Press Kit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kady Barnes – PR & Marketing Director, Arizona Theatre Matters
📧 pr@arizonatheatrematters.org | arizonatheatrematters.org

After the Flames: New Play Explores Joan of Arc’s Mother’s Fight for Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 6, 2025

Contact: pr@arizonatheatrematters.org

Actors, Audiences, and Ashes: How Collaboration Shapes Even Unto Death

TORONTO, ON / GLENDALE, AZ — The day after Joan of Arc’s execution, a mother wakes to the silence that follows a crowd. From that silence, playwright Jeanmarie Simpson has built Even Unto Death, a new audio drama now moving into its recording phase.

The project has grown through a rare, community-driven development process uniting artists across borders. It began with a volunteer Zoom reading that “miraculously included” acclaimed theatre and film actors Lynne Griffin and Sean Sullivan, whose insight provided what Simpson calls “deep and discerning feedback.” Their participation inspired the first wave of refinements to the script.

A subsequent table read brought together the full Canadian cast—Griffin (Isabelle), Sullivan (Jacques), Erynn Brook (Agnes), Hilary Scott (Margot), M John Kennedy (Pierre), Matthew Romantini (Jean), and Joseph Brohm (Narrator). That session clarified how narration could illuminate the story’s shifting timeline and historical texture while preserving its emotional intimacy.

Then, on October 4 in Glendale, Arizona, thanks to a City of Glendale Arts grant, Even Unto Death received its first public reading, directed by Simpson herself. Audience response led to further refinements and strengthened the emotional architecture of the play.

Next, the company will begin a Canadian cast recording directed by Michael Rawley and engineered by Arizona Production Manager Kevin Tye with Assistant Sydney Wolfe. Each actor will record from a separate, acoustically neutral space, using state-of-the-art equipment and collaborative software to build a single, seamless sound world.  “Technology is miraculous,” Simpson says. “It’s allowing us to be together in spirit and precision, even across two countries.”

“Actors and audiences show me where the script is breathing and where it’s still gasping for air,” Simpson adds. “Every time we read the play aloud, I learn something I didn’t know I’d written. Including the audience and getting their feedback helps me sharpen and clarify the script. The story doesn’t finish on the page—it finds its shape in the room, in the voices, the silences, and the surprises the actors bring. I write alone, but I discover the play in company.”

The forthcoming audio release will invite listeners into that living process—a world of breath, bread, and memory rendered entirely in sound.

About Arizona Theatre Matters

Arizona Theatre Matters (ATM) shapes theatre from the substance of accessibility itself, ensuring storytelling reaches everyone—regardless of ability, income, or location. By making accessibility an artistic foundation, we create theatre that is deeply inclusive, boldly experimental, and undeniably for all.

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For interviews, images, and media materials, contact:
Kady Barnes – PR & Marketing Director
📧 pr@arizonatheatrematters.org

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EVEN UNTO DEATH

A new play by Jeanmarie Simpson

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SHOW SYNOPSIS

Short Version
In the aftermath of Joan of Arc’s execution, her mother, Isabelle Romée, struggles with grief and powerlessness. In her quiet kitchen, family tensions and unspoken memories weigh heavy, as each member wrestles with the loss in their own way.

Long Version
Even Unto Death, a new play by Jeanmarie Simpson, is an intimate portrait of a family in the shadow of unimaginable loss. Days after the execution of Joan of Arc, her mother, Isabelle Romée, moves through her daily chores—baking bread, folding linens—haunted by memories and the unhealed wounds of her husband and sons.

The kitchen becomes a crucible where grief, shame, and love collide. Conversations grow tense, silences stretch long, and moments of tenderness surface unexpectedly. A visiting friend brings news from beyond their small village, and the household is stirred in ways no one could have foreseen.

Even Unto Death centers lived experience, artistic rigor, and the bonds that endure even in the face of devastating loss.

“What’s left is what they couldn’t kill.”

STATEMENT FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR

When I recently saw the film The Passion of Joan of Arc, I was shaken to learn that twenty-four years after Joan’s execution, her mother, Isabelle Romée, petitioned to have Joan’s name cleared — and that, within a year, Joan was exonerated. I was further astonished to realize there is no play or film devoted to Isabelle’s remarkable act.

The impulse to tell that story rose in me and would not be ignored. Even Unto Death was born from the urgency to give voice to the woman who carried her sorrow the way others carry breath, and whose refusal to remain silent reversed the most craven, horrifying and brutal “legacy” imaginable.

ATM’s YouTube channel offers the perfect space for this first public life — a chamber where the play’s closeness can be preserved, even as it reaches across geography to audiences who might never set foot in a theater. In that space, Isabelle’s voice can once more enter the world — not as a relic of history, but as a living cry for justice that refuses to fade into oblivion.

— Jeanmarie Simpson

“Remember not the fire, but the girl.”

CREATIVE TEAM

Michael Rawley (Director) is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright. Michael has performed on national and international stages in iconic roles, including Scar in Disney’s The Lion King. As Managing Artistic Director of SaveTheLaSalle, he devotes himself to restoring the historic LaSalle Theatre in Ontario and produces annual shows including Scrooge: A Christmas Carol and Shakespeare in the Park.

With a passion for preserving theatre history while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance, Michael brings a bold artistic vision to ATM, ensuring that every production balances tradition, innovation, and inclusivity.

Michael is Associate Artistic Director of ATM and for the company has directed The Ferryman’s Toll and played Theseus/Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prospero in The Tempest. In 2026, he will play the title role in LEAR – a solo adaptation, and Alban Matthews in Ghosts of the Gilded Stage. In addition to Even Unto Death, Michael will direct The Pirates of Penzance.

Lynne Griffin (Isabelle). Lynne’s acting credits span over forty years, appearing in theatres across Canada and the U.S. including the Shaw and Stratford Festivals (which included playing opposite both Sir Peter Ustinov in King Lear and Sir Ian Richardson in Man and Superman). At Theatre Plus in Toronto, Lynne did the trifecta of playing the leads in The Lark, A Doll’s House, and Antigone, all directed by Marion Andre. Lynne appeared in 12 productions atthe Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA, including The Voice of the Prairie where she met her future husband, Sean Sullivan. Her favorite role remains The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, which she has played four times… and the first time was the first meeting of Lynne and Jeanmarie, who played Lady Capulet.

Recent film credits include Priscilla (as Elvis Presley’s grandmother) directed by Sofia Coppola, Seven Veils (as Amanda Seifried’s mother) directed by Atom Egoyan, and Thanksgiving directed by Eli Roth. Lynne also starred in the cult hits Black Christmas, Strange Brew, and Curtains. 

Her TV series’ include Happy Town, Wind At My Back, Riverdale and Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

She has directed her husband, Sean Sullivan in his award-winning solo-play Baby Redboots’ Revenge and A Christmas Carol Comedy, as well as co-directed Alice In Wonderland with him.

Lynne has expanded her self-expression into the art of collage, assemblage, and decoupage with recycled wood, found objects, and clip art. Her work has been shown in galleries across Ontario. Her primary muse is Frida Kahlo whose paintings and photographs have inspired her to create many varied pieces.

For ATM, Lynne played myriad roles in Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood and Marguerite in The Ferryman’s Toll.

“It only takes one daughter to crack the sky.”

Sean Sullivan (Jacques) Dubbed ‘a virtual Nijinsky of performance art’ by the New York Times, Mr. Sullivan has toured North America and Central Europe in the solo play ‘Baby Redboots’ Revenge’, (directed by his wife, Lynne Griffin), winning awards and accolades in Poland, The Czech Republic, New York City, (at P.S. 122, the alternative theatre mecca in NYC), Los Angeles and San Diego.

Sean and Lynne are currently in pre-production on the film adaptation of Sean’s magic reality/horror play The Slaughter Brothers Dime Circus. The theatre production was called ‘a surrealist horror circus mindbender’ by Delirium Magazine, and ‘Part bedtime story, part Clockwork Orange. Half Bugs Bunny, half nightmare’ by BroadwayWorld.

Elsewhere as an actor, Sullivan has appeared in 12 productions at the Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA. Favorite roles include Norman in The Dresser and Davey/Leon in The Voice of the Prairie, in which he met, acted, and fell in love with Lynne Griffin.

Sullivan’s film credits include Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Foolproof, Wayne’s World, Back To The Future III, Who’s That Girl?, and The Howling VI. Selected TV credits: The Umbrella Academy (recurring), Damien, Hemlock Grove, Good God, Across The River To Motor City, Poor Tom is Cold.

For ATM, Sean played a plethora of roles in Under Milk Wood, and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Erynn Brook (Agnes) Erynn Brook is an actor, singer, educator, arts administrator and producer. Currently serving as Program Manager for Randolph College for the Performing Arts (her alma mater), Erynn leads curriculum oversight, the management of College productions, and emergency granola bar distribution. As a performer, Erynn has been in shows you’ve heard of (like Beauty and the Beast and Little Women), and shows you haven’t. Favourite roles include Vanda/Venus in Venus in Fur (Pickle Theatre and New Stages Theatre), and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty: A Panto (Globus Theatre). She particularly enjoys any opportunity to be part of new or developing works. On occasion, you can catch her singing with her band, Molly’s Chamber.

Erynn has been teaching acting and singing for over two decades. In addition to her diploma from Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Erynn holds a BFA in New Media from Toronto Metropolitan University, and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at OISE in Curriculum and Pedagogy with a specialization in Arts in Education.

Hilary Scott (Margot) is a graduate of George Brown’s Theatre Conservatory, and co-founder of the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Favourite credits include: Kat Sandler’s PUNCH UP (Eastern Front Theatre), Heart of Steel (Factory Theatre), Matilda (The Savoy), Yaga (The HAT), for TV: Odd Squad (TVOKids), and Frankie Drake Mysteries (CBC). In addition, she operates out of Toronto as the HAT’s Lead Graphic Designer. You can peek her artworks @hilhob on instagram! 

M. John Kennedy (Pierre) is the Head of Acting at the Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto. He is a frequent collaborator at 4th Line Theatre (Wild Irish Geese, The Tilco Strike, The Great Shadow) and New Stages (It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play & Yellow Face. Other recent theatre credits include Venus in Fur (Pickle Theatre); Tunnel at the End of the Light (Soldiers in the Arts); Give ‘Em Hell (Prairie Fire, Please / Theatre Direct); ; A Christmas Carol Comedy (No Porpoise); A Number (Lunar Stage); Macbeth, Hamlet & Romeo and Juliet (Classical Theatre Project); The 39 Steps (Gin Soak’d); The Hound of the Baskervilles & End of the Rainbow (Globus); Krampus, The Princess Knight and Treasure Island* (Solar Stage).

M. John is currently touring his one-person Robert Munsch show(s) Fireside Munsch**.  

*Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination(s) for Outstanding Performance by an Individual.

**Eight Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations.

Recent television credits include: Noel Next Door (Hallmark); Bury the Past (Lifetime); Mrs. America & The Strain (FX); 11/22/63 (Hulu); Murdoch Mysteries & Ollie the Boy Who Became What He Ate (CBC). 

Audiobooks include: Tell Me When You Feel Something, Escape Plans and The Colonial Hotel.

Matthew Romantini (Jean) As a creator and performer, Matthew works in theatre, dance, and with orchestral ensembles across the continent, as well as in film/tv, voice, prosthetics and motion capture. Most recently, he has been seen at the Canadian Opera Company in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, in two new short films, and hugging his graduating daughter in a Jewlr ad.

He has been nominated for and won several awards (nominations for 6 Dora Mavor Moore Awards in total). He has also been nominated for the Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe (for Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble’s interdisciplinary “theatre of music” work Just Out of Reach), and the CTC Award in Vancouver (winning best production for Ghostlight Projects’ The Boys in the Band), and has been nominated for the KM Hunter Award.

In addition to Don Pasquale, notable productions include starring as Sergio in Expandido Theatre Group’s The Rage of Narcissus, Michael in The Boys in the Band (Ghostlight Projects); Peter in Peter and the Wolf (Theatre Rusticle); co-creator and performer in Gorey Story, and the solo work Waiting for the Dawn (The Thistle Project); Sunyata with Kokoro Dance; as well as directing 10 Nights of Dream (TomoeArts), Unity (1918), The Government Inspector, Peer Gynt and Arcadia (Randolph College Toronto). Matthew also played Albert in the creature feature Silent Retreat, which won the Best Canadian Feature in the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, and is available on Amazon Prime.

Overall, Matthew’s main hope is to create and contribute to works that are meaningful, and help people understand themselves and the world in a fuller, more nuanced, and compassionate way.

Joseph Brohm (Narrator) is a Toronto-based actor and artistic creator originally from Northern Ontario. After studying briefly at the University of Windsor’s Drama (BFA) program, he became an artistic associate at The LaSalle Theatre in Kirkland Lake. There he helped to produce junior productions of several major shows including Annie, The Music Man and Willy Wonka. His original adaptation of The Nutcracker showcased his abilities as both a writer and performer. Also in 2026 for ATM, Joseph will play Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance and narrate LEAR – a solo adaptation and Ghosts of the Gilded Stage.

Jeanmarie Simpson (Playwright) is a writer, performer, and director whose work has reached audiences across the globe. In 2025, Upstage Left Press published When Churchyards Yawn and Other Plays, a collection of four works that probe conscience, resistance, and power through a feminist lens. Her recent plays — Bambino Mio – Bright Little Flame, Pineapple and Other Options, The Jewish Question, and When Churchyards Yawn — reflect her ongoing commitment to illuminating stories of courage and conscience, particularly those centered on women’s experiences.

Jeanmarie expresses profound gratitude to Lynne Griffin, whose artistry and leadership brought extraordinary heart and integrity to Even Unto Death. Through Lynne came Sean Sullivan and the rest of the Toronto ensemble — “a blessing beyond measure.” She is equally delighted that her theatre friend from high school in Toronto, Michael Rawley, directs the production with grace and insight.

As Founding Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Matters, Simpson has led inclusive, award-winning productions supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona Humanities, and other regional and national organizations. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, where she continues to create theatre that challenges assumptions, restores erased histories, and invites deeper human connection.

Arizona Theatre Matters (ATM) creates and produces theatre that is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the communities we serve. Guided by the motto “Nothing about us without us,” ATM centers lived experience, artistic rigor, and access as the foundation of narrative performance. Our work integrates accessibility into the artistic process itself, ensuring that all audiences can fully engage with the story being told. We collaborate with artists across disability, cultural, and generational lines to create theatre that is as diverse and dynamic as the world we live in.

CONTACT

Press Contact:
Kady Barnes – PR & Marketing Director, Arizona Theatre Matters
📧 pr@arizonatheatrematters.org

arizonatheatrematters.org

youtube.com/@arizonatheatrematters

For interviews with playwright/director Jeanmarie Simpson or members of the cast, and for access to high-resolution images, logos, and promotional materials, please email pr@arizonatheatrematters.org.