The Writer
Patrick
Dwyer
Patrick Dwyer—the composer, lyricist, and librettist of Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon—is a composer/lyricist of musical theatre and cabaret. The Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs awarded Patrick the John Wallowitch Award for his body of creative work, as well as three MAC Award nominations.
As a writer/performer, his solo shows include Ten Reasons Why I Am Going to Hell and Thirty-Whatever (The Duplex Cabaret Theatre in NYC). Revues of his work include I Can’t Wait: The Songs of Patrick Dwyer at The Duplex and The Patrick Dwyer Project and Thirty-Whatever (ensemble version) at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. He also contributed to the revues If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books (Theatreworks USA: Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and a four-year-long national tour), and Broadway’s Epic Fail (New York Musical Theatre Festival). He composed the incidental score for Hawthorne Pride Alliance's production of It's a Wonderful Life.
Patrick is an alum of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project at Northwestern University, Butler University (BM), and NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (MFA).
He is also a seasoned community theater veteran, with over two dozen acting credits to his name on community theater stages across New York City and northern New Jersey.
Production
History and
Acknowledgements
The world premiere of Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon took place February 9–11, 2025 at Old Library Theatre in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The original production was directed by Valerie Caniglia with music direction by Christynn Morris. The show was produced by David Toussas and stage managed by Milind Shah with Ettie Eggers as the production assistant. In July 2025, the production was nominated for "Outstanding Production of an Original Musical" by the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters (NJACT).
Patrick Dwyer gratefully acknowledges the creative contributions of the original cast: Heather Antos, Joe Cremona, Marc Cruz, Michael Del Valle, Katie Felici, Paul Foster, Stephanie Kaelin, Brooke Kaye, Kay Koch, Natalya Kozlovski, Katie Lupfer, Eileen Mager, John Sapida, Laura Penney Shamir, Colby Trembley, Nichole Vaiknoras, Peter Vaiknoras, Beth Valenti, Annick Vasquez, and Kelly Wenz.
He also thanks those who assisted in the creation of the show by sharing stories about their community theater experiences: Maysa Andujar, Jay Braver, EJ Calabrese, Maggie Capone, Kat Cartusciello, Kat Ceberio, Beatriz Esteban-Messina, Cat Gallagher, Pearl Hart, Alicia Hayes, Tara Hutchison, Sarah Kowalchuk, Nina LaBarre, Rob Laub, Wendi Marak, Matt Matros, Courtney Menking, Mike Mirra, Nick Nappo, Raegan Rinchiuso, Andrew Roberts, Cody Ruegger, Erin Sabat, Phyllis Sambuco, Noelle Santosuosso, Jenna Stewart, Jessica Terlep, David Toussas, Angel Vail, John Villa, and Sam Yaggy.