Alice Ripley (Trisha)
Alice Ripley (Trisha Lee). Original Broadway Cast: Next to Normal (Tony Award, Best Actress in a Musical), Side Show (Tony nomination, Best Actress in a Musical), The Rocky Horror Show, The Who’s Tommy, Sunset Boulevard, James Joyce’s The Dead, American Psycho, King David. Off-Broadway: The Pink Unicorn (The Episcopal Actor’s Guild, and The Cell), The Vagina Monologues (Westside Theatre), Civil War Christmas (NYTW), Cather County (Playwright’s Horizons), James Joyce’s The Dead (Playwrights Horizons), Next to Normal (Second Stage), Five Flights (Rattlestick Theatre). Regional: The Pink Unicorn (Holmdel Theatre Company), Sunset Boulevard (North Shore Music Theatre), Next to Normal (Arena Stage), Clybourne Park (Long Wharf Theatre), Tell Me On A Sunday (Kennedy Center, Helen Hayes nomination), Company (Kennedy Center, Helen Hayes nomination), Shakespeare in Hollywood (Arena Stage, Helen Hayes nomination), The Waves (NYSAF/Vassar). Tour: Les Miserables (Fantine), Next to Normal (Diana Goodman) Film: SUGAR!, Isn’t It Delicious, The Adulterer, Sing Along, Muckland, Temptation, The Waves in Quarantine. Television: “30 Rock,” “The Tonight Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America,” “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “The Today Show,” “The View,” “Blue Bloods,” “Royal Pains,” “Hee Haw.”
Elise Forier Edie (Playwright)
Elise Forier Edie (Author) is an award-winning author and playwright based in Los Angeles. Her scripts have been produced all over North America, from New York to Los Angeles, and in far-flung places like Jonesboro, Arkansas and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her newest children’s play, John Henry, about the African American folk hero, premiered at The Growing Stage in Netcong, New Jersey in 2019. Her newest short story will be part of the forthcoming anthology from Dreaming Robot Press, The Young Explorers Adventure Guide. You can find out more about her work by visiting her website, eliseforieredie.com.
Liz Flemming (Producer)
Liz Flemming (Producer). After several years touring and working in the regional circuit as a professional actor, Liz shifted focus to make a difference within our theatre community taking on inclusivity on the stage with the creation of Out of the Box Theatrics (OOTB). Founded in 2015, Liz created OOTB with the hope to create a more inclusive and accessible space while employing actors and directors under full union contracts. Being a visually impaired artist, the message of inclusion has always been an essential part of Liz’s personal mission. Since that time Liz has produced five seasons of fully produced new works and revivals, including You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Songs for a New World, “Master Harold”... and the boys, The Owl and the Pussycat, Nocturne, Shoes and Baggage, Into the Woods and Alice Ripley in both The Pink Unicorn and Baby (Off-Broadway Alliance Nomination for Best Revival). She also served as a creative producer on the new musical Mommie Dearest, written by Christina Crawford and David Nehls, Sam’s Room with New York Theatre Barn, Dying in Boulder with the Tony Award-winning La MaMa and The Evolution of Mann with the cell theatre. Liz also served as the Associate Producer at the cell theatre. This season with OOTB, she produced The Last Five Years starring Nasia Thomas and Nicholas Edwards, directed by Jason Michael Webb, and will close out the season with the remount of Baby.
Michael Kushner (Producer and Director of Photography)
Michael Kushner (Producer/Director of Photography) is NYC’s leading multi-hyphenate. Catch Michael every other Thursday at 7:00 pm EST live on My Broadway Memory with Broadway Podcast Network. Performance: On the Town at Barrington Stage (Pre-Broadway, directed by John Rando), Much Ado About Nothing at Barrington Stage (directed by Julianne Boyd), Sons of the Prophet at GableStage (directed by Joe Adler). He is the creator of his one-man show, Moo With Me (directed by Max Crumm). Photography: Featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Tony Awards, Playbill and more. Creator of The Dressing Room Project. Michael has photographed Idina Menzel, Julie Andrews and many more notable artists. Producing: Emmy Award-nominated web series, “Indoor Boys,” created by Wes Taylor and Alex Wyse, XaveMePlease, starring Isaac Powell, (Frameline43 Festival in San Fran). Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons, and was awarded the first ever MTF Builder Award. During CoVid-19, Michael has stayed active in the theatre community by serving as Director of Photography and producing virtual events such as Moments in the Woods (A Virtual Gala for the HFWAA featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award), Betsy Wolfe’s A Pants Optional Holiday, and It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play featuring The Skivvies with Laguna Playhouse, and Leslie Kritzer’s Holiday Show for The Actors’ Home. Active participant with Covenant House. In 2020, Michael served as 2020 KeyNote speaker for Florida Thespians. www.michaelkushneronline.com or www.michaelkushnerphotography.com. Podcast: Dear Multi-Hyphenate with Broadway Podcast Network. Proud AEA Member. Ithaca College BFA Musical Theatre. @themichaelkushner on IG and TikTok.
Amy E. Jones (Director)
Amy E. Jones (Director) previously directed The Pink Unicorn for Holmdel Theatre Company and Out of the Box Theatrics. She previously directed Before This New Year by Liana Sonenclar last year as part of Out of the Box Theatrics’ Building the Box series. Most recently, Amy directed and choreographed The Color Purple at Riverside Center for the Arts and Mamma Mia! at Flat Rock Playhouse. She has also served as director/musical director for Always...Patsy Cline at Virginia Stage and Ring of Fire at Infinity Stage, Virginia Stage, and Barter Theatre. NYC credits include direction of the developmental readings of new musicals Youlogy (Charlie Johnson/Ethan Andersen) and Mock ‘n Roll (Scott Foster/Marcus Stevens), choreography for Broadway Backwards 8 and 9 at the Hirschfeld Theatre and Palace Theatre, and musical direction for Texas In Paris at the York Theatre (Audelco Award nomination for Best Musical Direction). Amy has also acted as dramaturg for the new musicals Alice, Warsaw, and Junk: A Rock Opera. She is a member of AEA and SDC.
Colleen Cook (Producer)
Colleen Cook (Producer) is the Executive Director of the Holmdel Theatre Company housed in the 99-seat black box Duncan Smith Theater in Holmdel, NJ. She created their award-winning Broadway at the Barn series which managed to continue during the pandemic by pivoting to livestreaming and outdoor shows. Cook also produced The Pink Unicorn in January 2020 at HTC. She co-produced the critically acclaimed streaming production of The Last Five Years with Out of the Box Theatrics. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Roundabout Theatre Company and Out of the Box Theatrics. She is a former Vice President at JPMorgan Chase where she worked for 13 years.
Holmdel Theatre Company
Holmdel Theatre Company at the Duncan Smith Theater (HTC) is a non-profit, semi-professional theatre company dedicated to presenting fresh interpretations of classic plays as well as rarely presented modern dramas and comedies. HTC is dedicated to providing opportunities for students and non-professionals to work with professional theatre artists in a collaborative, artistic and educational exchange. Making this sophisticated informality possible is The Duncan Smith Theater. Congenial and warm, this historic, 125-year-old barn has been transformed into a modern, fully air- conditioned facility with 99 comfortably cushioned seats. The HTC performance space is a black box theatre that allows for flexibility in stage and seating arrangement to suit the specific requirements of a production. The Duncan Smith Theater gives each artist the opportunity to explore more experimental modes of performance. This intimate space allows the audience to connect with the performing artists.
Out of the Box Theatrics
Out of the Box Theatrics (OOTB) is an Off-Broadway Non-For-Profit committed to lifting the voices of marginalized communities through the stories they tell. OOTB challenges audiences to experience work outside of their expectations and strives to diversify American theater by providing an inclusive and accessible platform for artists and patrons. Out of the Box Theatrics was founded in 2015 by Elizabeth Flemming.