THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

Stefano Massini is an internationally renowned novelist and playwright, the first Italian author to receive a Tony Award. He regularly contributes to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, and for several years he has served as artistic consultant at Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa. His works, including The Lehman Trilogy, have been translated into 30 languages, and his plays have been performed in more theatres around the world than those of any other living Italian writer, produced as far afield as Iran and Korea, and staged by directors such as Luca Ronconi and Sam Mendes.

His most acclaimed works, beyond The Lehman Trilogy, include: Intractable Woman, a decades-long international success; Ladies Football Club, which premiered to wide acclaim in Spain; and 7 Minutes, hailed by Le Monde as a “masterpiece” at the Comédie Française. He has won numerous Italian awards, including the Premio Vittorio Tondelli and the Premio Ubu, as well as the Tony Award, the Drama Guild Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award. Qualcosa sui Lehman (The Lehman Trilogy) was among the most acclaimed novels published in Italy in recent years and won the Selezione Campiello Prize, the Super Mondello Prize, the De Sica Prize, the Prix Médicis Essai and the Prix Meilleur Livre Étranger.

In 2022 he completed his ten-year writing work on the birth of the atomic bomb in a play entitled Manhattan Project, already requested in many theatres around the world. His rewrite based on Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf will debut in 2024.

Directing Credits Include The Children (Craig Noel Nomination) And Handbagged (Moxie Theatre); Sunday In The Park With George (Craig Noel Award), Master Class, Passion (Craig Noel Nomination), Grey Gardens, Gypsy (Craig Noel Nomination) And Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Ion Theatre); Bull In A China Shop, A Civil War Christmas And A New Brain (Diversionary Theatre); Book Of Leaves And Romeo, Romeo And Juliet(Roustabouts Theatre Company); 8 Songs For A Mad King (Craig Noel Award For Outstanding Special Event (Bodhi Tree Productions); Gutenberg The Musical! (Backyard Renaissance); Seascape (New Village Arts); Hamlet And Much Ado About Nothing (Southwestern College); The Woman In Black (Csu San Marcos). Kim Studied Shakespeare At The London Academy Of Music And Dramatic Arts (Lamda), BA in Drama from Catholic University Of America; MA in United States History from UCSD. Kim is a member of the 2014 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. She currently teaches Acting and Theatre History at The Coronado School Of The Arts.

Emerson is extremely honored to be apart of the company of The Lehman Trilogy. This is Emerson’s first production with Cygnet Theatre and is thrilled to be Assisting Kim in her vision for this production. Assistant Directing/Directing credits include Six Characters In Search of an Author, The Actor’s Nightmare, and Clean. Emerson has written for The Blindspot Collective’s collaboration with La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW festival collection entitled IYKYK. She works at La Jolla Playhouse and Cygnet Theatre while continuing to pursue her career. She would like to thank her family, friends, and Kim for being an incredible leader! 

Matthew Herman (He/Him/His) is excited to be designing his first show at Cygnet Theater! Select credits include – CCAE Theatricals: The Curious Incident of the Dog…, Witnesses, Once, Every Brilliant Thing; San Diego Musical Theater: Matilda, Legally Blonde; Rubicon Theatre Company: The 39 Steps, Bonnie & Clyde, Crazy Mama, Once, Cowboy Lullaby. His work has also been seen around the country at Sierra Rep, Prima Theatre, Titusville Playhouse, and Arizona Broadway Theatre. Regional Assistant credits – La Jolla Playhouse: Escape to Margaritaville (Walt Spangler), Summer (Robert Brill); Berkeley Rep: Ain’t Too Proud (Robert Brill). M.F.A. in Scenic Design from UC San Diego. 

MatthewHermanDesign.com / Instagram @MHermanDesign.

SAMMY Z WEBSTER (He/They) is a lighting designer from Nashville, TN. They recently received their Master of Fine Arts from San Diego State University and hold a BS in Film and TV Production from Middle Tennessee State University. They were awarded the 2025 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for design of Chalk Circle’s production of The Strangers. Other projects include Mary’s Wedding (Craig Noel Nomination, 2025), A New Brain, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric…, Manifest Pussy (Outstanding Lighting Design, Broadway World), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Cygnet Theatre’s A Magical Holiday, Donja R. Love’s When We Are Found, and many more. They also work as a freelance lighting designer for corporate and other live events. See more of their work at SZWDESIGN.COM.

Previous Cygnet designer include: Other Desert  Cities, Little Shop of Horrors, A Number, Fences, Arcadia, Yellowman, It’s a Wonderful Life, Bug, Escanaba in Da Moonlight, Fully Committed; Old Globe MFA: Tartuffe, Sir Patient Fancy, Moxie: San Diego Rep: Venus in Fur, Restless Spirits, The Goat, Proof, Nuevo California; NCRT: Travesties, Relatively Speaking; Diversionary: M. Butterfly, The Killing of Sister George, Falsettos, Love Valor Compassion, They Mystery of Irma Vepp; Vantage: Best Laid Plans. George is currently Chair of Dramatic Arts at San Diego Mesa College, and a member of AEA. 

As a resident artist for Cygnet Theatre, Jeanne’s designs include: Gypsy, Little Foxes, A Little Night Music, My Fair Lady, Company, Man of La Mancha, and On the Twentieth Century. In her 30-year design career, Jeanne has dressed over 350 productions, 28 of which received Costume Design Awards. She has also served at Lambs Players Theatre, Backyard Renaissance, and North Coast Repertory Theatre. Jeanne teaches Fashion History at San Diego Mesa College.

Blake is a director, designer, and creative producer based in San Diego, where he serves as the Executive Artistic Director of Blindspot Collective. His award-winning projection and video designs have been seen in California, Texas, and New York, and this is his thirteenth collaboration with Cygnet. Blake’s work also includes large-scale immersive projects, original musicals, devised theatre, and documentary plays that have been developed or commissioned by The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, California Center for the Arts, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts, New York Theatre Barn, UC San Diego, and New York University. www.blakemccarty.com

Ali Flores (she/her) is honored and so excited to be part of The Lehman Trilogy, the first show she’s PSM-ing as an Equity Stage Manager! She has been stage managing in San Diego since 2018 and also creates stage manager content on her social media platforms. Credits: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Cygnet Theatre – ASM), What The Constitution Means To Me (North Coast Rep – PA), Follies (Cygnet Theatre – ASM), Stranger Sings (Oceanside Theatre Company – SM), Oklahoma! (Cygnet Theatre – ASM), In Pieces (Teatro San Diego – SM), The Ferryman (New Village Arts – ASM), Sesame Street shows (SeaWorld San Diego – SM). Thank you cast and crew for your hard work and making this show an unforgettable experience, and family and friends for your love and support! @stagemanager1618

Katie Chiyoko Davis (she/her) is from La Crescenta, CA. Select credits include: Derecho, Indian Princesses, All the Men Who’ve Frightened Me, The Recipe (La Jolla Playhouse), The Hot Wing King (Cygnet Theatre), The Glass Menagerie (Diversionary Theatre), Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Circuit (PCPA – Pacific Conservatory Theatre), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, A.D. 16, The Music Man (Olney Theatre Center), नेहा & Neel, Dead Girl’s Quinceañera, Hedda Gabler,  One Flea Spare (UCSD). Education: BFA Stage Management – University of Miami, MFA Stage Management – UC San Diego.