PROGRAM 18

PROGRAM #18 (4TH FLOOR)

A Study about the Ecologic Arts is Needed! by Yekta Khaghani

The Authority by Nadel Henville

The Land We Share by Taiwo Aloba

The Socialist Utopia Chore Chart Monologues by Delaney Kelly

Yekta Khaghani (Playwright) is an Iranian-American playwright, actor, and theater educator based in New York. Her plays often explore themes of displacement, diaspora, and the complexities of identity, blending metatheatrical elements with deeply personal narratives. In 2022, Yekta cocurated Whispers of the Flesh, an anthology celebrating the resilience of Iranian women playwrights. This anthology has been showcased both in the U.S. and Europe. In 2023, she received the New York City Women’s Fund for her play, In the Stillness of Night, which was showcased at The Tank Theater in February 2024. Yekta has been a dynamic voice in independent theater, creating work that bridges cultural boundaries and challenges conventional storytelling. www.yektakhaghani.com

Dalia Ashurina (Director) is an Assyrian-American theater director who loves explosive theatricality and subverting existing narratives. Broadway: Associate Director Sweeney Todd, Resident Director Phantom of the Opera. Regional: Three Tall Persian Women at Shakespeare and Co. She is a Forbes Under 30 Lister, SDCF Denham Fellow, and UC Irvine Alum.

Upcoming: Iraq, But Funny at Lookingglass Theater  www.daliaashurina.com

Leyla Beydoun (Woman) is a Middle-Eastern American Actress from New York's best borough, Queens. She received her BFA in Acting from the University of Michigan. Some of her recent credits include: The Ballet Of Keith King (Dee), In The Stillness Of Night (Banafsheh), Twelfth Night (Olivia), Passage (Q), Banned (Amal), and As You Like It (Celia). Some fun facts about her: She has been dancing since she was five, She is trained in flying trapeze, and traveling is her all-time favorite hobby.

Sina Pooresmaeil (Man) Theater: Three Tall Persian Women (Shakespeare and Company), When the Rain Stops Falling (Lenfest Center for the Arts). TV credits: High Maintenance. Developed work at NYTW, Irish Rep, Clubbed Thumb, Arena Stage, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Wrote and acted in short films, Auto Plus and Inkshop.  Represented by Framework Entertainment. MFA Acting Columbia University.

Nami Nazar (Sound Designer/Composer) is an Iranian composer and multi-instrumentalist, currently pursuing Violin performance at the Juilliard School under the guidance of Naoko Tanaka. As a composer, Nami is dedicated to creating music that bridges innovation and tradition. With a strong passion for film scoring, he is focused on pursuing this field and making it the centerpiece of his artistic journey.  www.naminazar.com

Anya Pathania (Singer) (she/her) is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Washington Heights, NYC. Anya is a classically trained violinist and self-taught vocalist, guitarist and bassist who pulls inspiration from alternative R&B, neo-soul, and alternative rock, and her Indian/Iranian heritage to create a unique sound. She is in a band, Noorani, with her brother, Shane.

Hoda Rami (Graphic Designer) is an animation director, artist, and adjunct professor of Communication Design at CUNY City Tech. Her work is highly experimental, exploring themes of womanhood, memory, dreams, and trauma through 2D animation and motion graphics. Her films and projects have been featured in cultural events, nonprofit campaigns, and exhibitions worldwide. In addition to teaching and filmmaking, she curates cultural events and develops courses focusing on non-narrative and emotionally resonant storytelling. She is based in New York City, where she continues to create impactful work and mentor emerging artists.

Sammy Pignalosa (Joel) (he/him) is an NYC based actor. Most recently seen in Fiddler on the Roof as Motel (Axelrod Performing Arts Center), as well as You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Sharon Playhouse), The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals 2024, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (George Street Playhouse). TV and film: “Law and Order” (season 22 episode 5), “Like Sunday Like Rain,” “The Great Gilly Hopkins,” “Separate Checks,” and “Lottie Baby.” Sammy is a graduate of the Institute for American Musical Theater and a pebble in the river of experience. Gratitude to my family for their love and support.

Jaylen Taylor (Ruth) is so excited to help bring The Authority to life and to the stage. She currently attends the Circle in the Square Theatre School acting program (Class of ‘25) and received her BA from New York university (Class of ‘22). She received a degree in dramatic literature and romance languages: two disciplines that she employs to enrich her acting and writing pursuits. You can learn more at her website JaylenTaylor.com (JaylenTaylor.com). She wants to shout out to her friends and family who are so consistently gracious and supportive of her in her artistic journey. 

Michael K. Greene (The Authority) is a New York and Boston based actor and voice over artist. He graduated from Hofstra University with a BFA in Theatre Performance in 2023, and has been pursuing acting ever since. Some of his favorite roles he's done have been Posthumous in Cymbeline 2023, Chiksika/Tecumseh in Tecumseh Outdoor Drama 2022, and Glen Cooper in Rumors 2021. Michael is extremely excited to be part of this production, and would like to thank his friends and parents for their support.

Nadel Henville (Playwright/Director) (she/they) is a multi-hyphenate actor, playwright and producer that resides in New York City. As a first-generation immigrant from St. Lucia, they’ve found a place for themselves and who they can be within the Arts. They found their  path as an actor through National Theater Institute's Theatermakers program in 2021, where they became a Miranda Family Fellow and now alum. As an administrator, they’ve gone through the ASPIRE Arts Leadership program in the Kennedy Center, where they’ve been mentored by incredible leaders in the field from across the country. As an artist in New York, it has been an incredible journey to learn how to create grassroot productions, and work with emerging artists in our field, and to see their dreams come alive. 

Damayanti Wallace (Assistant Director) is a Chicago-born director and stage manager based in New York. She visually narrates love and tenderness for the intersectionalities that she represents. Most recently, Damayanti’s work includes being a stage manager for 24-hour Plays: Nationals and on Broadway, The Atlantic Acting School’s production of ENRON, and directing independent projects at NYU Meisner Studios and New Beginnings Garden in the Bronx. 

Miranda Hall Jiménez (Producer) (she/they) is a Afro-Latine actor, musician, and movement artist based in Brooklyn, New York. They graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park in 2020 with a B.A. in Theatre Performance and was a KCACTF Irene Ryan Finalist. She has performed across the DMV with The Kennedy Center, The National Portrait Gallery, and We Happy Few. Since relocating to New York City, Miranda has performed and collaborated with Roundabout Theatre Company, New Georges, National Black Theatre, The Drama League and People’s Theatre Project. When not performing, catch Miranda dancing Brazilian Zouk and Salsa in the East Village.

Aurora O’hara is thrilled to be performing in The African Theater's production of The Land We Share. Aurora is a New York City based singer and actor. While Aurora is a Radford University theater alumni, she has also studied Shakespeare performance at the Stella Adler Studio Of Acting as well as film and television at the Art Of Acting Studio. 

Autumn Maynard is a NYC native actress who studied at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, BFA in Drama, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, AOS in Drama. Recent roles include: #11 from The Wolves, Cheryl from Stick Fly, Telephone Girl from Machinal, and many more! Insta:@_autumnmaynard 

Maximilian Patel grew up in Hong Kong and came to NYC to pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer/songwriter. Studying music in the jazz performance program at Columbia University, he spends his nights performing music around the city, heralding his lost family name ‘Jayani’ with his artist project. 

Angelfaith Nalitolela is an accomplished actor and dancer from Tanzania, currently based in New York. A graduate of the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Angelfaith's notable credits include Antigonick at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the ensemble dance piece Identity by Charly Wenzel, performed at the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. 

Taiwo Aloba (Playwright & Director) A native of Ilesha, Osun, Taiwo Aloba is a New-York based playwright, director, and culturally committed artist. She is an alumna of Lagos State University, New York Film Academy, Southern New Hampshire University, and Liberty University. Aloba is a member of the Dramatist Guild and National Writers Union.

Claire Abramovitz is an emerging playwright living, working, and eating a lot of cheese in New York City. Her play To Rot in His Bones was a semifinalist in the 2021 Jewish Plays Project Annual Jewish Playwriting Contest and in Bay Street Theater’s Title Wave, New Works Festival 2024. Most recently, her short play Island Full of Monsters was in the Best of PlayGround series for the 2023/2024 season. In her spare time she writes poetry, song parodies, keeps a list of fake band names, and makes soup for at least thirty. Her dream is to open a soup restaurant/comedy club.

Abigail Bowman (Director) is a New York native and 4th grade teacher in the Bronx. Abigail grew up around theater and has been directing for 9 years. She is thrilled to be a part of this project and to be working with Delaney and Claire.

Delaney Kelly (Playwright) is a writer and playwright from Cleveland, Ohio, now based in Brooklyn. Her short fiction has been featured in After Dinner Conversation, Connectic*nt, and Glass Mountain, among others, and her plays have been produced at Oberlin College, The Kraine Theater, Yale Cabaret, and Red Bull Theater. She is a 2024 Eugene O'Neill NPC Semi-Finalist and a 2020 Runner-Up for the KCACTF National Undergraduate Playwriting Award. Next, Delaney’s writing will appear in Season 2 of The Episodic Theatre Project. leftyscissors.net