How Wonderful! How Wonderful!
CAST
Sky Nelson as TY
Sky Nelson is an actor living in NYC. Originally from Reno, Nevada, he has run the gamut of everything from playing in a garage rock band to working as a behavioral neuroscientist and even entertaining (brief) hopes of racing bikes professionally. When not acting on stage or in front of a camera, Sky loves to spend time riding bikes, playing classical guitar, and taking the long way home past any dog park he can find. Having just completed conservatory training at Maggie Flanigan Studio, his recent credits include the short films The Angel and A Kept Boy.
Lydia Granered as WU
Lydia Granered is a Nashville-raised actor and musician who loves to sing Carole King, Jackie Wilson, and Elvis Presley songs as if she’s not a millennial. She went to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for Drama, but learned how to play the piano from a VHS tape called “Piano For Quitters” that her Mom bought at Goodwill, which demonstrates her love of balance. She is currently teaching and bartending and living in Brooklyn. Ronnie, her 71-year-old bar regular has often told her during brunch, “You have the good fortune of being both interesting-looking AND attractive,” and gave her permission to use that quote on this website. Playful yet Soulful. Classic yet Original. Great at High-Fives.
Megan Khaziran as JENNY
Megan Khaziran is thrilled to be a part of this exciting new play! She was last seen on stage in NYC in R.Evolucíon Latina’s devised adaptation of The Tempest (dir. Luis Salgado). Washington D.C. credits include: Synetic Theater: Sleepy Hollow, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Titus Andronicus, The Mark of Cain, Twelfth Night; Ally Theatre Company: Clover. She can be seen next in Synetic Theater’s production of The Tempest. Check out her website or Instagram for more details on upcoming projects. As always, thank you, Mom, for supporting me unconditionally; I couldn’t do it without you. megankhaziran.com • @khazjran
Alexander Rios as MARCUS
Alexander is thrilled to be a part of the Furnace Festival with such an exciting new play! Currently he plays Pip in the Off-Broadway, immersive show Pip’s Island! Previous NYC credits include Truffles: The Musical (Off-Broadway), Breaking Ground (NYMF), Legally Blonde (New York Film Academy), Express: An Immersive Musical (New York Film Academy). He would like to thank his grandma, mom, and girlfriend for always supporting him in everything he does! | BA University of Mary Washington | www.riosalexander.com | @alxndr.rios
Andy Schneeflock as O'FLANAHAN
Andy Schneeflock is an actor, improviser, director, writer and teacher. Some recent credits include; TV, "Orange Is The New Black" (recurring), “Tales of the City”, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Luke Cage”, "Blue Bloods", and "Alpha House". Film, "Bridge of Spies” “Interview Requested” & "Perception". Theater, The Hungry Hungry Games (National Tour), The Puppet Dead, The Story Pirates & Timmy the Great. Andy is also a company member of Ten Bones Theatre Company and frequently performs in their Entirely From Memory shows at The PIT. Be on the lookout for Andy in the upcoming feature film “What Is Life Worth". www.andyschneeflock.com @AndySchneeflock
CREATIVE
Uma Paranjpe -- Playwright
Uma Paranjpe is a Indian-American playwright and actor originally from San Francisco. She found writing in college, and realized how much she liked to tell stories, especially those about people who aren’t able to tell them themselves. This is her second play, and she is looking forward to putting up her first next spring with Moxie Arts! Uma currently lives in Brooklyn with her cat.
BFA University of Miami. umaparanjpe.com
Charles Platt -- Director
Charles Platt is a theatre director, actor, producer, and founder of My Big Fat Queer Theatre Co . He is from a little bit of everywhere having lived as far from the city as Singapore. He has trained in both the Directing Continuum and the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Charles takes specific interest in bringing the more nuanced and complicated queer voices into the light through his artistic pursuits. Directing credits include: The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell (MBFQTCo), Eastern Standard by Richard Greenberg (Act III Theatre Ensemble), Mrs. Representation by Shayna Maci-Warner and Mina Bloom (World Premiere), Postscript: Or the Last Words by Leland Frankel (UCLA), Spring Awakening by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (CAM & Co).
charlesplatt.org | @thecharlesplatt
Leslie Gray -- Lighting Design
Leslie Gray is a lighting designer specializing in theater and dance. He is a recent graduate of New York University in Abu Dhabi with a BA in Theater and an emphasis in design and performance studies. He has worked on numerous projects both in the UAE and the US. He currently lives in New York City working as a freelance designer and technician.
Charles Crockett -- Board Op
Charles Crockett is a lighting and sound designer from New York and will attend Fredonia this fall to pursue tech theater.
Jess Orense -- Photographer
Jess Orense is a non-binary artist from the Philippines. Jess currently works as a creative arts therapist in an outpatient mental health setting. They have an MA in Drama Therapy from New York University, where they were highly involved in the As Performance: Therapeutic Theatre series, using theatre-making for health and for advocacy. Jess is an associate artist with the National Queer Theater, having served as ASM in the recent Criminal Queerness Festival during WorldPride and having performed in last year’s run of DREAMers: An (Un)Documentary Play.