Turning Krasniqi workshop at AMT Theater
Directed by Mika Kauffman
November 3rd - 6th, 2022
Thursday at 3:00pm and 7:30pm, Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 3:00pm ET
AMT Theater
354 West 45th Street
New York, NY 10036
Synopsis
Turning Krasniqi is the story of Hannah Krasniqi, a high school senior in a small, conservative Kentucky town who transitions to become a burrnesha, a gender in his ancestral homeland of Albania. There are several problems with this, of course. Hannah has never been to Albania. Hannah doesn't know anyone who has transitioned to become a burrnesha. And Hannah has barely spoken to anyone during his entire high school career, leaving him with a pretty weak support system. Can Hannah get the support he needs in order to overcome his transphobic principal and come out according to the ancient rules of the burrnesha transition? Turning Krasniqi finds the answer to this question buried in old Albanian traditions that blossom into modern, universal truths about being who you are.
About the Playwright
Jonathan Alexandratos (they/them) is a Non-Binary, New York City-based playwright. Their work lives at the intersection of ancient and modern Queerness, pop culture, and cathartic bonding. In addition to Turning Krasniqi (2020 Parity Commission winner), Jonathan’s work has focused on superhero immigrants (We See What Happen, 2017 Greenhouse Award winner from Strange Sun Theater), Queer toys (TOYS 101, solo show in the 2019 So-Fi Festival), fleeing war with the help of magical realism (Words Cannot Describe This, 2018 Queens Council on the Arts New Works Grant) among others. Currently, Jonathan’s work is supported by Parity Productions and Pipeline Theatre Company. Offstage, Jonathan writes academic cultural histories of toys, dolls, and Happy Meals, and that work has been seen in books (Articulating the Action Figure), film festivals (Billion Dollar Babies, the Tribeca Film Festival), TV stations (Story
in the Public Square, PBS), podcasts (Build for Tomorrow, Is It Transphobic?, et al.), and elsewhere. They teach at Queensborough Community College and Sarah Lawrence College.
November ‘22 Workshop Cast
Peri LeBlanc (she/her/hers) (krista)
Peri LeBlanc is honored to be a part of Turning Krasniqi with Parity Productions. She recently received her BFA from NYU Tisch, where she trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Stonestreet Studios. She performed as Northumberland in Richard II and was featured in an Aloe Blacc music video. Peri is committed to uplifting stories from disadvantaged communities.
stephanie cha (any pronouns) (christina)
Stephanie Cha is an actor and dancer based in NYC. Regional: Mr. Holland’s Opus (Ensemble/Gertrude u/s, Ogunquit Playhouse). NYC: Chasing Andy Warhol (Doctor/Great Jones Dancer, Bated Breath Theatre Company), Yes (Sybilla, Peridance Capezio Center), Life (Mover, Players Theatre). Film: Piano Practice (Lead). BFA, NYU. Thank you to Avalon Artists Group, Turning Krasniqi casting/creative team. Instagram: @cha.stephanie9
Annie Conolly (they/them/theirs) (Liam / Sam)
Annie Connolly is a performer, born and raised in Carrboro, NC. Graduate of UNCG’s BFA in Acting program, they moved to NYC and have been working steady ever since! Recent credits include their feature film debut as “Rex” in the upcoming indie picture, Sam’s World, playing guitar for TV’s Wonderama, and a recent closing on Kayla Michelle William’s The Sunset Plays.
Kristyn Michele (they/them/theirs) (Mr. Worsmley)
Kristyn Michele is a non-binary performerer based in Brooklyn. Kristyn was most recently seen as Bertrand in Tam Lin and as Albert DJ Cashier in The Civility of Albert Cashier. Kristyn holds a Master of Music Performance from CU Boulder, and both a Bachelor of Music Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education from SUNY Fredonia.
Bowie Caius Lance (they/them/theirs) (Hannah/Turning)
Bowie Caius Lance is a non binary actor originally from a small town in central Maine. They’re a graduate of Adelphi University’s BFA program and have been working in NYC for several years. Notable stage credits include Themba in Orphans & Outsiders, a play by Andrew Garrett in collaboration with Jackie Rivera at the American Theater of Actors and more recently, a number of roles in Corinne Donly’s Orchid Receipt Service at Brooklyn’s MITU580 alongside Asia Kate Dillon. You can also see them on screen in Difficult People on Hulu and in Mrs. Fletcher on HBO. They’re thrilled to be back onstage and honored to be apart of such an important piece within the trans community.
Mattie Mariposa (they/she/he) (Julio / Jesse / That One Band Kid)
Mattie Mariposa is a Bronx native artist and performer. Recent credits include: a short film titled “SEQUIN”, People Theatre Project’s 2021 Luna Ensemble, Disney x Public Works’ production of Hercules, Shakespeare In The Park’s Twelfth Night cast recording and Peacock’s Girls5Eva. Mattie hopes to continue to bring their talents to the screen and stage to represent for queer-identifying BIPOC.
Ashley Lauren Rogers (she/they) (Mom / Allison Statter)
Ashley Lauren Rogers An award-winning writer, audio book narrator, and trans rights activist. Literary Director for Step1 Theatre Project, Oddity received an honorable mention on The Kilroys “The List,” 2020, Trans Theatre Lab fellow 2019, artist in residence at Middlesex County Vocational-Technical School. “Becky’s Xmas Wish,” Finalist for the City Theatre National Short Play Award, Miami. Creator and head writer of Scowl.
Tobaron Waxman (they/them/theirs) (Olgi)
Tobaron Waxman is an interdisciplinary artist and curator, both censored and critically acclaimed, internationally. Tobaron was bestowed the Franklin Furnace Performance Art Award (2003), Kulturlabor ICI Berlin Fellowship (2010) and the inaugural Audience Award of Jewish Museum of NY for Tobaron’s endurance performance ‘Opshernish’ (2009), accessed by Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in 2022.
Dillon Yruegas (he/él) (Mr. Turning / Jorge Ramos)
Dillon Yruegas is a queer trans mixed coahuiltecan theatremaker from his ancestral lands in Central Texas. He holds both a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Spanish from Texas State University. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of the Broadway Green Alliance, a steering committee member of the Latinx Theatre Commons, and a company member of the VORTEX Repertory Theatre.
Jace ‘n Ziev (they/them/theirs, ziv) (Larissa / Alex)
Jace ‘n Ziev is a Brooklyn-based, nonbinary, Theatre Creator and Performer. They tell stories of Dissent and Justice through a Queer lens, aiming to subvert old tropes and establish new ones. Proudly, they are a TEDxBroadway 2022 Young Professional, a Member of the Trans Entertainment Guild, and a collaborator with The Living Theater.
November ‘22 Workshop Production and Creative Team
Mika Kauffman (they/ze/him) (Director)
Mika Kauffman is a multi-hyphenate queer artist based in Brooklyn, primarily a director, musical writer, dramaturg and producer. They received their BFA in acting from Towson University and MFA in musical writing from Tisch. Mika creates collaborative trauma-informed spaces with a focus on community building to cultivate new work. They founded the Trans Entertainment Guild, an organization dedicated to bettering the working conditions and lives of TGNC people in entertainment.
Emma Lea Hasselbach (she/they) (Sound Designer)
Emma Lea Hasselbach is a multidisciplinary theatre maker based in NYC working as sound designer, writer, director, and educator. Recent Sound Credits include What If/If Only (Burning Coal), Triggerman (Identity Crisis Ensemble), At Hotel Macguffin (Parity Productions). Emma is a graduate of Fordham at Lincoln Center and is a current member of Wingspace’s 22/23 cohort.
Gylanni Carrington (they/them/theirs) (Costume Designer)
Gylanni Carrington is a queer non-binary artist from pre-gentrified Brooklyn. Gylanni is an interdisciplinary artist with experience in various areas of theatrical design including costume, lighting, set design, and puppetry. They love new work, and projects that are weird, experimental, and concept-heavy with challenging design elements. Gylanni believes the future of art lies in diverse storytelling.
Jean Sonderland (they/them/theirs) (Projection Designer)
Jean Sonderland is a new media artist working to adapt scholarship to intimacy and thought to expression. Their practice is a cross-genre excursion attempting to unravel things that seem knotted up. Jean believes collaboration is the heart of something important and prefers to work among others.
Becca Silbert (she/her) (Production Stage Manager)
Becca Silbert is a queer film and theatre artist based in NYC. She works as a director, stage manager, lighting and sound designer, film editor and massage therapist. You can usually find her in the back of the theater with her pup Ru.
Dexter Warren (he/they) (Stage Manager)
Dexter Warren is an actor-composer-lyricist graduate of NYU Steinhardt’s vocal performance musical theatre program. Having recently made his off-Broadway debut as stage manager and performer in The Civility of Albert Cashier, Dexter is currently performing in Madness 1917 at Doors of Divergence. It is a pleasure to be a part of the Turning Krasniqi team and see such important work come to life.
Schuyler Seitzky (she/her/hers) (Assistant Stage Manager)
Schuyler Seitzky is so excited to be working with such an amazing cast and crew. Some of her previous credits include For Bo, Sister Act, and Bare at TCU and most recently Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (dir. John Lee Hancock). She is grateful to her friends and family for their constant love and support.
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA (she/her/hers) (Casting Director)
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA is an advocate manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today’s media. Actively casting since 2004, Nickelodeon was her home for over 14 years, where she tapped into her love of developing young talent. The co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society of America, her work elevating underrepresented communities has been barrier breaking.