by Jaylen Benony
A football player with a lot of buried resentments learns about how to handle them in a positive way and move on.

Director: Sage Miller

Jake (The Dog) Wallace — Timarus Foulks
Chase Woods — Michael Mendez
Coach — Dave Downer  
Radio Announcer — Sue Bachman

Timarus Foulks (Jake) is a young, up and coming actor, Booker High School alumni and Sarasota native. One may have recently seen him in The Players Center production of Falsettos. Timarus is excited and ready to further explore and strengthen his craft with Theatre Odyssey before departing to Chicago.

Michael Mendez (Chase) is in his 12th season with WBTT. A talented actor and singer, Michael was recently featured in the cast of WBTT’s new holiday show, Joyful! Joyful! (2021-2022 season). He received stellar reviews and a Handy Award (Jay Handelman, Herald-Tribune) for his performance as Usnavi in WBTT’s 2017 production of In the Heights. In addition to performing with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Michael serves as Production Assistant and Assistant to the Artistic Director. He earned rave reviews for his impressive work inMarvin Gaye: Prince of Soul, Soul Man and Soul Crooners. He starred as Harry Belafonte in the Troupe’s 2014 hit, Harry and Lena, was Seymour in the 2015 blockbuster Little Shop of Horrors and played the title role in 2016’s The Wiz. In 2019 Michael appeared in WBTT’s production of Soul Man at the National Black Theatre Festival. In 2021 he had a featured role in Playing Through, a soon-to-be-released movie shot in Sarasota about groundbreaking Black golf champion Ann Gregory. In 2014, Michael was awarded a prestigious John Ringling Towers Fund grant in the performing arts category by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. In January 2019 he was honored with an Impact Award from Visible Men Academy in the Arts category. The awards “shine a light on visible men…who mentor, educate and inspire underserved boys in our community.”

Dave Downer (Coach) is a local Sarasota resident and works in the architectural field as his main source of employment.  However, he is also a professional singer and sings not only for local churches, but has performed all over the Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, and North Port areas in both theater productions as well as concert events. Dave lives in Sarasota with his wife, children and dogs. Love to Ann and the family!

Sue Bachman (Announcer) is thrilled to be supporting the work of these young playwrights. A theatre graduate of Northwestern University, Sue has worked for more than two decades as a character actress, playwright and director in Colorado Springs, where 10 of her short plays have been produced; and in 2013 she was awarded Best Actress by the Pikes Peak Arts Council.  Sue relocated to Florida in September and is a new member of Sarasota Area Playwrights Society and The Players’ Follies. She and Sy, her husband of 40 years, have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Sage Miller (director) is an artist, Ovation Musical Theatre Troupe member, Broadway Artists Alliance Alum, SSES sophomore, voiceover artist and aspiring Broadway performer. Local theatrical performances have included featured roles in Mary Poppins, Matilda and Annie at MPAC as well as The Sound of Music at Asolo Rep. She’s also appeared in several independent films and is the founder and host of “Share Your Voice,” a national podcast dedicated to exploring various forms of kindness. Notable interviews have included Broadway actor Tally Sessions (Company), actor and director Lilan Bowden (Disney Channel), Francois Clemmons (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) and Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers).

Jaylen Benony (playwright) is a Sophomore at Booker high school, where he is an ambassador as well as the President of the literacy club. He enjoys writing plays, poetry and short stories. He plans on attending a four-year college to help improve his writing skills so he can become a creative writing teacher or a poet.

by Brice Carlton
Shannon Young met Brennan Doyle in college. They fell deeply in love and dated until they were both out of school. After six years of marriage, everything seems perfect. However, soon a terrible accident changes both of their lives.

Director: Tahlia Chinault

Brennan Doyle — Stephen P. Dieter
Shannon Doyle —Lindsey Nickel
Narrator — Craig Engle
Angel — Chuck Conlon
Devil — Paul Mullen

Stephen-Paul Dieter (Brennan Doyle) is incredibly excited to be part of this production, his debut in the Sarasota area. An alumnus of Eckerd College’s Theatre program, he has been actively pursuing the art since high school. Current endeavors include several audiobook narrations. He would like to thank his family for their unending and exemplary support, as well as the gracious audience, for whom all this is done, and without which, all actors would be adrift, bereft of purpose.

Lindsey Nickel (Shannon Doyle) is thrilled to again be working with Theatre Odyssey. A 30-year stage veteran, some of her favorite past performances include Grace in Annie, Irene in Crazy For You, Rosie in Cabaret, and Betty in White Christmas. Lindsey wants to thank the team at Theatre Odyssey for nurturing student playwriting and looks forward to enjoying all the performances.

Craig Engle (Narrator) is thrilled to again be performing with Theatre Odyssey. Besides past performances with Theatre Odyssey you might have seen him on stage in numerous productions at both Players and Manatee Theaters.  He has  also done staged readings with Theater of the Mind.

Chuck Conlon (Angel) has been involved with Theater Odyssey since he relocated to Sarasota 10 years ago;  acting when they let him, or as a backstage crew member when they don’t. “Theater Odyssey provides a fantastic venue, not only for the playwrights to showcase their work, but for local actors and directors to hone their skills and work with a wide variety of talented people.”

Paul Mullen (Devil) is grateful to be back on stage after a two-year absence. He has appeared with Theatre Odyssey in The Drill, Secret’s Out, and Nice Guys Finish First. He has also appeared at the Golden Apple Dinner Theater, Lemon Bay Playhouse, and Venice Theatre in such shows as Singin’ in the Rain, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Run for Your Wife, The Fantasticks, Church Basement Ladies, Enchanted April, The Mousetrap, The Miser, and Val Balfour’s Passion Play. He has worked at FCCI Insurance for 22 years. He would like to thank Mom and brothers Bill and Bob for letting him come out and play. Also, he wants to thank you for coming tonight; we all need this right now.

Tahlia Chinault (director) Having been privileged enough to perform on every single local stage, Tahlia is simply thrilled to be handed the reigns and entrusted to help bring life to the vision of a new generation of playwrights. She’s split her minutes between cities for the past seven years, dancing in Universal Studio’s Superstar Parade in Orlando when she’s not attending to the various nuances involved in running The Beach Bistro and The Doctor’s Office on Anna Maria Island. She absolutely adores her Theatre Odyssey family and would love to highlight our fearless Stage Manager Extraordinaire, Donna Defant, for her dedication to the pursuit of excellence. 

Brice Carlton (playwright) is a passionate author, filmmaker, and actor. He is a Junior at Parrish Community High school and studies theater. He gained interest in film at a young age and has worked to pursue his creativity and hopes to continue to grow in this field. He has hobbies in wildlife rescue and education. He hopes to attain a future career in film and creative writing to make his mark on the pages of history.

by Patrick van Eyck
A religious group of hopeless colonists on Mars must overcome a moral and social dilemma to save their chance at life.

Director: Tahlia Chinault

Kai — Tony Boothby
Tyler — Michael Mendez
Jenna — Katherine Carnes
Jeff Leibniz — Tom Aposporos
Radio Operator — David Meyersburg

Tony Boothby (Kai) is excited to hit the stage again after two years, the most time he has ever spent off stage!  He has been involved in community theater for the past 32 years and most recently played Horace Vandergelder in the Players Centre’s production of Hello Dolly.  When not on stage Tony is either helping people buy/sell homes or volunteering with Project Pride SRQ and ALSO Youth. Tony would like to thank everyone at Theatre Odyssey for keeping theater alive during this difficult time.

Michael Mendez (Tyler) is in his 12th season with WBTT. A talented actor and singer, Michael was recently featured in the cast of WBTT’s new holiday show, Joyful! Joyful! (2021-2022 season). He received stellar reviews and a Handy Award (Jay Handelman, Herald-Tribune) for his performance as Usnavi in WBTT’s 2017 production of In the Heights. In addition to performing with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Michael serves as Production Assistant and Assistant to the Artistic Director. He earned rave reviews for his impressive work inMarvin Gaye: Prince of Soul, Soul Man and Soul Crooners. He starred as Harry Belafonte in the Troupe’s 2014 hit, Harry and Lena, was Seymour in the 2015 blockbuster Little Shop of Horrors and played the title role in 2016’s The Wiz. In 2019 Michael appeared in WBTT’s production of Soul Man at the National Black Theatre Festival. In 2021 he had a featured role in Playing Through, a soon-to-be-released movie shot in Sarasota about groundbreaking Black golf champion Ann Gregory. In 2014, Michael was awarded a prestigious John Ringling Towers Fund grant in the performing arts category by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. In January 2019 he was honored with an Impact Award from Visible Men Academy in the Arts category. The awards “shine a light on visible men…who mentor, educate and inspire underserved boys in our community.”

Katherine Carnes (Jenna) is a senior at Booker High School who was last seen as Narrator #1 of Midas in Booker’s production of Greek Freaks. Some of her other credits include Witch #1 in Macbeth, and Dorothy Brock in 42^nd Street. Katherine was also Assistant Sound Manager for Booker’s Children of Eden. She is very excited to work with Tahlia Chinault and Ann Morrison, and is eager to learn more from her castmates. Katherine would like to thank her family, her coach Katherine Michelle Tanner, and her dog Apollo, for always supporting her passions. “Thank you, Theatre Odyssey!”

Tom Aposporos (Mayor Jeff Leibniz) was once an actual mayor on planet Earth—Poughkeepsie, New York in the 1980s, and is pleased to be with this cast and directed by Tahlia Chinault. He is also active as an actor, director, writer, and producer, and narrates live and recorded productions. He co-founded Theatre Odyssey in 2006.

David Meyersburg (Radio Operator) picked up voice imitation and accents reading bedtime stories to his two sons when they were youngsters. He was delighted to find, at age 50, that this talent readily transferred to the stage and audio book production. He has appeared locally in Beau Jest, Mammoth Bones and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at The Players Centre. Over the past several years, David has appeared at the Starlite Theatre and in Theatre Odyssey’s Ten Minute Play Festivals, and has lent his voice to scores of play readings. 

Tahlia Chinault (director) Having been privileged enough to perform on every single local stage, Tahlia is simply thrilled to be handed the reigns and entrusted to help bring life to the vision of a new generation of playwrights. She’s split her minutes between cities for the past seven years, dancing in Universal Studio’s Superstar Parade in Orlando when she’s not attending to the various nuances involved in running The Beach Bistro and The Doctor’s Office on Anna Maria Island. She absolutely adores her Theatre Odyssey family and would love to highlight our fearless Stage Manager Extraordinaire, Donna Defant, for her dedication to the pursuit of excellence. 

Patrick van Eyck (playwright) has been interested in the theater since he appeared as Jack in his second-grade production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Subsequently, he has been involved in play productions throughout his school career and currently studies Theater Arts at Saint Stephen’s in Bradenton. Though his love of writing has been expressed in other creative fields, The Last Colony is Patrick’s first play to be produced, for which he is both grateful and delighted. 

by Jake Pettingell
Set post Nuclear War era, a family of four live together in a military bunker. The older sibling Timothy has a taste for the outside world and is fed up with the “lockdown lifestyle.”

Director: Blake Walton

Timothy —Owen DeMaio
Andrew — Jude DeMaio
Mom — Lindsey Nickel
Dad — Tony Boothby

Owen DeMaio (Timothy) is excited to be apart of The Real World and be playing the part of Timothy. He recently played the role as Pharoah in Booker High school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat along with playing Jesus in Riseabove Performing Art’s production of Godspell. Owen would like to thank his friends and family and his on-stage as well as off-stage brother, Jude DeMaio. 

Jude DeMaio (Andrew), a seventh grade student at Booker Middle School, is excited to grace the Theatre Odyssey stage. Thank you to his family and friends for all the support and especially to Owen and Liam for being role models every brother should have.

Lindsey Nickel (Mom) is thrilled to again be working with Theatre Odyssey. A 30-year stage veteran, some of her favorite past performances include Grace in Annie, Irene in Crazy For You, Rosie in Cabaret, and Betty in White Christmas. Lindsey wants to thank the team at Theatre Odyssey for nurturing student playwriting and looks forward to enjoying all the performances.

Tony Boothby (Dad) is excited to hit the stage again after two years, the most time he has ever spent off stage!  He has been involved in community theater for the past 32 years and most recently played Horace Vandergelder in the Players Centre’s production of Hello Dolly.  When not on stage Tony is either helping people buy/sell homes or volunteering with Project Pride SRQ and ALSO Youth. Tony would like to thank everyone at Theatre Odyssey for keeping theater alive during this difficult time.

Blake Walton (director) returns to Theatre Odyssey after directing both Bloodline and Fermata (Best Play Runner-Up) for the 2021 Student 10-Minute Playwriting Festival. New York:  Ann Morrison in Linda Lovely Goes To Broadway and Word Painting: Soliloquies Around An Easel, Heather Massie in Hedy! The Life and Inventions Of Hedy Lamarr, In The Moment, The XXX Scholar, Shangri-La, and The Better Man. Chicago: Out Of My Mind and The Charm. Sarasota: Singin’ In The Rain, Big River, Babes In Arms, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, 42^nd Street, Marvin’s Room, Jest A Second. Co-founder and Managing Director of SaraSolo Productions, Blake is also an award-winning actor, playwright, screenwriter, teaching artist and acting coach.   

Jake Pettingell (playwright) is a 17-year-old senior from Sarasota. He attends Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School and will be graduating in May 2022. In his free time he plays highly competitive tennis, and will be playing tennis in college. This is his first year taking theatre at Saint Stephen’s and it is one of his favorite classes. 

by Giovanni Porreca
The hands of a clock realize that they have only ten minutes left until they and their clock suddenly disappear from existence.

Director: Ann Morrison

Second — Katherine Carnes
Minute — Melissa Ratliff
Hour — Susan Jones

Katherine Carnes (Second) is a senior at Booker High School who was last seen as Narrator #1 of Midas in Booker’s production of Greek Freaks. Some of her other credits include Witch #1 in Macbeth, and Dorothy Brock in 42^nd Street. Katherine was also Assistant Sound Manager for Booker’s Children of Eden. She is very excited to work with Tahlia Chinault and Ann Morrison, and is eager to learn more from her castmates. Katherine would like to thank her family, her coach Katherine Michelle Tanner, and her dog Apollo, for always supporting her passions. “Thank you, Theatre Odyssey!”

Susan Jones (Hour) enjoyed portraying Alda in Provenance for Theatre Odyssey in 2019.  Some of her favorite roles have been: Helen Stott in And a Nightingale Sang at the Asolo, the Nurse in a production of Romeo and Juliet at Selby Gardens, and Angelina Grimke in her one-woman play Angelina at various venues.  She taught acting and directed productions for thirteen years at Booker Visual And Performing Arts. Her son Darius is also an actor and a puppeteer.

Ann Morrison (director) has been a director, writer and professional theater actress for over 35 years, and an acting teacher, coach and mentor for two decades. Her directing credits include: Leading Men, Trevor’s Fire, The Secret Garden, On A Clear Day, Merrily We Roll Along, Smoke on The Mountain and Hair. She was Creator and Artistic Director for theater programs for persons with developmental differences, Kaleidoscope and Random Play. She wrote and performed the “Living Room Theater” pieces Aimee and The Xymox and A Grail Knight Named Christopher, and solo plays Discourse of A Maid, Movements of A Modron, Annie’s Celtic Kitchen, Out of A Three-Legged Pot and most notably Linda Lovely Goes To Broadway, Trevor’s Fire, and Word Painting: Soliloquies Around An Easel, all of which have been published online at indietheaternow.com. Ann has been collaborating with Blake Walton for three decades, their greatest production being their son, Huck Walton. 

Giovanni Porreca (playwright) is a 15-year-old sophomore born and raised in Florida as the second sibling in his family. Since the 7th grade, he has developed a major interest in aspects of theatre and other art forms such as acting techniques, playwriting, musical theatre, choir, and ensemble work. He hopes to one day put these interests and developing skills into practice in a career involving theatre or choir.

by Jennifer Tomas 
Loré thought she had the perfect marriage, perfect husband, and perfect life — but why is her husband home so late?

Director: Ann Morrison

Leonardo Swell — Fulvio Della Volta
Loré Swell — Harris King
Sebastian Vincenzo — Daniel Pelissier

Fulvio Della Volta (Leonardo Swell) is an Italian actor, director and producer living in NYC. He earned a Masters Degree in Communication & Media Studies from La Sapienza University in Rome in 2005, and graduated from the William Esper Studio Two-Year Conservatory Program in New York in 2009. Post-graduation, he continued to work closely with Bill Esper on the Meisner technique in his invitation-only Master Class. In 2007 Fulvio founded his production company Parallel Differences Productions, and he became a member of SAG-AFTRA in 2011. Select Stage Credits: Strictly Dishonorable, Visit to Relatives, Five Years Later, The Twelve Letters; Film Credits: “Big Break,” “Lazy Mary,” “War Cellar,”  TV Credits: “The Blacklist”,“The Daily Show”; Commercials and Voiceovers: Google, Youtube, HBO, Pixar, Audible Studios, Rockstar Games, Red Bull, Puma, Galbani, Fiat, Martini. Fulvio also works as an on-set Italian dialect coach, most recently on the network TV shows “The Blacklist” and “Billions”.

Harris King (Loré Swell) is excited to make her Sarasota stage debut with Theatre Odyssey! She is particularly passionate about theatre for social change and toured regionally with the plays Four Hearts and One Night. Other select stage credits include: The Laramie Project, Ten Years Later, A Match Remade in Heaven. Film Credits: “The New Roommate”, “The Family Robinson”, “Fornicakes”;  Select Commercial Credits: Kind Snacks – Kind Bar Mini, Smile Direct Club, Trintellix, Barilla Pasta, Pretty Litter, Elite Daily. Harris is also thrilled to be joining the cast of One Enchanted Evening at The Players Theater this March.

Daniel Pelissier (Sebastian Vincenzo) Since making his acting debut on the Players stage in 2011, Daniel has served happily as an ad hoc member of Sarasota’s theatrical community. He has appeared in numerous plays, student films, web series and drag cabarets. Notable roles include the evil Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Dionysus, God of Theatre in Goat Song Revel. You can also see him on Amazon Prime as the principle villain in A World of Worlds, entertaining trolley passengers on Discover Sarasota’s haunted trolley tour, or performing song parodies in drag on Velvet Revue.

Ann Morrison (director) has been a director, writer and professional theater actress for over 35 years, and an acting teacher, coach and mentor for two decades. Her directing credits include: Leading Men, Trevor’s Fire, The Secret Garden, On A Clear Day, Merrily We Roll Along, Smoke on The Mountain and Hair. She was Creator and Artistic Director for theater programs for persons with developmental differences, Kaleidoscope and Random Play. She wrote and performed the “Living Room Theater” pieces Aimee and The Xymox and A Grail Knight Named Christopher, and solo plays Discourse of A Maid, Movements of A Modron, Annie’s Celtic Kitchen, Out of A Three-Legged Pot and most notably Linda Lovely Goes To Broadway, Trevor’s Fire, and Word Painting: Soliloquies Around An Easel, all of which have been published online at indietheaternow.com. Ann has been collaborating with Blake Walton for three decades, their greatest production being their son, Huck Walton. 

Jennifer Tomas (playwright) is 16 years old and attends Lake Gibson High School. This is her first time to have a play accepted as a finalist in Theater Odyssey’s Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival. This is also her first time trying out for the Playwriting Festival. She has always had a passion for script writing and now she ready to begin sharing her plays with others.

by Lexi Vega
Chloe is a hard-working student but encounters a problem with her most recent assignment. According to her teacher, her paper on racism “did not meet the assignment requirements.” Chloe knows that she met all of the requirements and is compelled to challenge the teacher’s claim. 

Director: Blake Walton

Chloe — Nailah Davis
Mr Weisinger — Derek Dutcher
Mr Maclemore — Scott Ehrenpreis

Nailah Davis (Chloe) is a thesis student at New College of Florida. She loves travel, anime, and performing arts. Her ultimate passion is to make the world a better place through entertainment. Throughout all of her adventures, she noticed that entertainment serves as a bridge between people of different cultures and backgrounds. This is her first time participating in a Ten-Minute Play and she is honored to help deliver an empowering message to students of color. She hopes to continue performing in inspiring content after she graduates college.

Derek Dutcher (Mr Weisinger) A grizzled veteran of many show and music styles, Derek is celebrating 60+ years of getting up in front of people to sing, act, and do serious and/or silly things. He has been known to drive choreographers to institutionalization.

Scott Ehrenpreis (Mr Maclemore) has a BFA in performance and is excited to be affiliated with Theater Odyssey again. Besides being an actor, Scott does unarmed security work. Most memorable and noteworthy performance was playing Ben Silverman in Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys.  Scott was last seen in the world premiere of Susan Miller’s one act entitled Census. He was in the winning performance of Family By Numbers in 2019. It is such a joy and honor to be a part of new and original plays.

Blake Walton (director) returns to Theatre Odyssey after directing both Bloodline and Fermata (Best Play Runner-Up) for the 2021 Student 10-Minute Playwriting Festival. New York:  Ann Morrison in Linda Lovely Goes To Broadway and Word Painting: Soliloquies Around An Easel, Heather Massie in Hedy! The Life and Inventions Of Hedy Lamarr, In The Moment, The XXX Scholar, Shangri-La, and The Better Man. Chicago: Out Of My Mind and The Charm. Sarasota: Singin’ In The Rain, Big River, Babes In Arms, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, 42^nd Street, Marvin’s Room, Jest A Second. Co-founder and Managing Director of SaraSolo Productions, Blake is also an award-winning actor, playwright, screenwriter, teaching artist and acting coach.   

Lexi Vega (playwright) Writing plays and scripts has always been a hobby of mine. I enjoy incorporating my own experiences into my work and making it come to life. When I was young, I was always making short films by myself or with my friends. I’ve consistently loved being apart of the theatre community. I am so excited to have been chosen for this opportunity. The topic of my play had played an important role in my life, and I can’t wait to see it come to life.