The Ground On Which We Stand

Actor Bios

ARI LAURA KREITH (Director) is the Artistic Director of Luna Stage, where her directing credits include MRS. STERN WANDERS THE PRUSSIAN STATE LIBRARY (World Premiere), HEARTLAND, PIRIRA, and the pandemic play-via-text-message #RIFT. She conceived and directed the site-specific GROUND ON WHICH WE STAND, centering the first home owned by a formerly enslaved person in Montclair; conceived and co-created the interdisciplinary VOTING WRITES PROJECT; and launched SECRET CITIES, commissioning history-based, community-inspired plays. Under her leadership, Luna launched its Teen Conservatory, received two National Endowment for the Arts grants, and was voted Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey. Ari is also the founder of Theatre 167, where she conceived and directed THE JACKSON HEIGHTS TRILOGY— three full-length plays collaboratively written by 18 playwrights featuring 37 actors in 93 roles in 14 languages, inspired by the world's most diverse neighborhood. Other directing highlights: MOURNING SUN (Theatre 167/ Uganda); Tina Howe's SINGING BEACH (World Premiere); and commissions for Queens Museum and NY Transit Museum. A recipient of the League of Professional Theatre Women Lucille Lortel Visionary Award, Ari received her BA from Yale and her MFA from UC Davis. She grew up in 27 countries.

TURRON KOFI ALLEYNE (James Henry Howe) Award-Nominated Actor, has worked with some of Hollywood’s most esteemed A-List directors, producers, and actors such as: Spike Lee, Jonathan Nolan, Mark Wahlberg, Zoe Saldana, Michael B. Jordan, Lawrence Fishburne, and others. One of his most notable roles is his recurring guest star portrayal of Calvin Newcombe in the ABC series FOR LIFE. He’s been featured in Independent Films that have premiered at various prestigious Film Festivals which include Sundance, ABFF, LA Film Festival, Vails Film Festival and more. Turron also enjoys teaching acting where his students learn the difference between “performing” and “living truthfully” by guiding his students away from performing habits, into more organic real-life responses that spur and change from moment to moment. He accomplishes this through improvisational games, methods and techniques rooted in the Sanford Meisner Technique. In addition, Turron is also a Writer, Director and Producer for the screen; as well as the stage. He is happily married with three beautiful children and he honors, thanks, and dedicates his life, ministries, and career to Jesus Christ.


JAMIL A.C. MANGAN (James Howe) is elated to return to Luna Stage Co., last seen as (MLK Jr.) Man in Room 306 and (Sam) Master Harold & the Boys. Other credits include NYC: Classic Stage Company: (Sergeant) Mother Courage; Cherry Lane Theater (Dad) Crooked Parts; Teatro Sea (Bear) Protect The Poets. Regional: Playhouse on Park (Troy) FENCES, Crossroads Theater Co. (Bernard) Freedom Rider, Perseverance Theater (Othello) in OTHELLO, St. Louis Rep (Bouc)  Murder On The Orient Express, TheaterWorks Hartford (MLK Jr.) The Mountaintop, Everyman Theater (Harmond) RADIO GOLF. TV: Blue Bloods (CBS), Manifest (NBC), Good Cop (Netflix), Gotham (FOX). www.JamilMangan.com


MATT BIAGINI (Philip Doremus) is honored to be a part of The Ground on Which We Stand. Matt is a NYC-born, bred, and based actor. His favorite theatre credits include the Duke in Measure for Measure, Alceste in The Misanthrope, Rabbi Gary/David Gerber in Exquisite Potential (NY premiere), Fulganzio (the Little Monk) in Galileo, Chief Weasel in B.H. Barry’s The Enlightenment of Mr. Mole, Daniel in Learning Russian (NY premiere), Jaques in As You Like It (Yale Summer Cabaret Shakespeare), and dual roles in a workshop of an ASL/English adaptation of Cyrano (New York Theatre Workshop/Deaf West). Matt is a graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Drama (now known as the Geffen School). He resides in Manhattan with his partner Olivia and a wily cat named Fox. Many thanks to Jenny Lyn and to Ari. 

CONNOR CARLIN (Tour Guide) is a TCNJ 2022 graduate, having studied Poli-Sci and history. He performed a lot in high school (winning an MSU Foxy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Drama) & college, and recently played Dewey in Gas Lamp Player’s production of School of Rock. Besides performing, history has always been a passion of his, so check out his YouTube channel, CinemaKnight, for deep dives into US history. He is happy to be working with Luna Stage!

TONY CARLIN (Rev. Amory Howe Bradford) Broadway:  The Lehman Trilogy, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Saint Joan, Junk, Six Degrees, Fish in the Dark, Sylvia, All the Way, Time Stands Still, The Best Man, Spring Awakening, Mary Stuart, Lend Me a Tenor, Good People, Pygmalion, Copenhagen, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Mamma Mia! (Original Broadway company)  Off Broadway: Stuff Happens, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Once in a Lifetime, The Trial of an American President, The Clitorish Regional: The Lehman Trilogy (Ahmanson, LA) Junk (La Jolla),Woman in Mind (with Helen Mirren)   TV: The Gilded Age (upcoming season 2), Blue Bloods, Madame Secretary, Blacklist, Royal Pains, Star Trek Voyager, Seinfeld (Finale), Film: Bourne Legacy, The Nutty Professor, True Colors, Crazy People  Home: Actress Susan Knight, Proud Legacy:  Connor and Grace.

SHAUN BENNETT FAUNTLEROY (Delilah Howe Jackson) is an actress, playwright, director, intimacy choreographer, and teaching artist. As an actor, she was last seen in Bedlam’s Off-Bway World Premiere of Persuasion, and in Theatre East’s revival of Romulus Linney’s Holy Ghosts. Other NY Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Smith Street Stage), Richard III (NYIT Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role nomination — Smith Street), and The Tempest (Smith Street) For the Love of Maud (Ensemble Studio Theatre). As a writer/director, Shaun has worked with Theatre East, Smith Street Stage, Primary Stages, Queens Theatre, Red Caravan, Flux Theatre Ensemble, and others. Shaun is a recipient of the Theatre Hall of Fame’s 2017 Emerging Theatre Artist Award and a 2019/20 Sheen Center Fellow grant. She was elected as a co-director of the Amoralists 2020/2021 ‘Wright Club, and was one of Gingold Theatrical Group’s 2018/2019 Speakers’ Corner playwrights. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog Bentley and teaches at Stella Adler (Acting) and at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU (Acting, Directing). AEA, DGA  www.shaunbfauntleroy.com


SHELEAH HARRIS (Kimberly Latortue) hails from Newark, NJ and with much of  her background on stage, she has performed with various theater groups across Pittsburgh, New York and New Jersey. Previous credits include Romeo and Juliet, Detroit '67, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Intimate Apparel, and As You Like It.


DI SHAWN J. GANDY (Rev. Charles H. Thompson) has worked in theatre, film and television as an actor, director, playwright, and a screenwriter. He serves as President of Behind The Veil Productions LLC, an award nominated theater production company in New Jersey. His play An American Tree was nominated for an NJACT Perry Award in 2018 for Original Production of an Original Play. He has recently directed the indie film Love And The Game written by Daniel Ali, which has garnered 5 Official Film Festival Selections and The Old Settler at The Summit Playhouse in Summit, NJ. He has worked with various theater groups in NY and NJ, including George StreetPlayhouse (GSP). He has studied acting at Woody King Jr. New Federal Theater in NY, GSPEducation in NJ, and Jared Kelner’s Actor’s Approach Acting Academy in NJ. Di Shawn also serves as a board member of the New Jersey Creative Arts Collaborative.

SUSAN KNIGHT (Tour Guide) has enjoyed over 30 years in the professional theatre. Some of her recent appearances include “The Niceties” and “The Importance of Being Ernest” at Portland Stage, as well as in the critically acclaimed HULU series, DOPESICK starring Michael Keaton and in the current season of EVIL. With the UCC Players she has directed 3 shows and appeared in “Motherhood Out-Loud” and “Seven” and directed the staged readings of “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later” and “Middletown.” She teaches in the Theatre and Dance department at MSU and is a frequent Assistant Director at Gas Lamp Players.

JON KRUPP (Frank Gerard Godlewski) Luna Stage debut! NY-area work includes Circle Mirror Transformation (Mile Square Theatre), The Church of Why Not (Theatre 167), Milk (New Georges @ HERE), and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (3-Legged Dog). Regional: Center Stage, Baltimore; the Asolo; Northern Stage, The Public Theater Maine; Delaware Theatre Co., Fulton Opera House, and others. TV: Law & Order; Law & Order SVU; Law & Order Criminal Intent; Bull; FBI: Most Wanted. B.A., Yale University; M.F.A., Yale School of Drama.

MATTHEW LAWLER (The Developer) has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and extensively in tv and film. Talkhouse Magazine recently called Matt a "superb New York character actor" in their TV criticism article. Currently, Matt can be seen in a recurring role on the Hulu series Saint X. Later this year, he will reprise his role on Billions. Matt can also be seen performing with the NYC sketch comedy group Lemon Hands. Matt was a founding member and leader of the award-winning rude mechanicals theater company for 12 years, and he also served as associate artistic director of Mile Square Theatre for 6 years. Matt is also an acting coach helping clients of all ages book work.


DIANE PARKER (Janice Cross-Gilyard) is an actress, singer and director.  She recently appeared as Elizabeth in The Old Settler at Summit Playhouse and Peach in Premiere Stages’ Certain Aspects of Conflicts in the Negro Family.  Diane has performed with The Theatre Project, Luna Stage, Phoenix Productions, Vanguard Theater, 4th Wall Theatre and more, portraying characters from Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray to Rose in Fences. Her original one-woman play about voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, won the 2017 NY Strawberry Festival best play and best actress awards.  She is co-vice president of the board of directors for the American Theater Group and is a member of the board of trustees of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

AL-NISA PETTY (Aminah Toler) Al-nisa Petty is an actor and voiceover artist from Newark, NJ. Off-Broadway: Kin (WP Theater), Twelfth Night (The Acting Company), On Strivers Row (Metropolitan Playhouse). Regional: Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Huntington Theatre Company), Slut: The Play (NJPAC), A Raisin in the Sun (TheatreWorks Colorado Springs), and School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Berkeley Rep). Al-nisa studied at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and received a BFA in acting from Rutgers University. She is also a teaching artist, sharing her love of storytelling and self-expression with youth and anyone else with a story to tell. al-nisa.com  

DIANE POLLEDRI (Rev. Anya) is a singer/songwriter who performs solo as well as with John Hone in the duo Aloft, and with the band, quite aptly named, The Trainwrecks.  Her musical influences range from Hoagy Carmichael to Metallica and everything in between.  She’s thrilled to have been invited to compose a song for the wonderful Luna Stage, particularly for a project as inspiring as The Ground on Which We Stand. Special thanks, love, and tons of admiration for Ari and Reverend Anya.

MO SCHLICK (Susan Howe) is a speaker, actor and leadership development professional. She attended Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where she studied theater. Mo also attended Penn State School of Theater where she taught undergraduate acting classes and earned an MFA in 2003. 

CIANNA SIMONE STOVALL (Tour Guide) is a dedicated artist with a scenic design focus. Some of her previous credits include The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other, John Proctor is the Villain, Rose & Walsh, Drag me to Dinner, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Cianna would like to thank her her parents Count and Amianna Stovall, grandmother Barbara Pytel, and sister Savannah for helping her get to where she is today.

KAYLA TORRES (Melody) is an actress and comedian from Nutley, New Jersey. She graduated from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in 2018, studying TV and Film. Right out of college, she was able to earn a 2-year residency with her improv troupe “Showrunner” at The PIT in NYC. Kayla has starred in many indie films, sketches, and webseries; including one she wrote and directed - a dark comedy called Spirit Patrol. She most recently played the role of “Gemma” in Nutley Little Theatre’s production of Tin Cat Shoes. Kayla also performs stand up comedy all around the tri-state area!


DAVID VILLA (Tour Guide)  David  Villa is a long time actor who's recently begun his journey into archaeology.  David has spent the last few years performing with various community theatres around New Jersey, notably Old Library Theatre and WHATCo.  David's work in archaeology has focused on the African Diaspora, where he tells the forgotten stories of people who once lived in historic Paramus.  David is thrilled to be working on another project so close to his own research, and would like to thank Luna Stage for the opportunity to mix his passion for history and acting