Nannie Doss, “The Giggling Granny,” is a true story about the most mesmerizing, innocent, and likable serial killer (looking for true love) that you’re ever going to meet!

The stage reading stars Marilyn Chris as Nannie Doss, director Jim Semmelman, and assosciate producer Roseanne Kirk De Leo. “The Giggling Granny” was written for Marilyn by Marsha Lee Sheiness.

“The Giggling Granny” is a solo reading of a show written for Marilyn Chris by Marsha Lee Sheiness, who wrote for many regional theaters, “Playwrights Horizon” in Manhattan and PBS Television’s “Theater in America.”

Marilyn Chris will be familiar to audiences from her years on “One Life To Live” as Wanda Webb Wolek., a role in which she received the best supporting actress Award from The TV Magazine writers and Editors. 

Her Broadway appearances include “Brighton Beach Memoirs” as Aunt Kate, “Lenny”” (as Sally) and “The Birthday Party” directed by Alan Schneider. 

She received an Obie, an Outer Critics Circle and a Drama Desk Award for her role in “Kaddish” onstage and The Variety Critics Poll for television’s WNET presentation. Marilyn is thrilled to present this reading at Southampton Cultural Center of the play which she will do in Manhattan in January.

Directed by Jim Semmelman

Jim Semmelman (Actors’ Equity, Directors’ Guild, Dramatists’ Guild) is a director, producer, choreographer, writer, lyricist, and stage manager with more than 30 years experience in theater, television and film. His recent three character musical dramedy Brush Strokes premiered in New York this past October and his children’s Christmas “moosical” Mooseltoe which has been touring during the holiday season for almost 20 years and now can be streamed. He has served as director/choreographer for productions including the national tour of SRO Standing Room Only, as well as regional productions of Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Working, Side by Side by Sondheim.

Jim has been stage manager/production stage manager for live theater productions on Broadway (Hello Dolly with Carol Channing, An Evening with Jerry Herman, Barrymore, Meet Me in St. Louis and Oh Kay! with Brian Stokes Mitchell); for National Tours (Hello Dolly, An Evening with Jerry Herman, Barrymore, Dancing at Lughnasa, Nunsense II); and Off-Broadway (Vagina Monologues and Chicago at City Center), among others. In addition, he has worked on numerous regional theater productions including at paper Mill Playhouse, Duke University, Court Theater in Chicago, and more. Jim served as stage manager for 13 years at the TODAY Show at NBC where he also stage managed Conan O’Brien, the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center, Nightly News with Brian Williams and the daytime soap opera, Another World. He has also been stage manager for ABC’s Rachel Ray Show, The Katie Couric Show, The View and recently Nick Cannon, and on productions for CBS, VH1, and the feature film “The Sisters”. Jim lives in Garrison with his husband, Ray Disco.

Roseanne Kirk De Leo/ 2024 Associate Producer

For the past years, Roseanne has worked as a producer/writer/director and “Idea Person”
for BB PROMOTION, a well known European agency located in Mannheim, Germany.

She has written, produced, and directed 30 plus major productions for BB promotion in the past years, since co-founding The Harlem Singers Show with Queen Esther Marrow and the late Michael Brenner.

Productions Roseanne has written and directed have played major venues in Italy, France, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Austria, England, Finland and The Vatican and The Whitehouse.

In the early stage of her career, Roseanne owned and operated ROSEANNE KIRK AGENCY, a well known independent talent agency in New York City representing many respected artists including: Savion Glover, Abby Lincoln, Craig Schulman, Ruth Brown, Jasmine Guy, Queen Esther Marrow and Directors Robert Kalfin and David H. Bell.

Roseanne has given seminars and workshops across the USA, and also produced programming aired on The Gospel Music Channel and PBS. Video is available.