You Should Smile More Productions amplifies underrepresented voices and brings to life stories that explore the complexities of modern life — with all the artistry they deserve.
Founded by Alissa Orlando and Dorothy Vickery, You Should Smile More Productions exists to bring stories to the stage that reflect the full breadth of human experience — especially those from women, people of color, and communities whose narratives have been historically sidelined.
We don't just produce theater. We build careers, champion writers, and change the shape of an industry.
Cold War. A world chess championship. A love triangle. ABBA's Benny & Björn plus Tim Rice's legendary lyrics — the iconic musical's first Broadway revival in nearly 40 years.
Seoul, 2064. Two retired helperbots discover something unexpected among the discarded and forgotten: each other. The most Tony-winning show of the 2024–25 season. Bring tissues.
A dead body. A fake love letter. Ian Fleming. The unbelievable true story of how three unlikely things together fooled Hitler and won WWII — the best-reviewed show in West End history.
The Grim Reaper is retiring after 300,000 years. His daughter Diana just needs to pass one simple test to take over the family business — until she unexpectedly falls for a dorky human and starts to question everything. An irreverent, hilarious, and heartbreaking new musical about life, death, and everything worth feeling in between.
Alissa is a serial entrepreneur and producer whose ventures span entertainment and social enterprise. She co-founded the country's largest worker cooperative and has partnered with credit unions, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and family offices to mobilize billions in capital toward shared ownership and impact investing. She is also the lead producer of Matthew LaBanca's acclaimed one-man show Communion at The Cell Theatre. Before entering the world of producing, Alissa led operations for Uber in East Africa, worked at McKinsey, and earned her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Dorothy is also a co-producer on Nickelodeon's Max and the Midknights and has overseen numerous television and film projects as Head of Development for a leading kids and family production company. Her previous experience includes roles at Nickelodeon and Scott Rudin Productions (Hello, Dolly!, Blackbird, The Humans, The Crucible, and more). She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Playwriting.
Whether you're a writer, collaborator, investor, or just a passionate advocate for stories that matter — we'd love to hear from you.
