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You are currently browsing through the 2016 news archive. Click here for the latest news. DECEMBER 2016 • Allie reprised her role of Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III, in The Subject. Written by Carolyn Kras, the play had a staged reading at The Blank Theatre in Hollywood. • She Has Seen the Wolf had a staged reading at Samuel French Bookshop in Hollywood as part of an afternoon of new feminist works presented by Working Title and the Women's Center for Creative Work. In this powerful story about street harassment and assault, a modern-day Red Riding Hood asserts herself after receiving unwanted attention from a wolf. She Has Seen the Wolf was written and directed by Allie Costa. The reading featured Allie Costa as Scarlett, Chris Bunyi as Jasper, and Tahmus Rounds as Officer Graff. She Has Seen the Wolf is available for production and licensing and was published in the Best of PlayGround Los Angeles 2016 anthology. • Principal photography for Smile: A Musical wrapped in December. Allie plays an enthusiastic dancer from the eighties in the film, which was written and directed by Sarah Phillips. • Allie participated in a reading of Big Noise, a new musical about New Orleans musicians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. • Allie's comedy Après-Ski was selected for ARTS New Works 2016 and had a staged reading in West Virginia featuring Becky McClelland as Sadie and Dr. Amy Carlson as Vista. • Don't Shoot the Messenger Pigeon, Prodigal Daughter, and Little Swan, a Pas de Deux were all selected for the final shortlist for Everyday Inferno Theatre Company. • Private Citizen, Allie's new politically-charged play, was named an NYCPlaywrights semi-finalist. NOVEMBER 2016 • Allie booked and filmed an episode of a streaming comedy series. She plays Luna, a cult member whose desire to follow the rules overrides her sense of self-preservation. The episode will air in 2017. • Two Girls was produced in Ireland by The Rabbit's Riot Theatre Company and the first-ever Our Generation festival. The Irish production featured Treasa Nealon and Kimberly Tanoh, directed by Sonia Norris, written by Allie Costa. • Allie danced her heart out in the film Smile: A Musical. Principal photography began in November. • Allie played Jill in The Lullaby, a dark take on nursery rhymes, produced by photographer Nilangana Banerjee. • Allie performed two new pieces, Wonder Women and Power Pose, at the WOMAN monologue event at Samuel French in Hollywood. • Quality Assurance was produced by Obsidian Theater in Texas as part of Five Minute Mile. In this fast and funny story, a telemarketer doesn't seem to know what he's doing. Quality Assurance was written by Allie Costa, directed by Renata Smith and Christine Weems, and featured Sam Denomy as Cory and Elizabeth Grant as Ida. Five Minute Mile was brought to you by Cone Man Running Productions. • Boxes Are Magic, written by Allie Costa, was selected for the PlayGround-LA Planet Earth Arts New Play Festival and had a staged reading at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood. The reading was directed by Paris McCarthy and featured Maiya Reaves as Yasmine and Maria Hojas as Cali. The story revolves around an unstoppable force, an immovable object, and a woman searching for the best course of action. • Allie played Cecilia in the film Academy of Eden, set at a boarding school for troubled teens. • Allie's workplace comedy Personal Space had a reading at Kraine Theater in New York with Lama Theater Company. OCTOBER 2016 • Allie played Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in a special one-night-only performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, produced by Play Club West in Hollywood. • Allie performed in CATbaret, a celebrity musical/variety show fundraiser for Kitty Bungalow, a feral cat rescue and socialization facility. CATbaret was held at The Avalon in Hollywood. • Allie performed with Alien vs. Musical at a special screening of Aliens held by Frights Feast Film. • Allie portrayed Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III, in The Subject, written by Carolyn Kras, staged at Samuel French in Hollywood. • Labyrinthine, written and directed by Allie Costa, had a staged reading at Drama West in Los Angeles. A hopeful hero meets a meek Minotaur in a legendary labyrinth. Featuring Laura Michl as Theseia and Allie Costa as Minnie. • Unfinished Business and Safe Distance were selected for The Fear Festival, held at Roebuck Theater in New York City. Both pieces were written by Allie Costa and directed by Alice Camarota. Safe Distance featured Nick Luis and Stéphanie Rupe, alternating with Jonathan J. Sharp and Megan Clark. Unfinished Business featured Elena Grosso and Ursula Tinoco, alternating with Sanjana Iyer and Ariana Santana. • Two of Allie's original pieces were selected for Samuel French's Monologue-a-Looza. Esther Mira performed Glitter and Smoke; Susan Louise O'Connor performed Suzy's Summer. The event was held in Hollywood. • Quality Assurance, written by Allie Costa, directed by Mary Brophy, was performed at LCB Dinner Theater and other Florida venues. SEPTEMBER 2016 • A Moment of Silence had its world premiere production at Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood as part of A Light in Dark Places: A Collection of Plays for Hope. All proceeds from the festival went to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dedicated to the memory of Leelah Alcorn, A Moment of Silence was written by Allie Costa, directed by Rick Peters, and featured Malin Sandberg and Carolyn Crotty. • How I Knew Her had its Midwest premiere at Eden Prairie Players in Minnesota. Written by Allie Costa, directed by Liz Michaelson, the production featured Lauren Schulke as Kylie and Chad Giefer as Cole, two strangers who cross paths in a graveyard and discover they are mourning the same person. • In the Heist, a comedy written by Allie Costa, toured LCB Dinner Theater and other Florida venues under the direction of Mary Brophy. This script was originally developed at PlayGround-LA. AUGUST 2016 • Allie appeared at ScareLA alongside other cast members of Alien vs. Musical. • Two Girls was selected for Summer Playwrights Festival 7 and had a staged reading at The Road Theatre in Los Angeles. In this haunting and poetic duologue, two women emerge from a violent attack. Written by Allie Costa, directed by Chelsey Maus, featuring Amber Marie Bollinger and Erica Mathlin. Read Allie's interview with The Road. • Two, a special adaption of Two Girls, was selected for Herstory and performed at TheatreN16 in London. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Nastazja Somers, this production featured Emily Sitch and Joshua Webb. • She Has Seen the Wolf, written by Allie Costa, was also selected for Herstory and performed at TheatreN16. In this powerful piece, a modern-day Red Riding Hood asserts herself after receiving unwanted attention from a wolf. The London production was directed by Nastazja Somers and featured Lauren McGarvey as Scarlett, Elliott Rogers as Jasper, and Declan Cooke as Officer Graff. • Allie was invited to join the Red Cup Theatre Company. She looks forward to the season ahead. JULY 2016 • Alien vs. Musical was extended! Allie reprised her critically-acclaimed role as Annie in this hilarious show that pits musical theatre characters you know and love against the terrifying creatures from the Alien film franchise. The show had a sold-out run at the Sacred Fools Theater in Hollywood in June and was then extended through July. Learn more. • In You Me & Her, Anna (Shannon Woodward from Westworld) meets 30 alternate versions of herself and realizes they're all cooler than she is. Allie plays the teen version of Anna; Tina Majorino (Veronica Mars) plays Anna's roommate. You can see two different versions of Allie-as-Anna in the movie trailer. Written and directed by Sarah Doyle, this sci-fi comedy has screened at many prestigious film festivals around the globe, most recently at Bluestocking Film Series in Maine. • Allie booked and shot a film about friendship and hope. More details to come. • Allie wrapped pick-up shots for Second Service. Set in 1966, the entire movie was filmed on a popular tennis court in L.A. • Three of Allie's plays were selected for Samuel French Bookshop's first-ever Summer Shorts Series and had staged readings in Hollywood: • Faking Glory was produced at Queeroism, a festival held at Collaboraction in Chicago. Written by Allie Costa, Faking Glory features Carlos, a high school senior who has been nominated for Homecoming Queen as a prank, but he's determined to go to the dance anyway. Meanwhile, his best friend Marija is going through an identity crisis of her own. The Chicago production featured Claire Bauman and Jerico Bleu, directed by Georgette Verdin, with Matthew Nerber as assistant director. The festival was curated by Bex Ehrmann and Nikki R. Veit. • Failure to Communicate, a comedy written by Allie Costa, toured LCB Dinner Theater and other Florida venues under the direction of Mary Brophy. • Safe Distance made the shortlist for the Blue Elephant Theatre Playwriting Competition. This spooky story is set on the London Underground. JUNE 2016 • Allie reprised her critically-acclaimed role as Annie in Alien vs. Musical. This award-winning show answers the question: What happens when the world of musical theatre meets the most terrifying and destructive alien in all cinema history? The show had a sold-out run at the Sacred Fools Theater with the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June and was extended through July. Learn more. • Allie performed at MUSI-CAL at Rockwell Table & Stage with the cast of Alien vs. Musical. • Allie played a young Alice B. Sheldon (acclaimed science fiction writer, research psychologist, and member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the CIA, among other things) in a developmental reading of The Woman Who Went to Outer Space as a Man by Maureen Huskey. • Two Girls had a staged reading at Samuel French in Hollywood, featuring Shannon Martinous and Allie Costa. Allie also wrote and directed the piece. The reading was part of an afternoon of new feminist works presented by Working Title and the Women's Center for Creative Work. • Don't Shoot the Messenger Pigeon was produced at Three Penny Theatre in Sacramento for Resurrection Theatre's Save Our Shorts festival. Don't Shoot the Messenger Pigeon is a dark comedy about what it takes to be a true professional. Written by Allie Costa, directed by Aerin Morneau, featuring Mallory Brodeur as Brooke and Justin Kortuem as the Messenger. • Tofurkey Day was selected for Pop-Up Theater, held in Virginia by Panglossian Productions. Tofurkey Day has also been staged in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, the UK, and Florida, where it was named Best of the Fest, Audience Choice. This multi-generational comedy is always in season. • Nebulous Fix, a comedy written by Allie Costa, directed by Mary Brophy, was performed at LCB Dinner Theater and other Florida venues. • Pit Stop and Amelia, Still were selected for Gi60 2016 and performed at the New Workshop Theatre in Brooklyn. The world premiere of Pit Stop featured Ally Callaghan as Jinn and Jay Nickerson as Carver. Amelia, Still featured an ensemble of voices, with Alexandra Slater portraying Amelia. • Two more of Allie's short pieces, Sleepwalker and Back There, were selected for the Gi60 #NextGen festival, also held in Brooklyn. • Allie participated in a reading of The Civil War Remembered, playing a young woman who enlisted as a drummer boy. MAY 2016 • Allie wrapped principal photography on the film Second Service. She plays a girl on a prestigious tennis team with no tolerance for bad players. • She Has Seen the Wolf, written by Allie Costa, was one of six plays named Best of PlayGround-LA. The selected plays were published in the Best of PlayGround Los Angeles 2016 anthology and had staged readings at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood. The reading was directed by Jennifer Chang and featured Christina Wren as Scarlett, Clayton B. Hodges as Jasper, and Richard Ruyle as Officer Graff. The premise: A modern-day Red Riding Hood asserts herself after receiving unwanted attention from a wolf. • You Me & Her was screened at 107 Projects in Redfern, Australia. In the film, Anna (played by Shannon Woodward) meets 30 alternate versions of herself and realizes they're all cooler than she is. Allie plays the teen version of Anna. Watch the trailer. • Femme Noir, written and directed by Allie Costa, was produced by Urban Theatre Movement in Los Angeles. Inspired by classic noir stories such as Double Indemnity, Femme Noir follows a female P.I. hired by a notorious playboy to solve a murder in 1944. The production featured Meghan Lewis, Spencer Weitzel, Evelyn Lorena, Cassie Carpenter, and Isabella Eisenpresser. • Allie played Barbara in a reading of The Devil You Know, a new musical adaptation of the film Angel on My Shoulder. • She Was Never Lost was produced at the Rover Dramawerks 365 Women a Year Festival in Plano, Texas. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Kevin Westbrook, this short one-woman piece featured Emory Lambert as Alice Liddell, who inspired Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The festival included 15 different plays about extraordinary women in past and present history. • Checkpoint, a comedy written by Allie Costa and directed by Mary Brophy, was performed at LCB Dinner Theater and other venues in Florida. APRIL 2016 • Allie played Lucinda in Into the Woods, produced by The Confidential Musical Theatre Project. For one night only, a group of fearless professional actors gathered at the Colony Theatre to perform Sondheim's famous fairy tale musical live on stage without ever having rehearsed together - and it was amazing. Learn more about the project. • The Potion of Wisdom had its first screening in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Connor Jacob, the film stars Allie Costa, Alec Gaylord, and April Lang. Set in 19th-century France, the story follows Rose (Allie) and Jean-Paul (Alec) as they learn to be careful what they wish for, lest it come true. • Raise Your Hand, a new dramatic play by Allie Costa, had its premiere production at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood. Starring Roxanna Kaye and Brett Colbeth, directed by Miranda Stewart, produced by 2Cents Theatre Group at INK Fest 2016. • A Moment of Silence, written by Allie Costa, inspired by the life of Leelah Alcorn, had a staged reading at 13th Street Rep in New York as a selection for In Her Name, a festival produced by NOplays. The reading was directed by Abigail Barr and featured Bear Spiegel, Erika Amato, and Kaitlyn Fouts. • Little Swan, a Pas de Deux was staged at Silk Road Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut for HERSTORY, a festival produced by NOplays. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Brooks Appelbaum, the play featured Elisa Albert as Anna Pavlova and Stella Baker as Madame. Read Allie's interview with NOplays. Little Swan was published in Best of PlayGround Los Angeles and is available for licensing and production. • Allie's comedies Breaking Cover, Reliving History, and Looking Foreclosure had staged readings at Meta Theatre in Hollywood, directed by Collette Rutherford, produced by Infinite Jest Theatre Company. The cast included Ben Campbell, Julianne Dowler, Gail Friedland, Charlie Howell, Courtney Locks, Maria Mastroyanis, Doug Mattingly, and Hollister Starrett. • Labyrinthine, Allie's comedic take on the Minotaur myth, was selected for Variations: Spring and had a workshop in San Diego. • Allie was quoted in The Interval, citing the impact of female playwrights and how much she enjoyed playing Sam in Carey Crim's play Wake. MARCH 2016 • Allie booked a role in The Confidential Musical Theatre Project! She can't tell you much, but she can tell you this much: it's a musical you know and love; the musical is cast in advance with professional actors, but there are no group rehearsals; and the audience shows up not knowing what musical it is. Learn more about the project. The show will be held Sunday, April 3rd at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. • The Potion of Wisdom (formerly titled Qualia) is now in post-production and will be screened in April. • Allie performed "There is No Tomorrow" from Alien vs. Musical at A Little New Music at Rockwell Table & Stage. Allie will be reprising her role as Annie when Alien vs. Musical is remounted in Hollywood this June. • She Has Seen the Wolf was selected for PlayGround-LA and had a staged reading at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood. This modern-day take on Little Red Riding Hood tackles the subjects of street harassment and assault. She Has Seen the Wolf was written by Allie Costa, directed by Jim Kleinmann, and featured Lyndsy Kail as Scarlett, Clayton B. Hodges as Jasper, and Tahmus Rounds as Officer Graff. • Allie performed in the New Voices Project. • Allie played energetic, enthusiastic Zoe in a reading of Hannah Doty's new screenplay, Surviving Life. • Breaking Cover had its world premiere at the Urban Waves Open Hydrant Play Festival at The Point Theater in the Bronx. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Cassandra Giovine, this spring break comedy about spies, lies, and alibis featured Shannon Uphold, Monica Ammerman, Pablo Sandstrom, and Ryan Glynn. • Two Girls was selected for the first-ever Reproductive Freedom Festival, held March 20th in New York. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Stacey Linnartz, Two Girls featured MacKenzie Meehan and Julia Kelly and was part of the Next Generations segment. The festival was livestreamed for an international audience. • 35MM: A Musical Exhibition had a six-week run at The Complex in Hollywood. It was the first Los Angeles professional production of this innovative musical, which is based on the photographs of Matthew Murphy with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver. The cast: Jeff Scot Carey, Cody Clark, Emily Clark, Nate Parker, Vincent Perez, Dana Shaw, and Katherine Washington. The directors: Lucas Alifano, Meghan Allison, Amy Bartlett, Jeff Scot Carey, Emily Clark, John Ross Clark, Kate Purnell, and Allie Costa. • Drop in the Ocean was selected for the Bellarmine International 10-Minute Play Festival and had its world premiere in Kentucky. Written by Allie Costa, this play is dedicated to the conservation of marine protected areas, also called "hope spots." The production was directed by John Rooney. • She Was Never Lost had its world premiere at Monster Box Theatre's 365 Women Festival in Michigan. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Michelle E. Alford, She Was Never Lost is a short one-woman play about the life of Alice Liddell, who inspired Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. • Allie's play California Here We Come was named an Out on a Limb finalist. • Allie's play A Taste of the Future was named a Lakeshore Players Theatre semi-finalist. • Quality Assurance, written by Allie Costa, directed by Mary Brophy, was performed at LCB Dinner Theater and other Florida venues. • Tofurkey Day was performed at Bread & Roses Theatre in London. Written by Allie Costa, directed by Antonella Cossu. FEBRUARY 2016 • Allie booked a lead role in Qualia, a film set in 19th-century France. Principal photography began in February. • Allie booked the role of the narrator in the video game Aether Twins and had a wonderful time saying her spooky lines in the recording studio. • Allie performed her original piece Coffee and Cocoa at Samuel French's Monologue-a-Looza. Julia Cho performed Allie's piece For Valentina. • Two Girls was staged at the Keble Arts Festival in Oxford. Written by Allie Costa, directed by Milla Jackson, this production featured Phoebe Ladenburg and Naomi Peters as two women who emerge from a violent attack. • Tofurkey Day was selected for the Fantastic.Z New Works Festival and produced at Eclectic Theater in Seattle. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Kate Arnold-Huisentruit, the production featured Jessica Severance as Moira, Sarah Winsor as Angie, Mary E. Brown as Sandy, Kevin Harland as Duke, and Katya Davida Landau as Lucinda. • How I Knew Her was selected for the Kicking & Swearing one-act festival and presented in Rahway, New Jersey. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Alicia Cordero, How I Knew Her captures the meeting of two strangers whose paths cross in a graveyard. They soon discover they are mourning the same person - for very different reasons. • Allie's forward-thinking play A Taste of the Future was selected for Variations: Winter and had a workshop in San Diego. • The Intervention Will Be Televised, a funny look at the effects of binge-watching TV shows, had a sold-out run at Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Bryan Rasmussen, this was the world premiere of the play, which previously had readings at Play Club West and Drama West. JANUARY 2016 • Femme Noir was produced at Old Library Theatre in New Jersey. Inspired by classic noir stories such as Double Indemnity, the play follows a female private investigator hired by a notorious playboy to solve a murder in 1944. Written by Allie Costa and directed by Toni Braun, the cast included Debra Carozza-Lynch, Geoffrey Waumans, Judy Wilson, Elizabeth Marsh, and Brittany Bur. • How Soon is Now? was selected for The Morrissey Plays, produced by San Francisco Theater Pub at the popular Bay Area venue PianoFight. How Soon is Now was written by Allie Costa, performed by Kitty Torres, and directed by Stuart Bousel. • Allie's funny play The Intervention Will Be Televised was selected for the Winter Shorts festival, running at Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles January 19th through February 23rd. If you've ever binge-watched a TV show, you'll appreciate this production. • Following Femme Noir's successful run in D.C., Allie was honored with the award for Best Script at the 2015 One-Act Festival. • Check out Allie's article How to Be Yourself While Pretending to Be Someone Else, which was published at Actors Access. • The Generosity of Strangers by Thomas Antonaccio, narrated by Allie Costa, is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible. • Click here for the latest news. • News archives: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 |
