Leni’s Last Lament

Cast

(Leni)

Jodie received an OBIE award for her performance in MACHINAL directed by Michael Greif at the Public Theater. Other NY theater includes: David Marshall Grant’s SNAKEBIT; David Lindsay-Abaire’s KIMBERLY AKIMBO at MTC; BALM IN GILEAD directed by John Malkovich at Circle Rep; ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION directed by John Patrick Shanley at MTC; ROAD and UBU at Lincoln Center; Will Scheffer’s EASTER and Odet's CLASH BY NIGHT both directed by Richard Caliban at Naked Angels (company member). Regional theater includes: Tom Waits’ FRANK’S WILD YEARS at Steppenwolf; STREET SCENE at Williamstown; SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION at LA’s Mark Taper Forum; Theresa Rebeck's SPIKE HEELS at NY Stage and Film. Film includes: Woody Allen's HOLLYWOOD ENDING; Todd Haynes' SAFE; Jim Jarmusch’s MYSTERY TRAIN and THE DEAD DON’T DIE; Barry Levinson’s JIMMY HOLLYWOOD; and Ira Sach's KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. Also, TRAPPED; QUEEN’S LOGIC; and SWEET LAND. TV includes: Law and Order; SVU; The Good Wife; and the recurring role of Wendy Hunt in the HBO series Big Love. Jodie directed the feature film of Tennessee Williams’ THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, and Ellen Burstyn.

(Accordion/Violin/Percussion)

Spiff is a recording engineer at Double Digit Studios, a writer, and a songwriter. He was born with 2 thumbs on his right hand. He plays over 20 instruments, performing with Alkemie, Weird Uncle, The Automat, and The Randy Bandits. Jimmy Fallon and Brad Pitt have lip-synced to his yodeling. He played accordion on John Oliver. Spiff has music directed and acted regionally and in NYC for 25 years. He also makes meditation music. Creator of live audio theater show The Spiffemol Industries Radio Hour. Patreon.com/SpiffWiegand.

Creative

(Playwright)

Gil was born in Nigeria and raised in Kenya, Israel, and NYC. He received an MFA in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. His play American Magic, a dark political satire, was produced in NY, LA, and London with music by Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth and Richard Foreman playing the part of the President. It was later published by Broadway Play Publishing along with two other plays, Interview, and Pharmacopeia. His film, The Memory Thief, won the Feature Award at the Edmonton Int'l Film Festival and played on the Sundance Channel. He later directed a thriller in mainland China called, Case Sensitive, which was developed at the Sundance Producers Lab and got a wide release in China, and played on HBO Asia. His other film Lost in the White City played at the Black Nights Film Festival and in other places around the world. His novel aKa came out this March in Berlin - https://parrhesia-verlag.de/aka. His next play Dickhead will premiere this September at Theatre for the New City, also directed by Richard Caliban.

(Director)

Richard adores working with long time dear friends Jodie and Gil and looks forward to future collaborations. He was Artistic Director of critically acclaimed, award-winning Cucaracha Theatre (“The most exciting experimental theater company in New York.” — NY Times) where he wrote and directed many of his plays, including productions at the Public Theatre and The Vineyard Theatre. His play Rodents & Radios was on Mel Gussow’s (NY Times) Top 10 Plays of the year list. Caliban’s MoM - A Rock Concert Musical won “Outstanding Musical” at the NY Fringe Festival and continued with runs at the Actor’s Playhouse, Geva Theatre and many other venues. He is also known for directing the celebrated Obie and Outer Critics Circle award-winning production of Mac Wellman’s Crowbar at the Victory Theater. Caliban directed Lost Shanghai, which he co-wrote with Grammy nominated composer Angel Lam, at Merkin Hall. His work has also been seen at Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Row, The Cherry Lane, Ensemble Studio Theatre, La Mama, HERE, Joyce Theatre, Naked Angels, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theater, Berkshire Theatre Festival, the R.S.9 Theatre in Budapest, Hungary; and the Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Richard is a proud member of BNW. www.richardcaliban.com

(Lighting Designer)

Daniela is a freelance Designer with a proven track record of artistic success and employer satisfaction. Having staged over 50 plays, her main work has been on lighting and set design, managing all aspects of set and lighting execution for multiple plays and musicals.  Daniela was born in Chile where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Design from the University of Chile. She later moved to the States looking to broaden her knowledge and specialize, completing a Technical Internship Certificate on Electric at Yale School of Drama. After that, she stayed in NY as an electrician for the Public theater on two Shakespeare in the Park and many others. She was the resident designer at LATEA on the Lower East Side, where she was contacted by Richard Caliban to design the lights for “Mother Severed Head”. During the pandemic, she moved back to Chile where she still works, having met with other directors from Latin America like Daniel Veronese, Tamara Cubas, and Claudio Tolcachir. Additionally, she has started to venture into films and broadcasters. Currently, she is the production designer for Got Talent Chile for Paramount.

(Technical Director/ Scenic Construction)

John is a co-founder of BNW and currently an associate artistic director. Brave New World: “Fahrenheit 451 (Montag) “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (MTA conductor) “The Great White Hope” (Fred/Coates/Ensemble), “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Bob Ewell), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (Algernon). New York stage includes: “I Vermin” “The Last Empress” at Lincoln Center, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, “Sure Thing” at Soho Rep, the title role in “Zastrozzi” at The Basic Theatre, a staged reading of “The Grand Tour” for the Jewish Rep. directed by Stuart Zagnit, and Peck in “How I Learned to Drive” as a guest artist at Brooklyn College. Regional credits include “Sideman” at Florida Rep, “Candida” at Pennsylvania Stage, “Master Harold and the Boys” for Portland Rep, “Romeo and Juliet” at the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and “Hamlet” as a guest artist at Northern Michigan University. Television appearances include “All My Children” and “As the World Turns.” John has performed in and choreographed fights for numerous Shakespeare Festivals and independent films. Also for The Basic Theatre he directed “Downtown” at The Samuel Beckett Theatre, and he has directed for The Neighborhood Theatre for kids in Brooklyn. Teaching credits (acting and stage combat) include NYU, Webster University and Northern Michigan University. He teaches stage combat in the theatre department at Brooklyn College. John and his family live in Brooklyn.

(Projection Design)

Designs lighting, projection, and scenery.  Joey has designed over 150 productions in NYC, regionally, and abroad.  Recent projection work: Walk Through Fire (Buglisi Dance Theatre,) Thanksgiving Play (Dorset Theatre Fest,) The Wanderers (Roundabout Theatre,) Skeleton Crew (Broadway programmer), Good Vibrations (Houston Ballet), Sunken Cities Exhibit (Virginia Museum of Fine Art), 72 Miles to Go… (Roundabout Theatre),  A Bright Room Called Day (Juilliard), Skeleton Crew (Dorset Theatre Fest), Orange Julius (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre).  Obie Award for Wet Brain at Playwrights Horizons.  MFA Yale School of Drama.  Joey is concurrently a Professor of design at Berklee NYC, of projection design at Yale Drama, and of lighting design at NYU Tisch. www.joeymoro.com www.moro.media

(Production Electrician)

Duncan Davies is the Production Electrician for Leni’s Last Lament.

(Puppet Design & Construction)

Lake Simons is a Brooklyn based director, designer, puppeteer, and physical theatre performer. She utilizes movement, puppetry, and live music to create stylized visual storytelling for the stage. Lake has collaborated with a multitude of musicians, performers, designers, and artists in NYC and Texas. She is the Managing Artistic Director of her family’s 48 year old Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas. Lake teaches puppetry at Sarah Lawrence College, as well as to elementary school age children with Arts Connection.  lakesimons@icloud.com

Production

(Producing Artistic Director)

Claire is the Producing Artistic Director of BNW Rep which she co-founded with husband John Morgan in 2003. Favorite productions: “A View From The Bridge” (Beatrice), “The Plantation” (based on “The Cherry Orchard” - Adaptor/Director), “Street Scene” (Director, named #22 of 25 Best Stage shows of 2013 by L Magazine), “The Crucible” (Director, NY Magazine Critic’s Pick), “The Tempest” (Director), “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (Adaptor/Director),”To Kill a Mockingbird” (Jean Louise/Director.) Numerous Off Broadway credits include “The Torchbearers” at Drama Dept., and the title role in “Bella Belle of Byelorussia” at the WPA. Many regional credits include leading roles at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Capital Rep, GeVa, Syracuse Stage, Asolo, Spoleto, and Emily Mann’s adaption of Wladyslaw Szpilman’s “The Pianist” receiving its world premiere at The George Street Playhouse in September 2023. Films include: “The Door in the Floor” with Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger and “The Thing About My Folks” with Peter Falk and Paul Reiser. “Crystal Prism Award” for Best Actress in “Better Than Escape” (former Yugoslavia.) TV: “Law & Order,” “Law & Order CI,” “All My Children,” “As the World Turns.” For Hannah.

(Front of House Manager)

Soleil (she/they) is a Miami native based in Brooklyn, NY. They’re currently a Creative Administrator with THE OFFICE Performing Arts + Film and occasionally dabble in work as a Production Assistant, Front-of-House Associate, Assistant Stage Manager, and Stage Manager. In 2022 they graduated from Louisiana State University where they studied Business Management and Strategic Leadership as well as Arts Administration. They discovered their love for the arts in middle school after attending their first theatre class and falling in love with the craft. Throughout their career, they hope to produce and create art for black and queer audiences, especially for those that wouldn’t usually be exposed to it. In their free time, Soleil enjoys baking, watching cartoons and anime, playing video games (especially the Sims 4), and spending time by the water. Production credits currently include; Lincoln Center’s You Are Here, The Watermill Center’s Crossroads: A Summer Festival led by Carrie Mae Weems and Robert Wilson, Rolex Arts Weekend at BAM, Project Everyone’s Business as Usual…? for UN General Assembly week, Yo-Yo Ma’s Our Common Nature and Bach Projects, William Kentridge’s The Head and the Load, Little Amal's walk across America with The Walk Productions

(Production Stage Manager)

Jiccarra has enjoyed roles in Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story (Breck/Denfeld; Duluth, MN); Secrets (Capri Theater); and The Energized Guyz, a traveling show with the National Theatre for Children. Her love for theatre has also brought her into stage management.  She is a Captain in the Air Force and founder of News On Purpose, a platform for Black and Brown Stories to be shared by Black and Brown bodies. She was granted the Children’s Theatre Company 2022-23 Stage Management Fellowship where she served for 9 months before stage managing their summer production of Head Over Heels. This role also took her to the Broadway Stage Management Symposium in New York. She has experience as a theatrical technician with the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She is a journalist, actress, philanthropist, and art advocate. In 2019, Hollman was reintroduced to her first love of theater and storytelling. She successfully stage-managed three productions in three months within three theatres including, Eartha Kitt at Minnesota’s Phoenix Theatre; Hit the Wall at the Southern Theatre; and The Viking and the Gazelle at Mixed Blood Theatre. A quote that represents Hollman’s work ethic is, "Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength;" The source is not listed. On Thanksgiving Day, while managing the Viking and The Gazelle, Hollman received news that her best friend’s life was taken at the hands of her child’s father in thesight of their two-year-old, a highly publicized case. At a time of grief and sorrow, theater provided purpose and a lifeline. Her goal is to capture and share the depths of tribulation and success—told through the lens of black and brown voices.

(Assistant Stage Manager)

Grace Keith is happy to be worrking with Brave New World for the first time! She has previous ASM roles accredited to Gibney Dance, The Gallery Players, and theaters in the New Orleans theatre industry before moving to the city. She is a recent graduate with aspirations to continue work in theatre production, wherever that may be!

(Press)

PR specialist Carol Klenfner has been bringing media attention to arts and entertainment projects for more than 35 years. She’s worked with Brave New World Rep starting with their stunning site-specific production of To Kill a Mockingbird on the porches of Victorian houses in Flatbush in 2013, and on every production since. It’s been her pleasure to deliver media coverage for them with multiple stories in outlets including the New York Times, New York magazine, WNYC, and Time Out NY. Her career in publicity began in music as the go-to rock and roll publicist whose clients included everybody who was anybody. The Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Aerosmith, Jethro Tull and many others, hired her to help create and preserve an image, run interference, and when necessary, unleash damage control.

(Producing Associate)

Celeste is an actress/writer born and raised in the Bronx. She has a B.A. in Theater from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Celeste has performed with many theater companies in NYC including Brave New World Repertory, Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and The Civilians. Recent film credits include: Poorly Executed (Gorilla Ocho Productions), …But A Dream (Mwhaha Laugh Productions). BNW credits: Street Scene, The Hook, Brave New Works: Daughters of the Sexual Revolution. She has performed her original work at Bowery Poetry Club, Harlem Arts Festival, and Salon BKLYN. Celeste is interested in creating work that sheds light on unity despite our perceived individuality. celestemuniz.com

(Technical Production Assistant)

Colston is thrilled to join the Leni's Last Lament crew. He is a stage manager, choral singer, and full-time gig employee based in NYC. His recent credits include Your Faithful Reader, an experiential theater performance directed by Miriam Wasmund, and Honor, an Off-Broadway showcase directed by Gerald vanHeerden. He earned a BA in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. In his free time, you can find him biking around the city, tending to his tropical plants, and playing the piano. He thanks all his friends and family for their undying support!

(Production Manager)

Emely was the resident production manager and stage manager with Brave New World Repertory Theatre from 2017-2020 where she worked on Shakespeare on Stratford (2021 and 2019), The Hook, A View from the Bridge, The Plantation, and Miss Julie, Asian Equities. Currently, Emely is the resident production stage manager at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas. There she has stage managed What the Constitution Means to Me, The Band’s Visit, Dial M for Murder, Violet, Sanctuary City, Detroit ‘67, It Came From Outer Space, Miss You Like Hell, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Mountaintop, Designing Women, American Mariachi, and A Christmas Carol (2023, 2022, and 2021). She holds an MFA in stage management from the Yale School of Drama and a BA in Theatre Technical Design from Binghamton University.

Right to Left: Queenie, Jeremiah, Nushrat

(Intern)

Hi my name is Jeremiah Smith i was born and raised in Brooklyn NY and i am an intern at Brave new world Repertory Theatre.  I recently turned 17 on March 3rd. What I enjoyed the most from helping with Lenis Lament was the hard work me and the other interns Nushrat and Queenie did assisting John on building a sturdy stage for the set. I also enjoyed painting the stage and I got to learn skills on wood work and learned more about Theatre. And in the future i either want to study automotive engineering or music production. I have a good amount of music production experience from my music technology class at my school Edward R Murrow High School. I even produce for some students in my class. There is also an album project we are currently working on. In my spare time in school I play Basketball , Football and Volleyball. I would say Basketball is my best. I play the piano and the drums. I also play video games too, for example car simulator games. I want to give thanks to My mom Petrina Davis, My aunt Nelle. I would also want to really give my thanks to Celeste, Claire and John.