Performer/ Writer/ Director
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BIO
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PERFORMER/WRITER/DIRECTOR Antonia (Toni) Kasper has written and performed stand-up comedy at Gotham, Caroline’s and other New York comedy clubs. She has written numerous articles for magazines and co-authored a Published Book about Cigar Smoking (St. Martins Publishing) At the Sherman Theatre in Wales, she directed and choreographed several plays and musicals including Cabaret, Talking With, Clockwork Orange, Brigadoon, West Side Story and Funny Thing Happened. She wrote and performed a one woman show entitled KAT, playing eight different characters, which was critically acclaimed by the British National Newspaper THE GUARDIAN. While in Europe she was a finalist for the prestigious London School of Contemporary Dance and performed with European Dance Companies. She also participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as an actress and director. An honors graduate of Tulane University, Kasper moved to New York where she studied at Circle in the Square, Playwrights Horizons and The Actor’s Studio. She has performed in regional musical theatre and has appeared in various film and television projects such as the “Law and Orders”, “Woody Allen’s” Projects, “One Life to Live”, and some television sit-coms before creating her own body of work as a writer, director and producer. BACKGROUND Originally from California but raised in a small town in Oklahoma, Antonia (Toni) Kasper has always believed… “If you can’t find the work you enjoy doing/performing than create it yourself…because if and when you do…you may give others something they enjoy doing/performing or inspire others to create their own work”. She’s always admired the leaders rather than the followers in the industry, the risky and outrageous rather than the safe and silent. PROJECTS STRIPPED, a black comedy written and directed by Kasper examines the double–edged sword of women exploiting themselves for money. STRIPPED follows the protagonist and feminist waitress (Frankie) who contemplates the existence of real love (Paul) in the circus-like fantasyland. (See STRIPPED Summary for more info). STRIPPED started as a mere reading at Playwrights Horizons but moved to Don’t Tell Mama’s Cabaret. This popular piece developed at The Pyramid Club and ran for over one year before being produced at a two hundred seat Off-Broadway venue. Soon Kasper wrote and directed another Off-Off Broadway play,a farce entitled, TRUE CONFESSIONS OF THE STRAIGHT MAN, which revolves around an introverted man (Todd Robinson) who pretends to be gay to get a girl (Kate O’Conner). Kasper enjoys writing and performing pieces that revolve around women’s topics and feels there is still a lack of female related subjects in theatre, film and television. She is presently writing a fun book about dating in New York City. Antonia currently resides in Manhattan but frequents the West Coast. |