Peter M. Carrozzo
Co-Founder/Playwright/Actor/Director
Peter is an attorney and playwright in New York City. A number of his plays have been staged in Manhattan and Chappaqua, and his one act play, “Key To My Heart,” is published in "The Collective: 10 Play Anthology, Vol. 2, 2014." He is the creator, designer and author of the website Constitutionland.com, a virtual amusement park for people who love the US Constitution. Peter's love of theater was all started by his father, Rocky, an actor with the Andrean Players, a community theater in Flushing Queens, for over 50 years. "One of my earliest and happiest memories is of my father on stage playing Alfred P. Doolittle. I memorized all of his lines and would perform them in my living room." Peter has been a lifelong member of the Andreans where he has acted, produced and built sets for many years. This podcast is a dream realized for Peter. He is obsessed with randomness...random conversations, random thoughts, random photographs of floss pics, and random poems about copier repairmen and Christmas decorations in laundromats. This podcast is a tribute to the random. "A huge thank you to Dany Stravino and Emilia Horn for their enthusiasm and dedication to building Random Thursdays! Thanks to my wife Erin for reading all of my plays with complete honesty. Thanks to Zelda, Squirmy, Abs and the Patch for all of their love and causing all of the hair loss. And to those of you who make this podcast happen, and to those who are listening to it happen...thank you!!"
Dany Stravino
Co-Founder/Actor/Director/Playwright
’Dany Stravino was brillig, and the slithy tove did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, and (albeit against their better judgement) the mome raths outgrabe. That having been said, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. (I don’t know about all that, but I digress). So! Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. You can plant any one of those. Keep planting to find out which one grows. Why? Cuz in an Mmmbop they’re gone!! Thanks to Peter and Emilia for the outstanding collaboration on making this project almost two years in the coming finally become a reality. Props to the cast for indulging us as we travel from Mars to a Boiling Pot of Water to a nursing home to quarantine in Queens and everywhere in between. Love, respect and pre-emptive apology for something to Mom
Dany is a co-founder of Random Thursdays Radio Theatre and plays Neil in Meditations on Meditation and Zoom Meeting: The Musical, Matthew in Mile Marker 117, Nick in Fresh Start, Other Campaign Advisor in Vote Winterbottom: 2042 and directed Dreams that you Dare to Dream and Mission to Mars.
Emilia Horn
Co-Founder/Actor/Director/Playwright
Emilia Horn is thrilled to be part of Random Thursdays Radio Theatre! Emilia is a singer, actor, writer, director and improviser, and is grateful to Random Thursdays for letting her flex so many different creative muscles. Favorite credits include Honestly Abe (Sarah/Kate/co-Music Director), Billy Elliot at Ogunquit Playhouse (Assistant Director), Company (Kathy), and Once Upon a Mattress (Lady Larken). Thanks to Peter and Dany for being such wonderful producing partners and to Amy for being the best writing partner (for almost 20 years!). Most importantly, Emilia thanks her husband, Jon, for his constant love and support.
Emilia is the co-founder of Random Thursdays Radio Theatre, directs Meditations on Meditation and Zoom Meeting: The Musical, plays Christine in Mile Marker 117, wrote Fresh Start, and co-wrote and co-directed Bro-ing Away and directed Vote Winterbottom: 2042.
Jon Blue
Actor
Jon is an actor, comedian, and emcee hailing originally from Iowa but based now and forever in Queens. He is grateful to Peter for giving him the opportunity to be part of such a fun and creative team. And he is thankful for the love, support, and eternal patience of his wife, Emilia.
Jon plays the Conductor in Meditations on Meditation and Mr. McLaurin in Zoom Meeting: The Musical.
Anne Marie Cahill
Actress
Anne Marie Cahill is an elementary school Theatre and Music teacher at PS 182 in Jamaica, NY. In addition to teaching classes during the day, she also directs Jr. versions of musicals starring her students. Anne Marie also dedicates her time to serving as Secretary on the executive board of Royal Star Theatre. She enjoys performing on stage as well as serving the theatre community behind the scenes! Anne Marie would like to thank Amanda for asking her to be a part of this project and to everyone at Random Thursdays for all their hard work and welcoming environment!
Anne Marie plays Lielle in Boiled Breakup.
Amy Callahan
Actress/Playwright
Amy is excited to participate in Random Thursdays and her first radio play debut. Amy has previously appeared in Bye Bye Birdie, Mame, Once Upon a Mattress, Smile, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Beauty and the Beast. Amy is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this show and for everyone involved.
Amy plays Woman at the Auburndale Station in Meditations on Meditation, Julie in Fresh Start and co-wrote and co-directed Bro-ing Away.
Sir Lauden Caulfield Jr.
Announcer
RT Squared is fortunate to have as our announcer the internationally known broadcaster Sir Lauden Caulfield Jr. Having announced some of the most famous and infamous moments in world history, Sir Caulfield (he claims to have been knighted at a party with Queens Elizabeth but we have been unable to corroborate this) is now testing his chops at radio theater. Some of the great broadcasting moments from his oeuvre: he gave the historically lesser known but at the time more frequently quoted description of the Hindenburg disaster: “ohh what a fiery fiasco!” Also, upon announcing the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor to the foreign world press he stated: “this is a date that will live in our minds for a very very very long time.” And who can forget his call of the 1980 US Men’s Olympic hockey team gold medal victory “Holy Moses! Those lads on ice really pulled one out of their hats on those Commies, didn’t they?” While not on air Sir Caulfield is an amateur flamenco dancer, a seance aficionado and hang glider. He holds the record for organizing the greatest number of people to fill a phone booth in the state of Missouri. His memoirs, entitled “What Did I Say? Caulfield’s Famous Calls” is out of print but can be found at some used book sellers.
Danielle Fleming
Actress
Danielle is thrilled to be returning to Random Thursdays! She is currently a Middle School ELA teacher at Middle Village Prep. Favorite past credits include: Linus (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown), Crutchie in Newsies! (Royal Star Theatre), Poppy in Noises Off (Maggie's Little Theater), Lily St. Regis in Annie (Andrean Players), Ilse in Spring Awakening(QPAC), and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (QPAC). She would like to thank her family and friends for their unending love and support. Additionally, she would like to give a special shout out to the cast and crew - don’t forget your vote counts!
Danielle plays Campaign Advisor in Vote Winterbottom: 2042.
Matt Frenzel
Actor
Matt is thrilled to be a part of Random Thursdays. He is a young actor from Queens who enjoys a flair for comedy. His recent acting credits include Freddy Benson (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Chip Tolentino (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Gus (It’s Only a Play), and Lucas Beineke (The Addams Family). As an actor during the pandemic, Matt has found himself very confused and sad given that no one has applauded for him in well over a year. His soul craves attention that way. Although he won’t be able to hear your thunderous applause on Random Thursdays, he does hope that you enjoy his performance as much as he loves acting again.
Matt plays Larry in Boiled Breakup and Jeremy in Zoom Meeting: The Musical.
Virginia Harmon
Actress
Virginia is thrilled to take part in such a wonderful series. Locally she has been seen onstage in The Addams Family (Morticia), It’s Only A Play (Julia Budder), Legally Blonde (Vivenne), The Wedding Singer (Angie), and in Spider’s Web (Clarissa Hailsham-Brown). Recently she worked behind the scenes as an assistant director for productions of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Parkside Players), and The Christians (City Gate Productions). She gives her love to husband Thom and their beautiful, smiley baby Vivian.
Virginia plays Claire in Boiled Breakup and Zoom Meeting: The Musical.
James Kim
Actor
James started his journey with Random Thursdays by being employed as Peter's personal service animal. He worked his way up to lunch getter, then script reader, and then finally actor. His elbow can be seen in a commercial with Derek Jeter. He is incredibly proud to be a part of Random Thursdays and looks forward to many more adventures and endeavors with the group. He is no longer Peter's service animal, but the bond still remains.
James plays Eddie in Meditations on Meditation and Clinton in The Guy Who Invented the Shirt.
Kimberly Larkin
Actress
Recent NYC theatre credits include: Christine in Mile Marker 117 (2018 Strawberry One Act Festival Semi-Finalist), featured soloist in AEA Showcase of Christmas Rappings (2009, 2015 and 2019), Wendy in G-69 (2016 Strawberry One Act Festival Finalist), Archon in Float (2015 Dream Up Festival), Miss Bunny in Molly Bloom-Lately (New York Children's Theatre Festival) and Claire Simmonds in Bare: A Pop Opera at The York Theatre. She performed as Sarah Lincoln in the off-Broadway musical Honestly Abe at the Actor's Temple Theatre in NYC for over two years. She played a small featured role in the independent film BIFF & ME that has been in many film festivals this year. Ms. Larkin directs a music program she created at St. Andrew Avellino School in Flushing, Queens. For the past 20 summers she has directed the CPSM Musical Theatre Summer Workshop at Queens College, a program she also created. She holds a MA in Vocal Performance: Concentration in Musical Theatre from NYU and a BA in Music Education from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where she studied both voice and piano.
Kimberly plays Laura Petrie in Meditations on Meditation and directs Mile Marker 117.
Cole Mathis
Actor
Little is known about Cole Mathis. He records in darkness wearing sunglasses and a pork pie hat. He speaks to no one except in character and never leaves a room the same way he entered. Some say he is an eccentric scion of a gold coast family, others believe he is a ne'er do well living off the charity of increasingly impatient friends. When asked for details about his prior acting he said "I'm acting every day of my life but I never play me. I play the fool and the hero in stories not of my own making all for what end? I have no idea and no interest. Let the future write its own story. I am perfectly content with mine being written in each second that I live and breathe." He also added he played Linus in the stage version of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown but he did not disclose where. He is obsessed with the works of Charles Dickens and is reading them all in order, after which he promised to get a job. "Thank you for letting me be a part of Random Thursdays. Sorry I keep forgetting to return the equipment I borrowed. All my love to Zelda, Squirmy, Abs-Mae-Lu, the Colonel and the Patch."
Cole plays Rob Petrie in Meditations on Meditation, Chris in Bro-ing Away and Corfu in Mission to Mars
Amanda Montoni
Actor/Director/Playwright
Amanda Montoni has been involved in bringing theater to the community and students for about 10 years now. She is a co-founder and board member of the Royal Star Theatre company, a performer, choreographer, and director throughout Queens and Long Island, and last but not least, a dance teacher. Her most recent Directing credits include The Addams Family (Maggie’s Little Theater), The Wedding Singer (Royal Star Theatre), and School House Rock (Plaza Theatrical Productions). Her favorite roles have been Patsy (Spamalot) and Ms. Flannery (Thoroughly Modern Millie), but you might have seen her last as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical. When she is not teaching or involved in a production, she is writing. She has two published poetry books and numerous works of hers have been published in anthologies, including the ending monologue of Boiled Breakup! It can be found in An Empty Stage: A Collection of Monologues as part of The Red Penguin Collection by Red Penguin books. All of her works can be found on her website www.amandamontoni.com. She is absolutely thrilled to be included in Random Thursdays and is excited to exercise new ways (for her) of bringing theater to life!
Amanda wrote and directed Boiled Breakup and Rachel in Zoom Meeting: The Musical.
Nick Montoni
Actor
Nick is an actor, comedian, and musician who never seizes to use wacky, cartoonist voices. Having a background in psychology, he is never hesitant to dissect the characters he plays. He is beyond grateful for the opportunity that Peter and Random Thursdays have given him. His father always told him to follow his dreams, but it always came out as a general middle-aged grunt. Nick still tells himself that’s what his dad meant to this day.
Nick plays Claw/Cody in Boiled Breakup.
Erik Nielssen
Actor
Erik is pleased to be making his podcast debut, with Random Thursdays! It has been a blast, working with such an amazingly talented cast and crew! He would like to thank his directors and Peter Carrozzo (The Word Smith) for giving him this opportunity. He is honored to be trusted with such colorful characters and well crafted scripts. Erik has been involved with the art of the Radio Show before working as a director for N.E.A.T. Productions presentations of The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Journey to the Center of the Earth. Erik is a founding member of Royal Star Theatre and serves as its Director of Resource Development. He would like to thank his wife for her love and patience, especially on recording nights.
Erik plays Professor Harold Hill in Meditations on Meditation, Matt in Bro-ing Away, Murphy in The Guy Who Invented the Shirt and Ted in Dreams that you Dare to Dream.
Edwin A. Palacio
Actor
Credits with Royal Star Theatre include Grinch in Suessical, Side by Side by Sondheim, Young Frankenstein and Spamamlot. FSF credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Wizrd of Oz, Sweet Charity and Curtains. Edwin is a proud graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and t he Raul Julia Training Unit. "Thank you very much for supporting local and virtual theatre." Isaiah 26:19.
Edwin plays Stewart in Dreams that you Dare to Dream.
Liz Regan and Edgar Ramos
Sound Engineering Design and Editing
Edgar Ramos and Liz Regan are a sound engineering, design, and editing duo based in the East Village, New York. They have worn many different hats producing radio plays for the past 8 years.
Gianna Varrassi
Actress
Gianna is absolutely thrilled to be a part of Random Thursdays and to have her first radio play debut. Her previous credits include Bye Bye Birdie (Mrs. McAfee), The Little Mermaid (Aquata/Jetsem). She has also done various historical reenactments and Murder Mystery Dinners at Maple Grove Cemetery. Gianna thanks Peter Carrozzo for the wonderful opportunity and her husband R.J. for his constant support.
Gianna plays Meditation Lady in Meditations on Meditation.