ABIGAIL ZEALEY BESS
President / Founding Member
Originally a native from London, Abigail has earned a place on the forefront of New York’s film and theatre community as a director, producer and writer. With a résumé that boasts work with the legendary Sidney Lumet, Herb Ritts, John Leguizamo, Kevin Smith, Matt LeBlanc, Frank Whaley and many others, her work has crossed boundaries and platforms for many years as an independent director and producer. A long-standing member of the prestigious Ensemble Studio Theatre based in New York, which helms the work of renowned American playrights from Miller to Mamet to Wasserstein.

Her directing and producing credits include: ‘Thicker Than Water” (Young Blood Festival – 2000 thru 2006), Amy Fox (scribe of feature film “Heights” which starred Glen Close), “Bed and Breakfast,” “Summer Cyclone,” Jay Holtham’s “Posterity,” Crystal Skillman’s “Tooth” (featuring Mr. Frank Whaley), Leslie Caputo’s “Birthmarks” and Susan Kim’s “Momento Mori.” Her work at EST has earned glowing reviews from The New York Times. Ms. Zealey Bess has also helmed several one woman shows for the stage. Among them: “Underground Goddess” (Ohio Theatre’s Watermark Festival), “The Lion” starring Judith Roberts(Abingdon Theatre, NY) “Madwoman in the Attic” (which opened to rave reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and later transferred to SoHo Repertory Theatre for its New York premiere). She was also assistant directed David Bar Katz production of “Freak,” starring John Leguizamo, which played to sold-out audiences at Broadway’s Cort Theatre.

In connection with her production company - Weird Sisters, she has directed and produced the baseball trilogy, “Play Ball!” (which is comprised of the award-winning ‘Caught in Time’ and recently completed ‘Random Acts of Intimacy’ and ‘Fanfare for a Common Man’ which were shot in the Mets home team Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York. Beginning in 2001, ‘Caught in Time’ played at festivals throughout the globe including the prestigious Berlin Film Festival in addition to numerous USA festivals including Newport, and Savannah. Additionally, it has screened in Rome, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Turin, and multiple venues throughout New York City and the United States. She also directed and produced the music video, ‘Reverse Psycho’ for the up and coming NY band Sherry. She is currently in post working on the sci-fi horror spoof, ‘The Launch’ in partnership with Howard Productions.

As a location manager, her work includes Matt LeBlanc’s Warner Bros. pilot, “The Prince,” Sidney Lumet “100 Centre Street,” Tom Fontana’s new Warner Brothers TV series, “The Bedford Diaries” and Sydney Lumet film, “Find Me Guilty” starring Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage and Annabella Sciorra., “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” which features Albert Finney, Ethan Hawke, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei.

She established Weird Sisters as a theatrical entity in 1997 and continues to head the company developing film projects that highlight not only female writers but also the human condition with particular reference to the female plight alongside business partner and fellow producer, Sara Brett Patterson.

SARA BRETT PATTERSON
Vice President / Founding Member
Sara Brett Patterson has been an integral part of Weird Sisters since 2002, bringing her business and management expertise to the company. Prior to coming on board, Sara was a founding member of Daisy Jayne Productions, which produced Cock & Bull Story at the Greenwich Street Theatre. Patterson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her MBA from Baruch College. She formerly worked as Human Resources Director for SIRIUS Satellite Radio in New York, and has just joined the HR staff of the new internet company,Bountyjobs. Weird Sisters film producing credits include “Play Ball!,” ‘Reverse Psycho,’ and ‘The Launch.’

Ms. Patterson has also developed several projects under the Weird Sisters banner. Among them: “Atom + Eve: A Rock Opera for the Modern Age,” “Welcome Home, Buddy Combs” (currently being adapted from a one-act play to a feature film) and “7 Variations on the Same Lover” (also transferring from stage to screen).

In addition to her work in film and entertainment, she is the co-owner of LOBO Restaurant, which has two locations in Brooklyn, New York.

JP SARNI
Producer / Director of Publicity

JP Sarni is a producer and writer who holds a BFA in Media and Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design. Producer credits include: “The Untitled Mark Christopher Project” (short for television), “The Launch” (short) for Weird Sisters, readings of the rock opera “Utah’s Crying” for Métropole Ink and “Play Ball! A Trilogy of Baseball Films” (associate producer) for Weird Sisters.

As a writer, his work has been recognized by the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival, where his 10-minute play “Boarding Call” received a workshop reading, and was one of the first theatre pieces to publicly address the events of 9/11. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous SCAD productions from Shakespeare to Brecht to Fugard. He also performed a solo piece which he wrote and produced about the early years of Eugene O’Neill. In New York, he has appeared in readings at Ensemble Studio Theatre and Michael Alden Productions. Additionally, he has worked for legendary publicist Bobby Zarem, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and numerous film production credits, including: Alfie, Secret Window, Laws of Attraction, and the upcoming P.S., I Love You. For two years, he worked as an entertainment reporter and producer of comedy and talk programming at SIRIUS Satellite Radio, before launching his production entity, Métropole Ink, with producing partner, Amanda Ward.

CAROL JACOBANIS
Director of Special Events
Carol Jacobanis has worked and studied in New York, London, and Los Angeles. NYC credits include “Tamburlaine” (Target Margin Theater); “Surface – The Absurdist Biography of Uncle Phil” (Fringe NYC Award Winner); “Food for Thought” (HERE and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival); “Miss Julie” (Synchronicity Space); Rosalind in “As You Like It,” Adriana in “Comedy of Errors,” and Lady Blanche in “King John.” She was co-founder and co-director of Vox Theater Company where she originated several roles written and directed by fellow company members. Carol is part of the Weird Sisters production company and appears in their short films ‘Random Acts of Intimacy’ (1/3 of the trilogy Play Ball!), and ‘The Launch.’ She also plays the title role in ‘Judith,’ a short film directed by Minos Papas. She has an extensive body of work in voice-overs, particularly in animation, and currently voices Griffin, the wicked headmistress of the school for witches in the Fox TV series “Winx Club!”