Simon and His Shoes

Written by Stephanie Singer and Laurel Haines
Directed by Meghan Finn
with puppet design by The Ladies of Mischief

October 1st - October 30th

Additional Evening Performance November 16 at 7:00pm

What do you do when your shoes walk out on you? Simon and His Shoes is an original shoes-ical about a pair of shoes, Bud & Beedle, who walk out on their owner, Simon, because he doesn’t wear them, and he never even leaves the house. Simon chases after his shoes with the help of his younger sister Izzy. Follow these characters on an adventure of a lifetime taking them from their ordinary lives into a world of larger-than-life characters and increasingly bizarre and surreal situations. Simon could never have guessed, but his runaway shoes might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

STEPHANIE SINGER
COMPOSER & CO-WRITER

Stephanie is a British composer and creative director. She founded BitterSuite, an immersive music company whose work has featured at The Royal Opera House, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Gulbenkian, The Science Gallery, Midlands Art Centre, Rich Mix, Roundhouse, Nesta, Bristol Arnolfini, TedX and Wilderness Festival.

She trained in songwriting for musical theatre at BMI. Besides Simon and His Shoes, Stephanie is currently developing a new identity 'Violet Disruption' - a hyper-deity for survival and creates ecstatic electronica experiences. Violet has featured with the Royal Opera House (ROH), National Ballet of Canada (NBoC), and has her debut experience on the main stage of the Finnish Opera House Winter 2022

Stephanie was the British Council musician in residence in Russia, 2020 with producer Slow Shudder she produced her pop-electronica experience New Symmetry. New Symmetry showcased at Different Ever After, Moscow, and was selected as ‘Best Music Video’ Rome Prisma awards, ‘Best Experimental Film’ Red Movie Awards, ‘Best Music Video’ London International Monthly Film Festival.

Other credits include scoring the immersive ballet by the New York City Ballet 'The Moth', immersive synth based disco horror installation 'Samuel' (The Tank), orchestral score for BitterSuite’s audio experience HELD.

LAUREL HAINES
LYRICIST & CO-WRITER

Laurel Haines is a lyricist, bookwriter, and playwright living in New York. Besides Simon and His Shoes, she has written book and lyrics for Marisol! America's Next Country Star and Beach Wars, among other shows. The Dianalogues, her play about the public’s obsession with Princess Diana, has been internationally produced and published in The Best Plays of 2003 (Smith and Kraus) and One on One: The Best Women’s Monologues for the 21st Century (Applause Books). She is a member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, the BMI Librettists Workshop, and the Dramatists Guild, and was awarded the Jerry Harrington Award for Creative Achievement in 2017 and the Jean Banks Award for Best 10-Minute Musical in 2016 by BMI. She loves working on shows that are funny, strange, and touching, sometimes all at the same time.

MEGHAN FINN
DIRECTOR

Meghan Finn (she/her) is the Artistic Director of The Tank. She previously served as the Associate Artistic Director at 3LD Art & Technology Center. Her directorial work has been seen at the Tank, the V&A, Serpentine Galleries, The Wexner Center, SCAD, The Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago, Museo Jumex Mexico City, The Power Plant, Canadian Stage, Carnegie Mellon, Brooklyn College, MIT, NYU, the Great Plains Theater Conference and others. She has directed three world premieres by playwright Mac Wellman, including most recently The Invention of Tragedy (2019). Other recent credits include: I Am Nobody a new musical by Greg Kotis at The Tank; as well as The Nine Dreams: Blake & the Apocalypse by writer Nick Flynn (film). She directed a short film by playwright Peggy Stafford called 16 Words or Less which has been screened at indie film festivals nationally and in Europe. She is a frequent collaborator of conceptual artist and sculptor Pedro Reyes, and directed Doomocracy for Creative Time. Finn collaborated with photographer Mitch Epstein on a live performance with cellist Erik Friedlander as well as celebrated premieres by Erin Courtney, Peggy Stafford, Gary Winter, Ben Gassman, Alexandra Collier, Carl Holder, Eliza Bent and Cori Copp. When We Went Electronic by Caitlyn Saylor Stephens which premiered at The Tank in 2018 toured in 2021 to The Roes Theater in Athens Greece and OnStage! Festival Rome and Milan. She holds a BA in Theater from The University of Southern California and an MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College.

MERY CHEUNG
PUPPETEER

Mery Cheung (she/her) is organizer, puppeteer, spiritual practitioner local to NYC. She puppeteered in full-length puppet plays produced by The Tank, Coney Island USA, Chinese Theatre Works, Evolve Puppets, and Puppetsburg. She curates and creates short works of puppetry for adult audiences under the alias Lambchop Suey. Mery is currently one of the resident artists in Object Movement Puppetry Festival 2022-2023 at the Center at West Park. She is grateful to bring audiences joy through song and dance.

JULIA DARDEN
PUPPETEER

Julia Darden is a NYC-based puppeteer, comedian and puppet builder. She’s performed and toured with various troupes over the years, including WonderSpark Puppets, the Swedish Cottage Marionettes, Hudson Vagabond Puppets and City Hall Comedy. Her work can also be seen on PBS Kids, Adult Swim and at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Julia is a member of the puppet collective, Ladies of Mischief, doing much of their collaboration with the Tank NYC.

JAMES HARVEY
MUSIC DIRECTOR

James Harvey is a writer, musician, and performer. He has performed his one-man show, The Bald-Faced Truth, throughout the US and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His original musicals include The Crack in the Ceiling (New York Musical Theatre Festival, New York Fringe Festival; Winner of Best Musical) and the upcoming Prime Day (directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe). As a music director, James has collaborated with such artists as Alan Cumming, Catherine Cohen, Matt Rogers, and Bowen Yang. www.jamesharvey.com

SADIE JAYNE KENNEDY
PUPPETEER

Sadie Jayne Kennedy (she/they) is so excited to be making her NYC debut in Simon and his Shoes. Sadie is an actor/singer based in New York City and is a recent graduate from The Institute for American Musical Theatre. Most recently seen in the NYC Industry Reading of “True North” created by Holly and Kelvin Reed (dir. Ilana Ransom Toeplitz). All my love to my amazing IAMT family, my CGP, and to my family back in MA. @sadiejaynekennedy

LAYLA KHOSHNOUDI
PUPPETEER

Hello! MFA, Brooklyn College. Select Theater: Gunch (Two Headed Rep); Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (W.H.A.T.); 7 Minutes (Waterwell); Men on Boats (Clubbed Thumb); Dance Nation (Playwrights Horizons); Bull in a China Shop (Lincoln Center); Dido of Idaho (Ensemble Studio Theater); Wyoming (Lesser America); I am Gordafarid (Noor Theater). TV: Instinct (CBS); FBI (CBS); All Hail Beth (BricTV), My Ex is Trending (YouTube). FILM: Long Nights, Short Mornings; Bad at Birthdays, Nadia Jaan; Androgen; Bookends.

PATRICIA MARJORIE
COSTUME DESIGNER

Patricia Marjorie is a Brazilian Multidisciplinary theatre artist based in New York with focus on set design, props and directing. Next works: props for Hound Dog directed by Machel Ross for Ars Nova; set design for Christie by Covi Loveridge. Recent works: set designer for Re MEMORI by Nambi E. Kelley (WP theater); props for Ulysses and The Seagull by Elevator Repair Service, Eva Luna by Repertório Espanhol; Notes on Killing Seven Oversight” by Mara Velez Melendez (Soho Rep.) 7 Minutes (Waterwell, dir. Mei Ann Teo); Wolf Play (Soho Rep), Black Exhibition by Jeremy O. Harris dir by Machel Ross, SKiNFoLK by Jillian Walker, In the Southern Breeze (Rattlestick). Patricia has also recently directed What Will Become of Kaaron? (The Tank) and her own work as a playwright A Song to Keep the Wolves Awake (The Tank).

CHRISTIAN MCQUEEN
PERFORMER

Christian McQueen (He/Him) is a NYC based theatre artist. Originally a native of Southern California, after high school Christian attended Kansas Wesleyan University where he majored in Theatre and Music. He was last seen in The National Tour of Anastasia where he was in the ensemble and also covered the principal role of Gleb. Christian also has many other interests including up-cycling vintage clothing, and creating funny content on social media. @theshow6000

MAX MOONEY
STAGE MANAGER

Max Mooney (he/him/she/her) is a stage manager, playwright, director, producer, dramaturg and theatre educator who works primarily in New York City and the greater Philadelphia area. Max graduated from NYU Tisch's Playwrights Horizons Theatre School in 2022, studying directing and playwriting. He has worked with Ars Nova, New Victory Theatre, Playwrights Downtown, The Tank, SoHo Playhouse, Garden Level Theatre and The Strafford Players to create work. Currently, Max sits on the core artistic team of Sanguine Theatre Company in Brooklyn. Upcoming Project: Max will be assistant directing and stage managing a concert reading of Mrs. Rochester, a musical adaptation of Jane Eyre by Beth Golison at P&T Knitwear in early November.

CHRIS PALMIERI
PUPPET CONSTRUCTION

Chris Palmieri is thrilled to be a part of bringing the world of Simon and His Shoes to life. Chris’s puppet building credits include Disney’s Winnie the Pooh (off-Broadway), The Very Hungry Caterpillar (off-Broadway), Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live (National tour), and serving as Lead Puppeteer at Field Station: Dinosaurs since 2012.

SAMMY PIGNALOSA
SIMON

Sammy Pignalosa (He/Him) is an actor/singer currently living in New York City and a recent graduate of The Institute for American Musical Theatre. Theatre: The End of All Flesh by Greg Kotis (The Players Ring); Against the Hillside (Ensemble Studio Theater); Country Musical (IAMT). Film/TV: Law and Order (season 22), Like Sunday Like Rain, The Bar Mitzvah Club. Commercial: IHOP’s Singing Syrups. Huge thank you to everyone at IAMT and my family for their constant encouragement and love!

MADELYN ROBINSON
SUSAN

Madelyn Robinson (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based actor, closet writer, and lifelong shoe admirer raised in California. She received her BFA in Acting from UC Santa Barbara and her MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University. Recent work includes When We Went Electronic (The Tank, Onstage! Festival), which toured in Greece and Italy; The Invention of Tragedy (The Flea Theater); Rich Kids (Sitting Shotgun); and the short film Night Out by Drew Maxwell, selected by the Northern Horror Film Festival.

CHRISTINA RODRIGUEZ
PUPPETEER

Christina Rodriguez (she/her) is a NY-based puppeteer, puppet designer and educator with nearly 10 years of experience developing, performing and teaching puppetry. Her current position as a Puppetry teacher at Saint Ann’s School (Brooklyn) reflects her passion for youth arts education, collaborative theater, and social justice engagement through the arts. She also owns and operates her own puppet company called ShakesBEARS which introduces children to Shakespeare’s stories and BIPOC heroes of the past and present. As a member of puppet troupe Ladies of Mischief, Christina has collaborated with The Tank NYC to create, perform, and support new professional puppet theater works since 2018.

JULIANA SUAIDE
ASSOCIATE COSTUME DESIGNER

Juliana is a brazilian actress, producer and all-things-art/costumes-department based in NY. Juliana was graduated in classical ballet by The Royal Academy of Dance and acting by The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Besides the acting credits, Juliana's crew credits have included the brazilian tv show "Rainha da Cocada" GNT - Season 2 and 3 (Prop Master & Set Dressing) , Diabolical – Discovery ID Series (Art Director), FOX Stick Figures - Pilot (Production Designer), Lies That Bind – Discovery ID Series (Art Director) , "Out Of Water" - Musical (Scenic Designer & Prop Master), and others. Most recently credits include: "Notes on Killing" - Soho Rep. (Props Associate) , Ulysses - ERS (Props Associate) , Eva Luna - Repertorio Español (Props Associate), ReMemori - WP Theatre (Set Designer Associate) and The Sperm Donor (Costume Designer). Juliana believes in creating intelligent, educational and inspiring work for both theatre and film. Instagram @jusuaide

CHRISTOPHER & JUSTIN SWADER
SET DESIGNERS

Christopher & Justin Swader are scenic designers for theatre and live events. Previous designs with: Dallas Theater Center, Two River Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Miami New Drama, Resident Ensemble Players, Tectonic Theater Project, Dorset Theatre Festival, The New Victory Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Lincoln Center Education, York Theatre Company, INTAR, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Kitchen Theatre Company, Penguin Rep, Luna Stage, Mason Holdings, IBEX Puppetry, Trusty Sidekick, A$AP Rocky, Sotheby’s, Big Apple Circus, National Geographic. Lucille Lortel nomination, Henry Hewes nominations, AUDELCO, IRNE & Carbonell Awards. www.cjswaderdesign.com

JULIAN WHARTON
SOUND MIXER

I'm Julian Wharton, a composer, producer and audio engineer from East London. Playing music from a very young age, I cut my teeth in London's live music scene as a guitarist and songwriter for dream-pop band, Dios Mio. Since the band parted ways in 2017, I've developed an eclectic musical style through my work for artists, media and podcasts. I have written music for award-winning short films, chart-topping international podcasts and my music has been used by major television networks including NBC, Sky and Channel 4. I release my own music under the moniker KIND. and am normally found accompanied by my dog, Mr. Bibs.

GRETCHEN WYLDER
PERFORMER

Gretchen Wylder is a multi-disciplinary artist based out of LA and NYC. She is the creator/writer/actor of indie queer comedy series, These Thems, which screened at 40 film festivals, won 7 awards, and has been viewed over a million times worldwide. Gretchen has a vast musical theatre background (Avenue Q, Bedbugs!!!, Rent, Urinetown, Clinton The Musical, et al) and trained in sketch/improv at UCB and Second City. In 2018, Gretchen founded intersectional feminist production company, Wylder Womyn Productions, making radically empathetic media utilizing community-driven storytelling. Her films have premiered at Tribeca Festival, Outfest LA, Holly Shorts, Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival, Frameline Film Festival, et al.

YANG YU
LIGHTING DESIGNER

Yang Yu is a New York based lighting designer for performing arts. She is interested in using light, space, and timing to create an emotionally charged environment, as well as visualizing music. Recent theatre credits include: Powerhouse (Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre); Measure for Measure (The Mark O’Donnell Theater); Mistresses-A New American Play (Theatre Row, Professional Workshop); Hit the Wall (Kraine Theater); The Rise and Fall of Jean Claude Van Damme (The PIT); Take Shape (Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre); Revolution (The Tank, nominated for 2021 Broadway World Off/Off-Off Broadway Awards for Best Lighting Design); The Shes (The Public Theater, Weasel Festival). MFA from Brooklyn College. yangyudesign.com

THE LADIES OF MISCHIEF
PUPPET DESIGN

Ladies of Mischief (LOM) are three female-identifying puppet artists Mery Cheung, Julia Darden, and Christina Rodriguez working in New York City. They performed with the Tank on an international tour of Pedro Reyes’ Manufacturing Mischief (The Tank), a puppet play about the cautions of artificial intelligence in the wrongful hands of capitalists. In 2020, LOM presented a puppet slam series entitled Puppet Spread, with the support of the Puppet Slam Network. LOM curated and hosted Puppet Spread on CyberTank, the virtual platform presented by The Tank during the Covid-19 pandemic and city-wide lockdown. The format enabled them to collaborate over long-distance, create digital puppet content, and feature over 50 puppet artists in two years across the globe. They are grateful to design the puppets for Simon and His Shoes with the assistance of puppet builder Chris Palmieri and to collaborate with this wonderful shoesical team!