Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org
Director and Playwright's Note
Rather than a traditional note on the content of the show, we would like to use this space to thank all of the organizations and people who helped make this world-premiere possible!
First the organizations: City Gate Productions, Hellenic Cultural Center, Materials for the Arts, Donovan’s Pub, Gamut Theatre Group and Rockaway Theatre Company.
Then, in no particular order, the individuals who supported us in a whole host of ways: Meagan Owens, Rory Hanrahan, Bobby Eddy, Karia Gallant, Alexa Elmy, Alyssa LaVacca, Daniel Morgan Shelley, Lucien Formichella, Kaitlin Brozek, Jeremy Folmer, Max Bank, Austin Hunt, Emily Morgan, Justin Schulsohn, Thomas Kuklenski, Juliet Wolfe, Alex Ammohostianos, Kelly Gerritz, Alyssa Garland, Crystal Mohammed, Amy Almond, Camelia Iturrugui Fuertes, Dylan Boyle, Cathy Chimenti, Rebecca Rusch, Keara Callahan, John LeGoff, Murphy Coons, Jason Roodman, Robert Sutherland, Madeleine Tavcar, JP Starace, Emily Boylan, Austin Karkowsky, Rachel Trail, Jacqueline Reich, Cynthia Schmidt and Christine Tavcar.
cast and crew bios
EMILIO PICAYO (Jackson) is an actor born and raised in New York City. Recent credits: Sightings (Philipstown Depot), Ghost Punchers (Kalani Hubbard), Pep, Messi, & Me (Royal Family Productions), First Date Blues (Carson McKenna), and Heavy Hitters (Gemelli Films). New play workshops: Got Love? by Joelle Dong, The Board by Anthony Scarpone, Heddy by Emily Breeze, and Things to do Before We Die by Tristan Rodriguez. He studied theater and math at Brown University before training with Scott Freeman, Sheila Gray, and FIASCO in NYC. Other interests include playing basketball, wrestling puppies, and circus training.
BART PETER BLACK (Officer Bradley) is a Polish-American actor who moonlights as a corporate professional 40 hrs/week, having spent more than a decade in the private sector before acting professionally. He’s excited to be working with City Gate Productions once more after appearing as Juror 4 in last year’s production of 12 Angry Men at Stone Circle Theatre. Bart was recently seen on stage in IRT Theater’s premiere of Will You Be My Arch Nemesis?. Other credits include the award-winning Polish-language short, New Lives; independent streaming feature, The Wedding Trip; and NBC’s Law & Order. Bart is a graduate of Rutgers University and Atlantic Acting School and, last but not least, will forever be grateful for the circle of support he’s surrounded by. bart.actor@gmail.com | www.bartpeterblack.com
CORRIE BURKART (Delilah) was born and raised in North Carolina and graduated from the USC School of Dramatic Arts in 2019. She’s a brand new New Yorker and is thrilled to be making her debut in NYC alongside a group of amazingly wonderfully talented people. She doesn’t have any on stage credits (yet!) because she thought she wanted to direct (and had an identity crisis in college because she fell in love with acting!!) She wants to thank all of the lovely people who have contributed to making this show so great and is looking forward to continue living her dreams in NYC. She’s obsessed with this city and is never leaving!!! (And yes she will check back in after her first winter!!!)
James Kenna is a multi-hyphenate creative JAMES KENNA (Officer Nichols) is a multi-hyphenate creative focused on new work for the stage and screen. He's known for work as a writer, dramaturg, producer, actor, and former ironworker. His work spans plays, films, solo performance, short narrative, and theatrical events. James consistently leads readings, residencies, script consultations, talkbacks, and more–informed by his dramaturgy origins at Steppenwolf’s Education Department that he continues as a New Jersey Play Lab associate. His writing has been awarded or featured at: The Nantucket Film Festival, The Blacklist, Dragonfly Theater Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe, A.C.T’s Skyfest, Vivid Stage, Film.Roll Films, and classrooms/young adult stages across the country. Coming off Executive Producing Grace Fojtik’s film "GUSH," James is fundraising for their next collaboration, his short film: Aftercare. Follow him on socials (instagram, tiktok, substack) @jameshkenna or his production company Matchbox Media.
ERIN LAYTON (Chief Hightower) is a Queens, NYC-based theatre artist. Her one-woman play, MAGDALEN has toured the festival circuit in cities across the United States; Off-Bway: SoHo Playhouse, 59e59 Theaters; internationally as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and invited performances for Irish community centers and venues across the New York tri-state area, including a recent weekend engagement at Franklin Stage Company. She has appeared onstage in several regional and NYC productions (Off-Broadway, Actors Theatre of Louisville, La MaMa ETC, Vineyard Theatre). Other writing credits include THE IMMIGRANTS, developed in residency at Lyth Arts Centre in Scotland, and WOKE: an evangelical reckoning, in residency at Phantom Theatre in Vermont. She has appeared onstage for City Gate Productions in THE WEIR and POTUS; she co-developed and directed two solo shows for City Gate, CRACKPOT SHAKESPEARE THEORIES, VOLUME 1, and CROOKED SHADOWS and she proudly serves on their board. Many thanks to Jorden, Brandan, and Jack for an opportunity to be involved in this timely new piece. DG member. www.magdalentheplay.com
BRENDAN WALLACE DOWNEY (Playwright) is a multifaceted artist who is excited to add one more hyphenate with his playwriting debut! When he was seven years old he saw a community production of A Christmas Carol after which he turned to his mother and said, “I think it would be better if I was in it.” He made his stage debut at eight for Open Stage of Harrisburg and has chased that dream ever since. After working an internship at New Dramatists, Brendan once again had that lightning strike moment and began writing both plays and novellas. He is beyond grateful to have this opportunity. Selected Theatre Credits Stupid Fucking Bird, Fifth Cup, Satellites. Selected Film and TV The Danger Zone, The Fabulous Seven Forever, The Last Wave, Kiki and The Sundance Kid, Hamlet|A Nightmare. Socials @brendanwallacedowney. He would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication, Brian, Linda, and Natali for their love and support, and Meagan and Charlotte for being his biggest cheerleaders. For Evan Rush, it looks like we made it.
JACK TAVCAR (Director) is thrilled to be back at CityGate to make his professional directing debut with Guilt! As a Queens native, he is very excited for the opportunity to share this story with his family, friends and enemies!! Training: USC School of Dramatic Arts, Atlantic Acting School, Freeman Studio. Recent credits include Frankenstein (Father/Inspector Krough) Will You Be My Archnemesis? And Other Super Short Stories (producer) and Serving The Hamptons on HBO MAX (as himself!)
PATRICIA ROQUES (Stage Manager) is a NYC-based stage manager and actor. Recent Stage Management credits include Hungry Women (Soho Playhouse Lighthouse Series Finalist); Len Jenkin's How Is It That We Live, or Shakey Jake + Alice at A.R.T. New York (Production Stage Manager--The Tent Theater Co); The Vitagraph Story at The Flea (PSM); BerkleeNYC's annual Writing for Musical Theatre Showcase (PSM, ASM); bloodymessysurprised at New Ohio Theatre (PSM--downtown negro); and Dogs Chase Shadows (SM--Experimental Theatre Wing). Other recent credits include Oops Ouch! performs Hannah Montana (Musician/Performer), To Tread Among Serpents with Third Stone Theatre Co (Actor, JC Cohen), and Macbeth with Inkblot Theatre Co (Ross/First Witch). Graduate of the Experimental Theatre Wing at Tisch School of the Arts. www.patriciaroques.com Instagram: @patricianicole39
JORDEN CHARLEY-WHATLEY (Producer) is a member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, a NYC-based director, actor, and dramaturg, and an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He's excited to be returning to City Gate after his debut directing last fall's production of Frankenstein to life! Select directing credits include MY STORY IS GLUSKABE (Penobscot Theatre Company), BOTTLENOSE: A MODERN MYSTERY (The Gaze Presents), and THE COPIER (Magic Theatre). He received his B. A in Theatre with a dual emphasis in Directing and Acting from The Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at UNL. https://www.jordencw.com/
GRACE WYLIE is a Costume Designer originating from Northern Indiana and has a passion for working on new shows and creating inspiring work. With her BS from Ball State University, Grace received a Costume Design contract at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Tennessee where she designed 4 shows including, Junie B. Jones the Musical, Flat Stanley, Schoolhouse Rock and a new work titled When We Get Good Again. After Memphis she worked in Maine at Penobscot Theatre Company and was a collaborator on their 2021-2022 season. Once the contract in Maine was complete NYC was calling. Since moving to New York she has worked as a Cutter/Draper on multiple shows and been back and forth to Penobscot to Costume Design Gluskabe and Wig Design for Little Shop of Horrors. She was recently the Assistant Costume Designer on an Off Broadway Show, Kowalski, with Designer Lisa Zinni. Grace has also assisted on costume teams of Elf Back on Broadway, The Roommate, and SMASH on Broadway. She's thrilled to Costume Design with City Gate Productions on Guilt, after working on POTUS and Frankenstein. When she's not designing, Grace works on her podcast, Dressing Room Talk, and is currently working with Costume Catz NYC on Whatnot as a costume focused auctioneer.
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