Ole White Sugah Daddy

Obehi Janice

(PLAYWRIGHT/LYNNE, she/her) is a writer, actress and comedian based in Los Angeles. She’s written for Castle Rock on Hulu and plays Heather Culbreth in the animated comedy Dicktown on FXX’s CAKE. She’s currently developing a pilot with Big Beach TV and writing on an upcoming series for HBO. Obehi is an alum of the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater and the Colt Coeur artist residency. Her plays have also been developed at SPACE on Ryder Farm, WP Theater, New York Theatre Workshop and Lark Play Development Center. You can see her face on a screen at The National Museum of Natural History talking about the lessons learned from dinosaur extinction. 

Headshot Credit: Leslie Hassler

Obehijanice.com

Caitlin Sullivan

(DIRECTOR, she/her) is a director and theater maker based in New York City. Recent work includes Panopticon (Gracie Gardner), Cherie Dre (Sacha Yanow) and MADONNA col BAMBINO (Sarah Einspanier and Deepali Gupta). She is currently developing United States v. Gupta with Deepali Gupta and Ohio with The Bengsons (co-director Anne Kauffman). Caitlin was a co-founder and Artistic Director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed Satori Group. She is an alum of The Drama League Directors Project and the Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship and a member of the New Georges Jam. Proudly born and raised in Dorchester, MA. 

Headshot Credit: Delaine Dacko

caitlinesullivan.com

Alex Esola

(MILLS, he/him) most recently was seen in Bart Freundlich’s independent feature AFTER THE WEDDING, where he shared the screen with Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and then released in theaters last summer. Esola will next be seen in the independent film TANKHOUSE, directed by Noam Tomaschoff. On the small screen, Alex played the role of Freddy Blakestone in Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO limited series THE YOUNG POPE and reprised his role in Season 2, THE NEW POPE. He also has recurred on Jenji Kohan’s hit Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and guest starred on BLUE BLOODS, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, MR. ROBOT, SCREAM, ODD MOM OUT, MYSTERIES OF LAURA, and EYE CANDY . On stage, Alex played Marco in Ivo van Hove’s award winning production of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Alex is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of The Arts’ Stella Adler Studio.

Headshot Credit: Matthew Murphy

Andy Lucien

(JELANI, he/him) Andy Lucien’s credits include The Siblings Play (The Rattlestick Theater), The Qualms (Playwrights Horizons), City of Conversation (Lincoln Center), On Every Link A Heart Does Dangle (The Lark), Seared (MCC), The Last Seder (Theatre Three). Regional Theater: Queen of Basel (Studio Theater), Cry Old Kingdom and 27 Ways I Didn’t Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Last Tiger in Haiti (Berkeley Repertory Theater/La Jolla). Film work: Seven Lovers, TV: The Blacklist (NBC), Daredevil (Netflix), Madam Secretary (CBS), Elementary (CBS) Film: Vows: The Series, Believin, Aperture.

Headshot Credit: Emily Lambert

Natalie Paul

(CHARLIE, she/her) hails from Brooklyn, NY. Her credits include You (Netflix), the Blacklist (NBC), the Sinner (USA), the Deuce (HBO) and Show Me a Hero (HBO). Natalie was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for her performance in the independent film Crown Heights. She currently stars in the Blumhouse horror Delivered now on Hulu.

Headshot Credit: Stan Demidoff

Taji Senior

(Voicing STAGE DIRECTIONS, she/her/hers) is a writer and performer currently based in Los Angeles. Her recent solo works have been produced by The Tank NYC, Parsnip Ship and Salvage Vanguard Theater. She is currently earning an MFA in acting at UCLA. 

Headshot Credit: Jen Rachid

www.tajisenior.com

Greg Stuhr

(MARCUS, he/him) credits include premiere productions of Bruce Norris’ The Qualms at Steppenwolf (directed by Pam MacKinnon), Rolin Jones’ These Paper Bullets! at Yale Rep (directed by Jackson Gay), Keith Reddin’s But Not For Me (South Coast Rep), and Ethan Coen’s Offices (Atlantic Theater Company). He performed on Broadway in Larry David’s Fish In the Dark, directed by Anna Shapiro, Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf, directed by Alan Arkin, David Mamet’s November, directed by Joe Mantello, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by James Lapine. Along with director Jenna Ricker, Greg conveniently co-wrote a starring role for himself in the acclaimed indie film, The American Side, which the San Francisco Chronicle hailed as a ‘stylish, tense, witty, imponderable and exhilarating tribute to film noir classics’ (take THAT, Bergman!). He produced the award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Qualified, also directed by Ms. Ricker, which premiered at SXSW in 2019. And with fellow- New Neighborhood members, Adam O’Byrne and Rolin Jones, Greg created the comedy series Luba’s Lot for Fox Television Studios. The pilot script is rumored to exist in a hermetically sealed crate at a Disney-owned warehouse somewhere in North Hollywood.

Headshot Credit: Jenna Ricker

Madeline Wise

(MEL, she/her/hers) is a New York City-based actor and co-founder of New Saloon Theater Co. Her theatre credits include Minor Character at the Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and elsewhere, Testmatch at ACT, The Bridge of San Luis Rey at Two River Theater, Cute Activist at the Bushwick Starr, Choice at the Huntington and Wallis Annenberg Center, Far Away at Sharon Playhouse, and more. Her film and television credits include season three of HBO’s Crashing, Whatever this is., Snow Day, Places Thank You Places, and Lapsis, which was set to premiere at this year’s SXSW. She is a member of the Actors Center; you’ve maybe also seen her making fun of the current president in her 45 Selftapes series. @wise_dumb

Headshot Credit: Maria Baranova

madelinewise.com

Isabella Byrd

(DESIGN CONSULTANT, she/her) is a Brooklyn based, new work focused, lighting designer for the live stage.  Notable recent work includes  Heroes of the Fourth Turning, by Will Arbery, which earned multiple New York design awards in the 2019 season, directed by Danya Taymor.   Recent and select productions include Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City (NYTW), “DADDY” by Jeremy O.Harris,  Plano by Will Arbery, and countless collaborations with Caitlin Sullivan.  Productions in process include a new play by Annie Baker,  a re-envisioning of Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, and a reworking of “DADDY” at the Almeida Theatre, London.   Isabella is a proud USA829 member. 

www.isabellabyrd.design

Kim Golding

(ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, she/her/hers) is a director, creative producer, and performance maker from Bronx, New York. She has worked for The Museum of Modern Art, Clubbed Thumb, and Playwrights Horizons. Her recent production credits include: Pope.L’s Eating the Wall Street Journal (Flag Version) and Dressing Up for Civil Rights (MoMA); Ann Marie Dorr & Paul Ketchum’s Good and Noble Beings (created with Jeff Aaron Bryant, Dallas Estes, and Kedian Keohan; Exponential Festival, NACL, Soho Rep), Raja Feather Kelly’s UGLY (Washington Ensemble Theatre; The Bushwick Starr), Sam Myers’ Cow Camp (Downtown Art), and Sarah Einspanier’s Madonna col Bambino (created with Caitlin Sullivan and Deepali Gupta; New Ohio, Ars Nova). Kim received her B.A. from Williams College in Theater and Psychology.

Headshot Credit: Aliyah Blackmore

Carol Almonte

(STAGE MANAGER, she/hers) is a Production and Stage Manager based in New York City. She recently completed the Production Management Apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, as part of the Professional Training Company. At Actors Theatre: New Play Projects (PM), Solo Mios (PM), and the 44th Humana Festival of New American Plays (PM Apprentice). Off-Off Broadway: MADONNA col BAMBINO (Stage Manager) at the New Ohio Theatre and Dutch Masters (Assistant Scenic Designer) at the Wild Project. Additional Theatre: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Assoc. PM) and Purple Valley Plays (Scenic and Lighting Designer) at Williams College, Ars Nova (PM Apprentice), and The Williamstown Theatre Festival (PM Intern).  

Headshot Credit: Jack Scaletta

Thomas Dieter

(AYE DEFY Stream Manager, he/him) is thrilled to join this collaboration between AYE DEFY and WP Theater. Virtual Theater: The Tribute Artist (Primary Stages); rain falls special on me, Uhuru (AYE DEFY); The Way of Water, Crying on Television (Play-PerView); Much Ado About Nothing, A Tell-Tale Heart, Redux (Pittsburgh Public Theater). Off-Broadway: The Confession of Lily Dare (Primary Stages); for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, The Loophole (Public Theater); The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic Theater Company). AYE DEFY Resident Stage Manager. In addition to stage management and broadcast design, Thomas is also a writer and education consultant, advising leaders across the country on best practices in adult education and contextualized instruction. 

Headshot Credit: James Daniel

www.thomasdieter.com

Mirirai Sithole

(AYE DEFY Founder, Co-Producer, she/they) is a multi-hyphenate artist based in Los Angeles. Virtual Producing: A Doll’s House, Part 2, Cadillac Crew, Rinse Repeat, The Way of Water (Play-PerView), My H8 Letter…, Uhuru, Salt Pepper Ketchup, rain falls special on me(AYE DEFY). New York acting: If Pretty Hurts… (Playwrights Horizons), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (MCC Theater, Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award), The Homecoming Queen (AUDELCO nomination, Atlantic Theatre Company), Suzan-Lori Parks’ The Death of the Last Black Man… (Signature Theatre Company), Mother Courage and Her Children (CSC, Rosemarie Tichler Award), and Frontières Sans Frontières (Bushwick Starr).  Regional: School Girls;… (Kirk Douglas Theatre), Skeleton Crew (Dorset Theatre Festival), and Our Town and A Christmas Carol (Actors Theatre of Louisville). TV: “Black Mirror,” “Russian Doll,” “Bull,” “The Affair,” “Master of None,” and “Broad City.”  She received her BFA in Theatre from Adelphi University and was a member of the Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Headshot Credit: Gabriela Della Corna

Leslie Roth

(AYE DEFY Co-Producer, she/they) is an actor, director, writer and producer based in NYC.  Virtual producing credits include THE WOODS. by Jahna Ferron-Smith, MODEL MINORITY by Chloé Hung and Ole White Sugah Daddy by Obehi Janice.  As a multi-hyphenate artist, Leslie has developed, devised and acted in new works at La MaMa E.T.C., Primary Stages, Target Margin, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and The Bushwick Starr.  Acting credits include Measure for Measure (Shakespeare’s Globe, London) and Di & Viv & Rose (Theatre Row).  Leslie’s interview-based play Trigger Warning has received readings at The Barrow Group and Columbia University.  A former member of The Literary Wing at The Lark and staff at The Lilly Awards, Leslie has a passion for amplifying vibrant stories and celebrating writers.  She received her MFA in Acting from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of The Arts and trained at NTI as a director in the Theatermakers program at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.  

Headshot Credit: David Noles

www.leslieerinroth.com