72425 Via Vail
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-321-0694
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Life, Love, and the Pursuit by Shelly Chester
March 22 @ 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Written by Shelly Chester and Directed by Don Cilluffo
Maxine Stafford, 67, meets the very successful 55 year-old writer, Ryan Allen Squire. As Maxine attempts to play matchmaker for Ryan, the two develop a very unlikely friendship that changes both of their lives forever.
Shelly Chester
Playright
Shelley has spent her entire life in theatre. Her greatest theatre learning experience came at the age of 16 at the Historic Elitch Theatre in Denver. Early on she decided her desire was not to be the star, but to hone her skills as a character actress. She mastered multiple dialects and created unforgettable characters.
Shelly is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, with majors in playwriting and acting. Upon graduation, she became a member of Denver’s Comedy Connection, an Improv troupe where she performed and wrote sketch comedies. She taught acting at ACT Studio and owned an acting workshop – Actors for Actors.
In 2015 Shelley began to write. And write, and write, and write! Her plays, musicals, and films have three things in common. 1) God is in every play. 2) The lead must be a female over sixty. 3) No one is dying from any age-related illnesses.
She is a multiple award-winning playwright whose credits include the Neil Simon Award-winning play, I LEFT MY DIGNITY IN MY OTHER PURSE. THE MARRIAGE PICKLE: UNTYING THE NOT received the coveted Robert J. Pickering / J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence. Her newest movie, SECRET IN THE TRIANGLE, solves the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle – ET style.
Shelly is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. Writing for women, especially those over 60, is her passion!
Don Cilluffo
Director
“I am so proud to have the opportunity to direct this original drama. It poses a few questions on the definition of what romantic love is, and when it does arrive, can we receive it. Fasten your seatbelts for this rollercoaster ride called love.”
In the years Don has been with S2S2S, he has won many Desert Theatre League awards for his acting and directing. His most recent award was Best Lead Actor in a Staged Reading, for his role as Kevin, in I’m not Rick Springfield. You may have seen him in other fully staged productions including The Miracle Worker, Sugar, The Full Monty, The Mousetrap, The Crucible, Southern Hospitality and Sordid Lives.
Before moving to the desert, Don was very active with the Grosse Pointe Theatre in Michigan for more than
Outside of theater, Don enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and life in the desert with his partner, Tom.