CAST BIOS

Richarda Abrams (Emmaline) 5X AUDELCO award-winning actress/singer/playwright Performances: Crossroads, New Federal Theatre, (director Woodie King, Jr.), La MaMa ETC, (director Estelle Parsons), Ivoryton Playhouse, Public Theater, Cherry Lane, 2nd Stage, Actors Studio, Acting Company, Depot Theatre, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, MultiStages, CBS, ABC, LIFETIME, Sesame Street. Written work/Performances: First By Faith: The Life Of Mary McLeod Bethune (solo), Bethune: Our Black Velvet Rose, Big Mama and Me (solo). Film: I Am Here, The Subject, Oreos With Attitude (Showtime). Singing: CD: Song For All, with her father Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams, Amina Claudine Myers’ Voice Choir and Generation IV. Richarda holds a BFA with honors (Acting) New York University's Tisch School of the Arts & a MA (Educational Theater) NYU's Steinhardt- University of Leeds, Bretton Hall College, ENGLAND. Memberships: Actors Studio, Dramatists Guild, AACM, Episcopal Actors Guild, NYWIFT, ART-NY, League of Professional Theatre Women, AEA and SAG-AFTRA. www.RichardaAbrams.com

Ephraim Birney (Conrad) Ephraim's Off-Broadway credits include: Chester Bailey at The Irish Rep (Outer Critics Circle Nomination, Berkshire Theater Critics Award Winner), Jonah at Roundabout, As Time Goes By at Out Of The Box Theatrics, The Book of Mountains and Seas in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The Good Person of Szechwan at The Public Theater. Regionally, Ephraim performed in Studio Theater DC’s Admissions, and TheaterWorks Hartford’s The Sound Inside and The Rembrandt (Connecticut Critics Circle Nomination). TV and Film credits include: Gotham, The Americans, Strawberry Mansion (Sundance Film Festival 2021) and Things Like This, coming to theaters later this year.

Katherine Elliot (Stage Directions) Cofounder/Actor/Producer-Wild Banshee. Former producer/performer-The Tempest Ladies (The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Off-Broadway producer/performer (Sammy’s Bowery Follies, Dog Sees God).
Producer/performer (Paulette Goddard) Hannah, Can You Hear Me? - Best Arts Film, Cannes Festival. Director-The One And Only Amanda Palmer...,45 Coffee Dates, The Deed Is Done). Served on the Board of Directors for The League of Professional Theatre Women. SAG-AFTRA member.

Paula Ewin (Frances) Recently appeared as “Sharon” in the film STOP-MOTION by Liz Kerin and directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser premiering Spring, 2024. On stage, she appeared in December as “Leonora” in Thornton Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner at the Century Club. A Founding Member of the acclaimed Off Broadway theatre company, 29th Street Rep, she appeared in over 27 leading roles including Bible Burlesque(opposite Edward Norton) and Visiting Oliver (OOBA Best Actress) both written for her by resident playwright Bill Nave. Numerous credits include She Calls me Firefly at Soho Playhouse, the National Tour of On Golden Pond and Tea at Five as Katharine Hepburn throughout the country. AEA, SAG/AFTRA Thanks to Shellen Lubin and Carol Campbell for including me in this magical and moving play.

Tjaša Ferme (Sophie) Is an award-winning actor, creator and NYSCA-awarded director. She has played leading roles such as Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Eve (Confessions of a Nymphomaniac), Debra/Prairie (Hooded at 59E59-MacArthur Award), Taja (Revolution of Everyday Life), Ilona in 10+ award-winning TV-series Three Trembling Cities and more. She received a prestigious Slovenian Film Award (Vesna), Sever's Fund & The Academy's Award for classical roles, special mention of a jury at FF500 “She literally carries the movie”, Audience Choice Award for Wild Child in the City at TSD and the Sapphire acting award at Cinerockom. Tjaša created Ophelia’s Flip (Cannes Film Festival), farce stage hit Cocktales and interactive solo shows, Wild Child in the City and My Marlene (HERE). Tjaša’s work has been called “Gender-and generation-transcending,” “Best 23 Shows of Edinburgh Fringe” and "Nothing short of brilliant". She recently created/directed Bioadapted, hailed by the New York Times as "maverick creativity" and "sleekly designed, thoughtfully assembled".

Genevieve Ngosa (Phoenix) Is an Afro-Caribbean, New York City based actor, model and dancer who migrated to pursue studies at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she was the recipient of the ‘Charles Jehlinger’ award in 2023. Genevieve is a proud alumna of the Black Arts Initiative which she completed in 2024 at the Billie Holiday Theatre. Recent credits include: Kamara in axes, herbs and satchels at Jack Theatre, #1 in Never Apologize at the Irish Repertory Theatre, Tumaini in Uncut at Abingdon Theatre Company, ‘Neuro 2’ in Seizure at Theatre Lab, ‘3’ in I Want A Country at the Hellenic Cultural Center, ‘Emilia’ in A-B Story at The Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Workshop and ‘Mother’ in A Diseased Feeling at Theatre Row for the Downtown Urban Arts Festival. When she is not performing, you can find her in a bookshop or at a cafe- two of her favorite places. Genevieve cherishes community, creation and collaboration. Website: https://www.genevievengosa.info/

JoAnna Rhinehart (Tatiana) Riveting, intense, graceful, transcending; these words have been used to describe the acting prowess of JoAnna Rhinehart. A native of Springfield Massachusetts, Rhinehart got her start after a move to Boston, where she appeared in the American Playhouse film The Trial of Bernhard Goetz.For 35 years, Rhinehart’s career thrived in New York City, with TV credits on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, Blindspot, Elementary, As the World Turns, Damages, The Following, and Hack. Film credits include: Sweet Taste of Freedom, My Sun, My Moon. Hold On (2017 Sundance FF), Double Negative (Best Actor Award at Vision FEST15 NY). Plays include: My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center and after a successful run on Broadway, the 1st National Tour, The Tempest, Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Hurt Village, The Bluest Eye, Our Town, among others.She is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio. @jorhinehart2

Dena Tyler (Mindy) Fans will recognize Tyler from her recurring role as the dynamic, inspirational defense attorney, Liberty, alongside Michael Weatherly on CBS’s, Bull. She simultaneously recurred on HULU's, 3rd season of The Path as Claudia, the devoted follower rising to fire & brimstone Cult Leader. Select TV credits include: Blue Bloods, Chicago Med, NCIS NOLA, Homeland, Orange is the New Black, Instinct (Guest Starring opposite Alan Cumming), The Deuce, The Path, 30 ROCK, & all of the L&Os. On the stage she played Charlotta opposite Ellen Burstyn in The Cherry Orchard & her portrayal of Emma in Betrayal at MST garnered her a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama at Broadway World’s Regional Awards. She is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio www.DenaTyler.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT CAROL :

Carol@carolleecampbell.com

Here’s a little B-Roll from our production in Virginia 2024:

Synopsis: A liberal in a conservative town summons friends she used to practice magic with to rescue her daughter from a cult.

Chicks in Heaven

Had its world premiere April 2024 at the Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, VA

Book and Lyrics by CAROL LEE CAMPBELL
Music by CAROL LEE CAMPBELL and DAVID GRAZIANO
Directed by LAURA CONNORS HULL
Choreographed by SYLVANA CHRISTOPHER

A BOLD NEW VOICES PRODUCTION

‘Chicks gained rave reviews from local media:

…A fun night of theatre that carries the weight of some rather intense and timely messages.

MD Theater Guide

Creative Cauldron’s “Bold New Voices” initiative was designed to support the development of plays or plays with music written by women. As Artistic Director Laura Connors Hull emphasizes, in some ways, these are productions in which “everyone has an opportunity to speak their truth.” The characters of Carol Campbell’s “Chicks in Heaven” (music and lyrics by Campbell and David Graziano) certainly have no problem speaking their truth. It is the hostility inherent in the highly conservative, book-burning, small Virginia town in which the story is based that has an issue with the notion that everyone is entitled to their truth.

https://mdtheatreguide.com/2024/04/theatre-review-chicks-in-heaven-at-creative-cauldron/

“Sure to please theatre goers who welcome contemporary topics to the stage” - Falls Church News Press

“A humorous, unapologetic feminist play with gripping musical performances presses all the hot buttons” - Theater Review, Max Peple-Abrams (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/humorous-unapologetic-feminist-play-gripping-musical-all-max-581df/)

Growing the show - Let’s continue the conversation

Chicks In Heaven is available to produce on your stage. Contact us!

CHICKS IN HEAVEN - NYC STAGED READING