Laura Darrell (Playwright) is an actress, playwright, and producer based in NYC and Portland, Maine. Oregon is her first full length play. As an actor she has performed internationally, Off-Broadway, and regionally, as well as on multiple cast albums, two recurring roles on television, and multiple feature films. As a producer, she’s released an EP of alternative folk music with Mad Attic Records, as well as co-produced three festival favorite short films with director/producer Pete Rohan of Rohan Audio. She is currently co-producing and directing an animated series starring Malin Akerman, Dan Fogler and Eddie Kaye Thomas called Anything Animated Series (a micro budget Family Guy). She’s also developing a new musical with award winning writer and filmmaker, Marc Brener and her second full length play about the destruction that occurs when probate law restricts idealized dreams of inheritance.

Jenn Thompson (Director) is a distinguished director based in New York City, recognized for her work in theater across the United States. She has directed the currently running national tour of Annie, which recently featured Whoopi Goldberg in the iconic role of Miss Hannigan at Madison Square Garden. Thompson has also helmed over a dozen Off-Broadway productions such as Chains and Women Without Men, the latter earning multiple Drama Desk nominations. She directed the world-premiere of Anne of Green Gables – A New Musical at Goodspeed Opera House and has helped develop over 20 new productions. Recent regional theater credits include the Denver Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, South Coast Rep, Hartford Stage among many others.

Carolyn Best (Stage Manager) is an actor and theatre artist from Vienna, Virginia. She is an Ithaca College BFA Acting graduate, and her past favorite credits include Tracey in Sweat, Shelby Hinkley in the New Voices Literary Festival's reading of I'm Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, and directing and dramaturging Heroes of the Fourth Turning at The Cherry Artspace. She is over the moon to work with NewYorkRep and to return to Sea Dog Theater.

Opal Alladin (Jamie) Is delighted to be a part of the Curtain Rising Reading Festival. She has been a part of several Broadway shows including Lifespan of a Fact, Travesties and Hedda Gabler. Some of her regional theater credits include Hurricane Diana, Tiny Beautiful Things & Hamlet at the Old Globe. Her films include Oscar Nominated United 93. Opal is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

McKenzie Custin* (Jennifer) McKenzie is thrilled to be working on this new and relevant piece of theatre with this stellar cast. Recent Credits Include: 26 Miles (Gulfshore Playhouse), Follies: In concert at Carnegie Hall (Transport Group), Freaky Friday (The New Theatre). McKenzie also appears in the film A/Way, streaming June 26th.

Forever Jenn T’s biggest fan. Much love to MMV Talent, her parents and her partner , Victor, for the constant love and support.

Cass Morgan* (Cathy) New York: Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, As You Like It, Big River, The Bridges Of Madison County, Memphis (Outer Critics Circle Nomination), Mary Poppins, Ring of Fire, Beauty and the Beast, The Capeman, The Human Comedy, Pump Boys and Dinettes (co-author), Hair, The Immigrant, Floyd Collins, Violet, Merrily We Roll Along (York revival), Inside Out.  National Tour: Cabaret.

Finnerty Steeves (Joan) Broadway: Summer, 1976 (MTC), Brighton Beach Memoirs/ Broadway Bound (Nederlander Theatre). Off-Broadway: The White Chip (59E59), Dot (Vineyard Theater), Almost Maine (Daryl Roth Theater), and the Drama Desk nominated production of Lost in Yonkers (TACT) directed by Jenn Thompson. Regional: American Conservatory Theater, The Guthrie, A.R.T. (Elliot Norton Award for her performance as Ms. Calvin in The Shape She Makes) TV/Film: “The Penguin”, "The Other Two", "Blue Bloods”, "The Blacklist”, "Orange Is The New Black” “Bored To Death” “Sopranos”, Bad Education, Morning Glory. Finnerty wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning feature film before/during/after released by Gravitas Ventures. www.finnertysteeves.com

Jasmin Walker* (Ellis/Reed/Morgan)

PJ O’Neal (Playwright) [he/him] is a multi-hyphenate artist, playwright, food writer, and educator. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and The Tank NYC’s Lit Council 2023 - 2025 for male playwrights of color. His other work includes CODE RED a solo play, and DANTE’S 2 TRAIN, which are both available on the New Play Exchange website. His published food writing can be found in national publications such as Allrecipes, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Spruce Eats, as well as literary magazines. He is currently in Hunter College’s MFA Playwriting program.

Dominique Rider (Director) is a Brooklyn-based director and writer whose work seeks to answer the question: “What is a world unmade by slavery?” while analyzing the layers of anti-blackness that maintain our world. Deploying theatre and performance as tools of Afropessimism, Dominique has developed and staged work with Portland Center Stage, Portland Stage, The Bushwick Starr, The New Group, The Park Avenue Armory, and more. Past fellowships/residencies include The Civilians R&D, The Atlantic, Hi-Arts, The National Black Theatre, TheaterWorks Hartford, NYSAF, BRIC Arts, Roundabout, and NAMT. Dominique is a Vision Resident at Ars Nova, a producer with CLASSIX, and an artist in residence at Duke University."

Stephanie Anuwe (Stage Manager) A Nigerian American actor, writer and director, Stephanie received her MFA in Acting from The Actor’s Studio Drama School. Acting: IAMMD (LaMama), Bethune: Our Black Velvet Rose (TheatreLab NYC), In the Middle of the Mess (Yendor Theatre Company), Lack of Milk (New York Theatre Festival), MaRainey's Black Bottom (Bedstuy Theatre Company)  Film: Between the Pages (Amazon Prime) Directing: Poor People Problems (Naked Angels NYC) www.StephanieAnuwe.com

Amara James Aja (Meech) is a Brooklyn, New York based actor. His credits include Love's Labour's Lost (Smith Street Stage), The West End (Cincinnati Playhouse), The White Devil (Red Bull Theater), and In the Heat of the Night (Barter Theater). He holds an MFA from USD/The Old Globe and a BA from Cornell University.

Jaylen D. Eashmond (Lil Mo) was born and raised in Hattiesburg, MS. He studied theatre and communication at William Carey University. He is a recent graduate of NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. A few productions there include: The Winter’s Tale (Florizel), Blues for an Alabama Sky (Leland), Yerma (John), Midsummer Nights Dream (Bottom), African Company Presents Richard III (William Henry Brown.) His goal is to become a stronger writer, better storyteller so that his history will never be forgotten. He carries God first and praying that he continues to make his mother and father proud; may she Rest In Peace.

Sauda Aziza Jackson (Muffin) has performed in many theater productions during her twenty plus years in New York City. The Chicago native has had the opportunity to perform in Now is the Time with Little Lord, Iona Flies Away with Tanisha Christie, Expense of Spirit & Limitless Joy with International Wow (Josh Fox), Sponsored by Nobody’s The Arts & Behind the Bullseye, and The Making of King Kong by Lisa Clair at Target Margin Theater and Willas Authentic Self at Theater Mitu. Her own project, I Digress: The Intimate Insights of a Childhood Weirdo, a four episode transmedia performance memoir, has been in transformation and development over the last five years. Starting as two stories and a song performed at Dixon Place’s Little Theater, it went on to have developmental workshop readings at Dixon Place (NYC), SFX Festival (NYC), and Wunder Bar (Syracuse, NY). Episode 1 of I DIGRESS was developed through a residency at Arts at the Palace, Hamilton, NY in May 2021.

As of late, Sauda has been writing material for her new play. WTF: Warner, Thomlinson & Farrow, is a play that has been in development since fall of 2023. In it she explores the unfairness of class within the system of corporate America. There's been one reading of it with the producing company, Immediate Medium.

Kayodè Soyemi (Diamond) is a Nigerian American actor, writer and producer that calls Atlanta, GA his home away from home. He is a graduate of the MFA Acting program at David Geffen School of Drama at Yale where he was producer at the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, co-leader of FOLKS, Producing Artistic Director at Yale Cabaret, a recipient of the Hoenig Theatre Artist Scholarship, a Connecticut Artist Fellow, a Jerome L. Greene Fellow and an Orchard Project Fellow. He’s an alum of Actor’s Theatre of Louisville Professional Training Company where he was featured in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Pipeline, and the Humana Festival. Other credits include: Passover (Chester Theatre Company) Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Cleveland Playhouse) The Brothers Size (Jubilee Theatre) A Raisin in the Sun (Dallas Theater Center) Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts 1,2 & 3 (Actor’s Express) and Love’s Labours Lost (Atlanta Shakespeare Company). Kayodesoyemi.com IG: @fkaseun

Kiara Wade (Leni)(she/her) is a multidisciplinary Houston native intent on infusing joy into everything she does. She has a passion for new works and is honored to take part in this play. While dance was her first love, Kiara is a voice teacher and also a recent graduate of NYU Steinhardt studying musical theatre and opera. Outside of rehearsals, you can probably find her smiling at a dog or filming instagram makeup tutorials @kiaraalon. Favorite credits to date include Macbeth (Macbeth), Carousel (Carrie Pipperidge), and workshopping the new musical Pericles.  Many thanks to God, Brandon and FSE.  IG: @kiarawade, TT: @itskiarawade