Lara Americo (Andrea, TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, IT'S ANDREA) is a performance artist, musician, and journalist living in NYC. Laraamerico.com

Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich (Playwright, BATTLE CRY) Full lengths have been produced at Northern Light, Overtime, Forward Flux, Trustus Trinity Rep, the New York International Fringe Festival, the off-Broadway Summer Play Festival, and more. A contributing writer to the upcoming 2017 national tour, THE GRIEF DIALOGUES. Plays have been developed in NYC at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage, EST, ARACAworks, Stella Adler, and Rattlestick, and regionally at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Geva, Victory Gardens, among others. She won the 2016 Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Julie Harris Award and was a runner-up in contests that include the Sundance Playwriting Lab, O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and the Heideman Award, and Princess Grace Fellowship. Her play STILL LIFE was named to the Kilroy List (honorable mention). barbarablumenthalehrlich.com @1BarbaraBE

Lilly Camp (Playwright, 2:30 AM) is a proudly queer writer from Los Angeles. Her coming-out play BEST FRIEND/PERSON/GIRLFRIEND won the 2018 Goldberg Play Prize. Lilly co-writes and produces a fictional comedy podcast Hairy Legs Hannah’s Feminist Quarter Hour, which was a finalist at the Austin Film Festival. At NYU she received the Tisch Future Screenwriter's Scholarship and the Outstanding Writing in Play and TV Award. When she isn’t writing or producing she does gay things like cooking vegan food, running half marathons, and rock climbing. NYU Dramatic Writing 2017, www.lillycamp.com

Cara Feuer (Caroline, 2:30 AM) is an actor born & raised in NYC. She graduated from LaGuardia HS of Performing Arts and completed her studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse. She was recently seen as Jean in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at Rhinebeck’s Performing Arts Center She is so happy and excited to be back for her second Theatre East’s 5X5 series and is thrilled to be a part of this Pride celebration!

Corey Finzel (Squad Leader, BATTLE CRY) is an actor from Fort Worth, Texas. He has a BFA from the Acting Conservatory at SUNY Purchase. He would like to thank his castmates for all the great work they’ve done and a huge thanks to Cat for such great vibes and clear direction. He’d also like to thank Jud and Christa for putting all this together and giving us the ability to tell some interesting stories. Credits include: BENEATH THE GAVEL (59E59), New Short Play Festival 2019 (American Theatre for Actors)

Raguel Gabriel (Soldier One, BATTLE CRY) is a classically trained actor and singer. He is a graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting's Three Year Conservatory (NYC) and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Select favorite stage credits include the title role in Shakespeare's OTHELLO, Antonio in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, Sorin in THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov, Marius in LES MISERABLES (Boublil/Schonberg), Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE (Mozart) and Aeneas in DIDO, and AENEAS (Purcell). Recently he premiered the romantic lead in a newly written musical PRINCESS AND THE GOLDEN YAM under the direction of Broadway veteran actor/director Nathaniel Stampley. Website: raguelgabriel.com

Sam Gonzalez (Berto, COLOR AT THE END OF THE WORLD) is an actor, dancer, and producer based in New York City. He is an alum of the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School through NYU Tisch where he now teaches. He is the Artistic Director of The Joust Theatre Company. Recent acting credits include BIG GREEN THEATER (The Bushwick Starr) SALT KID WATCHES BROOKLYN BURN (Joe’s Pub), LITTLE MATCH GIRL PASSION (Met Breuer), SAMMY SPIDER'S FIRST MITZVAH (92Y), LULU IS HUNGRY, BLUE PLATE SPECIAL (Ars Nova), and THE VELVETEEN RABBIT (Atlantic Theater Company).

Christa Kimlicko Jones* (Director, TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, IT'S ANDREA; Speaker, THE INTREPIDS) was most recently seen in THE SEAGULL with the Harold Clurman Lab Theater. Prior to that, she played Mary in THE WHALE (also with HC Lab). Other NYC credits: A NAME FOR A GHOST TO MUTTER, THE SOLDIER DREAMS (Theatre East). THREE SISTERS, UNCLE VANYA (HC Lab). UMBRELLA, HARVEST (Alchemy Theatre Company). Other NY credits: THE WOMAN STANDING ON THE MOON, OUR TOWN. Regionally: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Austin Playhouse); HEDDA GABLER, DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS (B. Iden Payne Award), FOOL FOR LOVE (the dirigo group). Christa teaches at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting where she is also the Director of the Teen Conservatory Program. She is a member of V.A.S.T.A., League of Professional Theatre Women, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. She received her MFA in Acting from the University of Texas at Austin. ChristaKJones.com

Judson Jones* (Director, 2:30 AM) is an award-winning producer and director who has had the privilege of collaborating on the premieres of Tim Blake Nelson’s EYE OF GOD, Christopher Durang’s THE VIETNAMIZATON OF NEW JERSEY (NY Times Critic Pick), David Crawford’s HARVEST (Smith & Kraus Best New Plays of 2008; Back Stage Critic’s Pick), Bennett Windheim’s NORMALCY, Megan O’Brien’s THE JUNGLE BOOK, Daniel MacIvor’s THE SOLDIER DREAMS, and DEVIL AND THE DEEP with Air Supply‘s Graham Russell. Regional producing credits include: THE JINN (The American Theatre Critics Award) HEDDA, BASH, and DESIRE. His directing credits include: NAME FOR A GHOST TO MUTTER and THE SOLDIER DREAMS (Theatre East), HARVEST (Alchemy Theatre Company), BASH (the dirigo group), S-MAN (Scriptworks), THE ELF and GIFT (Salvage Vanguard Theatre). He serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Dramatists, is a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG/AFTRA, and is an instructor at the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Olivia Hartshorn (Dylan, 2:30 AM) uses She/Her/Hers pronouns. Originally from Seattle Washington, she made the move to NYC to attend Circle in the Square's acting program. The opportunity to tell queer stories is something that Olivia holds near and dear and 2019 has been a fabulous year for that. She worked with Lilly Camp previously on their full-length play ALL EIGHT at Brave New World Repertory, staged a reading of LAZY EYE at Normal Ave's NAP series, and just closed an educational tour of JULIUS CAESAR with Stages on the Sound featuring alternative casting and queer relationships.

Monique “Orisha Love” Letamendi (Markus, COLOR AT THE END OF THE WORLD) born and bred in Brooklyn has been in love with theater, poetry, and music for as long as she can remember. In 2010, Orisha Love had graduated from BCHS, with sights on activism and providing for her community. In an attempt to extend herself into other fields, Monique began to teach poetry and literacy in various state-funded programs and non-profit organizations, such as viBe Theater Experience in 2014 and Sankofa Empowerment Program in 2010. Orisha became program director at viBe Theater Experience in 2015, and directs, produces and collaborates with high school girls from the tri-state area to create full-length stage plays and albums. Nicknamed “The Mouthpiece”, Monique has extended her talents to various social reform movements and campaigns such as #fightfor15, reclaiming the black woman’s body with Black Woman Blueprint at the Roulette Theater, unconstitutional stop and frisk policies with MTR in Bushwick and #sayhername with the African American Policy Forum for an Evening of Action at Pratt University. Monique has facilitated workshops with NBWC at Medgar Evers, performed at various universities all over NYC such as Pratt University, NYU, Hunter College and Barnard College in Boston as well as performing original work at Brooklyn Museum, MOCADA Museum, and BRIC. Orisha is teaching young girls and homeless youth to love themselves through expression, poetry, performance and the arts.

Chelsea B. Lockie (Director, THE INTREPIDS) hails from Elko, Nevada "The Home of Cowboy Poetry". She has been collaborating with Julia Rae Maldonado on new works since 2014, and is thrilled to be working together again as a part of the 2019 5X5 series. Chelsea has a passion for developing new work across mediums—most recent directing credits include <em>Woe is She</em> a 7 part web-series showing at several film festivals across the US, and SERVING BRÛLÉE' at last year's NY International Fringe Festival.

Julia Rae Maldonado (Playwright, THE INTREPIDS)  is a New York-based playwright from San Antonio, Texas. Previously in 5X5: IN THE BASEMENT (2016) and WE THREE (2018). Other notable productions include BLACKSHEEP (ASDS Rep), WIMBERLEY (Midtown International Theatre Festival, FreshFruit Festival) & EGGS (MUT! Theatre, Hamburg &amp; The Interkultural Festival, Stuttgart). She has been a resident playwright with INTAR and a Finalist for the Heideman Award National 10-Minute Play Contest (Actors Theatre Louisville). Her short play REAL LIFE is published in Gary Garrison's book, A (More) Perfect 10: Writing and Producing the Ten Minute Play. BFA - NYU Tisch, MFA - Actor's Studio Drama School. She is a proud teaching artist with the Stella Adler Studio Outreach Division and the director of communication with Theatre East.

Edward Mawere (Chance, COLOR AT THE END OF THE WORLD) is a Brooklyn Native and has recently returned to NYC after training at The School At Steppenwolf, UCB LA, and Temple University where he received his B.A. in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Musical Theatre. His credits include the feature film Breaking Fast (2019), BOOTYCANDY (Chicago Premiere) directed by Robert O’Hara, THE ANTELOPE PARTY (World Premiere) directed by Jeremy Wechsler and the web series Modern Day Black Gay directed by Donja R. Love. Most recently he appeared in a commercial for APPLE called The Underdogs (featured in Ad Week). You can follow him on Instagram @TheJokesOnEddie.

Caterina Nonis (Director, BATTLE CRY) is excited and grateful to be back at 5X5! With Theatre East: JUMPING UP AND DOWN HAPPY TOWN by Lori Fischer. Directing: Last Summer at BLUEFISH COVE (Stella Adler Studio), SLEEPING WITH THE FISH, I DO DO YOU? (KIT/In Scena), AYE DIOS! (NYMadness), WE'RE ALL ATHLETES (Shotz!) PAPER DOLLS (NY SummerFest). As Assistant Director: TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY (Dir. Kip Fagan, Page 73) APLOMB (Dir. Alex Keegan, The Habitat). Upcoming: BAD PEOPLE by Kati Schwartz at Dixon Place. Artistic associate of The In[heir]itance Project. SDCF Observership Class 18-19. BFA: NYU Tisch, Stella Adler &amp; RADA. www.caterinanonis.com

Margie Semilof (Playwright, TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, IT'S ANDREA) is a Boston-based playwright whose plays have appeared in numerous festivals across the U.S. In 2019, her short plays will be produced in such diverse places as Firehouse Theater of Arts, Newburyport, Mass., at the Theatre East 5X5 in New York, Theater Workshop of Owensboro, at The Group Rep. in North Hollywood, Calif., and Itinerant Theatre in Lake Charles, La. She is currently Vice President at Playwrights Platform, a cooperative of Boston-area playwrights. Her first full-length piece, a 1930’s style comedy, QUEEN OF THE COAST, will be read in New York this August.

Owen Grayson Schiller (Soldier Two, BATTLE CRY) is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado acting program. NYC credits include: ROMEO AND JULIET (Benvolio/Paris) and Bardcore Staged Reading Series (Octavian) with Match: Lit, ROMEO AND JULIET IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE (Friar Lawrence) with EMIT. Film: The Seahorse (Mason Becket). Owen teaches elementary school theater and choir at the New Amsterdam Waldorf School.

Graham Schmidt (Director, COLOR AT THE END OF THE WORLD) is a Brooklyn-based director, educator and theater maker. Soon after receiving his BA from the University of Texas, Graham founded a small theater company in Austin dedicated to Russian plays, old and new, including Graham’s translations of Chekhov’s major plays. After completing his MFA in Theater Directing at UT-Austin, Graham moved to Brooklyn. He has developed new plays at the Lark Theater, The National Winter Playwrights’ Retreat in Creede, Colorado, UT’s Cohen New Works Festival and the UT New Theater festival. He teaches acting at Brooklyn College’s B.F.A. program, and is currently assistant directing Chay Yew’s production of Luis Alfaro’s Mojada at the Public Theater.

Kelsey Sheppard (Fran, TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, IT'S ANDREA) is delighted to join Theatre East for this year’s 5x5 Drama Series! New York Theatre: HOLY GHOSTS (Theatre East), NORMALCY (Theatre East), AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (The Secret Theatre), SCENES &amp; SONGS FROM LERNER &amp; LOEWE (HB Studio Performance Lab). Regional: THE WEDDING SINGER (Riverside Center for the Performing Arts), ARTIFICE (Bloomington Playwrights Project), COLLEEN & KUDZO (Bloomington Playwrights Project). Recent film projects include the short films Proud People and Bloodflowers. Thank you to Jud and Christa for creating a space in which we can tell meaningful stories. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

Travis Tate (Playwright, COLOR AT THE END OF THE WORLD) is a queer, black playwright, poet, and performer from Austin, Texas. Their poetry has appeared in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Underblong, Mr. Ma’am, and upcoming in the Shade Journal and apt. Their plays include IT'S A TRAVESTY! ONE NIGHT WITH JAZZIE MERCADO, MOTHERWITCH, and QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. You can find more about them at travisltate.com

Emily Verla (Amelia, THE INTREPIDS) most recently appeared with Theatre East as KM in PETIE, as well as NAME FOR A GHOST TO MUTTER, THE JUNGLE BOOK as well as many readings, workshops, and events. She is the titular voice on the scripted podcast Hairy Legs Hannah’s Feminist Quarter Hour. TV: recurring on season 3 of The Deuce (HBO), Dietland (AMC), The Tonight Show (NBC). Up next two more queer characters in BAD PEOPLE (Dixon Place's HOT! Festival) and BAR DYKES with TOSOS at The Flea. BFA NYU Tisch: The Stella Adler Studio. Proud actor/writer/teacher with the Story Pirates. www.emilyverla.com

James Yuhas (Micah, THE INTREPIDS) is a Brooklyn-based singer, actor, and inkaholic. THE INTREPIDS marks his return to acting after a decade long hiatus. In the interim, James spent his time working as a singer and stand-up comedian on the Las Vegas strip. He thanks Theatre East for the opportunity to make his New York debut in a wonderful piece and in partnership with Pride.

* denotes membership of Actors’Equity Association