Live at the Lortel: An Off-Broadway Podcast

George Salazar is best known for his work on Broadway as “Michael” in the cult sensation Be More Chill, a role for which he won a Lucille Lortel Award, two Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, and garnered nominations for both Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. His act two number, “Michael in the Bathroom” has been streamed over 50 million times. His theater credits also include “Seymour,” opposite Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, in the critically-acclaimed Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors, his Drama Desk-nominated performance as “Grover” and “Mr. D” in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, “Michael” in the off-Broadway revival of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick… BOOM!, David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim's Here Lies Love, The Broadway revival of Godspell, and more. He has appeared on television as “George Conway” in American Crime Story: Impeachment and recurred as “Eric Sosa” on NBC's Superstore for two seasons. George is also the voice of “Dad Hatter” in Disney Junior's animated series, Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: I'm a huge ally and defender of Trans rights. I also care deeply about immigration/deportation, specifically the string of transfers of incarcerated people who finish their sentences for non-violent crimes only to then be transferred to ICE detainment.

Jerry Zaks currently directs his 26th Broadway show, The Music Man. He has received four Tony Awards and been nominated eight times. He's also received four Drama Desks, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and an Obie. His credits include Mrs. Doubtfire, Hello, Dolly!, A Bronx Tale: the musical, Steve Martin's Meteor Shower, Nantucket Sleigh Ride, Shows For Days, Sister Act, The Addams Family, Guys and Dolls, Six Degrees of Separation, Lend Me a Tenor, House of Blue Leaves, The Front Page, A Funny Thing...Forum, Smokey Joe's Café, Anything Goes, La Cage aux Folles, Little Shop of Horrors, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Foreigner, A Bronx Tale, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and the original production of Assassins. He began his career directing the extraordinary plays of Christopher Durang including Sister Mary Ignatius..., Beyond Therapy, Baby with the Bath Water, and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. He directed the award-winning film Marvin's Room, starring Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton; and Who Do You Love, which was featured in the Toronto Film Festival. Mr. Zaks is a founding member, and serves on the board, of the Ensemble Studio Theater. He received the SDC's George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Ensemble Studio Theatre

Grammy Award winning & Tony Award Nominated Actress Danielle Brooks most recently starred on Broadway in The Piano Lesson opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington. The play is directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Brooks previously starred on Broadway as “Sofia” in the Tony Award winning revival of The Color Purple. Later this year, she will star in Warner Brothers' feature film adaptation of the musical directed by Blitz Bazawule. Brooks stars opposite John Cena on the hit HBO Max series Peacemaker, the spinoff series to James Gunn's The Suicide Squad movie. Brooks starred as the legendary Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in Mahalia. For her performance, Brooks earned the “Actress Award for Television” from the Critics Choice Association Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. Additionally, Brooks was nominated for a Critics Choice and a NAACP Image Award. Danielle Brooks starred as "Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson" in Netflix's Emmy nominated series Orange is the New Black. Danielle is the co-founder of “Black Women on Broadway,” which honors the legacy of Black Women's contributions to the theatre. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Black Women on Broadway

Actor/writer/director FEDNA JACQUET most recently starred as Passenger 1 in the critically acclaimed Lee Daniel's production of Ain't No Mo for its Broadway and Off-Broadway runs. As a writer and director, her film Chante Maman Mwen (My Mother's Song) most recently was honored at the Urbanworld Film Festival in NYC. She is a 2020-2022 National Black Theatre Playwright in Residence, 2019-2021 Huntington Theatre Playwriting Fellow, and a 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Playwriting/Screenwriting. Written work for the screen includes Isaiah (ABFF/TV One Screenplay Competition Finalist), Homebase (Juilliard/NYU Grad Acting), Inheritance (2020 Tribeca Chanel Through Her Lens Finalist), and Going Home. Written plays include Pefeksyon (Playwright's Realm Finalist, DVRF Finalist, Studio Tisch), Inheritance (Classical Theatre of Harlem Playwright's Playground, Studio Tisch), Gurlfriend, and Heroes. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: The Steppingstone Foundation

Camille A. Brown - (Director/Choreographer) 3-time Tony award nominee is the first Black woman to direct and choreograph a play on Broadway in 67 years. Ms. Brown choreographed the Met Opera's critically acclaimed Porgy and Bess and Terrence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which she also co-directed with James Robinson, making her the first Black director of a Met mainstage production. She is also the founder and director of Camille A Brown and Dancers. Awards include the 2021 ISPA/International Society for the Performing Arts Distinguished Artist Award, 2020 Dance magazine Award, Bessie Award (Mr. TOL E. RAncE), Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, United States Artists Award and five Princess Grace Awards. Foundation fellowships from Ford Art of Change, Guggenheim, TED, Emerson Collective. In addition to a Tony Award nomination, Camille has received an Obie Award, two AUDELCO Awards, three Drama Desk nominations and three Lortel nominations. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Every Body Move and Social Dance for Social Change 

Jessica Stone (Director) worked as an actress on and Off-Broadway, in television, and in film before transitioning to directing. Her directing career began in earnest with her all-male 2010 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has since been directing all over the country at such theaters as The Old Globe, A.C.T, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Two River Theatre Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, among others. Productions include As You Like It, Kate Hamill's Vanity Fair, Barefoot in the Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Bad Dates, Ken Ludwig's Robin Hood! (world premiere), Ripcord, Bad Jews, Arms and the Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Charlotte's Web, June Moon, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Absurd Person Singular. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Mentoring young theater artists, gun safety, and helping unregistered and low propensity voters to participate in our democracy.

Shuler Hensley is a multi-award winning star of film, television, who is currently starring on Broadway in the hit musical, The Music Man. Beginning his career in the Theatre, Shuler was cast by Susan Stroman and Trevor Nunn as Jud Fry in London in the National Theatre's revival of Oklahoma!. Shuler wowed critics and theatre-goers alike for his haunting interpretation of Jud, and he received the coveted Olivier Award–London theatre's equivalent of the Tony–for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical. Shuler subsequently made his Broadway debut in November 2000 portraying the relentless Inspector Javert in Les Misérables. In February 2002, the Trevor Nunn version of Oklahoma! was transferred to Broadway, and with it the opportunity for Shuler to reprise his critically acclaimed performance of Jud Fry. Shuler again became a proud award winner, this time of Broadway's “Triple Crown”--the Tony, the Drama Desk, and the Outer Critics' Circle.

Warren Carlyle is an Emmy Award nominated choreographer as well as a Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award winner and 4 time Tony award nominee for both directing and choreography. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Dizzy Feet Foundation

Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) is an award-winning writer and 2020-2025 MacArthur Fellow. Her satirical comedy, The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons/Geffen Playhouse),was one of the top ten most produced plays in America. She is the first Native American playwright in the history of American theater on that list. In Spring 2023, The Thanksgiving Play will make its debut on Broadway produced by Second Stage. She is the first female Native American playwright ever produced on Broadway. Larissa is currently developing new plays with several theaters including Second Stage Theater, Center Theatre Group, The Public Theater, Guthrie Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Yale Repertory Theatre. In 2019 Larissa re-entered film and television by co-creating a series at Freeform. Since then she has set up projects with Disney Channel, NBC, Dreamworks, and is writing on a series for Apple+ as well as adapting three beloved Broadway musicals. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Lakota Youth Development, Honey Lodge

Robin De Jesús is a three-time Tony Award nominated actor. Most recently, Robin joined the cast of Hulu's Welcome To The Chippendales as “Ray Colon” opposite Kumail Nanjiani. He can currently be seen in the Netflix adaptation of Tick, Tick....Boom! (2021), directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, co-starring opposite Andrew Garfield. Prior to, he featured in the Ryan Murphy-produced Netflix film, The Boys In The Band (2020), reprising his Tony award nominated role. He can also be seen as “George” in the acclaimed indie-film Milkwater (Brooklyn Film Festival 2020). Robin received his first major film role in the cult-classic feature Camp (2003). Broadway credits include Rent, In The Heights (Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical), La Cage Aux Folles (Tony nomination), Wicked, and The Boys In The Band (Tony nomination). Additional theater credits include the Paper Mill Playhouse's productions of Grease and Godspell, and the off-Broadway productions of Malpractice Makes Perfect, Zorba Musicals In Mufti, Patti Issues, Domesticated, and Homos Or Everyone In America. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship

MICHAEL R. JACKSON is one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2022, and author of A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons 2019 world premiere in association with Page73 Productions), which won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Other awards and associations: Dramatist Guild Fellowship, Page73's I73 Writers Group, New Professional Theatre Festival Award, Jonathan Larson Grant, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, Whiting Award, Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, Obie Award, Antonyo Award, Fred Ebb Award, Windham-Campbell Prize. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA)

Born in South Korea, adopted and raised in Rochester, New York. Off-Broadway: The Chinese Lady (The Public, Ma Yi), Kentucky (EST), Bikeman (Tribeca PAC). Regional: The Good Book (Berkeley Rep), Fun Home (Baltimore Center Stage), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Barrington Stage), Smart People (Geva Theatre), Bright Half Life (Kitchen Theatre), The White Snake (Old Globe), Miss Saigon (Pioneer Theatre, MT Wichita), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Northern Stage). TV: 30 Rock (NBC), The Last O.G. (TBS), Rediscovering Christmas (Lifetime). Notable audio projects: The MS Phoenix Rising (Playwrights Horizons), antarctica (Two River Theater), Half the Sky (5th Avenue Theater), The Girl from the Sea (2021 SOVAS Award, Audiobook Narration), Vancouver (Ma Yi). BFA Syracuse University. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Also-Known-As

Clint Ramos is a designer, educator, advocate and creative producer. He is a theatre and film worker. Current film credits include production design for Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandoval for Netflix. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival which chronicled the daily struggles of an undocumented Filipina transwoman in New York. And his costume design for Respect, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson for MGM. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Design Action

Jaygee Macapugay is a proud Filipino American actress & artist, originally from Chicago, currently residing in Brooklyn. Upcoming: SUFFS by Shaina Taub at The Public. Broadway: School Of Rock (OBC, cast album). Selected Off-Broadway: Public Theater - Soft Power, Here Lies Love, Wild Goose Dreams. National Asian Artists Project: Irene Molloy, Hello, Dolly!, and Gabrielle, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Prospect Theater Company: Honor, The Rockae. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Asian American representation in the arts, Broadway Barkada

Kristina Wong is a writer, actor, performance artist, comedian, and elected representative of Koreatown, Los Angeles. Wong was just nominated for a Lucille Lortel award for her solo show, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, which premiered at New York Theater Workshop and which has received A New York Times Critics Pick and praise from the Washington Post and publications across the country. Kristina Wong, Sweatshop, Overlord is currently continuing its run in regional theaters. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: API Rise and World Harvest LA

Jennifer Simard is a Tony Award, four-time Drama Desk Award, three-time Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominee. Off-Broadway credits include the original companies of Forbidden Broadway: SVU; The Thing About Men; and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Film credits include The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Wish You Were Dead and Sister. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: National Scleroderma Foundation, The National Eating Disorders Association, and Darkness RISING

Inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2011, Linda Lavin has won numerous awards, including a TONY, for her performance in “Broadway Bound” in 1987. She is a six-time TONY Award nominee for her roles in "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and "The Lyons," among others. She is a two-time Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee for her role as Alice on the 9-year hit TV series "Alice" on CBS, and she co-starred with Sean Hayes in the NBC Series "Sean Saves the World". Linda is currently a series regular on the CBS sitcom, “B Positive,” produced by Chuck Lorre. Linda can currently be seen in the Aaron Sorkin feature,“ Being the Ricardos.” Her recent feature films include "Naked Singularity" opposite John Boyega and "Manhattan Nocturne" with Adrien Brody. Linda was born in Portland, Maine and is a graduate of the College of William & Mary, which recently conferred on her an honorary Doctor of Arts degree where she endows a theater program. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Raising awareness and support for women's equality and support of single mothers.

Born in Monterrey, Mexico. Jaime is an accomplished musician, vocal coach, composer, arranger, orchestrator, musical producer, and musical theatre director considered by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda as the “next big thing” on Broadway. Jaime is one of the five artists selected for the 2020-2022 Joe's Pub Working Group residency and one of the artists selected as part of The Civilians R&D Group 2020-2021. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: R.Evolución Latina

Kelley Nicole Girod is a producer, known mostly for founding the Obie Award-winning The Fire This Time Festival. She was recently named Director of New Works at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem. She is also an award winning playwright recently named Sundance IDP 2021 Grantee, Parity Productions 2021 Commission, and Atlantic Launch New Play Commission, among others. She edited and curated The Fire This Time's first anthology of plays to be published by Bloomsbury UK/Methuen Drama in January 2022. Kelley is also a proud mother to Penelope Evelyn and Noelle Anamarie. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Fire This Time Festival Zhailon Levingston is a Louisiana-raised storyteller, director, and activist. He is a Board Member and Creative Director for the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which he co-created, and teaches the Theatre of Change course at Columbia University. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Broadway Advocacy Coalition

Elizabeth Marvel currently stars in the Hulu limited series The Dropout about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. Prior to this, Marvel was seen in Paul Greengrass' News of the World for Universal and in the critically acclaimed limited series Unbelievable for Netflix. Additional work on Netflix includes The Meyerowitz Stories co-starring Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller and directed by Noah Baumbach. This was a stark contrast to her series regular role of the first female President on Homeland for Showtime. Elizabeth also played series regular Heather Dunbar' on House of Cards for yet another Netflix collaboration. Up next, Marvel will star in the David E. Kelley and HBO Max limited series Love & Death about the true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery's murder of Betty Gore in 1980. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: National Alliance on Mental Illness and Physicians for Reproductive Health.

Sas Goldberg is a NY-based actress/writer/producer. Currently in rehearsals for Ana Nogueira's Here She Is, Boys at MCC Theater. Sas made her Broadway debut in 2017 to rave reviews, playing ‘Kiki' in Significant Other by Josh Harmon after originally playing the role in the off-Broadway production at The Roundabout Theater. In 2019, she starred in the off-Broadway run of Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow! at the MCC Theater. Sas can be seen alongside Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd in the Apple series The Shrink Next Door(Sas also wrote on staff) and Amy Schumer's upcoming Hulu series Life And Beth. Sas recurred on the Jenji Kohan produced series American Princess(Lifetime) and her other credits include Search Party(HBO Max), You're The Worst(FX), and Odd Mom Out(Bravo). As a writer, Sas is currently a Co-Producer writing in the room for the upcoming 5th season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(Amazon). Sas has also sold and developed pilots at HBO, Freeform, FX, NBC, FOX, Warner Brothers, and Bravo working with producers such as Jake Kasdan/Melvin Marr, Lee Eisenberg, Jenni Konner, Andrew Rannells, Liz Tigelaar, The Lonely Island, Will Gluck, Jeffrey Seller, John Riggi and JAX Media. Her Instagram handle is @sasgoldie. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Supporting female-founded businesses. Fostering female voices entering the typically male-dominated world of neon design.

Performer, actress, singer, and author Sandra Bernhard now appears as a series regular in season three of the immensely popular FX Television/Ryan Murphy show “POSE” reprising her role as brassy but caring Nurse Judy Kubrak, who works with H.I.V./AIDS patients, following a memorable season one guest appearance and hugely successful second season. Bernhard has also done a special guest appearance on Ryan Murphy's “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”, highlighting a successful, decades-long television career. She is also currently in her fifth year hosting her weekly radio show Sandyland on SiriusXM's Radio Andy channel 102, for which she won a broadcasting Gracie Award. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard brings a completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary to her live stage performances. Just last year she celebrated the 10 year anniversary of her iconic annual holiday shows at Joe's Pub in New York City, while she also continues to tour throughout the country and overseas. Extremely notable past live stage shows, which she has performed both on and off-Broadway, including Without You I'm Nothing, I'm Still Here, Dammit, Everything Bad and Beautiful, and #blessed. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Up2Us

Qween Jean is a New York City based Costume Designer who has draped over 50 shows and counting. She is the founder of Black Trans Liberation and has fully committed her voice for the advocacy of marginalized communities, with an emphasis on Black Trans people. Through this work, she is passionate about creating not only space, but access for unsung heroes and folks who are often overlooked, shunned, and abandoned. She feels their stories are valuable and deserve recognition. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Black Trans Liberation

Tina Andrews is an international award-winning writer, director, and producer. She wrote and executive produced the 4-hour CBS miniseries, Sally Hemings: An American Scandal on Thomas Jefferson and his enslaved mistress for which she won the Writers Guild of America Award for “Outstanding Longform Television,” and two NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding TV Movie, Miniseries or Special” and “Outstanding Literary, Nonfiction” for her book. Andrews also wrote and executive produced the CBS miniseries, Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and the Warner Bros. film, Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Current projects include From Selma to Sorrow about civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo killed by the Klan in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march; and is series Creator/Executive Producer of a new HBO MAX period drama, Buckingham based on her play and internationally acclaimed novel, Charlotte Sophia. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: American Cancer Society and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Taylor Mac (who uses “judy”—lowercase sic—as a gender pronoun) is the author of The Hang (composed by Matt Ray); Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus; A 24-Decade History of Popular Music; The Fre; Hir; The Walk Across America for Mother Earth; The Lily's Revenge; The Young Ladies Of; Red Tide Blooming; The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac; and the revues Comparison is Violence; Holiday Sauce; and The Last Two People on Earth: an Apocalyptic Vaudeville (created with Mandy Patinkin, Susan Stroman and Paul Ford). Mac is the first American to receive the International Ibsen Award, is a MacArthur Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, a Tony nominee for Best Play, and the recipient of the Kennedy Prize (with Matt Ray), the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim, the Herb Alpert Award, a Drama League Award, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, the Booth, two Helpmann Awards, a NY Drama Critics Circle Award, two Obie's, two Bessies, and an Ethyl Eichelberger award. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: The LGBT Asylum Task Force

Julie Halston was awarded the 2020 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for her advocacy with The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Last seen co-starring in Tootsie on Broadway, she also received the Richard Seff Award for her performance in You Can't Take It With You. Other Broadway credits: Hairspray, Gypsy, Anything Goes and The Twentieth Century. A founding member of Charles Busch's theatre company, she co-starred with him in numerous productions including The Divine Sister(Drama Desk Nom), Red Scare on Sunset(Drama Desk Nom) and The Lady in Question. Television credits include Gossip Girl, The Good Fight, Almost Family and Divorce. She is reprising her role as Bitsy Von Muffling in the Sex and The City reboot. Her YouTube series Virtual Halston became a pandemic hit with over 40 episodes. Philanthropic work: The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Reynaldo Piniella is an actor, writer, educator and activist from East New York, Brooklyn. He is an Advocacy Leadership Institute Fellow with the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC). He currently serves on the Council of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, a nonsectarian charitable organization that provides food and financial assistance to actors in need. He co-runs Youth Onstage!, a free youth theater training program for young people from underserved communities across the country. As an actor, he's been seen Off-Broadway in The Death of the Last Black Man…, Venus (Signature), The Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA), Lockdown (Rattlestick), The Space Between the Letters (The Public/UTR), Terminus (NYTW Next Door). Regional work includes Baltimore Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Sundance Theatre Lab in Morocco, the O'Neill and the Cleveland Playhouse. TV credits include Blue Bloods, Sneaky Pete, Flesh & Bone, Greenleaf, The Carrie Diaries, Law & Order: SVU, NYC 22, Us & Them, Louie and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Film credits include Madeline's Madeline, Shadows, One Percent More Humid and Broken City. His writing has been developed and commissioned by Baltimore Center Stage, the National Black Theater, San Diego Rep, Single Carrot Theater, Pioneer Theatre Guild, Shakesqueer Theater Company, HB Studio and NYU. Piniella's play Black Doves won the Thomas Barbour award for Playwriting. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Episcopal Actors Guild National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, Weeksville Heritage Center

Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning writer, actor, director, filmmaker, and advocate for inclusion based in New York City. As a performer, she has been breaking the color barrier for over 35 years, and has been featured extensively on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country, in film, television, and concerts worldwide. She currently plays “Diane and others” on the First National/North American tour of Come From Away. Other highlights include the New York revivals of The Music Man, Merrily We Rollalong, Pacific Overtures, Falsettol And and Grease!, the national tours of Cats, Flower Drum Song and Bombay Dreams, and other leading roles at some of the most well-respected theatres across the country including the Guthrie Theater, New York Shakespeare Festival, the Mint Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Huntington Theatre, Yale Rep, Syracuse Stage, The Denver Center Theatre Company, The Minnesota Opera and New York City Opera. Over 100 film and television appearances include playing “Sherry Yang” on Season 2 of the Netflix/Marvel TV series Iron Fist, recurring roles on Bull, The Americans, You and Law And Order: SVU, NCIS New Orleans, Madam Secretary, Mr. Robot, The Good Fight, Braindead, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mozart In The Jungle, The Blacklist, Smash, 666 Park Avenue, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, The Big C, Fringe, Royal Pains, Crossing Jordan, many episodes in the Law And Order franchise, and two years as “Lisa West” on One Life To Live. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Dramatists Guild podcast “The Dramatists Guild Presents Talkback” and shifting perceptions about AAPI artists and the relationship to stopping anti-Asian hate crimes

Norm Lewis can currently be seen starring in the SAG, Critic's Choice, and NAACP Image Award-nominated Netflix film Da 5 Bloods by Spike Lee and in the Hulu miniseries, Mrs. America. He was previously seen in the NBC television special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!, alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper. He recently appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera's first African American Phantom on Broadway. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Black Theatre United

Tovah Feldshuh, a six-time Emmy & Tony nominee, has been awarded three honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters. For her theatre work, she has won four Drama Desks, four Outer Critics Circle, three Dramalogues, the Obie, the Theatre World, the Helen Hayes and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Actress. She is a playwright, concert artist, and author. Her first memoir, LILYVILLE: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I've Played, has been chosen as a “Must Read” by Good Morning America and was immediately ranked the Number One New Release in Parent and Adult Child Relationships on Amazon. Feldshuh is this year's winner of THE AUDIE award for best narration of THE GIFT by Edith Eger. TV credits include: Holocaust, Law & Order, The Walking Dead, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend where Feldshuh can be seen singing the dignified showstopper: "Where's the Bathroom!". Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Hand in Hand

Judith Light is known for her extensive body of work onstage, as well as in television and film. She most recently received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Light is currently in production for Julia, HBO Max's drama series on Julia Childs. She also recently appeared in singer P!NK's latest music video “All I Know So Far” and completed filming the Peter Hedges film, The Same Storm, and tick, tick...BOOM! for Lin Manuel-Miranda. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: LGBTQ+ rights activism

Jessica Vosk is a celebrated singer and actress known for stirring roles on the musical theater and concert stage. Vosk will make her Carnegie Hall debut in November 2021 in a solo show titled My Golden Age. Other upcoming concert debuts include London's Cadogan Hall in 2022. Before the infamous shutdown, she starred as the Narrator in the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Lincoln Center. She also created the role of Aunt Val in the world premiere of Becoming Nancy, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Before that, Vosk finished an acclaimed run as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, having played the role for two years. Vosk starred in New York City Ballet's Jerome Robbins tribute Something to Dance About, directed by Warren Carlyle, and re-created the role of Fruma Sarah in the most recent Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Other Broadway credits include Finding Neverland and The Bridges of Madison County. She starred as Anita in West Side Story with the San Francisco Symphony; the recording of the concert was nominated for a Grammy. Her debut, Billboard-charting solo album Wild and Free was released in 2018 and was followed by 2020's A Very Coco Christmas. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Food Allergy Association and “A is For”

Ruben Santiago-Hudson is currently starring in Lackawanna Blues which he wrote and directed on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club. He also directed the Broadway production, Jitney which garnered several awards for “Outstanding Revival” including a Tony® Award and six Tony® nominations. Santiago-Hudson recently adapted August Wilson's play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom for Netflix, which was produced by Denzel Washington, directed by George C. Wolfe, and starred Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Ruben's directing credits include: The Piano Lesson, Skeleton Crew, Othello, Gem of The Ocean, Paradise Blue, My Children! My Africa!, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Cabin in the Sky, The Happiest Song Plays Last, Two Trains Running, Things of Dry Hours and more. Santiago-Hudson received a Tony® Award as featured actor for his performance in August Wilson's Seven Guitars and made his Broadway acting debut alongside Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam. Other Broadway credits include Stick Fly and Gem of The Ocean. Select theater credits include The Winter's Tale, Henry VIII and Measure for Measure (The Delacorte) Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and A Soldier's Play (NEC), Lackawanna Blues and East Texas Hot Links (The Public Theater). He wrote, executive produced, and co-starred in the HBO film Lackawanna Blues based on his OBIE and Helen Hayes Award-winning play. The movie received many honors including Emmy, Golden Globe, NAACP Image Award, The Christopher Award, and the Humanitas Prize. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: The Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center

Preston Burger is an actor, advocate, and educator hell bent on leveling the playing field for people with disabilities in all societal domains he can. A performer and creator since childhood, Preston has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus (1998-1999 season); served as Dance Captain for Rachel Klein in her delightfully ghoulish dance-theater work The Tragedy of Maria Macabre at Dixon Place; danced a lead role in indie music video Fire To The Ground (The Forms, feat. Matt Berninger of The National); and had his original work selected for the Roundabout's Reverb Arts Festival (under the mentorship of Jerron Herman). Currently, Preston is on the Advisory Board of EPIC Players Neuroinclusive Theater Company (where he also participates as an actor and a mentor) and the Disability Advisory Council for BEAT Global. Outside of his artistic work, Preston is the Recruiter and Candidate Success Specialist for Integrate Autism Employment Advisors, a national nonprofit staffing and recruiting agency that helps Fortune 1000 companies build autism hiring programs. Before this, he served as the CUNY LEADS (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) Advisor at Bronx Community College for 5.5 years, a role in which he supported CUNY students with disabilities. While at BCC, Preston helped start the campus's chapter of the CUNY student advocacy group, the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities (CCSD). Preston has been featured on PunkinFutz's Wednesdays Live! FB Live series; BronxNet's OPEN program; Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Disabilities Redefined with Dr. Vaigneur; and Access Champions podcast. Preston earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Theater & Dance from Princeton University; his Master of Science in Education from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus; and his Advanced Certificate in Project Management from the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

NaTasha Yvette Williams is an American actress, singer, and entertainer. Since she began singing at age three in the tiny tot choir at her church, she has performed from the subway to Broadway. She portrayed Aretha Franklin in “A Night with Janis Joplin,” and has been seen in The Gershwin's' “Porgy and Bess” and Oprah Winfrey's “The Color Purple.” Ms. Williams has previously performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony orchestras. Her current recording project is “How Deep is the Ocean,” a collection of standards, and she has released a Gospel project, “Songs That Carry Me Through ... Some Old, Some New.” Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Black Theatre United

Arturo Luís Soria is an actor and writer with roots in Brazil, Italy, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. Most recently, Arturo can be seen Off-Broadway at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre in his critically acclaimed play, “Ni Mi Madre”, which he wrote and stars in. A first time playwright, “Ni Mi Madre” received rave reviews from New York Times and Vulture. The show is playing now through September 19th. Arturo made his Broadway debut in “The Inheritance” by Matthew Lopez and directed by Stephen Daldry. He played Tano in the World Premiere production of “Hit the Wall” by Ike Holter at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, reviving the role off-Broadway at Barrow Street Theatre. TV credits include “The Blacklist” and “Insatiable”. He is a graduate from Yale School of Drama and The Theatre School at DePaul University. He is currently a TV writing mentee in Lena's Waithe's mentorship program at Hillman Grad Productions. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Youth Theater Education in Marginalized Communities

Phylicia Rashad, an accomplished actress and stage director, became a household name when she portrayed Claire Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” a character whose enduring appeal has earned numerous awards and honors for over two decades. Her film and television credits include: “A Fall from Grace,” “Creed” and “Creed II,” “For Colored Girls,” “Soul,” “Jingle Jangle,” “Black Box,” “This is Us” (three Emmy nominations), “David Makes Man,” and “Empire.” Philanthropic/Activist Causes: African American Cultural Heritage Fund

Nominee for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Nini in Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway. Her other Broadway credits include Nice Work If You Can Get It (Jeannie Muldoon), Grease (Marty), Chicago (Roxie u/s), The Wedding Singer (Holly u/s) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Violet). She is the recipient of Helen Hayes and Emery Battis Awards, as well as a Gregory Award nomination.

Extensive career in theatre education, stage direction and conflict resolution in corporate and artistic environments. Ann has had the opportunity to direct on several regional stages including, The Alley, Steppenwolf, Dallas Theatre Center and Hartford Stage and Cherry Lane. She is a published author on HowlRound and has been a featured Intimacy Specialist on many other theatre affiliated panels during Covid-19. Ann is devoted to making both stage and screen safer places for Black, Indigenous and People of Color to practice their craft.

Works include the plays M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Yellow Face, Golden Child, The Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the Broadway musicals Aida (co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 revival) and Disney's Tarzan. Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a three-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He is also the most produced living American opera librettist, whose works have been honored with two Grammy Awards.

Two-time Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee who works in movies, theater and television. Her new two-character play, The Garden, a commission of the LaJolla Playhouse, has productions scheduled in 2021 at both Baltimore Center Stage and The LaJolla Playhouse. Her plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and performed at regional theatres around the country and audio versions are available at Audible.com.

A sought-after New York vocalist and Grammy winner who has performed on some of the world's finest concert stages including Radio City Music Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Carnegie Hall. He has appeared on and off-Broadway starring in productions like the cultural phenomenon Hamilton (original Broadway company), Disney's The Lion King, Green Day's American Idiot, and the U.S. Premier of Bob Dylan's Girl From the North Country.

AFECT was formed in June 2020 by Karen Olivo and Eden Espinosa on the heels of continued violence and injustice against Black, Indigenous People of Color. Conversations were started in response to the racism that is prevalent in the American theater and it came to light that prominent Broadway names had repeatedly contributed to political candidates and movements that directly contradict the ideals of many artists in the industry. Armed with this knowledge, Olivo and Espinosa vowed to withhold their artistic services from “any theatre, company, or persons who would knowingly fund organizations that perpetuate inequality”.

Triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony Awards for best featured actor in a musical for his critically acclaimed performance as Hermes in Hadestown. In a career spanning fifty-one years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. He can next be seen as Gavin Plimsoll in Charles Busch's new film, The Sixth Reel.

Actor, writer, director, composer, and playwright. He has written for television's Fraggle Rock, and for theater: Polkadots, Chicken and Biscuits, and Five Points. He has performed on Broadway in Beautiful and The Book of Mormon and is also the founder of The Next Wave Initiative, a scholarship program dedicated to supporting the future of Black Theater artists.

Actor, playwright, and autobiographical performer based in New York. His acclaimed solo play Hi, Are You Single? was presented in The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival and continues to tour the country.

Best known for her portrayal of Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton – and the 2020 Disney+ film of the live stage recording – for which she was nominated for the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Notably, she originated three leading roles on Broadway at the same time: Hamilton, Amélie and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.

Actress, director, and Co-President of the League of Professional Theatre Women.

New York Times critic whose arts and entertainment journalism has appeared in The New Yorker, Vulture, Mashable, American Theatre, and more.

Playwright and a screenwriter, and the first woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Her works include Floyd's, Sweat, Mlima's Tale, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Ruined, Intimate Apparel, Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Las Meninas, Mud, River, Stone, Por'knockers and POOF!. Musical librettos include The Secret Life of Bees and MJ (upcoming). Nottage is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, among other awards, and is an Associate Professor at Columbia University School of the Arts.

Accomplished actor of stage and screen who most recently starred alongside Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the Netflix film adaptation of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He is also known for his portrayal of the heartwarming “Mr. Hawkins” in the Tony® nominated musical The Prom and is also known for his roles in The Iceman Cometh and The Book of Mormon. Potts received critical praise for his role in the Tony® nominated revival, The Iceman Cometh. Potts is widely recognized for his role as the well-mannered yet feared assassin, “Brother Mouzone” on HBO's critically acclaimed series “The Wire” and as “Detective Maynard Gilbough” in the Emmy® Award winning HBO drama “True Detective.”