a new play written by and starring
Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin
development and direction by
Lauren Zeftel
produced by
Brenna Ross
presented as part of
Ars Nova ANT Fest 2019
featuring
Tim Creavin, Sunny Choi, Peregrine Heard, + Elizabeth Poleski
Set + Properties Design
Caspin Jones
Costume Design
M. E. Guadelupe Rubi
Lighting + Projection Design
Bax Pitter
Sound Design
Cameron Toy
Intimacy Direction
Shannon Flynn
Stage Management
Jenna Ng Lowry
a new play by
Emily Zemba
development and direction by
Lauren Zeftel - Lauren Z. Adleman
produced and presented by
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Rough Draft Festival
featuring
Gabby Beans & Tim Nicolai
with Lowell Byers & Lauren LaRocca
Set Design
Chris Thompson
Costume Design
Isabelle Coler
Lighting Design
Carolina Ortiz
Sound Design
Kate Marvin
Properties Design
Michaela Whiting
Production Management
Brittany Crowell
Stage Management
Gabriela Gowdie
Previously developed with Exquisite Corpse Company and The Drama League.
NEW YORK THEATRE REVIEW
"Poison may not be an approved tool of feminist advancement prescribed by Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In.” However, it can lead to some bloody fun at the theatre, as evidenced by Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin’s Ambition: The Female American Serial Killer Musical, a murderously engaging production...
...Director Lauren Zeftel does a marvelous job at driving the play’s action and keeping the musical and narrative elements buzzing along. Even if some of the exact plot points are a bit dizzying to follow, the action on stage is never less than captivating...
The female struggle for power theme is also underscored in the production’s design. In Anastasia Romantsova’s set, a collection of red-toned silky fabrics suggests a boudoir, dripping blood, tearing flesh, and even vaginal folds. The bloodshed is at once menacing and also supremely mysterious, comforting and inviting. Barbara K. Begley’s costumes the killers in funereal black dresses styled to suit their respective milieus, with elegant pops of red to suit their bloody purposes."
THEATER IS EASY
"Director Lauren Zeftel keeps the cast moving smoothly and efficiently through their many changes of scene and tone. Ultimately, Ambition is sometimes intriguing, sometimes clumsy, and consistently keeping with its title."
REVIEW FIX
"...we must commend Ms. Garvin and the director, Lauren Zeftel, for making such a gloomy topic fun. In a number of times, the viewers laugh out loud, and, while the three actresses sing “I Kill for Money,” they tease the audience with fake $100 bills... music and humor definitely save the day. After all, weaving good songs into a coherent story is no easy task."
book, music, & lyrics
Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin
development and direction
Lauren Zeftel
additional scoring & musical direction
Cameron Toy
presenters
Ars Nova Ant Fest 2016
& Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2016
producers
Rebecca Russell Productions
& Undiscovered Countries
featuring
Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin
Kineta Kunutu
Patricia Sabulis
musical accompaniment
Gandor Chorale
set design
Anastasia Romantsova
costume design
Barbara Begley
lighting design
Eric Mercado
stage management & asst. direction
Jaye Hunt
graphic design
Rebecca Russell
production photography
Marielle Solan at Ars Nova's Ant Fest
a new play by
Aeneas Sagar Hemphill
development and direction
Lauren Zeftel - Lauren Z. Adleman
producer
Columbia University School of the Arts | Theatre
presented at
The Ford Studio at the Pershing Square Signature Center
featuring
Shelley Fort
Aaron Lynn
Sharina Martin
Daniel J. O'Brien
Will Sarratt
Ric Sechrest
Pilar Witherspoon
David Woodrow
Elizabeth Wray
set design
Frank Oliva
costume design
Isabelle Coler
lighting design
Ebony Burton
sound design
Matthew Fischer
fight direction
Abigail Wahl
festival stage manager
Kirk Laing
rehearsal stage managers
Brittany Crowell + Rebecca Thompson
graphic design
J.B. Douglas
production photography
Veronica Avanic
a play by
Lisa D'Amour
direction
Lauren Zeftel - Lauren Z. Adleman
producers
Pigeonholed Theatre Company
& Casey Worthington
presented at
IATI Theater
featuring
Justin Cimino
Katie Fanning
Justin Fuller
Sasha Lazare
Lou Patane
set + properties design
Samuel Froeschle
costume design
Isabelle Coler
lighting design
Kelley Shih
sound design
Gabriel Frye-Behar
dramaturgy
Morgan Grambo
fight direction + gore design
Dispatch Collective
production stage manager
Morgan Leigh Beach
production manager
Casey Worthington
production photography
Gabriel Frye-Behar
a new play by
Matthew Minnicino
development and direction
Lauren Zeftel - Lauren Z. Adleman
presenter
Chinatown Soup, NYC
producer
The Cradle Theatre Company
featuring
Karen Eilbacher
Lucy Freyer
Andrea Goldman
Marlowe Holden
Ashley Marie Ortiz
set design
Anastasia Romantsova
costume design
Annie Simon
lighting design
Kelley Shih
sound design
Jorge Morales Picó
fight direction
Abigail Wahl
makeup effects
Amelia Dudley
casting
Bailey Jordan Koch
stage management
Sandra Sanchez Silva
associate lighting design
Elizabeth Stewart
asst. stage management
Julianna Frasca
graphic design
Audra LaBrosse
video trailer
Archie Chew
a new play by
Sarah Einspanier
direction and development
Lauren Zeftel
producer
Williamstown Theatre Festival, PTP
presented at
The Directing Studio
featuring
Julian Abelskamp
Lily Du
L’Oreal Lampley
Maren Lord
Maggie McCaffery
set design
Jessie Baldinger
costume design
Raphael Regan
wigs and makeup
Hannah Mattingly
lighting design
Ted Charles Brown
sound design
Nathan Merrill
rehearsal assistants
Lucy Grebin + Talia Light-Rake
production photography
Carolyn Brown + Joseph O’Malley
written by
Lauren Yee
direction
Lauren Zeftel
producer
Williamstown Theatre Festival, PTP
presented at
The Directing Studio
featuring
Stephen Cefalu
Tim Creavin
Sasha Mangarre-Rodriguez
set design
Daniel Russo
costume design
Mitchel Wolf
lighting design
Caitlyn Coffin
sound design
Kayleigh Shaffer
assistant director
Talia Light-Rake
production photography
Joseph O’Malley
a play by
Sławomir Mrożek
translation
Ralph Manheim + Teresa Dzieduscycka
direction
Lauren Zeftel
producer
Frisson Theatre Company
presented at
The Robert Moss Theater
featuring
Meredith Antoian
Nicole Cardoni
Caitlin Mahoney
Marcel Mascaro
Brian Reisman
Sean Shannon
Alex Tissiere
set design
Mia Cook
lighting design
Matthew Rossiter
sound design
Joshua Chang + Edek Sher
costume design
Maddy Campbell
make-up design
Lila Elias
fight direction
Kiran McCrory
dramaturgy
Mary-Catherine Moore
production stage management
Jennifer Tash
asst. director
Merv Johnstone
marketing coordinator
Jake Beckhard
event coordinator
Danny Baird Jr.
graphic designer
Audra LaBrosse
production photography
Alex Takats