THE TRAGEDY OF MEDUSA
CAST AND CREW
Clint Blakely - Perseus
Clint is an actor, musician, and educator. He has been a huge Project Nongenue fan since the beginning and is honored to make his PNG debut onstage in this beautiful new play that centers womyn, queerness, and survivors of sexual violence. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Clint moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California, earning a BA in Jazz Voice in May 2018. He has performed leading roles at prominent regional theatre companies such as Theatricum Botanicum and Santa Cruz Shakespeare. Look out for him as dastardly con man Donovan Hickock in Cameron Rose’s new play Lady Injustice this March! And stream his original song “Bountiful Earth” on all platforms. Endless love to Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Aliana.
Pat Buetow - Poseidon
Pat Buetow is excited to take part in his second Project Nongenue show. Follow @paddyprofane for bad impression videos. Much love to the cast and crew, as well as Mom, Dad, Katie and Ellie.
Korama Danquah - Athena
Korama Danquah is excited for her first production with PNG. She is working primarily on commercial work but is also in the process of writing her second solo show. She wants to thank her mom for all her loving support over the years.
Derya Derman - Hera
This is Derya’s first production with PNG and her West Coast theater debut. She holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and makes a living working with and designing costumes. She moonlights as a playwright and screenwriter who is currently developing a feminist body-horror series.
Jake Dvorsky - Zeus
Jake Dvorsky is super excited to be in his first production with PNG. Jake is a recent graduate from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, and is both an actor and screenwriter. He can be seen on Netflix on “A Little Help With Carol Burnett” and on UCLA’s Spring Sing YouTube channel. Or, you can watch his ridiculous life via his Instagram, @yea_fool. He is beyond grateful to have met the PNG team, and can’t wait to take down the world with badass queer art one show at a time - Besos!
Kyra Morling - Aphrodite
Kyra Morling is an actor, writer, and artist and has been with PNG from the beginning! As always, thanks for your support. Find out more at kyramorling.com.
Marie Osterman - Medusa
Marie is a fourth-year at UCLA studying acting and directing. She’s so stoked to be working with PNG once again, after first teaming up with them as Much Ado’s Don Pedro. Other favorite credits Venus in Fur (Vanda) and Othello (Desdemona). She is also a freelance movement teacher specializing in contact improv and knows some stuff about birds! (Not as much as she’d like to—never as much as she’d like to). Big love/thanks to her family and friends, and big love, light, and solidarity to every survivor out there.
Rob Angell - Assistant Director, Producer
Rob (@RobertArtAngell on the socials) is originally from Massachusetts, but just couldn't resist the allure of the pun "City of Angells" and had to move here. Favorite credits include his work with Shakes on the Rocks (actor, associate producer), sound/projection board op for Wolf in last year's Son of Semele Company Creation Festival, and his work on Project Nongenue's Much Ado About Nothing and Trojan Woman (Verges/producer). He's also a screenwriter! You should check out his animated series in progress at aquafox.tv! Rob would like to thank everyone involved Project Nongenue (past, present, and future) for the stunning work they do amplifying the voices of women and his family for nurturing his love of theater while teaching him to develop a compassionate heart.
Olivia Buntaine - Founder, Director, Intimacy Choreographer
Olivia Buntaine is the founder and Artistic Director of Project Nongenue. She is an actor/director, musician, and award-winning writer with an unmistakable bent towards the intersection of art and social justice. She has most recently directed Project Nongenue's Trojan Women and Anna Renee Winget's new work, Grand Canyon P*ssy. Some of her acting credits include Prospero in The Tempest, Imogen in Cymbeline, and Autolycus in The Winter's Tale. This is her second full-length original work, and she is grateful to Son of Semele for the opportunity to share it. She also has two albums out and writes a lot of poetry about Greek goddesses and survivors of sexual violence. Project Nongenue is the pride of her heart, and she fiercely believes that by placing marginalized experiences at the center of classical theater we can change the world.
Susan Holmstrom - Stage Manager, Fight Choreographer
Susan is a person who enjoys theatre, coffee, and bad jokes among other things. This is her first production with PNG and her first time SMing. She originally hails from Las Vegas, NV and has a BFA in Acting from AMDA College. She is currently trying to Be An Adult with some success. She has a passion for Shakespeare, swords, and gender bending. She is currently working on writing, producing, directing, and acting in a web series retelling Othello in a queer, feminist way. Follow her on Instagram @susaneholmstrom to make her look better at her day job as a social media manager.
Aja Morris-Smiley - Costume Design
Aja Morris-Smiley is an Costume Designer from Philadelphia who graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, with a BA in Theater and focus in Costume Design. A Freelance Costume Designer for various projects in LA since 2011, she got her start working this this industry while building Costumes for the Shop Manager at UMBC . When she isn't inspiring young minds teaching in Culver City, she is freelancing her work as a wardrobe stylist and costume designer for films, music videos, and commercials in LA area. As a avid sewer and DIY enthusiast, she always enjoys the challenge of turning a blank canvas into something amazing.
Ann Slote - Set and Light Design
Ann Slote is an LA based lighting designer, focusing on dance and theater. She especially loves working on pieces that surround social justice issues, much like Project Nongenue. This is her first set design, as well as her first time working with PNG — both have been incredible experiences! She is overjoyed to be graduating from UCLA this March and moving to Berlin (for at least a few months). For now, she moonlights as concert lighting designer at The Regent DTLA, and is the resident designer at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. See her work on her website and Instagram @banana_slote.
Janell Turley - Creature, Makeup, and Hair Design
Janell Turley is a Makeup and Hair Artist, Wigmaker, and Sculptor in Los Angeles. LA Theatre: Nightwalk in the Chinese Garden (Cal Arts Center for New Performance), Henry IV (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles); Regional Theatre: Manahatta, Henry V, Off The Rails, Beauty and the Beast, The Wiz, Richard II (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Matilda (Northern Stage); Other: Rock of Ages (Norwegian Cruise Line), The Wizard of Oz (Sundance Summer Theatre) See more of her work at janellturley.com.
Al Washburn - Web Designer, Company Manager
Al is a sex educator, internet enthusiast, and SoCal native. While battling traffic to get to PNG rehearsals is tough, they believe that supporting survivors and creating queer art and community makes it all worth it. They cherish being this company's "Mr. Clipboard", which usually entails making spreadsheets and bringing snacks. In their spare time, they work for Scarleteen, one of the internet's best comprehensive and inclusive resources for young people about sex, sexuality and relationships.
Ariella Wolfe - Dramaturg, Social Media Specialist
Ariella is thrilled to be collaborating on her first show with Project Nongenue. She has worked on theatre productions in Sacramento, Eugene, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Memorable credits include assistant directing Everything That Never Happened (Boston Court Pasadena), directing Top Girls (American Conservatory Theater, Fellowship Project), and assistant stage managing The Cardinal (Cornerstone Theater Company, Institute Summer Residency). Ariella is passionate about new play development and productions centering voices that have historically been marginalized or silenced. She is a freelance director and co-founder of @theskeletonkeyla. www.ariella-wolfe.com