Info

The Minstrel Players have been around as a Long Island Theatrical Troupe since early 2000. The original concept of The Minstrel Players was developed by Executive Producer Ray Palen and his sister Tara. Ray and Tara have a lifetime of performance experience and Ray and his wife and Co-Producer, Debbie, sat on the board of a popular theatre group in Queens before starting their own venture. The Minstrel Players mission is to provide "World Class" entertainment at an affordable price. Above and beyond that, The Minstrel Players seek to work with other actors and theatre professionals who share the same love of the craft that they have. This includes buying into the concept of "checking your ego at the door" - an ideology that has worked well for this tight-knit group. We truly believe that putting together the right chemistry of individuals makes for a better performance in every way! In addition to those already mentioned, the backbone of The Minstrel Players include: Rob Cashman - our brilliant Technical Director; Bernie Caprera - one of the top Lighting Directors on Long Island; and Nicky Star - our personal videographer. The Minstrel Players on-stage talent is made up of a mix of regulars and newcomers. We apply an "open-door" policy to all who want to be a part of one of our productions and encourage new talent/backstage help to join us. Some key members who have contributed to The Minstrel Players success in this capacity are: Karen Ottomano - the on-stage backbone of several Minstrel productions; Tom Williams - actor and frequent director of several Minstrel plays; and many, many other hard-working and wonderfully talented actors who are too numerous to list individually. Some Minstrels have gone above and beyond in way of creativity, extra effort or pure talent. The Minstrels recognize them by induction into The Minstrel Players Hall of Fame. We enjoy what we do and hope it shows in each and every performance. Please come and see a Minstrel Players production and find out what we're all about!