Leni Riefenstahl Comedy Premieres at UNITED SOLOFEST 2023

Picture Pending Productions present the World Premiere of LENI'S LAST LAMENT, by Gil Kofman. Directed by Richard Caliban (OBIE and Outer Critics Circle award-winning production of Mac Wellman's Crowbar) and starring OBIE winner Jodie Markell. Part of the United SoloFest Saturday March 25th at 7pm on Theater Row, 410 W. 42nd St. NYC.

In LENI'S LAST LAMENT controversial Nazi filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, preposterously poses as a misunderstood victim as she attempts to justify and sanitize her notorious past. Her narcissistic and often ludicrous digressions ultimately prevent her from being able to even convince herself, as she revisits her shadowy past like it was found footage she were reassembling in the edit room to make it more palatable. Failing to renovate her image, Leni drifts off into a blue void where she hopes to hide from the ugly truth. It's a wild, ironic ride full of hard to believe insights into this provocative figure. The show stars OBIE Award winner Jodie Markell, and is directed by award winning Richard Caliban.

Gil Kofman (Playwright) - was born in Nigeria and raised in Kenya, Israel, and NYC. He has an MFA in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. His play American Magic (Broadway Play Publishing) a dark political satire, was produced in NY, LA, and London with music by Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Richard Foreman as the President. It was later published by Broadway Play Publishing along with two other plays, The Interview/Entrevista and Pharmacopeia. The Interview/Entrevista, about Latino immigration in California, starred Tony winner Frank Wood and played in LA, NY and Dallas Theater Center and received a Dramalogue Award. His film The Memory Thief (starring Jerry Adler) - which he wrote and directed - won the Feature Award at the Edmonton Int'l Film Festival and played on the Sundance Channel. He attended the MacDowell Colony where he completed a play on Stanley Kubrick. His novel aKa is coming out in Berlin March 2023 - https://parrhesia-verlag.de/aka

Richard Caliban (Director) - has worked as a director and playwright across the country and internationally in the UK, Budapest and Uzbekiztan. He was Artistic Director of acclaimed Cucaracha Theatre where he directed many of his plays over fourteen seasons, including Homo Sapien Shuffle at The Public Theatre. Caliban's MoM - A Rock Concert Musical won "Outstanding Musical" at FringeNYC and continued with runs at the Actor's Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center and many other venues. He is also known for directing the celebrated Obie and Outer Critics Circle award-winning production of Mac Wellman's Crowbar at the Victory Theater; and for his collaborations with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jules Feiffer; Michael Weller and Will Sheffer (Big Love, HBO) on the Naked Angels stage production and subsequent film version of Easter. www.richardcaliban.com

Jodie Markell (Leni) - received an OBIE award for her performance in Machinal directed by Michael Greif at Joseph Papp's Public Theater. Other New York theater includes: David Marshall Grant's Snakebit; David Lindsay-Abaire's Kimberly Akimbo - Manhattan Theatre Club; Balm in Gilead directed by John Malkovich- Circle Rep; Italian American Reconciliation directed by John Patrick Shanley - Manhattan Theatre Club. Road and Ubu at Lincoln Center. Will Scheffer's Easter and Odet's Clash by Night both directed by Richard Caliban at Naked Angels (company member). She also played Karla Faye Tucker in Steve Earle's KARLA. Regional theater includes: Tom Waits' Frank's Wild Years - Steppenwolf; Street Scene - Williamstown; Scenes From an Execution - Mark Taper Forum; Theresa Rebeck's Spike Heels - NY Stage and Film. Film includes: Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending; Todd Haynes' Safe; Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train and his soon to be released The Dead Don't Die; Barry Levinson's Jimmy Hollywood; Trapped; Queen's Logic; Twelve and Holding; Sweet Land; Joshua and Ira Sach's Keep The Lights On. Television includes: Law and Order; SVU; The Good Wife; and Wendy Hunt in the HBO series Big Love. She also directed the feature film of Tennessee Williams' The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, and Ellen Burstyn. http://jodiemarkell.com/

Taylor Edelle Stuart (Projection Design) - is a New York based video designer + filmmaker. New York credits include: Friendly's Fire (The 14th St. Y), Intrusion (St. Luke's Theatre), Happy Happy Happy Happy (The Tank), Turing Test (NYC Fringe Festival), Medea (Columbia University), Escape Velocity (Navigators Theater Company), Rocks Water Algae Stars (Navigators Theater Company), King Lear (No Holds Bard Theatre Festival), and How I Married Myself... (Columbia University). Regional Credits include: Mumburger (Carnegie Stage). Taylor is also the lead moderator and projection programmer at the TED world theatre, and is currently an intern at New Dramatists, where she has collaborated with resident playwrights on integrating live media into their scripts. Taylor was also a 2018 Sundance New Voices Lab Semi-Finalist. www.tayloredellestuart.com

Katie Girardot [she/her] (Stage Manager) - is excited to be joining the team for Leni's Last Lament. Select credits: Jagged Little Pill (PA, 1st National tour), Hamilton (COVID Supervisor, Touring & Bway productions), Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! (PSM, Off Broadway), Nickel Mines (PSM, ACT of CT). Much love to her circle of support. @ktg45

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