Carissa Chesanek
Carissa Chesanek has worked as a journalist for many years, writing for publications that include BroadwayWorld, Show-Score, All About Solo, The Rumpus, Miami Herald, and Forbes Travel Guide. She is a current MFA Creative Writing (fiction) student at The New School and a volunteer writing mentor for PEN America's prison writing program. She's dabbled in improv and acting, and currently on the hunt to place the first play she wrote.
BWW Interview: David Wenzel Talks HAMLET/HORATIO
BWW Interview: Liminal Archive's Producing Directors Talk Inspiration and More
BWW Interview: Sim Yan Ying 'YY' Chats About WHO'S THERE? Debuting at This Year's Ice Factory Festival in NYC
Interview: Alex Hare Discusses A BURNING CHURCH
BWW Feature: Open Air Opera: Street Dances Dazzles the Upper West Side
BWW Review: The World Premiere of Byzantine Choral Project s ICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM Hits New YorkBWW Interview: Liminal Archive's Producing Directors Talk Inspiration and More
July 23, 2021
The debut of Liminal Archive was presented at the New Ohio Theatre in part of the 28th annual Obie Award-winning Ice Factory Festival. The immersive theatrical production highlights the ongoing pandemic various performing artists from all over the globe providing intense glimpses of isolation during quarantine.
BWW Interview: David Wenzel Talks HAMLET/HORATIO
June 30, 2021
The new film, Hamlet/Horatio, held its first public screening at New York City’s Chain Theatre last weekend. We spoke with Hamlet/Horatio's producer, David Wenzel about the film’s creation, storyline, and the power of creative collaboration.
BWW Feature: Open Air Opera: Street Dances Dazzles the Upper West Side
May 20, 2021
On Sunday, May 16th, the furloughed artists of the Met Opera came together for an outdoor performance on the Upper West Side called Open Air Opera: Street Dances.
BWW Review: The World Premiere of Byzantine Choral Project s ICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM Hits New York
May 10, 2021
The current pandemic has put live shows on hold in New York City for the past year, but in-person events are easing their way back. Case it point: Byzantine ChoralProject'sICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM at the West Village's New Ohio Theatre. Part art installation (designed by Afsoon Pajoufar), part lyrical chant (lyrics by Helen Banner; music by GraceOberhofer), this immersive new work captures tragedy and strong will at its best.
BWW Interview with Molière in the Park's Lucie Tiberghien
October 26, 2020
Molière in the Park’s Director Talks About New Play and More
BWW Interview: Alex Hare Discusses His Upcoming Musical: A BURNING CHURCH
August 10, 2020
We sat down with Alex Hare, the co-director & co-book writer of A Burning Church that runs from August 13 -15, to chat about the show, rehearsing during a pandemic, and how todaya??s social movements can relate to the church.
BWW Interview: Sim Yan Ying 'YY' Chats About WHO'S THERE? Debuting at This Year's Ice Factory Festival in NYC
August 3, 2020
Who's There? is a new play co-directed by Sim Yan Ying a?oeYYa?? (I Love White Men and Without Reason) and hitting the virtual stage during New Ohio Theatre's Ice Factory Festival this year. It is a story that relates to today targeting racism and inequality, the pandemic and the power of Zoom.
BWW Interview: Nancy Hower Talks the Virtual Premiere of Standing On My Head
June 9, 2020
Nancy Hower is jack of all trades: actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is known for creating television comedies, including '10 Items or Less' on TBS and 'Let It Ride,' for Comedy Central, and no stranger to the online realm with web series like 'Jailbait' for Sony's Crackle Channel.
A Sign of the Times Hits Theater 511
March 10, 2020
Internalized grief is explored in the new production by Stephen Lloyd Helper, A Sign of the Times. The one-man play stares Hamilton actor Javier Muñoz as a nameless traffic controller who is nothing as he seems.
BWW Review: SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE at NYC's Theatre at St. Clement's
March 3, 2020
Remember the movie that shamed you for liking merlot? Well, Sideways is back but now you can get shamed from the stage. The Off-Broadway performance, Sideways The Experience, recently opened in New York City at Theatre at St. Clement's.
BWW Review: CHASING THE RIVER Opens at Chain Theatre
February 14, 2020
The off-broadway play Chasing The River recently opened at the Chain Theatre in New York City, bringing with it a robust mix of emotions.
The Color Purple at Fox Theater
February 7, 2020
The Color Purple kicked off Foxwood's Broadway Series last night, which ended with a standing ovation.
17 MINUTES Premieres at TBG Mainstage Theatre
January 20, 2020
Seventeen minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but in the play by Scott Organ it's a lifetime sentence.
BWW Review: CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL A PLAY WITH MUSIC Delights at the Al Hirschfeld Mansion/Museum
December 22, 2019
Over the weekend (and just in time for Christmas), the two-man production featuring actor Jeffries Thaiss and musician Eric Scott Anthony conducted an engaging and unique Dickens experience to get the crowd in the holiday spirit. The show was called CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL A PLAY WITH MUSIC, and it was an absolute delight.
BWW Review: MONSOON SEASON Hits Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
November 19, 2019
Monsoon Season recently opened at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York City, making the audience laugh-out-loud during this wild romantic thriller.
THE WAKE OF DICK JOHNSON Comes To The East Village
November 1, 2019
If you're craving a disturbing play this Halloween season (because who isn't?), The Wake of Dick Johnson will surely do.
BWW Review: WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU Debuts at The Sheen Center
October 17, 2019
The Off-Broadway play When It Happens to You recently debuted at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in New York City, and was awarded with a standing ovation for good reason.
BWW Review: BYOB Act & Sip In New York City
September 30, 2019
If you've ever wanted to try acting but have been too shy, the Russell Acting Studio's Act & Sip class is the way to do it. This 90-minute class gets you reciting lines without any pressure.
BWW Review: Jermaine Dupri & Queen Latifah at Mohegan Sun
July 17, 2019
Over the weekend, Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, brought in two talented artists, Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah, in its multifaceted casino and resort.
BWW Review: BURIED at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre
July 12, 2019
BURIED, written by Cordelia O'Driscoll and Tom Williams, is a dark comedy musical about two serials who find love while on a potentially lethal blind date.
July 23, 2021
The debut of Liminal Archive was presented at the New Ohio Theatre in part of the 28th annual Obie Award-winning Ice Factory Festival. The immersive theatrical production highlights the ongoing pandemic various performing artists from all over the globe providing intense glimpses of isolation during quarantine.
BWW Interview: David Wenzel Talks HAMLET/HORATIO
June 30, 2021
The new film, Hamlet/Horatio, held its first public screening at New York City’s Chain Theatre last weekend. We spoke with Hamlet/Horatio's producer, David Wenzel about the film’s creation, storyline, and the power of creative collaboration.
BWW Feature: Open Air Opera: Street Dances Dazzles the Upper West Side
May 20, 2021
On Sunday, May 16th, the furloughed artists of the Met Opera came together for an outdoor performance on the Upper West Side called Open Air Opera: Street Dances.
BWW Review: The World Premiere of Byzantine Choral Project s ICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM Hits New York
May 10, 2021
The current pandemic has put live shows on hold in New York City for the past year, but in-person events are easing their way back. Case it point: Byzantine ChoralProject'sICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM at the West Village's New Ohio Theatre. Part art installation (designed by Afsoon Pajoufar), part lyrical chant (lyrics by Helen Banner; music by GraceOberhofer), this immersive new work captures tragedy and strong will at its best.
BWW Interview with Molière in the Park's Lucie Tiberghien
October 26, 2020
Molière in the Park’s Director Talks About New Play and More
BWW Interview: Alex Hare Discusses His Upcoming Musical: A BURNING CHURCH
August 10, 2020
We sat down with Alex Hare, the co-director & co-book writer of A Burning Church that runs from August 13 -15, to chat about the show, rehearsing during a pandemic, and how todaya??s social movements can relate to the church.
BWW Interview: Sim Yan Ying 'YY' Chats About WHO'S THERE? Debuting at This Year's Ice Factory Festival in NYC
August 3, 2020
Who's There? is a new play co-directed by Sim Yan Ying a?oeYYa?? (I Love White Men and Without Reason) and hitting the virtual stage during New Ohio Theatre's Ice Factory Festival this year. It is a story that relates to today targeting racism and inequality, the pandemic and the power of Zoom.
BWW Interview: Nancy Hower Talks the Virtual Premiere of Standing On My Head
June 9, 2020
Nancy Hower is jack of all trades: actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is known for creating television comedies, including '10 Items or Less' on TBS and 'Let It Ride,' for Comedy Central, and no stranger to the online realm with web series like 'Jailbait' for Sony's Crackle Channel.
A Sign of the Times Hits Theater 511
March 10, 2020
Internalized grief is explored in the new production by Stephen Lloyd Helper, A Sign of the Times. The one-man play stares Hamilton actor Javier Muñoz as a nameless traffic controller who is nothing as he seems.
BWW Review: SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE at NYC's Theatre at St. Clement's
March 3, 2020
Remember the movie that shamed you for liking merlot? Well, Sideways is back but now you can get shamed from the stage. The Off-Broadway performance, Sideways The Experience, recently opened in New York City at Theatre at St. Clement's.
BWW Review: CHASING THE RIVER Opens at Chain Theatre
February 14, 2020
The off-broadway play Chasing The River recently opened at the Chain Theatre in New York City, bringing with it a robust mix of emotions.
The Color Purple at Fox Theater
February 7, 2020
The Color Purple kicked off Foxwood's Broadway Series last night, which ended with a standing ovation.
17 MINUTES Premieres at TBG Mainstage Theatre
January 20, 2020
Seventeen minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but in the play by Scott Organ it's a lifetime sentence.
BWW Review: CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL A PLAY WITH MUSIC Delights at the Al Hirschfeld Mansion/Museum
December 22, 2019
Over the weekend (and just in time for Christmas), the two-man production featuring actor Jeffries Thaiss and musician Eric Scott Anthony conducted an engaging and unique Dickens experience to get the crowd in the holiday spirit. The show was called CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL A PLAY WITH MUSIC, and it was an absolute delight.
BWW Review: MONSOON SEASON Hits Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
November 19, 2019
Monsoon Season recently opened at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York City, making the audience laugh-out-loud during this wild romantic thriller.
THE WAKE OF DICK JOHNSON Comes To The East Village
November 1, 2019
If you're craving a disturbing play this Halloween season (because who isn't?), The Wake of Dick Johnson will surely do.
BWW Review: WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU Debuts at The Sheen Center
October 17, 2019
The Off-Broadway play When It Happens to You recently debuted at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in New York City, and was awarded with a standing ovation for good reason.
BWW Review: BYOB Act & Sip In New York City
September 30, 2019
If you've ever wanted to try acting but have been too shy, the Russell Acting Studio's Act & Sip class is the way to do it. This 90-minute class gets you reciting lines without any pressure.
BWW Review: Jermaine Dupri & Queen Latifah at Mohegan Sun
July 17, 2019
Over the weekend, Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, brought in two talented artists, Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah, in its multifaceted casino and resort.
BWW Review: BURIED at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre
July 12, 2019
BURIED, written by Cordelia O'Driscoll and Tom Williams, is a dark comedy musical about two serials who find love while on a potentially lethal blind date.
