POOF!

An all-natural performance written by Celeste Lecesne with music by Truth Bachman

Showings: July 8-10, Friday, Saturday at 8p, Sunday at 3p
Post-Performance Audience Talkback: Friday, July 8th

Fairies have always enjoyed a close association with the natural world. But with so much of the natural world under threat from Climate Change, the fairies are not pleased, and they are beginning to show up in surprising ways. In addition to making everything more fabulous just by simply being, fairies have come to pass along a few spells that will be needed in the days to come. One such fairy is scheduled to make a rare appearance - and they will have their say. Join them.

”Celeste enters through the wild gardens of the glen as a fairy, both as a real (i.e. magic) fairy and, well, a real fairy (what they used to call gays). In the most imaginative of monologue, with uncanny puck and razor sharp wit, Celeste weaves the legend of fairies and their magical ability to survive with the world history of repression, culminating with a contemplation of the earth on the environmental edge today. In an amazingly spiritual stream of consciousness - Celeste’s language is rhapsodic – “Poof”emerges finally as a prayer for the future. Amen. “Poof!” is theater as pure as it should always be.”

-The Berkshire Edge

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

photo by Paula Allen

CELESTE LECESNE (he/they) wrote the short film Trevor, which won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short, and he is co-founder of The Trevor Project, the largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention Lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth. He has written three novels for young adults, and created The Letter Q, a collection of letters by queer writers written to their younger selves. An actor of stage, screen and TV as well as a writer, Celeste is best known for his award-winning Off Broadway solo shows including The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey for which the NYTimes ranked him “among the most talented solo performers of his (or any) generation.” He is also the co-founder of The Future Perfect, a national arts initiative for LGBTQ+ youth. CelesteLecesne.com

JOHN-ANTHONY FORDE (he/him)
Born and raised in Queens, New York, John-Anthony has always had a passion for performance and entertainment. He attended CUNY Brooklyn College for Theater, training both as an actor and in costume design. His stage debut being Bianca in Shakespeare’s Othello, 10 years ago. His work experience in theater has since expanded to wardrobe supervisor, stage management, director, and producer all around the city. In 2019, he co-produced and directed a theater festival, The Green Room: An Intersectional Pot Play Festival, which contributed proceeds to efforts in marijuana decriminalization and criminal justice reform. John-Anthony now resides in Brooklyn where he pursues his dreams in music as a singer-songwriter. Earlier this year, he released a 5 track EP titled “Little Pisces" to all streaming platforms.

HAN VAN SCIVER (they/them/theirs)
is a queer, trans, non-binary actor, musician, maker, and mover. Acting credits include Bryna Turner’s world premiere production of At The Wedding at Lincoln Center, and the title role in Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Upcoming: Galatea by MJ Kaufman in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Their solo show, Bicycle Face, has toured off-Broadway, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. Their full-length play, Dragon, was recently developed with New York Theatre Workshop. They have developed percussion scores with Ars Nova, Storm Thomas, Baltimore Center Stage, University of the Arts, Jaime Jarrett, é boylan, Aileen Wen McGroddy, and many others. MFA: Brown/Trinity Rep. www.hanvansciver.com / @rhymes.with.man

Truth Bachman (they/them/theirs) is a composer, vocalist, and writer of socially-focused musicals. Described by NYTimes as ”musically and vocally rich”, they are praised for “golden-voiced”, “soulful vocals” (Vulture). Truth was recently featured in Teen Vogue. Bachman’s acclaimed Shapeshifters, about LGBTQ+ community, was developed at an ongoing residency at Joe’s Pub, The Delacorte Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, UArts, and was the inaugural recipient of the Denovan Grant. FARMED: A Live Podcast Album, Bachman’s musical podcast concert, features interviews with grassroots leaders and a vocally percussive score for 25 voices. It was published in 2020. Other original musicals: Chasing Fear (Cygnet), Detentionicide (Future of Storytelling Festival), The Name Game (Prospect Theatre Co.), In Real Life: A Slenderman Musical (TFANA reading), Pyre Cantata (HERE), Coromandel (Dixon Place, HERE). Truth is an alum of New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, Joe’s Pub Working Group, NYU Tisch, and received a 2021 Jerome Hill Fellowship award as a finalist in music. Their album ‘Blue River’ features several Broadway talents and donates 100% of funds to Arts Education Programs within New York City’s boroughs. @truthbachman

KEVIN HOURIGAN (he/him) is a director and producer based in New York. His theater directing credits include Diana Oh's The Infinite Love Party (Bushwick Starr: co-creative director), Elixir (Pipeline Theater Co.), A Streetcar Named Desire (Precariat Productions), Another Rose (Virgin Voyages: Immersive Director), Queen of the Night (Beijing: Immersive Director and Lead Consultant; NYC: Assistant Director), Imagine: Yemen (Signature Center), Farmed (Joe’s Pub and others), L’Histoire Du Soldat at (Norfolk Chamber Music Festival), Uncle Vanya (Brooklyn College), Imagine Sisyphus Happy (Pace University), Cenerentola (Curtis Opera Theater); Talk to me About Shame in (NYFringe Festival: Fringe Award). He has directed workshops and readings of new work for writers including Craig Lucas, Naomi Wallace, Kia Corthron, Kara Lee Corthron, Truth Future Bachman, Brendan Pelsue, Mirando Rose Hall, Tegan McLeod, Keelay Gipson, and others. Hourigan is the recipient of an Individual Artist Commission from the New York State Council for the Arts, and was the inaugural Directing Fellow and later the Producing Associate at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

MICHAEL KRASS (he/him) has designed costumes, and sometimes scenery, collaboratively for a plethora of new plays, musicals and dances over many years. Recent projects include Hadestown and What the Constitution Means to Me in New York, but his work ranges to The Gate in Dublin, the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg, Russia, and regional theatres all over the United States. For many years he proudly taught undergrad theatre students at NYU, and is currently advising in the grad program at Brown University.

The Summer Play Lab residency provides artists of all practices a space to develop innovative theatre and connect with the community in meaningful ways.