Street Children

Vertigo's new play written by our very own Pia Scala-Zankel debuted at The New Ohio Theatre November 30 through December 17, 2016.

Set in NYC in the late 80's, Street Children explores the repression, romantic idealism and high cost of living experienced by the transgender and queer community of the lower Hudson piers. The story follows the intertwining journeys of three young characters who are reeling in the aftermath of their beloved street mother’s cruel murder. Ultimately, they must choose between the thrills and camaraderie of life as they know it, and the safety and stability of a quieter existence—albeit one potentially defined by isolation and ostracism.

Cast

JP Moraga* (Angela)
JP Moraga is honored to be part of this special narrative. Born and raised in the Philippines. A gender non-conformist, activist, and artist. NY: RAVEL (Gene Frankel Theater) HELLO DOLLY (The Pershing Square Signature Theater). Regional: Reading of THE BROTHERS (Powerhouse Theatre and American ConservatoryTheatre), MAN OF LA MANCHA (Shakespeare Theatre Company), THE KING AND I (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), MISS SAIGON (Riverside Theatre/Walnut Street Theatre), JOSEPH/DREAMCOAT (Dallas Theatre Center), LONG SEASON (Huntington Theatre Company), MY SCARY GIRL (Barrington Stage Company), ALTAR BOYZ (Florida Studio Theatre), MY FAIR LADY (Cleveland Playhouse,Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Virginia Stage Company). Thanks to Pia, Jenna, and to this fierce cast for this opportunity. Baldwin-Wallace University Alumnus. Proud AEA Member. Love to my Luke, my Barkada, TheStudio, and DDO team. Live, Laugh, & mostly LOVE. Follow me @jp_moraga on IG.
 

Eve Lindley (Jamie)
Eve Lindley is a NYC based actress and writer. Screen credits include "Hot Carla" on USA's Emmy-winning Mr. Robot, "Frida" on  WGN's Outsiders (season 2 airing in January), and "Pam" in the Katie Holmes directed All We Had (available in select theaters December 9th). She is thrilled to be working with Jenna Worsham again, after collaborating on "The Vagina Monologues" and "Here To Be Seen" last year. Much love to Pia and the entire cast and crew of "Street Children", as well as friends and family. 

Victor Almanzar* (Terrence)

Victor Almanzar is a native of the Dominican Republic who came to New York at an early age. He has appeared as Oswaldo in the Pulitzer price winning production of Between Riverside And Crazy in The Atlantic Theater, Second Stage Theater and The Steppenwolf Theatre (CHICAGO). He has completed a lead role in the feature film 11:55 (INDEPENDENT), a recurring role in the hit TV series Empire as Big Heavy (FOX), a guess star role in Chicago PD (NBC), a guess star role in High Maintenance (HBO), and a role in LFE (a pilot for CBS). Before turning his attention to acting, Victor was in the United States Marine Corp, where he served in Kosovo and Iraq.  Since then he has worked on the New York stage Regional Theaters and in London. Victor received his MFA from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.

Craig muMs Grant* (MC)

Craig 'muMs' Grant is an American Actor. He has performed on New York City stages for more than 20 years. muMs is best known for playing Arnold Jackson aka Poet on the HBO hit show “OZ.” muMs is a proud member of theLabyrinth Theater Company, debuting in such productions as the critically acclaimed Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, A View From 151st and Penalties and Interests, all performed Off-Broadway at the NYC’s Public Theater. On stage, muMs was last seen in his own production of A Sucker Emcee and Lucy Thurber's The Insurgents. Some of muMs’ other acting credits include: "Birdman", "The Knick", "Nurse Jackie", "Side Effects", “Law and Order SVU,” “Law and Order,” “Cold Case,” “Blue Bloods,” “Boston Legal,” “Law and Order Criminal Intent,” “The Sopranos,” amongst others. He can be seen right now in the hit Netflix series "Luke Cage". muMs' is also a proud company member of Poetic Theater Productions who recently produced the critically acclaimed world premiere production of his play Paradox of the Urban Cliché. 

Yadira Guevara-Prip (Lala)

Yadira can currently be seen in a recurring role on "Mad Dogs" for Amazon opposite Michael Imperioli and Steve Zahn.  On stage, she most recently starred in Se Llama Cristina at Intar directed by Lou Moreno and also starred opposite Jake Cannavale and Rosal Colon in Basilica at the Cherry Lane Theatre.  Yadira is currently based in New York City. 

Camilo Almonacid (Victor)
Camilo Almonacid earned a BFA in acting from Rutgers University (2008) and his MFA in Playwriting from Hunter College (2014). He is currently an adjunct lecturer in Public Speaking at HOSTOS Community College  He currently lives in New York City with his wife, and continues to work as an actor and playwright. 

Chorus

leap Interns

Vertigo Theater Company has partnered with the youth program at The LGBT Community Center and The Ali Forney Center in New York City to offer work readiness internships. Youth who have gone through the LEAP program (Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Placement) will shadow and be mentored by Vertigo’s production team as they gain the professional experience necessary to build their resumes.

CREATIVE TEAM

Pia Scala-Zankel (Producer/ Playwright) Co-founder and Artistic Director of Vertigo Theater Company, Pia developed Street Children as a 2014 Artist-In-Residence at SPACE on Ryder Farm, where she is now a trustee.  A former actress (stage, TV, commercial) and dancer (NYC Ballet), Pia received a B.S. in Theater from Skidmore College.  She is an alumna of Labyrinth Theater Company’s Ensemble Workshop, a Board Member of SPACE on Ryder Farm, and a trustee of The Lilly Awards. Recently, Pia created Vertigo’s roundtable salon series, SHOPTALK, moderated by NYT columnist Ginia Bellafante and presented at BRIC, featuring such leading theater makers as Marsha Norman, Maria Goyanes, Will Davis, Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Adam Bock. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Jenna Worsham (Director) is a freelance stage director and activist, based in New York City, with a focus on new work and re-imagined American classics. Broadway: The Heidi Chronicles (Associate Director); Picnic (SDCF Observership). Recent Directing: Have You Been There by Emily Zemba & The First Immigrant by Martyna Majok (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Invincible Ones by Samantha Cooper (Signature Center/Columbia MFA Thesis Production); Balm in Gilead (Lee Strasbourg Institute); Here to Be Seen (Social Justice piece featuring formerly incarcerated women, commissioned by Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson); Kids by Daniel Talbott (IRT); The Vagina Monologues for Taconic Correctional Facility (also performed off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre); Graduation Day by Emily Daly (WorkShop Theater); Spring Awakening (Lime Kiln Theater). As founding Artistic Director of The Middle Voice Theater Company, in residence at Rattlestick Theater, she directed Bus Stop (The Producer's Club), Room For One (Paradise Factory), and Waiting for Lefty in a production that toured public locations in NYC and the tri-state area. Jenna has been an assistant director on and off-Broadway to such directors as Tony-award winner Pam MacKinnon, Sam Gold, Evan Cabnet, Kate Whoriskey, as well as PublicWorks director Lear deBessonet. She has directed readings and workshops for The Public, Yale Repertory, the Lark Play Development Center, Labyrinth Theater, Playmakers Rep, Primary Stages, Cherry Lane, Rattlestick, MCC, The Flea, among others. Throughout her time in New York Jenna has been awarded a Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship (MTC), and two SDC Foundation Observerships. Jenna is a proud member of the LILLY Awards Power Network, the 2016 Williamstown Directing Corps, Rising Phoenix Repertory, The Actors Studio Directors Unit, the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and an Affiliated Artist of New Georges. She also serves as Curator of the Creative Solutions Symposium, a residency program at SPACE on Ryder Farm that houses social justice organizations who integrate creativity with social action. Associate member, SDC.    

* These actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association. Street Children is an Equity Approved Showcase.