Cast + Creative Team
Obehi Janice (PLAYWRIGHT/LYNN, she/her) is a writer, actress and comedian based in Los Angeles. She’s written for Castle Rock on Hulu and plays Heather Culbreth in the animated comedy Dicktown on FXX’s CAKE. She's currently developing a pilot with Big Beach TV and writing on an upcoming series for HBO. Obehi is an alum of the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater and a resident artist at Colt Coeur. Her plays have also been developed at SPACE on Ryder Farm, WP Theater, New York Theatre Workshop and Lark Play Development Center. You can see her face on a screen at The National Museum of Natural History talking about the lessons learned from dinosaur extinction.
Headshot Credit: Leslie Hassler
obehijanice.com
Caitlin Sullivan (DIRECTOR, she/her) is a director and theater maker based in New York City. Recent work includes Panopticon (Gracie Gardner), Cherie Dre (Sacha Yanow) and MADONNA col BAMBINO (Sarah Einspanier and Deepali Gupta). She is currently developing United States v. Gupta with Deepali Gupta and Ohio with The Bengsons (co-director Anne Kauffman). Caitlin was a co-founder and Artistic Director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed Satori Group. She is an alum of The Drama League Directors Project and the Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship and a member of the New Georges Jam. Proudly born and raised in Dorchester, MA.
Headshot Credit: Delaine Dacko
caitlinesullivan.com
Kim Golding (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, she/her/hers) is a director, creative producer, and performance maker from Bronx, New York. She has worked for The Museum of Modern Art, Clubbed Thumb, and Playwrights Horizons. Her recent production credits include: Pope.L’s Eating the Wall Street Journal and Dressing Up for Civil Rights (MoMA); Ann Marie Dorr & Paul Ketchum’s Good and Noble Beings (created with Jeff Aaron Bryant, Dallas Estes, and Kedian Keohan; Exponential Festival, NACL, Soho Rep), Raja Feather Kelly’s UGLY (Washington Ensemble Theatre; The Bushwick Starr), Sam Myers' Cow Camp (Downtown Art), and Sarah Einspanier’s Madonna col Bambino (created with Caitlin Sullivan and Deepali Gupta; New Ohio, Ars Nova). Kim received her B.A. from Williams College in Theater and Psychology.
Headshot Credit: Aliyah Blackmore
Alex Esola (MILLS, he/him) most recently was seen in Bart Freundlich’s independent feature AFTER THE WEDDING, where he shared the screen with Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and then released in theaters last summer. Esola will next be seen in the independent film TANKHOUSE, directed by Noam Tomaschoff. On the small screen, Alex played the role of Freddy Blakestone in Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO limited series THE YOUNG POPE and reprised his role in Season 2, THE NEW POPE. He also has recurred on Jenji Kohan’s hit Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and guest starred on BLUE BLOODS, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, MR. ROBOT, SCREAM, ODD MOM OUT, MYSTERIES OF LAURA, and EYE CANDY . On stage, Alex played Marco in Ivo van Hove’s award winning production of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Alex is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts' Stella Adler Studio.
Headshot Credit: Matthew Murphy
Andy Lucien (JELANI, he/him) Andy Lucien's credits include The Siblings Play (The Rattlestick Theater), The Qualms (Playwrights Horizons), City of Conversation (Lincoln Center), On Every Link A Heart Does Dangle (The Lark), Seared (MCC), The Last Seder (Theatre Three). Regional Theater: Queen of Basel (Studio Theater), Cry Old Kingdom and 27 Ways I Didn’t Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Last Tiger in Haiti (Berkeley Repertory Theater/La Jolla). Film work: Seven Lovers, TV: The Blacklist (NBC), Daredevil (Netflix), Madam Secretary (CBS), Elementary (CBS) Film: Vows: The Series, Believin, and Aperture.
Headshot Credit: Emily Lambert
Natalie Paul (CHARLIE, she/her) hails from Brooklyn, NY. Her credits include You (Netflix), The Blacklist (NBC), The Sinner (USA), The Deuce (HBO) and Show Me a Hero (HBO). Natalie was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for her performance in the independent film Crown Heights. She currently stars in the Blumhouse horror Delivered now on Hulu.
Headshot Credit: Stan Demidoff
Greg Stuhr (MARCUS, he/him) credits include premiere productions of Bruce Norris’ The Qualms at Steppenwolf (directed by Pam MacKinnon), Rolin Jones’ These Paper Bullets! at Yale Rep (directed by Jackson Gay), Keith Reddin’s But Not For Me (South Coast Rep), and Ethan Coen’s Offices (Atlantic Theater Company). He performed on Broadway in Larry David’s Fish In the Dark, directed by Anna Shapiro, Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf, directed by Alan Arkin, David Mamet’s November, directed by Joe Mantello, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by James Lapine. Along with director Jenna Ricker, Greg conveniently co-wrote a starring role for himself in the acclaimed indie film, The American Side, which the San Francisco Chronicle hailed as a ‘stylish, tense, witty, imponderable and exhilarating tribute to film noir classics’ (take THAT, Bergman!). He produced the award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Qualified, also directed by Ms. Ricker, which premiered at SXSW in 2019. And with fellow- New Neighborhood members, Adam O’Byrne and Rolin Jones, Greg created the comedy series Luba’s Lot for Fox Television Studios. The pilot script is rumored to exist in a hermetically sealed crate at a Disney-owned warehouse somewhere in North Hollywood.
Headshot Credit: Jenna Ricker
Madeline Wise (BECK, she/her/hers) is a New York City-based actor and co-founder of New Saloon Theater Co. Her theatre credits include Minor Character at the Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival and elsewhere, Testmatch at ACT, The Bridge of San Luis Rey at Two River Theater, Cute Activist at the Bushwick Starr, Choice at the Huntington and Wallis Annenberg Center, Far Away at Sharon Playhouse, and more. Her film and television credits include season three of HBO's Crashing, Whatever this is., Snow Day, Places Thank You Places, and Lapsis, which was set to premiere at this year's SXSW. She is a member of the Actors Center; you've maybe also seen her making fun of the current president in her 45 Selftapes series. @wise_dumb
Headshot Credit: Maria Baranova
madelinewise.com
Taji Senior (Voicing STAGE DIRECTIONS, she/her/hers) is a writer and performer currently based in Los Angeles. Her recent solo works have been produced by The Tank NYC, Parsnip Ship and Salvage Vanguard Theater. She is currently earning an MFA in acting at UCLA.
Headshot Credit: Jen Rachid
tajisenior.com
Carol Almonte (STAGE MANAGER, she/hers) is a Production and Stage Manager based in New York City. She recently completed the Production Management Apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, as part of the Professional Training Company. At Actors Theatre: New Play Projects (PM), Solo Mios (PM), and the 44th Humana Festival of New American Plays (PM Apprentice). Off-Off Broadway: MADONNA col BAMBINO (Stage Manager) at the New Ohio Theatre and Dutch Masters (Assistant Scenic Designer) at the Wild Project. Additional Theatre: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Assoc. PM) and Purple Valley Plays (Scenic and Lighting Designer) at Williams College, Ars Nova (PM Apprentice), and The Williamstown Theatre Festival (PM Intern).
Headshot Credit: Jack Scaletta
Bobby Solomon (Graphic Designer)
Thomas Dieter (AYE DEFY Resident Stage Manager)
Leslie Roth (Producer, Co-Creator of AYE DEFY)
Mirirai Sithole (Founder of AYE DEFY)
Headshot Credit: Leslie Hassler
obehijanice.com
Caitlin Sullivan (DIRECTOR, she/her) is a director and theater maker based in New York City. Recent work includes Panopticon (Gracie Gardner), Cherie Dre (Sacha Yanow) and MADONNA col BAMBINO (Sarah Einspanier and Deepali Gupta). She is currently developing United States v. Gupta with Deepali Gupta and Ohio with The Bengsons (co-director Anne Kauffman). Caitlin was a co-founder and Artistic Director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed Satori Group. She is an alum of The Drama League Directors Project and the Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship and a member of the New Georges Jam. Proudly born and raised in Dorchester, MA.
Headshot Credit: Delaine Dacko
caitlinesullivan.com
Kim Golding (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, she/her/hers) is a director, creative producer, and performance maker from Bronx, New York. She has worked for The Museum of Modern Art, Clubbed Thumb, and Playwrights Horizons. Her recent production credits include: Pope.L’s Eating the Wall Street Journal and Dressing Up for Civil Rights (MoMA); Ann Marie Dorr & Paul Ketchum’s Good and Noble Beings (created with Jeff Aaron Bryant, Dallas Estes, and Kedian Keohan; Exponential Festival, NACL, Soho Rep), Raja Feather Kelly’s UGLY (Washington Ensemble Theatre; The Bushwick Starr), Sam Myers' Cow Camp (Downtown Art), and Sarah Einspanier’s Madonna col Bambino (created with Caitlin Sullivan and Deepali Gupta; New Ohio, Ars Nova). Kim received her B.A. from Williams College in Theater and Psychology.
Headshot Credit: Aliyah Blackmore
Alex Esola (MILLS, he/him) most recently was seen in Bart Freundlich’s independent feature AFTER THE WEDDING, where he shared the screen with Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and then released in theaters last summer. Esola will next be seen in the independent film TANKHOUSE, directed by Noam Tomaschoff. On the small screen, Alex played the role of Freddy Blakestone in Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO limited series THE YOUNG POPE and reprised his role in Season 2, THE NEW POPE. He also has recurred on Jenji Kohan’s hit Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and guest starred on BLUE BLOODS, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, MR. ROBOT, SCREAM, ODD MOM OUT, MYSTERIES OF LAURA, and EYE CANDY . On stage, Alex played Marco in Ivo van Hove’s award winning production of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Alex is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts' Stella Adler Studio.
Headshot Credit: Matthew Murphy
Andy Lucien (JELANI, he/him) Andy Lucien's credits include The Siblings Play (The Rattlestick Theater), The Qualms (Playwrights Horizons), City of Conversation (Lincoln Center), On Every Link A Heart Does Dangle (The Lark), Seared (MCC), The Last Seder (Theatre Three). Regional Theater: Queen of Basel (Studio Theater), Cry Old Kingdom and 27 Ways I Didn’t Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Last Tiger in Haiti (Berkeley Repertory Theater/La Jolla). Film work: Seven Lovers, TV: The Blacklist (NBC), Daredevil (Netflix), Madam Secretary (CBS), Elementary (CBS) Film: Vows: The Series, Believin, and Aperture.
Headshot Credit: Emily Lambert
Natalie Paul (CHARLIE, she/her) hails from Brooklyn, NY. Her credits include You (Netflix), The Blacklist (NBC), The Sinner (USA), The Deuce (HBO) and Show Me a Hero (HBO). Natalie was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for her performance in the independent film Crown Heights. She currently stars in the Blumhouse horror Delivered now on Hulu.
Headshot Credit: Stan Demidoff
Greg Stuhr (MARCUS, he/him) credits include premiere productions of Bruce Norris’ The Qualms at Steppenwolf (directed by Pam MacKinnon), Rolin Jones’ These Paper Bullets! at Yale Rep (directed by Jackson Gay), Keith Reddin’s But Not For Me (South Coast Rep), and Ethan Coen’s Offices (Atlantic Theater Company). He performed on Broadway in Larry David’s Fish In the Dark, directed by Anna Shapiro, Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf, directed by Alan Arkin, David Mamet’s November, directed by Joe Mantello, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by James Lapine. Along with director Jenna Ricker, Greg conveniently co-wrote a starring role for himself in the acclaimed indie film, The American Side, which the San Francisco Chronicle hailed as a ‘stylish, tense, witty, imponderable and exhilarating tribute to film noir classics’ (take THAT, Bergman!). He produced the award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Qualified, also directed by Ms. Ricker, which premiered at SXSW in 2019. And with fellow- New Neighborhood members, Adam O’Byrne and Rolin Jones, Greg created the comedy series Luba’s Lot for Fox Television Studios. The pilot script is rumored to exist in a hermetically sealed crate at a Disney-owned warehouse somewhere in North Hollywood.
Headshot Credit: Jenna Ricker
Madeline Wise (BECK, she/her/hers) is a New York City-based actor and co-founder of New Saloon Theater Co. Her theatre credits include Minor Character at the Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival and elsewhere, Testmatch at ACT, The Bridge of San Luis Rey at Two River Theater, Cute Activist at the Bushwick Starr, Choice at the Huntington and Wallis Annenberg Center, Far Away at Sharon Playhouse, and more. Her film and television credits include season three of HBO's Crashing, Whatever this is., Snow Day, Places Thank You Places, and Lapsis, which was set to premiere at this year's SXSW. She is a member of the Actors Center; you've maybe also seen her making fun of the current president in her 45 Selftapes series. @wise_dumb
Headshot Credit: Maria Baranova
madelinewise.com
Taji Senior (Voicing STAGE DIRECTIONS, she/her/hers) is a writer and performer currently based in Los Angeles. Her recent solo works have been produced by The Tank NYC, Parsnip Ship and Salvage Vanguard Theater. She is currently earning an MFA in acting at UCLA.
Headshot Credit: Jen Rachid
tajisenior.com
Carol Almonte (STAGE MANAGER, she/hers) is a Production and Stage Manager based in New York City. She recently completed the Production Management Apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, as part of the Professional Training Company. At Actors Theatre: New Play Projects (PM), Solo Mios (PM), and the 44th Humana Festival of New American Plays (PM Apprentice). Off-Off Broadway: MADONNA col BAMBINO (Stage Manager) at the New Ohio Theatre and Dutch Masters (Assistant Scenic Designer) at the Wild Project. Additional Theatre: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Assoc. PM) and Purple Valley Plays (Scenic and Lighting Designer) at Williams College, Ars Nova (PM Apprentice), and The Williamstown Theatre Festival (PM Intern).
Headshot Credit: Jack Scaletta
Bobby Solomon (Graphic Designer)
Thomas Dieter (AYE DEFY Resident Stage Manager)
Leslie Roth (Producer, Co-Creator of AYE DEFY)
Mirirai Sithole (Founder of AYE DEFY)
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