Funny: Not a Comedy, Actually Kinda Tragic

*Caroline Festa is a NYC based actor, playwright and teaching artist. Most recent credits include Blue Bloods (CBS), Macbeth (Off-Broadway Workshop), tour of Peter Pan (Wendy) and most recently Ships, which had its world premiere at the Soho International Film Festival. Other credits extend to the Cherry Lane Theatre, Syracuse Stage and The Hangar Theatre. Funny is her first full length play in production and she is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with Headwall on this whimsical story. She owes her career to the loving support from her family… and her weird little brain that thinks of these stories.

Kalina Ko (she/her) is a Cantonese-American theater director, dramaturg, and literary administrator interested in the radical connection and community building of storytelling. She is currently a Co-Coordinator for the Ma-Yi Writer’s Lab, Literary Associate at Roundabout Theatre Company, and a Curator for Hedgepig’s Expand the Canon. Past experience includes directing Lizzie Hagstedt’s Sophie Blanchard’s Rock N’ Roll Extravaganza (Moxie Arts), Laura Neill’s Pink Unicorn Frappuccinos (Chain Theatre), Nina Ki’s Rescues (Clubbed Thumb Emerging Writers Group), Paige Conway’s Tag (drafted), and Sophie Poole’s Ethanol (NOMADS). She has served as associate director for Yoko’s Husband’s Killer’s Japanese Wife Gloria (NAMT, dir. Jess McLeod), assistant director for T. Adamson’s The Straights (The JACK, Brooklyn, dir. Will Detlefsen), and script assistant for Hansol Jung on Wolf Play (Soho Rep). Her dramaturgy experience includes Shirley Chen’s Chinatown, My Chinatown (Ma-Yi Theatre Company), Samantha Toy Ozeas’ One Day Down, and Victoria Kneubuhl’s Ola Na Iwi (Roundabout Theatre Company). She was also a NAMT Directing observer in 2021 and was part of the 2023-2024 Moxie Arts Incubator Cohort. www.KalinaKo.weebly.com

Marge Dunn (she/her) is a Boston-bred and now Brooklyn-based artist and educator. Some past productions include Hair, Cardboard Piano (New Rep), Cloud 9 (Central Sq Theatre), Dancing at Lughnasa, Three Sisters (Wellesley Repertory Theatre) Murder on the Orient Express (Lyric Stage Company), The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing (Pigeon Cry Productions), and playing Sherlock Holmes in Miss Holmes and in the world premiere production of Miss Holmes Returns (Greater Boston Stage Co). TV/Film: The Blacklist (NBC), Evil Lives Here (Investigation Discovery), and independent films Fidelity, Monogamy of Swans, and Hit Pop Anonymous. A teaching artist for over a decade, Marge teaches theatre, movement/dance, stage combat, creative writing, and instructs yoga to humans of all ages. Otherwise she’s in the woods somewhere, petting moss. BA Wellesley College (Theatre, English); classical training at LAMDA.

Kim Kaiser (She/they) was born in Brooklyn and trained at Circle in the Square, Emerson College, UCB, and assorted studios and apartments across the city, Kim’s work has been featured in spots for HB0, Comedy Central, Discovery ID, Conde Nast, and Elite Daily x Bitch Magazine. She led and supported the casts of award winning festival films and webseries and streamed to podcast audiences far and wide as both real and phony guest experts. Kim has toured as Smee/Mrs. Darling in “Peter Pan,” led Boston casts in roles such as Liz in “Book of Liz” and Amy in “Tape,” and premiered new works in Brooklyn, Queens, and downtown at PS 122, Dixon Place and NYC Fringe Festival. Kim has hosted recurring clown variety shows, sings, plays piano and guitar, and is emerging as a writer and solo performer, currently developing their show, “Under the Covers.” She is grateful to her dog Annie, rockstar bf, her wonderful friends and family, her therapist, mail carriers, teachers, former nannies, and plants. Huge thank you and cheers to Caroline, Headwall, and these castmates – merde!

Ella Leh (she/they) is a multidisciplinary performing artist originally from Louisville, Colorado. Recent credits include The Deepest Breath (Treehouse Shakers, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater), The 24 Hour Plays Off-Broadway (Classic Stage Company), and readings of new work at The Cell Theater and 59E59. They are currently developing work exploring gender performance through clown, bouffon, and drag. Training: Syracuse BFA. @ella.leh

Warren was born and raised in the city of New York, where he still resides & is thrilled to be making his debut with The Headwall Family and a big THANK YOU to Michelle & Caroline for this opportunity to work with this amazing cast & crew. Some credits include: TV: LAW & ORDER / POWER-BOOK II: GHOST / GOTHAM / FBI / THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL / ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. FILM: SUMMERHOUSE / PATTI CAKE$ / SLEEPYHEAD / THE 5TH BOROUGH / LOST CAT CORONA / AMERICAN FANGO. THEATRE: Played opposite to the TONY AWARD WINNING actor Len Cariou in the workshop of “HARRY TOWNSEND’S LAST STAND”, director, Dennis Grimaldi and went on to understudy TONY AWARD NOMINEE, Craig Bierko and David Lansbury in the full stage production at NY CITY CENTER, director, Karen Carpenter / THE RENEGADE THEATRE production of “A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE”, director Vincent Pastore / ROUNDABOUT THEATRE’S, “GUYS & DOLLS” director, Sivan Battat / Workshop musical, “STONEWALL, A RHAPSODY ON RESISTANCE”, director, Karen Carpenter / THE RENEGADE THEATRE production of “LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS”, director, Steven Van Zandt / MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING”, as well as “MY BIG GAY ITALIAN FUNERAL” and The Tennessee Williams Comedy/Musical “THE MUTILATED” (Drama League Award Nomination.) Warren is a product of The Terry Schreiber Studio & H.B. Studio. To learn more about Warren, visit his website www.warrenbub.com His biggest influence is his family. “Without family….who are you?”

TBA

Alix Curnow (They/Them) Off-Broadway: An Ordinary Day (The Barrow Group). TV: American Horror Story (FX), Mean Girl Murderers (ID). Graduate of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. Manager: Bright Artists Management. Commercial Agent: Eris Talent Agency Currently Seeking: Film/TV/ Theatre agent.

Kevin Allen (he/him) is an New York City-based actor and writer. He’ll co-star in the upcoming feature film, Fakes, by writer/director John Hayeck. Kevin understudied the role of Dad/Obama in the national tour of Jabari Dreams of Freedom, a New York Times Pick. Kevin has starred in over a dozen commercials, including spots for J.P. Morgan Chase, Angi, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Samsung and Best Buy. As a writer, Kevin is a member of the Writers Guild of America, a Black List quarterfinalist & a Big Apple Film Festival semifinalist. When not writing or performing, Kevin teaches Iyengar Yoga to adults & children. Kevin would like to thank his wife, Brooke, as well his family and friends for their love and support. He’d also like to thank Headwall Theatre Company and the cast, crew, writer and director of “Funny, Not a Comedy, actually kinda tragic” for the opportunity to bring this play to life. IG: @kevin.j.allen

Britt Berke is an NYC-based director whose work interrogates love, power, and the ways in which these entities are intertwined and revolutionized. Recent projects: the World Premiere of Betty Smith’s Becomes a Woman (Mint Theater Company – Outer Critics Circle Nomination for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play); watch me (NYTW Adelphi Residency); DOGS (Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep); Springtime (Chautauqua Theater Company); Anne Carson’s Antigonick (Torn Out Theater); I Don’t Trust Adults (Joe’s Pub); Scenes with Girls (TheaterLab); and collaborations with Mabou Mines, La MaMa, Cherry Lane, and November Theatre. Britt is an alumna of the Drama League Directors Project, Roundabout Directors Group, MTC Directing Fellowship, and Mercury Store Directing Intensive. BA, Barnard College of Columbia University. brittberke.com