1st Drafts and Bagels
BEFORE A FALL
Sat, Feb 1 @ 12noon
$5 suggested donation at door
Need some dynamic theatre to elevate your weekend?
Join us at Firehouse for mimosas and bagels and participate in the creative process of making a new play. 1st Drafts and Bagels program is geared towards providing opportunities for playwrights to workshop
their pieces followed by a talk back chat with audience members to collaborate on further developing pieces.
BEFORE A FALL
written by Lily Mercer
directed by Alana Wiljanen
BEFORE A FALL is a Southern Gothic tale of faith, family & fear. Framed as a courtroom drama, the story centers on a high-school student shrouded in secrets, the teacher who struggles to unravel the mystery, and a community that turns a blind eye.
Cast:
Bonnie Davidson - Sara Collazo
Darla June Hawkins - Anna Katogiritis
Lala Hawkins - Luna Collazo-Heifetz
Fayrene Hawkins - Lanaya Van Driesen
Jack Hawkins, Sr. - Alan Sader
Junior - Anthony Brazeau
Defense Attorney - Laura Bassin
Prosecuting Attorney - Jesse Hill
Sheriff Roger Caplan - David Clark
Court Official/Sister Emory - David Clark/Jacqueline Jones
Stage Directions - Jacqueline Jones
LILY MERCER After completing a double major in Theatre Arts and Speech at Eastern Kentucky University, Lily moved to New York to complete a 2-year program at the Playwrights Horizons Professional School, where she studied advanced acting, directing, and playwriting. She soon began to work as a professional actor across the country in a wide range of theatre productions from Taming of the Shrew to Crimes of The Heart. She then added television to her resume appearing in Newsroom, Law & Order: SVU, and Cashmere Mafia, to name a few – all while teaching On-Camera Acting at the Beverly Hills Professional School. Soon she founded her own theatre in Sedona, Arizona (Actors Repertory Theatre of Sedona) where she honed her storytelling skills. In 2010 Lily embraced her love of writing and was accepted into the Department of Dramatic Writing MFA program at NYU/Tisch. She graduated in 2012 with the Edward Pupura Award for excellence, then moved to Los Angeles and began to write with a passion. Starting in 2016 she won the ISA (International Screenwriting Association) Fast Track Fellowship, the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Best Screenplay, and advanced in twelve other national screenwriting competitions. She was subsequently selected by the ISA as one of the “Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2018.” In addition, Lily continues to write for the stage Her theatrical plays have been produced in New York, California, Kentucky, and Arizona. A workshop production of BEFORE A FALL was part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2013 and she is thrilled to be able to take the work to the next level with the help of The Firehouse Theatre. (www.lilymercerwriter.com)