K O, aka Karen Olivo, is a professional artist and educator living/working on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Madison, WI, and most recently, the land of the Council of the Three Fires (Ojibwe, Odawa, and the Potawatomi) in Evanston, IL. KO embodies the principles and values of anti-oppression by vowing to use their work to further our collective liberation. KO is most widely known for their acting work that spans the last 25 years on Broadway and TV. They won their Tony Award for their performance of Anita in the 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story directed by Arthur Laurents, for which they also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Nominations. Most recently, they received their 2nd Tony Award nomination for the role of Satine in Moulin Rouge, The Musical. KO is also recognized for their many television appearances, including series regular, recurring and guest-starring roles on Harry's Law (NBC), The Good Wife (CBS), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Chase, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Conviction, and Law and Order. In the Spring of 2020, KO transitioned back into teaching to refocus their energy on the future. They now work at Northwestern University, where they are an Associate Professor and the Donald G. Robertson—Director of Music Theatre Certificate Program. KO supports organizations like Democracy Now, NY-CLU, Pay Equity Standards, The Industry Standard Group, PAAL, and Collaboraction.
IG: @karenolivo76
Miranda Holliday is an Afro-Latin, gender non-conforming, award-winning dramaturg, playwright, librettist, and vocalist from Columbus, NJ. Their works, including their musical Brother, a historical retelling of the Black experience in the Vietnam War, and Arroz Con Pollo, a latin- post apocalyptic play, have been performed on renowned New York stages like Feinstein’s 54 Below and the Rattlestick Theater. They've mentored and directed at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center with National Musical Theatre Institute and the Young Playwrights Festival. They have performed in Off Broadway productions like Ain’t Misbehavin', Ragtime, and A Raisin in the Sun earning a Kennedy Center Honor for Distinguished Performance. As a designer, Miranda specializes in masking and puppetry. A graduate of NYU Tisch with an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, they hold a unique co-major in Theatre and Political Science from Albright College, where they received training in music and theatre. Miranda is a Miranda Family Fellowship alum, recognizing their excellence as an artist of color.
IG: @mirandapholliday
Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA is an accomplished Casting Director and Producer with nearly two decades of experience in film and television. Throughout her career, Amanda has received numerous accolades for her work, including twelve Artios Award nominations and one win from the Casting Society. Her work on short film Please Hold earned the project an Academy Award nomination in 2022, highlighting her expertise in nurturing emerging talent. Other notable projects include 2024 film festival darling Duino which she also produced, Hulu film We Broke Up, the Emmy-winning ABC series Black-ish, ABC's The Muppets, Hulu’s Zac & Mia, the critically acclaimed Wayne for YouTube Premium, and most recently, Glen Powell’s Chad Powers for 20th/Hulu & David Michôd’s untitled Christy Martin biopic, starring Sydney Sweeney.
Amanda is a proud member of Women in Film, the Television Academy, Film Independent, and the Casting Society where she served seven years as an Executive Board member and Treasurer successfully producing CSA's Artios Awards in Los Angeles, New York, and London during her tenure. With a focus on promoting diversity, inclusion, and equitable access within the film industry, Amanda actively advocates for underrepresented voices, hoping to create a more inclusive entertainment landscape for the next generation of artists.
Website: castingbyamanda.com
IG: @casting.amanda
Courtney Locke is an actress, choreographer and founder of Actor Mommy Productions. Some of her recent credits include playing The Bartender in the new musical, Rathskeller, at SheArts ATL as well as producing multiple, original shows at the Aurora Theater and on the Hertz stage as a part of their Club Hertz series. As a choreographer, she has the pleasure to choreograph for schools across Georgia and is a regular at Woodstock Arts. She currently has a film, I Could Just Die & That Would Be Alright, showing at the Atlanta Film Festival. Her recent most project was directing and choreographing 9 to 5 The Musical for Woodstock Arts.
IG: @thecourtneylocke
IG: @actormommy
Domonique Aviles is a casting professional based in Orlando, FL. Born in North Carolina but raised in Philadelphia, Domonique has been a part of the theater community for over 19 years. Domonique found her love of casting during her assistant director debut of Honk Jr and decided that casting was what she wanted to pursue. In 2021, she applied for the Lin Manuel Miranda Casting Fellowship, where she was 1 of 3 candidates to be selected out of 750 applicants for the inaugural cohort of fellows. She began to work directly for The Telsey Office, known for Wicked, The Color Purple (2023), and Only Murders in the Building. While there, she was a part of many projects including the Beetlejuice Tour, Hamilton, Next Chapter Podcasts, and Pretty Little Liars: Summer School. Now, she works at Universal Orlando Resort as a Casting Coordinator, casting the new upcoming Mega Movie Parade and the long-awaited Epic Universe.
IG: @domaviles
Erika Miranda is a Mexican-Norwegian actor, producer, and director. She received her BFA in Acting from The Theater School at DePaul University. Erika pursued additional training from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Upright Citizens Brigade. Her theater credits extend from Chicago-LA-Atlanta. Some of Erika’s recent TV work consists of acting in a Blumhouse horror film, and FOX’s Monarch and Hulu’s Tell Me Lies. Erika founded Cafecito Productions, an incubative production company. Cafecito Production’s first production, Mi Casa, can be found on all HBO platforms. Erika has been awarded top accolades including named one of the Amazing Women in Film by Oz Magazine, featured in Telemundo’s Atlanta Con Sabor: Latinos in Entertainment Segment and one of Georgia’s Top Industry Influencers by Georgia Entertainment, 2024.
Website: https://www.erikainesmiranda.com/
https://www.cafecitoproductions.com/
IG: @erika.ines.miranda
IG: @cafecitoproductions
Caroline Donica is an actress and multidisciplinary artist whose work embraces innovation, collaboration, and diversity. She holds her MFA in Performing Arts and two Bachelor degrees in History and Theatre Performance. Currently, Caroline is the CEO of Open Seat Productions, a film production company based in Atlanta. She made her Atlanta directorial debut in 2024 with Exit, Pursued by a Bear with Contemporary Classics Theatre, and starred in Kim's Convenience at the Aurora Theatre/Horizon Theatre. She is represented by People Store Talent Agency.
Website: www.carolinedonica.com
IG: @carolinedonica
IG: @openseatproductions
Nadel Henville is a multi-hyphenate actor, playwright, and producer that resides in New York City. As a first-generation immigrant from St. Lucia, they’ve found a place for themselves and who they can be within the Arts. They found their professional path as an actor through National Theater Institute's Theatermakers program in 2021, where they became a Miranda Family Fellow and now alum. Some credits include: A one woman TYA show, Warriors Don’t Cry Tour; Former Kings of Clutch City, Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, & two episodes of the true crime series Evil Lives Here. Their latest production was recently Love’s Labor’s Lost at Smith Street Stage.
Website: https://www.nadelhenville.com/
IG: @itsnadel
Michelle Pokopac is an actor, producer, dramaturg, and activist. In 2018, Michelle and her partners founded East by Southeast, an organization dedicated to connecting Asian artists in Atlanta while creating opportunities to support inclusivity and authentic representation. In response to the social and racial injustice brought forth in 2020, Michelle teamed up with several artist-activist organizations to protest, facilitate, and hold active positions of power accountable. Her relationship with art, social justice, and identity have blended harmoniously into a life and career that have deepened her pillars of gratitude, joy, and passion.
IG: @pokopac IG: @east_x_southeast
Alexis Elisa Macedo (she/her) is a versatile, tenacious, unapologetic Chicana. She’s a producer, performer, and playwright, who crafts campy, imaginative paper-playgrounds for generational trauma breakers.
Education: Advanced Playwriting & Theatermakers Intensive - National Theater Institute, Fresno State - BA, Theater Arts.
Awards: Individual Artist Fellowship, California Arts Council; Miranda Family Fellow Alum.
Original Works: I Don’t Speak Spanish, Julia de Burgos, Cultural Center, SOL Fest; Hombres Verdaderos: Part 1, Lime Arts Productions; Red Hood(ie), Lime Arts Productions, published by Next Stage Press; CHICANA LEGEND, The Fools Collaborative, SheATL Arts; Under the Sheet, Moxie NYC Arts - August 2024.
Website: www.alexiselisamacedo.com
IG:@alexiselisamacedo