Manhunt

Carlos Cotto (Playwright) Carlos’s childhood centered around two iconic NYC neighborhoods where he was born and raised, Harlem and Washington Heights. Growing up in a bilingual household, his love of stories began with a mix of telenovelas and primetime TV shows. Employed as a vacation relief porter right out of high school, Carlos was formally introduced to theater by Working Theater and its TheaterWorks! program. The program helped cultivate his love for magical realism which is now a defining feature of many of his plays. From a mayfly’s first day on the job to a doorman’s fever dream battle with a pickle jar, his plays joyfully expand on the surreal nature of a service worker’s livelihood. Carlos was featured in Working Theater’s “Best of TheaterWorks” production off-Broadway in 2020.

Lou Moreno (Director) has been directing in NYC and beyond since 2001. A 2005 recipient of the Princess Grace Award he has served in leadership at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Twilight Theater Company and INTAR Theater where he currently serves as the Artistic Director. 

Cynthia Bastidas (Leticia) (she/her/ella) is a NYC-based bilingual Chicana actor and filmmaker from the California/Mexico border in the Imperial Valley. Her TV credits include Ramy S2 E6, Homeland S6 E6 and theater credits include Don’t Look Back (Voyage Theater Company)PlayOn! Shakespeare Festival (Classic Stage Company), Original Sound (Cherry Lane Theatre) and Just Like Us (Denver Center Theatre). She founded Semillita Productions, a media arts company centering the femme Latinx experience in the United States. Her short film missguidance was recently awarded Outstanding Short at the XicanIndie Film Festival. To learn more about Cynthia as an actor or Semillita Productions visit www.cynthiabastidas.com or www.semillitaproductions.com

Jesse Castellanos (Rafael) is a NYC based actor. Recent credits include Torera (Alley Theatre) The Giant Void In My Soul (Luna Stage) Tammany Hall (Soho Playhouse) The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals (The 24 Hour Plays), and Art Heist Experience (Broward Center for the Performing Arts). Recently Jesse wrapped a pilot for a brand new sitcom web series “Quarter Life Crisis”. Jesse holds a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University @thejessecastellanos

Adam Coy (Rondo) (he/him) is a Ukrainian-Tejano director, curator of vibes, and actor based in New York City, originally from San Antonio. Recent acting: Randy’s Dandy Coaster Castle (Egg&Spoon), Shaggy Dog (Mabou Mines), The Fre (The Flea). Roundabout Directors Group 4, 2021-2022 Playwrights Horizons Directing Fellow.  Adam is a 2021-22 TCG Rising Leader of Color, a member of Theater Producers of Color: Producing 101 inaugural cohort, the 2018-19 SDC Foundation Observership Class, an SDC Associate Member and recently became a board member for Theatre of The Oppressed NYC. As a performer Adam has developed work with San Diego Rep, JACK, Northern Stages, Pipeline, Latinx Playwrights Circle, Chautauqua Theatre Company and others. He currently serves on The Fled’s leadership circle and is the Associate Artistic Director of The Egg & Spoon Theatre Collective.  BFA in Acting, Syracuse University. 

Sijean Gonzalez (Stage Directions) (they/them) is an actor and writer from Queens, New York. They have appeared in Julio Ain’t Going Down Like That and Bruise & Thorn. They also performed in Epstein’s Paints as a part of Intars Microteatro series.

Daniela Gonzalez y Perez (Katrina) is a queer Latine actor/playwright, born and raised in Brooklyn. They were
recently featured in a workshop production (The Tank), have been in two world premieres (Rattlestick
Theater, INTAR Theatre), and hold a BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. Their writing explores the
intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion through fantasy, “magical realism”, sci-fi,
and that “Brooklyn shit” to confront/reject societal norms, barriers, and the displacement of peoples. They
are a semi-finalist for the Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam presented by NBC, a recent fellow of The Latinx
Playwrights Circle’s Intensive Mentorship Program with an industry reading of ÁNGEL Y CHUPI (The
Reinvented Queer Tale of the Puerto Rican Chupacabra), and had work shown at Fucked-Up Play Fest!
and Gi60: International One-Minute Theatre Festival. They’re a proud member of INTAR’s Unit 52, of The
Latinx Playwrights Circle, and Teaching Artist for Manhattan Theatre Club.

Camila Pérez Santiago (Mercedes)(she/her/ella) is an actor and theatermaker from Humacao, Puerto Rico.
Based in New York City, she holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College and a BFA in
Acting from Pace University. Recent theater credits include: WATER BY THE SPOONFUL
(Brooklyn College), CONCORD FLORAL (Brooklyn College), MICROTEATRO (Intar) JULIO
DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD (Intar), 48 HOURS IN EL BRONX (Harlem9 at Pregones
Puerto Rican Traveling Theater) and CARLA’S QUINCE (Virtual Interactive Tour), among
others. She is so proud to be a part of this reading in this collaboration between INTAR and
Working Theater; two organizations that have contributed so much to her growth as an artist and
human being. Special thanks always to her partner, Schneider and her family.

Arisael Rivera (Fila) is a bilingual actor and writer based in NYC.  He’s thrilled to be able to continue to work on “Manhunt.”  He received his MFA in Acting from The New School.  He has had the opportunity to perform with various theatre companies in New York City including The Working Theatre, Pregones PRTT, New York Theatre Workshop, New Perspectives Theater Company and The Anthropologists.  Selected Regional Credits include:  Ned Allyn in Shakespeare in Love, Stephano in The Tempest with Opera House Arts.  Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.  He is the Co-creator and writer of the comedic web series “Meet”.  In 2020 he received the Actor of the Year Award from The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival for his role as Tomas in “Rinse & Repeat”.  Le da gracias a su familia por su eterno apoyo!  Follow him on instagram @arisael_riv

Cesar J. Rosado (Manny) Broadway: Plaza Suite sir. John Benjiman Hickey (Hudson Theater), Off Broadway: A Streetcar Named Desire dir. Robert O’Hara (Williamstown Theater Festival), Plano dir. Taylor Reynolds (Clubbed Thumb), The Things That Were There by David Greenspan dir. Lee Sunday Evans (Bushwick Starr), Dolphins and Sharks(LAByrinth Theater), Seven Spots on the Sun (Rattlestick). Film/TV: “Wu-Tang-An American Saga,” “Manifest,” “Law & Order: SVU.”

Sebastian Zuniga (Shorty) is a Mexican/Puerto Rican artist based in NJ/NYC. He holds a BFA in Drama from NYU, training at Strasberg, ETW, then finishing off at the renowned “International Theatre Workshop” in Amsterdam. Recent credits include: Baked (ETW Independent Project), My Love Was Stolen By a Conman (NY Theatre Festival), Fun Home (Tisch Drama Stage), Carla’s Quince (NY Stage & Film), & Canciones (Sol Project). A big thank you to the Manhunt team! 

Joseph Distl (Stage Manager) is a queer Puerto Rican theater artist from Queens. They advocate for diversity and representation for marginalized communities. Using their background in research and theatre they push to create intersectional conversations on gender, sexuality, and race. Joseph would like to open a mental health facility for queer youth to receive affordable alternative methods of therapy. Their goal is to produce unconventional theater for unconventional audiences. Recent credits include playing Grizz in ¡Oso Fabuloso & The BearBacks!(INTAR) and stage managing THIS AND THAT(Chocolate Factor & Bushwick Starr). Joseph would like to thank his partner and his sisters for always providing him with a safe space to express himself.