Cypherbird Projects Presents

STEALING STARLIGHT

By Lisa Wagner Erickson

Directed by Candace Joice

An evening of whimsy, magic, and enchantment at Boulder's Trident Cafe.

Join us Sunday, September 29 at the Trident Cafe for a staged reading a new play by local playwright & Cypherbird Projects founder Lisa Wagner Erickson about gnomes, magic, and and a perilous quest to steal the evil King’s bedazzled sword and throne.

The evening will open with a whimsical act by drag and performance artist Weird Alnite.

Pick your price tickets are available HERE!

DETAILS
5:30 PM - Doors
6:00 PM - Whimsical Drag & Stealing Starlight

*Beer and wine, coffee, tea, and in-house baked and locally sourced pastries are available at the Cafe.

ABOUT THE PLAY

Developed with the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company Writer's Group, STEALING STARLIGHT is a new play by local playwright & Cypherbird Projects founder Lisa Wagner Erickson, directed by Candace Joice.

Featuring Shauna Earp-Ballinger, Lauren Michelle Long, JC Maheu, Sadie Gracelynn Trigg, Veronica Straight-Lingo and more.

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

Writer, Producer

Lisa Wagner Erickson

Director

Candace Joice

Cast

Shauna Earp, Lauren Michelle Long, John-Christian Maheu,

Sadie Gracelynn Trigg, Veronica Straight-Lingo

Drag Performance

Weird Alnite

BIOS

Weird Alnite

Weird Al Spankabitch (he/they) is a director, producer, and the resident drag king at Junkyard Social Club. He was voted one of Westword’s Colorado’s Freshest Faces in Drag 2022.

Shauna Earp

Shauna Earp is so thrilled to be a part of Stealing Starlight! This is her 3rd opportunity to stage read of one of the amazing plays birthed through BETC. The other two were Hellfire & Ham by Collette Mazunik and Bootleg Jedi by Josh Hartwell. Most recently she has been seen around town as Mother in A Christmas Story at Miners Alley and June in Mornings with June at Vintage. Her current on screen projects include the role of Marnie Bennet the hotel manager in Welcome to the Fishbowl (currently shooting) starring Natalie Gold from Succession, Jeremy Swift from Ted Lasso and Marin Hinkle from The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, as Hannah in the soon to be theatrically released Elevation directed by George Nolfi and starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin, and Alma Abbott in Amazon Prime’s Outer Range starring Josh Brolin. Special thanks to the incredible CO theatre & film community and the DAF for being such a fantastically beautiful, kind, supportive, talented group of humans!!

Lisa Wagner Erickson

Lisa Wagner Erickson (she/ her) is a playwright, theatre artist, and occasional performer & singer whose varied experience includes singing at Red Rocks, performing sketch comedy at Boulder Theater, and plays that have been developed and produced across the United States. A True West Award winner, she has also been a finalist for the Gary Garrison Award for 10-Minute Plays, a regional finalist for the KCACTF 10-Minute Play Award, a PlayPenn semi-finalist, and a Landing Theatre’s New American Voices semi-finalist. Her plays have been developed and presented by Primary Stages, Stickball Productions, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, No Strings Theatre Company, And Toto too, Edge Theatre, Theater 29, and BETC, among others. Her work has been published in Literature Today and Mini Plays Review. She is the founder of Cypherbird Projects and the former owner and Creative Director of Theater 29.

Candace Joice

Candace Joice is an actor, audiobook narrator, and director. Directing credits include Good People (Ouray's Upstart Theatre Company), JQA and Dorothy’s Dictionary (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company), The Real Inspector Hound (University of Colorado at Boulder), and Double Gothic (University of Central Missouri) as well as staged readings of new works for BETC and Benchmark Theatre. She was the Assistant Director for Hamlet (Denver Center Theatre Company), Misery (Miners Alley Performing Arts Center), and Tiny Beautiful Things (BETC). www.candacejoice.com

Lauren Michelle Long

Lauren is thrilled to be a storyteller for STEALING STARLIGHT. She is an actor, voice actor and media artist creating merchandise for small businesses. She has been in various productions on stage with other companies in Colorado such as Su Teatro, The Three Leaches, Audacious Theatre, The Bug Theatre, Vintage Theatre and Denver’s Dangerous Theatre.‬ Behind the stage, Lauren is also a teaching artist educating children in art, dance, fitness and most importantly, the magic of theatre!

John-Christian Maheu

John-Christian “J.C.” Maheu is a multi-faceted artist bringing a voice to the unique and cherished. Striving to represent each character with the same veracity as any living being, JC steps into each role with a renewed vigor that brings the Arts community to its knees. As a part of the only performance art spaces in Denver (The Lab on SantaFe) he loves to drag new and experimental, even outlandish ideas to new heights while embracing the journey it takes to get there. He becomes a queen among men as the local Drag Queen Gigi G’Amour and mentors the youth as the up and coming rebels they were always meant to be. JC is never afraid to take on any role and evolves into each character on stage. His recent roles include Max Appel in Su Teatro’s Promise on the Hill, Antonio in Twelfth Night from the Three Leaches and professor peach in the short film, Butler Did It. When JC is not acting on stage, you can often find him singing as the little angel he is, whether it be for the Arvada Chorale, the Wild Beautiful Orchestra or his local church Bethlehem Lutheran Church. He is also an accomplished artist and creative turbine that loves to help any area when needed even if its playing dummy as a volunteer for emergency services, the local fire department or major crisis events. He is also the proud co-owner and co-producer of the small film company, Maheu Brothers Productions, who’ve been getting their feet wet with several film festivals and events. With a passion for the arts and as a graduate of Adams State University, he strives to develop into the Arts world currently through the Denver creative scene. He thanks his family and friends for joining him on this grand and fulfilling adventure.

Veronica Straight-Lingo

Veronica Straight-Lingo is an Actor/Director/Improviser/Designer in the Denver/Boulder Area. She has worked with Cypherbird Projects as a collaborator, director, sound designer, and actor. Other acting roles include Sister Mary in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, and Olivia in Twelfth Night (Three Leaches), Loki in Jotunheim (BiTSY Stage), Wanda in The Best Day of Your Life (Vintage Theatre), and Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing (Lost and Found Productions). Veronica recently directed The Pillowman with Micreant Theater Collective and several other productions, including an all-female/non-binary staging of Richard III for Lost and Found Productions and Eleemosynary for Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville. She also produces and hosts Metro Arts on KGNU, 88.5 FM, 1390 AM, and online at KGNU.org on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m.

Sadie Gracelynn Trigg

After finishing her degree at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NY, Sadie returned home to Colorado and found a wonderful community in the Denver theatre world. You may have seen her in Three Leaches' 'No Exit' and 'A Piece of My Heart', 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' and 'Straight' with 5th Wall Productions, or maybe 'Puffs' with Lost and Found Productions. During the lockdown, Sadie's life took a big turn and launched her into a new career as a tattoo artist at Nest Art Collective.