Round 2
AFO Solo Shorts
Round 3: YOUNG AUDIENCES
NICK ABEEL
THE LAND OF MYA PARTMENT
NICK ABEEL is a Brooklyn-based artist who performs, writes, directs, edits video and designs sound, and works as a foley artist from time to time. You can hear Nick play a T-Rex Professor in the Audible Original: History of the 3rd Robot War, which is a 6-part parody lecture series he co-wrote with his comedy company Recent Cutbacks. Nick is also a veteran company member of Broken Box Mime Theater, collaboratively creating and performing contemporary stories entirely through movement. These two companies form the backbone of Nick's creative work, but he's also performed at The PIT, UCB, Keen Company, 59E59, The Tank, The Duplex, Dixon Place, the Denver Center and the Kennedy Center. He's developed new work with All For One, New Dramatists, MTC, NY Stage and Film, Partial Comfort, Primary Stages, The Lark, and New Georges. Nick also recently appeared in Chisa Hutchinson's film The Subject, starring Jason Biggs and directed by Lanie Zipoy. Check out more of Nick's solo green-screen work at nickabeel.com.
JONATHAN ALEXANDRATOS
YOUR TOYS ARE GAY
JONATHAN ALEXANDRATOS (they/them) is a Non-Binary, New York City-based playwright and essayist whose work lives at the intersection of pop culture and ancient Queerness. They won a 2020 Parity Commission from Parity Productions for their play Turning Krasniqi, the story of Hannah's transition to become Burrnesha. Their award-winning work has been produced internationally, with the support of companies like PEACE Productions, Nashville Repertory Theatre's Ingram New Works Lab, Fresh Ground Pepper, Mission to (dit)Mars, and others. Beyond the stage, Jonathan teaches at Queensborough Community College and writes academic essays about toys, some of which can be found in their edited collection, Articulating the Action Figure: Essays on the Toys and Their Messages. Find them on Instagram @toy_circus.
AMANDA DELALLA
SEASON OF ICE,
OR THE GROWN-UP TOY STORY MONOLOGUE
AMANDA DELALLA is a NY-based writer and actress. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild and the Staten Island Women's Playwright Collective, and currently works at 321 Theatrical Management. Onstage roles include Mother (The Oldest Boy), Gilmer (Godspell), Margot Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank), Ms. Darbus (Disney’s High School Musical), and Officer Brophy (Arsenic and Old Lace). As a writer, she is the lyricist and librettist for two musicals, as well as three full-length dramas and a solo show. Her work has been presented in a variety of venues, including Lincoln Center, The Tank, Dixon Place, Scranton Fringe, and Feinstein’s/54 Below. Her play Reversal will be seen next as part of The Pressure Players' inaugural season. As a rule, Amanda uses her experiences with living on the autism spectrum to craft stories about emotion and resilience. She is also glad to be collaborating with AFO again after serving as a Production Assistant for 2019's Open.
M.J. KANG
HARABOGEE & ME
M.J. KANG is an award-winning playwright, actor, storyteller, improvisor and director. She was born in Seoul, Korea, raised in Toronto, Canada and currently makes her home in Los Angeles and Montreal. Her plays have been produced at Tarragon Theater, Theater Passe Muraille, Factory Theater, among many others. She has been playwright in residence at many theaters as well as been involved in various playwrights groups and development programs including Banff Playwrights Colony and Company of Angel's Playwrights Group. As an actor, she has been a series regular on a Canadian television show, acted opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in a film, and acted on stages across Canada, the US, and London, UK. As a storyteller, she has won three Moth slams and many other story slams. She is proud to have her daughter Mia in her life, who inspires her everyday.
MIA SAFDIE (Musician) is a middle school student and loves playing harp, piano, flute. and clarinet. Her achievements in music include; California All-State Band, SCSBOA - twice, Young Composers Project for American Harp Society's Summit Conference, first place winner of Los Angeles Youth Harp's Solo Competition, among many others. In her spare time, she loves learning languages and is currently studying ASL, Korean, and Hebrew.
PETER MICHAEL MARINO
ONCE UPON
PETER MICHAEL MARINO is a NYC native who has worked extensively as a producer, director, developer, writer, teacher, and performer. His work has been seen on five continents. Pete is one of the first American artists to present live, interactive digital content and was recently named "Creative of the Year" by the Young-Howze Theater Awards. To date, he has live-streamed over 75 performances of his solo shows Desperately Seeking the Exit and Show Up, Kids! His production company PM2 Entertainment has presented festivals and original comedy works everywhere from NYC to Australia, Canada, and the UK. Off-Broadway, he appeared in STOMP for five years and played the villain Joules Volter in the immersive family hit Pip's Island. Pete's upcoming show, Planet of the Grapes Live, pays homage to the classic '68 Charlton Heston/Rod Serling film and the Victorian era's Toy Theater movement. More info at petermmarino.com.
LEAH OGAWA
FOOTPRINT OBAKE
LEAH OGAWA (Director, Maker, Narrator) is a mixed race artist, puppeteer, dramatist, self-detective, and model based in New York City. Raised in Yamanashi, Japan, Leah has worked with puppeteers, artists, and companies including The Metropolitan Opera, Phantom Limb, Dan Hurlin, Tom Lee, Nami Yamamoto, Loco 7, and others. She has performed across the US as well as at the Quai Branly in Paris and across Asia. Leah is a recipient of the Jim Henson Foundation’s workshop grant for her original piece, Growing Not Dying. She is currently a resident artist at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club. For more information visit leahogawa.com and follow @leahogawa on Instagram.
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JOHN CHAO (Composer, Camera Operator) is a producer, songwriter, and instrumentalist based in New York City. He is part of the group Misha (signed to Tomlab Records - The Books, Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy, Max Tundra, and others.) John's music has appeared in advertisements, theatre, and art pieces. He is currently working on his new album which will be released in Fall 2021.
MÉLISSA SMITH
UNION GUY ON THE STREET
MÉLISSA SMITH is a Brooklyn-based artist who created and performs the family-friendly one-person show, The Magician’s Assistant. Pre-pandemic, you could catch her playing bass with the Maine-based band Bee Parks and the Hornets or at Nickelodeon Universe NJ, as the Emcee of their live stage show Slime Time Live!
Since the pandemic, she has been making lots of virtual and video content for young people encouraging them to move their bodies and to be kind & curious!
In NYC she has performed at Ars Nova, The Public Theater, Abrons Arts Center, The Tank, Cloud City, Under St. Marks, The Kraine, Judson Memorial, Greenwood Cemetery and a few subway platforms.