18 by Darius M. Buckley
DARIUS M. BUCKLEY (Playwright) is a dramatist, published author, performing artist and native Detroiter. He studied Broadcast and Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan University and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting at Columbia University. A few of his playwriting credits include: The Fly & Incredibly Dope Adventures of Tyrone Jenkins: A Detroit Hip Hop Musical (CMU and the Detroit Fringe Festival), Thin Places (115 Short Play Festival) and The Bridge (Columbia University). Darius has also written and directed films such as: The DEFY Film, 5: A Visual Poem, American Thriller, Wonder Boy and Making Tyrone: A 1VK1 Mini Documentary. His literary publications include Wonder Boy: A Science Fiction Short, Only The Golden Sky Knows and his first novella, HAZE: Book One. His calling is to write soulful Black stories that inform, inspire and heal. Stories that embody the pain, joy and magic of young Black voices.
CATALINA BELTRÁN (Director) is a theatre director from Bogotá, Colombia, currently studying her final year of the MFA Theatre Directing program at Columbia University.
DJ DAVIS (JAY) is an actor and producer. He hopes you enjoy the show and leave a little different than when you came in. starringdjdavis.com
AUSTIN BLAKE SASSER (TREYVON) is currently an NYC based actor. Some credits include: Titus Andronicus, Pass Over, Polaroid Stories, As You Like It and Ragtime!
DARBY DAVIS (Dramaturg) is an interdisciplinary storyteller, theatre practitioner and dramaturg. Credits: All These Activist (script supervisor), 18 (dramaturg), How To Get to 304 (dramaturg).
DAVID O’BRIEN (Producer) has produced workshops, original plays and a virtual benefit concert. Columbia MFA Theatre Management & Producing ‘25. Thanks, Darius!
Nub City, USA! by Nicholas Hulstine
NICHOLAS HULSTINE (Playwright) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based theatre artist. On stage he’s appeared in Tuesday Night Poker (Theatre Row), Foreign Gothic (FringeNYC), The Dazzle (John Cullum Theater), The Flick (The Alley Theater) and Nobody Bunny and the Golden Age of Animation (Theatre 502). Film credits include My Friend Dahmer, Above Suspicion, The Art of Self Defense, Chopin, Runner and Great Light. His plays include Happyouth (Gene Frankel Theatre), The Track N’ Hole (Prologue Theatre, Chicago), Blue Scatters Most (The Secret Theatre) and The Geography of Nowhere (The Chain Theatre). He’s the co-founder of the Louisville Fringe Festival. Education: The American Musical and Dramatic Academy; BA: The New School; MFA in Playwriting: Spalding University.
JON McCORMICK (Director). Axis Theatre Co. member. Selected NYC: Donkey Punch (SoHo Playhouse), 3-D Hamlet (Edinburgh Fringe), No Exit (59E59), Thunder Rock (ReGroup Theatre Co).
ADAM COUPERTHWAITE (Dwayne). Green Eyes (PS 122), Follow Me to Nellie’s (Premiere Stages), Waiting for Lefty (Working Theatre), No Snakes in This Grass (Lincoln Center), LadyBug Gonna’ Getcha (EST).
MICHAEL HAUSCHILD (Glen). Second City LA, UCB NYC, Skinny Improv, ABC’s What Would You Do?. Selected TV and film credits include The Black List and feature film (Untitled).
Halloween by Lauren Smerkanich
LAUREN SMERKANICH (Playwright/Director), a graduate of The Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, is a writer-director currently based in Los Angeles. Recent honors include placing as a Semi-Finalist (Gigi Inherits Four Mink Coats) and Second-Rounder (Boil) in the 2021 Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition. Recent favorite credits include a production of her full-length play The Diginity Circle (playwright) at Central Works Theatre in Berkeley, CA, and A Glass of Wine (playwright and director) in conjunction with Animal House’s Backyard Plays series. Additionally, Lauren has recently participated in a writing residency at The Writer’s Colony in Eureka Springs, AR, and is a Guest Teaching Artist with The Atlantic Theater Company’s Access Success Program, and Au Pair Weekend. So happy to be participating in the Festival!
LUMA GROTHE (Stage Directions). Born in Brazil, based in New York. Meisner trained actor, model, entrepreneur and world traveler. I’m a very passionate actor and artist. Anything that gives me a chance to express myself!
TARYN HURLBUT (Lynne) is a William Esper-trained actor and a writer for stage and screen. Born in LA, based in New York. Perpetual middle child.
RONAN SCHWARZ (Rob) is a Boston-born, New York-habitating, William Esper Studio-trained actor. Bios stress him out!
Where I’m From by Howard Ho
HOWARD HO (Playwright) is a playwright and composer. Where I’m From was previously featured in Center Theatre Group’s Community Stories. His plays Reset and Various Emporia are both O’Neill Finalists. His musical End of the Line (co-written with Kristen Rea and Chris Edgar) was a Finalist in The Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival in 2019. His musical Pretendo was featured in Center Theatre Group’s Library Reading Series. He’s been a member of writers groups at Moving Arts, The Vagrancy, Company of Angels and New Musicals Inc. He has sound designed over 50 shows with sound design nominations from the Ovation Award and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. His YouTube channel dissecting musicals has over 120,000 subscribers and was recognized by Lin-Manuel Miranda. His journalism has been published in Entertainment Weekly, LA Times, Howlround and American Theatre magazine. He holds degrees from UCLA and USC. howardhomusic.com
CAROL ANN TAN (Director) is a Singapore-born director and dramaturg. Recent credits: Short Stack (Ma-Yi), Tango (PrideArts), Wolf Play (Brown/Trinity). MFA Directing: Brown/Trinity. carolanntan.com
HIẾU BÙI (Vinh) is a triple threat — writer, actor and director! He is starting his first year of MFA Acting at Yale. He wants to thank Frank.
LEAH GETZ (Stage Directions) just graduated from Fordham University! Returning from Williamstown Theatre Festival, she is beyond grateful to be a part of Where I’m From.
BEN LANGHORST (Brad) is a New York-based actor. Theatre: Atlantic Theater Company, Second Stage Theater, the Parsnip Ship. TV: Gossip Girl, That Damn Michael Che.
TRÍ LÊ (Howard). Hi! Thanks for supporting new plays! I’m an Asian/American actor dedicated to minority experiences onstage and film. Credits include Hamlet (The Public). [email protected]
KAREN LI (Lisa). Favorite credits include Exclusion (Arena Stage), The Great Leap (Perseverance Theatre), Babel (CATF ’22), Sunset Park (Theaterlab). Theatre and Dance double degree, UC San Diego.
COMPANY OF ANGELS (Producer) is the oldest non-profit theatre in Los Angeles and is now working with Howard Ho to develop Where I’m From into a full-length musical. companyofangels.org