Creator

Penina Beede

Penina Beede (she/they) is a comedian, writer, and producer. Penina weaves darkly comedic observation with storytelling and performance art to convey her message. Originally from New England, they performed stand-up at venues across the Northeast before moving to Chicago in 2021, where Penina produced and performed in stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy shows throughout the city. In 2024, she began pursuing an MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship at The New School. Now based in New York, Penina continues to perform stand-up and improv while workshopping her solo comedy show, Slack Off, about her upbringing in the Jewish community and how a manic episode led her to enlist in the Israeli army.

Director

Belle Flanegan

Belle Flanegan (she/her) is a director and choreographer based in NYC. Originally from San Diego, California, Belle has been on an exploration of movement-based storytelling and one-person narratives. Slack Off marks her first production based in NYC, but her previous directing credits include don’t feed the bear (Hollywood Fringe), The Fundamentals (University of California, Irvine), The Dumb Waiter (University of California, Irvine), and Walking Shadows (Hollywood Fringe). As a passionate organizer as well as artist, Belle specializes in devised and community-based work. An example of her collaboration in works like this includes If Not Now?, a play in collaboration with school gun violence survivors developed at UC Irvine. Belle resides in the Lower East Side with her favorite people and 3 part-time jobs. She cannot wait to continue making art in this incredible city.