CORE
(aka: the people running WTF day-to-day!)
Bethany Dickens Assaf: Producing Director
Also: Actor, Dramaturg, Playwright, Producer, Stage Manager, All the Things
Bethany Dickens Assaf is passionate about making sure EVERY playwright has access to high-quality development opportunities so their unique voice is heard. She brings over fifteen years of development, fundraising, and grant writing experience to her role, and as a playwright has had hundreds of plays (mostly shorts) performed across the country and around the world. Most recently, her play The Vast of Darkness, won Best Play at the 2022 Orlando Fringe Festival.
Bethany is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, watching bad 80s action movies, obsessively checking her fantasy team, and hanging out with her super-cool toddler Mateo.
Click here to contact Bethany, especially if you need administrative information from WTF or want to submit a script.
Valeria Hernández: Communications director
Also: Director, Photographer
Val is thrilled to join the community of the Whiskey Theatre Factory collective! Theatre has always been her sanctuary as a director, actor, and writer. Thanks to Max Pinksy, the talented stage mage who brought her back after a long hiatus, Val finally feels at home among the brilliant, compassionate artists at WTF, united by their fervent passion for all things creative.
Before embracing motherhood, Val briefly studied Film at Full Sail University before earning a certification in Graphic Design. You may have seen her directorial work at shows Still on Zoom: A Night of Virtual Plays - Asopao and The Saints of West Orange County at Orlando’s Fringe Festival. She's a dedicated grilled cheese enthusiast, proud of her Puerto Rican culture, and has two rescue dogs. Val is grateful that all the roads taken eventually led back to her first love of theater.
Her work is a tribute to her daughter and partner, who light up her life with love and inspiration.
"This is for the weirdos, the misfits, the deep feelers, and all who have felt like outcasts their whole lives: you belong. You matter. There's always a seat for you at my table."
Charis Watler: Artistic Director
Also: Actor, Director, Producer
Charis Watler is an Orlando based director, actor, and producer. She has directed for many theatre companies in Orlando, including the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Fringe, and WTF. She also fills many roles with Central Florida Community Arts Youth, including teaching artist, stage manager, and director. She is passionate about producing new plays, uplifting minority voices and seeks to produce art that holds meaning for her (whatever that may be!). Charis feels so blessed to be creating live theatre in such a supportive environment and cannot wait to see what her future with WTF holds.
Click here to contact Charis, especially if you have a question about Nomadic Theatre Brunches or Salons.
COLLECTIVE
(Along with the Core: the people who make shows and projects happen!)
Liz Bernstein
Actor, Coordinator, Playwright
Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach located in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In pursuit of these loves, Liz studied theatre arts, creative writing, and psychology at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. She has always loved thinking deeply about what makes us human and finding ways to help people reach their ultimate goals. While attending the University of Central Florida for a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling, Liz continued performing with the collegiate a cappella group, Gemini Blvd. Since then, she has had the pleasure to perform with Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Whiskey Theatre Factory, the Fragmented Festival, and Central Florida Community Arts, for staged readings and play workshops. Liz is passionate about telling meaningful stories and connecting with other people through art. She is overjoyed to be a part of WTF to help coordinate future productions and help all voices be heard.
Ruby Dickerson
Actor
Ruby is honored to join Whiskey Theatre Factory as a collective member! She began with the company in August as an actor with the production of “What’s in the Basement Honey? Seven Short Plays on Marriage, Feminism, and Zombies”, and has since been seen in “Night on Zoom: A Night of Short Plays Set in the Virtual World”, and most recently in WTF’s 2024 Orlando Fringe show, “The Saints of West Orange County”. Her adoration for theatre started at a young age, and as time continued she worked to grow in her craft. She’s challenging herself while reemerging back into theatre, with more on the "behind the scenes” as an assistant director and social media marketing manager with Project No. 19 Performance Company. Outside of the theatre Ruby is a passionate stay at home parent, who lives to inspire other parents to chase after their spark, and wants to remind everyone that their passions are worth making time for.
Sara Jacobson
Actor, Designer, Stage Manager, Tech
Sara is a first-year BFA Stage Manager at the University of Central Flordia. Although she is mainly a Stage Manager, you can also find her in many other roles. She has been a Lighting Designer, Sound Technician, Director, Technical Director, Props Master, and Lighting Board Operator. She has been working within the Central Florida theater scene for 3 years, with companies such as Orlando International Fringe Festival, Central Florida Community Arts, Finge Artspace, Playwrights Round Table, Florida International Thespian Society, and Whiskey Theatre Factory. This is her second season as a Whiskey Theatre Facorty core collective member and she is excited to be a part of some amazing WTF project this season!
Jose “Joe” Llorens
Actor, Director, Producer
Joe Llorens is honored to be a part of the Whiskey Theatre Factory collective. He's an actor, improviser, director, writer, and producer. He earned a BFA in Theatre from Florida International University where he discovered and developed his passion for creating authentic, engaging, impactful moments on stage. He's excited to continue working with WTF and keep sharing art with the community. There are people he loves dearly in this world and he draws strength and inspiration from them on a daily basis. Try Hard. Be Kind.
Max Pinsky
Actor, Playwright, Producer
Max is thrilled to be a part of the Whiskey Theatre Factory Collective. In his artistic life, he has worn the hats of performer, playwright, and producer with a specialty of working with classical drama. Max's work investigates methods in which to connect the theatre of yesterday to our audience of today with particular attention paid to multilingualism and multiculturism. He holds an MA in English: Rhetoric & Composition from the University of Central Florida and has been directing in and around Central Florida since 2017 under Project no. 19 Performance Company. Favorite past projects include Hecuba (2019, Marshall Ellis Performing Arts Center), AJAX (2022, Orlando International Fringe Festival), and I Love Liz (2023, Tampa International Fringe Festival). Moreover, his play La Medéa was produced by the Renaissance Theatre Company in January 2022. With WTF, Max is eager to shine a light onto the amazing and challenging work that goes on in the rehearsal rooms and development sessions that set productions up for success. Exploration is key to innovation!
Jason Porrata
Actor, Director, Playwright, Stage Manager
Jason Porrata is the current Upper School Theatre Teacher at The First Academy. He also serves as a Director and Teaching Artist for Central Florida Community Arts. Recent credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Godspell, Peter and the Starcatcher, Shrek the Musical, The 39 Steps, and How We Got On. In addition to his onstage and backstage interests, Jason is a playwright and enjoys writing, directing, and producing his own work, most recently The Vagabond and the Viscount. Jason is a proud alum of the School of Theatre at Florida State University. He would like to thank his wife Leah for her genuine love and support, Whiskey Theatre Factory for this opportunity, and his son Mars for being a constant reminder of God's grace. Jason and Leah are expecting their second child in October 2024.
Meghan pratt
Stage Manager, Literary Manager
Meghan Pratt (she/her/hers) is a stage manager and literary manager in Central Florida. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and Media, Meghan spent some time in Pennsylvania working as an assistant stage manager for People’s Light, working on such shows as “Romeo and Juliet: A Requiem” and “Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie”. Since moving to Florida, Meghan has stage-managed two productions of “The Consciousness”, winning best play at the 2019 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival, and was literary manager for Playwrights’ Round Tables’ three productions of “Connected Voices”.
Katie Thayer
Actor, Director, Playwright
Katie Thayer is an actor, improviser, and playwright living in Central Florida. She received her BFA in Theatre from UCF with a minor in Creative Writing. As a Playwright, many of her works have been performed by Playwrights Round Table and at the Orlando Fringe. Her 10 Minute play, Graceland, can be found in The Best Ten- Minute Plays 2014.
artistic Associates
(Artists we love and work with whenever possible!)
Jodi Antenor
Actor, Playwright
Jodi Antenor (she/her/hers) is an actress and playwright with more than 16 years of experience in the entertainment industry. At the age of 18, she moved to Florida and was immediately welcomed with three back to back hurricanes. Ever the optimist, she stayed in Florida where she went on to perform in a multitude of different shows and parades at several different theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and the Nickelodeon Hotel. As a part of the development team for the Whiskey Theater Factory, Jodi hopes to create a community where playwrights and actors feel welcomed, confident, and free to explore their creativity. In her free time, Jodi loves to play softball and travel to new destinations.
Gabriella Headley
Actor, Director
Gabby (she/her) is an actor, director, and creative from Orlando, Florida! She received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Florida Southern College, and is a current MFA Acting Candidate University of Central Florida.
She is a strong advocate for creating a structured and positive rehearsal environment, and is passionate about uplifting and empowering young voices in creative spaces. Frequently drawn to the new play development process, she believes there is nothing like the magic of creating new art.
She has performed on various stages across Florida, and has served as a Director, Assistant Director, Choreographer, Dramaturg, and Teaching Artist across the United States.
When she’s not working on a show, she loves going on adventures with her husband and puppy, and loves discovering new coffee shops! gabriellaheadley.com
Kimberly murray patel
Actor, Costumer, Playwright
Kimberly Murray Patel is thrilled for the opportunity to take part in the Whiskey Theatre Factory Collective. The majority of her time in the theater is spent as a freelance costumer and stitcher for companies in and around Orlando including Osceola Arts, Theater West End, CFCArts, and more. Last year she had the good fortune to costume Whiskey Theatre Factory’s Meeting of the Muses. In addition to costuming Kim has a passion for performing and playwriting. Her short plays have been produced locally by The Playwright’s Round Table, Valencia College, and Breakthrough Theater Company.
Kate O’Claire
Actor, Director, Producer
Kate O’Claire (she/her/hers) is a performer, producer, public speaker, and social justice mage who has been seen on stages throughout Central Florida, Paris, and her home state of Wisconsin. She is passionate about telling unique stories, amplifying historically excluded voices, fighting the patriarchy, riding Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios, eating Taco Bell, and reducing shame around difficult topics.
Nancy Rose Ostinato
Playwright
Nancy Rose Ostinato is honored and thrilled to become an Artistic Associate with Whiskey Theatre Factory. Nancy first got involved with WTF by participating in their One-Minute Virtual Play Competition and was later commissioned to write a monologue, Join the Club, for WTF’s “Broad Strokes: An evening of monologues and plays exploring what it means to be a woman in America". She has been a Central Florida playwright for four years, a delightful surprise and unexpected passion discovered when she took a short playwriting class on a whim. She was even more surprised when the first two short plays she wrote were both selected in an international competition, one as a semi-finalist and the other as a finalist published in the anthology STAGE IT! 2: Thirty 10-Minute Plays. Other notable productions include plays produced by the Snowdance Comedy Festival, Gi60 Houston, Playwrights’ Round Table, the Breakthrough Theatre Company, Valencia College, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Seaside Players, Femuscripts, Fantasy Theatre Factory (Miami), and The Fragmented Festival (a virtual theatre festival). Nancy is published in several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You: 101 Stories of Affirmation, Determination and Female Empowerment (2021), which tells the story of her play Leave a Message in a new piece entitled “Still Leaving a Message”. Nancy holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, had a career in mental health, and will always be, first and foremost, the mother of Michael and Morgan.
Manuel Solis-Bauza
Actor
A born and raised Puerto Rican native, Manuel Solis-Bauza is a graduate of the Rollins College class of 2020, having acquired a BA in Theatre Studies and Communication Theory. Seen on the Rollins stage as Shu Fu in Good Person of Setzuan and Solomon in Speech and Debate, Manuel has recently performed in a variety of acclaimed Central Florida shows such as Nick in The Wingman, produced by New Generation Theatrical, Nelson in Our Lady of the Tortilla, produced by Descolonizarte Teatro, and most recently as Kennedy in The Vast of Darkness, produced by Whiskey Theatre Factory and voted as Critics' Choice for Best Drama at Orlando Fringe 2023.
When he's not on stage, Manuel can be found working as a public relations specialist with Curley & Pynn, the strategic public relations firm. Manuel is proud of his heritage, culture, and most importantly his family who's been incredibly supportive of his career and passions. ¡Pa'lante!
Logan Turner
Actor, Playwright
Logan Turner (she/her/hers) is an actor and playwright in Central Florida. Although dance was her first love, Logan found a home in theater in college. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts from Nebraska Wesleyan University and spent 13 years in Chicago before making her way to the Orlando area. Logan has trained at the Art's Sake Studio in Meisner technique and appeared in local theater and film projects. As a former dancer, singer, synchronized swimmer, and orchestral musician, she is passionate about all forms of performance art that are collaborative, evocative, and above all, entertaining.
Arius West
Actor, Director
ARIUS WEST graduated from the University of Central Florida with his bachelor’s in Theatre, Education, & Stage Combat. He is a performer, teaching artist, and director around the greater Central Florida area. He has worked on productions and projects at The Orlando REP, The Renaissance Theatre Company, CFCArts, ArtReach Orlando, Michelee Puppets, and even SeaWorld & Disney with students K-12 and adults up to 65+. In addition, Arius is a Co-Founder of MAC Boys Entertainment whose main prerogative is to increase black talent on stage and black people in the audience, and to entertain the community with stories FOR us BY us because we are more than our pain and trauma. In the near future, the company will help tell all BIPOC stories.
Some of his most notable works are An Octoroon as BJJ/George/M’Closky, Lenox Ave as a Principal Performer, Aida as Choreographer, Theatre Explorers as a Lead Teaching Artist, and The Colored Museum as a Director.
Board of Directors
Joshua Cartee
Chair
Joshua is an attorney living in Columbus, Ohio, where he represents the Columbus Art Commission and Columbus Department of Development, and is active in the local bar association. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing piano, and composing. His incidental score for synthesizer strings was featured in The Consciousness by Bethany Dickens, which won Best Play at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival in 2019. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Lisa Hardt
Lisa Hardt is seasoned development and fundraising professional with over a decade of administrative experience in Central Florida’s nonprofit arts and culture community. Lisa serves as the Grants Manager at the Orlando Science Center, and previously worked in development positions at Orlando Shakes and Orlando Fringe. Lisa received her BFA in Stage Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has locally stage managed productions and events with Orlando Shakes, Florida Theatrical Association, Come Out with Pride, WeFlip Entertainment, and BlueLaLa Events. In 2023, Lisa co-produced Multitudes at Orlando Fringe, which won both Patrons’ Pick and Critics Choice awards and was nominated for the 18th Annual International Fringe Encore Series.
Clark Levi
Treasurer
Clark Levi (any/all) is a creator and producer for theatre, film and online content based in Orlando, and a longtime Fringer as artist, intern and staff member. They create art and events under their company name, “Lightup Shoebox”, with a mission of encouraging people of all backgrounds to collaborate and discover through art. This includes the recent critically acclaimed “Silence”, the weekly open-to-all artistic club “Play Date” that roams Central Florida, as well as recent productions of the made-in-Central-Florida new shows TAWC-TTOTS, Ink Addicted, The Devil’s Coda, Leviticus and Carmilla: An American Gothic. They’re also the producer for the annual events Play-In-A-Day (formerly produced by Beth Marshall Presents) and Dickens by Candlelight with Three Hats Studios/RS&C. They’ve led workshops on devising, writing and collaborative creation with Orlando Fringe, Florida Theatre Conference, Central Florida Community Arts, Timucua Arts Foundation, Beth Marshall Presents and more. They love Whiskey Theatre Factory for its commitment to fostering new talent and great writers, and connecting artists of all kinds. @lightupshoebox on Facebook and Instagram!
Manuel Solis-Bauza
Vice-Chair
A born and raised Puerto Rican native, Manuel Solis-Bauza is a graduate of the Rollins College class of 2020, having acquired a BA in Theatre Studies and Communication Theory. Seen on the Rollins stage as Shu Fu in Good Person of Setzuan and Solomon in Speech and Debate, Manuel has recently performed in a variety of acclaimed Central Florida shows such as Nick in The Wingman, produced by New Generation Theatrical, Nelson in Our Lady of the Tortilla, produced by Descolonizarte Teatro, and most recently as Kennedy in The Vast of Darkness, produced by Whiskey Theatre Factory and voted as Critics' Choice for Best Drama at Orlando Fringe 2023.
When he's not on stage, Manuel can be found working as a public relations specialist with Curley & Pynn, the strategic public relations firm. Manuel is proud of his heritage, culture, and most importantly his family who's been incredibly supportive of his career and passions. ¡Pa'lante!
Arius West
Secretary
ARIUS WEST graduated from the University of Central Florida with his bachelor’s in Theatre, Education, & Stage Combat. He is a performer, teaching artist, and director around the greater Central Florida area. He has worked on productions and projects at The Orlando REP, The Renaissance Theatre Company, CFCArts, ArtReach Orlando, Michelee Puppets, and even SeaWorld & Disney with students K-12 and adults up to 65+. In addition, Arius is a Co-Founder of MAC Boys Entertainment whose main prerogative is to increase black talent on stage and black people in the audience, and to entertain the community with stories FOR us BY us because we are more than our pain and trauma. In the near future, the company will help tell all BIPOC stories.
Some of his most notable works are An Octoroon as BJJ/George/M’Closky, Lenox Ave as a Principal Performer, Aida as Choreographer, Theatre Explorers as a Lead Teaching Artist, and The Colored Museum as a Director.