The family that ‘plays’ together …

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The Hugues share their love of the theater with family friends Dana Feminella, 42, and her daughter Marissa, 11. This is the Feminellas’ third show together, having appeared in “On Broadway” and in last year’s “Mame” with IPTG. When Dana was her daughter’s age, she was in the Long Beach Theatre Guild’s productions of “Oliver” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
“I love that we share this together, but it’s a struggle sometimes because we are together a lot,” said Feminella. “ I also have a tendency to be very critical, which can also cause tension.” Nevertheless, Feminella said, just as she is returning to the stage, her daughter is just beginning her own journey.
Seasoned musicians Reneé Socci, 53, and her husband Enrico (“Rico”), 56, have lived in Valley Stream for almost 26 years and raised both of their sons there. The couple are in the folk group of Holy Name of Mary Church where Reneé is the director and Rico plays guitar. Reneé has taught piano and voice for more than 30 years, and joined IPTG in 1992, starring as “Maria” in “The Sound of Music,” the show that started their family involvement in theater. After joining the IPTG board, Reneé went on to play various roles, including the title role in last year’s “Mame.” She and Rico also starred in IPTG’s production of the comedy “A Wind Between The Houses,” where her husband played the part of her son.
“We rehearse at home, in the car, while shopping or wherever we may be, and it usually ends up with us laughing,” said Reneé. “It gives us an opportunity to just be ourselves again — not parents, husband and wife, but friends.”
This is the second show that Merrick resident Ilicia Beck has done with all three of her children: Lexie Weinstein, 13, and 10-year-old twins Max and Jared Weinstein. A single mother, Beck has been in community theater for five years and her children for even longer than that.
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