Pterodactyls, by Nicky Silver, was the first show that The cARTel Artists ever produced. The odds were definitely not in our favor. Our budget was under $200, we had to covertly find rehearsal spaces and the cast and crew together were made up of only eight people, five of them being the actors themselves. Everyone involved served many different roles in the production. Negin Singh, for example was not only the director, but the costume designer, graphic designer, set designer, and program designer. The assistant director and Co-Founder of The cARTel Artists, Alan Bilsborough (who has now gone on to grad school and is no longer part of the company- but we love him!), made a nine foot tall T-Rex skeleton replica on his front yard. Though, logistically, this play should never have happened, the eight of us were so fervently passionate that we ended up pulling of a poignant play about the American family, AIDS, sex, and ofcourse, Dinosaurs. From audience donations alone, we were able to raise over $1200. The cARTel Artists had officially opened its first show, and it was a good one.

Pterodactyls
Written by Nicky Silver
Directed by Negin Singh

Cast:
Jack De Sena as Todd Duncan
Lindsay Katai as Emma Duncan
Andy Gardner as Tommy McKorckle
Taylor Katai as Grace Duncan
Jeff Wheeler as Arthur Duncan

Crew:
Alan Bilsborough: Assistant Director
Leigh Zeichick: Stage Manager
Andrew Vondershmitt: Lighting Designer
Nick Refuerzo: Film