#HealMeToo Festival & HERassment Present: Identifying “The Predator” in the Era of #MeToo

Carmen LoBue is an Queer Afro Pinay writer, director, producer, and actor. Her passion for social activism and working on creative projects that depict various lgbtqia perspectives is reflected in her body of work. As a writer, Carmen was a semi finalist for the 2018 Sundance New Voices Lab for her queer comedy drama series Koi.  She was a writer and executive producer on short film, Splinters, featured in the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film festival. Carmen most recently wrote, acted, and produced short film, O, Ryan. O, Ryan is an queer dystopian psychological thriller that addresses the opioid epidemic in America. As an actor, Carmen plays recurring characters on ‘Asher’ and 'Same Same’. Currently, Carmen is Producing and Directing documentary series HERassment. The series explores various forms of harassment from the perspective of marginalized people from all walks of life. Carmen is also a producer on short films “The Gift That Aches” and “White Flags” each explores the meaning of consent and address sexual violence centering Black Women and LGBTQIA characters. She recently directed season one of web series Cheer Up Charlie. Carmen is named in Paper Magazine's "Paper Predictions: 100 people taking over 2019". She was also recognized as a 2018 New Legacy Maker Honoree on behalf of the Disruptor Foundation (Craig Hatkoff) and The Legacy Lab.

Tonya Pinkins is a Chicago born, New York based Artivist.  For her half century career in  theater, she has won or been nominated for awards including the Tony, OBIE, Olivier, Lortel, NY Drama Critics, Drama Desk, Dramaleague, Los Angeles Drama Critics, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, Audelco, NAACP Theater, Joseph Jefferson, Helen Hayes, Noel, SAW and Ovation awards. She is  outspoken on the rights and perspectives of “othered” people in the American theater. She is proud of Truth and reconciliation of Womyn as  inclusive restorative narratives contributing to social justice for all. This work is a continuation of her lifelong work which includes work with  Kimberle Crenshaw’s African American Policy Forum at Vassar University, forty six interviews for TheShiftNetwork called TheMeTooDialogues and Truth and Reconciliations upcoming readings at #HealMeTooFestival. Tonya is a 2019-2021 Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the LMCC Creative Engagement Award for Truth And Reconcilaitiin Of Womyn; restorative narrative plays and songs for the soul in ten minutes or less. March 31, April 7 and April 14 at #TheHealMeToo Festival at the IRT theater 7:00pm. http://tinyurl.com/hm2trw

Jennifer Esposito is an award-winning actor, activist, writer, health advocate, self taught cook/baker. Been in Over 50 films, including DON’T SAY A WORD with Micheal Douglas, SUMMER OF SAM directed by Spike Lee and the Academy Award winning movie, CRASH, and numerous TV shows, like Blue Bloods, The Affair and Spin City. Battled debilitating illness, depression/panic disorder for most of her life before being diagnosed with severe celiac disease in 2008. In a long journey, Jennifer finally healed herself through food. She wrote about the journey in the NY Times best seller, Jennifer’s Way. Went on to create, open and operate the first 100% gluten free vegan safe zone bakery for celiac and allergy-challenged people in NYC and shipped her food to serve people around the country. Jennifer was asked to give a lecture by The Institute of Integrated Nutrition on the subject of Celiac disease, which has been used for years now in educating health advocates around the world. She continued her own studies in holistic health at IIN, as well, and released her second book, Jennifer’s Way Kitchen in 2017.

Her latest endeavor, Chew This, Food For Life, Food For Thought, combines her love of sharing good healthy food with her love for inspiring educational, raw conversation. Through the podcast and website of the same name, ChewThis.Life, she is hopeful that bringing people to the table to share some food together can be the bridge in helping us grow together rather than apart. The site will also be hosting live cooking/baking classes and offering private health coaching with Jennifer herself and her doctor, Dr Fratellone.

She also has been working with the We Got You group in TIMES’S UP, to bring to all women across the world the tools to find a safe space to share and get support after experiencing trauma of any kind.

Michelle Hurd will next be seen opposite Patrick Stewart in CBS All Access' upcomingStar Trek series. Other upcoming projects include auteur Justin Simien's latest film, Bad Hair alongside Vanessa Williams and Laverne Cox.

Last year Hurd starred in the CBS pilot reboot of Cagney and Lacey portraying "Lacey", as co-lead opposite Sarah Drew. In addition to her explosive performance as “Shepherd" on NBC’s hit drama, Blindspot, she was recently seen on FOX’s action crime series, Lethal Weapon. Hurd is also known for Starz’s hit horror comedy Ash Vs. Evil Dead, the Marvel Universe series' Daredevil and Jessica Jones (“DA Samantha Reyes”), and the A&E summer series, The Glades ("Collen Manus”). Other television credits include: Hawaii Five-0, Younger, Devious Maids, 90210, Witches of East End, How To Get Away With Murder, Bosch, Mysteries of Laura, Pretty Little Liars, Raising Hope, The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU ("Det. Jeffries"), Gossip Girl, ER, Bones, According To Jim, Law & Order, Smith, Skin, Leap Years, Charmed, The O.C., Kevin Hill, The Practice and Another World. 

Other film credits include You Can Choose Your Family opposite Jim Gaffigan, Be Afraid, We Don't Belong Here (alongside Catherine Keener and Maya Rudolph), Search Engines, Within The Dark, Girl Most Likely (with Kristen Wiig), Random Hearts, Personals, Double Parked, Wolf and King of New York. 

Hurd is a proud alumnus of NYC’s premiere artist community at Westbeth.

Ruby Anaya is an award winning product leader with a passion for building products that help people, help society, and contribute to a greater purpose. She currently leads product at Swing Left, where she’s focused on building technology to engage and support activists across the country to elect those who will represent and fight for Democratic ideals.

Caroline Rothstein is an internationally touring and acclaimed writer, poet, and performer. She has been performing spoken word poetry, public speaking, facilitating workshops and teaching at colleges, schools, and performance venues for over a decade. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, BuzzFeed, NYLON, Narratively, The Forward, Kveller, and elsewhere. Caroline and her work have been featured widely including in The New Yorker, MTV News, Chicago Tribune, CBS Evening News, BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, Mic, and Newsweek. She lives in New York City. For more, please visit: www.carolinerothstein.com. 

Alice Kremelberg is recurring as ‘Nicole Eckelcamp’ on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK now showing on Netflix. Alice’s other Film and TV credits include NCIS, THE UNDERGROUND, WATCH ROOM, IRIS, DOOMSDAY, NURSE JACKIE,BLUE BLOODS, THE BIG C,  30 ROCK, and LAW AND ORDER: SVU. On stage she originated the role of ‘Reba’ in Ruby Rae Spiegel's breakout play DRY LAND (NYSAF, HERE), played ‘Cassandra’ opposite Austin Pendleton in DRESS OF FIRE (The Abingdon/Players Theater), ‘Catherine’ in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (ATNYC), ‘Missy’ in ROAD VEINS (Amy Witting), Maggie in LEND ME A TENOR (PPAS), ‘Amelia’ in THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, ‘Beth’ in A LIE OF THE MIND and ‘Clara/Fritz’ in ‪THE NUTCRACKER alongside the New York City Ballet.  Additionally, she has played for The Strain Theater Company as ‘Charlotte’ and‘Lillian’ in SEVEN STORIES and ‘Cath’ in BAREFOOT IN NIGHTGOWN BY CANDLELIGHT.  Upcoming, Alice co-wrote, produced film O, RYAN.  Alice is also a co producer and assistant director on an episode of Carmen LoBue's documentary series HERassment and she co-directed and produced the film JACK AND JILL. 

Kara Young Harlem Born and raised. Theater: Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd (dir. Awoye Timpo, The Duke), Cullud Wattah (The Public), Syncing Ink (dir. Niegel Smith, Alley Theatre, The Flea), Pretty Hunger (dir. Martha Banta, The Public). LAByrinth Theater Company Member and Original member of Thania All-Stars. Film/TV: The lead in Hair Wolf, winner of Sundance 2018 Short film Jury Award: US fiction, Random Acts of Flyness (hbo), The Punisher (Netflix) & Live Announcer for 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV's Girl Code (4 seasons). @karaakter

Cristina Pitter is a queer fat babe interdisciplinary artist, sex educator, activist, and founder of The Ashè Collective, a group which focuses on storytelling inspired by ancestral roots and identities while engaging in community outreach. She also has the best laugh ever. SERIOUSLY. You might have seen her work at The Metropolitan Opera, Ensemble Studio Theatre, 59E59, Ars Nova, Classic Stage, Vital Joint, New Ohio Theatre, Joe’s Pub, The PIT, The Tank, The Flea Theater, JACK, Dixon Place, or three separate but specific bathtubs. Training courtesy of the Brooklyn College BFA Acting Program. Feel free to follow her antics at cristinapitter.com. 

Ren Dara Santiago is an award-winning Fila-Rican playwright from Yonkers and Harlem. Something in the Balete Tree was written in 2018 with the support found in Gingold Theatrical Groups’ The Speaker’s Corner, Clubbed Thumb’s Early-Career Writer’s Group; paired with mentor-playwright Erin Courtney and the Playwriting Mentorship Residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm mentored by Adam Bock.  The Siblings Play has had development at The Cherry Lane Theatre (Mentor Project), Labyrinth Theater, MCC Theater, Ojai Playwrights Conference, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Short plays include Little Stories for Cino Nights with Rising Phoenix Rep; Big World, for the Ugly Sister benefit show; Love & Animation for Middle Voice at Rattlestick’s Gay Brunch 2013. She is a guest teaching artist at The National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center; a member of Rising Phoenix Rep; former Artistic Producer and founding member of Middle Voice at Rattlestick; and an eternal member of The Baldwin Project by Lucy Thurber, who has mentored her since adolescence. Ren is the proud recipient of the MCC Alumni Award and the inaugural recipient of Rising Phoenix Rep’s Cornelia Street American Playwriting Award.

Samantha Patten is an emerging R&B/pop artist and songwriter from Connecticut that currently resides in the NYC area. She recently walked away from one of the top record labels in the world to embark on her own musical journey and follow her true purpose. 2018 has been filled with growth and development; she released three singles “Home Alone”, “Blinded” and “I Care” along with two self-produced music videos, in addition to performing live. Samantha’s rise is just beginning but each release introduces us to another scale on her spectrum and dimension to her sound - it’s pure, distinct and emotionally nuanced.

Andrea Granera is a Nicaraguan-American actor and multi-disciplinary artist. She grew up in Oakland, CA and studied at the Atlantic Acting Conservatory at Tisch School of the Arts, 2017. Currently, she is producing a short film that she wrote about Latinx womanhood and organizing art events to raise money for asylum seekers at the border. Andrea is extremely excited to be a part of "Don't Drink the Hatorade" in the #HealMeToo Festival as she is dedicated to building support systems and empowerment for marginalized people. 

Nissy Aya is a Black girl from the Bronx. She and all her younger selves tell stories and tall tales. They lead workshops, too. As a facilitator and cultural worker, we believe in the transformative nature of storytelling, placing those most affected by oppressive systems in the center, and examining how we move forward through holistic healing. We, also, view theatre as a tool to create social change by empowering disenfranchised communities to unapologetically portray their whole selves on stage. Our creative work reflects those notions while exploring the lines between history and memory, and detailing both the absence and presence of love.

Chelsea Allison is an actor and playwright from New York. Recent projects include a reading of her One Act “Happy Fourth” at New York Theatre Workshop. She is a member of the 2017 Urban Word Slam Team which placed semi finals at the 2017 Brave New Voices slam poetry competition. She is currently pursuing her BFA in Dramatic Arts at The New School of Drama.

Aury Krebs is a queer theatre artist based in Brooklyn. Last seen Off-Broadway as The Lover in A Letter to Harvey Milk. Always exceptionally grateful to participate in the creation of inclusive and intersectional art which elevates marginalized voices and incites radical change.