MICHELLE HURST (Babette). Born in Brooklyn, Michelle has had an extensive career in theatre, film and television, playing everything from judges, lawyers and doctors to irate mothers, ghostly slaves and Henry James. Ms. Hurst’s film credits in feature and independent films include Jean of the Joneses, Airheads, Sherrybaby, The Night We Never Met, Smoke and Frances Ha. Theatre has always been her first love and she has performed at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater, Soho Rep, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, among others. She has also performed a one-person play, In This Place…, at Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center (Lexington, KY). 651 ARTS, Irondale Ensemble Project, The Kitchen and Painted Bride Art Center (Philadelphia, PA). Her television credits include major roles on BBC1’s “Last Tango in Halifax,” “Broad City,” “The Good Wife,” “Blue Bloods,” multiple episodes of all three “Law & Order” shows and “Sex and the City.” Soon she will be seen in Chris Piazza’s film short Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home as a former jazz singer battling Alzheimer’s and ruthless realtors. Michelle is probably most recognized for her portrayal of Miss Claudette Pelage on the award-winning Netflix series, “Orange is the New Black.”
JULIANA FRANCIS KELLY (Philippa). Is an Obie Award-winning actor, writer and doll maker who has originated roles for many great theatre artists in the U.S., Asia and Europe, including the late Reza Abdoh (as a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Dar A Luz company), Richard Foreman, Anne Bogart, Young Jean Lee, Lear DeBessonet, Charlotte Brathwaite, Pavol Liska and Kelly Copper and Normandy Sherwood, among others. She has performed for military audiences across the U.S. with Theater of War. Recent work includes Karin Coonrod’s Text and Beheadings/Elizabeth R at Folger Shakespeare Library and Brooklyn Academy of Music, and The Return of Tragedy by French filmmaker Bertrand Mandico. She has appeared in films for Hal Hartley, Marie Losier with Guy Maddin and David Michalek. Ms. Kelly’s own plays have been produced in New York; London; Athens; and Kiel, Germany; and translated into four languages; and she builds mixed media dolls, one of whom resides in the American Museum of Natural History’s Discovery Room.
ABIGAIL KILLEEN (Martine). This is Abigail’s third show with Karin Coonrod; previous work includes Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge and The Merchant of Venice with Peak Performances. She is an Affiliate Artist at Portland Stage Company where she has performed in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Blanche), Love/Sick (Meg/Celia/Sam), A Christmas Carol (Ghosts/Mrs. Cratchit) and yearly develops new plays with playwrights in performance with the annual Little Festival. For Portland Stage Company’s studio series she co-produced and performed in the solo show The Amish Project. Other New England: Sofonisba (Sofonisba) at Dramatic Rep; Rancho Mirage (Louise), Our Town (Mrs. Gibbs) at New Rep; Next Fall (Holly); The May Queen (Jennifer); Death by Design (Sorel) at Good Theater; Love’s Labour’s Lost; Much Ado About Nothing; Macbeth (Lady Macbeth, PEER Award) with Fenix Theatre; Annie Baker’s Uncle Vanya (Yelena) with Theater Project; and eight seasons with Connecticut Free Shakespeare. Other New York credits include FringeNYC (dir. Moritz von Stuelpenagel) and Naked Angels (dir. David Dalton). Faculty: Bowdoin College.
JO MEI (Player 2)’s theater credits include Fingersmith (A.R.T.), The World of Extreme Happiness (MTC), The King of Hell’s Palace (Goodman Theatre), You for Me for You (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company). Jo has developed new works at The Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theater Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre. TV credits include “Nicki” (Freeform), “Bones” and “The Good Wife.” Jo stars in and co-wrote the award-winning film A Picture of You. Other film credits include Who We Are Now, Adult World, The Grief of Other, Revenge of the Green Dragons. http://www.jomei.com
ELLIOT NYE (Player 5) is a relatively new actor based out of Portland, Maine making his NY debut. Recent credits include The Ballad of Daphnis and Chloe (Kerr & Co.); Romeo and Juliet (Camden Shakespeare Festival); Little Boy, Love Goad (Stage Rage); Much Ado About Nothing (Fenix Theatre); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Sarah Lawrence College); and Macbeth (Sarah Lawrence College). Elliot is currently studying at Sarah Lawrence College, having spent this past fall semester studying with the National Theatre Institute at Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
STEVEN SKYBELL (Player 3)’s Broadway credits include Fiddler on the Roof; Pal Joey; Wicked; The Full Monty; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Cafe Crown, Ah, Wilderness! Off-Broadway: Cymbeline (Shakespeare in the Park), Tamburlaine (TFANA), Antigone in New York (Obie Award, Vineyard Theatre), The Lesson (Atlantic Theater Company), What Didn’t Happen (Playwrights Horizons). Other: The Chosen (Long Wharf Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Peaks Performances), Camelot (Arena Stage, Helen Hayes nomination), Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass (Westport Country Playhouse, Connecticut Critics Circle nomination), Caucasian Chalk Circle (Yale Rep, Connecticut Critics Circle nomination), Henry V (Shakespeare’s Globe, London), TV/Film: “Blue Bloods,” “Chicago P.D.,” “666 Park Avenue,” multiple “Law & Order,” “Sex and The City,” Garden Days, Simply Irresistible, Cradle Will Rock, Tom and Francie, Faculty: Yale School of Drama, NYU Tisch Grad Acting, Fordham.
SORAB WADIA (Player 6), born in Bombay, India, has performed internationally as an actor and singer in an eclectic mélange of projects ranging from The Play of Daniel, a medieval music-drama; to the notorious Jihad! The Musical on London’s West End. In 2016 he was honored to play Skylock #1 and Gratiano in Karin Coonrod’s historic production of The Merchant of Venice performed outdoors in the Jewish ghetto in Venice, Italy, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the founding of the ghetto. 2017 saw a remount of this production at Peak Performances in Montclair, New Jersey; and the premier of Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Sorab tours internationally with The Kite Runner, a one-man adaptation of the novel by Khaled Hosseini, directed by Wynn Handman. He garnered rave reviews for his performances as Ali Hakim on the Broadway tour of Trevor Nunn’s production of Oklahoma! Off-Broadway shows include The Tempest (La MaMa E.T.C.), Bunty Berman Presents… (The New Group) and Nymph Errant (Prospect Theater). TV credits include “Blacklist: Redemption,” “Madame Secretary,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “30 Rock,” “Chapelle’s Show.” Films include The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim, Suburban Girl and Hiding Divya.
STURGIS WARNER (Player 1) is a theatre artist based in New York City. He recently returned to acting after many years as a freelance director specializing in new plays and new play development. Acting credits include The Public Theater, Signature Theatre, Second Stage Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival, Atlantic Theater Company, Naked Angels, La MaMa E.T.C., The Wooster Group and many others. He is a usual suspect at New York Theatre Workshop and is on the artistic cabinet at The Lark. In addition, he is a co-producer of two animated feature films —for adults—written, directed and animated by Signe Baumane: Rocks in My Pockets and My Love Affair with Marriage. http://www.sturgiswarner.com
JEORGE BENNETT WATSON (Player 4) is making his Off-Broadway debut. Regional theatre credits include Wynton in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s The Royale; Orlando Shakespeare Theatre’s Anyony & Cleopatra; Fences, Pioneer Theatre Company; Fences, Triad Stages; Zooman and the Sign, Arena Players; Stop Kiss, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Topdog/Underdog, Studio Theatre; The Piano Lesson, Arena Stage; Three Sisters After Chekhov, Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble; and New Orleans, Moving Arts (LA). TV/film: Mark Higgins in Netflix’s “Luke Cage,” LMN’s Untitled Affair Project, Det. John Ahern, “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “The Wire,” “Justified,” “Shameless,” “Cold Case” and Red Wall Productions’ short Saving Father.