As we began to look at our world differently in March of 2020, we started creating work in the virtual sphere, expanding the boundaries of the platforms available. These stories encapsulate a dual experience many of us have been facing for so many months now- the pain in relinquishing expectations of how life is supposed to be and simultaneously knowing more than ever what is truly important and worth our time in life: love and human connection.
The 35 pieces were written, performed, directed, produced, and edited by these unwavering groups of actors as a team effort on Zoom. The ensembles of THE WORK + IN REHEARSAL, along with the class of MAKE IT, poured their hearts, their talent, and their voices into pieces that each represents a different take on life in the virtual space, Covid-related and beyond.
As we continue to watch the impact of pandemic in the world, the interconnected nature of humanity is more with us than ever. With this work we celebrate some of the challenges this historic time has put us through and how we have still managed to love, forgive, grow, and even thrive, despite it all.
Just a little Zoom call between siblings...with one giant ask. Episode One in "A Birth Story" series, Laura and Helen are starting a family.
Laura- Leslie Murphy
Mike- Ben Huth
Written by Leslie Murphy
Directed by Alexandra Wright
Edited by Ben Huth
A mother /daughter reunion on Zoom is filled with new life and some hard truth.
Nancy- Harley Jane Kozak
Helen- Ellyn Jameson
Written and directed by Sydney Walsh
Edited by Ellyn Jameson
Laura and Cassie sort through their deceased mother's items while struggling to communicate through their differences.
Cassie- Alexandra Wright
Laura- Leslie Murphy
Written by Alexandra Wright
Directed by Ellyn Jameson
Edited by Ben Huth
Old bffs make food, talk pandemic and share about the heartache of marriage and children.
Sandra- Sydney Walsh
Nancy- Harley Jane Kozak
Written by Sydney Walsh
Directed and edited by Ellyn Jameson
A therapist tries to help his patient.
Starring:
Garth- Doug Tompos
Beth- Kelly Wolf
John- Josh Mann
Written, Edited, and Directed by Ben Huth
Helen and Laura cannot be together at a time when they need each other the most.
Helen- Ellyn Jameson
Laura- Leslie Murphy
Written and edited by Ellyn Jameson
Directed by Alexandra Wright
Mike looks for answers in his sister Cassie, but just can't.
Cassie- Alexandra Wright
Mike- Ben Huth
Written & Edited by Ben Huth
Directed by Leslie Murphy
Laura needs something from the last person she wants to talk to.
Kip- Kyle Secor
Laura- Leslie Murphy
Written, directed, and edited by Ellyn Jameson
Helen and Laura take a moment to connect at the end of a very important day.
Written by Ellyn Jameson & Leslie Murphy
Directed by Alexandra Wright Laura: Leslie Murphy
Helen: Ellyn Jameson Edited by Ellyn Jameson
Garth tracks down a long-lost godchild and loses his religion.
Written and directed by Harley Jane Kozak
Garth: Doug Tompos
When a couple schedules a romantic rendezvous on ZOOM, it takes more than candles and a funky beat to get them in the groove again.
Written and Directed by DOUG TOMPOS
Bob: KYLE SECOR
Carol: SYDNEY WALSH
Mom's voice: KELLY WOLF
In Memory of MARCY RUBIN
A father tries to help his son find peace as he struggles to claim his wife's dead body during a pandemic.
Written and edited by Daniel Rubiano
Directed by Doug Tompos
Starring Daniel Rubiano and James Morrison
With Jude Rubiano and Ellyn Jameson
He and She are dead. Will they stay together in the afterlife or will death do them part?
Written & Directed - Phoebe Neidhardt
She - Kelly Wolf
He - Kyle Secor
Music - Joshua Ginsburg
Choreography - Amy Hessler
You thought divorce was hard? Try it during a pandemic.
Starring Kelly Wolf & James Morrison
Written, directed, and edited by Amy Stewart
After meeting at an online Happy Hour, two lost souls drink and commiserate. In private.
Mikey Z- Ben Huth
Wanda- Phoebe Neidhardt
WRITER/EDITOR/DIRECTOR: Kyle Secor
A front-line worker and her devoted husband separated by long hours and the Quarantine finally get to Zoom.
Starring Kyle Secor & Amy Stewart
Edited by Harry Wilcox
Written and directed by Sydney Walsh
A father and son navigate their difficult relationship during the early days of lockdown.
James Morrison as Peter
Luke Humphrey as John
WRITER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR Kyle Secor
SPECIAL EDITING THANKS Daniel Rubiano
When a lonely man contacts his ex-girlfriend during a pandemic, their relationship takes a few unexpected turns.
Cassie -- Alexandra Wright
John -- Josh Mann
Directed and edited by Ben Huth
Written by Josh Mann
After the tragic death of her son, a grieving mother struggles to take matters into her own hands to get the rightful justice her son deserves.
Written by Mildred Marie Langford
Actors: Mildred Marie Langford and Kathryn Lockhart
Directed by: Jon Snow
Edited by: Jennifer DeFilippo
Caught in the pandemic, having to share hr house with her recent ex-husband, Kat tries to keep the status quo of her new online sexual relationship with her "boyfriend," as he pushes to break through her walls.
Written by Jake Locket
Actors: Stephanie Michels + Jake Lockett
Directed by Matthew C. Flynn
Mr. Carmody attempts to prove that an unlikely friendship with his Therapist is possible in the times of the New Normal.
Written by Konstantin Lavysh
Actors: Jimmy Carlson + Konstantin Lavysh
Directed by Jake Lockett
Produced by Jimmy Carlson, Konstantin Lavysh, + Jake Lockett
Two longtime friends reconnect during quarantine and struggle to face the stark differences in their circumstances.
Written by Zabeth Russell
Actors: Zabeth Russell + Kevin Fabian
Directed by Stephanie Michels
Produced by Michael Annetta
A sudden release program in the American prison system forces a bureaucrat and a convict to discover they have more in common than either of them might care to admit.
Written by Matthew C. Flynn
Actors: Konstantin Lavysh & Matthew C. Flynn
Directed by Abby Eiland
Writing partners with opposing outlooks on life try to get some work done in a world of isolation, masks and untouchable dogs.
Written by Kevin Fabian + Karli Hall
Actors: Karli Hall + Kevin Fabian
Directed by Stephanie Michels
Produced by Michael Annetta
4 friends navigate the shifting landscape of their relationships during a very uncertain time.
Written by Mike Faiola, Abby Eiland, Analeis Lorig, Jon Snow
Actors: Abby Eiland, Jon Snow, Analeis Lorig, + Mike Faiola
Directed by Mike Faiola + Analeis Lorig
When a young man’s world has a crumbled around him, he turns to his Mother’s love and it’s more powerful than he thinks.
Written by Otis Bassett
Directed by Otis Bassett
Co-Directed by Kathryn Lockhart
Staring – Otis Bassett and Mildred Langford
An apologetic, aspiring actor attempts to reclaim her identity when a careless, big-shot director refuses to acknowledge her cultural insensitivity.
Written & Edited by Anu Bhatt
Directed by Priyanka Shetty
Starring Elizabeth Bates & Anu Bhatt
A talented interior designer struggles to stay above the fray when she discovers she’s been stabbed in the back.
Written by: Caitlin McCarthy
Directed by: Emily Nicole Hansen
Starring: Caitlin McCarthy, Elizabeth Bates, Samantha Alvarado
Pushing 40, Lucy, long dedicated to her career, yearns for a family that has eluded her in New York. During an evening Zoom call, she asks an old high school classmate to fund a business idea…only to discover a deeper need just beneath the surface.
Directed by Cate Cohen & Cadden Jones
Written by Cadden Jones
Cadden Jones as Lucy
Mike Faiola as Greg
Edited by Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed
When a mom wishes her friend a happy birthday during Covid lockdown, she ends up giving her much more than she could have ever anticipated.
Written by Cate Cohen
Directed by Cate Cohen and Sydney Walsh
Starring Cate Cohen, Liviana Wolynez, Eliotte Wolynez, Craig Wolynez, Kate Clower, Harley Jane Kozak, Rusty Sarhan
A woman must choose between her dreams for the future, and an undeniable connection with a man who is unable to make them come true
Written by Hollie Schwarz
Directed by Ryan March
Starring Hollie Schwarz & Francisco Pryor Garat
Coconut Problems follows the everyday problems of Fiona, a Latina born and raised in Los Angeles. In this episode, after having just lost her job, Fiona interviews for a bartending gig.
Written by: Samantha Alvarado
Directed by: Jessica Sherif
Starring (in order of appearance): Samantha Alvarado, Simon Vance, Brandon Stansell
‘Distant’ is a portrait of long distance love at an impasse. Upon Annie’s fateful confession, Dylan is left to question where he stands…
Written by Andrew B Lipson
Chloe Baldwin – as Annie
Andrew B Lipson – as Dylan
Co-Directed by Elizabeth Bates
A miner on an isolated outpost is prepping for her return to Earth before getting a video call, but it’s not from her supervisor.
Directed by Ben Huth & Chloe Baldwin
Lighting Design by Paul Stafford
Chloe Baldwin as Waverly
Drew Lipson as Gavin
A mom who has had it with high-pressure parenting culture has zoom happy hour with an old friend, only to discover her friend has an ulterior motive.
Starring: Kate Clower (Kelly) and Cate Cohen (Sarah Beth)
Directed By: Cadden Jones
