The Mechanicals Presents: Fresh Ink

About The Mechanicals

The Mechanicals is a theater company dedicated to producing new, classic, and underperformed plays that touch on our collective connection and spirit. Much like the Mechanicals of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we are a group of multi-disciplinary artists who love creating together and investing in the New York City community.

Our goals are simple: Explore both new plays and classical works to examine unique and diverse world views; Develop work from artists who want to be nurtured and challenged throughout the creative process; and Inspire our team to consistently improve as we create new, exciting, and challenging productions.

Founder Alexis Confer believes public service and the arts should be one and the same. We invite you to join us on this artistic journey!

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Kinda Sick

September 27th, 2026 5PM

Playwright - Justin Borak

is a Lebanese-American playwright based in New York City. His work has been developed by Noor Theatre, Gideon Productions, and West Virginia Public Theatre. He is a member of New York Theatre Workshop’s SWANA Writers Co-Op and resident playwright with Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival, and holds a BFA from Charleston Southern University and an MFA from West Virginia University. His honors include the Eugene O’Neill NPC Award, Lanford Wilson New American Play Prize, and Broadway Licensing New Works Grant. justinborak.com

Director - Brynne
O’Rourke

is a transfemme, multidisciplinary theatre artist, producer, and director dedicated to anti-oppressive practices and TRANS liberation. Their work centers radical self-love and stories that imagine a more just world. A 2025 Ghost Bike Fellow with FUTURE RIVER Theatre Company, Brynne is a member of the F.U.N. Collective, Pride Youth Theatre Alliance, Trans Asylum Seeker Support Network, and Trans Writers Union. They hold an MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY School of Professional Studies. brynneorourke.com

Stage Manager - Eleni Efthimiou

is honored and thrilled to be a part of this year’s Fresh Ink Festival! She is currently studying at Brooklyn College her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts after graduating from Kingsborough Community College earlier this year. She intends to focus on stage management as a future career, but will gladly stick her hands into all aspects of theatre production.

Derrik - Juancho Rodriguez

is an actor and award-winning filmmaker whose credits span film, television, and theatre. He played Jason in The Brunch Club, Tobias in Safe Space, Benito and the Moon in José Rivera’s References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot, Nicholas in Heston-Gable, Richard Roe in Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal, King Edward IV and Stanley in Richard III, and Paris and Montague in Romeo & Juliet. Most recently, he led Latin Lover at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, and was featured on Hulu's Dear Killer Nannies led by John Leguizamo. Rodriguez is represented by MC Talent Consultants.

Lindsay - Sam Meilani Rodriguez

is an actor from Brooklyn, New York. Their most recent credits include *That Show!* at UCB and *Serials* at The Tank.

Christian/Derrick’s Dad/Man - Levi Hood

is thrilled to be working with The Mechanicals for the first time and thanks his family and friends for their love and support.

Mario Lopez - Ivan Goris

is an American-Dominican actor, writer, and producer born and raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side. A stage actor at heart, his theater credits include The Fall of Rafael Trujillo, Five Sessions, Machinal, Five Sandwiches, and Our Lady of the Clouds. His film and television credits include HBO's Vinyl, Tim Blake Nelson's Anesthesia, Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, and CBS's Madam Secretary. He is a co-founder of B.I.P. (Barrio Independent Productions). It is an honor to be back with The Mechanicals for the telling of Kinda Sick. Follow him on Instagram @Ivan_Goris537_

Woman - Kakra Nunoo-Brown

is an actress known for her work in film, television, and theatre productions. She has studied various acting techniques, including Method, Stanislavsky, and Chekhov in New York, Los Angeles, and recently completed Meisner training at Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Notably, she won Best Actress at The People's Film Festival in Harlem for her role in Behind the Joy (2024).

Wise Guys

September 26th, 2026 7PM

Playwright - Gabriel Diego Hernández

is an actor, playwright, educator, poet, and hip hop artist from Hoboken. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale and is Mile Square Theatre’s first artist-in-residence. His hip-hop musical Quarter Rican premiered there in 2023 and has toured nationally, including an Off-Broadway run. His play Wise Guys was featured at the South Texas New Play Festival and makes its NYC debut at Fresh Ink. Gabriel received a Javiera Rodriguez Legacy Art Grant from Art House Productions and is developing a commission through Montclair State University.

Director - Alex Jones

is a New York-based theatre artist, actor, director, and educator. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Marymount Manhattan College and teaches Acting at Kingsborough Community College. His acting credits include *Zero Day* (Netflix), *Wicked City Blues* and *Mayfield* (Off-Broadway), *Henry IV*, *The Mandela Architecture*, and *Seance* with The Mechanicals. His commercial work includes Walmart, Sennheiser, Applebee’s, and ADT. Alex is thrilled to return to The Mechanicals as a director for Fresh Ink, bringing fresh voices and bold theatrical perspectives to the stage.

Stage Manager - Jaz Wilson

is a New York based stage manager. Previous work with The Mechanicals includes *Séance* (SM) *Romeo & Juliet Staged Reading* (SM) and *Machinal* (ASM).

Dr. Wexler - Steve Held

returned to acting after a 40-year hiatus, rekindling a journey that began as Curly in *Oklahoma!* He has since appeared in *True West*, *Skylight*, *A View from the Bridge*, and *The Night of the Iguana* with the Grace Kiley Ensemble and played Pop in John Patrick Shanley’s *Beggars in the House of Plenty*. Screen work includes *Fundamental Shapes*, *Patricia Says Goodbye*, and *Tango in Room 1310*. He is a member of the producing team behind *Collected Stories* at East Village Basement.

Solomon - Laramie Zamor

is a New York-based actor currently studying acting at Brooklyn College. He is thrilled to make his debut with the Mechanicals Theater Company. Previous Credits include Orcus in *She Kills Monsters* by Qui Nguyen and Ed in *The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time*, adapted by Simon Stephens (Kingsborough Theatre Arts).

Kenya - Rose Dinnigan

is happy to be making her professional debut in Wise Guys. She is grateful for this opportunity and excited to share it with an audience.

Willie - David Torres

is an emerging actor and singer passionate about storytelling, theater, and connecting with audiences through every performance.

Aoife - Lainey Mackinnon

is an actor, intimacy coordinator and producer based in NYC. Recent work includes Lists of Promise (The Ingenue) at Theater for the New City, performing original poetry at Elizabeth St. Garden, or in commercials for Malix Media. She is so excited to work with The Mechanicals again! Love to my loves.

Postlingual

September 26th, 2026 2PM

Playwright - Brooke Downs

earned an MFA in creative writing from Brigham Young University, where she teaches literature and writing courses. Her works have been performed or published by American Stage, Wordsmyth Theater, Wasatch Theatre, and River’s Edge. *Postlingual* was inspired by Brooke’s grandmother, who lost her hearing suddenly, completely, and permanently after an outpatient surgery despite having no previous hearing loss. Brooke spent the last year of her grandmother’s life typing the family’s words so her grandmother could hear their conversations.

Director - Lunie Jules

Lunie Jules is a Haitian-American actress, teaching artist, coach, and writer based in New York City. An award-winning actress and writer, she has performed at The Barrow Group, The Mechanicals NYC, The Flea Theater, Teatro SEA, Theatre 80, AlphaNYC Theatre Co., and New Perspectives Theatre Company.
When she isn’t creating, teaching, or performing, you can probably find Lunie thrifting or binge-watching an old TV show. Her website, LunieJules.com, is currently under construction. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @LunieJules.

Stage Manager - Kevin Brutus

is a CUNY Hunter College graduate with a BA in Theatre and recipient of the 2016 Robert LoBianco Award for Excellence in Stage Management. He been an ASM for *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, *Cymbeline, and Twelfth Night*, later stage managing *The Gothic Hour*, *Machinal*, and readings of *Medea* and *The Two Noble Kinsmen*. His additional credits include *Let Me Love You: Intersectional Love Stories* (Goodwave Studios) and *Yerma In Vitro* (Dramatic Question Theatre). Kevin currently serves as Company Manager for The Mechanicals.

Alexa - Alexis Confer

is a Brooklyn-based director, producer, and actor with an international presence in theater. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Mechanicals Theater Company, established in 2015, dedicated to bold, socially engaged interpretations of classic and contemporary works. Her directing credits span The FLEA, SoHo Playhouse, Theatre 80 – St. Marks, Teatro LATEA, 13th Street Rep, Flamboyan, SEA, The Duke on 42nd Street, and Nairobi’s Phoenix Theatre. A George Washington University graduate, Alexis serves on the board of Waterwell Theater Company.

Ken - John Purdy

has performed with The Mechanicals in Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio), Twelfth Night (Duke Orsino), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), and Cymbeline (Iachimo). A few things have changed since his last performance — namely, he’s grown a beard. He’s thrilled to be back on stage and grateful to share the experience with such a talented and welcoming group.

Luke - Kevin Lee

has taken acting classes since 2018 with Grace Kiley. He appeared in short films, *Patricia Says Goodbye* (2022) and *Tango in Room 1310* (2025).
Kevin spent years teaching and writing in China and Indonesia. He has worked for more than a decade as a street vendor in New York City, selling pearl jewelry, which he returns to Asia every year to design.

Joan/Dr. Green - Lisa Tracy*

can be seen in "Meet Me in the Margins" on GAF Network. Also, in many short films as a bad mom. Recent stage roles: Kitty (GOOD NIGHT, MRS. CALABASH) and DeeDee (THE PROM). Featured in Maia Chao's AMERICAN IDLE for Times Square Arts. AEA, SAG/AFTRA

Victor - Ming Wu

is a Brooklyn based actor and headshot photographer. He studies acting at the Barrow Group and has a strong background in film production.

Graciela - Kakra Nunoo-Brown

is an actress known for her work in film, television, and theatre productions. She has studied various acting techniques, including Method, Stanislavsky, and Chekhov in New York, Los Angeles, and recently completed Meisner training at Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Notably, she won Best Actress at The People's Film Festival in Harlem for her role in Behind the Joy (2024).

Colby Carter - Celina Mylene Santana

is thrilled to be a part of *Postlingual*! Recent credits include *POST MORTEM*, *The Benny Winner Show*, and *TISMO:CRAWLSPACE BLOG*.

Dragon - Moon Elise Warner (he/him)

is a Black, Trans artist concerned healing emotional wounds through art, particularly in regards to the impact of state violence. A dancer, musician, and actor, Moon has performed and collaborated with artists in NYC at Hi-Arts, BAX, The Tank, and the NYPL for the Performing Arts. He has traveled internationally to perform in Guangzhou, Montreal, and more. Moon is also a long-time ASL learner planning to become an ASL interpreter. He studied ASL in high school and at the Sign Language Center in Manhattan. Moon cares deeply about making art, theater, and life accessible.

Alala & The Scarman

September 25th, 2026 7PM

Playwright - Silma Sierra Berrada

is an African American and Moroccan playwright, poet, and visual artist whose work excavates the space where the personal ruptures against the political. Blending ritual, realism, and myth, she writes toward ancestral haunting, spiritual collapse, and the inheritance of pain—asking what tenderness survives inside systems built for endurance. She holds an A.B. in English from Princeton University and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University.

Director - Brian Rojas

is a Colombian-American actor from New York City, driven by a deep passion for storytelling. Screen credits include Apple’s Your Friends and Neighbors, Zack Braff’s A Good Person, and FBI: Most Wanted. Stage credits include 17 Minutes by Scott Organ—directed by Seth Barrish at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival—and Savana Glacial by Jo Bilac, directed by Marina Montesanti at Brooklyn’s Irondale Theater. Brian is also a proud educator at The Barrow Group Theater Company—where he first began his journey in storytelling and continues to inspire and mentor emerging artists.

Shiny Herald - M. Damon Hawkins*

is a Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based actor who is both excited and honored to be joining The Mechanicals for this year’s Fresh Ink Festival! While M. Damon is an avid fan of the classics, he is just as eager to develop new works that place important voices and stories at the forefront. Notable credits include Banquo in *Macbeth*, Valere in *Tartuffe*, Sorin in *The Seagull*, and, most recently, Paul in Terrence McNally’s *The Lisbon Traviata*. When not onstage or in front of the camera, M. Damon is likely binging horror movies or crocheting.

Alala - Sariah Thompson-James

is an NYC-based actor, theatre educator, and Pace BFA alum, thrilled to be back onstage and sharing passionate stories!!

SelfOwn

September 24th, 2026 7PM

Playwright - Richard Hollman

is a NYC-based writer, actor, musician, teacher and activist. He earned his MFA in Playwrighting from Brooklyn College in 2026, where he received the Kitch English Fund, Donald Fine Creative Writing scholarships, and Lainoff Prize. His Play *Back and Forth* was produced by Super Secret Arts and named a NYT Critics’ Pick; *The Fired Fourth* received a workshop at The Tank. His work has appeared at The Brick and Brooklyn College. Rich has performed at Cherry Lane, La MaMa, The Public Theater, and on television. www.richhollman.com

Director - Mildred R. Gil

is a New York native, classically trained through the BFA Acting program at MMC. Her artistic journey spans stage and screen, including *Machinal*, *Twelfth Night*, *As You Like It*, *Macbeth*, *Billions*, *Succession*, *You*, *King of Games*, and her short film *Loved & Lost*, which she produced, wrote, and starred in. As a director, she helmed Ruthellen Cheney's *Seance* at The Gene Frankel Theater (2025) and Chris Patterson’s *Between the Lines* at Dixon Place (2019). As a 1st AD, she worked on *City of Dreamz*, *Papi Chulo*, and *Tigueronas*. Mildred develops work through Brookmil Productions. @brookmilpro.

Kenny - Kelvin Grullon*

is a Dominican American actor from Washington Heights with a passion for storytelling, often working as an actor, writer, director, producer, and DJ under the pseudonym CHICO BEMBÉ. Projects include theater (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Queen of Basel, King Lear, She Hates Coffee, Room28 Comedy), film (La Tierra, No More Lonely People), voice over (Corner Wolves, Michelle Rojas is Not Okay), and new media works (Guap, DominicanYork). Director credits include The Great Gatsby (Literature to Life) and Assistant Director on King James (Northern Stage Theater).

Chef & Man - Cary Hite*

(dir./Evan) is a NYC-based actor and voice-over artist.

Officer Kilkenny/Guy/Officer 2/

Chef 2 - Eric Bermudez*

is a New York based actor and holds a BFA in acting from Marymount Manhattan College. He has appeared in a variety of theater projects both regionally and in NYC, ranging from classical work to new play development. He has also written, directed, and appeared in various indie film projects including: A View from the Fridge, A Summer’s Day, and Under the Windowsill.

Meghan/Woman 1/Skater - Panyin Nunoo-Brown

is a NYC actor trained at Terry Knickerbocker Studio, making their screen debut in indie feature Before the Joy.

Security Guard - Tim Butler

is a New Jersey–based actor, singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. A graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he began his professional career performing and touring in regional musical theater. His passion for storytelling eventually led him from the stage into music production, songwriting, recording, and film scoring. Through Butler Music, Tim creates original music for film, television, visual media, and recording projects. He is excited to return to the stage and reconnect with the actor who started it all.

Carla/Woman 2 - Julissa Peralta

is a creative director, stylist, fashion designer and actress that recently competed on Hulu’s first-ever fashion competition show, Dress My Tour. Follow JuJu @junikdesigner

Leonetta/Woman 3 - Zahaira Curiel

is honored to be part of the Fresh Ink Festival. Off-Broadway: *Missing Socks (*Pregones - PRTT,) Plátanos Y Collard Greens. Touring: *Sugar Skull: A Día de los Muertos Musical Adventure, Hansel and Gretel,* and *Little Red Riding Hood/Caperucita Roja.* Sketch Comedy: *Dumptruck* (UCB Maude), *Kissyface* (The Pack Theatre). TV/Film: *FBI: Most Wanted.* Training: Music, Hunter College. She dedicates this performance to her loved ones and those who paved the way, with special thanks to director Mildred Gil! Follow her @zahairacuriel

Designers & Crew

Sound Designer - Margaret Montagna

is a New York City-based sound designer from Brooklyn. Select credits include *Machinal* (The Siggy at The Flea), *Hamlet: What Dreams May Come* (The Frank Shiner Theater), *The Jester’s Wife* (The Chain Theatre), *Brainsmash*, *I Wanna F*ck Like Romeo and Juliet*, *The Panic of ‘29*, and *The Collision/The Martyrdom* (59E59), *Alison Leiby: Oh God, A Show About Abortion* (Cherry Lane Theatre), and *Decomposed Theater* and *The Last Days of Judas Iscariot* (The New School). margaretmontagnasd.com

Lighting Designer - Maya Strauss (she/her)

is a lighting designer from Baltimore specializing in theater & dance, with experience spanning concerts, fashion, and architectural installs. A recent graduate of Rutgers University, Maya has a love for new works. She spent her last semester developing the inaugural season of a student playwriting festival as a lighting designer, projections designer, and dramaturg. In addition to lighting & projection design, she works as a programmer and draftsperson for live events/fashion. Recent work includes lighting programmer for “Human Things” at The West End Theater and “A Ghost In Your Ear” at Audible’s Minetta Lane, and concert lighting design for Lip Critic, Greg Mendez, and Bleary Eyed.

Stage Crew - Shannon DeForest

has an eclectic background in construction, landscaping, painting, woodworking, sewing, and ceramics, she is a scrappy craftsman who is always ready to dive into the next project. Becoming a member of The Mechanicals has been an incredible experience that has allowed her to meld her creative passions with her technicals skills — she could not be more grateful for this community. Lastly, she would like to thank her grandfather, who was the first person to show her the beauty in craftsmanship.

* Actors Equity Association Members

The Mechanicals Leadership

Executive Producer & Artistic Director - Alexis Confer

New Works Curator & In House Playwright - Ruthellen Cheney

Company Manager - Kevin Brutus

Marketing Director - Mildred R. Gil

Producers - Alexis Confer, Ruthellen Cheney, Kevin Brutus, Mildred R. Gil (Brookmil Productions), and The Mechanicals Producers Council

Festival Sponsors

Erika Soto Lamb and Robin Lamb

Julia Rafal Baer and Michael Baer (The Baer Family Foundation)

Hayley Prim

The Flea

Refounded in 2021, The Flea is a downtown hub for culture, creativity, and community with a mission to support and invest in experimental art by Black, brown, and queer artists. We aim to be a haven where those who push the limits of cultural expression can thrive; and where audiences of all identities can be delighted, challenged, and forge deep relationships with the artists, their work, and each other. The Flea owns and operates a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified performance center in Tribeca that houses three distinct, intimate theaters designed to encourage creativity while supporting production economies of scale. If you are interested in renting our space, please send an inquiry to rentals@theflea.org.