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A Very Merry Breakdown

Written by Kelly F. Burr

Directed by Michael Bradley

synopsis

Dinah is tired of reality. Why should crazy people get to check out while sane ones are left to deal with it? She decides to try to invent a new form of insanity and drive herself crazy by watching 25 Days of Christmas Hallmark movies. In February. Her friend Michael finds her in quite a state, and in the end, she finds the comfort she needed in her friend.

Bios

Nathan Clift (Michael) is a New York-based theatrical artist. Past Credits include: Touchstone (As You Like It, VSF), Augustus Gloop (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, ARLT), and Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Guys & Dolls, CTC). Nathan is also a playwright, director, and choreographer. He is represented by Nancy Carson at Carson-Adler Agency, LLC. Love to his friends and family for their everlasting support! | www.NathanClift.com

Amelia Chaouat 
Amelie Chaouat is thrilled to be making her Scene 24 Productions and Chain Theatre debut! A recent graduate of Missouri State University, she holds a BFA in Acting for Stage and Screen and a certificate in Acting for the Camera. She recently completed the original workshop of The Last Wish at Clubbed Thumb. Amelie sends her love and thanks to her friends, family, and everyone who worked on A Very Merry Breakdown. Enjoy the show!

Kelly F. Burr
Kelly F. Burr is an award-winning playwright, producer, director and actor. Her original show, If We Really Were Witches, is booked for a full run at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She holds a master’s degree in Shakespeare and Theatre from The Shakespeare Institute and was awarded the Vermont Playwrights Award in 2022. Her plays have been produced around NYC and the country and she’s a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. KellyfBurr.com

Lindsay Ross
Lindsay Ross is a playwright and actor who also works behind the scenes. She holds a BFA in theatre performance from Cleveland State University! Her past work was working on the play Soaked and The Rainmaker. Currently she is in production of her original play, “Shattered”, which will be performed this May. She is honored to work with Scene 24 Productions and hopes you enjoy the show! IG @linds_ross24

Michael Bradley
Michael Bradley is an actor and director based out of New York and is happy to be making their Chain Theatre debut! As an actor, Michael has appeared in new works at the PIT, at the historic Medicine Show Theatre, and in various regional productions of new and old works from California to New York. As a director, Michael spent a few seasons working with the Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival and has directed several shows in and around New York - The Amish Project, The Pillowman, and this new production for The Chain to name a few.

Beltway 8

Written by Joshua Taylor Piper

Directed by Mary Morgan Collier

Synopsis

Caleb wants to fly, and by fly he means get drunk. His father passed away recently, and Caleb has been drunk driving tonight. His girlfriend, Abigail has just found him. What follows is Abigail's attempt to keep Caleb from flying again. When it's all over we're left wondering if Caleb is flying over Houston's Beltway 8.

BIOS

Joshua Taylor Piper - Playwright
Joshua Taylor Piper is a 24’ Wagner College graduate with a BA in Theatre Performance hailing from Katy, Texas. He is now attending Pace getting his MFA in Playwriting. His plays have been performed at the Wild Project, The Tank, Adult Film, The Atlantic Acting School, The Secret Theatre, Pace University, and Wagner College. Most recently, his play Fireflies Taught Us Pyromania was seen at The Tank and is being published with 1319 Press. He also is the Literary Manager for Making Our Space Theater Company. Instagram @joshua.t.piper

Mary Morgan Collier - Director
Mary Morgan Collier is a director, actor, and dramaturg who is currently pursuing her Directing MFA Candidate Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Originally from Athens, Georgia, Mary Morgan graduated from Georgia College & State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre & English (Film, Media, & Culture Concentration) and Certificate in Leadership. During her time there, she was recognized as the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Runner Up and a LMDA National Finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Her most recent work has been seen at festivals like the Queens Short Play Festival, the 24 Hour Musicals,  the New York Theater Festival, RE/VENUE NYC, Evolution Fest, and more. 

Abigail Wickman - Sound Designer
Abigail Wickman (She/Her) is an actor and sound designer who graduated from Boston College in 2024 with Bachelors in Theatre and Philosophy. She is absolutely thrilled to get to opportunity to collaborate with the stupendous Joshua Piper and simply magical Mary Morgan Collier once again on such a heartfelt piece.

Miranda De Armas - Abigail 
Miranda de Armas (they/her) is a Cuban-American actor who is currently based in New York City. Miranda is pursuing their MFA at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, and when not in class, they can be found working on pieces by new and emerging artists. They would like to thank the cast and creative team of Beltway 8; what a privilege it has been to work alongside such incredible artists. You can find Miranda on Instagram @mirandadearmas

Keenan Pasqua - Caleb
Keenan Pasqua is so grateful to join the cast and creatives of Beltway 8! Recent credits include Julius Caesar (Casca), Twelfth Night (Fabian), and Kiss Me, Kate (Bill) with the Texas Shakespeare Festival. He starred in the indie feature film Nobody Wants to be Here, Nobody Wants to Leave which debuted in the official selection for the Austin Film Festival this past fall. Other credits include Beautiful (Barry Mann, West Side Story (Diesel), and Camelot (Sir Lionel). Training: Columbus State University. Insta: @keenanpasqua

Cecile

Written and directed by Emile Aslan Lacheny

synopsis

Jo and Dessi are coming home to study together. Jo's aunt Cecile is there and as they interract, Dessi realizes that sadly Cecile's mind is not as sharp as it used to be.

Bios

Emile Aslan Lacheny (Playwright/Director)
Emile Aslan Lacheny is a French-Turkish author, actor and director from Paris, France. He developed a love for storytelling at an early age which lead him to teach himself English. He first obtained a BFA at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Then moved to New York where he graduated from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He has been in several Off Broadway and Off Off-Broadway shows. Lead short films went on tour as the Phantom of the Opera in Turkey, won awards for his writing, sold his first screenplay to be produced by a streaming service and had all seven of his plays produced in New York city. He co-founded Between Us theatre co in 2021 to help immigrant artist like him and build a community. On his free time, his biggest passion is consuming all forms of art, especially all things Dr. Who and DC comics. @chynelaslan

Juliana Morgado Brito (Producer)
Juliana Morgado Brito (she/her) is a director-producer based in NYC. She previously worked with Clubbed Thumb, PlayGround-NY, Uptown One Train Theatre Company, The Ancram Center for the Arts, and others. She is the current Producing Assistant for Clubbed Thumb. Other producing credits include Ghostly Little Play (DeSotelle Studio), Cecile (The Chain), and [sic] (Brown University). @julesmorgado 

Star Bordenave (Dessi)
Star Bordenave is a New Orleans native with international roots. She moved to NYC in May to continue her acting journey. Star recently made her short film debut as “Vivian Charbonnet” in Wendy Fleetwood’s ‘Creole Recipe’, which premiered at the Black Film Festival of New Orleans. Her other credits include: “Katherine and Sadie” in Tommye Myrick’s ‘Le Code Noir’, “Normal Jean, and The Soldier” in George C. Wolf’s ‘The Colored Museum’, and “Erika Boafo” in Jocelyn Bioh’s ‘School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play’, both with The Nola Project. She is thrilled to make her NYC theater debut as “Dessi", helping to bring this artwork to life!

Linda Blackstock (Cecile) 
This marks Linda's 4th performance in a play at the Chain Theatre. She is a proud native New Yorker, born and bred in The Bronx. Over the years she has performed in a variety of theater venues throughout the boroughs of NYC. She is delighted to be a part of this cast and this original production.

Madeline Parks (Jo)
Madeline is honored to be a part of the 15th Anniversary of the Chain’s Winter One-Act Festival! Her recent performances include Will You Be Praying the Entire Flight? at Edinburgh Fringe, Cymbeline at St. Luke’s Theatre, When My Cue Comes at New York Fringe, and Sea Glass with NYTF at Teatro Latea. Madeline is a member of Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Resident Acting Company. Offstage, you can find her doing short form TTRPG content with Multiversal RPG, and can keep up with her other work on instagram @ladymaudlin or madelineroseparks.com

Kai Yamamoto (Chad) 
Kai began his theatre training at the Performing Arts Center of Arizona, where he pursued a degree in Acting and appeared in several productions, including Hello, Dolly! (with Toni Tennille), The Taming of the Shrew, and Little Shop of Horrors. After relocating to Los Angeles, he continued to hone his craft through film work such as Half Life and Glimpse into Blue, as well as advanced study at the Beverly Hills Playhouse whilst performing in a professional production of Medea. Now represented by TWA, Kai is expanding his career to the East Coast. This production marks his New York City theatre debut.

Getting to Go

Written by Jenifer Margaret Kelly

Directed by David Adam Gill

Synopsis

Getting to Go captures a single morning where love, longing, and timing collide, revealing how the smallest moments can change whether we stay, leave, or move forward in a different direction.

Bios

Jenifer Margaret Kelly: (PLAYWRIGHT) NYC born and raised playwright, screenwriter, film-maker, poet and soon to be producer. MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Georgia, attended UCLA film school. Her full length play My Brooklyn was a semi-finalist for The Eugene O’Neill Playwright Conference. Recent NYC productions: Book Club Night at Paper Kraine, featuring the Obie award winning Rosina Fernhoff, Namaste at the Secret Festival in Queens and at Paper Kraine’s Date Night Series. Memberships: Dramatist Guild, WIFTA, Irish American Writers & Artists, WIFTA, and happy participant in New Ambassadors Theater Lab Series run by David Adam Gill and Jeff Checkley. www.jenifermargaretkelly.com

David Adam Gill (DIRECTOR): Irregulars (Cherry Lane, NY); Providence (Transient Theater, Chicago; Roy Arias, NYC); F*cked –up Family Trilogy: Experimenting with Katz, Irregulars & Unfinished (TheatreLab); More Myself Than I Am (Secret Theatre & Manhattan Repertory, Best Play; HEARTbroke 2022); A Most Egregious Way (HEARTbroke 2020); Fault Lines (Blurring Boundaries, Secret Theatre, Short+Sweet Dubai, Bloomsbury USA Best American Short Plays 2018-2019); Wee Annie’s Hold (octoberFEARfest; BOO 2025), Inside & Out (Blurring Boundaries 2021), Defying Lorelei (Blurring Boundaries 2022), Eugene and Oliver Back at the Whitehorse Tavern (HEARTbroke 2022), In the Garden of the Hesperides (Blurring Boundaries 2023; Queens Short Play Festival 2024, Smith & Kraus Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2025), The Bay of Fundy (Pittsburgh New Works Festival 2025, Outstanding Contribution from a Playwright Prize for Best Script, Oswego Players 2025 Donald J. McCann One-Act Playwriting Contest Second Place Award). Co-founder and Artistic Director of New Ambassadors Theatre Company. DGA Member.

Sammy Smedley (MARCI) Recent stage credits include THIS DREAM HAS TEETH with Theater for the Greater Good at The Tank, THE BOWL, OPEN CITY (staged reading) with New Ambassadors Theatre Company, THE GREAT BLUFFER, THE VILLAGE BEAUTIFUL (staged reading) and LEDA’S CHILDREN (staged reading) with The New Perspectives Theatre Company and O' RUMBLES OF JOY (staged reading) with Morningside Players. She is an award winning filmmaker and proud co-founder of Blue Plumbago Productions. She is a theatre graduate of The Catholic University of America. www.sammysmedley.com 

Brian Reilly (Craig) Recent NYC stage credits include Interlude (Chain Theater); In the Garden of the Hesperides (written by David Adam Gill) and Back to You (The Secret Theater); Honor (A.R.T./New York Theaters). Some other favorite NYC theatre roles include Marat/Sade, bunkerbaby, and The Rise and Fall of the Farewell Drugs. He also acts in film and television, is a co-founder of the independent film production company Blue Plumbago Productions, and a graduate of Fordham University. www.brianreillyactor.com