WRITERS
JILL ABRAMOVITZ
Lyricist - Co-Bookwriter
Jill Abramovitz – (co-book and lyrics) In addition to her work on THE PACK (originally THE DOGS OF PRIPYAT), Jill is a contributing lyricist on Broadway’s IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU and the lyricist of TheatreworksUSA’s MARTHA SPEAKS, with book by Kevin DelAguila and music by Brad Alexander. She adapted the Paul Laverty/Ken Loach film BREAD AND ROSES (lyrics and book) with Brad Alexander (NYMF 2016, Amas 2017) and is the English language translator of the long-running Israeli musical BILLIE SHWARTZ as well as the lyricist of MISTY MAKES IT BETTER, developed at Musical Theatre Factory and Goodspeed’s Mercer Grove, with Brad Alexander and bookwriter Erik Forrest Jackson. She’s a past Dramatist Guild Fellow and a Harrington Award winner in the BMI Advanced Workshop. Jill is also an actress with five Broadway credits including BEETLEJUICE (original cast member) and recurring roles on CHICAGO MED and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL.
ARON ACCURSO
Composer
He is the co-creator of the fastest growing phenomena in children’s entertainment, “Ms. Rachel,” which has billions of views and millions of subscribers on YouTube. His original musicals include: The Pack (originally titled The Dogs of Pripyat), (NAMT, Jerry Bock Award, Weston Award, Festival of New Artists at Goodspeed), with Jill Abramovitz and Leah Napolin; a comedy with puppets about immigration, Seeing Red (TRU), with Joey Mazzarino; a mental health musical, with Rachel Accurso (his wife), We Have Apples, (Theatre Now NY); and Strega Nona (Atlantic for kids, national tour). BMI Workshop (Harrington Award), Dramatist Guild Fellow, Johnny Mercer colony. Choral commissions include University of Michigan, Colorado Children’s Chorale, Tennessee All-State Choir. He was the Associate Music Director for Aladdin (Broadway) and was the Incidental Arranger/Music Director for Up Here, by Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (La Jolla) and Calvin Berger by Barry Wyner. Other Broadway: Sister Act, Nice Work…, The Little Mermaid, and Billy Elliot.
LEAH NAPOLIN
Co-Bookwriter, Play Author
Leah Napolin (1935-2018) made her Broadway playwriting debut in 1975 with Yentl, adapted from a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Yentl played for a full season at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, was published by Samuel French, and made into a movie by Barbra Streisand. Yentl continues to be produced worldwide, including Ms. Napolin’s 2013 revision of the play with songs added by singer-songwriter Jill Sobule. Other plays include Lost Island; Aristophanes’ Retreat; Trash and Treasures, commissioned by the Actor’s Theater of Louisville; and, The Dogs of Pripyat for which Ms. Napolin was awarded the John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award. Ms. Napolin penned two memoirs, Joined and War Baby. Her novel, Split at the Root: A Novel in Three Acts was published in 2018.