Great looking nails can easily be achieved even if you are doing it at home. A part of the process of creating those stunning nails is filing them so that they will take on a uniform nail shape. You can do that with a nail file.

There are different nail files (wooden nail file, metal nail file, crystal nail file, ceramic nail file, and electric nail file). Of these, the electric nail file is the most convenient to use. It makes filing down and shaping nails a lot easier and quicker.

If you are looking for the best nail file to use for your next DIY manicure and pedicure, you just can’t just go a store to buy the nail file that you want. You’d need to consider several safety precautions before finally deciding which nail file to choose or use. Remember that your concern is to create the most convenient experience for yourself or your client (if you are providing the same services to others). That can only be done with a high-quality nail file.

Tips for choosing the best electric nail file

For perfect looking nails, you will need to use an excellent quality electric file. To make sure that you will be purchasing one, consider our recommendations for determining the one that will give you the most benefit and the best value for your money.

1. Find a nail file that fits well in your hands. Remember that you will be holding this tool for some time, hence comfort is one of the first things that you would want to have with your nail file. You’ll also want to have one that a bit that creates steady turns so that it won’t vibrate when you use it.
2. Buy one with variable speeds. Such a nail file will provide you the ability to access this function easily without compromising your work.
3. Choose an electric file that fits standard sized bits.
4. Buy from a reliable source. There are many sellers online that claims that they are providing quality products. But are they all providing quality service? Does the machine come with a warranty? Does the seller or manufacturer offer technical support?

Keeping it safe and healthy

Many tend to forget that their bits should be hygienic just like the other tools that they are using. To ensure that your nails, as well as your customers, will always be safe, sanitize the bits after every procedure.

Use a scrub to brush your drill bits and rinse with soapy water. You may also soak them in acetone as this will easily dissolve the dust and dead particles that get stuck in the grits of the bits.

After washing, disinfect your drill bits to kill any bacteria that may still be lingering on the bits. Before you do, make sure that you follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s manual for proper cleaning and soaking of these tools.

Store the bits after they are totally dried.

Note that regular bits will rust after soaking them a few times. That won’t be a problem, however, if you are using diamond bits. Also, make sure that you won’t soak them longer than necessary as this will make your bits to rust earlier.

Tips to master using an electric nail file

Whatever your problem with your nails when doing a manicure or a pedicure, an electric nail file can help you fix them. To use an electric file like a pro, here are some tips that you need to consider to help you while doing the procedure.

1. Apply just enough pressure on the bit, especially when you are cleaning the underside of the your nails.
2. Use slow speed when filing the cuticle, medium speed for backfills and concave shapes, and a fast speed when shaping the surface of the nails. Make sure that you don’t exceed 15,000 RPM as doing so may damage the nail.
3. Hold your client’s hand steadily and firmly to avoid unnecessary vibrations. Use your pinky or ring finger to assist your thumb and index finger and to provide a better balance and precision while working.

Removing a lifted nail coating

This can easily be done using a tapered drill bit. Drill from side to side while maintaining the bit flat at all times. Once the polish is removed, you may use a one-stroke movement along sealed and loose polish to completely remove whatever may still be hanging lose on the nail.

Repairing a Crack

To repair a crack, you can use a mini French-filled diamond. An electric nail file can also be used to do this. You’ll need to work on the crack before you can prep the nail. Use a slow speed movement (about 2500 – 6,000 RPM) and move the bit from the outer part of the nail and towards the crack. Make sure to remove just enough from the nail, however.

Prepping the Nails

For this purpose, you may use a fine sanding band/medium-fine diamond/coarse silicone drill bits.

You’ll need to gently push back the cuticles to keep the bits from grabbing and hurting the skin. Press the bit flat against the nail (use a speed of 2000 RPM). Use light pressure and make sure that you go over every part of the nail. Lift the bit once in a while to avoid any heat to build up and damage the nail.

You can also use the nail file to remove any dead skin without angling the bit. Move your client’s hand instead of the machine according to your needs.

Filing Natural Nails

Natural nails can easily be filed using an extra-fine diamond/extra-fine sanding band/silicone.

You’ll need to slowly and gently push the cuticle back to expose any dead skin, remove ridges and smoothen the nail’s surface. A slow speed that ranges from 2,500 to 6,000 RPM will just be fine for this purpose. Keep the bit flat to the nail while holding it horizontally. Move the nail file from side to side. To remove any dead skin, move the file a circular motion.

Using an extra-fine sanding band with some drilling oil, hold the bit horizontally and move from one lateral fold to the other and over the cuticle. Keep the bit flat.

Then, apply some buffing cream on the surface of the nails to leave a shiny finish on them. Once done, apply some cuticle oil on the nails and on the surrounding skin and massage the nail.

Backfills

Use a French-filled diamond/carbide straight barrel/specialized backfill with your electric nail file to do backfills.

A slightly faster speed (ranging between 5,000 and 9,000 RPM) will be needed for this purpose. Hold the electric drill at approximately 10 degrees angle to cut a new curved line on the nail. Leave an average of 80% of pink and 60% of white.

Finishing a Nail

The type of bit that will work best for this process is one of these bits: medium barrel/diamond/carbide/extra-fine diamond.

Use side-to-side movements while applying a gentle but firm pressure all over the nail. Make sure that the bit floats across the nail. You will need about 5,000 and 12,000 RPM for this purpose.

Always lower the speed to RPM when approaching sensitive parts of the nails such as the cuticle. Once done, use an extra fine diamond bit with a drill friendly oil to smoothen the nails for that shiny finish.

Crested geckos are native to New Caledonia. These gentle creatures are also one of those easy to manage reptiles that many hobbyists have found to be an interesting species to keep as a pet. These unique creatures reach an adult size of about 6″-7″ from snout to tail and weighs an average of 50 grams for a female and about 35-40 grams for a male. If you can provide the simple requirements that they need, you will be assured that you can keep one of these tame creatures for a long time. Note that records indicate that these exotic pets can live up to 15 years if, given the proper care, some even live longer.

Females in captivity have been reported to have a shorter lifespan, primarily due to breeding. Breeding, in general, not only creates a lot of demand for their nutrition stores (especially calcium) but may also cause emergency health situations like egg binding and prolapsed cloaca. Sources also indicate that this is a more common occurrence in captivity than in the wild and points to factors as improper care, rapid growth, or unique lizard requirements that many reptile owners have yet to unravel. Considering this, it is best that you choose a male juvenile or sub-adult for a pet instead as reproduction issues will be most likely not a problem with them.

One of the factors that any reptile hobbyist has to be well aware of is the diet that his pet will be most likely be feeding on.

What will your crested gecko eat?

A staple in a crested gecko’s diet is insects, primarily, mealworms and crickets, as these insects provide the energy that it most needs. For many lizard keepers, crickets are considered the best choice as it is easily accessible. They are also rich in vitamins and other minerals that your pet needs to stay healthy. They should be offered about three times a week if considered as a primary diet or once a week if provided as a treat/supplement to your pet’s diet. You also need to dust live prey with calcium and gut load them with foods that you would normally feed your gecko to ensure that they receive the essential healthy elements that they need. Remember, however, that the biggest cricket or insect that you should feed your gecko should not be bigger than its head.

Commercial powdered diets or meal replacement powders (MRP) are also great substitutes for a great crested gecko diet. They are usually packed with all the essential nutrients and vitamins that your pet needs. The better MRP options are the Repashy Superfoods and Pangea Fruit Mix Complete Gecko Diet. You can offer a mixture of Repashy Superfoods with two parts water in shallow dishes three times a week to your gecko. If after 36 hours there are still some leftover in the dish, you will need to remove it and clean the food dish and have it ready for your pet’s next meal.

For the experienced hobbyists, homemade diets are another good option. However, preparing a meal will need more time and can also be risky to a pet’s health. If you consider offering your pet homemade diets, you need to remember that insects should make up a larger portion of its diet. You also need to make sure to learn more about the foods that are considered safe for crested geckos.

How frequent will a crested gecko need to eat?

A crested gecko’s eating habit is influenced by several factors like metabolism, body size, and its age. You will need to observe your pet’s eating habit to avoid potential health issues if its feeding requirement is not met.

Note that there are geckos that eat every night, but there are also those that eat only a few times a week. During the cold season, they may have a reduced appetite, so they may be eating less and less frequently. The warmer months generally will increase their metabolism and appetite, however.

If your pet stops eating for some time, you do not need to worry. Remember that a healthy gecko can go for several weeks without eating. If  you don’t see any signs of eating for about three weeks, instead is showing signs of illness, you may need to bring your pet to a vet.

When looking for the best foods for your gecko, make sure to have high-quality best crested gecko food to offer to your pet. You also need to remember that food is just one of many other things that you need to provide to your crested gecko so that it will remain healthy and satisfied. Appropriate supplements should be provided together with the food that you offer as well as proper hydration. You also need to make sure that your pet’s enclosure is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected as needed. Any signs of illness should also be treated right away with the help of a reliable veterinarian. To increase the lifespan of a breeding female crested gecko (if you have one), it is best to keep its weight to about 40 grams at all times.

Even with common care and handling problems, crested geckos are still considered easy to manage. If you plan to own one, consider these recommendations to ensure that your gecko will be healthy while under your care.

Heather Tom was born on November 4, 1975 in Hinsdale, Illinois. She has two younger twin siblings, David (ex-Paul, OLTL; ex-Billy, Y&R) and Nicholle (ex-Maggie, “The Nanny,” Beethoven, Beethoven 2). From first starring in Huggie’s commercials, to becoming a two-time Emmy award winning actress, Heather’s career is a patterned rise from child model to television star, film performer, theatrical performer, and producer. At the age of 10 her family moved to Seattle where she performed with the Seattle Children’s Theatre, starring in the Nutcracker Suite. As her acting talents progressed, Heather began appearing in guest star roles in various television shows including: Who’s the Boss? (1984), Kid’s Incorporated (1984), Trial by Jury (1987) and Divorce Court (1986) . When her family moved to California in 1989, she studied at the famed Strasberg Institute and took lessons with Diane Hardin at the Young Actor’s Space. In 1991, when Heather was 15 years old, she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless taking on the role of Victoria Newman, a role that earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards and six nominations in the Outstanding Younger Actress category. Currently, Heather holds the record for being the most Emmy Award Nominated actress under the age of thirty! Heather has also received four Soap Opera Digest Award nominations, and won the honor in 1997 for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress. She also received three nominations for the Young Artist award. In November of 2003, Heather joined the ABC network to begin her adventures as Kelly Cramer on “One Life To Live”.

An accomplished stage actress, her stage credits include a lead role in Pinocchio II for Center Stage USA. She also starred in the Los Angeles premiere of The Glass Menagerie as well as starring roles in Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap and Vanities at the Creative Outlet Theater in Los Angeles, a company which she co-founded. She produced both productions, as well as Scooter Thomas Makes it to the Top of the World. Along with her friend, Chad Allen (DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN), Heather produced a revival of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues as well as appearing in the play as “Daisy.” The revival won five Dramalogue Awards. Heather produced and starred in Gila, a play by Mark Medoff. Through this role, she became fluent in sign language and won a Robbie Theatre L.A. Award nomination for Best Actress. The relationship with Mark Medoff’s Gila, now entitled Prymate, continued when she starred in Florida State University’s production. Heather also produced the play Talking With, in which she co-starred with 10 daytime leading ladies, including former Y&R co-stars Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) and Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia). She loves performing theater and most recently starred in: Moonchild, Proof, and Hecuba.

Heather has been in two made for television movies: She’ll Take Romance, playing the role of Caroline and Deadly Whispers, playing the role of Kathy Acton. She also performed in numerous theatrical motion pictures including Lookin’ Good, Lessie’s Rainbow, and Class of 1990. In 1996, Heather along with Chad Allen and Craig Wargo, established a company for young actors and writers called The Creative Outlet Theatre. The Creative Outlet fosters and produces live theater, providing a forum for young actors and writers. The company places young people in all positions, producing, directing, designing, and acting.

Heather is devoted to helping people who do not have the opportunities or options that she has. Recently Heather was named Regional Ambassador for Childhelp USA, a national non-profit organization that assists abused children. Heather also works very closely with several AIDS service organizations such as Caring for Babies with AIDS, Project Angelfood, Tuesday’s Child and AIDS Project Los Angeles. She has volunteered in the kitchen at Project Angelfood helping to prepare meals for those who are disabled by AIDS many times as well as appearing and working at fund-raisers for many organizations. In 2003, Heather founded Daytime for Planned Parenthood, a committee that promotes a woman’s right to choose.

Her acting career and charity works are only two of Heather’s passions. Politics could easily tie for first or second place in her affections. Heather loves to discuss politics, but she does more than “talk the talk”. A political activist, Heather is a frequent contributor on MSNBC’s SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY and was a frequent guest on POLITICALLY INCORRECT. In the Congressional elections, Heather worked very closely with Congressman Loretta Sanchez’s campaign,“Rock the Vote” (to help get out the younger voters. Heather worked with Rock the Vote to help register young adults to vote) and most recently, She Votes. She was involved in Gore’s 2000 campaign and worked with John Kerry’s 2004 campaign going door to door. Heather also spends hours reading plays, scripts and classical literature. She is also an avid art collector who has amassed an impressive collection of sculpture, painting and prints. At twenty-nine, Heather’s talent, classic beauty and passion for acting has captured worldwide attention and transformed her from a fledgling, adolescent actress into a budding international sensation in the entertainment industry.

Current News

Congratulations to Heather on being nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress for One Life to Live!! Leave your good luck messages for Heather on the message board or fill out the form. The Daytime Emmy Awards show will be broadcast live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Friday, May 20, 2005.

___________________________________________________________________

05/01/05:

Heather sends her deepest condolences to the Bell family on the passing of Bill Bell

To the Bell family,

I would like to express my deepest condolences for your loss.  Bill gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I have always had the greatest respect for him.  His passion for his shows and his characters was unfaltering and the entire daytime community will feel this loss.  I am honored to have had the opportunity to work for him and to know him.   No one loved and respected this medium more than Bill Bell.  No one understood a character quite as intimately as Bill Bell.  And NO ONE told a story like Bill Bell.  He was a pioneer, and he will be missed.

All my thoughts are with you,

Heather Tom 

04/27/05:

Heather will star in Happy Hour
Thanks to Robert Carr for the information

HAPPY HOUR BY NJ PLAYWRIGHT JOHN WOOTEN FEATURING
TWO TIME EMMY WINNER HEATHER TOM
HIGHLIGHTS FESTIVAL AT 12 MILES WEST

The feature presentation of the New Jersey Playwrights Festival of New Plays , Happy Hour by John Wooten opens May 21 through June 12 at 12 Miles West Theatre Company in Bloomfield . The play received a reading last year as part of 12 Miles West’s award-winning Monday Night Reading Series and highlights this year’s Festival which offers staged readings of new One-Acts on May 29 and a reading of a new Full Length play on June 5. Admission is free for Happy Hour ticket holders.

Happy Hour features two-time Emmy award winner and 2005 nominee for her work on ABC’s One Life to Live, Heather Tom ( New York ), who received rave reviews from the Star Ledger for her performance in Proofat TheatreFest in Montclair last year. Happy Hour also features Bloomfield, NJ resident, Sam Kitchin, who was seen in the Circle in the Square’s 2004 Broadway production of Frozen, Jimmy Gushue (Philadelphia, PA), Paul Reisman (Wyckoff) and Jim Aylward (Livingston).

Set in the remote desert of the Southwest, Happy Hour explores with disturbing clarity one man’s obsession with transforming a seedy topless bar into a respectable business. Unfolding in continuous time during a September afternoon in 1979, Happy Hour provides a gritty and thought provoking examination of the American dream and the high price paid by those determined to attain it. Happy Hour is based on a true story.

From Playwright John Wooten: “The play is loosely based on my childhood experiences living in the desert and helping my father with his bar (though I was never there when the dancers were). At the time, The Sands Cocktail lounge was just about the only building between Las Cruces , NM and El Paso , TX . My father was counting on the gambling ordinance passing — it would have made him a millionaire and he never would have had hired dancers to attract a crowd. It was quite the adventure growing up in the desert. I never knew the extent of what was happening inside the “club” (as the bar was called) until I was an adult. When I wrote the play initially it spanned a period of four years and there was a son in the play (loosely based on me). I found that the character distracted from the heart of the play, I also thought the play would have more impact if it happened during one Happy Hour in 1979 as the device of writing in “real time” has always intrigued me. Unlike many memory plays, Happy Hour was not written to heal old wounds or provide a catharsis. I wrote the play to revisit a time when youth sheltered me from the destruction I was too innocent to understand and not yet man enough to stop. Today the wildness surrounding the building (a toxic storage site last I heard) has mostly been destroyed as has my perception of childhood.”

Playwright John Wooten ‘s credits include the critically acclaimed Trophies produced Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane , and The Role of Della which has been produced at over thirty regional theatres and recently for film. His play Kiss The Bride was winner of a 1995 NJ Arts Council Fellowship and Governor’s citation. His work is published in texts that include Plays for Actresses , The Best Scenes of 1998 , Millennium Monologues , Playing Scenes , Playing Contemporary Scenes and by Dramatic Publishing Company and Dramatists Play Service. John is also the Artistic Director of Premiere Stages the new professional theatre in residence at Kean University in Union , NJ and was recently selected as a semi-finalist for the prestigious Nicholls fellowship sponsored by the Academy Awards for his screenplay Savage Act .

The MainStage production of Happy Hour will be directed by 12 Miles West Artistic Director, Lenny Bart whose critically acclaimed productions for the Company include The Advocate, The Elephant Man, The Robber Bridegroom, The Glass Menagerie, Inside Out, which was named one of the ten best for 2000 by the Star-Ledger and last season’s box office blockbuster One Way Ticket to Hell as well as this season’s New Jersey Premiere of Arthur Miller’s The Ride Down Mount Morgan.

Happy Hour at 12 Miles West Theatre Company/Centre for the Arts will be presented May 21 through June 12 Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm and Sundays @ 3pm . A “Meet the Artist” reception will be held after the Show May 21. 12 Miles West is located at 562 Bloomfield Avenue , two blocks west of the Garden State Parkway . 12 Miles West is not wheelchair accessible at this time. Due to the sensitive nature of the content, parental guidance is suggested. For reservations and other information, call (973) 259-9187 or log on to the 12 Miles West website at http://www. 12MilesWest.org .

-end –

12 Miles West Theatre Company in Bloomfield, New Jersey is an award-winning, not-for-profit professional resident theater company dedicated to presenting high quality productions for the enrichment of the local and regional community with an emphasis on original and lesser-known works as well as innovative interpretations of classic plays. The company also endeavors to identify and support New Jersey artists, specifically by creating a resident company and providing them with a home where they can grow artistically by creating, developing and performing exciting dramatic productions in a viable and nurturing environment.

Programming at 12 Miles West is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by The Laraja Foundation, The Montclair Foundation and a generous grant from The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and through the support of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

04/12/05:

Heather will be hosting the WOW Awards Gala presented by the Deleware HIV Consortium and Michael Christopher Hemphill on May 13, 2005 in Wilmington, Deleware. Special Emcee will be Tamala Edwards of Action News. The event will also have a silent auction. More information coming soon.

___________________________________________________________________

All Heather Fans: Please particiapate in this! SOAP OPERA WEEKLY is working on an upcoming feature with Heather Tom with questions from you, the fans. If you have any questions you’d like to ask send them to us! I saw this site and figured you all would have some good questions for Heather.

Questions can be sent to the following address:
E-mail: [email protected]
Subject: Heather Tom
Fans should include name, hometown and state for questions to be considered and published.

Thank you,
Erica Brown
Soap Opera Weekly

___________________________________________________________________

02/20/05:

Due to misleading rumors that were started, I wanted to let everyone know that Heather will be staying on One Life to Live. Heather never had any intention of resuming her previous role of Victoria Newman, which a lot of people assumed and the role has since been recast. If you continue to hear such rumors, please disregard them. If you have any inquires about Heather in the future, please email me and I can let you know. Thanks!

___________________________________________________________________

02/18/05:

Heather was featured on the cover of the March 1, 2005 issue of Soap Opera Digest along with Dan Gauthier, Alexa Havins, Jamie Bruening, Jacob Young and baby Ace/James/Adam Chandler 3rd

Full article coming to this site soon!

___________________________________________________________________

02/18/05:

Here’s a statement from Heather about the Victoria recast…

“I can only be happy for her and wish her the best. Y&R will always be filled with great memories for me, and I will always be grateful for the many many wonderful years.”

___________________________________________________________________

12/14/04: 
Heather received her Christmas flowers on Monday morning, December 13th. I think she was very surprised and very impressed. She LOVED them!

___________________________________________________________________

Heather received all her birthday wishes from her fans on Monday, November 1st and she seemed very happy and appreciative…

“i am so thrilled to have such wonderful fans. thanks so much for your support all these years and thanks for remembering my birthday.”

Thanks to all of you who sent them in.

The Glass Menagerie – July of 1998
In a story revealed through memory and haunted by an absent father, the play glimpses the Wingfield family’s struggle to hold its ground in 1939. Amanda, the matriarch of the family, is trying to maintain her dignity and provide for the future in the midst of the Great Depression. Her son Tom has of necessity become the reluctant breadwinner after his father ran out on the family. His frail sister Laura (Heather Tom) has retreated from the world’s harsh realities to a homebound life where she finds comfort caring for her collection of little glass animals. Tension in the tiny apartment mounts as Tom becomes increasingly dissatisfied with working in a warehouse, and Amanda’s constant demands that he recruit a prospective husband for Laura. The arrival of Jim, a “gentleman caller”, at the Wingfield residence could be a sign of hope or a disturbance that will shatter their fragile home.

Gila – fall of 1998
Gila is a drama about a scientist battling to discover a cure for AIDS who locks horns with his hearing impaired colleauge (Phylis Frelich) in the company of a young interpreter (Heather). The issue is the ethics of infecting a gorilla (Garon Michael) with the disease in the interest of a cure versus the rights of the sign language speaking primate and the scientist who has been his teacher and surrogate parent. Heather not only starred in the play, but she also produced it as well.

Biloxi Blues
Biloxi Blues is the sequel to Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs. It takes up with the story of Eugene Jerome (Chad Allen) as he is on his way to boot camp in Mississippi to train for WWII. He learns the hardships of war through boot camp, to accept other people’s differences, falls in love and loses his virginity to a prostitute. He and the other young men must endure the rigorous training and abuse from their drill sergeant.Heather successfully produced the play as well as appearing in the play in the role of Daisy, alternating the role with her sister Nicholle Tom.

Vanities

Jack Heifner’s Vanities is a poignant view of America coming of age and passing from innocence to the realities of the Vietnam War era and the 70’s. Heather Tom stars in this bittersweet, laugh-aloud comedy about the growth of a friendship between three small town women: Joanne, Kathy, and Mary (Heather). Her character Mary is a seething volcano, constantly trembling on the verge of eruption — and possible extinction — as she desperately seeks ways to gain freedom from parents whose resources are liberating, but whose control is stifling. Mary grapples throughout the play with her desire to rebel against the small-town conservatism in which she was raised. Heather says, “She just rebels in a huge way, and she never quite loses her past because of that — she never really gets her own individuality, because she’s always trying to run from how she grew up.”

Lemonade

Lemonade is a searing comedy of new age love, sex and friendship. Handsome but arrogant PR executive Carl (Maxwell Caulfield) invites his old pal, Jim (Hugh O’Gorman), to a dinner party, where Carl’s wife, Jane (Laura Rogers), unwittingly fixes Jim up with Carl’s own mistress, Betsy (Heather Tom). Since Jim is actually in love with Jane, he and Betsy decide to pretend to fall for each other, so as to be able to work as a team in order to break up Carl and Jane’s marriage.

Talking With

Eleven monologues performed by women. Idiosyncratic characters amuse, move and frighten, always speaking from the depths of their souls. They include a baton twirler (Heather Tom), a fundamentalist snake handler, an ex-rodeo rider and an actress willing to go to any lengths to get a job. 1982 winner of the American Theater Critics Association Award for Best Regional Play. The play was presented at the Court Theatre in Los Angeles in June 2003. Renowned acting coach Howard Fine directed the production.

Prymate

Prymate, a new play by Mark Medoff (the author of the Tony-winning Children of a Lesser God ), will be a surprise 2003-2004 season entry. According to a production spokesperson, the drama will begin previews at the Longacre Theater on April 16 and open there on May 5, making it the final show of the spring season. Prymate centers on two scientists doing battle for the life of an aging gorilla who speaks several hundred words of American Sign Language but communicates a great deal more. At stake is the gorilla’s right to age peacefully rather than be used for testing in the quest for an AIDS cure. Prymate ran at the Richard G. Fallon Theatre at Florida State University in Tallahassee from February 20 through February 29 with two-time Tony nominee Andre De Shields, Children of a Lesser God Tony Award-winning actress Phyllis Frelich, One Life to Live ‘s Heather Tom (who was recently nominated for a 2004 Daytime Emmy Award for her work on The Young and the Restless ) and television veteran Robert Walden. 

Moonchild

Vladimir’s Pocket Productions presents Moonchild at the New York International Fringe Festival. Heather starred in this dark farce that investigates the early career of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and his scam with a Black Magic sex cult. Written by Maureen FitzGerald and directed by Alex Lippard, the show is based on actual events, and examines the relationship between a young, broke and struggling L. Ron Hubbard and the brilliant, half-crazed rocket scientist Jack Parsons, a Satanist and disciple of the infamous Aleister Crowley. Playwright Maureen FitzGerald speculates on how a meeting between two of the twentieth century’s most controversial figures led to the birth of a multi-million dollar empire.

Proof

Proof is the story of a prodigal young woman haunted by the passing of her brilliant but unbalanced father. When confronted with a mathematical riddle he may have left behind, she encounters her own mysteries of truth, love and trust. Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best New Play, Proof treads the seemingly thin boundary between genius and madness.

Hecuba

Written over 2,000 years ago, HECUBA is the story of a once-great Queen who — captured during the fall of Troy and forced to plead with her captors and appeal to the Gods to save her only daughter Polyxena — lashes out with a final, devastating act of violence. HECUBA is an eerily timely play about political corruption, the devastating effects of war, and the resulting loss of humanity. Heather Tom co-stared as Polyxena.