Thanks to the many supporters who contributed to the 29-Hour Reading of The Fencers in June, 2019, at Art House Productions and JCTC at Merseles Studios in Jersey City:
Connie Alexis-Laona, Art House Productions, Debbie Bernstein, Donna Coallier, Carol Dannhauser, Paul Desjardins, Ellen Foos, Fractured Atlas, Jersey City Theatre Center, Geraldine Leer, Kendall Messick, Bonnie Monte, James Neale, Roisin O’Toole, Paulina Rieloff, Karlyn Volk, Catherine Weingarten, Paul Zamoyta, and John Zoubek.
The Plot:
In the play, 50-year-old Maddie Perez makes the controversial decision to surrender custody of her critically ill son to his dead-beat dad, so she can train and compete for a spot on the U.S. “Veteran” (50+) Women’s Epee Team. Her friends’ disapproval isn’t her only challenge: in order to qualify for the team, she must defeat a virtually unbeatable competitor.
The Fencers is more than an action-packed story of rival athletes with a lot of stage fighting. It’s an exploration of the legitimacy of the goals and dreams of middle-aged women, and the added obstacles they encounter in trying to achieve them. It’s a tale of acceptance, perseverance, teamwork, and being true to yourself.
The Cast:
Turron Kofi Alleyne as Damion, the suave fencing coach
Matthew Higgins as spunky 11-year-old Petie, suffering from ulcerative colitis
Cheryl Katz, director
Thanks, everybody, for helping me take this intense, exciting, and humorous play about Veteran Women Epeeists to the next level!
Ruth Apolonia Zamoyta 