At Least Slightly
Andrew R. Heinze, Writer
Formerly a Professor of History at the University of San Francisco, Andrew is an award-winning playwright and book author. He left his tenured position in academia in 2006 to become a novelist but instead found himself drawn to playwriting. Andrew’s plays have been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, Austin, Denver, Albuquerque and regionally, receiving honors in over fifty national and international playwriting competitions. Andrew belongs to the Dramatists Guild and PEN (his book Jews and the American Soul was a Publishers Weekly choice for “Best Books of 2004.”) He is also a member of the American Renaissance Theater Company in New York City, where he serves as Dramaturg and Workshop director. Visit him at: andrewheinze.com.
Savanah Joeckel, Director
Savanah was born in Port Jefferson, New York and soon moved across the country to Yakima, Washington where she grew up and spent her childhood. At the age of 16 she moved to Las Vegas and attended the university of Nevada, Las Vegas. Though she had her eyes set on journalism, she found love for film through a filmmaking class she took as an elective and shifted towards the path of storytelling through cinema. Once she graduated, she traveled to Italy to work as a programmer for Finding Vince film festival. She now resides in Los Angeles and focuses on writing and directing. Her recent short she wrote, Deadpan, is now circling the film festival circuit and has won a few awards including best short at Paris film awards. She recently returned from a writing program in Paris and has a growing passion to tell the stories of others who have meaningful experiences to share with the world.
Meet the Cast
Robert Paterno, Jay
Robert is a Teaching Artist and actor originally from Houston, TX, and currently resides on the unceded Tongva/Gabrieleno territory of Los Angeles. He holds an MFA in Acting (Southern Methodist University) and a BS in Marine Biology (Texas A&M University at Galveston). He spent 7 years as a Higher Education professional, specializing in Student Leadership Development and First-Year experiences. He has 20+ years of experience in education as both a classroom science teacher and teaching artist, and has worked with populations of all ages and experiences, particularly highly impacted, underrepresented, intergenerational, and incarcerated youth populations throughout LA County. As an actor, he has worked in TV, commercials, and theater theoughout his 11+ years in Los Angeles, particularly classical theatre and immersive experiences/activations.
Robert is a proud SAG AFTRA member.
Arts accessibility for all. Representation matters
Sam Sheeks, Jenny
Actor and Midwest transplant, received her BFA in Acting from Ball State University. She is excited to finally be back on stage after almost 2yrs away! Her most recent appearances include Gatsby (Hollywood Fringe '21), Aspid in The Same Room (Hollywood Fringe '19), Romeo in Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare on the Deck) and Izzy in Rabbit Hole (2Cents Theatre Co.). She wants to thank her Fiance, Jonas, for his relentless support through it all.