Geneseo Community Players to Debut Poignant New One-Act Play by Local Award-Winning Writer Jacob French

The Geneseo Community Players (GCP) are proud to present the premiere reading of My Name is Edward Foster, a new one-act play by local, internationally recognized writer Jacob French. The performance will take place on Friday, June 26th at 7:30 PM at the Community Center of Geneseo, located at 11 Franklin Street. Directed by Bettina DeBell, the production is the latest selection in GCP’s New Works Readers’ Theater, an ongoing initiative dedicated to fostering and supporting local talent. Admission to the event is free, though donations are warmly welcomed to support future community theater programming. A generational story of love and resilience, My Name is Edward Foster offers a poignant, moving look at the life of Edward Foster, a happy-go-lucky man living with Alzheimer’s. The play explores the complex, tender, and sometimes tense dynamics that arise across three generations of his family as they navigate his diagnosis together. The cast features a talented ensemble of local actors: Stan and Teonna Janczak as Edward and Betty Foster Felicity Houston Thomas and Quinn Kenyon as their daughter, Lauren, and granddaughter, Isabella Tyler Voellinger as Trevor, Lauren’s boyfriend Katie Livingston as Janet, the next-door neighbor, along with other roles. Following the performance, audiences are invited to stay for an exclusive talkback session featuring the playwright, director, and cast to discuss the show's themes and the creative process. Playwright Jacob French is an internationally recognized filmmaker and writer with a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) School of Film and Animation. French’s storytelling journey began in the first grade, and he has spent his career crafting narratives that strive to go against the grain and keep audiences on their toes. His films have screened across several continents, including festivals in Times Square, London, and Milan. French has been recognized at the Quad City Playwright Festival and won Best Original Screenplay at the Milano Indie Movie Awards in Italy. He is currently in production on his debut feature film, Changing Keys, which he co-wrote, directs, and stars in. You can follow his work on Instagram @thejacobfrench. "I've been working on My Name Is Edward Foster on and off for almost seven years, and it feels surreal to finally be sharing it with people," says French. "I've grown a lot as a writer since I started this play, and in many ways, it feels like the piece has grown with me. I have no doubt that seeing the play on its feet with a full cast and an audience will help me to continue refining it towards a full production." Event Details At-A-Glance What: My Name is Edward Foster (A one-act play by Jacob French) Presented By: Geneseo Community Players (New Works Readers’ Theater) When: Friday, June 26th at 7:30 PM Where: Community Center of Geneseo, 11 Franklin Street, Geneseo, NY Admission: Free (Donations welcome) Special Feature: Post-show Q&A/talkback with the author, director, and cast. The Geneseo Community Players have been bringing engaging, high-quality theater to the Geneseo area for decades. Through programs like the New Works Readers’ Theater, GCP provides local writers, directors, and actors a collaborative platform to develop new stories and share them with the community.