PROGRAM 5

Program # 5* (4th Floor)

An Indian Wedding on a Starry Night in South Georgia Somewhere in Early November by Sunita Deshpande

Game by Toby Miller

Same Time, Next Bite by Jon Spano

The Counterfeit Moron by Joe Queenan

*Shows in this block include Equity Members appearing with permission of Actor’s Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this off-off Broadway production.

Sunita Deshpande (Saanvi/Playwright/Producer) is an actor/writer/improviser — Daredevil (Netflix), Moonshot (HBO), Samuel French OOB Finalist (Gravid Water/UCB). She thanks her parents for never forcing her to be a doctor/get married/have a son. IG: @luckysunita

Sashank Gummella (Ravi) has been on the New York scene for the last 5 years taking classes with the T. Schreiber Studio, which has been a lovely second home to him. He's fairly versed in theatre, having worked on contemporary texts like Burn This (his favorite) and Heroes of the Fourth Turning & classical pieces like Othello and Henry V. He frequently collaborates with MFA students at NYU and Columbia and really enjoys the physical filmmaking process behind on-screen work. He likes to read and write poetry and loves folk music; lately he's been crushing this neat little Irish folk band's entire discography on Spotify (and that band is called ‘Amble’). He is honored and excited to be a part of this piece that'll allow him to bring the unique nuances of his cultural upbringing to the public arena (of sorts). He hopes to see you at the show :) IG: @shawshankgu

Rishi Rajagopalan (Understudy, Ravi) is an actor, writer and producer who has been in New York for the past few years working in TV and film. He most recently played a supporting role in the indie feature Meet Cute in Manhattan. Off-camera, Rishi enjoys making music and attending an Indian Wedding or two. IG: @rishirajagopalan

Janani Sreenivasan (Director/Producer) is excited to direct Sunita for the third time in two years, previously at the Chain’s 2023 Winter One-Act Festival and as Gwendolen in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at Under St. Marks. Janani enjoys adding diversity and comic mayhem to classic plays; she recently wrapped A Midsummer Night’s Dream (featuring Odissi dancer/choreographer Jeevika Bhat) and she invites you all to her production of Much Ado About Nothing in March (IG: much_ado_25). To Sashank, Sunita, and Rishi: Gud. 👍 www.jananisreenivasan.art

C.K. Allen (Officer) – Carnival Girls Productions: Christie Perfetti Williams’ The Magazine (Dir: Matilda Szydagis); Chain Theatre: Keith Huff’s Six Corners (dir. Ella Jane New); WorkShop Theater: Scott C. Sickles’ Composure (dir. Fritz Brekeller); Rich Orloff’s Couples (dir. David Gautschy - “Notable performance” -NY Times), Levy Lee Simon’s The Bow Wow Club (dir. Keith Greer); SAG-AFTRA. Film: The Brotherhood (dir. Reneé Flemings), RUOK (dir. Jay Russel). TV commercials, soaps and industrials; Video game: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Ben Sumrall (Thomas) – Ben Sumrall is a New York-based actor and media artist. He has performed in theatres throughout New York City, on Comedy Central, and was a part of the Drama Desk-nominated Ryan Case 1873. Ben has appeared in the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and the Tribeca Festival.

Toby Miller (Writer) – NYC: Reverie (Raw Space), Ether (William Redfield). Toby’s comedy writing has appeared in compilations from HarperCollins and St. Martin’s Press and his short film scripts Celia and Typeface received Honorable Mentions in Barnstorm Media’s 2024 Bolt Short Screenplay contest. 

William Doble (Director) – William Doble has worked in theater and film in NYC for over 30 years as a director, editor, and producer. This play marks yet another project with his longtime collaborator Toby Miller. He thanks his wife Susanne, daughter Claire, and friends Michelle Humphrey and Elysa Marden for their support. 

Jax Terry* (Gil) On stage: Beatsville (world premiere), Jersey Boys (NSMT), June Moon (Williamstown), Altar Boyz (Sharon Playhouse), Joe Iconis Xmas (54 Below), Spring Awakening, Urinetown, Assassins, Theater Row, Playwrights Realm, and more.  Their debut short film "The Invite" screened at festivals nationwide and on the Tiny Scripted platform. Jax co-devised and acted in Tyler Taromina’s feature film “Happer’s Comet” (Berlinale, BAM).  They served as Assoc. Producer on IFC Films' “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” starring Michael Cera.  Other credits include "HomoSapien" (LogoTV), “Mrs. Maisel.”  They've provided voiceovers for Nickelodeon, Disney, and HBO Max's "We're Here" and "Somebody, Somewhere.”  Jax produces for the stage with The Queer Ensemble (5&Dime, VHS).  IG: @_jaxterry_

Jon Spano* (Darius/Playwright/Producer) is a multidisciplinary performer and writer whose first multi-award-winning short film, The Big Gun, has screened at several NYC venues, including The Chain. Recently appeared in a Paramount Promo with Drew Barrymore and played colonialist Richard Clarke in the Rob Lowe-produced Boston Tea Party: Liberty or Death. Onstage, Jon has appeared in The Shadow Box and Small Craft Warnings for Regeneration Theatre, and two productions of Golden Boy. His Anthology of Short Plays & Monologues for Diverse and Inclusive Casts includes many of his produced plays and is available from that ubiquitous online shopping platform we should boycott. Jon’s dance play Joey Variations was an award-winning hit at the New York Fringe Festival.  www.jonspano.com ~  IG: @jonspanonyc ~ imdb.com/name/nm7464334

Marcus Gualberto (Director) Born in Manila, Marcus currently serves as Deputy Director for BAAD! whose programming serves women, POCs and the LGBTQ+ Bronx community.  Co-Founder of Regeneration Theatre, Marcus directed The Shadow Box, Small Craft Warnings and As Is.  Marcus serves as dramaturg and staging consultant on Nélida Tirado's flamenco-infused dance theatre piece Dime Quién Soy? (2024 Abrons Art Center, 2023 Queens Theatre, 2022 Hostos Center for the Arts). Additional credits: Wayne L. Firestone’s Teatro en Vivo, Senseless and Still Life on Campus; Joe Moe’s Deny We Were and Rage Gap; Richard Curtis’ Quiet Enjoyment, Dead Zone, and Lunch With Your Editor; Sonam’s Gift; The Madness of Memory; and Ether: The Strange Afterlife Of Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. For four summer seasons with Actors Conservatory Ensemble / TreePeople he produced and directed An Alfred Hitchcock Radio Play starring Academy Award nominee Robert Forster. www.MarcusGualberto.com

* Equity Approved Showcase. Actors Appear Courtesy of Actors Equity

Ed Altman (Agent Phelan), AEA, appeared in last year’s festival in T.J. Elliott’s Honor, which later had an extended run at the Gene Frankel Theater. Recent stage appearances include Atlantic Pharmaceuticals at The Tank; The Oracle, Victoria Woodhull, and Nowhere Man all at Theater for the New City. Recent film: Joe Queenan’s Top Hat, Rob Margolies/Jonathan Geffner’s The Dummy Detective (with Sean Young), and Deborah Twiss’s Crave, all in post-production. Recent TV includes The Good Cop and Food That Built America, as well as several commercials. Ed is also a voiceover artist for commercials and drama, and has recorded several audio books. He is represented by Maryann Raposo (DreamMaker) and Anne Marie Perrault (AMP).

Jasmine Dorothy Haefner (Agent Ramirez) is an actress, writer, and producer. She would like to thank Joe Queenan, for his unending artistic collaborations, support and generosity. Her produced work currently includes 2-Faces, a one-act play that premiered at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe ‘23 following a London preview; 28 is Great and Zoomers, two short films; and more. She is currently developing her first TV series, NOT DEAD. Her last film, 28 is Great, a mockumentary in which she plays all five roles, went to 4 festivals and won several awards and nominations including Best Solo Performance, Best Actress in a Short Film, Best Comedy and Overall Audience Awards. Other credits not listed above include - Theater: Is it so crazy? (Engarde Arts), The Oracle (Knowledge Workings Theatre Co.), True Love (New York Theatre Festival), Dust Vanishes Away (Latino Theater Company, RE:Encuentro 2021), EVICTED (Teatro Yerbabruja Experimental) and others. Film: Top Hate (EP: Joe Queenan), I’m Listening (Best Comedy Finalist, NY State International Film Festival) and The Unexpected (Hoboken International Film Festival), and others. TV credits include: Saturday Night Live and others On Instagram @TheJasmineDorothy or join her mailing list at www.JasmineDorothy.com

Tut Gregory (Duane Lippenfolger) is thrilled to be working alongside familiar faces in this production. Tut made his NYC theatre debut this past summer in Luke Bond’s Still Waiting for Lefty at Teatro LATEA. Recent film credits include Joe Queenan’s independent feature Top Hate, set for an imminent 2025 release, and Alek Abate’s short CEMENT, currently in post-production. Tut trains at the Bob Krakower Studio and the Wynn Handman Studio here in NYC, though it all began under Maura Vaughn at the Branson School in Ross, CA. Sandwiched in between but certainly none the lesser, was a formative time at Wake Forest University. When Tut isn’t acting, he enjoys long brisk walks and a quotidian life. And feta cheese. Tut thanks Emma, Joe, Ed, Jasmine, Aislinn and all friends and loved ones for their time and energy. For enquiries and social media etc., visit Tut’s personal site: tutgregory.com.

Joe Queenan (Playwright) is the author of ten books and two collections. His memoir Closing Time was a New York Times Notable Book of 2009. Queenan has written the Moving Targets column in The Wall Street Journal since 2010. He has written regularly for The New York Times and published hundreds of stories about movies in Great Britain’s The Guardian. Formerly an editor at Forbes, television critic at People, and a columnist at Spy, TV Guide, GQ, Smart Money, Men’s Health, Barron’s Online, Chief Executive and Movieline, his stories have appeared in Rolling Stone, Esquire, The New Republic, Time, Newsweek, Playboy, Golf Digest, Us, The Rotarian, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Allure, the New York Daily News, and New York. His work has been published overseas in The Independent, The Spectator, The Toronto Globe & Mail, and the Times of London. Queenan has been a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, Real Time with Bill Maher, Politically Incorrect, The Daily Show, Today, and Good Morning, America. He regularly writes and hosts programs for the BBC, and for three years was host of the BBC’s Postcard from Gotham. In 2005, he won a Sports Emmy for his work on HBO’s Inside the NFL. In 1994, Queenan made a low-budget film Twelve Steps to Death. He wrote and appeared in the short films Mickey Rourke for a Day, My Fair Hugh and So You Wanna Be a Gangster for Britain’s Channel 4.  He has co-written four plays with T.J. Elliott and recently finished making a film about the golden age of Hollywood entitled Top Hate. 

Emma Denson (Director) is an Alabama-born, Brooklyn-based director and playwright. She is the inaugural recipient of the Drama League Rose Fellowship, where she worked in London at the Rose Theatre as the Assistant Director on the world premiere of Never Let Me Go, and directed the Rose Youth Theatre in her own play, Happy Sleep. In February 2025, she will head to Milan to direct The Taming of Kate, her bilingual dance-theatre adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. She is set to direct Good Girls Don’t Go to Hell by A.A. Brenner at Brooklyn Rep in London in Summer 2025, and a mainstage show (title TBA) at The Gulf Coast Rep in Fall 2025. She directed a staged reading of the new musical Runaway Home, starring Melissa Gilbert, Michael Park, and Abigail Breslin in September 2023. She was a 2023 Berkeley Rep Ground Floor Artist, she worked with LeAnne Howe and Colm Summers on The Keening (Co-Deviser/Associate Director). Her short play Christmas Cactus is set to be published in The Kinsman Quarterly. Emma won Best Short at Downtown Urban Arts Festival 2023 for her play, Otis and Anna, which she wrote and directed. In January 2023, she directed a reading of the bilingual Ukrainian play, Hunger (which she co-adapted with Maria Rewakowicz) at Irish Arts Center for Origin Theatre Company’s First Irish Festival; a second reading took place at the Ukrainian Museum in May. She was recently a director-in-residence at Mississippi State University. Currently, she is the Associate Director at Origin Theatre Company. www.emmadenson.com 

Aislinn Cain (Associate Producer) is a NYC based actor, producer, and creator from Decatur, Alabama. She holds a B.A. in musical theater from Birmingham Southern College and has performed at notable venues such as 54 Below and Brooklyn’s Super Secret Arts Cabaret. Aislinn has collaborated with Emma Denson on several projects as an actor, such as Vella in Sex and the Southeast and The Mysterious Voice in sub[vert]way. This is her third time working with Emma and Joe on a project together, after serving as Assistant Stage Manager for The Oracle and a producer and as a producer for the staged reading of Top Hate.