DISGRACED by Ayad Akhtar at Interact Theatre Company

Behzad Dabu is an actor, producer, and writer based in Los Angeles. He grew up in Syracuse, NY and got his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago, where he also worked after college as the Senior International Admissions Officer; traveling all over the world working with students and their families on creating careers in the arts. He has worked extensively on stage at some of the best theaters in the country, especially in Chicago, and is a proud company member at TimeLine Theatre Company, which presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues. With a passion for working with playwrights and new play development, he originated the role of 'Amit' in "Samsara" at Victory Gardens Theatre, for which he was nominated for a Jeff Award - Best Actor. He also originated the role of 'Abe' in the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play, "Disgraced" which he performed at American Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory, and the Mark Taper Forum at Center Theatre Group. On screen, you can see him as 'Simon Drake' on Seasons 3 and 4 of How To Get Away With Murder on ABC, as 'Amir' on the Showtime series The Chi, and on Disney’s The Lion Guard. He also appeared in episodes of The Good Place, All Rise, Chicago P.D., Drive Share, You're So Talented, Dealbreakers; and in the films Mirage, Star Vehicle, Weathering, Pick Up, Hoop, King Rat, Imperfections; as well as various audiobooks, podcasts, and national commercials. Behzad is the Director of Acting for Hillman Grad, a faculty member at Last Acting Studio, and the Acting Coach for the TV series The CHI. He strives to be a strong advocate in regards to representation in the arts and media; and is a founding member of The Chicago Inclusion Project, which seeks to level the playing field and provide resources in the arts for people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. He is a skilled audience engagement facilitator and experienced post-show discussion leader. Behzad is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA

JoNell Kennedy is happy to be “at play” with Interact Theatre Company. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, JoNell began her acting study at the celebrated New Orleans Center For the Creative Arts (NOCCA) and received her BFA in theatre at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She later joined Chicago’s theater community, acting in productions at The Victory Gardens Theatre, The Black Ensemble, Chicago’s esteemed Steppenwolf stages, and several productions at The Goodman Theatre, where she was presented the Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance in George C. Wolfe’s SPUNK! JoNell’s additional stage credits include Cry the Beloved Country, Puddin' and Pete, Marvin's Room, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Regional credits include Purlie Victorious at Tiffany's Attic, The Colored Museum at Yale Repertory Theatre, Monkey Grass at LA's The Victory Theatre and I Just Stopped By To See The Man at The Geffen Playhouse. Film credits include Miranda July’s Me, You, And Everyone We Know that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival , Paramount/Universal’s Dreamgirls, and the independent feature Bolden! Television credits include 911, FBI, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS:LA, and recurring roles on The Ms. Pat Show, You’re The Worst and The Mentalist. She is currently experiencing a full circle moment, lending her voice to a host of beloved characters from New Orleans culture including Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen, on Dreamwork’s animated series Fright Krewe, now streaming on HULU and Peacock.

Mary O'Malley (AFTRA-SAG) has been a member of Interact since 2013. When she was in college, she did readings with Interact and has been a fan ever since. She is so privileged to be a member of this company. Her undergraduate work took place at LMU, and she got her Master's at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and King's College in London. As a writer, Mary's short plays have been performed at festivals in London, New York, and Los Angeles. She is currently the voice of the Louisville Zoo and, most recently, Korbel. Mary and her husband played the two announcers on Live From the Lounge Podcast with Keythe Farley directing. She owns Green Door Learning, LLC , an educational support services company. Mary is also an educational therapist and is a proud mom of two.

Samip Raval is a performer, writer, director, and teacher. He has worked regionally at PlayMakers Repertory, Arena Stage, Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, ACT Seattle, and internationally with PingPong Arts in China. He holds a BFA from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Amie Farrell (She/Her) – As an actor and director, Amie’s vast career has spanned from one end of the United States to the other. Acting credits include roles in Oscar-nominated films MANK with David Fincher and Clint Eastwood’s AMERICAN SNIPER. On television, Amie has been seen in guest star and recurring roles on THIS IS US, GREY’S ANATOMY, CRIMINAL MINDS, iCARLY, and RAVEN’S HOME. Theater is Amie’s first love. She holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University and has honed her craft on some of the country’s most prestigious stages, including The Geffen, Pasadena Playhouse, Playwright’s Horizons, Milwaukee Repertory, Missouri Repertory, International Center Theater, Rubicon Theater, LA Shakespeare Festival, Fort Worth Shakespeare and more. Amie’s favorite roles on stage include Olivia in TWELFTH NIGHT, Jacqueline in DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER, and Cinderella in INTO THE WOODS. Amie’s theater directing credits include TROJAN WOMEN, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and HAMLET, and she has expanded her talents to the podcast realm, with original productions for Meet Cute and Theater aLIVE. Amie, with her husband and fellow actor Leonard Roberts, co-founded VARIANT ARTISTS, a production company committed to centralizing voices that expand the story telling experience. Amie’s most inspired work in development is her child, Ev.

Bairton Brown (he/they) is a multiracial, award-winning filmmaker and theatre practitioner. A 2023 Next-Up Playwriting Fellowship at Congo Square Theatre, Bair’s full-length play, “THE PLAY GROUNDS, or MOMENTO VIVIERE” received staged readings in Chicago, Denver, and Hollywood Fringe Festivals. Bair currently works as a writer and first AD for the web series BLACKSIDE. Bair also works as head writer for Syllble Studios’ multimedia series, BLACKTOPIA. Book One will be published on Amazon in 2024. BFA from DePaul University, MA from New York University. Media: @BairtonBrown | Bairbrown.com | stonehavenstudios.org

Ayad Akhtar was born in New York City and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the author of "American Dervish," published in 25 languages worldwide and a 2012 Best Book of the Year at Kirkus Reviews, Toronto's Globe and Mail, Shelf-Awareness, and O (Oprah) Magazine. He is also a playwright and screenwriter. His play DISGRACED played at New York's Lincoln Center Theater in 2012 and premiered at the Bush Theater in London in May 2013. Disgraced won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His play The Invisible Hand was nominated for the ATCA/Steinberg Award, and won Best New Work 2013 from the St. Louis Theater Critics Circle. As a screenwriter, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for "The War Within." He has received commissions from Lincoln Center and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Brown and Columbia Universities with degrees in Theater and Film Directing.

Most recently, Heins produced and directed the hit Los Angeles premiere of Aaron Posner's Life Sucks at the Broadwater Main Stage to wide critical acclaim, earning a coveted spot on the LA Times' "Top 9 List" of 2023. and nominated for seven L.A. Drama Critics Circle awards. A graduate of The Juilliard School and alumnus of The Acting Company, he has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at leading regional theaters across America, and in film and TV. Los Angeles stage credits include Much Ado About Nothing at the Ford Theater (Drama-Logue Award, Outstanding Performance) and the critically acclaimed ITC productions of Counsellor-At-Law with John Rubinstein (Ovation Award, Best Ensemble), Other People's Money, and the West Coast premiere of the Mark Rylance/Louis Jenkins comedy, Nice Fish. He has worked extensively as a voice-over artist, lending his talents to everything from film trailers to political ads, and has been a dialect consultant on Broadway and for PBS. Heins has served on the faculties of several professional actor training conservatories, including NYU Tisch School of the Arts/Playwright's Horizons Theater School and SUNY Purchase College. His producing credits at Interact include curating three multi-month staged readings programs for Los Angeles Public Library's LA Made cultural enrichment initiative: "The Tony Award® Winners," showcased worldwide on BroadwayOnDemand.com during the pandemic, and two Pulitzer Prize-winners series (dir: You Can't Take It With You, The Great White Hope, and Driving Miss Daisy). Heins produced and directed two impactful short films for ITC, Faultless and Just Another Birthday in Bedlam, which garnered international recognition and multiple honors at prestigious film festivals, including a 2021 Bronze and 2022 Gold Telly Award. Both films can be enjoyed on ITC's official YouTube channel, @InteractTheatreCompanyLosAngeles.

Kristen is thrilled to continue her work with ITC as the new Managing Director. While she is a trained Actor first, Kristen has served as operational support for theatres across the county for the past 15 years. She has also produced, written, and managed multiple productions on stage and film. As a graduate of Cal State University, Northridge with a BA in Theatre Arts and a minor in Chemistry, her well-rounded education has combined her love of theatre with her organizational business skills. After working and studying with multiple theatre companies back east, she returned to Los Angeles to dive further into her roles as an actor and operational consultant, with an emphasis on nonprofit organizations. Kristen has aided in administratively supporting and developing multiple theatre and community programs. Her 20 years of experience in management and hands-on roles in accounting, data analytics, editorial writing, and operations management have created her specialty in working with small businesses and nonprofit organizations to develop business practices and streamline financials. A background in industries outside of the theatre world includes environmental research and services, federal and state government services, manufacturing, and GIS data services