Refresher for The Alliance for the Arts Presents Faceless by Selina Fillinger, Directed by Miguel Cintron

FORT MYERS, FL (December 15, 2022)- Alliance for the Arts debuts two new faces in January’s performances of Faceless. This Florida premiere comes from an exciting new playwright – the two-time winner of the Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival and the recipient of the first annual Judith Barlow Prize.

Eighteen-year-old Susie Glenn is on trial for conspiring to commit acts of terrorism, and recent Harvard Law grad and practicing Muslim, Claire Fathi, has been brought on to prosecute. Though pitted against one another in the courtroom, these two young women are fighting a similar battle to defend their morals, motives and religious freedoms in this riveting and timely new drama.This show delves into the many facets involved in this true story as it examines how Susie found herself engaged to an ISIS fighter through social media and believing wholeheartedly in radical Islam. It also examines the complex feelings of Claire, who wonders what right Susie has to profess herself as a true Muslim, along with knowing she herself is being used as a token in the prosecution of this case.

This play will undoubtedly be an intense experience not to be missed.

Tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members and available at ArtInLee.org or by calling the box office at 239-939-2787. Performances are January 19 – 21 and January 26 – 28 at 7:30 p.m. and January 29 at 2 p.m.

About the Actors

Nineteen year old Vanessa Schoof is excited to make her professional debut at Theatre Conspiracy. Born & raised in Fort Myers, she went to Lehigh Senior High School to pursue theatre, her most notable performances being Addaperle in The Wiz, Violet in 9 to 5, & Donna Alternate in Mamma Mia!. Her most recent performance was the cross-dressing and tough-as-nails Beatrice in A Servant of Two Masters directed by Stuart Brown. She is honored to be playing Susie in Faceless under the direction of Miguel Cintron, her mentor & second father figure. So much love to her actual father, Darren Schoof, for supporting her unconditionally. Love to her stepmother, Maria José for being a big, loving part of her life.

Sharon Isern is happy to be back at Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts. Her credits include: Robyn in The Roommate and Dagmara in The Chechens at the Alliance; Susan White in America’s Sexiest Couple, Wendy in On the Farce Day of Christmas, and Judith in The Bare Truth at The Marco Players; Alex in Church & State, Julia in Saved by the Bell, and Courtney in One Slight Hitch at The Studio Players; Mother in Everyone on This Train and Rocker in October House with Ghostbird Theatre; and Agnes in The Shadow Box with New Phoenix Theatre. She has also performed with The Naples Players Radio Theatre. Originally from Puerto Rico, Sharito, as she is known to her family, trained as an engineer and scientist and was a professor for many years. She now works from home making art and doing grants administration for the federal government. Her Zoom meetings feature vocals from Pippa, her African gray parrot, with special appearances from Diego, her high-energy rescue dog. She thanks her scene partner and fiancé Matt Flynn “Bader” for taking this incredible journey with her and the Faceless cast and crew for generously sharing their amazing talents.

About the Director

Miguel Cintron is grateful to make his directorial debut on the Theatre Conspiracy stage. Miguel started with Theatre Conspiracy in 1999 in the show Domestic Tranquility. Some of his favorite Theatre Conspiracy shows include, The Gun Show, Shipwrecked, Shakespeare Abridged, and The Chechens. Miguel has also performed at The Old Schoolhouse Theatre, The Herb Strauss Theatre, The Florida Repertory Theatre, The Laboratory Theatre, and The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in such shows as, Murder at the Howard Johnson, Funny Money, Lucky Stiff, Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Fantasticks, The Play That Goes Wrong,  Anna in the Tropics, Art, An Act of God, Come Fly With Me: A Sinatra Review, Run for your Wife, Out of Order, Aladdin, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Miguel is also proud to be the Director of Theatre at Lehigh Senior High School’s Center for the Arts, where he has directed shows such as West Side Story, Godspell, 26 Pebbles, Eurydice, The Wiz, Into the Woods, Mamma Mia, 9 to 5, and Footloose, to name a few. He was also a standup comic and has performed in clubs in New York and Florida.  He would like to thank his wife, Unota, and daughter, Isabella for all of their love and support.

About Alliance for the Arts

The Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit community arts and cultural center located in the heart of Fort Myers, Florida. For over 40 years, the Alliance has been charged with the mission to facilitate and nurture the creation, development, promotion and education of arts and culture in southwest Florida. For more information, please call 239-939-2787 or visit us at www.ArtInLee.org.