SHELLS

Rogue Artists Ensemble & Greenway Arts Alliance present

Shells

An Absurdist dark comedy

about coping with the farce and devastation of gun violence

Written by Amy Judd Lieberman
Directed by Stephanie O’Neill

In the aftermath of an unexpected encounter with a violent person, Evvy is just trying to get back to work. But now she has a wound, and the world around her may never be normal again…or maybe it never was. Inspired by a true story, SHELLS is a surrealist dark comedy utilizing puppetry and physical humor about coping with the farce and devastation of gun violence in an increasingly chaotic reality.

Developed and produced by Rogue Artists Ensemble, Shells is a new theatrical work inspired by playwright Amy Judd Lieberman’s personal experience with a person who pulled a loaded gun and shot her, unprompted — and the lasting impact of that violation on her life and how gun violence affects the world around her. We are telling this story through an absurdist lens—the play is funny, playful, and surreal while being true and of this moment.

WARNING: This play contains accounts of gun violence and mass shootings which some may find disturbing. Toy guns will be present on stage during the performance. Please consider before entering and we invite you to step out as needed for personal self-care.

Cover of a book titled 'Sholes: A play by Amy Judd Lieberman' showing a woman seated at a table, resting her head on her hand, with colorful, chaotic scribbles and a large, abstract eye emerging from the table, surrounded by a cluttered room with office supplies and a television.

Upcoming PERFORMANCES

September 19 - October 11, 2026

Evening Performances at 8pm
Sunday Matinees at 2pm

Greenway Court Theatre
544 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

The Shells Seed & Spark Campaign…
Going LIVE August 25…

Help make impactful art.

Let’s make the world premiere of Shells possible!

This campaign kicks off our fundraising season! While this campaign makes sure our world premiere comedy Shells is fully supported, it also allows us to continue our on-going programs and new play development the rest of this year and plan for the next!
Donate to our Seed & Spark Campaign and choose from a load of fun rewards!

Video & Photos

Group of nine diverse people standing together in a room, smiling, with a puppet resembling a red creature with a long nose in the background.

Shells team, reading at the Culver City Library in November 2022

Two individuals sitting at a table; one holding a drink and the other holding a small-model red dinosaur.
A group of diverse people posing and smiling in a room, with some holding drinks, and a person in the back wearing a costume resembling a creature with a red, pig-like face and a long, humanoid body.

Shells team, workshop in Plummer Park, August 2024

A man with a beard and white shirt holding a large piece of foam or cardboard, with children and adults seated on the floor in a community hall or indoor space.
Three people sitting at a table with a large, red, grotesque puppet or mask of a creature with an open mouth and big eyes. They appear to be in discussion or performing a scene, with one woman holding a prop or weapon and another speaking, while the third person looks on. The backdrop is black with stars.

Photos from the 2024 workshop of Shells

Rogue Artists Ensemble and Greenway Arts Alliance would be nothing without our community, and we understand that not everyone may be in the position to come to Shells at our regular ticket prices - for this reason we are happy to continue our tradition of offering a limited number of reduced price, or extremely reduced tickets. 

For more information or to request tickets, please see our Community Ticket Request Form.

Creative Team

Playwright: Amy Judd Lieberman 
Director: Stephanie O’Neill 
Scenic Designer: Lily Bartenstein 
Lighting Designer: Joey Guthman 
Associate Lighting Designer: Katie Ohrn
Sound Designer: Glenn Schuster
Costume Designer: Elena Flores
Puppet Designer: Kelsey Kato 
Assistant Puppet Designer: Sienna Jeackle
Props Designer: Max de Berardine
Stage Manager: Crystal Nieto
Production Manager: Nico Parducho
Puppet Director: Sam Rotengold
Casting Director: Andy Lowe
Assistant Stage Manager: Julia Hughes
Assistant Director: Isabella Griggs
Graphic Designer: Zachary Bones
Puppet Fabrication Assistant: Osiris Galvez Paredes

PERFORMERS - 2026

Liesel Hanson 
Zachary Bones 
Caden Healander
Napoleon Tavale
Sarah Mass
Sol Marina Crespo
Eric Fagundes

Creative Team - 2024 Workshop

Amy Judd Lieberman - Playwright
Stephanie O’Neill - Director
Kelsey Kato - Puppet Designer
Melanie Falcon - Sound Designer
Daphnie Sicre  - Dramaturg
Lexie Secrist - Stage Manager

Performers; Liesel Hanson, Miles Taber, Ben Messmer, Jerry Ng, Savannah L. Jackson, Eric Fagundes, Marta Portillo

Development Team

Amy Judd Lieberman 
Stephanie O’Neill
Kelsey Kato
Miles Taber
McCristol Harris III

Sponsors

This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
Shells is made possible with support from the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.