Roxana De La O Cortez 
My Home

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
My Home is about a difficult conversation between a son and his father, who is incarcerated.

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
I wanted to uplift some stories we do not hear as often.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
It is my first time, but I hope it is not my last!

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
I moved to NYC from the Bay Area, California, to pursue law school… which I have yet to do!

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
I am so grateful for this experience and just excited to be able to see my writing come to life. I hope the audience enjoys!

Milena Hanukov 
Computer Conner

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
A 20 something computer programmer lives with his mother and two younger sisters. After getting fired from his job for lying on his resume, a conflict arises between him and his mother about the future of the family.

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
I’ve heard of people lying on their resume in the computer/tech industry, so I thought that writing a play about it might be fun.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
No, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it!!

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
I’ve seen every episode of the sitcom “Three’s Company” probably 50 times or more. At 172 episodes spanning over 8 seasons, that means I’ve seen a total of about 8,600 episodes (or more!) over my lifetime. I still watch it to this very day and can recite almost every single line of the show, including the tone of voice of the actors as they recite those lines.

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
The thrill of hearing applause for these plays that we each worked so hard on over the last several months, as well as the thrill of being on stage and reading/acting out the play of another playwright. In summary, I’m looking forward to the entire thing!

John Dennis David Keane
Signs of Solidarity

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
In Signs of Solidarity, Luke’s search for his sock becomes a breaking point as the pressures from work and family pushes him to the edge. The play gives us a glimpse into the difficulties currently faced by the Brennan family. It blends humor and emotions to highlight their resilience and unity amid the chaos and stress.

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
The nationwide labor movements of 2023 and a writing prompt from a previous Theatherworks! class sparked my inspiration.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
This is my sixth year participating in Theatherworks!

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
A few of years back, I enrolled at CUNY Hostos to pursue an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. Recently, I made a switch to SUNY Westchester and changed my major to digital filmmaking.

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
I’m looking forward to hearing the voices of my characters and the voices of my fellow playwrights’ characters come to life in front of a live audience.

Alex Rodriguez 
Smoke & Mirrors

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
Smoke & Mirrors gives a candid look into a marijuana-enriched conversation about ambition, life choices, personal growth, and … wheels?

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
I wanted to create a play that was not only fun to write and share, but also a story that sprouts fruitful conversations.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
Yes! I was part of the 2023 TheaterWorks Open-Access class and wrote my very first play Sparks of Uncertainty.

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
I’m an FAA Certified UAV (Drone) Pilot.

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
I love how the writing experience transitions from something I do in isolation, to then sharing it with my teacher, then classmates, and now with my friends, family and the entire Working Theater family.

Ana Shammah 
Gutter Chaos

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
My play is about a chaotic situation that occurs at the home where Rosie, age 12, and Ike, age 13 are preparing for their B’nai Mitzvah, coming of age ritual in Judaism.

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
My family inspired me to write this piece.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
This is my first time participating in Theaterworks. I truly enjoyed it!

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
I love to play tennis!

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
I look forward to a wonderful evening! I hope the audience is moved by the plays.

DeAnna Tinglin Washington
Ava and Emma

Tell us what your play is about in 3 sentences or less:
My play emphasizes the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity in our daily interactions, recognizing that each person has inherent value and worth. By approaching others with kindness, empathy, and an open mind, we can build stronger connections and foster a more inclusive and compassionate community. By taking the time to truly get to know individuals, we can move beyond surface-level interactions and discover the unique experiences, that each person brings to the table.

What was the inspiration behind your piece?
I didn’t have a profound inspiration for writing this play. My primary objective was to develop two characters and explore their unexpected relationship. Initially, I struggled to find the right approach, and the play began to unfold like a movie. However, through careful editing, I managed to distill it into a concise ten-minute play, showcasing the intriguing connection between these two characters.

Have you participated in Theaterworks! before and if so how many times?
Yes, 4 times.

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself with us?
A fun fact about me is that I possess a wide range of skills, extending beyond traditional gender norms. I am adept at creating elaborate hairstyles and professional nail art, as well as proficient in various hands-on skills such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical work, and construction. I also like to cliff jump into the ocean.

What are you most looking forward to at the final performances?
I just want everyone to laugh and have a good time.

Doug Lory is grateful for the opportunity to work with the Working Theater team! He has performed in NYC and regionally including HERE Arts Center, PULSE, the Arden Theatre Company, Bristol Riverside, and Playwrights Theatre of NJ. His TV/Film credits include The Wire, One Life To Live, and Gods and Generals. He wrote and directed the one-man play Merton and Me, A Living Trinity which he is currently performing around the country.  He is also an actor/educator at Fordham University School of Law.  Doug makes his home in the magnificently diverse neighborhood of Jackson Heights Queens with his wife Alex.  www.MertonandMe.com

Dexter McKinney is happy to be here. He is a humanitarian, creator,  investor, and an artist with credits on stage, tv and film. Check out his instagram @DexterCrayton and spread love, its the Brooklyn Way.  

Elia Monte-Brown Born and raised in NYC, Elia is a professional actor, writer and educator. As an actor, Elia has performed at various prestigious venues such as New York Theatre Workshop, Theatre for a New Audience, The Guthrie, and Shakespeare Theatre of DC. She has contributed to over twenty film and television productions, including “FBI,” “New Amsterdam,” “Search Party,” “The Deuce,” and is currently shooting “The Savant” opposite Jessica Chastain (Apple TV 2024).With over nineteen years of teaching experience, Elia currently teaches theatre through a social justice lens at Lincoln Center Theatre, BAM, and The Manhattan Theatre Club. She also conducts playwriting workshops at Rikers Island men’s facilities and serves on the faculty in The Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. As an early career playwright, Elia is a founding member of Writers Gym and a semi-finalist for the Playwrights Realm Fellowship. MFA from The Yale School of Drama, an MS in Childhood Education from Pace University, and a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Southern California.

Johnny Rivera is a Puerto Rican Born, Brooklyn NY Based Actor. It was in a High School drama class that he first came across “Mambo Mouth” by John Leguizamo which sparked my interest in acting. He attended SUNY College at Purchase and got his first acting opportunity with an Educational Brooklyn theatre company. His credits include: Law & Order SVU, POWER, The White House Plumbers, Chicago Fire, FBI, Wu-Tang & Blue bloods. 

David Stott is Associate Professor of Film & Television at the City University of New York – LaGuardia.  He has directed documentary films for the United Nations, Harvard University, the World Bank, AmeriCorps, and MIT.  His work showcases human rights initiatives in the US/UK and in Peru, Nigeria and the Philippines. His feature COACH OF THE YEAR was an official selection at the SoHo International Film Festival, Golden Door International Film Festival and the Washington West Film Festival and was sold at the Cannes Marche du Film.

Marilyn Torres hails from Harlem, New York. She’s graced the stage in plays such as There’s Always the Hudson at Woolly Mammoth Theater,  Water by The Spoonful at The Old Globe, Breath Boom at Yale Rep, Agony of the Agony at The Vineyard, Bike America at The Alliance Theater and Ma-Yi Theater. Ms. Torres was also part of The Tribeca Theater Festival in Late Night, Early Morning, produced by Robert De Niro. It went on to be produced at The HBO Comedy Festival where it won a Jury Award for Best Theater Piece. Film credits include Maid in Manhattan, Lady in the Water, Home and The Big Sick. She’s had principal roles on Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, For Life, Flight of the Concord, and The Chris Rock Show. Most recent roles were on Marvel’s Dare Devil, High Maintenance and The King of Staten Island with Pete Davidson.

Joe White (Instructor/Director) graduated Cum Laude from The University Of Rhode Island with a BA in English and a BFA in Theatre. He has been an active member of the theatre community in New York City for 38 years, performing in off-Broadway theatres, including So-Ho Rep, The Public Theatre, West Side Arts Theatre and Ensemble Studio Theatre. He has performed at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, toured India and acted in Regional Theatre. Joe’s film and television acting credits include Goodfellas directed by Martin Scorcese, and numerous episodes of TV’s Law and Order and Blue Bloods. As a director, Joe has worked at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Lincoln Center Institute and The Williamstown Theatre Festival, to name a few. He is an Acting Coach at Fordham Law School and teaches playwriting for The Working Theater. He is a Teaching Artist for Manhattan Theatre Club and Theatre Development Fund. Joe has spent many years volunteering for The 52nd St Project (a program which brings theatre professionals together with the underserved children in Hell’s Kitchen). Joe is a member of Actors & Writers, a theatre company in the Catskill Mountains of New York, where he maintains a home.

Campbell Anidjar (he/they) (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be returning to The Working Theater after stage managing the 2023-24 Mark Plesent Commision Fund staged readings. Campbell is a queer NYC-based stage manager who seeks to uplift the voices of queer, trans, or otherwise marginalized voices in the theater community through his work as a stage manager. Previous credits include the national tour of The Screwtape Letters, Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theatre Workshop, (pray) and Hound Dog at Ars Nova, PRIDE PLAYS 2019 & 2020, and GMHC’s AIDS Walk New York 2023. Campbell holds a BA in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Producing & Management from Marymount Manhattan College.