Rik Robertson (Cliff) has been seen in multiple local productions over the last 15 years, most recently in God’s Country at Venice Theater. As always, love and gratitude to Allyson.

Susan Bachman (Lillian) — Delighted to be a supporter of new original theatre, Sue returns to Theatre Odyssey after appearing in Sign Here for All That Remains, voted Best Play in last year’s Ten-Minute play festival. She is an active member of the Sarasota Area Playwrights Society, as well as the Arts Alliance Playreaders. She relocated to the area in 2021 from Colorado, where she had been a longtime character actor and playwright. 

Eric Henry (Director) has been a community-theater set designer, master carpenter and on-stage performer for nearly two decades. On-stage roles have ranged from Shakespeare to Stoppard; recent credits include Arsenic and Old Lace, The Diary of Anne Frank, Dial M for Murder and The Miracle Worker.

Ken Basque (director) Originally from Fitchburg, MA. Ken has previously directed for Theatre Odyssey’s Student Ten-Minute Play Festival.  Ken has been active as a performer on many local stages and is thankful for the opportunity to once again work with new material and this great group of writers, directors, performers and crew. 

Keith Whalen (playwright) — Keith’s plays have been produced across the country and internationally. His play White Angel won Best Play in Theatre Odyssey’s Sixteenth Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival, and his play Youth for Dark won Best Play in the Tales from the Brookside Festival and was a semifinalist in the 46th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. His play Exophilia has been chosen as an Official Selection of the short play division of the 2023 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival. Keith is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild.

Annette Brezeale (Margaret) has been on stage in every theatre in the area and behind stage as a production creative in most most of them. She has been Prop Artisan Manager at the Westcoast Black Theatre for the past eleven years. A Graduate of The City and Guilds of London College Annette developed a passion for all things theatrical. I’m thrilled to be performing again with Theatre Odyssey. It’s been too long.

Steven Black (Archie) graduated from Otterbein University outside of Columbus, Ohio, and made his way to New York City. As an actor, Steve has appeared Off-Broadway, in daytime television, films, industrials and multiple theatrical tours. Most recently, Steve performed as Sheriff Heck Tate in To Kill a Mockingbird at Venice Theatre. Steve has twice directed for Theatre Odyssey and is now thrilled to be a part of the acting troupe in the beautiful Cook Theatre.

Katherine Michelle Tanner (director) is an actor, playwright, singer, director, filmmaker, choreographer, photographer and teaching artist. She is best known for her multi-award winning performance of the one-woman play, The Amish Project (Off Broadway and US Tour). Katherine was highlighted as a feature playwright at Clutch Productions in NY for her suffragist musical, Nineteen. She has written and composed the plays/musicals Shakespeare’s Lovers, Nineteen, Mann’s Last Dance, Echoes, Idiot Servant, Thumbelina, The Little Match Girl, Pippi Longstocking, The Storybook Nutcracker and The Enchanted Toy Shop.  She has written and directed the films The Crimson Cloak, Living Losing Loving and the documentary film, Pay Attention. She is the owner and artistic director of Tree Fort Productions: treefortproductions.com

Paul Donnelly (playwright) My life as a “trailing spouse” has included stops in Washington DC, Atlanta, Honolulu, and now Tallahassee. My work has won the Source Theatre Company National 10-Minute Play Contest, the Larry Neal Writers Award for Drama, the Virginia Playwriting Prize, and twice been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. My ten-minute play, The New Client, was published in Best Ten Minute Plays of 2019 (Smith & Kraus). My full-length play, Memorial Day, was read in Kumu Kahua Theatre’s Dark Nights series in Honolulu, named a Finalist (one of eight out of 1,243 entries) in the first Moss and Kitty Carlisle Hart New Play Initiative, and presented in the 2021 Unexpected Play Festival co-produced by Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit and Working Title Playwrights. I am a member of the Dramatists Guild, New Play Exchange, Playwrights Center, and Working Title Playwrights. More of my work can be found on the New Play Exchange.

Ciana Noelle-Bostock (Britany) is so grateful to be working with Theater Odyssey in 15 Seconds. She attends Booker High School as a sophomore in the Theatre and AICE program. She is also a proud company member at Treefort Productions. “Lots of love and thanks to all the friends and family that support me!”

Joseph Klens (Aaron) is locally born and raised and a graduate from Rollins College in Winter Park where he studied first saxophone performance, expanded his skillset to include voice and other woodwinds, then shifted focus to music composition and creative writing. While at Rollins he joined Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He worked crew at Venice Theatre’s production of Xanadu and has been on the stage performing in some way most of his life.

Aaron Schroeder (Brady) is a sophomore at Pine View High School. He has worked backstage and on the rail at Venice Theatre and Lemon Bay Playhouse over the course of five shows, and has participated in multiple play readings over Zoom. This is both his first time with Theatre Odyssey and performing live on stage.

Lee Gundersheimer (director) is a graduate of the BFA program in Theatre at Florida State and received his Actor’s Equity Card as one of the original apprentices at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter. Based in New York City for many years, he built his first theater on the upper west side, Avalon Rep, before he was thirty. He then helped plan, build, and was the Producing Director of the Century Center for the Performing Arts in Union Square, where two Pulitzer Prize winning plays had their off-Broadway commercial runs. All the while working professionally, Lee taught academically in multiple universities, and for ten years was the Industry Liaison for the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. His work brought him to the Midwest in 2010, and while directing, performing, and teaching at the University of Minnesota was hired to be the Managing Director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona. Lee has run multiple new play workshops, and his plays have been performed in New York City and regionally. His second full-length play, Pas De Deux, won the New American Play Festival on Theatre Row. Since moving to Florida, Lee has directed and performed at Tree Fort Productions, Manatee Center For The Performing Arts, Theatre Odyssey, and the Players.

Bruce Karp (playwright) grew up in New York City, now lives in South Florida and Northern New Jersey. He has written numerous short plays, which have been performed at theater festivals in several US states, Canada, and India. His full-length plays have had staged readings in Florida and Michigan. Recent credits: Clear Blue Sky, a full-length play, filmed and streamed by The Heights Players, Brooklyn, NY; The Short and Short of It, an evening of his short plays,  performed at Sandrell Rivers Theater, Miami; Upcoming: Angels and Pastrami (Sauk Shorts, Jonesville, MI); Back to the Suture (Carolina Arbors Community Theater, Durham, NC). Recent short plays performed include: Fronds With Benefits, Holly (podcast), Win for Life. Bruce is a Member of the Dramatists’ Guild and the New Play Exchange, and is honored to have been selected to participate in the 2022 Kennedy Center Summer Playwriting Intensive.

Lee Gundersheimer (Ben) is a graduate of the BFA program in Theatre at Florida State and received his Actor’s Equity Card as one of the original apprentices at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter where he performed with Sally Field, Burt Reynolds, Martin Sheen, Carol Burnett, and fellow apprentice Ann Morrison. He was based in New York City for many years, was a scholarship student in Uta Hagen’s master acting class, and is a member of the Actor’s Studio. Lee built and ran two theatres in Manhattan, and favorite roles included Rutherford Selig in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ken in Fifth of July, Boo Radley in …Mockingbird, and the Jealous Husband in the one man: Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot. He made his off-Broadway debut as a New York Knick, a Jewish mother, and other roles in Deb Margolin’s Three Seconds In the Key, which he also staged and which featured an up-and-coming Chadwick Boseman. 

Stephen-Paul Dieter (Gil) — This is Stephen’s second Theatre Odyssey production, having played Brendan Doyle in The Death of Brendan Doyle. He is delighted to be making a return, and hopes that his performance allows the audience to look at the world just that little bit differently.

Donna DeFant (Patty) is a Theatre Odyssey Board Member since 2013 and has been a stage manager backstage and has been onstage for this company for more than a decade; most recently as the Queen of Athens in the runner-up winning student play, The Game of Gifts. Donna represents the Theatre Odyssey Student Playwriting Festival monthly with the Sarasota County Arts Education Partnership, a standing committee of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.

Katherine Michelle Tanner (director) is an actor, playwright, singer, director, filmmaker, choreographer, photographer and teaching artist. She is best known for her multi-award winning performance of the one-woman play, The Amish Project (Off Broadway and US Tour). Katherine was highlighted as a feature playwright at Clutch Productions in NY for her suffragist musical, Nineteen. She has written and composed the plays/musicals Shakespeare’s Lovers, Nineteen, Mann’s Last Dance, Echoes, Idiot Servant, Thumbelina, The Little Match Girl, Pippi Longstocking, The Storybook Nutcracker and The Enchanted Toy Shop.  She has written and directed the films The Crimson Cloak, Living Losing Loving and the documentary film, Pay Attention. She is the owner and artistic director of Tree Fort Productions: treefortproductions.com

Michelle Pascua (playwright) is a New York City native and currently resides in Celebration, Florida. She received her BA in Art and English from the University of Massachusetts. A storyteller by nature, she draws inspiration from the eclectic jobs and the different places she’s lived. From fortune teller to freelance writer, from the Philippines to Maine, her offbeat path is reflected in whatever she creates. Michelle thrives on murder mysteries, The Great British Bake Off, and trips to Disney World with her husband and son. She believes dark chocolate mousse cake serves as a gateway to enlightenment.

Michael Kinsey (Jeff) is a professional portrait and headshot photographer. His award-winning photography has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, and other publications. Michael started his theater journey working with Nate Jacobs at WBTT’s inception as a founding member in 1994. Being a featured performer, every season, through its first 13 years, Michael has appeared in more than 20 Westcoast Black Theater Troupe productions, including its recent production of Dreamgirls. Michael has also worked with Sarasota’s Asolo Theatre, Florida Studio, and the Urbanite Theatre. Moving forward, Michael plans to achieve his goal of producing projects for film and television.

Amber Myers (Lise) is a Sarasota/Bradenton native and no stranger to the stage. The 28-year-old actress/singer was bitten by the stage bug at five years old. She received training from Nate Jacobs, Florida Studio Theater, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, and State College of Florida. She was recently one of four featured artists for the Sarasota Pops Orchestra concert, “Spirit of America”. Her passion is musical theater.

Travis Ray (director) is thrilled to direct for the first time at Theatre Odyssey. He recently served as Assistant Director on Flyin’ West under Chuck Smith at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. His other director credits include: Skeleton Crew (reading), Crumbs for the Table of Joy (reading), Lil & Louis (reading) and Yellowman (reading). Ray recently taught Acting 1 at New College of Florida. He holds an M.F.A in Theatre Management/Arts Administration from the University of Alabama, B.A. in Theatre Performance from Alabama State University, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. In addition, Ray owns Dapper Bowtique, an online bow tie and accessories business, www.dapperbowtique.com. 

John J. Kelly (playwright) is a retired Emeritus Professor of Theatre Arts from Elmira College. After an almost 40 year career as a director/actor, he began writing plays – short plays – for his mostly female students who never were afforded enough opportunities to perform in the regular season. That was followed by longer, full-length plays written to be performed, again by students, for charitable causes in the region. His works have been published, anthologized, and performed by theatres across the country (including NYC, Chicago, DC, etc.) and around the world (UK, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands). Since returning to Florida, his comedy Stoned was seen at Playwrights’ Round Table in Orlando, What I Got Nobody Wants and Sowers both played here at Theatre Odyssey, Gil and Bill was seen at Tampa’s LAB Laughs, and Zahma and A Reservation were performed by TAP Shorts in Ft. Lauderdale. Gra’: A Selkie Tale, a full-length Irish tale of loss and love, just completed its run at PRT in Orlando. Next up is the premiere of a new full-length play, The Neighborhood, later this Spring in Palm Beach.

Victoria Flounders (Clara) is thrilled to perform in the Theatre Odyssey Ten-Minute Play Festival. Her recent credits include Ariel (We All Fall Down), Dr. Watson (Miss Holmes), Jamie (Athena), and Peter Pan (Peter/Wendy). Victoria also worked as the SM (Flyin’ West) and ASM (Black Nativity) at WBTT. She grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, and is a proud mother of three. Victoria studied theatre and graduated with honors from State College of Florida, and she is continuing her educational journey at New College of Florida.

Jill Schroeder (Fiona) — Over the past year, Jill has been fortunate enough to discover the joy of reading and performing new works. She worked for many years on regional stages in the Midwest and has been seen most recently at The Players Theatre, Venice Theatre, and Lemon Bay Playhouse. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Theatre Odyssey and share the stage with her son, Aaron!

Julee Breehne (Jamie) plays dress up with her Theatre Odyssey friends every chance she has the privilege, most recently appearing in Blood and Tea in the Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival. She’d like to thank her current cast members and director for welcoming her into the squad. She also thanks her family for playing a supporting role so she can take center stage occasionally. She’d like to dedicate this performance to Florida teachers. Real superheroes!

Lindsey Nickel (Kirby) is a 30-year stage veteran who loves supporting new work by performing with Theatre Odyssey. Her superpower is storytelling and she is thrilled to bring the powerful messages of empowerment and collaboration to life through A Squad of Their Own. Like Kirby, she loves working with new people and can’t thank Lee and her fellow Squad members for creating such a fabulous experience! I tip my hat to all my fellow actors for your amazing performances. 

Lee Gundersheimer (director) is a graduate of the BFA program in Theatre at Florida State and received his Actor’s Equity Card as one of the original apprentices at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter. Based in New York City for many years, he built his first theater on the upper west side, Avalon Rep, before he was thirty. He then helped plan, build, and was the Producing Director of the Century Center for the Performing Arts in Union Square, where two Pulitzer Prize winning plays had their off-Broadway commercial runs. All the while working professionally, Lee taught academically in multiple universities, and for ten years was the Industry Liaison for the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. His work brought him to the Midwest in 2010, and while directing, performing, and teaching at the University of Minnesota was hired to be the Managing Director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona. Lee has run multiple new play workshops, and his plays have been performed in New York City and regionally. His second full-length play, Pas De Deux, won the New American Play Festival on Theatre Row. Since moving to Florida, Lee has directed and performed at Tree Fort Productions, Manatee Center For The Performing Arts, Theatre Odyssey, and the Players.

Bethany Dickens Assaf (playwright) is a freelance playwright, dramaturg, and theatre artist, and the co-founder of Whiskey Theatre Factory in Orlando, Florida. Almost 100 of her plays have been performed or read across the country including her twisty sci-fi play, The Consciousness, which was performed at 10 fringe festivals across the country and won Best Play at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival.

Michael Kinsey (Saint Peter) is a professional portrait and headshot photographer. His award-winning photography has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, and other publications. Michael started his theater journey working with Nate Jacobs at WBTT’s inception as a founding member in 1994. Being a featured performer, every season, through its first 13 years, Michael has appeared in more than 20 Westcoast Black Theater Troupe productions, including its recent production of Dreamgirls. Michael has also worked with Sarasota’s Asolo Theatre, Florida Studio, and the Urbanite Theatre. Moving forward, Michael plans to achieve his goal of producing projects for film and television.

Lynda StJames (Lilly) hails from Massachusetts where she got her BS/MS in Theater Education at Emerson College. Lynda spent several years in Los Angeles where she toured with the Andy Williams GoodTime Singers, performed in many stage productions and appeared in TV shows The Waltons and Eight is Enough. Lynda returned to Massachusetts to finish her graduate degree and teach middle and high school drama. She produced and directed several award-winning student plays and co-directed the Emerson College Summer Theater for teens. After running her own model and talent agency, the Cameo Agency, for 20+ years, Lynda retired to Sarasota and got involved in the local theatre scene. She’s been in productions at Theatre Odyssey, MPAC, Venice Theatre, The Players, and recently the Sarasota Jewish Theatre. She is very excited to return to Theatre Odyssey for the ten-minute plays. 

Travis Ray (director) is thrilled to direct for the first time at Theatre Odyssey. He recently served as Assistant Director on Flyin’ West under Chuck Smith at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. His other director credits include: Skeleton Crew (reading), Crumbs for the Table of Joy (reading), Lil & Louis (reading) and Yellowman (reading). Ray recently taught Acting 1 at New College of Florida. He holds an M.F.A in Theatre Management/Arts Administration from the University of Alabama, B.A. in Theatre Performance from Alabama State University, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. In addition, Ray owns Dapper Bowtique, an online bow tie and accessories business, www.dapperbowtique.com. 

Elan David Garonzik (playwright) is the author of Scenes and Revelations, produced at the Goodman Theater in Chicago, off Broadway at The Production Company, and on Broadway at Circle in the Square, with numerous regional and academic productions – during 2022 it was produced by NYU’s Tisch School of Drama. His play The Blue Mercedes was produced at Actors Theater of Saint Paul, and his comedy Adulation won both Audience Favorite and Best Play at the Theater Project’s festival in New Jersey. His new drama focuses on the passionate and tragic life of Adèle Hugo, Victor Hugo’s youngest daughter. This script has been shortlisted for development and production during the 2023-2024 season by two theatre groups, one in LA and one in London. Elan is the recipient of a Shubert Fellowship and the Marc Klein, Audrey Wood, and New Words of Merit playwriting awards, and holds an MFA in Theatre from Carnegie-Mellon University. Long a New Yorker and now in the Fort Lauderdale area, Elan is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Playwrights Center and the New Play Exchange.