Bios of the Cast, Creative & Production Teams

CAST

EDDIE EWELL* (he/him— Moses) hails from Detroit, MI. He began acting in the Bay and recently completed his MFA at A.C.T. He has been blessed to work on some wonderful projects, including: The Welkin with ARC/ Remote Theater, To Saints and Stars with Playwrights Foundation,The Last Days of Judas Iscariot with ARC/ Remote Theater, Ti Jean and His Brothers at A.C.T., Kill Move Paradise at Shotgun Players, Midsummer Night’s Dream at A.C.T., Wintertime at A.C.T., We Are Proud to Present... at San Jose Stage, TheatreFirst’s VS., Jitney at AfricanAmerican Shakespeare Company, and, his first play, Head of Passes at Berkeley Rep. You can see him next in TheatreWorks’s Gem of the Ocean. Eddie gives all glory and honor to God and sends a special shoutout to his family!!

LEROY S. GRAHAM III* (he/him—Kitch) is a Brooklyn, NY native actor and is very excited to get back to being on stage. In 2020, Graham graduated from The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) where he received a MFA in Acting. However, graduating in the middle of a pandemic hasn’t been the easiest transition for Graham. With no set plans after leaving grad school, Graham decided to visit his family back in Brooklyn with the hopes of resettling. The practice of gratitude became extremely important to Graham during that time. This practice has manifested itself in many positive ways for Graham, one of them being this production of Pass Over. Since graduating, Graham has worked on a few short films and commercials. Past Credits include: A Christmas Carol (Golden Gate Theater); Of Mice and Men (ACT MFA); The Substitution (ACT); Luce (Meadowbrook Theater); The Birds (Cortland Rep); If A Tree Falls (film); The Rest Is History: Alfred L. Cralle (commercial). You can also hear Graham talk about himself in a segment of NPR titled California Graduate On Making It In Theater During A Pandemic. Graham is gleefully anticipating what the future holds.

Brian Herndon* (he/ him—Mister, Ossifer) Brian Herndon (he/him/ his) happily returns to MTC, having performed in As Thousands Cheer, The Good German, Failure: A Love Story, Swimmers, Shakespeare in Love and Oslo. He has appeared at theatres across the Bay Area, including TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, City Lights Theater Company, Aurora Theatre, 6th Street Playhouse, Central Works, Center Rep, and the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Favorite roles include Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Mr. Elton in Jane Austen’s Emma, Edward Gant in Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness and Estragon in Waiting for Godot. He studied physical theatre at the Dell’Arte School and holds an MFA from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

ANTOINETTE CHINONYE NWANDU (she/her— Playwright) is a New York-based writer for stage, TV and film. Her play Pass Over re-opened on Broadway in August 2021 after making its New York debut at LCT3/Lincoln Center in 2018. A filmed version of the 2017 Steppenwolf production—directed by Spike Lee—premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Antoinette is a MacDowell Fellow, an Ars Nova Play Group alum, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, and a Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Literary Fellow. She’s won a Lilly Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, the Whiting Award, the Samuel French Next Step Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, and the Negro Ensemble Company’s Douglas Turner Ward Prize. Furthermore, her work has been supported by the Sundance Theater Lab, Space on Ryder Farm, Ignition Fest, the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, Fire This Time, The Movement Theater Company and several others. Antoinette holds an A.B. in English from Harvard, an MSc from The University of Edinburgh, and an MFA from NYU Tisch.

KEVIN R. FREE (he/ him—Director) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work as an actor, writer, director, and producer has been showcased and developed in many places, including The Moth Radio Hour; Project Y Theater; Flux Theater Ensemble; the Queerly Festival; The New York Neo-Futurists; and The Fire This Time Festival, where he served as Producing Artistic Director for 5 years, winning an Obie for his work in 2015. He is now the Resident Artistic Director of FRIGID New York (www. frigid.nyc) and was just named Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, NJ (www.milesquaretheatre.org). He is also the co-writer and co-producer of the award-winning web series Gemma & The Bear! and the upcoming Beckys Through History (MyCarl.org). As an actor, along with performing in over 100 professional productions (including the world premiere production of WINK at Marin Theatre Company), he became the first AfricanAmerican to play the role of Bellomy in The Fantasticks Off-Broadway. An accomplished voice actor, as well, Kevin is the voice of Kevin from Desert Bluffs on the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. He is most proud of his work as an audiobook narrator, having contributed to over 400 projects in the past 20 years, including The Known World by Edward P. Jones; Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage; TheCost of Knowing by Brittney Morris; A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson and all the books in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Twitter/Instagram: @kevinrfree kevinrfree.com

TANIKA BAPTISTE* (she/her/they— Assistant Director, Assistant Stage Manager and Fight Captain) is absolutely elated to work on her second production with Marin Theatre Company. Originally from San Diego, CA she has worked as a director, producer, actor, playwright and vocalist in both the San Francisco Bay Area and SD. Her most recent Bay Area directorial credits include At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, Pillow Talk, The Review or How to Eat Your Opposition (Theatre Rhino) and Rachel (SBMT) SD credits: Clybourne Park

(Character Physics) The desTROYers (Old Globe Theatre-Powers New Voices Festival) and Fires in the Mirror which received the Broadway World Award 2021 Best Streaming Play (Trinity Theatre Company) She has performed and/or directed with La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego REP, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Ground Floor, Marin Shakespeare Company, The Old Globe, American Conservatory Theatre, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre and Diversionary Theatre. This spring she will star as Sappho in The Real Sappho at Cutting Ball Theatre in SF. Love to my family, friends & this incredibly gifted theatre company and team!

PIPER DELLUMS (she/ her—Drama Therapist & Compassion Consultant) is a filmmaker, director, writer, international public and inspirational speaker, host, advocate, author, survivor, and drama, arts and writing therapist specializing in issues of aging, child, domestic and sexual violence, abuse, addiction and trauma. She is the Creative Executive Director of film, video and special events for A Community for Peace and The Foundation for Peaceful Communities focusing on domestic violence, trauma and abuse. Winner of Four 2021 writer/director film awards for her films, “Legacy of Woman”; “About Love” and “Pachamama. She is the Executive Producer of the 2020 John Legend and Taye Da Prince, “Love one another” video campaign; The 2019 ABFF (American Black Film Festival) Best Screenplay RECIPIENT for her feature film, STRIVE, starring Danny Glover; The 2019 Harlem Film Festival “Audience Choice: Award for her producing of STRIVE. Winner best film for her films, “Don’t talk about Jesus”, “The aren’t Party”, “Red Road” and “Dandelions”. She is the 2019 recipient and keynote of the “Survivors Ball” Woman of the year award; and the 2018 INSPIRIQUE Circle of Light recipient with Oprah Winfrey for her dedication to victims and women’s rights international advocacy work. Her mission’s work focuses on human dignities, human trafficking, rape, trauma and sexual abuses, substance, elder and environmental abuse, depression, and grief counseling. Piper Dellums is a powerful inspirational speaker with over 20 years of experience; speaking at social and political activist human rights forums all over the United States, Belarus, American Samoa, Europe, and South, East and West Africa.

EDWARD E. HAYNES, JR. (he/him—Scenic Designer) Ed is excited to be retuning to The Marin Theatre Co where he previously Designed Skeleton Crew and How I Learned What I Learned. Regional Credits include: The Geffen Playhouse, The Mark Taper Forum, Ebony Repertory Theatre Co., South Coast Rep., The Kirk Douglas Theatre, East West Players, Pasadena Playhouse, The Hollywood Bowl, Antaeus Theatre, Berkeley Rep., The Intiman Theatre, City Theatre Pittsburgh, Gulfshores Playhouse, The Muny Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Trinity Rep., The Two River Theatre, The Alley Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and many he can no longer remember. Television Credits include MTVs Spring Break 2012 & 2011, Hip Hop Harry for the Discovery Kids/TLC Channel, and Culture Clash for Fox TV. Ed is the proud father of twins, Denis and Wesly, and husband to Director Elizabeth Bell-Haynes. edhaynes.carbonmade.com

ALICE RUIZ (she/her—Costume Designer) Over the past few years, Alice has been a freelance Costume Designer, Assistant Costume Designer, Costume Mentor, and Theatrical Dresser throughout the SF Bay

Area. This is her first time designing at Marin Theatre Company. However, this is her second show back post shutdown due to the pandemic and she is happy to be back to making art for live audiences! Listing past credits here seems silly given a whole pandemic has happened since then so instead she’ll list her upcoming shows which inclue The Real Sappho at Cutting Ball Theatre (San Francisco) and Dream Hou$e at Shotgun Players (Berkeley). She is grateful to everyone in a seat supporting the arts making their way back to the stage. You can view her other work at aliceruizdesign.com.

ASHLEY CORSO (she/her—Asst. Costume Designer) is a Bay Area-born costume designer and slow fiber artist. She is most inspired when creating stories through cloth. When designing, assisting, wardrobe supervising and running backstage for quick changes, she’s happy to be surrounded by artists and sharing stories with audiences. Most recently she’s been seen backstage as wardrobe crew of The Magic Lamp at Presidio Theatre and assistant designing Passing Strange at Shotgun Players. Ashleyreneec.com

GRISEL TORRES/GG (they/she—Lighting Designer) is a lighting and sound designer, dj, energy and body work practitioner based in Ohlone Chochenyo Territory. GG studied Light Design, Stage Management, and Props Design at SFSU’s School of Theatre and Dance and has been a staff lighting designer, carpenter, production manager and venue manager for various theatre companies in the SF Bay Area since 2013. Currently, she is mainly designing lights and props for live and filmed movement-based works. During the pandemic, GG has had the time to explore her own style of empatheticintuitive-adaptive improvisational lighting scores. They have come to see the stage as an altar and light design as a guiding ritual towards catharsis. As an artist and healer, the intention is always to safely open the circle for sacred storytelling and to laugh and dance with the ancestral. This practice of art ritual healing is also found in gg’s sound and energy work explorations which you can find at grisel-torres.squarespace.com. Enjoy this amazing show!

JOHN DI GIORGIO (he/him—Assistant Lighting Designer) has worked in technical theater around the Bay Area for the past 12 years. After training through Diablo Valley College and Summer Repertory Theater, he found his love for the making of theater through many different jobs: carpentry, sound design, lighting design, master carpenter, master electrician, technical director, and designer. He currently works for Desired Effect as well as Poison Apple Productions.

CHRISTOPHER SAUCEDA (Any and All Pronouns—Sound Designer) Christopher “Saucy” Sauceda is a sound designer, composer, producer and creative in all areas of sound. Chris resides with home company, Campo Santo. Chris has been designing since 2017. You can contact Chris with any creative or business inquiries at sauceda.m.chris@gmail.com

JAMES ARD (he/him—Sound Consultant) is a San Francisco based designer, noisemaker, and broadcast artist. Recent theatrical Sound Design credits include Exit Strategy, Actually, Dry Powder, The Royale (Aurora Theatre Company), This is Who I Am (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company), 9 Parts of Desire (Portland Center Stage), Phantasmagoria, Utopia, Free For All, La Ronde (Cutting Ball Theater) and Time of Change (Joe Goode Performance Group).

Ard is an occasional Podcast Coordinator for the SF Sketchfest, and Resident Artist with both Golden Thread Productions and Crowded Fire Theater.

CHRISTINA HOGAN* (she/her—Stage Manager) is excited to return to Marin Theatre Company. Previously she has worked as the Stage Manager at MTC on Brilliant Mind, The Catastrophist,

and Skeleton Crew. Other Stage Management credits include Gloria, Top Girls, Edward Albee’s Seascape, and Men on Boats at American Conservatory Theater; In OldAge, The BaltimoreWaltz, runboyrun, And I and Silence, and Any Given Day at Magic Theatre; Ripped and Selkie at Z Space; It Can’t Happen Here at Berkeley Repertory Theatre; and A Raisin in the Sun at California Shakespeare Theater. Christina has a BA in theater arts from Saint Mary’s College of California.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association.

MTC LEADERSHIP

JASSON MINADAKIS (he/him—Artistic Director) is in his 16th season as artistic director of Marin Theatre Company. Directing credits include the world premiere commission of The Catastrophist, Mother of the Maid, Sovereignty, Oslo, Shakespeare in Love, Thomas and Sally, Guards at the Taj, August: Osage County, The Invisible Hand, Anne Boleyn, The Convert, The Whale, Failure: A Love Story, the world premiere of Lasso of Truth, The Whipping Man (San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle Awards for Best Production and Best Acting Ensemble), Waiting for Godot, Othello: the Moor of Venice, The Glass Menagerie, Edward Albee’s Tiny Alice, the world premiere of Libby Appel’s adaptation of Chekhov’s Seagull, Happy Now?, Equivocation (SFBATCC Award, Best Director), the world premiere of Sunlight, Lydia, The Seafarer, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, A Streetcar Named Desire, said Saïd, Love Song, and The Subject Tonight is Love. As artistic director of Actor’s Express Theatre Company, he directed The Pillowman; Bug; The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer; Echoes of Another Man; Killer Joe; Burn This; The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?; Blue/ Orange; and Bel Canto. As producing artistic director of Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, he directed Jesus Hopped the ’A’ Train, Chagrin Falls (2002 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Production), and numerous others, including 19 productions of Shakespeare. Regional credits include The Whipping Man at Virginia Stage Company, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Hamlet at Georgia Shakespeare, Copenhagen at Playhouse on the Square (2003 Ostrander Theatre Award for Best Dramatic Production), and BedroomFarce at Wayside.

MEREDITH SUTTLES (she/her—Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer) joined Marin Theatre Company as its new Managing Director this April. Meredith is an arts leader with an extensive background in creative and performing arts in the areas of development, management, strategic planning, fundraising, and

performance. She has held senior leadership roles at TheaterWorksUSA, Soho Repertory Theatre, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the New York City Opera. Meredith is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and former EmcArts: Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators (ALACI) Fellow. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a Steering Committee Member of the Black Theatre Commons and currently serves on the Board of Directors of viBe Theater Experience (Brooklyn, NY). As a visionary leader known for her ability to win community support, develop key coalitions and build strong relationships with a shared sense of purpose, she is passionate about devising meaningful ways to address and further the goals of MTC.

NAKISSA ETEMAD (she/ her—Associate Artistic Director) is an Iranian American dramaturg, producer, and French translator specializing in new BIPOC plays and musicals for over 25 years. Recent MTC credits include Producer for The Catastrophist, Brilliant Mind, and Producer & Casting Director for Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. Marin Theatre Company’s Associate Artistic Director, she is also a Resident Artist of Golden Thread Productions, Regional VP Metro Bay Area for Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), and member of MENA Theater Makers Alliance and Anti-Racism Task Force of LMDA. She is dramaturg for the upcoming MTC co-production with ACT in Seattle of Yussef El Guindi’s Hotter Than Egypt, which she worked on with El Guindi at the 2020 Colorado New Play Summit. Other recent dramaturgy: Heather Raffo’s Noura (MTC/ Golden Thread), Marcus Gardley’s Play on! commission of King Lear (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and recent world premiere productions with Marcus Gardley, Lauren Yee, Marisela Treviño Orta, Margo Hall, and Torange Yeghiazarian. Frequent collaborator on Golden Thread’s ReOrient Festivals of Short Plays and Bay Area Playwrights Festivals. Festival Director for the 5th Annual New America Playwrights Fest, featuring new plays by Lynn Nottage, Naomi Iizuka and Polly Pen (San Jose Rep). Former Dramaturg and Literary Manager of The Wilma Theater, San Jose Rep, and San Diego Repertory Theatre and Exec. VP Freelance of LMDA. Recipient of the 2015 Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy for The Lark’s four-city premieres of Gardley’s the road weeps, the well runs dry.

MARIN THEATRE COMPANY Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area’s premier mid-sized theatre and the leading professional theatre in the North Bay, producing a five-show season focused on new American plays. MTC is committed to the development and production of new plays, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes productions of world premieres, readings and workshops by the nation’s diverse emerging and established playwrights. MTC’s numerous education programs serve more than 4,500 students from over 40 Bay Area schools each year. MTC envisions theatre as a vital space for sharing diverse stories to build a more just and equitable world. MTC is dedicated to inspiring conversation, learning and action to build more inclusive communities. We do this by providing a sustainable home for developing the work of diverse American playwrights and producing innovative theatrical experiences. MTC was founded in 1966 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.