Days of Re-Creation: A Virtual Play

Masi Asare (she/her) – Masi is a composer, lyricist, and playwright. Shows include: The Family Resemblance (book/music/lyrics; developed at Live and In Color/ Bingham Camp and Eugene O’Neill Center); the new musical adaptation of Mira Nair’s film Monsoon Wedding (lyrics), to open at Leeds Playhouse and London’s The Roundhouse in summer 2021; spy musical Sympathy Jones (music/lyrics/concept; NYMF; Playscripts); and a one-act play about teen super hero Ms. Marvel, Mirror of Most Value (Marvel/Samuel French). Commissions: Theatre Royal Stratford East, Barbara Whitman/Grove Entertainment, Victory Gardens/ Toulmin Foundation. A past Dramatists Guild Fellow, Masi won the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award for a woman composer of musicals, awards for composition and lyrics from the O’Neill, a Theater Hall of Fame Emerging Artist Grant, and the Stacey Mindich “Go Write A Musical” Lilly Award. An advisory board member for MAESTRA, she holds degrees from Harvard and NYU Tisch and is on the Theatre department faculty at Northwestern University.

AriDy Nox (she/they) – is a multi-disciplinary black femme storyteller and social activist with a variety of forward-thinking creative works under her/their belt including the sci-fi operetta Project Tiresias (2018), the ancestral reckoning play A Walless Church (2019), the afrofuturist ecopocalypse musical Metropolis (2019), and many others. AriDy creates out of the vehement belief that creating a future in which marginalized peoples are free requires a radical imagination. Their tales are offerings intended to function as small parts of an ancient, expansive, awe-inspiring tradition of world-shaping, created by and for black femmes. As a graduate of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch School of the Performing Arts at NYU and a beneficiary of the Emerging Writer’s Group at the Public Theatre, she has been inordinately privileged to share the workings of her imagination among a vast array of inspiring and supportive artists of various radical backgrounds throughout the city.

Erlina Ortiz (she, her) – Erlina Ortiz is a Dominican-American playwright, performer, and theatre maker from Reading, PA-based in Philadelphia. Her heartfelt and timely plays on gentrification, domestic violence, and cultural preservation have been produced with Power Street Theatre where she is proud to be Co-Artistic Director and Resident Playwright. In 2018, Her play Las Mujeres received The Bonaly Award for
Creation of Community Joy and in Spring 2019 her play Morir Sonyando was nominated for six Barrymore Awards including Outstanding New Play. Erlina has received the Amtrak Writer’s residency, the Signal Fire Outpost Residency, in 2019 she gave the Keynote Address at the Delaware Writer’s Conference, and she is a 2020 recipient of the Leeway Art and Change Grant. Erlina has taught playwriting with the University of the Arts, Power Street Theatre, and Blue Stoop phl. Erlina believes being an artist is a superpower, she believes in using her powers for good.

SEVAN (he/him) – SEVAN’s work has been seen in London and New York at The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The Flea Theatre, The Sheen Center, The Bush Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Theatre503, Rich Mix, The Old Red Lion, The Space, and Access Theatre. Member of the Bush Theatre inaugural 2015 Emerging Writers Group; The Public Theater 2011 Emerging Writers Group; NYTW Usual Suspect; Rising Circle Theatre Collective 2010 InkTANK Writer’s Lab. NYTW 2011/2012 Teaching Artist. 2017 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist. 2016 Kondazian Playwriting Award for Armenian Stories. 2016 Arch and Bruce Foundation Playwriting Prize. 2014/2015/2016 Princess Grace Award Semi-Finalist. 2014 Papatango Playwriting Prize Shortlist. 2014 Saroyan Social Justice/Human Rights Playwriting Award Finalist. 2010/2012 William Saroyan Playwriting Prize Finalist. Currently under commission by Noor Theatre for the inaugural Theatre Row Kitchen Sink Residency.

Nandita Shenoy (she/her) – Nandita is a New York-based writer-actor. Her Rage Play, was recently named to the Kilroys List 2020. Washer/ Dryer was produced multiple times nationally after its world premiere at LA’s East West Players and an Off-Broadway production in which she also starred. Her first full-length, Lyme Park: An Austonian Romance of an Indian Nature, was produced by theHegira in Washington, DC. Her one-acts have been produced in New York City and regionally. Nandita won the 2014 Father Hamblin Award in Playwriting and a 2018 Mellon Creative Research Fellowship at the University of Washington School of Drama in partnership with Ma- Yi Theater Company. She is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the Dorset Theatre Festival’s Women Artists Working Group, and the Dramatists Guild. Nandita holds a BA in English literature from Yale University. www.nanditashenoy.com

Lauren Yee (she/her) – Lauren’s plays include Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, City Theatre, Merrimack Rep) and The Great Leap (Denver Center, Seattle Repertory, Atlantic Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Arts Club, InterAct Theatre, Steppenwolf). Honors: Doris Duke Artists Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Whiting Award, Steinberg/ATCA Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters literature award, Horton Foote Prize, Kesselring Prize, Primus Prize, Hodder Fellowship, #1 and #2 plays on 2017 Kilroys List. New Dramatists, Ma-Yi Writers’ Lab, Playwrights Realm alum. TV: Pachinko (Apple), Soundtrack (Netflix). BA: Yale. MFA: UCSD. www.laurenyee.com

BD (he/him) won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in M. Butterfly, becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award for the same role. He was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Television Award for his role as Whiterose in Mr. Robot, also earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Rebecca Aparicio is a NYC-based director and writer of new work, dedicated to telling stories rooted in social and human justice. Recent projects include: In The Heights (Live Arts), award-winning production of Radical by Nelson Diaz-Marcano (HERE),  and Morir Sonyando by Erlina Ortiz (Parsnip Ship). As an associate/assistant director, recent credits include: Gloria: A Life (dir. Diane Paulus, A.R.T. and dir. Emily Mann, McCarter Theatre), Evita (dir. Sammi Cannold, NY City Center), The Fre (dir. Niegel Smith, The Flea). She’s developed work with Classical Theatre of Harlem, Musical Theatre Factory, The Tank, Ars Nova, HERE, FringeNYC, The Flea, and more. She is an inaugural member of Roundabout Theatre’s Directing Group 2019-20, an MTC Jonathan Alper Directing Fellow, a two-time SDCF Observership Award recipient, and a Resident Director at the Flea.  As a writer, her award-winning musical Pedro Pan was developed by New York Musical Festival, Musical Theatre Factory, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and FringeNYC. Additional writing credits: Legacy (Prospect Theatre), Nora Saves The World (Barn Arts), and The Garcia Sisters (Red Mountain Theatre). Rebecca is a Steering Committee member of the Latinx Theatre Commons, Latinx Playwrights Circle, and a founding member of Magic Forest Theatre, dedicated to creating new musicals for young audiences. www.RebeccaAparicio.com (she/her)

Live & In Color was founded by Director-Choreographer Devanand Janki in 2015 to develop new work for the stage that promotes and celebrates diversity. Emphasizing non-traditional casting, multi-ethnic participants, and bold theatricality, L&IC offers unique development opportunities for new plays and musicals that encourage dialogue among artists from a variety of cultures. We envision an American Theatre where established and aspiring artists of color have generous opportunities to practice their craft, on- and offstage.  Shows developed at Live & In Color include Call It Courage by Adam Overett, The Family Resemblance by Masi Asare, Pangaea by Janet Noh and Lee Summers, Present Perfect by Jaime Lozano and Nancy Nachama Cheser, Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical by Laiona Michelle, Narrow Daylight by SEVAN and The Golden Threshold by Cheeyang Ng and Eric Sorrels.  www.theatreincolor.org

Ang Bey (they/them) is a Black, queer storyteller from Southwest Philadelphia. They are the co-artistic director of Shoe Box Theatre Collective and the co-creative director of Wings of Paper Theatre Company.

Acting: Paul (Shoe Box Theatre Collective), Field Calls (Lupine Performance Cooperative), Candles (Philadelphia Young Playwrights), Our Ouija Board… (On the Rocks), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in Clark Park), LP (AE Film), & Actors Ensemble (Sundance Directors Lab) Upcoming: exx….statis, exxx…hale (Villanova Theatre), 154 Revisited: Sonnet 43 (Revolution Shakespeare), The American Revolution (Theatre Unspeakable), & The Niceties (InterAct). Playwriting: The Medusa Play (Shoe Box Theatre Collective; Barrymore Recommended). Ang is in the inaugural cohort of Jouska PlayWorks (Simpatico Theatre) Upcoming: Everyman (Shakespeare in Clark Park); virtual presentations – Twenty-Six (Jouska PlayWorks), Walk the Line (Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival), The Utopia Project (Friends Select School), and Dandelion: A Zoom Play (Revolution Shakespeare). Directing: The Medusa Play (co-director; Shoe Box Theatre Company) Upcoming:  Everyman (co-director; Shakespeare in Clark Park), The Utopia Project (Friends Select School), and Mt. Vernon Park Play (assistant-director; SCP). Instagram: @theangbee angbey.com

Dolores Avery (Jess, Bee, Betsaida)  Is a proud Afro LATINX actress who graduated from Syracuse University with her BFA. Dolores also finished two years at Maggie Flanigan Studio this past June. She is so incredibly excited to be Joining PTC on this amazing project. NYC Theater credits include Good Friday (The Flea), Ms Estrada (Q Brothers), Orphans and Outsiders (John Cullum Theater). You can follow her on IG: @queen_davery  #BLM She/Her/Hers

Kimberly S. Fairbanks is an actor and voice over artist who can be seen and heard across the performance mediums. Credits include: International: I Will Speak for Myself (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Off-Broadway: I Will Speak for Myself (59E59 Theater), The Mecca Tales (Sheen Center), Regional: Dance Nation (The Wilma Theater), Sweat (Philadelphia Theatre Company); Sanctions (World Premiere/Delaware Theatre Company), I Will Speak for Myself (Eugene O’Neill Foundation), Sing the Body Electric (Theatre Exile), Human Rites (InterAct Theatre), Passing Strange (The Wilma Theater). Film/Television: Glass, The Upside, FBI: Most Wanted, Instinct, Madam Secretary, The Looming Tower, Delco Proper, House of Cards, and The Family. Kimberly is a National Partners American Theatre Classical Acting Award Recipient. MA in Acting from Villanova University.

Before lockdown and the widespread pandemic of COVID-19, J was last seen on stage as Eric in PTC’s beautiful production of Everything is Wonderful. Also at PTC: Sweat. Other companies he’s worked for in town include Lantern Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Co, InterAct Theatre Co, Quintessence Theatre Group, Delaware Shakespeare, Philadelphia Artists Collective, Simpatico Theatre, Hedgerow Theatre, and Commonwealth Classic Theatre. To add to his list of works, J. is also Haas Award nominee and multiple Barrymore nominee. BLM. Siempre resistir. (he/him)

Suli Holum is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist who has appeared at Philadelphia Theatre Company, People’s Light, Arden, Theatre Horizon, Lantern, Theatre Exile, and the Wilma where she is a member of the HotHouse Company.  She was a founding member of Pig Iron Theatre Company, Co-Artistic Director of Stein|Holum Projects, and recently founded Suli Holum/The Work, an incubator for new performance.  She is the recipient of a Barrymore Award and Drama Desk Award, an Independence Fellowship, and a TCG Fox Fellowship. Upcoming: HBO’s Mare of Easttown.

Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning writer, actor, director and advocate for inclusion. As an actor, Christine has appeared on Broadway (The Music Man, Grease!, Chu Chem), Off-Broadway (Merrily We Roll Along, Pacific Overtures, Crane Story, Falsettoland, Balancing Act, Philip Goes Forth, NYSF), in regional theaters across the country (including the Guthrie, Williamstown and the Huntington) and nearly 100 television and film appearances (including recurring guest star roles on Marvel’s “Iron Fist,” “The Americans,” “You,” “Law and Order: SVU”) and more.  She is on “extended intermission” from the North American tour of Come From Away. Her written works have been produced and/or developed by the Roundabout, Village Theatre, Barrow Group, Prospect Theatre, Weston Playhouse, O’Neill, Women’s Theatre Festival, CAP 21 and more and are included in the Library of Congress’s Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection (Playwrights Division). She serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild and is host of the Guild’s podcast “Talkback” on Broadway Podcast Network. Rosetta LeNoire, JACL, Asian American Arts Alliance, Obie awards for advocacy in diversity and inclusion. For details, please visit www.christinetoyjohnson.com Twitter/Insta: @CToyJ

Iraisa Ann Reilly is a Jersey-born, New York-based theatre artist with artistic roots in Philadelphia. As an actor she has worked with Cape May Stage, Teatro Del Sol, Powerstreet Theatre Co., and South Camden Theatre Co. to name a few. As a writer, some of Iraisa Ann’s plays include Good Cuban Girls (Teatro del Sol, at The Arden Theatre), One Day Old (Philadelphia Fringe), Ocean Beach, and Medallas Por Un Abrazo. She performed her original work, A Beginner’s Guide to Interpreting Aphasia, for Philadelphia’s Solow Fest, 2019. Iraisa Ann was a semifinalist for the Page 73 grant in 2019, and has trained with LAByrinth Theatre’s Summer Intensive and the Maria Irene Fornes Workshop (with Migdalia Cruz). She is currently pursuing an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University and holds a BA in Theatre and English from the University of Notre Dame. Thanks to the playwrights for their beautiful work, and to PTC/ Live & In Color for this opportunity. Love and Thanks  to mi familia. iraisaannreilly.com.(she/her)

Jamel Baker is a freelance stage manager and is thrilled to join Philadelphia Theatre Company for the first time. Jamel has worked with many companies throughout the city: Simpatico, Tribe of Fools (also a company member), Arden, EgoPo, Azuka, Enchantment and more. Jamel holds a BFA from Millersville University.