Coconut Grove Theater Festival
The Inaugural Annual Coconut Grove Theatre Festival
Cast & Crew Bios
Liberty City Vignettes
Thursday, May 8 | 7:30 PM
Written by Lolita Stewart-White | Directed by Hattie Mae Williams
Playwright
Lolita Stewart-White
Poet, playwright, filmmaker, and educator, Lolita Stewart-White lives and works in Miami. She was a member of the inaugural cohort of City Theatre’s “Homegrown,” a playwright development program supporting local BIPOC voices. Her play 7 premiered in Summer Shorts at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. Stewart-White was awarded a Cave Canem Faculty & Fellow Fund Project grant to develop her play-in-verse, Liberty City Vignettes. The Miami Light
Project supported Liberty City Vignettes by providing creative space for the development
sessions.
Stewart-White is the author of black frag/ments, winner of Hub City Press’s inaugural BIPOC Poetry Series, selected by Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones. The collection explores the
fragmentation of the black body, family, and community facilitated by the historically racist US healthcare system. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Callaloo, Prairie Schooner, African American Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, Iowa Review, and the Black poetry anthology, “This is the Honey” (Little, Brown/Hatchette, 2024).
Stewart-White won the Paris American Readers Series Prize and gave a reading in New York City. Her poem ‘Fugitivity’ was also selected by Sonia Sanchez as a finalist for the Boston Review’s Annual Contest. In addition, she was a finalist for the CAAPP Book Prize and Chad Walsh Chapbook Series. She’s received residencies from Cave Canem, Callaloo’s Writer’s Workshop, Watering Hole, and Sundance Screenwriters Intensive. Stewart-White is the recipient of a South Florida Cultural Consortium fellowship, a Barbara Deming Memorial Fund award, and a Miami Individual Artist grant.
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Director
Hattie Mae Williams
Hattie Mae Williams is a Mother and interdisciplinary artist constantly re-remembering her wild and authentic self as a form of artistic liberation and magical manifestation, for the sake of her family’s survival. Hattie Mae was born and raised in Miami Dade and has had the pleasure of escaping the Miami swamp for fifteen years to New York City where she received her BFA from The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater /Fordham University, her Masters from Goddard University in Interdisciplinary Arts, and created a site specific focused dance company The Tattooed Ballerinas 2003-2014. Her practice looks at Sites Specific Consciousness (a term she conceived & a distinction from site specific) as a component of her work’s totality. Hattie Mae has linked interrelationships between the Mind, Body, and Spirit as part of her philosophy when creating offerings. Hattie Mae’s studies and community collaborations are inspired by embodied experiences, art as political, disrupting the mundane, and African Diaspora folklore and spirituality. She has also stepped into the role of Movement Director for full length films in L.A and theater productions at the Actors Theater of Louisville (Brownsville Song), also in London, Washington D.C, and New York for theater productions (It Goes Unsaid). Hattie has also taught in various Universities such as Alvin Ailey, Nova, Barry University, and Miami Dade Kendall Campus. Her work has traveled nationally and internationally to Holland, Italy, London, Los Angeles, New York, Kentucky and Miami. Williams is full of gratitude to have danced professionally with The Kevin Wynn Collection, The Francesca Harper Project, Joanna Mendel Shaw 'Equus dancing with horses project.’ Edisa Weeks, and Nickelodeon. Hattie’s direction and quest is towards discovering new ways to document, film, and create oral histories that preserve social and political moments in this lifetime.
Liberty City Red
​Evelaure Denis
Evelaure Denis is a talented actress and singer born in Haiti and currently based in South Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New World School of the Arts/University of Florida, where she performed in several productions, including Lucky Stiff(Rita), On the Town(Flossie's friend), Ragtime(ensemble), and many more. She later branched out of school to take on roles in shows such as Why Mosquitos Buzz(Rabbit) and lead/supporting roles in Heroes in My House for Fantasy Theatre Factory. Her favorite role is Saida in Oskuneru which recently closed in February. She loves to play characters with great depth and emotional resonance. She is grateful to be part of this production and has enjoyed watching the play evolve. She hopes its message and history inspire people to recognize the need for change in laws that divide us.
Tarell Jr./Antoine
David H. Hepburn
David H. Hepburn is an Actor,Improvisor and Freestyle Rapper who fuses Film, Improv & Theater with bold range, rhythm, and unforgettable energy that’s both memorable and infectious.
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Grandma Luella Clark
​Deana Butler Rahming
Deana Butler-Rahming a native of Miami, has been a Music Teacher with the Dade County Public Schools for thirty-one years and is currently teaching at Palm Springs Elementary. She is the wife of Bishop Gus Rahming and the proud mother of Alexia Porter. Deana is a powerhouse singer, and her accolades includes performances with several gospel greats such as Yolanda Adams, Leandra Johnson, The late Betty Wright just to name a few! In addition to her music career, she is also an actress and has worked with playwrights/directors Michael Matthews, Phillip Michael Thomas, Sonya Welch, and many local playwrights. Deana was named Best Supporting Actress in the play Clozet Confession written, driected and produced by Renza Yarbrough-Bing. Deana has recorded and released her second single “God’s Got a Blessing” which is been well received around the world. Deana performed in the production of Nina Simone in the year of 2017 and the show is being requested even the more and is being perforned in 2025. Deana's most recent production she starred in was CROWNS that was held at the MAHCA written by Regina Taylor. She was recently nominated for the Prazye Factor Awards Urban Solo Artist of the Year, Rhythm & Praise Solo Artist of the Year and Florida Gospel Music Awards Female Artist of the Year.
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Deana’s Motto is “Dreams delayed are never denied”!!!
Tarell Sr. (Jolly Rancher)
Randy Coleman
Hello! My name is Randy Coleman. I'm originally from Greenville,Ms and i began acting there at the age of ten. When I moved to Fort Lauderdale at the age of 14 acting was put aside, especially, when your a young kid trying to fit in a new environment. But. Lately I've back on track and has graced many stages with the works of "Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew" Tarell Alvin McCraneys "The Brothers Size" and Lynn Nottage "Clyde's:... In my personal time i enjoy fine dining and family time.
Shevon Bethune (Yale)
​Nikki Floyd
Nikki is absolutely thrilled to be part of this production at the historic Coconut Grove Theater. A lifelong performing artist, she fell in love with the stage many years ago and remains a devoted student of the craft. Intrigued by how each story unfolds, she finds deep joy in bringing characters to life and connecting with audiences. Grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented cast and crew, Nikki is excited to continue growing as an artist and storyteller. Thank you for supporting live theater!
La-La Simmons
Brette-Raia Curah
Brette-Raia Curah, is a West Indian artist from Florida. She is grateful and excited to work with Lolita and this talented cast! Recent credits include Hero: The Boy from Troy Nat’l Tour, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical NCL. Love to Mumma and Pupa. Jah Bless.
Starshemma Clarke
Arsimmer McCoy
Arsimmer McCoy is a poet and cultural worker from Richmond Heights, now living and creating in Carol City, Florida. Her work explores memory, place, and the richness of everyday Black life in South Florida. A 2022 AIRIE Fellow and recipient of the 2024 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Poetry Award, McCoy’s writing has appeared in RootWork Journal, Mixed Mag, and Creatures Mag. She has performed at the Adrienne Arsht Center and the Venice Biennale. Through poetry, she archives community truths, uplifts overlooked narratives, and transforms language into a tool for care, resistance, and cultural preservation.
Local Luminary
Irvans Augustin
Irvans Augustin is a connector, creative strategist, and champion of community-driven change and small businesses. As a founding partner at Urban Impact Lab, Irvans works at the intersection of culture, innovation, and place based solutions—designing experiences and initiatives that uplift local voices and create lasting impact.
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A proud Haitian-American father with deep roots in several Miami neighborhoods, Irvans believes in the power of storytelling to bring people together, spark dialogue, and reimagine what’s possible.
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He’s honored to be part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival—a celebration of performance, place, and the vibrant spirit of this historic community.
Humanization
Friday, May 9 | 5:30 PM
Written by Michael Yawney | Directed by Maha McCain
Playwright
Michael Yawney
Michael Yawney is a Miami-based director/playwright. His play Humanization was developed and given public readings by The Playwrights Center and Miami-Dade’s Playwright Development Program. Recently, he directed a double bill of Brecht/Weill’s Lindberg’s Flight and Blitzstein’s Airborne Symphony for Orchestra Miami as well as Macbeth and Hamlet for Gablestage’s Shakespeare-in-the-Schools. He directed Rudi Goblen’s FITO for the Live Arts Bard Biennial and PET at Miami Light Project, YoungArts, and #305ONEFEST. Yawney’s production of Heather Woodbury’s 12-hour stand-up novel As the Globe Warms was seen at Austin’s Vortex Rep and L.A.’s Redcat. With Brandon Urutia, he co-created the streaming production Intimite/Internet for GableStage. Yawney wrote and directed Exile Jesus Starbucks for Miami Light Project’s Here & Now. He also adapted and directed the Bulgarian play, The Spider for Alternative Theater Festival. His play 1,000 Homosexuals premiered at the Arsht Center. His gloss on Kid Ends Play will appeared in the most recent issue of Imagined Theatre. Yawney is the founding Artistic Director of Florida International University’s play development program The Greenhouse. He has a BFA from the Experimental Theater Wing of New York University and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University. He is a faculty member of Florida International University.
Director
Maha McCain
Maha McCain is an Assistant Professor and Director with the University of Miami’s Department of Theatre Arts. Professional acting and directing credits include Off Broadway, Universal Television, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Arca Images (with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz), City Theatre Miami, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Redhouse Arts Center, New City Players, Adrienne Arsht Center’s Theatre Up Close, FAU’s Theatre Lab, Mad Cat Theatre Company, Just the Funny Improv, and more. She was the Artistic Director for UM’s Summer Theatre Academy for over a decade, worked as a Communications Expert within UM’s School of Law, and often teaches improvisation with NDavid William’s Music Theatre Summer Intensive in Italy. McCain has served as an executive member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Acting Focus Group and regularly presents research at their national conference. She also works as part of Digital Theatre+’s Higher Education Advisory Board, where she writes and curates content for their study units. A Carbonell nominated actor, McCain is a member of AEA and an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Father Chris
Seth Trucks
South Florida acting credits include: With Theatre Lab: One: Doug/Kelley (What’s Best For the Children), City Theatre: Legionnare (What the Constitution Means To Me). With Actors Playhouse: Michel (Murder On the Orient Express), Phil (On Your Feet). With Zoetic Stage: Michal (The Pillowman), Ensemble (Frankenstein), Voice 3 (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime). With New City Players: Macbeth (Macbeth), Larry (Little Montgomery). With Thinking Cap Theatre: Edgar (King Lear). With Outré Theatre: Ned Weeks (The Normal Heart), Winston Smith (1984), Rodrigo (Othello). With Evening Star: Estragon (Waiting for Godot), Inspector Pratt (Murdered to Death). With Florida Shakespeare Theatre: Hamlet (Hamlet), With ArtBuzz Theatrics: Horst (Bent).
Beth
Melissa Ann Hubicsak
Melissa Ann Hubicsak is a proud first generation Cuban American Actor/Creatrix. She is thrilled to be performing in this inaugural festival at the historic Women’s Club of Coconut Grove! Recent credits: Sweet 15: Que Quinceañera (Najera Entertainment), Taming of the Shrew (Broward Center/Thinking Cap Theatre) starring in both Richard Blanco & Vanessa Garcia’s Miami premiere of Sweet Goats & Blueberry Senoritas (Actors’ Playhouse) and as Karen in upcoming television series Hypersonic. Melissa earned a Carbonell Award nomination for her portrayal of Annie in Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Ronnie Larsen Presents/Women Of Wilton). Other credits: The Busy Bees Great Adventure (Adrienne Arsht Center) Edna in the hit immersive theatrical sensation, The Amparo Experience (Broadway Factor/Bacardi). Principle in Sedanos Holiday and Zelle Commercials (NBC Universal) IG: @SriMahimaDevi
Angela
Karen Stephens*
Karen Stephens is a long-time member of the South Florida theatre community. She most recently appeared in Zoetic Stage's, POTUS, Pigs Do Fly's, THE LONG WEEKEND, and Thinking Cap Theatre's TAMING OF THE SHREW, playing both Kate and Petruchio. Prior to that she appeared in the premiere of The CANCELLATION of LAUREN FEIN at Palm Beach Dramaworks and Zoetic Stage's CLYDE'S. Karen has many favorites at many SoFla theatres, including Zoetic Stage's S. Florida premiere of AMERICAN SON, Winnie in Thinking Cap Theatre's HAPPY DAYS, and Dorothy's Dictionary at Theatre Lab. A multiple Caarbonell nominee, she was awarded the Best Actress award for Zoetic Stage's, FEAR UP HARSH and is also the recipient of multiple Silver Palm Awards. She is a long-time member of Actor's Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Monsignor Gilly
Rick Prada
Rick is happy to be appearing as Monsiginor Gilly in “Humanization.” Locally he performed in POW in the Park’s production of “A Funny Thing…Forum” as Senex; LPAC’s production of “42nd Street” as Bert Barry; PPTOPA’s productions of “12 Angry Men” as Juror Number 4 and “Cabaret” as Ernst Ludwig; Empire Stage’s production of “The Dead Boy” as the Cardinal; JCAT’s production of “A Class Act” as Alessi; and Delray Beach Playhouse’s production of “1940’s Radio Hour” as Clifton. Rick would like to thank Gian for his continued support and encouragement.
Local Luminary
Victor M. Santiago
Victor Santiago was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and studied Literature at Florida International University. He can be found performing his poetry wherever microphones are available. As a theater lover, he is thrilled and honored to be participating in the inaugural Coconut Grove Theater Festival.
A Shiva for Joseph: Day Two
Friday, May 9 | 8:30 PM
Written by Brandon Urrutia | Directed by Charisma Jolly
Playwright
Brandon Urrutia
Brandon Urrutia (they/them/él) is from South Florida (born and raised). Their work is influenced by their relation to the Hispanic community and their desire to feel closer to it. Urrutia is the recipient of the ENGAGE@GableStage grant and was awarded "As Miamense as Possible" by the Antiheroes Project for his Solo Performance "Lo Siento mi Espanol es Tremendo Mal". They are also Co-Founder and Artistic Director of LakehouseRanchDotPNG. They graduated from Florida International University with a BFA in Theatre in 2020.
Director
Charisma Jolly
Charisma Jolly has received a BFA in performance and BA in psychology from FIU. She has worked both in the stage and off with lighting, assistant stage managing, writing, and directing Her credits include Green Bird, Everybody, Necessary Targets, Macbeth, Gay Cowboys, Enter Grapefruit, rabbit, Four Coloring, and 1000 Miles. She has worked with established companies such as New City Players and up and coming companies such as lakehouseranchdotpng and 11th Hour Productions. She now teaches theatre at her Alma mater and instills the love of theatre into her students,
Mary
Taylor Lyn Dawson
Taylor Lyn Dawson is an actor, singer, and producer, recently relocated to Miami from New York City. Her recent stage credits include the world premiere of Current World Record by Brandon Urrutia at The Tank, and For Sale By Owner by Sam Turlington, which earned first place at The Fresh Fruit Festival’s 10-Minute Play Competition. As a producer, she has collaborated with Uncle Mike Productions on two theatrical projects. Notable past roles include Audrey in As You Like It and Velveteen in The Velveteen Rabbit.
Joshua
Kyran Wright
Kyran found his love for theatre in the 7th grade and has been acting ever since. After taking a short break to spend time with his beautiful baby girl he is excited to be back in the game. He is thankful for the Miami theater community and happy to be a part of it again.
Jochim
Jeff Burleson
Originally from North Dakota, Jeff Burleson has performed throughout the Central Plains, from Minneapolis to Albuquerque. He has several regional credits in Texas, including multiple shows at Circle Theatre, Theatre3, and Uptown Players. Most recently, he appeared at the Arsht Center with City Theatre in their December show, Black Santa by Aaron Mays. Favorite roles include Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Tom in Fat Pig. He lives in Miami with his wife and their dog, Enzo, and he occasionally updates his website: jeff-burleson.com. Love to Olivia, yblc.
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Anne
​Beverly Blanchette
Blanchette is thrilled to be involved in this project as a homegrown Miamian who and longtime fan of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. She's been seen on the stages of Gablestage, Thinking Cap Theatre, The Foundry, Empire Stage, West Boca Theatre Co, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Delray Beach Playhouse, Theatre Lab, and Florida Stage. No stranger to the screen, she will be seen in the soon-to-be-released feature film "Twinkle Twinkle" by Harmony Korine. She has a long resume of experience in film/tv/commercials/music videos/new media. A preminent theatre educator and acting coach, she ran the Theatre Program at the AW Dreyfoos School of the Arts for twenty years. Find her at Blanchettedirections.com.
Jacob
David Kwiat*
GableStage: Native Gardens (Carbonell Award for Best Actor), Wiesenthal, The Children, Indecent, Ruined, QED (Carbonell Award Best Actor), (Carbonell Award Best Supporting Actor). Palm Beach Dramaworks: Twelve Angry Men, The People Downstairs and Ordinary Americans (Carbonell Award, Best Supporting Actor). Zoetic Stage: The Caretaker (Carbonell Award Best Actor), Passion, Detroit and The Great God Pan. He performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and the King’s Head Theater in London with his one-person show John Barrymore: Confessions of an Actor. For three decades David was a professor in the Theater Division of New World School of the Arts in Miami.
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Elizabeth
Anastasiia Perevozova
Anastasiia was born and raised in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. She is a proud alumnus of the LACC Theater Academy. She has multiple KCACTF nominations and is a "Best Actress" Winner at the Florence Film Awards, 2020.
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Recently seen in "A Christmas in Ochopee", "After Mountains", "Freestyle", as well as an immersive theater play "G7: 2070". Other stage work includes "Platonov" with Theatre Movement Bazaar, "Crocodile Seeking Refuge", "Pride and Prejudice", "The Normal Heart" with The Theatre Academy. You can also see her in a sci-fi mini-series "Outside", which she created and produced.
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Anastasiia is striving to keep working with people around the globe for the purposes of great storytelling. She sends many thanks to her professors for shaping her as a professional artist, as well as family and friends for believing in her.
Zachariah
Ivan R. Lopez
Ivan R. Lopez is a Miami-based theatre artist, educator, and writer whose work explores vulnerability, connection, and the transformative power of story. He has performed and directed across the U.S. and currently serves as Associate Teaching Professor of Theatre at Florida International University. Locally, he has collaborated with City Theatre, Abre Camino Collective, O, Miami Poetry Festival, Microteatro, Orchestra Miami, and White Rose Miami, among others. He is also a current member of Miami-Dade County’s Playwright Development Program. Whether on stage or in the classroom, Ivan’s work centers on humanity, emotional depth, and bold storytelling that resonates. www.ivanrlopez.com
John
Ariel Cipolla
Ariel Cipolla (@arielonset) is a Mexican-Argentine theatre artist dedicated to increasing theatre accessibility for audiences often excluded by cost or lack of representation. Based in Miami, his work celebrates Latino voices and invites complex conversations. His play No Puedo, I’m Sorry was an O’Neill NPC semifinalist, and So You Think You Can Stay? was a Dramaworks Perlberg Festival finalist. Beyond playwriting, Ariel is a community collaborator dedicated to uplifting South Florida artists, working on immersive productions with Abre Camino Collective and serving as the Managing Director of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival. A City Theatre Homegrown Playwright and Daniel J. Sullivan Playwright-in-Residence, he holds degrees in Broadcast Media and Creative Writing from FIU.
Local Luminary
Lucy Lopez
For more than 20 years, Lucy Lopez has been hailed as the Voice of Miami. From South Florida commutes with your favorite pop songs to dishing about the latest celebrity gossip, current events, entertainment, and family fun Lucy is a trusted, award-winning media personality and beloved commentator among the diverse Latinx audience.
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In 2021, Lucy created a space where fans could hear and interact more with her. Enter the Mamacita Rica Podcast - An authentic exploration of current events and engaging topics. She blends her unique viewpoint as both a media personality and a mother, delving into discussions with a diverse range of guests, including cultural icons, community leaders, experts, and friends from Miami and beyond.
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Lucy Lopez also serves as a writer, producer, and host, contributing to AURN that reaches over 25 million listeners weekly with diverse programming . She co-hosts Slate's Care & Feeding podcast, where she offers advice on parenting children from toddlers to teens.
The Death of Kings: An Encyclopedia
Saturday, April 10 | 2:30 PM
Written by Vanessa Garcia | Directed by Victoria Collado
Playwright
Vanessa Garcia
Vanessa Garcia is a Cuban-American multidisciplinary writer -- screenwriter, playwright, novelist, and journalist/essayist -- who has written and worked for Sesame Street, where she’s been nominated for an Emmy (Monster Meditation), and won two Telly Awards (Tamir On the Street). She’s also worked on Caillou; Behind the Beats (a French animated show about the history of music), and other shows.
She’s the author of the novel, White Light, which won an International Latino Book Award and was one of NPRs best books of 2015. Her first Picture Book for children, What the Bread Says, launched October 1, 2022.
Theatrically, she’s the author of The Amparo Experience, an immersive hit that People en Español called “Miami’s Hottest Ticket.” Other plays include: Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas, which she co-wrote with Obama’s Inaugural poet, Richard Blanco; #Graced about a woman searching for what it means to be American right now, which premiered at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and Jenna & The Whale, about a town in Florida facing the suicide of a young man, which premiered at Ground Floor Theatre in Austin, Tx in 2023.
Her journalism, essays and thought pieces have appeared in The LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, National Review, ESPN, The Hill, Catapult, Narrativel.ly, and numerous other publications.
Vanessa hosts a podcast about family with her sister and mother called Never The Empty Nest, and she holds a PhD from the University of California Irvine in Creative Nonfiction. Her dissertation focused on Cuba.
Director
Victoria Collado
Victoria Collado is a Cuban-American director known for her dynamic storytelling in both theatre and film. She was named Best Director of 2020 by Miami New Times for her work on The Amparo Experience, a hit immersive theatre piece that ran for eight months and was named “Miami’s Hottest Ticket” by People en Español. She also directed the Anthem Award-winning digital piece Black Feminist Video Game by Darrel Alejandro Holnes and received the 2023 Carbonell Award for Outstanding Direction for her production of Native Gardens.
Victoria is currently in post-production on Miami Magic, her first commissioned film by Miami Film Lab, and has directed the social media version of The Amparo Experience, which was an honoree at the 2021 Webby Awards. She has worked with notable companies like Repertorio Español, GableStage, WP Theatre, and Miami New Drama. Her production of El Burlador de Sevilla won multiple ACE Award nominations.
As an assistant director to Tony Taccone on Latin History For Morons by John Leguizamo on Broadway, Victoria gained invaluable experience. She is also the founder of Abre Camino Collective, a production company that creates concerts, events, films, and exhibitions.
A proud alumna of Florida International University, Victoria is a former Van Lier Directing Fellow with Repertorio Español and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). She has taught at Marymount Manhattan College and directed at various institutions, including her alma mater.
White Harlequin
Nadezhda Amé
Nadezhda is a classically trained, multi-hyphenated actress and artist, born and raised in Miami, FL. After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and working as an actress in both NYC and LA, Nadezhda has returned to her hometown with an eagerness to support authentic artistry in the 305. A born-performer, Nadezhda prides herself in walking up to the TV at 3 years old and trying to climb in.
Black Harlequin
Therese Adelina
Therese Adelina is thrilled to be a part of the Coconut Grove Play Festival. She was just seen playing Natalie Portman in Thinking Cap Theatre’s “All the Natalie Portmans”, as well as selling homes in this very Coconut Grove with Juggernaut Theatre’s Miami Bus Stop Stories: Tropical Dreams! Other credits include: City Theatre’s Summer Shorts 2024 at the Arsht Center, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, and Stuart Little at Actors Playhouse. Therese was recently featured as a ‘hidden gem’ in VoyageMIA’s “Inspiring Stories” series, and you can be on the lookout for her performance in the feature film Twinkle Twinkle, directed by Harmony Korine. Her voice has been used in over a dozen movies & cartoons. Therese feels reenergized after singing for toddlers in her day job, making films with her boyfriend Brandon, and drinking cafe bustelo.
Jupiter Dust
Randy Garcia
Randy García is a first-generation Cuban-American born and raised in this Magic City. He considers himself honored and privileged to be working as an artist in this vibrant community alongside some of Miami’s finest. The majority of Randy’s appearances have come via the world of local theatre, but he continues to pursue music, voice-over work, commercial and character acting, as well as sketch comedy and improv. His favorite pastimes? Why, spending quality time with loved ones, eating, laughing, playing, and traveling. Randy feels extremely grateful and excited to be a part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival…and he hopes that you do too! Enjoy the festival!
Local Luminary
Nicole Tallman
Nicole Tallman serves as the official Poetry Ambassador for Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a position she has held since April 2021. In this role, Nicole created the County's very-first Poet Laureate program and works alongside the Poet Laureate to celebrate and elevate poetry and poets, connect community, and promote literacy and learning. Nicole is the author of four poetry collections, including her latest, Dolce Vita/Let There Be a Little Light. She also serves as Editor of Redacted Books and Poetry Editor for South Florida Poetry Journal and The Blue Mountain Review. Find her on social media @natallman.
The Queer Séance at #3 Sutton Place
Saturday, April 10 | 5:30 PM
Written by Hannah Benitez | Directed by Amy Coker
Playwright
Hannah Benitez
Benitez is a screenwriter, playwright and fiction writer, who got her start as an actor/musician in over 20 AEA productions, including the original casts of Here There Are Bluberries by Moisés Kaufman/Tectonic Theater Project and White Fang by Jethro Compton. Her produced plays include: GringoLandia (Zoetic Stage), Adaptive Radiation (Denizen Theatre, American Academy for the Dramatic Arts and Clarence Brown Theatre), Ashe In Johannesburg (Burning Coal Theatre), Dike (New York Theater Workshop 29-hours reading, Urbanite Theatre and Hofstra University), For Closure! (freeFall Theater, [upcoming]). Dike, the prelude play to Saint Brigid, was originally developed for The New York Theatre Workshop’s 2050 Fellow Tatiana Pandiani culminating project. Benitez made the Kilroy’s List with her bilingual play, GringoLandia. She is a finalist for American Shakespeare Center’s Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries Prize with her comedic adaptation of Henry 6 titled, The 6th, Or, The Patriots. She's had workshops and readings with The Playwrights’ Center, Artists’ Repertory Theater, The Maltz Jupiter Theater and others. She was most recently in the writers’ room for the new limited series, La Joconde, directed by Jodie Foster, which you’ll see streaming soon! She’s written for Universal Television and for NBC. She was featured in American Theatre Magazine 6 Theatre Workers You Should Know. Still in recovery from the WGA Strike, consider supporting her career direct via venmo @hannahbenitez. Represented by WME (Bash Naran) for film/tv and managed by Michael Claassen (Writ Large).
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Director
Amy Coker
Amy Coker (Director) is thrilled to be a part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Fest! Amy is an actor, director, and literature teacher in South Florida. She has worked with William Hector in varying capacities, most recently as the Associate Director for the inaugural production of G7. As a regional director, Amy has worked with Miami New Drama, Mad Cat Theatre Company, Miami’s Playwright Development Project, the One-Minute Play Festival, various staged readings with the South Florida Theatre League, the Ft. Lauderdale Fringe Festival, and MicroTheater Miami. Notable acting roles include Tar Beach at Theatre Lab, Miami Motel Stories with Juggerknot Theatre Company, and Measure for Measure with the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival. For 3 years, she served as the Literary and Programs Manager at City Theatre. She is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she studied Shakespeare, Modern Drama, and British Literature.
Bo
Alberto L. Blanco
Alberto L Blanco is from Miami, Florida. Graduate of FSU Music Theatre.
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Tour/Regional Credits: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Young Max), Rent (Angel), In the Heights (Sonny), Chicago (Mary Sunshine), HMS Pinafore (Sailor), Jersey Boys (Pesci/Frankie US), Fidelio (Tenor Soloist).
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Thank you for coming and supporting the festival! Bendicion.
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@alberto.sings
Anne Morgan
Sara Grant
Sara holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts. Select credits include: Fiddler on the Roof (Yente/Fruma Sarah), Cabaret (Fraulein Kost/Frenchie) with Zoetic Stage, Macbeth: A Conjuration (Lady Macbeth) with RTP, Barefoot in the Park (Corie), Something Rotten (Bea - Carbonell Nomination) with PPTOPA, Tracy Jones (Jillie) with Island City Stage, Fefu and Her Friends (Emma) with Thinking Cap Theatre, As You Like It (Celia), King Lear (Cordelia/Fool), Twelfth Night (Viola), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania - 2021; Puck - 2020), with Palm Bach Shakespeare, Oleanna (Carol), The Last 5 Years (Cathy) with Evening Star Productions. @_saragrant_
Bessie
Amanda Ortega
Amanda Ortega is an actress and playwright from South Florida. Amanda received her BFA in Acting from FIU and now works within Philanthropic Mentorship. Amanda is so excited to be part of the incredible ensamble for The Coconut Grove Theatre Festival!
Rothco
Alex Alvarez*
Alex Alvarez is thrilled to be participating in the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival. He was last seen onstage in Summer Shorts: Flipping the Script with City Theatre. As an actor, he has worked with City Theatre, Gablestage, Zoetic Stage, Theatre Lab, Juggernaut Theatre Company, West Boca Theatre, Island City Stage, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Thinking Cap Theatre, New Theatre, Promethean, and Arca Images. Alex is Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University and a voice over artist at The Kitchen. He is a Carbonell and Silver Palm award winner, and a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Rothco
Robert Fritz
Robert Fritz is honored to contribute to theatre in the Grove! Favorite credits include Miami Motel Stories with Juggerknot Theatre Company, The Producers (Leo) at the Delray Beach Playhouse, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Linus) and Peter and the Starcatcher (Prentiss) with Slow Burn Theatre Company, Avenue Q (Bad Idea Bear) with MNM Theatre Company, Macbeth (Donalbain) and Twelfth Night (Orsino) with New City Players, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Bud Frump) with Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Robert is a speech pathologist and voice specialist with University of Miami. He is grateful, always, to Amy.
Narrator
Sandi Stock
Sandi Stock (they/she) is a multi-hyphenate creator who has been working as a professional theatre artist for nearly 15 years. They are best known on South Florida stages for performances in the Miami Motel Stories series and the Drama League Award-winning production of 7 Deadly Sins at Miami New Drama, as well as productions at the Arsht Center, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Slow Burn, Island City Stage, and more. Directing and working with the next generation of artists is a special passion of theirs. You may also find them writing and developing new theatrical works, dancing with Karen Peterson Dancers, and making music under the moniker Not Stock. www.hellosandi.com @sandistock
Local Luminary
Pioneer Winter
Pioneer Winter (he/they) is a Miami-based choreographer and artistic director of Pioneer Winter Collective, an intergenerational and physically integrated dance-theater company, rooted in social practice and community, queer excellence, and beauty beyond the mainstream. Recognized in Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch and a Knight Arts Champion, Pioneer’s work democratizes performance in public spaces, museums and galleries, stage, and film. Selected commissions include Miami Theater Center, Karen Peterson & Dancers, Tigertail Productions, Jacksonville Dance Theatre, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bang On A Can! Productions, the Miami Light Project, Carolina Theatre of Durham, and O, Miami Poetry Festival. Pioneer’s work is supported by the Andrew Mellon Foundation, Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Creative Capital, Alternate ROOTS, National Performance Network. Pioneer is also a proud alumnus of Maven Leadership Collective’s 2022 cohort. An extension of his creative practice, Pioneer has curated and directed ScreenDance Miami Festival since 2017, presented by Miami Light Project; Pioneer’s own films screen internationally. Pioneer's choreography and writing have been published in Artists on Creative Administration (2024, The University of Akron Press and NCCAkron), Screendance from Film to Festival: Celebration and Curatorial Practice (2022, by Cara Hagan), and the quarterly journal Stance on Dance.
Headshot photo credit: Chantal Lawrie
Turbo Hybrid
Saturday, May 10 | 8:30 PM
Written by William Hector | Directed by Gladys Ramírez
Playwright
William Hector
William Hector is a Miami-born playwright, novelist and Grove lifer. Graduating from the University of Miami in 2015 with dual degrees in Playwriting and Politics, Philosophy & Economics, William was one of four playwrights chosen to participate in Miami Dade County's 2015-17 Playwright Development Program. In January of 2019, the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano selected his play Unbound for performance in their ShowOff! International Playwrighting Festival. He has collaborated with partners including The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, Meetinghouse Miami, The Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden, The Deering Estate, WLRN and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs on productions of some his plays including Sheol, Draco, The Monster with 21 Faces, and The Kipling Backpack Thief. His most recent production was G7: 2070, a Knight Foundation New Work Miami winning project, wherein audience members were invited to become delegates and join the dignitaries of the seven most powerful nations of the future in a sold-out immersive theatrical summit. Mr. Hector is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild.
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Director
Gladys Ramírez
Gladys Ramírez is a performer, director, and producer specializing in site-specific and immersive theater, full-venue experiential events, pop-up shows, and full-length plays that engage and reflect the South Florida community. She currently directs Royal Railway, an immersive dining theater experience for Royal Caribbean, and has served as Executive Director of Miami’s City Theatre since 2022. Previously, she produced Art After Dark and managed virtual programming as Director of Audience Engagement at the Norton Museum of Art and developed community partnerships at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. As Artistic Director of The Project Theatre, she produced original, immersive, and site-specific productions. Gladys holds a B.F.A. in Theater from Miami’s New World School of the Arts.
Miles Carmine
Alex Martinez
Alex Martinez is thrilled to be performing in the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival. Recent work includes “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” (Willow Theatre), “Fiddler on the Roof” (Wick Theatre), and School of Rock (Lake Worth Playhouse). Thank you for supporting new work!
Anna Scholl
Isidora Ulloa
Isidora Ulloa is a Miami-based actress, drama teacher, and proud FIU Theatre grad. Favorite roles include Carla in In The Heights (Adrienne Arsht Center) and Gillian in 37 Postcards (Main Street Players). She received an Irene Ryan Best Actress Nomination at the KCACTF Region 4 Festival and appeared in LakehouseRanchDotPNG’s DotPDF Series during their Summer 2024 season, featuring new work by playwrights nationwide. When not onstage, she’s wrangling middle and high schoolers or vanishing during school production tech weeks. Thanks to her family, friends, and especially Nick for their endless support.
Mustafa Hassan
Jarryd Arden
Jarryd is a graduate of CalArts. He is an artist/entrepreneur whose love for acting began in his homeland of Antigua. This is his second time working with writer William Hector. He would like to express his gratitude to his friends and family for their love and support and would like to thank all those involved for making this a rewarding experience.
Mateo Crespi
Kristian Bikic
Kristian Bikic is a Miami native who is STOKED to be a part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival. He has worked on stages from the East Coast all the way to the West Coast. He was last seen in Miami New Drama's production of 'THE LINCOLN ROAD HUSTLE' as the rambunctious sk8er dude CARDIO. Before that, he was cooking it up in the kitchen as the damaged JASON in Zoetic Stage @ The ARSHT Center's production of 'CLYDE'S.' Silver Palm Award Winner, Astor Award Winner, Bouncing Betty Award Winner, and three time Carbonell Nominee. Bring back The Old Grove!
Claude Müller
Gage Callenius
Gage Callenius made is theatre debut with FAU TheatreLab last October, in “The Last Yiddish Speaker”. He is incredibly grateful to be a part of this production now. “Im afraid of alligators!”
Lucrezia Lombardi
Elizabeth Price*
Elizabeth is an actor, director, writer, and producer based in South Florida. She has her MFA in Acting from Florida Atlantic University and has received Silver Palm Awards, a Big Easy Award, and Carbonell Award nominations for her acting and directing. Recent roles: Heidi Schreck in What the Constitution Means to Me (City Theatre), Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (New City Players), Harriet in POTUS (Zoetic), Annie Wilkes in Misery (Empire Stage), President of the Disney Nation in G7: 2070, Georgie in Sweet Goats and Blueberry Senoritas (Actors’ Playhouse), Two in What’s Best for the Children (Theatre Lab).
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Local Luminary
Peter Mir
Peter Mir is the founder and Artistic Director of Villain Theater, a comedy theater and actor training center in Little Haiti. Villain Theater celebrates its 10 year anniversary this August. Peter has had the privilege of producing and performing in hundreds of shows as well as training hundreds of Miami's newest theater artists with Villain Theater. Peter would like to thank William and Gladys for inviting him to be a part of "Turbo Hybrid," and is honored to be a part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival as a local luminary.
When the Sea Wall Cracks
Sunday, April 11 | 4:30 PM
Written by Alejandro Rodríguez | Directed by Karina Batchelor-Gómez
Playwright
Alejandro Rodriguez
Alejandro Rodriguez is a Cuban-American theater artist from the planet of Miami. His first evening-length work, Sorry, enjoyed two sold-out runs at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in New York. His next show, In My Body, a collaboration with the Canadian street dance company, Bboyizm, is currently on tour across North and South America and was the recipient of four Dora Awards in 2022. His most recent play, Alba, was a 2024 Finalist for the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference and is set to be produced by Teatro Chelsea in Fall 2024.
Alejandro has been the recipient of multiple residencies through Mesa Refuge, Miami Light Project, SPACE at Ryder Farm, Makehouse and the Center for Innovation in the Arts at Juilliard. In 2023, he was Artist in Residence for the Florida Everglades National Park, and in 2024 he was named a Core Writer at the Playwrights Center. He’s lectured at multiple colleges and has carried an adjunct professorship in the CUNY school system. Directing credits include Letters from Cuba and Anna in the Tropics for The Acting Company, Wilder & Wilder for PlayMakers Repertory Company, and the Broadway-bound A Wonderful World (Associate), among others. He began his career as an actor and performed in theaters across the US such as the Kennedy Center, the Guthrie, Denver Center and the Humana Festival, as well as on television. Formerly, he served as the Associate Artistic Director for PlayMakers Repertory, and as Deputy Executive Director for Arts Ignite (formerly ASTEP.) A graduate of Juilliard.
Director
Karina Batchelor-Gómez
Karina (she/they/ella) is a Latiné director, dramaturg, and educator committed to storytelling as a catalyst for societal change.
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As a director, Karina has staged new works through Homegrown (City Theatre), SolFest at Pregones/PRTT, LakehouseRanchDotPNG, and PDP. They were the lead dramaturg for Homegrown, playing a key role in developing emerging work, and have also supported new play development through FAU’s Theatre Lab.
Karina is the dramaturg for Pioneer Winter Collective, where they are currently collaborating on Apollo, an interdisciplinary work that merges dance, theater, and queer history to unearth missing histories. Set to premiere in April 2025 at Miami Theater Center, Apollo explores mentorship, queer legacies, and the body as an archive.
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As the inaugural dramaturg at GableStage, one of South Florida’s most acclaimed theater companies, Karina provided dramaturgical insight for productions such as El Huracán, The Thanksgiving Play, How I Learned What I Learned, and Native Gardens.
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Recognized with a Silver Palm Award for Dramaturgical Excellence, Karina is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and crafting theatrical narratives that challenge, inspire, and reflect diverse experiences.
Ray
Serafín Falcón*
Serafin is a Cuban-American actor, born n' raised in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. Some of his film & tv credits include The Chosen, NCIS L.A., The Sopranos, Transporter 2 & others. His stage credits include a number of plays written & directed by Nilo Cruz, most recently the role of Santiago in Miami New Drama's 20th anniversary of Anna in the Tropics . "I am grateful & honored to be a part of the 1st CGTF,& theatre back to The Grove!" Serafin is represented by Natalie Kollar nkollar@latalent.com
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Lex
Emma Garcia Seeger
Emma Garcia Seeger, a University of Florida alumna with a BFA in Theatre Performance, is thrilled to work with this team on this beautiful play. She recently appeared in Doubt for Zoetic Stage and completed the One Humanity Tour with Palm Beach Dramaworks. Emma stage managed King James at GableStage and was seen in Clark Gable Slept Here at The Foundry (2023), and El Huracán at GableStage post-college. Other credits include Antigone, Macbeth, and Three Sisters. Special thanks to her family and Sean for their support. Enjoy the festival! Follow her on Instagram: @emma_seegz
The Music
​Diego Melgar
Diego Melgar is an idiosyncratic musician, recording artist, and band leader reflecting the tropical melting pot of South Florida he calls home.
Since studying jazz guitar at the Frost School of Music at The University of Miami from 2014-2018, Melgar embraced and pursued every opportunity to hone his skills as a musician and grow his unique community of collaborators. Over the last 15 years, Melgar’s career expanded as a freelance guitarist, educator, band leader, and independent musician; collaborating with dozens of musicians and artists across genres and mediums.
Local Luminary
Royce Osceola
Born and raised in South Florida. Part time actor/musician. A member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The Feral Spinster Society
Sunday, April 11 | 7:30 PM
Written by Andie Arthur | Directed by Melissa Almaguer
Playwright
Andie Arthur
Andie Arthur (she/her) is a playwright and dramaturg, the co-founding Artistic Director of Lost Girls Theatre, the executive director of the South Florida Theatre League, and adjunct faculty at New World School of the Arts. She is a graduate of the BFA Playwriting Program at DePaul University and a former fellow of the Kennedy Center’s Summer Playwriting Intensive and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs’ Playwright Development Program. She has been commissioned twice by Theatre Lab as a part of their Fair Play Initiative, which focuses on LGBTQ stories.
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Arthur’s plays include In Common Hours (finalist for the 2005 David Mark Cohen Award), Dueling Edwards (finalist for City Theatre’s 2012 National Short Play Contest), La Paloma, The Feral Spinster Society, Dinner at the End of the World, Juliet Among the Changelings, Rev. Nathaniel’s Daughter, She Flies with Her Own Wings, Abacus Jones: Boy Detective, Choose Your Own Adventure: The Lost Chapter, The Secret of the Biological Clock, and Outcasts of Eden. Her work has been seen at Theatre Lab, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Lost Girls Theatre, New Theatre, The Alliance Theatre Lab, The Naked Stage, The Theatre School at DePaul University, Marquette University, GableStage, and Chicago Dramatists.
Director
​Melissa Almaguer
Melissa Almaguer is a Miami based actress, director, and teacher. She holds a BFA in performance from FIU. She has collaborated with various theatre companies in Miami, such as: City Theater, Miami New Drama, Abre Camino, Zoetic Stage, Broadway Factor, Main Street Players and more. Recent acting credits include G7:2070 by William Hector at the Kampong Gardens; #Graced, a world premiere by Vanessa Garcia at Zoetic Stage, and What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck at City Theatre’s special presentation at Key Biscayne. Melissa has also directed for local theatre companies including City Theatre Summer Shorts: Homegrown Edition, Broadway Factors world premiere of Borrowed by Jim Kierstead, which was adapted into a feature film of the same name (Broadway United, El Central Productions) where Melissa served as line producer. She is so grateful for the support of her family, friends, collaborators and students. You can follow her @miamimeli
Amelia Beauchamp
Celine Hakoun
Celine is overjoyed to be part of the first Coconut Grove Theater Festival. She started portraying characters on stage in California more than 20 years ago, and most recently, played Chloe in My Old Lady with the West Boca Theater Company. Previously, she was honored to portray Etta Cone in the world premiere of the award winning The Equivalent of Sensation, in South Florida. Previous credits include The House of Bernarda Alba as Bernarda and The Workshop as Gisele. Celine also appears in films, most recently in Best Shot and Shakur. Celine also lends her voice to a wide range of fabulous characters as a dubbing actress.
Harriet Mason
Haldey Hege
Hadley, a native Grovite, is thrilled to be involved in bringing theatre back to the community. She is passionate about applying her degrees in Social Psychology, Human Development, and Social Policy to her characters. Her ikigai is for storytelling through research and acting. She has worked in regional theater productions, including Oslo (Pioneer Theatre Company) and The Audition (Off-Broadway, awarded best female of the evening). She is grateful for the support of her friends and family. She looks forward to integrating back into the Grove through her M.S. degree focusing on healthy communities and theatre.
Felicity Mason
Rachel Eddy*
Rachel Eddy is an actor and writer based in NYC, and is thrilled to be back in Miami after graduating from UM with her BFA in Musical Theatre. Along with her brother, Bobby, she is the co-creator and co-star of the award-winning short, JEW(ISH). The duo's feature screenplay of the same name won Stage 32’s Annual Comedy Screenwriting Contest and is currently in development. Some favorite Miami theatre credits include G7: 2070 (Pope Joan II) at the Kampong, OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD (Zoom) at Zoetic Stage, and THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Logainne) at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre. She is a UCB-trained improviser and sketch comedian with over 60k followers on TikTok for her original characters, but is perhaps best known for giving lice to her entire pre-college theatre program, many of whom have gone on to star on stage and screen. For more shenanigans, check her out @kingofeddything and www.rachelbeddy.com
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* Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Rose
Natalie Cabo
Natalie Cabo is a Cuban Nicaraguan American actor and artist from Miami, Florida. Cabo made a breakout television debut on Netflix’s unscripted TV Series TwentySomethings: Austin, which is currently available for streaming. She has worked as an actor with NBCUniversal and Amazon MGM Studios; and has also acted in various South Florida theatre productions, most notably The Amparo Experience and, most recently, Stephen’s: A Love Story with Abre Camino Collective. Cabo is a multi-disciplinary artist, dedicated to bringing authentic, compelling stories to life across all creative mediums.
Ruth
Azina
Azina recently graduated from FAMU with a Theatre Performance degree and a Liberal Arts minor. Born and raised in Miami, Florida. During her time at FAMU, she appeared in The Colored Museum (Lady in Plaid) and Bootycandy (Actor #3.) Azina also starred in the webisode Melatonin (Olivia) and the short films Anniversary Dinner (Aileen) and Looks That Kill (Selene). She was in the FAMU production of Pipeline (Nya). She has costume designed for The Wiz, Aladdin Jr., and Fences. Thank you to everyone who helped in making this show a success.
Local Luminary
Katherine Wakefield
Katherine Wakefield is a native Miamian and lifelong book lover. She was a bookseller while in college studying music, and after a fifteen-year sojourn in Germany teaching English and voice, she returned to Miami and to putting books into the hands of eager readers. She recently celebrated her tenth anniversary of employment at Books & Books.
The Production Team
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Founder & Festival Director
William Hector
William Hector is a Miami-born playwright, novelist and the founder of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival. Graduating from the University of Miami in 2015 with dual degrees in Playwriting and Politics, Philosophy & Economics, William was one of four playwrights chosen to participate in Miami Dade County's 2015-17 Playwright Development Program. In January of 2019, the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano selected his play Unbound for performance in their ShowOff! International Playwrighting Festival. He has collaborated with partners including The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, Meetinghouse Miami, The Kampong National Tropical Botanical Garden, The Deering Estate, WLRN and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs on productions of some his plays including Sheol, Draco, The Monster with 21 Faces, and The Kipling Backpack Thief. His most recent production was G7: 2070, a Knight Foundation New Work Miami winning project, wherein audience members were invited to become delegates and join the dignitaries of the seven most powerful nations of the future in a sold-out immersive theatrical summit. Mr. Hector is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild.
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Producer & Managing Director
Ariel Cipolla
Ariel Cipolla is a Mexican-Argentine theatre artist dedicated to increasing theatre accessibility for audiences often excluded by cost or lack of representation. His work celebrates Latino voices and invites complex conversations. His play No Puedo, I’m Sorry was an O’Neill NPC semifinalist, and So You Think You Can Stay? was a Dramaworks Perlberg Festival finalist. Ariel is also a City Theatre Miami Homegrown Playwright and University of Illinois Daniel J. Sullivan Playwright-in-Residence. Beyond playwriting, Ariel is a community collaborator dedicated to uplifting South Florida artists. He holds degrees in Broadcast Media and Creative Writing from Florida International University.
Producer & Communications Director
Melanie Rodríguez
Melanie Rodríguez is a Miami-born Cuban-American writer, singer-songwriter, producer, and arts administrator dedicated to using storytelling for social change and increasing access to the arts for everyone. Her work focuses on the intersections of arts, health, and democracy within Latino and immigrant communities. Melanie is a former participant in The Peace Studio's Artist as Catalyst program and Silver Knight nominee in Music and Dance. Her writing has been featured in O, Miami's audio anthologies and Make Muse magazine.
Stage Manager
Amanda Hernandez
Amanda (she/her) is a South Florida based Stage Manager. Her credits include Shakespeare in the Schools: Hamlet (2025) & Macbeth (2024) with GableStage Theatre Company (PSM), Gay Cowboys with 11th Hour Productions at the Orlando Fringe Festival (PSM), and Enter, Grapefruit with LakehouseRanchDotPng (PSM & Co-Production Designer). She is an FIU Theatre Alum with a B.A. in Theatre Studies and a focus in Stage Management. Amanda is thrilled to be a part of the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival production team. She hopes this festival will expand the South Florida theatre community to new artists and theatre goers alike.
Stage Manager
Alize Medina
Alize Medina (she /her) is a South Florida based creative. She is an FIU Theatre Alum with a B.A in Theatre with a focus in Stage Management. She is excited to be a part of the Cocount Grove Theatre Festival team! Her professional credits include Clyde's, Cabaret, and The Pillowman (Zoetic Stage), and Gay Cowboys at the Orlando Fringe Festival (11th Hour Productions). Favorite academic credits include The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time and Green Bird. To her family and friends, thank you for the endless support!
Sound Designer
Quiana Major
Quiana Major is a passionate and committed music professional, with the talent and drive to succeed. Growing up amongst the vibrant and diverse music scene in Miami, Fl, was an environment full of inspiration and stimulation for Quiana to feed off.
Assistant Sound Designer
Andre Best
I’m Andre Best, a Production Sound Mixer, Audio Engineer, and Location Sound Recordist based in Miami, Florida. I have a strong passion for audio and filmmaking that has grown into a career path.
Poster Artist & Logo Designer
Cooper Copetas
French-American architecture designer Cooper Copetas graduated from the University of Miami School of Architecture and Urban Design. He began his career working with Jean Nouvel in Paris before founding a Smart City design lab in Miami, which earned him the key to the county. At 25, his proposal to renovate Notre-Dame-de-Paris appeared on the cover of Time magazine and won the 2020 American Institute of Architects Theoretical and Research Design Award. He works across multiple languages and combines hands-on experience in parametric design with a strong foundation in classical architecture. While he has worked internationally, many of his built projects are in Vietnam. Cooper is a co-founder of Magma, a global architecture and real estate tech firm, where he leads as principal designer and Chief Innovation Officer. He also runs WAADL, a site that shares current events, architecture, and history through cartoons and short stories.
Photographer
Donny Randle
Donny Randle is an accomplished photographer, cinematographer, filmmaker, and documentarian with a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Film from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Communication from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Donny has applied his expertise across both print and broadcast media, working as a freelance photographer for the Coconut Grove Spotlight and as a videographer for KTUU Channel 2 News in Anchorage, Alaska. His work reflects a disciplined commitment to rigorous visual craft and authentic storytelling across documentary film, photojournalism, and broadcast media.