Set on the Kentucky-West Virginia border in the 1880s, this bold play reimagines the heart of Romeo and Juliet through a modern lens. Two young lovers from feuding families steal a moment of safety at a fall festival deep in the woods. Through imagination and play, they build an entire world together, one in which love wins over bloodlines.

As they test that version of their future, both actors transform into the people their families would create: a little girl becomes a towering Scotsman; a young man becomes an embittered grandmother; loyalties twist, stories collide, and the question grows sharper:

This is intimate, physically imaginative storytelling: a universe built by two performers, right in front of the audience’s eyes.

At a time when inherited narratives often feel louder than our own voices, this play asks a question that resonates across generations:

It’s a story about hope, imagination, agency, and choosing a different path when the path handed down feels unbreakable. And in a world where division is easy, this play invites audiences into the harder work - the brave work - of choosing connection.

Theatre like this doesn’t happen alone. It takes:

By supporting this production, you’re not only helping us hire and pay the artists who will bring this story to life - you’re fueling opportunities that ripple outward.

When artists get to do bold, skill-revealing work, it leads to more work. It strengthens careers. It grows the ecosystem.

That’s the heart of For the Makers: connecting exceptional artists with meaningful projects and, in doing so, making our corner of the theatre industry braver, fuller, and better.

We’re launching our seed funding phase on Giving Tuesday and it will run from Tuesday, December 2 – Tuesday, December 16

Our goal for this phase is $7,000, which covers:

And thanks to a generous donor, the first $1,500 will be matched, meaning your gift instantly doubles in impact.

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Your support helps bring this story from page to stage and helps build a more vibrant, artistic landscape along the way.

Thank you for supporting new theatre, new voices, and the artists who make it possible.

We can’t wait to share this work with you.

Leah Beth Etheredge: Producer/Director
Leah Beth Etheredge is a New York–based director, performer, and producer devoted to telling stories that inspire and reflect the human heart. A BFA Musical Theatre graduate from Baylor University, she has performed Off-Broadway in Revelation the Musical and regionally as Jo March in Little Women. Recent credits include Associate Director for Carousel in Concert in Central Park and the Director of the NYC premiere of Suckers. Currently workshopping a concept for Into the Woods, Leah Beth also co-owns For the Makers Productions with Rachel Gifford, producing new works like An Act of Penance and Between In Between.

Rachel Gifford: Producer/Actor
Rachel Gifford is a New York–based producer and actor with a BFA in Theatre (Musical Theatre emphasis) from TCU. She is the co-founder of For the Makers Productions, where select producer credits include SUCKERS by Devin Berg and the ongoing development of LB’s reimagined Into the Woods concept. Rachel has also produced concerts for The HANG NYC, a nonprofit supporting community and encouragement for artists. Acting credits include Shelby (Steel Magnolias), Rose (The Secret Garden), and Princess Elizabeth (Richard III).
“Only connect. That is the whole of my sermon.” — E.M. Forster.

Amy Helms: Playwright
Amy Helms is a NY-based actor and playwright with her MFA in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training Program. Favorite credits include Sophie Scholl in We Will Not Be Silent, Catherine in A View from the Bridge, Ruth Hoch in Book of Days and Viola in Twelfth Night. Her play, The Feeling Variations, was recently included as a staged reading with New Thread's Theatre Company. In her free time, Amy works for a Venture Capital firm, reads avidly and hosts sourdough bread eating parties for her friends.