CAST & CREW
Kaitlyn Schirard
Kaitlyn Schirard (Medea) is an NYC based actor, originally from the orange groves of Southern Florida, with a passion for classical theater. She has performed all over NYC, the United States, and internationally, specializing in the works of Shakespeare and other timeless stories. Recent credits include Hedda in Hedda Gabler, the Red Queen in Your Alice (performing both at BAM and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Rosalind in As You Like It, Mary Shelly in Mary’s Little Monster, both Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, and Desdemona in Othello. In addition to her work as an actor, Kaitlyn is an artistic administrator, grant writer, and development specialist. She has helped craft the mission and programs for Thistle Dance, PinkhouseProductions, the Ophelia TheatreGroup, and the Scranton ShakespeareFestival, as well as for individual artists. In addition to her administrative and creative activities, Kaitlyn comes from three generations of Florida farmers and has a passion for growing food and flowers. IG: @kaitlynschirard
Brennan Gallagher
Brennan Gallagher (JASON) [AEA]: A born and bred Massachusetts man, Brennan is an actor, educator, and sometimes poet. He has worked extensively in the classical theatre scene both regionally, most notably at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and in NYC, as well as writing and performing poetry up and down the eastern seaboard. He continues to concentrate on both Shakespeare and new works, the latter of which he focused on for many years in Appalachia. He holds an M.F.A in Acting from Ohio University, and is a member of AEA. Much love to Chelsey, Mom & Dad, Sam, and the cast and crew of Hour of Darkness. This one’s for Luna. IG: @brennan.gallagher
Shanae Christine Harris
Shanae Christine Harris (NURSE): an Afro-Latina from the boogie down South Bronx, is excited to return to the stage in Hour of Darkness alongside an incredible cast. She trained under James Brill at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, is a proud member of Rooted Theater Company, and a member of SAG-AFTRA. Her recent film, The Celebration, is making waves on the festival circuit. Some credits include For Colored Girls, Jitney, Futurology: The Musical, and Last Christmas SNL comedy sketch. Shanae has an affinity for Aerial Arts—a sport she stumbled on at an artist’s function. What began as a fitness hobby soon became an extension of her craft, leading her to train in Pole and Lyra. Prior to acting, she served as an EMT. Caring for people from all walks of life exposed her to the raw beauty of humanity and its resilience, enriching her with a profound drive to continue exploring the transformative and healing power of storytelling. Thank you to my family & close friends for your support. Much appreciation to Sam & Mike. Excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the journey! IG: @n__a__33__
Isa Goldberg
Isa Goldberg (CREON’S WIFE) [AEA, SAG-AFTRA]: is excited to be rediscovering this classic. Recent credits include Lanford Wilson’s Fifth of July (Columbia University, MFA production); Hashtag Infinity and The Time Travelers Club (Theater for the New City); The People vs. Antigone (The Seeing Place); 16 Pounds (WINNER: Monologue Master Class Challenge with Neil LaBute at The 68 Cent Crew Theatre). Films include: The Lady Makers (Jasmine Guy Producer); Donna (Jaret Martino Producer/Director); and You Got Ma’amed (Michael Kelberg, Writer/Director). Notable Television includes: The Crowded Room, Bull, Six Degrees of Murder. New Media: Nurses Station – The Series; One of Too Many. Documentary: Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life. Thank you to the many actors on stages big and small, who over my many years of theater reporting, have made going to the theater such a special thing to do. IG: @isargoldberg
Michael Difrancisco
Michael DiFrancisco (Playwright) is a writer and artist from New York. He studied Theatre Arts at Adelphi University. He proudly served as a founding member and the Artistic Director at Rapidfire Bootleg Theater, a developing theater company which produced more than twenty shows in its four years of operations. As a playwright, his play Hour of Darkness makes its Off-Off Broadway debut in March 2025 at Thespis Theater at The Hellenic Cultural Center NYC. His most recent full-length drama, Winter Mainstage, was presented as part of the Adelphi Alumi Playwright’s Group festival of new works. A lifelong fan of pop culture, Michael’s pop-art style drawings are sold printed on apparel and gifts under his merchandise company, The Compass Rose. Read excerpts of his work at: michaeldifrancisco.com. IG: @michael.difrancisco
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams (Director) [AEA, SAG-AFTRA] is a native of NYC and a longtime resident of Astoria. Recent acting credits include Mozart in Amadeus (Folger Theater), King Henry in Henry V (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), Leopoldstadt (Huntington Theater and Shakespeare Theater Company), Red Velvet (Shakespeare Theater Company), Orlando in As You Like It (directed by Aaron Posner), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Walden, MA), Summer I Disappeared (Cambridge, MA), and Under Milk Wood. NYC Theater credits include Hamlet in Hamlet (Kraine Theater), Joseph Goebbels in Leni & Joseph (New Ohio Theater), Dionysus in The Bacchae (Miller Theater), Lewis Carrol in Your Alice (Ophelia Theater), Summer & Smoke (Theater Row). Film/TV: Time After Time (ABC), Mildred Pierce (HBO), Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games). Directing credits include: Hamlet, Mary’s Little Monster, The Birthday Party, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Chekhov’s The Bear. He trained at the London Dramatic Academy and received an MFA from Academy for Classical Acting in Washington DC. Youtube & Instagram: @TheUnweededGarden. Thank you, to my family.
Playwright’s Note
Why Medea? And why now?
There’s something about this ancient tragedy that refuses to stay in the past. Medea has haunted stages for over two millennia, her grief and rage echoing across generations. She is, at once, a mother, an exile, a woman scorned, and a force of destruction.
In adapting Medea for a modern world, we are not just resurrecting a myth—we are interrogating it. What does it mean to be a mother in crisis? How do we reconcile love and violence, devotion and destruction? What happens when a person is pushed so far to the margins that they no longer recognize themselves? This adaptation considers not only Medea’s betrayal and grief but also her relationship to addiction, mental illness, and the cyclical nature of violence—how trauma does not end but instead transforms, reshaping the people it touches.
This is not a play about revenge. It is about grief. About what it means to be unheard, unseen, unmoored. About the survival instincts that take over when we are backed into a corner. And, most of all, it is about what it costs to be a woman who refuses to break the way her world expects her to.
Michael DiFrancisco, playwright
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Hour of Darkness
Helenic Cultural Center NYC
The HELLENIC CULTURAL CENTER NYC was established in 1985 in its current location, in Astoria New York, through the efforts, dedication, and commitment of members of the Hellenic (Greek) American Community and the spiritual guidance and leadership of Archbishop Iakovos.
The two-level structure consists of the 172 seat THESPIS THEATER, the 60 seat NEWTOWN STAGE, the Nikos Andriotis Reading Rehearsing room, classrooms, and a small library.
The mission of the HELLENIC CULTURAL CENTER NYC is to promote Hellenic (Greek) culture, language and civilization, while supporting the arts in Astoria and New York.
The Center pursues its mission by producing, sponsoring, and hosting a variety of programs and events, often in collaboration with other educational and cultural organizations, including a number within the Greek American and Philhellenic communities.
The HELLENIC CULTURAL CENTER NYC presence and role is crucial to the cultural life of Astoria Queens New York and the Hellenic-American community at the Tri-State Area. It is one of the three institution in the area with a mission to promote Hellenic culture and language and with the infrastructures to carry out that mission. As such, the Center fits seamlessly into New York’s cultural and intellectual environment.
Samuel Adams 