DIGITAL PROGRAM
CAST
Lesley Shires*
Sadie; Writer; Co-Director
Lesley Shires is an actor and writer. Onstage, she created choreography and the role of Mycie Theed in the world premiere of HENRY BOXBROWN by Tony Kushner. Lesley co-wrote the play MACONDO for the Guthrie Theatre inMinneapolis. She helped create ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT, a devised theatre piece set in the scientific community of McMurdo Station on Antarctica (created in collaboration with the playwright Keith Reddin and director Rachel Chavkin). Additionally, she wrote and performed SHADOWBOX as part of FREEPLAY at NYU Grad Acting. As a film actor, she has worked with the directors David Ayers, Derek Cianfrance, and Hagar Ben-Asher. DEAD WOMEN WALKING (written and directed by Ben-Asher) premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later screened at the Venice Film Festival. THE FLY ROOM (written and directed by Alexis Gambis, founder of Labocine) played festivals worldwide. Lesley has a BFA in Acting from East Carolina University and MFA in Acting from the New York University Graduate Acting Program. She has also trained with Steppenwolf West. Lesley is a breast cancer survivor who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Matt and six-year-old daughter Geneva.
Derek Peith
Danny
Derek Peith is excited to be working with his beautiful wife, Lesley Miller and the Headwall family on this production! He met her in acting school Mountview Theater School in London, England. They currently have 2 amazing boys in high school. He is originally from Northern Virginia from parents of Guatemalan descent, but has lived in NY for 25 years.
He can be seen as a guest star on such shows as The Blacklist, Murder At The End Of The World, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Master of None, Bull, and Blue Bloods. When he’s not acting, he is Registered Representative for NYLIFE and he manages the Mess Hall bar in Harlem.
Marge Dunn*
Maria/Francesca
Marge Dunn (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate performing artist, writer, and educator. Last year she appeared in the Headwall production of Funny: not a comedy actually kinda tragic by Caroline Festa. Theatre credits include: Miss Holmes (Greater Boston Stage); Cloud 9 (Central Sq Theatre); Hair, Cardboard Piano (New Rep); And A Nightingale Sang, Dancing at Lughnasa (Wellesley Rep); Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet (Boston Theater Company). TV/Film: “The Blacklist” (NBC/Universal); “Evil Lives Here” (Investigation Discovery); Fidelity; Monogamy of Swans. @sgtmarge
Matthew Maguire*
John
Matthew Maguire’s plays include Instinct, Phaedra, Abandon, and the creation with Philip Glass and Molissa Fenley of A Descent Into the Maelström for Australia’s Adelaide Festival. He is an interdisciplinary artist – actor, playwright, director, and visual artist. He was a co-artistic director of Creation Production Company, which produced over fifty new works. He has collaborated five times with Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, architects of the High Line. He works in new music as lyricist and librettist, and has collaborated with composers Michael Gordon, Co-Director of the Bang on a Can Festival, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Du Yun. He is an alumnus of New Dramatists. His published work includes, Matthew Maguire: Three Plays, and The Tower. His most recent work was an adaptation of Goethe’s Faust, commissioned by and premiered with Mabou Mines. He is the former Director of Fordham University at Lincoln Center’s Theatre Program, where he also served as Head of Acting, and taught Shakespeare, and Visual Thinking. His awards include an OBIE for Acting and an OBIE for Directing.
Susan McDonald*
Noreen
Susan Jane McDonald – (AEA, SAG-AFTRA) BA, Drama, University of Southern California. Susan studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse, a life-changing experience. She recently performed the role of Bee in Folded at The Tank. Other roles: Charlotte in Moon Over Buffalo, Berthe in Boeing Boeing, Lee in Marvin’s Room, Silda in Other Desert Cities. She’s worked on films with directors from as far away as Lebanon and Cuba. She’s the recipient of multiple acting and writing awards from her time with the New Short Play Festival (NSPF) in NYC. She’s writing a new series, Irrelevant, inspired by the awarding-winning film, Now You See Us. Her favorite role is Mom to daughter, Leah.
Bob Jaffe*
Bill
Bob Jaffe is honored to be a part of this workshop production at Headwall. On Stage: performer/adapter of …AND THEN YOU GO ON. AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE WORKS OF SAMUEL BECKETT (Off-Broadway and other venues). Other Theaters: Ensemble Studio Theatre; the cell; Public Theater/Under the Radar; Queens Theater; Working Theater; Ars Nova; Berkshire Theatre Festival; HERE; La MaMa E.T.C.; The Brick; FringeNYC; Trinity Rep; Providence Black Rep; Perishable Theatre; others. TV: “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon;” “FBI;” “Brotherhood;” “Law & Order: SVU;” others Film: CHAPPAQUIDDICK; PARIS IS IN HARLEM; soon to be released DISCLOSURE; many other independent and short films. Podcasts: Recurring character in ACADEMY on Wondery Ensemble Artist at Ensemble Studio Theatre and Artist-in-Residence at the cell.
Lesley Miller
Stage Directions
Lesley Miller is an actress, Singer, producer and director, she earned her BA in Theatre from De Sales University. Moving to London, she continued her studies at Mountview Theatre School. She is happy to be once again working with Michelle and team at Headwall Theatre, where she performed in Echoes of Ireland, readings of new works by Jacob Marx Rice and directing a reading of Nighthawks into Light, by Harrison Campbell. Other theatre credits include; Maria in Twelfth Night, directed by Kelly O’Donnell, Corinne in the NY premiere of Glow, The Maid in Red Cross, Beatrice in Much Ado., Mrs. Webb in Our Town and Beverly in Southies, a Samuel French Festival finalist by Jeffrey James Keyes. Television/film credits include Bull, on CBS, The Elevator, Streamside Day Follies, Spiderman 2, and One Life to Live. Her voice can be heard in the audioplay, Fingers Crossed, ads for Blistex, Visit Spain and Highway Patrol. She has acted in, directed and produced music videos for the indie rock band, My Darling Light. Look for Lesley on the Youtube channel Hatched NYC in comedy sketches. Upcoming film projects; The Wounded Wolf, directed by Oscar winning Hemel Trivedi and Ray of Hope with Enchanted Blue Media.
CREATIVE
Robert Eli
Co-Director
Robert Eli is extremely excited to be working alongside one of his most favorite people in the world, Lesley Shires, on this beautiful story that she is so graciously sharing with the world. He just wrapped the second season of “Your Friends and Neighbors” starring opposite John Hamm, Olivia Munn, and Amanda Peet on Apple TV+. He has appeared on Broadway and Off, Internationally and Regionally. Selected theatres include: Lincoln Center, The Roundabout, Primary Stages, Williamstown, Hartford Stage, Westport, The Alley, Long Wharf, The Old Globe, Two River, Chautauqua, and The English Theatre of Frankfurt (Germany). He has appeared in over thirty television shows and films including “House of Cards,” “The OA,” “Manifest,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Bull,” “Blindspot,” “Madam Secretary,” “The Good Fight,” “Blacklist,” “Chicago Med,” “God Friended Me,” “Elementary,” “Blue Bloods,” Death Saved My Life, “Odd Mom Out,” “Fringe,” and of course “Law & Order: SVU” to name a few. Rob is a proud graduate of The Juilliard School (Group 37) and an even prouder cancer survivor. He lives in Brooklyn with his incredible wife Janie, and their sweet cats Abby and Moe.
Matthew Carslon
Creative Consultant
Matthew Carlson is a screenwriter, producer, and actor. He workshopped his feature screenplay EL PERRO at the Sundance Collective Kitchen and his TV pilot THE BISLEY BOY won the SXSW Film Festival Episodic Pitch-a-thon. His short film KA-PEW just premiered at the Catalina Film Festival. He also wrote and produced the award-winning short films OVERNIGHT and THIS WILD ABYSS. As a stage actor he’s worked with four directors whose work have won Tony Awards, at theaters that include The Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park in New York City, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. Carlson graduated with a BS from Northwestern University and an MFA from New York University. He is married to Lesley Shires and hopefully gave her only as much advice as she wanted on this beautiful play.
John Orosz
Technical Director/Lighting Designer
John Orosz currently works as a Production Manager at Panavid Inc. He has made a career as an Entertainment Technology Professional. In that time, he has become acquainted with all areas of Production for Live and Virtual Events. Headwall Theatre Company Credits Include: Absolution, The Other Place, Hunting and Gathering, Echoes of Ireland, Other Desert Cities, Separated, #Crazyland, 1 in 4, Funny and The Pillowman. John is always there to support Michelle and Headwall Theatre Company.
Matthew White
Stage Manager
Matthew White graduated from Lafayette College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in May 2023. Since graduation, they have performed with Off-Broadway and regional theaters. Behind the scenes, they have worked both administrative positions, such as internships for Broadway League, Broadway Crew, and Chi Talent Management, as well as production team positions, currently Associate Music Directing with Kidz Theater. In their free time, they release original music under the artist name, Melody Matthews. They are incredibly excited to be a part of this production and would like to thank Headwall Theatre for this wonderful opportunity. Insta: @matthewsmelodyy
Akilah Gordon
ASM Intern
Akilah-Aziza Gordon was born and raised in Queens, New York. She attended Queens College where she took theatre classes for the first time and the rest is history! She has taken classes at the Barrow Group and the Actors Studio Drama School. As well as done front of house for Irish Repertory Theater and the Vineyard Theater. Also, house management for the YMCAs West Side theater. She is happy and grateful to be a part of the experience of putting “Hyper Bare it” on stage.
Michelle Orosz
Producer
Michelle Orosz is the Artistic Director of Headwall Theatre Company. She holds a BFA in musical theatre/minor in dance (East Carolina University). Directing/Producing credits include: Hunting and Gathering by Brooke Berman, Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz, Absolution by Brian C. Petti, The Other Place by Sharr White. Assistant Dir./Producer: Echoes of Ireland by Brian C. Petti. Producer of Separated by Luke Gray and #CrazyLand by Andrew Marvel. “Woman”/Writer of 1 in 4 by Michelle Orosz and B.J. Boothe. Producer of Funny by Caroline Festa and The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh. Michelle would like to thank The Hyper Bare-It team for their endless hours of dedication, and her family for all their love.
Marianne Goodell
Producer
Marianne Goodell, in her role as Managing Director, fully supports Headwall Theatre Company’s mission to get out of our comfort zone and try a new role. She recently performed in Be a Good Little Widow at The Chain Theatre, under the direction of her son George, and in the hilarious farce POTUS with City Gate Productions in Queens. She appears in the independent film Gazer that premiered at Cannes in 2024 and will be released in theaters across the US in February 2025. She is represented by UGA Talent. www.marianne-goodell.com
Nim Dhillon
Producer
Nim Dhillon is a born again theatre nerd, having rekindled the spark after moving to New York City in 2018. Nim has been with Headwall Theatre Company since 2019, filling many roles and wearing multiple hats in the years since. Credits include: The Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh (Producer), #Crazyland by Andrew Marvel (Producer); HTC’s New Voices Workshop Series 2022 & 2023 (Producer); Separated, an Online Play, by Luke Gray (Stage Manager, Producer); Hunting and Gathering by Brooke Berman (Stage Manager). Nim also sits on the Board of Directors for Headwall. Outside of theatre, when not in the audience or running around behind the scenes, you can find her at the gym.
Steven Kopp
Social Media Strategist
Steven Kopp is a freelance Brand and Social Media Consultant and worked with companies both corporate and local including Your Career Strategy, FORGE NYC, We Are New Studios, Artist’s Strategy, Sexy Batch Baking Company, Gamestoria, Neutral Ground Gaming, and Headwall Theatre. By nights and weekends, Steven is a content creator, variety streamer, and competitive e-sports caster/commentator. He’s created content for companies like Wizards of the Coast, Pokemon, HelloFresh, Cool Stuff Inc, Quiver Time, Laughing Dragon, and more! In his last save file he was a theatrical producer on and off Broadway. His producing credits include: Formerly the Assistant to David Binder, Broadway Producer of Hedwig and the Angry Inch & Of Mice and Men, Billy and the Golden Pencil (NY Theatre Barn, Town Stages, Barn Arts Collective), The Tempest (Taksu Theatre Company). Directing credits: Spike Heels by Theresa Rebeck (Loft 227), Late For Brunch (The Pit Loft). Assistant Directing credits: I Remember Mama by John Van Druten (Transport Group), The Maids by Jean Genet (Sonnet Repertory Theatre).
Déjà Anderson-Ross
Social Media Coordinator
Déjà Anderson-Ross was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL. She has a BA in Theater from Columbia College Chicago and has received her MFA in acting from The Actors Studio Drama School. Her NYC theater acting debut was with Headwall Theater Company’s production of #CrazyLand as Simone. Her on camera credits include Chicago Fire, Equalizer, and FBI: Most Wanted. She hopes to use her artistic abilities not only in storytelling onstage and on camera but in marketing and advertising. She believes that no matter the format, storytelling is a thread that ties us all together. She’s excited to be working on Headwall’s marketing team!
*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
AEA
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors
and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster
the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages
and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension
plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international
organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence.
www.actorsequity.org
WRITER'S NOTE
Why Tell This Story?
I was given time to pause in the tank. Time to heal. Time to learn about other’s healing. Time to be cared for by an unlikely family of misfits in the unprecedented age of covid. I think it is important for people to know that there are different ways to heal and that healing doesn’t look like what we normally see depicted on screen. The mom doesn’t always die. The sick don’t always look feeble and powerless. They might not even look or feel sick. Even the idea of “patient as hero” is just a paradigm that makes their experiences more palatable for those around them. We can live in the midst of difficulty without needing to find meaning or answers in our circumstances. The valley and the mountaintop can both be beautiful. We simply live and love one another, and along the way we heal together.
— Lesley Shires
PARTNERS
Partner Organizations
After each show we welcome you to a talk back with representatives from various local breast cancer organizations that support breast cancer patients, survivors, and/or breast cancer prevention, as well as other cancer survivors allowing people an open space to share their personal stories and ask questions. There will also be the opportunity to donate to these organizations.
The Maurer Foundation is a Long Island–based nonprofit dedicated to saving lives through breast health education. Our mission is to focus on breast cancer prevention, early detection, risk reduction, and healthy lifestyle choices. As we celebrate our 30th year, we are proud to have reached more than half a million people through engaging presentations in schools, businesses, and community groups, empowering individuals with life-saving knowledge to take charge of their breast health.
Young Survival Coalition (YSC) supports the young breast cancer community and ignites global collaboration to improve quality of life worldwide. At YSC, young adults facing breast cancer find the education, support, resources, and connections they need to thrive. Young Survival Coalition is the largest nonprofit dedicated exclusively to young adults diagnosed with breast cancer aged 40 and under and their co-survivor (caregiver) support networks.
NEXT UP
The Comeuppance
by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ The Comeuppance is a darkly comic, haunting play that brings old friends together for a high school reunion, where humor collides with mortality and time. Known for his inventive, provocative storytelling, Jacobs-Jenkins has also written Gloria, Everybody, and An Octoroon. In 2025, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Purpose, further cementing his place as one of the most important playwrights of his generation.
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ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
Headwall Theatre Company
Funny: Not a Comedy Actually Kinda Tragic (Fall 2024)
The Pillowman (Spring 2025)
1 in 4 (Fall 2023)
Our Mission
On a mountain, the headwall is the most challenging part of a climb.
At Headwall Theatre, we support theatre-makers as they try a role for the first time with the guidance of experienced mentors, and ascend towards nimble, versatile artistry. From our base camp in Queens, we nurture a community where neighbors step into the theatre, and artists step eagerly into each other’s boots.
Our Vision
We envision a thriving and collaborative theatre community in Queens where individuals from diverse backgrounds come together to celebrate shared interests, explore different points of view, and foster a sense of belonging. By creating a world where more people stand in each other’s boots and try each other’s jobs, we foster empathic understanding and inspire our community to ascend our collective challenges in harmony.
Support Us
Headwall Theatre Company is a registered not for profit 501(c)3 organization. Any donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.
OUR SUPPORTERS
This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.
This event is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.