Valeria Aceves - Mirielle 

Valeria Aceves (they/she) is a proud Mexican actor Meisner trained at The Neighborhood Playhouse. Recent credits include Rock Of Ages (Wolfie Award for Best Newcomer), The Waiting Room, The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost, Everyday Enchanted, In The Heights, among others. Valeria will also embark on a tour this September as Sugar Skull in the Sugar Skull! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure. Always grateful to work with talented people and explore new works, stalk them irresponsibly at @valeria.aceves. 

Roque Berlanga - Director 

Roque Berlanga (Director) Roque is thrilled to be back for his third In The Works Festival (Gordon Gets Down, In BeTWEEN.) A California native, Roque is a proud Latinx director, actor, teaching artist and proud Associate Member of SDC. Roque is currently the Associate Director for the First International Tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roque is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Theatre [Untitled] and Actor’s Professional Theatre Conservatory (APTC) based in New York City. Theatre [Untitled] focuses on new and reinvented works and provides a platform for undiscovered artists with a focus on LGBTQ+, women, and BIPOC playwrights and artists. Roque currently serves as an Artistic Advisor for the Forestburgh Playhouse and is Co-Director of the Forestburgh Academy with Kate Wilson. Roque served as Artistic Director of the Allenberry Playhouse for three years in Pennsylvania and was the first Latinx to do so in the theater's over sixty year history. While in California, Roque trained with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Second City, and received his BA in Theatre from CSU Stanislaus. 

Favorite credits include: Next to Normal (Forestburgh Playhouse), Matilda (Forestburgh Playhouse) The Prom (Forestburgh Playhouse), The Whale Play (The Drama Book Shop), Bye Bye Birdie (Forestburgh Playhouse), The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Forestburgh Playhouse), The SpongeBob Musical (Forestburgh Playhouse), The Theory of Relativity (Stagedoor Manor), Rent (Stagedoor Manor), Chicago (Allenberry), Footloose (Allenberry), The 39 Steps (Allenberry), Wait Until Dark (Allenberry), The Wedding Singer (APTC) and 13! (APTC). 

Kate Brennan - Writer - Music and Lyrics 

Kate Brennan is an artist, educator and creator. She has written a dozen plays and musicals and has taught across the country. She has been named a three-time O’Neill Semifinalist, a Princess Grace Finalist, a Judith Royer Finalist, a Jane Chambers Finalist, a Cultural Alliance Artist Innovator Award Finalist and a Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist. Kate is a Designated Linklater Teacher and holds an MFA from UVA. She writes More Humor More Humanity. www.katebrennan.org 

Anthony Cangiamila - Jahdo/Mr. Jasper 

Anthony Cangiamila is thrilled to be at Forestburgh Playhouse for the In the Works–In the Woods Festival! A proud first-generation Italian from Jersey, he recently attended Point Park University before making NYC his home. Much love and gratitude to his friends and family and a big thanks to the creative team for making this all possible! Recent credits include: Beautiful (Axelrod), Jersey Boys (ACT of CT, The REV), Here I Am (Off-Broadway). IG: @anthony_cang_ 

Max V. Gallagher - Nyein/Ms. Ardan 

Max Gallagher is a trans actor and musician based out of Philadelphia, whose work centers the development of new plays and the queering of classical texts. Some favorite previous projects include "Romeo and Juliet" with Catskill Mountain Shakespeare, "Drip" with Inis Nua Theatre Company, and "Melancholy Play" with Masquerade Theatre Company. She is also a songwriter - check out "The Blacksmith's Prayer" by Max Gallagher, on most streaming platforms! - and multi-instrumentalist. Max is honored to be involved in this festival, and if you happen to see her out and about, she would just love if you said hello. 

Lane LaVonne - Abenthe 

Lane LaVonne (they/them) is an actor, director, and theatremaker working in NYC and Philly. Recent and upcoming acting credits include Two Gentleman of Verona (DelShakes), Little Shop of Horrors (People’s Light), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hedgerow), and The Prom (Porthouse Theatre). BFA from Rider University. @lalalalavonne 

Corinne Prudente - Ms. Tarina/Artist/Archivist 

Corinne Prudente is a multi-hyphenate performer and artist based in NYC. They recently starred as Mary Vetsera in the New York Theatre Festival production of United in Love, Until Death and as Don John in Tier5 Theatre Company's production of Much Ado About Nothing. 

They previously performed in workshops of other Brennan & White musicals, including Alien8, Clean Slate, and Illuminate. Recent Off-Off-Broadway: GROSS!, Ghost Hoarders, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Junk in Grandma's Trunk, The Secret Garden. Film: The Ghost of Barbara Allen, Forces and Philosophies: A D&D Musical. 

Cameron Sparks - Production Stage Manager 

Cameron is a New York-based Stage Manager with experience in theatrical settings, events, live music, and cruise lines. He earned his BFA in Stage Management from the University of Central Florida. Regional theatre credits include Titanic: The Musical (Surflight Theatre), Footloose (Surflight Theatre), South Pacific (Surflight Theatre), Jersey Boys (Argyle Theatre), and Writes of Spring (Orlando Family Stage). Additional credits include UCF Celebrates the Arts (Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts), Stars in the House Live (Town Hall), and Letters Live (Town Hall), and the Happenings Events Program (Virgin Voyages). He is thrilled to be making his debut at the Playhouse this summer. IG: @cam_sparks 

Andrea Strickler - Ms. Gandry/Musician/Storyteller 

Andrea Strickler is delighted to join this year’s In the Works ~ In the Woods Theatre Festival! A proud Kansas City native now based in Jersey City, Andrea was most recently seen in New York City performing in the workshop of La Joie: A Play About Suffering, a devised theatre piece. She is deeply grateful for every opportunity to collaborate and create, especially when it means making art in the beauty of the outdoors. Offstage, Andrea is passionate about health and fitness, where she coaches others on their journey toward becoming the best version of themselves. 

Erik Wakar - Music Director 

(she/her) Music Director at Forestburgh Playhouse this season for Next To Normal, Young Frankenstein, and Head Over Heels, now Book of Wonder at ITW-ITW, Erik is thrilled to be supporting new works and collaborating with this wonderful team! Regional credits include: Something Rotten, 9 to 5, The Prom, Rock of Ages. Collegiate credits include: The Light In The Piazza, Fun Home, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Ordinary Days, The Last Five Years. Away from the stage she keeps up with an eclectic collection of hobbies and loved ones near and far. erikwakar.com 

David Lee White - Writer 

David Lee White is a playwright, performer and educator. For fourteen years he was the Associate Artistic Director of Passage Theatre. His work has been seen at Passage Theatre, McCarter, Vivid Stage, Bucks County Playhouse and other institutions in NJ/NY/PA. David was commissioned by NJPAC to create the play FIXED which earned him a Visionary Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Other plays include BLOOD: A COMEDY (Soon to be a feature film), SLIPPERY AS SIN and WAYS TO BE HAPPY (Next Stage Press.) He has performed his solo show, PANTHER HOLLOW at The United Solo Festival, Arcade Comedy Theatre, The New Jersey Fringe and multiple universities. With composer Kate Brennan, he co-created ALiEN8 (YouthPLAYS), CLEAN SLATE, ILLUMINATE, ANATOMY OF A FLOOD and BOOK OF WONDER. He is a MAP Fund recipient for his work with Passage Theatre (OK TRENTON) and Kate Brennan (CLEAN SLATE.) www.davidleewhite.net, www.brennanandwhite.com 

James Wong - Mayor/Narrator/Gardener/Brindlefeather 

James Wei-Yuan Wong is so excited + grateful to be making his Forestburgh Playhouse debut! He is a Taiwanese-American actor with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Utah! He was born and raised in Florence, South Carolina and currently resides in New York City. Credits include Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Rocky Horror Show (Pioneer), SLAC’s Summer Show 2023 (Salt Lake Acting Company), and Into the Woods (University of Utah). Readings/Workshops: The Tale of the Gifted Prince (Darren Lee), Sound of the Silk Road (Gabriel Barre), and Where We Are (Brian Jose). He would love to thank his family and friends of whom he would not be here without their support! He is a cat person and loves Studio Ghibli. @jamesweiyuan