ELIZABETH ASKUE was born in Western Canada. She played Cobweb in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at five years old - that was the beginning. She studied elocution and won the highest mark given by her London examiner. Ms. Askue graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and did radio and television work in New York. During World War II she acted with the Canadian troops, married an American doctor in the army and settled in Ulster County. She has performed with most of the Hudson valley theatre groups, including SUNY New Paltz and UUCC, most recently in ZERO HOUR with DnA Productions.

TRISH HAWKINS was a member of the Circle Repertory Company in New York City, where she created leading roles in many of Lanford Wilson&Mac226;s plays, including HOT L BALTIMORE (for which she won a Drama Desk Award), THE MOUND BUILDERS (she also acted in the PBS version of the play, part of the Theatre in America series), and TALLEY’S FOLLY (opposite Judd Hirsch). She repeated her role as Sally in TALLEY’S FOLLY on Broadway, where the play won the Pulitzer prize. At Circle she acted in many other new plays, including the New York premiere of Tennessee Williams&Mac226; BATTLE OF ANGELS. She has also acted at many regional theaters, including the Arena Stage in Washingston, D.C., the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, the Alley Theater in Houston, and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She now lives in Kingston and most recently, in Rhinebeck, she played the role of “Die Alte” in the Cocoon Theatre&Mac226;s production of Tony Kushner’s A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY. Trish taught acting at the University of Iowa for six years, and directed plays there and at the University of Washingston. She has also directed at the Circle Rep Lab in New York City, and has taught acting at Princeton, Marymount, University of Washington, and Fordham. She is a graduate of Harvard College and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, where she studied with Sanford Meisner.

NICOLA SHEARA (Director) has been an actress and director on Broadway, Off Broadway and across the country for over 30 years. Hudson Valley audiences have seen her work as an actress most recently in the Woodstock Fringe production of THE DAYS ARE AS GRASS by Carol Hall and directed by Vivian Matalon; in LOVE LETTERS and COLLECTED STORIES for Performing Arts of Woodstock and as a director of THREEPENNY OPERA at the Bardavon; NUNSENSE at Rhinebeck Performing Arts Center; I HATE HAMLET at Shadowlands, THE GREAT NEBULA IN ORION for the Woodstock Fringe; and for PAW: WENCESLAS SQUARE, NECESSARY TARGETS, and most recently the successful production of PROOF. Nicola directed the production of ALL MY SONS currently at PAW and later this season will direct ART for Rhinebeck Performing Arts Center.