Chicken & Biscuits
By Douglas Lyons
Preview: SEP 15 - 17, 2026
Opening: SEP 18, 2026
Closing: OCT 24, 2026
ASL Performance: OCT 14, 2026
Talkback: OCT 1 & 15, 2026
$30 and up Preview Performances
$35 and up Performances
*Public On Sale 4/29
Grab a plate, feed the soul
In this hilarious celebration of Black joy, grief and healing, an extended family is brought back to St. Luke’s Church. With a heavy family secret on the verge of being revealed, two sisters are reunited at the celebration of life for their family patriarch whose dry chicken and biscuits were only famous to him. Family stressors abound, Beverly shows up to the chapel with her “blessings” on display, Baneatta’s son brings his Jewish boyfriend along, and Beverly’s nosy daughter keeps asking questions no one wants to answer. While Baneatta’s husband, Reginald, tries to keep the peace, the two sisters are faced with a truth that could either heal or break them. Chicken and Biscuits invites you to grab a fan, have a seat in the pew, and get ready to say “amen.”
The Jenkins family has a funeral for their father, sisters have a tension filled relationship, a son and his partner struggle with acceptance from the family, a daughter is still recovering from her cheating ex.
Adult Content: There is adult content. The Jenkins family comes together for the funeral of their patriarch after not seeing each other for years. Tensions grow and secret truths are spread out all over the pulpit.
Language: There is some strong language. Word Counts: Hell 4X, Nigga 1X, Shit 6X, Damn 4X, Fuck 1X, Ass 6X, Asses 1X, Faggot 1X.
Herbal Cigarettes: A character smokes a cigarette and another character smokes his weed pen.
Sign Language Interpretation is available on October 14th, 2026. Please e-mail Tickets@TheVillages.com if you would like to attend this performance for the interpretation.
Production & Design Team
Whitney Morse is a performer, teaching artist, and Artistic Director in Central Florida. In 2011, she earned her MFA in Acting from Columbia University School of The Arts, where she studied with some of the world's leading teaching artists including Kristin Linklater, Andrei Serban, Olympia Dukakis, Larry Singer and Anne Bogart. Whitney was a founding member of Prologue Theatre Company in Chicago where she served as Literary Manager and Casting Director. As a performer, her work at The Studio includes Next To Normal, Proof (Broadway World Award), Frankie and Johnny…, Tell Me On A Sunday, A Doll's House, 9 to 5, Elegies, and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, among many others. Whitney is also the Artistic Director of The Sharon. www.whitneymorse.com
Angel Creeks comes to The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol with thirty years of experience in the performing arts. A dancer, singer, actor, teacher, choreographer, and director, she has been seen in film, television, and stage. Credits include: Broadway (Chicago the Musical, Fosse the Musical), tours and artists (Starlight Express, Chicago the Musical, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Anne Reinking), regional and theme park (Frozen-Live at the Hyperion, Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular, The King and I, Stars Wars Galactic Starcruiser), direction and choreography (Romeo and Juliet, Ordinary Days, Godspell, Hairspray, Chicago the Musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Seussical), film/television (Days of Our Lives, Living Single, North Hollywood). An advocate for social justice and equality, a founding member of the non-profit organization: PSPI.org (Parent Student Prison Initiative). She works with CFEABlackbook.org (Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy) and Blacktheatregirlmagic.org in Orlando. She has a B.A. in Performing Arts from St. Mary's College. Certified in leadership from University of Notre Dame. She is honored to be a part of this group of amazingly talented people.

Since joining this organization in 2018, Leslie has had the privilege of working across various facets of the theatre. Now, as the Director of People, Projects, and Culture, she is dedicated to working closely with the team to cultivate an inclusive and collaborative workplace environment. Leslie believes that fostering an inclusive and supportive culture is essential for creating exceptional art, art that SigPro is proud to share with its audiences. Leslie is grateful for the opportunity to serve this talented team and contribute to the vibrant arts community, she extends thanks to the audience for their continued support of the arts.
Since joining this organization in 2018, Leslie has had the privilege of working across various facets of the theatre. Now, as the Director of People, Projects, and Culture, she is dedicated to working closely with the team to cultivate an inclusive and collaborative workplace environment. Leslie believes that fostering an inclusive and supportive culture is essential for creating exceptional art, art that SigPro is proud to share with its audiences. Leslie is grateful for the opportunity to serve this talented team and contribute to the vibrant arts community, she extends thanks to the audience for their continued support of the arts.
Yasmeen has professionally supported the arts in our community since 2015. Having worked, performed, and supported the arts since she was 8 years old, she has grown passionate about keeping the arts alive and active. Yasmeen was a professional flutist, competitive conductor, has launched Music Arts Society chapters, and founded a Collegiate Marching Band Program. Yasmeen has been involved and graduated from many leadership and organizational development programs, including Panhellenic Sorority, NCAA athletics, National Camp School, and spent years as a Director and Ambassador of The Villages. To this day, she stands by the training and leadership gained within music and performing arts programs. She is set to ignite the passion and purpose in others to support the arts.
Stephanie Elliott (she/her) has been professionally working in theatre since graduating from The University of Florida BA Theatre & Dance program in 2011. Previous experience includes Orlando Family Stage (Assistant Stage Manager), Garden Theatre (Production Stage Manager and Company Manager), Theater West End (Production Stage Manager), Orlando Fringe (Production Stage Manager), Virgin Voyages (Rehearsal Stage Management Supervisor), Epic Universe (Coordinator for Untrainable Dragon Show), and SeaWorld (Stage Manager of POP!). When she is not facilitating brave spaces for performers and creative teams to play pretend or explore the human condition, she can be found at home with her husband, three children, and their ever-growing list of farm animals.
Clayton is from the DFW area of Texas. Always wanting a career in theatre, he received his BA in Theatre from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR. After graduating, Clay worked as the Technical Director at Circa' 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, IL before joining The Studio Theatre team in 2018. When not in the theatre, he is out hiking, kayaking or biking the wonders of mother nature across the country. Clay invites everyone to see the brilliant work our team does at both The Sharon and The Studio venues!
Originally from the Hudson Valley area in New York. Alison graduated with her AAS from Genesee Community College in technical theater and BA in theater from UNLV with a concentration in carpentry and technical direction. She has interned with Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, and worked at UFPA as head carpenter. Shes loves building spaces for imaginary people for The Villages audience to enjoy! Thank you to my husband. You are my rock! Shout out to theater gremlins, please stop taking my tools.
Joshua has been honing his craft as a scenic designer, scenic artist, and props artisan for the past decade and recently transplanted to central Florida. Previous props design credits have included Big the Musical, Looped, Man of La Mancha (Garden Theatre), Oklahoma!, Little Shop of Horrors, Ragtime, Grease, Sunset Blvd., Curtains, Camelot (Mac-Haydn Theatre), James and the Giant Peach, Wizard of Oz (Limelight Performing Arts Center). Joshua has a Master's of Fine Arts in Stage Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Examples of his work are at joshuaegallagher.com.
Mario Gonzalez is thrilled to be working as the Lighting Supervisor for The Studio Theatre. He graduated in 2025 from the University of Florida with his MFA in Lighting Design, where he designed multiple shows including Macbeth, Blood at the Root, and Pipeline. He also has a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Tampa. He's incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Significant Productions and cannot wait to help create incredible shows.
Roel is the Audiovisual Technician Assistant for Significant Productions. Roel is originally from Raymondville, TX. He joined us in the summer of 2023, after having been on tour with Jurassic World Live as an automation technician under Feld Entertainment. Before Feld Entertainment, he worked for Jurassic Quest National Tour for over 2 years. Since getting off the road, he has enjoyed learning new things everyday about his work here at The Studio Theatre and The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. He and his partner, Madi Carr, who is the Production Coordinator for The Sharon, have been welcomed with open arms into the Significant Productions family, and look forward to many more shows with them.
Ryan is an active musician, vocalist, and collaborative arts producer. Trained as a classical musician at Ohio State University, he is a descendant of the Max Aronoff line of violists through studies with Marcia Ferritto and studied chamber music with the Cavani String Quartet. Ryan has played in Principal positions under numerous notable conductors and composers and shared the stage with various artists including Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, Barry Manilow, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra in addition to making a Carnegie Hall debut in 2023. He has been seen and heard on SigPro stages in over 450 performances and served as Assistant Music Director, Cover Conductor, or Music Supervisor for 9 to 5, Assassins, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin, ILYYPNC, and Next to Normal. Ryan is Artistic Director of an annual summer concert series in conjunction with the Chicago Park District. As well, he produces A Quiet Christmas each year in The Villages with friend and colleague Angie Rose. Many thanks to his work family at SigPro for their amazing and diverse talents, and to Ben for his support of my crazy career in the arts! www.aquietchristmas.org | @loeckelmusik
Madison was born and raised in the Central Florida area and has been a member of the resident stage management team at The Studio Theatre since Season 6. With nearly a decade of stage management experience, Madison has lived and worked in Central Florida, Philadelphia, and New York. Some of her favorite credits include productions of Urinetown, The Color Purple, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, RED, Collected Stories, Godspell, Mary Poppins, and Blood Brothers. Madison has worked as an intern with WICKED on Broadway and has stage managed for the Arts for Autism Broadway Concerts and the Broadway Green Alliance. She graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Directing, Playwriting, and Production.
Nicolas holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of South Florida. There, he worked on shows such as Ride the Cyclone, Little Women, As You Like It, and 9 to 5. Most recently he served as the Assistant Stage Manager for the world premiere of The Boy Who Loved Batman in Tampa, Florida. Other Credits include The Drowsy Chaperone, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Wizard of Oz (Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre).
Alec has a long history of working with theatre productions. After over a decade of working on and around the stage, he feels most at home in the theatre and is very proud to be Significant Production's House Manager. Favorite credits include Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog (Colorado, 2012), La Traviata and La Boheme (Germany, 2017), and Ada and the Engine (The Studio Theatre, 2021). Alec also has experience in set building, stage managing, and directing. He holds two degrees in Theatre Studies and Music from the University of Northern Colorado. It is always a privilege to work in the industry that you love, so Alec would like to thank The Studio family, Significant Productions, and his own immensely supportive family for everything they do.

Tina attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University where she earned a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. She has spent the majority of her career working as office manager and children's ministry director in large churches with lots of volunteers. A great joy has been teaching children's choir for many years. Music, dance, and theater is vital in her life and she enjoys performing as well as directing. She and her husband have two sons. Tina loves living in The Villages and is delighted to celebrate her "un-retirement" joining SigPro as Assistant House Manager.
Savannah is excited to join Significant Production's House Management Team. She comes with 13 years of experience in the customer service industry and is very much looking forward to using her skills to enhance the experiences of patrons at The Studio Theatre. Prior to joining the theatre industry, she honed her hospitality skills at several companies, her favorite of which were the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina and the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Savannah prides herself on displaying strong attention to detail and infusing positivity into her workplace. In her personal time, she enjoys baking, traveling, and antiquing. She can't wait to see you at the theatre! My Instagram is @savyrose81
After touring for two decades as a prop person with national tours of Broadway musicals, Lonnie Goertz recently relocated to The Villages from Atlantic Beach, FL to be closer to her mom. A graduate of NYU, some of her credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Jersey Boys, Moulin Rouge, Fun Home, and The Lion King. When she's not in the theater, Lonnie enjoys running, cooking, chatting about vegetables, and chasing lizards in the park with her dog. She's looking forward to becoming a better line dancer and has a hard time saying no to coffee ice cream.
Cory is a graduate of the Masters in Entertainment Design at Southern Methodist University and received his undergraduate degree from East Texas Baptist University. Before packing up the truck and moving to paradise, he assisted Elaine J. McCarthy on the world premiere opera The Diving Bell and the Butterfly at The Dallas Opera. He is a freelance costume and scenic designer currently based in Central Florida. Selected designs include Cabaret (The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol), Next to Normal (Theater 3), Plano (Richland College Theatre), Let the Right One In (Outcry Theatre), The Rape of Lucretia (Meadows Lyric Theatre), Twelfth Night - The Musical (Southern Methodist University), and The Odyssey (Dallas Theatre Center-Public Works Dallas). IG: @thartsofthartopolis
Bolivian roots drive her passion for the arts, food, and people. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Florida, holding a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations and a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializing in Global Strategic Communication. She has taken on various roles within The Villages community, leading her to her most recent one as Marketing Director for Significant Productions, where she continues to pursue her love for making stories resonate with diverse communities. When she's not creating stories for work, she's creating memories with her husband and three kids wherever the fun is.
Natalie is a proud Midwest mutt with a theatre and communications degree from Ball State University. Before joining SigPro, you may have seen her on VNN's Entertainment Beat. Now, she brings her creativity to life as SigPro's social media coordinator. When she's not crafting content, you can find her behind the scenes (or under the spotlight) at local theatres, or trying out cool coffee shops with pals.
Dio Raquel Jr. hails from Honolulu, HI - sharing his Aloha to various areas of the country through Theatrical Lighting Design and Performance. He currently holds his Theatre Performance Certificate from Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts (Las Vegas, NV) and his B.F.A. Theatre Studies in Lighting, Arts Leadership, and Musical Theatre from Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE). He had the privilege to design new works such as Not Too Far Distant by Becky Boesen and Umbra by K. Evans in Lancaster County, NE alongside iconic works from Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters and Diane Son's Stop Kiss. He recently made his Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol design debut in Michael McKeever's Suite Surrender. Notable works for performance include Little Shop of Horrors (U/S Seymour Krelborn), Hello Dolly! (Ambrose Kemper), and Fun Home (Roy/Mark). He currently serves as an Associate Lighting Supervisor/Lighting Technician for Significant Productions - continuing to innovate and develop lighting to be known as character in various stories.
Verna was born and raised here in sunny central Florida and is excited at the opportunity to present important and culturally relevant theater to her home community. She's been with The Studio Theatre since 2023 but has been a lover of the performing arts as long as she can remember. She's happy to be able to express that love in the workshop!
Antonio Campagna, born in Caracas, Venezuela, with Italian heritage, found his way to the United States in 2013. His passion for art and entertainment led him to graduate in Film Production and obtain a Certificate in Stage Technology from Valencia College. Since childhood, he has cultivated his artistic talent, writing plays and exploring various forms of creative expression. Currently, he channels his love for entertainment at The Studio, where he plays a crucial role in creating sets and stages for theatrical productions. His world revolves around the fascinating universe of performing arts, where he continues to make his mark with creativity and dedication.
Jordan Gregson is an actor, arts administrator, director, and producer. Jordan proudly serves as the Artistic Associate at Significant Productions. When Jordan isn't assisting with casting and script selection for The Studio Theatre, you can find him in the rehearsal room supporting guest directors, working on his own passion projects, or relaxing at the beach. Selected assistant directing credits include When We Were Young and Unafraid & Angel Street (Significant Productions), Intimate Apparel (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Jekyll & Hyde (Players by the Sea), Power to the Queendom (Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration), Gloria (Texas State University) the 2022 Broadway World Austin Award Winner for Best Play. Selected directing credits include A League of Her Own (Significant Productions), Everyone But Us (Retama Theatre Series), Imaginary Friend & The Meeting (TXST New Play Festival), We Are Proud to Present… & Punk Rock (Apex Theatre Studio). He is an alumnus of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Texas State University. jordanhoughgregson.com | @just_jayhgreg