'Heroines' explores the harrowing burden of opioid addiction

GOSHEN — Donna is the mother of a newborn girl. She is also a longtime, hard-core heroin addict.
When she loses her baby to Child Protective Services, she begins a harrowing journey through drug court, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and her own demons to earn back custody of her baby and reclaim control of her life.
This play, "Heroines," written by Hudson Valley playwright Brian C. Petti, explores the personal and emotional effects of opioid addiction. It will have its world premier from Sept. 29 to Oct. 7 at Cornerstone Theatre Arts in Goshen.
It is being produced by Ken Tschan. The assistant director is B.J. Boothe.
Featured actors include Heather Roland-Blanco, Jacqueline Dion, Drew Nardone, Christian Williams, and Dana Lockhart. This project is funded in part by the Orange County Arts Council’s Community Arts Grant Program.
'A necessary part of our lives'This marks the third of Petti's plays to be produced through Cornerstone Theatre Arts, joining "Echoes of Ireland" and "Absolution."
This production is also the first of the playwright's works to earn a grant through the Orange County Arts Council, which "collaborates with many organizations throughout the county to make sure the arts are recognized as a necessary part of our lives as individuals and our collective life as a community."
Petti is an award-winning playwright whose works have been produced internationally by such companies as Ten Grand Productions, Theatre of NOTE, and 5th Wall Productions. "Next Year in Jerusalem" won the Humboldt State University National Play Contest. "The Measure of a Man" and "On the Expectation of White Christmases" are published by JAC Publishing and Promotions, and "Banshee" is published by Next Stage Press.
"Echoes of Ireland" was produced in County Cork, Ireland, by the Skibbereen Theatre Society and is published through Eldridge Plays and Musicals. "Ten Seconds" won the Carlton E. Spitzer Excellence in Playwrighting Award, and "The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein" won the Las Vegas Little Theatre New Works Competition.
Most recently, "Banshee" was produced by Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, Calif., and "Like Drowning" was produced by 5th Wall Productions in Charleston, S.C.
Cornerstone Theatre Arts is committed to producing high-quality plays of historical, cultural, social, and educational significance, and engaging audiences to explore the power of the living theatrer.