A Light in Dark Places: 2023 Program

Blake Lewis, Writer

After coming on board as a director for the inaugural year of A Light in Dark Places, Blake knew that he would love to continue to be able to help Kelly and the organization in whatever ways he could. Since then, he has written a couple different plays for the events, as well as serving on the board and play selection committee. He believes that the topic of suicide has been shrouded in secrecy and shame for far too long.

Blake also produced, wrote and acted in the recently released film Dylan and Zoey.

Ken Weiler, Director

Ken Weiler earned his M.F.A. in Theater Arts from Mason Gross School of The Arts, Rutgers University under the guidance of William Esper and Maggie Flanigan. He works professionally as a director and teacher at The Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio in North Hollywood and is ever so grateful to work with his friends at ALIDP, and to have the chance to lend his voice to this impactful evening of theater.

John Zimmerman, Writer

John has retired from two careers – newspaper writer and special education teacher. Now he writes plays that have been produced around the country. His comedy, A Piece of Work on Retirement Day, was a winner in the From the Heart play contest presented by the Imagine Performing Arts theater in Connersville, Indiana. Other plays by John are the dramas The War That Ignored Its Women, By the Time They Got Back to Woodstock and Artie Diaz Jackson Discovers America. John is also an actor who has performed in professional theaters in Chicago and its suburbs. John lives in Carol Stream, IL, a Chicago suburb. John is grateful to A Light in Dark Places for including Touch of Grey as one of its Plays for Hope.

Alicia Herder, Director

Alicia Herder (she/her) is thrilled to be involved with ALIDP as the Director of Touch of Grey. Her theatrical directorial credits include 4.48 Psychosis, The Spurt of Blood, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Rowing To America, and a devised movement piece entitled Bones. Her short film credits include Diego on my Mind (streaming on Amazon) and Good Girl. She received her M.F.A. in Film Directing from UCLA. Alicia would like to thank Kelly O’Malley, Ale Fips, and Sam Sheeks for their tireless support and dedication; Touch of Grey actors Kathleen O’Grady and Ben Franczuszki for their open fearlessness; and to all the pets at home cheering us on.

Aly Kantor, Writer

Aly Kantor is a playwright, performer, and teaching artist from Long Island, New York. Her award-winning, internationally-produced work is pleasantly quirky, femme-focused, often queer, and full of speculation and subversion. She is a Creative Associate with EastLine Theatre, where her new adaptation of The Great Gatsby, These Gilded Souls, premiered in Westbury, NY, in December. Aly’s other full-length work has been developed across the country with organizations including Vivid Stage, Theatre Off-Kilter, Playhouse on Park, Music Theatre of Connecticut, The Bechdel Group, Mirrorbox Theatre, and New Normal Rep.

This year, Aly is developing two new full-length plays with EastLine Theatre: blowhole (a nautical, radical, turn-of-the-century adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata) and The Care and Feeding of Restless Spirits (an original drama about a ladies' supernatural club set in 1920s New York). Additionally, Aly is actively developing and workshopping her full-length play Murdering Medea, which addresses feminine monstrosity in Post-Roe Ohio. Upcoming workshops will be at Kent State Trumbull and The Tank NYC in collaboration with The Bechdel Group.vTo learn more about Aly’s work, visit www.alykantor.com, or find her on NPX.

Scott Golden, Director

Scott Golden is a writer/director/actor based in Los Angeles. His recent acting credits include Dinner with Friends and Life x 3 (Coachella Valley Rep), Masao and the Bronze Nightingale and Favorite Cousins (Casa0101), Rio Hondo (Theatre of NOTE) and as Matt in Mr. Burns; a post-electric play (Sacred Fools) in which he was nominated for an Ovation Award. Directing and producing credits include Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk, Easy Targets (Burglars of Hamm), Di Lady Di (Porters of Hellsgate) and Too Heavy for Your Pocket for Sacred Fools Theater Company in Los Angeles where he is a former Artistic Director. Scott studied theatre at Florida State University.

Anne Valentino, Writer

A queer playwright residing in the DC area, Anne often writes about that intersection where the LGBTQ+ community collides with a mindset that tragically interprets different as somehow “deviant.” Receiving a PhD in Literature from Temple University, Anne has made writing the center of her professional life for the past twenty years. She’s had plays presented across the US, in Baltimore, Fort Worth, Philly, Florida, DC, New York, and New Jersey, among others. She lives with her fiancée and their 2 highly untrainable pups, Tiberius and Athena—Goddess of Wisdom. anne-valentino.com

Eugenio Villamar, Director

Eugenio is a Mexican Screenwriter, Director, and Producer. He holds a Master in Fine Arts in Screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater Film & Television and was distinguished as a 2010 Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Fellow and a 2011 Sloan Foundation Screenwriting Award Winner.

Ken Preuss, Writer

Ken Preuss is a Florida-based writer and performer who became a teacher to guarantee an audience 5 days a week. Although his published one-acts and assorted short plays have been produced in festivals and schools in Australia, Canada, China, England, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand, and all 50 States, Ken can be found rooted near Orlando with his wife, sons, and assorted pets.

Sam Sheeks, Director

Sam (she/her)  is so excited to be involved with ALIDP for her second year in a row as the Associate Producer and Director of A Benevolent Alliance of Mourners! She most recently managed the immersive tiki bar experience, The Acey Deucey Club, in downtown Los Angeles. Some of most recent Los Angeles stage credits include ALIDP: At Least Slightly (Jenny), HFF: Gatsby (Assistant), Rabbit Hole (Izzy), Romeo & Juliet (Romeo), HFF: The Same Room (Aspid) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute). She would most like to thank her fiancé, Jonas, for his consistent unconditional love and support.