KEELY BAISDEN KNUDSEN (Director) An award-winning director, Keely has performed, directed, and choreographed internationally in plays, musicals, operas, and dance companies in hundreds of theatrical productions and has performed in 48 of the United States and in the UK. Realizing her vision of a new theatre company on the Connecticut Shoreline, Keely’s ideals of inspiring, inclusive work that uplifts the human spirit and connects communities formalized in the creation of the Legacy Theatre with Co-Founder Stephanie Stiefel Williams, a performing colleague and dear friend. Keely has directed, choreographed, and taught a myriad of performing arts courses at such institutions as Quinnipiac University, Yale University, Fairfield University, Hartt School of Drama, Southern Connecticut State University, Westminster College, and was the Director of Education of New Haven’s acclaimed Elm Shakespeare Company for several years. Additionally a composer/lyricist and playwright, she is a member of ASCAP and a writer/curator for Rewls Productions (www.rewlsproductions.us). Her directing has been heralded by the Arts Paper as “…visually striking, emotionally moving” and “captivating” and of her direction of Hamlet it was said, “Knudsen has made the notoriously difficult Shakespearean language accessible.” Her creation of the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe has been an especially rewarding program as she acts and directs with those who ambulate with crutches and wheelchairs. Her BFA is from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, at which she graduated first in the class, and she received her Masters Degree in Drama on full scholarship from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Keely, her husband Brian, and five children (Saviah, Liviana, Wynter, Emery, and Reeves) reside in Guilford, CT.

HENRY LEWIS, JONATHAN SAYER & HENRY SHIELDS (Playwrights) Henry, Henry, and Jonathan met while training at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). All core members of Mischief Theatre, they had already worked in comedy together for several years before they started out as a writing team. The three’s first piece was The PlayThat Goes Wrong (winner – Best New Comedy – Olivier Awards and What’s On Stage Awards). The show started out on the London and Edinburgh fringe before touring the UK and internationally and then returning to the West End in September 2014, where it is still running. It’s also playing on Broadway and heading out on a US tour in 2018 and has been performed in over 20 other countries around the world. Peter Pan Goes Wrong was the trio’s second piece, opening in November 2014 for a UK tour before a hugely successful West End season in Christmas 2015. Henry, Henry, and Jonathan recently adapted the script of Peter Pan Goes Wrong for the BBC, which was filmed with the original West End cast and broadcast to rave reviews on New Year’s Eve. They were invited back to wreak more havoc at the BBC in 2017 with Christmas Carol Goes Wrong on BBC1. The Comedy About a Bank Robbery marks their third writing project as a trio and earned them another Olivier Nomination. @mischiefcomedy and mischieftheatre.co.uk

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; 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 High School’s Cathyann Roding Auditorium, Fairfield Community Theatre, and Legacy Theatre.

ELIZABETH BOLSTER (Costume Designer) has been the Wardrobe Supervisor at the Yale Repertory Theatre since 2002 where she enjoys working backstage and training student work study crews. Outside of her job at Yale she is a Costume and Scenic designer whose work has been seen at Elm Shakespeare Company, Yale Baroque Opera Project, and Trinity College Hartford. Previous Legacy credits include costume designs for Deathtrap, Just Desserts, The Last Five Years, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Professional training: MFA in Costume Design from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film at SUNY Purchase, and a BFA in Performance Production from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA.

ADAM JACKSON (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be a part of Legacy’s third season! Adam has worked on over 50 productions as an actor and designer. He has done technical theatre design work for Walsh Intermediate School, the Branford High School Fall Play and Spring Musical, Ivoryton Playhouse, WCSU Opera, and Elm Shakespeare Company. He is also the resident technical supervisor at Shoreline Theatre Company where he particularly enjoys working on the summer camp shows. Adam recently graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a BS in Music Education and a concentration in classical trombone. He runs sound for The River Church in Danbury and occasionally has the pleasure of being invited into theatre classes to speak to students about the joys of technical theatre!

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.

SARAH PERO (Production Stage Manager / Production Manager) Born and raised in New Haven, CT, Sarah has been involved with local community and professional theatre for 20+ years. Acting at the age of 10, and directing at 16, Sarah received her BFA in Theatre, with a concentration in directing from the University of Rhode Island. Right after college, Sarah was a part-time drama teacher in New Haven Public Schools and also taught theatre classes with Performing Arts Programs (South Windsor, CT). Sarah then worked at the Music Theatre of CT (Norwalk, CT) School of Performing Arts, wearing many hats as Administrative Manager, Teaching Artist, Director, Music Director, and Choreographer for the school. Sarah also managed the Box Office and was the Resident Sound Designer for MTC’s Professional Main Stage. Following MTC, Sarah worked as Administrative Manager at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre (Bridgeport, CT). As a Production Stage Manager for various Theatre Productions in Rhode Island and Connecticut, some of her favorites include: Tick, Tick Boom; Little Women: The Musical; and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Most recently, Sarah served as the Production Stage Manager for multiple Legacy productions in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons. Sarah is thrilled to officially join the Legacy team as Production Manager.

GILLIAN LEBLANC (Assistant Stage Manager) is a recent graduate of Daniel Hand High School where they spent four years as an active member of stage crew in the theater program. They are currently taking a gap year before studying film production and technical theater in college. Gillian’s passion for theater truly sparked when they had the opportunity to design and operate lighting for Hand’s production of Rent. They have also designed lighting for Clue, The Canterbury Tales, and The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical. Gillian most recently had the opportunity to be on the run crew for Legacy Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast, and they are thrilled to be a part of another Legacy production. They would like to thank their family and friends for being supportive.

STAFF FOR THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
Scenic Artists: LAURIE FLAHERTY, DAVID SEPULVEDA, AMIE ZINER
Wardrobe Supervisor & Run Crew: ALAINA DWYER
Run Crew: JULIE ORENSTEIN, GABRIELA ESPOSITO

ACTOR’S EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) was founded in 1913, and AEA represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org

SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
Emmett Cassidy, Pantochino Productions, Elm Shakespeare Co, Jamie & Rich Dynamic Duo, and Reeves!, King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Portrait painted by Katie Callahan, Multiple music selections by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0