Meet Our (abundantly talented) Team

Kirsten Bleu Kaiser (she/her) is so grateful to be given the opportunity to perform the brilliant THE ART OF PEAKING TOO SOON alongside such a stellar cast and team. Theatre is back and thriving babyyy! Some of her favorite past roles include Hope Caldwell (Urinetown) Sister Mary Robert (Sister Act), and Laura (Significant Other). @kirstenbleu_

Falan Nuhring (they/them) is thrilled to tell this story with such a talented group of players. They just recently completed their BFA in Musical Theatre, and when they’re not performing, you can find them making tapas for folks in Williamsburg. A special thank you to Shelby and Liz for being the power duo of my dreams!

Saman Peyman (she/her) is a California raised actress, studying Theatre Performance and creative writing at Fordham University, Lincoln Center. She made her debut in New York’s off-off Broadway scene by playing Linda in the workshopped production of The Girls by Olivia Spenard, and then #14 The Wolves, produced by Gatehouse theatre at The Flea. Saman is so incredibly inspired by her character Piper, as well as by the powerful and artistic creators who’ve written, directed, and sound designed this outstanding play. 
Love and gratitude to the team and cast! 

Isabel Machado (she/her) is so excited to be performing on stage again for a live audience! Some of her recent credits include the original production, What If We Never Fell Apart which premiered at Dixon Place. You can also see her in the LGBTQA+ Latinx film Akron now streaming on Amazon. A 2020 graduate of Pace University’s Acting for Film, Television, Voice Over, & Commercials program, she is so excited to redefine her high school days with you.

Luc D’Arcy (he/him) started performing when at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he eventually attained a BFA in Acting. He is so excited to be back in the theater after a nearly two year hiatus, and wants to thank his cast and crew for giving him the opportunity to do what he loves again.

Mar'Shon Dalton (he/him) is elated to return to the stage with this poignant production. Currently he is finishing up his senior year at Marymount Manhattan College where he will graduate with a BFA in Musical Theatre in May 2022. Special thanks and attributions to those who have poured into him so that he can stand confidently and securely now in the present.

Jordan Richards (he/him) was born in 1998. He began acting in 1998. He is also a poet and a playwright, and he is incredibly thankful to be working on such an exciting new script with an amazing cast and crew. You can follow Jordan on Instagram at @jordanrichardsactor
By the way... this is Jordan writing this. Hi. Thanks for coming to see the show! :)

Claire David (she/her) is very excited to be a part of The Art of Peaking Too Soon at NY Winterfest. Claire graduated from Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Acting this past Spring. Her recent credits include #00 in The Wolves at Syracuse Stage and Madison in Good Kids at Syracuse Drama. When she isn’t on stage, you can find Claire, in full chef’s garb, making pasta at Bigoi Venezia on the UES. Cooking is not just a job for Claire, but a passion, as well as tearing it up on any dance floor that will have her. She wants to thank her mom, Karen, whose name does not match her generous spirit, and her brother Kyle for coming all the way from Chicago and Alabama to support her. 

Aaron Dix (he/him) is delighted to be making his New York debut.  Recent/Favorite credits include WHAT LOVE IS NOT (Saint Valentine), SPEECH AND DEBATE (Solomon), and EVERYBODY (Death) all with The Boston Conservatory. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Boston Conservatory. Check out his instagram, @AaronDix3. “Always give the people more than they expect. As long as we keep surprising them, they’ll keep coming back.”

Jenna Lucht (she/her) is so excited to be back on stage and able to share in the theatre-going experience with all you beautiful people! She is a graduate of Point Park University with a degree in Acting and training in classical and Shakespearean acting from LAMDA. With additional experience in comedy and improv, she was featured in the sketch comedy series, The Sanket Show. Hope you enjoy this amazing show with an even better creative team and cast! 

Lex Laas (he/him) is so ecstatic to be on stage with this groovy cast! He is an NYC based actor, director, educator and storyteller who loves to share the everyday intricacies of the human experience, all whilst creating theatre that is grounded in activism and cultural change. He follows a simple mantra said best by Julie Taymor: “There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence”. Some of Lex’s onstage favorites include; A MIDSUMMERS NIGHTS DREAM (Puck), Failure A Love Story (John) and HOLES (Stanley Yelnats). In the summer of 2014 he worked closely with the American Consulate in Cairo, Egypt to teach english through theatrical techniques. Incorporating script work and games, he created a program that was used in educating various degrees of native speakers. In addition he has been honored by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival earning an award for his meritorious direction for the Storytelling Ability of A Boy. He’s thankful to be creating art on a daily basis! If you would like to check in with current/future projects, say hello, or send him any form of baked goods; hop on over to lexlaas.com

Shelby Pickelny (she/her) is a NYC-based playwright, producer, director... and full-time senior at Pace University. She presently studies "theater business" and aims to implement sustainable and ethical production models within the industry. Themes in her writing center around self-discovery, social justice, and environmentalism. You may have seen her "Dead Babies" in The Chain Theater's One Act festival this past July/August, or her "Robot Girlfriend" live-streamed from PowerStation NYC this past May. To the TAPTS family - thank you for lending all of your talent and heart to this script - and for breathing more life into it than I ever thought possible. Liz, after 18 long, creative, and inventive months, we finally did it. I freakin' love you! Shoutout to your incessant support and to our many, many cups of coffee.

www.shelbypickelny.com / @shelbspickles

Liz Bealko (she/her) is so excited to be directing this beautiful play. She is a farm girl from Oklahoma and is a director, choreographer, and performer living in Brooklyn. Liz values giving back to the theatre community and in 2017 she started a theatre program in her hometown to create more opportunities for students in the performing arts. In 2018 that program received the R.I.S.E. America Grant through NBC and the Educational Theatre Foundation, and is now the most successful program in the school. You can always find Liz seeing and creating theatre around the city, being surrounded by her phenomenal friends, and drinking way too much coffee. A special thanks to my family for always supporting this girl with a dream. My mom is seeing the show! Hi Mom! Her amazing group of friends that come to every show even if she's a tap dancing polar bear, her boyfriend John who is her biggest cheerleader, and of course her partner in crime Shelby Paige Pickelny. Shelby, thank you for trusting me with this beautiful play, I have enjoyed being on this 18 month journey with you! Love ya my dude! 

Originally from Los Angeles, Regina Averion (she/her) is very excited to be delving back into her theater roots in sound design. Most recent theater credits include spotlight operator for Cyrano (Off-Broadway), sound design for Middle School Play written and directed by Daniel Holzman and Dead Babies written by Shelby Pickelny and directed by Liz Bealko. She also has previous experience in stage management, production management, and technical direction for multiple productions spanning from Heathers, Into the Woods, West Side Story, etc. Regina started to work for Second Stage Theater as part of the production management team prior to the pandemic, but unfortunately couldn't continue on due to COVID-19. Currently, Regina works full-time as an assistant engineer at Power Station NYC (formerly Avatar Recording Studios): home to many cast album recordings, film scores, and TV shows. She would like to thank the team at Power Station for their endless faith in her, her parents Delfin and Gina for their unconditional love and support, and Shelby for all of her trust and belief on and off stage. Enjoy the show! 

www.reginaaverion.com / @regina.averion

lucas a degirolamo (they/he) is a Brooklyn-based production designer, director, and installation artist. He often designs spaces and environments for theater and film, but also frequently works in collage, sculpture, and video. lucas' work takes a specific interest in queer futures, past survival and into liberation. They've worked across NYC in spaces like The Tank, Access Theater, Torn Page, Dixon Place, Playwrights Downtown, and La Plaza Culturale. BFA: NYU / CONT. ED: SVA. www.lucasadeg.com / @lucasdegirolamo. 

Crystal Erb (she/her) is a transfer junior at Pace University studying Arts and Entertainment Management with a Finance minor. She currently interns with STAMP Event Management, assisting in the research, production and execution of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career in arts administration for live entertainment.

Jackie Sisson (she/they/he): Composer

Sterling Uhl (he/him): EP Music Producer

Daniel Santiago (he/him): Show Music Producer