Is Nepal a safe place to visit at Females and Solo travellers

Olivia Billings (they/she) is humbled to be a part of telling this story again. You may have seen them in the most recent reading of Riverbend (Daphne), Athena at Thrown Stone (Mary Wallace), Into the Woods at Short North Stage (Cinderella), or Monstress at Hunger and Thirst. Olivia would like to thank the team for trusting them with their words and melodies, the cast and crew for their relentless hard work and honesty, and Paige and Roni for their constant support and laughter. Endless gratitude to their partner and biggest collaborator, Danyel. You hold my heart so tight. Keep up with Olivia and their artistic endeavors at OliviaBillings.org.

​​Kylie Lavrenchik (she/her) is an artist based in NYC. Kylie is so excited and grateful to be back again working with the Riverbend team! She is a proud 2022 graduate of NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama. Most recently, she was seen in an off-broadway show at Theatre Row in a new musical called “The Magnificent Seven” (Swing/Dance Captain). Love, light, and gratitude.

Steve is an award-winning actor that has appeared on Broadway and across the country in more than 35 regional theaters, appearing in Shakespeare, Chekhov, Stoppard, Odets, Moliere, as well as dozens of musicals and comedies. Recent film and television work includes Killers of the Flower Moon, Inside Llewyn Davis, Fosse/Verdon, The Equalizer, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Trial of the Chicago Seven. In addition to stage and film work Steve has made appearances with the NYC Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and New Haven Symphony. He was an award-winning member of the BMI Lehman Engel Writers Workshop, creating lyrics for musical theater.

Myrna Cabello is thrilled to be performing the role of Raina in the staged reading of RIVERBEND. She is a multi-hyphenate or creative chameleon as she refers to herself. Her creative pursuits include being an actor, singer-songwriter, graphic artist, and filmmaker. Currently she is reccuring as Guillermo’s mom Silvia on FX’s "What We Do In The Shadows". Other on camera credits include: a reccurring role on Freevee's original series "Sprung", recurring on Marvel's "Jessica Jones", "Law and Order SVU", "Orange is the New Black", "High Maintenance" and "Kevin Can F Himself" to name a few. She can also be seen recently in a New York Lottery 8 ball scratch off commerical and you can hear her voice on promo spots for PBS Kids, and as the voice of Zobey in Zobey’s adventures a YouTube children’s series which has millions of views. Musically she has a band with her songwriting partner and husband and performs as Myrna and The Bulldog. During the pandemic she produced, directed, co-wrote, edited, scored and co-starred in the award winning film Strawberry Cake.

Willy Falk has performed in many Broadway shows and appeared on operatic stages throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Willy received a Tony© Award nomination for his portrayal of “Chris” in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon. He began his professional career as “Paul San Marco” in the Broadway Tour of A Chorus Line; playing over one hundred cities in the US. For his Broadway debut, he played ‘Tommy” in Marilyn: An American Fable, and his solo song from that show, “You Are So Beyond,” has become a Broadway cult favorite. Other Broadway credits include Starlight Express, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joseph and the… and Les Misérables. Currently, he can be seen as “Che’s Neighbor” in Season 2 of And Just Like That… (the re-boot of Sex and the City) on Max.

Emily Drossell (she/they) is a queer femme actor, singer, and writer who is THRILLED to be joining the cast of Riverbend. NYC: More Than This World (The York Theatre Company), Alice (The Tank NYC), Truth, Dare, or Lesbian (PrideFest), (Pre)Scripted (Balance Arts Center), Of Sleepless Nights (CyberTank). REGIONAL: Earhart (Stage 284), Seussical (Railroad Playhouse), The Pirates of Penzance (Just Off Broadway, Inc.), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The New Windsor Playhouse). Emily graduated with a BA in Drama and Music from Vassar College and is an alum of the Berlin Opera Academy Emerging Artist Studio. She is a proud member of Ring of Keys, Maestra Music and LMDA, and most recently became a writer for The Broadway Beat, a musical theatre satire account with over 28K followers on Instagram. emilydrossell.com

Abigail Hart Goldman is so excited to join the company of Riverbend! She recently graduated from NYU Steinhardt with her Masters in Music Theatre Vocal Performance where she appeared in productions such as Pippin, Dr. Glas: A Musical Play, and the NYU Broadway Orchestra Concert. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College where her performances included A Little Night Music (Anne), Buried Child (Shelly), and Ariadne (Phoebe). Rep: The Krasny Office. abigailhartgoldman.com

Senna is thrilled to be performing with Riverbend after recently also performing in new musical Bari at TADA. This past month, Senna performed with new musical Stompin’ at the Savoy at Roundabout Theatre Studios with Documentary Arts, Inc. In May, she performed with new musical Heavy Heaven at Teatro Latea at the New York Theatre Festival, where she was nominated “best vocalist” for the spring/summer 2023 season. Senna was also recently involved in the presentation of new musical Goldfish at Joe’s Pub, among many other new works with Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Her senior year, Senna played Liliane La Fleur in Nine and Jean Maitland in Stagedoor at Tisch and was honored with the “NYU Tisch Outstanding Achievement in Studio Award” at graduation. Before attending NYU, Senna was a nominee and award recipient at the 2019 Jimmy Awards. AEA [sennableu@gmail.com] [sennaprasatthong.com]

Austin Phillips (he/him) is more than excited to be collaborating on Riverbend. Regional credits include Williamstown Theatre Festival, Fulton Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, and more. Many thanks to Mikey and Lynne, his friends and family, and mentors for all the love and support.

Chris Gierymski is a composer, actor, writer, music director, and sound designer originally from Northwest Indiana. Recently, he scored the film/sketch horror show Final Girlies at iO Chicago. His short work Astronomer/Star-Weaver, written with abs wilson, had its premiere production in Albuquerque, NM with FUSION Theatre Company. Selections of his music have been featured at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in NYC. He co-conceived, composed, and music directed A Very Bloody Christmas Carol, which premiered in 2019 at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago, IL. He served as composer & sound designer for The Wood, Caged: An Allegory, and Footholds 2019, all premiered by The Impostors Theatre Co., of which he is an Associate Member.

Matt Graham is a Canadian musician, composer, musical director and performer originally from Edmonton, Alberta, now located in New York! A fresh grad from NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program, Matt is excited to be getting to know the NYC theatre scene. Favourite performance credits include Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, [title of show], Spring Awakening and the Canadian Premiere of Calvin Berger. Matt has also enjoyed working as musical director for several recent new works in NYC including: All We Know of Love and Fire (Lime Fest, The Tank), The Angel Makers (Abrons Art Centre), The Story of a Daughter (Arts Incubator, Mercy College) and his own short musical The Talk written with collaborator Sophie Boyce! (nominated for best of fest at New York Theatre Festival).

Off-Broadway: Made by God, We Are Not Well, Anatomy of a Suicide International: Venus in Fur, We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House , Beside the Sea, Disconnected, Each Day Dies with Sleep, Tribes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Unwoman III. Regional: tiny father, Ironbound. Artistic Association and Leadership: Chautauqua Theatre Company Directing Fellow, PlayGround-NY Company Member, SEEDS Resident Director at Rough Magic Theatre Company, Contemporary Artist-in-Residence at The National Gallery of Ireland. Education: BFA NYU Tisch, MFA The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art, Trinity College Dublin.

MATTHEW NASSIDA (He/They) is a multi-hyphenate theatre creative living in Brooklyn who is thrilled to be music directing this production of Riverbend. He received his BFA in musical theatre performance from Northern Kentucky University and has recently graduated from New York University with an MFA in musical theatre writing. Past productions he has worked on in NY include You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and A Grand Night for Singing, and Love is Love is Love (Studio 54). He wants to thank each of you for coming out to support new theatre. MatthewNassida.com

Gabi Dwyer is the Producer for the Staged Reading of Riverbend. By day, she is a sustainability professional, and by night she is an active volunteer in her community as well as a producer! She is excited to get back into her love for producing with this piece. Her previous credits include artistic directing the 2020 and 2021 Greater Giving benefit concerts at the University of Alabama. She sends all her love to her Mom, Dad, and sister Sofie for their support, Caroline and Michael for trusting her in this position, and the whole cast and production team for their hard work and dedication.

MICHAEL LIGHT OOSTERHOUT (he/him) is a composer/lyricist, music director, and playwright. Passionate about genre-bending and blending myriad styles into contemporary musical theatre, he is chiefly interested in exploring the relationship between the ancient and modern worlds, as well as highlighting issues affecting queer youth. Michael's current projects include Evelyn Evans (play), The Right Reasons (song cycle), and Riverbend (musical), a modern adaptation of Greek mythology exploring grief, love, and living beyond loss. Past projects include Ariadne: A New Musical, Sparta! The Musical, Euripides' Medea (arrangements), Judith Walsh White's Winnie the Pooh (arrangements), and 20-minute musical The Advice Column. Music direction credits include Fly By Night, Mr. Burns, Formerly Known (arrangements), and The Cherry Orchard. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Michael is a graduate of Vassar College (B.A., Music and Greek & Roman Studies) and recently received his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from N.Y.U. Tisch.

CAROLINE GAME (she/her) is a librettist/lyricist, and actor/singer. She has a passion for telling complicated, compassionate stories, and is particularly interested in narratives centering women and theatre for mental health advocacy. Her current projects include Group Therapy: No Boys Allowed (song cycle) and Riverbend (musical). Her past work includes Peak and Pit (play) and Jim and Della...and Brian (20-minute musical). Her work has been featured in the New York Theatre Festival, the Druid City Pride Festival, and the Greater Giving Benefit Concert for Five Horizons. Professional performing credits include Ghost (Molly), Significant Other (Laura), and Mamma Mia (Lisa, u/s Sophie). She is originally from Atlanta, GA, and received a B.A. in Musical Theatre from the University of Alabama. She is now based in New York City, and recently received her M.F.A in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch.