A DEFINITIVE RANKING OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS
by Jay Stalder
JAY STALDER (Playwright/Aaron) (he/him) is a writer and actor living in Los Angeles, CA. A Definitive Ranking of my Closest Friends was also adapted into a short film of the same name (Independent Shorts Award; Dumbo Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY). Jay studied Acting at Webster Conservatory.
MAXWELL FRIEDMAN (Director) (they/them) is a director, producer and writer currently serving as the General Manager of Little Island’s Artistic Programing Dept. maxwell-friedman.com
MIA BERGSTROM (Bridget) (she/her) BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts New Studio on Broadway; represented by MTA. Thanks to Jay, Henry and family! @miagbergstrom
RISHI MAHESH (Cooper) (he/him) is an actor and writer based in Los Angeles, California. He studied theatre at Northwestern University and is represented by Canopy Media Partners.
GABRIELLA MARZETTA (Drew) (she/her) is a NYC-based performer from Chicago. Select credits include Waitress (Dawn, North American Tour), Waitress (Ogunquit Playhouse), Run Bambi Run (Milwaukee Rep), Hair (Jeanie, Pentangle Arts).
MATTHEW LUYBER (Eli) (he/him) is on the executive team at a vitamin company and wishes Jay would stop writing him into his work. Kidding… Matthew needs this.
JJ MALEY (Finn) (they/he) Jamie in Command Z from Steven Soderbergh. Off-Broadway: King of the Jews. Producing: Tony Award for A Strange Loop, 4 Time Tony Award-nominated.
KARA OVERLIEN (Producer) (she/her) Recent credits include Mouthfeel (2025), directed by Max Tullio, and Gold Rush (2024), directed by Jessie Klueter. She will attend Juilliard for Drama this fall.
LOUISIANA SHOAL
by Mildred Inez Lewis
MILDRED INEZ LEWIS (Playwright) Dramatist Guild member Mildred Inez Lewis writes and directs for stage, screen and audio. Recent commissions include Lifeline Theater, Lucille Lortel Theatre and SPARC’s Science@Play. She is proud to return to the Samuel French OOB Festival for the second time (2022) and is looking forward to JUKED, her adaptation of Sophocle’s ELECTRA, opening in Asheville in 2025.
GEORGE CROOM (Director) has directed over 150 productions ranging from Shakespeare to Musical Theater, with credits both regionally and internationally. He is also an accomplished actor and music director.
MAIYSHA JONES REILLY (Licia) has performed with many theater groups in Westchester and Rockland County. Some of her favorite roles have been Lena/Francine in Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, Taylor in Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond, Mayme in Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage and Alanna in Night Vision by Dominique Morisseau. I am grateful to be able to help shed light on the deadly industrial pollution in Louisiana.
SARAH BRACEY WHITE (Earlene) is a playwright, actor, memoirist, essayist and teacher. She made her stage debut in the starring role as herself in Transcendence.
TYLER C SMALL (Stage Directions Reader) Founding member of Good Question Theater Company, Tyler has appeared in Macbeth as Macbeth (GQTC), Twelfth Night as Feste (Brookfield Theater) and The Lobby as Andrew (Curtain Call), can be seen in September in Plano (Carriage House) as Steve. Peace, love and Hoops.
STEPHEN EMERICK (Producer) is a producer for screen and stage, with a focus on creating democratic, collaborative and positive artistic experiences. He’s directed short films, plays, musicals and music videos. Dir. Groundhog Day: The Musical by Tim Minchin, The Toxic Avenger: The Musical by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, The Lobby by Don Creedon, A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro. stephenemerick.com
PILLORIED
by Jillian Blevins
JILLIAN BLEVINS (Playwright) is a New England-based playwright and theatre artist whose plays have been performed in cities across the country, including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, New Haven, Providence, Orlando, Portland and New York City. Proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
MIMI WARNICK (Director) is a freelance director in NYC. She is also a Co-Founder of InConfidence, and the New Work Director with AMT Theater. mimiwarnick.com | @mimiwarnick
NICK MASON (Wilkin) graduated from Boston University’s film program. Recent credits include Once (Svec) and The Chequerboard Watch (James). Thanks to Mimi, Jillian, and Morgan.
MORGAN SNOWDEN (Doxy) graduated from Point Park University as an MT. Regional Theater credits include Scapino (Chloe). Thanks to Mimi, Jillian and Nick for this incredible opportunity.
TOURIST TRAP
by Elijah Guo
ELIJAH GUO (Playwright) is a writer/actor/musician whose playwriting credits include Button Lake Band Camp (Clubbed Thumb Winterworks), Birdigo (?!: New Works at The Brick), The Class (showcase for the Tony-winning Broadway For All) and Time and Materials (collaboration with Poet Laureate Robert Hass at UC Berkeley). IG @elijahguo | Website: elijahguo.com
DYLIN TAYLOR (Director) (she/her) is a director and multidisciplinary artist interested in creating artistic work that deconstructs identity politics.
AMY PAN (Grace) graduated from the University of Kentucky and trained at LAMDA. You can also see her at The Little Shakespeare Festival as Phebe, or amypan.net.
MISAKO YAMAGISHI (Shu-Ling) is a NYC based actor/singer, and thrilled to play the role of Shu-Ling in Tourist Trap.
KATIE MAY PORTER (Deborah) is a native New Yorker. Recent performances: AAIFF Screenplay Competition, Ma-Yi/2G, Eight Corners Publishing, National Arts Club, Cellunova Staged Reading Festival.
A NEO-VAGINA MONOLOGUE
by Aster Aguilar
ASTER AGUILAR (Playwright) (she/her) is a playwright from Wilbraham, Massachusetts — which is unfortunately more similar to Connecticut than Boston. She has been supported by the Solomon Fellowship for LGBT Studies and a Silliman Creative and Performing Arts Award. BA: Yale University.
HUGO ALEXANDER-ROSE (Director) (he/they) is so thrilled to be directing this piece. Favorite credits include: It’s Been 10 Years Since Everyone Died (LimeFest) & Camelot (A. Ingvarson).
AMARI FLYNN (Sophie) (she/her) hopes to play a vital role in the movement for representation of black, queer/trans art and artists in the future. Off-Broadway: WAAFRIKA 123, MERMAIDZ FROM OUTERSPACE, and Anton Goes to Heaven(?). #BlackTransLivesMatter
MEL ASHBY (Stage Directions/Stage Manager) Favorite past productions include STRIKE/OUT (Kitchen Sink Theatre Company), Poster Child (Kitchen Sink Theatre Company) and George Kaplan (The Bridge Production Group).
BEETHOVEN’S THIRD
by Howard Ho
HOWARD HO (Playwright) is a playwright/composer. 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.
JULLY LEE (Director) is a bicoastal actor/director and made her Broadway debut in KPOP. In NYC, she has directed with Pan Asian Repertory, Sống Collective and Playground-NY. jullylee.com
C. RYAN SHIPLEY (Beethoven 1) is an actor, singer and educator from Minneapolis. Favorite credits include Singin’ in the Rain, The Drowsy Chaperone & Mary Poppins (Flat Rock Playhouse).
MAX KING (Beethoven 2) loves to challenge artistic and cultural status quos, much like Beethoven 2. Thanks to Howard and Jully for involving me, and Sami, always. @maxkingnyc
MARSHAL JOUN (Beethoven 3) is a New York based actor. Recent: You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World (National Playwrights Conference, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center). @marshalljoun
2024 OOB Festival Credits
Festival Sponsor
Concord Theatricals
2024 Festival Judges
Nan Barnett
Liza Birkenmeier
Nathan Alan Davis
Julia Izumi
Margaret Ledford
Jiehae Park
Theresa Rebeck
Madhuri Shekar
Michael Walkup
Alexis Williams
Cezar Williams
Emmanuel Wilson
Honorary Playwright
Jen Silverman
Festival Co-Artistic Directors
Garrett Anderson
Casey McLain
Client Manager
Abbie Van Nostrand
House Manager
Tyler Mullen
Box Office Manager
Rosemary Bucher
Marketing Team
Meredith Foster
Jeremiah Hernandez
Courtney Kochuba
Imogen Lloyd Webber
Katie Priscott
Festival Production Coordinator
Katie Priscott
Festival Support Staff
Ella Andrew, Max Bahneman, Victoria Bond, Ranana Chernin, Meredith Foster, Shaina Gilks, Jeremiah Hernandez, Natty Koper, Rachel Levens, Gabriela Morales, Nate Netzley, Kristen Rea, Rachel Smith
2024 Submissions Readers
Caroline Barnard, Stephanie Jane Cerino, Jim Colleran, Meredith Foster, Shaina Gilks, Ben Keiper, Rachel Levens, Amy Rose Marsh, Debbie McLean, Elizabeth Minski, Gabriela Morales, Alexander Perez, Kristen Rea, Rachel Smith, Jackson Used, Abbie Van Nostrand, Faith Williams
Special Thanks
Sean Flahaven, Bill Gaden, Concord, City Theatre Miami, Dramatists Guild of America, National New Play Network
About Concord Theatricals
Concord Theatricals is the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Our unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Kitt & Yorkey, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. We are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class producing.