My Head Is Spinning & Let It Rain

Hello all! This show meant a lot to me when I first wrote this 1-2 years ago. Since then things have always been constantly changing and altering my script, which was challenging. I hope that you guys enjoy the performance and the story. The show is a representation of bringing real-life experiences to the stage. And my goal was to be able to provide real, raw emotion along with stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing my work with everyone. Thank you to everyone who believed in me when I couldn’t.
P.s. if you or someone you love is struggling with any mental health issue. Just know you’re not alone. And just remember to not be scared to ask “How are you?”

–Anya Febus-Fernandez

Hi everyone and thank you so much for coming to see our production. This show means a tremendous amount to me as it is meant to be a healthy starting point for an open and honest conversation about mental health. By creating physical representations of mental disorders, we hope that it can give a bit of insight behind what those who struggle with their mental health may go through. This is not by any means a full representation of mental disorders but we hope that this can help to tear down the stigma that surrounds them. This play also serves as a stepping stone for me as an actor. The ability to be vulnerable and allow others to see what goes on behind the mask is no easy feat. I am incredibly inspired by this cast and their ability to be seen within this production. My hope with this play was for it to serve as a reminder that even though we may feel alone or unseen at times, there are always those around us who love and support us. It can be easy to forget that those around us are experiencing their own lives when we’re too busy managing our own. Sometimes, just genuinely asking someone how they’ve been or how you can help can give them the push they need.

–Karissa Leonardo

Karissa Leonardo is playing the role of Veronica within the story of Our Truth Collective. Karissa is a senior majoring in Theatre and Performance and will be graduating this May. Karissa is extremely honored to be given the opportunity for her work to be showcased on campus. Karissa has been involved in previous productions such as Zemi (Spring 2021), The Silent Observer (Spring 2022), Piñata (Fall 2022), and Life After Cali (Fall 2022). Karissa has numerous years of experience in various theater roles and is proud to be able to put them all to use within this production. She is immensely grateful for the time and effort the cast and crew have put in to make this collaborative project a reality. This show is meant to be a potential starting point for a safe and open conversation about mental health. She would like to thank her amazing family and friends for supporting her throughout every step of this process.

Ari Laurie is a Freshman in the Theatre and Performance program, playing Haven and Bipolar Disorder. They are excited to make their debut on the SUNY Purchase stage with Our Truth Collective’s, “Let it Rain/My Head is Spinning”, and help bring to life an art capturing mental illness. They’d like to thank the cast they got the privilege of working with, and every audience member, and hopes both groups come out of the show having learned something.

Roxane Guyton - von Eck is a junior transfer student at Purchase College. She transferred here from Fordham Lincoln Center after taking a gap year over Covid. She was a business/gender studies major at Fordham but switched to theater and performance when she came to Purchase. She was a drama major at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City. She has performed in numerous shows including Clybourne Park as Kathy, Pandora’s Box as Hope, The One Act Play Festival at Frank Sinatra as multiple characters whose names she doesn’t remember, the documentary Cross Eyed as herself, and Frame(D) at Purchase as Sapphire/Dani.

Mauricio Gonzalez (He/Him/His). He is a Latinx senior playwright and actor in the Theatre and Performance major. His previous credits at Purchase College include the role of Bobby the misunderstood youngling in “A Crumbled House” (Spring 2021), Julio Burgos, the incredible pantomime artist, in “The Silent Observer” (Spring 2022), the lonely yet creative Danny in “Better Friends” (Spring 2023) and the cunning and vengeful sin of Wrath in “Piñata” (Fall 2022), an original morality play he wrote, with more works to be produced. He has also been in the short film “A Can of Worms” (Spring 2022) as the silent but haunting Shadow. He’s excited for people to come out and see Our Truth Collective, and for more people to feel seen and understood.

Amer Zafer is a fourth-year Theatre and Performance major from Queens, New York. His past credits include his senior project El Publico, and the Spring mainstage The Attic by Michi Barall. He would like to thank his parents and two older sisters for supporting him as well as his friends at Purchase for believing in him.

Anna Fofana is a senior double majoring in Theatre and Performance and Journalism, minoring in playwriting. She was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and is a Capricorn (if that matters to anyone lol). Anna’s college acting credits include For Colored Women (2021) and Behind Us Is Noise (2022). She’s really happy to be a part of this beautiful project and can’t wait for people to see it! She also wants to shout out to her friends: Skylar, Matt, Sophia, Lucy, Olivia, and Luke for keeping her grounded this school year. <3

Molly Mead (she/her) is a Junior in the BA Theatre and Performance Major here at Purchase College. She is serving as the Stage Manager and has previously worked on The Silent Observer (Spring 2022), Pinata (Fall 2022), Behind Us is Noise (Fall 2022), and The Nutcracker (2019-present). She is from Danbury, CT, and has been working in theatre since she was 12 years old, throughout Middle School, and started stage managing in High School(2018). This is the first time that Molly has been the Primary Stage Manager, and it is an excellent experience and an all-around fun time. Molly is going into her senior year and plans to be involved in many more projects.

Chelsea Muller (she/her) is a fourth-year Theatre and Performance and Psychology double major from Rochester, NY. Her past Purchase credits include Ordinary Days (2023), Pinata (2022), Mac Beth (2022), The Silent Observer (2022), Frame(D) (2021), and The Last Five Years (2021). She would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support and love.

Tulia Marshall is a Vietnamese dancer and choreographer from New Paltz, New York. She received her training from Laguardia High School, Manhattan Youth Ballet, The Hubbard Street Professional Program and received her BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY with a double major in Dance (concentration in choreography) and Arts Management. Tulia is the artistic director and choreographer for Ambition Collective and has created work for Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Fort Hamilton High School, Purchase Dance Company, and Stars of American Ballet. Purchase credits include: The Pirandello Party (David Bassuk/choreographer), Orpheus Descending (Dean Irby/choreographer), and the Silent Observer (Leandra Torres/choreographer).

Liam Torchia is a multidisciplinary artist from New York, NY. A senior at Purchase College - Liam has been writing, producing, and releasing music since 2018. Upon joining this project - Liam worked with both cast and crew to design authentic sounds to help enhance the complex themes in the story.

Jeremy Burd is a third-year Lighting Designer and Programmer from Long Island, NY. After he graduates, Jeremy wants to go on tour with an artist and put on shows all over the world. Production Credits Include: DiscOasis | Lighting Operator, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show | Lighting Designer, Saturday Night Live | Lighting Programmer

Catherine Posillico is a junior studying arts management with a minor in theatre and performance. She has been involved with acting, stage managing, and production work at SUNY Purchase and beyond. Currently, Catherine is the artistic director for the upcoming 2023 POV festival. She is very excited to be working on this project!

Izabel Valle (she/him) is a third-year Theatre and Performance/Anthropology duo major from Brooklyn, New York. This is his first show as a sound operator at Purchase. She hopes you enjoy the wonderful show!

Emmi Pearce is thrilled to be a part of this Purchase production! She is currently a freshman studying Theatre and Performance, and hopes you all enjoy the show!

Izaiah Cardona This is Izaiah’s first show of the year. He’s happy to use this production to build his theatre experience! Willy Wonka Jr. was his first show and he is thankful for the teachers that helped him with that show and for giving him these amazing acting gifts, which give him a chance to do something more productive and fun with his life.

Michael (“Mike”) Schroeder is a senior in the graphic design program at Purchase, graduating in Fall 2023. He graduated with Honors from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York in 2020. He took a gap year during the height of COVID and transferred here in the Fall of 2021. His most recent public works are posters for The Attic, as well as the student shows My Head is Spinning & Let it Rain and Wayne.

Anya Febus Fernandez is playing the role of Indra in Our Truth Collective. Anya is a senior studying theater and performance with a minor in psychology. Anya Febus has had the opportunity to be involved with various types of theater on campus. Past acting experiences have been We All Fall Down, Purgatorio Wonderland, The Silent Observer, Life After Cali, etc. Anya designed the lighting for this production. She was also the lighting designer For Colored Women. And she has been in about 8 films. She is so excited to be working with such an amazing cast and crew! As well as displaying her work amongst others. This show is to expand the emotional range of an actor. Anya is grateful for this opportunity.

Leandra Torres is an Alumni from SUNY Purchase class of 2022. She is a boricua from the Bronx and she is currently working at Spotco a Broadway marketing agency. This April-May Leandra will be a production assistant for Roundabout Theater Company’s off-Broadway show Primary Trust. Leandra’s Purchase credits include: The Silent Observer (Director), Tough Call (Director), Adulting (Director), The Pirandello Party (AD), Purgatorio Wonderland (AD), and No Child (Director). Leandra would like to thank Anya Febus and Karissa Leonardo for bringing her on this journey with them. Leandra would also like to give a huge thank you to her cast and crew! 

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College