Buskers
Written By Zachary Harris
Directed by SHAYAN KHAYAMBASHI
SYNOPSIS
When three street musicians in NYC clash over territory, they search for the courage to book a gig at an actual venue and for what it really means to be cool.
BIOS
Zachary Louis Harris (PLAYWRIGHT) (he/him) is a writer and performer born and raised in New York City. He writes screenplays, original pilots, and plays and sometimes acts in them. Zach’s writing is engaging and full of feelings; he swears it’s also funny. He received his B.A. from Emerson College and over the years has worked with musicians, political campaigns, as a family caregiver, and studied improv for years at Magnet Theater. He’s a member of Cahill Writers Lab led by playwright Laura Cahill. This is his fourth play at Chain Theatre, a place he loves very much. Instagram: @wxyzach
Shayan Khayambashi (DIRECTOR) (he/him) is an Iranian-American actor, director, and dramaturg, and a rising senior at NYU Tisch, studying acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He was recently seen onstage as Gonzalo in The Tempest (The Vino Theater), Thomas Stolz Harvey in Incognito (Stella Adler), and Oberon/Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stella Adler.) This is Shayan’s Off-Off-Broadway directorial debut, and he cannot wait to further explore his directing endeavors at The Tank this upcoming August as a movement director.
Liam Aiken (CARL) (he/him) Liam has an accomplished career as an actor in Film & TV. More recently Liam has gone back to study at Stella Adler. A recent turn as Don John, Dogberry, and Boy in Much Ado garnered a wonderful reaction from audiences.
Michael James Duran (MICHAEL) is an actor originally from Houston Texas, now based in New York City. His recent roles include Niner in Bartleby, Edward in Consent, Antipholus of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors, Elliot in Water by the Spoonful, and more.He co-wrote the new musical Costco Burns Down Inside The Head of a Dedicated Employee. He is also currently a producer for the new Romantic comedy stage play Dracula.
Frankie Tinelli (HARRY) is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Training: The Atlantic Acting School, Stonestreet Studios, Florence’s Commedia Dell’arte and The Experimental Theater Wing. Recent credits: Lasciare, Sundown, and I Love The Band. In his free time Frankie enjoys bad karaoke, disco-dancing, and explaining why Bruce Springsteen is truly the voice of a generation.
Interior Shift
By Jeryl Brunner
Synopsis
In this one-act romantic comedy, an anxious fact-checker embarks on a first date with a successful architect. As the evening unfolds, questions of identity, connection, and perception linger just beneath the surface. Interior Shift explores the stories we tell ourselves—and what it takes to let someone else in.
Bios
Michael Shayan (Sullivan)
An Emmy-nominated, Harvard-trained actor, writer and illusionist. Michael recently made his Broadway debut in Dog Day Afternoon. Recognized by NBC as a “rising star in comedy,” Shayan was honored in Out Magazine’s OUT100 list of the most influential LGBTQ+ visionaries. His solo play Avaaz, directed by Tony nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel has played throughout the United States. And his play Cruising, which premiered on Audible, was directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara, and stars Christine Baranski, Tituss Burgess, Cecily Strong, Andrew Rannells and Andre de Shields. Shayan was a writer and consulting producer for HBO’s Emmy-winning “The Book of Queer.” He was also the youngest performer in the history of Hollywood’s Magic Castle.
Jeryl Brunner (Justine)
A performer and playwright, Jeryl most recently appeared in her play Sweet Tart at the Chain Theatre’s One Act Festival, starring Ralph Macchio and Julia Macchio, produced by Anna Strout and Jesse Eisenberg, and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Her other Chain Theatre One Act Festival credits include Wipeout and Catch, directed by Sara Thigpen, Lonesome Dove, directed by Hannah Ryan, and Dill, directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Jeryl has recorded voiceovers for audiobooks on Audible, appeared on Younger and Law & Order, and wrote for Anika Larsen for The 24 Hour Plays. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts acting program, Jeryl performs improv throughout New York City. She is developing her full-length play, Love Justine, which was workshopped at The Hundredth Hill. Jeryl also hosts the podcast When Lightning Strikes! on the Broadway Podcast Network, produced by Anna Strout. Member of SAG-AFTRA.
Ellie Handel (Director)
Ellie is a director, actor/stage manager, and educator based in New York City. She was the Assistant Director of the 2nd National Tour of Lincoln Center Theater's My Fair Lady and Associate Director of White Rose the Musical at Theatre Row. Select Directing: Titanic the Musical (NYU), Emily D - Star-Crossed Employee (The Tank), Aussie Song (Hudson Guild Theatre), and Hyena in Petticoats (NYU). She is an adjunct professor at NYU, member of AEA, and an associate member of SDC. Upcoming: A Christmas Carol at PAC NYC. See her work at www.elliehandel.com.
Jesse Eisenberg (Producer)
A writer, director, filmmaker and playwright, Jesse Eisenberg is an Academy Award–nominated actor and writer who has appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows. Additionally, he has written plays, essays for the New Yorker and McSweeney’s, and is a cast member with Theater of War, a performing arts non-profit that presents readings of Sophocles and Philoctetes to communities throughout the United States and Europe. Jesse made his directorial debut with the movie, When You Finish Saving the World, which he also wrote. His Oscar-nominated film, A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed and stars in, was listed as one of the ten best films of 2024. Look for his newest film Minions & Monsters, currently in theaters.
Anna Strout (Producer)
Anna Strout produces and casts programs, and also serves as an educator for Voices of a People's History and their many partner organizations from high schools to universities, unions to performing arts centers—and develops new programs, community collaborations, and artist engagement models.
Over the years Anna has consulted on numerous socio-historical documentaries, multi-media DVDs and world music releases, animated and fiction film productions, and museum exhibits. Anna is also an advisor for The Hundredth Hill artist residency and a volunteer with Middle Way House, an organization that works to end domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking through an empowerment model. Anna produces When Lightning Strikes! with host Jeryl Brunner on the Broadway Podcast Network.
Where's Your Heart At?
Written By Nick Von Gremp and Rich Carrillo
Directed by Nick von Gremp
Synopsis
A struggling actor and his influencer girlfriend spend an afternoon arguing after he fails to “heart” a photo she posted of them on Instagram. What begins as a minor social media slight spirals into a larger fight about ambition, insecurity, money, validation, and whether love is more meaningful when it’s privately felt or publicly shown.
Bios
NICK VON GREMP (Director, Playwright) is a New York-based writer, director, and editor with nearly two decades of experience in film and commercial work. His work is rooted in character, humor, and emotional honesty, with a focus on finding the human truth inside every story.
RICH CARRILLO (Rich) is very excited to be back at The Chain. Born and raised in Southeastern Colorado, BA in Acting from UCLA, and is a Navy veteran. He is the Artistic Director of Unit J (DIY loft for music, theatre, and film in Bushwick), Festival Director of Cinema338, and has a strange affinity for old Volvos.
ANNALISA NOEL (Olivia) is a New York–based actor and director. She earned her BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. Recent theater credits include Moonshiner (Riv) with AdultFilm, Ashland: A Shakespeare Play (Aliena) at The Actors Studio, as well as The Trojan Women (Cassandra) with Amerinda.
Shows in this block include Equity Members appearing with permission of Actor’s Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this off-off Broadway production.