Tom Slot, May Festival Bio

Tom Slot has an MFA in Acting from Columbia University. His recent stage credits include: Orestes, Are You There Zeus, It's Me, Electra (Looking Glass Theatre) Lucas, Tell It To Me Slowly (Robert Moss Theatre); Blaine, The Father Of Songs (Schiparo Theatre); David, Jesus Freaks (Manhattan Repertory);The Summoner, The Canterbury Tales (Riverside Theater); Laertes, Hamlet (Arena Players Repertory); Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet (Arena Players Repertory); Hayden, Caught In The Act (Manhattan Repertory); Sebestian, The Tempest (Folkwant Academy International Shakespeare Festival, Essen Germany); Nikos, Big Love (Setkani Encounter Festival, Brno, Czech Republic); Bottom, A MidSummer Night's Dream (The Looking Glass); Yearling, Water The Musical (The Collective Unconscious); and Church (Public Theater). Film credits: Gregory, Suicide Kids; Ethan, Love Another Lisa; Tom, Keep The Mojo Rising; Jammer, 7/11 The Musical; and Matthew Wojiac, Gray Matters. Tom is also a musician and composer and recently finished his second musical, The Father of Songs. Visit www.tomslot.com for more information. For Jess with love.

Natalie Wilson, May Festival 2010 Bio

Dubbed a “force of nature” by her writing and performing partner Kat Sherrell, Natalie Wilson discovered her theatrical writing talent in the course of writing the book for their family cabaret show: Nat & Kat’s Adventures with the Time-Traveling Piano, which had its off-off Broadway debut in May of 2009. She then began exploring the radical realm of writing plays for other people to perform, and has since had several short plays produced at John Chatterton’s Short Play Lab in Manhattan, including A One and a Two, Hostess with the Mostess and All in the Shuffle.

An opera singer in a previous life, Natalie has had the joy of performing such fantastic operatic characters as the free-spirited seductress Carmen to the love-sick adolescent boy Sesto (in Clemenza di Tito) to the despondent king Xerxes who sings a love song to a tree. (Having filled her melodrama quota in her years as a singer, her playwriting now trends to the naturalistic.) You will occasionally spot her trotting out an opera aria in a bar with Opera on Tap, or singing standards from the Great American Songbook as half of the Nat & Kat Duo. Having successfully “crossed over”, Natalie has a large private voice studio in Manhattan where she trains musical theater performers to sing healthily and easily.

Natalie claimed her place in the blogosphere this January when she assigned herself a project: to “give birth” to a full-length play in nine months. On her blog, Birth of a Play(wright), she expounds upon the joys and frustrations not only of trying to complete such an absurd task, but also of trying to survive – and thrive -- as an artist in New York City. You can join her ever-growing cadre of loyal followers from around the globe at www.birthofaplaywright.com.

Dawn Rene Fowler, May Festival 2010 Bio

Dawn Rene Fowler is ecstatic to be part of this super awesome festival! Originally from California, Dawn moved to New York two years ago to live the life and pursue her dream! Theatre credits include Lucky Stiff (Rita LaPorta), 42nd Street, Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Rumors (Cookie Cusack), The Best Party Ever, as well as participation in the experimental dance project Break Out In Song. Dawn also wrote, directed, produced, choreographed, and starred in Gentlemen Prefer Dawn, her one-woman musical revue. TV: Law and Order: SVU. Founding member of The Complete Theatre Company. BA Cal Poly Pomona. Love to my parents and Oliver, who never let me give up, even when I want to.

Leslie Nevon Holden, May Festival 2010 Bio

Leslie Nevon Holden has performed at notable theater's such as The Public Theatre and The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre. When not acting, she is in the classroom teaching the dramatic arts to K-12th gd. through her business: LNH Theatre Arts Specialist (www.lnhtheatrearts.com). She is currently learning ASL (American Sign Language), to further her acting and teaching career and wants to become involved in the Deaf theatre community. Much love to A,M,J and L.

Ashleigh Awusie, May Festival 2010 Bio

Ashleigh Awusie is a Ghanaian and Panamanian actress, dancer, songwriter from NYC.

Some of her past credits include a one woman show with Syracuse Stage; Dreamprints: A Conversation with Harriet Tubman, Shakespeare in the Boroughs Workshop with The Public Theater, an Operetta adaptation of The Iron Heel at Theater for the New City and various commercials. Currently she models for Broadway’s RACE Red Dress Event, performs with Pride Not Prejudice, an educational NYC touring company and is completing the Beyond Shakespeare Workshop with The Negro Ensemble Company. This will mark Ashleigh’s first 48-hour festival and she is excited to be working with Left Hip Productions. “My craft is my playground and I intend to explore it deeper and play harder every day.”

Cindy N. Kawasaki, May Festival bio

Cindy N. Kawasaki is a proud alumnus of Blue Jacket and the Acting Apprentice program at Actors Theatre of Louisville. She recently appeared in the concert reading of After The Quake at CenterStage Baltimore. She is thrilled to be a company member of Left Hip Productions.

Leah Dietrich, May Festival 2010 Bio

Leah Dietrich NY credits include: Measure for Measure (The Queens Players), Vamp of a New Generation (Roy Arias),Intimate Strangers (45th Street Theatre), Utah (Gene Frankel Theatre), Third (Kraine),Imaginary (Urban Stages). Regional: The Sugar Syndrome, Wasp, The War in the Garden (Williamstown); Cinderella (Windy City Players). Studied at Circle in the Square Theater, Primary Stages School of Theater, and Florida State University. I love this company! Thank you for the many opportunities.

Visit her at http://www.leahdietrich.org