Flying in the face of fear with Zach Libresco
We are so glad that Zach Libresco, originally a CP enthusiast, is joining forces with fellow castmates for his fourth pick! Zach has been a part of some big deal CP moments (Man Made, anyone?) and we know he’s going to be making many more CP dreams come true. Check out Zach’s latest turn in the CP spotlight.
Cherry Picking turns 25 this year - which means it’s due for a quarter-life crisis. What advice would you give to your past or future 25 year old self, or to Cherry Picking right now?
You play such a wonderful role in the world. You make art, you bring people together. The community you've built is a reflection of all the good you've done and continue to do. Trust that you are more than enough, just as you are!
It’s our Silver Anniversary this year – if you had your own heavy metal band what would you call it?
The Ninth Planet.
Tell us about the last time you tried something brand new?
I went to a public foxtrot lesson at the Summer in the City Lincoln Center -- I find it nervous-making to be such a beginner, but I grew to revel gliding around the floor.
What is your CP core memory?
At my first CP, I walked in and felt at home. The community was so welcoming. Clare prefaced the evening by saying one play was breaking the rules. That play was too long to be considered, but the readers decided to give it a look anyway. Thank goodness they did. Dhari Noel's "Man Made" hit me like a train rumbling at top speed between express stops. Centering the sordid history of the creation of Central Park via the condemning of Seneca Village and the displacement of its Black land-owning community, the play's themes were all too relevant: gentrification, land theft, race, gender, air time, how institutions function. I knew I was witnessing something special.
If Cherry Picking were a cocktail (or mocktail), what would be in it?
Jubliation (a cocktail made with champagne, cherry juice, and cherries).
Describe your summer 2025 using only emojis.
🌉🚀🏢🚴♂️🌊☀️🍦
What’s keeping you going right now?
I'm a teacher! The social justice work of the 5th graders this year was inspiring and hope-giving. They studied Immigration, Labor Movements, The Women's Suffrage and Women's Rights Movements, The Civil Rights Movement and Racial Injustice, LGBTQIA+ rights, Climate Justice, Disability rights, Food Justice, and Housing Justice.
We need to lead the way and help them, but the future is bright!
Don’t miss Zach on stage for this year’s pick - July 14 . Get on our waitlist to make your CP dreams come true!