ACTOR BIOS

JUSTIN KIRK (Dance Teacher Pat) has received critical acclaim for many of his roles in television, film and on stage. Perhaps most known for his portrayal of "Andy Botwin" opposite Mary Louise-Parker on Showtime's Weeds, he also starred opposite Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson in the Emmy-winning HBO miniseries Angels in America. He can most recently be seen on HBO’s Succession. Kirk was nominated for a Critic's Choice Award for his recurring role on WGN's Manhattan. Kirk also starred opposite Jennifer Garner in the independent film, Tribes of Palos Verdes, and was seen opposite Kristen Wiig in Sony's reboot of Ghostbusters. Kirk can also be seen in a series regular role on FOX’s drama A.P.B. Other film credits include Lena Dunham and Ry Russo-Young's independent film, Nobody Walks, Mr. Morgan’s Last Love opposite Michael Caine, and Walter opposite William H. Macy. Justin can be seen in Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game, as well as in Adam McKay’s Vice. 

CHARMAINE BINGWA (Amina) stars in the Apple TV+ film Emancipation, opposite Will Smith. The film follows “Peter” (Smith) as he escapes slavery and fights to get back to his wife “Dodienne” (Bingwa) and their family. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, was released in theatres on December 2, 2022 and on Apple TV+ on December 9, 2022. On the television side, Bingwa starred in the hit show, The Good Fight. She joined the cast in season five as series regular, “Carmen Moyo” and returned in the sixth and final season which premiered in September 2022. Bingwa will next be seen in the highly anticipated Showtime series, King Shaka, as “Isisa.” The series, based on actual events, tells the story of the Zulu Empire founder Shaka (Charles Babalola) and his unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of southern Africa in the early 19th century to transform his power into legend, on par with history’s most seminal figures. King Shaka is created and executive produced by Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, and directed by Seith Mann. 

Bingwa is the 2018 winner of the Heath Ledger Scholarship. She is the first diverse woman to receive the award which was judged by Matt Damon, Naomi Watts, Rose Byrne, Elizabeth Debicki, Carmen Cuba, Jeremy Podeswa, and Lorenzo di Bonventura. Bingwa was recently seen in the feature film Black Box on Amazon, part of the Welcome to Blumhouse anthology series. Bingwa starred in the independent feature Trees of Peace, directed by Alanna Brown. The film, which tells the harrowing story of four women forced to hide underground to survive the Rwandan genocide, won the Spirit Award for Independent Cinema at the 2021 Santa Barbara Film Festival. Previously, Bingwa starred, wrote, produced, and co-directed the award-winning series Little Sista. She also received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination and a Broadway World nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Muller in Doubt: A Parable. In 2018, she appeared in Nekrotronic, alongside Monica Bellucci. Bingwa is Zimbabwean & Australian, and currently resides in the US. 

ANGELA LIN (Zuzu) - NOW STREAMING: 6 episode arc for Max’s Made for Love, a half-hour straight-to-series adaptation based on Alissa Nutting’s tragicomic novel, from Patrick Somerville (Maniac, The Leftovers) and Paramount TV. Recurring Guest Star on Law & Order: Organized Crime for Peacock. Ms. Lin is known for her starring role on Broadway in David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, a role that Backstage named one of their Most Memorable New York Stage performances. Other Broadway credits include Coram Boy (Drama League Award) and Top Girls (with Marissa Tomei and Martha Plimpton) and Lauren See’s King of the Yees at CTG’s Kirk Douglas.

Angela stars in the Apple anthology series, Little America, produced by Alan Yang / Kumail Nanjani in the title role episode “Ai.” She is the recipient of the Adeline Roth Levine Memorial Award for Acting from Carnegie Mellon University Drama, her alma mater. TV Guest appearances: Oh Jerome, No (FX), FBI: International (CBS), Hawaii 5-0 (CBS), NCIS: New Orleans (CBS), Scorpion (CBS),  Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

KAVI RAMACHANDRAN LADNIER (Connie) is a seasoned actor, writer & producer who has nearly 30 years of experience working in theatre, film & television. Born in India and raised in the U.S. since she was a baby, Kavi was inspired to act at 5, by the little Indian girl at the end of The Jungle Book, and inspired to produce because she saw so few people that looked like her on the screen. Expanding the narrative about women in all of their WOMANITY, is part of her mission and she is thrilled to be a part of Claire Barron’s exceptional DANCE NATION! 

In the Spring of 2019 Kavi starred alongside Sendhil Ramamurthy in the Off Broadway 2-hander Hatefuck at the WP Theatre. And then in the Fall 2019 was part of Miss Lily Gets Boned directed by Robin Larsen at Rogue Machine Theatre. Other theatre credits include… NY: ANON(YMOUS) (The Public); Tulpa (Target Margin, Off Bway); Crosscurrents (UBU Rep Off Bway), SEVEN.11 Convenience Store Theatre (Desipina & Co.). Regional: Pentecost (Yale Repertory); Rehana Lew Mirza/Mike Lew’s Child of Colonialism (Lark Theatre) & The DNA Festival (La Jolla Playhouse SD). LA: A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Henry V (Kingsmen Shakespeare Company,) The Vagina Monologues. 

Recent Film and Television credits include: the feature East Bay alongside Constance Wu now available to rent/buy on-demand; Reena on HBO Max’ The Sex Lives of College Girls Season 1 & Season 3 (premiering Nov 21st) and Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr on the last 2 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles. Kavi produced & starred in the feature Boris and The Bomb and starred in and produced the award winning short film Now And Never which marked the first film under her production company Art Heart Love Productions. Kavi is also producing and acting in the feature The Eighth Year, a revenge thriller (in pre-production) and stars in the short film Giving Mom the Talk written/directed by Vidhya Iyer and heading to festivals.  

STEVEN KLEIN (Luke) is an actor, Emmy nominated producer, the founder of Firefly Theater & Films, and producing director of Lobby Theatre @ AGBO. Recent projects featuring Steven include the films Rally Caps, starring Judd Hirsch and Amy Smart, and In Our Blood, a Firefly film starring Brittany O’Grady now in its festival run. As an actor on screen, Steven’s past favorites include films The Circle and Kensho at the Bedfellow and the award-winning pilot, Everyone Together. On stage, favorite roles starring include the award-winning LA premieres of Caught, by Christopher Chen, and of Completeness and The Four of Us, by Itamar Moses.

JEANNE SAKATA (Maeve) most recently performed in Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at the Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum, and the world premieres of Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Groenich’s Here There Are Blueberries with La Jolla Playhouse/Tectonic Theatre Project, and Carla Ching’s Revenge Porn at the Ammunition Theatre. Onscreen, Jeanne has enjoyed guest star/recurring roles on ABC-Shondaland's Station 19, CBS’ Magnum P.I., NCIS Hawai’i, NCIS Los Angeles, and Disney Plus’ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, with her voice talents featured in Marvel/Hulu’s Hit Monkey, Apple TV’s Stillwater, Disney's Big Hero 6, and Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender. Onstage, she has performed with such theatres as the Vineyard Theatre, People’s Light, Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Northlight Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Berkeley Rep, A Contemporary Theatre, and Portland Center Stage. Jeanne’s solo play Hold These Truths (Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance, Theatre Bay Area Awards for Outstanding Production, Direction, and Performer, San Diego and Bay Area Critics’ Circle Awards, Outstanding Solo Performance), has won rave reviews in over twenty productions with such theatres as Barrington Stage, Arena Stage, Pasadena Playhouse, Guthrie Theater, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, ACT Seattle, Portland Center Stage, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Honolulu Theatre for Youth (co-produced with Daniel Dae Kim), Epic Theatre Ensemble, and East West Players (world premiere). Jeanne has also authored two audio plays for L.A. Theatre Works, a new adaptation of The Secret Garden, and the courtroom drama For Us All.  She is currently working on a new commission for Washington DC’s 2024 Ford's Theatre Legacy program.

Special honors: 2019 Trailblazer Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement, East West Players; 2016 Lee Melville Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Los Angeles Theatre Community, Playwrights’ Arena; 2011 Outstanding Artist Award, Los Angeles’ Asian Pacific American Friends of Theatre, 2007 Theatre LA Ovation Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Chay Yew’s Red, East West Players. (jeannesakata.com, holdthesetruths.info)

ILIA ISORELÝS PAULINO (Sofia) stars in the Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls. She can also be seen starring opposite Jennifer Garner in the Netflix film Family Switch and Wanda Sykes in the Netflix film Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. Ilia previously starred in the Netflix film Me Time opposite Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg. She will next be seen reprising her role in Season 2 of the Netflix series One Piece. She also has a supporting role in the Paramount+ film Queenpins opposite Kristen Bell. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

MARIN HINKLE (Ashlee) played Rose on the award-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel where she received two Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy nominations, and two SAG awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Hinkle played Judith for twelve seasons on Two and a Half Men, Judy on Once and Again, and she has recurred on Speechless, Homeland, Madame Secretary, and Brothers and Sisters. Her additional television work includes We Were the Lucky Ones, Grey’s Anatomy, House, ER, and numerous episodes of Law and Order.  Her recent film work includes the Jake Kasdan directed Jumanji films, and the upcoming Russo Brothers’ film, The Electric State. Hinkle’s extensive theatre credits include the Broadway shows Electra, A Thousand Clowns, and The Tempest. She has originated roles in dozens of new plays both Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the country. Hinkle grew up in Boston and holds a BA from Brown and an MFA from NYU.

KIMBERLY CONDICT (The Moms) is an actress, comedian, writer, and dog mother based in West Hollywood. She teaches and regularly performs improv at The Groundlings, as well as musical improv at The Elysian Theatre in the monthly Making Love show with David Magidoff. Kimberly’s recent credits include: Shrinking and Physical both for Apple TV+, Night Court, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Good Girls for NBC, and Perry Mason for HBO. Kimberly also appears in the new Hallie Meyers Shyer-directed feature film, Goodrich, starring Micheal Keaton. @ kimbercondict on all socials.

ABBY MARKS (Crumpled Sailor AKA Vanessa/Stage Directions) Abby is a Los Angeles native, avid bookworm, and jigsaw puzzle fanatic. She’s a world traveler (and light packer), which has come in handy while working at theatres all over the US - South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, The Shakespeare Theatre, and more. Abby’s wide range and sharp technical skills allow her to play everything from British Royals to the straight talking Jewish girl she is. She caught the storytelling bug during her kindergarten production Noah’s Arc - the rainbow prop broke, but she knew the show had to go on. She started acting professionally at 12, earned a BA in Theatre and Art History from the George Washington University, and an MFA in Performance from The Shakespeare Theatre’s Academy for Classical Acting. In addition to her classical theatre work, she has workshopped and performed in hundreds of new plays, collaborating with playwrights and directors who are drawn to her unique ability to combine humor and profundity, reflecting the laugh-cry complexity of being human.

A member of the acclaimed Antaeus Theatre Company, Abby played the title role in Cecily Hamilton’s Diana of Dobson’s, and her work in Caryl Churchull’s Cloud 9 and Top Girls garnered LA Drama Critics Circle, Stage Raw, and Ovation Awards. Abby’s versatile voice can be heard in audiobooks, commercials, cartoons, and dubbed foreign language shows on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

CREATIVES AND STAFF

Clare Barron (Playwright) is a playwright and performer from Wenatchee, Washington. Clare’s plays include SHHHH, which also she directed and was featured in (Atlantic Theater Company); DANCE NATION (Playwrights Horizons, Almeida Theatre, Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner, Relentless Award winner, Obie Award winner, The James Tait Black Prize for Drama winner); YOU GOT OLDER, (Page 73, Steppenwolf, Obie Award for Playwriting, Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Play, #1 most-recommended play on The Kilroy's List, Susan Smith Blackburn finalist); I’LL NEVER LOVE AGAIN (The Bushwick Starr, New York Times & Time Out Critics’ Picks); and BABY SCREAMS MIRACLE (Woolly Mammoth, Clubbed Thumb). She is also the recipient of a Whiting Award, the Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship and the Paula Vogel Award at the Vineyard, and is a former member of Youngblood and the Soho Rep Writer-Director Lab

Robin Larsen (Founding Artistic Director) is the founding artistic director of Lobby Theatre, where she directed the company’s inaugural offering, an enhanced reading of Aleshea Harris’s Is God Is, starring Merle Dandrige and Regina Taylor. Robin is a go-to Los Angeles-based theatre director known for “so many superlative productions” (Hollywood Reporter) at leading venues, including South Coast Rep, The Wallis Annenberg, Disney Hall, Antaeus Theatre Company, The Odyssey, The Fountain, Rogue Machine, and others. Robin is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Picks, and the LA Times “Best of the Decade” designation. Robin is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker for her UCLA grad school film, Sombra (UCLA Film School is where Robin met Joe Russo, who has made Lobby possible). Her work has screened internationally at Cannes and Berlinale, and stateside at Austin and Tribeca.

Steven Klein (Producing Director). Lobby producing is focused through Firefly Theater & Films, a company Klein founded more than 25 years ago. Firefly’s theater productions, including Off-Broadway and Off-West End London, have won more than two-dozen awards. Firefly’s films – including notable documentaries Make Believe, Print the Legend, Finders Keepers, Out of Omaha, and multi Emmy-nominated Wrestle – have been distributed worldwide after playing and winning prizes at dozens of festivals, including SXSW, Sundance, TIFF, and LAFF. On stage, Firefly is now developing a new stage musical for Broadway based on its documentary Make Believe, directed by Neil Patrick Harris and produced by Steven Klein, Oscar-winner Bruce Cohen, and multi-Tony winner Daryl Roth. On screen, Firefly will next premiere In Our Blood, a thriller starring Brittany O’Grady that is the fiction directorial debut of Oscar-nominated director Pedro Kos and is sustaining a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes during its festival run.

Deborah Puette (Producer) is a founding member of Lobby Theatre and an Ovation Award-winning producer. Dubbed “local critics’ darling” (Los Angeles Times) and “L.A. stage royalty” (Stage Raw), Puette’s work on-stage has been nominated for every major theater award in Los Angeles and Chicago. She is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (Solo Performance), the L.A. Weekly Award (Lead Performance), and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Citation for her professional debut in the lead of the world premiere of Rebecca Gilman’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Glory of Living. TV and film credits include guest stars and recurring roles across the major networks and streamers and indie and studio features. Puette’s first feature as a screenwriter, Cash for Gold, was recently produced with Puette co-directing and starring and will be distributed next February, and her most recent project as writer-director-producer, Such A Pretty Girl, will debut at fests in 2025.

Aliha Strange (Associate Producer) is an actress and producer. She is on staff at Lobby Theatre @ AGBO as one of their founding members. She assistant-directed their debut Is God Is by Pulitzer Prize finalist Aleshea Harris, starring Blank Panther’s Dominique Thorne and All American’s Spence Moore II. Most recently, Strange launched her production company Strange Studios, L.L.C. She is from Seattle and based in Los Angeles, California. To those who have been a part of this blessed journey, she sends her love and gratitude. Learn more about Strange’s roots, her growing body of work, and contact her through her website at alihastrange.com. 

Chris Redondo (Casting Director) was the Vice President of Casting for Paramount Television Studios. PTVS series during his tenure included THE OFFER and GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES for Paramount+, Station Eleven and Made for Love for HBO Max, Defending Jacob and Shantaram for Apple TV+, Jack Ryan, Cross and Reacher for Amazon Prime Video, as well as The Haunting of Hill House, Maniac and 13 Reasons Why for Netflix. Prior to joining PTVS, Chris was co-casting director (with Richard Hicks) on Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens and associate casting director on the Academy Award-nominated film Hell or High Water. He also proudly cast projects for the Sundance Director’s Lab and Screenplay Reading Series. Chris is a member of the Casting Society of America and the Television Academy.

Christopher Breyer (Dramaturge) is a Los Angeles-based creative producer, writer, director, and consultant on performance, narrative, and story development for theatre, film, television, and non-entertainment enterprises. He is a co-founder and the former Literary Director of Lobby Theatre @ AGBO and from 2005-2024 served as Resident Dramaturg and Literary Director of the Ojai Playwrights Conference. His theatre background also includes serving as Literary Manager/Dramaturg at two now defunct Off Broadway institutions, the American Place Theatre and the WPA Theatre, and a long association with L.A.’s Center Theatre Group.

Paul Dufresne (Scenic Designer/Technical Director) is a scene designer for theatre and opera based in Los Angeles. Paul received his MFA in scene design from Boston University. Paul has designed both nationally and internationally working with companies such as The English National Opera, The Minnesota Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, The  Rubicon Theatre Company, The Road Theater Company, The Gary Marshall Theatre, The Guthrie, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Milwaukee Rep, and LA Opera, among others. Selected credits include scene designs for Dolores Claiborne; Pelléas et Mélisande; Le nozze di Figaro; Hydrogen Jukebox; Die Zauberflöte directed by Henry Price; Additional credits include ovation nominated production Nowhere on the Border (The Road Theatre 2020); Rhinoceros, as well as productions of Angels in America Pt. 1 & 2; These Shining Lives, Goodnight Don’t Be Afraid and Hamlet; Associate scene design for Class; Scott and Hem (Gary Marshall Theatre - 2015) La Rondine, Man of la Mancha, Ghosts of Versailles; The Destiny of Desire among others; Paul was awarded the USITT designers’ national award for outstanding achievement in scenic design in 2016. 

Paul is the head of the design program and member of the full time faculty at Pepperdine University teaching design for theatre and opera.

Chris Moscatiello (Sound Designer) is an award-winning sound designer, composer, music editor and music director for theater, TV and film, and he is the Resident Sound Designer at Rogue Machine Theatre. TV highlights include The Walking Dead, Eureka, Psych, Human Target, Caprica, The Cape and Trauma. He has scored series and specials for National Geographic and The Discovery Channel, as well as specials and promos for HBO, BBC, Animal Planet, MSNBC, ZDF Germany and The History Channel. Theater highlights include The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, The Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Antaeus, A Noise Within, Skylight Theatre, The Fountain Theatre, Odyssey Theater, The Road Theatre, Pacific Resident Theater, and he served as assistant conductor for the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera. 

An East Coast native, Chris was Associate Artistic Director and Conductor of the Boston Chamber Ensemble and wrote a ballet commissioned by the Kirov Ballet Academy that had its world premiere in Washington, DC.

Santana Mosher (Assistant Director) is a Theatre Fine Arts major with an emphasis in Directing at Pepperdine University. She is from Indian Wells, California and will be graduating this spring. She recently concluded her Senior thesis project Lost Girl, serving as the Assistant Director. Her other credits include The Music Man (Assistant Stage Manager), The Winter’s Tale (Assistant Stage Manager), The Importance of Being Earnest (Assistant Director), and Mamma Mia! (Assistant Stage Manager). She is grateful for the opportunity to have participated in Edinburgh Fringe Festival twice, taking Americana: A Murder Ballad (Props Designer/Wardrobe Head) to Scotland in 2022 and no one is coming to save us (Assistant Director) this past summer in 2024 as world premiere productions. Mosher is also a proud member of the Pepperdine Improv Troupe! She is a recipient of the Theater Arts Scholarship Award and Regent Scholarship. Mosher is so excited for this opportunity to work on this production with Lobby Theatre alongside some amazing theatre-makers!

Jacquline Thornell (Assistant Director) is a senior at Pepperdine University studying theatre with an emphasis in directing. Earlier this month she directed Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing in fulfillment of her senior thesis. This last summer, she participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She was the stage manager for an original show called no one is coming to save us written by Lewis Hetherington. Other credits include: Silent Sky (Henrietta Leavitt), First Year Showcase (Co-Director), This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing (Assistant Director), The Winter’s Tale (Assistant Director). Thornell is overjoyed with this incredible opportunity to work with these incredible artists. She is grateful to Robin for this amazing experience. 

Steven Butler (Choreographer) began his creative career as a dancer and choreographer with credits including Transformers 2, The Latin Grammys, Weeds, Good Morning America and artists including Ludacris, Nick Carter, Aaron Carter, Paulina Rubio, Cheat Codes, Blood Diamonds and Macy Gray. He received a Bachelor of Arts in film from ArtCenter College of Design, graduating with distinction. His directing credits include music videos for Precarious Records, Ultra Records, and Raid Records. He has also received recognition for his writing, directing, and producing from Slamdance, The Addy Awards, Zooppa, Los Angeles Dance Film Festival, Standard Vision and the Academy of Television & Sciences Blue Ribbon Panel. 

In addition to his creative work, Steven is 2018 TEDx Speaker. By intersecting his creative passions and vast practical experience in varying artistic fields, Steven aims to use art as a means of storytelling that both engages and inspires viewers and participants while simultaneously shaping a progressive and culturally relevant narrative.

Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer (Graphic Design/Website Design) is a visual creative designer. She's found success as a theater poster designer, having designed hundreds of posters in mostly Los Angeles and New York City. In the last twenty years she has stage managed shows, designed projections for multiple theaters (Ovation Best Projections Design 2020 Nominee for Earthquakes in London), produced plays, spent many nights discussing art on the sidewalks of Los Angeles and is currently the Marketing Director at "one of the most ambitious and accomplished theater companies in Los Angeles (Variety)” Rogue Machine Theatre which just “can’t seem to stop making fierce, groundbreaking, original theatre hits. (Broadway World)”. 

Among other things she is also an Art Department Coordinator for the prolific designer Arae Webner which has allowed her to work with artists such as Lizzo, SZA, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Imagine Dragons and others (MTV’s VMA for About Damn Time). The fun never ends in Hollywood. She likes dark dusty theaters, her wife, their boyfriend, one of her two dogs, most of their seven cats and corn. www.michellehanzelova.com

Shiloh Strong (Photographer) is an accomplished photographer and filmmaker with a focus on creating visually compelling content for a wide range of projects. With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Shiloh’s expertise spans portraiture, editorial photography, and video production. His work is known for its artistic approach, bringing creativity and a sharp eye to each project. Shiloh is excited to bring his talents to this production, capturing both photos and video that reflect the unique vision of the theater company.