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@leahpacker._

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✨יהיה טוב//funny girl
currently: @1ststage @keegan_theatre
Professional Website⬇️⬇️⬇️

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✨Meet The Team! ✨

Meet Michelle Kozlak & Leah Packer - the team behind Joy Play Heart Productions! Michelle and Leah worked together at the Kennedy Center and are excited to be creating theatre for young audiences again.

Michelle Kozlak (Executive Producer) is a veteran arts professional with expertise in theatre for young audiences, arts education, and performing arts management. Throughout her career, she has worked with organizations both large and small—from managing multi-million-dollar programs at major institutions to building a non-profit theatre from the ground up. She is thrilled to continue supporting playwrights through the new work development process here in the DC metro area through this new venture.

Leah Packer (Company Manager) is an actor, artistic administrator, and educator based in the Maryland/Washington, DC area. She began her administrative career at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, working as the Program & Casting Assistant in the Theatre for Young Audiences Department. Leah is grateful to be working with Michelle and Joy Play Heart Productions, bringing imaginative and meaningful TVY to the DC area and beyond.

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Look at this incredible team that breathed life into my play The Last Jew On London, which spins A Christmas Carol into a meditation on assimilation, carrying on traditions, and the importance of loving yourself.

Dir @jennaralizedanxiety
Cast
@ethanj_mill
@aerobinder
@davidbishins
@leahpacker._
@sscoreyny
@therealemmawallach
Ethan Watermeier

And grateful to @stagewoozlesm @theconfessionrooms @sarah_cosgrove_gaumond @jeffstratford Jerry Slaff for being the best damn DC Construction Crew and helping to steward the play along. And @roundhousetheatre for welcoming us with open arms.

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@leahpacker._ beating me to a seasonal recap has never happened and things are feeling very new year 🍎 so here are some snippets of a summer surrounded by people I love oh so dearly and the art I’ve always wanted to make

And Instagram will only let me tag 20 people so if you’re in this and not tagged or otherwise spent your summer with me I love you very much too

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We are beyond THRILLED to announce a new addition to the 1st Stage family - please give a warm welcome to Leah Packer, the first of our 2026-2027 Seidel Fellows!! 🎉💕

Leah Packer is a Jewish actor, artistic administrator, and educator based in the Maryland/Washington, DC area. She loves theatre that tells stories of humanity. Theatre that creates community. Most importantly, theatre that brings us some much-needed happiness. As an artist and as a person, she strives to be that happiness. Recently seen onstage in The Keegan Theatre's production of The Play That Goes Wrong. In addition to her career as a performer, Leah works in arts administration for both The Keegan Theatre & Joy Play Heart Productions. Previously, she worked in casting at The John F. Kennedy Center (Theatre for Young Audiences Division) and through the 2026 Theatre Washington Mentorship Cohort - where she studied casting under Danica Rodriguez. Leah is honored to be one of 1st Stage's 2026/27 Seidel Fellows.

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Pt. 2 cuz I can’t help it

It’s been two weeks since the play that goes wrong closed. I miss these people dearly!
You often hear or tout the adage that one of the joys of theatre is that no two performances are the same and we were given every chance to experience that daily with tptgw. Every show was a new adventure: a broken wall, a curtain rod falling too soon, a hinge repair in front of an audience watching our every move, opening night injuries, tech injuries, torn seams, fire effects not firing, things not falling when they’re supposed to, and a damn dog we could never ever find (his name’s Winston btw. Lemme know if you see him). My performance reports were a litany of “you never guessed what strange thing happened this time” balanced out by the triumph of these guys pulling off another fantastic show.
Through it all, these lovelies kept a smile on their face and joy in their hearts. Every night was a standing ovation for this cast and crew and they earned every cheer and groan and thunderous laughter and slow clap and sing-along to Phil Collins. It was a pleasure and an honor getting to call this show with this group of people.
What a stupid, ridiculous, wonderful summer 🧡
.
.
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@keegan_theatre

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It’s been two weeks since the play that goes wrong closed. I miss these people dearly!

You often hear or tout the adage that one of the joys of theatre is that no two performances are the same and we were given every chance to experience that daily with tptgw. Every show was a new adventure: a broken wall, a curtain rod falling too soon, a hinge repair in front of an audience watching our every move, opening night injuries, tech injuries, torn seams, fire effects not firing, things not falling when they’re supposed to, and a damn dog we could never ever find (his name’s Winston btw. Lemme know if you see him). My performance reports were a litany of “you never guessed what strange thing happened this time” balanced out by the triumph of these guys pulling off another fantastic show.

Through it all, these lovelies kept a smile on their face and joy in their hearts. Every night was a standing ovation for this cast and crew and they earned every cheer and groan and thunderous laughter and slow clap and sing-along to Phil Collins. It was a pleasure and an honor getting to call this show with this group of people.

What a stupid, ridiculous, wonderful summer 🧡
.
.
.
@keegan_theatre

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Feeling wildly lucky to have spent my summer directing @aimeedvr‘s THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT GOD at @districtfringe. It’s a beautiful script, and this is a phenomenal group of artists 💙

🏐 DC Theatre Arts Best of Fringe 2026
🏐 City Cast DC Recommended
🏐 “This will be the best $15 you spend this summer” - Unprofessional Opinion

CAST
Fern - Mollie Greenberg James
Hailey - Cate Ginsberg
Olive - Alexandria Grigsby
Mackenzie - Maddie Baylor
Kayla - Kayleandra White
Jordan - Tristin Evans
Swing - Hannah Damanka
Swing - Olivia Cholewczynski
Voice Actor - Martina Schabron
Voice Actor - Cayla Hall

PRODUCTION
Playwright / Co-Producer - Aimee Dastin
Director - Rachel Johns
Assistant Director - Cayla Hall
Stage Manager - Alexandra Wyant
Props Designer / Co-Producer - Keshaun Connor
Lighting Designer - Eli Golding
Sound Designer - Marcus L Maia
Costume Designer - Charlie Van Kirk
Scenic Designer - Sabrina McAllister
Casting Director - Leah Packer
Dramaturg - Shana Laski

📸 Production Photography - Angelo Mejia @photo.afm
📸 Marketing Photography - Destiny King & Gab Ryan

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I won’t lie to you Instagram. In so many ways the last 12 months of staying alive have been ROUGH. They’ve been full of uncertainty, unexpected emergencies of too many kinds, a raging war with Bethesda parking enforcement, the list really could go on. I am behind on a great deal. I have to text or email so many of you back. But this year has also not been absent of reasons to get out of bed in the morning. Or to laugh. Or to love. Or to grow. So here, in no particular order, are just a few of the people and moments that have been reminding me lately why I freakin love being here so much. (This is an impulsive post, if you do not see yourself here I definitely still love you I just couldn’t find a picture.)

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Ever tried talking to a high conspiracy theorist?#deependseries#indiefilm

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The Play That Goes Wrong
What. A. Ride.❤️

When they say “what is meant for you will not pass you by”, I will forever think of my experience with this play. Roughly 8 months ago, and within the span of 2-3 weeks, at least 4 people mentioned this play to me (thank you @actorsencouraged and @coachinghousela 🙏🏻), saying I’d be a great fit for the role of the stage manager Annie. Coincidence? I think not. Either way, TPTGW just happened to be part of Keegan Theatre’s new season and I just happened to sign up for auditions just in time.
And the rest is a very bruised, very fun history.😂💫

Thank you to @keegantheatre and the entire creative team on and around the stage - especially my wonderful, hilarious, big-hearted, and very talented castmates, our incredible stage management team who made it all possible behind the scenes, put up with my jokes, and let me shower them with Swiss chocolate, our lovely and incredibly patient fight and intimacy coordinator @sierrayoungfights for helping me believe in my gymnastic capabilities and making my fights with @leahpacker._ THE MOST FUN, and the wonderful @lauradandre for helping me prepare for Annie.
T’was fun, y’all.

#theplaythatgoeswrong #dctheatre #internationalactor #swissactor #dcactor

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The Play That Goes Wrong!

Thank you so so much to @keegan_theatre and @cheeksmickybo / @gabblesxox for allowing me to be apart of this wonderful show, and allowing me to meet these wonderful people 🫶.

From birthdays at supergirl, pride events, broken HVAC, and things not going “wrong” quite right, this production has been an absolute blast and I’m so grateful to everyone who made this possible. AND, thanks to all my friends and family who came to support me and this incredible cast, whether we were able to get a pic afterwards or not ❤️.

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When the title is a literal warning ⚠️ I checked out The Play That Goes Wrong at the Keegan Theatre and my ribs actually hurt from laughing. Have you seen this disaster of a masterpiece yet? #fyp #theatre #dc #play #comedy

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