Who’s Who

KEVIN MICHAEL REED (Director) is a theatre director & designer exploring the intersection of art & technology in performance. His production credits include producer, director, playwright, dramaturg & Lighting & AV designer. Recent directing credits include: I Do! I Do! (Legacy Theatre), X (The Lir), Shadows (Theatro Technis), and Version 2.0 (Leicester Square Theatre). Kevin has collaborated in various roles in community and professional theatre productions in Europe and the United States from Off West End to New York and has toured Ireland and Europe in various technical and artistic roles. He has consulted and technical directed live streamed productions, conferences & symposiums for various theatre companies throughout the US & Ireland. Kevin holds a BFA in Photography from the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), a MA in Playwriting from City, University of London, and MFA in Theatre Directing from The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art. kevinmichaelreed.com

JOE LANDRY (Assistant Director, Dramaturg & Playwright) is the author of several plays including It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (named one of the top-ten most produced plays by American Theatre Magazine). His other “A Live Radio Play” adaptations include Vintage Hitchcock, Meet Me in St. Louis, War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast and A Christmas Carol, published through Playscripts/Broadway Licensing and Concord. Other plays include The Wicked Stage, Reefer Madness, Numb and Hitchcocked! He attended Playwrights Horizons/NYU and has taught playwriting at Sacred Heart University. Joe is thrilled to be working with Legacy on this production, where he also serves as graphic designer, another of his passions. Special thanks to Barbara Meyer, whom his adaptation of Gatsby is dedicated. Cheers and enjoy the show, old sport! www.joelandry.com

NOAH GOLDEN (Associate Director) [he/him] is honored to be making his Legacy debut. A native of Guilford, Noah has been involved in theater all his life. He has worked as a producer (Fuse Theatre of CT), director (The Orange Players), assistant director (A Shared Stage Productions), writer (Vintage Soul Productions, Long Wharf’s New Haven Play Project), and actor (Swing Bridge Arts Alliance, A Shared Stage Productions). Noah was the editor and co-creator of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Rewired Musical, which was selected for Legacy’s film festival. He will next direct Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World for Fuse Theatre of CT this November in New Haven. During the day, Noah is a video producer for Yale School of Medicine.

RICH BURKAM (Master Carpenter) came to Connecticut to study music and music recording at UNH. He played in bands such as 4:20, Space Cushion, and Over The Line. His studies continued, learning to be a luthier under Barry Lipman and Chris Tatalias, giving him a taste for fine woodworking. Richard now owns a woodshop that makes fine furniture, in a space which is shared with lighting designer Jamie Burnett. Together they have built sets for many production companies, including Elm Shakespeare, Yale Baroque Opera Project, and many small black box theater productions.

JAMIE BURNETT (Scenic/Lighting Designer) is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, recipient of the 2005 New Haven Arts award, and Founding member of The Elm Shakespeare Company. Lighting Designer at Elm Shakespeare for 26 years and Set Designer until 2009. Lighting Design credits include International Festival of Arts and Ideas 2018, Requiem for an Electric Chair; Iseman Theater 2017, Never Stand Still. CCT: Skeleton Crew, Rasheeda Speaking, Jesus Hopped the A Train, Sunset Baby, Topdog/Underdog. SCSU: Stop Kiss, Much Ado About Nothing, The Boyfriend and Our Country’s Good. SHU: In The Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar. Citywide Open Studios: New Haven Armory; Projects2k: Stamford Train Station Façade Lighting; Producer/Lighting Designer/Production Manager for Terra Tractus (The Earth Moves), (2005) Terra Mirabila, (2001) Terra Lumina and Terra Continuum (1999): performed in the Stony Creek Granite Quarry; PNM’s Branford Luminata (2010) lighting Branford Green Town Hall. His company, Luminous Environments, specializes in theater and TV studio renovations and public art installations involving specialized lighting. Recent projects: Branford HS Theater, Fairfield Community Theater, and Legacy Theatre.

LAUREN ELISE FISHER (Assistant Stage Manager) is a holistic theatre artist based out of New Haven, CT. Primarily a performer and stage manager, she’s over the moon to be joining Legacy Theatre for this production of Gatsby! Selected credits include Kaliope in She Kills Monsters (CT Rep), assistant stage manager for Always... Patsy Cline (Mountain Playhouse), and COVID-19 Safety Manager for Mistresses (off-Broadway workshop). UCONN Drama ‘22. NMTI ‘19. Keep up with Lauren on Instagram: @AllFishSwim.

ADAM JACKSON (Sound Designer) is excited to be a part of Legacy’s second season and to work on his 50th production overall! Favorite roles include Henry David Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (2017), Farquaad in Shrek (2018), and Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (2018). Adam is a senior at Western Connecticut State University studying Music Education with a concentration in classical trombone. He works on the WCSU student crew and runs sound for The River Church in Danbury. Adam has done technical theatre design work for Shoreline Theatre Company, Walsh Intermediate School, Branford High School Fall Play and Spring Musical, Ivoryton Playhouse, WCSU Opera, and most recently worked as the A1 Sound Engineer for Elm Shakespeare Company’s production of The Tempest.

JIMMY JOHANSMEYER (Costume Designer) is excited to be back at The Legacy Theatre, after being seen in Just Desserts. Most recent design credits include Pirate Schmirate!, Rough Crossing, Saturday Night Fever, Newsies, The 39 Steps, La Cage Aux Folles and Footloose. His work has also been seen at Cortland Repertory Theatre, Allenberry Playhouse, Penobscot Theatre Company, Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, Theatreworks New Milford, Stamford Center for the Arts, The Emelin Theatre, Tampa’s Gorilla Theatre, The Theater Barn and at Off-Broadway’s American Theater for Actors. Jimmy is also co-founder and producer of the award-winning Pantochino Productions Inc. in Connecticut.

ERICA PAJONAS (Props Designer & Crew) Legacy Theater: Deathtrap (Props Coordinator & Assistant Stage Manager), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta & Mustardseed). Quinnipiac University: Thebes: A New Musical (Laius), Proof (Catherine), Macbeth (Lennox & Doctor, Props Master), Thom Pain (based on nothing) (Producer), The Lifespan of a Fact (Props Master), Love & Information (Ensemble), Bad Jews (Set Designer), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Run Crew), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Fairy) New Play Festival 2019: (Stage Manager, Last Words). Education: Quinnipiac University, Psychology and Theater double major. Awards: Alpha Psi Omega Theater Honors Society, Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society.

KEVIN CONNORS (Original Music) has been a musical theatre composer and director for over 30 years. Off-Broadway credits include Prime Time Prophet, Jukebox Saturday Night, The Abandoned Loves of Frederick R., Lover: The Valentino Musical and Babes Off Broadway. He also penned music and lyrics for Joe Landry’s It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and Mothers and Sons. Directing credits include Play Like a Winner (Off-Broadway NYMF award-winner), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (BroadwayWorld award-winner), Ragtime and Falsettoland (CT Critics’ Circle Director winners). He is the two-time recipient of the Tom Killen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Connecticut Professional Theatre. Mr. Connors co-founded Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk in 1987 where he still serves as Executive Artistic Director. www.kevin-connors.com

PLAYSCRIPTS, INC. (Licensing) was formed in 1998 by playwrights Doug and Jonathan Rand as an independent theatrical agency to represent a great diversity of playwrights, composers and lyricists. Their commitment to representing artists through innovative channels with a specific focus on creating opportunities for audiences to connect with their great work has spanned two decades and has expanded into representing over 1000 of the live theatre industries most notable contributors. Playscripts is an imprint of Broadway Licensing, a full-service theatrical licensing and producorial group. Playscripts, Inc. strives to curate a catalog of plays that meets the needs of theater makers, and exceeds the expectations of audiences. They are at the forefront of play publishing, providing a unique and extensive suite of services for playwrights and customers alike. Using technology, innovation and creativity, Playscripts, Inc. forges connections between playwrights and new audiences.

SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE GREAT GATSBY: A LIVE RADIO PLAY

Vinnie Penn (WELI), Kevin Connors, Kelly LeClaire, Fred Santore, Cathyann Roding, Gavin Hartney, The Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut, Richard Squeri, Andy Rubenoff, Dennis Dagliere, Richard & Denise Reed, Colin Eastland