Nathan Alford-Tate is an actor, and devising artist from Detroit, MI. Receiving his BFA in Acting from Western Michigan University and an MFA in Devised Performance from UARTS/Pig Iron.

Credits include performances with Delaware Shakespeare Theatre, Cymbeline (2024), Theatre Unspeakable, Meet the American Revolution (2023) the Arden Theatre Company, Pinocchio (2024) The Snowy Day (2021), Theatre Exile, The Ever Present (2021)  South Camden Theatre Company, Pipeline (2021) Quintessence Theatre Group, Rachel (2020) the National Constitution Center, FOURTEEN (2019), Male Tears: A Clown Castration (2019), and Tribe of Fools: Fly Eagles Fly! (2018) Currently he is a company member with Almanac Dance Circus Theatre, where he has assisted in creating and performing in works like, I Hear You And I’d Like To Respond (2022), The Fleecing (2021), Grounds that Shout (2018), and Wild! (2017)

Matthew Armstead (they/them), founder of Culture Work Studios, is a seasoned leader with 15+ years at the intersection of justice movements and artistic expression. They make performance experiences for audiences to reclaim power and embody our liberation now.

Matthew engages audiences by intertwining community organizing, popular education, and physical theatre techniques. Recent works include Song Bridge & Magic Lagoon (Cannonball Festival), and Inspira: The Power of the Spiritual (Theatre for Transformation).

A recipient of an M.F.A. from Pig Iron Theatre Company and the University of the Arts, Matthew holds a B.A. in Theater and Women's Studies from Swarthmore College.

Autumn Storm Blalock, MA (she/her), is an arts administrator and Theater for Health researcher originally from PG County, MD. An acclaimed scholar with a focus on Afro-American phenomenology, Blalock focuses her artistry around embracing the wholeness of humanity – its good and its bad. She is a published researcher, poet, and essayist. This experience, coupled with her background in the field of health psychology, creates a unique dramaturgical process that enhances the work of a playwright and production team. Some of her credits include working in administrative roles with Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival, Tiny Dynamite, and the Philly Education in Arts Partnership. She has also served in artistic capacities as a dramaturg or stage manager with PlayPenn, Philadelphia Artists Collective, and Eagle Theatre.

Kasey Britt (they/them) is a jack of all trades, master of none. As an avid designer, technician, and performer, Kasey has worked as a costumer (New York Classical Theatre), a choreographer (Acting Out BK), a stage manager (Richmond Triangle Players), as well an actor along the East Coast. Recent projects include Dr. Ride's American Beach House (Meg, YES, AND!), Collective Rage (Betty 5, RTP), and the Performance Lounge (Puppeteer, Philly Fringe 2024).  Kasey is a DIY enthusiast, a weird theatre superfan, and a recent transplant from Richmond, VA.

Éibhleann Clyne is a Philadelphia-based actor, most recently seen as Chris in City Theatre Company's 2024 production of Dancing at a Lughnasa. She regularly performs improvised musicals with her team Thank You, Places (@placesthankyou on Instagram) and teaches classes on musical improv with Crossroads Comedy Theatre. She is thrilled to be a part of this year's AzukaFest!

Steve Connor (he/him) is an audiobook narrator and actor.  He most recently appeared on stage in Moon Over Buffalo at the Candlelight Theatre in Wilmington.  Other regional credits include: 74 Seconds to Judgement and V to X at the Arden Theatre; Awake and Sing at Quintessence, Cemetery Club at Clear Space and Angels in America I & II at PCS Theatre.  Love to Leslie, Chris and Ben.

Chris Davis (he/him) is a writer and performer residing in Philadelphia, PA. His solo shows have toured throughout the United States and Europe. Recent work includes One-Man Nutcracker, which made its international debut in Germany this year at the Thespis Festival, and The 40-Year-Old Ballerino which had a sold-out run in the Philadelphia Fringe festival. He is a 2024 graduate of the Temple MFA Creative Writing Program and is currently working on a novel.  www.realchrisdavis.com. IG: 1mannutcracker

Nayeli DeJesus (she/her) is a Dominican-American actress and playwright from Camden, NJ. She recently graduated from Rutgers University-Camden, where she directed, choreographed, and performed in her own senior capstone project, Magic of Music: A Bilingual Disney Cabaret. Previous credits include: Fun With Jane (Theater Exile) and NICHOS (Esperanza Arts Center). Coming up: Dani Who Made A Deal With the Sun (Montgomery Theater).

Rain Diaz is thrilled to be making his debut with Azuka Theatre! A graduate of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, he played the character Sam in the short film titled Sugar (directed by Evan Galiffa) for which he earned the award of Best Actor in a US Short at the Jim Thorpe Film Festival (2022) and Best Actor in a US Drama in the HangOntoYourShorts film Festival (2022). He most recently performed as Trevor in The Play That Goes Wrong with 1812 Productions last December. He also has experience performing live theatre at renowned venues such as People’s Light Theatre Co., City Theatre, The Kimmel Center, The Pittsburgh Playhouse and The Mann Music Center of Performing Arts. Rain would love to thank Rebecca and everyone at Azuka for this wonderful opportunity, and to his friends and family for all of their support.

AZ Espinoza (they/he) is an afro-futurist-trans-masculine-feminist making magic through theatre. As a playwright, director, mover and maker their praxis is grounded in community building, embodiments of queer joy, and decolonial ritual practice. AZ’s work as a playwright includes the world premiere of their play All My Mothers Dream in Spanish with Azuka Theatre y Teatro del Sol in 2023 and one-act and full-length plays in conversation with The Bakkhai, Pericles, The Odyssey, and King Lear where adaptation serves as a tool for revolution. As director: Benjamin Benne's Alma (Passage Theatre) William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (DelShakes); Alice Childress’s Wine in the Wilderness (PAC and BlackBestFriend). Recent performance work has been supported by the SubCircle Residency and Leah Stein Dance Company. AZ is a 2025 Queer Art Fellow and a theater educator for all ages, most recently at Temple University and Haverford College.

Jordan Fidalgo (she/they) is a Philadelphia based actor and is so excited to be working with Azuka for the first time! She has a BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of the Arts. Past credits include: Kinky Boots (New Light Theatre Company/ DTC) Father Comes Home From The Wars (Quintessence Theatre) Beautiful: Carole King Musical (Walnut Street Theatre), Ladysitting (Arden Theatre Company), Till Death Do Us Part (Brad Baker Productions), Heatwave (Thursday Productions), and School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls (Arden Theatre Company). Jordan would like to thank their friends, family and wife for their endless support!

Kate Fischer (she/her) is a playwright, dramaturg, and theater educator based in Philadelphia. In 2024 she premiered her solo show Demoniac during Villanova Theatre’s Solo Nova Festival. Other recent credits include work with The Kammerspiel (Production Assistant, Unfinished Business, The Maids, Corpus); Hedgerow Theatre (Stage Manager, Tales from Poe); Inis Nua (Dramaturg, Love Song to Lavender Menace); Power Street Theatre (Becky, The Last Remains); Villanova Theatre (Dramaturg, The Scar Test); and Walnut St. Theatre (Berdine, Psycho Beach Party). She holds an MA in Theatre from Villanova University and a BA in Theatre from PSU.

Mya Flood is a Philadelphia-based actor, director, and singer. They starred in Carnelian, a New York Times Critic’s Pick short film musical, and have performed in numerous stage productions.

As a director, Mya has helmed Almost, Maine and All in the Timing and collaborated with Curio Theatre to create immersive children’s theater. A passionate teaching artist, they inspire young performers while continuing to push artistic boundaries on stage and screen.

Maddy Foler (she/her) is a freelance theater technician based in the South Jersey area. Recent credits include Stage Manager of Grief: A Love Story by Larry Hirschhorn as part of the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Stage Manager of Plays & Players’ reading of In the Continuum, Production Assistant on Quixotic Professor Qiu at InterAct Theatre Company, Follow-spot Operator on The Color Purple at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and Stage Manager of Elf Jr. and Disney's Newsies: The Broadway Musical at Moorestown Theater Company. She earned her B.A. in Theater Arts from Case Western Reserve University in May 2024. You can see samples of her work on her LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/maddy-foler).

Ann Garner (she/her) serves as the Managing Director of InterAct Theatre Company and as the Treasurer of Philadelphia Artists’ Collective. She has worked on the artistic and administrative sides of several theater companies including Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Shakespeare & Company, Hampshire Shakespeare and Chester Theatre Company. She holds a PhD in English Literature (Renaissance Drama).

Maria Genao Beltre (she/her) is excited to be part of TS's new work the Are We Free Yet? project and stepping back into the role of Destineè! With a background in acting and modeling, Maria brings a diverse range of experiences to the stage. She has previously showcased her talent during the fringe festivals in Philadelphia, as well as working with major brands such as Revlon, La Croix, and Almay through her modeling career. When she’s not in front of the camera Maria enjoys being behind the camera working with her friends in their upcoming production company LMNOProductions. Maria would like to express her heartfelt gratitude to her family and friends for their unwavering support and encouragement!

Joshua Gold is a local Philly Actor holding a BFA from Penn State. Recent credits include tours with Family Stages, Mercury presented by Plays & Players, and Angry Grammarian with Pier Players. Aside from acting, Josh also works with Acting Without Boundaries, teaching acting/theatre craft to differently abled people, as well as teaching with Allen’s Lane. This is Josh’s first project with Azuka, and he is thrilled to help showcase these incredible works and stories. He hopes you enjoy!

Kristi Good (they/she) is a freelance dramaturg and dramaturgy faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in Pittsburgh. Kristi specializes in new work development, from script consulting to workshops and festivals. Their scholarship and interests lean toward theatre of trauma and uncovering suppressed narratives, specializing in topics related to LGBTQIA+, feminism, motherhood, trauma, grief, and “weird” plays. Kristi has an MA in Theatre Arts from Villanova University and a PhD in Theatre & Performance Studies from University of Pittsburgh. They are an active member of Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas and a co-leader of the Collegiate New Play Development Conference.

TS HAWKINS (they/them) is an international author, performance poet, art activist, playwright, trauma-informed & award winning educator, and member of the Dramatists Guild. Plays, short works, and books include Seeking Silence, sweet bread peaches (formerly, Cartons of Ultrasounds), Too Late to Apologize, In Their Silence (formerly, They’ll Neglect to Tell You), #RM2B, The Secret Life of Wonder: a prologue in G, AGAIN, #SuiteReality, “don’t wanna dance with ghosts...”, #SuiteTea, the Are We Free Yet? project, Sugar Lumps & Black Eye Blues, Confectionately Yours, Mahogany Nectar, Lil Blaek Book: all the long stories short, The Hotel Haikus, and Becoming Saturn: a collection of rhymes, roses, and resistance. Hawkins’ plays, short works, and powerful performances have been praised by the PGN - 48 Most Influential LGBTQ+ Leaders Honoree, UPenn LGBT Center as a Scholar-in-Residence, the Barrymore Awards - Victory Foundation for Excellence in Theatre Education recipient, Philadelphia Magazine - Best of Philly, BroadwayWorld, Philly Voice, NPR, WHYY, WURD Radio, Philadelphia Weekly, Chicago Tribune, The Dramatist, and dosageMagazine. Featured playwriting opportunities include Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Language Semifinalist & Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellowship Finalist for 2024-25. Ongoing interactive projects: TrailOff, Community Capital: an Afrofuturism South Philly Walking Experience, and Becoming Saturn; Hawkins’s first studio poetry album with HawkHatt Music.

Celia HuttonJohns (she/her) is a Philly based stage manager and nyt strands enthusiast. Credits include Poor Judge (Pig Iron Theatre Company), The Thanksgiving Play, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Complete Deaths (Curio Theatre Company), SPEECH (Lightning Rod Special), and The Taming! and Pericles: Prince of Tyre (Shakespeare in Clark Park).

Paloma Irizarry (she/her) is a Philly-based birthworker, mom, and theatre artist whose creative work invites audiences to explore the elements of her identity that confound her the most. Recent performances include D-Pad with Theatre Exile, Ninth Planet’s Honey Honey, I See You See Me a solo piece looking at objectification and sexual empowerment, and MJ Kaufman’s premiere of Destiny Estimate. 

Mackenzie Raine Kirkman (she/they) was raised in North Carolina and got her Honors BA in Theatre and BFA in Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. From there she went to Miami University where she earned a Masters of Art in Theatre, Performance, and Practice after creating a theory to adapt violence from narrative fiction to stage. She now lives in Philadelphia teaching theatre to preschoolers and writing plays. Kirkman believes in writing plays that ask rather than tell. If you feel like being interviewed you can check out Kirkman’s available works out here: New Play Exchange

Amelio Kirshon (he/him) is a performer/musician/dude/UArts unicorn turned Temple owl for his senior year. He’s so excited to be a part of AzukaFest, and many thanks to the folks at Azuka Theatre for having him. Outside of showbiz, Amelio is carrying 1000 plates of food at Bud and Marilyn’s, and rockin’ that espresso machine at your local Saxbys, and yes, he WILL put oat milk in your latte. www.ameliokirshon.com 

Anna Faye Lieberman (she/they) is so excited to be a part of AzukaFest! They are a scrappy, queer, theatre artist based in Philly and NYC. Passionate about the development of new works and the subversion of classics, they shape characters with their expansive, wacky imagination. They want to unleash your inner weirdo. Recent credits include: The 39 Steps (Virginia Theatre Festival), Fun Home (New Light Theatre), Peter Panto, A Christmas Carol (People's Light), Jane Eyre (PAC), Head Over Heels (Theatre Horizon), The Playboy of the Western World, 10 Dates with Mad Mary (Inis Nua), Into The Woods (Arden Theatre Co.), Carroll County Fix (Azuka Theatre). UArts BFA Musical Theatre, Class of 2020. Love to Dan, Dale, and LP. For Grandma. @annaliebz www.annafayelieberman.com

Madison Luckey (she/her) is a soon-to-be-graduate from Temple University after transferring from UArts. Previous credits include Depression in Dear Mr. C (Polyphone Festival), Neferure in Fit For A Queen (UArts), and Fraulein Kost in Cabaret. She extends her thanks to her family and friends for their continued support! 

IG: @madsluckey

Eli Lynn (they/them) is an inescapably queer actor, Intimacy Director, and Barrymore Award-winning fight director. Recent acting credits include: Peter Panto (People’s Light & Theatre); Merry Wives, Cymbeline, Henry IV, Pt 2, (PA Shakespeare Festival); Children of the Sun, Citrus Andronicus (Philadelphia Artists’ Collective – Barrymore Awards: Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Choreography); Fun Home (New Light Theatre -- Barrymore Nomination, Outstanding Lead); The Play That Goes Wrong (1812 Productions); Twelfth Night, Thrive (American Shakespeare Center); The Three Musketeers (Cleveland Playhouse); They are also an Artistic Associate at Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, where they are writing an original adaptation of Joseph Addison’s Cato for production this May. Love always to V. Eli-Lynn.com or @EverInMotley

Ray Macedonia (they/them) is an actor trained primarily in improv comedy, gaining experience through the taught program of the NYC Upright Citizen's Brigade chapter. They most recently appeared in the UArts senior thesis production of Bullet in the Brain a year prior. Ray is eager explore and uplift the personal context of IFYOULIKEITILOVEIT!.

Noah Mannix (they/them) is a playwright, theatermaker, and teaching artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have a Bachelor’s in English and a certificate in poetic ethnography from Temple University. Recent projects include The AV Club, a weekly horror theatre collective (‘24-current), and “Noah Mannix lives at the Theatre”, a daily live performance journal (December ‘24). Their poetic ethnography Everybody’s Hometown was presented as a staged reading in November 2024. Noah worked with Wise Possum Puppetry as a playwright to help write “Mr. Nutterbocker’s 7-Year Plan”, a family puppet show in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival (‘24). They were a New Strides commissioned playwright (The Strides Collective), where they wrote the first act of their play 3 Women (‘24). They are a member of Azuka Theatre’s Rising Writers program as well as Matchbox Theatre’s Playwrights Group. They studied as a playwright at the National Theatre Institute’s Summer Theatermakers Intensive program (‘23), where they were awarded a Miranda Family Fellowship (‘23-current). Their work at Azuka Theatre in Philadelphia includes a staged reading of their full-length play All-of-the-Above Jesus (‘23), their one-act play “Prophets” (‘22), and as a teaching artist in Azuka’s Community Engagement Project, “Community Stories” (‘23-’24). Their play All-of-the-Above Jesus received a reading from the Media Arts Council (‘23). They are a finalist for Big Idea Theatre’s One Act Festival (‘23) and Playpenn’s The Foundry (‘22, ‘24). They have also participated in Horizon Theatre’s New South Young Playwright’s Festival (‘22).

noahmannix.com

Tanaquil Márquez (she/her/ella) is a bold and innovative Latina artist who is passionate about celebrating the LatinX voice through bilingual work. She has created original work and self-produced plays in both Spanish and English, building a bridge between her shared culture and communities. Tanaquil is the Director of Education at 1812 Productions and a member of 1812's Artistic Core, where she is currently workshopping an original bilingual play, La Otra, set to premiere in September, 2025.

Tanaquil is the recipient of the 2022 Pew project grant for Nichos, a multidisciplinary theater creation in collaboration with the Mexican migrant community in Philadelphia. A performance with both historical and fantastical elements that collectively examine the challenges of preserving languages and cultural traditions.

Tanaquil's commitment to uplifting marginalized voices extends beyond her artistic endeavors. She served as Associate Artistic Director for Teatro del Sol and was the Artistic Director of the interim bilingual theater company Teatro Esperanza in New Brunswick, New Jersey. During her tenure at Teatro Esperanza, Tanaquil hosted workshops and oral history interviews with the migrant community to develop original pieces for New Brunswick's monthly Mercado events. She has also created performances for the opening ceremonies for RH Doaz's mural As Birds on Pinions Free (2019) and Leon Rainbow's mural A Journey Forward (2021).

In 2017, Tanaquil co-founded La Fábrica with Yajaira Paredes, a company dedicated to producing work by LatinX artists. La Fábrica's inaugural production, Azul, written and directed by Tanaquil, told the story of Picasso's blue period and received rave reviews. Tanaquil went on to produce three full-length plays by Venezuelan playwrights Gustavo Ott, Ibrahim Guerra, and Indira Paez during the duration of the company.

Tanaquil is a dedicated Teaching Artist, creating workshops in both English and Spanish to serve the LatinX community. She practices the Michael Chekhov method and Augusto Boal's method Theatre of the Oppressed in her classes, providing an engaging and supportive environment for her students.

Upcoming for Tanaquil are four original plays premiering in 2025. The bilingual children's musical, Dani Who Made A Deal with the Sun (Montgomery Theatre), La Picadura del Escorpion (CoLab Arts), Twelfth Night with Liz Filios (Delaware Shakespeare), and La Otra with Eliana Fabiyi (1812 Productions.) 

Chaz T. Martin is a playwright, screenwriter, and dramaturg.

They graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama, where they were first exposed to the sheer terror of having their scripts not only read aloud, but performed in front of people. It went well.

Their short script, Melissa, was one of five projects selected for Tribeca Film Institutes’s Through Her Lens program in 2019, and is currently in development as a feature. They are currently based in Philadelphia, where they’re the Literary Manager for InterAct Theatre Company.

They’re always working on something or another, and they would be more than happy to tell you about it.

Kelly McCaughan (she/they) is an actor, writer, comedian, clown, and theater-maker. Kelly started her career performing in national and international comedy festivals with her award-winning sketch comedy group, High Dramma. She branched out to create her own work and her critically acclaimed fringe hit, Catholic Guilt was most recently featured in an extended run Off-Broadway at Soho Playhouse as part of being a winner of the 2024 International Fringe Encore Series. Additionally, Catholic Guilt was nominated for best show with the 2024 Jones Bootmaker Edinburgh Comedy Awards, best newcomer with the 2023 Jones Bootmaker Edinburgh Comedy Awards and had sold out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has a BA in theater and has an extensive background in comedy and devised physical theater. She has studied clowning with world renowned teachers Aitor Basauri and Virginia Scott, Bouffon with the critically acclaimed Eric Davis, and Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade. She made her television debut on HBO’s Crashing.

 Other selected credits include: The Hobbit (The Arden Theater Company), One Man, Two Guvnors’ (Delaware Theater Company), Hannah and The Healing Stone (Terra Nova Collective), Troilus and Cressida (Revolution Shakespeare), ‘La Ronde’ (Die-Cast), Delirium (EgoPo Classic Theater).

Zuhairah is an award winning Director, and Actor, she has worked with Colman Domingo, Woodie King Jr., Regina Taylor, Broadway Director Jerry Zaks just to name a few. She is happy to be back at Azuka working on this project!

Kyle Metzger (he/him) is a director, deviser and educator. His productions are magical and often quite queer. After a decade in NYC developing new works, touring Shakespeare adaptations and directing in the city and around New England, he is now based in Philadelphia. In Philly he’s directed new plays such as Hannah and the Healing Stone (The Drake) and the pigeon (Strides Collective), devised Wyck Live! - an immersive theatre experience at Wyck Historic House and directed the American premiere of Drip at Inis Nua. His recent productions of The Little Prince the Musical at Quintessence Theatre Group and Fun Home at New Light Theatre are nominated for multiple Barrymore Awards including Outstanding Direction for Fun Home. For the Philly Fringe Festival, he directed Catholic Guilt by Kelly McCaughan (Shortlisted Best Newcomer at Edinburgh International Fringe), Homos! (Winner: Best Nightlife Show) and Smooth, both by Dan Kitrosser. You can currently catch Homos! the last Sunday of every month at the Stonewall Inn in NYC. Kyle is currently on faculty at Temple, Arcadia and Drexel Universities.  BFA Music Theatre - The Hartt School, MFA Directing - UNC Greensboro.  Kylemetzger.com

Nylarose Moore (she/her) is a San Francisco born Philadelphia based actor, singer, and knitter. She is thrilled to be part of AzukaFest. Nylarose’s past credits include: Angel Marisol dir by Cat Ramirez, Claudius Hamlet dir by Jamison Foreman, Usher/God Everybody dir by Allen Radway, and Cinna/Citizen Julius Caesar dir by Tai Verley. All the love to her family and friends! 

Genne Murphy (she/her) is a playwright and arts educator. Her work has been developed with Page 73, Azuka Theatre, Yale Cabaret/Yale School of Drama, The American Playwriting Foundation, Great Plains Theater Conference, PlayPenn, Philly Fringe, SF PlayGround and Theater Masters. She has worked with student writers in Philadelphia and New Haven, and is an alum and former staffer at Philadelphia Young Playwrights. Genne was a past recipient of a Leeway Foundation Art and Social Change grant. She cofounded, with Kelli Dunham, the NYC storytelling series Queer Memoir. Her selected plays include Giantess, The Skinny Killer Inside, My Obsession with Vivian, and The Girl is Chained. Azuka produced her first play, Hope Street and Other Lonely Places. Genne is a winner of the Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Playwrights and the Theater Masters Visionary Playwrights Award. She was a finalist for the Relentless Award. gennemurphy.com

Carolyn A. Nelson is so happy to be part of the journey to bring Making It to AzukaFest.  Carolyn has performed locally at Quintessence Theatre (Written by Phillis, Major Barbara) and at Act II Playhouse in Steel Magnolias.  Favorite roles include Desirée Armfeldt (A Little Night Music), Aurora Greenway (Terms of Endearment), Judith Bliss (Hay Fever) and Tanya (Mamma Mia).  Among her credits are national TV commercials and appearances in daytime dramas (The Young and the Restless, One Life to Live).  In May, Carolyn can be seen as Mama Rose in NCT’s production of Gypsy at The School of the Circus Arts.  When not performing, Carolyn enjoys gardening, travelling and her grand dogs, Malibu, Doodle and Luna.  With gratitude to the talented Sarah Stryker, our cast and crew and the entire AzukaFest staff!

Xora Odelle (she/her) is a director, performer, and writer who is incredibly excited to be directing The Tell-Tale Heart at AzukaFest. She is a native Bay Arean (Oaktown and Berkeley) based in Philly. She is a strong believer in the power of stories to enact change in both the personal and political realms. She graduated with a B.A. in Liberal Arts, concentrating in Theatre and Literature, from Hampshire College. Her recent credits include directing The Crucible at After Work Theater, performing her own original play Of Mice and Women in the Philly Fringe Festival and directing Goldie and the Green Mountains in the Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival. When she’s not creating or hanging out with her cat, Princito, she can be found journaling in bars.

Vanessa Ogbuehi (she/her) is a director for new and contemporary theatre. Through a maximalist aesthetic and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Vanessa pushes everyday stories to mythic proportions. Recent projects include an immersive take on Fefu and her Friends at Sweet Briar College, and assistant directing Heartbeat Opera’s Lady M, which the NYT called “Flat-out brilliant.” University direction includes Orlando (Boston University), Metamorphoses (Villanova), and Resilient: Black Bottom (Drexel). Upcoming: La Manchin at The Tank (NYC) and an Opera Directing Fellowship at Music Academy of the West. Vanessa is a proud alum of the Drama League and holds a Graduate Certificate in Devised Performance from Pig Iron/University of the Arts. For more: vanessaogbuehi.com.

Brittany Onukwugha (she/her) is a Barrymore Award nominated Philadelphia/NJ based actor, dancer, and graduate of Rutgers University-Camden. Some Regional Credits: Julius Caesar (Decius Brutus/Messala, Delaware Shakespeare Festival), An Army of Lovers (Chloe, Azuka Theatre), The Complete Works of Jane Austen Abridged (Self, Tiny Dynamite), To Reach Across a River (Batya, Theatre Ariel), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania/Hippolyta, Arden Theatre). She's also worked on productions in roles such as Dramaturg, Associate Choreographer, Dance Captain, Fight Captain, and is the Associate Producer of The Tony Award Recipient Wilma Theater. Website: www.brittanyonu.wordpress.com Social Media: @brittanyonu

Erlina Ortiz (she/her/ella) is a Dominican-American playwright and theatre maker from Reading, PA. Her heartfelt and humorous plays have been presented across the US and with Power Street Theatre where she is proud to be Resident Playwright and Co-Artistic Director. 

In 2018 her play Las Mujeres received The Bonaly Award for Creation of Community Joy and in 2019 Morir Sonyando was nominated for six Barrymore Awards including Outstanding New Play. In Fall 2021 Young Money premiered at Azuka Theatre and went on to receive the ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award Citation. In 2022 her play La Egoista was selected for the LTC Comedy Carnaval in Denver going on to win the 2022 National Latine Playwriting Award, premiering at Actors Theatre of Louisville and Skylight Theatre and being featured on the 2023 Kilroy's WEB. It went on to premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company in October 2024 in association with Edgewood Entertainment. 

Erlina has embarked on the Amtrak Writer’s residency where she traveled across the US in an Amtrak sleeper car, the Signal Fire Residency Outpost Residency where she lived on the side of a mountain for a week, and in 2019 she gave the Keynote Address at the Delaware Writer’s Conference on the importance of nurturing your artistic community. Erlina was a member of NEXUS with New York Stage and Film and is a two time recipient of the Leeway Art and Change Grant and the 2021 Leeway Transformation Award. In 2023 she was named as a Dramatist Guild Foundation Catalyst Fellow. Erlina has taught theatre and playwriting with the University of the Arts, Power Street Theatre, and Blue Stoop. She currently serves as secretary of the board for Theatre Philadelphia. 

Her new musical, Siluetas, was developed for the O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference and premiered with Power Street Theatre in June 2024. It went on to be nominated for 7 Barrymore Awards. Erlina believes being an artist is a superpower, she believes in using her powers for good.

Jamie Powell (any) is a senior at Temple University completing their final semester towards a B.F.A in Musical Theater. Originally hailing from Baltimore, MD, and studying theatre throughout high school, Jamie's journey in the theater has manifested in an affinity for acting, music, dance, playwriting, and more. They were most recently seen in Once On This Island at the Arden in 2024 and has shown up onstage at Delaware Shakespeare (2022), Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre (2023), and Temple University. Jamie hopes to continue participating in the theatre post-grad through methods of creative collaboration before returning to their Alma Mater as a Teaching Assistant in Baltimore. 

Cynda Purnell (she/her) has a passion for bringing compelling stories to life whether on stage, in film, or in her daily doings. She was last seen portraying Antiquity in the elevated stage reading of the Are We Free Yet? project (AngelPirate Productions) at Theatre Exile. Some credits include Cynthia in Wine in the Wilderness (EgoPo Classic Theater), West Philly Meeting (Theatre in the X), Merci in In Their Silence (Theatre Exile), Human #3 in AGAIN (Bridge PHL Theatre Festival), and Freedom in #SuiteReality (Bridge PHL Theatre Festival). Following those productions, she took to life offstage, embracing the joys and challenges of parenthood. She is thrilled to relive the role of Antiquity & collaborate with TS Hawkins once again!

Cat Ramirez (they/he/she) is a director and producer who loves logistical puzzles, community meals, and bisexual lighting. Some of his favorite directing projects include She Was a Conquistawhore with Rachel O’Hanlon Rodriguez, Today Is My Birthday with Theatre Exile, Letters to the Moon with Mel Hsu and Intercultural Journeys, Half Magic with Joseph Ahmed, and Meet Murasaki Shikibu with Tiny Dynamite (Barrymore Nominated for Outstanding Direction). She has produced and developed programming for the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Asian Arts Initiative, and Lightning Rod Special. Cat is the Creative Director for Philly Asian Performing Artists (PAPA), the Cooperative Operations Manager for Obvious Agency, and a Board Member of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. They are an alumni of the National New Play Network’s Producer-In-Residence Program, and have been recognized by Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs for his contributions to Asian American Theatre in the state of Pennsylvania.

Rayne (they/all) is a Black, Non-Binary multidisciplinary artist from Southwest Philadelphia. They create to inspire decolonization, joy, play, and healing - believing it is our duty to build utopia. Rayne was in the inaugural cohorts of The Strides Collective Emerging Playwrights Residency and Jouska PlayWorks, respectively. They are a recipient of HATCH, Rockland Woods Residency, and finalist for Shattered Globe’s Global Playwright Series. Recent credits include: The Medusa Play - the first play by a Black student performed on the mainstage of their alma mater leading to a professional Barrymore Recommended production at Shoe Box Theatre Collective, Every Everyman and Germantown Plays Pericles  - developed and commissioned by Shakespeare in Clark Park, A Soft Landing - commissioned by Elevate Theatre Company and produced at their Frontline Healthcare Workers Theatre Festival, WHISPER -  premiered at Director’s Gathering DG Jam 2020 and produced by Upstream Performance Collaborative. Other commissions include: A Soft Landing (Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival), Dandelion (Revolution Shakespeare), and Journey to Wholefoodsland  (Lupine Performance Cooperative). Rayne is currently commissioned by Christ Church Neighborhood House for their “On Buried Ground” project. With praise from the Token Theatre Friends podcast, their play MASC, formerly Twenty-Six, is currently in-development. Their play COMET will premiere this fall with Upstream Performance Collaborative. Rayne is elated to continue cultivating their voice with this talented cohort of Rising Writers. tallblackcreative.com

Ryan Rebel (he/they) is the Rentals & Production Manager at Christ Church Neighborhood House. He is a Barrymore-winning Theatre Director, Producer, Production Manager, Dramaturg, and Performer. Most recently, he directed the award-winning COMET with Upstream Performance Collaborative, and Production Managed the PEW-funded historical performance project On Buried Ground with Christ Church. Ryan has a passion for cultivating the art ideas of his collaborators. His own creative work is invested in pushing multimedia boundaries to explore the contradictions of modernity.

Imani Alyse Redman is a writer, performer, creator, and teaching artist that originally hails from Jersey and is currently based out of Philly. She was a National Young Playwright in Residence with Echo Theatre Company in LA. She has had readings at Theater Development Fund’s PlayLab and Wordlab programs, New South Young Playwrights Festival, and Shellscrape Theatre Company. She was a semifinalist in the Lanford Wilson Playwriting Festival and for SPACE at Ryder Farms program. As a performer she has participated in shows such as Black Girl Joy, The Defiance of Dandelions, Machinal, Once on This Island, and Warriors Don't Cry. Imani uses her writing to explore the complexities of the minority, especially in relation to ethnic youth. You can follow her on Instagram @loveimanixo and read her plays on New Play Exchange.

Iraisa Ann Reilly is writer, actor and educator. Off-Broadway: According to the Chorus (Mallory, New Light Theatre Project) Other Favorite acting credits include: The Wolves (#14, Philadelphia Theatre Company) Blithe Spirit (Edith, Cape May Stage) and Water By the Spoonful (Yazmin, South Camden Theatre). Her one-woman show, January 6th, A Celebration: A Bodega Princess Remembers Tradition, Not Insurrection, was supported by a Lucille Lortel Micro-Commission, and recently performed as part of Teatro Circulo and Latinx Playwrights Circle’s Inaugural One Act Festival and Sol Project’s Sol Fest. As a writer her work has been developed and recognized by Teatro del Sol, Atlantic Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Two River Theatre, Arkansas New Play Festival, Bay Area Playwright’s Festival, Theatre Exile, The New Harmony Project, Texas A&M University, Michigan State, Latinx Playwrights Circle, Art House Productions, and the Yale Drama Series. She is currently under commission with Arden Theatre Company. Iraisa Ann is a member of Soho Rep’s Writer/ Director lab, 2024-2025. MFA Dramatic Writing from NYU. BA Theatre and English from the University of Notre Dame. iraisaannreilly.com

samantha rise (they/them) is a black, nonbinary performer, artist, and human-amplifier. A song catcher and devising artist, sam is grateful to grow in collaboration with The Obvious Agency, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Ninth Planet, and Spiral Q.

A recipient of the 2023 Pew Fellowship for the Arts, rise believes that creativity and community are our primary technologies for healing justice and self-determination, and loves creating artful interventions to build a more just and equitable world.

Arthur Lee Robinson (any) lives in Roxborough, near the Wissahickon. He hopes you consider telling the person next to you (especially if they are a stranger) that you wish them well, and that they find joy today. 

Tyler Rocio Ecoña is a Philly-based Peruvian-American dramaturg, playwright, and performer. Their work explores intersectional realities, Indigiqueer narratives, and hope beyond margin. Tyler has been a resident at the Kennedy Center's Playwright Discovery program, a Silver Medal recipient at the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and a recent Season Apprentice at InterAct Theatre Company. Their work has been featured by Philadelphia Theatre Company, Temple University, Philly Women's Theatre Festival, Cannonball Fringe, Giovanni's room, Ann Arbor District Library & more. BFA: The University of the Arts (rip)

Diana Rodriguez (she/her) is an actress, costume designer and former resident artist of Power Street Theatre Company with the superpower of being able to morph and adapt to any role she plays. Best known for her portrayal of the eccentric and iconic artist Frida Khalo in Erlina Ortiz play Las Mujeres. This Puerto Rico native actively worked with Power Street Theatre and in the Philadelphia theatre scene since she first moved to Philadelphia in 2014. She have worked in Productions like: Morir Sonyando, Shelter in Place, She wore those Shoes, Out of Orbit, El JEFE with the PYP organization, One Day Old, la Fabrika’s production of a 2.50 la Cuba Libre de Ibrahim Guerra and La Gringa under the direction of Jose Aviles, and lastly Teatro del Sol’s production of Oedipus, El Rey under the direction of Tana Marquez, last year, Diana decided to move cross country to California in 2021 where she has worked with Long Beach’s the Garage theater company in their annual melodramas Terror at the Pike and The Steam Power Rocket ride to the moon playing the beloved time traveler and the Pike’s chief engineer Guillo Fao both directed by Robert Young. She is continuing expanding her horizons and growing as an artist and as a human being. Diana is now back to reprise her iconic role of Frida Khalo in Erlina Ortiz’s stage reading of Las Mujeres for the AzukaFest. Diana is so grateful of the opportunities and blessings she’d received from Philadelphia theatre community and first and foremost the Power Street family, and the Teatro del Sol family who had always believed in her capability and talents and has inspired her to do better.

Rebeca Schall, a Philly local is beyond excited to be performing again with AZUKA!!! Most recently Rebecca wrapped shooting Dull Space, which premieres in early June. She also represented America at the Liverpool Stage Theater Arts Festival in Nova Scotia with its stage adaptation. Favorite credits include Hello Dolly (Dolly Levi),  White Christmas (Betty Haynes), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdelane). Many thanks to Rebecca May Flowers and the entire Azuka team. @therealbeccaboo79

Amanda Schoonover (she/they) is best known as the sassy eavesdropping Waitress on the GLAAD nominated Dispatches From Elsewhere on AMC where she co-starred opposite Jason Segel, Sally Field, and Andre (3000) Benjamin.  She is a two-time Barrymore Award recipient and 9-time nominee, as well as being a Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program Artist in Residence at 1812 Productions for our show The It Girl and an F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Finalist. Film/Television: Candy Cane Lane with Eddie Murphy, NBC’s Do No Harm opposite Phylicia Rashad and HBO's Perry Mason. Regional Theatre: Arden Theatre Company; Theatre Exile; Pig Iron; Lantern Theater; Azuka; Simpatico; Hedgerow; People's Light. 

Priyanka Shetty is an award-winning actor, playwright, and director based in Philadelphia. As a creator of original works, Priyanka is focused on making art that is a reflection of our times. With humor, insight, and raw energy, her plays pose critical questions about contemporary issues, engender dialogue, and call for solidarity and collective action.

Her critically acclaimed one-woman show The Elephant in the Room has performed at numerous venues across the US and internationally, including The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC and the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe at the Assembly Festival which was followed by a Scotland Tour. She also made her Off-Broadway debut with this play at the Drama Desk award-winning 59E59 Theaters in NYC. Priyanka is premiering her much-anticipated solo show #CHARLOTTESVILLE in 2025 at the multiple Helen Hayes award-winning Keegan Theatre in Washington DC. She has been awarded a generous grant by the National Endowment of the Arts for the development of The Wall, the third and final play in her Triptych of Solos. Priyanka’s Triptych of Solos will have a coordinated nationwide premiere across multiple cities in 2025/26. 

Priyanka is an alumna of the prestigious Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and was a semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwriting Conference. She has served on the jury of Open Screenplay's MFilm Lab in Canada and as a mentor for emerging screenwriters of South Asian descent, and most recently on the jury for the 2024 Atlanta Indian Film Festival. Priyanka earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of Virginia and has served on the faculty of the University of Virginia’s Department of Drama.

Hunter Smith (he/him) is a Philadelphia based AGMA/AEA Stage Manager, Production Manager, Props Master, and all around theater lover. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2019 with concentrations in Stage Management and Light Design. Previous stage management credits are from InterAct Theater Company, Azuka Theatre, Passage Theatre Company, Three Oaks Opera, Wolf Performing Arts Center, 24 Hour Plays, Philadelphia Artist Collective, South Camden Theater Company, and the Woodstock Playhouse (50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Concert). Previous production management credits come from Philadelphia Artist Collective, Three Oaks Opera, and Rutgers University. 

Hunter has worked with Avista Custom Theatrical Services, as an Assistant Stage Manager for Opera Philadelphia, and as a Freelance Production Manager for Ensemble Arts. Hunter also recently joined Philadelphia Artists Collective as their new Production Manager. When not working in the arts, he is the award-winning Activities Director of Four Seasons Family Campground in Pilesgrove, New Jersey! 

Michael A. Stahler (he/him) is honored to be back at Azuka! A Philadelphia-based actor, writer, director, and improviser, Michael had his professional debut at Azuka in the world premiere of Douglas Williams' SHIP, winner of the American Theatre Critics Associations' New Play Award and most recently Azuka's Barrymore-nominated Overwinter. Other credits include The Boy in the world premiere of the Hedgerow Theatre's groundbreaking work The Puzzle, directed by Bill Fennelly and Tony Award-winner David Shiner, Sean in The Playboy of the Western World (Inis Nua Theatre), supported by the Pew Foundation and the Government of Ireland, Survivors (Theatre Ariel), and his international premiere in Belfast with The Worst Cafe in the World (Big Telly). In film, his favorite credits include Tonight We Eat Flowers, developed by the BlackStar Film Festival and supported by the Sundance Foundation, as well as Frat Pie with Holy Terror and Kings with Jambalaya Pictures, winner of Best Film at the Neptune Movie Awards. You can also catch him in the first season of FOX's trivia game show The Floor with Rob Lowe. When not working on a show, he's hiking, podcasting, giving tours, or researching history, folklore, paleontology, or zoology. Feel free to ask him for an animal fact! Get in touch at MichaelStahler.com

Reva Stover (she/they) is an SDC Associate Member director, playwright, actor, producer, and dramaturg with a BFA acting degree from the University of Central Florida. She directed such works as the Barrymore nominated Philadelphia premiere of A Hit Dog Will Holler ( Azuka Theatre), Tuck Everlasting (Center Theatre),  Overwinter (Azuka Theatre), and more. She assistant directed Ring of Fire (Weston Playhouse), School Girls… (Arden Theatre), Radio Golf (Arden Theatre), and Fabulation (Lantern Theatre Company). Currently, Reva is the Resident Director of Azuka Theatre and Programs Manager of AfterWork Theater. She also founded a production company, Art and Vine Entertainment LLC, which focuses on providing equitable spaces, diverse representation, and growth opportunities for marginalized peoples. Visit revastover.com to keep up to date with their new projects.

Sarah Stryker (she/they) is thrilled to be working with the amazing community at Azuka! She is a performer, playwright, educator, director, and artisan. Playwriting: Going Dark: A Radio Play (Pomona College, April 2024) Murmurs: A Radio Play (R5 Productions, October 2024), Carnegie Mellon ColLABo finalist 2024, STRIDES Collective Emerging Playwright 2023, Kennedy Center All College Theatre Festival finalist 2023. Performance: ComedySportz (Rookie Class 2024), Quintessence (Owl & Pussycat), Arden Theatre Co. (POTUS u/s), Wilma Theatre (substitute: A Summer Day, Twelfth Night), Delaware Shakespeare Theatre (Julius Caesar), Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre (Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew), Revolution Shakespeare (King John), Hedgerow Theatre (Pillowman, A Christmas Carol Comedy), New Light Theatre (Our Town u/s) Villanova Theatre (Orlando, Revolutionists, Midsummer Night's Dream, White). 

Lexi Thammavong (they/she) is a singing actor and playwright based in Philly, their hometown. She obtained her BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Creative Writing from The University of the Arts. Recent credits include: This is the Week That Is (1812 Productions); Julius Caesar (Portia/Octavius; DelShakes); Meeting Murasaki Shikibu (Bookstore Manager; Tiny Dynamite) Head Over Heels (Pamela; Theatre Horizon); Rent (Mimi; Media Theatre); and others. Whether attempting to decolonize the classics, or crafting new work that centers marginalized voices, Lex is passionate about utilizing multiple disciplines— acting, singing, movement, improvisation, playwriting— to tell exciting and impactful stories that push conventions of form.

Yannick Trapman-O’Brien (he/him) is a Performer, Theatermaker, and Creative Hand for Hire. His practice centers on exploring the exchanges and spaces we are willing to make with strangers, and the exploration of unorthodox applications for performance. He is the creator of a series of critically acclaimed immersive experiences, including the award-winning and long-running telephone experience The Telelibrary. His works have been official selections at La Jolla Playhouse's Without Walls Festival, as well as the Denver, True/False, and Overlook Film Festivals, and cited as a "North Star" in the industry for creating responsive and deeply personal encounters for audiences of one at a time.

People pay him to act, which he has done in Shakespeare, devised work, performance actions and immersive works, as well as amphitheaters, basements, historical mansions, forests and one time on a bike. Yannick received his BA in Theater from NYU Abu Dhabi, training at The Experimental Theater Wing in New York, The Studies in Shakespeare program at RADA in London, and The International Theater Workshop in Amsterdam. The process was needlessly complicated and overly optimistic, as are most things he ascribes to and enjoys.

As a consultant, he has helped organizations shape engagement and think critically about the exchanges they make with their constituents, from single events to workshops to BFA programs. Most recently he served as Programming Coordinator for the Pulling Together Exhibition (2023), part of the Beyond Granite initiative on the National Mall (Trust for the National Mall, National Park Service).

Past credits include include training and work with Theater Mitu, Witness Relocation and the Interactive Playlab, appearances at The Walnut Street Theater, The American Czech Theater, New Light Theater, the Franklin Institute, and Morris Jumel Mansion, and collaborations with Public Movement (2016) and Amalia Pica (2017) at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. He is Project Specialist at Monument Lab, an ongoing collaborator with Al-Bustan, Guerilla Science and NYU Open Arts.

Occasionally, he sleeps.

Bruce Walsh’s plays include Grown-Ass Louis, Berserker, and Prospect Hill.  Since receiving his MFA in Playwriting from Indiana University in 2017, his work has been produced around the country, winning the Heideman Award, the Gary Garrison National Ten Minute Play Award, and the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition. Bruce lives in a rural county in Pennsylvania. (The convenience store in town features hitching posts in the parking lot.) He has an eight-year-old son, which keeps him in that part of the country. Since receiving his MFA, he has held the following jobs, in descending order of difficulty: 1. Stay-at-home dad 2. House painter 3. Short-order cook 4. College professor. These workplaces inform all of his plays; they contribute mightily to how he sees the world and his place in it. In a previous life, he was a longtime arts reporter and editor for the Philadelphia Metro and City Paper. Professionally, Bruce tends to specialize in careers that peaked in the late nineteenth century, which has produced a lifetime of disconcerting anxiety but, like an intricately nuanced novella by Henry James, is not without its charms. He currently teaches literature, writing, and theater at Messiah University and Elizabethtown College. He has recently been a Finalist for the Terrence McNally Award and the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. He is excited to be a 2025 William Inge Center Playwright in Residence, where he will live in Inge's boyhood home and develop the courage to consider the dark at the top of the stairs.

Page Whitman (they/them) is thrilled to be back here with Azuka! Recent performance history: Michael in Peter Panto at People's Light directed by Bill Fennelly, Crash in Carroll County Fix at Azuka Theatre directed by Priyanka Shetty, Hector Holbrook in Marjorie is Dead for the PAPA Playwright's New Year New Plays Reading directed by Kathryn MacMillan, Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream at Pennsylvania Theatre Institute directed by Charlie DelMarcelle. They also have experience as an assistant director with Inis Nua Theatre Co for The Holy Show and 10 Dates with Mad Mary. Page graduated from West Chester University with a BA in Theatre (Musical Theatre Concentration). They have also had specific training in Commedia dell'arte, puppetry, and improv. 

Dr. Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, PhD (Cultural Anthropology), M.A. (Anthropology), MFA (Theater), Graduate Certificate (Women's Studies), B.A. (Journalism); is Senior Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation for the Center for the Performing and cinematic and cinematic Arts & the School of Film and Media Arts. A Full Professor of Urban Theater and Community Engagement in the Department of Theater at Temple University, she is the author of Through Smiles and Tears: The History of African American Theater (From Kemet to the Americas) (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2011); The Secret Messages in African American Theater: Hidden Meaning Embedded in Public Discourse” (Edwin Mellen Publishing, 2006).

Contributing poet to 50 anthologies, 11 books of poetry, 9 book chapters, 10 journal articles, 2 books on AAT, 20 articles in newspapers and magazines, quoted or referenced in 61 articles, 2 published short stories, consulted on 6 films, over 130 Poetry performances and 85 community engagement events.

Ontaria Kim Wilson (she/her) is a multi-hyphenated artist based out of Philadelphia, PA with more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in theatre and she is  currently an MFA Directing Candidate at Temple University graduating in May of 2025. Ontaria has the following experiences to her credit:
DANCER/CHOREOGRAPHER: Founding member of Rennie Harris Puremovement Hip Hop Theatre Company; Eve and Teddy Pendergrass (Choreographer and Background Dancer); Half God of Rainfall (Choreographer/ Wilma Theatre); Blood At The Root (Choreographer/Temple University); Moreno (Choreographer/Interact Theatre); Les Blancs (Choreographer & Dancer/Egopo Classic Theatre) ACTOR: Alien Nation (Ensemble/Williamstown Theater Festival); Wine In The Wilderness (Tommy/Egopo Classic Theatre); School Girls or The African Mean Girls Play (Headmistress Francis/Arden Theatre); Fences (Rose Understudy/PA Shakespeare Festival); The Ways of White Folks (Cora/Egopo Classic Theatre); American Fast (Coach/Interact Theatre); Ramayana (Ensemble/Egopo Classic Theatre); For My Man (Sheila Dates/TV ONE); Eleanor and Dolly (Claire/Temple University); Les Blancs (Woman/EgopoClassicTheatre). DIRECTOR: From Okra To Greens A Different Type of Love Story (Temple University); As You Like It (Shakespeare In Clark Park); The Ways of White Folks (Co-Director/Egopo Classic Theatre); If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be A Muhfucka (Temple University); Half God of Rainfall (Assistant Director/Wilma Theatre); The Proposal (Temple University); Beautiful Toxicity (Arts Bank); The Book Store (Temple University); Detox (Venice Island Performing Arts Center)/ (Feature Film); The Rhythm-A Gregory Hines Story (Short Film); Hands of Life (Short Film); Call To Syria (Short Film) WRITER: Detox (Play and Screenplay); Beautiful Toxicity (Play and Book); The Healing (Play)