Gemma Pilar Alfaro

Born in Long Beach. CA Storyteller. Black and Salvadoreña, but she did an Ancestry so it's a little more complicated... B.A. in Theatre & Creative Writing from University of LA Verne. Being mixed, identitiy was always in question. In her work, she is intrepid in her pursuit to be seen.

Frances Brennand Roper

Frances holds a BA in English and Philosophy from Nottingham University and an MFA in Acting from City University of London. She has performed across the UK, NYC, and LA, working in theatre, film, and TV. Her screen credits include Herotica (dir. Pete Hewitt), Scars (Best Actress nominee, Idyllwild Film Festival), Severance (Apple) The Pharm, and We Were Tomorrow (Amazon). A WGA member, she wrote on Limitless (CBS) and is developing multiple film, TV, and theatre projects and is also in prep for climate-crisis play premiering in LA later this year.

Tristan Turner

Tristan Turner is an LA-based actor and is thrilled to be part of this new project! Past credits include La Havana Madrid (South Coast Rep), The Residence (Netflix), All-American (The CW), and most recently he started in a feature film that was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival! Thank you so much for coming to support this project!!

Drew Simon

Drew is an actor and writer from Denver, Colorado. He received his BFA in Acting from the University of Northern Colorado with a double minor emphasis in English and Film. He is the founder of Middle Man Production Company which put on its first theatrical production in the spring of 2023, Rajiv Joseph's award winning Gruesome Playground Injuries, which Drew starred in and produced. Recently featured in Damien Chezelle's Babylon. He can be seen in the upcoming Blood Yolk which is due to be released later this year.

Justin Powell

Justin Powell is thrilled to be a part of Beyond the Pale. He can currently be seen starring in the feature film Big Rage on HereTV. Other recent films include Rolling, Symbio, and Ganache, which he also directed. His latest feature is slated to debut at the Oscars Qualifying Miami International Film Festival this fall, and he has three more features in pre-production. Justin is also a producer (with his prod. co. RJR), a headshot photographer (at Michael Roud Studios), and a professional D&D DM ('cause he's a big ol' nerd). Follow him on IG @justin_r_powell, his headshot portfolio @mrp_plus, and check out @theactingnotes, the actor resource page he created and curates. He'd also like to take this opportunity to thank his brilliant partner, Georgia Warner, for her coaching, encouragement and love! Love you!

Jacob Zukowski

Jacob Zukowski is an American actor best known for his role as Joseph Bradehoft in the Netflix series Monsters: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In recent years, he has collaborated on several independent films, including Double Bondsmen, Operation WhiteBoy, Quarantine: A Love Story, and Midnight Television. A newer face on the California stage, he made his theatrical debut at Oxnard College, performing as Torse in The Footage (2024) and as the Drug Dealer/Ensemble in RENT (2024). A carpenter by trade, Jacob often compares himself to Harrison Ford and is working toward landing his own “Han Solo role.”

Zuri Starks

Zuri Starks is an actor and a new filmmaker. She has an extensive training background, from Meisner Technique to classical to movement training within acting and yoga. Beginning her training in Chicago at 15 years old to getting her B.A. at the University of Iowa, to many classes in LA (especially at AMAW), and to training in London, it's safe to say she has a curiosity and love for learning and exploring the craft. Although she started on the stage, she has crossed over into the tv/film world. Zuri has graced our screens in Chicago Fire, This Is Us, Days of Our Lives and other shows. Along with many short films, feature films, and commercials. In 2022 she checked off a bucket list box of being in a period piece, the film Rustin with director George C. Wolfe and Golden Globes Nominee Colman Domingo. Her line was cut, but if you glimpse close you can still see her face, show biz right?

Natasha Elías

Natasha Elías is a Miami born, Peruvian, Argentinean, and Jewish multi-hyphenate Actress, Writer, and Director. A New World School of the Arts alum, she champions multigenerational stories that blend heart, humor, and a dash of magical realism. Her debut film, Frenesi, premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. Natasha also guest-stars on FOX’s The Cleaning Lady, ABC’s Station 19, and High Potential, among others. A special thank you to Gemma, Frances, Zuri, and the entire cast and crew of this production — what a beautiful example of making your own work, sharing it with the world, and believing in ourselves. Deeply proud and endlessly appreciative to be a part of this production. Sláinte!

Celina Lee Surniak

Celina Lee Surniak (she/her/hers) is based in Los Angeles, CA and specializes in physical storytelling. After spending several years working as a stunt woman and stage combatant, she discovered her love for choreography. Celina began her journey with Intimacy work in 2018 with IDI (Intimacy Directors International) under the instruction of Tonia Sina, Siobhan Richardson, and Alicia Rodis. The core of all of Celina’s work- whether it be intimacy or fight/stunts oriented- is consent based and collaborative. She believes in celebrating humans when they are discovering what their boundaries and needs are.

Kara Jenelle “KJ” Wade

Kara Jenelle “KJ” Wade, MFA is a multi-hyphenate choreographer, performer, and cultural conduit who joins Loyola Marymount University’s Dance Department as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor. She holds a B.A. in Dance with a Minor in African American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an MFA from UCLA’s Department of World Arts & Cultures/Dance. With 15 years of experience in the performing arts, she brings a dynamic blend of choreography, education, activism, and production to her academic role. KJ’s career spans over 18 countries, where she has taught and performed as a guest artist. She recently represented the United States as a cultural performer at the 2025 World Expo in Japan and is preparing for her company’s debut at Jacob’s Pillow Summer Dance Festival. She has served on faculty for programs such as Ladies of Hip Hop, AfroNation Portugal, Next Level Hip Hop Diplomacy, and Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio. Her performance credits include Beyoncé (Black Is King), Janet Jackson, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Daddy Yankee, Gladys Knight (Coming 2 America), the Black Eyed Peas, and Step Afrika!. Her work has appeared on BET, Nike, NBC, the Latin Grammys, The Ellen Show, and YouTube, where her choreography has garnered over 19 million views. KJ is the Founder and Artistic Director of KaJe Movement Collective and the visionary behind Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity, Inc. She is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Through her teaching, she creates brave, embodied, and globally conscious classrooms that merge technique, culture, and community with scholarship and soul.

Ryleigh Dionne

Ryleigh Dionne is a classically trained actress having studied at UCLA and Loyola Marymount University where she received her BA in Theatre Arts with honors in just 3 years. She has appeared as an actress and model in productions for Netflix, MACRO, Homegrown Pictures and DC Kid's to name a few. Simultaneously, she continued to explore storytelling through the medium of screenwriting working at Sony Studios: Overbrook Entertainment and later Team Downey. Her interest in fashion lead her to dabble in styling. She assisted stylists dressing A-list rappers, singers and actresses.