Fair Verona

Written by Andrew Donnelly-Yunga
Directed by Giovanna DiSanto

Bios

Andrew Donnelly-Yunga (Playwright): Andrew Donnelly-Yunga is a playwright and dramaturg based in NYC. This will be his fourth show to premiere at the Chain Theatre One Act Festival. Previous credits include The Heat (Summer 2024), The Only People Here (Winter 2025), and Dime Novel (Summer 2025). As a dramaturg, he has most recently worked on Water by the Spoonful with Morningside Players. @andrewsdonnelly3

Giovanna DiSanto (Director): Giovanna is thrilled to be returning to the Chain Theatre after directing Dime Novel, The Only People Here and The Heat in their previous festivals. Her directing credits include: The Wolves (BroadwayWorld Award Winner: Best Direction of a Play),  For A Barbarian Woman (Hangar Theatre),  Twelfth Night (Ninety Nine Cent Players), and will be directing X at the Nutley Little Theatre this October. Giovanna is an Ithaca College alum, where she received a dual degree in Theatre Studies and Integrated Marketing Communications. Associate Member, SDC.giovannadisanto.com @giovanna__disanto 

Samantha Clark (Juliet): Samantha Clark is an upcoming sophomore at Northeastern New York University, pursuing a BFA in Acting. She is so excited to be making her professional theatre debut at The Chain! Previous credits include “The Wolves” (#07), “Twelfth Night” (Feste), and “Much Ado About Nothing” (Margaret). She would like to thank Giovanna and Andrew for their trust in her ability to bring their visions to life. Find her on instagram @_samantha.clark_

Robert Colon (Romeo): Robert’s previous stage credits include Things I Know To Be True (Ben Price) and Jersey Voices (Boy), in which he also performed at CCP. Based in New York City, his dedication to storytelling makes him a compelling presence on the stage, and he credits his passion for acting to his loved ones whom which he expresses help guide and inspire his performances.

Heartstrings

Written by Julia VanTrees Cowitt
Directed by Sophia Harber

Bios

Playwright/Performer – Julia VanTrees Cowitt

Julia VanTrees Cowitt is a puppeteer and designer, writer, performer, and theatre educator. She earned her BA in Anthropology at SUNY Purchase and her MFA in Theatre at Sarah Lawrence College. Julia’s recent performing credits include Lutkovy Cirkus (devised with Puppets In Prague’s Circus Marionette Workshop for Letni Letna 2025), ORACLE (reading at La Mama ETC), Time’s Up (The Chain). In her free time, she loves to read, crochet, and knit. Originally from Los Angeles, Julia currently resides in New York City. She wears her heart on her sleeve and her socks inside out. Learn more at juliavantreescowitt.com and @juliavantreescowitt on Instagram. 

Director – Sophia Harber

Sophia Harber is a Brooklyn based multi-hyphenate artist with a love of quirky yet relatable storytelling. She is co-creator/co-writer of the award winning web series Shrews (@shrews.series on Instagram), which is currently in pre-production for a second season filming this summer. Recent directing credits include Mollie Gordon's The Perimeter of the Moon (The Cult Collective) and K Stanger's Sunbeam (Wild Project Theater.) Her theater experience includes performances in the Emerging Artist’s SPARK Theatre Festival, the HOT! Festival at Dixon Place, and the International Human Rights Art Festival at the Tank. She is the producer of Reconciliation Room, a short film by Luke Murphy set to be released later this year. 

Performer – Julia Duffy

Julia Duffy (she/they) is a New York City based actor and writer. Raised in northern Colorado, Julia can often be found wandering outside looking for trees to climb. Julia is the creator, producer, and star of the audio drama Things(Un)Said, which was submitted and workshopped at the Austin Film Festival in 2019 and again in 2020, where the pilot episode placed in the top 20 percent of all entries. The entire first season is available on all streaming platforms, and Julia continues to lend her voice and writing to other audio drama productions. Julia received her Bachelor’s of Music from New York University, and her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She used to hate writing about herself in the third person, until realizing it brings her closer to her first hero, Elmo :)

Performer – Julianna Violet

Julianna Violet is a BFA trained actor who attended California State University, Fullerton. She is excited to embark on her acting and singing career post-grad with her first credit, Heartstrings! Other college credits include Spring Awakening (Adult Women), Urinetown (Pennywise), and The Prom (Mrs. Greene). @juliannaviolet

Island Full of Monsters

Written by Claire Abramovitz
Directed by Anya Josephs

SYNOPSIS

Caliban and Miranda have a perfect life on the island, will it end when the incoming boat drifts ashore?

BIOS

Claire Abramovitz (Playwright) 

Claire is an emerging playwright living, working, and eating a lot of cheese in New York City. Their work has been performed in Chicago, Jerusalem, Pennsylvania, and right here in NYC. Claire is a two-time semifinalist for the Jewish Plays Project Annual Jewish Playwriting Contest for her plays To Rot in His Bones (2021) and O Metuta (2025). To Rot in His Bones was also selected as a semifinalist for Bay Street Theater’s Title Wave New Works Festival 2024. They are a current and proud member (and unofficial chef)  of the PlayGround NYC writing cohort. In their spare time Claire writes poetry, watches Great Lakes freighter compilation videos, keeps a list of fake band names, and makes soup for at least thirty.

Anya Josephs (Director) 

Anya Josephs (they/she) is a New York City-based director of classics and new works. Recent credits include Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus, and In This Sea Great and Wide (Therein Lie Creeping Things Innumerable. Anya is also a writer of science fiction and fantasy. 

Willow Lautenberg (Miranda) 

Willow Lautenberg is an actress-playwright-singer based in NYC. Off-Bway/NYC credits include: Freak Son (Chain Theatre), What It Means to Be Free (Theatre Row), Spare Rib (New World Stages) & Trash-Hole (Player’s Theatre). Regional/Tour credits include: Shrek The Musical, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Wizard of Oz & Les Misérables. Playwriting credits include: Incarcerated (NewYorkRep commission - Off-Bway reading), What It Means to Be Free (play - performed at United Solo, screenplay - finalist at the Harlem Int'l Film Fest). Resident actor for Playground-NY. Holds a BFA in Acting & a Writing Minor from Emerson College. Love & gratitude to her parents. @willowthesingingtree

Paris Ruiz (Caliban) 

Paris Ruiz, he/him, is a New York-based artist who graduated from NYU’s Tisch Drama Department. He enjoys playing complex and unique characters on stage and film, bringing a nuanced and realistic approach to his work. When he isn’t acting, he works as an independent filmmaker. He was the Director of Photography for a narrative drama titled “Silhouette”.