New Jersey Fringe Festival

Who’s Who

*Denotes Cast Member in tonight’s reading

*Nicole Boscarino (Writer/Performer) - she/they - is so honored to be performing with Destigmatized! She has been seen in various productions of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues for the past 10+ years, and is excited to extend even further into activist theatre works with this new piece. Special thanks to Colleen Renee Lis for her beautiful concept, her unwavering dedication to it's content, her general bad-assery, and always, her friendship. Thank YOU for supporting live theatre. Peace, love, and body autonomy.

Elizabeth Deal (Performer) - she/her - Elizabeth has been performing in theaters all over the South Jersey region since 2006. She became a mother in 2018 to her beautiful daughter Eliana. Elizabeth hopes to teach her daughter to maintain bodily autonomy and have the strength to advocate for herself in this ever-changing world.

Amanda Feliciano (Performer) - she/her - is so grateful to be performing in Colleen Lis’ Destigmatized! Amanda is a fighter in the battle of reproductive rights and believes in the power of this important piece! On other days you can see her directing children's play Phantom Tollbooth with the Strollers or running her own theater company, Full Circle Theater Collective - fullcircletheatercollective@gmail.com

*Mimi B. Francis (Performer) - she/her - Destigmatized debut! Mimi is thrilled to be a part of this amazing Destigmatized cast. Recently she performed at the Count Basie Theatre production of Once on This Island (Mama Euralie). Some past performances: McCarter Theatre production of A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Present), Sweat (Cynthia), For Colored Girls...(Lady in Red), Hairspray- PIP (Motormouth Maybelle),  Shrek-PIP (Dragon), Having Our Say (Sadie Delany), In the Heights (Abuela Claudia), Into the Woods (The Witch), and Nine (Saraghina). Currently, she is directing the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage, scheduled to open September 15th at Villager’s Theatre in Somerset, NJ. Mimi is grateful for family & friends on this artistic journey. 

Tami Funkhouser (Performer) - she/her - Credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Big Mama), Sister Act (Mother Superior), Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), Company (Joanne), Fiddler on the Roof (Golde), Broken Glass (Harriet), Last night of Ballyhoo (Reba Freitag), Titanic (Charlotte Cardoza), and Parade (Sally Slayton). Directing Credits include Disenchanted, Vagina Monologues, Love Letters, The Good Body, and Love, Loss & What I Wore.  Many thanks to Colleen and Lauren for inviting me to part of this important production. Sending love to her husband Glen to her sons Evan and Taylor, who will always remain her greatest productions.

Fallon Goskowski (Performer) - she/her - is honored to be a part of such an important production. Fallon’s most recent credits include co-director of American Son at The Barn Theatre and Justice Charlier in The Star Royale Theatre’s upcoming production of Rock Of Ages. Past roles include Motherhood Out Loud (Ensemble) at The Barn, Ragtime (Ensemble) with Light Opera of New Jersey, The Commons of Pensacola (Lorena) at The Nutley Little Theatre, Parade (Minnie/Angela) with Old Library Theatre, and Rent (Joanne) and Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette) with Star Royale Theatre - NJACT Perry Nomination. Fallon would like to thank God for His continued blessings, Colleen Lis for bringing this wonderful work to life, her husband for making it as easy as possible to make rehearsal, all the grandparents who watch The Child, and The Child for being a (mostly) good kid while mommy was living on the road.

Ashley Griffiths (Performer) - she/her - Ashley is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this moving, empowering performance! She has performed in several productions in NJ, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Maggie Pollitt) with Haddonfield Plays and Players, Chicago (Velma Kelly) with the Road Company, and The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graaff) with Village Playbox. Huge thanks to Colleen for telling these stories and allowing me the opportunity to be a part of them.

Kate Griggs (Performer) - she/her - is over the moon to be performing in Destigmatized, a work she has seen and adores. She has done shows since she was fifteen, and her previous credits include Twelfth Night (Viola) and A Doll’s House Part Two (Emmy) with CDC Theatre, Pippin (Fastrada), The Addams Family (Morticia), Almost, Maine (Gayle), The Wizard of Oz (The Tinwoman), and plenty more. She would like to thank all of her supporters including her family, friends, and most importantly her fellow cast members.

*Tracey Haskell (Performer) - she/her - Destigmatized debut! Tracey is humbled and excited to join the cast of Destigmatized for this special event.  She can often be found on one of New Jersey's many community theater stages. Some favorite roles include In The Heights (Daniela), Nine (Luisa), The Robber Bridegroom (Rosamund ), Once On This Island (Euralie), West Side Story (Anita), Into The Woods (The Witch), Seussical (Mayzie La Bird), and The Life (Sonya). When not performing you can find her roaming around the forest, paddling in her kayak, at the movies or hanging with her cat, Batman.

Elisabeth Julia (Performer) - she/her - is thrilled to be a part of Destigmatized for the second time! Elisabeth is a theater-maker and a fitness instructor in North Jersey, who is passionate about social justice and equality. She was recently awarded "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical" by the NJACT Perry Awards for her portrayal of Val Clarke in A Chorus Line with CDC Theatre. She dedicates this performance to her mother, the first activist she ever knew, who inspires her every day.

Emily Kimble (Performer) - she/her - Emily is honored to be a part of this incredible project. She is on the faculty of Next Stage Dance and Ballet NJ. She was last seen on Haddonfield Plays and Players stage in Urinetown and is currently choreographing for HPP’s Stage Kids program. Thankful for Colleen for inviting her to be a part of all of this.

*Colleen Renee Lis (Creator/Writer/Performer) - she/her - is so honored to share the stage with such strong and determined advocates of women’s reproductive rights. Favorite credits include Cabaret (Sally Bowles) with Haddonfield Plays and Players, A Christmas Story The Musical (Miss Shields) & Matilda The Musical (Mrs. Wormwood) with Broadway Theatre of Pitman, Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit) with Light Opera of New Jersey, She Loves Me (Ilona Ritter) with Summit Playhouse, Chicago (Roxie Hart) with The Road Company, and Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party (Queenie) with CDC Theatre. She was recently nominated for a NJACT Perry Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Annie (Lily St. Regis) with Trilogy Repertory. Colleen would like to thank Will, Leslie, Nicole & Shane for all of their support throughout this process. Instagram: @colleenreneelis @destigmatizedshow www.ColleenLis.com #sayabortion #shoutyourabortion #destigmatizeabortion

Paige Marian (Performer) - she/they - is so excited to be a part of Destigmatized! Recent credits include The SpongeBob Musical (Bubbles), Moon Over Buffalo (Eileen), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Featured Dancer). Paige is a dedicated advocate for reproductive rights and social justice. Special thanks to her family and friends for their continued support.

*Lauren Patanovich (Writer/Performer) - she/her - Lauren is a graduate of AMDA NYC and has worked in many facets of theatre including as a performer, director, choreographer, writer, educator, producer, marketing director, and graphic designer. Past roles include Spelling Bee (Olive), Grease (Rizzo), Footloose (Ariel), American Idiot (Leslie), Oklahoma (Ado Annie), Into the Woods (Little Red), Rocky Horror (Magenta), Debbie Does Dallas (Roberta), and A Chorus Line (Bebe). Favorite directorial/choreography credits include Next to Normal, Matilda, Heathers, Billy Elliot, Newsies, In the Heights, American Idiot, IF/Then, HAIR, and 13! Over the years, she has worked with several nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps, The Gabriel Project, various local theaters, dance studios, & high schools. In 2021, she founded SJ Youth Arts - an organization that works to advocate for the arts and create a table that everyone has a seat at! Her deepest passions lie in working with young artists and helping to diversify the arts and create change in the community! @sjyoutharts

Rachel Pfennigwerth (Performer) - she/her - Rachel is honored to be a part of this production. Favorite credits include: Electra (Electra) with Little Lake Theatre; Tarzan (Kala) China National Tour; Bubble Boy the Musical (Sheriff/Shop Lady) and The Thanksgiving Play (Logan) with Arcade Comedy Theater; The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe (The White Witch) with Primestage. Rachel recently received a Best Actress award at the Catalano Film Festival for the role of Katie in the independent film A Mother’s Love. www.rachelpfennigwerth.weebly.com

Mary Kate Portera (Writer/Performer) - she/her - is thrilled to be a part of such a meaningful piece of theater. Favorite theater credits include: Avenue Q (Kate Monster/Lucy The Slut), Steel Magnolias (Shelby), Carrie The Musical (Ms. Gardner). Grateful to our fearless leader, Colleen. You are an inspiring artist and friend!

Elizabeth Quinones (Performer) - she/her - has performed on stage in productions such as Anna in the Tropics with Nutley Little Theatre, Almost, Maine with Studio Players, Twelfth Night with Trilogy Repertory, and Jake’s Women with Studio Players. She has also performed in various one-act plays throughout North Jersey and in various sketch and improv shows in NYC. During the pandemic, Elizabeth performed in various virtual play readings including The Vagina Monologues, The Laramie Project, Shadowbox with Red Mic Repertory Company, and The Revolutionists with T-Squared.

Kelsey Rhea (Performer) - she/her - Favorite credits include How Many Others (Dr. Marta Havryshko) with Carnegie Mellon University, Love Letters (Melissa Gardner), The Bishop’s Wife (Julia Brougham), and Little Women (Beth March). Kelsey is thankful for the opportunity to help give voice to stories that are too often unsaid and unheard.

Alayna Spencer (Performer) - she/they - Alayna is a senior in CCTEC’s cosmetology program who plans on studying musical theatre in college. She has recently starred in Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Seussical TYA (Bird Girl), and Matilda Jr (Mrs. Phelps) and has performed with @sjyoutharts organization over the last couple of months. They would like to thank everyone who has supported them on their evolving performing arts journey!

CheQuai Thompson (Performer) - she/her - Destigmatized debut! CheQuai is a Voorhees, NJ native who comes from very talented family of singers and performers and has a musical background herself. Currently the creator and host of a budding podcast, Queen of Transparency Podcast, her infectious personality and ability to combine humor, relatable experiences/insight, while always keeping empowerment of women at the forefront is sure to continue to set her apart from the rest and breathe a breath of fresh air into the current world of online influencing.  Instagram: @EyeAmQuai / @QueenOfTransparencyPodcast   

Kenikki Thompson (Performer) - she/her - Kenikki is so proud to be a part of the cast of Destigmatized: Our Bodies, Our Rights, Our Stories. Kenikki is a junior in GCIT’s Drama Program, and she most recently attended the NJ Thespian Festival for Troupe 5480, where she was awarded 3 superior medals in the categories, Duet Acting, Duet Musical Theatre and Solo Musical Theatre. She is also currently portraying the role of Elizabeth in The Crucible and Eponine in Les Misérables. She is so grateful to be able to take part in this powerful project and what it represents. Enjoy the show!

Leslie Williams Ellis (Performer) - she/her - is honored to be a part of this extraordinary group of women performing Destigmatized. Favorite credits include Calendar Girls (Celia) The Vagina Monologues (The Vagina Workshop) A Christmas Carol (Charwoman/Emily), Church and State (Sarah), Later Life (Ruth), The Norwegians (Betty), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Masha), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Mae), 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (Luli), 5 Women … Dress (Georgeanne), and The Normal Heart (Dr. Emma Brookner.) Leslie is currently serving as Vice President of Chatham Players where she has both performed and produced multiple shows.  You can also catch her on the PBS show, Drive By History: Eats. Love and thanks to you, Colleen, for your immense passion and drive to right the wrongs through educating people on the reality of reproductive rights.