BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Larissa began acting after moving to Allentown, PA, just after graduating from high school. During her first professional acting gig (Out of the Net, with Touchstone Theatre Bethlehem, PA) she began playwriting. She penned her first play, Chaos on the Edges, in 1994. At the Bottom (one woman show performed at Touchstone Theatre), Sister Like and When Aunt Naomi Speaks (performed at Hamilton Art Gallery, Allentown, PA, with the Zwadi Collective) would follow. She wrote An Evening With Harriet Tubman and began touring Allentown public schools. She moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1996.

She began submitting to and was accepted by the Pandora Festival (panel judged festival contest featuring AZ playwrights sponsored by Arizona Woman’s Theater)  Plays read, include: Shades Of Grey, Tie The Not, Civil Union, and What You Don’t Know.

Larissa has also written and performed for The Herberger Theatre Center’s Outreach Program Lunch Time Theatre, for the past 16 years. Plays produced for Lunch Time Theater include: An Evening With Harriet Tubman, Trailblazing Sadie, Into The Blue With Bessie Coleman, A Vote From Alice, The League, Harlem-Ren, and in 2020, When Douglass Met Lincoln.) She is currently producing Reverend King and Minister X for Lunch Time Theater this month, February 2023.

She’s written, performed and produced for the Herberger Festival of the Arts. Debuting one acts and short pieces include: Tie The Knot, Spirit, and Chances Are.

Her first full length play What You Don’t Know, was runner up for the AZ Theatre Company. She is the winner of the 2011 Short Play Artist Path Theatre Contest in Prescott with her one act, two person play A Little Something Called Family and portions of her full length play, The Fire In Minerva will be featured in the Bridge Initiative Arizona project June 2015.

She has had the opportunity to debut a formal read of her full-length play, The Devil Inside, for Phoenix Theater’s Festival of New American Theater program, which took place via Zoom in 2021.

PLAYWRITING

FULL LENGTH (90 – 120 MINUTES)

Celia Was Enslaved – (Formal Staged Reading) Dramatist Guild Footlights, Desert Stages, April 2023, Scottsdale, AZ

The Devil Inside – (Workshop, Zoom Presentation) New American Theater Festival Phoenix Theatre, March 2021, Phoenix, AZ

Welcome Home, Roberta DuCant – (Formal Staged Reading) Women’s Bridge Initiative, Tempe Center for the Arts, September 2016, Tempe, AZ; (Staged Reading) Space 55, October 2012, Phoenix, AZ

The Fire in Minerva – (Staged Reading) New Works Festival Actor’s Academy, March 2023, Phoenix, AZ;  (Staged Reading) AZ Women’s Theater, Pandora Festival, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, May 2011, Scottsdale, AZ

What You Don’t Know – (Staged Reading) Pandora Showcase November 2011, AZ Women’s Theater; (Staged Reading) Pandora Festival May 2010, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ

Shades of Gray – (Production) Grey Matters Productions/Now &Then Creative Company, August, 2018, Phoenix, AZ (Formal Staged Reading) Phoenix Theatre/ Women’s Bridge Initiative, March 17^th, 2018, Phoenix, AZ; (Formal Staged Reading) Pandora Festival May 2009, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ

ONE ACTS (30 – 45 MINUTES)

Reverend King & Minister X – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2023, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2020, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Day Care – (Zoom Virtual Performance) Jewish Family & Children’s Service June 2021, Zoom Presentation

Balance of Equality – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater December 2020, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ 

When Douglass Met Lincoln – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2020, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ 

A Company of Warriors – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2019, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Chances Are – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2018, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Curveball – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2018, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

A Legacy of Justice: Sipuel v. Board of Regents University of Oklahoma – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2017, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Staged Reading / Performance) Judicial Education Day, October 20^th, 2017, Mesa, AZ; (Staged Reading / Performance) Arizona Summit Law School, March, 2018, Phoenix, AZ

A Little Something Called Family – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater October 2016, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Space 55, September 2012, Phoenix, AZ; (Staged Reading) Artists Path New Plays Series 2011, Prescott, AZ

Hour of Decision– (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2016, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Chosen– (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2015, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Phoenix Festival of the Arts December 2015

March – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2015, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Har-Lem-Ren – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2014, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

The League – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2013, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Frederick & Ida – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater February 2012, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

X Factor – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2011, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

A Vote from Alice! – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater January 2011, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Trailblazing Sadie! – (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater January 2010, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Into the Blue– (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater January 2009 & September 2011, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Civil Union – (Staged Reading) Pandora Festival May 2008, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ

Tie the Not– (Production) Space 55, September 2012, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2010, Herberger Theater; (Staged Reading) Pandora Festival May 2008, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ

Quality Time– (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater June 2007, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Staged Reading) Pandora Festival April 2007, AZ Women’s Theatre, Scottsdale, AZ

When Aunt Naomi Speaks – (Production) Pandora Showcase 2010 and (Staged Reading) Pandora Festival 2010, AZ Women’s Theater, Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts, Scottsdale; (Production) AZ; Zwadi Collective – New Voices 1996, Hamilton Art Gallery

An Evening with Harriet Tubman– (Production) Herberger Lunch Time Theater, Herberger Theater, January 2008, Phoenix, AZ; (Local Tour- Schools) 1994, Allentown, PA; Christmas 1993 Packer Auditorium, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

In the Best Interest – (Production) Theater Outlet (1997), Allentown, PA

Speaking of Ashes– (Production) Theater Outlet (1997), Allentown, PA

Sister Like – (Production) Zwadi Collective – New Voices 1996, Hamilton Art Gallery

Grey Matters – (Production) Night of One Acts, 1994 Touchstone Theater, Bethlehem, PA

At the Bottom– (Production) Night of One Acts, 1994 Touchstone Theater, Bethlehem, PA

10 -20 MINUTES

The Best Man – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts November 2021, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Micro – (Zoom Presentation) Herberger Festival of the Arts November 2020, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Fade To Black Theater Festival June 2023, Houston, TX

Timeless – (Zoom Presentation) Herberger Festival of the Arts November 2020, Phoenix, AZ

UnCivil Union – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2017, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Happy Hour – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2017, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Taken – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2017, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Staged Reading Performance) Fade To Black Reading Series January 2017; (Staged Reading Performance) Phoenix Festival of the Arts December 2016

Props– (Staged Reading /Performance) Bridge Initiative Gala, February 2018, Phoenix, AZ (Staged Reading /Performance) Phoenix Festival of the Arts December 2016

Rabbit Spread – (Staged Reading /Performance) Phoenix Festival of the Arts December 2016

Spirit – (Production) Phoenix Festival of the Arts 2015, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2013, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ;

Minuet at the Dog Park – (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2019, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ; (Production) Phoenix Festival of the Arts December 2015; (Production) Herberger Festival of the Arts October 2013, Herberger Theater, Phoenix, AZ

AWARDS / HONORABLE MENTION

Micro – (Production) Fade To Black Theater Festival June 2023, Houston, TX

A Little Something Called Family – (Staged Reading) Winner of the New Plays Series 2011 for Short Plays category

What You Don’t Know – Finalist for Arizona Theater Company’s Playwriting Competition, 2010

MEMBERSHIPS / TITLES

Dramatist Guild of America Member – 2014-2015, 2020-present

Arizona Woman’s Theatre Board & Secretary – 2010-2012

LAFPI (Los Angeles Female Playwright’s Initiative) Communications Officer– 2013