Writing
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The Guild, the musical
It was so much easier being friends before they ever met…
Cyd Sherman excels at slaying monsters online with her tight-knit gaming guild - but real life, from grocery runs to therapy appointments, is far more daunting. When one guildmate breaks digital anonymity, their virtual world collides with reality, forcing Cyd to confront her fears and reunite the team. Together, they must battle anxiety, miscommunication, and the toughest boss of all: real life.
Adapted from Felicia Day’s cult-classic web series by composer Mark Schenfisch, lyricist Sam Balzac, and bookwriter Allison Frasca, The Guild: The Musical has been performed/livestreamed at Dynasty Typewriter in LA with a starstudded cast and presented at The Other Palace in London as a part of MTFestUK — both featuring Day reprising her role as Codex.
Follow @theguildmusical to catch some clips — and to keep an eye out for the next level…
Cavin Cornwall as Vork and Emily Ooi as Tink at MTFestUK
Felicia Day as Codex and Nuwan Hugh Perera as Zaboo at MTFestUK
Felicia Day as Codex at MTFestUK
Anjali Bhimani as Avinashi at MTFestUK
Emma Lindars as Clara and Iván Fernández González as Bladezz at MTFestUK
L to R: Tom Lenk, Christopher Gorham, Allison Frasca, Kirsten Vagsness, Anjali Bhimani, Lauren Lopez, Felicia Day, Joey Richter, Rama Vallury, Phil LaMarr, Matt Glass, Sam Balzac, and Mark Schenfisch at Dynasty Typewriter
YOU DON’T SAY, A SHORT MUSICAL MOVIE | ThE BARN LA
Hebert and Lilith are madly in love but too shy to tell each other—that is until they walk into a magical, musical bookstore. But what genre is best for honesty?
Written by, composed by and starring A.J. Freeman and Sam, You Don’t Say took the 2025 film festival circuit by storm, screening at the prestigious Indy Shorts International Film Festival and winning Best Short, Best Score, and Best Comedy at festivals across the country. Want to know what all the fuss was about? Watch below!
Existential Questions of the 21st Century
At "ExistenceCon," a two-day festival where attendees are hopeful that humanity's sad existence is coming to an end, entrepeneurs, artists, alien-worshippers, and sentient computers come to terms with their preconceived notions of life and progress.
Semifinalist at the Eugene O’Neill Center’s New Musical Theatre Conference and winner of the New York State Council on the Arts’ Support for Artists grant, Existential Questions has been performed in concert at Columbia University; at Green Room 42; in Saranac Lake, NY; and at Caveat NYC, and has partnered with the NYCDSA Ecosocialists, Third Act Upstate New York, and Protect the Adirondacks in exploring the intersection of climate activism and absurd musical comedy.
Follow our journey @existentialqsofthe21stcentury!
L to R: Fernanda Douglas, Alex Sanders, Molly Heller and Patrick Brady at Green Room 42
Bebe Browning and Chanel Teaboú at Green Room 42
Gerome Samonte and PAtrick Brady at Green Room 42
L to R: Sam Balzac, Patrick Brady, Njoki Tiagha, Jen Chia, Molly Rose Heller, Pru Lord-Remmert, Hannah Eakin, and Fernanda Douglas at Caveat NYC
Existential Questions in Saranac Lake, NY. L to R: Fernanda Douglas, Hannah Eakin, Molly Rose Heller, Jen Chia, Bill McColgan, Sam Balzac, Tyler Nye, Chanel Teaboú, and Courtney Knysch
Videos to make you question existentially…
Sam talks all questions existential (“Why Are We Still Here?” “What Are We?” and “Calling (or, Can the Extraterrestrials Hear Us?”) with the York Theatre’s Seth Christenfeld. Feat. Patrick Brady, Fernanda Douglas, Hannah Eakin, and Molly Heller.
When life on Earth isn't going too well, alien worshipper J.R. (Hannah Eakin, The Sara Teasdale Project) looks to outer space. Accompanied by Fernanda Douglas (The Dream Unfinished Orchestra).
The Show Must Go On: A musical mystery at sea | Anderson University
Seven lucky sweepstakes winners are aboard the first cruise to set sail since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These winners are ecstatic to see their Broadway favorites take the stage, but the excitement is brought to a screeching halt when they discover one of the performers dead in the greenroom!
The Show Must Go On is brought to you by the Musical Theatre Department at Anderson University, featuring guest stars Jill Abramovitz (Beetlejuice the Musical) and Aaron Lazar (The Last Ship).
The Personals | BMI Lehmen Engel Musical Theatre Workshop
Based on William R. Eakin's short story "Plain Female Seeking Nice Guy," this ten-minute musical follows Mississippi native Mina Dawson on a quest to find the perfect partner...and he turns out to be something out of this world.
Featuring Hannah Eakin, Alison Freeman, Talaura Harms, Mary Claire Miskell, Rick Rea, Mark Schenfisch, and Jason Weisinger.
"Alma Matters More," The 121st Annual Varsity Show
Read the Bwog Review HERE.
Almageddon | The 121st Annual Varsity Show
The Varsity Show is Columbia's longest performing arts tradition that satirizes student life at Columbia in a student-written, -produced and -performed full-length musical comedy. This was a great opportunity to explore my skills as a composer, lyricist and orchestrator and, through my work with fellow composer/lyricist Fernanda Douglas, to grow as a collaborator.
CLICK HERE for more information.
Watch the full show here: