ACT 1

FAR FROM NIRVANA

Jack Rushton (Playwright/Director) has had forty plays produced at more than 200 theaters worldwide with his Mistranslations a Finalist for National Award at City Theater-Miami in 2019 and his George’s Radio The Andaluz Award winner at The Fusion Theater’s The Seven in 2017. As the founder/facilitator of The Playwrights’ Collaborative, Jack supports theaters throughout New England bringing TPC’s work to life. He’s thrilled to be making his second appearance at The Think Fast Festival.

Bruce Deveau (Actor: The Man) is an actor, playwright, and member of the Playwrights Collaborative of Newburyport, MA. His short comedy My New Assignment was the winner of the 2024 Think Fast Short Play Competition, and he has playwright credits in the US, Canada, and England. 

Shannon Muhs (Actor: The Woman) is thrilled to be a part of the Think Fast Play Competition in Far From Nirvana by Jack Rushton. For over 25 years Shannon has enjoyed a varied performing career, including theatre, film, commercials, industrials and voice over. A trained opera singer, Shannon has performed throughout the Greater Boston area in a variety of new plays and musicals. She can also be seen and heard in over 40 ads for Hasbro, Amica, BJ’s, National Floors Direct, WB Mason, 99 restaurant and more.

THIRD-PARTY, BLAMELESS

Andrew Riddles' (Playwright/Director) first play, BUYSEXUAL, won a Best in Festival award at Ottawa Fringe, 2024. His other plays include 25/75 and Mazzolatura {FTP}. His fiction has recently appeared in Molecule, Sumac Literary Journal, Chewers by Masticadores, and Fowl-Feathered Review, while his experimental creative memoir piece, Spandau: A Powerpoint, appeared in Frighten the Horses in January 2025. From Britain, he has lived among the Canadians for two decades and so far he quite likes it.

Kelsey Rideout (Jane) is an actor and writer. She trained at The Intensive Actors Lab and recently completed a summer intensive at Circle in the Square Theatre in New York. Recent theatre credits include Prix Rideau Award nominated The White Crocodile, The Lover in The Supine Cobbler at the GCTC, winner of the Prix Rideau Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Eleanor in la•bel by Levity Theatre and #11 in The Wolves, winner of the Prix Rideau Jury Award. Her original spoken word poetry was included in the 2023 NUMUS Emerging Curators Award.

Dan DeMarbre (Michael) is thrilled to join the Third-Party, Blameless cast in the Think Fast Festival. Notable performances include Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and Lennie in Of Mice and Men at Ottawa Little Theatre. While versatile in film and TV, he holds a special love for theatre. In his downtime, he’s an avid LEGO enthusiast. He would like to thank his dog, Bastion, for his patience while rehearsals have interfered with his walks.

Tim McKee (Mike) last appeared on stage as Baptista Minola in Taming of the Shrew directed by Fred Ducette. Most recently, he has had principal roles in many short films including Veronique Nolan’s Never Alone and They Never Truly Leave Us, written and directed by Mariana Gonez. Tim also had an actor role in the soon to be released feature film Modern Whore, directed by Nicole Bazuin and produced by Anora’s Sean Baker.

THE LIST

Eleanor Evans-Wickberg (Playwright) is originally from Dallas and based in Brooklyn. Her work has been developed and produced with Playground-NY, 938collective, The Secret Theater, Stone Circle Theater, and Good Furniture Films. She graduated from Kenyon College after writing and producing He’s Not Like That (2025 Downtown Urban Arts Festival Finalist) and is the recipient of the 2019 and 2022 James E. Michael prize in playwriting.

Grace Halpern (Angela) is an LA and NYC-based actor, writer, and filmmaker. Like a true LA native, Grace has been doing commercial work and plays since she could walk. As an actor, she made her feature-length debut in Kansas Bowling’s Cuddly Toys. She has also been featured in numerous short films. Her own short film Baby Talk can now be seen in the festival circuit (California Women's Film Festival, RSFF, LA Indie Women's Film Awards, 938 Collective, and Vienna’s Independent Film Festival). After making her off-off Broadway debut last spring in The List, she cannot wait to reprise the role of Angela.

Natasha Mindling (Cori) is an actress, singer-songwriter, and photographer based in New York. She has been featured in numerous short films and co-starred in The List last spring as Cori. She is excited to be reprising her role!

TOMTOMS

Leonard D Goodisman (Playwright) was Development Director of the Odd Duck/ Eclectic Theater, in Seattle and so has directed plays, been stage manager, actor, dramaturg, tech booth operator, goodies seller, and enjoyed most of the roles one plays behind the scenes in theater. First and foremost, he is a playwright, having written about forty full-length plays of which about 10 have been produced and more than 80 one-acts. Also, a teacher of theater and theater reviewer and… lover of theater.

Edward Gibbons-Brown (Director) is a passionate and dedicated multi-hyphenate creative artist with a broad variety of experience over many years. His monthly variety show FRIGID Nightcap can be seen the last Friday of every month at Under St. Marks – follow @frigidnightcap for updates. Recent productions include: The Interview, SPF Boo! Fest, NYC, Listen to Me, Walk It Off, and Over My Dead Body, Chain Theatre One-Act Festival, NYC, Coriolanus, Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company, NYC/Seattle, Miracle on 34th Street, The Henegar, Melbourne, FL. Edward lives in Brooklyn and can be reached via his website at edwardgibbonsbrown.wixsite.com/director or follow him on Instagram at @edwardgibbonsbrown. He is available and willing to travel for exciting creative work…so hire him for stuff!

Emily Cordes (Faye) is an NYC-based stage, film, and new media actress. A founding member of the feminist theatre group Tapestry Collective, in 2022 she co-created, performed in, and produced #SoSadSoSexy, a devised play about the fetishization of mentally ill women. Recent roles include Quince/Starveling (u/s) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tier5 Theatre Company), Debby in Trauma, Bonding (Hudson Guild Theater), & Adult Woman in Spring Awakening (Outside the Lines Theatre). She is also a published poet, and performs spoken word live in NYC and on Zoom screens across the country and globe. IG: @postmodern.psyche; http://bit.ly/EmilyCordes.

Sarah Parr (Barb) is a New Jersey born-and-raised actress who has really come to love the possibilities that arise from virtual theater, and was part of one of the first productions to ~make it work~ back in 2020! Favorite acting credits include other virtual pieces through Imaginarium NY and Spark Creative Works, and stage productions including the world-premiere of Bits and Pieces (The Players Theatre, NYC), the first reading of Pangaea by Carson Grace Becker, directed by Christine McBurney (convergence-continuum), the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival (Dobama Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (French Creek Theatre: Shakespeare in a Park), Stellaluna (Talespinner Children's Theatre), Reckless (Case Western Reserve University), and the first stage adaptation of The Two Princesses of Bamarre (Rutgers Prep). Sarah also had the pleasure of producing films such as Sally, Get the Potatoes and doing COVID compliance (remember that?) for Bedlam Theatre’s new media series. https://www.instagram.com/sarahsmilez16/

ACT 2

Given: Away

Michael Towers (Playwright/Director) earned his MFA in Playwriting from Boston University under the direction of Kate Snodgrass, Melinda Lopez, and Ronan Noone. His plays have been read and produced throughout the United States and have been recognized on four continents. Michael’s short play, Molting has earned notoriety with stage, film, zoom and radio productions including selections by the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Play Festival, Village Playwrights during their June Pride Celebration and the Think Fast Short Play Festival.

Maeve O'Toole (Assistant Director/Costume Designer/Video Technician) is a Director/Designer/Theater Maker living and working in the Boston area. She will be directing Richard Greenberg's, Three Days of Rain in Westford Academy's seventy-seat Black Box Theater this spring.

Ethan Mandile (Stage Manager/Video Technician) is a Designer, Technician and Playwright residing in the Boston area. His new play, License and Registration has just been selected for production in the Boston Theater Marathon XXVII.

Andrew Mejia (Sound Designer) is an Award Winning Sound Designer, Musician and Playwright working in the Boston area. His 2024 Soundscape in Westford Acadmy Theater Arts production of Ayad Akhtar's Disgraced earned him a selection to the All Star Company with the Massachusetts Education Theater Guild. 

Jocelyn Duford (Bride) performs throughout New England as an actor, singer, and educator. She was most recently seen at The Players' Ring in Portsmouth, NH as Anna in Whispering to Dostoevsky. Jocelyn recently won an NHTA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Professional Production of a Play (Prissy, The Stands). She currently teaches acting and voice lessons, directs teen and youth shows, and also works as an audiobook narrator.

Robert D. Murphy (Man) is pleased to be reunited with playwright Michael Towers in Given: A Way. Past performances include Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder, Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, Herod in Salome, Joseph Cornell in Hotel Cassiopeia, Joe in The Time of Your Life, and Merlin / Pellinore in Camelot. He will soon be seen as scheming Dean Rowan Martin in MFA: The Terminal Degree from North of Boston Films.

 OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY

Christopher Zaczek (Playwright/Director/Chuck) is a Baltimore playwright, actor, director and producer. He has spent the last two decades teaching and acting in South Korea. His play, Confessional, took Best Comedy in the 2020 One House, One Heart Play Festival, and he recently took 2nd place for Over the Hills and Far Away in the Seoul Players 2024 10 Minute Play Festival. He remains a board member for both the Seoul Players and the Seoul Shakespeare Company. Chris recently returned to the American stage in Milburn Stone’s productions of The Crucible and Hamlet.

Morgan Burns (Greer) is primarily a stage actor. She studied in New York City to receive her Associates in Musical Theater. Recent credits include Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show and Kay Ridgeway in Murder on the Nile, both for Milburn Stone. She owes everything to her family and will always give special credit to her sister Kasey. Morgan also wants to thank Chris for allowing her in on this amazing and touching project and for making this such an easy and enjoyable process.

THE UNFORTUNATE CONCLUSION

OF MISSION TAKE AND BAKE

Kim Ferse (Playwright/Director/Commander) has had the theater "bug" since the age of nine, having performed, directed, written, and served on a board. Most recently, her play I Love You opened Revolution Stage Company's 10-minute festival in Palm Springs. Her plays Final Jeopardy and When Life Gives You Mellons appeared in the 2023 and 2024 Think Fast festivals. She is currently developing a full-length musical parody, Angry Annie: An Orphan’s Revenge, with collaborator Angela Mitchell.

Angela Mitchell (Sound Design) has a weakness for alien noises, and her plays include The Great God Zeus in Brooklyn, Missing the Comet, You Need to Sign for This, Aggro, The Betrayals of Women, and more, as well as contributing lyrics and dialogue to the musical Angry Annie: An Orphan's Revenge, in development now with Kim Ferse.

Justin Ledesma (Spanky) is a Milwaukee-born performer, film-maker and model-maker who first graced the stage at age 10. As a musician, he’s opened for national acts like Robin Trower, Great White and The Addicts and performed locally in The CV Music Awards, Village Fest and The Rock Yard. As an actor, Justin has played many characters, including Lt. Columbo in the ensemble film Broadmoor. He is a graduate of Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA, and a student of the Palm Springs Actors Lab. Justin is eager to bring his diverse experience to the forefront.

Patrick Kearney (Jonesy) spent 20 years working in and around NYC before heading to the desert in California. Favorite roles over the years include: Gene in The Author's Voice, Renfield in The Passion of Dracula, The Player Queen in Hamlet, Father Flynn in Doubt, Cliff in Look Back in Anger, and Henry in The Skin of Our Teeth. Patrick is thrilled to be part of The Unfortunate Conclusion... and hopes you enjoy it as much as he does!