JUNE 23 - 27, 2021
The Guilt Mongers or Los Traficantes de Culpa (for those not willing to submit to the Anglicization of our people) A new play by C. Julian Jiménez Thursday, June 24 @ 7pm
Featuring Armando Acevedo* • Alex Alvarez* Clay Cartland* • Tony Chiroldes* Vanessa Elise • Zuleyma Guevara* Carlos Ibarra* • Bertha Leal* • Zully Montero Jennifer Rodriguez De Castroverde*
Directed by Victoria Collado
Dramaturge Stage Production Sound Manager Manager Design Vanessa Vanessa Amy Matt Garcia McCloskey Rauchwerger Corey
Zoetic Stage Festival Zoetic Stage Artistic Director Coordinator Managing Director Stuart Kent Michael Meltzer Chambers-Wilson McKeever
Support for Zoetic Stage is provided by ROBIN ELLEN MEYERS
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.
ZOETIC STAGE STAFF/FOUNDING MEMBERS
Artistic Director/Founder: Stuart Meltzer Founder: Stephanie Demos-Brown Managing Director/Founder: Michael McKeever Founder: Kerry Shiller Literary Manager/Founder: Christopher Demos-Brown
ZOETIC STAGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephanie Demos-Brown, President Matt Hege Carolyn Robbins-Manley Bob de la Fuente, Vice President Sara Hernandez Kerry Shiller John Arthur, Treasurer Paula Levine Mark Trowbridge Lis Culmo, Secretary Suzan McDowell Cary Valdes-Perez Sandy Bell Michael McKeever Crystal Wagar Chris Demos-Brown Stuart Meltzer William Fernandez Robin Ellen Meyers
Land Acknowledgment: Zoetic Stage produces at the Adrienne Arsht Center which is situated on the traditional homeland of Native nations, including the Tequesta, the Calusa, the Taíno and today the Miccosukee and the Seminole. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and future; and recognize their continued existence and contributions to our community.
The Guilt Mongers or Los Traficantes de Culpa (for those not willing to submit to the Anglicization of our people) By C. Julian Jiménez CAST Jamón ...... Armando Acevedo* Bruno ...... Alex Alvarez* Wyatt ...... Clay Cartland* Lorenzo ...... Tony Chiroldes* Nurse ...... Vanessa Elise Carmen ...... Zuleyma Guevara* Esteban ...... Carlos Ibarra* Jazmín ...... Bertha Leal* Edna ...... Zully Montero Marie ...... Jennifer Rodriguez De Castroverde* *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
Director ...... Victoria Collado Dramaturge ...... Vanessa Garcia Stage Manager ...... Vanessa McCloskey Production Manager ...... Amy Rauchwerger Sound Design ...... Matt Corey Festival Coordinator ...... Kent Chambers-Wilson Zoetic Stage Artistic Director ...... Stuart Meltzer Zoetic Stage Managing Director ...... Michael McKeever BIOS CAST
Armando Alex Clay Tony Vanessa Acevedo Alvarez Cartland Chiroldes Elise
Zuleyma Carlos Bertha Zully Jennifer Rodriguez Guevara Ibarra Leal Montero De Castroverde
Armando Acevedo* (Jamón) is very happy to be a part of Zoetic Stage’s Inaugural Finstrom Festival of New Work. Recent credits include Pablo in Native Gardens at Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples and Bill in Mamma Mia! at American Stage in St. Petersburg. Among his current work-from-home gigs are voice over projects and coaching wrestlers at WWE NXT. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.NCP founding member. krystalmillievaldes.com
Alex Alvarez* (Bruno) is an Actor, Director, Writer, Voice-Over Artist, and Educator from Miami, FL. He has appeared in many local productions with GableStage, City Theatre, Thinking Cap Theatre, Zoetic Stage, Island City Stage, Palm Beach Dramaworks, New Theatre, Arca Images and Juggernaut Theatre Company. He is an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University and New World School of the Arts. Film & TV work include: Burn Notice (USA) and Grown (Complex). Alex has won multiple awards (Carbonell Award, Silver Palm Award, Best of New Times, Broadway World Award) and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association since 2012.
Clay Cartland* (Wyatt) feels back at home with Zoetic Stage! Most recently seen with Zoetic Stage in the new improv troupe Zoetic Schmoetic, Clay is a South Florida native who has performed all over the state. Favorite shows include: Groundhog Day, Shrek (Slow Burn Theatre Company), First Date, The Toxic Avenger (Actors' Playhouse), Desperate Measures (Winter Park Playhouse), and Gloria (GableStage). Clay is a proud member of AEA and the recipient of Two Carbonell and Four Silver Palm Awards. He is also a voice over artist and a full time music teacher making sure all his kids know all the lyrics to 'Kiss on my List'.
Tony Chiroldes* (Lorenzo) is an original cast member of the award-winning musical In the Heights. Regional theatre: Arena Stage (DC), Milwaukee Rep, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Portland Center Stage, Broadway Sacramento, Westport Country Playhouse (CT), City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh), Theatre du Chatelet (Paris, France). He’s The Hulamouse in television’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As a voice-over performer, he has added his voice to hundreds of English/ Spanish commercials; audiobooks such as Ricky Martin’s autobiography Yo, and Pam Muñoz Ryan’s The Dreamer (AudioFile Magazine’s Earphone Award); and video games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Bioshock and Red Dead Redemption.
Vanessa Elise (Nurse) holds a BFA in Theatre from New World School of the Arts. Previous stage credits include: Miami Motel Stories: Little Havana and MiMo (Vivian, The Commissioner), Lipstick (Ana), Real Women Have Curves (Carmen), Wrongful Death... (Death), Collective Rage (Betty 3), Waiting for Waiting for Godot (Laura), Diego and Drew... (Tia Maria), Clark Gable Slept Here (Estella). Her original one woman show, Noise: An Interruption (Amaya), was chosen to perform in NY’s United Solo Theatre Festival off- Broadway in 2015. She has various film, TV, and voice acting credits. Elise is a proud board member of the South Florida Theatre League. @Vanessaelise7
Zuleyma Guevara* (Carmen) has, like most of us, performed virtually in the last year. She was last seen in Octopus Theatre Company in association with NYU Abu Dhabi performing in Panademic Fight also directed by Rebecca Martinez. Previously she also appeared in the Phoenix Theatre’s online performance of Trojan Women. Stage credits include the world premiere of Azul at Southern Rep in New Orleans, Nora in the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s production of A Doll’s House Part 2. Other credits include the world premiere of Uncommon Sense for the Tectonic Theatre Project. Water by the Spoonful at Premier Stages, Columbia Stage’s La Paloma Prisoner and The Hour of The Star, Seven Spots on the Sun at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Working Theatre's production of La Ruta. TV credits include Designated Survivor, Law and Order, Limitless, Gotham. Film credits include New York State of Mind, Third Trinity. She will be seen in the upcoming presentation of Two Rivers' Theater Crossing Borders Festival.
Carlos Ibarra* (Esteban) is an award-winning actor, writer, and director. He has appeared in feature films, national commercials, short films, and regional productions. Selected credits: Netflix’s The Good Cop, Sony’s Rough Night, and TBS’s Adam Ruins Everything. In 2015, he became the first Latino to physically run across the continental United States. His journey can be seen in the docu-series Run Carlos Run. His latest short film, Con Dios, is currently in the festival circuit. The film highlights depression and mental health among undocumented youth. Carlos holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Bertha Leal* (Jazmín) has a BFA from Florida International University. Off-Broadway: The Amparo Experience (Bacardí/Broadway Factor), Lucy Loves Me (INTAR Theatre). Other credits include: Meaningful Conversation (New Light Theater Project), Oleanna (Pinecrest Theatre Rep), Sexual Perversity in Chicago (Alliance Theatre Lab), Honeybee (Furiex Productions). For more visit: www.berthaleal.com
Zully Montero (Edna) has been an actor, theatre director/producer and dramatic arts teacher for over thirty five years. After graduating from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, in Havana, Cuba, she performed in several films and plays including the feature film, Lucia. When she arrived in New York City in 1968, she became involved in the Spanish/Latino Theatre Movement. By 1971, she joined the prestigious INTAR Theatre, Spanish Repertory Theatre and The Cuban Cultural Center. At INTAR, she performed in Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega, Las Galas del Difunto and Flores de Papel by Valle Inclan. By the early 80’s she had established herself, as not only, a premiere theatre actor, but also as a theatrical director, producer, artistic director and teacher. In 1983, she arrived in Miami and expanded her repertoire even further by becoming a radio news anchor. After working in radio and theatre in Miami for several years, she began her television career by starring in telenovelas and playing some of the most iconic villains in Spanish soap history. She continues to be active, both in English and Spanish, on screen and on stage from Miami to New York.
Jennifer Rodriguez de Castroverde* (Marie) is Faculty of Acting in the Theater Division at New World School of the Arts. She is an acting coach, Registered Rosenberg Teacher specializing in voice/speech coaching, and director. As an actor, she has appeared in over 40 plays, National and Regional commercials (English and Spanish), television shows, and feature films by Warner Brothers and Lionsgate. Jennifer is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. She has performed in professional theatres in cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, and Miami. Jennifer received her BFA in Acting from Florida International University, and her MFA in Theatre from UCSD. PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR, DRAMATURGE, DESIGNERS & CREW
C. Julian Jiménez (Playwright) is a Queer, Puerto Rican and Dominican playwright. MFA from The New School for Drama. Playwriting awards include: New Dramatist Residency (Class of 2025), 2019/2020 Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop Fellow at The Lark, 2017 & 2018 Pipeline Theatre Company PlayLab, 2018 LaGuardia Community College’s LGBTQ History Project Grant, 2015 Queens Arts Council Grant, and the 2009 Public Theater Emerging Writers Group. Productions include: Man Boobs (Pride Films & Plays, 2011), Nico was a Fashion Model (Counter- Productions, 2013), Animals Commit Suicide (First Floor Theater, 2015), C. Julian Locusts Have No King (INTAR, 2016), Bundle of Sticks (INTAR, 2020), Alligator Mouth, Tadpole Ass (Theatre Rhinoceros, 2020) and ¡Oso Fab- Jiménez uloso & The Bear Backs! (INTAR 2021). He wrote the book for LatinXoxo (Joe's Pub & Lincoln Center). Other plays include, Julio Ain't Goin' Down Like That and Bruise & Thorn. He is a co-producer and co-writer of the hit web series, Bulk, and an Associate Professor of Theatre at Queensborough Community College.
Victoria Collado (Director) is a Cuban-American director who creates adventurous traditional and non-traditional theatrical experiences. Recently named Best Director of 2020 by Miami New Times, her work includes The Amparo Experience and John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons on Broadway. She’s directed for Repertorio Español, MCC Youth Company, Victoria Collado Sheen Center, IATI, Microteatro Miami, Columbia University and others. She was a Repertorio Español Van Lier Directing Fellow; part of the Directing Corps in the Williamstown Theatre Festival; recipient of the SDCF Observership; and WP Theatre Lab fellow. She received her BFA from Florida International University and is an Associate Member of SDC.
Vanessa Garcia (Dramaturge) is a multidisciplinary writer who’s written for Sesame Street and Caillou. Her debut novel, White Light, was published in 2015, to critical acclaim. Named one of the Best Books of 2015 by NPR, it also won an International Latino Book Award. Her plays – most recently the immersive hit The Amparo Experience -- have been produced in Vanessa Garcia Edinburgh, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and other cities around the world. As a journalist and essayist, her pieces have appeared in The LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, ESPN, and other publications. She holds a PhD from the University of California Irvine.
Vanessa McCloskey (Stage Manager) is a Miami based freelancer working in theatre and special events. She currently serves as the Assistant General Manager for Mad Hatter’s (Gin &) Tea Party (Fever Originals.) Previous credits include Zoetic Schmoetic, The Wolves, Sweeney Todd (Zoetic Stage); 7 Deadly Sins, The Cubans (Miami New Drama); Indecent (GableStage.) She is so excited to step into her new role with Zoetic Stage as their Resident Production Stage Manager starting next season! Special shoutout to Amy and Julian, as well as the rest of her family and friends for all their love and support. B.F.A. University of Miami.
Amy Rauchwerger (Production Manager) is so proud to be part of the inaugural Finstrom Festival and is excited to celebrate all these new works! Amy served as Zoetic Stage’s Company Manager since 2018 and as Resident Production Stage Manager since 2016, she is currently pursuing an MFA in Stage Management at Columbia University in New York. Over the years Amy has worked with a plethora of South Florida Theatre artists on theatre, award shows, new works, and everything in between. Major shout out to family, Zoetic, Lety, and Vanessa for getting me through zoom school, pandemic fatigue, and life in general.
Matt Corey (Sound Design) earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in bassoon performance at the University of Miami and currently performs in the Boca Raton Symphonia. He is the resident sound designer at GableStage, Theatre Lab and Zoetic Stage. He has earned Carbonell Awards for his designs of Every Brilliant Thing, The Pillowman, Talk Radio, Broadsword, Blasted, The Birds, The Mountaintop, The Night of the Iguana and Every Brilliant Thing. By day, Matt is the CEO of Insight for the Blind in Fort Lauderdale, a 44-year-old charity devoted to recording books, magazines and other accessible media for the blind and physically handicapped.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Kent Chambers-Wilson (Festival Coordinator) has a varied theatrical background that includes involvement as an actor, stage manager, assistant director, producer, sound designer, dramaturg, script doctor, and playwright. He also has experience in corporate America as an operations manager, project manager, account manager, and sales engineer in the nonprofit and medical software industries. He earned a B.A. in Psychology/Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. While residing in Atlanta, Kent served as president of the Southeastern Arts, Media, and Education Project (S.A.M.E.) which produced over 70 plays, original films, and video works including Promise of Life, a documentary on people living with AIDS. He has been a theater ambassador for the National New Play Network, a board member for The Theatre League of South Florida, a judge for the Carbonell Awards, and is proud to have been involved in the 2017 Oscar award-winning movie, Moonlight.
Stuart Meltzer (Zoetic Stage Artistic Director) is the proud recipient of numerous Carbonell Awards for Best Director. He is also a Carbonell Award winner for Best New Work for his play The Goldberg Variations. Altogether, he has been honored with eighteen Carbonell nominations. His directing credits include American Son, The Wolves, Sweeney Todd, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Dracula, Fun Home, Dancing Lessons, Wrongful Death and Other Circus Acts, Topdog/Underdog, The Caretaker, Sunday in the Park with George, After, Passion, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Stripped, Betrayal, Trust, Detroit, The Great God Pan, Assassins and Fear Up Harsh. He is the recipient of five Silver Palm Awards for his work as the Resident Director of Zoetic Stage. He received his MFA in Directing from the Actors’ Studio in 2002.
Michael McKeever (Zoetic Stage Managing Director) is a multi-award winning playwright, actor, designer and producer. He has written thirty-five full length plays that have been produced at theatres across the United States and Canada including Penguin Rep, Marin Theatre Company, NCTC, Phoenix Theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Actors’ Playhouse and Florida Studio Theatre. His plays have also received productions in some of the most prestigious theaters in Europe and Russia, among them, Komödie Dresden (Dresden, Germany), Och-Teatr (Warsaw, Poland) and Theater in der Josefstadt, Kammerspiele (Vienna, Austria). He is a three-time finalist for Humana Festival's Heideman Award, an NEA Residency Grant recipient, and has been honored with nine Carbonell and six Silver Palm Awards. His play Daniel’s Husband played Off-Broadway twice, at the Westside Theatre and Cherry Lane Theatre. His play After ran Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters for a three month run.
THANK YOU ZOETIC STAGE 2020/2021 SEASON SPONSORS Thank you to the following who have made tax-deductible contributions to Zoetic Stage as of October 1, 2020. ZOETIC PLATINUM SUPER STAR - $100,000 +
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners ZOETIC PLATINUM STAR - $30,000 - $50,000 Robin Ellen Meyers ZOETIC STAR - $5,000 - $14,999 Funding Arts Network Florida Dept. of State Division of Cultural Affairs Milstein/Hankin Fund ZOETIC FAMILY - $2,000 - $4,999 Joan & Arthur Birsh Stephanie & Christopher Demos-Brown The Miami Foundation ZOETIC KINDRED SPIRIT - $1,000 - $1,999 Sandy Bell Michele DeStefano Michael & Mary Ellen Peyton Bob de la Fuente & JR Fry EMC Mediation Solutions Carolyn Robbins Domingo J. de la Fuente David Kwiat Jury Simulations, Inc. Cheryl Dunn Bycheck Ted & Vicki McKeever Kerry & Scott Shiller in loving memory of Michael McKenzie & Kari Floren Cary Valdes-Perez Tony Finstrom William B. O’Boyle ZOETIC MENSCH - $500 - $999 John Arthur Dori Foster-Morales Lucy J. Hurt Lewis H. & Patricia A. M. Patricia Brown & Jimmy Morales Luis Ramirez Titterton James Catalano Alexander Heckler Mark A. Trowbridge ZOETIC GOOD FRIEND - $200 - $499 Anonymous Herbert Juli Family Fund at The Miami Foundation Rebecca & Bert Ocariz In memory of Elena de la Fuente Madeleine Kreitman Lily O'Boyle William Fernandez Normandy Art LLC Maria Schwedel ZOETIC PAL - $25 - $199 Anonymous Monica Colvin Marty Hancock Joanne Meagher Caroline Tavernini Javier Abreu A. Easley Michel & Meyrav Hausmann in honor of The Wolves Terrie Temkin in honor of Benjamin de la Fuente in memory of Margot Moreland Theatre Theory the Richbergs in memory of Magda Weisz ZI’ in memory of w/ John A. Dalton Brian Adler Domingo J. de la Fuente Jeffrey Hearne Mary Elizabeth Rueda Deborah S. Troner Lizette Alvarez Joel de la Fuente Lisa Kennedy Simon Petrie Liz Wallace Patrice Bailey Eileen Diamond Lisa Kovalsky Roderick Petrey David & Betsy Weisman Jeanne Baker & Lillian Tamayo Christos & Alex Lagos in memory of Susi Westfall Patricia Baloyra Nancy Doyle Cohen Walter Lambert Lucy Petrey Holly Woodbury Jerry Bell Donna Fales Keith & Robbie Landon Sara Poses Joanne Benko Paula & Mickey Finkle Mahlia Lindquist Nicholas & Lisa Richberg Barbara Booken Iris Ginsberg Kurt Liphardt Dolores Sendler Joyce Brenner Paul Gluck Patra Liu Sandra Simon Amy Coker Pauline Goldsmith Beverley Markowitz Henry & Suzanne Stolar Donors: Please let us know if your name is listed incorrectly or missing from the sponsor list. E-mail: [email protected]