MISSION
Leo Lion founded The Firebird Project in 2013, at 13 years old, because the theatre he wanted to make with his friends didn't have anywhere to go. Thirteen years and 27+ productions later, that's still the whole idea: give young and emerging artists a real production — real audiences, real reviews, real stakes — instead of a watered-down version of one.
We've held ourselves to that standard from NYC stages to Edinburgh Fringe, and it shows in six consecutive years of National Youth Theater Direction awards and a teen-run model that's been written up since 2016. The work ranges from Shakespeare to original devised pieces to interactive game-theatre, but the through-line stays the same: unforgettable stories, told by people who are just getting started.
THE TEAM
Producing Staff
LEO LION
Founder & Artistic Director
Theatremaker and game designer. Founded Firebird at 13. Director, performer, playwright, educator. Edinburgh Fringe 2025 & 2026.
SONJA DIGHE
Associate Producer
Theatre producer with international experience. Specializes in development, casting, and fundraising. Supports Firebird's mainstage and special events programming.
Teaching Artists 2026
Joshua Henry Brelsford · Isabelle Pflanz · Zoe Senese-Grossberg
Emeritus Staff & Leadership
Zoe Senese-Grossberg (Associate Artistic Director) · Nick Roblee-Strauss (Artistic Producer) · JB Morrissey (Production Manager) · Thomas Manfred Pflanz (Technical Director)
Frequent Collaborators
Rae Bell · Wyatt Camery · Sophie Falvey · Yev Gelman · Katie Homer-Drummond · Alex Nemfakos · Kamau Nosakhere · Benny Rendell · Maximillian Romanov · Eli Wassertzug · Juli Worth
In Memoriam
Alioune Fall · Daniel Zuzworsky
IN THE PRESS
★★★★★
"An existential must-see. Leo Lion gives a remarkably nimble and emotional performance — interactive, hilarious, and touching."
BingeFringe Magazine · HELP ME!!!!
★★★★
"It's clever stuff, and he's very funny in his spontaneous interactions. The audience participation never feels forced or embarrassing."
The Scotsman · HELP ME!!!!
"The smart and inventive Firebird interpretation captures the urgency of a young writer with talent and a big, rich story to tell."
FrontMezzJunkies · Frankenstein
Thinking Theater NYC
"Sweeping audiences through an engrossing fusion of tragedy and comedy." · Boy My Greatness 2024
Read →Theaterscene
"Pageantry, entrancing stage pictures, enchanting dance sequences." · Boy My Greatness
Read →TDF Stages
"Theatre by Teens for Audiences of All Ages" — feature on Firebird's youth-led model · 2016
Read →Huffington Post
"Teen-Run Theater Company Brings Treasure Island Off-Broadway" · 2016 / "Bringing the Wonder Back to Alice" · 2015
Read →Awards & Recognition
Nominated Best Theatre — Spooky Awards 2025 · HELP ME!!!! (Horror at the Fringe)
National Youth Theater Award, Direction of a Play — 6 consecutive years · Leo Lion (2015–2020)
For productions including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Treasure Island, Romeo + Juliet, Our Town, The Tempest, and An Enemy of the People
National History Day — Winner · Iago (student, Firebird education program)
Also supported by: New York State Council on the Arts · Lower Manhattan Cultural Council · Alliance of Resident Theatres New York · Fractured Atlas