Who We Are

All I Ever Wanted is an uplifting solo show, written and performed by Elaine Ocasio, developed with and directed by Rod Menzies.

The story unfolds as Elaine, called to her father's death bed, relives their complex relationship, including his sexual abuse of her as a child.

Elaine portrays a dozen characters in this inspiring story of yearning, healing and emotional survival. The play was created to encourage victims of sexual abuse as they strive to understand, grow and heal, and to inform others about issues that survivors of abuse deal with in their everyday lives.

Written & Performed by: Elaine Ocasio
Developed with & Directed by:
Rod Menzies
Music: Chuck Silverman

Elaine Ocasio
Elaine Ocasio grew up in a vibrant Puerto Rican Community Housing Project in the shadow of the Lincoln Center, steps from Central Park, in New York City. She graduated from Hunter College with a double-major degree in Film & Communications. After working as a film editor in New York, and briefly studying acting at HB Studio, she moved to Los Angeles, to work for KCOP-TV as a film editor and master control operator. She currently works at KCBS/KCAL-TV, where she is an Audio Operator and Robotics Camera Operator. Along the way, she worked as a script supervisor on various independent films and wrote, directed and produced an award-winning documentary: Healing The Wounds Of Incest, distributed by Pyramid Media. (Gold Medal, Houston International Film Festival; Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival; Silver Apple, US Educational Film Festival). She continued her studies in acting with Tony Morina and began writing and performing her own work at Beyond Baroque, in Terrie Silverman's workshops. She furthered her understanding of solo performance at UCLA Extension in Laurel Olstein's Writing The Solo Show. All I Ever Wanted grew to its present form in coaching sessions with Rod Menzies, and in his Solo Performance Workshop.

Rod Menzies
Rod Menzies is a director, writer and performance coach who has directed more than a dozen solo shows in LA and NY and developed or coached many others. He was voice coach for Runt of the Litter, by Bo Eason (Off-B'way and National Tour) and for OBIE and Drama Desk Award winner The Syringa Tree, by Pamela Gien (Off-B'way and National Tour) both directed by Larry Moss, and for Squeezebox, by Ann Randolph, produced by Anne Bancroft (Off-B'way and National Tour). Rod holds a diploma in Acting from the Bristol Old Vic - where he studied alongside Daniel Day Lewis - and an MFA in Acting from York University, Toronto. Acting credits include leading roles at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival (with Brian Bedford) at the Kennedy Center (with Peter O’Toole), and three seasons at A Noise Within, California's Classical Repertory Theatre. After teaching voice and acting for twenty years in top college programs (including USC) Rod opened his own studio in 1995. Clients include Patricia Arquette, Marcia Cross, David Duchovny, Marishka Hargitay, Neil Patrick Harris, Sandra Oh, and Alicia Silverstone. A proud member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Rod served as Associate Producer for the EST production of Julie Hebert's TREE, at Inside The Ford, and is Producing Director of the EST Summer Conservatory Program in New York. Rod will direct an Off-Broadway production of his musical play Arturo’s Window (written with Cheryl King and John Mercurio) based on the spectacular life of John Jerome. Go to his Website.

Chuck Silverman
Chuck Silverman is internationally known as a specialist in applying Afro-Caribbean rhythms to the drum set. Chuck has traveled all over the world teaching thousands of drummers not only about traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythms like Songo, Mambo, and Samba, but also sharing his ideas about developing a more creative approach to learning the drum set by using these rhythms as a rhythmic foundation. Three of Chuck's books, Practical Applications 1, 2 and 3, have recently been named to Modern Drummer's (United States) all time best drum books. Chuck’s other books include: “ Poncho Sanchez’ Conga Cookbook”, “Changuito, A Master’s Approach to Timbales” and “The Funkmasters -- The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections.” His videos include “The Drum Set Artists of Cuba”, and the soon to be released “The Latin-Funk Connection.” Go to his Website.