Creative team
Playwright
Debbie Bolsky is a playwright and screenwriter as well as co-founder of the theatrical collective The Athena Cats. Debbie has written eleven stage plays and screenplays that feature strong and layered roles for women and explores themes of death, baseball, and politics. Her stage play Biking with Andrew Scott enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles in 2008. She was executive producer of The Athena Cats' first production, Blueprint for Paradise, which had a successful run at the Hudson Theatre Mainstage in the summer of 2016.
Bolsky’s past experience and expertise in film is multi-faceted, having worked as Associate Producer on Laurel Wetzork's independent film Rogues (2003), as Executive Producer on Katie Rogers documentary, Carless In L.A. (2016), and as Vice President, Media Advertising at Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment). Bolsky is an active member of the Dramatists Guild, International Centre for Women Playwrights, The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP), New Play Exchange, Film Independent and a contributor and associated with the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI).
Director
Katherine James (MFA from A.C.T.) is an Athena Cats Contributor and is thrilled to be directing Ashes To Ashes. Katherine's favorite thing about The Athena Cats? That they honor and recognize and help her utilize all of her theatre passions: as a playwright, a director and an actor.
Katherine has been in the theatre since her father first put her onstage in one of his shows at the age of five. She currently makes her home in Los Angeles where she is part of the Theatricum Botanicum Company and on The Seedlings (new plays) Committee. She was thrilled to act in one of the many readings leading up to Athena Cats production of Blueprint For Paradise. She loved directing three plays in Athena Cats New Works Festival (2017 Spring) including her own play Muse Me. She played Amanda in last season's much lauded production of The Glass Menagerie at The Sierra Madre Playhouse. Katherine simply loves Athena Cats dedication to female theatre artists, and her list of current and immediate past projects shows just that: recent writing projects for pro-women's and girls theatres include multiple productions of her play, THE PLAN including The GLO Project and Hall Pass. Katherine has been happy directing for GLO as well. Several of her shows have been produced as part of Little Black Dress Ink including this season's finalist Zero-Six-Two-Eight. A proud member of LAFPI, her company, Free Association Theatre, has helped produce L.A.’s Swan Day. www.katherinejamesplays.com
Executive Producer
Laurel Wetzork is co-founder of The Athena Cats, and enjoyed executive producing their first New Works Festival of short plays in the spring of 2017. She's delighted to working with Katherine and Debbie on this madcap comedy. Laurel graduated from USC with both a BA (Cinema Production) and a Master of Professional Writing (stage and screen), and divides her time between stage, screen, and consulting projects,
Laurel’s past experience is multi-faceted: her feature film Rogues screened at four of the top 20 U.S. film festivals; her various film and stage productions include Blueprint for Paradise, 5 SIRENS: Beware of Rocks!, Shadow, A Christmas Prayer, Irish Mists, Irresistible Force, The Forgiven, Levels, and Devil Inside; she’s taught playwriting, film history, screenwriting, and film production; and has had her short fiction published. Laurel supports the LA FPI, and International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP), and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and Association of Writers & Writers Programs. She lives in Southern California with her husband, John, two cats, and enjoys bike touring and visits with talented and beautiful daughter Karina. www.mojewetzorkstudios.com @gem2arts
Producer
Racquel Lehrman is the founder and managing director of Theatre Planners, her own theatre production firm which has been serving the Los Angeles theatre scene for almost ten years. She graduated from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts and lived in NY for many years producing theatre. Theatre Planners has since developed into a very busy and successful outlet for actors, writers, producers and theatre companies. Doing everything from producing, consulting, marketing and more. Racquel loves to make productions a reality and help to keep the theatre scene in LA alive and strong. Racquel is also the owner of the LOUNGE and ZEPHYR THEATRES in Hollywood on Theatre Row. To learn more about Racquel and Theatre Planners, go to www.theatreplanners.com
Assistant Producer
Misha Riley is originally from Northern California and holds a B.A. in Theater from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. While at UCLA Misha specialized in both Theater Studies and Acting, performing in multiple productions including The Revenger’s Tragedy, directed by Lisa Wolpe. He was also chosen to participate in UCLA’s inaugural Professional Theater Practicum class, hosted in tandem with The Geffen Playhouse. Misha is thrilled to be part of the Theatre Planners' team. A huge thank you to my family, Simone, Michael Donovan, and Racquel for the support and laughter. To learn more about Theatre Planners, go to www.theatreplanners.com