Welcome to The Workshop Theater’s 10th Annual “Out of the Hat” Festival!
63 ACTORS and 31 PLAYWRIGHTS
matched by random draw
CREATED 31 short PLAYS
Loosely inspired by the prompt “magic”
This year's festival will be performed over 5 nights (December 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) at
Houghton Hall Arts Community
22 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016.
All curtains will be at 7pm.
Choose the evenings you'd like to attend, or buy tickets to all 5!
Tuesday, December 3
Illusion by Alex Dmitriev with Laurie Schroeder Callen* and Jackie Jenkins*
A Single Arm Outstretched by Blake Bonilla with Jeff Paul* and Cynthia Yiru Hu
Death Isn't the End of It by Riley Jones-Cohen with Jane Lincoln Taylor* and Lori Faiella*
Lesbian Chess Night, 2006 by Cori Diaz with Lucy McMichael* and Juliette Lin
How Good It Is in This World by Utkarsh Rajawat with Catt Filippov and Aja Downing*
Undecided by Seth Bauer with Ethan Cadoff* and Katie Braden
Wednesday, December 4
The A.T. by Paul Buzinski with Michael Gnat* and James Armstrong*
Bloodwork by Daniel Holzman with Simran Pal Kaur and Zullyvette
Something to Give by Nathaniel Foster with Xiaoxiao Sun and Dianna Martin
Miracles and Magic by Franky D. Gonzalez with Andrés Chaves and Sarah Spring
Void by Marissa Joyce Stamps with Jalen Rashad and Emma Mueller
Something for Nothing by Genevieve Windbiel with Cecily Lyn* and Leslie Kincaid*
Thursday, December 5
Carapace by Dan Caffrey with Clew* and Kalonjee Gallimore*
HELLthcare by J. Thalia Cunningham with Fred Velde* and Margo Hammond*
Do You Believe? by SMJ with John Alejandro Jeffords* and Megan Lomax
Untitled by Alle Mims with Ryan N. Murray and Laura Galindo
Anonymous by Laura Hirschberg with Emily Zacharias* and Nate James Shelton*
Club 33 by Mildred Inez Lewis with Wende O'Reilly and Jody Prusan*
TBD by Alyssa See-Tho with Georgina Pazcoguin* and Mick Szal
Friday, December 6
Viduity by Michael Lazan with Natalie Mosco* and Tony Travostino
Aqua Obscurum by Amir-Gabriel Gad with Joseph Franchini* and Ann Talman*
No Such Magic by Dana Leslie Goldstein with Hana Fatima and Hanifah Johnson
Blue Skies by Kari Swenson Riely with Joanie Schumacher* and Jessica Carmona*
’24K Magic by M. D. Schaffer with Ginaury Vásquez and AJ Moeller
Double or Nothing by Tracy Newirth with Jason Howard* and Wilson Hernandez
Saturday, December 7
Just One More Minute by Simon Salinas Jr with José Perez and Erik Kochenberger
Birthday Magic by Thalia Sablon with Angela Reynoso* and Raven Jeannette
The Substitute by Liz Amberly with ovan Tyler-Graham and Ben Sumrall*
Early and Often by Joe Burby with Charles E. Gerber* and Robert Bruce McIntosh*
Miss Subways by Laurie Graff with Gemma Berg, Adam Burby and Heather Massie*
Sympathetic Magic by Vincent Marano with Desmond Fernandez and Jolie Cloutier
*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actors’ Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production.
Alex Dmitriev, a Workshop member acted in Through the Darkness and in Mesquite, N.V. He directed Ken Jaworoski's Believers and has written several OOTH scripts over the years. Most recently, he was in After The Revolution at Morningside Players and Bettinger's Luggage at AMT. He has directed at theaters across the US, Canada and in London.
Blake Bonilla (he/they/she) is a Filipinx-Costa Rican-American playwright from Lakewood, CA. BA in English (Creative Writing) from CSULB and MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University. Blake is currently at the Advanced Bookwriting Workshop at the BMI Musical Theater Workshop continuing to develop his work. Music, comedy, magic, and immaturity are their calling cards. https://www.instagram.com/blakelikelively/
Jeff Paul A former Managing Director of The Workshop Theater, Jeff is happy to be involved for another year with the OOTH festival, and to be working with this fantastic group of artists and friends. A toast to all who love and appreciate the artistry of, and dedication to the creative process! “The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age!” AEA/SAG/AFTRA
Jane Lincoln Taylor studied acting at Yale University and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, and then with the late, great Edward Moor. She has performed in theaters in New York, the Midwest, and throughout New England, and has acted in several award-winning independent films. AEA, SAG-AFTRA.
Lori Faiella is a New York based actor/audiobook narrator with a background in theater and film. She is a long-time member of the WorkShop Theater Company and happy to be participating in another Out of the Hat Series. For more info, visit www.lorifaiella.com. Instagram @lorifaiella Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lori.Faiella.Official
Cori Diaz is a playwright finishing up her BFA at NYU Tisch in Dramatic Writing. Most recently, she has had her plays workshopped at The Tank’s LimeFest, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center’s Rough Draft Festival, The Workshop Theater’s Winter Playwriting Intensive, and was a finalist for the LAMBDA Literary Writers Retreat. @corigrams :)
Lucy McMichael (Rusty in Lesbian Chess Night, 2006) New York theater credits include: Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theater, Urban Stages, The Chain, Theater for the New City, WorkShop Theater, 600 Highwaymen. Select Film/TV: Dare (Sundance), Knife Point (Sundance), What If I Were You. Upcoming film: Face to Face, Waterfront. Lucy's reel is available on IMDB. AEA/SAG/AFTRA.
Juliette Lin is a queer, Chinese-American actor and writer. She plays adorably sarcastic, ambitious, and sweet characters and loves a good coming-of-age story. She graduated from the USC Business & Cinematic Arts Program. She performs on an all queer Asian improv & sketch team, The Slaysians, and recently appeared on the show What Would You Do? https://www.instagram.com/juliettetlin
Utkarsh Rajawat is following the call of Rasha Abdulhadi to use their bio to uplift efforts against the US-sponsored, Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Check www.utkarsh.space for a full version of bio with hyperlinks to places to donate to. You can contact PACBI@wawog.com with questions about your cultural/academic organization committing to PACBI. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
Catt Filippov is a Russian-Canadian multidisciplinary based in Brooklyn, NY. She does a bit of everything & would love to tell you about it in person.
Aja Downing
Michael Gnat (Rabbit’s Foot) recently livestreamed as VINCENT (dir. Katrin Hilbe); costarred in the festival finalist GUARDIAN ANGEL BLUES (dir. Jay Strong); & played Jakob in Marc Weiner’s HIDDEN. Zooms: Scott Sickles’s MARIANAS TRENCH (Portland Stage; dir. Kevin R. Free). Features: Off Jackson Avenue; Bobby G. Can’t Swim. Web: ONN’s News from the Year 2137. AEA, SAG–AFTRA. (Thxoxox, Linda!)
James M. Armstrong is delighted to be part of another OOTH 2024 with his beloved friends and colleagues here at the Workshop Theater. Has it been a year already? Special thanks to the staff and admin The Workshop for keeping this tradition alive and to Paul and Michael, the wonderful writer and actor that the Magic Hat teamed him with this year.
Daniel Holzman is a playwright and artist from San Francisco. His plays have been produced and developed by The New York Foundation for the Arts, Clubbed Thumb, The Brick, The Tank, Fresh Ground Pepper and more. Recent work includes: Berlindia! (The Tank Core Production, 2025), OLIVES (Clubbed Thumb ECWG), and Me & Who (2023 O'Neill Conference Finalist). MFA Candidate: Brooklyn College, BFA: NYU @hellanovella
Simran Pal Kaur is an NYC based multidisciplinary artist who graduated from Lehman College magna cum laude with a BFA in Multimedia and Performing Arts. Acting credits: Lord Dumaine (Love’s Labor’s Lost), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Actor 2/Bogle/little girl (Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol), Masha (Three Sisters). For more, visit: www.simranpalkaur.com
Nathaniel Foster Nate is a New York City-based playwright. His play have been seen at The Kennedy Center, The Workshop Theatre, The Brick, Permafrost Theatre, Fort Collins Fringe Festival, Pharmacy Theatre, Mirrobox Theatre, The Strides Collective, Live and in Color, The Hollywood Fringe Festival, and The Tank. He won the 2018 Kennedy Center Ken Ludwig young playwrights award and really hopes you like him. @NathanielLFoster
Xiaoxiao Sun is a Chinese actor & vocalist calling NYC home for 10+ years. They act in Mandarin, English, Cantonese, and can sing in Tibetan. They’ve performed in venues like La Mama, Playwright Horizon, The Tank, etc. He is more often on set nowadays, with his most recent feature “Blue Sun Palace” winning the French Touch Jury Prize at Cannes 2024. @sxxinyc
Franky D. Gonzalez is a Colombian-American playwright and TV writer splitting time between Dallas and Los Angeles. His work has been featured nationally with many theatrical organizations and institutions. Awards include the Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Prize, and the Judith Royer Award. He was a staff writer for 13 Reasons Why and is the Playwright-in-Residence at Bishop Arts Theatre Center. Twitter: @phatthedd Instagram: @phattheddproductions, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franky.gonzalez1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Jalen Rashad is a NYC-based actor/writer, originally from Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Jalen's recent work includes Jacob in At God's Back with Sanguine Theatre Company, Omar in What We Deserve with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and performing his own reading of Fresh Air as Jay. He is grateful to his community for their love and support. @_jayrashad
Emma Mueller (she/they) is an actress, writer, producer, musician, and teaching artist. Stage credits: Ten November (Grange Theater), Pericles (Hamlet Isn’t Dead), Midsummer (Puck, Clementine Players). Emma is a member of HID’s Resident Acting Company. Emma’s short film “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary” is now in post-production. NYU Tisch. www.emmarosemueller.com. IG: @itsemmamueller
Eve Windbiel is a theatre artist with an interest in horror and the very, very strange. She was raised in theatre, starting as an actor at age 5. She has her BA in theatre from Drew University and her MA in theatre from Villanova University. He mostly writes plays about demons, death, love, and gender.
Leslie Kincaid - award-winning director, dramaturge, performer. Film Robin Hood recently won multiple awards in Hudson International and Inwood Film Festivals. NY Innovative Theatre outstanding director award for Drama Desk nominated production The Navigator (The Workshop Theater) and NY Fringe Overall Excellence award for direction Zamboni. Always delighted to return to her acting roots
Dan Caffrey graduated from UT Austin's MFA Playwriting program in 2020, and has been a 3-time O'Neill Finalist and 7-time Semi-Finalist, as well as a member of The Civilians' 2023/2024 R&D Group. His work has recently been developed/produced at Kitchen Dog, Motor Company, Think Tank, Atlantic Acting School, and elsewhere. He's very excited to be back with OOTH and the good people at The Workshop Theater! Instagram – @DwCaffrey
J. Thalia Cunningham is a playwright,, travel writer, and photographer whose work has been produced in the US and internationally. Published by Smith & Kraus, Applause, and Next Stage Press. Member of The Actor’s Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit. BA, The Johns Hopkins University. Cunningham has traveled to 140 countries, allowing her to enter intimate worlds of a broad spectrum of humanity.
Fred Velde ( Patient, Hellthcare ) is a native New Yorker and has been part of the New York theater scene for over forty years. He has been a member of The Harbor Theatre since 1995 and is currently a member of The Workshop Theater. His theatre credits include The Price of Genius on Broadway, Sex by Mae West Off-Broadway, and Traveling Souls in Moscow as a member of The Phoenix Ensemble.
Margo Hammond has performed in NYC at Circle Rep, EST, Am Jewish Theatre, NYU’s First Look, CAP 21, Theatre 54, Club 57, Symphony Space and The Duke Theatre. Regionally, at Williamstown Th Fest, the Wilma Theatre (Philadelphia) and the Asolo Theatre (FL). Association with The Workshop Theater, ARTC and AND. Member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA, Actors Studio PDU, LPTW and Dramatists Guild. www.margohammond.com
SMJ (they/them) is a mixed-Latiné, non-binary, and NYC-based playwright, theatermaker, and educator. They were a 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. They are the Co-Artistic Director of Andy’s Summer Playhouse in Wilton, NH. Their work has been seen in various forms with Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Latinx Playwrights Circle, and The Orchard Project. www.smjwrites.com @smjwrites (IG) / @SMJwrites1 (Twitter) / Smj Clark Meeker (Facebook)
John Alejandro Jeffords loves nothing more than being a part of creating new works! Other new works: An Axemas Story (come check it out at 54 Below on Dec. 10!), Raindogs (Bay Street Theatre), More Than All The World (Theatre for the New City). Other recent credits: The Producers (Paper Mill Playhouse, Kansas City Starlight), Something Rotten! (ACCC) …Great Comet of 1812 (ZACH Theatre), American Idiot (American Stage). Instagram: @mrjeffords
Megan Lomax- Is thrilled to be back for this year's festival! She was seen on Broadway in the Tony award winning show Skin of Our Teeth at the Vivian Beaumont. Other theater credits include: Small Town Icons (The Tank), No Good Deeds… (A.R.T/New York)
Alle Mims is a Black, biracial genderfluid artist living in Harlem who writes about Black, Queer, and Radical History. Mims earned their BA in Drama from Texas Woman’s University (’16) and MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University (’23). CURRENT: Critical Breaks Artist at Hi-ARTS, Researcher at August Wilson Society. PAST: Clubbed Thumb Early Career Writers Group, commissioned by TheGrio. @allemims
Laura Hirschberg’s plays have been developed, workshopped, and produced by Harvard University, Everyday Inferno, the Workshop Theater, LAB Theater Project, the Frigid Festival, and many others. Laura’s work has received special recognition from the Jewish Plays Project and from Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries at the American Shakespeare Center.
Emily Zacharias
Jody Prusan Delighted to be part of The Workshop Theater community where I have met many fabulous playwrights and actors. Regional: She Loves Me, Showboat, Little Shop of Horrors. Film and TV on imdb. Bull, Guiding Light, Days of Our Lives, Sesame Street, Training: CLO Musical Theatre workshop, RADA, Stella Adler, HB Studio http://www.imdb.me/jodyprusan AEA, SAG/AFTRA www.connectingtalentcompany.com.
Alyssa See-Tho is a playwright/librettist/lyricist whose work has been developed and performed in New York City (Rattlestick Theater, The Tank, Workshop Theater, Et Alia Theater Company, The Green Room 42, BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, Caveat, Untitled Musical Writers Group), St. Louis (Center of Creative Arts), the San Francisco Bay Area (Gunn High School), and on the radio (WNYU).
Natalie Mosco Leads on Broadway, Off-Broadway, West End, Paris, throughout Australia. Writing: Get Happy! , A Brush with Georgia O'Keeffe, Wallis in Wonderland.
Tony Travostino is a New York actor and member of Workshop Theater. He is very happy to participating in this Out of the Hat. tonytravostino.com
Amir-Gabriel Gad (they/them) is a playwright, dramaturg, painter, and collagist from Central New Jersey currently living in Philadelphia. They are facilitators for The Workshop Theater’s Intensives, and are head over heels to be back for their third OOTH. They subvert established tropes or stories, as well as experiment wildly in the search for glorious evolution. Much love to whoever is reading this. :^) @mirmulmir on all social media!
Joseph Franchini www.josephfranchini.com
Ann Talman 2023 MAC BEST FEMALE DEBUT, 2023 BISTRO OUTSTANDING MUSICAL MEMOIR, 4X Broadway/West End veteran, actress, singer, storyteller, documentary film maker. Author award-winning documentary Woody’s Order! & solo play about her dedication to her brother Woody who lived with cerebral palsy. Premier: Tribeca Film Festival. Has toured as a storyteller. Founding Mber New Group, Naked Angels, EST/LA, EST NY https://www.facebook.com/ann.talman https://www.instagram.com/talmanann/
Dana Leslie Goldstein Playwright/Librettist/Lyricist with work seen at MTC, Cherry Lane, Culture Project, WP, York, Theatre80, New Dramatists, Ellis & Liberty Islands, the UN, all over the US, in Canada, Singapore, the UK & Australia. Member: BMI, Brave New World, Workshop, PlayGroundNY, Dramatists Guild. Winner: New England New Play Competition, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Playwriting Prize, Different Voices, ACTF, etc. IG: shadowlass18 FB: https://www.facebook.com/danalesliegoldstein
Hanifah Johnson is a Black poet and actress from Brooklyn, NY. She recently graduated from LaGuardia Community College with her A.S in Theatre. She has performed in many off-Broadway productions , devised theater productions and has earned several awards. Some of her credits include “For Colored Girls” , “Through Crystal Eyes”, “Pippin” and “Everybody”, an invited production to KCACTF region 1 where she received a National award for her performance as Usher/God/Understanding. Theatre is viewed as her vocation.
Kari Swenson Riely is an actor, writer and musician based in New York City. Theatre: The McCarter Theatre, Hudson Stage, The Workshop Theater Company, The 52nd Street Project, Extant Arts Company, Artistic New Directions. Film: Never Forever, Life in Flight, The Vibrator, The Bicycle. TV: Law and Order: SVU, Cupid, New Amsterdam.
Joanie Schumacher has been a member of the Workshop Theater since 2003, working as an actor and occasionally, as a costume designer. She is happy to again participate in Out Of The Hat 2024! AEA
M. D. Schaffer
AJ Moeller is a New York City based actor, writer, and photographer. His most recent credits include BronxShakes' Romeo & Juliet and Love's Labour's Lost. He's thrilled to be part of the Out of the Hat workshop and is looking forward to meeting new actors, playwrights, and other artists in this new opportunity. You can find him on social media at @realajmoeller!
Ginaury Vásquez
Jason Howard
Wilson Hernandez (he/him) is a multi-hyphenated DominiYorker raised in the Bronx, New York. He is an Actor, Editor, and Director. He recently graduated from Lehman College with his BFA in Multimedia and Performing Arts. Acting credits include: Two Noble Kinsmen(Theseus), In The Heights(Usnavi), Pa’lante(Nieto). Love's Labour's Lost(Don Adriano de Armado). A Boy Called Lobo(Horse JackDaniels). @the_names_will
Simon Salinas Jr. is a playwright, director, and multidisciplinary theater maker from the Rio Grand Valley in South Texas, now finding home in New York City. Simon’s artistry is rooted in storytelling that explores the surreal through the “supernatural,” while exploring ghosts and spiritual elements, his work is a quest to illuminate the intangible truths of the human condition.
José Perez is a dynamic servant leader, artist, and activist dedicated to transformative change. As the program strategist for the Children's Defense Fund-NY, a collaborating artist with One Whale’s Tale, and a Correctional Facility coordinator for Compagnia de Colombari, his work bridges art and advocacy. A seasoned actor and poet, Jose has performed at The Shed, Bushwick Starr, and the Public Theater.
Thalia Sablon is a Brooklyn-based playwright, producer, and artistic administrator with a passion for surreal storytelling. Her work has been produced and workshopped at Rutgers University, with New Georges, Third Culture Theatre in California, Conchshell Productions, BOLD Women, and The Workshop Theatre. Currently, she is part of New Georges Jam and Conch Shell Productions. instagram- Thalilya
Raven Jeannette is a stage & film actor from the South. She is delighted to be performing with The Workshop Theater. Raven has been involved in short films, workshops, collaboration, and storytelling. She thanks her friends and family for their love & support. Previous credits: Law & Order SVU (UNI #1), The Seagull (Paulina), The Letiche and the Wondrous Life of Elvis (Kal). Isaiah 54:17
Liz Amberly has plays published by Samuel French, Applause and Smith & Kraus, Her drama Embers was a semi-finalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and her plays have been seen at the WorkShop Theater, as well as New World Stages, Algonquin Theater, Neighborhood Playhouse, The Barrow Group, American Globe Theatre, Equity Library Theater and throughout the USA and in London.
Joe Burby "Early and Often" is Joe Burby’s fourth play written for the Out of the Hat series and he has acted in several more. Also an actor/VO artist, his audiobook reading of John Stanley's Purposeful Performance will be out soon. Joe has recently written/directed 3 thirty-minute children's plays with music for Pied Piper Theater of NYC which are available for production. Visit/Contact JoeBurby.com
Charles E. Gerber is a 53 year veteran Actor, Director, Teacher and a proud Founding Member of The Workshop Theater. Samples of his work can be found on his YouTube/Charles E. Gerber. www.charlesegerber.com.
Angela Reynoso is an AEA award-winning actress, playwright, director, and multimedia artist from The Bronx. A 2023 Concept Development grantee, she developed The Lambs of the Bronx and a City Artist Corps Grantee, producing The Love Hate Club. Her off-Broadway credits include La Gringa and Vámonos. She’s currently Assistant Directing A Boy Called Lobo at INTAR. More at www.TheAngelaReynoso.com. Instagram: @angelamreynoso_
Laurie Graff Published author bestselling You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs. Produced OOB playwright. “Smith & Kraus: The Best Ten-Minute Plays” (2013, 2016, 2022) At the Hotel Texas - 5th Annual Women’s Playwright Festival Ivoryton Playhouse. Book writer The Pet Project, a new musical (Nancy Shayne Music & Lyrics, Jack Cummings, Dir) slated Feb ’25 The Transport Group Feb ’25. Played “Frenchy” - B’way Grease. https://www.facebook.com/laurie.graff.7
Gemma Berg
Adam Burby is a New York born actor and creative, he recently featured in Fire Bird Theater's Rossum's Universal Robots, where he could be seen fighting robots and ultimately being overcome by a self inflicted apocalypse. Adam is a supporter of the Workshop Theater, and is grateful to be a participant in this years Out of the Hat.
Heather Massie is an Actor/Writer/Producer who has performed extensively in NYC & the US. She currently tours the world with her 30x Award-Winning, Internationally Acclaimed “HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr” which premiered Off Broadway and has since toured 18 countries on 4 continents. She toured as a Fulbright Specialist to South Africa & to Australia through the US State Department. FB: @heathermassie IG: @HeatherMMassie LI: @HeatherMassieNYC TW: @HeatherMMassie
Vincent Marano is a Bronx-based playwright, director and dramaturg. An Indie Fixture for over thirty years he has done everything, from directing musicals and lighting design to translating Machiavelli’s The Mandrake to critical acclaim. He has written dozens of plays produced in Tri-state area. He won the BRIO Award for Playwriting twice, in 2010 and 2023. He's been nominated for NYIT Awards for Best Short and Full-Length Script numerous times. He is an active member of The Workshop Theater, The Actor's Studio Playwright/Director Unit and is a Board Member of the Episcopal Actors Guild. He looks forward to Out of The Hat every year.