Celia Kapsomera is a playwright and fiction writer born in Athens, Greece, whose work explores the fault lines of power, memory, and moral responsibility. Her plays—including In a Beautiful Jar, Unfair Winds, Erosion, Apricot in Damascus, Accomplice, and The Wall and the Sea, along with the short works Spoils of Guilt, Betrayed Deception, and A Clean Sweep—bring intimate human stories into conversation with urgent social questions. Her work has been developed Off-Off Broadway, and her prose—ranging from short stories to travel memoir—has appeared in national Greek publications and in the Panhellenic Literary Contest anthology. Some of her plays are also on the New Play Exchange. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and Around the Block, and a former member of the Playwrights Unit at Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in New York City. A Fulbright Scholar, she holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She currently teaches at Columbia University in New York City.

Andreas Robertz is a German theater director living in New York City. He has directed and produced more than 80 shows of all genres in Germany, the US and Mexico City. As journalist he has written numerous articles for the cultural desks of several German and Austrian broadcasting companies. I am very happy to meet my friends from Around the Block and playwright Celia Kapsomera again.

Rand Faris is an Arab actress and writer with a BA hons degree in Drama and Psychology from the UK. Born in the U.S. and raised in Jordan, she draws inspiration from the pool of her cultural influences to shape her artistic voice. She has trained at several acting conservatories and performed in various theaters. Rand has collaborated with two New York based theatre companies, one focused on experimental and physical theatre, the other rooted in classical, contemporary, and original work. Simultaneously she has been invested and passionate about Film and TV. Through both her acting and writing, she is committed to exploring themes of identity and belonging. Her work aims to bridge Arab and Western worlds, creating space for nuanced stories that resonate across cultures.

Rob Torres is a Puerto Rican comedian and actor from New York City. His journey stems from his passion of writing, which began in childhood. This passion led him to earn a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and a Masters degree in Communications from the NY Institute of Technology. Rob is a multi- talented performer, who has experience performing stand up comedy, acting in film and TV, theater and improv comedy. In stand up comedy, he has with performed with many comedy stars, including Donnell Rawlings, Mark Viera, Judah Friedlander, Joey Vega and was the opener for the princess of salsa, La India. His film credits include principal roles in Michael Clayton and ABC television's What Would You Do? and One Life to Live and a co- star as Wiry Man on 'The Blacklist' season 6.   

Pedro Saint Morillo, a Washington Heights native, is excited to be part of the reading of The Wall and The Sea. A Meisner-trained actor, with roots in breakdancing, comedy, and MMA, he has appeared in numerous TV and film projects.

www.PedroMorillo.com

@broadwayDro

Gabe Gutierrez  - since completing his theater degree in 2024, Gabe has been excited to tell stories everyday. Some of his accomplishments include performing in A SKETCH COMEDY OF NY at the producers club, joining the collective UPTOWN ACTORS (a group of multi-talented artists bringing art and culture to the upper manhattan/bronx area), studying Shakespeare, his upcoming performance in LIFE IS A CABARET by SGFT Productions, and creating his own short film FIRST DAY IN HELL. check out his instagram to find out what's going on next! 

@g_shows_

Mardi Strand is a longtime collaborator with Around the Block, bringing a keen eye for detail and a deep commitment to ensemble-driven storytelling.