Thank to our Community Partners!

Girls Lead Now: The Kentucky Chapter, is a local branch of a larger non-profit organization impacting women across the globe. We aim to facilitate female futures in leadership through direct impact on Louisville's youth, and mitigate the gap between young women capable of leadership, and those who have the confidence to do so. We believe a future generation of change makers begins with youth empowerment. Particularly within Kentucky, male dominated industries prevail endlessly. We exist to challenge that rhetoric, give Kentucky's women the opportunities they’ve consistently been denied across history, and learn from women making an impact in our community.

three witches shakespeare explores the classical theatrical cannon with innovation, irreverence, and fun, while empowering historically excluded artists and audiences⁠—particularly the queer community⁠—to find themselves explicitly represented in traditional plays.

Witchy Women is Cory Lockhart, Anna Joy Nieto, and Mandy Olivam. Cory Lockhart, founder of Hart Communication, LLC and Co-Executive Director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center, is a teacher, artist, speaker, and guide of sacred conversations. Her over 30 years of experience teaching, as well as her practices as a Reiki master, intuitive artist, and peacemaker, informed the creation of Cards for Remembering, her oracle deck for cultivating self-connection, self-compassion, and self-care. Mandy Olivam serves her community as a companion in traversing life's thresholds with greater presence, meaning, and trust. She is a writer, retreat facilitator, and co-creator of spaces that cultivate coherent frequency for collective liberation. Anna Joy Nieto is The Louisville Astrologer: your local chart reader, artist, alchemist and the host of a private spiritual bathhouse in the Highlands. Her work is rooted in humanism, earthly and planetary cycles, inner growth through cosmic guidance, and a drive toward cultural change.

Friends of Lilith includes Keith McGill, Stacy Hopkins, and Mandi Hutchins Johnson.

LSURJ is a volunteer-led effort to organize white people for racial justice. All are welcome at LSURJ events and activities, and there is a lane for everyone. Please be aware that our work and events are tailored to call white people into this movement work. Some activities are in-person and others are virtual. We have committees working on equity in schools, police accountability, alternatives to incarceration, accountability with judges, civil defense, and ceasefire in Palestine.

GirlSpeak is LFL's collaborative playwriting program that empowers girls and youth of marginalized genders to explore their voices, share their stories, and express the issues and themes that matter to them. Guided by LFL Teaching Artists, participants use the same collaborative playwriting techniques employed in creating LFL’s professional productions. Through a supportive, noncompetitive, and fun environment, participants build confidence, develop creativity, and experience the power of having their voices heard, culminating in a presentation that celebrates their stories and creative work.

ENSEMBLE, PRODUCTION & DESIGN TEAM
(in alphabetical order)

Shannon Woolley Allison (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Director | Producer

Despite stints working, performing, and teaching in Chicago, Denver, and New York City, Shannon is Louisville, KY born and bred! She attended YPAS, earned a BFA at SMU, and a Master’s at NYU. In 2001, Shannon co-founded LFL, and serves as Co-Artistic Director to this day. Recent performances include Grey in Erin Fitzgerald’s BAGGAGE CLAIM, Dr. Anna Lawrence in FROM BARDSTOWN TO BROADWAY: THE ROAD TO VOTES FOR WOMEN/THE SUFFRAGE DRIVING & WALKING TOUR, and Jules in Allie Fireel’s NOTE. Recent directing credits include LFL’s original DEFINING INFINITY with Ebony Jordan, Diana Grisanti’s THE PATRON SAINT OF LOSING SLEEP, Erin Fitzgerald’s GOOD GRIEF and Clarity Hagan’s THE MOTH AND THE MASKED MAN. She is proud to be a roster artist for the KY Arts Council, a board member of the Arts and Cultural Alliance, and a member of Alternate ROOTS, The Network of Ensemble Theatres, The Alliance for Theatre in Education, and The Louisville Theatre Community.

Tiera Bowman (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Team

Tiera has been with LFL since she was in high school and officially became a company member after she graduated from NKU, where she received a Bachelor’s of Theatre Arts in 2017. Not only is she a company member, but she is also a teaching artist, actor, deviser and more. She's been involved in CHOICES, MAC’S WORLD, KENTUCKY SUFFRAGE PROJECT, COMMON THREADS, THE GREEN BOOK WINE CLUB TRAIN TRIP Staged Reading, LIFECYCLE OF A BLACKBERRY, THE ANCESTORS PROJECT and BLOOD TO DRINK Staged Reading. You also may have seen her at Locust Grove, interpreting the lives of the enslaved that lived there in the past. She has also worked with LFL's Marketing and Communications Team.

Dawn Campbell (she/her)

Community Member Coordinator | Devising Team

Dawn holds an MA in Theatre Studies (Fontbonne University, MO) and a BS in Theatre Performance (University of Evansville, IN). A Kentucky native who recently moved back home from Las Vegas, she is an arts educator and side-gig Choreographer/Director/Movement Coach. She is a returning LFL Company Member and has enjoyed picking up her work again with this incredible ensemble. Favorite show credits (onstage and off) include: INTO THE WOODS; URINETOWN! THE MUSICAL; THE YELLOW BOAT; FABRIC, FLAMES AND FERVOR: GIRLS OF THE TRIANGLE; BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; THE TEMPEST; BECOMING MOTHERS; and PETER PAN. Thank you to her loving, supportive family – especially the little MnMs that fill her heart (and drive her crazy) every day.

Sara G.B. Canary (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Team

As a founding member, Sara has served both behind the scenes and on stage with LFL since 2002, after graduating from YPAS. Her favorite projects include: Updating the MAC’S WORLD script - As a mom of two, educating kids on how to stay safe online was personal. Portraying May Stone in CROSSING MOUNTAINS as part of UNHEARD/OUTLOUD, LFL’s 15th Anniversary Festival, was a full-circle moment as it was the first show she worked on with LFL back in 2002! Her first filming and editing experience was a short piece she wrote, called CLEANING CLOSETS AND FINDING MYSELF as part of COMMON THREADS: INTERWOVEN PORTRAITS OF A PANDEMIC. Sara brought THE ANCESTORS PROJECT to life by telling the stories collected from various local communities in BECAUSE YOU WERE, I AM!. Her directing debut last summer for BOOK WOMEN was surprisingly fulfilling! Last season, Sara portrayed the emotionally diverse role of Sarah Good in BLOOD TO DRINK.

Trina Fischer (she/they)

Ensemble | Devising Team

Trina, a YPAS alum, received her B.S. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and then spent a year in Chile on a Fulbright. She has performed at ATL, Manhattan Theatre Source, CenterStage NY, and with Bridgework Theatre, Necessary Theatre, Blue Apple Players, StageOne Children’s Theatre, Pandora Productions, and CUNY’s Creative Arts Team in NYC. As an LFL Co-Founder, she served as Co-Artistic Director up until she moved to Chile in 2020. Favorite performances include: MARISOL (New World Players), THE LARAMIE PROJECT (Pandora Productions), AND BABY MAKES 7 (Necessary Theatre), with LFL - WHAT MY HANDS HAVE TOUCHED, FABRIC, FLAMES AND FERVOR, BODY AWARENESS, ALICE IN BLACK AND WHITE, LEGACY OF LIGHT, THE PATRON SAINT OF LOSING SLEEP. She was Co-Research Director and Co-Devising Director for PREVAILING WINDS and DEFINING INFINITY. She is a member of Alternate ROOTS and a certified Alba Method Master Teacher. Trina is thrilled to be on stage again for the first time in 7 years!

Erin Fitzgerald (she/her)

Live Music & Sound Designer

Erin , a.k.a. A Girl Named Earl, is a multi-directional artist and community arts enthusiast. Erin has contributed music, sound design, and/or live sound for productions with Blue Apple Outreach, Looking for Lilith Theatre Company, Pandora Productions, and Highview Arts Center. She currently splits her time between Louisville and Lexington and is grateful to be involved in the creative communities of both towns.

Jill Marie Guelda (she/her)

Scenic Designer

Jill celebrates 20 years with Looking for Lilith, a creative home that has shaped much of her artistic journey. Over the years, she has contributed to the company both onstage and behind the scenes as an actor, designer and artist. She currently serves as Looking for Lilith’s Creative Communications Coordinator. Beyond the theatre, Jill Marie is the artist and illustrator behind MoonJilly Magic, where she creates custom watercolor and digital illustrations inspired by stories, memories and everyday magic. Her work across theatre, visual art and storytelling is rooted in creating meaningful connections between people, place and story. Designing the world of Finding Lilith feels especially meaningful as she celebrates two decades with the company and helps bring this next chapter of Looking for Lilith’s story to the stage. @MoonJillyMagic

Clarity Hagan (she/they)

Community Member Coordinator | Devising Team

Clarity is a theatre artist from Louisville, Kentucky. They are particularly interested in storytelling which lifts up under-heard voices and invites engagement, not only in its content, but also in the creative ways in which that work is produced and presented. Their play THE MOTH AND THE MASKED MAN was produced at The MeX Theater at the Kentucky Center in November 2022, and their play JUST CAUSE was produced by Looking for Lilith in March 2025. Clare is also a co-founder of three witches shakespeare, a company focused on queer, feminist classical theater. Clarity has also served as a company member and Programs Manager with Looking for Lilith, and as a teaching artist with Actors Theatre of Louisville, and in various roles with Clear Creek Creative. She currently works as a Manager of Community Investment & Support at The Fund for the Arts.

Ebony Jordan (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Team

Ebony is a Louisville-based actor, director, and teaching artist. Ebony has collaborated with numerous organizations including StageOne Theatre, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, FaithWorks Performing Arts, and Looking for Lilith Theatre Company—where she serves as both ensemble member and board member. Select performances include ensemble roles in JUST CAUSE and BECAUSE OF YOU, WE ARE! (both with LFL), Lady in Red in FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF (FaithWorks), Lady Capulet in ROMEO AND JULIET (Kentucky Shakespeare), and Ida B. Wells in LAWBREAKERS (StageOne). Directing credits include “Route 3” of BOOK WOMEN, co-directing DEFINING WOMEN with Shannon Woolley Allison, and co-directing LIFECYCLE OF A BLACKBERRY with Keith McGill. Beyond performance, she facilitates arts-based learning for young people and emerging theatre-makers, designing experiences that emphasize voice, embodiment, self-expression, and the power of narrative.

Izzy Keel (they/them)

Ensemble | Devising Team

Izzy is a neurodivergent nonbinary artist and performer born and raised in Louisville. They have worked on many projects with Looking for Lilith, including DEFINING INFINITY, JUST LIKE US, and COMMON THREADS. They have also been involved with other local theatre companies, such as Pandora Productions and three witches shakespeare. They have been excited to develop their movement skills in this piece, and honored to help sustain the continued journey of Lilith as the company celebrates its 25th anniversary. Izzy believes that local performance and the arts in general bring something special and lasting to the community, and hopes to continue their involvement with the arts scene, especially with projects that touch on the deep personal and political struggles faced by members of marginalized communities.

Jennifer Thalman Kepler (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Director

LFL Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director, Jennifer is an actor, director, devising director and teaching artist for LFL and has participated in various ways in most LFL productions and programs. Performances include: COMMON THREADS; CAREFULLY TAUGHT; PREVAILING WINDS; LUZ; ALICE IN BLACK AND WHITE; 10 YEARS, 7 STORIES; BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; FABRIC, FLAMES AND FERVOR; CLASS OF ’70; WHAT MY HANDS HAVE TOUCHED and CROSSING MOUNTAINS. Jennifer has served as the devising director for several LFL projects including: WHAT MY HANDS HAVE TOUCHED, BECOMING MOTHERS, WE ARE HERE, THE KENTUCKY SUFFRAGE PROJECT: FROM BARDSTOWN TO BROADWAY and CHOICES. Jennifer also creates curriculum and teaches in LFL After-School Drama and YOUTHSPEAK/GIRLSPEAK programs, as well as heading up the Faith Stories Project in Guatemala.

Kirsten Kruska (she/her)

Props Designer

This is Kirsten’s first time as part of the production team with Looking for Lilith, serving as props designer for FINDING LILITH. Her history with many of the company’s artists dates back to 1989, when they attended Louisville’s Youth Performing Arts School together. Kirsten joined Looking for Lilith as a teaching artist in 2021 and has since taught drama at schools and educational enrichment programs throughout Jefferson County. She studied theatre at YPAS, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She is thrilled to be joining the production team for FINDING LILITH and especially happy to be creating theatre again alongside artists she has known for over three decades.

Kelly McNerney (she/her)

Director

Kelly is currently a Looking for Lilith company member and the director of FINDING LILITH. Kelly began as one of the first administrators for Looking for Lilith, serving as Development Director for donations and fundraising. She directed WOMEN’S. SPEAK: IRAQ Women Speak: Iraq, starring Shannon Woolley Allison. Her favorite roles as an actor were in LFL’s WHAT MY HANDS HAVE TOUCHED: US WOMEN IN WORLD WAR II, and BECOMING MOTHERS. Kelly is honored and excited to be directing FINDING LILITH and would like to thank Shannon, Jen, Trina and Emily, the entire cast, crew, designers, devisers, and company members for this amazing opportunity to direct a powerful show that celebrates Lilith’s 25th anniversary and uplifts all the Liliths of the past, present, and future. She’d also like to thank her family—her son Riley, daughter Zoe, and especially her husband, Matt—for all their love and support.

Typh Hainer Merwarth (she/her)

Costume Designer

Typh has worked with Looking for Lilith Theatre Company for the past 25 years. Previous productions include: WHAT MY HANDS HAVE TOUCHED; CLASS OF 70; CROSSING MOUNTAINS; THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA; LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK; SIDEWINDERS; GETTING OUT; THE PATRON SAINT OF LOSING SLEEP; GOOD GRIEF; and FINDING LILITH. She is a founding company member of Looking for Lilith, active 2001-2017. Beyond designing for LFL, she has worked over the years designing shows including THE MOUTH AND THE MASK MAN, the inaugural production of THE GRAHAM CRACKER for Ambo Dance Company, and THE NUTCRACKER ON ICE for Louisville Figure Skating. She is a visual arts teacher currently working with Louisville Visual Art Association, teaching Children’s Fine Arts Classes, and Drama with Looking for Lilith Theatre.

Jessica Sharpenstein (she/her)

Foley Artist

Jessica is a multidisciplinary performer, teaching artist, and pianist. She creates art that combines theatre, music, movement, and arts-driven social change in partnership with groups like Actors Theatre of Louisville, Fund for the Arts, and Looking for Lilith Theatre Company. Her work connects feminist cultural practice, pedagogy, and performance across disciplines. Outside the theatre, she facilitates trauma-informed breathwork and body-based practices.

Karole Spangler (she/her)

Community Member Coordinator | Devising Team

Though Karole has acted in, directed, or stage-managed a lifetime of shows in lots of places, she’s always mindful of her great good fortune in working with almost every theatre company in Louisville over the years - nowhere moreso, or with more love and gratitude, than with LFL, where she’s a proud company member! Louisville audiences have seen her most recently as Rosemary in HOLIDAY, Tammy in DOMESTICATE, Sister Aloysius in DOUBT, Rose Adele in SIRENS, Margaret in THE INHERITANCE, and La Poncia in THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA. She prizes her MFA from the University of Wisconsin and every student she’s ever had the privilege of teaching. Thank you for your support of hometown theatres and artists - we know we’re all in this together, working to make a positive difference in our world.

Holly Stone (she/they)

Projections Designer | Graphic Designer | Photographer & Videographer

Holly is the Creative Communications Director of LFL and has been a company member since 2012. Favorite LFL credits include THE ANCESTORS PROJECT (Documentarian & Projections Designer), DEFINING INFINITY (Projections Designer) THE KENTUCKY SUFFRAGE PROJECT (Research Co-Director/Videographer & Editor), GOOD GRIEF (Videographer & Editor), JUST LIKE US (Scenic Designer), THE PATRON SAINT OF LOSING SLEEP (Projections Designer), LEGACY OF LIGHT (Set & Props Co-Designer) and PREVAILING WINDS (Projections Designer/Research Co-Director). Holly spent 15 seasons with Kentucky Shakespeare and has been working in and around the Louisville theatre community for over 30 years as an administrator, scenic artist & designer, projections designer, house manager, stage manager, production manager and actor. Holly studied Visual Art and Theatre at Youth Performing Arts School/duPont Manual, Louisville Visual Art Association, and Wright State University’s Theatre Design and Technology Program.

Emily Vicars (she/her)

Stage Manager

Emily graduated in 2020 (boo) with a BFA in Stage Management from Northern Kentucky University (woo!), and over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of nonprofits and schools, including Cincinnati Ballet, This Bridge Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Sacred Heart School for the Arts, and Lexington Children's Theatre. Outside of her stage management work, she has also found a home in healthcare, working as an Administrative Coordinator for Everent Health, and Mental Health Louisville. She is passionate about singing, teaching/guiding meditation, taking care of her doggo (Nina), and volunteering with the Kentucky Humane Society.

Jane Embry Watts (she/her)

Choreographer

After graduating from WKU in Theatre and Dance, she moved to New Orleans and choreographed for the National WW2 museum. Upon returning to KY, she taught for the Louisville Ballet, gave ballroom dance lessons and choreographed for different groups. JE has been performing for LFL for 9 years and has been a Company Member for 4. After performing with Lilith in shows such as AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, SIDEWINDERS, WE. ARE. HERE. and GOOD GRIEF, she is thrilled to be a part of FINDING LILITH and to have found her Theatre family. She would like to thank her entire family and boyfriend for their unwavering support.

Jane Embry Watts (she/her)Tyler Warner (she/they)

Lighting Designer

Tyler is a Louisville-based lighting designer, stagehand, and casual cloud enjoyer. Tyler’s work spans dance, plays, musicals, concerts, and live events, as well as architectural lighting installations. This is Tyler's third show working with Looking for Lilith, and it’s a pleasure to be in collaboration with such a signature group of Louisville performing artisans. Member of IATSE Local #17, Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas, Berea College Alumnus.

Morgan M. Younge (she/her)

Ensemble | Devising Team

Morgan is an LFL company member and an active member of the Louisville theatre community. Her craft includes costume designing, acting, writing, directing and teaching artistry. After committing to becoming a full time teaching artist, she has taught with several local companies including StageOne Family Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, LFL, Redline Performing Arts and Drama by George. Recently, Morgan was awarded a grant from the Fund for the Arts to produce a summer camp of her original script Hip Hop Herc (October 2023). In addition to her Teaching Artistry, Morgan's acting credits include: Aunt Franny in DON’T TELL ME I CAN’T FLY (StageOne); Truvy in STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Faith Works Studios) A Sista in SAY HER NAME: BREONNA TAYLOR (Berea College); Maybelle in BEFORE IT HITS HOME (The Griot Project); June in GOOD GRIEF (LFL), and her dynamic powerful one-woman show LIFECYCLE OF A BLACKBERRY, created with Looking for Lilith and based on the writing of Crystal E. Wilkinson. Morgan is grateful to be able to share her gifts with a group of such dynamic people. morganMYounge.com