BIOS

LISA WAGNER ERICKSON (Playwright)

Lisa Wagner Erickson 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, And Toto too, Edge Theatre, Theater 29, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, among others. Her work has been published in Smith & Krauss (forthcoming), Literature Today and Mini Plays Review. She is the founder of Cypherbird Projects and the former owner and Creative Director of Theater 29.

EM PEREZ (Director)

A co-founder of UnLeashed Theatre Co., Em is a Denver-based producer and director specializing in physical comedy, the absurd, and new works. Her direction leans into bold movement, precise timing, and letting discomfort do the heavy lifting - perfect for a piece that explores power, pressure, and control in unexpected ways. In #StepOnMe, Em shapes a tight, fearless world where comedy and unease coexist, guiding performers toward clarity, commitment, and ensemble trust.

JOHN-CHRISTIAN “J.C” MAHEU (Actor)

John‑Christian “J.C.” Maheu is a Denver-born actor, musician, drag artist, and technical director whose career reflects the versatility and curiosity of a true renaissance man. A graduate of Adams State University’s Theater and Music programs, he has appeared with Miscreant Theater, The Three Leaches, Su Teatro, the Cypherbird Project, the Wild Beautiful Orchestra, the Arvada Chorale, and in Chappell Kingsland’s acclaimed Beatles Piano Concert. As Gigi G’amour, he is a longtime resident performer at The Three Leaches, where he also serves as Technical Director. Beyond the spotlight, Gigi mentors aspiring drag performers of all ages and identities—including Queens, Kings, and nonbinary royalty—fostering an inclusive, empowered creative community. Offstage, he brings his technical expertise to companies such as City Theater and various, and is a proud owner and co‑producer, alongside his siblings, of the independent film company Maheu Brother Productions.

VERONICA STRAIGHT-LINGO (Actor)

Veronica Straight-Lingo is an Actor/Director/Improviser/Designer in the Denver/Boulder Area. Acting credits include multiple roles as “Actor 5” in Let Nothing You Dismay (Firehouse Theatre), Sister Mary Ignatius in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (The Three Leaches), Olivia - Twelfth Night (The Three Leaches), Judy -Night of the Living Dead (The Bug Theatre), Wanda - The Best Day of Your Life (Vintage Theatre), Louise - The Fox on the Fairway (Longmont Theatre Company). Previous Directing credits include: The Pillowman (Miscreant Theatre Collective), Eleemosynary (Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville), Invaders from Planet 9 (Arts in the Open), Richard III (Lost & Found Productions), and Hidden Worlds and Strange Negotiations (Theater 29). She also hosts Metro Arts on KGNU, Boulder/Denver/Fort Collins.