CVRep’s Theatre Thursdays presents our first online reading with the play
“Meet & Greet”
Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 6:00 pm (Pacific).
A star-studded cast has been assembled to bring to life this hilarious comedy from acclaimed writers Stan Zimmerman (“The Golden Girls”, “Roseanne”, “Gilmore Girls”) and Christian McLaughlin (“Desperate Housewives”, “Married … With Children”). “Meet & Greet” originated at The Hollywood Fringe Festival and went on to have a successful, five-month run in Los Angeles, winning rave reviews and numerous theatre awards. Zimmerman (LatinX “The Diary of Anne Frank”) will again direct. Three members of the original cast will also return: Daniele Gaither (“MadTV”) as reality show star Desiree White; Teresa Ganzel (“The Toy”) as former sitcom actor Teri Valentine; and, Brendan Robinson (“Pretty Little Liars”) as the Casting Assistant. Joining the trio will be Palm Springs resident, Judith Chapman (“Young & The Restless”) as Broadway legend Margo Jane Marsden; and, Melissa Peterman (“Reba”, “Young Sheldon”) as Teri’s sitcom co-star and ex-best friend, Belinda Reid. The 80-minute play centers around four actresses (of a certain age) who are all up for the same part in a horrible new sitcom pilot. At the network casting office, old rivalries come to the surface and egos clash.
CLICK HERE to register for this special online reading
CAST ( in alphabetical order)
JUDITH CHAPMAN (MARGO JANE MARSDEN) joined the cast of “THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS” in January, 2005, in the role of Gloria Bardwell, the scheming mother of troubled Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart) and longtime Genoa City resident Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc). After graduating from Stephens College with a degree in theatre, Chapman headed to New York, where she began working in commercials and theatre. She also joined the prestigious Actors’ Studio, and landed the role of Natalie Hughes on the daytime drama “As the World Turns”. She went on to enjoy a long career in the world of daytime drama appearing as Charlotte Greer on “Ryan’s Hope”, Ginny Blake Webber on “General Hospital”, Sandra Montaigne on “The Fall Guy”, “Magnum. P.I.”, “Silk Stalking”, as well as the telefilms “Mortal Fear”, “Farrell for the People” and Five of ME”. She also hosted the travel show “Hello Paradise”. Chapman also appeared in several feature films, including “28 Days”, “The Sweetest Thing”, “Night of the Running Man” and “Scorpio One. She mounted the play “The Belle of Amherst”, based on the life of Emily Dickinson, which she successfully toured through the United States. She also directed “Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical”, “Equus” and “Born Yesterday” and performed in “Sordid Lives” and “Blythe Spirit.” She also played Vivien Leigh in the West Coast Premiere of “Orson’s Shadow” at the Old Globe. In August, 2011, Chapman began a national tour portraying Oscar-winning film star Vivien Leigh in the Los Angeles premiere of Rick Foster’s critically acclaimed onewoman play, “VIVIEN”, for which she garnered rave reviews. The Los Angeles Times lauded, “It’s hard to imagine anyone playing the role (of Vivien Leigh) more convincingly than soap opera veteran Judith Chapman. Her mastery of Leigh’s mannerisms…is uncanny”. Backstage stated that Chapman “possesses the poise and intelligence to capture Leigh’s star quality, as well as her frailties”, and labeled the show “a bravura performance”. Chapman lives in Palm Springs, California. She enjoys practicing yoga and traveling, and has visited many exotic locations, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
DANIELE GAITHER (DESIREE WHITE) Television: MADtv , The Thundermans (Kids’ Choice Award), Mad About You , Angie Tribeca , 2 Broke Girl$ . Stage: The Black Version Show (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto), Groundlings Main Company (Groundlings Theatre) , For the Love of a Glove (Carl Sagan-Ann Druyan Theater), Ravenswood Manor (Celebration Theater), Meet & Greet (Hollywood Fringe Festival), The Golden Girlz Live! , Dezigning Women , Factz of Life (Cavern Club Celebrity Theater). Soundtrack: Bojack Horseman. Daniele began her career doing print, commercials and local theater while growing up in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She has a Bachelor’s in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.
TERESA GANZEL (TERI VALENTINE) is perhaps best known to audiences from her 32 appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson , for playing Jackie Gleason’s wife in The Toy starring Richard Pryor, and for starring opposite Jeff Goldblum in Transylvania 6 – 5000 . She also appeared opposite Bill Paxton in the comedy miniseries Fresno starring Carol Burnett. Teresa was a series regular on The Duck Factory with Jim Carrey, Rox ie with Andrea Martin, and Teachers Only with Lynn Redgrave and Jean Smart, and has made dozens of memorable guest appearances on beloved shows including Three’s Company (as Greedy Gretchen), Coach, Mama’s Family, Alf, Newhart, Love Boat, Hotel, and Marrie d…with Children (great to work with Amanda again!). Game show fans may remember Teresa as a celebrity player on The $25,000 Pyramid and $100,000 Pyramid tournaments as well as Super Password and Hollywood Squares . Teresa continues to stay busy with independent film work, TV commercials, and voiceover work in films like Despicable Me 3, Toy Story 3, Monsters University, Monsters Inc., Up, Wall – E, Horton Hears a Who!, and Cars. Her recent theatre credits include Harvey starring French Stewart (Laguna Beach Playhouse); Heartbreak Help with Melissa Peterman and Marisa Jaret Winokur; and the national tour and off-Broadway production of Viagara Falls . She is thrilled to return to JTC where she played Truvy in Steel Magnolias (2014). Twitter: @laganzell
MELISSA PETERMAN (BELINDA REID) is an American actress and comedian who is best known for her role as Barbra Jean in the television comedy series Reba. Peterman starred as Bonnie Wheeler in the ABC Family/Freeform series Baby Daddy, and as host of ABC Family’s Dancing Fools, ABC’s Bet on Your Baby, and CMT’s The Singing Bee. In 2001, Peterman was cast as Barbra Jean Booker-Hart in Reba opposite country music singer Reba McEntire and television veteran Christopher Rich. The show was the most watched comedy on The WB in its debut season. In 2007, the show ended its run after six seasons. Episodes continue to air in syndication on multiple networks. Currently, Peterman stars as Brenda Sparks on the hit ABC comedy Young Sheldon . Upon graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato with theater as one of her majors, Peterman was cast as Madeline Monroe in Hey City Theater’s production of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding . After more than 600 performances, she went on to write and perform at Brave New Workshop, the improvisational comedy theatre in Minneapolis. Peterman married John Brady in 1999, and their son was born 2005. She was a bridesmaid in Reba co-star Joanna García Swisher’s wedding, along with Reba McEntire.
BRENDAN ROBINSON (THE CASTING ASSISTANT) is excited to be revisiting “Meet and Greet,” having played the Casting Assistant in the original L.A. production in 2014. Other Los Angeles theater credits include original productions of “Pledge,” “Suicide Notes,” and “The Unauthorized O.C. Musical.” Brendan is widely known for his supporting role on the hit T.V. show “Pretty Little Liars,” in which he played the character of Lucas for seven seasons. Other film and television credits include recurring roles on “Weeds” and “Good Luck Charlie,” guest stars on “How I Met Your Mother,” “Bones,” “Cold Case,” and “Review,” and both lead and supporting roles in the films “Feels So Good,” “The Christmas Switch,” “DieRy,” “The Do-Deca Pentathlon,” and “The River Why.” Brendan had the opportunity to show off his comedy chops as the lead of “Beerfest: Thirst For Victory” for the CW Seed and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. Instagram at @brendanrobinson.
CREATORS
STAN ZIMMERMAN (DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER) has been nominated for two WGA Awards for his work on “The Golden Girls” and “Roseanne”. He’s also written and produced on “Gilmore Girls” and co-created the Lifetime sitcom, “Rita Rocks” and the Emmy nominated webseries, “Secs & Execs”. In film, he wrote both Brady Bunch movies. Zimmerman directs and produces theatre in LA, including such productions as the LatinX The Diary of Anne Frank, H eartbreak Help , Pledge , Warm Cheese ,
Entertaining Mr. Sloane , BLINK & You Might Miss Me , Gemini and Wendy Wasserstein’s Isn’t it Romantic this fall. He also directed three plays he co-wrote – Yes Virginia, K nife to the Heart and M eet & Greet . Stan appeared on Broadway with Nureyev & the Joffrey Ballet. He was the Host/Showrunner on Sean Hayes’ Bravo reality show “Situation: Comedy”. Stan teaches acting and has a BFA-Drama NYU/Circle-in-the-Square. www.zimmermanstan.com
CHRISTIAN McLAUGHLIN (CO-WRITER) is a Daytime Emmy-winning L.A.-based writer-producer and author of the novels Sex Toys of the Gods and Glamourpuss , now available in an expanded 25th Anniversary Kindle edition. His many TV credits include Married…With Children, Drawn Together, Desperate Housewives, Rita Rocks , and the MTV cult soap Spyder Games , which he co-created/executive produced for 65 episodes. For the L.A. stage he devised and directed the triple-run smash satire The Phacts of Life , and, with Stan Zimmerman, his produced plays include It’s On! The TV Theme Song Musical; Knife To the Heart ; and Yes, Virginia . His latest creation, CandiLand , a scathing satire of the children’s television industry, will be available as an audiobook early this summer and soon after, as a TV series from Red Rover Films, written and produced by the author. Christian’s world-renowned original movie poster webstore can be found at westgategallery.com (Twitter/Instagram: @westgateposters)