On the Leesh
On the Leesh Productions is a New York City based company devoted to the production of innovative, energetic and challenging film, theater, webseries and instructional videos. Established and active since 2002, On the Leesh projects range from corporate/instructional videos, webseries, theatrical showcases, short and feature length films and documentaries. We are comprised of a core team of collaborators interested in new and provocative subject matter, in unhindered visual experimentation and in realizing the work of new and like-minded creative artists and writers. Currently we have a wide range of projects in our roster that are in all phases of production.
OTLP’s core team, along with the many collaborators that we’ve gathered over the years, have developed the capability to produce work in a variety of media. Thus, developing a project with OTLP includes both the evolution of the story as well as the identification of the medium that it should be told in: stage, film, web or beyond. We seek up-and-coming writers and directors who wish to experiment with this, who, like we are, are devoted to the essence of the story.
At it’s base, it is this garnering of long relationships with collaborators that lies at the heart of how we work; with the goal of producing quality work, in which content can be both moving and entertaining, without exploiting the story or the people involved.
On the Leesh has also developed a rapidly expanding instructional and corporate video library. We have worked with corporations and nonprofits big and small and specialize in catering to the client’s specific needs. Further, we can provide both a la carte and package pricing depending on what best suits our customer’s budget. Our experience with working within varied media (whether it be with film, live action or web broadcast), delivers a unique skill for any business looking to educate employees internally, promote their business or provide instructional videos for the public.
PRESS
On the Leesh has been featured in a number of magazines, websites and/or television, including: Variety, Craine’s NY, New York Moves, Nytheatre.com, the Pixelodeon Festival, Amanda Congdon’s blog on ABC’s website, G4TechTV in Canada, WWSB ABC7, Tampa Bay Media Talk, The Screening Room, Actorslife.com, The Barry Z Show, Tampa Bay Media Talk, WVOX radio in New York, The Worcester Telegram and Gazette and at over thirty film festivals worldwide.
Members
Alicia Arinella
President & CEOFor the past eight years, Alicia Arinella has worked in various aspects of Film and Theatrical production. Her credits include: stage management for regional and New York Theater, publicity and promotional work for Fine Line Features and New Line Cinema, editing and production coordinating for terraNOVA Collective, Asset Pictures and cineBlast!, associate producing for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin and Granada Kids, and producing projects for Little Airplane Productions, Playhouse Disney, New York Stage and Film, terraNOVA Collective, Our Time Theatre Company and the Naked Angels Theater Company. Alicia founded On the Leesh Productions in 1999 with her documentary, Interval. With On the Leesh, Alicia has been happy to produce the first work for many new writers including: Justin Spitzer of NBC’s The Office, Jenna Bans of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy and producing the directorial debuts of acclaimed New York theater writers and directors: Lucie Tiberghien, Michael Mastro and Sex and the City writer, Liz Tuccillo. Alicia is a frequent guest lecturer at The New School and has served on various entertainment panels. Alicia has produced eight short films screening at over 30 film festivals worldwide including: Cannes, Sarasota, Atlanta, Nantucket, Durango Independent, and San Francisco Independent. Awards: The Muse: A Girl’s Delicious Daydream About a Dangerous Man – 2nd place Short Film Experimental, 2006 Indie Gathering. With OTL, Alicia has also produced a number of theater projects including: the Naked Angels Issues Project: Democracy, Help Me Help Myself, Our Time Theatre Company’s 3rd Annual Benefit, SIN: A New Fashioned Spectacle of Legendary Vice, and most recently, Masquerade: calypso and home with terraNOVA Collective. Alicia is the editor of Table for Three, Denim, The Things We Know, For Belly and the hit web-series The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, In the Can and The Sexually. As a director, Alicia worked on the short film, Table for Three, a number of episodes of the popular web-series, The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, as well as the entire first and second seasons of In the Can and the first season of The Sexually. For the stage, Alicia has directed the one-woman show, Belly and has most recently produced and co-directed the feature film, For Belly, with Matt Rashid.
Alicia has taught a number of guest classes on producing at the New School and has appeared on various panels about film. If you’re interested in contacting Alicia for guest classes or for panel discussions, please write to: info@ontheleesh.com
Jessica Arinella
Director of Acquisition and DevelopmentJessica serves at On the Leesh as an actor and a producer as well as heading up the Acquisitions Department. As an actor Jessica graduated with an award for excellence in theatre from Northwestern University, after working with such heavyweights as John Logan and Rosemary Harris. In NYC, Jessica has worked with the Naked Angels on numerous productions, notably in Tape directed by Geoffrey Nauffts, and Democracy costarring with indie legend Mark Margolis. With On the Leesh, Jessica worked at NY Stage and Film, costarring in Break opposite Tony Award Winner Frank Wood, and starred in On the Leesh’s first film, What are the Odds? which was a Selection of the 2006 Cannes Short Film Market. Other Film credits include, The Pink House with Heather Matarazzo and Cupidity, directed by John Gallagher which won the NY Independent Film Festival. She has also appeared on the TV shows, Law and Order, Love Monkey and Six Degrees. As an actor/producer, Jessica created and founded the Naked Angels Lab, producing and starring in their Premier, The Opposite of Fear as well as joint On the Leesh/Naked Angels Lab production SIN. Jessica is currently producing and playing the title character in the On the Leesh web series, The In Betweens of Holly Malone.
Julie Tortorici
Director of Operations and ProductionJulie has worked with On the Leesh since 2004. Prior to that, she had collaborated with them as both an actor and writer on her short, Table for Three and her play, Committed. Since then, Julie has appeared in various film and theatrical productions throughout NYC. As a writer, she is currently seeking funding for her feature length romantic comedy, Waltzing Emily (finalist in both the 2006 Script P.I.M.P. competition and the Scriptshark Insider competition) and has recently wrapped her feature, For Belly, which she both acted in and wrote. As an associate producer, Julie has worked on Teen Movie High, the play SIN: A New Fashioned Spectacle of Legendary Vice, the 3rd Annual Our Time Benefit honoring Ken Roberson and most recently, acclaimed slam-poet, Roger Bonair-Agard’s one-man show, Masquerade: calypso and home. Alongside Alicia Arinella, she has also produced the short films The Things We Know, Denim and Claire, written and directed by Sex and the City writer, Liz Tuccillo.
Melissa Jernigan
Manager of Operations and ProductionMelissa is the newest addition to On the Leesh Productions. She got her BA in Technical Theatre from CSU Sacramento in 2005. At school she stage managed and designed over 15 shows, worked for CMT as head sound assistant and was lucky to PA the Pre-Broadway tour of Lennon. New York credits include PA positions for MTC’s Beauty of the Father, Broadway Meets Country at Lincoln Jazz, and involvement in both the Fringe and MITF festivals. She was the PSM for Incumbo Theatre’s production of Prvt Wars and Hotel Savant’s workshop of Artaud’s The Cenci, held at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center in Southampton, OTL’s production of A Yorkshire Fairie Tale and Hotel Savant’s The Archery Contest at PS122. Most recently she helped to oversee the Alliance Theatre’s Kendeda Readings and stage managed for OTL and terraNOVA’s production of Masquerade: calypso and home at the Barrow Street Theatre.