The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present “Miss Margarida’s Way” live on stage at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8.
“Miss Margarida’s Way” — starring Becky London and directed by Jay Goldenberg — is a presentation of the film festival’s new Sedona Professional Theatre Company.
The play premiered on Broadway in 1977 and is still as funny, outrageous and relevant today. “Miss Margarida’s Way” garnered a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Estelle Parsons. The play won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
“Miss Margarida’s Way” is a satirical play written by Roberto Athayde. The play is set in what looks like a school classroom — where you are part of the drama and the fun!
Audiences and critics in over 50 countries have cheered this allegory about totalitarianism. The teacher is dictator, and the audience is the student body.
Welcome to Miss Margarida’s classroom. It is the first day of the academic year. Miss Margarida has a lot to teach you this year and it will be taught Miss Margarida’s way. She will be loving and tough. You will absolutely not be taught about sex education because you are too young. You will have a lunch break if Miss Margarida says you may and leave at the end of the day or spend all night writing her name hundreds of times. Sit back and go for the ride.
Becky London (Miss Margarida)
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Becky has been acting, mostly in comedy, with great joy and abandon for years. Her work has ranged from the hilarious Off-Broadway “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” to the sobering film “United 93”. Becky London has worked on Broadway in “Marlene,” at Lincoln Center in “Ubu,” and frequently Off-Broadway, including “Isn’t It Romantic” at the Lucille Lortel Theater, “Othello” with Theater for a New Audience at CSC, “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” at American Jewish Theater and “The Charity That Began At Home” at the Mint. As a member of Charles Busch’s Off-Broadway Theater-in-Limbo Company, she appeared in “Psycho Beach Party” and “Shanghai Moon”.
Television credits include all of the "Law & Orders," “Daredevil Reborn,”“Inside Amy Schumer,” "Blue Bloods," “Conviction,” “Quantum Leap,” and “The Equalizer.” Film work includes "Changing Lanes," “Nasty Baby,” "El Camino," and “A Very Serious Person.” Becky was a founding member of UNYYC, the Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret, where she directed "Separating the Men from the Bulls," and adapted and starred in "Wendy's Words," a tribute to the late Wendy Wasserstein.
Masen Dorfman (student)
Masen Dorfman just completed his sophomore year in high school, with two years in the theatre program taught by James Ball. He took an interest in theatre in eighth grade. He has been in two one act plays at Mingus Union High School, those being “Ten Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse” and, more recently, “Princess Party Smackdown.” Masen enjoyed working with Jay Goldenberg and Becky London in his first major production.
Jay Goldenberg (Director)
Jay Goldenberg has worked as an actor, director, acting teacher and coach in New York, Los Angeles and on various locations. He has coached actors Salma Hayek, Cybill Shepherd, Michael Chiklis, Jared Leto, Ione Skye, Estelle Getty, Trevor St. John, Shelley Hennig and others. Working in theater, film and television has given Goldenberg the opportunity to learn and grow through many opportunities and experiences. In the past few years he has additionally enjoyed the position of Director of Education at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
Goldenberg has a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from NYU School of the Arts. He has studied with Olympia Dukakis, Harold Guskin, Ron Van Lieu, and Roy London among others.
“Miss Margarida’s Way” is generously sponsored by Renee and Doug Leuthold and Chuck Marr.