Slayer Players Perform Favorite TV Holiday Classics

(Glen Cove, New York) They say you can’t go home again, but the Slayer Players Theatre Company begs to differ. To transport audience members back to a simpler place and time, the local community theater group will be performing two holiday TV classics from the Golden Age of Television in December at the View Grill in Glen Cove. Titled Classic TV Live! Home for the Holidays, the four-show run includes dinner theater performances at 7:00 pm on December 14^th, 20^th and 21^st and a brunch theater performance at 1:00 pm on December 15^th.

On December 24, 1955, one of 39 episodes of Jackie Gleason’s The Honeymooners TV series aired on CBS. Written by Marvin Max and Walter Stone, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” is a show that is still a staple of Christmas Eve TV viewing to this day. However, only a select few were able to experience the performance live when it was filmed at the DuMont Television Network’s Adelphi Theater in Manhattan. The Slayer Players’ will try to recreate this experience when they perform this classic as part of their two-show presentation at the View Grill. “Our goal is to emulate every move of the talented actors and actresses that made up the cast of this show,” explains Fred DiMenna, the group’s business manager who created the home-for-the-holidays concept and is co-directing the two shows along with Kevin Horton. “We are also building an authentic set which includes icebox, stove and sink. And since this was filmed live, we’re making sure that we recognize all of the bloopers and improvisation that are now renowned in TV lore.” Local comedian Pat Marrone will star as Ralph with DiMenna playing Ed Norton and Dr. Eve Lupenko-Ferrante playing Alice.

Five years after “Twas the Night Before Christmas aired, another holiday classic was presented on CBS as part of Rod Serling’s anthology series The Twilight Zone. This episode is also shown perennially on Christmas Eve. “Kevin and I are big fans of The Twilight Zone,” DiMenna reveals. “So when we were trying to figure out a second show to perform with the Honeymooners and he suggested “The Night of the Meek,’ I didn’t have to think twice. Unfortunately, The Twilight Zone per se is often considered scary or spooky and some episodes were, but ‘The Night of the Meek’ is anything but. However, it is thought provoking because it concerns a serious social topic – the disparity between

the affluent and the impoverished – that is every bit and perhaps even more relevant today. And it has an ending that will warm the heart. It really is the perfect complement to “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” because the poignant message the former delivers will bring a tear to the eyes every bit as much as laughter does when witnessing the latter.” “The Night of the Meek” stars DiMenna as Henry Corwin with Dr. Jim Bilello as Mr. Dundee and Doug Spadaro as Officer Flaherty.

Tickets for Classic TV Live! Home for the Holidays can be purchased at

www. SlayerPlayers.com. The website also has promotional videos for this event. More more information, email info@SlayerPlayers.com or call 516-595-2233. The View Grill is located at the Glen Cove Golf Course at 111 Lattingtown Road in Glen Cove. For more

information about the restaurant, visit www.theviewgrill.info, email viewgrillchef@gmail.com or call 516-200-9603.

The Slayer Players Theatre Company Inc. was conceived by Susan Potter Weppler in November 2016. She contacted Fred DiMenna who she had acted with in the past and Dr. Eve Lupenko- Ferrante joined the group not long thereafter. Kevin Horton came aboard in 2018 and the four now serve as the leadership council that steers the company’s exploits. Susan’s goal was to spread murder, mystery and mayhem to the masses and the Slayer Players did just that when they took the stage for their first show on April Fools Day 2017. Indeed, the first two performances of Murder at the Banquet at the View Grill in Glen Cove were so well received that a third show had to be added to satisfy public demand. The group continues to grow by recruiting talented actors and actresses from the surrounding communities and the Slayer Players have developed a following that eagerly awaits announcements of their next performances. To date, the group has performed 16 shows including four different ones at the View Grill and they have also taken the stage at Sea Cliff Manor, My Father’s Place, the Glen Cove BID Holiday Festival, fundraisers and private parties. Please visit www.SlayerPlayers.com for more information.