Welcome to
Here and Queer!

Dramaturg

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!

Director/Graphic Design

Ruby 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.

Director

Liz is a Florida local and a learning and development professional by day. She's been involved in theatre since she can remember and she's been making art with Whiskey Theatre Factory since the beginning. She's proud to be here and queer and hopes that this night of plays helps you feel proud as well. 

Stage Manager

Meghan Pratt (Stage Manager) (she/her/hers) is a stage manager and literary manager in Central Florida. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and Media, Meghan spent some time in Pennsylvania working as an assistant stage manager for People’s Light, working on such shows as Romeo and Juliet: A Requiem and Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie. Since moving to Florida, Meghan has stage-managed two productions of The Consciousness, winning best play at the 2019 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival, was literary manager for Playwrights’ Round Tables’ three productions of Connected Voices, and stage-managed Fringe’s Best Play-Drama The Vast of Darkness in 2023.

Dramaturg

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!

Graphic Design/Show Photography

Val is PUMPED to work with her favorite mages of the stages at Whiskey Theatre Factory again. As a proud bisexual, these stories are dear to her heart. Recently, Val was appointed Communications Director/Show Photographer for WTF and has had the pleasure of shooting and designing graphics for multiple productions across the 2024-2026 seasons. When she’s not behind a camera lens or editing, you can find her at home running after her 4 year old, playing Sims, collecting oddities, and fighting the patriarchy.

Lead with love!!