Content Advisory:
This production contains adult material.
For details, call the box office at 518-891-1854
LEAN-TO
a new play by Stephen Sheffer
directed by Jesse Jou
An overprepared hiker and a not-so-prepared couple are forced to share a rustic lean-to shelter in the woods. Bonding over Britney Spears, shared supplies, and the desire to escape city life for a weekend, these strangers experience a rare moment of authentic connection. But as they come together around the warmth of the campfire, a different type of kindling threatens to combust.
Part comedy and part tender drama, LEAN-TO explores the human desire to connect and the shadow of loneliness that lurks within all of us.
Performances at Pendragon:
September 2 - 5, 2025
Performances Off-Broadway:
September 9 - October 10, 2025
★★★★★
"Lean-To is a heartfelt, comical exploration of love, acceptance, connection, standing up for yourself, and so much more"
– Lord Cherry's Review
"A tender woodland comedy [...] warm, funny, unexpectedly poignant"
- Tony Marinelli, Theater Scene
"Pendragon Theatre has gone quite some way toward making this show as believable and entertaining as they possibly can [...] wonderful scenes and exchanges [...] director Jesse Jou and the cast keep the audience engaged, and fortunately for us, they do this extremely well!"
- Moshe Bloxenheim, Talkin' Broadway
"All three performers deftly handle their characters [...] Stephen Sheffer’s script is tight and grounded in the present [...] The direction of Jesse Jou keeps the action moving and appropriately builds the initial tension [...] The crisp ninety five minutes of the show rocket by and in the end we are left heading back into the “real world” changed by the events of the night!"
- Ian McDonald, Theatre Beyond Broadway
"All three actors give solid performances"
- Stan Friedman, Front Row Center
"poignant and funny"
- Jeryl Marcus, SMSM
The Team
Written by Stephen Sheffer
Directed by Jesse Jou
Scenic Design by Connor Gallerani
Costume Design by Krista Grevas
Lighting Design by Elaine Wong
Sound Design by Jennie Gorn
Intimacy Coordination by Sarah Norris
Props Master Peggy Orman
Production Stage Manager Courtney Knysch
Assistant Stage Manager & Wardrobe Supervisor Eli Bettmann
Technical Director Cat Copeland
Assistant Technical Director Molly Delaney
Master Carpenter Ben Watson
Company Manager Bethany Fitch
The Cast
Xavier: John Alejandro Jeffords*
Yvonne: Larisa Oleynik*
Zed: Joshua David Robinson aka JDR*
*Denotes member of Actors Equity Association
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JOHN ALEJANDRO
JEFFORDS
Xavier
John is always the most delighted
when he is a part of creating new works!! Other recent works include The Year That Never Was: A Trash Day Special (book by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson), An Axemas Story (at the iconic Players Theatre), and Discovery (Drama Club Productions). Other recent credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (Riverside Theatre), Waitress (A.C.T. of CT). To Stephen - Thank you for bringing me down this path.
LARISA OLEYNIK
Yvonne
Larisa started her career at age eight
in a San Francisco production of Les Miserables. TV and film include: The Secret World of Alex Mack, The Baby-Sitters Club, 10 Things I Hate About You, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Mad Men, Hawaii 5-0, and currently Erin & Aaron on Netflix. Favorite recent theatre: West Coast premiere of Miss Lily Gets Boned at LA’s Rogue Machine, one woman show I Loved I Lost I Made Spaghetti at the Hangar in Ithaca, POTUS at Santa Fe Playhouse, and off-Broadway musical comedy Who’s your Baghdaddy, a NY Times critics pick.
JOSHUA DAVID
ROBINSON
Zed
JDR is a multi-hyphenate performer,
writer, teacher and creator. As a theatre performer they have worked on Broadway, off Broadway and in regional theatres across the country. JDR works extensively as a voice actor. You’ve definitely heard their voice selling you something, and you probably bought it. You can listen to them anytime as co-host of the When Crit Happens Dungeons and Dragons podcast available on all platforms. They are always working to use the art of storytelling as a means to engage with their community and to learn more about what it means to be alive. @JDRloveU
STEPHEN SHEFFER
Playwright
Stephen is a Canadian-born,
Brooklyn-based writer, performer, and teaching artist. His work has been seen on stages & screens (big & small!) all over North America. Plays for the stage include the freshly-penned S.O.S., Private Property (Out of the Box Theatrics, NYC), the award-winning Back To Mine, and the one-acts The Spark (Mastodon / Barrow Group, NYC) and IRMPOV SHOW. He also writes episodic concepts, including: The Innkeepers, Geri Atrick Mayor (Bell Canada), and Archipelago (with collaborator Meghan Hemingway). As an actor, Stephen has been seen on-stage at Pendragon as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. In NYC, he appeared in Rattlestick's New Country at The Cherry Lane, and sang the iconic 'Ballad of Mack The Knife' in Marvell Rep’s Drama Desk-nominated The Threepenny Opera. "The play's the thing!" More at stephensheffer.com.
CONNOR GALLERANI
Scenic Designer
Connor is a scenic designer,
carpenter, and technical director based in queens. An alum of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Connor currently works as a full time Technical Director at Trevor Day School. Pendragon: Twelfth Night, Treasure Island, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Little Mermaid Jr. This is their third summer with Pendragon and they are thrilled to be back designing shows with these lovely people! In their free time Connor enjoys hiking, photography, and long walks on the beach.
ELAINE WONG
Lighting Designer
Elaine is a Toronto-based freelance lighting designer. She received her MFA in Stage Lighting Design from Rutgers University. Previous designs with NLTP include: Room 1214, War Words, The American Tradition, & Everything is Super Great. Other designs: Resolve Productions NY, Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, Mile Square Theatre, The Flea, Snapped Productions, American Theater Group, The Princeton Festival, Access Theatre, Preface Theatre, and others. www.elainewong-lx.weebly.com
PEGGY ORMAN
Props Master
Peggy joined the ranks of Pendragon actors in 2003, adding stage managing to her resume with 2011's production of The Mousetrap, and has continued in either or both capacities to the present day. She began combining her BA in Studio Art with her passion for theatre while stage managing The Seagull in 2015, a show which needed a taxidermied seagull among other specialty props. She has since designed and fabricated unusual props for several Pendragon productions as well as Adirondack Stage Rats and Community Theatre Players (CTP). She has been incredibly excited to design/produce props for Pendragon’s whole '24 and '25 Summer Seasons and is thrilled to be asked back for 2026!
COURTNEY KNYSCH
Stage Manager
Courtney is thrilled to be back at Pendragon Theatre working alongside this remarkable company of artists for another season of storytelling magic. Her work has spanned regional theatres, Off-Broadway, and international stages, but Pendragon remains one of her favorite artistic homes. She can’t wait to welcome you to the space for what promises to be an unforgettable summer
CAT COPELAND
Technical Director
Cat is a multi-faceted, Brooklyn based theater maker. She graduated from the University of Montevallo with a BFA in Theatre. They have worked at Pendragon Theatre for four years as the Technical Director. Some of their favorite shows at Pendragon are Twelfth Night ; Spelling Bee and Tracks.
JESSE JOU
Director
Jesse is a director of new and
contemporary plays and musicals. Favorite projects include Bruise &Thorn by C. Julian Jiménez (world premiere, New York Times’ Critic’s Pick); I Wanna F*ck Like Romeo & Juliet by Andrew Rincón (world premiere, New Light Theater Project); Cebollas by Leonard Madrid; and The Betrothed by Dipika Guha (Boston Globe Critic’s Pick). He is an alumnus of the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Drama League’s Directors Project, the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, and the Civilians' R&D Group. He received his MFA in directing from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.
KRISTA GREVAS
Costume Designer
Krista is a theatre creative currently
based in New York City. Past design credits include “Hamlet” with The Acting Company “This is Government” with Pendragon Theater and NewLight Theatre Company and associate design for “Rent” with Nikki Moody at Bucks County Playhouse. Other recent credits include Wardrobe Supervisor for The Acting Company’s 2026 National Tour. Dresser for NAATCO’s recent production of “Henry IV” at The Public Theater. She holds her BA and MFA in Theatre
JENNIE GORN
Sound Designer
Jennie is a New York based sound designer/engineer Pendragon Credits include: This is Government. Other credits include: This Is Not a Time of Peace, Room 1214, Night Sings Its Songs (New Light Theater Project), Titanique (Daryl Roth), A Bright New Boise (Signature), and Camp Siegfried (2nd Stage).
SARAH NORRIS
Intimacy Coordinator
Sarah is an award-winning director
and the Artistic Producer of Pendragon. She is beyond honored to direct the inaugural production of our new downtown home. For Pendragon: This is Government, The Mousetrap, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, H*tler’s Tasters, Circle Mirror Transformation, The Rocky Horror Show, Friends With Amenities, and Tracks. SarahNorris.org
ELI BETTMANN
ASM/Wardrobe Supervisor
Eli is an actor, costume and makeup artist. They are a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase, earning a BA in Theatre and Performance. Recent production credits include: Twelfth Night, The Little Mermaid Jr. (Wardrobe Supervisor), The Haunting of Campbell House (Costume Designer), Angels in America Part I (Makeup Designer).
MOLLY DELANEY
Assistant Technical Director
Molly is excited to return to Pendragon. Pendragon: Twelfth Night, This Is Government, The Mousetrap. Molly studied theatre design and technology at Keene State College, focusing on stage management with productions such as The Last 5 Years, A Year with Frog and Toad, Happy Days, and As You Like It. After graduating they worked as Venue Stage Manager in Knoxville, TN at the Knoxville Civic Audition, then later started their touring technician journey with projects including Sesame Street and Cocomelon Sing-a-Long Live as Head Carpenter/Assistant Production Manager and Cirque Dreams Holidaze as Head Props. They thank Pendragon for welcoming them back.
BEN WATSON
Master Carpenter