I'm Sorry Monologues

Created and directed by Jennifer Esposito & Alicia Coppola

Featuring Annie Pisapia, Michele Brilliant, Diane Sintich, Michelle Zonufrak, Gabriela Safa, Hannah Rene Straus, Laraisha Dievelyn Dionne, Stephanie Marshall, Charlotte Powers, Elle Jones Hartman

Diane Sintich is a Chicago-based actor/writer.  Favorite stage roles include Gertrude, Portia, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, and on tv, Diane has been seen in the Dick Wolf Universe (Chicago Med, L & O). Diane is beyond thrilled to finally be writing and performing her own stories for the stage, all thanks to Jennifer Esposito and Alicia Coppola. Her hope is that these stories raze expired beliefs and initiate conversation about us and you to maybe bring together a we...can be proud of. Jen, my forever thanks for recognizing my light when it was too dark to see.

Annie Pisapia (she/her) is an award winning actor born and raised in Queens. She can be spotted in many of the big series you’ve seen for the past six years playing roles such as Inmate, Police Officer, Drug Addict, Bartender and Janitor. Annie was the recurring character “Smoking Woman” in HIGH FIDELITY, scene partners with Bobby Cannavale in THE WATCHER, and held the role of “Agitated Woman” on NEW AMSTERDAM. Other shows include INVENTING ANNA, BETTY, MANIFEST, BILLIONS, BLUE BLOODS, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, CRASHING and THE OA. Annie’s swagger, charm, and New York attitude make her very hard to miss, even when she’s playing a background role. There are more than ten projects that are about to premiere in which Annie plays a major role including “Senior Biker Chic” in AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS, “Sister Joseph” in Jennifer Esposito’s directorial debut FRESH KILLS, and “Cathy” in the Netflix A24 comedy series SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST.

GABRIELA SAFA is a French born, Dominican and Lebanese actress, creative producer, writer, creator and multidisciplinary storyteller. She is repped by Brave Artists Management. Some of her acting credits include: DAISY JONES & THE SIX (Amazon), and SWEETHEARTS (Picturestart) from DOLLFACE creator, opposite Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga. Gab recently wrapped shooting on CHAT À TABLE, starring opposite RAMY's Laith Nakli, Kevin Corrigan, and Amir Malaklou. She is a dual citizen of the US & EU and a proud third culture kid. IG: @gabssafa

Stephanie Marshall is a proud native New Yorker, born in Harlem, raised in Washington Heights in a family of performers. She was a veteran cast member of Off-Broadway’s STOMP and most recently appeared as a guest artist with Dorrance Dance at the Joyce Theater. Her favorite role is being “Mom” to her teenage son.  A chronic apologizer, Stephanie is thrilled and by no means sorry to be a part of the “I’m Sorry” collective

Elle Jones Hartman

I am always on the go.  Spend a day with me and plan on walking, moving, and having my full attention. I will speak in Italian, my first language,  because it always happens.  I collect friends and yet I am an introvert.  There’s nothing better to me than an empty Long Island beach in the winter and getting there in a 1989 Black Land Rover 5-speed.   After that, going home to a full house for Sunday pasta dinner.  I am in the city, but my heart is in Los Angeles during basketball season so, in other words, most of the time.  My loves in life are my adult kids Zoë and Jack, their respective partners, the troubadour, my two sisters and their families and last but first – our dog Slim.  I worked as an Executive in HR for too long, did stand in work on sets when I could and am now a Casting Director and owner of Elle Jones Casting with the best team ever.  Thank you so incredibly much to Jennifer and Alicia and those I am with here on this journey.  

LaRaisha Dionne, MFA

I’m sorry I made myself invisible for so many years because I was ashamed of things that I did and others did to me. I’m sorry I robbed those that needed my voice sooner. That I’ve been sitting on this beauty, this truth, the totality of me for so long. I’m not sorry if it offends, hurts, or makes anyone who thinks they are better than me shake their head. I bet if we looked in your closets, it would be full of spectacular shit. To you, who fucked me over—fuck you. And I mean that from the depths of my gut and the parts of me you ravaged to fulfill your fantasies and dull your shame. You can’t hurt me or silence me anymore. To anyone drowning in their shame, I see you. I know you. I’m here to listen when you’re ready to come to land. The world needs all of our voices to make real change and that includes, you. To the other beautiful, real fucking women in this ensemble that Jennifer and Alicia dreamt up and brought to life—hearing your voices, seeing your spirits, witnessing your truth has helped me stand taller and remove my cloak of invisibility never to hide again.

Hannah Rene Straus is a Chicago-based actor who has suddenly and unexpectedly become a writer! Joining the I’m Sorry Monologues coincided with her getting robbed, which set in motion a self-love journey like no other; for weeks she had no phone and literally nothing else to do but write, cry, and think about what it means to have value, and what we do to ourselves in pursuit of value. The forced screen break turned out to be a blessing, as it birthed the monologue you’ll be seeing today. Bad things don’t deserve to happen to anyone, but Hannah sure made sweet lemonade out of some sour lemons this time. She’s extremely proud of her work and cannot wait to see where this takes her. Hannah is thrilled to be making her debut in NYC, and is eternally grateful to all of the people who believed in her before she believed in herself.

Michelle Onufrak is a Moth StorySLAM winner and graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She is a retired Admin Dom and her hobbies no longer include mothering grown men. Based in New York, she is officially proudly declaring herself a writer and an actor. Michelle screams endless gratitude to Jennifer, Alicia, & every woman in this group for helping her see her inherent value, and to La MaMa for generously providing us with the space to unabashedly share our truths. Thank you both so much!!

Michele Brilliant is a creator, actor, writer and voice over king residing in NYC. They have been on the comedy scene for 1,000 years performing stand-up and sketches at The Comic Strip, Joe’s Pub, PS 122 and The Lucille Lortel Theatre with Lea Delaria. They have appeared in the indie hit Trick and played the young Bette Midler in The First Wives Club. Their pilot My Brother Nancy was executive produced by Matt Damon/Pearl Street Films and ultimately picked up by HBO for development. They have booked numerous voice-over campaigns. They play a versatility of characters that range from 15-year-old boy to 50-year-old woman and continue to create comedic content on their Instagram page. Michele will be featured in the Way Down, a LGBTQIA musical comedy web series and is currently developing a sketch comedy and reality series based in NYC.

Charlotte Powers was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and has been acting since she was seven years old. She transitioned to film and television acting at age fourteen, but regularly participates in theatre. Charlotte received a liberal arts degree, with a minor in theatre, from Lewis & Clark College and is now in LA acting full time. When Charlotte isn’t acting or writing, you can find her hiking, walking her dog Ruby, or in the nearest bookstore. Charlotte would like to thank her mother for being her biggest supporter, as well as Alicia Coppola and Jennifer Esposito for instilling confidence in her like no other.

JENNIFER ESPOSITO (creator/director)

Native New Yorker, Jennifer Esposito,  is honored to be bringing these dynamic women together to tell their stores at the historic LaMama theatre.  A long time female equality advocate/activist, she  believes by sharing our stories we can release the shame, self blame and our own oppression when we realize these experiences are not just ours. We begin to understanding these experiences are systemic in nature, designed to keep us down. Only then can we move forward together to make change for us all.

Jennifer’s most recent work, her film Fresh Kills, which she wrote, directed, produced and starred in, was 80% females in front and behind the camera. The film has garnered many awards around the festival circuit. Including the Audience Choice award at HIFF and a NYWIFT Excellence in Directing. Her acting career has spanned over 25 years, appearing in over 60 film and television productions. She is a Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice and Hollywood Foreign Press award recipient. Esposito is also a NY Times best selling author.  Jennifer currently teaches acting/writing through her production company, A Rebellious Act,  that she formed to help push female stories forward.

ALICIA COPPOLA (creator/director)

Alicia Coppola is an actress, author, director, podcaster, producer and writer with an illustrious career in entertainment spanning more than 30 years with starring, recurring and guest roles in numerous television series and appearances in feature, short and documentary films. TV roles include the daytime drama Another World, CBS’s Jericho and Blood & Treasure and the CBS All Access series Why Women Kill, to name a few and countless recurring rules. She’s appeared in the feature films National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets and We Are Your Friends among others and was profiled in the documentary That Gal Who Was in That Thing.  Alicia is a published author. Her book “Gracefully Gone” chronicles her father’s battle with brain cancer. Inspired by her book, Alicia wrote, directed and starred in the award winning short film Between Us. Alicia has just completed work on her second short film And You Are? Starring Jane Seymour. She created, hosts and produces the podcast Boot Strap Bitch, leading entertaining and inspirational discussions with notable personalities. She enthusiastically shares her love of acting and storytelling as a professor at UCLA’s Professional Acting School and supports a variety of non- profit organizations with in the LGBTQ+ community. Alicia sits on the Advisory Board of The Lollipop Theater Network bringing blockbuster films, celebrities and artists to ill children in hospitals across the nation, is a Global Ambassador for The Elizabeth Kübler Ross Foundation and sits on the Board of Directors for HealGrief and Actively Moving Forward.

A huge thanks to -

Naomi Hogarty- 91 East Productions- for helping us with the video component of The I’m Sorry Monologues and taking this into the future! More to come!

DJ Belinda Becker for her music additions to the I’m Sorry’s

Katherine Narducci- actress and artist who kindly shared her incredible artwork with us.

Last but not least, Mia Yoo and the entire La MaMa family for allowing us the be a part of this magical, important space.