New Rep’s first New Voices Theatre Festival will feature three twenty-minute plays directed by Jaime Carrillo, Inés De La Cruz, and Naomi Ibasitas. Each two-person cast will bring these stories to life in the intimate Black Box Theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.
Play summaries from the playwrights:
AURORA by Ramón Esquivel
The play takes place on an Autumn Night on the The Aurora Bridge in Seattle in 2010. Kai has come here to end their life, and Halen tries to stop the attempt. We learn that Halen committed suicide in the same spot two years earlier, and has reappeared to support Kai in this time of crisis. This play employs magical realism in an ultimately uplifting story about depression, grief, metaphysics, and the transcendent nature of love.
ORGANIC by Jenna Jane
In a future where everyone is enhancing their bodies with the latest tech, 81-year-old Donna Goldman is an anomaly – she’s 100 percent organic. But now, there’s a problem: She’s dying. And a bionic body part is the only cure. Will cyborg Dr. Flores persuade her to abandon her sense of self to survive? This sci-fi drama explores the relationship between the body and the self.
BY ANY OTHER NAME by Erin Lerch
The play takes place in the age of space travel. In the aftermath of the disaster that destroyed her home, sole survivor Amaranth must decide who and how she needs to be in order to survive beneath the weight of others’ expectations.
Content warning: The play Aurora centers around and prominently explores the topic of suicide, including detailed descriptions of a death by suicide. We know this can be a difficult topic. Please take care of yourself in whatever way you need. If you feel like you need to step out for a moment, please do so.








Ramón Esquivel is a playwright, director, and educator. He has been an invited playwright to the 2022 New Harmony Project Conference and 2019 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, a finalist for the 2021 Four Seasons Playwrights Residency, and winner of the Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award from the New England Theatre Conference. His play ZEQ was awarded a 2021 ReImagine Grant from Write Now, TYA/USA, and the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America. Four titles are available through Dramatic Publishing: Luna, Nasty, Nocturnal, and (coming soon) The Hero Twins: Blood Race. Ramón is currently Assistant Professor of Theatre – Playwriting at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo.


Inés (She/Her/Hers) is a Boston based actor and director. Past acting credits include: Think of Me Tuesday (Gloucester Stage) Sonia Se Fue (Teatro Chelsea) Wolf Play (Company One Theater) Marriage, Mentiras, and Mantras (Escena Latina Teatro) Prohibido Suicidarse en Primavera (Escena Latina Teatro) This Place / Displaced (Artists’ Theater of Boston), Yo Soy Lola, The Latina Narrative: Reclaimed, Wrestling with Freedom III (Our Place Theatre Project). She is director/producer and administrator for Escena Latina Teatro. She can be seen as Catalina in the comedic web series “The Pineapple Diaries”. Inés is a member of the Actors Equity Association.


Lonnie Miller is thrilled to be participating in her first ever professional production! A rising sophomore at Barnard, she has performed in countless shows throughout middle school and high school, as well as attending Stagedoor Manor for many summers– her favorite credits include Ado Annie in Oklahoma! and Miss Sandra in All Shook Up. In addition to acting, Lonnie is a historical and theatrical costumer and a playwright. She produced and starred in her new show, Inheritance, at Wesleyan University this spring. Off the stage, Lonnie loves nothing more than to visit a vintage clothing store or bask in the sun with a good book. She has had a lovely time bringing Aurora to life and hopes you find it meaningful!


Aliyah Harris (she/her) is grateful to return to New Rep in her role as the understudy for Ruth. After her New Rep debut as Kai in Aurora, she participated in Beyond the Blues, an interactive musical in Lynn, where the audience voted her character Sharika, the winner of the singing competition all four nights. She hopes the audience appreciates the timelessness of this American story.


Jenna Jane is a Floridian playwright and performer, whose plays have been produced across the country. LAB Theater Project in Tampa produced her monologue “Villain” as part of Lab Laughs! An Evening of Comedic Shorts in Jan. 2021. The New Deal Creative Arts Center in New York produced her monologue “Don’t Start Your Car” as part of its virtual March Minute Monologue Challenge in March 2021. Theatre Jacksonville produced a virtual performance of her play “A Socially Distanced Farce in One Act” in May 2021. Off Kilter Theatre produced her monologue “I Can’t Be Your Bridesmaid” as part of Plus in June 2021. In August 2021, her monologues “Fae Propaganda,” “I’ve Got the X-Rays to Prove It,” and “Villain” were performed during The 5 & Dime’s Short Attention Span Theatre Festival in Jacksonville. In Dec. 2021, Rainy Day Artistic Collective in San Francisco produced her short play “Why Did You Bother Killing the Sea Witch?” as part of its virtual Twisted Tales One Act Festival. The National Women’s Theatre Festival produced her short sci-fi play “Organic” for its virtual festival Occupy 22 in Feb. 2022. Iowa State University Department of Music and Theatre produced her farce “Cuckoo Clock” as part of its one-act play festival in March 2022.
Contact:


Jaime Carrillo (Aymara) (he/him/his) In New York, Jaime Carrillo directed 365 Days/Plays at The Public Theater on behalf of The Classical Theatre of Harlem, where he was a company member for six years. His direction of LYNCH PLAY, an examination of slavery and racism in the U.S., recreated segregated seating for audiences and received an AUDELCO award nomination. Locally, Jaime recently directed a mini-tour of Jose Rivera’s Cloud Tectonics in association with the Hyde Square Task Force, which included stops in Jamaica Plain, Downtown Boston, Gloucester, and Boston University, in order to engage different communities with local artists of color. Jaime is also a Lucille Lortel Award winning producer. He was associate producer for the renown Waiting for Godot in New Orleans, featuring public art organization CREATIVE TIME and Wendell Pierce. Jaime received his B.A. with honors from Brandeis University and is a graduate of the William Esper Studio.


Dev Luthra (he, him, his) Dev trained at East 15 Acting School, London, England and at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA. Acting credits include Sorin/Seagull at Arlekin Players; Iago/Othello at Dreamrole Players (EPC production); Antigonus, Old Shepherd, Bottom/The Winter’s Tale and Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bay Colony Shakespeare Company, Father/Brilliant Adventures and Azdak/Caucasian Chalk Circle (Apollinaire Theatre Company), Mr. Biedermann/Firebugs (Huellas Vivas), Orsino/Twelfth Night (Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival) Northumberland/Henry IV, parts 1 & 2 (Actors Shakespeare Project), M. le Comte/N. Bonaparte (Pilgrim Theatre), Leonato/Much Ado About Nothing (Public Theatre) Worcester/1 Henry IV (Palace Theatre). Dev serves as the Artistic Director of And Still We Rise Productions, a theatre company committed to the advocacy of the rights of people impacted by the prison system. He also teaches at Wheelock Family Theatre. His courses include Shakespeare and Devised Theatre, among others. Dev also offers residencies at schools throughout the area. Of English and (Asian) Indian descent, Dev is a father and grandfather.
Dev first worked with New Rep when it was based in Newton, playing the Rabbi in Teibele and Her Demon (directed by Larry Lane).


Yitong Zhu (she/her) is thrilled to make her New Rep debut. Yitong is a rising senior at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Born and raised in China, she is so excited to share a different perspective while studying in the US. Yitong is an actor, dancer, and puppeteer; she attended the 2020 Winter Intensive at Double Edge Theater and will be attending the O’Neill Puppetry Conference this coming June. Previous credits include Untold, New Music & Puppet Theater (Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble), Somewhere (something wonderful) (Trinity College, Hartford CT), Body Map, Beyond Walls (Boston Conservatory at Berklee). Yitong would like to thank Jaime, Dev, and Amy for this amazing opportunity! Instagram: yitongzhu9


Erin Lerch (they/them) is a Boston-area playwright and stage manager who can’t/won’t stop writing deeply queer sci-fi. They appeared on ArtsBoston’s July 2020 list of 10 Boston Playwrights You Should Know. Their most recent play, SHRIKE, was written and developed through Company One Theatre’s PlayLab Fellows program and with TC Squared Theatre, and received its world premiere production with Fresh Ink Theatre in February 2022. Their play CROSSING FLIGHT (first in the LEGION CYCLE) had its world premiere in Boston at TC Squared Theatre Company in January 2018. They are also the writer and co-producer of The Legion Tapes, a sci-fi podcast/audio drama series. As a stage manager and technician, Erin has worked with a number of Boston companies including TC Squared, ART’s Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, Emerson College, Company One, Escena Latina Teatro, and more.


Naomi Ibasitas (Director, By Any Other Name) is an actor, stage manager, and director within the Boston fringe theatre community. During these pandemic times she has been really getting more into acting! Recent credits Disenchanted! (Mulan/Pocahontas) with the Walpole Footlighters, the 4th Annual Asian American Playwrights Collective Festival 2021 (various roles), and 7 Rooms: The Masque of the Red Death (Misha in Toasting Man) with Flat Earth Theatre, She is also featured in and stage managed for the films and staged productions of the Mrs. Hawking series with Breaking Light Productions. Off the stage, she is a character performer with Spark a Dream Princess Parties and a co-artistic director of Fort Point Theatre Channel. She graduated from Emerson College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies.


Essie Bertain (she/her/hers) is excited to make her New England stage debut at New Rep Theatre! Essie has been performing on stage and in film professionally for the past 9 years in the Pacific Northwest, but is happy to call Boston her new home. A few of her favorite roles include “Cinderella” in “Into the Woods,” “Nina” in “In the Heights,” and “Sue Snell” in “Carrie the Musical.” She is a Masters Candidate at Boston Conservatory for Musical Theater Vocal Pedagogy, class of 2023. Thank you for supporting live theater and the arts!


Scott Salley – Scott is extremely excited to make his New Rep debut with By Any Other Name! After taking a 20 year break hiatus from acting, Scott returned to the stage in 2017 playing Richard in The Lion in Winter (The Center for Arts, Natick). Other recent roles include Red in The Shawshank Redemption (World Virtual and Regional Premier, Jakespeare Virtual Theater) Roger/Ensemble in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (The Umbrella), Pete in First Things First, Dr. Lyman Sanderson in Harvey, Gareth in One Man, Two Guvnors and Charlie in Absolutely Murder (The Center for the Arts, Natick). Scott has also provided voice work for PBS, The Boston Red Sox, Live Nation and others. He lives in MetroWest Boston with his amazing wife and son, two dogs, two cats, and the occasional fish.


Janie E. Howland (Scenic Designer) has been a member of the New Rep family for 25 years and is thrilled to return! Recent designs include: Color Purple (Umbrella Stage), Rooted (Lyric Stage Company), Greater Boston New Works Festival (Moonbox), Urban Nutcracker (year 7, City Ballet of Boston), English (Speakeasy Stage), Turn of the Screw (New England Conservatory), 3 Decembers (Berkshire Opera Festival), Paradise Blue (Gloucester Stage). Venues include: NYC Dance Alliance, Lynn Redgrave Theatre (NY), InterAct Theatre (PA), Mass MOCA, Reagle Players, ASP, Odyssey Opera, Weston Playhouse (VT), Umbrella Stage, North Shore Music Theatre, Central Square Theatre, Ohio Star Theatre(OH), Company One, Merrimack Rep, Seacoast Rep, NJ Shakespeare Festival (NJ). 4 time Elliot Norton Award winner, 4 time IRNE Award winner; adjunct faculty at BSU, Emerson and Wellesley College. Founder of the Prop Co-Op. USA Local 829. www.janiehowland.com


Christopher Brusberg is a lighting designer working out of New York City and Boston. He is passionate about Opera, Dance, and New Theatrical Work, including how design can influence the relationships between art, the viewer, and the artist. Christopher has had the pleasure of designing for the following institutions: EMERGE125 (NYC), Manhattan School of Music, Tri-Cities Opera, Syracuse Opera, BandPortier (NYC), Dance Place (DC), Cherry Arts (Ithaca, NY), Annapolis Opera, Lawson Dance Theater (Chicago), Imagination Stage (DC), Wolftrap Opera/NOI (DC), New Rep Theater (Boston), Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Actor Shakespeare Project (Boston), Company One (Boston), ART Institute, Caborca (ART/NYC), Boston Opera Collaborative, Guerilla Opera (Boston), Gotham Early Music Scene (NYC), Montclair State University (NJ), Northeastern University, and Vassar College. Christopher has a BFA from Boston University and his MFA from the University of Maryland where he studied under Brian MacDevitt. In 2021, Christopher started Out of Work Artists, a digital collective with work coming out in Summer 2022, more information at www.oowa.art. For upcoming design work check out: Website: www.ctblighting.com, Instagram: @ctblighting


Mackenzie Adamick (she/they) is happy to be working with New Repertory Theatre again! Her previous Sound Design credits include As You Like It, Coriolanus, Let the Right One In (Actors’ Shakespeare Project), Aurora, Organic, By Any Other Name (New Repertory Theatre, New Voices Festival). Mackenzie is an aural storyteller and composer for the stage and screen and bases her theatrical soundscapes on a musical foundation. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Sound Design at Boston University.
www.mackenzieadamick.com


Danielle Domingue Sumi (she-her-hers) is a visual artist inspired by culture, spirituality and humility. Danielle is committed to promoting social well-being through costume design and expressive arts including increased understanding, recognition, and response to multiethnic heritage. Danielle’s creativity is explicated through multi-cultural diversity and social justice principles.
A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, FIDMLA and Loyola Marymount University; with degrees in both design and art psychotherapy, Danielle is treasured for ingenuity and leadership skills in theatrical, fashion, dance and opera costume production.
Danielle has created for FIDMLA, Theatre Forty, LA Opera, Kirk Douglas Theater, Music Academy of the West, LAPHIL, Perm Opera and Ballet Company, Teatro Real Madrid, English National Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, East West Players, JACCC, Halau Hula Moani’a’ala Anuhea, LACHSA, Company One Theatre, Noble and Greenough School and New Orleans Opera Association.


Amy Scoggins (she/her) (Production Assistant) is a rising sophomore BFA Theater Arts major with a minor in Technical Theater at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Her recent projects include Assistant Director for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wardrobe Crew for Everybody at the Pittsburgh Playhouse; and she’s been involved with the student run theater company on campus as ASM/Wardrobe Supervisor for Today I Looked Up and Production Assistant for Kings of Delancey Lane. Next up, she will be the stage manager for The Prince and the Painter at the Boston New Works Festival. Amy would like to thank Jaime and the entire team at New Rep for this wonderful opportunity to contribute to new, original theater!
◊ member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
º member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829
