New Plays Now 2024

Directed by Cezar Williams

Chatterbox by Johnny Bayne

Hummingbird- Destiny Barbour
Bee- Gabe Stein
Amelia- Vivian Lee
Ophelia- Elizabeth Cuite
Thomas- Noël Harris
Stacy- Lilia Ireland
Olivia- Tachynel Merveille
Jaden - Heschel Bay
Aubrey/Fear -Trygve Gunderson
Stage Directions - Nnamdi Uzobuife

The Pines by Jack Jacobsen

Ted - Noël Harris
Carl - Jakob DeDona
Stage Directions - Trygve Gunderson

The Garbage Disposal by James Louis

Trevor - Nnamdi Uzobuife
Erica - Destiny Barbour
Ben - Ed Ventura
Dana - Jade Cook
Stage Directions - Tachynel Merveille

Trisemester by Cheye Bieber

Evie - Vivian Lee
Grace - Lidia Callau
Amber - Jade Cook
Jessica - Nora Nilsen Healy
Doctor- Gabe Stein
Stage Directions - Matthew Dennis

You Won’t be Alone by Julia Moore

Willow - Elizabeth Cuite
Theo - Heschel Bay
Nancy - Lilia Ireland
Karen - Tachynel Merveille
Selma - Lidia Callau
Jill - Nora Nilsen Healy
Granda - Matthew Dennis
Dad - Ed Ventura
Stage Directions - Jakob DeDona 

Production Team:

Production Stage Manager - Chloe Casavant
Stage Manager - Grace Kehoe
Lighting Design - John Hoag
Sound Design - Will Schwerin

Content Advisory

Content Disclosure - blanket statement encompassing all pieces: mentions of death, flashing lights and loud noises.

Running Time: Approximately 2hrs + 30mins, including a 10min intermission

Creative Team Profiles

CAST BIOS

Destiny Barbour


Heschel Bay is a third year BFA actor from Boston, Massachusetts. Past Purchase rep credits include Orpheus Descending (Eugene), Socrates (Andromacus), and The Good Doctor (Cherdyakov). Other Credits include Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) and Radium Girls (Arthur Roeder). He would like to give special thanks to his family and friends.


Lidia is a Third year in the Acting BFA at Purchase college. She was born in Zaragoza, Spain and came to New York to study acting.
In the past Lidia has played Mrs.Smith in “The Bald Soprano” by Eugene Ionesco, Girl and Husband in “The Good Doctor” by Neil Simon, and Federico in “Toc Toc” by Julian Quintanilla. Lidia would like to thank her beautiful family, friends, and the artists in her life.


Jade Cook is so excited to start a new season of shows with the BFA Acting conservatory. Jade has been in The Good Doctor with Purchase, as well as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Metamorphoses with another performance group. Jade would like to thank her wonderful family and her extraordinary company.


Elizabeth is an actor from New York’s Hudson Valley. She recently studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London where she played Lady Macbeth in RADA’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Other favorite roles include Juror Number 10 in Twelve Angry Men and Kate Keller in The Miracle Worker. Elizabeth has appeared in several television shows and can be seen in the indie horror film Tenants. Aside from acting she is a singer and songwriter. She is thrilled to be performing in The Government Inspector with the incredible members of Company 50. Much love to her family and friends.


Jakob DeDona is a third year BFA actor from Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Purchase Rep credits include Peter in the Good Doctor. Others include Ser Thomas Grey in Raleigh’s Theater in the Park. He thanks his friends and family who support his every endeavor.


Matthew Dennis is a third year BFA actor from Manhattan, NY. Past credits include: John Proctor (The Crucible), Dr. William Alanson White (Never the Sinner) and The Sexton/Policeman (The Good Doctor). Much love to his mother, father, sister and friends for their love and support.


Trygve Gundersen is a third year BFA actor from Madison, Wisconsin. Recent Credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mustardseed/Philostrate) at Tier 5 Theatre Company, The Good Doctor (Navy, Boy) at SUNY Purchase, and Antigone (Guard) at Westside Players. Special thanks to Mandy!


Noël Harris


Lilia Ireland


Vivian comes from Maryland and is a junior at the Purchase Acting Conservatory. In the past, they have played the Voice and Irena in “The Good Doctor” by Neil Simon. Vivian would like to thank their family and obviously their cat for bringing them this far.


Tachynel Merveille


Nora is a third year BFA actor from Los Angeles, California. Purchase Rep credits include The Good Doctor (Drowned Man and Wife).


Gabe Stein


Nnamdi Uzobuife


Ed Ventura

PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS

Chloe Casavant is a third year BFA stage manager with a secondary focus in sound design from Saratoga Springs, New York. Some Purchase Rep credits include Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Assistant Stage Manager), Angels in America (Assistant Stage Manager), and Socrates (Audio Engineer). Other credits include Xanadu (Stage Manager), The 39 Steps (Assistant Stage Manager), A Chorus Line (Production’s Assistant). Chloe would like to thank her parents, Jennifer and Michael Casavant, for their unending support and love. She wouldn’t be here without them, literally and figuratively.


John Hoag is thrilled to share his work as the lighting designer on both fall festivals this year! Other purchase designs Heroes of the Fourth Turning sound design and lighting for 4 dance pieces in Act a Fool. Special thanks to the fall fest 2024 lighting team and everyone’s hard work!


Grace Kehoe


Will Schwerin is a Junior BFA Theater Design/Tech Sound Designer. His past credits include The Seagull (Sound Designer) The Tempest (Sound Designer) Orlando (Sound Designer) Titus Andronicus (Assistant Sound Designer) Machinal (Sound Designer). He would like to thank Sunny, Matt and the rest of DT for making this a possibility. He would also like to thank his family and friends for their support.

Director Profile

Cezar Williams is an award-winning director. Recent credits include the Off-Broadway premiere of The Bleeding Class (59e59) and the Off-Broadway premiere of Dancing on Eggshells (Billie Holiday Theatre), Till: A Musical (American Theater Group), Mitchelville (Lean Ensemble Theatre), Sweat (Purchase Repertory Theater), Fucking A (Purchase Repertory Theater), The October Storm (Hudson Stage Company), Crowndation (National Black Theatre and CTG Digital Stage), The Hunting Season (Planet Connections Festivity, Award for Best Direction), You Wouldn’t Expect (American Bard Theater), How To Be Safe (The Dirty Blondes Theater), Dream, Girl! (Joe’s Pub), Lunchtime in Heaven (48 hours in Harlem), Nightfall, Slow Gin Fits, Ain’t No Mo’ (The Fire This Time Festival 2013, 2014, 2016, 2024). He is the Artistic Director of the Obie Award winning Fire This Time Festival, a New York University graduate, and an Adjunct Professor of Acting at SUNY Purchase College. Cezar is a NYSCA “Support for Artist Grant Recipient” and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society.

About the Conservatory of Theatre Arts

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College.