Intramural is composed of a small but eclectic group of local theatremakers, each of whom brings their own set of specialties to the ensemble. While this is the core group, they’re always seeking out new collaborators who are similarly passionate about original, cutting edge theatre.

Since 2015, Intramural Theater has taken on multiple iterations. Past members of the group include: Rebecca Greaves, Mack Guillory III, Grace Kennedy, Grace Nix, Chris Silva, Max Skelton, & A.S. Wilson.

Mary Davis

Mary Davis is a performer, director and educator from Virginia. She studied theater and filmmaking at the University of Virginia and trained at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in Washington, D.C. Mary came to New Orleans from Charlottesville, Virginia in 2018 and has since worked with Intramural on Protrusion and Play/Write, among other projects. By day, Mary interprets local history and manages the Exchange Shop at the Hermann-Grima and Gallier Historic Houses. She worked with Goat in the Road Productions as a dramaturg and assistant stage manager to produce The Uninvited at the Gallier House. As an educator, Mary has recently taught for Community Works in New Orleans, and she flees the heat for two weeks each summer to co-lead a children's theater workshop and prance through meadows in rural New York.

Topher Johnson

Topher Johnson is a New Orleans-based actor and improvisor. Topher finds themselves most at home performing on the stage with friends, and does most of their best work while fighting off intrusive thoughts. Recent credits include Moonsprung by Intramural Theater (2024), Art Church (2024), The Fools Ensemble with the Tulane Shakespeare Festival (2024), The Bermuda Can Company by Intramural Theater (2024), and True West with the Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Topher also performs long form improvised storytelling a few times a month with Two Friends Improv. They received their BA in Acting from the University of Southern California in 2016, which they deeply regret financially. 

Elizabeth Frenchie Faith

Frenchie’s first love is flying but babies, chocolate covered cherries, and creepy things that go bump in the night run a close second. She is a professional acrobat and founding member of The Flying Buttresses Aerial Troupe, with whom she has been performing for fifteen years. Her artistic style ranges from silly to perverse with an emphasis on physical comedy and original dance choreography. Her personal connection to her art has been described as “obsessive” and “bad for our relationship”.

Frenchie's favorite devised works include 13 O’clock by The Flying Buttresses (CAC Theater Residency), Eternal Harp of Bjork (Marigny Opera House with Cassie Watson), and Pitch (with Riot Mueller). Other favorite credits include Drones (feature film), Three Sisters (Nevada Theatre, CA), and sound engineering for 88.3FM WRBH. With regular performances for Trixie Minx Productions, Emcee Sweet Tea, and Nari Tomasetti Presents. Frenchie trained at the Kirov Ballet (DC), The Theatre Lab (DC), and Emilia Sports Acrobatics (MD). She earned her BA from University of California at Berkeley for Theater and is finishing her master’s at New York University for Speech Language Pathology. She is honored and grateful to be here. 

Bennett Kirschner
(Founding Artistic Director)

Bennett Kirschner is a New Orleans-based playwright and director. Since founding Intramural Theater with A.S. Wilson in 2015, he has directed and produced multiple site-specific and original plays throughout the city. Recent credits include The Bermuda Can Company by Intramural Theater (2024), The Trees by Agnes Borinsky (2024), CAVE by Intramural Theater (2023), The Canopic Jar of My Sins by Justin Maxwell (2022), The Cuck by Sam Mayer (2022), and Apostles of Everest by Intramural Theater (2021).

His original devising methodology, which has generated five of Intramural’s works, integrates free-writing exercises and improvised physical composition into nonhierarchical ensemble settings. As a playwright, his work tends towards dark comedy, touching on themes of the ills of consumerism, environmental politics, and the emotional price of compassion. He received his MFA in Playwriting from the University of New Orleans in 2019. His directing reel is available here.

Leah Floyd

Leah Floyd is a New Orleans artist, costume designer and educator. She received her undergraduate degree in English from Stetson University in 2003 and her MFA in Creative Photography from the University of Florida in 2011. Since moving to New Orleans in 2011, Leah has been teaching photography to both youth and adults within university, high school and museum settings. She found her way into costume design via her love for vintage clothing, New Orleans costume culture, sewing/quilting and experimentation in textile dyeing. 

Leah has been costuming for Intramural Theater since 2019 and has costumed the plays: Protrusion, Apostles of Everest, The Cuck, Cave, The Trees and most recently Timbuktu,USA. In addition to her work with Intramural Theater she has costumed for New Orlean’s Shakespeare Festival, Newman High School and Play/Write.

In her free time she enjoys working on her clothing company, Knew- Handmade and Vintage, cooking, gardening, playing with her new baby, Loretta, riding her motorcycle and treasure hunting.

You can find Leah’s photographic work at leahfloyd.com and her vintage and hand dyed goods at knew.handmade.vintage on instagram. 

Mary Langley

Mary Langley is Theatre Artist originally from coastal New Hampshire. She holds a BA in Theatre and Performing Arts from The American University in London where she also performed at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and The Globe Theatre. She served as a Resident Artist for New Hampshire Theatre Project from 2015-2019 before moving to New Orleans to be closer to family. Although Mary works primarily as an actor, she has a background in stage management, directing, teaching, writing, and devising. 

Mary’s favorite credits include the devised piece Clean Body with The American University in London; Men on Boats with NH Theatre Project; For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls with Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans; and The Cuck with Intramural Theater. Mary describes her artistic ethos as “having a good time.” 

KC Simms

KC Simms is a Baton Rouge–born, New Orleans–based actor working across film and stage. Recent screen credits include Henry Tillman’s drama Mike (dir. Craig Gillespie), Richard Linklater’s action feature Hitman, and Netflix original series BOOTS. Onstage he has tackled a range of classical and contemporary roles—Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, Orlando in As You Like It, Alvin in Goodnight Oscar, and Saul in The Trees. KC balances dynamic physicality with detailed script analysis, aiming for truthful, adaptable character work in every medium.

Lauren Wells

Lauren is an artist, designer, and mother originally from Birmingham, Alabama, though she’s lived just about everywhere. She feels reasonably confident that New Orleans has finally cured her of the seven-year itch. She has collaborated with Intramural Theater on several Play/Write events, as well as on The Bermuda Can Company and Timbuktu, USA.

She brings a dearth of experience (and wigs) to the company. She could be seen in a Jordache jeans commercial from the 1980s that aired exclusively in the tri-state area, a brief appearance as a dead sorority girl on one of the CSI shows (possibly Miami), background work in the soft-core adult film The XXX Games, and more infomercials than she cares to count. She is stoked to continue making creative mischief and merriment with the humans on this page.  

Sarah VanDerMeer

Sarah VanDerMeer is a New Orleans based artist who has been trying to render the invisible for years. Her primary medium is painting, although she has been collaborating with both film and theater directors to create evocative worlds using her background in large-scale installation, puppetry, and animation. She received an undergraduate degree in sculpture from Pratt Institute in 2012 and has worked with Intramural Theater since 2015, serving as the company's scenic and aesthetic designer.

She is most moved by the liminal spaces that exist in this world, but evoke a magnitude and strangeness that is otherworldly – spaces that remind us of our diminutive place in nature. She believes the experience of true beauty is closely linked to a feeling of fear, and through her work creates vehicles for accessing those dark places. She enjoys ghosts, folklore, and medieval art.

Madi Zins

Madi Zins (she/they) is a theater-maker, performance poet, papermaker, and part-time puppet nerd. She is based in New Orleans where she enjoys making performance art with friends and typing poems on the street for strangers. Madi has apprenticed with the 60-year-old anarchist puppet crew, Bread and Puppet, at their farm in Vermont where she studied puppetry, devised theater, and rolling in dirt (praise mother dirt!). She is interested in puppetry and theater at large as a tool for political protest. She wants the world to be full of more cheap art, creativity, biodiversity, and, of course, play! You can find madi's poetry and performance stuff at @madi_zins

Jeremy Webber

Jeremy Webber is a sound designer and musician based in New Orleans. A real "sweetie pie" according to his wife and one of his cousins, Jeremy uses field recordings, algorithms and original melodic compositions to create immersive soundscapes. He has been working with Intramural since its inception in 2015. His favorite drink is a spicy margarita, and his favorite restaurant is Margaritaville. Coincidence? He'll let you decide!