WHAT’S ON NEXT?

THE PROSCENIUM THEATRE AT THE DRAKE

DECEMBER 13TH AND 20TH

The Lemonade Stand is presenting the second edition of Fresh Squeezed, our new works reading series built to bring new playwrights and collaborators into our community of artists.

This winter, we will take over the Proscenium Theatre at the Drake for two evenings to bring you two O’Neill Semi-Finalist scripts from Philadelphia’s own to the city for the first time.

LINE UP
The Z.U.M. by Jaden Alvaro Gines
December 13th, 7:00 PM

Ahoy Hoy by Jenny Stafford
December 20th, 7:00 PM

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

Graphics by Dirty Napkin

AHOY HOY CAST AND CREATIVE

Fintan McNamara (Alexander Graham Bell) (he/him) Fintan is excited to be working with The Lemonade Stand again for this reading! Having been an Associate Director for Welp., Fintan is an emerging professional director and actor from Drexel University. If you scanned this QR code with your phone, thank Mr. Bell!

Rafi Mills (Wilbur From The Patent Office) (he/him) Rafi Mills is excited to finally work with the Lemonade Stand! He recently attended Temple University, where he studied Musical Theater. Rafi is deeply grateful for the support of his family and friends. Let's work together! Instagram: @rafi.mills

Liam Rogan (Elisha Gray) (he/him) Liam Rogan is currently a senior at Temple University pursuing a BFA in Musical Theater. Most recently he was Jim Farrell in their production of Titanic. He is so excited to be working on a new play and sharing the stage with such a great cast.

Jack Taylor (Cornelius) (He/Him) Jack Taylor is excited to be joining the folks at The Lemonade Stand! Jack is an actor and director currently based in Baltimore and his credits range from D.C. to Philly including: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Curio Theatre Company; Head Over Heels, Constellation Theatre Company; Diva! Live From Hell, Philly Fringe Festival 2024; Charlotte’s Web, The BFG, Arden Theatre Company. Jack is an artistic associate with Iron Crow Theatre, Baltimore’s premiere professional queer theatre, where his credits include An Act of God (God) and The Rocky Horror Show (Brad). When not working in the theatre, you can find him serving eggs and coffee by day and serving looks by night. Arcadia University BFA in Acting. @jcktylor_ and www.jcktylor.com

Jia Weingard (Stage Directions) (she/her) Jia Weingard is excited to make her Lemonade Stand debut. Recent credits: She Kills Monsters, Urinetown, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Clue! On Stage (Drexel University), Midsummer (Hedgerow Theatre)

Dylan Cole (Director) (he/him) Dylan Cole is a fiery and inquisitive Director/Choreographer, originally from the beautiful swamps of south Louisiana and now based in Brooklyn. He is thrilled to return to Philadelphia, where he earned his MFA in Musical Theatre Collaboration from Temple University this past May, and even more elated to reunite with Jenny Stafford and join the team at The Lemonade Stand. This coming season, Dylan heads to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to Assistant Direct and Assistant Choreograph Come From Away, and returns to upstate New York for his second year as a Resident Artist at The Glimmerglass Festival, serving as Assistant Director and Assistant Choreographer on Francesca Zambello’s new production of Oklahoma!. His work has also been seen Off-Broadway, at The Kennedy Center, The MUNY, Maples Repertory Theatre, and more. Dylan sends all his love to his family, teachers, and gaggle-without whom he would cease to exist, and hopes you enjoy the hilarity that is Ahoy Hoy. @notoriousdcp

Jenny Stafford (Playwright) (she/her) Jenny Stafford is an award-winning playwright, bookwriter, and lyricist whose works have been heard on Broadway and beyond. Her work has been featured at Lincoln Center, Cirque du Soleil, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Dancing with the Stars, and other regional and international venues. Awards include the Reva Shiner Comedy Award, the Modern Works Award, the Paulette Goddard Award, and the Capital Repertory New Works Award. Three-time finalist status for the Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre, and a finalist for the McKnight Fellowship, the PEN Writing for Justice Fellowship, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and Playwriting Conference. Nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Artist in Residence at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, Goodspeed Musicals, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. Dramatists Guild member; MFA NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. www.jennystafford.net

Caitlin Shanahan (Stage Manager) (she/her) is a senior at Ursinus College majoring in Performing and Visual Arts Design and Technology, and Media and Communications. Over the summer she was the marketing intern for the Orange Tree Theatre in London. Previous work include: stage managing for Ursinus College, assistant stage managing for InterAct Theatre Company, Assistant sound designing for InterAct and Hedgerow Theatre Company, and Light board programming for Inis Nua Theatre Company and Delaware Theatre Company. Her upcoming work includes lighting design for Ursinus’s production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.

THE Z.U.M. CAST AND CREATIVE

Gabs Ethridge (Ez) (she/they) is originally from Dallas, TX, and uses that southwest magic to brew up welcoming heartfelt art that is accessible, truthful, and aims to heal and grow our humanity, curiosity, and community. I'm so excited to be in Philly sharing this story I had the pleasure to work on almost a year ago! Thank you for supporting Trans art, please consider donating to organizations such as ACLU, T4TE, or mutual aid to fight the genocide growing against Trans people worldwide. Gabs' recent productions include: crabby (Ars Nova), When My Cue Comes (co-devised at NYC Fringe), and DramaBox's From Kitchen to Throne (episode 55). She's a grad of Circle in the Square, RAC Member/Marketing co-head of Hamlet Isn’t Dead, and a producer on The Crypto Castle, now streaming on Roman Coppola's new network: Decentralized Pictures+. Stay tuned for original music, films, more exciting updates, or for affordable artist websites (which they design): gabrielethridge.com

Michael A. Stahler (Jeff) (he/him) is a Philadelphia-based actor, writer, director, and dialect coach. His credits include his Off-Broadway debut in Granny Jackson’s Dead (Origin Theatre’s Irish Festival), winner of Best Production at the Origin Irish Festival, SHIP (Azuka Theatre), winner of the American Theatre Critics Associations' New Play Award, the Barrymore-winning The Playboy of the Western World (Inis Nua Theatre), and the world-premiere of Juliette's Dunne's The Puzzle, directed by Bill Fennelly and Tony Award-winner David Shiner (Hedgerow Theatre). Recently, he has made his international debut in Belfast with The Worst Cafe in the World (Big Telly). You can also catch him in the first season of FOX’s hit strategy game show The Floor with Rob Lowe. Get in touch at MichaelStahler.com

Mikel Wright (Ash) (he/she/they) is a musically trained stage actor based in Philadelphia, PA who got their training from the late University of The Arts before it closed. This will be Mikel's first time performing with The Lemonade Stand and is very excited to be doing a reading of a new show stepping into the world of theater! Mikel wants to thank Mark Tan for passing along their name in conversation for this opportunity to have reached me. Recent performances Mikel has been a part of consist of: Drake "The Snap" Snoliver at Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights, 'Daddy' in Enchantment Theater Company's performance of "Mommy's Khimar" at the Philly Fringe Festival, 'Moritz Stiefel' in The Drama Group of Germantown's rendition of Frank Wedekind's "Spring Awakening", and last as 'Blue' in the award-nominated, student-made film "A Little Blue" by Solomon Troupe. Mikel is excited to showcase the lovely story of "The ZUM"

Jaden Alvaro Gines (Playwright) (they/them) is a Genderqueer, Latino playwright, author, and musician from working class New Jersey. Their work focuses heavily on the issues plaguing middle class America, touching on topics such as economic strife, the American dream, Trans and Queer bodies, and the attempt at life as an everyday working person. Most recently, their play “Normal People” had its world premiere in Philadelphia through Temple University, funded in part by the Benzwie Memorial Scholarship for Playwriting. Their work has been produced by the Strides Collective, the Elif Collective, Kitchen Sink Theatre Company, Theatermania.com, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and they have had the pleasure of collaborating with other fine artists and collectives in and around Philadelphia and New York. Honors; 2024 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway award nominee, 2025 National Playwright's Conference Semi-Finalist. jadenalvarogines.org

Em Hausmann (Director) (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based Director/Theatre-Maker with a focus on new works development for shows that are wonderfully weird, queer, silly, and otherworldly. Off-Broadway + NYC Theatre: SEA GLASS (WP Theater), CRABBY (Ars Nova/ANT Fest), 500 RATS (Moxie Arts/HERE Arts Center), KAIROS (NYU GMTWP), SNOW BIRD (Brooklyn Art Haus), HOMELESS JOE (Theater for the New City), CAFFEINATED WOMEN (Bechdel Project), FALLING... FALLEN... FALL (Center at West Park), MY IMMORTAL (The Tank), FINISHED/UNFINISHED (54 Below), ANGRY BRITS STOMPING (IRT Theater), BEST IN SHOW (Paradise Factory). Regional: LIVE AND LET SPY (TheaterWorksUSA), MISS MONEY HONEYBEE (The Madison Theatre), BEETHOVEN: LIVE IN CONCERT (Fort Salem Theater), FATHER FIGURE (Philipstown Depot Theatre), NORMAL PEOPLE (Plays & Players Theatre). Resident Director: Fresh Binder Productions, Neurodivergent New Play Series. Associate member: Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Alumnus: Moxie Arts Incubator Directing Cohort. BFA: Molloy University. emhausmann.com @emhouseman