“Death is something we do alone, I think.”
“Yes.
I’m glad you’re here, though.
On the other side of the stone.”
The Greek Cultural Center and The Garret Theatre present DEAD THINGS, a world premiere by Haley Schwartz.
DEAD THINGS is a half-fictional account of the life of literary icon, MARY SHELLEY who, like every woman in the 19th century, wants a bright and beautiful and wild life. The play explores love, death, queerness, possession, and what it means to be a writer. DEAD THINGS asks, how do we love despite the omnipresence of death?
Write us a review?
DEAD THINGS
Written by Haley Schwartz
Directed by Jack Dryden
Mary Shelley: Khali Sykes
Percy Shelley (et al.): Hannah Adrian
Production Stage Manager: Maysie Ocera
Sets and Costumes: Micki Watanabe Spiller
Lighting Designer: Reagan Tankersley
Sound Design: Nic Neves
Composer: Mena Sachdev
Intimacy and Dance Choreographer: Willow Funkhouser
Composer: Mena Sachdev
Producer: Kasey O’Brien
Assistant Stage Manager: Annie Sheehey
Additional sound and score provided by Jules Bradley and Gunnar Manchester
Special thanks to: The Greek Cultural Center, Noreen Nelson, Athanasios Tzouvelis, Isto Barton, Dainique Jones, John and Emily Boyd, Diamond Dogs, Ellen Pierson
Run time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission
This production uses strobe lights
If you would like a content warning, please scroll to the bottom of the program
Khali Sykes (Mary Shelley)
Credits: Joan of Arc in a Supermarket in California (The Tank NYC), The Little Mermaid (ZACH Theatre). Directing: Current Assistant Director for MJ the Musical. Associate Director for Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (Billie Holiday Theatre). Film: RATS!, House of Abraham.
Proud recipient of the B. Iden Payne award for Outstanding Dance Choreography, and the New York City Center Ann Reinking Choreography Fellowship. BFA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Hannah Adrian (Percy, et al.)
Credits: The Maids (The Garret Theatre) Oliver; Balm in Gilead; 10,000 Moore (The New School) Young Gods (Performing Garage) Hamlet (Present Company Theater) Macbeth (The Offshoot) Henry IV Pt. 1; Two Gentlemen of Verona (Something for Nothing) TV: FBI: Most Wanted (CBS) Law and Order (NBC) American Dynasty (Fox) MFA from The New School of Drama 2020
Haley Dyana Schwartz (playwright)
Haley was raised by two self-proclaimed Northern California hippies and learned to meditate before she could walk. She writes plays about women and queer people in mythology. Her solo show Bindings received both the Popular Choice and Curator Awards at Irondale’s OnWomen Festival, and her play Moonbox was one of two in her cohort selected for a produced reading at Brown University, earning her the David Wickham Prize for Excellence in Playwriting. Haley is a writer, actor, educator, published poet, and touring folk musician who joyfully spins many plates. She holds an MFA in Acting from Brown University, along with an Antonio Cirino Memorial Scholarship and a Shubert Foundation Award, and is thrilled to be making her NYC debut as a produced playwright. She hopes this monster child is the first of many she zaps to life.
Jack Dryden (director)
Jack is a founding member of the Garret Theatre company. He directs plays like this one, Isaac’s Eye, The Maids, Red, et cetera. He acts in plays like The Cottage, Isaac’s Eye, Marie Antoinette, et cetera, and generally loves to play. He graduated with a MFA from Brown/Trinity’s program in acting and directing. He’s about to return to the Repertory Theatre of St Louis for their upcoming production of Emma. Many thanks to everyone for being here, and special thanks to Kasey.
MFA: Brown/Trinity Rep.
Maysie Ocera (Production Stage Manager)
Maysie is a stage manager and writer based in Astoria, New York, and a founding member of The Garret Theatre Company. Her previous credits include stage managing The Maids and writing sketch comedy at ColdTowne Theater in Austin, Texas. She mostly likes making stuff with her friends.
Micki Watanabe Spiller (Sets & Costumes)
Micki loves to make stuff, especially if it’s tricky and fits into a narrative. Recently she’s been doing a lot of extremely fun collaborations like this one, and Swan Lake in 7 with Choreographer/dancer Deborah Lohse at Norte Maar in Brooklyn. Her works are currently in an exhibit about Free Speech at the National Liberty Museum in Philly. She has a MFA from OSU and an MLS from Queens College and teaches in the first year programs and graduate education program at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute. When not in her studio or teaching, she can be found on long bike rides around the city. Thanks to Harley and Hiro, my own personal book club who contributes to my creative practice.
Reagan Tankersley (lighting designer)
Reagan is an actor, technician, and teaching artist based out of Astoria, New York. As a company member of The Garret Theatre Company, Reagan has contributed lighting design to all their productions, including The Maids, Isaac’s Eye, and the Enough with the Dog Days summer arts festival, as well as other programming at The Greek Cultural Center. He has contributed as a technician to productions at St. Ann’s Warehouse (Monsoon Wedding), The Stella Adler Studio (By the Way…Meet Vera Stark, Picnic) and numerous companies and venues in Austin, Texas.
Nic Neves (sound designer)
Nic Neves is an audio producer and journalist based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s an alum of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. He’s worked on many of NPR’s narrative podcasts including Planet Money, Throughline, and Invisibilia. Right now he’s pursuing an MFA in Literary Reportage at NYU, writing about end-of-life care and cults. When he’s not chasing a lead, he is probably stewing on a song. Among other things he is concerned about microplastics.
Kasey O’Brien (producer)
Kasey is a natural-born imagineer who identifies as an actor, storyteller, and filmmaker. Kasey has been seen on stage and screen from the West to the East Coast. She is the writer/director of several award-winning short films which have screened at festivals around the world. Kasey recently helped to launch NYU Tisch’s Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center. She serves on the board of directors of PANO Network and is a founding member of The Garret Theatre Company. MFA from The New School. She loves making theatre in QUEENS! Connect on IG @kaseyobs
Willow Funkhouser (choreographer: intimacy & dance)
Willow is a Brooklyn-based director and intimacy/movement choreographer. Her directing work focuses on women, flesh, and messy relationships. She has been a part of works developed and performed at New World Stages, MCC Theater, The Flea, Keen Company, Soho Playhouse, The Brick, Delaware Rep, and Syracuse Stage. Willow holds a degree from Syracuse University where she developed a course of study in intimacy practice alongside directing and has served as the intimacy coordinator for dozens of short and feature films. She is also a script reader for Primary Stages and a Corps member of Good Apples Collective.
Mena Sachdev (composer)
Mena is a Brooklyn-based producer, composer, songwriter, and DJ. They first came up through NYC nightlife as an organizer, and when the pandemic hit, they turned their creative energy toward producing their own work. Influenced by artists like Cocteau Twins and The Durutti Column, Mena released their debut album Multi Adolescence in 2023, a dreamy, genre-blurring record that marked the arrival of their sonic world. Lately, they’ve been exploring the meeting point between guitar-driven sounds and dance rhythms, where those intersections can create something otherworldly.
This performance is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.
Thanks to Materials for the Arts for all the dust!
Content warnings for DEAD THINGS: miscarriage, death, sexual content
Garret Theatre 