2020 Virtual Fall Repertory

Lisa Stephen Friday is a Singer, Musician, and Actor currently living in Alexandria, VA.

Her most notable work is with the New York City rock band Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday. From 2000-2006, the band was a featured act at NYC’s most notorious rock club, CBGB’s, and was the headlining act at the monthly queer party Homocorp. Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday was also one of the few queer bands at the time being featured at Pride events around the country, where they shared the stage with bands such as The Psychedelic Furs, The Motels, and Pat Benatar.

Prior to her years with Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday, Lisa worked as an actor and singer in NYC, performing in numerous regional productions in theaters such as Goodspeed Opera House, Alabama Shakespeare Company, and The Ordway Theater. In 1999, Lisa toured the country in the national touring company of The Buddy Holly Story.

A New York based actor/musician, Fred is honored to be making his D.C. directing debut with The Keegan Theatre.

As an actor, Fred has performed the role of “Timon” in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway for the last ten years. Other New York theatre credits include: The Normal Heart (The Public Theatre), Bury the Dead (Transport Group), Room Service (Soho Playhouse), Shockheaded Peter (Little Shubert), The Vocal Lords (Theatre at St. Clements). National tours: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Buddy Holly Story (where he played Cricket Jerry Allison alongside Lisa’s Joe Mauldin. Fred got all the laughs) Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, O’Neill Theater, Geva Theatre, Huntington Theatre, New Repertory, Cleveland Play House. Film: Putzel, The Judge, Twelve Thirty, A Very Special Episode, Goin’ Down, Redirecting Eddie. TV: “High Maintenance,” “Forever,” “Smash,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Daily Pops,” “All My Children.”

Fred is an award-winning narrator of over 250 audio books and the co-host of the movie podcast, Opening Weekend (OpeningWeekendPodcast.com). For six years, Fred played drums with the NYC rock band, Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday (under the moniker “Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Sanchez”) and played every club in the city, as well as many venues and Pride festivals across the country. He is thrilled to be reunited with his good friend, Lisa, in helping to tell her story. Fred lives in New York with his ever-patient wife, Kate, and two amazing kids, Ben and Izzy, and he highly recommends the first three Cheap Trick albums. IG: @TheFredBerman

A science teacher turned teaching artist, poet turned parodist, and marathon runner turned motivational speaker, Drew Anderson is founder and co-host of Spit Dat (the longest-running open mic in DC) and co-creator of the critically-acclaimed stage production From Gumbo to Mumbo. Recipient of the prestigious DC Arts and Humanities Fellowship, Drew has recently merged his decade-plus of artistic acumen and educational expertise to develop Spoof School and C.R.U.N.K. Academy, two dynamic arts education integration programs which teach students of all ages how to make learning fun by “making fun” of their learning. Equal parts teaching artist and performing artist, Drew is on a mission to share his love of drama, comedy, poetry, parody, and hip hop with all who are within his reach.

As an artist, Dwayne Lawson-Brown aims to bring people into his life, to share experiences, and create a greater understanding of humanity as a result. Whether rapping about the changing face of Southeast DC, the joy of raising his son, or the ache Black communities feel every time another name becomes a hashtag, his work stands as an ambassador’s journal opened to the world.

In addition to writing and sharing his poetry, he’s worked to create safer spaces for youth and young adults to share and create art. Through his advocacy work with Metro TeenAIDS (now recognized as RealTalkDC) he created Floetic Fridays at Freestyle, a monthly youth-led open mic, now running for 15 years.

Dwayne is one of the hosts of DC’s longest running open mic series, Spit Dat DC, the venue host captain for Busboys and Poets 450K, and the recipient of several honors, including the 2019 Mary Bowman Award for Service Through Artistry from the International Conference on HIV Stigma, the 2013 Emerging Artist Award from Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., the 2012 Emerging Leader Award from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and the 2007 Presidential Community Service Award.

Ultimately, all of the art Dwayne is connected to is in hopes of making the world safer for his son. Through his actions as an HIV educator, in facilitating safer spaces for artists to be artists, and finding personal healing through poetry, he works to inform the attitudes of his son and inspire him to create works, celebrate wins and failures, and be an accepting kid in a demanding world.

A graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Hampton University, and —  recently — Full Sail University’s MFA program, Duane is extremely excited to be returning to this amazing, Helen Hayes-nominated show. Duane has worked with Keegan Theatre in many capacites, as a Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA teaching artist, a performer (Hands on a Hardbody on the mainstage and The Reluctant Dragon with Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA), and director (From Gumbo to Mumbo).

Outside of Keegan, Duane was recently a part of Brave Spirits Theatre’s Histories project, playing various Shakespearean roles as part of the cast. Duane is currently hard at work on his very first original musical, which he can’t wait to share soon.