Artist Profile by Jasmine Spiess

I didn't know that it was possible to be truly moved by a 10 minute piece, but such was the case with "Accused" by Peter Wittenberg. Basically, it's a play that discusses a bitter child custody battle through the eyes of the father. And (Britney Spears aside) usually custody is awarded to the mother in these situations.

This man (Perry) is put through the ringer as his wife comes up with these horrific stories so she can win the battle for their daughter. On the stand at trial, his words are twisted by a cutthroat lawyer (played by myself) to paint him as a liar, a drunk and a drug-user.

But it gets worse...MUCH worse. Soon, Perry is accused of molesting his own child by a psychiatrist (also played by myself) who threatens to take his daughter away for good and only allow him to see her again under supervision...

When Perry is about to give up on everything, the words of his daughter empower him and give him the strength to go on, no matter what happens to him in the trial, he knows they can never take the love that he shares with his daughter away.

And from that synopsis, you can tell that it was a very emotional experience on that stage every night. My co-star, Ryan and I would end up crying or just sitting in silence for awhile after our show was done. It hit especially close to home with him because he has a child...

What I really enjoyed about this piece was that I had to play two distinctly different characters over the course of a few pages. It was a welcome challenge, as I had always played "wholesome girl-next-door" characters in the past. Luckily, Phare Play Productions made it a point to break me from that cycle.

The lawyer is a very grounded and confident character that holds herself in a very different way than the psychiatrist. To the lawyer, there's a level of emotional detachment. I feel like it's more fun for the lawyer to rake this poor guy over the coals and make him feel manipulated then it is about the satisfaction of doing what is truly right. To the lawyer, this whole thing is a job.

The most difficult part of playing this role was memorizing the lines. I usually pride myself on having a very quick memory with lines. In this case, it was a bit tricky because of the nature of the scene. The lawyer has to think in such a way that she truly knows where this is going LONG before Perry has a chance to react the way he wants to. She is constantly changing the subject to her advantage and is in COMPLETE control while poor Perry is left to scramble.

The psychiatrist is a different character because of the obvious emotional involvement when she believes a child's life is in danger. She has more nervous ticks when on the phone with Perry and the stakes are definitely higher, as she truly believes his daughter can only be safe with him under supervision.

This character was a bit easier for me to play, as it was more contingent upon Perry's reactions than the first character.

It was a great way to start my long-standing relationship with Phare Play Productions and it was an honor to be a part of their very first show. Since then, I've also been in many other productions with them in various capacities and I encourage any actor who needs to flex their "acting muscles" to come to our next auditions. It is a great playground for many actors to expand beyond their comfort zones and to truly hone their craft and create art.

About Ms. Spiess: Jasmine Spiess is originally from a tiny town in Wisconsin. She came to New York to study acting and primarily musical theatre through The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Upon graduation, Jasmine has been seen regionally in The Sound of Music as Maria Von Trapp (multiple productions), My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle, Camelot as Guenevere (to name her favorites) and many others. She has appeared in a number of original musicals/plays in New York City. Of particular note was her role in What a Piece of Work is Dan, which was part of a reading series at The York Theatre. For Phare Play Productions, she has appeared in Accused, Table for Three, Dark of the Moon, Dead Cat and she assistant directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]. She also serves as on the board at Phare Play Productions as the Director of Creative Development. She volunteers her singing talents with Vocal Ease Inc., a company that brings entertainment to nursing homes and other assisted care facilities throughout the New York area. Jasmine has appeared on Nickelodeon, NY1, The Discovery Channel and in the recent movie, Music and Lyrics. For more information about Jasmine, please visit: www.jasminespiess.com.

Cast Unspoken Arrangements by Patrick Cleary Directed by Kymm Zuckert Maryanne/Lynda/Diane: Tamara Cacchione Neil/Darren/Wayne: Aaron David Kapner Jesus at the Rehab by Carl L. Williams Directed by Christine Vinh Paula: Ria Mae Binaoro Clarice: Betsy Head Max: Brett Maughan Bob: Roland Uruci Jesus: Brandon Yeager Arms by Bekah Brunstetter Directed by Brandon Yeager Sam: Chris Douros Sis: Shelley Virginia Cass: Zarah Kravitz End Scene by Brad Jennings Directed by Wayne Yeager Paulie: Roy Aialon Vinnie: Tim Kondrat Waitress: Eve Armstrong Accused by Peter Wittenberg Directed by Christine Vinh Perry: Ryan Patrick Lawyer/Dr. Turner: Jasmine Spiess Office Work by Patrick Cleary Directed by Kymm Zuckert Rita: Kendall Rileigh Jake: Kevin Kaine Tony: Alexander Kruuse Mettin