The Cast (in order of appearance)
Christine Siracusa . . . . . . . . . . Billy’s Mother
Carol Klenfner . . . . . . . . . . Midwife
John Edmond Morgan . . . . . . . . . . Billy’s Father
Harrison Bergin . . . . . . . . . . Little Billy
Eddie Markovich . . . . . . . . . . “Indian”
Alison Parks . . . . . . . . . . “White Maiden”
Alan Best . . . . . . . . . . “Cowboy”
Jack O’Brien . . . . . . . . . . Older Billy
Credits and bios for the creative team can be found here.
Jack O’Brien (Big Billy) has done numerous productions with Park Slope’s Piper Theater and would like to send tremendous thanks to John P. McEneny for everything. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jack is currently enrolled in Syracuse University for their BFA in Acting. Previous roles include “Hamlet,” “Iago,” “Oberon,” “Caliban” and, most recently, “Mr. Marmalade” in Mr. Marmalade.
Harrison Bergin (Little Billy) is excited to make his film debut in “The West Begins at Fifth Avenue”! Harrison has previously performed various roles in Piper Theatre Productions summer youth workshops. He is looking forward to being a part of the theatre workshop again this coming summer. In addition to acting, Harrison enjoys snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, and playing basketball and lacrosse. Harrison thanks Kryssa, Donald and Claire for giving him this amazing opportunity.
When Christina Siracusa* (Billy’s Mother) was nine, her parents took her to see Annie on Broadway. It blew her mind. Watching that little redhead bewitch depression-era NYC ignited a passion in Christine that’s been burning ever since. Some of her favorite roles to date include “Dot/Marie” in Sunday in the Park with George, “Elizabeth Proctor” in The Crucible and “Eva” in Absurd Person Singular.
John Edmond Morgan* (Billy’s Father) is a Founder/Associate Artistic Director/Actor of the Brave New World company; roles include Fahrenheit 451 (Montag), Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (MTA conductor), The Great White Hope (Fred/Coates/Ensemble), To Kill a Mockingbird (Bob Ewell), The Importance of Being Earnest(Algernon). New York stage includes I Vermin and The Last Empress at Lincoln Center, Love’s Labour’s Lost at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, Sure Thing at Soho Rep, the title role in Zastrozzi at The Basic Theatre, a staged reading of The Grand Tour for the Jewish Rep. (directed by Stuart Zagnit) and Peck in How I Learned to Drive as a guest artist at Brooklyn College. Regional credits include Sideman at Florida Rep, Candida at Pennsylvania Stage, Master Harold and the Boys for Portland Rep, Romeo and Juliet at the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Hamlet as a guest artist at Northern Michigan University. Television appearances include All My Children and As the World Turns. John has performed in and choreographed fights for numerous Shakespeare Festivals and independent films. Also for The Basic Theatre, he directed Downtown at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, and he has directed for The Neighborhood Theatre for kids in Brooklyn. Teaching credits (acting and stage combat) include New York University, Webster University and Northern Michigan University.
Carol Klenfner (Midwife) has been bringing media attention to arts and entertainment projects for 25+ years. Her career in publicity began in rock and roll as the go-to publicist whose clients included everybody who was anybody. The Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Aerosmith, Jethro Tull and many others, hired her to help create and preserve an image, run interference, and when necessary, unleash damage control. She continues to publicize arts clients including Bob Gruen, who was personal photographer to John Lennon and Brooklyn’s Brave New World Repertory Theatre.
Born in Serbia, and named after B-movie star Eddie Constantine, Eddie Markovich (“Indian”) studied acting with James Price and John Grabowski at the Acting Studio in New York City. His credits include: The Loves of A (Schnitzler), Mad Forest: A Play from Romania (Churchill), both for the Chelsea Repertory Company; I’m Really Here (Van Itallie), The Zoo Story (Albee), Lynette at 3 AM (Anderson), for Chelsea Rep Lab. Most recently, he could be seen in the short film “Dr. Chang and the Mystery of the Exploding Glass Bauble…” (Directed by Doug Dibbern).
Alison Parks (“White Maiden”) is a Jersey girl who received a BA in History from Boston College and started her MA at New York University, but quit the books to study at The Acting Studio (New York City). While there, she made her stage debut at the NYC Fringe Festival in By Hands Unknown (Brava Co.). Upon completion of the Studio’s program, she played the lead role, Terry Randall, in Chelsea Repertory Company’s production of Stage Door. Most recently, she performed in the Strawberry One-Act Festival, receiving a Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of Arlene in Acoustic Space (Anthill Productions), which won Best Play of the festival.
Born and raised in downtown NYC and now living in Brooklyn, Alan Best (“Cowboy”) studied at The Acting Studio under James Price and John Grabowski after graduating from Vassar College. Credits include Dinner with Friends (Porch Light Theater), Stage Door (Chelsea Repertory Company), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Freehold Center Playhouse), and One Flea Spare (Chelsea Repertory Company).
* Members of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.