Staged Reading of Dance Nation by Clare Barron

Justin Cimino received his BFA in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. As an actor, he has performed Off-Broadway and in many other productions in NYC. Justin teaches acting and movement in the BFA Acting Program and Commercial Dance Programs at Pace University. He has directed and taught clowning and devising at NYU Tisch, Columbia University, The Studio/NY, The Public’s Shakespeare Initiative, Terry Schreiber Studio, Smashworks Dance Company, and Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Justin has workshopped his own solo work with Austin Pendleton at the Director’s Company. Justin is the former Artistic Director of Zara Aina, a nonprofit organization that brings devised theater and clowning to at-risk youth and adults in Madagascar and the United States. He was hired by UNICEF to use Zara Aina’s theater work to mobilize communities in Madagascar to fight polio. He has also brought Zara Aina’s work to rural Southern Alabama, building several original pageant-style shows with community members ages 4-84. Justin has devised and directed several productions for his theater company Pigeonholed, of which he is the Founder and Artistic Director. Justin is a recipient of a SUCASA grant from the Queens Council on the Arts, for which he devised an original theater piece with senior citizens. He has devised/directed productions at TheaterLab and The Tank, as well as 3AM Theatre and The 14th Street Y.

Celestine Rae is an actress, dancer, teacher, and emerging director. Her artistic journey began as a modern dancer in her hometown of Philadelphia where she studied dance at Philadanco!, Koresh, and Soliloquy in Motion Dance Studios. Her training in various forms of dance grew into a deep passion for acting. Celestine is a graduate of The William Esper Studio where she studied under Terry Knickerbocker. 

Celestine teaches acting at Pace University, New York University- Experimental Theatre Wing, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, and Primary Stages.

As an actress, Celestine has performed in various off Broadway shows and regional theatre. She has performed on stage at The National Black Theatre, Classic Stage Company, The Billie Holiday Theatre, The Actors Temple Theatre and with the Resident Ensemble Players in Delaware. She has also worked as an actor with Premier Stages, Abingdon Theatre Company, LaMaMa, NJ Rep, New Dramatists, NYMadness, The American Slavery Project, and the Obie Award Winning 48 Hours in Harlem.

Most recent TV & Film Credits include: Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), The Mysteries of Laura (NBC), Law & Order SVU (NBC), Eye Candy (MTV) and many independent films. 

Celestine has directed for The United Solo Festival, Project Y Theatre, Keen Teens, The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, and various staged and private play readings. She was also the co-creator and co-artistic director of The Naked Expedition Project, a play reading series dedicated to showcasing underrepresented voices and stories in theatre.  She also served as Artistic Director of Keen Teens Festival of New Work in their 16th & 17th seasons. 

Based in New York and a recent graduate of Terry Knickerbocker Studio’s Two Year Conservatory, Kakra has an impressive repertoire, gracing film, television, and theater productions with her dynamic acting style and profound commitment to her craft.

Annie McGovern is a A NYC based actor, producer, singer and lifelong believer in the beauty of the creative process.

After graduating from the Rutgers Theater Dept, Annie continued her exploration of the Meisner Technique in NYC with Bill Esper, Maggie Flanagan and eventually with Terry. Other notable teachers include Barbara Marchant, Lloyd Williamson, Pierre Lefevre, Thomas G Waites, Vince D’Onofrio, Tim Phillips and mentor Seret Scott.

While her roots are in the theater, she has worked extensively in film and television as well. She is currently working as an acting coach for top rated series on Paramount + and Netflix. And just this year she was Executive Producer on the film HALTED which deals with issues stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.

On stage Annie has appeared, over the last 20 yrs, in productions throughout the city- everything from Off Off to celebrated long running Off-Broadway productions.

Believing in the importance of creating an artistic home, Annie served as a founding Artistic Director of the 3Graces Theater Company. Overseeing nearly a decade of work that resulted in collaborations with hundreds of the city’s most creative artists, notably – Rob Askins, Antoinette Nwandu, Chiara Atik, Noah Galvin, Francis Benhamou, William Jackson Harper & Lila Neugebauer.

Under her leadership 3Graces was awarded the LPTWs Lucille Lortel Award for Emerging Theater Co. and produced several World Premieres. As an Assistant Director she has been fortunate to be involved in many wonderful productions-most notably The Taming of the Shrew– Dir Thomas G Waites at The Baruch Performing Arts Center, and Dark Laughter– Dir Estelle Parsons at The Actors Studio.As a facilitator/producer Annie helms the SAG/AEA signatory Simulations Inc, hiring actors to work in the corporate space using improvisational techniques working on improving communication skills for sales teams in the US as well as internationally. Annie is a member of The Actors Center and as a singer can be seen in all the downtown hotspots with her band.

Lia Bonfilio is an actor, deviser, and dancer from Minnesota. She is known for her dynamic performances, collaborative spirit, and particular affinity for portraying strong, complex female characters. THEATRE – A View From the Bridge, Beatrice, SOOP Theater Company (Dir. Francesco Campari); Fragments of Outside, June Ashbury, WAM Theater, (Dir. Genée Coreno); In These Mountains, 3AM Theater, (Dir. Justin Cimino); Then She Fell, The Red Queen, Third Rail Projects; Sweet & Lucky, (Dir. Zach Morris), Denver Center for the Performing Arts; First Do No Harm, Death, (Dirs. Jadd Tank, Tara Rynders) FILM – Will You Please Hit Me, Lisa, (Dir. Jack Frederick), Jack and Melissa Productions; Sheng, Diane, (Steven Chen Dir.), Stonestreet Studios. Lia is a graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio and received a BFA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago.

Leyla is a Pakistani actor and writer who loves to find humor in darkness and the shadows in comedy. A recent graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio, she is a member of the Rising Sun Performance Company and is passionate about crafting thought-provoking characters through experimental theatre. 

Andrea Murillo is a versatile performer, director, and educator whose work spans dance, theater, film, and circus arts. She has performed globally with the Martha Graham Dance Company, portrayed Lady Macbeth in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, and toured with major circus productions. Her co-directed and self produced work, Eventide, premiered internationally and her dance film Conduit was screened at Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera Festival. Andrea has taught masterclasses for YoungArts, serves as a dance instructor at the Mark Morris Dance Center, and is a graduate of Terry Knickerbocker’s two-year Meisner program. Currently, Andrea collaborates as a creative director for theater and film projects, bringing her expertise and vision to each new endeavor. @dremurillo

Sophia is a Senior at Edward R Murrow High School in the Theater Program. She is a graduate of the TKS NextGen Summer High School Intensive. In school, she has appeared in “The Future is Eggs” as Roberta, “Maleficent” as Maleficent, and “Peter Pan” as Peter Pan.  She also participated in 7 years of Piper Theater Camp. Sophia also loves to sing, dance, and play the drums. She recently did Kung Fu for Chinese New Year in Chinatown. She is excited to join other TK alumni and faculty members on this project.

Christopher Lewis Dawkins is a recent graduate from the two-year conservatory program at Terry Knickerbocker Studio, where he studied under Celestine Rae. He recently played Marcus in the tour guide mockumentary, “Misguided” (Mariah Marasco).  Christopher is an award winning director — his recent financial literacy series, “Your World on Money” won a Telly Award and was featured on the Jennifer Hudson Show. Instagram: christopherdawk

Hannah Schmitt is an Actor currently in her second year of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio Conservatory program. Favorite credits include: Mr.Burns a Post Electric Play (Homer Simpson), Biffle (Gabby) and A Marriage Proposal (Stepan Chubukov). When not performing or training, she works as a Production Advisor, Teaching Artist, Director and Choreographer for various schools and children’s theatre companies across NY. She has received SAFD Stage Combat Certifications in Single Sword and Knife. Hannah holds a BA from Muhlenberg College in Theater.