Laura Winters
Co-Writer for Mirror Image
Laura Winters is a bicoastal playwright and screenwriter. Full length plays include All of Me (The New Group, Barrington Stage Company), Coronation (Refracted Theatre Company Chicago, non-Equity Jeff Nominated for Best New Work, NPC finalist), Emerson Loses her Mind (developmental readings: Roundabout, The Old Globe), The Starter (LAByrinth’s Barn Series, First Look @ The Studios in Key West, Echo Play Contest semifinalist, ANPF semifinalist), and an award-winning children’s play Space Mission #5379: Saving Rachel, Nevada (East Valley Children’s Theatre). She recently completed The Valentine Vendetta, a Nancy Drew murder mystery comedy, as commissioned by The Old Globe, and she was also commissioned to write the film adaptation of All of Me by Big Swing Productions. She is an alum of the BMI Lehman Engel 2-year lyric-writing program and the BMI Libretto writing program. Range MP. www.Laura-Winters.com @LauraWinters12
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JJ Warshaw
Co-Writer for Mirror Image
JJ Warshaw is a Jonathan Larson Award Finalist, MAC John Wallowitch Award Winner, Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project alum, and member of the BMI Lehman Engel Music Theatre Writing Workshop. He wrote music for The Valentine Vendetta (Old Globe 2026 Powers New Voices Festival) and his musical, the grind. (co-written with Nick Parker), has been performed at Pace University, The New School, 54 Below, and Don’t Tell Mama with further development through Grind Arts Co. and the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Foundation Project. He has composed original music for web series, short films and the award-winning Gimlet Media© children’s podcast, Story Pirates. He has worked as an Ableton tech on Goddess (Berkeley Rep) and Hamilton (Philip & And Peggy Tours) www.jjwarshaw.com
Why are you excited to bring this piece to the O'Neill and what are you hoping to accomplish here?
We’re excited to learn things about our show that we could only learn at the O’Neill. We can’t wait to dig deeper into the relationships of our characters. We also plan to explore new song moments and who knows, throw in a dance break or two!? Our goal is to make each one of our three readings a unique version of our show.
What inspired you to create this piece?
We were those stressed out kids in high school trying to do marching band and speech team while taking every AP class. Mirror Image is a letter of compassion to not just current high schoolers who are going through it, but to anyone who has ever been swept up in an impossible quest for perfection. We wanted to write a show that captured an intimate, grounded portrayal of the friendships, first loves, and the very real, very adult problems that senior year can bring as you look out into the uncertain future of adulthood.
Why are you drawn to plays/musicals as a medium for storytelling and/or for telling this particular story?
Musicals feel like a natural expression of how we move through the world, with both an interior and an exterior life coexisting at every moment. When we sat down to write the first draft of Mirror Image, we knew our main character’s reflection in the mirror was going to be played by a separate actress. That heightened theatrical relationship screamed “musical” to us right from the jump.
What advice would you give to aspiring playwrights?
See as much as you can and then do research and find out how those things got made. Listen to the Broadway Backstory podcast. When we’ve been inspired by a show, we’re often equally inspired learning about the decade it took to bring that show to the public. For those writers who already have shows they’re editing, one of our favorite things to do is to record ourselves reading the show out loud. Then we go for a walk later and listen to it. It’s amazing what pops out at you when you’re listening to your work the way it’s meant to be experienced rather than reading along on the page.
Laura and JJ's reading recommendations to accompany your experience with Mirror Image:
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher