Ithaca College

One night only - Staged reading of Leni, a play about the life of the controversial German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (Triumph of the Will, Olympia). Free admission event with a talkback after the performance.

 On November 6 in the Clark Lounge at 7:00pm, come see Leni, a two-person play about the life of Leni Riefenstahl. This staged reading will feature performances by Assistant Professor Kathleen Mulligan and Acting Major Sarah Herbert-Johnson (2013), each playing the filmmaker at different moments in her life. The reading will include multimedia elements from Park School students Jake Witterschein and Clinton Butler (2015). Directed by professional actor and director David Studwell, this one-night-only reading will be followed by a special talkback with the playwright Sarah Greenman, Professor James Pfrehm (Contemporary German Film), the director, and the cast. This reading is free of charge and limited seating is available, so early arrival is suggested.

Sarah Greenman is an artist, writer and actor. She holds a BA in creative writing from Mills College where she was awarded the Gertrude Hung Chan Playwriting Prize for her original play Leni. Sarah's plays have been produced in New York City, Oakland CA, Portland OR, Santa Maria CA and Seattle WA. Sarah is also a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA where she most recently served as Interim Director of Outreach and Education. Sarah resides in Dallas, TX with her husband Jack and sons Walker and Charlie.

Recent praise for Leni includes this from the Seattle Weekly:

Imagine a play so well conceived, staged, and performed, you'd ask to see it again as soon as the curtain call ends. Now consider a historical personality so much larger than life that to fully flesh her out requires two performers. That's Leni, a thought-provoking tour through the world of Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. Greenman demonstrates a masterful confidence as her text darts from one decade to the next and one Leni to another. It shouldn't work, but it does, to stunning effect.  - Kevin Phinny,

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Sam Gates at sgates2@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.