Jesús I. Valles | Playwright & Actor

Jesús I. Valles is a queer Mexican immigrant, educator, writer-performer from Cd. Juarez/El Paso. Valles is the winner of the 2025 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting International Award (SPREAD), a 2023 Princess Grace Award in Theater, the 2023 Yale Drama Prize (BATHHOUSE.PPTX), the 2022 Kernodle Playwriting Prize (A RIVER, ITS MOUTHS), and was named the 2022 Emerging Theatre Professional by the National Theatre Conference. As a playwright, Valles has been produced by INTAR (SPREAD), the Latino Theatre Co. ((UN)DOCUMENTS), ZACH Theatre (UNA NOCHE BUENA), and The Flea (BATHHOUSE.PPTX), and has received development support from The Bushwick Starr, The Lortel, Manhattan Theatre Club, OUTsider Festival, The Playwrights’ Center, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and Teatro Vivo. As a poet, Valles received fellowships from CantoMundo, Community of Writers, Idyllwild Arts, Lambda Literary, Tin House, and Undocupoets. Valles is currently a member of New Dramatists class of 2031. They received their MFA in Writing for Performance from Brown University.

Adil Mansoor | Director

ADIL MANSOOR is a Pittsburgh-based director centering queer folks and people of color. He’s developed new work with The O’Neill Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Playwrights Realm, Playwrights' Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Mercury Store, and others. Recent directing projects include DADDIES by Paul Kruse (Audible), ALMOST EQUAL TO by Jonas Hassen Khemiri (Pittsburgh Playhouse), and FIRST LADY by Sedef Ecer (PICT). Next year, he will direct the world premieres of Christopher Rivas’ PUNCHLINE (City Theatre) and DJ Hills’ HORSEGIRL AND COWDADDY (Wilma Theater and Soho Rep). Mansoor’s solo performance AMM(I)GONE, an investigation of ANTIGONE, queerness, and Islam co-created with his mom, was produced Off-Broadway by PlayCo, The Flea, Woolly Mammoth, and Kelly Strayhorn, and continues to tour nationally. Mansoor is the founding Artistic Director of Pittsburgh’s Hatch Arts Collective and the former Artistic Director of Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQ+ youth arts organization. www.adilmansoor.com

Kasson Marroquin | Stage Manager

KASSON MARROQUIN (they/he) (Production Stage Manager): Off-Broadway: JEROME, WET BRAIN (co-pro with MCC), THE THIN PLACE (Playwrights Horizons); WOLF PLAY, THE LIGHT, CHARM (MCC); TARTUFFE, BECOMING EVE (NYTW); ORLANDO (Signature Theatre); MONTAG (Soho Rep.); CYMBELINE, OUT OF TIME (NAATCO); HAMLET, ORESTEIA (The Park Avenue Armory); BLISS (Breaking the Binary Theatre). Regional: CAMINO REAL (Williamstown Theatre Festival); YOUR LOCAL THEATER PRESENTS..., KILL LOCAL (La Jolla Playhouse); QUIXOTE NUEVO (Hartford Stage). Dance/Touring: MINOR MUSIC AT THE END OF THE WORLD (Hartwig Art Foundation); THE BIG FIVE-OH!, COME TO YOUR SENSES, SHADOWLAND, SHADOWLAND THE NEW ADVENTURE, PILOBOLUS at The Joyce Theater (Pilobolus); DESCENT (Kinetic Light). Music/Opera: THE COUNTERFEIT OPERA, THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (Little Island); PATH OF MIRACLES, TREE OF CODES (Spoleto Festival USA). Events: MCC Theater’s Miscast, San Diego Comic-Con’s The Good Place Activation, Yo-Yo Ma’s Day of Action, Queer Liberation March Rally. Education: MFA, University of California San Diego; BA, University of North Texas.

Ishmael Gonzalez | Collaborator

Ishmael Gonzalez is a Cuban-American artist based in New York City with roots in Miami, FL. They were in the 1st National Tour of & JULIET before joining the Broadway Company for a stint. Ishmael was also part of the Drama Desk Award-winning cast of SPREAD at INTAR Theater, in which they individually received a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance. They are deeply grateful to their family, friends, and educators for the lessons and love. @ishmoves. YoungArts & NWSA '18. UNCSA '22. Para mis ángeles Julio, Mima y Zoraida.