Horse Trade Theater Group in association with Moonlight Theatre Productions will present a special one-night only celebration of mothers of all ethnic backgrounds, with drama, storytelling, music, and song. The evening will feature Watching by Kelley Girod (Executive Producer of The Fire This Time Festival) about a Creole mother in Louisiana, with the one and only Lynda Gravatt (2004 Helen Hayes Outstanding Supporting Actress Award for Crowns) and Nathan James, directed by Kevin R. Free, and My Mother’s Funeral, a dramatic monologue by Israela Margalit (Gold Medal NY Film/TV Festival) about her Jewish mother, with the formidable Lila Donnolo, directed by John-Martin Green. The show will also feature music for Mother’s Day performed by the brilliant violinist Asi Matathias, the award-winning composer/keyboard player Oran Eldor (Rokem Composition Award) and contralto Marie-Claire (NAACP Honor for Talent and Inspiration). This special evening of high entertainment will be capped by storytelling from the life of a Louisiana Mother of ten, and a modern-day concert pianist trying to balance her career with motherhood.

Asi Matathias (Music) protégé of Pinchas Zukerman, is already recognized as one of the most celebrated talents of his generation. He made his debut at the age of fourteen with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, displaying a musical maturity and inspiration far beyond his years. This success was immediately followed by another invitation from Maestro Mehta to play with him in the following season. Since then, Mr. Matathias has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras around the globe with many distinguished conductors including Zubin Mehta, Leon Botstein, Stephen Gunzenhauser, The late Mendi Rodan, Oliver Weder and Yaron Traub. He has recorded for the BBC, CBC, WQXR, IBA and ORF. Mr. Matathias is a frequent recitalist and has performed extensively throughout Europe, USA, Asia and Israel in halls such as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and Weil hall, The Mann Auditorium in Tel-Aviv, Izumy Hall in Japan and The National Arts Center in Canada. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, he has collaborated with renowned artists such as Yefim Bronfman, Frans Helmerson, Nobuko Imai, The late Wolfgang Laufer and Christian Altenburger. He has performed in Festivals such as the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, The Con Anima Festival in Austria, Vienna Bezirk Wochen Festspiele, Israel Festival and Prussia Cove in England. Mr. Matathias started playing the violin when he was 6. In Israel, he studied with Chaim Taub, and later on at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna as the youngest student to be enrolled at the University. He then continued his studies with violinist Aaron Rosand. Mr. Matathias was awarded a scholarship and a certificate of merit, and has been supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation since 1997. Currently, he is studying with Pinchas Zukerman and his teaching associate Patinka Kopec in New York City.

John-Martin Green (Director) is delighted to be collaborating with Moonlight Theatre Productions. John-Martin is also a singer, actor and Co-Artistic Director of Blackberry Productions Theater Company. His directing credits include: "The Rootwoman" by Michael Bradford at Harlem Stage, "Three Sisters," "Willie’s Cut & Shine," and "A Different Flava" at Ensemble Studio Theatre, "The Hand that Slapped Kate" at Bay Street Theatre and "Spiritual Journey" at the world famous Apollo Theatre. He has taught Theatre at New School University, SUNY, Nassau Community and Old Westbury Colleges and at Brooklyn College. He holds a BFA in Drama from Bard College and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Brooklyn College, and is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Kevin R. Free (Director) This is Kevin's second directorial collaboration with Kelley Nicole Girod, having directed her Straight on 'Til Morning at the Classical Theatre of Harlem's Future Classics series. He assisted Martha Banta on Barbara’s Blue Kitchen in readings in Florida and NYC, and went on as Assistant Director in the show’s Off-Broadway run. Most recently, he directed 30 Plays in 60 Minutes as a guest director at Bloomsburg University, and 4 works by Nathan Yungerberg at the Bed-Stuy Playwright Series. He directed Adrienne Dawes’s Am I White at Blackboard Plays Reading Series, Tracey Conyer Lee’s Poor Posturing and The First Time for The Fire This Time Festival, and Michelle T. Johnson's Wiccans in the 'hood for the Midwinter Madness Festival. Passionate about the solo show format, he also developed and directed Elizabeth Stewart’s Racist is My Middle Name for the Estrogenius Festival (2010), and Tracey Conyer Lee’s Standing Up: Bathroom Talk and Other Stuff We Learn From Dad (2010). The former Artistic Director of Educational Programming for Queens Theatre in the Park, Mr. Free has also directed several productions performed or written by young people, including several plays in Writopia Lab’s Bestival of New Plays, The Wiz, The Robber Bridegroom, Godspell, Barnum, The Big Bad Musical, Dear Edwina and A Year with Frog and Toad. He is also an accomplished performer, writer, and audiobook narrator. More info: www.kevinrfree.com, @kevinrfree

Lila Donnolo (Performer) is an actress with writing, dancing, singing, yogic, and acrobatic tendencies. Her BFA in Drama is from NYU's Experimental Theatre Wing. Recently, she performed as Hero in Shakespeare in the Rear's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the cell theatre, and Lady Anne in the cell's production of Amina Henry's "An American Family Takes a Lover" directed by Kira Simring. She is a resident artist of the cell theatre, a Young Playwrights Inc. alum, and a yoga instructor. She is co-developing a partner acrobatics act blending blues dancing and acrobatic lifts. www.liladonnolo.com

Lynda Gravatt (Performer) (2004 Helen Hayes Outstanding Supporting Actress Award for Crowns) has appeared in many Broadway and Off Broadway productions, including 45 Minutes from Broadway, The Little Foxes at New York Theatre Workshop, Zooman and the Sun, and King Hedley II, at the Signature Theater Company, and Dividing the Estate at Primary Stages 59E59 Theater. She performed at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, The Washington DC Arena Center, and The Westport Country Playhouse among others. She is known for the films The Bounty Hunter (2010), Delivery Man (2013) and Violet & Daisy (2011).

Marie-Claire (Performer) was born in Dominica West Indies and moved to the Bronx, New York as a child. Due to her love of the two cultures, she has split her time between both places as an international performer. The list of performances in her native Dominica is extensive, including live performances at LIME Creole in the Park Festival, regional events including the St. Lucia Love Fest, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival and the Love Is All We Need concert in Antigua. Other venues include Russell’s in Antigua, Weekenz Bistro and Bar, Christopher’s Jazz Café and Red Bones Blues Café in Jamaica. She was classically trained to sing opera by Maestro Guido Caputo and Maestro Frascati of the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy. Further training includes two years under Marc Forrest in Los Angeles and exclusive study under Raymond Buckingham in New York City. It was Buckingham who recognized the rich and deep vocal timbre of her voice, discovering she is a rare operatic contralto. This discovery, in tandem with her extensive vocal training, led to her debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Grand Opera Company in the roles of Maddalena from Verdi’s Rigoletto and Azucena from Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Her recent engagements include singing the National Anthem for the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclay Center, performing standards with Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra in LA and she continues to appear at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. She has also spent time in front of the camera as a cast member on the second season of Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central and is currently auditioning for other roles on network TV as she works to expand her skills to acting. marie-claire also performed at the Central Park Summer Stage Lyricist Lounge for a crowd of 5,000 people with Black Moon’s DJ Evil Dee and Doug E. Fresh who nicknamed her “The Queen,” due to her astounding performance that gripped the crowd.

Nathan James (Performer) As an Actor/Poet/Playwright, Nathan James is a proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, where he began his career with Kuntu Repertory Theater. Nathan has most recently won Amateur Night at the Apollo with an original poem and appeared Off-off Broadway in a one man show written and performed by Nathan, Growing Pains, at The Gene Frankel Theater. Prior to Growing Pains, he appeared as Ellis in August Strindberg’s “Easter”, (in which The New York Times considered him a “Standout actor”) and in the Off-Broadway production, Playing with Fire, with The Negro Ensemble Company and The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre for which he and his cast had been nominated for an AUDELCO Award 2012 for “Best Performance by an Ensemble”. Nathan has most notably appeared as a plain-clothes police officer on the fifth season of HBO’s hit series, The Wire, and aided Young Money recording artist TYGA by performing his original spoken word poetry for the Tyga R.O.A.R Tour. He received an M.F.A. in Acting from Penn State University and a B.A. in Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. He has also studied Voice and Dramatic Literature in London with voice coach Charmaigne Hoare; as well as Acting for the Camera in Toronto, Ontario at the Pro Actors Lab with David Rotenberg. You may also look for Nathan Co-starring in the role of AL in an Indie Film Pain Within, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival 2006.

Oran Eldor (Composer) is an award-winning composer, orchestrator and conductor. As a composer of both theater and classical crossover music, his work has been performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, on and off Broadway, at the MET museum, PBS Great Performances, at the Hollywood Bowl with Los Angeles Philharmonic, in London at the Royal Opera House, in France with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, at Schloss Elmau’s prestigious music series in Germany, the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and other venues in Germany, Korea, Israel, Canada, Mexico, Australia and the across the US. Currently the composer of Sesame Street (Israel). He has arranged concerts for such legendary performers as John Legend, Kristin Chenoweth, Hugh Jackman, Deborah Voigt, Lea Michele and many more, as well as Julie Andrews’ “Mousical”. Graduate of Berklee College of Music; composition fellow at the Royal Opera House, London , a BMI musical theater writing workshop member and composer in residence with the Salome Chamber Orchestra. He has won several awards, including the Rokem Composition Award and the Esterhazy Quartet Composition Award.

Samantha Vella (Music) is a Utica, New York native with a BA in Performing Arts: Music Concentration from Wells College. Her passion began with music and continues to flourish as she's expanded into theatre-land. She joined Write Act Rep NYC in January 2012 and has found a home producing, sound designing and stage managing since. She's a proud member of Carnival Girls Productions as a writer, stage manager and producer. She can also be found bustling at Distinguished Concerts International on the production staff, organizing choirs and orchestras at some of NYC's most prestigious and historic concert venues. While you can occasionally convince her to sing a song or tell a joke or two, she loves to be creating and lurking behind the scenes. She's currently embarking on several exciting projects with her insanely talented NYC family and is thrilled to be a new member of the Moonlight Productions team!

Tracey Conyer Lee (Performer) Actor--Select regional: Baltimore Centerstage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, St. Louis Rep, Cinncinati Playhouse, Westport Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Ogunquit Playhouse, Great Lakes, Interact, Cape Playhouse, original cast of the off-Broadway hit Sistas, on tour nationally and abroad. Playwright--Standing Up: Bathroom Talk & Other Stuff We Learn From Dad (FringeNYC), Poor Posturing (TFTT & TFTT Boston).