Whiskey Theatre Factory is proud to host the program for:
The One Who Calls
Welcome to the show!
Written and Directed by Bethany Dickens Assaf
Co-Producer and Assistant Director - Liz Bernstein
Assistant Director - Charis Watler
Dramaturg - Gabriella Headley
Stage Manager - Meghan Pratt
Lighting Design - Liz Bernstein
Scenic Design - Bethany Dickens Assaf and Ruby Dickerson
Sound Design - Bethany Dickens Assaf
Costume Design - Ruby Dickerson
CAST
Bre Wells (Shawn) is an actress and scenic artist, born and raised right here in Central Florida. You can normally find her in the Orlando Shakes scene shop, training stage combat with LANCE Orlando, or acting in various productions around town. Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet (Ensemble, u/s. Abram, Orlando Shakes), The Play That Goes Wrong (Annie, Ritz Theatre) and The Wrath of the Red Queen (White Rabbit, LANCE Orlando). She also just completed her first assistant director role for Agnes of God, with Epicharis Theatres. Additionally, Bre is a Fringe fanatic, so if you see her on the lawn, feel free to say hi! She would like to dedicate this performance to Kitty Beach Doyle, and to Buffie, the most open-minded skeptic she ever knew.
Ashley Twilla (Morgan, Shawn/Charlie understudy) is a local playwright and poet with experience in stage managing, assistant directing, and now making her debut as an actor. She's always been interested in what potentially exists between realities and is extremely grateful to learn more about what artistic processes go into creating a show. In her free time she paints mini-figures for Dungeons and Dragons, and now researches aliens! She'd like to thank everyone who's helped support her through every new skills she attempts to learn.
Jessica Aquino (Charlie) is a Filipino-American actor who found her love for performance at a young age through ballet. Since then, she’s explored other forms of live stage performance and in 2022, she began her journey as a film and commercial actor in Orlando, Florida. This year, she is excited to participate in her first live theater performance at the Fringe Festival. Her dedication to lead with honesty and empathy drives her work in acting as well as her appreciation for dance and the arts. Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to find their voice and grow in their own creativity.
Taylor Byerly (Cal) is excited to be back at Fringe, after performing in Saints of West Orange County at Orlando Fringe 2024. Most recently seen in My Dear Debbie with New Generation, Taylor brings over a decade of performance experience to the stage. They are also an entertainment stage manager at Walt Disney World, where they continue to grow as a leader and storyteller. Taylor is passionate about creating meaningful, inclusive work that connects with audiences and celebrates authenticity because love is love.
Marisa Davis (Jeanine) is excited to have the opportunity to get involved in a theatre community. She loves all aspects of theatre but especially enjoys pretending to be someone else. By day, she is a Human Capital Consultant, helping companies ensure their employees are ready for people, process, or system changes. To relax, Marisa likes to “run”, do Pilates, read, binge TV, or relax with the Cupcake (a cat - the only sweet allowed in the house ;) ).
Emily Lupfer (Christine) is beaming back to Orlando Fringe for her fifth festival appearance, where she most recently performed in The Saints of West Orange County with Whiskey Theatre Factory. She is an Orlando-based actor, host, and writer, and can regularly be found performing at theme parks and attractions across Central Florida
An Orlando-based performer, Benjamin Mainville (Drew) is excited to be once again a part of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival! Previous Fringe credits include Standing Up and American History vs. American Idol. Benjamin is a believer - in the community theater scene. Some favorite past credits include: Too Many Detectives at the Murder Mansion (Shaggy/Scooby Doo), Reefer Madness (Ralph), Biloxi Blues (Eugene), and If I Had My Way (Ty).
Loraine O’Connell (Ruth) has performed on Central Florida stages for 25 years. Favorite roles include Mama in “Bye Bye Birdie” and Suzette in “Don’t Dress for Dinner” at The Ice House Theatre; Mrs. Prynne in “Da” at Theatre Downtown; Annette in Emerald Productions’ “Coming Soon…Maybe” at the Hideaway Performing Arts Center; Edith in Breakthrough Theatre’s production of “Something Borrowed”; and Brandi in “Paper or Plastic,” Playwrights Round Table. Loraine wants to thank Bethany Dickens for the opportunity to appear in the Orlando Fringe’s “The One Who Calls.”
Jenn Schell (Frances) is thrilled to be making her Orlando Fringe debut with such a talented cast and creative team! Her previous acting credits include Shrek the Musical and Young Frankenstein, both at the Ritz Theater in Sanford, as well as shows at Playwright's Round Table and Breakthrough Theatre. Her work as a playwright has been produced at Breakthrough Theatre, DTC Radio and UCF's Project Spotlight. She is a graduate of UCF with dual degrees in Theatre and Creative Writing. She is eternally grateful to her husband Nik for his unwavering support. Enjoy the show!
Reese Twilla (Dave) is an actor/director/writer and alligator wrestler from Tennessee. He has also been involved locally in multiple productions, including playing Nick in "Everyone's Fine With Virginia Woolf", the Vampire in Bethany Dickens' original, "How It Gets In", and winning first place writing in Whiskey Theatre Factory's One Minute Play Competition. Reese is currently authoring multiple projects, with much of his passion being devoted to writing his ongoing D&D campaign of the past two years.
Lainie Bennett (Caller Swing)
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM
Bethany Dickens Assaf (Playwright, Producer, Director, Sound Designer) is a freelance playwright, dramaturg, and theatre artist, and the co-founder of Whiskey Theatre Factory in Orlando, Florida. Her work takes place at the intersection of gender and fandom. Almost 100 of her plays have been performed or read across the country including her twisty sci-fi play, The Consciousness, which has been performed at over 10 fringe festivals across the country and won Best Play at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Most recently, her play The Vast of Darkness won the Critics' Choice for "Best Play - Drama" at the Orlando Fringe Festival a few years back.
Liz Bernstein (Co-Producer, Assistant Director, Lighting Designer) is a Florida local and a professional in the Learning & Development space. She's been a part of the WTF Collective since the very first 1-minute play festival. You've seen her on stage as Sophia in The Saints of West Orange County at Orlando Fringe, and behind the scenes in shows such as How It Gets In and Rome and Her Sister. Liz loves the craft of creating art, whether a staged reading or a full production, and she loves getting the chance to work with such dedicated and professional artists, in WTF and beyond.
Charis Watler (Assistant Director) is an Orlando based director, actor, and producer. She has directed for many theatre companies in Orlando, including the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Fringe, and WTF. She also fills many roles with Central Florida Community Arts Youth, including teaching artist, stage manager, and director. She is passionate about producing new plays, uplifting minority voices and seeks to produce art that holds meaning for her (whatever that may be!). Charis feels so blessed to be creating live theatre in such a supportive environment and cannot wait to see what her future with WTF holds.
Meghan Pratt (Stage Manager) 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.
Gabriella Headley (Dramaturg) is an actor, director, and dramaturg from Orlando, Florida. Gabby holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Florida Southern College, and a MFA in Acting from the University of Central Florida. Dramaturgy credits include Slaymaker by Bethany Dickens Assaf, Bite Me by Eliana Pipes, Party to Grief by various playwrights produced by Whiskey Theatre Factory, and an upcoming devised project produced by Playwrights Round Table. gabriellaheadley.com
Ruby Dickerson (Set and Costume Designer) is a local theatre artist and actor. Past acting performances “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.
Valeria Hernandez (Photographer) is a sagittarius, graphic designer, director, photographer, mom, Bethany fan club member, and grilled cheese enthusiast who howls at the moon. She is beyond excited to have been a part of the creative magic that is Slaymaker as a graphic designer and photographer! You can catch her work over at Whiskey Theatre Factory!
Riley Keshner (Graphic Designer) is a digital artist who currently makes professional nerd art. Though she's been drawing and painting for fun her whole life, she did actually get a real person degree at Full Sail University. After a brief stint in the world of Serious Collegiate Design™, she tossed all of that aside in favor of somehow making fan art a job. You can see her work on various book covers, in certain magazines, and on many a piece of merchandise. She lives in Florida with her wife, dog, two black cats, and several reptiles.
Special thanks to Advanced Learning Academy