2022 TAMPA BAY THEATRE FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Stageworks Theatre

Written and Directed by Deborah Bostock-Kelley | Stage Managed by Darouny Bounsengsay | Set Dressed by Cast and Crew | Original Music by Janet Scaglione | Videography by Kyle Mould Photography

Contributing Authors: Stephan Bielawski, Tom Bostock, LeeAnn Smith, Martha Velez, Felicia Sabartinelli, Newt Pantalones, Georgia Kosloski, Barry Silber, Kym Welch, Norma Caltagirone, Shirley Overton, Danielle Trzcinski, Amy C. Ragg, Alexa Sheppard, Naomi Sample, Ashley Kix and multiple anonymous writers.

A portion of all ticket sales benefited the nonprofit, The Affirmations Project who supports women going through breast cancer.

Breast Advice won 2022 Runner-Up Best New Play or Musical in BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards!

Breast Advice was nominated in five categories:
Best direction of a play
Best new play
Best ensemble performance
Best play
Best performer in a play (Naomi Sample & Amy C. Ragg)

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR US!

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THE FESTIVAL REVIEWS ARE IN!

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TAMPA BAY THEATRE FESTIVAL CAST (IN ORDER OF FIRST APPEARANCE)

Olivia Salgado Mancuso – Narrator

Olivia has loved theater her whole life, and is thrilled for the chance to finally step onto stage again for the first time in years! When she isn’t getting involved with the arts, Olivia studies at Eckerd College, works part-time, and takes care of her (numerous!) animals with her best friend. She has previously worked on the crew of productions with Carollwood Players and Vivid Theater, and is so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an exciting and empowering new show. Thank you for coming out and supporting local theater-we couldn’t do it without you.

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Constantine Kyriakou

For seven years now Constantine Kyriakou has persued acting. This year he joins us fresh off his first lead Musical role in THE PRODUCERS at CAROLLWOOD PLAYERS. He wants to take a moment to thank you, yes you reading this, because you help keep his and many others dreams of art alive.

Andrew Brunner

Andrew is still fairly new to the acting world, especially in the Tampa area, and is very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this production. Some of his prior plays he has performed in is Disaster: The Musical, A Miracle on 34th Street, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Excursion Fare and even performed in an original short play, Junkie, at the 2019 Tampa Bay Theater Festival.

Naomi Sample

Naomi Sample is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a BFA in Theatre. She can be seen on stage at the Early Bird Dinner Theater most recently in THE LONG WEEKEND. You might catch her in an elder care commercial for adult diapers, active sitting, or magic steamer. She is still looking and working towards that big film.

Suzy Block Duic

Suzy Duic is excited to return to Deb Kelley’s “Breast Advice.” She has acted professionally and in local community theatre in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Favorite more recent productions include: Soup (Isabel), A Necessary Conversation Streaming Play (11:11; Therapist 2020 – BW Nomination), Auntie Mame (Vera), The Crucible (Ann Putnam), Out of the Mouths of Poets (Deidre), Love, Loss & What I Wore, Run for Your Wife (Mary Smith) and Bus Stop (Grace – Nancy Award.) Suzy also enjoys writing and performing yearly for Greater Seder, which is an annual musical comedy seder that raises money for the TJFS Food Bank.

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LeeAnn Smith

LeeAnn is thrilled to be a part of the Tampa Bay Theater Festival for the second time and so excited to get to write and perform in this play at Stageworks Theater with such a fun and talented group of writers and actors. As a lifelong card-carrying member of the IBTC, she has always been curious and sometimes frustrated by our culture’s obsession with breasts and hopes you will be very entertained by all these honest and deeply personal stories surrounding them.

Mary Chauvin

Mary is a Tampa native. Her life has been in the emergency field as a firefighter, Law Enforcement and EMT. Although She has previously worked in independent movies and local commercials, she is thrilled to be able to have a part in this production and to be a part of The Tampa Bay Theater Festival.

Court Karlen

Court Karlen is a Tampa native and a graduate of Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, where they stage-managed various productions over their 4 years of attendance. They also worked with Stageworks Theatre on the production of “A Jewish Christmas Story” in 2015. Court is currently an anthropology student at the University of South Florida and plans to pursue a career in archaeology. They are excited to be part of the Tampa theatre community for this inclusive show and thank Nina Rametta for the opportunity to give her story life.

Alicia Jiracek

Alicia Jiracek is thrilled to join this talented cast to tell these poignant stories. She has been performing since the age of 3, including 13 years in mystery dinner theaters and other community and professional productions. Her favorite role is that of Mrs. Claus that she reprises every Christmas.

Elizabeth Behner

Elizabeth Behner is so beyond thrilled to be a part of this amazing show! She had the honor of directing the Carrollwood Player Theatre’s production of The Vagina Monologues in 2017 (which featured our amazing creator and director of this phenomenal show, Deborah Bostock-Kelley). This experience encouraged her to seek out productions that are unafraid and unapologetic to talk about topics that some may avoid. She has directed, been on stage as an actress, stage managed, and photographed numerous community theatre productions in the Tampa Bay area over the past 6 years. In real life, she is a high school counselor in New Port Richey, FL and is blessed with a family who always encourages her artistic endeavors. Thank you to her support system, especially Jesse, Austin, and London who always push her to be her best self, both onstage and off. Most of all, thank you Deb, for allowing her to be a part of the Breast Advice journey. It will always hold an extremely special place in her heart.

Samantha Marti Parisi

Since 2010, Samantha has appeared on stages and screens across the Bay Area. Her TV and film credits include: The Florida Project (Cannes Film Festival), Misfits and Monsters, Condo Cops, Magic Mike, We’ll Let You Know, commercials and appearances on HSN as a crafting expert. In addition to her numerous roles at Early Bird Dinner Theatre, her regional stage credits include: Miep Gies in The Diary of Anne Frank at Stageworks, Maggie in 5300 Bluebird Lane and Jane Burchfield in Plaid Skirts at LabTheatre Project, at West Coast Players as Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo. Samantha also works as a tour guide at the historic Tampa Theatre. When she’s not on set or at a theater, Samantha is mother to three brilliant children and a certified Virtual Presenter and Social Media manager.

Janice Creneti

Janice is excited to be participating for the first time in the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. She has been performing in the area for the last 18 years. Recent credits include her first time as a playwright and solo show performer in My Year of Saying No in Powerstories’ 2021 Voices of Women Theater Festival. Other favorite roles include Lysistrata in Lysistrata (West Coast Players), Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream (Eight O’Clock Theatre), and Veronica in God of Carnage (Gulfport Community Players). She thanks Deb for the opportunity to be a part of this show.

Kym Welch

Kym Welch has been performing in Tampa community theatre since 2012. She has had loads of fun in varied roles at Carrollwood Players, New Tampa Players, and WestCoast Players. from the blood-hungry plant in Little Shop to a tough mother in Doubt. Whatever it is, she just enjoys being onstage and entertaining an audience.

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Georgia Kosloski

Georgia Kosloski is so excited to be able to bring Frankentit to LIFE!! She loves all things theater and has treaded the boards at many local community and professional theater companies. She wants to thank Deb Kelley for always being there and the administer of chances for new writers and undiscovered talents. She also wants to thank the people of Powerstories for always taking on interesting new works and hosting these stories. She would like to thank her husband ( her lobster) and daughters ( her jewels ) and all her friends, family and the amazing cast and crew. God Bless You on Your Journey.

Victor Carr

Victor is very pleased to be associated with this wonderful group. He has been active in community theaters for 68 years, including acting, directing, stage managing, and writing. He has performed, directed, and worked on over 135 theatrical productions in New York State, Maryland, and in Florida. Some of his favorite plays have been, “Nuts”, “Lend Me A Tenor”, and “Gypsy”. He is very proud to be included in this presentation on such an important topic, especially in light of the current situation in the US, today.

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Amy C. Ragg

Amy C. Ragg is a blogger, editor, breast cancer survivor, middle school teacher, actor, director, artist, and writer. Breast Advice marks the first time her words have been brought to life on stage. She is grateful beyond words for this opportunity and for all of the people who have loved and supported her in her journey. Peace & Love

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Molly-Dakota Ganong

Molly Dakota is overjoyed to be a part of “Breast Advice” and to work with this wonderful group of women. Molly has previously performed at Powerstories in “The Conspiracy of Silence: The Magdelene Laundries” as well as Deb Kelley’s other work of art “My Body, My Voice”. She truly enjoys working on passion projects that speak loudly to audiences of all people. Thank you for your interest and if you’d like to hear more about Molly Dakota and her career visit www.mollydakota.com.

Janet Scaglione

Theme Song Writer

Janet Scaglione, PhD, retired USF faculty turned playwright, composer, and activist is thrilled to perform her original song for this production. Founder of The Broad’s Way, LLC, Janet aspires to engage women with theater that’s therapy. She has written, produced, and performed in two original musicals “Divas, Dykes, and Dumb Blondes,” and “It’s About Time” She frequently performs with Stageworks Impromptu Players and has music and theater credits with Spanish Lyric Theater, Carrollwood Cultural Center, and Powerstories Theater. Her short autobiographical play “Rose” was accepted for the Tampa Bay Theater Festival 2022 short play competition and will be performed on Sunday.

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Darouny Bounsengsay

Stage Manager

Darouny has worked in community theater for almost 15 years now between Powerstories Theatre and my work with the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall. I am so very excited to be a part of Breast Advice for this year’s Theater Tampa Bay Festival!

Deborah Bostock-Kelley

Director/Playwright

Deborah Bostock-Kelley is grateful to have such an incredible cast and crew. She is a multi-time, award-winning playwright, and a director, producer, actor – pretty much in that order. Her work has appeared across stages in Tampa Bay, competing in every year of the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Her one-acts have also been performed at Carrollwood Players One Act Weekend, 4×6 Festival, Powerstories SheVolution Festival, Powerstories’ Voices of Truth and Voices of Women Theatre Festivals, and Tarpon Arts.

She received a 2022 Gobioff Foundation Grant for this show, the inaugural 2019 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Denise Deneen award for her work in theatre, and a 2017 recipient of Theatre Tampa Bay’s Jeff Norton Dream Grant. With the Dream Grant, she produced her original gun violence production with Peter Nason,”A Necessary Conversation” at the Straz Center which went on to win Regional Broadway World’s 2018 “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” Awards and was nominated for Regional Broadway World’s “Best Original Script of the Decade” and 2021 “Best Original Production.” The new, expanded production, written after the Stoneman Douglas school shooting, earned 2021 Regional Broadway World “Best Performer and Supporting Performer in a Streaming Play,” and “Critic’s Choice” in Powerstories’ Voices of Truth Festival in March 2021. Her comedy “Once Upon Uhh” was also featured in the inaugural Powerstories’ Voices of Women Theatre Festival in 2021. Her drama “my body. my voice.” was selected for the 2022 Voices of Women Theatre Festival.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Being backstage, and preparing for a show is where lifelong friendships are born. You arrive 60 to 90 minutes in advance, get dressed, do your hair and makeup, and wait for the audience to be seated, hold for latecomers. To pass time, you talk quietly in the dressing rooms…. about anything and everything. During “Love, Loss and What I Wore” in 2019, the conversation somehow turned to bras and boobs. I was literally shocked at how many breast cancer survivors were together in this crowded dressing room in a show about memories of clothing. It was at that moment that “Breast Advice” was born.

Before I even had a venue, I posted a request on Facebook for people’s true stories about breasts. Fran Powers posted a comment that Powerstories would host the staged reading workshop test of this production, should it come to be. I then held my breath and waited. In less than a month, credited and anonymous writers shared their honest, funny, eye-opening, and heartbreaking stories about breast sizes and shapes, the space between breasts, uneven breasts, sports bras, augmentation, third boob syndrome, gender fluidity, men’s appreciation, man boobs, breastfeeding, and breast cancer.

Some bravely are telling their own stories, performing in this fully-realized production. Each story you will hear is true.

Once the monologues were organized and compiled into something that felt like a show, I asked Fran if we could donate a portion of the tickets sales to The Affirmations Project, a local nonprofit that provides support to breast cancer and domestic abuse survivors, a group that helped a dear friend of mine, a breast cancer survivor. Of course, the response was “Yes.”

Inspired by performing in “Love, Loss and What I Wore” and “The Vagina Monologues,” “Breast Advice” is a play I hope that after seeing, you feel that I and my talented cast did for breasts what Eve Ensler did for vaginas.

PLAYWRIGHTS

Boobage

A Tampa Native, Stephan has acted and directed on numerous stages in the Tampa Bay area over the years. As an actor, Stephan’s favorite roles include Joe Keller in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. Stephan directed the award-winning David Mamet plays, Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo. He is, however, a first-time writer. He thanks one of his closest theatre buddies, accomplished playwright/director Deb Kelley, for inspiring him to try his hand at writing.

Boobs

Tom Bostock is a 74-year-old writer with slightly off center sense of humor. When he first started writing many years ago, he remembered something his mother told him: “there is nothing wrong with being poor, and everything wrong being ignorant.” That was the beginning of a lifelong love of the written word. Over the years, he has written for every genre, from science fiction and child fiction to mystery and fairy tales. 2 of his one act plays were chosen for performance by the Tampa Bay Theater Festival. He is delighted that one of his pieces will be part of this timely play that asks and answers questions about women’s attitudes and experiences with their breasts. He also writes for several online magazines including Tampa Bay News and Lifestyles and Boomerz. He’s been asked how he become a writer. His answer is always the same … just write!

“A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”

Chest Pimples

Deborah Bostock-Kelley is a multi-time playwright and founder of Breast Advice. In 2018,she received a Theatre Tampa Bay Jeff Norton Dream Grant to produce her play with Peter Nason, A Necessary Conversation, a show about gun violence at Straz Center’s TECO Theatre. The show won 2018 Best Actor and Best Actress from Broadway World, Tampa Bay. She’s had works competing in every year of the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival and was recently honored with the inaugural Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Denise Deneen Award recognizing her work in the theatre community. Her one acts have also been performed at Carrollwood Players One Act Weekend, 4×6 Festival, and Tarpon Arts. She co-writes and produces The ThinkFast Experiment, a 12 hour women-only playwriting experience. She also produces Life Amplified music showcase for local charities and has been recognized as both Fox 13’s Hometown Hero and Bay News 9 Every Day Hero for work in the community.

Retrospective Reflections of my Breasts

Norma Caltagirone is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology, retired from HCC-Ybor Campus, now traveling and acting in community theaters in the Tampa Bay area.

Weird Boobs

Ashley Kix finds comfort in comedy and try to see the funny in depressing situations. My monologues may be unconventional, but I make up for it with my “colorful” descriptions. I hope you enjoy this very honest story.

Frankentit or The Tale of Two Titties

Georgia Kosloski is a devoted wife and mother. She loves to act and is a magical masseuse with mad baking skills.She is a witty, opinionated, loving loyal person who will always fight ferociously for truth, fairness and the rights of the underdog. She is an animal lover and a friend to all loving creatures.

Man Boobs & Tattoos

Dane Markle-Klapp has been working as a professional actor, musician and writer for many years, while living in LA, New York City, Colorado and now Florida. He attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has won many awards for his performances.

Dysphoria

Newt Pantalones is a community actor and artist who is trying out writing monologues. He can be seen in between Tampa and Orlando costuming and probably drinking copious amounts of coffee. He/him and She/her.

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Amy C. Ragg

The Hope Chest

Felicia Sabartinelli is an actress, artist, poet, and writer who currently resides in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Felicia’s writing has been featured online & in-print with Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Dr. Oz’s The Good Life, Country Living, Women’s Day, USA Today, Huff Post, Elephant Journal, Thirty on Tap, The Things, ETC. She was also a featured speaker for a Colorado TEDx event in 2018.

In her spare time, Felicia shares her journey with food allergies on her blog; Ms. Allergic to Everything. She also enjoys games nights, traveling the world, and binge watching her favorite TV shows.

Training Bra & The Workout

Naomi Sample, being a novice, figured here is a good place to start her writing career. Maybe it’s a career. I mean so many crazy things happen, why not write them down and see if anyone else is entertained.

The Space Between

Alexa Sheppard is a twentysomething year old Girl Scout who was proudly raised by strong, independent women. She plans to apply their teachings by embracing her own femininity and uniting with her fellow sisters in support of gender equality, especially if that involves some titty talk. Estrogen is a force that can be used to take on the world, so show them what you’ve got, girl!

Just a Typical Guy’s Obsession

Barry Silber is a native New Yorker who has resided in Florida for over fifty years. Barry has been an active member in Community Theater for over 35 years as an actor, director, and playwright. Recently, he was awarded a Carrollwood Players’ Nancy Award for Best Featured Actor for The Fox on the Fairway. He is most proud of his play, And a World to Carry On (Laura Nyro Remembered), which has been produced twice in Tampa.

Barry has been married to married to Muffie (yes, that is really her name) since 1997, has two children, Emily and Brian, and is thrilled to be a Zayde to Richard and Blair-Bear. Much thanks to Deb Kelley for accepting his monologue, and for being an advocate for women’s issues.

Breast Thoughts: An Evolution

LeeAnn Smith is a wife and mother of two incredible teenagers who loves anything and everything to do with love theatre.

The Breast Crawl

Gretchen Suarez-Pena is a long-time playwright and lover of the theatre. Her most recent success was winning overall best full length play at the 2018 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival for her show Conversations in the Car. She also won first prize for her piece Dry Spell at the 30 by Ninety Theatre in Mandeville, Louisiana in their Night of One Acts Competition. Dry Spell was also showcased at the 2018 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Short Play Competition. Other plays include: Conversations in Bed, Martha and Mary, Trafficked, When the Bell Rings, and Melina.

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Danielle Trzcinski is an actress, writer, and producer whose works have been performed at Lincoln Center, 54 Below, Theatre Row, and all over the world. Currently her musical comedy “Little Black Dress” for which she co-wrote book, lyrics, and stars in is on its’ national tour and has played over 15 cities and counting. This summer her play “The Bridge Play” was Off Broadway at 59E59. Danielle was last seen on tour as Anastasia/Tasha in Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody! for which she wrote one of the songs, “Please Don’t Spank My Butt”. Danielle was the lyricist, book writer, and star of Non-Equity the Musical! which was voted top ten shows at the NYC Fringe Festival. A Canadian Comedy Award nominee, favorite roles include Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, a lube commercial, and most famously Dora The Explorer’s MAP in Nickelodeon’s Story Time Live! Much thanks to Deb, her family, and all the incredible stories shared for this show. www.daniellet.org @Danielletrz

No Scars for Elsie

Martha Velez has multiple credits as actor on Broadway, off-Broadway, film, Tv & as recording artist with Bob Marley and Eric Clapton. Produced playwright, composer, director of musical theatre- American Heartbeat, Amazing Wild Knights, Jolly Corks performed at the Straz Center – Doctorate in Cultural Mythologies and Depth Psychology, Masters in Clinical Psychology – Psychotherapist.

Miracles Do Happen

Kym Welch is not a writer. She just owns pens. And sometimes those pens put words on paper. She also has a weird brain. And sometimes that brain talks to the pens. And, together, they occasionally write about Kym’s boobs and other stuff, whether she likes it or not! They hope you enjoy listening to her story as much as they enjoyed writing it.

ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS

Et tu, Boob-eh?
The Weight of Levitation
My Journey with My 34Ds

FIRST STAGED READING WORKSHOP – DEC. 7, 2019 AT POWERSTORIES – SRO/OVERSOLD HOUSE

Written and Directed by Deborah Bostock-Kelley | Stage Managed by Athena Schorsch | Sound and Lights by Rachel Tew | Set Dressed by Shirley Overton | Original Music by Janet Scaglione

THE WORKSHOP STAGED READING REVIEWS ARE IN!

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