BOOK FAIR
An Improvised Drama
An incident at a small town school galvanizes a community into fighting for the well-being of a teen girl whose mother wrestles with mental illness.
Early in the pandemic, five actors set out to create something out of the isolating chaos. And BOOK FAIR is the result.
In discussions about the positives and negatives of the TIME we found ourselves in, we were often overwhelmed by the world around us that seemed obsessed with placing blame, dividing everyone into heroes and villains, and ignoring the mental health crisis mass isolation was inflicting.
To cope with this overwhelm, we began meeting on a weekly basis to improvise scenes around the theme of "addiction." Our goal was to create a story that had no heroes or villains and instead explored the difficulties real people face when they are all just trying to do their best to get by.
This exploration culminated in the two day, two camera, fully improvised piece that is BOOK FAIR.
DIRECTED BY
Steven LaMorte
Steven LaMorte is an award-winning Director and Producer of music videos, branded content, and feature films based in Los Angeles.
Steven has worked with top brands such as Sony, Apple, WWE and Miss World America, bringing his signature visual aesthetic and post production wizardry to each project. Steven’s mission is to tell unique stories, and to empower other artists to do the same.
CAST
Bethany Kay
Bethany got her wit from thirteen years of Catholic school, her smirk from her Jersey family, and her curves from a very healthy love of her mom's tortellini with lemon cream sauce.
When she's not working on shows like Boardwalk Empire, Difficult People, Gotham, and Dietland, she is probably creating some devised theatre and clowning projects with friends or lending her business sense to any number of coaching clients she helps to make sense of this show business life: current clients have appeared on Broadway and in regional houses as well as Films and TV shows such as Blue Bloods, FBI, Law & Order, and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.
Recent Acting Credits: I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (Dir. Derek Cianfrance), MURDERVILLE (InstaMiniseries), Upcoming: PUDDYSTICKS (opp. Dan Bakkedahl), THE LIST (Universal opp. Clark Backo), BOOK FAIR (with TandemVision)
Jayme Woj
Jayme is an actor, independent filmmaker, and fight choreographer. At times he also sings while covered in body paint as his musical alter ego, maybesoon. Acting credits include Gravesend (Amazon), Heartbeat (NBC), Underemployed (MTV), The cult horror film, "The Diabolical," and Hamlet at The Globe Theatre.
As a filmmaker, Jayme has self-produced multiple award-winning independent films and mini-series. He also loves helping and encouraging other actors to self-produce their own projects. "Self-producing is one of the best tools actors have to empower themselves and their careers."
Jayme currently serves as a master instructor and fight coordinator for the Academy of Theatrical Combat. With more than 15 years of experience in swordplay, Aikido, Arnis, and hand-to-hand combat for the screen, his work as an action actor and fight designer includes credits on multiple Star Wars and Disney projects, Netflix’s Fuller House, The Globe’s Hamlet, and more.
Amanda Turen
Amanda is an actor, voice over artist, singer and banjo player in New York City. Her credits include numerous cartoons on several networks, commercials (on camera and VO), independent films and an upcoming Netflix appearance. Her favorite credit is the voice of pop star Chiko in Funimation’s “Dropout Idol Fruit Tart,” which allowed her to live out her dream of playing a fabulous anime girl.
In addition to her work in American media, Amanda has also performed internationally; her work has taken her to Toronto, the Atacama Desert in Chile, and even Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, where she performed live with Japanese pop group Nogizaka46. Having learned Japanese as a foreign exchange student in rural Okayama, that last gig is especially meaningful to her.
If you want to learn more about Amanda, visit www.amandaturen.com
Joshua Schubart
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Joshua Schubart has been working as a professional actor for over a decade. Joshua has been seen in projects ranging from indie films to walking the boards at the Metropolitan Opera. Some of his recent work includes a recurring role in the Amazon series The Tick, and appearances in Seven Seconds (Netflix) and High Maintenance (HBO). His voice can also be heard on a long list of audiobooks available on Amazon Audible, including Blue Summer, Lorelei and Blaze of Ecstasy. In addition to acting, Joshua is a highly skilled stunt man/stage combatant, and co-founder of the production company 2 Ladies & A Giant.
Joshua had a tough childhood, growing up homeless and in the foster care system. At 14, his foster parents put him in Catholic school, and his life took a turn for the better. He discovered acting in his early teens, as an escape from his day-to-day challenges. He would often say that acting literally saved his life, giving him the drive and motivation to make his dreams come true.
Joshua hopes his work in front and behind the camera will open doors for larger people in the industry, break the stereotypes, and prove that they are more than just the funny or bad guys.
Claire Ganshert
Claire is an actor, writer, producer, and teaching artist. Acting credits include Broad City (Comedy Central), Benji the Dove (Fulton Street Productions), Look at You (Sebastian Mlynarski), and the origination of the lead role in play, Among the Furies (New York Theater Festival, New York Fringe Festival), winning the award for Best Actress.
As a writer, Claire co-wrote and starred in a new Eden Marryshow Project. She has also had the pleasure of self-producing the works of Edward Allan Baker in New York's downtown theatre scene, raising money for charity, The Changing Room 11 which is dedicated to helping survivors of abuse and violence.
Other theater credits include 'Mrs. K' which premiered at the 6th Annual C:10 Play Festival (The Collective NY), 'Nadine' in The Righter (Manhattan Repertory Theater), 'Bethany' in Can Cause Death (VOICE Theater NYC), and 'Bianca' in Othello (Open Spaces Theatre Company).
Ganshert trained at Maggie Flanigan Studio and Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City, and received her BA in Theatre Performance from University of Wisconsin.