Diane Specioso co-founded Tribeca Lab, where she costume designed and produced experimental theater with partners Al Ramos, Stuart Rudin, Nick Lindsay, Billy Otis and many others…. Original productions include Tribeca Lab’s Poe House, Titanic: A Folk Rock Opera (Low End), Hollow Aluminum (Nick Lindsay), Bloodhounds of Cardinal Volvo and Authenticating Whelmly (Meredith Brosnan), Kidnap Girl (Nick Colt), Six Apparitions of Lenin Appear on the Piano (Kenny Berkowitz); Ten Directions’ Saint Arlecchino (Lynn Berg), Creative Women NY’s Jyoen (Lee Douglass); New Circle Rep’s Metamorphoses (Kate McCamy). Thanks to all who joined in with us to celebrate our fearless leader Al Ramos.

Alan Rexroth

Filmmaker and Photographer

Al's Lear is a devised version of Shakespeare's King Lear based on Al Ramos' production concept for the play. A fractured version of the story using the original text, Al's Lear is King Lear's nightmare he has while napping in a park surrounded by dogs. Snippets of the scenes that carry the main storylines make up the text. Lear declares he is retiring and decides to parcel out the kingdom to his three daughters based on how they profess their love for him. Goneril and Regan, his two older daughters, know how to flatter their father. Cordelia, the youngest and his favorite, declares her love but disappoints Lear in not professing to love him more than her sisters.

Lear banishes her from his kingdom. He then decides he will live with the other two daughters for a month at a time bringing 100 knights with him. The daughters refuse and demand that he rid himself of the knights. In anger, Lear wanders out to a heath on a stormy night with his fool while his two daughters wreck havoc on main members of his court. Chaos ensures as the struggle for power infects the kingdom. Many die, including Goneril poisoning her sister, Regan, and then committing suicide.

Now mad, Lear is eventually imprisoned where he is reunited with Cordelia. However, through a miscommunication, Cordelia is killed which results in Lear dying from a broken heart.

Stuart Rudin (King Lear) and Cast

Stuart Rudin (King Lear)

Jennifer Stokes (Cordelia)

Jennifer is delighted to play Cordelia in honor of Al Ramos whose infectious spirit of play continues to inspire her. Past productions with Al include Poe House and Titanic. Her favorite Shakespearean roles have included Antonia in The Tempest and Phoebe/Duchess Federica in As You Like It among others. Jennifer is currently juggling the role of being a mother of two adventurous and spirited young boys and is delighted to be part of this piece. Jennifer studied acting at Syracuse University and trained in Commedia dell’Arte with Antonio Fava.

Tricia Parks (Goneril)

Lee Douglas (Regan)

LEE DOUGLASS is a NYC based writer/director/performer in theater and film. Her work includes directing productions of Cowboy Mouth, Happy Days, Hello, My Name Is… and her own plays including the Japanese operetta, Jyo en. Upcoming projects in 2026 are a workshop production of the musical, The Elvis Presley Game Show and The Lear Sisters, a deconstruction of King Lear. Lee earned her BFA from Tisch School of the Arts in Film and was a Directing Fellow in the MFA program at the American Film Institute in LA. She is Co-Artistic Director of Creative Women New York, LLC.

Lynn Berg (Fool, Gloucester, Gentleman 1))

Lynn Berg, actor in Al’s Lear, was active in New York’s indy theater scene for twenty years and is co-creator of the internationally acclaimed, NYIT Award winning Bouffon Glass Menajoree.  Favorite roles: Uncle Peck in How I Learned to Drive, Simon Stimson in Our Town (Tongue in Cheek), Polonius in Hamlet and HVMLET. Other favorite shows: Every Play Ever Written, Ninja Cherry Orchard, Batz, Three Sisters (the Brick).  Lynn’s film work includes “Captain Hagen’s Bed and Breakfast” (Best Comedy Feature - New York Independent Film Fest and Twin Tiers International Film Fest, Amazon), “Plant, the Second Coming” (Best Ensemble – Indie Series Awards), and “The Clean Up” (Provincetown International Film Fest).

Edmund Wilkinson (Kent, Cornwall, Gentleman 2)

Graduate of University of Washington Drama Dept.

Moved to San Franciso, joined Henry Stein’s Theater Company and Henry Roth’s the Berkely Rep. Did commedia with Carlo Mazzoni Clemente and Jane Hill in Marin - Grand Comedy Festival at Qual-a-wa-loo and Maryland Children’s Commedia Company.

Moved to New York, studied with Herbert Bergof at H. B. Studio, then with Kim Stanley, then, my friend Joe Maruzzo led me to Charlie Laughton at the Strasberg Institute. We put up The Hairy Ape and Getting a Lil Something by Nick Lindsay. Billy Otis joined us. Our moniker, “A Group of Actors.”

Our stage for Nick’s “Dry Dock” was at Broome Street Theater. That’s where I first met Al Ramos. While working on The Seagull, Al offered us rehearsals at his new theater Tribeca Lab, and he gave us all we needed to get it open at the one-time Disco, the Muse on West Broadway, with Mark Jupiter. we were all under Al’s umbrella. most important Diane Specioso became costume designer. The Seagull came down, everything went back to Tribeca Lab and Tribeca Lab and Group of Actors became one.

At Tribeca Lab I directed, wrote, produced and acted. Some of the work included Basementwerks, The Bear, The Father, The Man with a Flower in His Mouth…. Tricia, Lee and Cayenne came in during The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant as part of our Fassbinder on the Frying Pan Festival. A few films and stage include Silence of the Lambs; Private Lives; National Tour: Amadeus; International Tour: CVR.

My life became a Cacophony of Good Luck

My bio is mainly about my time with Tribeca Lab – it is my most positive experience. I am so grateful to have become a part of The Lab – I would have left NYC if it wasn’t for the whole group of us together - they let me argue and be crazy – it all held together – a good place to try things out – open country – brand new territory - no rules - a family - a good home

The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe)

With students from

the New School for Leadership and the Arts (bRONX)

Directed by Hossein Fassa

The New School for Leadership and The Arts, where academic and artistic excellence go hand in hand is a public middle school in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the The Bronx. With a nurturing environment and an emphasis on academic rigor and artistic expression, NSLA has helped many students on their way to top public and private high schools and onto elite colleges and universities.

The performers

LIA CATUSCO

SAMIRA MIDDLETON

MARJORIE PADILLA

ARISHEL RAMIREZ

SOFIA ROBINSON

GAVIN SMITH

ALICIA TORRES

SERAFIMA WAYNE LIBOVICH

Hossein Fassa - Studied theater and acting with Stella Adler. Hossein is a former director of the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting and a founding member of Tribeca Lab with Al Ramos. He has acted and directed at many of NYCs downtown venues including Theater for the New City, La Mama, Franklin Furnace, Broome Street Theater, ABC No Rio; often in collaboration with Walter Krochmal. His company Lafayette Workshop won a Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and produced Joseph Chaikin’s return to the stage in Samuel Beckett’s Texts for Nothing. For over a decade, Hossein has worked as a public school math teacher in the Bronx. He has received the Edyth Sliffe award from the Mathematical Association of America and the Big Apple Award from the NYC Department of Education. He is currently the proud teacher of 7th and 8th graders at the New School for Leadership and The Arts.

Director Hossein Fassa

Poetry, Performance and Reminiscences

Nick Lindsay

Lori Seliger

Teddy Jefferson

Kate McCamy

Meredith Brosnan

Paul Allman

John Sarich

Timothi Jane Graham

Lexi. A Photo Documentary Project. Winner, Gold Prize at the Paris Prix de La Photographie in 2022. First shown at Espace Beaurepaire in Paris in 2023.

I first met Lexi at the beginning of her medical gender affirmation journey in 2020. She was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States in her early teens. At 58 years old, she had identified and lived as a woman for decades behind closed doors. She supported herself and funded her transition through sex work and cleaning nightclub toilets. Like many Trans Women she spent her early years rejected and isolated from family and friends. Apart from her former partner Laura, she still spends much of her time alone. Now at age 63, she has started to venture out, exploring what this next chapter means for her as an out Trans Woman and finding her place in the world.

Timothi Jane Graham was born and raised in New York. Early projects document the Bishnoi people of the Thar Desert in India as well as villagers in Lodtunduh Indonesia where she recorded daily life and ritual. Recent projects include The Inheritance of Memory, documenting the last remaining Holocaust Survivors and an ongoing project she began in 2020 entitled Inversions, focusing on members of the Trans Community. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Dodho, Docu, F Stop, Sugar, Black And White Magazines as well as in exhibitions in New York, Paris and Indonesia. She is currently showing at the Bastille Design Center in Paris.

Lynda Fassa

Lynda Fassa is self taught and works primarily in oil and pen and ink. She has exhibited at the Tribeca Arts Festival, South Side Gallery in Chicago, New Artists in New Haven, and extensively in Westchester County. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, WAG Magazine, LOHUD. She was an artist in residence at Washington Irving’s Estate, Sunnyside. She resides in Tarrytown with her husband Hossein and 2 dogs, Sasha and Saint.

The Mercantillers are a seasoned band from New York City that performs an upbeat and exciting blend of traditional and original sea-chanteys, bluegrass, country, folk music and rock-n-roll. The group has been bringing reelin’ and rockin’ sets of their original tunes, familiar folk songs and sing-along chanteys to audiences throughout the tri-state area and New England for over 20 years.

Founding members include: Al Ramos, Nick Colt, Chris Colt, Eben Forbes, Bernard Devlin.

Ann Osmond

Ann Osmond is an actor, singer and narrator. Favorite theatre roles include Carlyle in “The Stonewater Rapture” (playwright Doug Wright, Edinburgh Festival Fringe), the title role in “Tamara” (L.A. production) and Marie in “Pains of Youth” (dir. Al Ramos, Broome St. Theatre). Recent films: “ Aggie Ascends”, “Fur”, “Silent Retreat”, “Diane”, “Then Came You” and “A Bread Factory, Part Two”. Recent TV: “FBI: Most Wanted”, “Law & Order: SVU”, “Love Life” and “Last Vermont Christmas”. She performs in jazz and cabaret venues in the NYC region and has released two albums.

Laura Fay Lewis

Laura Fay is a multi media artist (Actor, Musician, Singer, Artist) Currently she is in Tango Shalom and Sixty Miles North on Amazon Prime. Last year she appeared as Mrs. Hardwicke Moore in The Lady of Larkspur Lotion at The Players Club. Her artist documentary Marguerita's Blues is an official selection at The 2025 Golden Door International Film Festival. 2 micro short films that she wrote, directed and star in, The Lost Guitar and The Empty Handed Painter are making the film festival rounds internationally and domestically as well. The Art Dealer episode 1 of "The Art Dealer" was an official selection for AMT International Film Festival Oct 29-Nov 2 Her visual art is in private collections and her next art showing is at The Satellite Art Fair during Art Basel Week in December. SAG AND AEA Member and a founding member of Tribeca Lab.

FitzyFitz

Fitzy's Tribeca Lab appearances include: Sicilian Mangos Al Ramos, Bitterness Merry Brosnan/Alan Chin, Bloodhounds of Cardinal Volvo Al Ramos, Disturbances of Kidnap Man Nick Colt, Disturbances of Kidnap Girl Nick Colt, Garbage, the City and Death Al Ramos, Richard II Al Ramos, Authenticating Whelmley Gordon Grey & Cyber-Bard Pseudo Radio. And with Collective Unconscious Manifestations. Many films as actor/producer not mentioned. Many years Pyro/SPX. Many Many Thanks to my long time Greenpeace compatriot Merideth Brosnan for casting me in Authenticating Whelmly (my NYC theatrical debut) and Much love and gratitude to Al Ramos who always called me "Fitzdog". Please friends, call me Fitzdog 'cause I fucking miss Al.

5:30 pm DOORS OPEN. BAR - MIXER.

• Lounge Music with Nick Colt

• Kate McCamy (Memorial Video)

• Timothi Jane Graham (Lexi, a Photo Essay)

• Lynda Fassa (Portrait Art)

•

6:00 pm INTRODUCTIONS, DEDICATION

• Walter Krochmal • Diane Specioso

• Lynn Berg • Meredith Brosnan

6:30 pm LIVE MUSIC

• Ann Osmond

• Mercantillers

• Laura Fay Lewis/Fitz “FitzyFitz” Fitsimmons

7:10 POETRY, PERFORMANCE AND REMINISCENCES

• The Raven

New School for Leadership and the Arts (Bronx)

• Paul Allman

• Stuart Rudin

• John Sarich

• Lori Seliger

• Teddy Jefferson

• HEADLINER: Al’s Lear

8:00 Cultured Focus Magazine

Excellence in Film and Culture Award

Presented by Taylor Re (Publisher)

Honoree 2025 Walter Krochmal

(Founder, Executive Director, Bronx World Film)

8:30 SCREENING ROOM

• Un pote nain (dir. Lynn Berg)

• One Bridge Lane (dir. Nick Colt)

• Al Performing Titanic (dir. Bob Berger)

9:15 Q & A, POST-PRANDIAL