2025
Our First Season
Identity
Identity
Identity
Identity
Who are we?
The resounding question since we first had this idea a little less than a year ago has been “Who are we?”
At first, we were a couple of people who met in an acting class. Then, we became a group of artists who got together every Monday to play pretend. Now, we’ve grown into a community supporting each other’s journeys and ambitions. But beyond that, who are we?
In assembling our inaugural season, these three plays rose to the forefront for many reasons, with the common thread being that they beg the same question A Short Leap keeps coming back to: Who are we?
In Beth Hyland’s Clearing, we explore feminism through the distorted lens of perfectionism, as we follow the integration of the newest employee of upscale yoga and fitness store, LaLaLea. As mounting pressure and societal realities threaten to crack the carefully painted facade of the store’s culture, Hyland’s darkly comic, coming-of-age play asks us:
”Who are we when we’re told what we should be?”
The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V. by Steven G. Martin follows Benny V, a man who’s done nothing for 38 years—plus the two extra years nobody expected him to live through. This World Premiere looks at what a singular moment can do when being intentional about the moment that follows. Martin’s vibrant play explores how diverse and fun life can be, asking:
”Who are we when given the chance to be something different?”
Friends With Guns by Stephanie Alison Walker is a biting, dark comedy that asks innumerable questions about fear, safety, femininity, the right to bear arms, and the judgments we make about others when presented with perspectives that counter our own. This long-awaited Regional Premiere begs us to have conversations, but more importantly, it begs us to listen and consider:
”Who are we to each other?”
A retelling of a familiar Chicago story, a World Premiere exploration, and a Regional Premiere asking us to consider this all-too-familiar query. These three plays reflect our first step at exploring the question we hope to continue to ask and answer:
Who are we?
Season 2025
identity.
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Clearing
By Beth Hyland
Directed by Nathan Dale Short
Assistant Direction by Olivia TennisonWhen Jess gets a job at LaLaLea, the upscale yoga pants store and lifestyle brand, she feels like she's finally found her way. But when sudden violence strikes a nearby store, Jess and her co-workers learn that even positive energy has a dark side. Clearing is a dark coming-of-age comedy about friendship, yoga pants, and the pressure women are under—and what happens when that pressure makes them snap.
Featuring Short Leap Ensemble Members
Tori Kilkenny & Olivia Tennison
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The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V
by Steven G. Martin
Directed by Nathan Dale Short
The highlight of forty-year-old Benny V.'s day is eating his microwaved dinner and falling asleep at 8 p.m. in his apartment decorated with old college dormitory furniture. Then a mysterious invitation leads Benny V. on a journey that connects him with new people, places, and experiences. This World Premiere looks at how we engage the world and how going outside our comfort zone affects our lives.
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Friends With Guns
by Stephanie Alison Walker
Directed by Nathan Dale Short
Assistant Direction by Josh LeeperYou think you know your friends, your neighbors, your spouse; but what happens when you suddenly find out they have a garage full of guns? This new dark comedy explores the complicated issue of gun proliferation when two young liberal couples are forced to confront their assumptions about who should own a gun and why. The time for easy answers regarding this issue is long gone. In the wake of current events, this long-awaited Regional Premiere forces audiences to reexamine our strongly held beliefs about gun ownership.