Meet the WTF Team
Leadership Team
(aka: the people running WTF day-to-day!)
Max Pinsky: Artistic Director
Also: Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer
Max has been directing in and around Central Florida for over 10 years. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida’s Dept. of Writing & Rhetoric, holding both a BA and MA in Rhetoric & Composition. Likewise, he is also currently pursuing an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Idaho. Max was first invited to a Whiskey Theatre Factory Artist Salon back in June of 2022, presenting a section of a play he wrote with Liv Tyndall titled Sappho at Mytilene. He a lifelong student and practitioner of Greek drama, which he continues to produce under Project no.19 Performance Company. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, Max has been a director (“Love-All,” What's in the Basement, Honey?, 2023), playwright (“Asopao,” Still on Zoom, 2023; COMBINED, April 2024), stage manager (The Saints of West Orange County, 2024 Orlando Fringe), and actor (Bi Bi Bi, 2024). He holds such a deep admiration for developing new work from rising and returning theatre artists and firmly believes that a theatre that believes in community should always be a place to try something new. He is a supporter of multilingual writing and work that emphasizes the unique and individual taste of the artist. Feel free to meet Max at one of WTF’s regular Artist Salons!
Ruby Dickerson: Associate Artistic Director
Also: Actor, Director, Stage Manager
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.
Bethany Dickens Assaf: Director of Finance and Development
Also: Actor, Dramaturg, Playwright, Producer, Stage Manager, All the Things
Founding Member of WTF
Bethany Dickens Assaf is a Producer, Playwright, Dramaturg, Director, Actor, and all around theatre-maker passionate about new works. Her plays have been read, developed, and produced across the country, including at Orlando’s Fringe, where her play The Vast of Darkness won Best Play-Drama in 2023! In addition, her theatre projects have received grants from United Arts of Central Florida and the Greater Columbus Arts Council and she’s produced over thirty new plays and short play festivals in Orlando alone.
Ms Dickens Assaf’s former arts nonprofit roles include Literary Manager at MadLab Theatre of Columbus, Stage Management with the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus, and administrative roles with The Ohio State University’s Arts and Humanities Discovery Theme, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and Central Florida Community Arts. Ms Dickens Assaf also brings 12 years of grant writing experience to WTF - she also currently writes for Orlando Family Stage and Playwrights’ Round Table.
When she’s not making new plays happen, you can find her reading, running, obsessively checking her fantasy football team, or hanging out with her wonderful 2 year old, Mateo!
Valeria Hernández: Communications Director
Also: Director, Photographer, Graphic Designer
Val is thrilled to join Whiskey Theatre Factory as Communications Director! Theater has always been her sanctuary as a director, actor, and writer, and she feels at home among WTF’s brilliant artists.
Before motherhood, she studied Film at Full Sail University and earned a Graphic Design certification. Her directorial work includes Still on Zoom: A Night of Virtual Plays – Asopao (2023), The Saints of West Orange County (2024, Orlando Fringe), Bi Bi Bi (OutFest 2024), and How It Gets In (2025). She’s also designed posters for multiple WTF productions.
A proud Puerto Rican, grilled cheese enthusiast, and dog mom, Val is grateful that every path has led her back to theater. Her work honors her daughter and partner, who fill her life with love and inspiration.
"This is for the weirdos, the misfits, the deep feelers—anyone who has ever felt like an outcast: you belong. You matter. There's always a seat for you at my table."
The Collective
(The people who help select our shows and make them happen!)
Artistic Associates
(Artists we love and work with whenever possible!)
Board of Directors
Lisa Hardt
Chair
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.
Joshua Cartee
Chair Emeritus
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.