Rehearsal Photos
From top left to bottom left: Sam Torres, Brien Keith, Sonia Maritza Inoa-Rosado Maughan, Ash, Em Smiley, Dalia Lechuga, John Joslin, Jack Bellows, Abhi Harikumar, Becky Davis
Alex Ashe--no bio provided
Jack Bellows is a freshman pursuing a B.A. in English Literature at the University of Utah and is super excited and honored to make his professional debut with Wasatch Theatre Company. He loves the theatre and is beyond grateful to be trusted in telling this story. When he is not acting or studying, Jack enjoys writing novels and poems, gardening, and cooking up a mean steak. Please consider donating to the Utah AIDS Foundation https://www.utahaids.org/donate
Ben Brinton is a Salt Lake based performer and producer. He is excited for his first time as sound designer for Wasatch Theatre Company and appreciates the opportunity to be involved with this tremendously talented team and this profound storytelling. For more information about his various projects, including music from the show, visit www.benbrinton.com
Becky Davis has been involved in theater since high school. Favorite roles have been Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream, Maria in Sound of Music, Charlotte in Charlotte's Web, and both Rosie and Tanya in two different productions of Mamma Mia. In her other life, Becky has worked for nearly 25 years at the Children's Service Society of Utah. Many thanks to her husband and kids for supporting her in chasing her aspirations on stage!
Abhi Harikumar is very excited to be a part of this production of the Laramie Project with Wasatch Theatre Company. He has worked with WTC before on their production of Ideation playing the part of Sandeep. In his free time, Abhi enjoys camping, hiking, photography, and anything else that gets him outside.
John Joslin has been involved in theatre in some way or another since their youth. Having grown up in Wyoming, and having come out in Laramie and “grown up” as a gay man in Laramie this show hits particularly close to home. It has been an absolute thrill to get back on stage and to bring a light back to these stories as an important part of LGBTQIA history.
Tony- and Emmy-nominated director and playwright, and recipient of the National Medal of Arts from President Obama, Moisés Kaufman has led Tectonic Theater Project since its founding in 1991. His Broadway directing credits include the revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song, The Heiress with Jessica Chastain, 33 Variations (which he also wrote) starring Jane Fonda; Rajiv Joseph’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo starring Robin Williams; and Doug Wright’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife with Jefferson Mays. His play The Laramie Project (which he wrote with the Tectonic Theater Project company) is among the most performed plays in the United States.
Brien Keith has performed onstage with Salt Lake City’s notable theater companies for over two decades—the EttaGrace Black Theatre Company at the Grand Theatre, Plan B Theatre, People Productions, Salt Lake Acting Company, University of Utah Department of Theater and Youth Theatre at the U, and Wasatch Theatre Company. Brien's prior stage credits with Wasatch Theatre Company include …Boys in the Band; Caroline, or Change; Love! Valour! Compassion!, and the 24-Hour Theatre Festival. Brien dedicates his performance in The Laramie Project to James Byrd Jr. of Jasper, Texas who was brutally murdered in the same year as Shepard. Though not as widely referenced as Shepard, Byrd is named alongside Shepard on The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, an American Act of Congress, passed on October 22, 2009. He is a Texas native whose family legacy has roots in East Texas including Jasper.
Dalia Lechuga has always had a love for the theatrical arts. Her first experience on stage was back in elementary school in Shakespeare's Taming of Shrew. Since then she's been hooked into anything and everything in the world of theatre. From a makeup artist, costume designer, tech crew, and of course acting, she's thrilled to be a part of The Laramie Project.
Sonia Maritza Inoa-Rosado Maughan She/Her In her debut with Wasatch Theatre Company, Sonia is honored to be involved with The Laramie Cycle and is grateful to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful artists here. Sonia is Dominican & Puerto Rican and was raised in South Florida. She has been involved with music, theatre & the arts since the age of 6. Sonia has performed in Miami, California and in local community theaters here in Utah. Most recently, she performed in West Valley Arts’ production of In The Heights, playing the role of Abuela Claudia. Many thanks are sent to her support system. Much love to Shelby Maughan, “Together we will find everything that we’re looking for.” Please consider donating to the Matthew Shepard Foundation at www.matthewshepard.org “May we all be inspired to Erase Hate.”
Riley Merrill (Lighting Designer) graduated from SUU in 2019 with a BFA in theatre tech and since then has found his happy place designing for local artists, community theatres and dance schools in Salt Lake County. Some upcoming work includes "The Nutcracker" with West Point Ballet and "The Nutcracker" with Lifehouse Dance. Recent work includes "Ballet to Broadway" with Central Utah Ballet, and "The Nutcracker" with West Point Ballet."
Em Smiley earned a BFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Acting (Actor Training Program) from the University of Utah, and they hold the rank of Actor-Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. They are a published author in their field and a recipient of six prestigious scholarships – two of which are the Robert Hyde Wilson Talent Scholarship for Acting and the Marian D. Harrison Scholarship. Past theatre credits include Oedipus Rex (Oedipus), The Seagull (Konstantin), Six Years Old (Kim), How Flowers Bloom (Therapist), Julius Caesar (Cinna/Messala), Macbeth (Doctor/Murderer), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Thomas). Local film credits include Instrumentality (Jamie), by Kobi Baker. Em is also a working musician/song-writer and is in several bands that perform around the Salt Lake area. They have had the privilege of being featured on multiple albums, and their album from their personal project, “Dear Listener,” can be found on various platforms including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify and iTunes.
Sam Torres is an actress from Ann Arbor Michigan, with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Oakland University. Sam recently appeared in Plan-B Theatre Company’s world premiere of Aftershock. Other memorable credits include Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown, Heather Chandler in Heather’s, and Texas in Cabaret. Sam is beyond thrilled to be performing with this cast and invites you to sit forward and engage with this piece. Instagram: @samcattorres The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender National Hotline 1-888-843-4564
Based in New York City and guided by founder and artistic director Moisés Kaufman, Tectonic Theater Project develops new plays using the company’s trademarked theater-making method, Moment Work™, and through a rigorous process of research and collaboration in a laboratory environment.
Since its founding in 1991 the company has created and staged over twenty plays and musicals, including Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project, Doug Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, and the Tony Award-winning 33 Variations. Tectonic Theater Project – New plays, new ways
Since its founding in 1991 the company has created and staged over twenty plays and musicals, including Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project, Doug Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, and the Tony Award-winning 33 Variations. Tectonic Theater Project – New plays, new ways