About us
New York is DEAD was written by Matthew Wilkas and Jenn Harris (Felix and Cathy) and directed by Randy Harrison. Together they make up Better WERK Productions LLC.
MATTHEW WILKAS
(Actor, Writer, Producer) Matthew is New York City-based actor and writer who most recently appeared in “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” on Broadway where he played the role of “Flash Thompson” and then “Peter Parker/Spider-man”. He is also the star of the award-winning indie film hit “Gayby”.
Matthew has acted at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Huntington Theatre Company, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and The Sundance Theatre Institute, under the direction of Michael Greif, Anna D. Shapiro, Will Frears, Carolyn Cantor, Mark Brokaw, Nicholas Martin, and Trip Cullman.
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His television credits include guest appearances on "Looking", “Ugly Betty”, “Hope and Faith”, “All My Children”, “As the World Turns” and “Law and Order. Films include, "The Mummy", "Top Five", "Fits and Starts", and "Island Zero".
RANDY HARRISON
(Director, Actor, Producer) New York is Dead is Randy Harrison’s directorial debut. He is best known for playing Justin Taylor for five seasons on Showtime’s acclaimed series Queer as Folk where he had the opportunity to work with such acclaimed television and film directors as John Fawcett, Jeremy Podeswa, Russell Mulcahy and John Greyson. Also on Showtime he appeared in Bang, Bang You’re Dead directed by Guy Ferland. Randy is a founding member of New York City’s Qwan Company with whom he collaborated to create Notes! and Swan!!! which played at PS122 and Abrons Arts Center. He has studied theatrical composition with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, acting with Ron Van Lieu and improvisation at the People’s Improv Theatre.
His acting work includes: Wicked on Broadway. National Tour: Emcee in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Cabaret; (Elliot Norton Award) Primary Stages: Harbor; Theatre for a New Audience: Antony and Cleopatra; Red Bull Theater: Edward the Second; Manhattan Class Company A Letter from Ethel Kennedy; Guthrie Theater: George in Sunday in the Park with George, Young Tom in The Glass Menagerie, George Street & Cleveland Playhouse: Red; Studio Theatre DC: The Habit of Art: Shakespeare Theatre DC: Twelfth Night, Berkshire Theatre Group: The Who’s Tommy, Endgame, Waiting for Godot, Amadeus, Equus: PS 122 and Abrons Arts Center: Qwan Company’s Notes and Swan. Television: USA Network: Mr Robot; Showtime: Queer as Folk, Bang Bang You’re Dead.
JENN HARRIS
(Actor, Writer, Producer) She won a Lortel & Theatre World Award for her performance in the off Broadway play MODERN ORTHODOX, stared as Jodi Foster in the hit off Broadway musical SILENCE! THE MUSICAL, was in the revival of ALL IN THE TIMING, and many more off and off beat productions both here in NYC and regionally. Some film credits include co-staring with Matt Wilkas in GAYBY (official selection SXSW 2012), GAYBY the short premiered at Slamdance in 2010, FITS AND STARTS, BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY, 5 DOCTORS, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC. Some TV credits include HIGH MAINTENANCE, YOUNGER, 30 ROCK, BORED TO DEATH, EASTSIDERS, ALPHA HOUSE, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, and a couple LAWS AND THE ORDERS.
She is a co-writer, producer and creator of the cult fave group QWAN co. where “Swan!!!” was a critics’ pick in the New York Times and Time Out NY, and was also featured in the “Lowbrow/Brilliant” quadrant of New York Magazine’s “Approval Matrix”! Jenn was a regular at the downtown Joe's Pub cabaret OUR HIT PARADE, and her first solo show THE MOMENT YOU BEEN WAITING FOUR premiered at The Duplex in NYC in 2015. Jenn was a freelance writer and online content creator for Conde Nast Entertainment, sold a few jokes to TruTV's BILLY ON THE STREET, has a vintage web series on YouTube called "MEET THE AGENTS", a show she created and hosts at The Duplex called "Offer Only" where actors come and recreate auditions they did not get, a podcast called TOUCHE PODCAST with Jeff Hiller about fighting your way to the middle, and has www.bucketofcuddles.com where she and her partner have had their Barbie art shown, performed, and also commissioned into music videos for both Rob Townsend and The Julie Ruin. She has a BFA from Boston University School for the Arts, and attended L.A.M.D.A. (London) and Second City (Chicago).