Program 2026

ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now

Sept 9, 2026 – Oct 4, 2026

MULTISTAGES multidisciplinary multicultural theatre
Lorca Peress, MultiStages Artistic Director

Cindy Cooper of REPROFREEDOMARTS.ORG

present

September 9 – October 4, 2026

Performing in repertory as part of the Femme Collective

at The Theater at the 14^th Street Y
344 East 14^th Street
NY, NY 10003

This production is part of the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) Healing Arts Week NYC: September 19-26, 2026 (in conjunction with the Jameel Arts and Health Lab at NYU in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). We are also part of ClimateWeekNYC2026 which runs Sept. 20-27, 2026 in coordination with the UNGA.

www.multistages.org reprofreedomarts.org

ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now

Playwrights:

DIANE BREESER, CINDY COOPER, ALINCA HAMILTON,
MILDRED INEZ LEWIS, CASSANDRA MEDLEY, LAURA SHAMAS

Acting Ensemble:

JAMES ALTON, GENA BARDWELL, JEAN BROOKNER*,

DARLENIS DURAN, JOYCE GRIFFEN,* PERNELL WALKER,*

BRIELLE WEBB, BECCA WORTHINGTON

JenniferChinDance:

JENNIFER CHIN, ADELE CARLSON,

MAYA LAM, FIONA OBA

Directed by LORCA PERESS**

ALLISON ASTOR-VARGAS Assistant Director

Projection Design JAN HARTLEY		Scenic & Prop Design JENNIFER VARBALOW
Sound Design SUN HEE KIL		Lighting Design KIA ROGERS
Costume Design LISA RENEE JORDAN		Dance Choreography JENNIFER CHIN
Historical Dramaturgy A.J. MUHAMMAD		Sound Design Assoc LINDSEY HOUGH
Production Stage Manager HADLEY TODORAN Press Representative KAMPFIRE FILMS PR		Stage Manager MEL ASHBY-HUNT Associate Stage Manager MATTHEW WHITE
Production Assistants:		GLORIA JIMENEZ, REINA MACIAS, MARIA SIRIGOS
* Member of Actors Equity Association ** Associate Member of SDC
	This production includes the aftermath of a stillbirth, loud booms, and a prop gun.

ACT ONE

WATER

Dance created and choreographed by Jennifer Chin

Music by Sun Hee Kil

Danced by Fiona Oba and Adele Carlson

ALMOST NEVER REALLY HERE

Written by Alinca Hamilton

CAST

Gabrielle………………………………………………………………………….. BRIELLE WEBB

Monica………………………………………………………………………… GENA BARDWELL

THE WHERE: A mobile home 20 minutes outside of Dallas in Sandbranch, TX.

THE WHEN: Springtime. Now.

THE WHY: Since the early 1980s, a predominantly Black community in the United States has been living without access to clean running water.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This play was inspired by the work of Dr. Jaqueline Patterson and The Chisholm Legacy Project, whose mission and unwavering commitment to environmental and racial justice have deeply influenced this piece. I am profoundly grateful to all activists who work tirelessly—often invisibly—for the preservation of our collective future.

Alinca writes: “You can’t tell the story of America without the perseverance of Black folks — how, even through that struggle, we continuously find moments of joy and the courage to dream of a better future. ‘Always Never Really Here’ is rooted in the story of Sandbranch, Texas, a predominantly Black community founded by formerly enslaved people whose descendants have had to fight for something as fundamental as clean, running water. The piece echoes the fighting spirit we’ve had to carry through generations simply to claim the basic rights we deserve.”

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

THROUGH WATER INTO BLOOD

Written by Mildred Inez Lewis

CAST

Dora…………………………………………………………………………. PERNELL WALKER*

Ellie…………………………………………………………………………… DARLENIS DURAN

Angus………………………………………………………………………………. JAMES ALTON

SETTING:

Outside Fairmont, West Virginia, near Knob Fork, between a natural gas fracking center and new plastics plant.

The birthing room in Dora’s Hillsboro Family Center.

TIME:

Fall morning, now. Three days after Ellie’s stillbirth.

Mildred writes: “The chance to explore the rich traditions of Black midwives with ReproEco is a gift. I’m honored to set the play in West Virginia, my mom’s birthplace. Our people are fighting climate change everywhere in ways big and small.”

WARNINGS:

This play deals with the aftermath of a stillbirth; a gun is handled but not fired.

AIR

Dance created and choreographed by Jennifer Chin

Music composed by Sun Hee Kil

Danced by Fiona Oba, Adele Carlson and Jennifer Chin

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

UNTIL THE CHANGE COMES

Written by Cindy Cooper

CAST

Theo Colborn…………………………………………………………….. JEAN BROOKNER *

Makesha………………………………………………………………………… BRIELLE WELLS

JayeAnne…………………………………………………………………… DARLENIS DURAN

Time: 2026

Place: Colorado, near an old military base, not far from Paonia, CO

Note:

Theo Colborn (1927-2014) — a real-world woman scientist in Colorado who first identified endocrine disrupters, or synthetic chemicals that even in small amounts can interfere with the body’s normal hormonal development. She became a researcher at the World Wildlife Fund, co-authored the book Our Stolen Future and founded The Endocrine Disrupter Exchange after working as a pharmacist, sheep rancher, mother, grandmother and earning a doctorate in zoology at age 58.

Cindy writes: “Years ago, I read about Theo Colborn and the way that she scientifically identified the harms to human health from environmental toxins, and sounded the alarm until her death in 2014. Now, she’s almost entirely forgotten, a hidden figure. I wanted to bring back her research and her moral clarity. And the people who should hear, it seemed to me, are those who are trying make their way in society while wanting to reform it, too – which might very well describe me. I ended up bringing the spirit of Theo into the lives of a branding team. Because, as Theo notes, the work is not done.”

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

INTERMISSION

ACT TWO

FIGMENTS

Written by Diane Breeser

CAST

Maya…………………………………………………………………. BECCA WORTHINGTON

Jake ………………………………………………………………………………… JAMES ALTON

Figment 1…………………………………………………………………… DARLENIS DURAN

Figment 2…………………………………………………………………………. JAMES ALTON

Figment 3…………………………………………………………………… JEAN BROOKNER*

TIME: Current

PLACE: MAYA and JAKE’S house in Wisconsin

Diane writes, “As a playwright, going through an extensive research library of articles about environmental impacts on our reproductive health was taxing. Then, how to bring climate change, microplastics, and everyday toxins into an engaging short play? Well, both of my children were expecting babies as I began writing for this new ReproEco project. I toyed with the idea of expectant parents — a young, loving couple with a new set of concerns — existential ones. A heavy burden, for sure! I came to the conclusion that humor was the answer: blending serious issues with farcical circumstances could be entertaining, right? Witnessed by actor readings and rehearsals, I happily discovered the answer is yes.”

EARTH

Dance created and choreographed by Jennifer Chin

Music composed by Sun Hee Kil

Danced by Fiona Oba, Adele Carlson and Jennifer Chin

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

WE ARE OUR ANCESTORS REASONS FOR LIVING

Written by Cassandra Medley

CAST

Ella……………………………………………………………………………… JOYCE GRIFFEN*

Renee…………………………………………………………………………. GENA BARDWELL

Kalima………………………………………………………………………. PERNELL WALKER*

Ebony……………………………………………………………………………… BRIELLE WEBB

SETTINGS:

Castle Elmira — Accra, Ghana”

Ella’s backyard, Cleveland, Ohio

TIME:

Near future. 22nd Century.

NOTE:

The title is an African proverb.

Some images of Elmina Castle are by Damien Halleux Radermecker, Esthee2010, Kurt Dundy, and Nkansahrexford.

Cassandra writes: “’Ancestors’” is a fantasy-nightmare of what I fervently hope will not be the ecological future of our planet. As an Afro American writer who loves to travel the world, ‘Ancestors’ is my opportunity to place my personal fears within an Afro futurism context.”

FIRE

Dance created and choreographed by

Jennifer Chin

Music composed by Sun Hee Kil

Featuring drummer Paul Peress

Danced by Jennifer Chin

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

PRIORITIES

Written by Laura Shamas

CAST

Dr. D……………………………………………………………………………. JOYCE GRIFFEN*

Dr. R………………………………………………………………………… PERNELL WALKER*

L……………………………………………………………………….. BECCA WORTHINGTON

Time: The Future

Place: Unknown, formerly North America Area

Laura writes: “My play Priorities is set in a futuristic world in which climate justice and reproductive freedom efforts have collapsed due to apocalyptic environmental and social conditions. The play depicts what can happen if we fail to address global injustice for climate. My play is a warning; make these issues a priority now or soon it will be too late. Three heroic women take action in my play, and we see them search for solutions, even during a deadly mix of environmental failures, including wildfires with toxicity exposures of all kinds.”

*appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

NOTES FROM THE PRODUCERS & DIRECTOR

CINDY COOPER, REPRO FREEDOM ARTS

Nearly three years ago, ReproFreedomArts.org gathered six writers who joined in the enterprise of digging into the connections between reproductive freedom and environmental justice to see what stage stories they might imagine. We connected by Zoom in conversations and meetings with experts, and drew upon a library of vetted materials. While the topics, often treated in separate silos, percolated in the news, they were described for the most part in studies and abstractions, but rarely in terms of the hearts and health and effects on bodies and communities. We started our inquiry simply with two human rights definitions. The first, Reproductive Freedom: “the ability to decide whether or not to bear a child, and to be able to raise a child (and live) in a safe and healthy environment.” Even though that is a long-accepted definition, the last five words are often drowned by the noise of fighting for the first part. And the second definition was of Environmental Justice: the right to environmental protection and to live free from pollution, threats to the ecosystem, and harm to our bodies.’ In short – bodily autonomy and bodily integrity, fundamental to every person on the planet. With the experiences shared with us by experts, and with the consulting help of Margie Kelly, a media manager (though working on her own time) with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and previously with several health-related organizations, the writers’ ideas took root. Scripts emerged like branches on a tree – with deep connection to the topics but unique twists and turns. Through refinements, revisions, considerations and reconsiderations, the scripts were further shaped by collaboration with MultiStages and Lorca Peress, and a host of creative partners to become “ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now,’ groundbreaking perspectives about our bodies, our health and our eco-challenges.

LORCA PERESS, MULTISTAGES PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

In 2024, Cindy Cooper approached me during an Oral History for the League of Professional Theatre Women and Lincoln Center’s Archives about a writing project she was curating: six short plays on the crossover between the environment and reproductive health. The ReproEco stories were compelling and the process of the writers’ meetings with experts intrigued me. I committed to help Cindy move the plays from page to stage through developmental series and now we present the world premiere.

In addition to the scripts, I wanted to bring MultiStages’ multidisciplinary elements to the stage. Cindy spoke of bodily autonomy and we decided to weave dances through the plays. Since 2003, MultiStages has incorporated projection design in most productions. Here, Jan Hartley tells stories through her powerful imagery. Our scenic designer Jen Varbalow has made stunning art from recycled materials that serve as our transitional set. The elaborate costumes by Lisa Renee Jordan are a mix of used and new and will be donated after we close. Woven throughout the show is Sun Hee Kil’s music and sound design, a mix of nature, surreality and abstraction. Together, we collaborators have built an aesthetic and minimal palate on which to paint these stories. Lastly, I want to address the garbage piles that clutter the stage. They represent our overconsumption and inability to rid ourselves and the planet of stuff. We thank Materials for the Arts and members of our company who donated items (some made of microplastics and chemicals) to build these worlds.

I hope this “ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now” production will give you pause. Give you hope. And give you a reason to protect yourself and our planet. How ever we chose to do our part, remember we are in this fight together. Let’s be the heroes of today. Thank you.

WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST

ACTORS

JAMES ALTON is best known for his portrayal of a young James Baldwin in Kyle Bass’s one man show Citizen James or Man Without A Country, which has been presented to stages from Phoenix Arizona to upstate New York. James is very excited to work with Femme Collective Theatre and the chance to work alongside such talented female artists. James Alton is a UNCSA alum and 9-year resident of Brooklyn NY.

GENA BARDWELL is Chair of Speech Communication and Director of General Education for Touro University New York. She is an actor and writer. She appeared in the film Gimme Shelter opposite James Earl Jones, Off Broadway in Our Place in Time, gave an award-winning performance as Amanda in The Glass Menagerie directed by Kevin Wilmont and Sojourner Truth in A Woman Called Truth at the KC Coterie Theatre; MultiStages’ Novel; A Christmas Carol and Death of a Salesman at Kansas City Repertoire Theatre. Gena is thrilled to be working with MultiStages and the Femme Collective. MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

JEAN BROOKNER* This is Jean’s third collaboration with MultiStages, ReproEco & is delighted to be working with them again here. Select NY stage credits: StatueFest: Barbara McClintock / Edith Wharton; Expiration Date (59E59 Theaters / Edinburgh, UK); Conjugating Stuckitude, her original one woman show. Select readings: Bridge (w/Hallie Foote, Elizabeth Ashley, Veanne Cox); To the Memory of the Lost Children (dir. Carrie Robbins). She has worked in English and French theater, appearing in A Matter of Husbands and Overtones, performing each play both in French and English (LIU). Jean is also a classically trained pianist and member of ASCAP. AEA, SAG-AFTRA jptb33@verizon.net

DARLENIS DURAN is an actor, producer, and teaching artist. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and years of ineffective treatments, she is proud to be a part of ReproEco and shed light on the connection between the environment and our health. Theatre work includes: Thank You for Listening (Remote Theatre Project, Carmen Rivera) January (MultiStages, Lorca Peress, Dir.) Our Lady of the Six Train (Teatro Tapia, Dominic Colon, Dir.), In The Name of Salome (Repertorio Español, Jose Zayas, Dir.), La Gringa (Repertorio Español, Carmen Rivera), Comida De Puta (MultiStages, Lorca Peress, Dir.) and En El Tiempo De Las Mariposas (Repertorio Español, Jose Zayas, Dir.). darlenisduran.com

JOYCE GRIFFEN* is a Writer /Director /Actress /Jazz Vocalist who has performed in productions at The Negro Ensemble Company and New Federal Theatre, among others. A Best Lead Actress finalist in the 2023 BroadwayWorld Off-Off Broadway awards, Joyce’s full-length farce THE SCRIPT IN THE CLOSET had a successful 2024 run at La MaMa E.T.C. Joyce’s directing credits include Rebecca Gillman’s SPINNING INTO BUTTER, and Ed Bullins’ THE WORK GETS DONE. A senior Social-Emotional Learning skills builder and conflict resolution Staff Developer, Joyce has long been entrenched in work important to people’s lives. She feels that performing in this production combines both worlds.

PERNELL WALKER* is a Bronx born Actress with a M.F.A in acting from Actors Studio Drama School, formerly at The New School. Ms. Walker seamlessly navigates and brings life to roles in Film, television and theater. She can be seen as Grace Campbell in season two and three of the Showtime drama “City On A Hill.” Ms. Walker looks forward to adding more collaborators to the growing extensive exquisite list of great directors, writers, executive producers and show runners she has worked with such as Dee Rees, Luc Besson, George Huang, Tom Fontana, Aldis Hodge, Kevin Bacon, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Ava Duvernay, David Simon, George Peleconos, Michelle Maclaren, Marti Noxon, Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh, Amy J. Kaufman, Ernest Dickerson, James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nina Noble, Dick Wolf, Steve Zailian, Radha Blank, Oprah Winfrey, Carl Franklin, Lee Daniels, Tim Van Patten, Martin Scorcese. Ms. Walker latest film is “Weekend in Taipei” starring Luke Evans and Sung Kang, directed by George Huang and executive produced by Luc Besson/Europa Corp. currently on Amazon Prime. She is a company member of The Actor’s Center and Labyrinth Theater Company. www.pernellwalker.com

BRIELLE WEBB is incredibly excited to be a part of this timely production! She most recently played Tracy in a reading of Outside by Elana Gartner. When she’s not onstage, you can find her on Instagram @whoisbriellewebb making videos about beauty and self-care. Brielle would like to thank her friends and family for their unwavering support!

BECCA WORTHINGTON is a NYC-based actor from Tulsa and is a member of the Cherokee Nation with Choctaw ancestry. From Native Voices in L.A. to The Kennedy Center in D.C., Becca has worked coast-to-coast in both theatre and film. Selected credits: Oklahoma! (Ado Annie) at TPAC, Hairspray at Four Corners Musical Theatre (Tracy), TOCOTS at The Kennedy Center (Actor 1&3 u/s), and the film Everything to Me by Kayci Lacob (Jess). Becca co-wrote and directed Channeling Our Ancestors with Indigenous Oklahoman artists at the TPAC for the Imagination Series. Represented by RAA, NTA, and Reel Talent Studio. becca-worthington.com

JENNIFERCHINDANCE

ADELE CARLSON is a New York City based dancer from Houston, TX. She graduated summa cum laude from Southern Methodist University with degrees in Dance Performance and Geophysics. Adele has performed with the Jose Limón Dance Company, Limón2, LLMoves, Salvatore Larussa, and most recently performed in works by Peter Chu and Majella Bess Loughran at Springboard Danse. She is a company member with Alpha Omega.

JENNIFER CHIN (Choreographer/Dancer) is a dance artist who has performed and taught throughout the US and abroad. Her choreography has been presented in New York City, Mexico, Croatia, Scotland, Italy, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Her company, JENNIFERCHINdance, has an ongoing collaboration with WADE, operating at the intersection of performing arts, activism, and social change. In addition, she choreographs for theater and opera and is a longstanding collaborator with MultiStages. Jennifer is an instructor in the Humphrey-Limón technique, yoga, pilates and embodied anatomy. She has taught in Arizona, Italy, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Finland. She has been on faculty at The José Limón Institute, The Martha Graham School, Montclair State University, Peridance, Brooklyn College, and Université du Québec á Montréal. Jennifer received her MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and BA from Queens College. LUMINOUSbody, transformative health and fitness is her small business offering lessons in yoga and pilates. www.jenniferchindance.com

FIONA OBA is a NYC-based freelance dancer, dance educator, and Pilates instructor. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, she studied dance at The Ailey School and holds a BA in Dance Education from the Royal Academy of Dance/University of Bath. She has had the privilege of learning and performing works by modern dance icons, including Alvin Ailey and Merce Cunningham, and has danced with companies and independent choreographers including Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Oceanallover, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, and lisa nevada, among others. She is currently on faculty at The Taylor School and is an ensemble member of Dancing Legacy.

MAYA LAM (cover) is a New York-based Asian-American dancer and interdisciplinary artist. Maya graduated summa cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance, a BA in Business, and a minor in Biology. She was a Resident Artist with Moulin/Belle in France and has danced professionally with Nimbus Dance Works and Periapsis Music and Dance. She currently performs and tours with Ballet Nepantla, J CHEN Project, Synchronous, and Aslin Projects.

ARTISTIC COMPANY

WHO’S WHO – PLAYWRIGHTS

DIANE BREESER (Figments) has spent most of her life involved in theatre. Years of research culminated in her one-act, Goddess on the Mountaintop about primatologist Dian Fossey. In 2017 Diane co-founded an award-winning theatre group, The “Alternative Truth” Project, which performed free monthly play readings about cultural issues such as reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, guns, and book-banning. In the Spring of 2025, she produced all six ReproEco plays in her hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin. A former teacher and librarian, Diane lives near the Mississippi River with her husband Randy and various critters.

CINDY COOPER (Unti the Change Comes) is a playwright, journalist and author. Her plays have been produced in the US, Canada and Europe. In New York, her work has been at Primary Stages, The Women’s Project (How She Played the Game), Wings (Strange Light; Slow Burn), Vaclav Havel Library Foundation (Stones of Tiananmen), Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio, MultiStages, EST, Town Hall (The World at Your Fingertips), Anne Frank Center USA (Silence Not, A Love Story), Sheen Center, Center for Jewish History, WOW Café, Chain Theatre, elsewhere, and in Chicago, Minneapolis, DC, Philadelphia, Boston, LA, Maryland, Texas, Florida, Montreal, Budapest, Helsinki, elsewhere. A two-time Jerome Fellow, her plays are in 17 volumes and have won awards from Pen & Brush, Samuel French, Malibu Int’l Festival, Quixote Foundation, Equity Library Theater, others. She is the founder of ReproFreedomArts.org. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she lives in New York.

ALINCA HAMILTON (Almost Never Really Here) is a holistic creator working across stage and screen. Select acting credits include: January (MultiStages), Clyde’s (Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Rep); Mud Row (Premiere Stages); Gong Lum’s Legacy (New Federal); Julius Cesar (Classic Stage), Growing Up (Disney+). Her writing has been recognized as a semi-finalist for the NYSCA/NYSFA Artist Fellowship and the Fresh Voices Competition. She is a founding member of Squeaky Wheelz Productions, whose work has appeared at The Tank, Ars Nova, Edinburgh Fringe, Twin Cities Film Festival, International Black Theater Festival, and Berlin Indie Film Festival (Award – Best Artist Short). A New Yorker to her core (please don’t ask her to drive). M.F.A. – Acting, Columbia University. alincahamilton.com

MILDRED INEZ LEWIS (Through Water Into Blood) writes and directs for theater, film and the digital space. A 2026 resident playwright with PlayGround-Los Angeles, she also writes with Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA and Towne Street Theatre. This year, she was a finalist for the Inkslinger Playwriting Contest and semi-finalist for the Leah Ryan Fund’s Boost commission. After a residency at the Mercury Store (NYC) this summer, her comedy Museum Annex will appear in Mosaic Theatricals Staged Reading Festival (Escondido, CA) this fall. Her television pilot Louisiana Shoal, based on her award winning short play (Samuel French OOB Festival, Best of PlayGround-LA, Smith & Kraus’ Best 10-Minute Plays), is being read in several Los Angeles venues this fall.

CASSANDRA MEDLEY (We Are Our Ancestors Reasons for Living) is a playwright and teacher whose works have been produced across the U.S., including Fannie Lou Hamer Opera (libretto), A Walk in YaYa’s Garden, Motherless Child, March 13, 2020, Martha’s Vineyard Theater, Celebrating Our Community, Gatekeepers Collective, 2020, Mrs. Palmer’s Honey, Bread and Roses Theater. Cell, Playing On Air 2018, Take My Advice, 2017, Survive, 2017, Cell, the full-length, Molelo Theater-2015, American Slavery Project, 2012-13, NYC, Cell, the one act, Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathon 2011, Daughter, Ensemble Studio Theatre Marathon 2009, Noon Day Sun, August, 2008, Diverse City Theatre Company, Relativity, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2004. She has won many awards, including the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the August Wilson Prize, the Ensemble Studio Theatre Life Achievement Award, Theatrefest Regional Playwriting Award for Best Play, National Endowment for the Arts Playwright Award, and a New York Foundation for Arts Fellowship. https://www.cassandramedleyplaywright.com/

LAURA SHAMAS (Priorities) was born in Oklahoma. She is a 2023 Los Angeles New Play Project Playwriting Award winner ($20,000) for Four Women in Red, which was produced at the Victory Theatre in Burbank in early 2025. This play was published in June 2025 by Broadway Play Publishing. It was performed in the 2022 Festival of New Plays at Native Voices at the Autry. Shamas’ plays include: Circular, Picnic at Hanging Rock (adaptation), Portrait of a Nude, Lady-Like, Chasing Honey, Talking Leaves (Winner – Garrard Best Play Award – Five Civilized Tribes Museum), and Amelia Lives. Her short play Seeds won the Von Marie Atchley Award for Excellence in Playwriting from Native Voices in 2017. Her work on ReproEco was mentioned in a feature about her in the Chickasaw Nation Times. She is a Chickasaw Nation citizen. http://www.laurashamas.com

WHO’S WHO – DIRECTORS

ALLISON ASTOR-VARGAS (Assistant Director) has been the Manager of Special Projects and Education for Repertorio Espanol Theatre for the past 27 years. As an independent artist, Allison directed Mujeres Fuertes, an evening of 3 monologues of powerful Latinx women opening the 2023 BAAD ASS WOMEN’S FESTIVAL at BAAD!; StatueFest: Put a woman on a Pedestal produced by New Shokan Kitchen Project which was a series of 15 monologues revering women whose contribution to New York City and beyond should not be lost to history from which Mujeres Fuertes was born. She also directed several online pieces including The Actors Studio BIPOC Fly on the Wall Series, Week 3 “Stand Back and Stand By”, The Neighborhood Watch by Janis Astor Del Valle and Daughter of the Seas and Sun also by Janis Astor del Valle for the Say Their Name Festival produced by BIWOC Hall of Fame. She produced her own adaptation of “The Scarlet Letter” entitled Scarlet Fever. Her latest play is “Broken Hearts” which explores the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election for a Latinx family that doesn’t see eye to eye. She is an alumna of The Lincoln Center Directors Lab and a current participant of The Actor’s Studio Playwrights and Directors Workshop. Allison has been part of ReproEco since the first developmental reading.

LORCA PERESS (Director) Founding Artistic Director of MultiStages and freelance theatre, opera, and musical theatre director. Credits: new works at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre, The Acorn at Theatre Row, HERE, International NY Fringe Festival at Soho Playhouse, Hudson Guild Theatre, Theatre for the New City, NJ Repertory, La MaMa, Repertorio Español, Urban Stages; The Lincoln Bicentennial music event at Riverside Church with Ruby Dee and Sam Waterston, and AIDS Quilt Song Book at Cooper Union; productions at NYU Tisch, Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, operas at Queens College for the Aaron Copland School of Music; 24-hour plays for her alma mater Bennington College at the Signature Theatre, Lucille Lortel, and the Public Theatre. Awards include: HOLA’s Zaldivar Award, Instituto of Puerto Rico, Taino Areito Drama, Women in Arts & Media Collaboration Honorable Mentions, National Opera Competitions, LaMaMa Inky, and others. Faculty: NYU Tisch Strasberg Studio and Lee Strasberg Institute. Memberships: National Theatre Conference, League of Professional Theatre Women, SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA. Lorca has been part of ReproEco since its first developmental reading. https://www.lorcaperessdirector.com/

WHO’S WHO – DESIGNERS & DRAMATURGY

JAN HARTLEY (Projection Design) has been creating projection designs since the early 1980s, before the category existed. She first created work on 35mm slides prior to computers, progressing to advanced video imagery and programming. In addition to collaborating with Lorca Peress on multiple shows, she has worked with Michael Wilson, Mark Brokow, Tina Landau, Doug Hughes, Jack O’brien, Jerry Zaks, Christopher Ashley, Michael Mayer, Simon McBurney, Ping Chong, and Meredith Monk. She has worked on the West End in London, Broadway, off-Broadway and in many Regional theaters. Ms Hartley has received two Drama Desk awards for BUNNY, BUNNY and ORPHANS’ HOME CYCLE, a Henry Hewes Design Award for ORPHANS’ HOME CYCLE, an LA Drama Critics Award for iWITNESS, and an OBIE for sustained excellence in Projection Design.

LISA RENEE JORDAN (Costume Design) Selected design credits include: Fetes de la Nuit (Ohio Theatre);* Drama Desk Nomination – Outstanding Theatrical Experience; Temple of the Souls (NYMF, MultiStages), Comida de Puta (MultiStages); Shesh Yak (Rattlestick); My Sexuality is_____ (Planet Connections); The Plantation (Brave New World – Governor’s Island); Romeo & Juliet (Bryant Park Shakespeare); Beloved (Scandanavian American Theatre Company); Heloise (Lion Theatre); The Great Pie Robbery (Electra Theatre); Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labours Lost (Shakespeare in the Parking Lot); Boy in the Bathroom, Castronauts (NYMF); Witching Hour, and Triangle (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Holy Land (HERE Arts); The Myth Project (Noor Theatre); Useless (IRT); Ms. Oriental (Barnard); Neglect, and Thicker than Water (EST); Lysystrata (Edinburgh Fringe); Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. http://www.lisareneejordandesigns.com

SUN HEE KIL (Sound Design) (She/they) Ominous Men/Speakout Festival (MultiStages), N/A (Lincoln Center), As You Like It (Public, Shakespeare in the Park), Suffs (Public, Henry Hewes nomination), The Visitor (Public), I Can Get It For You Wholesale/A Man of No Importance (CSC), Marriage of Figaro (Little Island), New Victory Dance (New Victory), Beautiful / Fiddler On The Roof/Sound of Music (Paper Mill Playhouse), Shout Sister Shout (Ford’s), Exclusion (Arena Stage), And There Were None (Everyman Theatre), Brothers Size (Selected Finalist at World Stage Design 2021), Brooklyn Gaze (Selected US Exhibit at Prague Quadrennial). [Associate] 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Opening & Closing Ceremonies; Broadway: Suffs, Left On Tenth, Choir Boy, Bernhardt/Hamlet, The Rose Tattoo; Off Broadway: Emmet Otter (New Victory), Greater Clements (Lincoln Center), International Tour: Dreamgirls. Assistant Professor of Sound Design at SUNY Purchase www.sunheekil.com

A.J. MUHAMMAD (Historical Dramaturgy) has served as a dramaturg for works produced and developed by NEC Inc., Woodie King Jr’s New Federal Theatre, HERE Arts Center, MultiStages Theater, Quick Silver Theater Company (QSTC) and other organizations. He is on the producing teams of the OBIE winning The Fire This Time Festival, the collective CLASSIX, and is also a co-founder the Grove Theater NYC, Inc. He is also a librarian at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

KIA ROGERS (Lighting Design) (she/her) is a NYC based lighting designer for Theatre and Dance. International: The Baby Monitor (Italy 2021 & Belgrade Pride Festival). Associate LD for Slutforart/98.6 in Gothenburg, Sweden with Muna Tseng. West coast: El Portal’s Monroe Forum Theatre, LA and Z Space, San Francisco. Film : Georgia & Me, Happy Days, and Hot Angry Mom web series. Dance: Flamenco Vivo National tours, Forward Motion, Kinesis Project Dance Theatre. LD & mentor: Ethical Culture Fieldston High School Dance Company. Guest LD: Lafayette College, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, South Carolina Governors School of the Arts. SC Awards: Outstanding Lighting Design for Real, 2019 and Jane The Plain, 2014 by the NYIT Awards, Outstanding Lighting Design for Mr. Toole, 2016 by the Midtown International Theatre Festival Nominations: Operating Systems, 2019, Rizing, 2016 and The Gin Baby, 2014 by NYIT Awards. Kia is a Creative Partner with Flux Theatre Ensemble and a LAByrinth Theater Company member. Website: krogersld.com

JEN VARBALOW (Scenic Design) is so pleased to be collaborating again with Lorca on this great new play and with this wonderful team. Previous collaborations include Ominous Men, Temple of the Souls and What We’re up Against. Past credits include designs for MultiStages, NYMF, The Workshop Theater, Bryant Park, Drilling Company/Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, New York Deaf Theater, Resonance Ensemble, The Artful Conspirators, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Theatre Garden, Pulse Ensemble Theatre, DR2 Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park. Jennifer is currently a teaching artist with Roundabout Theatre Company, Town Hall, and Inside Broadway,and a professor at NY College of Technology-CUNY. BFA-Mason Gross School of the Arts-Rutgers University; MFA –Brandeis University; Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

WHO’S WHO – STAGE MANAGEMENT & TECH

MEL ASHBY-HUNT (they/he) (Stage Manager) is a Brooklyn based Stage Manager. Favorite past productions: RePro Eco (MultiStages), Just Juliet (FATTER Productions) She Wolves (Neo Political Cowgirls), JANUARY (MultiStages), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Kitchen Sink Theatre Company), Poster Child (Kitchen Sink Theatre Company), George Kaplan (The Bridge Production Group). Thanks to Ruby, Hugo, Martin, Junimo, and KitKat! Follow them @melstilda everywhere.

REINA MACÍAS (Production Assistant) is a Los Angeles born actress, playwright, director, and producer committed to creating bold, socially resonant theatre. She wrote, directed, and produced the sold out Los Angeles premiere of Dinner Party, which was later developed through a 29 hour reading and selected for StrasbergWORKS 2026 in New York. Her producing work centers stories that balance humor, truth, and humanity while creating meaningful community impact, including a partnership with Black Women for Wellness. A graduate of California State University, Northridge. She is grateful for the opportunity to assist Lorca throughout this process!

MARIA SIRIGOS (ASM) is a theatermaker born and raised in New York City. She recently graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama. During her time at NYU, she studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute, the Atlantic Acting School and RADA. Big thanks to Lorca and the team for giving her the chance to be involved on this special and meaningful project! mariasirigos.com

HADLEY TODORAN (Femme Collective Production Stage Manager) is a Bronx based stage manager and lighting designer. They are a lead technician at FRIGID New York and a company member of Infinite Variety Productions. Recent credits include: New Perspectives’ Women’s Work Short Play Festival (Production Stage Manager), Drops in the Vase’s Needle & Bone (Stage Manager), and IVP’s In Their Footsteps at the Bronx Music Hall (Technical Director). For Carter and Robby.

MATTHEW WHITE (Associate Stage Manager) graduated from Lafayette College with a BFA in Government/Law and Theater. Since graduation, they have performed with Off-Broadway and regional theaters as well as in cabarets at 54 Below and Green Room 42. Over the past year, they have stage managed various projects across NYC including productions at the Secret Theater, Teatro Circulo, and Teatro Latea. They also release original music under the artist’s name, Melody Matthews, available on all platforms. They are incredibly grateful to have worked on this production and endlessly grateful for the opportunity to create new and innovative theater.
-IG: @melodymatthewsss

WHO’S WHO – PRODUCTION COMPANIES

MULTISTAGES is an award-winning multicultural multidisciplinary New York City theatre company founded in 1997 by theatre artist Lorca Peress. Through New Works Contests, Script Development Series, Festivals, and Productions, MultiStages provides platforms for playwrights and artists across all disciplines to collaborate in an experimental and supportive environment. MultiStages has presented and developed over 100 multicultural and multidisciplinary new works Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway. Awards/Grants: 2026 Creative Engagement Award (LMCC and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs), 2026 Creative Opportunity Fund, 2025 Puffin Foundation through Repro Freedom Arts.org, 2023-2024 Creative Engagement Grants (LMCC and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs), Cherry Lane Alternative Gift, N.W. Dible Foundation, A.R.T./New York Relief Fund for NYC Small Theatres, the Cultural Arts Solidarity Fund administered by the Indie Theatre Fund, and Leon Levy Foundation COVID Relief Fund, administered by A.R.T./New York, 2019 Creative Engagement Grant (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs), 2022 and 2019 Indie Theater Fund Grant, 2017 NYMF Next Link Project, 2015 NY Innovative Theatre Nominations (six nominations), 2012 HOLA Awards (four awards including Outstanding Production), 2015 Taino Areito Award in Drama, four Manhattan Community Arts Fund Awards (LMCC and the DCA), Dramatists Guild Fund Award, Jewish Communal Fund grants and many others.. MultiStages Board of Directors: Richard Appelgren ▪ Gena Bardwell (Secretary) ▪ Bruce Baumer. ▪ Lisa Cahill, Esq. ▪ Leonard Fusco, AIA (Treasurer) ▪ Valorie Niccore ▪ Lorca Peress (President) ▪ Reneé Berliner Rush, Esq. MultiStages Advisory Board: Joel Bassin, Ph.D. ▪ Maryann Mazzacaro ▪ Judith Pearlman ▪ Gregory Simmons. Emeritus In Memoriam: William H. Hickok ▪ René Keller ▪ Sheldon Patinkin ▪ Maurice Peress ▪ Anita Velez Mitchell. https://multistages.org/

REPRO FREEDOM ARTS is a New York City theater company devoted to opening conversations about reproductive freedom, rights, health and justice. In its 23 years, Words of Choice has created theatrical works dedicated to reproductive freedom and composed of selections by an array of writers. These signature pieces, Reproductive Freedom Is What We Want and Words of Choice, have traveled to 20 states and appeared before audiences at 100 venues with dozens of local partners, performed on radio, in a full-length video (now available on DVD ), been included in a book anthology, published its own anthology, and performed in two Live Streaming shows in the Wired Arts Festival, reaching 35,000 viewers in 20 nations. Other creative works have extended to audio, video, workshops, festivals, and the first Reproductive Freedom Walking Tour. It has been honored with awards from Repro Freedom for All (f/k/a NARAL Pro-Choice America), the Quixote Foundation, the Abortion Conversations Project, and others. Repro Freedom Arts uses dynamic theater, arts and creativity to open new conversations in support of reproductive freedom and human rights. Its mission includes addressing many intersectional issues, including support for bodily autonomy, economic sustainability, equality, gender identity, LGBTQI rights, full access to health care, abortion access, contraception, maternity care, sex education, parenting support, environmental sustainability, immigration rights and voting access, and a world free of violence, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and gender oppression. Special thanks to board members Kathy Chavez and Jennifer Clarke.

THE THEATER AT THE 14^TH STREET Y – Philip Trevino, Director of Production at The Theater at the 14^th Street Y.

THE FEMME COLLECTIVE emerged in 2024 as a bold collaboration between women-led theater companies. This collective represents a shared commitment to reimagining the theater landscape after the profound financial and cultural disruptions caused by COVID-19. By uniting resources, space, and creative energy, Femme Collective not only confronts the economic challenges of the pandemic but also strives to amplify diverse voices, foster community resilience, and redefine how theater can empower and sustain its artists and audiences. Together, these companies champion a future where collaboration and equity are central to the industry’s recovery and evolution.

ACTORS EQUITY ASSOCIATION – The Artists notated by asterisks are members of Actors’ Equity Association, appearing without benefit of contract or salary. The donation of their professional services is with the special permission of Actors’ Equity Association. AEA was founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 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.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Reina Macias, Gloria Jimenez and Maria Sirigos, our wonderful rehearsal PAs. Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Philip Trevino and The Theater at the 14^th Street Y Staff, HOLA (Hispanic Org. of Latino Actors), League of Professional Theatre Women, Materials for the Arts, LMCC, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Fractured Atlas Staff, MultiStages Board of Directors and Advisors, Leonard Fusco, AIA and GF55 Architects, Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, ART / NY, Actors Equity Association, Parity Productions, Matt Walting, Gail Kriegel, Vineyard Theatre, Materials for the Arts, Mitch Mattson at Roundabout Theatre Company, Rudy Guerrero, John McCullough, Susan Brandt. Carpenters Mabel Chang and Perla De Santiago.

Jeffrey Rowe, Justin Manisy and Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

Tracia Banuelos, Charlotte Brody, Eve Gartner, Margie Kelly, Lisa Lindstrom, Dr. Jacqueline Patterson and Jill Sigman.

The Climate Museum, Plan C, and Broadway Green Alliance.

Materials for the Arts and donations from Company members for the recycled set.

THANK YOU

TO OUR 2025-2026 DONORS

“ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now” is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the funding agencies The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council and The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council).A grant from NYSCA-A.R.T./ New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program).

MULTISTAGES STARS ($1000 and Up): Creative Engagement Fund (LMCC, NYSCA, DCA), NYSCA-A.R.T./ New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program), N.W. Dible Foundation, Richard Appelgren & Peter Kolonia, Bruce Baumer, Lisa Cahill Esq. and Mark Peress, Leonard Fusco AIA, Gloria Vando Hickok, Gail Kriegel, Renée Berliner Rush, Maurice Singer, Bruce Tenenbaum, Fred Wilshushen. LEADS ($500 – $999): Paula Cizmar, Mary Gail, Maryann Mazzacaro, Valorie Niccore. PRINCIPALS ($250 – $499): Stephen Doran, Tamara & Bruce Watkins. SUPPORTING PLAYER ($100 – $249): Gena Bardwell, Laura & Joel Bassin, Michael Closter, Douglas E. Davidson, Clara Fusco, Lesley McBurney, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Anika Paris, Richard Streiter and Vikki Barbero, What’s the Big Idea Gertrude. (Up to $99): Claudia Barnett, Melody Brooks, Carlos Fittante, Fran Handman, Warren Kass, Michael Knatt, Claire Panke, Susan Yankowitz.

ReproFreedomArts /Words of Choice Donors: ($1000 – $5000): Distracted Globe Foundation, Margie Kelly, Puffin Foundation. ($500 – $999): Jennifer Clarke. ($250-$499): Barbara Becker and Dave Bolotsky, Cindy Cooper, Dr. Jessica Heymeyer and Well Empowered, Melissa Merickel, Bernice Rohret, Charlotte Taft and Shelley Oram. ($100 – $249): Marcy Bloom, Kathy Chavez and Peggy Merickel, Michele Dremmer, Joan Goldfrank, Julie Morgenstern, Martha Richards, Laura Shamas, Adina Taubman. (Up to $99): Janis Astor del Valle, Micki Coppel, Ginger Grace, Deborah Merickel, Sharon Mellon Mermelstein, Jann Rosen Queralt.

TO SUPPORT MULTISTAGES: http://multistages.org/support/

TO SUPPORT REPROFREEDOMARTS: Words for Choice, Inc., a nonprofit 501c3 organization, use PayPal link, or mail checks to: Words of Choice, c/o 446 W. 47th St., No.1B, New York, NY 10036