MORGAN BASSICHIS they/them (Writer, Performer) is a writer and performer who has been described as “fiercely hilarious” by The New Yorker and "I think an actor but hasn't been in anything" by their father. Morgan's performances have been presented by MoMA PS1, WhitneyMuseum, New Museum, The Kitchen, REDCAT, Portland Institute for ContemporaryArt, and Danspace Project. Recent shows include A Crowded Field (Abrons Arts Center, 2023) and Questions to Ask Beforehand (Bridget Donahue, 2022). They are the author of The Odd Years and co-editor of Questions to Ask Before Your Bat Mitzvah, both published by Wendy’s Subway. Morgan edited and wrote the introduction for the 2019 Nightboat Books reprint of the1977 cult classic, The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions, written by Larry Mitchell and illustrated by Ned Asta. An exhibition ofMorgan's work, More Little Ditties, was co-presented in 2023 by theCarpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University and the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. Morgan won a 2026 ObieAward for writing Can I Be Frank?.
FRANK MAYA (Based on and with original material by) (1950-1995) was a musician, performance artist, and comedian who grew up in Babylon, Long Island. Maya began performing widely in New York City as a singer-songwriter and bandleader in the mid-1970s. His band Frank Maya + The Decals performed at CBGB’s, Danceteria, The Pyramid Club, and 8BC. He also created a pop choir, The Maya Choir, which performed at Folk City. In the early 1980s he redefined himself as a performance artist and presented multiple evening-length “rants” at La MaMa, PS122, The Kitchen, Dixon Place, the Bottom Line, and other venues around downtown New York City. In the early 90s, Frank redefined himself again as a stand-up comedian, touring around the country, becoming one of the first out gay comics to appear on MTV’s “Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” and having his own half-hour special on the Comedy Central network. He appeared on the Dick Cavett show and at Lincoln Center’s Serious Fun Festival, and performed regularly at Caroline’s Comedy Club. His one-person show, “Paying for the Pool,” ran for eight weeks at the Atlantic Theater Company in the fall of 1993. A selection of that show is included in the anthology “Out Loud and Laughing” from Anchor Books. Frank Maya died of AIDS on August 7, 1995, a few days after his 45th birthday, at his parents’ home surrounded by his loved ones.
SAM PINKLETON (Director) is a Tony, Obie, and Drama League Award–winning director. His work for the stage includes the current Broadway revival of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show at Studio 54, Cole Escola's Oh, Mary! on Broadway and in London's West End, Josh Sharp’s Ta-Da!, Noah Diaz’s You Will Get Sick, Untitled DanceShowPartyThing (with Ani Taj for Virgin Voyages), Elizabeth Swados’ Runaways, and deranged revivals of The Wizard of Oz (A.C.T.), Head Over Heels (with Jenny Koons), and La Cage aux Folles (Pasadena Playhouse). As a choreographer, his work includes Stephen Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are, Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang’s Soft Power and seven Broadway shows including Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Tony Nomination). Film and TV includes “Dying for Sex” and the musical film The End (starring Tilda Swinton). This summer he will direct the participatory Scottish dance musical Ceilidh for Scotland's Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
KEDIAN KEOHAN (Associate Director) Director: Nurit Chinn's godbird (Exponential Festival), Kaye Hurley's :/secondplace (Exponential Festival), reid tang’s ISABEL (NAATCO), Genevieve Simon’s PUNCH BACK (Breaking the Binary), Erin Markey’s First Lady (Bard Spiegeltent). Kedian is in an ongoing collaboration with Amando Houser on DeliaDelia! The Flat Chested Witch! which has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Soho Theatre in London, The Elysian, The Brick Theater, CPR, Irving Plaza, and Union Hall. Upcoming: Sugar, Sugar! Festival in Domino Park (6/3 + 6/4). Associate Director: Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (Studio 54), Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s Rheology (The Bushwick Starr), GALAS (Little Island), Ryan J. Haddad’s Dark Disabled Stories (Public Theater). Former: New Georges Audrey Resident, Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. With Julia Jarcho/minor theater: Pathetic and Marie it's Time. @justkedian justkedian.com
OONA CURLEY they/them (Production Design) is an award-winning designer and creative producer for live events, immersive experiences, and the performing arts. Their work has been seen from the Edinburgh Fringe to Las Vegas to the East Village in New York City. Oona is a company member of Lightning Rod Special (creators of Underground Railroad Game and The Appointment). Member USA 829. MFA: NYU Tisch. BA: Brown University. oonacurley.com
LIBBY JVERA she/her (Production Manager) Libby is so happy to be the Production Manager for Mike & Carlee Productions. She has worked on a bunch of stuff with them for many years and has a great time making comedy shows downtown. She also PMs other things for other people sometimes, which is good too. libbyjvera.com
SHAWN PATRICK GENE MALONE (Company Manager) can be found here, there, and everywhere. Malone has most recently worked front of house for Marcel on the Train and The Emporium at Classic Stage Company as well as many productions at Greenwich House Theater and Ars Nova. They are currently helping produce works for HOT Fest at Dixon Place and hosting TEACUPS, a queer variety show with clowns, puppets, and more! @spgmalone on Instagram.
GLORIA GOMEZ she/her (Stage Manager) is happy to be returning as stage manager and Morgan’s dedicated note-taker for Can I Be Frank. Previous stage management credits include La MaMa SQUIRTS, La MaMa Puppet Slam 2024, Must Come Down (Kestrels), Had Enuf of the Blues (La MaMa), and Out FRONT! Festival 2025 presented by Pioneers Go East Collective in partnership with BAM and Judson Church. She is also an aspiring sound designer making electronic music compositions for independent projects, most recently providing music for Mayonnaise Rizadas & Gatorade: The Play (La MaMa Galleria). She is a graduate of Oberlin College with a B.A in Theater & Dance as well as an alumnus of the Trinity/La MaMa Performing Arts Program.
ELI HARRISON (Frank Maya's Backdrop Recreated by) is an artist, writer, curator, and organizer living in Brooklyn. Their art practice includes small works on paper and big hand-painted banners. Eli is currently curating the exhibition Ken Ohara: CONTACTS, which will open at the Whitney Museum of American Art in October, 2025. They are a member of Jewish Voice for Peace-NYC and Shoestring Press.
NATASHA JEAN JACOBS (Frank Maya's Music Recreated by) is a composer, sound designer, songwriter, and interdisciplinary artist living in New York. Their work has been described by STEREOGUM as "technically impressive, narratively immersive, tragically funny, and subtly dark,” and by NPR as “almost otherworldly…slightly spooky and often dramatic.” They have scored and sound designed films that won awards at Sundance, SXSW, and more. As a songwriter, Natasha has toured the United States and Canada, and released two albums under the moniker Thelma.
SINE DIGITAL (Digital Advertising) Founded in 2017, SINE Digital has become a leading performance marketing agency for entertainment, sports and attractions; powered by our exceptional people and data science. Select current clients include: Dog Day Afternoon; Every Brilliant Thing; Operation Mincemeat;Schmigadoon!; among others. sinedigital.com
CARLEE BRIGLIA (Producer) is one half of Mike & Carlee Productions. Selected credits include Oh, Mary! (Two Tony Awards), Hannah Gadsby's WOOF!, Kate Berlant’s KATE, Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show, Alison Leiby: Oh God, A Show About Abortion, Alex Edelman: Just For Us, Colin Quinn's Small Talk, The Last Best Hope, Red State Blue State and Unconstitutional; Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s Oh Hello On (Off) Broadway, James Tom's Less Lonely, Chris Gethard: Career Suicide, Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend. Carlee lives in East Williamsburg (a real neighborhood) with her girlfriend and has recently weaned one of her two perfect cats off of anti-anxiety medication.
MIKE LAVOIE (Producer) is the remainder of Mike & Carlee Productions. Mike & Carlee are Tony Award nominated and Olivier and Drama League Award winning producers and have been described as the people with “The Power To Propel Comedians to Netflix” in New York Magazine’s “The Most Powerful New Yorkers You’ve Never Heard Of” cover story. They were also featured in Variety’s 10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2024. mikeandcarlee.com
LIV RHODES (Producing Associate) wrote her college essay on feeling most at home around laughter. As the Producing Associate for Mike & Carlee Productions, that kid is finally at home. Liv is a producer and writer who has worked both on Broadway (Oh, Mary!, Pass Over; Is This a Room; Dana H.) and Off Broadway (Josh Sharp: ta-da!; Hannah Gadsby: WOOF; Dear Mom, Sorry for Being a Bitch; Scotland, PA) and on many in-development projects for theatre, film, and TV.
JEAN DOUMANIAN PRODUCTIONS (Co-Producer) Jean Doumanian is an Oscar nominated & Tony Award winning producer. Theatre credits include: Oh, Mary!, Good Night & Good Luck, Dr. Strangelove, Hangmen, Every Brilliant Thing, The Book of Mormon, The Mountaintop, and August: Osage County. Film/TV include: Una, August: Osage County, The Spanish Prisoner, Bullets Over Broadway, Shrink & more. jdpnyc.com
LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE CLUB is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa's 64th Season, LA MAMA NOW, focuses on creating solidarity and building community, exploring ways to build connections for cross-sector coalition and invite artists, activists, organizers and community members into the creative process.
La MaMa has been honored with 30+ Obie Awards, dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie Awards, Villager Awards, the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and most recently a 2023 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation. We are a creative home to artists and resident companies from around the world, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Bette Midler, Ping Chong, Jackie Curtis, Robert De Niro, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Cole Escola, Bridget Everett, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Charles Ludlam, Tom Eyen, Spiderwoman Theater, Tadeusz Kantor, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Meredith Monk, David and Amy Sedaris, Stephanie Hsu, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Tom O'Horgan, Andrei Serban, Liz Swados, and Andy Warhol. La MaMa's vision of nurturing new artists and new work from all nations, cultures, races and identities remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961.
Can I Be Frank? Staff
Production Design Associate
Stoli Stolnack
Lighting Programmer
Matt Lazarus
Production Assistant
AJ Jones
Production Electricians
John Anselmo, Dan Mullins, Aidan Sartori
Associate Production Manager
Sophie Larin
Additional Sound Engineering
Kaye Hurley
Audio Support
Eryn Bogen
Additional Production Assistant
Uladis Bautista
Artwork By
Mark McGillivray
Website and Additional Graphic Design
Stephen Gilewski
Production Photography
Emilio Madrid
Production Counsel
David Manella / Loeb + Loeb
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
SINE Digital
James Dale Scott Lupi Morgan Curry
Iona Robson Delphine Mason Melissa Smith
PRESS REPRESENTATIVE
PRINTSHOP PR
Nicole Capatasto
Claire Wojciechowski Liz Lombardi
Grace Walker
MIKE & CARLEE PRODUCTIONS
Carlee Briglia Mike Lavoie
Libby JVera Liv Rhodes
Additional Sound Equipment
SDN Broadcast
Lighting Rentals Provided by
4Wall Entertainment
scenic credits
SWIM AND THE WORLD SWIMS WITH YOU
ORIGINAL BACKDROP ART BY FRANK MAYA INSPIRED BY HIS RANT:
Swim and the world swims with you.
Drown and you drown alone.
So swim!
Reproduction by Eli Woods Harrison assisted by Jack Dunnington and Barbara Schulman.
music credits
POLAROID CHILDREN
Written by Frank Maya, Instrumental reproductions by Natasha Jacobs.
BOXES OF YOU
Written by Frank Maya, Instrumental reproductions by Natasha Jacobs.
MOURNING AND MILITANCY
Written by Morgan Bassichis, lyrics by Douglas Crimp, from his essay “Mourning and Militancy” copyright Estate of Douglas Crimp.
POST SHOW SONGS:
JOANNE
Written by Frank Maya
GOD IS BUSY
Written by Frank Maya
TOO NERVOUS
Written by Frank Maya
DEAD OF NIGHT
Written by Frank Maya
HE LOVES YOU
Written by Frank Maya
FURTHER READING & VIEWING
Visual AIDS Frank Maya Archive
Frank Maya Talks, PS 122, 1989
Frank Maya’s Audience Questions
Frank Maya’s Letters From Dead People
How to Have Promiscuity in an Epidemic by Douglas Crimp
Mourning and Militancy by Douglas Crimp
ACT UP Timeline
For more information and to support the work of Visual AIDS click here
SOHO PLAYHOUSE STAFF
Artistic Director
Darren Lee Cole
Managing Director
Edward Walins
Development Director
Willow Reed
Technical Director
Mirit Skeen
Box Office Manager
Ro McQuaid
House Managers
Nissi Victoria Toro & Livia Bernstein
Bar Manager
Matt Tanzosh
Board of Directors
Darren Lee Cole- President
Jen McIntosh- Vice President
John Greener- Treasurer
Andrew Ben-Ami- Secretary
Karen Camp- Assistant Secretary
Maryann Kaufman- Board Member
SPECIAL THANKS
Matt Kelly & Union Hall, Brooklyn
Markie Fisher, Andrew Mumm & Bellhouse, Brooklyn
Scott Morfee and all the friends we made at the legendary Barrow Street Theater
Adam Riemer, Zara Rahim
Thank you Debbie, Christopher, Gregory, Janet, and Lizzie Maya for entrusting us with your beloved brother's work. Thank you Neil Greenberg for being my guide and cheerleader at every step. Thank you to Frank's many loved ones and fans who generously shared their memories with me: Tish Bellomo, Snooky Bellomo, Steve Buscemi, David Cale, Hugo Cruz-Moro, Alvin Eng, Karen Finley, Ronald K. Fried, Asta Hansen, John Jesurun, John Kelly, John Masterson, Hadley Maya, Maggie-Rose Maya, John Cameron Mitchell, Agosto Machado, Eileen Myles, Mark Russell, Julienne Schaer, Sarah Schulman, Lucy Sexton, Jenifer Smith, Carmelita Tropicana, and Blake West. Thank you to the many friends who have "offered" so much unpaid support along the way: Gregg Bordowitz, David Cohen, John Early, Cole Escola, Omar Etman, T. Lax, Dori Midnight, Kaitlin Noss, Michi Osato, Una Osato, Ethan Philbrick, Sumitra Rajkumar, Max Silver, Dean Spade, Rachel Valinsky, Tourmaline, Andrew Wallace, Craig Willse, Matt Wolf, my JVP family, and SO MANY MORE with whom I am blessed to be trapped. Thank you mom and dad for always coming to see my plays, and Jenny for always believing in me. Thank you to my vocal coach Felix Graham. Thank you to Nicky Paraiso and everyone at LaMaMa, Kristan Kennedy and everyone at PICA, Sharon Hayes, Brooke O'Hara, Morgan Green and everyone at the Wilma Theater, Lauren Mackler, Katy Dammers and everyone at REDCAT, and Ron Berry and everyone at the FUSEBOX Festival and the Long Center. Thank you Mike and Carlee for making our dreams come true, AJ, Gloria, Libby, Liv, Kedian, Malone, and Oona for being the best in the biz, and my friend Sam Pinkleton for making this with me, and making it better.