FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FALL, 2003

CONTACT: JOE PRESTON 212-673-4388
PRESS RELEASE:

"GLAMOUR, GLORY & GOLD - The Life and Legend of Nola Noonan, Goddess & Star"

A Comedy Play Written by Warhol Superstar JACKIE CURTIS

Presented by La Mama E.T.C. Directed by Joe Preston


A play revival, written by Warhol Superstar Jackie Curtis entitled; "Glamour, Glory & Gold - The Life and Legend of Nola Noonan, Goddess & Star". First written by Jackie in 1965/66, it was first performed at the Bastiano's Plawrights Workshop in Greenwich Village in 1967.

The play was successful in its first run, but truly shined seven years later, in 1974, when 27 year old Jackie confidently took the stage in the starring role of Nola Noonan. Ron Link showcased the production in the off-off Broadway Fortune Theatre to glowing reviews. AFTER DARK called it a "Dishy delight, and freewheeling hilarity, a penetrating analysis of what it's really like to live a dream 24 hours a day", and "Jackie's finest hour".

Nola Noonan is a stylish young girl from the wrong side of the tracks who has the intelligence and ruthless ambition to make something of herself in the world. She realizes her power over men and uses sex to advance herself. Nola starts out in show business as a stripper, but her goal is to make her way "to Hollywood, while there still is a Hollywood". To reach her goal, she has to dump lover after lover as she makes her way "up the ladder of success, wrong by wrong".!

As a new documentary film on the life of Jackie Curtis entitled, "Superstar in a Housedress, the Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis" by Craig Highberger (www.jackiecurtis.com) has just been finished, Joe Preston, Jackie's cousin and Associate Producer of the film, has decided to bring the revival of "Glamour...", back to the stage where Jackie first started his career as a young playwright. It was at La Mama E.T.C. where Jackie was first given the spotlight by Ellen Stewart, and through her careful guidance made Jackie a star overnight. Their association has been sealed in theatrical history forever.

Carefully chosen to succeed Jackie in this role as it was written, Joe has cast D'arcy Drollinger in the leading role of Nola Noonan, and Clayton Dean Smith in the supporting role of Toulouse. Both Clayton and D'arcy have the natural ability of expressing Jackie's work, and will add a fresh new look and angle that will bring both characters of Nola and Toulouse into the 21st Century.

"Glamour..." will run for two consecutive semi-weeks at the La Mama Experimental Theater Club in December 4-7, & 11-14, 2003, Thurs-Sat at 10pm, and Sunday at 5:30. Tickets available through the boxoffice, 212-475-7710, or visit www.lamama.org.

Glamour, Glory and Gold - Copyright 1985 by Joseph Preston - The Estate of Jackie Curtis


D'Arcy Drollinger (Nola) has written and often starred in underground hits: Scalpel, Pink Elephants, Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls, Suburbia 3000, The Posession of Mrs. Jones, and The Cereal Killers. Other credits include music and lyrics for Dragon's Dream (Pure Pop Festival), choreography and direction for Rupaul (Diva's 2000), original music for Nash Bridges (starring Don Johnson), co-producer and star of School House Rocks Live, and assistant in mounting Hairspray The Musical. D'Arcy has worked with Richard "Scrumbly" Koldewyn (The Cockettes), Tom Ross (The Public Theatre), and Daniel Chumley (The San Francisco Mime Troupe). He was co-founder of the critically acclaimed pop group Enrique, and continues to write original material. Mr. Drollinger was a recipient of the John Simms Fellowship, a participant in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, and a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.

Clayton Dean Smith* (Toulouse) *(Equity) Clayton last performed in a Ridiculous Theater Co. revival baring his ass as the King of Mars in SALT's "Conquest of the Universe" this summer. Other places you've spotted him: "SCALPEL" in this year's Fringe, "Scooby Doo" at Radio City, "One Life to Live."

Janine Kyanko (Mazie and Speech Teacher) Janine's recent credits include The Memory of Water (Catherine), Steel Magnolias (Annelle), Pirates and Pinafores: a Gilbert and Sullivan Revue (Soloist), Ballad of a Stranger (Fairleena) at the Barter Theatre. Other credits include The Hairy Ape, The Vagina Monologues; Cleveland Public Theatre; Twelfth Night, Into the Woods, Private Lives,; Actor's Repertory Theatre. She sends love and kisses to her family and friends who always stick close by (even when she doesn't know whether to scratch her watch or wind her butt). Janine is a graduate of Wright State University's BFA Professional Actor Training Program and a native of Cleveland, Ohil.

John Patrick Kelly (Duke, Peter, LaMonte, Harvey) Fresh from the 2003 Fringe Festival and the company of Scalpel. Other New York credits include the critically acclaimed Emma & Company (Griebler), Moon Over Buffalo (Paul), and Twelve Angry Men (Juror #8). Favorite regional roles: Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, Cornelius in Hello, Dolly!, Evelyn in Anything Goes, and the title role in Mister Roberts. John has appeared on As the World Turns and One Life to Live. He studied at American Academy of Dramatic Art, and The School for Film and Television. Special thanks to Billy, Jan & Shannon, Peter, Anne, Karen (this is all her fault), Mom & Dad, and all those who believe, for their love and support.

Laverne Cox (Mrs. Gerald Freedman) holds a BFA in dance from Marymount Manhattan College. She has toured internationally as a dancer and appeared in music videos internationally as a dancer as well. She has appeared in a number of independent films as an actress including "THE KINGS OF BROOKLYN", the 2002 New York International Independent film festival award winner for best drama. She is currently studying with Susan Batson.

Bryan Safi (Johnny Apollo, Fritz, Harold, Gerald Freedman) Bryan, who only allows his name to be written/typed in bold-face, was last seen in Emma Griffen's production of Charles Ludlam's Conquest of the Universe at the Ohio Theatre in the 2003 Ice Factory Festival. He currently has a feature film, The Time We Lost, as an offical entry in the Venice Film Festival. Bryan received his BFA from NYU, where he studied at the Experimental Theatre Wing and the Strasberg Institute. For all his life, Bryan Safi has been learning how to conjugate the verb "to survive".

Boris Kievsky (Arnie) Boris's favorite stage roles include MacDuff in The People's Theater production of Macbeth, Oleg in Tango 'Til They're Sore at the Flea with Flesh and Bone Theater, the title role in Julius Caesar with the Aquila Theatre Company (tour), Prufrock in Out of Fashion at Manhattan Theatre Source, various works in development at Ensemble Theatre, and Andre in Three Sisters at the Ralph Richardson Studios in London. Boris's training includes a BFA from Florida International University and a Post-Grad certificate from Mountview Theatre School (London). Boris also writes and directs, see www.theboris.com for more information.

Christopher Ross (Frou Frou, Lefty, Irwin, Vinny) is happy to be making his La Mama debut. He has been seen hosting "Aspen Today," a local morning show in the Rockies. Theatre credits include: Aspen Theater in the Park (CO), Crystal Palace (CO), Barter Theatre (VA), Cape Fear Theatre (NC), Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC where he won a National Irene Ryan Acting Award.

Joe Preston (Director, and role of Flo Ziegfeld) a native New Yorker, Joe Preston still lives on the same block in the East Village of Manhattan where he was born and raised. He was born into a family of Taxi Dancers, a Saloon owner grandmother named Slugger Ann, and a famous Warhol Superstar, Jackie Curtis. He started working with his cousin and Godfather Jackie Curtis in the late 1970s and continued until Jackie's death in 1985. Laying the foundation of a show business career, he worked as a stage manager, business manager, and advisor to Curtis. When Craig Highberger, a long time friend who documented Jackie's work on film and video decided to make a feature-length documentary "Superstar in a Housedress" about Jackie, Joe's buried interest in the theater began to flourish again. It is with great pride, happiness, and tremendous admiration of his cousin and Godfather, Jackie Curtis, that Joe will bring Jackie's work back to the stage once again for thousands of new fans and generations to enjoy.

 

 


Clayton Dean Smith
plays Nola's sidekick Toulouse.

D'Arcy Drollinger
will star as Nola Noonan, Goddess and Star.

Janine Kyanko
plays the dual roles of Mazie and the Speech Teacher.
Meet the cast of "Glamour, Glory, and Gold: the Life and Legend of Nola Noonan, Goddess and Star" (Scroll down for press release and cast bios)

John Patrick Kelly
will play four male roles: Duke, Peter, LaMonte, and Harvey.

Laverne Cox
plays Mrs. Gerald Freedman.

Bryan Safi
will play four male roles: Johnny Apollo, Fritz, Harold, and Gerald Freedman.

Boris Kievsky
plays Arny.

Director Joe Preston also plays a cameo as Flo Zeigfeld.

Christopher Ross
will play four male roles: Frou Frou, Lefty, Irwin, and Vinny.