It is the night before the Festival of Beltane, bonfires blaze as the
otherworldly cast is close at hand, druids march to protect the living fires by way of their mystical chants. Jen and Johnny, the star-crossed lovers, attempt to flee from her father’s henchmen, but are caught and hanged. The Eve of Beltane then jumps centuries into the present, where our long lost lovers meet again as students at Notre Dame. This time Jenny proudly returns home with Johnny to her father’s blessing but Derry O’Leary, now a prominent politician in modern day Dublin, still refuses to allow his daughter to marry beneath her social class. This time, however, Dr. Kelson O’Leary, a transmigrated Merlin becomes their advocate and thus aligns the stars in their favor, allowing Derry to see the fire of love that burns beyond all worldly limitation. Part 1
Eve Of Beltane Cast:
Nellie O’Brien as Jenny O’Leary
Nellie O’Brien - has performed in many national and local venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, The Westchester Broadway Theatre, Tarrytown Music Hall, The Emelin Theatre, White Plains Center for the Performing Arts, Salt City Center and The Performing Arts Foundation. She has TV, radio, voiceovers, comedy improv and cabaret to her credit and was a recipient of the Irene Ryan Award for Excellence in Acting. A former TV and Radio anchor, producer and correspondent, she is the president of Compelle! Communications, a company specializing in media training, presentation skills, spokeswork and message development. .
Richard Mazda as Johnny Aiden Miller
Richard Mazda is a writer, director, producer, actor, singer and musician. Born in the UK and now residing in NYC. Mazda received an award American Society of Composers, Authors and Producers (ASCAP) award for the Billboard R&B hit, “How Long.” Film Mazda appeared in major films, including Harry Potter and Philospher’s Stone, Saving Private Ryan, Love Actually, and Batman Begins as well as TV shows like BBC’s Eastenders and the ITV prison drama Bad Girls. London stage includes Canterbury in Edward II, Polonius in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Jimmy in Home James. In early 2005 he founded The Queens Players, an acting troupe that would go on to produce over 40 main-stage productions such as Macbeth, Cyrano De Bergerac, Edward II, As You Like It, Othello, The Importance of Being Earnest as well as original plays by Mazda, including All The Wild Horses, Pirate Pete, Touch of Death, and The Poacher’s Game. In 2007 Mazda founded the Secret Theatre, a 50-seat black box performance space in Long Island City, Queens. Two years later he expanded it to include a second 99-seat house. Currently, the Secret Theatre complex houses three performance rehearsal spaces and one studio/rehearsal space. The Secret Theatre and The Queens Players have become fixtures in the arts scene in Queens. Recent directing credits include a sold out run of Hair, Much Ado About Nothing. Mazda received praise for playing Richard in Richard III for the Queens Players. As a writer Mazda is the author of Pirate Pete’s Parrot and Princess Particular which are the longest running children’s shows in Queens with 72 and 56 consecutive dates respectively with no sign of the shows popularity fading.
Mary Ellen Ashley as Dinah O’Leary
MaryEllen has performed since she was 4 years old in all areas of the performing arts which includes all the early radio soap operas and half hour dramas. She was in the original Annie Get Your Gun as the little Oakley sisters opposite Ethel Merman along with 5 other musicals by the time she was a teenager.She had her own children's half hour TV show on ABC network-The Tootsie Hippodrome as Judy Ann the Tootsie Roll Sweatheart-sponsored by yes of course Tootsie Roll Candies. Later on she was seen in triple rolls in Yentle On Broadway, multiple 42nd Sts, MAma Rose in Gypsy, Mame, 13 different productions of Hello Dolly as Dolly and Mrs...
