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Our Cast

Stage Ensemble

Our talented cast from the live multimedia developmental theater production.

Marc Bowman

Marc Bowman was born in Fayetteville, NC, raised in Atlanta, GA, graduated from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, DC, and now resides in Los Angeles, CA. Marc is an acclaimed Deaf performance artist, and has toured nationally and internationally with the Wild Zappers/NDDT and Quest4Arts/Quest Visual Theatre. His television credits include two Emmy award-winning series: FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance? (1st Season – Top 75), and NBC’s ER. Marc is dedicated to improving and inspiring people from all backgrounds through his teaching work and awareness- building performances. He also serves on the Special Education Committee for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Marc enjoys family time with his Deaf children, Aaliyah and Andre, as well as music, reading, sports, chess, and roller skating.

Gabriel Silva

Gabriel Silva is a Hard-of-Hearing Actor, ASL Music Performer/Interpreter and ASL Instructor from New York City, who grew up in the Bronx, and drove across-country to be part of this production. As a child, Gab loved performing and dancing, but didn’t showcase his talents until his mid-twenties. Gab started performing by translating songs in ASL and showcasing his interpreted songs at various venues like ASL-centric cabarets, the Wallis Theater, and others. He has also served as Producer, Assistant Director, and Director of Artistic Sign Language for numerous film/tv/theater projects, but his most important role is being an awesome Dad to his awesome son, Jayvi.

Holly Crowe

She stepped into the world of professional musical theater in Georgia as the only Deaf actress/dancer in the cast. She attended the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY and continued her acting studies at Deaf West Theatre in LA. In 2004, she met her future husband on a beach in FL, and they now have three beautiful children. After years of focusing on her family, Holly’s excited to return to theater in her first professional Deaf theater production. Favorite acting credits include Peter in Peter Pan; Penelope in See How They Run; and Dorine in Tartuffe, directed by Patrick Graybill and Jim Orr. Other passions include archery, sailing, anything that involves water, and reading high fantasy books. Her favorite quote is “Let’s go rattle the stars”!

Lori Dunsmore

She is an interdisciplinary artist, specializing in collages, photomontages, acrylics, and mixed media. Her work has been featured at the Florida Deaf Art Show; Dyer Arts Center in Rochester, NY; Expo Metro, a unique billboard installation showcasing 792 artists in New York City; and the Ikouii Creative in Atlanta, GA. Lori participates in collective art events and exhibitions worldwide, as well as focusing on her creative writing. Performance Art is a new avenue for Lori to focus on as an interdisciplinarian. Prior to August 2019, and her evolvement as an artist, Lori was an academic, advocate, public health specialist, education administrator at three schools for the Deaf, and a culinary artist. She has earned three academic degrees, educational certificates, and culinary certificates.

Mary Kim Hoang

Mary Kim Hoang is a Deaf Vietnamese American from New Orleans, LA. As a child, she performed in the ASL choir and numerous productions at the Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge. In New Orleans, she spent several seasons on stage with The Company: a St. Bernard Community Theatre; been featured in several tv commercials; and has appeared as background talent in dozens of films and television series playing characters from the 1920’s to today. Her favorite acting credits include Hairspray for The Company and 2019’s Troop Zero. She is also a dancer with the Sirens of New Orleans. Mary loves movies, especially classic films. She is thrilled to be working with a Deaf theater ensemble, and is grateful to her family and friends for their support.

Justin Jackerson

 He is a Deaf actor and writer based in Los Angeles. He comes from a three-generation Deaf family, and American Sign Language is his first language. Acting has been Justin’s foremost passion, but he has also rediscovered his love for storytelling, especially when auditioning for Deaf roles written by non-Deaf writers. This led him to realize the dire need for Deaf writers to write authentic Deaf characters and stories, and Justin has been exploring this passion by writing and performing his own work. Acting credits include Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet for Ophelia Jump Productions; leads in several music videos; the lead in The Perfect Match, a short film directed by Chase Chambers; and Reverie, a short film for the Easterseals Disability Short Film Challenge, which he also co-wrote and directed.

Tommy Korn

 He is a Los Angeles-born performance artist. He has worked/performed as an ASL instructor, actor, model, designer, writer, storyteller and drag performer. He currently teaches ASL at Riverside City College and served as an ASL master at Gallaudet University Theatre. Television, stage, and film credits include FOX’s Glee and CBS’s CSI: Las Vegas; The Adventures of Pinocchio; Stories by Shel and ASImprov! at Deaf West Theatre; Black Sand by Mark Woods of ASLFilms; The Robinsons by DeBee Productions; and shorts including Pittsburgh by Rory Dering, Reverse Polarity by Jules Dameron, and Cig by Sean Berdy. Tommy has worked with multiple expressive art companies including cARTel and Deaf Granny Kitchen. He enjoys designing, styling, modeling, creating content, and collaborating with photographers and designers on set.

Amber Zion

She is a professional actor with experience in theater, film, and television. Her first television acting role was on CBS’s CSI:NY. She has been featured in a national commercial for Kay Jewelers, and her most recent film work was in the festival award-winning, What?, directed by Alek Lev, alongside John Maucere. Theater credits include At Home at the Zoo at The Wallis with Deaf West Theatre in LA, alongside Troy Kotsur; and Orpheus & Erica: the Deaf Opera at the Victory Hall Opera in Charlottesville, VA. At the 2014 Super Bowl, Amber performed for “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” Amber is also an artist, and during her down time, she enjoys doing art projects for an art and crafts business based in San Francisco.

Short Film Ensemble

All of the actors are Deaf, even though some of them portray hearing characters in the short film that is part of the live theater experience.

Talia Dagan

She has re-emerged as a professional actress in the past years appearing in numerous productions at Deaf West Theatre and Playwrights Project. Talia discovered that acting was her first love at the age of thirteen, when she performed in her middle school’s production of Cinderella. Her first leading role was in His Wife at Deaf West Theatre. Other stage appearances include Napkins and a Pen, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin; In a Yellow Wood; and several productions of Children of a Lesser God, playing two different roles – Lydia and Sarah. She’s also appeared in a public service commercial for Flex Your Power, and played the lead in Second Chance, an educational film for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD).

Matt Daigle

He is a Deaf/Low Vision actor, humorist, educator, and Deaf consultant. He hopes his stories serve as a tool to educate people about Deaf Culture in a fun and creative way. Matt has performed with NTID’s Sunshine Too, The National Theatre of the Deaf, and Deaf West Theatre. He currently teaches ASL/Deaf Studies at California State University, Northridge, and received his master’s degree in Sign Language Education from Gallaudet University in 2019. Most recently, he is collaborating on a creative project as a Deaf consultant, co-writer, and co-creator which is currently under an NDA. Matt is a self-taught cartoonist and is the co-creator of “That Deaf Guy” a popular webcomic. Matt lives in Burbank, CA, with his wife, Kay and son, Hayden.

Renea Gamble

Renea Gamble – a CA native, has been a freelance chef for 16 years, and is the owner of The Odd Chef. Renea has visited with, and catered for, Deaf communities nationally, and internationally, in Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Jamaica, Romania, Switzerland, and Panama. Traveling all over the world has allowed Renea to be immersed in diverse cultures, which has led to a personal journey of enlightening, empowering and connecting with Deaf people on a deep spiritual level. Renea also teaches ASL in a very “raw” style that offers more in-depth exploration than traditional pedagogies. Renea believes humor connects us all on a very basic level that allows us to explore how very different — and yet how much alike we all are.

Ron Hays

He was born and raised in Los Angeles. His father owned a service station just around the corner from Universal Studios that was patronized by the golden era of movie stars. Ron is profoundly Deaf, and attended the John Tracy Clinic, various schools in the LA-area, and majored in Deaf Studies, with a minor in Radio, TV and Film at California State University, Northridge.  In 1989, he obtained his General Contractor’s license for the State of California, and continues to attend professional development workshops, as well as earning certificates pertinent to the remodeling and construction industry. On the side, Ron enjoys acting in film and television projects; performing in videos; and vlogging. Ron is grateful to his terrific CODA son, Justin, and his SODA sister, Kerry.

Modela Kurzet

Modela Kurzet – an LA-based actor, identifies as a Deaf intersex, Polish-American woman. Born to Deaf parents, her family emigrated to Canada in 1983. Her first movie role was as a Deaf student in the film Children of a Lesser God. She studied acting at the New School of Drama and the Granton Institute of Technology. A member of the Screen Actors Guild since 2001, she has worked in film and theater throughout Canada and the U.S. For 17 years, she has served on the Board of the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD), and has received an award from GLAD and a certificate of appreciation from the City of Los Angeles for her valuable support and advocacy in the community. 

Brian Llanes

He is an aspiring Deaf actor, who lives in Miami, FL. He’s always loved acting and telling stories. He studied acting in high school and worked backstage at Gallaudet University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. In his youth, Brian created storytelling shorts in ASL on YouTube, and, today, does improvisational comedy on a daily basis, (just to get his point across!). Brian has taught math, (primarily), to private clients and in the classroom. His family originally immigrated from Cuba. His mother is Deaf and his immediate family uses ASL, while his extended family speaks Spanish. Brian enjoys creating stories with unique characters, studying anything of  interest, playing video games, running, biking, skateboarding, and any sort of physical

Jody Stevenson

She has been an actress and performing artist in the entertainment industry since 2004. In the summer of 2002, she attended the National Theatre of the Deaf professional acting school, where she developed an affinity for using ASL in performance. Jody graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Ohio State University, where she was the first Deaf female cheerleader for the Buckeyes in the university’s history. After graduating college, she immediately moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. Jody uses ASL in most of her work. Notable credits include performing children’s stories for Deaf West Theatre, and Butterfly Poet at a 2010 celebrity fundraising event hosted by Ken Paves and Eva Longoria at the House of Blues Extravaganza.

Special Guest Appearance
Queen Foreverrr

Sheena Lyles (Queen Foreverrr) is a comic, content creator and actress who uses her comedy as activism. Sheena was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in an undeveloped little city of York, PA. As a child, Lyles was obsessed with stand-up comedy and comedians in general, and she listed Mo’Nique, Martin Lawerence, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock as important influences. Lyles came into the public eye in a 6th episode of the TV ONE true crime story For My Woman and as Adrienne in the feature film What. Sheena’s comedy is followed by nearly 40k followers on TikTok (QueenBish) and 60k on Instagram (msdeafqueen).  

Voicing Actors
(Developmental Stage Production)

CINDY BAER

CINDY BAER is a director, producer, actress and entrepreneur. She began her acting career as a teenager at the Boston Children’s Theater and appeared in over two dozen stage plays before discovering her passion for filmmaking. She has since helmed the feature films Purgatory House (a groundbreaking after-life drama that was entirely written by a 14-year-old girl that Cindy mentored in the Big Sisters of Los Angeles Program) and Odd Brodsky (a quirky comedy about following the Hollywood dream), along with several shorts, music videos and a pilot that have appeared collectively in over 100 film festivals, garnering 40 festival awards and critical acclaim. She is thrilled to return to her theater roots as a voicing actor for Not Another Deaf Story.

BRIAN EDWARD CAMPBELL

(AEA/SAG/AFTRA) is originally from St. Louis, MO. His initial exposure to ASL was through his cousin who is Deaf, and has worked as an interpreter for 30 years. Acting credits in Los Angeles and Chicago include Alone Together (Florissant Valley Theater of Deaf), Stories by Shel (Deaf West Theater directed by CJ Jones) and toured nationally performing improv. Brian studied with The Groundlings, Second City, Improv Olympic and the Annoyance Theater. Brian performs stand-up comedy and has headlined in Palm Springs. Brian is VERY excited to be a part of Not Another Deaf Story. He dedicates his performance to his supportive husband Christopher Campbell.

BERT EMMETT

BERT EMMETT is a long-time member of the Group Repertory Theatre.  Acting credits with The Group Rep include Colonel Armadillo, The Armadillo Necktie (Last Straw Award); Lombardi, Lombardi; Edward, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me; Watson, Sherlock’s Last Case (Scenies Award); and Ty, Cobb. At A Noise Within Theatre in Pasadena, CA, his acting credits include Dogberry, u/s, Much Ado About Nothing; Bob Cratchit/ Ensemble, A Christmas Carol; Ghost of Christmas Present/Marley/Ensemble u/s, A Christmas Carol; Dodo/Mock Turtle/White Knight/Ensemble, Alice in Wonderland; Antigonus/Shepherd u/s, The Winter’s Tale; Father Dewis u/s, Buried Child; Rutherford Selig, Gem of the Ocean; and Karl Lindner, A Raisin in the Sun.

 

GABRIEL GOMEZ

GABRIEL GOMEZ is a CODA (child of deaf adults), a voiceover artist, and an ASL interpreter based in Los Angeles. He is honored to serve the Deaf community, and discovered his talent and passion for interpreting early on in his career. In 2021, he worked with Rodney Burford and Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story team providing access for Deaf actors on the set and ASL support in post-production. In 2022, he was part of the Oscar award-winning CODA film team, working closely with Daniel Durant, on their journey to the stage at the Academy Awards. As an advocate for the Deaf Community, he strongly encourages all productions to include Deaf community members as a part of their consulting teams.

DOUG HAVERTY

DOUG HAVERTY at Group Rep: Rumors; Love or Best Offer; Dial M for Murder; The Dining Room, The Cape and the Klan; London Suite, Another Antigone; Hotel Paradiso; Midsummer Night’s Dream; Otherwise Engaged; And Then There Were None; A Christmas Carol; Inspecting Carol, Lend Me A Tenor; Mammoth Lakes Rep: All the Great Books (Abridged); TheatreWest/Falcon: Ray Bradbury’s Falling Upward; NASA: Defying Gravity; Advent: Bullshot Crummond. Also a playwright with five world premieres here as well as two commissioned musicals with Access Theatre of Santa Barbara: Legend of the Crystal Waters (Deaf Drama Playwriting Award) and Flavia & The Dream Maker.

JULIE PEARL

JULIE PEARL is originally from Chicago, Julie is a celebrated actress, spanning all mediums; stage, television, film, commercial, voiceover. She holds a degree in Theater from the University of Southern California. Julie has simultaneously pursued a passion for Arts Education and Youth Theater while building a successful career as an actress. She founded an educational company that ran for 10 years serving the Santa Monica and Los Angeles school districts. Currently resides on the westside with a very supportive husband and two amazing teens, who will still talk to her…sometimes. TV credits include; Better Call Saul, The Good Doctor, S.W.A.T., American Crime Story, NCIS, and more. Theater credits include; The Goodman Theater, The Atlantic Theater, Victory Gardens Theater and more.

GITA REDDY

GITA REDDY is an actor, writer and director. TV acting credits include: I Think You Should Leave, Never Have I Ever, Orange Is the New Black, Marvel’s Iron Fist and Adam Ruins Everything. Voiceover: the Spirit Award-winning 7 Days and the Oscar-winning Zootopia. Theatre: Sundance Lab, Getty Villa, Old Globe, City Theatre (Pittsburgh), Mixed Blood (Minneapolis) and in NYC: Cherry Lane, Target Margin and Clubbed Thumb. As a solo-ish writer/performer: Highways (Santa Monica), the Public Theatre and Dixon Place, and published in Tokens?: The NYC Asian American Experience On Stage (Temple University Press). She has had fellowships with New York Theatre Workshop and New York Foundation of the Arts. As a writer, recent readings and workshops include First Fifteen and Chalk Repertory Theatre.

DEB'E TAYLOR

DEB’E TAYLOR is an actor, dancer, taiko drummer, choreographer and educator. She creates her own work and performs with Dance Brigade and Maikaze Daiko, among others. She teaches Contemporary Dance, Improvisation and Taiko at Alonzo King LINES Ballet School and Dance Mission, and creates Youth/Grrrl Brigade pieces for social justice-themed performances. Major national/international performance, directing and teaching credits include National Theatre of the Deaf, NTD Professional Summer School, Fairmount Theatre of the Deaf, David Roussève/REALITY, Dance Berlin, Tyst Teater in Sweden; and award-winning work at the Czechoslovakian Deaf Theater Festival in Brno. She collaborated with Anna Deavere Smith at Stanford University. Deb’e dances in the documentary film Call of Life about the mass extinction of species. She is also a certified ASL interpreter. www.dancerartisthuman.com.

Kathleen Delaney
Additional Film Voicing

Kathleen Delaney is the Group Repertory Theatre’s Board President, The Group Rep Producing Director, and Director. Kathleen has directed and produced dozens of productions: Director, The Laramie Project; Director, Christmastime Origins 2021& 22; Director/Producer, Unhidden Figures; Director/Producer, Holiday Traditions & Trappings; Director, Phubbing 2020 Nine Winning One Acts; Director/Exec Producer, MOTEL 66. Broadway/Off Broadway/Nat tours: Mazeppa/Gypsy(Betty Buckley & Pam Meyers), Ruby Rae/The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Patty Lombard, Larry Gatlin), Sheila/ A Chorus Line, Mrs. Lovett/Sweeney Todd. Arkadina/The Seagull, Gertrude/Hamlet. At The Group Rep: Lori/Love or Best Offer, Cheryl/Birthday Club, Thank You for the Music, Lauren/Wine and Squeeze, Miss Preen/The Man Who Came To Dinner. Voice Over roles span decades, AEA/SAG/AFTRA www.kathleenrdelaney.com

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