Misfit Pandemia

Steve Kaplan | Comedy ExpertI've been teaching and lecturing about comedy around the world for years. My first book, The Hidden Tools of Comedy is a best-seller in its field. I've also written, The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films and am currently working on a third, about writing comedy for television.In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other universities, I created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. In addition to development projects for HBO, I've taught taught workshops at companies such as DreamWorks, Disney Animation, Aardman Animation, NBC's Writers on the Verge, and others.There are a number of people who teach screenwriting, but there are few who teach comedy. And most are teaching stand-up or improv. My course is one of the only places to learn about the art and science, the physics and philosophy of comedy: what it is, how it works, WHY it works, what's going on when it DOESN'T work, and what you can do to fix it.Dorothy Parker once described the ability to write comedy as being able to have "a sharp eye, and a wild mind." I'd add the perception to see the absurdities of the world we live in, the courage to include yourself as part of that absurd world, and the ability to share that truth with others. And the occasional bathroom humor.Unlike some, I teach principles, not rigid formulas. My equation for comedy—An ordinary guy (or gal) struggling against insurmountable odds, without many of the required skills and tools with which to win, yet never giving up hope—expresses not so much a formula but rather a metaphor that describes our existence in this world. We're all just ordinary people, struggling to live our lives as best we can without super powers or unlimited resources. The main difference between comedy and drama is how we face that struggle. In comedy, no matter what, there is hope.As metaphor, this perspective invites creativity rather than stifles it, and it allows artists as divergent as Greta Gerwig and Oscar Wilde to still tell tales about human beings struggling to make sense of an absurd world. The best comedies avoid conventional structures—they create their own. Eschewing formula, the best artists hold true to the basic principle of comedy: telling the truth about human beings.In addition to private coaching and one-on-one consultations, Steve has taught his Comedy Intensive workshops to thousands of students around the world, including--in pre-pandemic times--Los Angeles, New York, Australia, Rio, Moscow and Mumbai. He's presently teaching online on Zoom. You can find out all about it at KaplanComedy.com.Order my books Hidden Tools of Comedyor The Comic Hero's JourneyFollow me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/KaplanComedyTwitter at Twitter.com/skcomedy 

Dan Zitt | Vice President, Content Production at Penguin Random Housewww.danzitt.comDan Zitt, Senior Vice President, Content Production for the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, has been on the front lines of the evolution of the audiobook industry.  During his twenty year career as a content creator Dan has been the creative catalyst for over two thousand audiobook productions, collaborating with bestselling authors, notable celebrities, and award-winning narrators.  Eighteen of his recordings have been nominated for Grammy Awards™, with three winning the award for Best Spoken Word Album.   Currently Dan oversees the production of over fifteen hundred audiobooks a year with his bi-coastal production team.  As an industry leader, Dan has developed content in cooperation  with companies like HBO, Dr. Seuss, Lucasfilm, and has helped to scale Penguin Random House's audio capabilities globally while maintaining the highest production standards in the industry.  He is also the creator of www.Ahabtalent.com, a casting website dedicated to the discovery of worldwide voice talent for the audiobook industry.

Dallas Jenkins (Creator) & Alaa Safi (Actor) - The Chosen TV Serieshttps://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen Dallas Jenkins first produced the independent feature Hometown Legend at the age of 25 and shepherded it to distribution by Warner Brothers. In the nearly 20 years since, he has directed and produced over a dozen feature and short films for companies such as Universal, Lionsgate, Pureflix, Hallmark Channel, and Amazon. He is now the creator of the largest crowd-funded media project of all-time, a multi-season series about the life of Christ entitled The Chosen.Alaa Safi was born and raised in France to Moroccan parents. At the age of 7, he starts practicing martial arts. At 18, he's the Tae Kwon Do World Champion. His fighting and acrobatic skills get him to work as a stuntman in Thailand, India and France. He studies acting in the Atelier International de Théâtre Blanche Salant & Paul Weaver. He starts taking on roles, and keeps studying with Jack Waltzer.Since he's 21, Alaa takes part in different film genres. But his performance as antagonist to Jackie Chan in Chinese Zodiac 12 paves his way to Hollywood. He's offered to play The Moor in Outcast with Nicolas Cage. He then joins Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange. He's directed by Michael Cuesta in American Assassin alongside Michael Keaton, by Kenneth Branagh in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, and by Kevin Macdonald in The Mauritanian starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim and Benedict Cumberbatch. His performances in Taureau Taureau and in his directorial debut Chrysalis earned him respectively the Best Male Actor Award at the Festival National du Film Hyères les Palmiers and the Cassavetes Award for Best actor at the Austin Arthouse Film Festival. He plays Simon the Zealot in the internationally acclaimed series The Chosen.

Heidi Dean | Social Media Marketing Expertwww.Marketing4Actors.comHeidi Dean is the industry's top social media expert for actors and content creators. She's a social media writer for Backstage Magazine and a frequent speaker at film festivals, conferences, SAG-AFTRA, AEA, podcasts and universities across the country.Heidi was a proud member of SAG-AFTRA & AEA and a working professional actor for over 20 years. Now she combines her years of industry experience with cutting edge social media strategy to help actors and content creators open more doors for their careers. Her clients include Emmy Award-winners, Broadway stars, recording artists, directors, producers, and filmmakers. Heidi turns social media rookies into ROCKSTARS!

THE GROWING STUDIO | Acting, Dance & Musical Theatre Classeshttps://thegrowingstudio.com/The Growing Studio (TGS) is the largest acting studio in the world with over 6,000 students annually in New York, London, Amsterdam, and more. We offer low cost workshops and classes and help actors further their careers and grow as artists along the way. For more info, please visit their website.

Hal Hickel | Visual Effects Animatorhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382579/Hal Hickel joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1996 as an animator for The Lost World: Jurassic Park. On his next production, he was promoted to lead animator and given responsibility for the animation of several characters in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. In 2000, Hickel was moved up to animation supervisor, teaming up with multi-Academy Award winning visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren on Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence.His special interest in animation lies in the challenge of integrating fantastic characters and creatures into live-action films. Hickel has since supervised the animation work on Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Iron Man and the first three films in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.In 2007, his work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was recognized with both an Academy Award ® for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects and the BAFTA for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.Hickel was the Animation Supervisor on Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi epic, Pacific Rim for which he received his fifth BAFTA nomination and a Visual Effects Society Nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects. Prior to that, he was the Animation Director on ILM’s first  feature, Rango which received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2016, Hickel took on the task of animating the epic battle between orcs &humans in Warcraft. He served as Animation Supervisor in a galaxy far, far away for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which earned him, Oscar, BAFTA and VES award nominations for visual effects. More recently he supervised animation in the train heist sequence in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and is now Animation Supervisor on Lucasfilm’s first live action Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian.Originally from Portland, Oregon, Hickel studied Film Graphics at California Institute of the Arts before being hired by Will Vinton Studios as a clay animator and motion control operator for commercials and television specials featuring the California Raisins, amongst other characters. Hickel left Vinton in 1994 to join Pixar as an animator on their first  animated feature, Toy Story. Upon completing Toy Story, Hickel was hired at ILM.

Anjelah Johnson | Comedian, Actorhttps://anjelah.com/Anjelah Johnson-Reyes was born and raised in San Jose, California and is of Mexicanand Native American descent. She is one of five children and has a large extended familyto which she remains close. In the beginning of her career, Johnson- Reyes was aprofessional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. As an Oakland Raiderette, she wasnamed Rookie of the Year and even performed in Super Bowl XXXVII. After that yearshe decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of acting.She became an internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon” which led to manystand up, television and film opportunities. That same year she joined the cast of,“MADtv” as a series regular, which spawned another internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.”This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed,viewed and replicated by over 80 million people worldwide. After recording andreleasing 3 songs and 2 music videos as Bon Qui Qui, Anjelah signed a record deal withWarner Nashville to release a full album titled, “Gold Plated Dreams”, which She’stoured twice selling out both times. Bon Qui Qui teamed up with Benefit Cosmetics forher third music video “This Is How We Do It”. After the success of her debut album, BonQui Qui released a Christmas EP titled “Merry Hoodmas”. All the songs are available oniTunes and the videos are currently on YouTube.Early in Anjelah’s career she appeared in multiple ads & commercials includingcampaigns for Sprint, Visa, Snickers, Verizon, All-State, K-Swiss, Dryers Ice Cream andwas the spokesperson for a Texas based restaurant chain, Taco Cabana. Anjelah has alsoguest starred on shows such as The Shield, Ugly Betty, Curb Your Enthusiasm, SuperStore, and others all while touring with her stand up comedy.In June 2009 Anjelah recorded her first one-hour special for Comedy Central and WarnerBros. Records titled, That’s How We Do It. Her second one-hour special, TheHomecoming Show, aired on NUVOtv in July of 2013 and is currently available onAmazon. In 2014 Anjelah recorded her third hour special, Not Fancy which is a Netflixoriginal, and is currently available for streaming. In 2017 she filmed her fourth hourspecial Mahalo & Goodnight in Honolulu, Hawaii. It premiered on the Epix channel andis now available for steaming on Amazon.Johnson has starred in such films as OUR FAMILY WEDDING, ALVIN AND THECHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL, ENOUGH SAID, THE RESURRECTION OFGAVIN STONE and the film MOM’S NIGHT OUT which not only features Anjelah butalso her husband, musician Manwell Reyes.Anjelah resides in Los Angeles and Nashville with her husband and her dog Banzo, andcontinues to act and tour the country with her sold out comedy shows.

Matthew Rhodes | Film Producer, President of The Hideaway Entertainmenthttps://thehideaway.com/MATTHEW RHODES (President) is a veteran motion picture and television producer and executive with over 25 years of experience. He has produced over 35 films, worked with top tier directors, and notable stars. His films have received box office success (over $1 Billion worldwide), terrific reviews and award-winning recognition.In July 2017, Rhodes became President of the production company, The Hideaway Entertainment, a business built to support and protect the creative community. The company is focused on film, television and digital productions. The Hideaway co-financed and co-produced CHERRY, along with AGBO Films, starring Tom Holland which was released on Apple TV+ in March 2021. The Hideaway announced the co-financing and producing of FREEDOM RIDE, a period drama that Deon Taylor is set to direct based on first-person accounts by a dozen of the original Freedom Riders, including the late civil rights icon and U.S. Congressman John Lewis. They have financed and executive produced the action movie, MILE 22 (STX Entertainment) starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Peter Berg; the sci-fi comedy franchise, MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL (Sony Pictures) starring Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson and Tessa Thompson and directed by F. Gary Gray; and BLOODSHOT (Sony Pictures) starring Vin Diesel and based on the Valiant comic book of the same name. The company remains very active with many other projects in development. Before joining The Hideaway, Rhodes was President of Bold Films, where he oversaw a large slate of films and television shows as head of creative and production activities. During his time at the company, Bold released WHIPLASH (Sony Classics), directed by Damien Chazelle starring Miles Teller and JK Simmons; NIGHTCRAWLER (Open Road), directed by Dan Gilroy starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Both films received numerous nominations and wins from The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, the Independent Spirit Awards, and dozens of others around the world. Matthew Rhodes graduated with a B.A. from Ohio University’s School of Telecommunications in Film and Television (Producing and Directing). Rhodes grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Rhodes currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California with his wife and daughter.

Trever Stewart | ProducerMr. Stewart started his career in literary development in 2001, developing several feature film and TV projects with Miramax, New Line Cinema and HBO Canada. In 2006 he relocated to Portland, Oregon to join Laika Entertainment as a development executive, serving the films Coraline, Box Trolls and a forthcoming untitled project slated for 2022 release. In 2013 he joined Paramount and Charlie Kaufman's film Anomalisa as production executive and signed a 2-year production deal with Bent Image Lab in 2015. In 2016, he consulted on Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and most recently served as Co-producer on an unannounced project at Netflix. Mr. Stewart has a development deal with Disney's Searchlight Pictures and is currently producing a stop-motion pilot for the Syfy Channel, a 2D series at Amazon and a pilot for the National Film Board of Canada.

Ely Thorel | Dancer, Actor, CreatorHi! My name is Ely Thorel and I am 27 years old, living in Los Angeles, California! I'm originally from New York, and I moved to LA to pursue my dance career. I've always known I wanted to dance at a young age! I loved to choreograph and I was lucky enough to have the opportunities to showcase my work in high school, which led me to all the work I did after. After I graduated, I just started working and teaching. I focused on my craft and really made a name for myself in upstate NY but I knew it could be bigger. In 2018 i moved to California, and i started training and actually became a student again which was amazing. Then COVID hit us in 2020, and everything shut down. I decided i'd "try" out this app named "Tik Tok" and low and behold, my passion for acting came back. I started doing Mean Girls reenactments, and after my first viral video everything just went off from there. Now I do more things than just Mean Girls but i've gained more than 300 thousand followers, had a buzzfeed article about me, and have had a handful of celebrities interact with my content. I'm very thankful for all of the people who watch, like, share and follow me. I'm still just a regular guy just like everyone else, I just happen to wear a lot of wigs.

Jordan Ancel | Filmmaker - Producer - Serial Entrepreneur - Artist - Actor - Founder of ThrivingActor.comwww.thrivingactor.comJordan Ancel is a multi-award-winning filmmaker & producer, serial entrepreneur, author,artist, and founder of ThrivingActor.com. He currently has four shows in preproduction and slated to shoot in mid through late 2021, and his latest stage production, Melissa Center is... Marrying Jake Gylenhaal, produced during the Pandemic, was the first of it’s kind to be a multi-cam live-stream from a theater, bringing the live theater experience to people at home and raising a ton of money for charity through ticket sales to help artists affected by the pandemic.As a coach, he provide actors, entertainment CEOs, entrepreneurs, and artists with my proven methods for problem-solving and growth to help them achieve better results in life and business. He’s currently the Chief Creative Officer for Entertainment startup MediaU, as well as sits on the advisory board of the developing theme park, Game Nation, Inc., and consults numerous entertainment startups.He founded the acclaimed Greenwich House Theater Company (1993) in New York City, was a highly successful commercial & voiceover actor, and then went into the startup world where he found great success.He’s committed to helping actors and artists thrive and achieve happiness by teaching them actual business skills that work to help them fulfill their dreams!

Roman Molino Dunn | Film Composer - Music Producerwww.romanmolinodunn.comInstagram: @electropointmusicRoman Molino Dunn is an award-winning composer and Billboard-charting music producer (a.k.a Electropoint) at Mirrortone Studios in New York City. His film work includes Huracán on HBO, Kid Correspondent on Youtube Originals, All Hail Beth on Bric TV, and the cult classic LGBTQIA feature film Bear City 3. Brands that have used his music include Burger King, PayPal, Marriott, Michael Kors, NBC, The Ad Council, Clinique, Snapple, Globe and Mail, Honeywell, Maserati, Tom Ford, Kopari, and many more. TV networks that have used his work include HBO, E!TV, A&E, MTV, Oxygen, BET, Bravo, Netflix, Discovery, TLC, NBC, and NASCAR.As a music producer, Electropoint, he has worked with major and indie labels and Grammy-winning artists, particularly with reality TV stars (Love & Hip Hop, Dr. Miami, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Howard Stern, Bad Girls Club), and his productions and soundtracks have climbed both the Billboard and iTunes top 20 charts.

Daniel J. Mertzlufft | Composer, Arranger, Music Director, Songwriterwww.danielmertzlufft.comInstagram/TikTok: @danieljmertzlufftDaniel Mertzlufft is a classically trained composer, arranger, music director, and songwriter based in New York City. He is most known for his viral sensations The Thanksgiving Musical on The Late Late Show with James Corden featuring Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Josh Gad, Josh Groban, and Kristin Chenoweth, as well as his arrangement of “Remy The Ratatouille” by Emily Jacobson that launched the TikTok Ratatouille musical movement, and The Grocery Store Musical, featured on ABC’s Good Morning America among other outlets, which is an arrangement of Lousia Melcher’s “New York Summer.” Most recently for Daniel is Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, a live streamed concert benefiting the Actor’s Fund produced by Tony-winning Seaview Productions, for which he serves as music supervisor, songwriter, and arranger of the 10 song performance.Daniel’s original works include Breathe: Portraits from a Pandemic, Dot and the Kangaroo, commissioned by MTI Australaisa and iTheatrics, House Rules: A New Musical based on the New York Times Best Selling novel by Jodi Picoult, far memory, commissioned by Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar for Stephanie Blythe and Alan Louis Smith, Construction Site on Christmas Night. He also wrote on a new score for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, commissioned by Bay Area Children’s Theatre, The Letter; A New Opera, and a new score for Laura Eason’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer commissioned by MU Summer Repertory Theatre. He is a member of the advanced class of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.Music Direction credits include; Off-Broadway: Sistas, 54 Below Sings – ABBA, Ariana Grande, Pop Hits of the 2000s, The Jonas Brothers. Readings: Monstersongs (NAMT), The Big One-Oh! TYA, and Hans Christian Anderson TYA (The Kennedy Center’s New Visions, New Voices). iTheatrics Music Direction credits include Off-Broadway: Sistas, 54 Below Sings – ABBA, Ariana Grande, Pop Hits of the 2000s, The Jonas Brothers. Readings: Monstersongs (NAMT), The Big One-Oh! TYA, and Hans Christian Anderson TYA (The Kennedy Center’s New Visions, New Voices). iTheatrics Workshops: Heathers HSE, Chicago HSE, Andrew Lloyd Webber for Young Actors Cats, Mary Poppins JR., G2K… Footloose, Newsies JR., Sister Act JR., The Drowsy Chaperone JR., My Fair Lady School Edition, Finding Nemo JR.Arrangement & Orchestration credits include “Princess” by Matthew Lee Robinson from Witches for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Hans Christian Andersen(additional arrangements and underscoring) The Big One Oh! (Off-Broadway – additional arrangements and underscoring), “Children Will Listen” by Stephen Sondheim, commissioned by the Junior Theater Festival for the 20th anniversary of Broadway JR. “Rainbow Connection” by Paul Williams on the occasion of his acceptance of the Junior Theater Festival Legacy Award, and over 50 songs for Oh, What a Night!, The Rhythm of Life, & Fantastical Families, and more, at Transcendence Theatre Company.As an educator, he leads workshops at the international Junior Theater As an educator, he leads workshops at the international Junior Theater Festivals, Junior Theater Celebrations throughout the United States, and specialized music workshops for the Shubert Foundation and the NYC Department of Education. Daniel also graduated valedictorian from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Born in Florida, Daniel has also lived in Germany, Las Vegas, and spent his formative years in Buffalo, New York before moving to New York City.

Mitja Okorn | Director - Writer - Production Manager Mitja Okorn is a director of numerous award winning commercials, music videos and feature films. In 2004 his debut feature film “Here and There” (“Tu Pa Tam”), a crime comedy made on a shoestring budget became a major hit in his home country of Slovenia. In 2008 he received the British Council’s International Young Film Entrepreneur of the Year Award (IYFEY), and he was proclaimed by Screen International Magazine as one of 20 European Stars of Tomorrow. In the same year he directed the wildly popular TV series “39 and a Half” (“39 i Pol”) for Polish network TVN and later, the hit romantic comedy “Letters to Santa” (“Listy do M.”). This film in addition to being one of the highest grossing Polish film of the past three decades, has won top honors at Polish film festivals across North America, including Seattle and Toronto. His third film, “Planeta Singli” (“Planet Single”), was released in 2016 to critical acclaim and broke attendance records during its second week of release. It was also the only film in 61 markets to beat Marvel's Deadpool for the #1 box office position on Valentine’s Day Weekend. Planet Single was also released theatrically in the UK and Slovenia where it has continued to break attendance records. In addition to his feature film work, Mitja has directed over 30 music videos in MTV rotation for Sony, EMI and Universal as well as commercials for such clients as Orange, BNP Paribas Bank and many others. Mitja has most recently directed “Life in a Year” for Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Jaden Smith, Cara Delevingne, and Cuba Gooding Jr. star.

Rodrigo A. Orozco | Producer - Production Manager for Creative Production; NetflixHe is an award winning New York based filmmaker. After graduating from the New York Film Academy, he quickly immersed himself in New York's film making scene. He achieved success with his work in music videos, commercials and fashion films. His work has screened at various international film festivals and has received numerous awards including Best Directorand Best Editing. His music videos were picked up by networks including MTV2, MTVU and Fuse.In 2010 he joined Braven Films, a production company headed by producer Frida Torresblanco (Pan's Labyrinth, Rudo y Cursi, and Assassination of Richard Nixon) and has served the company in a variety of capacities in the production of feature films and themanagement of the company. While at Braven, Rodrigo served as the Production Coordinator on the film Magic, Magic, a Chilean film produced by Braven Films and directed by Sebastian Silva, whose first film La Nana (The Maid) was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It is a psychological thriller starring Michael Cera, Juno Temple, Emily Browning, and Catalina Sandino Moreno and premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and Director’s Fortnight at Cannes. In 2015, Rodrigo left Braven and teamed up with director/producer, Rodrigo Bellott, to form Kantrr Films. He serves as the VP and co- founder of the company. Their first film, Tu Me Manques (I Miss You), starring Oscar Martinez (Wild Tales) and Rossy De Palma (Julieta) was shot on location in New York and Bolivia. The film went on to premiere in very prestigious film festivals world and was ultimately Bolivia’s selection for the Best International Feature at the Academy Awards. The film is currently slated to premiere in 2021.In 2020, Rodrigo was asked to join the Creative Production team at Netflix. He has so far lent his talents to feature films such as The Devil All The Time, starring Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson as well as Hillbilly Elegy, starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

Lisann Valentin | Actor - Writer - DirectorA working actor, Lisann has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including BLUE BLOODS, NARCOS, and most recently, THE BLACKLIST.The writer shares on-camera acting tips in her latest book, THE EVERYDAY ACTOR, encouraging fellow actors to refine their on-camera technique and keep their magic alive! But this happens to be the second book on her shelf. When Lisann left the law to pursue a career as an actor, her abridged memoir, “Playing the Part,” was published in the New York Times Best Selling anthology, EAT PRAY LOVE MADE ME DO IT.As a director, Lisann’s female-centric short films range from comedy to drama. Her latest short film, JUST THE BEGINNING, was commissioned by LG Mobile and premiered at the New York Film Festival.The multi-hyphenate has lived many lives – as an attorney, actress, author, and director. But Lisann’s favorite role has been as a storyteller in film and television for over a decade. LisannValentin.com@LisannValentin

Michael Brown | CEO & Co-Founder of Vicarious PRhttps://www.vicariouspr.com/CEO of Vicarious PR and V Publishing, Michael has years of industry experience as a journalist, reviewer, editor, and freelance writer. He has a solid business and marketing background, as well as having key insight into game development and the industry as a whole.Michael has led campaigns on some of the top games in the industry including Dead By Daylight, PUBG Mobile, Game of Thrones and more.Top 10 Games:Metal Gear SolidFinal Fantasy 10Total War WarhammerWarhammer 40,000 Dawn of War 2Fallout 3Darkest DungeonHunt ShowdownPersona 5Dead By DaylightTotal War Three Kingdoms

Andy Roth | Voiceover Casting Director, Director, WriterSpecializing in voice-over, Andy Roth is one of New York’s busiest casting directors with a career that has spanned over two decades. After several years as the in-house casting director for one of the country’s top commercial talent agencies, Cunningham Escott Slevin & Doherty (CESD), where he did the voice casting for over a thousand projects for animation, commercial, television, film, video games and more, he started his own company and has since been working with many of the biggest advertising agencies, casting houses and production companies in the world. He has worked on projects for such high-profile companies as Discovery Kids, Blizzard Entertainment, Disney, Rockstar Games, Calvin Klein, Geico, and many more. His handiwork can be seen on just about any network, cable channel, video game system, and all over the Internet.Andy is currently voice directing a new animated series slated to air in 2021. And as an award-winning producer, his most recent documentary “The Animal People,” executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix, quickly became one of iTunes top 10 most watched docs and is now available on Netflix. His animated projects “Enchanted Thyme – The Delicious Adventure Series,” and “The Peculiar Adventures of Willow B. Star,” for which he served as both writer and producer, gained him national attention and two prestigious Telly Awards. His first film “The Lovers” starring Steven Ogg (Westworld, The Walking Dead, “Grand Theft Auto”), Doris Belack (What About Bob, Tootsie) and Chris Phillips (Ice Age, Max Payne) was picked up for global distribution by Hypnotic. With a teaching resume that boasts three of the Hollywood Reporter’s top rated college acting programs, Andy has served as a faculty member at New York University’s Tisch School and is a regular guest artist/speaker at many highly regarded acting programs including Rutgers and Syracuse. His voice-over workshops sell out months in advance, and he was twice voted “Best Voice-Over Teacher in NY” by “Backstage”.

Michale Lalor | Editor-in-Chief @ EsportsHeavenhttps://www.esportsheaven.com/Michale Lalor is Editor-in-Chief at Esports Heaven, a GM/coach forHorlick High School, and health advocate in esports. A competitor atheart, he evens the odds for newcomers to break through and instilltheir legacy in the industry.

Nicole Coady - Writer, Director, Producerhttps://prinroc.com/Nicole Coady received her Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College in Film & Theater. She went on to a career in the film industry working for such companies as the Creative Artists Agency, Broadway and film producer John Hart’s Hart Hubbard Films, and Tristar Entertainment. Her screenplays have been produced by New Line Cinema and 20th Century Fox. In addition, she authored scripts for two children’s animated feature video games showcasing the top-selling Bratz line of dolls for MGA, Livin’ It Up With The Bratz and Little Bratz Party Time.Nicole is also the creator, and showrunner, of the live-action fairy tale television series, The Adventures of Snow White & Rose Red, which premiered on Amazon in 2018. Additionally, she produced and directed the feature film version of the same name, which debuted internationally in 2020.As an independent immersive theater creator, Nicole wrote, directed and produced, The 2019 SPAC NYC Ballet Gala show Apollo And The Gods, the 2018 SPAC NYC Ballet Gala show The Four Seasons, and The Christmas Carol Experience.As the Creative Director of Radial Arts, Nicole produced twelve immersive theatrical events including: La Dolce Vita Remix, The All Hallows’ Eve Dark Faerie Tale Masquerade, The All Hallows’ Eve Dracula Masquerade, The All Hallows’ Eve Witchcraft Masquerade, Poetry In The Pines, Gotta Dance! and Beauty And The Beasts.She is proud to have served on the boards of Upstate Women In Film and the Saratoga Springs International Film Festival. She is currently part of the Media & Film Studies faculty at Skidmore College where she delights in teaching writing and directing to her talented students.

Jorge Moya | Chief Creative Officer, Sociedad AgencyMoya started his career in advertising over 30 years ago when he stumbled upon an ad in the New York Times looking for a Spanish-speaking Art Director. At Castor Spanish International he worked his way up to eventually head the creative department for the leading Hispanic agency at the time where he produced award-winning campaigns for clients such as Anheuser Busch, Smirnoff, Coca Cola, Procter and Gamble and the Ad Council.No matter the client, Moya is a problem solver whose experience has given him a knack for understanding life from other people’s point of view. From his foundation in art to his creative leadership, he understands how to build and nurture brands. His passions extend beyond advertising, where he has served as founder and board member of several art associations.

King Vader | Musical Artist, Content Creator, YouTuberhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_F3i4sHKon8CwRxvU-SNhAinstagram: @kingvaderKing Vader is a popular YouTuber, director and content creator “bridging the gap between hip-hop and anime”. He directs and stars in Netflix’s new miniseries, “Netflix Dreams,” the first episode releasing Tuesday, August 18th on Netflix’s YouTube channel. The series follows Vader as he falls asleep watching a Netflix show, and wakes up as one of the characters in the show. The first episode “The Trench Coat Academy” is a parody of “The Umbrella Academy”, which just returned for season 2. King Vader recently released “Matrix: Reborn,” a full-length parody of The Matrix Trilogy, following the success of his third Halloween short and his parody of Avengers: End Game, which premiered at the 2019 Los Angeles Comic Con. “End Game!” is the sequel to his first Marvel parody, which garnered more than 7 million views. Vader is best known to parody music videos that place many familiar characters from anime and superhero movies in dance-off scenarios, and his distinct Black rewriting of those characters. His account amounts to 86 million views and counting. Vader writes, directs, produces and edits all his own videos, and has a goal to be the “greatest director of [his] generation.Vader is heavy into fashion and is currently featured as one of Hot Topic’s social creators. He has a T-shirt collection available on their site.

Gerald Isaac Waters | Actorhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm9499017/Gerald Isaac Waters can be seen as ‘Chad’ in Netflix’s new film, All Together Now, releasing August 28th. The film is based off of Brett Haley’s book, Sorta Like a Rock Star, and also stars Auli’I Cravalho, Carol Burnett, Fred Armisen and Rhenzy Feliz. Gerald is known for his role in TBS’s “Angie Tribeca” and has modeled for campaigns with Target and Zappos, and walked in New York Fashion Week. In 2015, Gerald had an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, which confined him to a wheelchair. His doctors said it was likely he would never regain movement, however, within the last year, he has regained most movement in his upper body, and continues to progress. He has interest in surfing, boxing, baseball and wine. The Tennessee-native currently resides in Los Angeles. You can view his Instagram here.

Ryann Redmond | Actresswww.ryannredmond.comRYANN REDMOND was most recently seen as the first female Olaf in Disney’s Frozen on Broadway. Broadway: Frozen, Escape to Margaritaville, If/Then, Bring It On. TV/FILM: Younger (TVLand), Double Exposure. Off-Broadway: Usual Girls (Roundabout), Gigantic (Vineyard), Marvelous Wonderettes. National Tour: Escape to Margaritaville, Bring It On. Regional: How to Succeed (TUTS), Hairspray (MUNY), Kiss Me Kate (Bay Street Theatre). NYU (CAP21). Instagram/Twitter: @ryannreds

Pau Castejón Úbeda | Cinematographerhttps://cargocollective.com/paucastejonPau Castejón Úbeda is an award winning cinematographer known for The Occupant (2020), Taylor Swift's "Lover" (2019) and "You Need To Calm Down" (2019), Billie Eilish's "Hostage" (2018), Alessia Cara's "Growing Pains" (2018), The Machinist (2004), Todo parecía perfecto (2014), Suffragette (2015), Kofi and Lartey (2018).

Cranston Johnson | Actorhttps://pro.imdb.com/name/nm4044252?rf=cons_nm_more&ref_=cons_nm_moreCranston Johnson was born the youngest of three children in Gastonia, NC. After graduating from Ashbrook Senior High School, he received a football scholarship from Western Carolina University. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management while finishing his collegiate football career with All Southern Conference honors. His athletic ability and football experience led to him being hired for his first job in the film industry in 2010; a featured extra in The 5th Quarter: starring Andie MacDowell, Aidan Quinn, and Ryan Merriman.During this time, Cranston took an interest in acting and decided to pursue it as a career. He enrolled in a local acting workshop and eventually gained representation. It was not until he began method acting training in 2011 with Burgess Jenkins and the Actor's Group that he saw his skills on camera start to blossom. With his versatility and new found skill set, he was cast for numerous independent film and television projects. His first SAG booking came when cast as Shawn Griffin in the Jerry Rees directed film Susie's Hope during the summer of 2012. His performance was both powerful and chilling as he portrayed a man standing trial for animal cruelty. In December of the same year Cranston was cast in the Tyler Perry directed film The Single Moms Club starring; Nia Long, Tyler Perry, Wendy McLendon-Covey and Amy Smart.Cranston’s breakthrough role came in the fall of 2016 when cast as series regular Detective Marvin Hanson for the second season of SundanceTV's darkly comic swamp noir Hap and Leonard starring James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams. Other episodic television credits include recurring roles on Atlanta, Euphoria, The Fix, Wu Assassins, P Valley and Filthy Rich.

Ralph S. Singleton | Production Manager, Producer, Assistant DirectorRalph S. Singleton was born on March 22, 1940 in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA. He is a production manager and producer, known for Cagney & Lacey (1981), Pet Sematary I & II (1989 and 1992), Murder at 1600 (1997), Last Man Standing (1996), and Juwanna Mann (2002).

B. Luciano Barsuglia | Producer, Cinematographer, DirectorB. Luciano Barsuglia is a long-time filmmaker, photographer, surfer, and educator.As a filmmaker, Barsuglia has worked as a writer, director, cinematographer, and editor on an array of independent films. One of his personal career highlights came in 2014 when he had the chance to direct Mickey Rooney and Margaret O’Brien in the same scene (both Academy Award recipients).Barsuglia started out as a production assistant on America’s Funniest People, worked as a camera operator and editor at one of the country’s largest producers of infomercials in the 1990s; worked in film post-production with companies like MGM, UA, Buena Vista, Sony Classics; produced feature films and Television shows; has professionally worked as a newspaper/magazine editor, publishing more than 400 articles, and writing three novels.Additionally, he founded the SoCal Film Festival in 2005 which he ran until 2014, as well as the entertainment publication Influx Magazine from 1997-2017.

Sven Pape | Film Editorhttps://thegotoeditor.comSven is an A.C.E. Award-nominated editor who cut for James Cameron, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and James Franco. He also runs a YouTube Channel, “This Guy Edits”, with over 300K subscribers where he discuses the creative aspects of filmmaking. Anyone interested in a career as a film editor could take his course at https://thegotoeditor.com.

Dustin Flores | Agency Director (The Mine Agency)instagram: @dustinfloresDustin Flores is the Agency Director at The Mine Talent Agency. He currently oversees their offices in New York and Los Angeles. Dustin moved to New York in 1999 to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. After a successful performing career, Dustin transitioned to the other side of the table. Dustin's unique hands-on approach, charisma, and knack at discovering raw talent quickly made him one of the most sought after agents and earned him the respect of prominent industry professionals. He believes that the client/agent relationship is collaborative, and through strategy and teamwork, his clients book competitively in film, television, and on Broadway.

Lauren McCann | Filmmaker, Actor, Writerhttps://www.lauren-mccann.com/Lauren McCann is an award winning and multi nominated actor and filmmaker. She holds a PhD and has completed 6 marathons to date – she works- and does so with an open mind and heart. Lauren is proficient in martial arts, knife throwing and nunchaku, but as a former kindergarten teacher and mother of 2, her ability to tap into deep emotion, listen and be still is special. The truth she brings to her work, living in each presented moment is inspiring. She most recently won the "Voice to Watch" award at SeriesFest.

Alan Stevens Hewitt | Musician, Composer, Orchestrator, ProducerAlan Stevens Hewitt (aka ASH) is a NYC-based musician, composer, orchestrator, and producer.Originally from Philly, the son of a professional oboist, ASH cut his teenage teeth recording for Ruffhouse/Columbia Records at Studio 4, and in his 20’s as member of alt-folk band The Low Road (Passenger/Caroline Records), touring with Los Lobos, Barenaked Ladies, and label-mates Ben Folds Five.He moved to NYC in the late 90’s to study with Robert Cuckson and Carl Schachter at Mannes College of Music/The New School, where he received his BM in composition.He is the co-creator (along with Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Tim Maner) of the rock opera LIZZIE, and is the recipient of three 2014 Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards (PAMTA) for his work on LIZZIE—Outstanding Score, Outstanding Song (“House of Borden”), and Outstanding Orchestrations. ASH also played on and served as recording producer of the LIZZIE studio album (Broadway Records).As a performing musician (Bass, electric, upright, keyboard), credits include Broadway’s FUN HOME (also 1st Natl. Tour), MATILDA, FINDING NEVERLAND, Sting’s THE LAST SHIP, ROCKY, LYSISTRATA JONES, Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT, SPRING AWAKENING (also 1st Natl. Tour), Off-Bway’s BROOKLYNITE, CLOSER THAN EVER, RENT, tours in the U.S. and abroad, numerous cabarets, concerts, readings and workshops, and recordings as player, composer, arranger, and producer.His first score for theatre was for a production of Bertolt Brecht’s Baal that the NYTimes thought was awful. He lives in the Hudson Valley and likes to ride his motorcycle and longboard.

Misha Calvert | Writer, Actress, Directorhttps://www.mishacalvert.com/instagram: @mishacalvertMisha is an award-winning show creator with projects spanning film, TV, theater, and digital. After being invited into the Tribeca Digital Creators Market, Misha was commissioned to create a new comedy series for BRIC TV entitled All Hail Beth which had its soundtrack debut at #25 on the iTunes Charts. A semi-finalist for the Sundance/YouTube New Voices Lab from 2016-2018 and current finalist for the 2021 Sundance Episodic Lab, Misha has screened at festivals around the world for her digital series Strut, Textual Intercourse, and Step Into My Office. As an actor, Misha has appeared regularly on the Emmy Award-winning show A Crime to Remember. Off-Broadway writer/director credits include three Chekhovian satires set in a 1980’s high school, and the original comedy A Seagull is Born. Off-Broadway acting credits include The Crucible, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Psycho Beach Party. Misha first achieved notoriety as an experimental performance artist, where she garnered a great deal of press for her media manipulation and public satires, most notably Re-Virginization, The Mister and Miss Williamsburg Pageant, and the Bob Ross-themed fundraiser Beat the Devil Out of It which raised money for Brooklyn art students.Having spent her young adult years hopping between New York and London, Misha has enjoyed being a CEO and nightclub DJ in equal measure. She prioritizes entertainment and fantastic storytelling, and is a fierce advocate for diversity and expanding prosocial conversations. As a director, her work delivers a bold, authentic female POV with strong representation for womxn across cast and crew. As a writer, Misha is both provocative and inclusive and explores an array of genres from comic satire on up to dramatic thriller.

Shannon Bills | Intuitive Coach for Creatives, Casting Directorwww.shannonbills.cominstagram: @shannonbillscoachingShannon Bills is an audition coach, intuitive reader and casting associate at Greenstein Daniel Casting. In her seven years of casting she has worked on over 50 TV comedies. Last year she decided to take on a side passion coaching actors. She takes a holistic approach to acting by figuring out what specific attributes make you, you and how you can apply that to your work. She helps creatives get through blocks in their life that are keeping them out of alignment with what they desire.

Joseph D'Onofrio | Actor, ComedianJoseph D'Onofrio, born and raised in New York, is known for many roles including young Tommy in Good Fellas, Slick in A Bronx Tale and his recurring role of Staten Island Mike on the Sitcom Are We There Yet? He has enjoyed both comedic and dramatic roles throughout his career.

Jodi Collins | Manager, Casting Director, Consultant, Coachhttps://jodicollins.wordpress.com/JODI COLLINS founded the JLC Entertainment Group, a hyphenate boutique producing and management company in 2014 after her careers as; a casting director, ad agency creative, talent scout, booker, talent coach, and sometimes dramaturg made it apparent that it was time to merge those abilities into one singular entity.Jodi cast network shows in the soft scripted, sketch and dramedy spaces for networks ABC, CBS, FX, Showtime, HBO, Adult Swim, and Viacom’s many networks including Comedy Central, etc. Within this, Collins has cast prominent tv shows with favorites including Strangers With Candy, The Big Gay Sketch Show, Emmy award winning Chris Rock Show and Viva Variety with ongoing casting for Patriot Acts With Hassan Minaj. She continues developing comedy and hyphenate talent successfully with clients working in network, cable, digital tv and live performances.Throughout her career Jodi was particularly drawn to storytelling, improv, dramedy and stand up comedy and was sought after by the big 4 talent agencies for the dl on these up and comers still under the radar. Jodi's studies as an NYU/BFA Tisch graduate trained a keen eye that she then took left of center. That has and continues to be her signature having championed talent Kirsten Schall, Zack Galafanakis, Michelle Buteau, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman, etc. and discovering Kate McKinnon in their beginnings. Jodi Collins was profiled in the New York Times, on Access Hollywood, was featured as a panelist for Nick At Nite’s America’s Funniest Moms and served as a Just For Laughs comedy festival judge for 2 years and as an HBO US Comedy Arts Festival judge for 4 years. She continues to be an invited industry guest for the American Theatre Wing’s (Tony Awards) elite yearly program, on the board of Tepper’s professional semester in NYC and is a regular speaker and guest at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Deborah Twiss | Actress, Film Director, Screenwriter, ProducerTwiss was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to New York City to study acting at age 17. Soon after, she became involved in writing and producing independent films. Her first feature, A Gun for Jennifer, was screened at 27 international film festivals and has become a European cult film.[citation needed] This led to her being cast in a series of lead and supporting roles in several independent films including Molotov Samba.Twiss later appeared in TV shows including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, White Collar, and Gravity as well as feature films such as In-Between. She has two children, Matthew and Sydney McCann, who played characters based on them in her film A Cry From Within, inspired by experiences they had as a family.[3]In the film Kick-Ass, she portrayed the mock superhero's teacher-crush, Mrs. Zane. Post Kick-Ass, Twiss appeared in the Michael Chiklis-produced Pawn and in A.D. Calvo's The Midnight Game, and appeared opposite Eric Roberts in A Cry From Within, which wrapped principal photography in spring 2014. She has also appeared in The Networker opposite Sean Young and William Forsythe.[4]Tapping her independent film experience, Twiss is developing several projects in which she will play lead roles including Just In Time, Parallel Veins, the horror comedy film Bloody Ultimatum, and a revenge horror film Contract With A Demon. She wrote and co-directed 2014 the Horror mystery thriller film A Cry from Within, which was co-directed with Zach Miller.

Ryan Glorioso | Casting DirectorRyan Glorioso is a Louisiana based Film, TV and Commercial Casting Director.With a career in entertainment spanning over 20 years, Ryan has had the privilege to fill many positions in the industry including acting and directing. After graduating from Louisiana's Northwestern State University with a BA in Theatre, Ryan spent 8 years in Los Angeles pounding the pavement as an actor and learning the in's and out's of the film industry. Upon returning to New Orleans in 2004, he found himself in a film industry frenzy. Soon after his return to LA, Ryan found his place in casting, his niche in the film industry. With over 90 film and TV credits to his credit, Ryan stands as one of Louisiana's leading casting directors, who prides himself on the work he has done to help develop the careers of many budding southern actors. The Casting Society of AmericaThe Academy of Television Arts and Sciences2020 Artios Award NomineeHost of "Talking Like Normal People" - PodcastInstagram @ryglo

Chen Tang | ActorChen Ying Tang (born 18 July 1988) has an international background that instilled in him early a lifelong love and curiosity for different cultures, peoples, and experiences. As a Chinese citizen and US Permanent Resident, and fluent in both Mandarin and English, he has been able to bridge a gap between both Hollywood and China during his career.He has acted in numerous films and television series, most recently as "Yao" in the much-anticipated Disney live-action remake of Mulan (2020) directed by Niki Caro, and as the main cast member "Hong" of the Bruce Lee inspired Cinemax show Warrior (2019) from Jonathan Tropper and Justin Lin. Other recurring credits include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013), Bosch (2014), Grey's Anatomy (2005), and Being Mary Jane (2013), among others.Born in Kobe, Japan, and spending his childhood in Guangxi, China, Chen Tang belongs to the ethnic minority Zhuang group from Southern China. His parents were trained as medical doctors in China, and among the first government-sponsored international students to leave the Mainland during the re-opening of China in the 1980s. His parents lived in Japan for almost six years, during which Chen was raised by his grandmother back in China while they pursued their doctorates there. After immigrating to the United States, Chen's family settled in the Deep South in Memphis, Tennessee. Not knowing anything different, his first accent in English was a natural Southern accent, which for some reason always surprises people to hear. Though he always stayed connected to his Chinese roots, and often revisited China, he still feels very much rooted to the Southern culture he grew up in.Chen has great respect for the men and women in the armed forces, no matter the country. Coming from a military family (his grandfather and several relatives serving in the Chinese People's Liberation Army), he once had aspirations of being a soldier. But soon falling in love with acting instead, he went off to Boston, and then later New York City to pursue his craft. Sporadic work began to come his way on the New York stage, in television, and independent films, and he eventually made the move to Los Angeles to pursue his passion in front of the camera. Perhaps due to his varied travels and background, Chen has consistently been noted for a "rare, chameleon-like ability to transform" in his work, resulting in many roles that appear, sound, and feel very distinct from each other.

Sara Jane Sherman | Casting Director, Dialogue Director, Voiceover CoachSara is a THREE time Emmy Nominated Casting Director, Dialogue Director and Voiceover Coach. She is currently casting ANIMANIACS and LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS for Warner Bros Animation; casting and voice directing THE CUPHEAD SHOW for Netflix and TIG N SEEK for Cartoon Network. She has also recently worked on the following pilots: JELLYSTONE, MEGASTORE MUTTS, LUNCH GREEN; as well as two projects for Nickelodeon Animation and 5 Cartoon Network shorts. Before that, she was Jon Stewart's Head of Casting for his animated project with HBO. However, the majority of her casting career was at Disney Television Animation, where she spent 12 years learning how to cast an animated series. She was the Executive Director of Casting and Talent Relations before leaving at the beginning of 2017. She has worked on such hit shows as BIG HERO 6: THE SERIES, TANGLED EVER AFTER, MILO MURPHY’S LAW, PHINEAS AND FERB, GRAVITY FALLS, and STAR VS THE FORCES OF EVIL. Her credits also include MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE, YIN, YANG, YO, FISH HOOKS, CLUB PENGUIN, WANDER OVER YONDER, SUPER ROBOT MONKEY TEAM HYPERFORCE GO!, and many, many pilots. Prior to joining Disney, Sara worked in development at Klasky Csupo known for RUGRATS and AS TOLD BY GINGER and at Gullane Entertainment known for THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE. She started her career as Steven Bochco’s production assistant after attending the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. Sara has recently become a mom and resides in the Los Angeles area.

Steve Stanulis | Actor, Producer, Filmmakerhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm1468541/Steve Stanulis began his career as a decorated NYPD officer. When he was injured on the job, Steve worked security for a number of A-list celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio. His A-list clients suggested that Steve pursue an acting career, and after studying at Manhattan's HB Studios, he was cast in The Replacements and Gangs of New York. As a working actor, Stanulis appeared in major studio movies (The Interpreter, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry), acclaimed indie films (Cupidity, Over the GW), and TV shows (The Sopranos, the new HBO series The Deuce), He also branched into production, starring in and producing the short films Dick & Jane and Because of You, and the award-winning feature The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch.In 2012, Steve Stanulis founded Stanulis Productions, Inc., with the feature film Long Shot Louie, starring Jake Robinson (The Carrie Diaries), winning Best Drama at the Williamsburg Film Festival. The film is available on Amazon Prime. Steve then created the Off-Broadway play Stripped, based on his experiences as a Chippendale dancer. Acclaimed in the New York Times, it was picked up by Planet Hollywood for a successful run on the Las Vegas strip.Steve continuing to pursue his acting career, with co-starring credits in Aftermath with Tony Danza and Anthony Michael Hall, Darkroom with Elizabeth Rohm, Sam, executive produced by Mel Brooks, and American Fango, winner of a dozen Best Feature awards, and set for Sony/Vision Films release in November 2017. Steve also starred in and produced the comedy-drama The Networker, co-starring William Forsythe, Sean Young and Stephen Baldwin, directed by indie icon and frequent Stanulis collaborator John Gallagher, released in September 2017 by Sony's The Orchard, making three consecutive films (Sam, American Fango, The Networker) acquired by Sony companies in less than a year, a truly unique achievement.2016 was an especially prolific year for Steve, producing and starring in Say Something, co-starring Marc John Jeffries, a cautionary anti-terror drama filmed in Times Square, receiving massive media exposure, and also available on Amazon Prime; directing the feature-length musical documentary Legends of Freestyle starring Lisa Lisa and C & C Music Factory, set for November 2017 release, and creating the pilot for the TV series The Fifth Borough, starring Cathy Moriarty, Richard Grieco, Vincent Young, Vincent Pastore, and Joseph D'Onofrio, in development at Netflix.Stanulis recently created Chaos Production Inc. and announced his first project, the horror movie Clinton Road, which he will direct, starring Ice T, Vincent Pastore, Bo Dietl, Ace Young and Fredro Starr. Steve has a slate of at least films, Wasted Talent, Hinsdale House and The Fifth Borough film scheduled as a 2019 release on Netflix. The Fifth Borough which he will direct and star will include James Russo and Tara Reid. The Fifth Borough is available now!

Adam Feldman | Theatre & Cabaret Critichttps://www.timeout.com/newyork/theaterAdam Feldman is the Theater and Dance Editor and chief theater critic at Time Out New York, where he has been a staff writer since 2003, and has served as president of the New York Drama Critics' Circle since 2005. He was the contributing Broadway editor for the Theatre World book series and was a regular cohost of the public-television show Theater Talk. A graduate of Harvard University, he lives in Greenwich Village.

Rolando Chusan | Actor, PlaywrightRolando Chusan is the creator of “The Roundtable.” He performs as Sir Lancelot in the piece, as well as co-directs. In this time of crisis he believes that live performance can still be a ray of light in otherwise trying times. He’s had the time of his life creating, and collaborating with this incredible ensemble, and hopes that you’ll join us on this adventure. He is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts, Hunter College, and Maggie Flanigan Studio. Acting credits include,”CATF’S “Support Group for Men,” Amazon’s “Modern Love,” “Columbia University’s “Lucha Libre,” and Labyrinth Theater Company’s “2019 Barnyard series."More at Rolandochusan.com & @RolandochusanTHE ROUND TABLE by Rolando Chusan"The Round Table" is a fresh take on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they are trapped in their castle when faced with an unexpected external threat. We've directly partnered with 9 H.U.G.S, an organization dedicated to COVID relief. We've also provided links on our website to other organizations leading the fight for racial justice in our country.Our goal is to prove that it's possible to broadcast new works of theatre using live streamed performance, while using our platform to give back to a community that needs support now more than ever. The performance will run from June 26-28th.For more info please visit theroundtableplay.com

Anthony Abeson | Acting Coachwww.anthonyabeson.comFor over thirty years, Anthony has been an acting teacher and acting coach in New York City. His work has been documented in the Emmy award-winning episode of the Bill Moyers PBS series "Creativity," the Ace award-winning Manhattan Cable Television documentary "Chasing Dreams" and the BBC's documentary "Bus and Truck." He has been interviewed on E! Entertainment and Shine Television of England. As an author, Anthony has had articles published in The Village Voice, The Washington Star, The Theatre Paper and, in July 2008, the Outlook Section of The Washington Post. His first book, "Acting 2.0 - Doing Work That Gets Work in a High-Tech World" (Smith & Kraus) was published in 2016. He is currently finishing his second, "'Theatre of Grunt' - How to Get Thrown Out of Missouri in a Hot Second, and Other Stories. Many of his acting students have gone on to LA and successful careers in film and television.For his full bio, visit www.anthonyabeson.com

Ron Leshem | Writer, Executive ProducerRon Leshem is a screenwriter, author, and producer, best known for the drama series Euphoria. His upcoming Hulu series No Man's Land is currently under production. He previously served as an executive producer for Allegiance (NBC), and wrote the Academy Award-nominated film Beaufort. His 3 novels are published in 22 languages. He is a winner of the Sapir Prize, Israel's top literary award.As head of content and programming for Keshet TV in Israel, Ron picked up and oversaw the development of Prisoners of War (The original of Homeland), The A-Word, Traffic Light, Arab Labor, and many other critically acclaimed international shows. He served as a script editor for the dramedy Baker and the Beauty.In 2019, he co-wrote Yaron Zilberman's film Incitement which won Israel's Academy Awards for best film of the year.https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm2129572/?ref_=instant_nm_1&q=ron%20leshem

Robyn Stecher | Executive VP at Buchwald, Talent Agent, Performance Coachwww.robynstecher.comI currently serve as executive vice president at BUCHWALD, a midsized, bi coastal talent agency. I joined ICM in 1996 to help establish their New York commercial department and departed in 2000. I returned to BUCHWALD to helm the highly established New York commercial department, in which 20 staffers of various divisions have focused on multiple areas of talent representation. We are distinguished by our forty-year history of success and our ability to continue to adapt as our business navigates the changes in our industry. Throughout my 38 years in the entertainment industry, I have represented entrepreneurs, Tony, Emmy, Peabody and Academy winners and nominees, thought leaders and Fortune 100 CEO’s.I am a writer, speaker, trained performance coach and Founder of Artemis Rising Enterprises- In 2010 I published, “There’s Something About Daniel” – a memoir based on an article published in Family Circle Magazine. The book documents the first 18 years of my son’s life which began with the uncertainty of neuro-diveristy. A sentence of limitation became our journey of liberation. We share an intrepid determination to see the invisible and do the impossible. Daniel, who has attended college and lives independently in Cambridge, Mass. is proof that “the only true disability is a broken spirit”. My current book, “Just Who We Are” (not yet published) explores identity, uncertainty and faith. My relationship with my son evolves as he launches into adulthood. The book uncovers my own identity as a young woman who comes to New York City to study and stays to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Through the balance of mothering, family and work, I have learned that love and faith are what we must save in ourselves, so when we answer the question “Who do you think you are?” the best of who we become, speaks to fulfilling our purpose, and inspires others.As a certified coach I have developed the “Power Up” workshop to enhance life and business performance. I have privately coached young people and adults around their inquiries and quests for either accomplishing goals or moving into their next manifestation of life. I have been a speaker for the Go Red for Women, Westchester Chapter, National Heart Association, I am an active member of the (ATA) Association of Talent Agents and a member of NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and Television.) I have spoken on the subjects of women in business and parenting. I served both Ceridian and Life Care as the “special needs” forum facilitator, leading two years of monthly webinars with Q and A for parents of atypical children. My charitable endeavors have included: advisory board membership and 21 years volunteer service with The Dream Foundation, CA, fulfilling wishes for terminally ill adults (1994-2005. ) Benefit Chair and Co-chair and supporter of The Lowell School, NY a non- public school for children with learning challenges. ( 2004-2011) I am a supporter of The Threshold Program at Lesley University. I have also regularly supported The Actor’s Fund, The UJA and various other humanitarian organizations. I participate in the Pajama Program, a reading program for at risk children.A former world-class scuba diver, my interests now include writing, theater going, watching films, and series, travel, photography, hiking and cooking. I live in New York City, with my husband Jim and Bailey our (almost human) rescue dog. I received my BA in creative writing and literature from NYU in 1980. I have since been certified as a coach with the ICF ( 2017) , as well as having been certified in the course work from the Center for Non-Violent Communication ( 2015) and I am a first level graduate of the Landmark Forum ( 2005).

Amy Wagner | Literary Agenthttps://www.a3artistsagency.com/Originally a native of St. Louis, Missouri, Amy Wagner started her career in the entertainment industry by covering books, plays and screenplays for Barbra Streisand’s company, Barwood Films. Wagner spent eight years at the boutique literary agency Rosenstone/Wender before joining A3 Artists Agency (formerly Abrams Artists Agency ) in 2007 where she represents playwrights, screenwriters, television writers, directors, choreographers, composers, lyricists and designers. Amy Wagner is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City and a frequent lecturer at universities and conferences.

Toni D'Antonio | Actor - Producer - Writerhttps://www.tonidantonio.comhttps://www.shakethetreeproductions.comToni grew up in Rhode Island with her proud Italian American heritage playing a part in many facets of her life. Maintaining strong family ties, this only child has been cultivating her imagination since age 7 entertaining her family recording a fictional talk show voicingALL seven characters. Thus, her acting career is comprised of 20+ years of credits in theater, studio and independent films, television, commercials, industrials and voiceovers. This SAG/AFTRA actress has been seen commercially as the face of iShares and the US Army and has been heard as the voice of Fidelity, Crestor, Humira, Walmart, Cumberland Farms and Publix Market, to name a few. Theatrical credits include TV shows Law & Order SVU, The Blacklist, The Mysteries of Laura, Taxi Brooklyn, Blue Bloods, The Following andNurse Jackie and the feature films Nasty Baby with Kristen Wiig, Alto with Diana DeGarmo and Annabella Sciorra, Where God Left His Shoes with John Leguizamo, Riding In Cars With Boys with Drew Barrymore and Faraway Eyes with Christina Ricci, and more.Married to a restaurateur over 30 years, she is the true definition of a hyphenate and has been a creative presence in many aspects of the entertainment industry. A passion for all things creative and a career in front of and behind the camera that spans over 20 years,Toni has worked as a Producer, Writer, Director, Script Supervisor, 1st AD, 2nd AD, HMU, Production Supervisor, Production Coordinator, Casting Director, Location Scout, Script Supervisor and Production Consultant as well as an Actor. The company’s first full-length feature film, Alto, was shown at over a dozen festivals and garnered such awards as Audience Award Winner (Visionfest Domani Film Society Film Festival 2015) and Jury Award Best Women’s Feature (North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2015) among others. Upcoming productions include 2 features to be directed by Mark Lester (a Lou Martini, Jr. (Sopranos) feature called Honor which she will also star and the feature A Brooklyn Christmas, 7 scripted television pilots (Sober, Staff, Good Fellows, Mooch, Justin Case, and Breakhouse and Staff), 4 unscripted series (Family Lot, The B & B Diaries, Whacked!...Where Are They Now? and Justice Delayed) and 5 cooking shows. She works with all team members of Shake The Tree ... the writers on all scripts being developed, directors and editors among others to ensure the highest quality results for the success of all project. Toni continues to strive to give back by volunteering. She was a first responder after Hurricane Sandy in the Breezy Point communities; she worked tirelessly in conjunction with The Roxbury Volunteer Fire Dept. to help the community in its recovery efforts. She is a corporate sponsor of the My Destiny Foundation, Inc. helping raise awareness for early detection of breast cancer. She is also a supporter of the Limitless Child International, Semillas de Amour, the Alzheimer’s Foundation and Broadway Dreams. A proud member of NY Women in Film and Television, she has an immense respect for the collaborative process that drives her to continue discovering, learning and educating through artistic expression.

Tom & Michael D'Angora | Producers - Directorshttps://www.tomdangora.com/https://www.michaeldangora.com/TOM D'ANGORA (Producer/Director) is a 3 time Drama Desk nominee and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award Winner. Lead Producer of NEWSical The Musical, which is the 3rd longest running musical revue in history and has been the recipient of an official Proclamation from the Mayor, the Senate, and the Speaker of the NY City Council. Other Off-Broadway Credits include: The Marvelous Wonderettes (produced/directed), Naked Boys Singing (produced/directed), ICONS (produced/directed/conceived), Back in Pictures, A Broadway Diva Christmas (Produced/directed/conceived), and the first family musical about disability and inclusion Addy & Uno. In 2003 D’Angora produced, wrote, and starred in his multi-award wining solo show Divas I've Done (which played sold out runs Off-Broadway, LA, Boston, and Provincetown). Film: Co-Producer The Big Gay Musical, Executive Producer Mangus. Recordings: NEWSical: Full Spin Ahead! original cast recording, Ellen Greene In His Eyes. Most recently, Tom wrote and served as executive producer on the new series, Mélange, starring Morgan Fairchild. Thanks to Taylor and Scott for all the fun and Michael and Brendan for all the work. Proud life long HRC supporter #ImStillWithHer. This show is dedicated to memory of the best boy there ever was, my Parker.MICHAEL D'ANGORA (Producer/Director) has directed the revivals of The Marvelous Wonderettes and Naked Boys Singing. Other Off-Broadway credits include A Broadway Diva Christmas, Back In Pictures, and Divas I've Done. Favorite directing credits include 'Til Sunday at The Hollywood Fringe Festival, A Kid Like Jake, Debbie Does Dallas: the musical, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, various installments of The A-Train Plays (New World Stages), Women and Wallace, Killer Joe, and ICONS (Provincetown and NYC). Michael has produced, created, and/or directed solo shows and cabarets with Rue McClanahan, Ellen Greene, Mary Bond Davis, Christine Pedi, and The Kinsey Sicks. Michael served as executive producer on Ellen Greene's album In His Eyes and had a lot of fun teaming up with Christine Pedi for various YouTube videos. The pilot episode of their soapy new drama, "Mélange" starring Morgan Fairchild, will be available on Logo TVs Youtube channel starting May 20th.

Prince Sprauve | Filmmaker - DirectorPrince Sprauve, Executive Director, is an independent film director and founder of Revolution Studios Inc. D/B/A Told By Us Productions (a not-for-profit since 2013). TBU is a youth centered program that fosters creative expression and is designed to be a safe haven for high school students. It was designed to be a place where at risk students come to express themselves in creative ways and escape negative influences.“Cradle” is the next project Told By Us will be undertaking, under the direction of Prince Sprauve. Following in the footsteps of “Fast Life,” Told By Us will once again offer a unique tool for captivating Schenectady’s youth; this time by exposing the current epidemic of teenage pregnancy in Schenectady. The aim is to surpass “Fast Life” as far as quality, magnitude and reach of influence.“Cradle” will reveal the intricate problems that surround teenage pregnancy through the unfolding of 5 different storylines. Sprauve’s students have interviewed actual teenage mothers to gain insight on the issue. One girl explained during an interview, “I got pregnant because my mother died and I was looking for someone to love me.” The result of this research in conjunction with the personal experiences of the students involved has laid the foundation for the storylines. In addition to having starring roles in the film, students will be offered the opportunity to showcase their original music on the accompanying soundtrack. The recording and editing of the soundtrack will take place simultaneously. In order tostreamline efficiency, Sprauve recruited Ryan Sanborn, a long time colleague, to facilitate the audio portion of the program. Currently, a half dozen students who have been designated as the projects “research team” are working with Sprauve to gather the necessary background material. In addition to performing a qualitative analysis of the interviews, students are reading relevant articles on teen pregnancy, meeting with knowledgeable professionals at Ellis Hospital to discuss local data on the subject and researching statistics and financial metrics to determine the impact the current trend hason Schenectady County. Cradle would not have been made possible without the parents, teachers, and the community who have pooled together to support our children. Most importantly, Sprauve believes that no matter how negative our story, we can reach out to others and help one another heal and this is only the beginning! To learn more about the upcoming Independent Film “Cradle,” visit www.toldbyus.org, ourFacebook fan page “TBU Productions,” or you can contact Prince Sprauve at, prince@toldbyus.org.

Rob Alicea | Writer - Filmmaker - Producer - Actorhttps://www.robalicea.com/https://www.robacts.com/https://www.leavingnormalprod.com/Rob Alicea is a multi-award-winning Latinx actor and filmmaker. He has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and is a former original cast member of We Need Girlfriends, one of the first webseries projects in history to be developed for television by Darren Star Productions. In 2017, Rob's created, starred in, and directed ADULTHOOD, which is based on his life growing up in Astoria, Queens. The pilot premiered at HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival critical acclaim, and is currently in its first season development. Rob currently stars as 'Benji' on the hit digital series The Queens Project, and is developing ROGUE with George C. Romero based on his father’s legendary horror creation Night of the Living Dead.