PROGRAM 4

Corpus Christi by Anthony P. Pennino

Dead Wives Dance the Mambo by Desi Moreno-Penson

Karl Knapp ( Lucifer Morningstar ) is excited to be working with the Chain Theatre for the first time. A graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse of Acting here in NYC, he enjoys acting both in theater and film. Some previous credits include Drones & Christ Detained both written and directed by Anthony P. Pennino. He also played John Proctor in The Crucible. He wishes to extend a Thank You to everyone at today’s performance.

Jamison Monella (as Joshua) is a New York based actor, model, and playwright. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Performance and Art History from Juniata College. He is ecstatic to be back on stage as theater is making its return to the world! Other New York credits include Dorian in (The Picture of) Dorian Gray, Creon in Citizen Cyborg, Pat in Drones, and as Max in Death of a Bachelor (also playwright). International credits include Danny in American Western (Int’l Dublin Gay Theatre Fest) and Hamlet in Hamlet (Edinburgh Fringe).

Anthony P. Pennino (playwright/director) is the author of numerous plays including Chokehold, Of Privilege and Property, and Christ Detained. He was twice awarded a fellowship from the New Jersey Council on the Arts. A professor of literature, he also authored a monograph on the British theatre in the 1980s, which was published by Palgrave Macmillan UK. He holds an MFA from Columbia and a PhD from the University of London.

BIOS:

Desi Moreno-Penson (Playwright) is an award-winning NYC based Latina playwright whose plays have been developed/produced at Ensemble Studio Theater (EST), INTAR, MultiStages, Perishable Theater (Providence, RI), Henry Street Settlement, SPF-Summer Play Festival, terraNOVA Collective, The Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF) @the Cherry Lane, Urban Theater Company (Chicago), Teatro Coribantes (San Juan, PR), among others. Her new play, Without Water/Sin Agua is currently part of the Fighting Words Script Development Program with Babes With Blades Theater Company in Chicago. Her play, Beige is the winner of the 2016 National Latino Playwriting Award sponsored by the Arizona Theater Company; received Honorable Mention on The Kilroys List 2017; Finalist for 2018 Bay Area Playwrights Festival, 2016 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, 2017 New Works Festival @Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX); Semifinalist for 2016 Princess Grace Award; selected for the inaugural list of 50 Playwrights Project’s Top 8 Best Unproduced Latinx Plays 2017, and was nominated for the 2017 Mentor Project @the Cherry Lane. Her plays, Ghost Light, Devil Land, Lazarus Disposed, and 3 To a Session: A Monster’s Tale, are published by Broadway Play Publishing; a ten-minute play, Spirit Sex: A Paranormal Romance, was selected for the short plays anthology, “Best Ten- Minute Plays of 2010,” and a scene from Comida de Puta is included in an anthology featuring plays written by Latinx playwrights, “Scenes for Latinx Actors: Voices of the New American Theater,” both published by Smith and Kraus. Her short play, Reconcile, Bitch will be included in an upcoming short plays anthology “Best Ten- Minute Plays of 2020,” published by Applause Theater and Cinema Books in the fall 2021. MFA in Dramaturgy and Theater Criticism from Brooklyn College; Member, Dramatists Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and the Going To The River Writers Unit (GTTR) @the Lark New Play Development Center in NYC. Desi lives in The Bronx with her wonderful husband, Anthony, and their cat, Choo-Choo.

KM Jones (Director) is a Theatre Director and Producer. KM is currently on The Board of Directors of LPTW (League of Professional Theatre Women) for the 2020-2021 season; and the Associate Artistic Director for Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. Recent Streaming Directing Projects include Genesister and Monkey Mary both written by Desi Moreno-Penson; American Slavery 101 (2nd Place for The Nuyorican Poets Cafe 2021 Online Festival) written by Nia Akilah Robinson; Emergency Kit, He Watered Plastic Plants, and 84736 all written by Raymond Goode; and Don't Drink The Hatorade by Carmen Lobue. KM is also an Alumni of St. John's University and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Arelis Torres (Mariana) is a Puerto Rican actress based in New York City. Since making her move here three year ago, she has performed in various off-off Broadway shows including A Christmas Carol. Her recent roles include Linda Summers/Alecto in a Zoom Production of Rough Magic; and she played the role of Lucia in Papi as part of the Nuyorican Poets Café 2021 Online Theater Festival. Her role in Dead Wives Dance The Mambo will be her first production back on stage since 2019. She is thrilled to be a part of this play and to perform at The Chain Theatre One Act Festival!

Mateo Moreno (Vicquez/Fight Choreographer) is a NYC based actor/playwright whose latest play Within Our Walls just received an in-person developmental workshop at the 14th Street Y. His play Pitch was recently published as part of the play anthology “We’re Not Neutral: Reset Series 2020,” and is now available to purchase on Amazon. His other playwriting credits include No Hablo Español: MixTape of a Mexi-Can’t, Broken Pieces, Bohemian Valentine, Happily After Tonight. Recent acting credits: ‘Art’, Not-Knowing, Pride & Prejudice, The Rite-ing on the Wall, The Enemy of the People, Krampus Search 2020, Dead Wait: A Journey into Afro- Existentialism, Canary in a Cage (workshop). Mateo also reviews films for “The ArtsWire Weekly” and is a proud ensemble member of Rising Sun Performance Company. Current projects include the play Moonwalker and performing children’s theatre with Rising Sun at various parks across NYC. Please get Vaccinated and take care of each other. #BlackLivesMatter #StopAsianHate www.Mateo- Moreno.com www.TheArtsWireWeekly.com .

Yessenia Rivas (Selina) is a Mission, TX native currently living in Manhattan. She received her B.S. in Theatre from Tufts University and recently received her M.F.A. in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School. She starred in the short film Let's Play Dead Girl (2014) and was awarded Best Supporting Actor Award at the My Final Shot Production Film Festival. She also starred in Buy This Button (2016) which was accepted into The Women in Comedy Film Festival. Most recently she played the role of Jess in Greater Fools (2018), and originated the roles of Irene in La Gota Fria (Thalia Spanish Theatre) and Magpie in We Three (Theatre East), and Exit II Theatre Company performing Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead in the role of Marcy. Yessenia has studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, folklorico, flamenco, tap, salsa, hip - hop, gymnastics and jazz. She has studied with South Texas Ballet, Balet de Monterrey, NCSA summer session, STEPS on Broadway and most recently has been taking lessons with Joffrey Ballet and Broadway Dance Center. In addition, she has starred in multiple music videos since arriving in New York.

Music includes: Africando - Betece, Epidemic Sound, Lara's Horror Sounds.