Favorite Childhood Story:

La Llorona, by Rodolfo Anaya

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Charin Alvarez’ theatre credits include: “I am not your perfect Mexican daughter”, “La Ruta” , “ Infidel”, “Ordinary Yearning”, “Fermi”@Steppenwolf Theatre “Lettie”, “Mojada”, “Oedipus El Rey”, “Anna in the Tropics”, “A Park in the House”  at Victory Gardens Theatre; the Scene” @ Writer’s theatre; “2666”,  “Pedro Paramo”, “El Nogalar”, “Dollhouse” & “Electricidad”at Goodman Theatre; “ In the time of the Butterflies”, “Our Lady of the Underpass”,  “I put the fear of Mexico in ‘em”, “Dreamlandia”, “Another Part of the House”w/Teatro Vista; “Water by the Spoonful” at Court Theatre;  “Work of Art” at Chicago Dramatist Theatre; “The Clean House”  w/ Remy Bumppo Theatre; “What We Once Felt” w/About Face Theatre; “Kita & Fernanda” w/16th Street theatre;  “Esperanza Rising” w/Chicago Children’s Theatre;   “Two Sisters and a Piano” at Apple Tree Theatre; Generic Latina w/Teatro Luna; “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” w/Aguijon Theatre.

Film/TV credits include:   “Easy”; “Shameless”; “Chicago Fire”; “Mob Doctor”; “Boss”; “Chicago Code”; “Approach Alone”; “Rooftop Wars”; “Arc of a Bird”; “Were the World Mine”;  “Chicago Overcoat”; “First and Only Lesson”; “Dogwalker”; “Rogers Park”; “Olympia: Manual on how to live your life”, “Signature Move”; “En Algun Lugar”; “Princess Cyd”; “Single File”; “Teacher”; “Hala”,  “Saint Frances”

Favorite Childhood Story:

Miss Nelson is Missing, by Harry Allard

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Kevin attended The Theatre School at DePaul University where he received his B.F.A in Acting. After graduating Kevin took sketch comedy classes at Second City in Chicago. He was one half of the sketch comedy group kevINda.  kevINda performed in festivals such as the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, NBC Sketch Comedy Showdown and the Just for Laughs Festival in Chicago.

Kevin is also a member of the Regional Tony Award winning company, Lookingglass Theatre.  His play Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure had its World Premiere at Lookingglass Theatre Company.  Thaddeus and Slocum garnered Kevin a BTAA (Black Theatre Alliance Award) for best writing of a play. Kevin Douglas’ play Plantation!, directed by David Schwimmer, had its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Kevin also has a commission with Oregon Shakespeare Festival which will intersect comedy and transmedia.

He co-writes and performs with his better half in a webseries on YouTube and IG titled The Tam and Kevin Show. He co-wrote a film titled Call Center which premiered at the Black Harvest Film Festival and the Urban Media Makers Film Festival in Atlanta.

Favorite Childhood Stories:

Pan de Sal Saves the Day, by Norma Olizan-Chikiamco

I Am Enough, by Grace Byers

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Emjoy Gavino has been a casting director for American Theatre Company, the Hypocrites, Theatre on the Lake, Victory Gardens Theatre and The Gift Theatre where she is also an associate artistic director. Chicago Acting Credits include Animal Farm, You Got Older, The Drunken City (Steppenwolf Theatre) Do You Feel Anger? (A Red Orchid); Kentucky (The Gift); Vietgone (Writers); Bull in a China Shop (AboutFace); You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites); Realish Housewives (Second City); Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens); Electra (Court); Working (Broadway Playhouse); Act(s) of God (Lookingglass); …Neo-Futurist Christmas Carol (The Neo-Futurists). Regional acting Credits: Repertory Actors Theatre, ACT, Village Theatre, Court Theatre at The Getty Villa and Studio Theatre.  Upcoming: A Christmas Carol (The Guthrie Theatre) Television: The Exorcist, Mob Doctor, Chicago Fire/Med. Emjoy is a 3Arts Make a Wave grantee, a 2020 3Arts awardee,  and the founder of The Chicago Inclusion Project.

Favorite Childhood Stories:

Rumplestiltskin and Cinderella, by The Brothers Grimm

Oh, The Places You Will Go, by Dr. Seuss

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Tamberla Perry was born and raised on the South side of Chicago and attended Luther South High School.  She went on to attend The University of Rochester, in Rochester New York for undergraduate school.  Upon graduating, Tamberla came back to Chicago and began her career in corporate America, while taking pre-requisite classes for medical school entry in the evenings.  But her heart and soul were being pulled in a different direction. She had dabbled in an acting class while in New York, and even though she did not get the EASY A she thought she would get, she certainly enjoyed the thrill of becoming someone else.  She was invited to audition for a sketch and improv group at Second City in Chicago..  While she was not cast, another group took notice of her and she became a member of the group "Soul Fools" for a number of years.  It was then that she was cured of the medical school bug, but instead, caught the acting one.  She hasn't turned back since.  

Tamberla has been seen on many stages in Chicago including but not limited to: Lookingglass Theatre  (Plantation, Black Diamond, Fedra:Queen of Haiti, Icarus).   Marie Antoinette, Hushabye, The North Plan, Brothers/Sisters Plays (Steppenwolf Theatre); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Race (Goodman Theatre); In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play (Victory Gardens Theatre); Bulrusher (Congo Square Theatre) Eclipsed (Northlight Theatre); Blaxploitation: You know How we Do! Blaxploitation:The Remix (MPAACT) Regionally: Piano Lesson (Portland Stage Theatre) Bus Stop (Madison Repertory Theatre) Barbecue (The Public Theatre, New York)  TV credits include: Boss, Crisis, The Jamz (Netflix) Madame Secretary, APB  (Fox) and Bosch (Amazon) How to Get Away With Murder,Dare Me, Suits, The Good Fight, The Good Lord Bird. Tamberla also has a sketch comedy web series that she produces alongside her husband. Check out the Tam and Kevin show and follow us on YouTube or Instagram @tamandkevinshow and @tamberlaperry.

Favorite Childhood Story:

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

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Kelli Simpkins (she/they) is a theater, film, and television artist whose career has spanned thirty years. They are dedicated to telling stories often excluded from the mainstream that focus on class, queerness, disenfranchisement, and ‘the other.’ They are a company member of Tectonic Theater Project and are one of the original creators/dramaturges/performers of The Laramie Project. Kelli appears in the HBO film of the same name, for which she and fellow company members share a Humanitas Prize and an Emmy nomination.

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Kelli co-wrote, directed, and devised an original play for Western Michigan University called Good Death, which was performed at the Kennedy Center’s Region III American College Theatre Festival. After living and working in New York, Kelli relocated to Chicago, where they’ve performed at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, American Theater Company, Timeline Theater, Victory Gardens Theatre, and About Face Theater, where they are also an artistic associate. They have simultaneously spent numerous years developing, collaborating on, and performing award-winning, socially-engaged, interview-based documentary projects, including The People’s Temple and Spill.

Kelli’s TV and film credits include Work in Progress, Rounding, 100 Days to Live, Slice, Proven Innocent, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, Patriot, Betrayal, A League of Their Own, Law & Order: C.I., and Chasing Amy. Kelli is a contributing writer to the book MOMENT WORK—Tectonic Theater Project’s Process of Devising Theater. She is also a teaching artist and educator who has led training labs throughout the country. She is a proud recipient of the 2013 3Arts Award. Kelli is represented by Gray Talent Group and managed by Jodi Schoenbrun Carter at 1022m Management.

Favorite Childhood Stories:

The Three Robbers, by Tomi Ungerer

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Hello, my name is Indigo Smith. I go by she/they pronouns. I'm seventeen years old, come from a big family, and ever since I was a child people have called me artsy and eccentric. Truly I didn’t discover the arts until around the fourth grade. As I got older I delved further into the arts. I began drawing, sketching and painting. Art is my biggest outlet and means of expression. I love the way I can share myself and relate with others while letting them project their own feelings and opinions onto things I create. When I was young something that caught my eye involving art was illustrated storytelling. I watched several different storytelling programs like Book Of Virtues and Sammy’s Story Shop . They brought me so much joy and taught me lessons I use today. One of my favorite stories is The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer but if I could choose my role in a fairytale I'd be a fairy because I wish to be as mystical and helpful as they are.