Public Employee Press

A hit for audience, actors and writers

Budding authors joined professional actors on stage in performing their original plays as the union’s Theater Works program showcased eight short comedies and tragedies May 14 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

The DC 37 Education Fund presents the course in conjunction with the Working Theater. The program combines writing and acting under the tutelage of professional theater people to help students enhance their writing and speaking skills while they build self-confidence.

This year, the union offered two levels of Theater Works — one for beginners and a second level for old hands, such as Gail Baskerville, who was back for the third time. The Local 372 member lent her talent for comedic acting to “Homeless and Friendship,” by classmate Dehavilyn Jones. Baskerville also acted in her own heart-wrenching play, “Call Me Billie,” which was inspired by her twin sister, who died two years ago. “She would do that — dress up and lip-sync — and she bore a resemblance to Billie Holiday,” said Baskerville.

Ed Fund Assistant Director Cathy Browne took the stage at the end of the evening and pointed out that, “every writer starts at the same place, with a blank piece of paper in front of them.”

Local 154 member Melvin Ford, a 24-year veteran in the Comptroller’s office, scored a hit with his first play, the humorous “Loftus and Quebec.” Ford findsinspiration all around him. “In class, they told us to develop a world, to build in conflict, and to create characters with a recognizable identity and motivation for their actions,” he explained.

Computer Specialist Olga Bautina, a member of Local 2627, is an immigrant from Russia. “I lived on the shore of the Volga River and have many stories I want to tell about the people I remember,” she said. Bautina tackles the blank page on weekends, she said. “I need to really spend time to make something significant happen.”

The classroom and acting experiences keep the students coming back. Baskerville explained, “I get to act on stage and meet new people I end up loving. It’s therapeutic, relaxing, and enjoyable.”

Despite some clunky clichés and the clanking mechanics of first-time efforts, the students had the moxie to get up on stage and the determination to complete their own dramas. For further information or to register, call Cathy Browne at 212-815-1676 or get the registration form online at www. dc37.net.

— Jane LaTour