Mahogany Brown and the Case of the Disappearing Kid

Production Stills

Biographies

Gina Femia (Playwright) Gina Femia has written 32 full-length plays which have been developed/produced by Page 73, Playwrights Horizons, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Center Theatre Group, New Georges, Powerhouse, Theatre of NOTE, Great Plains Theatre Conference and Project Y, among others. She is a 2019-2022 Core Writer with the Playwrights Center, 2019 Writer-in-Residence with Spicy Witch Productions, and a current member of Page 73’s Interstate 73. She’s an alum of EST Youngblood, Pipeline Theatre’s PlayLab and New Georges’ Audrey Residency. Her play, ALLOND(R)A is included on the 2019 Kilroys List. Winner: Leah Ryan Prize and Doric Wilson Award. Find out more: www.femiagina.com.

Janelle Zapata Castellano (Director) Janelle is a producer and director from New Jersey. Her passions lie in creating platforms for underserved artists to present their work, which lead toward her co-Founding of Step1 Theatre Project. She seeks to tell honest stories that are not traditionally told, and wants to help create a world where art creation is accessible to all. She's thankful for the opportunity to work toward the goal of fostering a community of artists, where the objective is to grow together.

Cordelia Senie (Stage Manager) Cordelia is newly returned from Paris, France, where she spent six years working in theatre and studying art history. Since returning, she stage managed a workshop of BLACKOUT by Shann Smith, performed at the Playroom Theater in New York City. She then joined Death of Classical in June as the stage manager for The Angel’s Share 2019, performed in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Last summer, she assisted PH Masks in their production of Interview at the 2018 Festival d’Avignon, directed by Thierry Harcourt, and joined the Paris Fringe team as Technical Director. Additional credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tapis Théâtre, Paris), Jubilee (Paris Fringe), Pimm’s Mission (59E59 Theaters, NYC), Flow dir. Roi Escudero (Planet Connections, NYC), Playwrights For a Cause (Planet Connections, NYC), and Gonzo dir. Peter Vickers (Paris Fringe). Cordelia is thrilled to be joining the Step1 team to help bring Mahogany Brown to life!

Camille Manley (Assistant Stage Manager) Credits include: Quinnipiac University: No Exit (Technical Director), Seven Minutes In Heaven (Assistant Stage Manager), New Play Festival: Special Delivery (Stage Manager). Ramapo High School: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Production Manager/Technical Director), West Side Story (Production Manager), I Hate Hamlet (Assistant Stage Manager), Secret Garden (Assistant Stage Manager), Night Watch (Stage Manager), A Funny Thing That Happened On the Way to The Forum (Stage Manager), Sylvia (Stage Manager), Sister Act (Stage Manager). Education: Quinnipiac University, Law and Theatre Major.

Jacob Subotnick (Sound Designer) is an NYC based composer and sound designer who has designed over 125 Off and Off-Off Broadway productions. Selected NYC Theater: The Elephant Man (Nominated: Outstanding Original Music NYITA 218); The Ballad of Rodrigo (Nominated: Outstanding Original Music NYITA 2015); Virus Attacks Heart (Nominated: Outstanding Sound Design PCTF 2014); Tulpa or Anne and Me (Winner: Outstanding Sound Design PCTF 2011) www.jacobsubotnick.com

Laura Mae Baker (Makeup & Costume Designer | 2020) is a licensed cosmetologist and actor working in NYC. Shows she has designed include 'Interview: A New Musical' (Off-Broadway), 'Imaginary Friends' at Planet Connections Theater Festivity (won Best Costume Design), 'The Importance of Being Ernest' , 'Quest of the Hero' , and she was resident costume designer for Cupcake Lady Productions, doing shows 'Tech/Support' and Cupcake Lady Wrestling and more. Laura Mae is also an award winning director and actor. Follow her at @LovelyLaurasLocks (insta) and on Facebook at HairbyLauraMaeB. Love always to her husband Rich who is the most supportive and awesome human on Earth.

Benjamin-Ernest Abraham (Producer | 2019) is a stage director and producer based in New York City. His work has been seen at the Cherry Lane Theater, The Barrow Group, the Workshop theater, The Tank, the Kraine Theater, and the Dixon Place. Recent directing/producing credits include: Wendell & Pan by Katelynn Kenney, Void by Katelynn Kenney (Director), The “My America” Plays (Producer), Glorious Virtue by Timothy French (Director), and A Crisis Called New York by Alisha Espinosa (Director). Ben is part of Step1 Theatre Project and The Skeleton Rep(resents).

Jazmyn Arroyo (Lead Producer) is the Co-Founding Artistic Director of Step1 Theatre Project as well as a producer and performer who is passionate about the visibility and success of underrepresented voices in theatre. Jazmyn holds a BA from Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Program in Newark, NJ and has been involved in the NYC theatre community for ten years. During this time, she enjoyed performing in various productions as well as holding many different staff and volunteer positions for organizations like Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and The Tank. Although she enjoyed acting, she found a sense of urgency to assist and showcase underrepresented artists. She founded Step1 Theatre Project with the intention of not only producing work by underrepresented talent but assisting them with fully accessible resources and programs. She is determined to continue building an organization that can offer more tangible support and she is working every day towards realizing that vision.