Casabuena, Author at Casabuena Cultural Productions

We open in less than a week! Get to know our Fabulous CAST!

Jared Taylor

Jared is a junior at Central High School. This is his sixth year with Casabuena Cultural Productions. Previous roles with Casabuena include Puberty:The Game Show (Tommy), The Philadelphia (Al), and The Shakespearicist (Hank). He is also very active in the theatre program at Central High School, where he has played in A Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit, Second Spirit) and Guys and Dolls. He is a writer and musician and wants to thank his family, friends, and cast for being phenomenal!

Colin Polisano

Colin is a junior at Cheltenham High School, and is beyond excited to be a part of Dear Chuck! This is his third production working with Casabuena. He is honored to work with such talented and brilliant cast members. He has performed the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Addams Family: The Musical, Footloose!, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Crucible. Aside from being on stage, Colin co-leads his school’s all-male a cappella group, Sons of Pitch, enjoys reading, singing, and working as a camp counselor over the summer. He would like to thank his friends, Jennifer Hutton, Mariangela, and – most importantly – his friends for their constant encouragement and support.

M Vlam

M has gone by many names (trust them, there’s a lot) and has been in multiple productions in many different locations. Dear Chuck is their third Casabuena Cultural Productions show, and it certainly won’t be their last. They love acting, annoying their friends, making new names for themselves, and singing songs as loud as they can with no warning. They’re excited to play random character #13 in this show as well as many more in the future. They, as well, thank you for reading their bio. They wrote it in about four minutes.

Rosa Wright

Rosa Wright made her Casabuena debut in Puberty: the Game Show! in June of 2015. Rosa is now a 10th grade actress currently attending Cheltenham High School. This is her third year participating in Casabuena and she just falls more and more in love with it each year. Other than Casabuena she participates in her high school’s fall play and EST (the school’s student run improv club/yearly show.) She loves to perform and is so thankful that there are places like Casabuena that give younger actors this opportunity and experience. Besides performing she also loves her cats: Mimzy and Puddin’ Divine, art, poetry, and takis. A special thanks to all of you for coming out to support us, to my parents for supporting my efforts, and to Sophia for hauling me to and from practice most of the time.

Don’t miss out! this show is going to be fantastic! Tickets on sale now on our BUY TICKETS page.

Tickets are $13 online in advance, for Adults (or $15 at the Door) and $8 online in advance for Students ($10 at the door)!

Come have some fun with us June 8-10th, and find YOUR Chuck!!

We are proud to announce we have a cast of 13 youth company members and 2 company members kicking off our 6th season this June! Dear Chuck by Jonathan Dorf is a great play that will showcase all our fantastic talented youth performers as well as our adult guest stars! Congratulations to all cast! #CCP6thseason here we go!!

CASABUENA CULTURAL PRODUCTIONS is having AUDITIONS for the one act play Dear Chuck by Jonathan Dorf. Seeking youth actors ages 13 and up!

Performances will be on June 8th, 9th and 10th at Allens Lane Theater!

Dear Chuck is a (Dramedy) in One Act.

Synopsis: Teenagers are typically caught in the middle—they’re not quite adults, but they’re definitely no longer children. Through a series of scenes and monologues, we meet an eclectic group of teen characters who are trying to communicate with that wannabe special someone, coping with the loss of a classmate, battling controlling parents, swimming for that island of calm in the stormy sea of technology—and many others. What they all have in common is the search for their “Chuck,” that elusive moment of knowing who you are.

Auditions: Sunday March 18th 4:30pm-6pm and Monday March 19th from 7pm-8:30pm.
at Allens Lane Art Center (601 W Allens Lane, Philadelphia PA 19119)

For more information or to RSVP for an audition date please casabuenacp@gmail.com

CLICK HERE to view and print an audition flyer!

What a way to close our 5th Season! Check out all the love we got from the press! We hope you all have a wonderful new year and we look forward to announcing our 6th season in the months ahead!

“It is the perfect Holiday Season treat. The Casabuena Cultural Production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol turns the classic Dickens tale on its head to sterling effect.”- Hugh Hunter, Chestnut Hill Local

“Casabuena Cultural Productions’ irreverent take on the beloved Charles Dickens classic follows Marley on a redemptive quest to save his wretched soul. Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol feels akin to the 1988 Bill Murray film Scrooged (a classic in its own right), in that it has a modern sensibility, is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and yet manages to maintain all the heart, soul, and mercy of Dickens’ original masterpiece...There were points where I felt as if the actors had invited me onstage and, with only the light of a candle between us, were somehow speaking directly to me...Simply put, the play is all heart and soul! ”- Michael Kelly, DC Metro Arts (Follow link to read more)

“The thing that strikes the audience most is the sense of joy that the actors exude. Under Mariangela Saavedra’s extremely capable hands this troop presents a new perspective on an old story and provides a delightful entertainment for its audience. In this season when many people fall prey to anxiety and hassle, I urge you to visit with Jacob Marley and friends at Stagecrafters Theater this weekend.” – Dennis Bloh, B Sharp Productions (Follow Link to read more)

“Tom Mula’s reimagining of the classic Dickens tale is a good fit for this family friendly company. The slightly anachronistic humor gets laughs, and a warm-hearted ending captures the essence of the Christmas tradition”- Dorie Byrne, PHINDIE (Follow Link to read more)

Marley was dead to begin with….but just what happened to Scrooge’s old business partner after that? Come find out as Jim Broyles, Patrick Cathcart, Teresa Nutter, and Brian Weiser open your eyes to the other side of this famous holiday story.

Also featuring Browning Sterner as the Stage Hand, they will take you on the epic journey of what exactly happened to Jacob Marley that lead him to Scrooge’s doorstep covered in chains on Christmas Eve trying to save his soul. Chained and shackled, Marley is condemned to a hellish eternity. He’s even given his own private tormentor: a malicious little hell-sprite who thoroughly enjoys her work. Desperate, Marley accepts his one chance to free himself: To escape his own chains, he must first redeem Scrooge. So begins a journey of laughter and suspense, redemption and renewal, during which Scrooge’s heart, indeed, is opened; but not before Marley—in this irreverent, funny and deeply moving story—discovers his own.

Enjoy this classic Dickensian tale in a way you never have before. With plenty of drama, and humor it will surprise and entertain you.

Directed by Mariangela Saavedra, come see the unexpected other side of Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale. Let us warm your heart with this spirited alternative to A Christmas Carol this Holiday Season. You won’t want to miss it!

Get your tickets today HERE!!

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by Tom Mula

Marley was dead to begin with…just what happened to Scrooge’s old business partner after that?

Come find out as Jim Broyles, Patrick Cathcart, Teresa Nutter, and Brian Weiser open your eyes to the other side of this famous holiday story.

Enjoy this classic Dickensian tale in a way you never have before. With plenty of drama, and humor it will surprise and entertain you.

Tickets ON SALE NOW HERE!

December 15th at 8pm
December 16th at 2pm and 8pm
December 21st at 8pm
December 22nd at 8pm
December 23rd at 8pm

At The Stagecrafters Theater- 8130 Germantown Avenue- Philadelphia, PA 19118

Tickets range $12-$25
Discounted tickets are sold online in advance, with Student and Industry tickets discounted too.

October 2017

Dear Friends,

We have had such an exciting season at Casabuena Cultural Productions this year! Because of help from friends like you we were able to offer even more unique experiences for our youth performers, as they learned from and worked with performing arts professionals in a creative and supportive environment.

In June we produced The Shakespearecist and A Poodle More Beautiful at Allens Lane Theater. A Poodle More Beautiful was the Directorial Debut of Youth Company Member Jared Taylor (age 16). His show was met with great praise from our audiences.

In August we participated in the 2017 Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Project, where we wrote and produced a short film in two days! Our Buddy Film Every Day is Christmas was co-written and co-starring Youth Company Member Jared Taylor as he worked side by side with Company Member and Filmmaker Stephanie C Kernisan. Several other Casabuena Company and Youth Company members as well as two new youth performers joined us to produce this fun film.

As we approach our final production of this season in December and gear up for our exciting 2018 Season, we are asking you to consider making a donation to Casabuena Cultural Productions. We are raising funds for our final production of the season, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, at The Stagecrafters Theater in Chestnut Hill, as well as for the three productions we plan to mount in 2018, including a powerful work we are taking to the Fringe Festival in September. With your help we can surely make this happen! We just need to reach our fundraising goal by the end of the year (December 31st) to make this last leg of our season possible and ensure that our 2018 season will be a critical success.

New in 2018 we will be sponsoring our first Youth Company Member to attend the Virginia State Thespian Festival in January. This is an opportunity like no other, where this student will spend a weekend taking intensified workshops in theater and seeing the best plays high schoolers from around the state of Virginia have to offer. Funds we raise this year will hopefully allow us to offer this opportunity to other Casabuena Youth Company Members in the years ahead!

Every little bit helps and we really appreciate your consideration and support. Donors get not only our love and gratitude, but some levels even include perks like, special donor VIP seating, tickets to a show, an ad libbed line in the play about you, a cameo in one of our films, and other fun things we came up with to show you how much your support means to us.

There are a couple ways to donate:

You can donate by credit card online at the link below: https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=12601

If you prefer, you can also donate by check.

Please mail checks to Mariangela Saavedra, 93 W Sedgwick Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119.

Checks should be made payable to Fractured Atlas, with Casabuena Cultural Productions in the memo line.

Casabuena Cultural Productions is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non‐profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Casabuena Cultural Productions must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” and are tax‐deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Thank you in advance for your generous support.

Sincerely,

Mariangela Saavedra
Artistic Director

Visit www.casabuenacp.com for more information about becoming a donor, and our shows and screenings.

DAY was written for our 2016 Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Project film by the same name written by Company Member Stephanie C Kernisan and Youth Company Member Jared Taylor.

We are excited for this years competition. Follow us on our Facebook Page during competition weekend August 4th-6th for sneak peeks from the set!

Our 5th season kicks off on Friday with A Poodle More Beautiful by Stacey Lane and The Shakespearecist by Leon Kaye.

June 2nd-4th at Allens Lane Theater
Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm

The Casts of both shows have been working hard to bring something super fun and super special to the stage! We hope you can join us for this fun night of theater!