Digital Program
Very Berry Dead
Written & Produced by José Pérez IV
Directed by
Taylor W Couch
Sound Designer, Shannon Knapp
Lighting Designer, Madelyn Miessmer
Costume Designer, Taylor W Couch
Board Operator, E Forney
Lighting Designer, Madelyn Miessmer
Costume Designer, Taylor W Couch
Board Operator, E Forney
Major Donors
Ellie Durham-Britton & Matt Britton-Durham
5801 Video Lounge & Café
tazza d'oro coffee bar
Matthew Glisson
5801 Video Lounge & Café
tazza d'oro coffee bar
Matthew Glisson
The Cast, in order of appearance
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SARAH DEASY (Ma) is thrilled to be performing with Big Storm for the first time, working with such a mind numbingly talented group in such a welcoming environment has been a dream. Her previous theatre credits include Gemini Children’s Theatre, The Theatre Factory, The Summer Company, 4D Productions, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Throughline Theatre, and The Pittsburgh Savoyards. When not performing she is a writer, and a professional tarot reader who’s been nominated in City Paper’s best of Pittsburgh 3 years in a row.
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JOSÉ PÉREZ IV (J.J.) is the Artistic Director of Big Storm and the Resident Fight & Intimacy Director of Pittsburgh Public Theater. Recent fight/intimacy credits at Pittsburgh Public (The Coffin Maker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem, Robin Hood), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Dracula: a feminist revenge fantasy, really), Cleveland Play House (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), Vermont Stages (Breakfalls). Recent productions of his plays: Louisville Hivemind Artist Collective (To Battle: a fight play), Kelly Strayhorn Theater (Or Forever Hold Your Peace), Saginaw Valley State University (Very Berry Dead). MFA Performance Pedagogy University of Pittsburgh, BFA Drama NYU. He dedicates this performance to Max, who was in the first play José ever wrote; rest in peace, buddy. JosePerezIV.com | Instagram @jose.perez.iv
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CAROLYN JERZ (Marigold) is a senior Musical Theatre & Dance Choreography double-major at Seton Hill University. Some Pittsburgh credits include Grand Hotel (u/s Flaemmchen*) and (upcoming) Bandstand (Paula) with Front Porch Theatricals, Twelfth Night (Viola), The Outsiders (Cherry), Frankenstein (Safie) with Prime Stage, and five shows (incl. Merchant of Venice & Jane Eyre) with PICT Classic Theatre. Her SHU credits include: Pippin (Leading Player) & Hamlet (Laertes). She’s choreographed The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2022 workshop), and Hello, Dolly! & Pirates of Penzance the Geyer Performing Arts Center. CJ is so grateful to Taylor, José, & the whole cast for making her feel welcomed to the Big Storm family.
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ERNESTO MARIO SÁNCHEZ (Scat) is excited to be working with Big Storm for the first time. Ernesto is a commercial actor/model who only made his stage debut in 2013 playing Glen Gulia in The Wedding Singer. Favorite roles since then include Mike Webster in 12/52 - The Mike Webster Story, Eddie Carbon in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, Andrew Rally in I Hate Hamlet, Adolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and several characters in the ensemble in In the Heights.
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CLAIRE SABATINE (Casey) is a Pittsburgh-based actor, producer and teaching artist. Recent Credits: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley as Lydia/Elizabeth swing (City Theatre), Rapunzel as Rafi and an Executive Producer (The Byham Theater), A Christmas Story’s Assistant Director (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Up & Away as Flow Fogg (The Rose Theater Omaha). Her original sensory theatre co-production called Frolic, created with and for neurodiverse audiences, just wrapped a mini-National tour starting with a world premiere at The Chelsea Factory in NYC. Training: The University of Pittsburgh, Stella Adler Studio of Acting NYC, Pinewood Studios London. Instagram: @claire.sabatine | clairemariesabatine.com
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JULIA KREUTZER (Riley) is a director/actor from Philadelphia. She's made Pittsburgh her home for the past 6 years, holding positions at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, and her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. Select credits: Morning Reckoning (New Hazlett Theatre), Evil Dead: The Musical (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), The Wolves (Pitt Stages), Why We Have a Body (Pitt Stages), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Stage 62). This fall, she’ll begin working towards her MFA in Performance as Public Practice at the University of Texas at Austin. Love to Emma, family and friends, and the Big Storm Team.
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MATT HENDERSON (Sims) is excited to make his debut with Big Storm. Recent credits at Elsewhere Theatre Company (Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches), Prime Stage Theatre (Witness for the Prosecution, The Boxcar Children, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), Quantum Theatre (10 for 21), City Theatre (The Young Playwrights Festival), PICT (The Old Curiosity Shop, Romeo & Juliet, The Lion in Winter), Arcade Comedy Theater (The Thanksgiving Play), and Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Up next, he can be seen in PICT’s production of Andy Warhol’s Tomato in the fall.
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CHRISTOPHER S COLLIER (Character Development) Previously for Big Storm, he appeared as the Ex in the original production of Or Forever Hold Your Peace and Sims in the first reading of Very Berry Dead. Other recent credits include Magee and Cargan in Yellowtree and Frosted Glass Creative’s production of Seven Keys to Baldpate, Pascal/Chorus in Full Circle Theater’s production of Anon(ymous), Andrew Aguecheek in The Gray Mallard Theater Co.’s production of 12th Night, Canewell in Seven Guitars at the University of Pittsburgh Stages, and Bob Crachit in A Christmas Carol at TheatreSquared.
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Production Team
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TAYLOR W COUCH (Director, Costume Designer) is a Pittsburgh-born Teaching Artist, the owner of Comfy Couch Productions, and Co-Founder of Big Storm. Some recent projects include ongoing punk and metal dance aerobics class series "Mosh Moves" at Art in Motion Pittsburgh, the "We Grow" story time series for Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Education & Trying Together, and a 21+ Night "Shibari 101" workshop for Assemble. Her mental health and sustainability focused styling company, Style for Good, is celebrating its 4th summer. MA Drama & Performance Studies Queen's University Belfast, BA Early Childhood Education and Human Development IUP. TaylorCouch.com
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SHANNON KNAPP (Sound Design) is a director, producer, and sound designer in Pittsburgh. Selected sound design credits: Off the WALL Productions (When Jesus Divorced Me, #UglyCry, Mumburger, World Builders); Throughline Theatre (Uncle Vanya, A View from the Bridge, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play, Cloud 9, Julius Caesar, The Judgment at Nuremberg); The Griot Theater Group (Shawshank Redemption); 12 Peers Theatre (Building the Wall); Aftershock Theatre (Orphans); South Park Theatre (Cemetery Club, Butterscotch, War of the Worlds); Ghostlight Theatre (Belfast Girls); folkLAB (Femme). She also recently had the pleasure of directing Himbos by Brian Pope at the New Hazlett Theater. Follow her on Instagram for spicy takes and photos of her cats @knapp_sack
Madelyn Miessmer (Lighting Design) is a freelance lighting designer in Pittsburgh. Recent lighting design credits include: Pittsburgh Playhouse (The Winter's Tale, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Men on Boats). Select assistant lighting design credits: Pittsburgh Playhouse (Sondheim on Sondheim, Curtains) and Prime Stage (The 39 Steps). BFA Theatre Production - Point Park University. Madelynmiessmer.com
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E. FORNEY (Board Operator) They have frequently collaborated with Big Storm in various support roles: Stage Manager (Or Forever Hold Your Peace), Audience Guide (Quest; Portals on Penn), Narrator/Stage Directions (a read through of Very Berry Dead), Tech Operator (Say That to My Face; Dance Show: A Dance Show). Outside of theatre they tuft rugs, run puzzle hunts, and do local activism. You can learn more about them at eforney.weebly.com.
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Individual Donors
Kelly Trumbull, Dara Tiller, Adam Leibowitz & Cassandra Osterman, Olivia Devorah Tucker, Cotter Smith,
Adama Abramson, Sun Marshall, Sarah McCormick, Hazel Carr Leroy, Jenn Mikitka, Marisa Guarino,
Gayle Pazerski McGarril, Tommy Wedge, Katie Littlepage, Timothy Sheridan, Ken Bolden, SJ Porter, Gina Stevensen, Molly Rice, Dan Vaughn
Adama Abramson, Sun Marshall, Sarah McCormick, Hazel Carr Leroy, Jenn Mikitka, Marisa Guarino,
Gayle Pazerski McGarril, Tommy Wedge, Katie Littlepage, Timothy Sheridan, Ken Bolden, SJ Porter, Gina Stevensen, Molly Rice, Dan Vaughn
Special Thanks
Pittsburgh Public Theater and their Resident Artist program, for generosity providing rehearsal space and development support. Kelly Strayhorn Theater's Alloy Studios. Patrick Cannon & Little Lake Theater Company. The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Theatre Arts for producing the second reading of the play, and for incredible logistical support of this production: Hadley Armstrong, Ashley Martin, JC Bardzil, Natalie Mabry.
The world-premiere of Very Berry Dead was produced by Saginaw Valley State University's Department of Theatre in February 2022, directed by José Pérez IV, David Rzeszutek Chair of the Theatre Department.
Content Warnings, none are seen on stage, but are discussed: death, severe mental health struggles, homophobia.
