Touch of Grey
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.
Meet the Cast
Ben Franczuszki, Al
Ben Franczuszki is an actor and filmmaker who is happy to return to the stage at A Light In Dark Places. Ben previously worked in Waiting For Lefty at The Lonewolf Theater in Los Angeles. After graduating from La Salle University in Philadelphia, where he also ran division one track and field, he headed to Los Angeles and started working in numerous television and film productions. Most notably The Staircase with Colin Firth, NCIS LA, Doubt, and Suburbicon directed by George Clooney. When he’s not on stage or screen he enjoys traveling and watching the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kathleen O’Grady, Cary
Kathleen is full of gratitude to be working on this A Light in Dark Places project. Most recently, Kathleen produced the LA premier of Steve Silverman’s hilarious new play Happy Birthday McKenna. In pre-pandemic LA, Kathleen was in the apocalyptic Fruition (Lauren Smerkanich -director) at Theatre Of Note. Other LA Theater credits include: Cleo, Theo & Wu (Lisa Dring- director), Year of the Rooster (McKerrin Kelly-director) at Theatre of Note, the interactive Hollywood Premier Party with KLP, and she’s worked at Neo Theater Ensemble, Verbatim Theater and The Ruskin as well as various theaters in New York, Pittsburg, Huston and Chicago.
Film & TV: Most recently the gorgeous short film Abrazo directed by Paola Baldion, the fantastical Fishmonger directed by Neil Ferron and Eulogy written and directed by Nathaniel Moore and Megan Channell. Others credits include: Murder in the First, Law & Order, a recurring role in a web and comic book series as well as a bunch of commercials. SAG-AFTRA, AEA