Full theater piece Family Tree is a full-length Christmas Comedy about a slightly dysfunctional family all under the same roof for the holidays. Pull up a chair and join The Pacola Family for this funny, fresh, and modern take on what it’s really like when family is together and home for the holidays.

 

Danielle Trzcinski (Playwright) is an actress, writer, director, and producer. Danielle has written book and lyrics to several shows including New York Times Bestselling author Sheryl Berk’s Dance Divas Nutcracker Ballet (Off Broadway) and Non-Equity The Musical (Top 10 Shows NYC Fringe Festival). Her musical comedy Little Black Dress (for which she co-wrote book, lyrics, and stars in) was on tour 2019-2020 and played over 25 cities in the US and Canada. Danielle’s dark comedy “The Bridge Play” was one of the 6 plays selected to be part of the SummerShortsNYC series along with playwrights Neil LaBute, Nick Payne, and Share White. Last Fall, Danielle was fortunate enough to direct “The Bridge Play” here at Arts Garage for a very special evening focused on World Mental Health. As a performer, Danielle has been all over the world having been a part of 6 different touring shows including Nickelodeon and Spank! The Fifty Shades of Grey Parody – for which she wrote one of the songs “Please Don’t Spank My Butt”. Danielle lived in NYC for 13 years, but was one of the many theatre artists who moved to FL during Covid – and loves it.

 

Carla Zackson Heller (Ruth) is a performer/Director from New York whose recent FL appearances include Fireflies, Vanya and Sonya…, Kindertransport, Can’t Live Without You, The Runner Stumbles, It’s Only a Play, Ballyhoo and Allergist’s Wife. Her many years of stage performances in the NYC metro area include Long Day’s Journey into Night, Secret Garden, Noises Off, Music Man, Enchanted April, The Royal Family, Lend Me A Tenor and Plaza Suite. By day, Carly is Executive Producer at ZMX Creative, a media production and events firm. She is a proud member of the Directors Guild of America and has worked on the production teams of such major feature films as MYSTIC PIZZA and WORKING GIRL. She also directs plays and musicals and sings in 11 languages, including with Brazilian Voices.

 

Jerry Jensen (Leonard) has a long and varied Theatre career and is pleased to join Arts Garage for the first time. Jerry has acted in over 50 plays in 10 states, including Can! Can!, Cabaret, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Much Ado About Nothing, Six Degrees of Separation and the Midwest Premiers of For Reasons That Remain Unclear and Rags. In South Florida, he’s performed in Twelve Angry Men (New Theatre), Footloose and 1776 (Actors’ Playhouse), Doubt (Main Street), Bent (Rising Action), Hair (Kravis Center) and The Zoo Story (4 productions). Backstage, Jerry has directed dozens of productions and was Production Stage Manager for over two dozen productions at several professional theaters. As Executive Director of the Wichita Center for the Arts, he oversaw the Midwest Premiers of Stephen Schwartz’s Rags and Children of Eden and the World Premiere of the eventual Broadway musical, Jane Eyre. He currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of the South Florida Theatre League.

 

Lesley Nebb (Mama) grew up in New York City, where she was fortunate to have great opportunities to learn her craft. After relocating to Washington DC, she created a one-woman show dedicated to children about growing up free to be your best self. Some of her favorite shows include Grease, Godspell, and Guys and Dolls. Lesley recently appeared at the Delray Beach Playhouse in the playwright’s festival of new plays. She is thrilled to be on stage at this amazing venue, Arts Garage.

 

Kelsey Fout (Kathy) is thrilled to join the world premiere cast of “Family Tree” as Kathy. Most recently, she was seen as Mitzvah in the world premiere TYA production of “A Mitzvah for Daisy” at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Kelsey graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2021 with her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre (musical theatre concentration). Some favorite previous roles have included Amy (Little Women), Celeste (Sunday in the Park with George), Dorothy (Wizard of Oz), and Electra (CATS). Along with performing, Kelsey is an accomplished vocalist, as well as a local private voice and dance instructor. She thanks her family and friends for their boundless support, and she feels so blessed to spend her days doing what she loves.

 

Lanea Granitzki (Dana) is thrilled to be making her Florida theatrical debut at Arts Garage! Lanea recently relocated from New Jersey with her family. This past winter, she portrayed Nancy in Oliver! at Brundage Park Playhouse in Randolph, NJ. Other theater credits include Bye, Bye Birdie (Rosie Alvarez), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), South Pacific (Nellie Forbush), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy Gale) and Shrek (Princess Fiona). Lanea is a school psychologist and proud mommy to her 1-year-old son, Leo. She is profoundly thankful for the love and support of her husband, Patrick and her parents. Thank you to the cast and crew of Family Tree for making this Jersey girl feel so welcomed!

 

Allyson Rosenblum (Marney) is thrilled to be making her South Florida debut at Arts Garage in Family Tree! She recently debuted a one woman show, Room to Blum, and hopes to bring it to a stage near you soon! Credits: New York Theater Festival, RWS Entertainment Group. You can take Ally’s treadmill workouts on the iFit app or any iFit paired treadmill. Thank you to Michelle and Danielle for the opportunity, my family for their constant support, and my roommate Jess for being the best reader in prepping for all auditions. It feels good to be home!

 

Loren Swan (Sam) started their acting career in film, appearing in short films and several feature films, from drama to horror. They have always had a passion for storytelling through film, literature, and art. They are extremely grateful to bring their career to the theater for this comedy and helping to bring more LGBTQ stories to life. Representation matters.

 

Alex Bakalarz (Ben) is a native of Bogota, Colombia. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston in 1999 and began a ten-year span of acting professionally on both stage and screen. Some of his favorite stage roles include Ralph Clark in Our Country’s Good at the Stella Adler Theatre in Los Angeles. Joe Pitt in Angels in America at the Majestic Theatre in Boston and Tommy Roberts in the 25th Anniversary National tour of the play Zoot Suit. “I am incredibly grateful to Arts Garage for inviting me to be a part of this great production and I am looking forward to collaborating with them for many more to come. Enjoy the show.”

 

Seating is first come first served…there’s not a bad seat in the house, but please make sure to get here early for the seating options you prefer!