2024 Mentor Program Cohort

Alli Hartley-Kong is a playwright and public historian.

Andreá Bellamore is a national and international actress originally from the soulful city of New Orleans.

Che Naveen Arrington is a DC native, Baltimore-raised playwright, director, and dramaturg.

Debkanya Mitra is Washington-DC based stagehand and audio engineer.

Dominique “Dom” Ocampo is a DC theatre-maker and political organizer.

Elizabeth Morton is a costume designer and technician based in Washington DC.

Emma is an actor and playwright with a BA in Drama from Vassar College.

Izzy Gelfand is a director, actor, and standup comic.

Jordan Brown is a creative multi-hyphenate whose talents are in acting, fashion, and social media.

Julie Pesak is an Arts Administrator, Performer, Director and recent graduate of The Catholic University of America (BM Musical Theatre).

Kim M. Bookard is a native Washingtonian and an accomplished and dedicated professional.

Originally from Southern California, Natasha has enjoyed a vibrantly multifaceted artistic lifestyle.

Originally from Chicago, Nessa has graced the theaters of the DMV (in-person & virtually) for the past eight years with various companies and organizations.

Olivia Martin is a director, designer, and dramaturg who recently graduated from Georgetown University.

Raghad Makhlouf is an actress, playwright, and teaching artist.

Saraniya Tharmarajah is an interdisciplinary theater artist and public health researcher.

Baltimore-born Theresa Cunningham attended Syracuse University where she studied musical theatre.

Tiffany is a singer/songwriter who has aspired to bring her talents to the musical theater stage.

Vanessa Beltrán is a graduate student in the Arts Management program at American University.

Wonnie Kim is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Columbus, Ohio.

Renee Calarco is a D.C.-based playwright.

Lolita Marie - Three-time Helen Hayes award recipient is honored and excited to return to the 2024 Cohort to knowledge share with a new DMV theatrical.

Jared Shamberger is an arts educator as well as an actor, director and playwright working throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Sarah O’Halloran is a sound designer and composer who was born and raised in Ireland.

Deb Sivigny has worked in the DC area for over 20 years as a multi-disciplinary artist and educator.

Jeannette Christensen is a Baltimore based costume designer.

STANLEY BAHOREK Co-founder and Creative Producer of Mind’s Eye Producing www.mindseyeproducing.com

Patrick Flynn is a Helen Hayes Award-nominated playwright & award-winning filmmaker based in Washington, D.C.

Born in Wiesbaden, Germany and raised all over the world, Raymond O. Caldwell is an award-winning director, writer, and producer.

At Olney Theatre, Debbie partners with Artistic Director Jason Loewith to lead the staff and execute the mission and vision of the Theatre.

Keta Newborn has worked in the theater world for over 20 years.

Ezinne Elele is an actor, director, and theatre artist in the DMV area.

Danilo Gambini is a director, writer, and producer, originally from São Paulo, Brazil.

Derek Goldman is an award-winning stage director, playwright, producer, educator, festival director, adapter/deviser, curator, & published scholar.

Elena Velasco is a theatre artist whose work encompasses performance, education, and activism, serving the DC and Greater Boston regions.

Adedana Ashebir is a writer, producer, and performer based in the great state/cult of Maryland.

Kelli Blackwell is an actor, art maker, teaching artist, and self-published children’s author.

Urshula Dunn is a 25-year-old artist and arts administrator currently based in Washington DC, but originally from the Pacific Northwest.

Tony Thomas has toured, performed, and worked as a professional artist in television, film, stage, concert dance, and design work.