Fresh Fruit Festival

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Fresh Fruits - Our Staff and Board of Directors

Keith Angora (on leave) has been with New Village Productions since its inception. He has multitasked for the organization; as performer: Fable, Finding the Wild Life Preserve, Judy's Place; as playwright: At Sunset, Randolph, Coupons, The Brief Rages of GeeGee; and as director: Blame Me. His play, Jolly Roger, was a finalist in the All Out Art’s OUT ON THE EDGE play competition, one-act category.

Nick Curto (Volunteer Recruitment) graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston with a BA in Advertising/Graphic Design. After graduation he moved to New York City and has been a creative artist, designer, writer, and gay activist. He was Art Director in the Corporate Communications Department of a Fortune 500 company on Wall Street. Active in the LGBT community for many years, he has either founded or co-founded several not-for-profit organizations in New York City including All Out Arts (President), The Equality Project (Board Member), Disclosure Network New York (Co-Director), Broadway Night Out (Director), The Stonewall Business Association, and both the Wall Street and Mid-Town Lunch Clubs. He is active in an international spiritual group. He is also developing several theater properties including The Woman They Love to Hate; the Musical, My Mother Told Me I Was Different: Voices from the Stonewall Rebellion, and The 5th Revelation.

Jade Esteban Estrada (National/International Liaison) has performed in seven languages in 33 countries and has also appeared in TV and film. He has directed and choreographed productions internationally including tours for Latin diva, Charo. He is on the Advisory Board for the 2004 Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival as well as Artistic Director of the Experiencia Dance Company at Teatro La Tea. His one-person show ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 1 will be filmed this summer and will be part of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival

David Flora, Managing Director, has been appointed to this position while former Managing Director Jeffery Leeds takes a leave of absence.

Jeffrey G. Leeds (on temporary leave) was Treasurer of All Out Arts, an organization dedicated to fighting homophobia by facilitating LGBT arts and artists; and has been a member of the AOA Board since 2000. He studied acting at HB Studios with Michael Beckett; voice with Richard Hilty and Buddy Barnes; and Musical Comedy with Rita Gardner. After appearing in several New York City showcases, he produced two Off-Off-Broadway Equity Showcases and wrote a full-length musical comedy, The Woman They Love to Hate, with Nick Curto. A Baritone in the New York University Glee Club and, subsequently, the NYU Alumni Chorus, he also served as President of his alma mater’s Alumni Association for two years. Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Public Administration from New York University.

Louis Lopardi
(Systems Management)
Louis, who is old enough to know better, is once again keeping the festival running on time and in usually the right place.

	Rita Petite (Secretary) is a trombonist and has performed in 48 states in the orchestra pit and most of the seven seas on cuise ships. She settled down in 2000 in New York City and plays trombone and developed an acting career all the way to Off-Broadway. "Being involved with the Fresh Fruit Festival is a great way to experience all the art forms in a way that I love best."

	Carol Polcovar (Artistic Director) is a playwright, poet, director and producer who has been working in NYC theater since the 1980’s. She founded New Village Productions in 1989 to expand the vision of theater to include greater diversity. Her plays have been produced here and in Europe; and her poetry has been widely published. She is also a member of Five Points Presents; a consortium of Off-Broadway companies and artists working to bring a more diverse idea of theater to 42nd Street.

Suellen Rubin is Vice President ofAll Out Arts, and has been with the Fresh Fruit Festival since its inception in 2003. She was a facilitator and active member of the Bisexual Woman’s Group and the LGBT Centerfor many years. She has been involved in theater in one way or another most of her life and is proud to be part of a Festival that showcases LGBT artists.

Clover Welsh (aka Clover Honey) is an active member of the LGBT community. Clover moved to New York City after college, working in business full time, becoming increasingly absorbed in the arts, social scene and political causes. Miss Honey worked with the New York Association of Gender Rights Advocacy, the organization that successfully backed NYC Law Intro 24, making it illegal to discriminate based on gender expression in New York City. She was honored by the New York City Council in June 2002 for her fierce political activism; and worked on the state level, successfully campaigning for non-discrimination legislation. With one high-heeled foot in politics, Clover kept the other planted firmly in the City's social whirl. She emerged as one of New York’s Drag personalities, hosting dances and fundraisers at the City’s LGBT Community Center. Clover Honey appeared at Gay Men’s Chorus Carnegie Hall performances, and makes regular appearances at events such as the Human Rights Campaign Ball and GLAAD Media Awards. In 2002, Miss Honey joined Under the Pink Carpet as regular “Man on the Street” correspondent.

	Harry Wieder (Community Liaison) has been active in the Disabled Community and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community for over twenty years. His dedication to the fight for disability rights, LGBT rights and against AIDS has won him honors from many community organizations. His unstoppable fight for disability rights earned him a featured profile in Jimmy Breslin’s column. He is presently a member of NYC Community Board 3 in Lower Manhattan.

	Rona Holub has been a props mistress, singer, songwriter, cabaret chanteuse, educator, writer. She holds a Doctorate of History from Columbia University. She currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College and is also a book publicist.

	Walter Grabowski is our newest board member.