It is my great pleasure to welcome you to an evening of storytelling, creativity, and collaboration. Theatre has the remarkable ability to bring people together, challenge perspectives, and celebrate the shared human experience. Every production you will see tonight is the result of countless hours of dedication from playwrights, directors, actors, designers, technicians, stage managers, and volunteers who have generously shared their talents to bring these stories to life.
One-act festivals are unique in that they showcase a wide variety of voices and styles in a single evening. From comedy to drama, realism to imagination, each production offers its own perspective and reminds us of the power of live performance to entertain, inspire, and provoke thought. While each play stands on its own, together they celebrate the diversity and resilience of our theatrical community.
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our participating companies, adjudicators, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this festival possible. Most importantly, thank you to our audiences. Your support of live theatre allows artists to continue creating meaningful work and keeps our community vibrant.
Whether this is your first theatre experience or you are a longtime supporter of the arts, I hope you leave tonight inspired by the passion, talent, and creativity on display.
On behalf of the Foothills Arts Council and everyone involved in this festival, thank you for joining us. Sit back, enjoy the performances, and celebrate the magic that can only happen in live theatre.
Persephone Antoinette Lestrange
Festival Head Director
2026 One-Act Play Festival
Foothills Arts Council, Inc.
They are excited to be taking on the role of Festival director for the second year. Persephone has been involved in theater for 20 years working with so many talented artists. When not working in theater they are working at The Costumer, Working at the Double M Haunted Hayrides, Singing With Albany Voices of Pride and Working Towards their Bachelors in Education. They want to take a moment and tell the amazing cast and crew how inspired they are by how these group of actors can pull magic out of the pages.
DanielleO'Brien
(Stage Manager)
Danielle is excited to serve as Stage Manager for this year’s One Act Festival after acting and directing last year. She has a degree in theater from Greensboro College in North Carolina and has been onstage or backstage in dozens of shows over the years. Local highlights include Emma Goldman in Assassins and costumes for South Pacific at SLOC, Whoville citizen in Seussical at Family Players, Florence in the Odd Couple (Female Version) at The Glove Theater, costume crew for Northeast Ballet’s Nutcracker at Proctors and costumes for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors with Classic Theater Guild. Danielle is also a member of Albany Voices of Pride.
SonnyDuross
(Director Team)
ChristineVermilyea
(Director Team)
WendyCamilli
(Director Team)
See above
ℹ️ Looking for someone? Anyone who is both cast AND leadership will only appear under Cast Bios.
Crew Bios
DanielleO'Brien
(Stage Manager)
Danielle is excited to serve as Stage Manager for this year’s One Act Festival after acting and directing last year. She has a degree in theater from Greensboro College in North Carolina and has been onstage or backstage in dozens of shows over the years. Local highlights include Emma Goldman in Assassins and costumes for South Pacific at SLOC, Whoville citizen in Seussical at Family Players, Florence in the Odd Couple (Female Version) at The Glove Theater, costume crew for Northeast Ballet’s Nutcracker at Proctors and costumes for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors with Classic Theater Guild. Danielle is also a member of Albany Voices of Pride.
SonnyDuross
(Director Drag queens to the rescue)
PersephoneLestrange
(Director Of the Rainbow Bridge)
They are excited to be taking on the role of Festival director for the second year. Persephone has been involved in theater for 20 years working with so many talented artists. When not working in theater they are working at The Costumer, Working at the Double M Haunted Hayrides, Singing With Albany Voices of Pride and Working Towards their Bachelors in Education. They want to take a moment and tell the amazing cast and crew how inspired they are by how these group of actors can pull magic out of the pages.
jasoncromie
(Director Of Don't Play With Your Food)
I am excited to be joining another season with Foothills Arts Council. Jason has been acting for over 20 years, most recently portraying tsar Nicholas in Anastasia.
ChristineVermilyea
(Director of New level of intamacy)
PersephoneLestrange
(Costumes)
ℹ️ Looking for someone? Anyone who is both cast AND crew will only appear under Cast Bios.
Cast Bios
MelissaIngram
(Marlene, Lindsey, Julie)
Melissa Ingram has been acting in the Capital Region for ten years. Her most recent role is Melissa Gardner in Sizzle and Steak Production's production of "Love Letters." She has always had a passion for theater and has been enthralled with the stage since she was eight years old and attended a college production of "Antigone."
She has dabbled in directing and her favorite off stage role is properties.
She resides in Schenectady with her daughter, her husband and their 5 pets.
jasoncromie
(Bob, Jacob)
I am excited to be joining another season with Foothills Arts Council. Jason has been acting for over 20 years, most recently portraying tsar Nicholas in Anastasia.
JamieHalvarson
(Lulu, Elderly Woman)
Skip
AmeliaHughes
(Jingles, Casey)
Amelia started her onstage journey at the age of 5 playing a little girl in "Madwoman of Chaillot." Since then she has been involved in multiple productions and has attended theater training at the School of Collaborative Arts at Proctors Theater. Her most recent performance was Auntie Em/Glinda in the aforementioned program. She enjoys performing in theater and dance. She will be entering high school this fall and resides at home with her mom, step-dad and five pets.
marilyndetmer
(RHONDA, ICE CREAM)
MARILYN DETMER (Miss Jane Marple) is pleased to be returning to Agatha Christie, having played in the 2012 HMT production of And Then There Were None. Most recently she portrayed Mrs. Grace in the musical A Man of No Importance with Bunbury Players. Other local roles include Aunt March in Little Women and Amanda in Southern Comforts. She has previously been seen in HMT’s The Secret Garden, Inspecting Carol, and Leading Ladies. Her interests include yoga, gardening, brushing up her tap-dancing, and improving her ukulele playing. Love to Stephen.
RobertStern
(BRIAN)
Bob appreciates the opportunity to appear in the One Act Play Festival. After working as a background actor Bob decided to come downstage and took Patrick White's theater acting class. His theater experience includes playing various victims and killers in murder mystery dinner theater and, historical immersive theater playing both Ann Lee's brother and a Hessian soldier. Prior to actual theater Bob performed as a longtime staffer in the NYS legislature, and a parent/grandparent IRL.
NateBrunell
(Joe)
Is excited to get back on stage again
ThomIngram
(Matt, Kale)
Since returning to New York in 2022 Thom Ingram has been blessed to perform with many companies in the Capital District community theater scene. Thom's goal is to find big moments in little roles, and little moments in big ones.
WendyCamilli
(Kasey)
See above
SydSadowski
(Chip, Death)
Syd Ryan Sadowski is an energetic and creative soul. They have sung in a prestigious kids choir (capital district youth choral) for 9 years. They have been in many shows, but their favorites are “Number the Stars” and “Alice in Wonderland”. They’re always excited for more acting and singing work!
AriesRaphael
(Alvin, COOKIE)
PersephoneLestrange
(Mother May Eye)
They are excited to be taking on the role of Festival director for the second year. Persephone has been involved in theater for 20 years working with so many talented artists. When not working in theater they are working at The Costumer, Working at the Double M Haunted Hayrides, Singing With Albany Voices of Pride and Working Towards their Bachelors in Education. They want to take a moment and tell the amazing cast and crew how inspired they are by how these group of actors can pull magic out of the pages.
