THEATRE BY DEVELOPMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS
written by SOPHIA SNYDER
directed by BRENNAH LEONE
DIGITAL PROGRAM
CONTENT WARNING
Sudden lighting changes.
Mild language, alcohol & drug use, needle/ syringe usage, blood/ gore, sexual themes.
Violence, animal cruelty, bodily experimentation, and death from a lens of stylized science fiction.
CAST & CREATIVE
-
(she/her)
Sophia Snyder is a writer and dramaturg preoccupied with the visceral and the speculative. She never lets her characters forget that they have bodies, in all their gruesome, gratifying, gooey glory. Her dramaturgical work has included Hamlet, Fuenteovejuna, and several first productions of new plays and musicals. Most recently, she worked as a dramaturg and stagehand on The Totally Tits Adventure of Pootine by Andrew Miqueli. Her one-act play Bodies and Bones, an examination of loneliness, touch, and death, was produced by the Equinox New Play Festival in 2021. Her thesis play Cerebral, a modern fairytale about ADHD complete with an unearthly monster and a maze of blood, was produced at the University of the Arts in 2022. You can also find her short-form prose in Sliced Up Press’ Bloodless anthology and Belovedzine’s first and third issues, Love Letters and Flesh.
PLAYWRIGHT
-
(she/they)
Brennah Leone is a lover of all things mystical and romantic. She is a believer in the power of art in a community. Growing up she was either acting in plays or singing in local bands, and later she went on to receive a BFA in Directing, Playwriting + Production at University of the Arts here in Philly. Now Brennah spends most of their time applying their storytelling passions to writing and producing music (Check out her music artist project on streaming platforms under the name ‘Selkie Mar’) She’d like to thank her family and friends for inspiring her everyday. She’d also like to give a huge thank you to Monti and Andy for creating a platform for young artists' work, Lindsey for all their care and organization, Snyder for writing this brilliant piece, Bash and Symphony for all the hard work and good laughs, the designers for all their creative minds, and Ivy for being such a cute rehearsal doggy. You have all left Bren in awe and have made her fall in love with theatre again.
DIRECTOR
-
(they/them)
Lindsey is a nonbinary theater artist who specializes in scenery, props, puppets, and stage management. They deeply enjoy the story-telling aspect of theater and love that their work is able to give further context and story details to an audience. Special thanks to Monti, Andy, Snyder, Brennah, the cast, and everyone else who helped make Veronica happen. To view more of their work visit lindseysilver.com.
Stage manager /
set designer
-
(she/they)
Symphony Yvonne Thompson is a Philadelphia based artist who is thrilled to kickoff the first season of Theatre By Development with Veronica! She was most recently seen in the Totally Tits Adventures of Pootine by Andrew Miqueli! Some of their favorite theater credits include A Little Death, Bodies and Bones, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. and The Rose Garden.
This has truly been a refreshing and invigorating process. Thank you Andy and Monti for curating such a wonderful environment. To the entire team of Veronica, thank you! I love y’all! So grateful for this process, the trust and silly goofy giggles. Shout out to my fam and my besties. I could not do this without you! You make life grand. Grateful to know and feel this much love!!!
“VERONICA”
-
(they/them)
Bash is a Philadelphia-based actor/artist who graduated with a BFA in Musical Theater from University of the Arts. Most recently, they have understudied for the Arden Theatre Company and the Wilma Theater, and they’re super excited to be a part of Theater By Development’s first season in Veronica. Favorite credits include: Ballyturk, Mother Courage and Her Children, and Rhinoceros. Big thank you to the cast, crew, and creative team. It’s been a wild, bloody, gay ol’ time!
“HADLEY”
-
(he/him/el)
Bryant Yamil Gipull Garcia is a multilingual, Puerto Rican-born, Orlando-raised, Philadelphia-based creative artist. Bryant is a director, performer, lighting designer, producer, and stage manager and has worked on several projects throughout Philadelphia & beyond including Manflor (Cannonball/Fringe Festival), In The Green (Director - UArts), Esto No Tiene Nombre (Intercultural Journeys), Ghost Ride (Agile Rascal Bike Theatre), Equinox New Play Festival (Producer, Lighting Designer), Polyphone Festival of New Musicals (Assistant Director, Stage Manager). Bryant graduated with a Directing, Playwriting & Production BFA from the University of the Arts.
“PROF. KENNARD” / lighting designer
-
(she/her)
erin renee russo is an actor, dancer, sound designer and overall, a cool lady. a new york transplant, she graduated from the university of the arts with a BFA in directing, playwriting and production and graduated from the stella alder school of acting summer program in 2023. to see more of her work, check out her website www.erinreneerusso.com, or her instagram for silly stuff @erinreneerusso. muah!
“MS. KIRWIN” /
SOUND designer
-
(she/they)
Allison Freels is a UArts Design-Tech alumni focusing her work in props and costumes for theater. With over 50 productions in the last five years, she is currently the resident props and costumes designer at Creative Edge Center for the Arts and at The Theater Next Door. You can view her work at afreelsdesign.com
PROPS &
COSTUME DESIGNER
-
(they/them)
Amir-Gabriel Gad is a New Jersey born Pennsylvania living playwright, visual artist, dramaturg, and oddity. They are beyond excited and proud to see Theatre by Development’s inaugural season! Their work balances dreamlike liminality with needle specificity. They center joy and silliness, regardless of genre. Amir comes from a family of immigrants from the Middle East and Mediterranean, irreparably tied to ritual and storytelling. Find them at @mirmulmir on all social media.
PROMOTIONAL ARTWORK
-
(he/they)
Monti is a director and producer of new works in Philadelphia and co-artistic director of Theatre By Development.
Drawn to the absurd and wacky, he strives to create safe and empathetic spaces to build and explore new works that challenge preconceived notions about what theatre can be and the stories we can tell. Most recent work includes producing Testing Site by Daniel Burgess in Cannonball 2023 and POOT by Andrew Miqueli in Solowfest which he also directed, as well as producing the Philadelphia premier of Untitled Raccoon Play by SMJ in Philly Theater Week.
He is incredibly excited for TBD’s first show and cannot wait to share the rest of the season with you!
PRODUCER /
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
-
(he/him)
Andrew is a Philadelphia based Latino artist with great hair and an even greater smile. He is the co-artistic director of Theatre By Development.
Andrew is a writer and producer of all sorts of entertainment: plays, pilots, short films, comedy sketches, and much more. A lover of all things ridiculous, Andrew is a vibrant collaborator who actively strives to make theater more cinematic and cinema more theatrical.
We cannot thank you enough for seeing VERONICA! Even more fun, funky, and fresh experiences are in store and TBD cannot wait to share them with you!
PRODUCER /
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
-
(she/they)
INTIMICACY CHOREOGRAPHER
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO….
Hillary Silver, Jack Taylor, Ciara Chase, Aleah Bleche, Fiona Hill, Jena Richardson, Larry Barnes & 10th Floor Production, Kevin Glaccum & Arcardia University, Creative Edge Center for the Arts, Fergie’s Pub,
and our generous GoFundMe donors!