Introducing the Cast & Creatives for
BLOOD/SWEAT/TEARS!
Ali Keller (she/her) -Book & Lyrics is a writer based in NYC. She’s passionate about telling female driven stories and stories about mental health issues. Her plays have been a semifinalist for the SPACE on Ryder Farm Residency, The Orchard Project Greenhouse, and The Mitten Lab Residency. Select Writing Credits: CHRISTEN THE PLACE (Alt eller Ingenting Commission, IRT Residency 2022), (UN)CONDITIONAL (2020 Austin Film Festival Second Rounder), SEVEN FISHES (2019 Austin Film Festival Second Rounder Screenplay), STANDARDS (The Dramatists Guild), DEAD MAN WALKING (The Chain Theatre) FOR GOODNESS SAKE (4th Street Theatre @ New York Theatre Workshop), …THE F*CK AM I DOING? (The Laurie Beechman Theatre), BANDIT (Winner of LA Screenplay Fest 2021, Lonely Wolf London International Film Festival Official Jury Selection 2021, Georgia Shorts Winner 2022, Official Selection Best Script Award 2021, and Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Short Screenplay Semi-Finalist 2021), and TO HAVE & TO HOLD (Atlanta Film Festival Script Semifinalist), DIVINE INTERVENTION (Quarterfinalist at the Page Turner Screenplays Competition 2021, The Orchard Project Greenhouse Episodic Lab Semifinalist). Select Associate Director/Assistant & Production Assistant Credits credits: LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL (Broadway), LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: SWEENEY TODD (Creative Arts Emmy Winner), and THE BEST WORST THING THAT EVER COULD HAVE HAPPENED (NYFF 2016/Netflix). She completed the NYU Tisch/Yellowbrick TV & Film Essentials Certificate Program and is a graduate of Bucknell University. AliKellerPlaywright.com
Emily Rose Simons (she/her) - Music is a London based composer, sound designer & musical theatre writer. Composer credits include: Seven Fishes (Anatolian Film Festival), The Great Vanishing (Skeleton Rep), Fair Kind and True (CRY HAVOC Company and The Sonnet Project), The F*ck Am I Doing? (New York Musical Festival, Brighton Fringe), Wendell And Pan (The Tank NYC), “Far From Heaven” (Finalist in the Styles and Drewe Songwriting Competition) and You’re The Only One That Gets It (Bloodworks Festival, Ensemble Stage Theater, NYC). Composer-Lyricist credits include: The Repatriot (ALP Signal Concerts),
The Inconvenient Miracle (The Tank NYC, University of Weston Workshop), Confessions of A Rabbi’s Daughter (The Tank NYC), “Yet” (MuseMatch at Feinstein’s 54 Below). She is an alum
of the Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU,
The CRY HAVOC Company apprenticeship program and
Book, Music, Lyrics workshops in London. Currently
aparticipant in the Advance Mercury Musical
Developments Lab. www.songsofemilyrose.com
Rebecca Aparicio (she/ella) - Director is a New York based bilingual director and writer. Recent: Beastgirl, based on the chapbook by Elizabeth Acevedo, book by C. Quintana and music by Janelle Lawrence (Kennedy Center, world premiere); The House on the Lagoon by Caridad Svich (Gala Hispanic Theatre, Helen Hayes recommended, world premiere), and Jack and the Beanstalk by Julia Riew (The A.R.T., world premiere). As a director, she’s developed new work with Ensemble Studio Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre, Playwrights Center, Bay Street Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, Classical Theatre of Harlem, National Black Theatre, The York Theatre, and more. As a writer, selected work includes the award-winning musical Pedro Pan (Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, NYMF, Fringe NYC, The Truf Theatre), Salome vs. John (Queens Theatre NYC Artists Corp Grant Showcase, University of Montevallo), Hindsight 2020 (Live & In Color, commission), Legacy (Prospect Theatre), Tree Tales (Prospect Theatre), and The Garcia Sisters (Red Mountain Theatre, commission). She is currently a co-producer and writer on the podcast This Is Reality, recently named "new and noteworthy" by Apple Podcasts. Past Fellowships: Roundabout Theatre’s Inaugural Directing Group, Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow, The COOP’s Clusterf**k, The Orchard Project, and two SDCF Observership Awards. Rebecca is a steering committee member of the Latinx Theatre Commons, member of Latinx Playwrights Circle, a founding member of Magic Forest Theatre, and a Board Member of the Flea Theatre.
Christina DiMare (she/her) - Assistant Director is a recent graduate from Syracuse University’s BFA Acting program. Originally from Massachusetts, Christina just moved to NYC to pursue a career in theater (and a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at NYU!). She has performed regionally
in Massachusetts and New York. Most recently, she performed as a Swing in Matilda the Musical
at Syracuse Stage. During her time at Syracuse, Christina had the privilege of serving as Rebecca Aparicio’s Assistant Director for the workshop
of the new musical The Bridge (Hodgson & Wrinn). She is so grateful to join Rebecca again as her Assistant Director for this exciting project and
to be a part of this team.
Lisa Purrone (she/her) has a deep love for new works, collaboration, and openness. Lisa is an actor-writer that really enjoys being in a room, working on a fresh new play. She has worked on various new works at Ensemble Studio Theater, INTAR, New Dramatists, and Columbia University. She has performed at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, The CRY HAVOC Company, the MCC Theater Youth Company, and in NYC Parks in all 5 boroughs. Lisa is an alum of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, Ithaca College, MCC Theater Youth Company, The CRY HAVOC Company, Middle Voice at Rattlestick and continues to study at The Freeman Studio.
Haley Hoffmeister (she/her) is an actor, writer, and comic from Eugene, Oregon. She currently lives in Los Angeles. She can be seen on Amazon Prime in “My First Comedy Special” Her TEDx Talk is titled “Being a Woman is Not That Hard.”
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Allyson Pace (she/her) is from California and now resides in New York. She is an actor, singer, & dancer.
Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz (he/him) National Tour: CATS. Select credits: Juan Perón (Evita,) Antonio/Ensemble (On Your Feet!,) Padre/Don Quixote u/s (Man of La Mancha,) Baker (Into the Woods,) and Waiter (First Date.) Regional: North Carolina Theatre, Orlando Shakes, NYMF, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Utah Shakespearean Festival. BFA: Musical Theatre (Millikin University.) Thanks to Eisen Associates, Ann McMann and Cynthia Oeck. Love to Mom, Dad, and Matthew. Gracias por tu fe y amor. Proud AEA member! www.RodrigoIgnacioCruz.com
Ellis Charles Hoffmeister (he/him) is an actor, dancer, comedian, director, and playwright. For the past four years, he has been studying at HB Studio in multiple disciplines, after receiving his BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, where he choreographed his own work alongside performing in pieces by Sidra Bell and Twyla Tharp among many others. He is a stand-up comedian who currently performs in both New York and Los Angeles, and he spent many years working in the film industry in New York on commercials, short films, and feature films. He was most recently the Art Director for the short film Seven Fishes, which is currently winning awards on the film festival circuit, and his last directing venture was House on Fire by Ali Keller for the ‘Me and My Mask’ monologue competition. Ellis had a reading of his play, Family Games, in HB Studio's 2021 HB Playwrights Reading Series, and he recently performed at Theatre for the New City in their Lower East Side Festival of the Arts in May. Ellis is so honored to be continuing his role in BLOOD/SWEAT/TEARS and thanks the entire creative team for all of their glorious work.
Arjun Dhawan (he/him) Born and raised in Dubai, Arjun moved to New York City in 2014 to pursue his passion for musical theatre, that has immensely grown since. He is currently an actor, singer and dancer and is a recent graduate from New York University with a BFA in Drama from the Tisch School of the Arts. He studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and graduated from the New Studio on Broadway. Arjun also received a BA in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences. When he can, Arjun absolutely loves travelling and finding new places, and is forever on the search for the perfect Banoffee Pie.
Michael Murray (he/him) is feeling just holly-jolly about being a part of this production! He has performed Off-Broadway and in regional theatres, and can be seen in television, film, and video games. He sang in a wacky adaptation of a Dickensian Christmas ghost story in France, studied some painting and cooking in Italy, roots for the Yankees, is an Aries, an Eagle Scout, and can dock a pontoon boat. Michael studied Film and Theatre at North Carolina State University, graduating with honors, and recently earned his MFA in Filmmaking at City College of New York.
Georgia Waehler (she/her) Originally from New Jersey, Georgia graduated from high school a year early to attend NYU Tisch Drama. Last Summer, she led A Thousand Suns as Sylph with LaMama's resident Ukrainian Theatre Company Yara Arts and starred in The Uncredited as Isabel which was selected for several film festivals from New York to Tokyo, winning best thriller twice. This Summer, she'll be Natalie in Pot Odds at the SheNYC play festival at The Connelly Theater as well as Dawn in the upcoming film Vacationland. Catch her on Showtime this fall and find her on IG @georgiawaehler or georgiawaehler.com