Biographies

Theatre critic Irene Backalenick covers theatre for national and regional publications. She has a Ph.D.in theatre criticism from City University Graduate Center. Her book "East Side Story --Ten Years with the Jewish Repertory Theatre" (based on her doctoral thesis) won a first-place national book award in history. Other awards in journalism and theatre criticism include a New York Times Publishers Award (received while writing for The New York Times).

Her professional organizations include the American Theatre Critics Association, Association for Jewish Theatre, Outer Critics Circle (on the executive board-2001-2004), Drama Desk, Actors Equity Derwent Committee, and the Connecticut Critics Circle (co-founder/director).

David Rosenberg was educated at Syracuse, NYU, Yale and SUNY Purchase, and has taught English and drama in high school and college. As a critic and columnist, he writes for Back Stage, The Hour in Norwalk, and several Connecticut-based magazines, receiving the First Prize in Journalism from the Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

As an actor, he has appeared off-Broadway and in summer stock. As a director, he has guided over fifty plays and musicals for professional and amateur, college and school, theaters. He has served as artistic director of a college performing arts series and has been on the board of several theater organizations. With Irene Backalenick, he co-founded the Connecticut Critics Circle 14 years ago.

Gloria Cole Sugarman is a theater critic, travel and feature writer who has written for NBC, the New York Times and various Connecticut publications for more than 25 years. Among her feature interviews have been Eleanor Roosevelt, Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. She continues to do all kinds of writing including fiction, humor and poetry.