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Dr. Elizabeth Dermody Leonard entered the gates of the California Institution for Women at Chino to interview forty-two women who were serving long-term sentences for killing their abusive partners. Ten years later, Warren Doody transformed this original research into the stage play, Life Without Parole, which tells the story of Helen Broker as she faces a Parole Board Hearing for the first time, and takes the audience on a journey through the tragic underworld of domestic violence with a look into the lives of some of its survivors. | Suitable for mature audiences
Where:
Edgemar Center for the Arts
2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405
310 392 0815
When:
- Oct. 21
- Oct. 22
- Oct. 28
- Oct. 29
- Nov. 4
- Nov. 5
Time:
8:00 pm
Visit edgemarcenter.org/life-without-parole for more info.
Maria Mayenzet (Charlotte)
Maria Mayenzet’s career has spanned over twenty-five years working in regional theatre, film and television. Her film credits include Jagged Edge (with Jeff Bridges), Proud Men (with Charlton Heston), Macbeth (with Piper Laurie) and Messenger of Death (with Charles Bronson). Her guest starring, recurring and series regular roles in television include, Airwolf, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Tour of Duty, Forever, Santa Barbara, Special Report: Journey to Mars, Mancuso FBI, F.M and Murder She Wrote. She has worked at the Seattle Repertory Theatre: Second Stage, The Globe in San Diego, The Grove Shakespeare Festival, The Edinburgh International Festival, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Tamara International, California Repertory Theatre, Process Studio Theatre N.Y.C and The Froebel Institute in London. She is a professional actor, director, playwright (Women of the World), author (Focal Length of Performance) and short film director and producer. She has been a guest-lecturer at Pepperdine University, Chapman University, Eckerd College and Women in Film in Hollywood. She has a B.A in Drama from University of California, Irvine (2002) and an M.F.A in Acting and Directing from California State University, Long Beach (2005). Maria has been a full-time faculty member of the Cinema, Television and Radio Department at Saddleback College since 2011. She summited Mount Kilimanjaro this past June.
Mark Piatelli (Frank/Arthur Kraft)
Mark Piatelli has an MFA in Acting and Directing from California State University Long Beach; a BA from Yale University; a Certificate of Training from Circle in the Square’s 2-year acting conservatory in New York. Over the course of his career he has worn the hat of teacher, actor, director, playwright, producer, singer and songwriter. He served as Resident Playwright and Associate Artistic Director of Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro, CA where in 2003 he created the annual Pick of the Vine – Evening of Shorts. His full length plays – The View from Anderson Park and Inside My Father’s Apple Tree were produced at Little Fish along with his short plays – Jesus Come Jesus Go; That Look, and A Mall for Eternity. Directing Credits include: Arms and the Man; The Ladies Not For Burning; Blithe Spirit; Desdemona, a play about a Handkerchief (Little Fish); Richard III; Much Ado About Nothing – a 2003 Top Ten winner for the South Bay (Shakespeare by the Sea), The Rose Tattoo (Long Beach Playhouse); The Spitfire Grill at The Nakano Theatre (Torrance Theatre Company); West Side Story (Musical Theatre West); Godspell and Little Shop of Horrors for The Ark Players in Long Beach. Acting credits include: Marco in A View From the Bridge at International City Theatre, Long Beach; Guido Contini in Nine, Balladeer in Assassins; Jason in Medea; Charles Bukowski in Love, Bukowski; Wally Worthington in Cider House Rules (California Repertory Theatre –2006 LA Drama Critics Circle’s Polly Warfield award for best season in a small to midsize theatre and 3 LDCC nominations including best ensemble for Love, Bukowski); Hamlet in Hamlet; Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare by the Sea); Max in The View From Anderson Park (Little Fish), Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure at Franklin Stage Company in New York. Other credits: A world tour with the Yale Whiffenpoofs; a European tour with Robert Wilson’s Hamletmachine. Most recently, Mark has been building his Signature Song business, creating custom songs for individuals, events or organizations.
Vivian Vanderwerd (Helen)
After a chance encounter with an advertising executive in 1996, Detroit-born actress Vivian Vanderwerd found herself immersed in modeling and acting as she studied under noted coach Gene Bua at his Acting for Life Theater. Vivian has appeared in several independent films as well as commercials. Her stage performances include, “The Vagina Monologues,” “The Old Settler,” “Execution of Justice,” “BAFO (Best and Final Offer)” “The Legacy” and “Walking the Dead,” for which she received the OC Weekly Theater Award for Best Actress Award. She wishes to thank ACTC for the chance to join the talented cast of Life Without Parole in the role of Helen Broker. Having served as a Detroit Police officer for several years she appreciates the opportunity to give voice to the ‘convicted survivors’ in this contemporary and cutting edge play that will touch people’s emotions and shed light on the serious problem of domestic abuse. Her life experiences as a former police officer allow her to bring a genuine empathy to the role aptly performed during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Amanda Zarr (Barbara)
Amanda Zarr is a professional actor and adjunct theatre professor who started on her creative path at Chapman University where she received her BFA. She worked with Shakespeare Orange County and was a company member for over 10 years. Notable roles with the company include Juliet, Ophelia, and Lady Anne in Richard III.She attended the University of Washington and acquired her MFA from the prestigious PATP program. Amanda has also been a guest artist with the Pensacola Shakespeare Company, ACTC, Need Theater of Los Angeles and Santa Fe University of Art and Design where she worked with Jon Jory and Robert Benedetti. She teaches at Chapman University, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and Vanguard University.
Brock Joseph (Kellerman)
Brock Joseph has performed for a variety of audiences from Colorado to California, both on the stage and in front of the camera. Brock proudly served in the U.S. Navy, forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan and in 2010 turned his efforts to obtaining his B.A. in Theater Arts and business upon separation from the military. Favorite past roles include: Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, Mr. Cladwell in Urinetown, Stubb in the original stage adaptation and world premiere of Moby Dick, Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Macduff in The Scottish Play. Overwhelmed by the talent in this production, he is blessed to take the stage with his courageous cast mates and considers it a privilege to make these women’s stories part of our social consciousness. Brock wouldn’t be here without the support and prayers of his loving family, both adopted and immediate. Love will conquer all.
Cyntia Moreno (Grace)
Cyntia Moreno was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began acting at age of 17 participating in Argentinian TV as an extra while she was taking theatre classes at the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Later she moved to New Jersey where she continued taking acting/commercial workshops and ballroom classes. In 2006 Cyntia moved to California where she attended the Film Department at Saddleback College for over 3 years where she gain experience in as a Writer/ Director/ Casting Director/Editor/ Producer and grip. She collaborated in several Short films, Webisodes, and Independent films. In 2014 she moved to LA to chase her dream of being in the film industry. Today she is working hard to make her dreams come true.
Lola Kelly (Sherie)
Lola Kelly has a BA in Theatre from Loyola Marymount University and an MA in Performance Studies from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and King’s College London. Recent Theatre credits include Ophelia in ACTC’s Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the Countess Bathory in the Araca Project’s new work Lady at the American Theatre of Actors off Broadway, Miss Julie at South Coast Rep, the lead in the immersive hit Delusion, comedy Saint Mel at the Hollywood Fringe, and originating a role in Circle Jerk, an absurdist work on the Surrealists, at REDCAT. She has worked with Skylight, Moving Arts, the Ruskin and the Blank. Lola has starred in four feature films in the past year, played a series regular on the sketch show Enchufe, appeared on Fox’s The Grinder, Amazon’s The Next Steps, Lifetime’s My Haunted House and recently played a recurring role on the Fosters on Freeform. She’s humbled by and grateful to ACTC, the cast and crew, and the women who had the strength to commit the radical act of sharing their stories. lolajameskelly.com
Virginia Brown (Shawfer)
Virginia Brown has been involved with Life Without Parole from its inception as a stage play, including its debut as part of Vanguard University’s Domestic Violence Awareness Seminar in 2003, as well as two performances in the California Institution for Women in Chino in front of the very women whose words inspired its writing. She is a graduate of the South Coast Repertory Acting Intensive Program 2015. Virginia performed most recently as Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and as Jean in Good People, both at Theatrikos Theatre Company in Flagstaff, Arizona.
