Knot Free Productions is an LA-based theater production company focused on staging ground-breaking pieces of theater in an intimate setting.
Current Production
Jawbreaker
September 4th - 20th
at the Hudson Theater
Tickets go on sale August 1st
Listen here
Knot Free Productions presents Jawbreaker: The Musical, a darkly comedic new stage adaptation of the 1999 cult classic. When a birthday prank goes catastrophically wrong, the most popular girls at Reagan High discover just how far they'll go to stay on top. With a book by original film writer and director Darren Stein and a propulsive pop score by Jeff Thomson and Jordan Mann, it's couture, kitsch, and candy-coated mayhem.
Rebecca Gayheart is starring as Principal Sherwood in 'Jawbreaker The Musical', a workshop coming to Los Angeles in September. TriStar/Courtesy Everett Collection/Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Planoly
For Jawbreaker casting information, please reach out to talfoxcasting@gmail.com
Tickets go on sale August 1st
For any publicity questions, call Will Armstrong
CAST
-
AJ Paramo (they/he/she)
a Chicago-born actor, singer, and dancer who is beyond excited to be making their California debut at The Hudson Theater with Jawbreaker! Most recently, they’ve spent much of this year at the Goodman Theatre in David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar’s Theater of The Mind. Regional credits include Revolution(s) (Goodman Theatre), Bring It On (The Muny), CarmXn (Hogfish Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing, and A Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Rep). AJ earned a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is proudly represented by the incredible team at DDO Agency. Endless love and gratitude to their family and friends for their constant support. @ajparamoption goes here
-
Avery Rehl
is an actor, singer, and dancer who has been performing since the age of four. She has appeared in numerous productions across the country, including a guest appearance in School of Rock: The Musical on Broadway. Avery is a rising junior at the University of Southern California, pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. Recently, Avery performed as Tess in the new musical Cool at Camp at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in NYC this past July. Some of her training includes Stagedoor Manor, Rockers on Broadway, and Broadway Dreams, where she was featured as a performer and soloist. In addition to performing, Avery has worked behind the scenes as Assistant Director and Choreographer for The Shipley School’s productions of Mean Girls and Chicago. IG: @averyrehl
-
Brandon Keith Rogers
Is beyond stoked to be joining & portraying the role of Dane, in the musical adaptation of Jawbreakers! Off-Broadway/NY: Picnic at Hanging Rock: The Musical (Greenwich House Theatre), Jerome Robbins Broadway Reunion (Guggenheim); Laurie in Jo: The Little Women Musical (Workshop). Regional credits include The Heart (La Jolla Playhouse), West Side Story (Barrington Stage Co., Flat Rock Playhouse & 5 Star Theatricals); Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show (Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret opposite Mason Alexander Park), Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (Moonlight Amphitheater), The Escapologist in Matilda (La Mirada/McCoy-Rigby), and Austen's Pride (Act of CT). TV/Film: Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max), Dave (FX) & starring in the upcoming movie-musical Saturday as Kip Phelps alongside Drew Seeley. Education: B.F.A Point Park University. @brandonkeithrogers
-
Dominic DeCicco
is an actor and writer based out of Los Angeles and they are thrilled to be making their LA Theater Debut! Dom is a graduate of the Sargent Conservatory of Theater Arts at Webster University. When off-stage, they can be found working the front door at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. He wants to thank his parents, Dante, and Isa for their constant support.
-
Jane Papageorge
is back to her scream queen roots and gagged (too soon?) to be your Marcie “Foxy” Fox! Recently: Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Brooke Wyndam in Legally Blonde, Ernestina Money in Hello Dolly, Sally DeBain in Reefer Madness. Past credits: Originated Sarah Palin in 44 The Obama Musical (Kirk Douglas), A Christmas Story (Ahmanson) Valerie Clark in A Chorus Line (The Rev), Anytime Annie in 42nd Street (MTW), HAIR and A Chorus Line (Hollywood Bowl), Jamie Leigh Lee in Scary Musical the Musical! (NoHo Arts), Princess Anna in Frozen: Live (Hyperion). LA Talent, Robert Stein management. Love to her family and CJ♥️ HUGE thank you’s to thee Thomas Dekker, Darren, Matt, Ben, Jeff, Jordan, Jay, and Tal! @janepapageorge
-
Kayla Quiroz
Off-Broadway: Beyond Perfection (Kate James) AMT Theater. National Tours: Gabby’ s Dollhouse Live (Onstage Swing & Dance Captain) Dreamworks/Universal; Dot Dot Dot (Marisol) TheaterWorksUSA. Regional: Real Women Have Curves The Musical, World Premiere (Ana U/S and Swing) American Repertory Theatre; Somebody To Love, World Premiere (Megan) Rubicon Theatre Company; The King’ s Wife (Lady Hastings & Dance Captain) Constellation Stage and Screen; The Comedy of Errrors (Luciana) New Swan Shakespeare Festival; Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Thaliard/Lychorida/Bawd) New Swan Shakespeare Festival; Tarzan (Ensemble and Mother U/S) Moonlight Stage; The Story of Biddy Mason (Rita) Fountain Theatre. Theme Parks: Mirabel’ s Gifts of the Season (Mirabel Madrigal) Disneyland Resort. TV/Film: Top Voices (Alejandra Kim, Series Regular) USC School of Cinematic Arts. Education: University of California, Irvine B.F.A. in Musical Theatre with Honors in Acting, Awarded Chancellor's Award of Distinction, and Academic Honors.
-
Kristen Seggio
is overwhelming grateful to be bringing Julie to life on stage! National Tour: Mean Girls The Musical. Regional: Katherine in Newsies (WPPAC), Aida (John W Engeman Theatre), 90210: The Musical (Broadway Playhouse, Chicago). Endless gratitude to BWA! Lots of love to Sal, Philip, Vivi, Sophie & Santino. It's all for you mom & dad! @kristenseggio
-
Méami (may-AHH-mee)
Theater is home. A passionate actor, singer, and dancer, she is proud to have traveled the country as Pearl Krabs in the National Tour of The SpongeBob Musical, alongside extensive regional theater work. She also recently wrapped filming season one of a new series (announcement soon!) Married to fellow actor Chris Mansa, they welcomed their daughter, Azé, one year ago, she is the joy of their lives. When she isn't on stage, Méami is usually sharing a laugh with her online community through her funny, lighthearted videos. She is thrilled to join the cast of JAWBREAKER The Musical and fell in love with the character Courtney as she read the script. Say hi on Instagram: @itsgonnabemea
-
Mitchell Gerrard Johnson (he/they)
is originally from Houston, Texas (land of Beyoncé). Favorite credits include the Minstrel in Something Rotten, (5-Star Theatricals), Captain Rowdy in EXORCISTIC, Collins in Rent (Coeurage Ensemble), and singing backup Off-Broadway in Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now. Most recently, they played Pacifica in the new musical Millennials Are Killing Musicals at the Colony Theatre. Follow them on Instagram…with love: @mgjohns.
-
Mireya Zoé Nevel
is a recent musical theater graduate from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. As a proud Latina performer and LA based artist, her recent credits include In the Heights at Musical Theatre West (Ensemble, Vanessa Understudy), and UCLA Mainstage productions such as Xanadu (Kira), Emma: No One But Herself (Harriet), and Natasha... Great Comet of 1812 (Ensemble, Sonya Understudy). All the love to her friends and family!
-
Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart got her start in the early '90s as "The Noxzema Girl" before moving into acting, with roles on Beverly Hills, 90210, in Wes Craven's Scream 2, and as a defining "scream queen" of the era in Urban Legend and Darren Stein's cult classic Jawbreaker (1999). She built a strong film and TV career through the 2000s in Dead Like Me, Nip/Tuck, and Vanished, made her Broadway debut in Steel Magnolias, and returned to Broadway in the 2008 revival of Boeing-Boeing. More recently, she reunited with Jawbreaker director Darren Stein on G.B.F., appeared opposite Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and has multiple projects in development, including an upcoming Lifetime movie. Gayheart now returns to the stage as the eccentric, big-hearted Principal Sherwood in the workshop premiere of Jawbreaker The Musical.
-
Will Riddle (He/Him)
(He/Him) is a Los Angeles native and a fifth generation actor and musician. He’s truly grateful to the team at ATB, and to Janaya, his north star. Credits: Buddy Holly, The Buddy Holly Story (MTW), Carl Perkins, Million Dollar Quartet (5 Star/MTW, ETC, Barter, Rubicon, Fireside) Matt, The Fantasticks (Ruskin Theatre Group) Malcolm, Pump Up the Volume (Hudson Theatre) Edward Turner, The Time Machine (After Hours) Bo Barrett, Bottle Shock! The Musical (CCAE), Hamlet, Perchance to Dream (Cast album streaming now.) Socials: @will_riddle_
Creative Team
-
MATT DICARLO
DIRECTOR
MATT DICARLO directed the world premieres of Mischief's The Comedy About Spies(Winner of the 2026 WhatsOnstage Award for Best New Play), and Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, both in the West End, London. He is the International Associate Director for Moulin Rouge! the Musical, and is proud to work on seven productions across North America and Europe. Matt has recreated the original production of The Play That Goes Wrong on tour across North America, in Chicago, in Washington DC, and currently running off Broadway at New World Stages and at the Duchess Theatre in the West End. Other Associate Director work includes Tick, Tick...Boom! at The Kennedy Center, Sing Street at The Huntington, the First National Tour of the Tony-winning revival of The Color Purple, and restaging the Broadway production of Beetlejuice the Musical in South Korea. Matt is currently developing several new plays and musicals, and he is on the faculty at Columbia University. -
JAY JACKSON
CHOREOGRAPHER
JAY JACKSON (Laganja Estranja) is a world renowned LGBTQIA+ icon most known for her choreography, music and cannabis advocacy. A U.S. Presidential Scholar in The Arts, Jackson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and choreography from the California Institute of the Arts and launched to stardom after being selected to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race. Since then, Jackson has performed on numerous television shows and for artists such as Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Jennifer Lopez, and Christina Aguilera. Other choreography credits include Miley Cyrus, Brooke Candy, “Trixie & Katya Live,” “Miss Step,” and McDonalds.
-
DARREN STEIN
BOOK
DARREN STEIN is an accomplished writer, director, and producer whose diverse body of work spans feature films, television, documentaries, and theater. He is currently adapting his 1999 cult-classic feature, Jawbreaker, into both a stage musical and a feature film remake for Columbia Pictures. Stein’s directorial and production credits include the LGBTQ+ indie favorites GBF and Sparkler (which he also co-wrote), as well as the horror-comedy All About Evil. On television, Stein penned the Lifetime feature Flowers in the Attic: Seeds of Yesterday and has developed original pilots for HBO, The CW, Fox, Freeform, and E! He has also served as a producer and recurring guest judge for eight seasons of the Emmy-nominated Shudder/AMC+ series, The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. Equally at home in non-fiction and short-form storytelling, Stein directed the acclaimed documentary Put the Camera on Me—featured on Ira Glass's This American Life—alongside award-winning fashion films and music videos. A recognized voice in queer cinema, he was honored with the 2023 Prism Legacy Award from the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Stein is a faculty member at the American Film Institute.
-
JEFF THOMSON
COMPOSER
JEFF THOMSON is the recipient of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, the Dramatists Guild Musical Theatre Writing Fellowship, the Dottie Burman Award, and was a finalist for the Fred Ebb Award. His musical TRAILS won the NYMF Award for Best Musical Score and the Stage Entertainment Development Award. Other projects include PUMP UP THE VOLUME, THE OLIVER EXPERIMENT, THE LAST SUPPER, THE LADIES QUICK: FAMILY IS MURDER, THE TIME MACHINE, MY LITTLE PONY LIVE, and two original songs for the jukebox musical ONE HIT WONDER. www.JeffThomsonMusic.com
-
JORDAN MANN
LYRICS
JORDAN MANN received the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, the Dramatists Guild Musical Theatre Writing Fellowship and the Dottie Burman Award. In addition to his work on JAWBREAKER, he wrote the lyrics for the musical TRAILS which received top honors at NYMF as well as several regional productions. He is also the lyricist and co-creator of THANKSKILLING: THE MUSICAL based on the cult horror-comedy. Other projects include HORSEMEN, a new musical written with David Mallamud and Fred Souter and fatherhood. Proud graduate of SUNY Buffalo and Northwestern University.
-
TAL FOX
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/CASTING DIRECTOR
TAL FOX is a Los Angeles-based producer, casting director, educator, and performer. She has produced and cast over 30 productions, concerts, readings, and live events throughout the US. Casting credits include Audible’s Moriarty, the national tours of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock, Women of a Certain Age and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Christmas Story at Center Theatre Group/The Ahmanson, and productions with 5-Star Theatricals, Theatre @ Boston Court, Pacific Resident Theatre, Greenway Court Theatre, The Echo Theater Company, and more. Tal previously ran the Theater and Youth Division at KMR Talent. She is also a lecturer at UCLA and teaches aspiring performers throughout Los Angeles. Tal is passionate about developing new works and supporting emerging artists. www.talfox.online
-
ZACHARY HARRIS
LEAD PRODUCER
Zachary Harris has been producing and performing in theater around Los Angeles for over a decade now. Highlights include critically acclaimed productions of Into The Woods andA Little Night Music at The Greenway Court, Assassins and Next to Normal at The Pico Playhouse, and William Finn’s In Trousers at The Lounge Theatre. Last summer, he staged a ground-breaking workshop production of Jeff Thomson and Jeremy Desmon's Pump Up The Volume at the Hudson Theatre to rave reviews. This production has now partnered with Broadway & Beyond and Crossroads Live to create a tour for 2027. Proud LA native and graduate of The University of Pennsylvania where he studied communications and marketing.