A movement excerpt from Christine Stoddard’s play “Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares”, conceived by movement director Fiamma Piacentini for the playwright-directed Gene Frankel Theater, will be performed at Chashama Fest 2022 in Pine Plains, New York on October 1st.

Performers will include Christine Stoddard (“Ancestor”), Amanda Andrews (“Jaguar”), Nicole Pascaretta (“Owl”) and Fiamma Piacentini (“Cactus”). Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Maya, a young Salvadoran-American woman, navigates trauma and family mythology through magic and folklore as she grows up in Phoenix, Arizona. Her story explores mother-daughter relationships, mixed-race identity, being the first-generation child of an immigrant, growing up without a father, and fantasy as a coping mechanism, while showcasing movement and dancing. And there are owls, jaguars and cacti-oh, my!

Christine Stoddard (“Ancestor”): Christine Stoddard is a Salvadoran American writer, actress, director, and artist creating books, films, plays, paintings, and more. film Sirena’s Gallery and author of the books Heaven is a Photograph, Desert Fox by the Sea and Water for the Cactus Woman, among others. She regularly writes, directs, performs and produces shows at the Broadway Comedy Club and the Greenwich Village Comedy Club. As an undergraduate, she created Quail Bell Magazine and founded Quail Bell Press & Productions, which she runs today.

Fiamma Piacentini (“Cactus”) is a New York-based actress, movement artist, director, and photographer from Mexico City, Mexico. Her most recent theater project was Christine Stoddard’s My Abuela Queen of Nightmares at the Gene Frankel Theater, where she played the role of “Abuela” and also served as a motion director. She also directed, produced and starred in las:sitas: An Exploration of the Divine Feminine Movement at the Fringe NYC Festival. Other NYC theater credits include The House of Bernarda Alba, By Wing, Hoof or Foot, Macbeth, Miss Witherspoon, Through the Looking Glass, Andromache, and The Insanity of Mary Girard. She has also worked on various independent film projects.

Amanda Andrews (“Jaguar”) is an actress, singer, and writer who particularly enjoys bringing new work to life. Over the past year Amanda has had the great joy of starring in 5 of Christine Stoddard’s original plays including Cyber ​​Cinderella, Forget Fairytales, Hashtag Mountain Girl, Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares and My Favorite Sex Toy. In addition to performing in a variety of plays, films, musicals, cabarets and workshops, Amanda has also performed in 3 plays she has written and produced: 2 Health Rock & Roll Plays mental: “Brilliant, But Off..”, and “All is well!”, and a short film: “…But A Dream”. In addition to creative endeavors, Amanda likes to fill her days with yoga, dogs, long walks, good friends, and adventures. More at www.AmandaAndrews.net @amandrews31

Nicole Pascaretta (“Owl”) is a New York-based actress/singer/dancer/musical improviser/comedian originally from Detroit, MI. Her most recent choreography credits include The Detroit Musical and Greece – A Musical Parody. Nicole and her comedy partner, Julia Schroeder, will headline the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival with their original two-woman show, The Parent Trap: Lord of the Twins Trilogy, a theatrical reimagining of The Parent Trap (1998 version ) with a Lord of the Rings twist. Follow @parenttraptrilogy on Instagram for screenings in New York. When not in the Shire, she can be found performing musicals and sketches with her duo, Bring Your Own Bob. She would like to thank the cast and crew of Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares for this opportunity and her first dance teacher, Sherry Lisjak, for sparking her passion for dance and changing her life.