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Cast And Creative Bios


THIS HAPPENED ONCE AT THE ROMANCE DEPOT OFF THE I-87 IN WESTCHESTER

David Scott Curtis moved to NYC from rural Michigan at age 50 to pursue a career in musical theater. So far, so good. Credits: First National Tour; Fiddler On The Roof, 2019-20. National Tour; 42nd Street, 2016 -17.

Off Broadway; It Came From BeyondThe Frankenstein MusicalGeeks! [Write Act Repertory]. Regional; Elf: The Musical [The Fireside Theatre]. Other theater; Oliver!The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Spitfire GrillThe Rocky Horror Show, Social Security.

www.curtis-online.com ~Andrea, without your faith in me and your love, I would not have sufficient courage.~

Gina Femia's work has been seen/developed at MCC Theater, Playwrights Horizons, EST, Page 73, Playwrights’ Center, CTG, Theater of NOTE, Panndora Productions, among others. Gina is a 2019-2023 Core Writer with the Playwrights Center, and an alum of EST Youngblood, Page73's Interstate 73, Pipeline Theatre’s PlayLab, New Georges' Audrey Residency, Nashville Rep’s Ingram New Plays Lab and Parsnip Ship’s Radio Roots Writer’s Group. Gina’s a New Georges Affiliated Artist and has received residencies with Page73, Powerhouse, NTI at the O’Neill, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and Fresh Ground Pepper. Awards: Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Female Writers, Doric Wilson Independent Playwrights Award, Otis Guernsey New Voices Award and the Neukom Award in Playwriting. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College (Lipkin Prize in Playwriting).

Ricki Lynée is an award-winning, New York City-born & based, actress, writer, and producer. She is the co-owner and Head of Development at Nuanse Entertainment, a resident artist with New Light Theater Project, and a recipient of the 2021 All Stars Project/Castillo Theater Fellowship for Young Artists of Color. Select credits include: I’M SO HOT, & meet you at the Galaxy Diner (New Light Theater Project, The Tank); The Diplomats (Fresh Fruit Festival at The Wild Project); The Conspiracists (Stable Cable Lab Co. at IRT Theater); The Yellow Wallpaper (St. Ann's Warehouse, LABAPALOOZA!). Film/TV credits: “The Retreat”, & “Anthology” (Nuanse Entertainment); Game Brunch (CongestedCat Productions); "Diabolical" (Lion Television). Ricki Lynée received the "Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play" Award for her work in The Diplomats. BA in Theatre from CUNY Brooklyn

College. www.rickilynee.com

Ryan Wesley Stinnett is a performer, comedian, and writer. Most recently he was seen Off-Broadway in PUFFS (Narrator) at New World Stages and in ROCK OF AGES (Hertz) at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte.

Select NYC credits also include Liza Birkenmeier’s THE HOLLOWER (Pigman), Catya McMullen’s LOCKED UP BITCHES (Bull), Niegel Smith and Todd Shalom’s TAKE CARE (Ryan), Elizabeth Swados and Erin Courtney’s THE NOMAD (Vava), and Feinstein’s/54 Below’s 54 PAYS TRIBUTE TO A VERY POTTER MUSICAL (Dumbledore/Voldemort). He is co-writer/creator of the variety show LIZ AND RYAN: NEED HELP? which had its inaugural season at The Peoples Improv Theater in Manhattan. MFA: University of Virginia. @ryanstinnett

Sophie Sagan-Gutherz (they/them) is a NYC based actor/singer/writer. When they were 10 years old, at an audition for The Sound of Music, they were asked to raise their hand if anyone would be willing to play the opposite gender; and with that, Soph began their dedication to the arts as Captain Von Tapp. Drawn to new work, Sophie is often found originating roles in musicals/plays and writing queer characters into their own projects. NY Theatre: Twin Sized Beds (The Public), I Was Unbecoming Then (Ars Nova), The Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA), Twelfth Night; The Tempest (The Brick). Regional: A Walrus in the Body of a Crocodile; Something Happens for Joe; Summer’s Soldier (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Film: It Felt Like Loss. BFA: NYU Tisch. You can continue to check Soph out at sophiesagangutherz.com/ newplayexchange.org & @sophiesagangutherz!

Taylor Reynolds is a New York-based director from Chicago and one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of OBIE-winning The Movement Theatre Company in Harlem. She has worked as a director, assistant, and collaborator with companies including Clubbed Thumb, Keen Company, Page 73, Baltimore Center Stage, Signature Theatre Company, Ars Nova, MCC, and The 24 Hour Plays. She is the recipient of the 2021 LPTW Lucille Lortel Award, a New Georges Affiliated Artist, 2017-2018 Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab alum, and member of SDC. www.iamtaylorreynolds.com


BY ANY OTHER NAME

Brendan Morris is ecstatic to be telling this brand new story and to meet and collaborate with such an inspiring group of people. Originally from Orlando, Florida now based in New York City he is excited to expand his horizons even more with this opportunity at Forestburgh Playhouse. Regional Credits: Johnny Casino/Teen Angel (Grease) , Cameron (Bring It On) , Jack #4 (My Vaudeville Man *Revamped) Cabarets: Broadway’s Future Songbook Holiday Concert at Lincoln Center & Bound For Broadway Cabaret at The West End Lounge. @brendanamorris

Emily Britt is a 2020 BFA Musical Theatre graduate of Syracuse University, originally from New Zealand. She was also selected as part of the top ten in The Search for Roxie, for Chicago The Musical on Broadway. Emily was seen last summer as a part of Theatre Aspen's 2020 "All For One" season, and would like to thank Forestburgh for having her as a part of the In The Works Festival. Favourite roles include: Babette (Beauty & The Beast), Kristine (A Chorus Line), Margot (Legally Blonde), Gertrude (Seussical). emilyabritt.com @emily_brittt

 

Emmet Smith (he/him) is an actor, composer/lyricist, and climate activist originally from Washington Heights, NYC. Since graduating from Northwestern University in June, he has been acting on TV/film sets (Good Egg, Blue Bloods)—but feels most himself when working on new musicals like By Any Other Name! He has been lucky to do so professionally with New York Theatre Workshop, Edinburgh Fringe, TheaterWorksUSA, Paper Mill Playhouse, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Theatre for a New Audience, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, as well as 12 new musicals at Northwestern with the Waa-Mu Show and the American Music Theatre Project (including his own musical, A Bridge to the Moon, available on YouTube). Huge thanks to the whole Forestburgh team! CGF Talent. www.emmetsmith.nyc

 

GraceAnn Kontak is an actor and singer based in New York City. A recent graduate of Elon University’s BFA Music Theatre program, she is extremely grateful to be closing out her college experience at Forestburgh where she has spent two summers as a resident company member (2018 and 2019). Favorite credits include Crissy (Hair), Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), Gertrude (Seussical), Ali (Mamma Mia!) at the Forestburgh Playhouse, and Oz (We Will Rock You) at Elon University. Many thanks to her agents at Pantera/Murphy, and Brian Kremer. Love to mom, dad, Christian, and Kai. Insta: graceannkontak | website: graceannkontak.com

 

John Ryan is so freaking happy to be back at the Forestburgh Playhouse performing LIVE! You've seen him as Riff Raff in Rocky Horror, Riff

Raff in Rocky Horror and also Riff Raff in Rocky Horror. When he is not on stage acting you can find him singing with his band "Rosemont Post". Find us on Spotify, Apple Music and all streaming platforms! @johnryandel @rosemontpost

Kate Lý Johnston is an actor based in Los Angeles. Throughout her childhood in NYC, she sang and danced at venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Madison Square Garden, and Times Square Broadway on Broadway. As a mixed-race Asian woman and general villainous character, Kate has been fittingly cast as Marcy Park in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sharpay Evans in High School Musical on Stage, and a scare actor at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. She'll also be seen in an upcoming reality show on the FX Network, but until then, she struggles through the most challenging role of her acting career: Playing a TMZ fan, as a tour guide at the TMZ Celebrity Tour in Hollywood. Kate graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2021, where she worked as a news anchor and played trumpet in the Spirit of Troy Marching Band.

Liat Shuflita is originally from South Florida and is thrilled to be a part of In the Works! You may have recently seen her at Forestburgh as Baby Rose in Babes in Arms.

Favorite Role Highlights include Beehive (Laura/Janis Joplin), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), American Idiot (Ensemble), and Pirates of Penzance (Ensemble). Proud member of ElonMT20! Love to her family and friends (and dogs)! LiatShuflita.com

Michaela Vivona recently graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theater. While at school she was seen as Little Red Ridinghood in the Main Stage Production of “Into The Woods”. Her Original Musical “Start From Hello” was performed as a part of the New York Theater Festival’s Summerfest and at Syracuse University. When not performing she is the Owner of a children’s entertainment company (A Dream Is A Wish Parties LLC) and is also a business coach for young women (@yourbusinessbigsis). She would like to thank Forestburgh Playhouse for the opportunity to be a part of this incredible new works festival! michaelavivona.com @michaelavivona

 

Sabrina Fosse (Juliet) is thrilled to be returning to the stage post-panna cotta! She is a graduate of the BFA program at Syracuse University where she worked on such projects as A Little Night Music (Desirée), First Lady Suite (Mary Gallagher), and Laura and the

Sea (Laura). NYC credits include The Shoebox (Lauren) with SheNYC and The Hello Girls (Suzanne) workshop with Prospect Theater Co. Regional: Chicago (Velma) at Clear Space Theatre Co., The Wizard of Oz (Aerialist/ Witch (u/s)) at Syracuse Stage, Little Women (Jo) and Hair (Sheila) at The Wilmette Theatre. Thank you to the phenomenal artists here at Forestburgh, my beautiful family, friends, and partner, and the dedicated team at Ann Steele Agency for their endless support. @sabrinafosse // sabrinafosse.com

Sidney Raey-Gonzales is thrilled to be a part of “Into the Works” project working on By Any Other Name. Sidney graduated from California State University Sacramento in 2017 with a BA in Theatre and a minor in English and has just recently moved to New York City. Past roles include the Witch from Sondheim’s Into the Woods, Prudie in Sacramento Theatre Company’s production of Pump Boys and Dinnettes, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors with Cinnabar Theatre Company, and New Helvetia Theatres limited run of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition. Sidney is also featured on the musical concept album Ranked, written and composed by David Taylor Gomes and Kyle Holmes.

 

Turner Riley They/them. Nat’l Tours: Sound of Music (Elsa Schraeder), Ragtime the Musical (Mother), Camelot (Nimue). Regional: Oklahoma (Laurey), Mamma Mia! (Donna), A Christmas Carol (Meg), The Full Monty (Georgie), Ragtime (Ogunquit Playhouse- IRNE Award), Newsies (Hannah), A Christmas Story (Mother), The Little Mermaid (Aquata), Legally Blonde (Elle Woods), A Chorus Line (Val), Annie, Get Your Gun! (Annie Oakley), All My Sons (Anne Deever). @theyturnerriley