CREATIVE
Ed Berkeley / Ensemble
Ed Berkeley is a Bay Area based Actor originally from the East coast (New England). He’s predominantly a Stage Actor who has been enough to have worked with companies such as: San Francisco Playhouse in “Colossal”, Custom Made Theatre in “In Love and Warcraft”, and New Conservatory Theatre Center in “Warplay”, and The Cutting Ball Theatre in “Phédre”. This is Berkeley’s second project with T1, you may have saw him in TheatreFirst’s inaugural season in “Bagyó”. You can see him next in SF Playhouse’s “Born Yesterday”.
Skyler Cooper / Ensemble
Skyler Cooper is thrilled to be performing at TheatreFIRST and for their first time! Skyler has worked with Crowded Fire Theater, B Street Theater, SF Playhouse, California Shakespeare company, Faultline Theater, Impact theater, and various other companies around the bay area with a strong appetite for gender-bending characters roles. He has gone from playing Othello the moor (Director, Melissa Hillman) to Queen Margaret ( Director,Jon Tracy). He took some time off from theater to write, produce and direct his award-wining short film HERO MARS about gender-stereotypes in the world of classical theater actor. Skyler trained in acting with Phil Bennett Lab, A.C.T. and a summer internship with the California Shakespeare Company. Always gratitude for this moment…you for being here with us…and for what art can do!
Jordan Don / Ensemble
Jordan is honored to be making her debut with TheatreFirst on the Live Oak stage. Originally from Los Angeles, Jordan is a graduate of UC Berkeley and recently trained with A.C.T in their Summer Training Congress. She has worked with several theater companies in the Bay Area both on and off stage, most recently seen in UC Berkeley’s production of Polaroid Stories (Persephone). She would like to thank the cast and company for welcoming her with open arms and helping her along this journey. A special shoutout to the homie Akash for his constant support and energy. She would also like to send all the love in the universe to her parents, brothers, and Kali. Jordan hopes the audience is as moved by participating in this piece as she has been.
Cheri Miller / Ensemble
Cheri Miller received her first acting and stage lessons under the guidance and tutelage of the celebrated actor, director and playwright, the late Mrs. Mary L. Booker, training twice a week within workshops Mrs. Booker taught in Bayview. She made her stage debut during the Bayview Opera’s House Juneteenth celebration on the ACT Stagecoach in 2015. Cheri has continued working within the family of ACT, with a performance in the production of Crack. Rumble. Fly. The Bayview Stories Project, and Every 28 Hours in collaboration with Crowded Fire Theatre, The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Campo Santos and FaultLine Theater. She continues to study acting at the American Conservatory Theatre. Theatre is a true love, and she combines that love with activism, because she knows that theatre can heal. Art is her activism.
Aaron Murphy / Ensemble
Aaron Murphy acts, directs, teaches, and produces theater throughout the Bay Area. This is his TheatreFirst debut. His acting credits include Seascape at Role Players, The Pillowman with Breadbox, The Foreigner with Contra Costa Civic Theater, The Iceman Cometh and Hughie at the O’Neill Foundation, Jerusalem and Seven Days at SF Playhouse, Arms and the Man and To Kill a Mockingbird at Center Rep, Doubt with the Drama Association of Rossmoor, Oleanna, Here, Private Eyes, Ashes to Ashes, and Afterplay with Spare Stage, Hedda Gabler and Uncle Vanya with Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. In 2015, he received a TBA Award for Best Featured Actor for The Foreigner. He graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a B.F.A. in Acting. In February, he will be in TheatreFirst’s production of Between Us.
Michelle Navarette / Ensemble
Michelle is so thankful for this opportunity to play and discover with such a strong company of fierce theater artists. Much love and gratitude. She is currently an Associate Artist with Faultline Theater, and has performed with Impact Theatre, The Aluminous Collective, Bay Area Children’s Theatre and TheatreFirst. As a native of The Bay, she is proud to be part of a strong community of theatre artists and activists that inspires and invigorates her. She looks forward in continuing to collaborate and to create with the amazing artists of The Bay Area.
Akash Patel / Ensemble
Akash is truly thrilled to be making his TheatreFIRST debut with Participants. A fresh graduate from UC Berkeley, Akash was most recently seen at Berkeley’s TDPS productions of Polaroid Stories and Heart of Spain, along with other performance showcases across the department. With a B.S. degree in Chemical Biology, he spends his time juggling his love for science with his passion for performance and storytelling. He hopes to continue engaging with works that feel socially relevant and amplify the voices that have often been hidden. Love and good karma to all of his friends and family!
Rebecca Pingree / Ensemble
Rebecca Pingree is psyched to join this inspiring ensemble of Participants. She had a brief turn this summer in Playground’s Vignettes on Love, but has been conspicuously absent from Bay Area stages for the past two years while completing her MFA with Rose Bruford College in London (studies include studying masks, clown, and physical theatre in Italy, France, and Los Angeles, respectively). Just prior to running off in pursuit of an advanced degree, however, you might have seen her as Viola in Shotgun Players’ Twelfth Night, Prossy in Town Hall Theatre’s Candida, or as Annie Oakley in Napa Valley Conservatory’s Annie Get Your Gun.
Marjan Safa / Ensemble
Marjan Safa is thrilled to be working on Participants. She was recently seen in the staged reading of Give it All Back (Palo Alto Players). Some of her past credits include Lysistrata (Platypus Theatre), Dutiful wife (The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco) and Trouble Cometh(understudy in San Francisco Playhouse). Her film credits include TV pilot West Coast Rachael, short film Missing and student short The Cleaners. She is currently studying at Richard Seyd Acting Studio and previously with ACT Studio and Berkeley Rep. In her spare time she likes to do yoga, dance, play the piano, and travel. She is also an architect as well as an actor. She would like to thank TheatreFirst for welcoming her into their theatre family.
Dezi Solèy / Ensemble
Dezi Solèy is a prizmatic artist co-creating embodiments of the Divine through explorations in images, spoken word & movement. Since earning her BA (Cultural & Regional Studies, Minor in Dance) from Prescott College, she has trained and performed with Bay Area traditional Haitian & South African dance theater companies El Wah Movement & Jikelele Dance Theatre. Her most recent work includes starring in the independent feature film LIKE, REPLY, SHARE (written & directed by Josh Peterson), Alter Theater’s BONDAGE (written by Star Finch & directed by Elizabeth Carter), Campo Santo’s ETHOS DE MASQUERADE (directed by Sean San Jose), and her role as ‘Moses’ in T1’s latest production of THE FARM (written by Jon Tracy & directed by Elena Wright + Michael Torres).Solèy is currently represented by Stars The Agency.
www.dezisoley.com
Kristoffer Barrera / Sound
Kristoffer Barrera set foot on his theatrical journey at Laney College in Oakland as a generation one Fusion Theater member. He has collaborated on and off stage with many East Bay and SF theater companies and is honored to throw down as TheatreFIRST’s production manager and resident sound designer for another exciting season.
Miyuki Bierlein / Costume
Miyuki Bierlein has been designing in the Bay Area since 2008. Past collaborations include productions with Crowded Fire Theater, SF Playhouse, Impact Theatre, Golden Thread Productions, and most recently, Shotgun Players’ Blasted. She is honored and excited to be a resident designer for T1’s current season.Teddy Hulsker / Video
Teddy Hulsker / Video
Stephanie Anne Johnson / Light
I am a second-generation theater practitioner who has been a lighting designer working locally, nationally, and internationally for over forty years. Locally, I have worked with Cultural Odyssey, Afro Solo, Ubuntu Theatre, and many other groups. My mixed media art work was exhibited in two one-person shows in San Francisco. I have written and performed a one-person show entitled Every Twenty-One Days: Cancer, Yoga, and Me.In the realm of education, I am a professor and founding faculty member of the Visual and Public Art Department at Cal State University, Monterey Bay. I serve on TheatreFirst’s Board of Directors and The Farm is my third production here. Recently I was nominated for a Theatre Bay Area (TBA) award for the lighting design for HeLa which was produced at TheatreFirst.
My work can be seen online at www.lightessencedesign.com.
Ting Na Wang / Props
Ting Na is a Taiwanese-native scenic designer, painter and props designer who has worked in the Bay Area since 2013. She is delighted to work on her debut show at Theatre First! Her recent credits on props design include The Bitter Earth, Sordid Lives, Leaving the Blues and Casa Valentina with New Conservator