Women's Showcase Program
SUMMARY
A comedic showcase of short works about the experience of being a woman written and directed by the talented women of Flat Tire.
Each short should run about 15 minutes, the entire showcase will last about two hours
If you would like to support the participating artists you can do so by donating through Venmo at @flattiretheatre
Writers | Project Leads
Natalie Nicole Dressel
Natalie Nicole Dressel is a transgender actress/writer currently living in North Hollywood, CA. Last year, she attained her MFA in writing for the Stage and Screen from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, and in 2013 she earned her BFA in Theater from Michigan State University. She is a graduate of the UCB LA improv program, and her play There is Evil in This House (that she wrote and also starred in) was a Second Rounder at AFF and is a 2019 O'Neill NPC finalist. She has 10+ years of stand up comedy experience and in 2012 was named "Funniest Mouth of the South" in Chattanooga, TN. She has experience with ADR, Audiobook Narration, and Voice Over and is also a poet that has written free typewriter love poems for the last 3 years at Pride celebrations for anyone who walks by in Los Angeles and Denver (though this year she did it via zoom).
Tasneem Islam
Tasneem Islam is a Boston-born vocal producer, singer-songwriter, and actress based in Los Angeles. She graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (and Sociology) and studied at the National Theater Institute with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Recent credits include Savia/The Self-Conscious One in 2560x1600 (Flat Tire Theatre Company), Mask 2 in Backyard Barbecue (EST/LA's Long-Term Development program), Lead in "VOID" (music video, self-produced), Lead in "Knots" (music video, Shadowfax Productions), and Lead in “Round Two” (music video, Pine Tree Pictures). As MALSI, she is currently releasing her next single, “STILL,” on platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL.
Lindsay Kelly
Lindsay Kelly is a writer/performer based out of Los Angeles. As a former dancer, she loves performing physical movement and comedy on stage. As a writer, she draws heavily from her experience growing up as a female dork. By day, she works in Advertising and she currently leads the marketing for Flat Tire Theatre.
Thi Nguyen
Thi Nguyen started out as an actor and not so quickly (it took years) to realize her dissatisfaction with the type of auditions and roles that were out there for her look (2 dimensional, marginalized characters, i.e. Student #2, and Assistant #3). She took a pivot with her career, took a couple of screenwriting classes, read Story by Robert McKee (her bible), and started typing away. She's eager to develop creative dramedies, often putting polarizing characters in the same space, ensuing chaos, and hopefully finding their shared humanity along the way.
Morgyn Utzman
Morgyn Utzman is an LA based writer from the Houston suburbs. Her work explores the feminine experience and existential angst, spanning multiple genres and mediums.
Additional Cast | Team
"Brunch Ops"
Written and Directed by Lindsay Kelly
Nataliz Jimenez as "Amy"
Nataliz Jimenez is a bilingual actress & host based in Los Angeles, best known for her work in Hispanic Television with Univision and as a Radio Personality at iHeart Media. Nataliz was born in New York, but grew up between the Dominican Republic, Miami and the Big Apple. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Media Culture and Communications from NYU with a minor in producing. After working in broadcast TV and Radio for 5 years she decided it was time to move into a more creative performance space and pursue a career in acting. She has most recently filmed a Guest Star role for the CW 's All American, played a Supporting Role in BRAT's Spring Break Movie and just tested for her first series regular role on a major network. In her spare time Nataliz enjoys working on her stage combat, Krav Maga and weapons handling skills and training her beautiful blue nose Pitbull.
Jenna Niehl as "Shayla"
This is Jenna Niehl's first appearance with Flat Tire Theatre Company. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre and Rhetoric & Writing. After graduating from the University of Texas she took a detour from acting to pursue her Juris Doctorate. She is so excited for the opportunity to return to theatre through this virtual lens and work with so many amazing, talented people.
Shae Rodriguez as "Charlotte"
Shae Rodriguez is an LA-based SAG-AFTRA actress and stunt performer, originally from Dallas, TX. After moving to LA, she co-founded Flat Tire Theatre Company where she's now a Board Member. She's trained at UCB, Nancy Banks Studio, and is currently training as a stunt performer and getting her black belt at XMA Action. Aside from acting, Shae enjoys kick boxing, rock climbing, playing DnD, and raising her two handsome cat sons with her incredible husband Martin.
"She Belongs to Me"
Written by Tasneem Islam
Directed by Shibani Balsaver
James Butler as "Leon"
James started acting at 10 years old when he was first cast as Mr. Darling in a children’s production of Peter Pan at a small community theater in Twin Falls, Idaho. From there, he went on to star in multiple different productions including Beauty and the Beast and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) while winning several community awards. At 20 years old, he moved to Sydney, Australia to study music, and then studied Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy in Sydney in 2016. He now resides in Los Angeles, California, and his last production was in Flat Tire’s virtual zoom play “2560 x 1600” where he played Eddy/The Impatient One.
Jakeem Hawkins as "Dre"
Jakeem is the oldest of four siblings who was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He has been an entertainer all his life. From music to sports and stage to screen, Jakeem continues to use his skill and talent to deliver passionate, honest, and inspiring performances.
Shibani Balsaver (Director)
Shibani Balsaver is a producer and director. From co-producing a documentary about global connectedness to directing portraits of frontline caregivers, she loves to explore complex issues through personal stories. She's also a fan of pit bulls, camping, and climate justice!
"Book Cult"
Written by Thi Nguyen
Directed by Sarah Marcum Reyes
Paige Brown as "Wendy"
Paige Brown has been active in the performing arts for over a decade, constantly refining her skills as a singer, actor, and writer. Her twin focuses on the technique of musical theatre and the history of Black feminist performance theory while at the University of Texas helped shape her multifaceted creative practice. With nine years of voice-over experience for United Stations Radio Networks, countless millions of commuters have undoubtedly heard her work, but even more rewarding have been her performances in front of more intimate and attentive crowds, whether pulling the audience’s heartstrings while singing doleful tunes or cracking them up while performing with the comedy troupe Harriet’s Comeback. Paige debuted as a performer with Flat Tire Theatre Company in the virtual play 2560x1600, and she is enthusiastic to bring theatre back when it is needed most.
Amanda Dacks as "Susan"
Amanda is a proud graduate of Bradley University, where she double majored in Business Law and Theatre Performance before running away to LA. This is her third show with Flat Tire, last appearing in This Girl Laughs... and The Circle Table. Follow her on insta for mediocre content and bad jokes @amandadacks.
Brian Caelleigh as "Kenneth"
Brian Caelleigh a theatre actor, designer, producer, writer, and director. He has been a member of Flat Tire’s ensemble since 2019’s The Twins of Gillygate and continues to offer his support no matter where he is. Brian is a Marine Corps veteran and holds a BFA in Classical Performance and spends his time off stage making things out of wood, composing music, writing, and dreaming.
Lauren Gaudite as "Ally"
Lauren Gaudite has been a member of Flat Tire Theater productions since 2017. She is a writer, director, and performer and is excited to play the role of Ally in "Book Cult" for the Women's Showcase.
"Knot It"
Written and Directed by Thi Nguyen
Michael Hettler IV as "John"
Michael Hettler IV, a San Antonio, Texas native, is an actor, writer, and director. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2017, Michael has acted in two award-winning plays in the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Survival Check & The Circle Table, produced by Flat Tire Theatre Company, and multiple online sketches, including iO Comedy Team's sketch Interesting Police, Color Box Production's, Anecdotes in Automobiles, and 2 Crumbs and A Lie which was written and directed by Michael. In 2013, Michael made his theatrical directorial debut at UT Austin with Alpha Psi Omega’s production of Noises Off. In 2015 he directed Ian Ionesco’s absurdist play, The Lesson, for which Michael was awarded Excellence in Sound Design and Direction by the Alamo Theatre Arts Council, and most recently, in 2020, Michael directed Flat Tire Theatre Company's very first virtual production, 2560x1600.
"Secrets Game"
Written and Directed by Morgyn Utzman
Noura Alavi as "Hannah"
Originally from Houston, Noura is an MFA student at Loyola Marymount University, pursuing a degree in writing and producing for television. When not on Zoom, Noura enjoys copious amounts of unnecessary organization, watching trashy reality TV, and bookmarking pie recipes she'll never bake. This is the first time she's been on "stage" in six years but it feels like coming home.
Jayme Mantos as "Rebecca"
An actress, voice-over artist and writer in Los Angeles, recent credits include Barbara in the animated web series Therapy Dog, Cher in Flip The Script's production of Clueless, Penny in murder-mystery comedy Friends Like These and multiple roles in LAFPI's Micro-Reads. She has B.A. degrees in Theatre & Film from Elon University, and has trained at UCB, AMAW and Howard Fine Studios. Jayme is currently writing and producing several animation and TV/film projects, some slated for a tentative release in 2021! For more info on her upcoming original productions, check out www.jaymemantos.com.
Laura Martinelli as "Lacy"
Laura is a filmmaker with 8 years of experience making short narrative films, documentaries, and branding videos. She studies acting to gain a deeper understanding of directing, which is her first love. In her free time, she enjoys plays piano, mandolin, percussion, and ping pong (especially for the sound of it). Originally from the East coast, Laura is relocating to Chicago in April.
Jordan Merritt as "Sloane"
A Houston native, Jordan is thrilled to make her first appearance with Flat Tire Theatre Company and first ever Zoom show! She is a graduate from Rose Bruford College of Performing Arts in London, England and is excited to get back to it after this past year. When she is not "zooming it up" she can be found taking socks out of her dogs mouth, going on long walks and cleaning up after them... pretty much living that dog mom life!
"A Perfect Fit"
Written by Natalie Nicole Dressel
Directed by Sofija Dutcher
Sofija Dutcher (Director)
Sofija Dutcher (she/her) is a director, producer and stage manager living in North Hollywood. Her mission as a theater-maker is to use storytelling to overcome the fear of others and ourselves, to heal trauma, and to create safe spaces of expression and artistic communities. Her past work with Flat Tire Theatre Company includes directing "There is Evil in This House" in 2018. She is also a member of Sacred Fools Theatre Company, where she is a producer and technician for the late-night hit "Serial Killers".
Crew | Production Team
Amanda Lloyd (Creative Development)
Amanda works as a creative executive for a streaming network where she works with writers, directors, and producers to develop your new favorite shows! She utilizes these skills within Flat Tire as the Creative Development Director to help foster growth of our individual artists as well as the new works produced as a whole. She's a co-founder of Flat Tire, a D&D player and DM, a proud dog mom, and a plant whisperer. Instagram: @amandakoleckar
Sarah Marcum Reyes (Artistic Director)
Sarah Marcum Reyes (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's BFA Theatre Studies program and has received training at Groundlings, Aquila Morong Studio and The John Hindman Studio. A co-founder of Flat Tire Theatre Company and now its current acting Artistic Director, Sarah dreams about flat tires often and still finds the fact that spare tires are called donuts very funny while also making her hungry. She's grateful for her husband, Mike, who always makes sure that she and their cat, Luna, don't stay hungry for long. Sarah is excited to be directing Book Cult and hopes it doesn't get too...heady for you.
Michael Massey (Production Manager)
Michael sees production management by as being the captain of the resources. In all endeavors, he works to balance the unique artistic vision with the resources available. The creativity is in the compromise. Prior to working with Flat Tire Theatre Company, Michael hopped around as a freelance Production Manager in Los Angeles,Seattle and Austin, supporting productions of varying scales --- intimate black box theatre, LORT houses, site specific plays during a heatwave, touring productions in prisons, people's apartments, elementary school cafeterias, and that one time in a pool. Anything is possible with the right team and little planning. michaelmasseytheatremaker.com
Martin Rodriguez (Tech/Board Op)
Martin is one of the Co-Founders of Flat Tire Theatre Company. After graduating from UT-Austin with a BFA in Theatre Education, he moved to Los Angeles in early June of 2015. He just earned his Masters in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado and currently works as an Elementary Theatre Teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District.