Testa, Mary 1955-

views updated

Testa, Mary 1955-

PERSONAL

Born June 4, 1955, in Philadelphia, PA; raised in North Providence, RI. Education: University of Rhode Island, majored in theatre; also attended the Governors School for the Young and Gifted in the Arts.

Addresses:

Agent—The Gage Group, 14724 Ventura Blvd., Suite 505, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

Career:

Actress and singer. Performed as solo vocalist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Philly Pops, and Pittsburgh Symphony.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association.

Awards, Honors:

Obie Award, performance, Village Voice, 1998, for From Above; Obie Award, performance, 1998, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best featured actress in a musical, 1999, and Friends of New York Theatre Award nomination, all for On the Town; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best featured actress in a musical, and Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, both 2001, for 42nd Street; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actress in a musical, 2004, for First Lady Suite; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actress in a play, 2005, for String of Pearls; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actress in a musical, 2006, for See What I Wanna See.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Member of the Greek chorus, Antigone, University of Rhode Island, c. 1975.

Scrambled Eggs (musical), c. 1975.

Woman, Fog and Mismanagement, University of Rhode Island, 1975.

Neighborhood woman, The Rose Tattoo, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, c. 1977.

Miss Goldberg, In Trousers (musical), Playwrights Horizons Theatre, New York City, 1979.

Preshow entertainer and understudies for the role of Joice Heth and member of swing ensemble, Barnum (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, 1980-82.

Dottie, Hedda Hopper, and member of the ensemble, Marilyn: An American Fable (musical; also known as Marilyn), Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Angel, The Rink (musical), Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Patty Ann, Daughters, Westside Theatre (Upstairs), New York City, 1986.

Sally, The Knife (musical), New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Estelle R. Newman Theater, New York City, 1987.

Subway orator, cousin Elizabeth, and Shalamis, "Tiny Mommy," Young Playwrights Festival, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 1987.

Taradee, One, Two, Three, Four, Five (musical; also known as History Loves Company), workshop production at Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1987 and 1988-89.

Rita Laporta, "Lucky Stiff" (musical), Musicals in Mufti, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 1988.

Mrs. Dewey, "Finnegan's," and Mona, "Peter Breaks Through," Young Playwrights Festival, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 1989.

Rocky and Diego, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Zellerbach Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1989.

Gladys, "Secrets," Young Playwrights Festival, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 1991.

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (musical), Circle in the Square, New York City, 1992-93.

Zerbinette, Scapin, Classic Stage Company, East Thirteenth Street Theatre, New York City, 1993, then Yale Repertory Company, New Haven, CT.

Sophie Stendhal, C'mon and Hear: Irving Berlin's America, McCarter Center for the Performing Arts, Princeton, NJ, 1994.

Domina, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (musical), St. James Theatre, 1996-98.

Little old lady, Madame Maude P. Dilly, and others, On the Town (musical), New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, 1997, Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1998-99.

Lisa, A New Brain (musical), Lincoln Center, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City, 1998.

Roz, From Above, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 1998.

Dorine, Tartuffe, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, New York City, 1999.

"Ziegfeld Follies of 1936" (musical), City Center Encores! (also known as Encores! and Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1999.

Magdalena, Marie Christine (musical), Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1999-2000.

Prostitute, Fanny Hackabout Jones (musical; workshop performance), Manhattan Theatre Club, 2000.

Voice, Boys Don't Wear Lipstick, Players Theatre, New York City, 2000.

Angie, The Wax, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, 2000-2001.

Maggie Jones, 42nd Street (musical), Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York City, beginning 2001.

Something Good (tribute concert), Gershwin Theatre, 2002.

Sweet Appreciation: Rusty Magee Live at the West Bank Cafe (also known as Sweet Appreciation), West Bank Cafe, New York City, 2002.

Woman, F2F (staged reading), Irish Arts Center, New York City, 2003.

Lorena "Hick" Hickock, First Lady Suite (musical), Connelly Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Second woman, String of Pearls, Primary Stages, 59 East Fifty-Ninth Street Theatre A, New York City, 2004.

Red (workshop), c. 2005.

Maria, Lend Me a Tenor, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ, 2005.

Matron, Chicago (musical), Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 2005.

The medium and Aunt Monica, See What I Wanna See (musical), Joseph Papp Public Theater, Anspacher Theater, New York City, 2005.

Doll (reading of musical), Sundance Theatre Lab at White Oaks, Yulee, FL, 2005.

"Hands across the Sea," New York Festival of Song (concert series), Kaufman Center, Merkin Concert Hall, New York City, 2005.

Jam & Spice: The Music of Kurt Weill (revue), Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, 2006.

Myra Kesselman, Regrets Only, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, 2006-2007.

Host, Gypsy of the Year Competition (fund-raiser), New Amsterdam Theatre, New York City, 2007.

Bound for Broadway VIII (concert; also known as Bound for Broadway), Kaufman Center Broadway Close Up series, TimesCenter, New York City, 2007.

"We Open in Paris," New York Festival of Song (concert series), Carnegie Hall, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Recital Hall, New York City, 2007.

Melpomene and Medusa, Xanadu (musical), Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, beginning 2007, also in a reading and workshops of Xanadu.

Splinetta von Furstenburg Spider, CPNY (reading of musical; also known as CPNY the Musical), Laurie Beechman Theatre, West Bank Cafe, New York City, 2008.

"Harry, Hoagy & Harold," New York Festival of Song (concert series), Carnegie Hall, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Recital Hall, 2008.

Appeared as Marta, Company (musical), Playwrights Horizons; and as Roz, Grease! (musical), Broadway production. Appeared in other productions, including A Christmas Carol, McCarter Theatre; The Vagina Monologues, Westside Theatre (Downstairs), New York City; in a reading of the musical Bingo; and in concert and benefit performances.

Cabaret Appearances:

Singing telegram lady, Life Is Not a Doris Day Movie, Top of the Gate, New York City, 1982.

Infinite Joy: The Songs of William Finn (also known as Infinite Joy), Public Theater, Joe's Pub, New York City, 2000.

Jamie deRoy & Friends, Laurie Beechman Theatre, West Bank Cafe, New York City, 2000.

Lyrics & Lyricists, Theatre at the 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2000.

The Songs of Barry Kleinbort, Laurie Beechman Theatre, West Bank Cafe, 2000.

The Songs of Michael John LaChiusa, Public Theater, Joe's Pub, 2000.

The Last Lousy Moments of Love: The Songs of Bolcum & Weinstein, Public Theater, Joe's Pub, 2001.

A Work in Progress (solo show; also known as Sleepless Variations), Public Theater, Joe's Pub, 2006.

Film Appearances:

Teller, Going in Style, Warner Bros., 1979.

Joanne, Stanley & Iris (also known as Letters and Union Street), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1990.

Homemaker, Two Bits (also known as A Day to Remember), Miramax, 1995.

Nun, Sleepers (also known as Kardes gibiydiler, Katuvarpuset, La correction, Los hijos de la calle, Pokoli lecke, Sentimento de revolta, and Sleepers—A vinganca adormecida), Warner Bros., 1996.

Queens of the Big Time (documentary), 1996.

Dominatrix, The Out-of-Towners, Paramount, 1999.

Receptionist, The Business of Strangers, IFC Films/i5 Films, 2001.

Herself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age, and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003.

Herself, Listen to Her Heart: The Life and Music of Laurie Beechman (documentary), 2003.

Sister Clare, Tony N' Tina's Wedding, 2004, Emerging Pictures, 2007.

First waitress, Stay, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2005.

Casting director, Goodbye Baby, Gigantic Pictures/Renart Films, 2007.

Herself, Broadway: The Next Generation (documentary), Second Act Productions, 2009.

Television Appearances; Series:

Voice of Shirley the medium, Courage the Cowardly Dog (animated), Cartoon Network, 1999-2002.

Phyllis, One Life to Live (also known as Between Heaven and Hell and One Life to Live: The Summer of Seduction), ABC, 2000.

Sophia, Whoopi, NBC, 2003-2004.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Jennie Coles, At Mother's Request, CBS, 1987.

Roseanne, Witness to the Mob, NBC, 1998.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Officer Carmen Guzman, "Kojak: Fatal Flaw," The ABC Saturday Mystery Movie, ABC, 1989.

Celia Sanchez, Cagney & Lacey: The Return, CBS, 1994.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Maggie Jones, The Lullaby of Broadway: Opening Night on 42nd Street, PBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Sonya, Our Group, Lifetime, c. 1987.

Waitress, "21 Candles," A Different World, NBC, 1990.

Dilbeck, "Asylum," Law & Order (also known as Law & Order Prime), NBC, 1991.

Mrs. Clark, "Kids Eat the Darndest Things," Cosby, CBS, 2000.

Debbie Cass (a cabaret singer), "Critical Condition," Sex and the City (also known as Sex & the City, Sex and the Big City, O sexo e a cidade, Seks i grad, Sex og singelliv, Sexo en la ciudad, Sexo en Nueva York, Sinkkuelaemaeae, and Szex es New York), HBO, 2002.

"A Richard Rodgers Tribute: Rodgers & Hammerstein" (also known as "Richard Rodgers" and "A Richard Rodgers Tribute"), Evening at Pops, PBS, 2002.

"Breakup," Conviction (also known as Young Prosecutors), NBC, 2006.

Wendy the editor, "The Deciders," Cashmere Mafia, ABC, 2008.

Wendy the editor, "Dog Eat Dog," Cashmere Mafia, ABC, 2008.

Some sources cite an appearance as Joleen Lumiere in the series As the World Turns, CBS.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Janey, True Blue (also known as Truck One), NBC, 1989.

Voice of mother, Nikki, Cartoon Network, 2000.

Receptionist, Carnival Knowledge (also known as The Gray Area), CBS, 2002.

Mary the sock lady, "Welcome to Littleburg," Whoopi's "Littleburg" (also known as Littleburg), Nickelodeon, 2004.

Internet Appearances; Episodic:

"Episode 17: April 18, 2006 ‘Moving Right Along’ (the Women's Version)," The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook, http://www.jeffblumenkrantz.com/podcast.html, 2006.