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LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Frank Licato
Artistic Director
Frank Licato has been working for over 40 years as an actor, director, producer and teacher. He is a Tanne Award Winner for continued Artistic Excellence. He currently Artistic Director of Hudson Theatre Works, a professional theatre located in Weehawken, NJ.
He has collaborated with such theatre luminaries as Joseph Chaiken and Peter Brook and he was named best actor in Boston for his performance as Lt. Vukov in the American premiere of Barry Collin’s Judgment. He was nominated for an Obie award for his performance in “Deathwatch” by Jean Genet, which the New York Times called a ‘performance on another plane’.
Regionally he has worked at the American Repertory Theatre, the Delaware Theatre Company and the Boston Shakespeare Company. He has appeared on TV in Third Watch, Sidney Lumet’s 100 Centre Street and with Frank Sinatra in First Deadly Sin.
His directing career has been just as varied. Beside directing various plays at Hudson Theatre Works, his production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things was selected as a regional finalist in the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival and his production of Robert Clem’s “Fever,” won the audience choice award at the NY Fringe Festival.
Other credits include an Off-Broadway production of Lamppost Reunion and On the Waterfront, and Michael Puzzo’s “Spirits of Exit Eleven. Others are: Neil La Bute’s Fat Pig and My Italy Story at 12 Miles West, Tannhauser: The Play at the Ice Factory Festival, Clifford Odet's Rocket to the Moon at Soho Rep and Golden Boy at the Raw Space. He staged the Off-Broadway hit revival of Rod Serling's Requiem For A Heavyweight and the award winning Off-Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's Seduced.
Additionally he directed the musical concert Sounds of a Better World at the 92nd Street Y with Geoffrey Holder, Odetta and the Boys Choir of Harlem. He directed Richard Vetere's Rockaway Boulevard and Gangster Apparel for the Belmont Italian-American Playhouse, as well as Mr. Vetere’s The Engagement at the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. His production of Grapes of Wrath won the Perry Award for best direction and best play at Chatham Playhouse and his production of John Patrick Shanley’s Defiance was nominated for best play at Summit Playhouse. His production of David Mamet's American Buffalo ran to critical acclaim and a four-month run at the Elyze Theater in Athens, Greece.
Other New York shows include: Impasto by Michael Puzzo, The Barbershop by Jenny Siedelman both at Nylon Fusion, White Noise by Gino DiIorio, La Compagnie by Oren Safdie at LaMama as part of the Series Canada, Asylum by Steven Sater at the Greenwich Street Theater, The Nest by Franz Xaver Kroetz at the Galleria, Sam Shepard's Action and the American premiere of Sarah Daniel's Masterpieces at the Cherry Lane Theater.
Frank Licato has been working for over 40 years as an actor, director, producer and teacher. He is a Tanne Award Winner for continued Artistic Excellence. He currently Artistic Director of Hudson Theatre Works, a professional theatre located in Weehawken, NJ.
He has collaborated with such theatre luminaries as Joseph Chaiken and Peter Brook and he was named best actor in Boston for his performance as Lt. Vukov in the American premiere of Barry Collin’s Judgment. He was nominated for an Obie award for his performance in “Deathwatch” by Jean Genet, which the New York Times called a ‘performance on another plane’.
Regionally he has worked at the American Repertory Theatre, the Delaware Theatre Company and the Boston Shakespeare Company. He has appeared on TV in Third Watch, Sidney Lumet’s 100 Centre Street and with Frank Sinatra in First Deadly Sin.
His directing career has been just as varied. Beside directing various plays at Hudson Theatre Works, his production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things was selected as a regional finalist in the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival and his production of Robert Clem’s “Fever,” won the audience choice award at the NY Fringe Festival.
Other credits include an Off-Broadway production of Lamppost Reunion and On the Waterfront, and Michael Puzzo’s “Spirits of Exit Eleven. Others are: Neil La Bute’s Fat Pig and My Italy Story at 12 Miles West, Tannhauser: The Play at the Ice Factory Festival, Clifford Odet's Rocket to the Moon at Soho Rep and Golden Boy at the Raw Space. He staged the Off-Broadway hit revival of Rod Serling's Requiem For A Heavyweight and the award winning Off-Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's Seduced.
Additionally he directed the musical concert Sounds of a Better World at the 92nd Street Y with Geoffrey Holder, Odetta and the Boys Choir of Harlem. He directed Richard Vetere's Rockaway Boulevard and Gangster Apparel for the Belmont Italian-American Playhouse, as well as Mr. Vetere’s The Engagement at the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. His production of Grapes of Wrath won the Perry Award for best direction and best play at Chatham Playhouse and his production of John Patrick Shanley’s Defiance was nominated for best play at Summit Playhouse. His production of David Mamet's American Buffalo ran to critical acclaim and a four-month run at the Elyze Theater in Athens, Greece.
Other New York shows include: Impasto by Michael Puzzo, The Barbershop by Jenny Siedelman both at Nylon Fusion, White Noise by Gino DiIorio, La Compagnie by Oren Safdie at LaMama as part of the Series Canada, Asylum by Steven Sater at the Greenwich Street Theater, The Nest by Franz Xaver Kroetz at the Galleria, Sam Shepard's Action and the American premiere of Sarah Daniel's Masterpieces at the Cherry Lane Theater.
Gregory Erbach
Producing Director
Gregory Erbach is a Co- Founder and Producing Director of Hudson Theatre Works. He has produced every Main Stage production since HTW’s inception. Currently the Assistant Electrical Construction Boss at the Metropolitan Opera House, he has been an actor, stage manager, producer, carpenter, electrician and technical director for hundreds of productions at venues such as the American Place Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Weston Playhouse, The American Jewish Theatre, The John Houseman and The Equity Library Theatre. He was the technical director for John Leguizamo’s first two Broadway Video productions Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama for HBO. On stage at HTW, he was most recently seen as Paul Watson in The Body of an American, Pocky in Uncle Vanya, Scenes from a Jersey Life in Four Acts, Lennie Smalls in Of Mice And Men, and Joey in A Steady Rain, which was selected by the Star Ledger as one of the top 10 NJ theatre productions of 2016.
Gregory Erbach is a Co- Founder and Producing Director of Hudson Theatre Works. He has produced every Main Stage production since HTW’s inception. Currently the Assistant Electrical Construction Boss at the Metropolitan Opera House, he has been an actor, stage manager, producer, carpenter, electrician and technical director for hundreds of productions at venues such as the American Place Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Weston Playhouse, The American Jewish Theatre, The John Houseman and The Equity Library Theatre. He was the technical director for John Leguizamo’s first two Broadway Video productions Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama for HBO. On stage at HTW, he was most recently seen as Paul Watson in The Body of an American, Pocky in Uncle Vanya, Scenes from a Jersey Life in Four Acts, Lennie Smalls in Of Mice And Men, and Joey in A Steady Rain, which was selected by the Star Ledger as one of the top 10 NJ theatre productions of 2016.
Dawn D'Arrigo
Company Manager
Dawn M. D’Arrigo has been a Professional Stage Manager for over 20 years. Recent credits include Shelley, Son of Zeus, The Little Foxes, Machinal, Curse of the Starving Class, Hughie, Desire Under the Elms, Elliot & Me, Bunnies, Hamlet, Body of An American, The Caretaker, Uncle Vanya, Macbeth, Bash and Of Mice and Men with Hudson Theatre Works; My Dead Wife at United Solofest; American Idiot and Rent with NJSDA’s Encore Theatre; The Field Trip (DUAF 2017), Ferry Limbo (DUAF 2016), and The Blizzard (winner of the Winter 2013 Strawberry One-Act Festival) by Chip Bolcik. Favorite shows include: One Way Ticket to Hell (World Premiere), My Italy Story, Fat Pig, The Advocate, and Guest Artist at 12 Miles West Theatre Company. She has also worked at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, and Alliance Theatre.
Dawn is a member of AEA.
Dawn M. D’Arrigo has been a Professional Stage Manager for over 20 years. Recent credits include Shelley, Son of Zeus, The Little Foxes, Machinal, Curse of the Starving Class, Hughie, Desire Under the Elms, Elliot & Me, Bunnies, Hamlet, Body of An American, The Caretaker, Uncle Vanya, Macbeth, Bash and Of Mice and Men with Hudson Theatre Works; My Dead Wife at United Solofest; American Idiot and Rent with NJSDA’s Encore Theatre; The Field Trip (DUAF 2017), Ferry Limbo (DUAF 2016), and The Blizzard (winner of the Winter 2013 Strawberry One-Act Festival) by Chip Bolcik. Favorite shows include: One Way Ticket to Hell (World Premiere), My Italy Story, Fat Pig, The Advocate, and Guest Artist at 12 Miles West Theatre Company. She has also worked at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, and Alliance Theatre.
Dawn is a member of AEA.
Michael Bias
The Forge Co-Director
Michael was the founder and Artistic/ Producing Director of The Garage Theatre Group, where, since
1993, he has directed and produced more than 60 plays and musicals. Most
recent acting credits include: Francis in A Jersey Cantata by Bill Mesce Jr.
(The Theater Project) 10x10 by Neil LaBute, Juror #7 in 12 Angry Men, Kenneth Lay in Enron, Bernie Madoff in Imagining Madoff, Devlin in Harold Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes, Andrey in Brian Friel’s Afterplay, Jerry in
Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story, and Harvey Weinstein in the World Premier of Glamour by John Patrick Shanley (Hudson Theatre Guild).
His writing credits include: the world premieres of Dreaded Bliss, Billie, (co-
written with Gail Lou) the book for More Than A Soap Opera (music by Ray Davies of The Kinks), and Summer of Love. His most recent piece Where The Time Goes (co-written with Victoria Casella) was performed at PlayLab at
Florida Rep. He has also created new translations/adaptations of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie and Eugene Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano.
Directing credits include The World Premieres of Elliot & Me, by Scott
Coulter and Steven Willensky, with music by Elliot Willensky, Meester Amerika, The Legacy, and Lost In History by Adam Siegel. Other directing credits include Landscape of the Body, Ubu Roi, Spring Awakening, Table Manners, Trad, A Body of Water, The Bald Soprano, Billy Bishop Goes To War, Collected Stories, The Maids, Porcelain and Doubt.
Michael is a member of Actors Equity.
Michael was the founder and Artistic/ Producing Director of The Garage Theatre Group, where, since
1993, he has directed and produced more than 60 plays and musicals. Most
recent acting credits include: Francis in A Jersey Cantata by Bill Mesce Jr.
(The Theater Project) 10x10 by Neil LaBute, Juror #7 in 12 Angry Men, Kenneth Lay in Enron, Bernie Madoff in Imagining Madoff, Devlin in Harold Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes, Andrey in Brian Friel’s Afterplay, Jerry in
Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story, and Harvey Weinstein in the World Premier of Glamour by John Patrick Shanley (Hudson Theatre Guild).
His writing credits include: the world premieres of Dreaded Bliss, Billie, (co-
written with Gail Lou) the book for More Than A Soap Opera (music by Ray Davies of The Kinks), and Summer of Love. His most recent piece Where The Time Goes (co-written with Victoria Casella) was performed at PlayLab at
Florida Rep. He has also created new translations/adaptations of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie and Eugene Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano.
Directing credits include The World Premieres of Elliot & Me, by Scott
Coulter and Steven Willensky, with music by Elliot Willensky, Meester Amerika, The Legacy, and Lost In History by Adam Siegel. Other directing credits include Landscape of the Body, Ubu Roi, Spring Awakening, Table Manners, Trad, A Body of Water, The Bald Soprano, Billy Bishop Goes To War, Collected Stories, The Maids, Porcelain and Doubt.
Michael is a member of Actors Equity.
Bess Miller
The Forge Co-Director
Bess Miller is thrilled to be working with this wonderful group of artists. Recent credits include Brett and Ashley (Ashley) at New Perspectives Theatre Company, Richard III (Buckingham) at Dramatists United as well as productions of Bunnies (Kekkie) and Hamlet (Hamlet) at Hudson Theatre Works - both of which were also directed by Frank Licato! (Other projects with members of this team have included a virtual production of the play Closing Times with Nick Hardin, Directed by Adrian Wattenmaker, and a pre-covid Richard III directed by/performed in and co-produced with Rachel Matusewiczc.)
Bess Miller is thrilled to be working with this wonderful group of artists. Recent credits include Brett and Ashley (Ashley) at New Perspectives Theatre Company, Richard III (Buckingham) at Dramatists United as well as productions of Bunnies (Kekkie) and Hamlet (Hamlet) at Hudson Theatre Works - both of which were also directed by Frank Licato! (Other projects with members of this team have included a virtual production of the play Closing Times with Nick Hardin, Directed by Adrian Wattenmaker, and a pre-covid Richard III directed by/performed in and co-produced with Rachel Matusewiczc.)
Remembering Beatriz Esteban-Messina
Hudson Theatre Works morns the passing of HTW Board Member, Beatriz Esteban-Messina.
Beatriz was a pillar in the New Jersey theater community and she played an important part in our company as the Director of Children's Theater, Prop Master and Actor.
We are grateful to have worked alongside her, as her passion and self-less devotion to Hudson Theatre Works made a huge impact on our success throughout the years.
She will be deeply missed.
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