Actress Jimena Herrero is taking the stage this summer in AFTERCARE, a short play written by Jamie Gore Pawlik and directed by Emery Henderson, as part of the Queens Short Play Festival at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City.Jimena stars opposite Jeffrey Grover as Leah, a character whose confidence and commanding presence conceal a deeply complicated inner life.
BEHIND THE PRODUCTION
The production offers audiences an intimate look at a woman who appears to have complete control over her surroundings while privately navigating struggles that challenge that control.A Character Built on ContradictionsIn a recent interview, Jimena described Leah as a sharp, confident professional dominatrix whose carefully controlled world masks her struggle with germaphobia and OCD.That contrast is at the heart of the character. Leah’s professional confidence exists alongside personal anxieties, creating a role that requires Jimena to balance strength, vulnerability, precision and emotional tension.
JIMENA HERRERO AS LEAH
For Jimena, the complexity of Leah makes the role particularly compelling. Rather than presenting a character defined by a single trait, AFTERCARE gives her the opportunity to explore the tension between the person Leah presents to the world and the private challenges she works to keep under control.On Stage at The Secret TheatreAFTERCARE is being performed at The Secret Theatre, located at 10-10 44th Ave., Long Island City, New York 11101, as part of the Queens Short Play Festival.The production brings together playwright Jamie Gore Pawlik, director Emery Henderson and cast members Jimena Herrero and Jeffrey Grover for a series of performances throughout August.
SCHEDULED PERFORMANCES AUGUST 2026
The scheduled performances:• Wednesday, August 5, 2026 — 8:30 PM• Saturday, August 8, 2026 — 7:00 PM• Sunday, August 16, 2026 — 3:00 PM – Upcoming • Thursday, August 20, 2026 — 8:30 PM Upcoming With performances still scheduled for August 16 and August 20, theatergoers have two more opportunities this month to see Jimena take on the role of Leah.Jimena’s Growing Stage PresenceThe role in AFTERCARE adds another distinctive theatrical performance to Jimena’s career as she continues to work across stage and screen.Her approach to Leah highlights an ability to embrace characters with complicated emotional landscapes. The combination of Leah’s professional authority and private struggles gives Jimena room to explore a character who is simultaneously powerful and vulnerable.As the Queens Short Play Festival continues its August programming, AFTERCARE stands out as a chance to see Jimena in a role driven by contradiction, psychological tension and the question of what happens when someone whose world depends on control is forced to confront what she cannot completely control.
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https://www.instagram.com/jimena.herrero/
