Laughter Therapy at Teatro LATEA

Stratos Eleftheriou is thrilled to be making his New York Theater Festival debut as a playwright and actor. He is a graduate from East 15 acting school in London and has also trained for clown comedy in France. Ever since he was a child he was fascinated with comedy of all kinds from sitcoms, slapstick humor to dark comedy. His most recent acting credit is Shakespeare’s Comedy Of Errors (Stairwell Theater) and several other short films he has starred in are currently being screened at festivals worldwide. As a writer, his last project was a pilot episode for a dark comedy series which was awarded at the London Horror Film Festival. Stratos is very grateful for this talented group of artists who made this play come to life and he thanks very much all the funny people in his life who make him giggle! @stratos_eleftheriou

Emma is an NYC-based director and a recent graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication, where she studied Film & Television Production with a concentration in Directing. Favorite theatrical directing credits include Stephen Belber’s Tape (Iati Theater), Stephen Schwartz’s PIPPIN (Boston University), and High School Musical (StarStruck Performing Arts Center). Emma is thrilled to be making her New York Theater Festival debut and sends her utmost gratitude to her actors and crew for making this happen. Love always to my family, friends, and Lilia. @emmafgarner

Danae Vasilopoulos (pronounced the-nigh, she/her) holds a BFA in Drama with a focus on Musical Theatre from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama's New Studio on Broadway, as well as a BA in Psychology from NYU/College of Arts and Sciences. Born in Seattle, Washington, USA, and raised in Athens, Greece, she began her professional career in Greece as Annie (Annie, 2013), and went on to perform in The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Billy Elliot, and Romeo and Juliet. She received the Best Actress Award at DOC LA Film Festival for her work in the independent film A Few Hours in Athens. She is currently based in NYC and Athens, assistant directs and assistant teaches at NYU/NSB, and she just returned from home where she played Suzan in the first Greek production of tick, tick… boom!. Leading with generosity and love. @danaevas

Maira Bondre is a Greek-born actress currently based in New York City. Her work spans stage and screen across the U.S., U.K., and Greece, with recent theater credits including The Visit of Mother Moses (Ellen Wright) and The Trojan Women (Andromache). Trained in acting and world performance, she is passionate about emotionally honest storytelling and drawn to roles that are daring, vulnerable, and deeply human. Maira is endlessly grateful to her family, friends and collaborators for supporting her artistic journey. She would like to dedicate this performance to “her Chris” and to his laugh she’ll love forever. @mairabondre

Carlos Bravo is an actor that leads with love, curiosity, and dedication. He sends all the gratitude and love in the world to Stratos and the rest of the cast and crew as well as his family and friends. Previous credits include: Regional: THE LITTLE MERMAID (Jetsam/Ensemble), THE MYTH OF TWO MARCOS (Marco). Fordham MainStage: THE TEMPEST (Prospero), THE SINS OF SOR JUANA (Pedro), THREEPENNY OPERA (Jake). Fordham Studio: THE PRACTICE ROOM (Elijah). Some of his other favorite credits include: SWEENEY TODD (Sweeney), 12 ANGRY MEN (Juror 8), RENT (Collins), WEST SIDE STORY (Tony), ALMOST MAINE (Lendall & Dave), BE MORE CHILL (Rich). Instagram: @carlos_fbravo

Arden Isabella Carethers is a vulnerable creative who has a tenacious devotion to her craft, and holds a tenderness for messy characters. She is a recent graduate of Fordham University’s Theatre Program. Arden imbues her work with care, particularity, and humor. Most recent stage credits: Alala and The Scarman (Alala), Is God Is (Racine) and By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Vera). Arden is grateful to Stratos for inviting her onto this wonderful piece with such a vibrant company. Instagram: @ardenisabella. Personal Website: ardencarethers.wixsite.com/actor

Kai Farr (he/him) graduated from Boston University with a major in Media Science and double minor in Film/TV Production and Gender Studies. He is currently pursuing a career as a playwright and is thrilled to be involved in this project. Enjoy the show! @kai_k_farr

Claudia Melendez is a New York–based artist originally from Puerto Rico. While her background is primarily in acting, she has recently fallen in love with the fast-paced world of stage management and live theater production. A graduate of the New York Film Academy’s Acting for Film conservatory, Claudia has appeared in multiple short films and previously played the protagonist in the stage production of Marie Antoinette. Claudia is passionate about storytelling, collaboration, and keeping the chaos backstage running smoothly. She is thrilled to be part of Laughter Therapy and thanks the cast and creative team for making this experience so special. @clau.m5