Erin Shaughnessy in Veronica’s Room

From the author of “Rosemary’s Baby” comes a thrilling play of twists and turns called “Veronica’s Room” which will be performed for a limited engagement this October 16, 17 and 18^th in Thomaston at the Thomaston Arts Center Stage.  A cast of four creates the spell binding world of the Brabissant mansion where this chilling mystery thriller explores where the “lines between fantasy and reality blur”. Co-directed by Colleen Renzullo and Ingrid Smith, Veronica’s Room is the perfect pre-Halloween experience for the adult theater goer.

The production of “Veronica’s Room” came about due to the formation of a new script reading group based in northwest Connecticut called “Script Tease”. Using the tool of facebook to organize, members of the northwest Connecticut local community scene gathered to form “Script Tease” in May of this year. Colleen Renzullo described it as a “group is a casual “come if you’re available” script reading group” and their first script reading was the play “Vonya, Sonia, Masha and Spike”. The second script reading was “Veronica’s Room” and the group found the play so engrossing and engaging that members Smith and Renzullo decided to produce and direct the play so that a northwest Connecticut audience could experience it.

The play was selected by Ingrid Smith who had worked in a production of it previously and loved the intricacy of the script. Smith has acted most recently in the Vagina Monologues in Manchester and as Truvy in “Steel Magnolias” for the Goshen Players. When Smith found she had the opportunity to work with co-director Colleen Renzullo, she jumped at the chance.

Colleen Renzullo most recently performed as Rose in AVOW in the Nancy Marine Theater in the spring and was directed by Lucia in Cemetery Club in the summer of 2014. Renzullo directed Goshen’s 2014 spring production of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and in addition to Veronica’s Room is Co-directing GodSpell, Jr. at the Litchfield Middle School for a November performance.

Veronica’s Room stars Erin Shaughnessy as a young woman who arrives at the Brabissant Mansion. Shaughnessy recently played Mandy in “Time Stand Still” at Theatreworks in New Milford and earlier in the year, she portrayed Emily in “Dividing the Estate” at the Sherman Playhouse. Currently she is working on a TV show in NYC called 10th Ave about the Irish mob in Hell’s Kitchen that is set to air this spring. Shaughnessy was thrilled to be working with cast member Lucia Dressel because Dressel was her high school drama teacher. “Having Lucia as my teacher is part of the reason why I continued to act after high school,” says Shaughnessy. “I doubt I’d be the actress I am today without her.”

In the production, Lucia Dressel’s character is already at the mansion. Dressel is an accomplished director herself, most recently directing the acclaimed “Master Class” for the Phoenix Stage Company and “Arsenic and Old Lace” for the Landmark Community Theatre. Dressel also performed in Landmark’s “South Pacific” and most recently for the Warner in “Ragtime”.

Ryan Wantroba has worked with Dressel before for he starred in her production of Arsenic and Old Lace as “Mortimer Brewster”. Wantroba can be found performing for the “Hole in the Wall” theater in New Britain and was most recently in the production of “Enron” for that group.

Wes Baldwin has created sets for nearly every stage company in the area and helped create the set for Veronica’s Room in addition to being one of the four cast members. Baldwin has a long history with co-director Colleen Renzullo going as far back as 1991 and most recently he worked the lights for her 2 years ago when she directed “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” for the Goshen Players.

Showing October 16, 17 at 8pm and October 18 at 2pm in the Arts Center Theatre of Thomaston Opera House, this intimate theater experience will leave you spellbound.

Tickets are $24 for Adults, $20 for Seniors & Students

Tickets available online online:
https://tickets.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org/TheatreManager/1/login&event=384
Contact our Box Office, 158 Main Street, Thomaston
Monday – Friday 1pm-6pm & Saturdays 1pm-4pm or call us (860) 283-6250