EMILY SLUSARZ (CATHARINE) she/her — is a graduate student currently pursuing her doctorate to become a pharmacist. Outside of working toward that, she is incredibly active in the Northeast Ohio theater community, doing a plethora of shows around the area. This is her first time collaborating on a piece like this, and she wants to thank Tessa and Kyra both for giving her the opportunity to work with such an amazing team of people on such a great piece of work!

FIONA FINNERAN (VIOLET) they/them — a multi-disciplinary artist, steps onto their Cleveland Public Theatre acting debut after keeping performances running behind the scenes at CPT as a stage manager. A recent BFA Acting graduate of Wright State University, they’ve also SM/stagehand at Dobama Theatre and Improvised with Imposters Theatre’s ‘Unwritten’. They’re so honored and excited to share this story here with this awesome, inspiring cast!

MAGGIE HILLIARD (MAGS) they/she — is a sophomore Music Theatre Major at Baldwin Wallace University. Some of her favorite credits include THE PROM (Alyssa Greene), MATILDA (Miss Honey), and the World Premiere production of JORGE LUIS BORGES GIVES A LECTURE ON ANATOMY (Norah Borges and others). She is so excited to be making her CPT debut. She would like to thank the creative team for this incredible opportunity and the cast for supporting her through this process.

ERIN SHEPLAVY (DOLAN) they/them — is a Cleveland based actor, playwright, drama therapist, and psychologist. Recent credits include their first play, Surviving’s Not a Noun, produced at the Borderlight Fringe Festival, If/Then (Elena), Beautiful (Lou Adler/Ensemble), Cabaret (Herman/Max), The Last Starfighter (Darlene/Zur’s Assistant), and Big Fish (Sandra Bloom). Erin also provides consultation services to various theaters and organizations on mental health, emotion regulation, and creating trauma-informed approaches to teaching, rehearsing, and performing. Many thanks to my fianceé for her endless love and support! 

INDIA PIERRE-INGRAM (AMANDA) she/her — is an artist and storyteller. India’s most recent work includes directing for Marilyn Bianchi Kid’s Playwriting Festival at Dobama Theater. She believes art is essential for liberation.

SAMUEL ROTER (STANLEY) he/him — is excited to be making his Cleveland Public Theatre debut. He recently returned to the Cleveland theatre scene after receiving his Bachelors of Science in Chemistry & Theatre at Muhlenberg College. Recent roles at Muhlenberg include: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Pierre), The Labyrinth of Desire (Alejandro), and Everybody (Everybody et al.).

TESSA GAFFNEY (PLAYWRIGHT/MARKETING) she/her — is a writer, actor, and administrator. Her most recent work includes: co-writer for Gum-Dip Theatre’s Akron bicentennial play, “Blimpulse” and script editor for QuTheatr’s dramatherapy-inspired production, “The Company We Keep,” a devised piece using the Co-Active Therapeutic Theatre model created by Dr. Laura Wood and Dave Mowers. She received her M.A. in Arts Administration and B.A. in Political Science from the University of Akron and serves as the Marketing Mage for CATAC.

KYRA KELLEY (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER) she/they — is an interdisciplinary theatre artist, educator, and arts administrator. Their undergraduate training was completed at Baldwin-Wallace and Kent State Universities. Kyra's creative practice is grounded by movement and devised theatremaking techniques. Currently, Kyra is pursuing an M.A. in Arts Administration at the University of Akron. Her areas of research include the development of consent-based physical theatre pedagogy and accessibility for caregivers in the arts.

KERSTIN VAUGHN (INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER) she/her — is a theatre director, artist, and educator originally from Norton, Ohio. She holds a BA in Theatre and Communication Studies from the University of Mount Union as well as a MFA in Performance and Pedagogy from Texas Tech University. She specializes in directing, voice and movement, and inclusive pedagogy. She is regularly a director and intimacy choreographer for educational and community-based theatres across the Midwest. Recently, she solo-produced an original one-woman show, Yoga for Falling Apart, with Cleveland Public Theatre’s Soft Launch and Cincinnati Fringe Festival.