Connor Paolo as Percy in 7 Stories: “…at one point or another we’ve all gone to that party simply to be seen there.” Photo by Faye Ellman

Eighteen-year-old Connor Paolo is a working actor who loves the stage. Yeah sure he’s shot movie scenes with Angelina Jolie and makes regular appearances on the hot TV show Gossip Girl, but August is all about summer fun and that means walking the boards on a real New York stage. The Strain Theatre Company’s production of Morris Panych’s 7 Stories offers theater audiences a chance to see Connor Paolo live and up close and United Stages wanted to know…

Connor Paola, you’ve been a professional actor in television, motion pictures and the stage since you were nine years old, right? What is it about theater that makes you come back to it?
Regardless of how much time I physically spend away from the stage it’s never truly a departure as the decision to return is never really a question. The ability to convey a story and move a crowd without the aid of camera cuts or long periods of time is an invaluable skill for any actor, especially one of my age who is still finding out what he’s made of.

What’s your character like in 7 Stories, and what about your character do you most relate to?
I actually play three characters ... REST OF THE STORY

Shelly Feldman as Anaïs Nin—in Hell

Pretend for a moment that you are famous. So famous that even after death, strangers are interested in knowing about your life in contexts both historical and personal. You’re a popular diarist, a Women’s Liberation icon and your name is Anaïs Nin. In your afterlife you reside on an island in Hell that is populated by Cleopatra, Queen Victoria, Joan of Arc, Heloise and Andromeda. Is it a stretch? Okay, say then you’re an actress playing one of these legends in David Stalling’s new comedy Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell (MTWorks/FringeNYC). You’d be Maggie Benedict, Shelly Feldman, Madalyn McKay, Colleen Piquette, Marnie Schulenburg or Ali Wirth and be thinking long and hard about what becomes your legend most…and you’d be answering the following:

What did your character in Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell do to end up there?
(Maggie Benedict/Cleopatra): Pissed off some god(s) in her lifetime!
(Shelly Feldman/Anaïs Nin): I know that a lot of people think that this is a reason to go to Hell ... REST OF THE STORY

A Hard Dave’s Night for Beatles morpher Dave Jay. Photo by Brad Calcaterra

Singer, songwriter and improv artist Dave Jay has Beatles in his head—all of them, in fact—and he’s having a reunion of the loveable Liverpudlians at this summer’s NY International Fringe Festival. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, black turtleneck and a 60’s mop top, Mr. Jay draws from his vast knowledge of Beatleobilia to answer questions from the audience in a one-man show he calls johnpaulgeorgeringo. United Stages recently asked…

Dave Jay, tell the truth. As a boy, who did you like more, The Beatles or the Monkees?
Well, to be fair, I found out about the Monkees first; they impacted me so deeply that I imagined and wished myself to be the fifth Monkee, which influenced me to write my first song at age 9. When I discovered The Beatles at age ten, it began a lifelong fascination—even more so than with The Monkees.

What was the first Beatle song you remember hearing? ... REST OF THE STORY