EVE LUPENKO FERRANTE

President

Marketing

I got involved in community theater in 2005 when my son Alex who was learning to act at Pizazz Studios asked if I would join him by participating in Oliver. I played the lead role of Nancy and from that point, I was hooked! When Pizazz closed, I performed in musicals and dramas with St. Paul’s Centerstage, Second Stage Productions and Broadway Bound and was also a managing member of Eastline Theatre. However, when I heard about the Slayer Players, I put these endeavors aside to become a member and I’m glad I did because we've accomplished so much in our first seven years and have even bigger plans for the future! 

In the “real world,” I am a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology for both adults and children. My career in medicine began when I attended the medical school at Stony Brook University after completing my pre-doctoral studies at the University of Virginia’s exclusive Echols Scholars program. At Stony Brook, I was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. My clinical training included an internship in Internal Medicine at NYU-Winthrop Hospital in Mineola followed by a residency in Dermatology at New York Medical College. In my final year of residency, I was chosen to serve as the sole Chief Resident. 

In “the field,” after a 20-year stint in Garden City, I became Director of Dermatology for Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg’s newly-founded Greenberg Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology group in Woodbury. My current hospital affiliations are Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and Northwell Health’s Glen Cove Hospital and I also belong to the American Academy of Dermatology and the Long Island Dermatological Society.

Considering my "real-job" resposibilities, needless to say, I am pretty busy. But when I do have spare time, I love to devote it to community service. For example, I am the current Vice President of the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce and a member of Glen Cove’s Charter Review Commission. I also sit on the boards of the Community Scholarship Fund, Glen Cove C.A.R.E.S. and the Glen Cove Arts Council. In the past, I have served on the boards of the Glen Cove YMCA and the East Island Association while also being appointed by the Glen Cove Mayor to the Community Development Agency. I enjoy speaking at local hospitals, professional organizations, schools and social clubs and am always happy to promote good skin health at any venue in our community.

FRED DiMENNA

General Manager

Treasurer

Creative

My career on stage began differently compared to the typical actor. I “performed” as a competitive bodybuilder for 20 years, 10 of which were spent at the professional level in the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation. During my career, I achieved my pro card by winning the amateur drug-free Mr. United States title in 1994 and, as a pro, placed second in the heavyweight division of the 1998 Pro Natural International Championships. In 2003, I retired from competition and turned my attention to furthering my education.

I pursued a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology at Adelphi University and achieved a 4.0 GPA and the School of Education’s Dean’s Award in 2005. I followed that with a four-year stay in England during which I achieved my PhD in Exercise Physiology by performing research at the University of Exeter, the leading university for sports science in the U.K. Upon my return to the States, I continued my research endeavors with the group at Exeter in addition to groups at the Pulmonary Institute at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and the Faculdade de Ciências at São Paulo State University in Brazil. I also serve as a Research Associate in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone at the School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. To date, I have amassed 52 PubMed-recognized publications as lead or co-author. I have also held positions as Adjunct Professor of Exercise Physiology at Columbia Teachers College from 2011 to 2019 and Adelphi University from 2011 to present. 

Now to acting. While pursuing my Master’s, I found my way back to the stage as an actor as opposed to athlete by performing for Pizazz Studios, a company that produced local theater. For Pizazz, I played a diverse array of characters including Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol (different performances of course!), Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Bill Sykes in Oliver, Howard in Sparky’s Magic Piano, Franz and the Nazi in The Sound of Music and, no doubt, my most demanding (at least physically!) role, the plant in Little Shop of Horrors. It was during my tenure at Pizazz that I met Susan Potter Weppler who contacted me in 2016 about a theatre group she was forming called the Slayer Players, I said, “Yes!” before she even asked me to join. We have grown quite a bit since then and have even bigger plans for the future so stay tuned!

CHEF JEANINE DiMENNA

Community Liaison

Public Relations

I love cooking and I love servicing my community. And, of course, I love my friend, boyfriend, fiancé and/or husband since 1979. So, when Fred helped start the Slayer Players in 2016, it was only natural for me to assist by spreading the word about upcoming shows and allowing the group to use my restaurant for rehearsals and performances. I even make occasional on-stage appearances although unlike most performers, I’d prefer staying behind the scenes. But If Fred needs me in this capacity, I do it for him. This includes playing his wife in Classic TV Live! I’m Dreaming of a (Black &) White Christmas . . . in Living Color! and a recurring role as the Undertaker’s Woman in A Christmas Carol (“I don’t drink, dead men walk around when I do!”).

My love of cooking began at a young age. As a teenager, I’d hang out with friends in front of the Tiffany House Restaurant at the Glen Cove Golf Course. We'd blast music and create a ruckus that drove the owners crazy. Eventually, they tired of chasing us away and invited me in to wash dishes. From the get-go, the kitchen was like home to me and I’ve been “living there” ever since!

Not long after starting, I was named Head Chef while complementing hands-on training with a formal one at New York Institute of Technology. I then moved to the corporate sector working as Garde Manager Sous Chef at the Harrison Conference Center for 12 years before returning to the private sector at Page One Restaurant. Before long, I was Head Chef and partial owner. At Page One, I became involved in community service so when then Mayor Suozzi asked if I could get the restaurant at the golf course up and running for the summer of 2013, I was happy to do so. Yes, after 30 years, I was back where I started and, in 2024, completed a 10-year stint at the restaurant renamed the View Grill.

While I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in the field, I’m even prouder of rewards I’ve received for community service. The pinnacle was being named the Glen Cove Herald’s Person of the Year in 2021. I am also proud of my appearance on the Food Network’s 2014 series Kitchen Casino. The competition required cooking skill, speed and adaptability with a $30,000 first prize at stake. I took second on the episode entitled “Fear of Searing.” Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all!