What's Up Doc?...
Here's what some of our members have been doing.

Wendy Elizabeth Abraham is currently seeking to receive my NASD registered representative
license(series 7) by the end of 2004. She has taken a number of classes at HB Studio as well as workshops at TVI. Wendy worked with Aleksy Burago in an Actor/Director class adapting Chekov's short stories into one acts. She continues to host a music video show called "Da Bomb music video show" airing on B-CAT, MMN, Bronx, Staten Island, and Yonkers Cable access chanels. Wendy has worked on a few industrials and has done some extra work on One Life to Live. She has two straight to video movie releases of "Burn" director Bobby Yan, and "Endz" Director Cutris J. Scholtz.

Liz Blocker performed as Mother Hen in the Blank Collective and newFangled Theatre's production of "Up On A-Farm", a site-specific-performative-puppet-video-Orwellian adaptation of "Animal Farm". She is currently knee-deep in research and development for a new full-length play.

Julie Christeas has become a member of the Actors Alliance where she studies acting for the mediums of television and film. Cry Funny Happy, a Sundance Film Julie was a part of 2 years ago, has been featured around the country and made its NY debut on December 9, 2004. She was also a part of a two-person show called "Border" at the HERE Arts Center in NY where she played an Israeli border guard. Julie is also thrilled to be working again with PTTP on their second original show.

Cynthia Croot our fearless director was in Syria as a cultural delegate when this newsletter was created. We look forward to her return.

Rachel diCerbo recently assisted co-founding member Dani Snyder by providing part of the text for her original theater piece about New Yorkers' reactions to the Republican National Convention. In addition she is currently preparing for the United Professional Theatre Auditions, one of the largest combined professional auditions in the country. She is also currently in the early stages of a written piece centered around the Times Square subway station. Politically, she remains active in various womenís rights and anti-war groups.

Nicole duFresne performed in the two-person play "The In-Loves" at the Samuel French Festival in July. In August she was one of 12 students at the LAByrinth Theater Master Class with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, David Deblinger, and Scott Hudson among others. In November she co-starred in "Ashes" a two-woman show about sibling rivalry and love (a review can be seen here http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=1553). She is currently researching and writing several pieces out of her small apartment in Greenpoint. Nicole had the true pleasure of finally going on vacation to Puerto Rico in August - she really misses the beach. www.nicoledufresne.com

Annie Henk recently screened "Quejios", which showcased her first leading role in an independent film by Krush Productions. Sheís currently on a break from her consulting work with PACT Training, a company that hires actors for diversity & management training. Annie was also invited this month by the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau to participate in a Domestic Violence Training, following a training done earlier this year. She recently participated in a panel discussion at the City Councilís office through Council Member Hiram Monserrateís office regarding Coca Colaís labor issues in Colombia and other foreign countries. On December 1st, she successfully launched the premier issue of SomosPadres/We Are Parents. SomosPadres is a bilingual, bimonthly parenting publication offered free to the Latino community in NYC.

Emily Lefren-Brown made her big-screen debut this November in the premiere of "Nothing Like Dreaming", directed and produced by Vermont filmmaker Nora Jacobson. In addition she can be seen this winter as a rock star microbe in "The Extremes: A Microbe Musical", written and directed by Marcos Stafne, at the New York Hall of Science. She continues to work on raising funds for PresentTense and can be contacted at Emily@pttp.net for any questions/suggestions regarding our upcoming events, or to inquire about donating fundraiser space or auction/raffle items.

Charles Linshaw has been very busy since the last newsletter appeared. In the spring he performed in a short play produced by the Nora Theatre in Boston. Over the summer, he completed two books of poetry and collaborated with a friend to write a children's book all of which are in the process of being submitted to editors, contests, etc. He also worked for PBS again. This time -- a two-day shoot for the "American Experience" series. Charles just completed his first semester as an MFA Candidate in Acting at the Columbia University School of the Arts where he is training under Kristin Linklater, Andrei Serban, Niky Wolcz, and Anne Bogart.

Nicholas Seeley is doing his best to continue working on the next Present Tense project in absentia. This October he moved from New York, where he was writing theater reviews for offoffonline.com, to Amman, Jordan, to pursue a career in journalism. He is currently working as an editor and columnist for eye magazine, a new English-language society and culture magazine in Amman. He also writes an online column that can be read more-or-less weekly at www.procrastinet.com. At the moment, Nick is directing a production of Wallace Shawn's "The Fever", starring fellow former-New Yorker and editor of Islamica Magazine, Jibril Hambel. And he's still working on that screenplay.

Patrick Zeller played the role of Hal this summer in Syracuse, NY in The Redhouse Theatre's inaugural production of "Proof". This fall he found himself back in Boston, MA playing John in Richard Greenberg's "The Violet Hour" with the Stoneham Theatre Company. He recently signed with Penny Luedtke at the Luedtke Agency and he's featured this November in PBS' "They Made America" as part of their American Experience series. "End of the Spear", previously "Walk His Trail", starring Chad Allen and Louie Leonardo, is due out in theatres next Spring. Patrick Zeller just booked a role in "The Last Schwartz", a new play by Deborah Zoe Laufer running this February through April at the Florida Studio Theatre.

All of this innovative theater doesn't grow on trees (if only!) we need your support throughout our process. We know 18 months is a long time, but the results are worth it. Any donation in any amount is welcome and if you send a check to our executive director Jodi Beznoska it's tax deductible! Or you can make a quick donation online at http://www.pttp.net/sponsors.aspx. We appreciate your help and passion to keep original, moving and important theater alive.

Checks can be made out to be made out to The Field then sent to:

Jodi Beznoska, Executive Producer
Present Tense Theater Project
1341 South Street, Apt. 11
Madison, WI 53715

We would like to thank all of our generous donors and sponsors who have continually supported us. You can find a list of these wonderful people at www.pttp.net

PTTP is a contracted artist of The Field. The Field is a not for Profit, tax-exempt, 501c(3) organization serving the New York City performing arts community. Contributions made to The Field and earmarked for the Present Tense Theater Project are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information about The Field contact: The Field, 161 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10013, (212) 691-6969, fax: (212) 255-2053, www.thefield.org, email: info@thefield.org. A copy of the The Fieldís latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from The Field or from the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.