street Theatre
Lark Eden
by Natalie Symons
Directed by John Sowle
with Lora Lee Ecobelli, Molly Parker Myers and Louise
Pillai
Told through a series of letters, LARK EDEN begins in
the Depression Era and traces the lives of three
small-town Southern women through the early years of the
21st century. Their enduring friendship provides an
anchor as the winds of change and time ravage family,
children, and everything else they call their own. LARK
EDEN is a deeply moving and darkly comic look at the
fingerprints we unknowingly leave on the hearts of those
we love.
NATALIE SYMONS (Author) is a playwright, actress and
novelist. She received the 2014 Creative Loafing Tampa
Bay award for 'Best Local Playwright' as well as the
2012 Best of the Bay Critic's Pick for 'Most Promising
Playwright'. Natalie's first play LARK EDEN was hailed
by The Seattle Times as "brilliantly written." This Suzi
Bass-nominated epistolary play has garnered both
critical and popular acclaim in theatres around the
country. In its recent World Premiere production at
freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg Florida, her new play
THE BUFFALO KINGS debuted to rave reviews and sold out
houses. As an actress, Natalie was last seen on stage as
Candy Starr in freeFall Theatre's ONE FLEW OVER THE
CUCKOO'S NEST. She was nominated for a Jeff Norton Award
for her portrayal of Catherine in THE FOREIGNER at
American Stage. Other recent stage credits include Mimi
in AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFE DU GRAND BOEUF and Becky
in BECKY SHAW (freeFall Theatre). Natalie recently
completed her first novel, CALL HER FRANK, a literary
mystery set in a forgotten steel town in Pennsylvania.
She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband,
actor Jim Sorensen and their Keeshond Andy.
Molly Parke Myers, Lora Lee Ecobelli, and Louise Pillai
in Lark Eden
LORA
LEE ECOBELLI (Thelma) is an actress, writer, director,
and teacher. She has performed both On and Off Broadway
and is the winner of the Harold Clurman award for Best
Actress for he performance in THE VISE. Her many stage
credits include A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE SEAGULL,
ANTIGONE, HAMLET, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, BLITHE SPIRIT, THE
THREE SISTERS, and the title role in AMELIA. Film and
television: JUDY BERLIN, SPEECHLESS, THE LADY OF
LARKSPUR LOTION and Sesame Street’s ELMOPALOOZA. She is
a member of Hudson Air Radio Theatre, Walking the Dog
Theatre, Off Leash Improv Group, and is Artistic
Director of The Blue Horse Repertory Company. She
teaches acting for Blue Horse Repertory Company’s Acting
School at the Theatre Institute at Sage College.
MOLLY PARKER-MYERS (Mary) is an actor and singer based
in the Hudson Valley. Molly is delighted to be
working with the Kaliyuga Arts team again, after
appearing in their previous productions of KILL ME NOW
(Robyn) TRUE LOVE LIES (Carolyn) and THE MOUND BUILDERS
(Cynthia) at Stageworks/Hudson and bringing her own
COMBACK! A TRAGICOMIC CABARET to the Bridge Street
Theatre Speakeasy stage. Other recent credits include
INTO THE WOODS (Baker’s Wife) and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
(Desiree) at Rhinebeck Theatre Society, THE DIVINE
SISTER (Mrs. Levinson/Timothy) and FORBIDDEN BROADWAY at
Stageworks/Hudson, THE LADIES MAN (Marie) at Shadowland
Theatre and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Elsa) at TriArts Sharon
Playhouse. Other favorites include THE LANGUAGE
ARCHIVE (Mary), HAIRSPRAY (Velma), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
(The Drowsy Chaperone), DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (Muriel
Eubanks) and FALSETTOS (Doctor Charlotte).
LOUISE PILLAI (Emily) has been involved with various
venues in the tri-state area for the past 16 years,
including Kaliyuga Arts, Stageworks/Hudson, Tri-Arts,
The Rhinebeck Center for the Performing Arts, HRC, The
Ghent Playhouse, and others. Some favorite roles:
Fraulein Schneider (CABARET), Mrs. Peachum (THREEPENNY
OPERA), Delia (THE MOUND BUILDERS), Sister Acacius (THE
DIVINE SISTER), and Dorine (TARTUFFE). She feels very
lucky to be involved in this first production at Bridge
Street Theater with three of her favorite
performers/director. She is also hard at work on her
first historical novel.
JOHN SOWLE (Director)
is co-founder of Bridge Street Theatre, a new performing
arts center in progress in Catskill, NY. He has
produced, directed, designed, and performed in hundreds
of productions over the years. He started Kaliyuga Arts
in 1986 with his partner Steven Patterson and has
received multiple awards for his directing and design
work on their Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York
productions. In 2012 he directed and designed THE MOUND
BUILDERS and in 2013 directed and designed TRUE LOVE
LIES and the U.S. premiere of KILL ME NOW, all at
Stageworks/Hudson. In Manhattan, John directed and
designed Beckett's ALL THAT FALL and Dan Carbone’s
KINGDOM OF NOT at the Cherry Lane Studio and the Al
Carmines/Gertrude Stein musical IN CIRCLES at Judson
Church. John has an undergraduate degree from M.I.T in
mathematics and received a PhD in Dramatic Art from UC
Berkeley.
ABOUT KALIYUGA ARTS
Our production
company, Kaliyuga Arts, was originally founded in Los
Angeles, California in 1986. From its inception, it has
been dedicated to the presentation of off-beat,
challenging work, and has established an ever-expanding
reputation for artistic excellence with a wide range of
material. Based in San Francisco from 1990 thru 2004,
New York City from 2004 thru 2010, and currently located
in Catskill, NY, where it serves as the resident theater
company of Bridge Street Theatre (a new performing arts
venue-in-progress), Kaliyuga Arts continues to present
some of the most exciting, risk-taking and innovative
theatre available to audiences anywhere. More at
kaliyuga.com.
