Tesseract’s High-Spirited ‘My Heart Says Go’ Has Terrific Vocals, And A Few Challenges

Tesseract’s High-Spirited ‘My Heart Says Go’ Has Terrific Vocals, And A Few Challenges

By Lynn Venhaus

Supple vocal work stands out in Tesseract’s latest premiere, “My Heart Says Go,” a hip-hop-meets-pop musical well-suited for the company’s enthusiasm in mounting energetic ensembles.

But inconsistent sound quality, a louder-decibel pre-recorded music track overpowering the singers, and a cliché-riddled script hampered its impact.

Always dynamic Kevin Corpuz anchors this one-act musical as Indigo, a conflicted first-generation college student who quits to pursue his dream of making music. He is often a ball of fire on stage, i.e. “The Who’s Tommy,” “Godspell,” “Be More Chill,” “Urinetown,” “In the Heights,” and “Altar Boyz,” and this role is tailor-made to his strengths.

Indigo’s hard-working immigrant father (Kelvin Urday) thinks he’s made a grievous error. Despite that friction, Indigo moves to L.A., and meets a couple of people whom he thinks will help him reach his singer-songwriter goals.

Indigo quickly connects with Clara (Sarah Wilkinson), a struggling talented fashion designer who has a troubled relationship with her alcoholic mother (Loren Boudreau).

Sarah Wilkinson matches Corpuz in spirit and inner light. Their buoyancy, particularly in their emphatic movements, is tangible.

Clayton Humburg, Kevin Corpuz, Sarah Wilkinson. Photo by Florence Flick.

Bright spots are “What Does My Heart Say?” and “The Place Where Dreams Come True”; “Don’t Give Up” is a rousing finale.

Another vibrant portrayal is by Clayton Humburg as a lively rapper named Timmy, a guy brimming with positivity who assumes the role as Indigo’s biggest cheerleader.

While he doesn’t look that much older than Corpuz, Urday is touching as the concerned single father Eliseo, and the two bring out the emotions of a close dad-son bond in several heartfelt scenes and vocals (“Father vs. Son,” “Heat of the Moment” and “Foot Down”). Urday’s musical numbers are beautifully delivered, as is customary.

Victoria Pines is a soulful vocalist as a train conductor, and some sort of conduit to the characters. Her part, however, is underdeveloped and unclear how she connects to these people long after they rode the train. She shines in “Find Your Voice.”

The book is the weakest element of this show, and really drags down the overall experience. The characters are merely archetypes, and if the main characters weren’t live-wire performers, this would be painfully humdrum.

The book, written by Matthew Hawkins, overflows with triteness. How many times are aspiring artists used in hopes-and-dreams scenarios? This isn’t all that original, and nothing we haven’t seen before. Follow your passion, overcome obstacles, believe in yourself, blah blah blah. Must be compelling to sustain interest and empathy, and because of the cast’s talent, it is..

Dreams are such a theatrical staple that the brilliant satire “The Musical of Musicals” has a song called – what else? — “Follow Your Dream.”

Hey, having dreams fuels our fires, and any chance to remind people to persist following their heart is well-intentioned. But freshness is the key for endearment.

Wilkinson, Loren Goudreau. Photo by Florence Flick.

For an example, the addict mom is an unnecessary subplot, and you can predict her story arc the minute she enters. Both Pines’ conductor and Kevin Hester’s grungy recording studio engineer seem like they are characters in another show. Hester’s a fine vocalist, but he mumbled his speaking lines and barely spoke above a whisper, so his dialogue was hard to hear.

While everyone is earnest, the ensemble doesn’t seem to be well-defined either. They are a bouncy group, nevertheless – Khristian Duncan, David Gregory, Laura Schulze, and Goudreau are spry in song and dance.

Milo Garlich was out because of illness Sunday, so choreographer Maggie Nold stepped in, and didn’t miss a beat.

Grace Langford aces a brief role as a heart doctor supervising Indigo in med school.

The performers’ passion carries this show across the 90-minute finish line, as well as the music direction by Larry D. Pry and Nold’s choreography.

The sunny coupling of Wilkinson and Corpuz is natural, as they were last seen together as Rapunzel and Rapunzel’s Prince in New Jewish Theatre’s award-winning “Into the Woods” in November, and so was Pines as Jack’s Mom. Pry was the musical director of that show. Obviously, that’s a winning combination.

Other than the disappointing script, a major problem stemmed from the technical elements. The garbled sound was challenging, with echoes and reverbs marring vocals, and most of the time the recorded music overpowered the vocalists. Sound designer Ryan Day is familiar with The Marcelle, so I am not sure why there were so many issues.

The blocking where characters had scenes far back made it even harder to engage, because the sound was such a mixed bag. The lighting overall was inconsistent and shadowy, and again, another experienced Marcelle technician, Matt Stuckel, oversaw the design. The neon lights on the back wall, however, were a nifty touch.

Director Brittanie Gunn relied on simple staging to focus on the characters’ journeys. By using the entirety of The Marcelle stage, it seemed at times too cavernous for such a small musical. Nevertheless, she maintained a zippy pace, with smooth entrances and snappy group placings.

The score of this show is based on the personal experience of Jorge “Jay” Rivera-Herrans, who switched from pre-med to the film, television and theater department as a student at University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he received a fellowship, continued pursuing his ideas, and the school served as his incubator.

No one doubts his ardor or sincerity. The musical premiered in 2023 and has become a viral sensation. I imagine that’s largely on the strength of the musical being a celebratory anthem because the story should be further workshopped, and characters more fleshed out.

Kelvin Urday, Kevin Corpuz. Photo by Florence Flick.

One of the show’s highlights is the costume design by Abby Pastorello, who either found or made embroidered denim jackets and shirts to give a unique flair to Clara’s original designs. Those outfits were a bright addition to an otherwise scruffy group wearing band T-shirts and casual attire. In contrast were fashionista Clara’s well-put together looks, especially a bedazzled black leather ensemble that Wilkinson rocked.

This show has a shaggy charm, not unlike Lin-Manuel Miranda’s early one-act endeavor “21 Chump Street,” but on the off-the-charts inspiring meter, it lags behind “tick, tick…Boom!” “Dreamgirls,” “Beautiful: the Carole King Musical,” and many others as a whole package.

Of course, this is on a much smaller scale, and targeted to tug at your heart strings. It is a labor of love for all involved.

In recent years, Tesseract has taken more risks with musical premieres, such as “The Mad Ones,” “Ordinary Days,” and the upcoming original “Cascade’s Fire,” and tackled big shoes with “Kinky Boots” and “The Last Five Years.” Their ambitious drive is refreshing.

Hopefully, the technical director Kevin Sallwasser can get the glitches worked out this week before the show returns. The production already has a first-rate cast that it showcases fervently.

(As an aside, many a show presented in the smaller Grand Center venues has been known to have sound issues, aka at The .Zack and The Grandel. If these venues encourage stage productions, doesn’t it behoove the facilities’ powers-at-be to upgrade sound technology? We critics are beginning to sound like broken records.)

Victoria Pines as the Conductor, surrounded by the ensemble. Photo by Florence Flick.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents “My Heart Says Go” July 11 – July 21, as part of its Summer Festival of New Musicals at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. Performances are July 11-13 and July 20 at 8 p.m., and July 14-21 at 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.tesseracttheatre.com

LaBute New Theater Festival Offers Clever One-Acts That Resonate

LaBute New Theater Festival Offers Clever One-Acts That Resonate

By Lynn Venhaus
A walrus and a manatee walk into a polar bear’s bar that’s a comical rant. There is trouble in paradise between Adam, Eve, God and Satan. A mother and a daughter square off, a coach and a parent exchange words, and a married couple share their rocky heart-tugging journey.

A range from savvy farce to poignant drama, this year’s 10th annual LaBute New Theater Festival’s line-up stresses shared humanity in five strong complete-thought one-act plays that press different emotional buttons.

Every year since 2013 – when live theater could be presented, St. Louis Actors’ Studio has collaborated with playwright, screenwriter and film and theater director Neil LaBute to support new works from across the country.

LaBute not only lends his name, but he is part of a 10-member panel that selects the plays from a vast number of submissions, often emerging voices. The company provides the resources for local presentations.

In years’ past, selections have included some edgier and esoteric works, but this current slate is as relatable as it is affecting – and still in a thought-provoking way.

However, typical topics like politics, the state of the world or a dystopian future are not on this roster.

It may not be intentional, but I detected a unifying theme between the five — wrestling with demons and doubts, and addressing elephants in the room, all in compelling contemporary presentations. After all, there is more commonality than differences among us, as the arts frequently point out.

Lorelei Frank, Greg Hunsaker and Tyler Crandall in “Grief & Woe.” Photo by Patrick Huber.

All five are particularly suited for The Gaslight Theatre’s black box stage intimacy, and in keeping with the festival’s rules, plays can only have up to four characters.

LaBute contributes a world premiere one-act every year. This year’s original presents a view askew of sports at young levels. Although not specified, I surmised it was a summer squad aka “Little Leagues” or those between school leagues, like American Legion and ‘select’ teams.

Called “Who’s on First?”, this uncomfortable exchange between a baseball coach and the parent of a player whose skills are lacking is entirely plausible.

A rueful commentary on how we got here, LaBute’s razor-sharp rhythmic dialogue is superbly delivered by Chuck Winning as the coach (Abbott!) and Anthony Wininger (Costello!) as the father.

As they painstakingly reveal motivations, they re-affirm the present-day stakes matter-of-factly. The scene, which opens the second act after a 15-minute intermission, takes place in a dugout, and is shrewdly directed by Kristi Gunther, the current production manager at St. Louis Actors’ Studio.

She and Spencer Sickmann, a veteran performer who took a couple years off for a personal-life break, has returned to tag-team directing this program.

Previously, he had acted in two earlier new theater festivals, and in leading roles in LaBute’s “Comfort,” St. Louis native Beau Willimon’s “Farragut North,” and St. Louisan Cory Finley’s “The Feast,” among others.

Hunsaker, Anthony Wininger and Crandall. Photo by Patrick Huber.

Gunther assuredly guided two conflict pieces – a wacky one that escalated, called “Walrus,” and a somber two-hander that came to a resolution, in “Cage.”

Sickmann perceptively helmed the opening kick-off, a bracing battle of the sexes featuring a fractured relationship between the first man and first wife, Adam and Eve. Quick-witted dialogue by playwright Paul Bowman of New Albany, Ind., makes “Grief & Woe” an interestingly observed relationship study, interrupted by God’s rules and Lucifer’s interference.

The Garden of Eden resembles a battleground like “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus.” The not-so-happy bickering couple is tested by a seductive, slithery serpent, ‘just call me Lou,’ played slyly by Winning, affecting a devil-may-care attitude and dominating the stage.

A benevolent but exasperated “Mr. G” is humorously fleshed out by Greg Hunsaker as a cross between a Borscht Belt comedian – think “Your Show of Shows” sketch – and a ‘60s sitcom boss.

It’s a clever albeit lighthearted scenario, with impressive new-to-Gaslight-stage Tyler Crandall as an inattentive Adam and Lorelei Frank as a frustrated Eve

The festival is usually modestly presented, with simple, functional staging by set designer Patrick Huber, who also astutely augments each scene as lighting designer. With distinctive outfits and props, production values are elevated this year by costume designer Abby Pastorello’s outstanding choices and Emma Glose’s props.

Pastorello’s slick attire for Winning as “Lou” is a sensational assortment of pieces including a shiny carnival barker’s jacket, brocade vest, lime green shoes and a gold-plated leaf barrette for his deceptive wig.

To easily alter appearances of actors comically portraying North Pole wildlife in the act-one closer, “Walrus,” she chose whimsical noses, ears and ‘hands’ so that it’s obvious Wininger is an obnoxious blowhard walrus, Crandall is the more agreeable, timid manatee and Hunsaker is the no-nonsense proprietor of the drinking establishment where they regale each other with tales of life in arctic waters.

Gunther directed as if they could be super-fans knocking back a drink in a Chicago sports bar, and the trio has fun with the goofy premise. The cagey play was written by Brandt Adams of Brooklyn, N.Y.

A complicated relationship between a mother and daughter is depicted in an argumentative “Cage” by Barbara Blatner of New York. The pair, deftly played by Jane Paradise (Bobby) and Frank (George), must consider the other person’s pain and come to an understanding.

Using the miserable girl bringing home a wild snake as a pet, it’s a metaphor about the things that hold us back and move us forward, and the women strike the right tone.

Hunsaker and Jane Paradise. Photo by Patrick Huber.

In one of the saddest and hardest-hitting one-acts ever presented, “Love in the Time of Nothing” chronicles a marriage from courtship through loss, as a couple grapples with the husband’s early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Playwright Jayne Hannah of North Providence, R.I., accurately reflects the rollercoaster life after a dementia diagnosis changes everything for a husband in his 50s and a wife in her 40s.

If you have family experience with this disease, you will recognize all the symptoms, treatments, roadblocks, and the heartbreaking decline of a once-vibrant mind and the unrelenting burden placed on caretakers.

Hunsaker, as David, and Paradise, as Julieanna, masterfully interpret Hannah’s literate and lyrical prose, conveying the ecstasy and agony of a serious commitment.

These parts are demanding of the actors, and their proficiency makes an impact. This one lingers, and it was a wise choice for the finale. Sickmann presents both the hope of good times and the tragic realization of never-ending sad times with inevitable anguish.

This year’s festival is smoothly executed, intellectually nourishing and engaging in unexpected ways. The best part, besides being a splendid showcase for high-caliber performers, is that it surprises with its empathy.

The needle drops are particularly affecting, so kudos to whoever selected the music. Pastorello also effectively managed wigs, hair and makeup.

Special shout-outs to stage manager Amy J. Paige and her assistant Collin Brinkley for their unflagging efforts to keeping the pace from sagging, and their ninja staff for quick set changes.

To celebrate a decade of this fruitful collaboration, STLAS has published a book, “Unlikely Japan and Other Plays: Ten One-Acts from Ten Years of the LaBute New Theater Festival,” that features ten pieces by LaBute that were created and staged exclusively by STLAS at The Gaslight, 59E59 Street and Davenport Theaters.

The book is currently available on Amazon and can be ordered directly from St. Louis Actors’ Studio. It is also available at the box office during this show’s run.

Frank and Paradise. Photo by Patrick Huber.

St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents the 10th annual LaBute New Theater Festival July 12 to 28, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sundays for July 18-21 and July 25-28, but only Friday-Sunday July 12-14 at The Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.stlas.org

General admission tickets are available via Ticketmaster or at the theater box office one hour before show time. For more information, visit stlas.org or email help@stlas.org.

A playwright reception will be held on July 19 to celebrate the artists’ work, giving patrons an opportunity to learn and understand the stories they’ve just digested.

Take Ten with Stephen Peirick

Take Ten with Stephen Peirick


By Lynn Venhaus

A longtime multi-hyphenate in St. Louis, actor, director and playwright Stephen Peirick’s latest challenge is a very personal and special experience for him, what he describes as a “dream opportunity.”

As director of the regional theater premiere of the Tony-winning “The Inheritance,” he said it’s not only an honor and privilege to be a part of the work, but described the production as an “embarrassment of riches” because of his “hands-down brilliant” cast.

Tesseract Theatre Company will present “The Inheritance, Parts 1 and 2” by Matthew Lopez April 26 to May 5 at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. There is one day, May 4, where both parts will be presented. For more information, visit www.tesseracttheatre.com and tickets are available at MetroTix.

Peirick is working with Tesseract for the first time. Taylor Gruenloh, former founder and artistic director, said he first thought of Stephen while reading the play, and locked him in to make it happen.

“As soon as I read that play, it reminded me of all the work Stephen was doing in town. And knowing how passionate he is about this kind of subject matter made it important to know he was at the helm before the rights were secured,” Gruenloh said.

The Daily Telegraph said it was “perhaps the most important American play of this century.” The play is based on “Howard’s End” by E.M. Forster and takes place in New York City decades after the AIDS epidemic, as three generations of gay men attempt to forge a future for themselves amid turbulent and changing America.

“This play doesn’t deny the pain of our experience.. it allows people to remember how we have gotten this far, what it’s like to fight, and who we have lost along the way. That sometimes our best weapon is our sense of humor, is our wit, is our intelligence, and is the love we have for each other,” said playwright Matthew Lopez.

Gabriel Paul and Chris Kernan. Photo by Tesseract Theatre Company.

Eric Glass (Chris Kernan) is a political activist engaged to his writer boyfriend, Toby Darling (Gabriel Paul). When two strangers enter their lives — an older man and a younger one — their futures suddenly become uncertain as they begin to chart divergent paths. This is an epic examination of survival, healing, class divide, and what it means to call a place home.

Besides Kernan and Paul, “The Inheritance” cast includes Tyson Cole, Stephen Henley, Jon Hey, Donald Kidd, Alex Moore, Kevin O’Brien, Jacob Schmidt, Sean Seifert, Nic Tayborn, Kelvin Urday, and Margery Handy. Assistant Director is Dani Mann.

Among its accolades, “The Inheritance” won the 2020 Tony Award for Best Play., the 2020 Drama Desk Award for Best Play and the 2019 Olivier Award for Best Play.

​This production is for mature audiences. May contain mature themes, language, nudity, sexuality, violence, satire and/or progressive ideas.

Peirick has been working with Stray Dog Theatre for years, and has performed and directed at West End Players Guild and performed with Union Avenue Opera in “Lost in the Stars.” He also works with Take Two Productions, a community theatre.

He is known for writing original plays as well, and has received nominations for Best New Play from the St. Louis Theater Circle for “Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs” and “Four Sugars.”

Last year, the Circle nominated him for his performance as Ned Weeks in “The Normal Heart” and several years ago for “The Doll’s House.”

He has also been nominated for the local community theatre Arts for Life awards for directing, lighting design, choreography and scenic design — winning the latter for Fun Home with Take Two Productions.

Next up is directing “Merrily We Roll Along” for Take Two Productions, which will be presented in September and October.

Stephen as Ned Weeks in “The Normal Heart,” with Joey Saunders, at Stray Dog Theatre in 2022. Photo by John Lamb.

Take Ten Questionnaire with Stephen Peirick

1. What is special about your latest project?

Larry Kramer masterfully wrote the brilliant play The Normal Heart, which detailed his experiences fighting for the gay community during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. When I first saw Kramer’s play in 2011, it amplified a history I had been almost entirely ignorant of. It was a humbling moment as a gay man: an embarrassing privilege of my age. Kramer’s play inspired me to want to share this history with the world, and in particularly with the next generation of queer youth.

Our history is important. We are important. Matthew Lopez’s first-rate epic The Inheritance goes one step further, by asking audiences to ponder not only what we owe the generation who came before us, but what will we leave behind for the generation to come?

It’s not often that you get asked about your interest in directing a two-part epic – this has been a dream opportunity. It has been my incredible honor and privilege to direct the St. Louis premiere of this Tony-Award winning play.

And then, on top of it, to get to work with a hands-down brilliant local cast (Tyson Cole, Nic Tayborn, Sean Seifert, Jacob Schmidt, Stephen Henley, Donald Kidd, Kevin O’Brien, Kelvin Urday, Chris Kernan, Gabriel Paul, Alex C. Moore, Jon Hey, and Margery Handy) and an exceptional behind the scenes team (Dani Mann, Rachel Downing, Amanda Brasher, Abby Pastorello, Tony Anselmo, Jacob Baxley, Sarah Baucom, Kent Coffel, Kevin Sallwasser, as well as Tesseract’s Creative Directors Brittanie Gunn and Kevin Corpuz): this show has been an embarrassment of riches for a director. A special experience, for sure.

2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

Because I can’t NOT pursue it. (I would be so much more well-rested if I just stay away!) At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller trying to get better at this craft. Whether I’m directing, acting, or writing…I have a passion for creating, and no matter how tired I get, I keep going back for more.

As George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at Stray Dog Theatre in 2023, with Stephen Henley and Claire Wenzel. John Lamb Photo.

3. How would your friends describe you?

First and foremost, I think they’d say I was hot. And also, probably…hilarious. Okay; maybe they wouldn’t say either of those things unprovoked…or at all. But in my mind, those are the two compliments they are always ABOUT to share with me…before they get distracted by something else and forget .

4. How do you like to spend your spare time?

What is that? Spare time? Alas…should I ever find it again, I’d love to get back to writing.

5. What is your current obsession?

The Inheritance. I literally have no time for anything else. But once the show has come and gone, I love to spend summers outside…I love lounging in a pool, and enjoying R & R time. I love to find and read new plays, and I’m always on the lookout for some good Halloween décor. I track what’s playing in NYC, both on Broadway and Off…and I love reality television, or binding scripted shows.

6. What would people be surprised to find out about you?

If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?

Seeing my sister’s high school production of The Diary of Anne Frank when I was six or seven. It ignited in me my love for live theatre. When I look back on my life, I think it was the very beginning moment of this whole journey.

8. Who do you admire most?

My mom was, no doubt, the most influential person on me. She passed away nearly 10 years ago, and I miss her everyday, and I can’t help but wonder what she would think of the work I’ve done over these years.

Lavonne Byers, Stephen Peirick and Laurell Stevenson in “Good People” at Stray Dog Theatre in 2022. Photo by John Lamb.

9. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?

I was just getting ready to return to the stage as an actor (after having taken a year off) when the pandemic hit. Like for everyone else, it caused so much disruption to projects I had in the pipeline. Most of them still got to happen, although after a long delay, including directing Fun Home with Take Two Productions, and playing Mike in Good People and Ned in The Normal Heart for Stay Dog Theatre.

The Normal Heart was my dream project, and had been since 2011, so the fear that it would never get to happen, and that the arts might never recover was real.

I think it’s important to go see and support live theatre as one’s schedule (and wallet) allows. Volunteer to usher, and post to the socials when you go see work. Help your friends and family see that it is safe to return to the theatre, and that good things are happening. (And masks are still welcome in any theatre you might want that added layer of protection.)


10. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis? (Or your hometown)

I love to be immersed in our local arts scene as much as possible. This month alone, I saw productions with Stray Dog Theatre, The Rep, Clayton Community Theatre, and St. Louis Shakespeare. I love hitting up restaurants (The Tavern is a favorite for special occasions), and spending time with friends and family.

12. What’s next?

Next up, I am directing the musical Merrily We Roll Along for Take Two Players. This dynamic and rarely produced musical is currently having an incredible run on Broadway. Running for two weekends in September and October, our cast features an incredible group of local talent, including Ryan Farmer, Grace Langford, and Michael Baird in the central roles of Frank, Mary and Charlie. www.taketwoproductions.org

Stephen Peirick and husband Jon Hey. Photo by Lynn Venhaus

More Information on Stephen Peirick
Birthplace: Franklin County, MO
Current location: St. Louis
Family: I am married to the incredible Jon Hey, and we have three cats: Kona, Poppy and George. I have four older sisters, three nephews, two nieces, two great nephews and two great nieces.
Education: BA in Communications/Theatre with a minor in Education
Day job: I have spent the last 15+ years working for a state association. I create our online newsletters, content for our socials, etc., and appreciate working for an organization that understands and supports my passion for the arts.
First job: I was a Ticket Taker at Six Flags when I was 15 years old.
First play or movie you were involved in or made: The first real, non-grade school Christmas play I did was a courtroom drama called The Night of January 16 when I was a freshman in high school.
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? Playing Ned Weeks in The Normal Heart at Stray Dog Theatre was such a dream; and seeing the premiere of my first, full-length play (in 2012 at West End Players Guild) Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs is something that I will never forget.
Dream job/opportunity: Taking Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs to New York maybe?
Awards/Honors/Achievements: I have been nominated for four St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards; two for acting (The Normal Heart and A Doll’s House) and two for writing (Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs and Four Sugars). I have also been nominated for our local, community theatre Arts for Life awards for directing, lighting design, choreography and scenic design (winning the latter for Fun Home with Take Two Productions).
Favorite quote/words to live by: Tell your story bravely. It’s a story worth telling.” – Morgan, The Inheritance
A song that makes you happy: I love 80s music. Here I Go Again by Whitesnake is a fave.

Stephen Peirick and Nicole Angeli in Stray Dog’s “Hedda Gabler” in 2017. Photo by John Lamb.
“Art” outdoors at Stray Dog, with Ben Ritchie and Jeremy Goldmeier in 2021. Photo by John Lamb