Sanaz Toossi is an Iranian-American playwright from Orange County, California. Her plays include the critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning ENGLISH (co-production Atlantic Theater Company/Roundabout Theatre Company) and WISH YOU WERE HERE (Playwrights Horizons; Williamstown/Audible, released 2020). She is currently under commission at Atlantic Theater Company (Launch commission; Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant), Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (American Revolutions Cycle). In television, Sanaz recently staffed on INVITATION TO A BONFIRE (AMC); A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (Amazon); FIVE WOMEN (Marielle Heller/ Big Beach); and sold an original idea, THE PERSIANS, to FX with Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields attached as Executive Producers. Sanaz is a member of Youngblood and the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab at the Lark, and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers’ Group. She was the 2019 P73 Playwriting Fellow, a recipient of the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, the 2022 recipient of The Horton Foote Award and, most recently, the 2023 recipient of the Best New American Play Obie Award. MFA: NYU Tisch   

Shadi Ghaheri is a Theatre, Opera, and Film director, choreographer and writer from Iran based in NYC. She has directed Tosca (Heartbeat Opera), Selling Kabul (Signature Theatre), Conduct of Life (SUNY Purchase), Threshold of Brightness (BMP), Memorial (NYU Tisch), Banned, (Broadway Bound), Glimpse (Rattlestick Theatre), Fen (Columbia University), Untitled (Rattlestick Theatre), Lucretia (HERE), Death of Yazdgerd, Titus Andronicus (Yale School of Drama), The Slow Sound of Snow (Yale Cabaret). She co-curated Yale Summer Cabaret season as co-artistic director, plus directing Trojan Women, and Lear. She co-founded/co-curated Emruz Festival, and Peydah Theatre Company. Shadi is a graduate of Yale School of Drama, and a 2016 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow, the 2018 directing fellow at Rattlestick Theatre and the winner of Robert L.B. Tobin Showcase 2019. Shadi is looking forward to directing the world premier of Extinctionist at HeartBeat Opera in spring 2024 Shadighaheri.com (Headshot by Julian Elijah Martinez) 

Auveen Dezgaran [she/her] Alliance Theatre debut. Auveen is an Iranian-American actor who splits her time between her home of Los Angeles and her current residence of New York City. Standout Projects: The Civilians: An American Feast (Joe’s Pub), Stagedream (Playwrights Downtown: Mainstage), and Horse Girls (Playwrights Horizons Theatre School). Auveen’s passion lies in bringing to life a variety of original work created by young female artists like herself. A loving thank you to Mama, Baba, Tate and my friends; Mama, I share this with you. BFA: NYU Tisch (Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and Stonestreet Studios). Auveendezgaran.com 

Lilly Heidari [she/they] Originally from Columbia, SC, Lilly is delighted to be working for the first time at the Alliance Theatre! Past favorite theatre credits include Kimmy in Montgomery by Alliance alum Stephen Brown (Trustus Theatre), Jess in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), #46 in The Wolves, Tilly in She Kills Monsters, Verges in Much Ado About Nothing, and Dorothea in Eleemosynary (UofSC Theatre). Lilly is endlessly grateful to her family and friends for their love and support, and she is honored to be a part of this important Iranian-American production. 

Ash Kahn is thrilled to join the cast of English at the Alliance Theatre! He recently portrayed Avner on the popular TV series The Chosen, and was also Viola in Twelfth Night at the Mammoth Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and has continued to hone his craft under renowned teachers such as Ivana Chubbuck and Lesly Kahn.To stay updated with Ash's artistic journey, you can find him on social media platforms as @ashkahnactor 

Adir Lev Mann is a Sephardic American Atlanta-based actor, writer, and director who recently produced two award-winning short films with his production company Exodus Pro. In the spring, he made his regional debut in Actor’s Express’s production of Prayer for the French Republic as Daniel Benhamou. He is thrilled to be making his Alliance debut in English. Educational: The Addams Family. School of Rock, Pippin. Commercial: Cinnabon, Publix. Film: Time, Your Story. Education: International Baccalaureate Certificate in Film and Theatre, Associate of Arts; Georgia State University, Alliance Theatre Education - Scene Study for the Working Actor. A very, very special thank you to the Alliance Theater’s education department which has cultivated him as an Actor since the age of 18 and has given him a home. To Clayton Landey for his mentorship and guidance and to Jody Feldman for her belief and support. Instagram: @adirwho 

Pooya Mohseni is a multi award-winning Iranian American actor, writer, filmmaker and transgender activist. She recently appeared in the world premiere of The Sex Party (Menier Chocolate Factory) in London. Her other stage performances include her Obie win in the Pulitzer and Obie-winning play English (Atlantic Theater Company), Hamlet (Play On Shakespeare Festival), One Woman (United Solo), She,He,Me (National Queer Theater), Our Town (Pride Plays), Galatea (The WP Project), The Good Muslim (EST), White Snake (Baltimore Center Stage), and the Audible production of Chonburi Hotel & The Butterfly Club (Williamstown Theater Festival). Her film and television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Big Dogs, Falling Water, Madam Secretary, Terrifier and See You Then, streaming on all digital platforms.  She's part of the advisory council for The Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project. She’s represented by Headline Talent Agency and TGTalent. 

Sade Namei [she/her] is thrilled to join the cast of English at the Alliance Theatre and work with this team! Her favorite credits include Coco Fusco’s upcoming art installation Antigone is Not Available Right Now, Hook and Eye Theatre Company’s Echo and Narcissus, Eve Ensler's Emotional Creature (Signature Theatre, NYC and Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Against The Hillside (The O’Neill), In The Line (A.R.T. NY) Mika at (The U.N.), Leaves of Grass (The Cell), #Serials@theFlea, United Front (Primary Stages), and her one-woman show In Medias Res (the Brick Theater).  Film/TV: New Amsterdam, Subways, Fatima, and The Elegant Clockwork of the Universe. She works as a TV/film Farsi translator/dialect coach on The Penguin, The Blacklist, Madam Secretary, Limitless, Mr. Robot, Chad, and Homeland, among others. @SadeNamei 

Sayé Yabandeh is the goodwill ambassador to the Global citizen foundation & the founder of Saye.org, which focuses on strategic partnerships to provide global humanitarian aid to children and families in countries worldwide. She believes in educating the future generation on the importance of interconnectedness, global values, and protecting our environment and the planet’s natural resources. She also works with many international child welfare organizations in the United States and abroad and is the CEO of Leo Entertainment. She is currently mentoring Ukrainian youth in Ukraine through ENGin program NGO. The award-winning actress studied producing and directing at UCLA and drama at the Meisner Center. She has appeared in over 40 films and numerous television programs. In 2014, she was nominated for Best LGBT Project for her film Sholeh at the Action on Film Awards Festival. That same year she was also nominated for Best Female Filmmaker for Sholeh. In 2013, Miss Sayé won Best Supporting Actress for Lu at the 168 Film Festival. And in 2011, she won Best Actress at the 11th Annual Beverly Hills Film Festival for 5th and Alameda, of which she was also the executive producer. 

Lilly Heidari [she/they] Originally from Columbia, SC, Lilly is delighted to be working for the first time at the Alliance Theatre! Past favorite theatre credits include Kimmy in Montgomery by Alliance alum Stephen Brown (Trustus Theatre), Jess in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), #46 in The Wolves, Tilly in She Kills Monsters, Verges in Much Ado About Nothing, and Dorothea in Eleemosynary (UofSC Theatre). Lilly is endlessly grateful to her family and friends for their love and support, and she is honored to be a part of this important Iranian-American production. 

Adir Lev Mann is a Sephardic American Atlanta-based actor, writer, and director who recently produced two award-winning short films with his production company Exodus Pro. In the spring, he made his regional debut in Actor’s Express’s production of Prayer for the French Republic as Daniel Benhamou. He is thrilled to be making his Alliance debut in English. Educational: The Addams Family. School of Rock, Pippin. Commercial: Cinnabon, Publix. Film: Time, Your Story. Education: International Baccalaureate Certificate in Film and Theatre, Associate of Arts; Georgia State University, Alliance Theatre Education - Scene Study for the Working Actor. A very, very special thank you to the Alliance Theater’s education department which has cultivated him as an Actor since the age of 18 and has given him a home. To Clayton Landey for his mentorship and guidance and to Jody Feldman for her belief and support. Instagram: @adirwho 

Laurie Shireen Sanii [she/her] is an Iranian-American actor and is thrilled to make her Alliance Theatre debut in the cast of English! Previous theatre credits include Dawn in Lobby Hero (The Robert Mello Studio) and the psychic in The Artificial Island (Push Push Theatre). She is a Meisner-based actor who has trained at Dad's Garage, The Robert Mello Studio, and Drama, Inc. She also holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Georgia Tech, and in a previous life worked in industry as a published research scientist. Laurie would love to thank her friends and family for always supporting her. She is represented by Evolution Talent Agency. Find her on social media: @laurieshireen. 

Golbanoo Setayesh [she/her] is so excited to be joining the Alliance Theatre! Atlanta: Next to Normal, The Secret Garden, The Wild Party (Jennie T. Anderson); Beehive, The Addams Family (Atlanta Lyric). Educational: Henry V, Sophie and the Pirates (Gainesville Theatre Alliance). Film: Endgame (Carmen Marron 2015). Lots of love and thanks to Mommy, Bobby, and Parsa; I owe you everything. Visit Golbi on instagram @golbanoo.setayesh. #ZanZendegiAzadi #WomanLifeFreedom 

Afsaneh Aayani is an Iranian/American multidisciplinary artist. She graduated with her MFA in Scenic design from UH in 2020 and her BFA from Art University Of Tehran in 2010. She has created work around the United States, Iran, China, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Germany. She has received multiple national/international awards for design, puppeteering, puppet-making, and directing. To learn more about her work you can visit www.afsanehaayani.com 

Ana Bayat is a multilingual, multidisciplinary storyteller with over three decades of experience in theatre, film, voice-over, creative writing, and language/dialect coaching worldwide. Ana is also the creator of the critically-acclaimed show Mimi’s Suitcase (winner of Heidelberg’s Iranian Theatre Audience Choice Award Festival, recipient of Neda Nobari Foundation Grant in Innovative Arts, and shortlisted for an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at 70th Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Following in her father's footsteps, Ana trained in the Stanislavski system with direct students of the master before completing further studies in speech and dramatic arts, stagecraft, language, linguistics, literature, translation, and film in England.  Thanks to her multicultural upbringing, Ana is fluent in Spanish, UK and US English, French, Persian, and proficient in German, Italian and Catalan. Ana recently coached Glenn Close to speak a seamless Persian in the Apple TV+ series Tehran, and was the dialect coach for Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s production of English as well as that of Studio Theatre where she was also the cultural and casting consultant. www.anabayat.com / @theanabayat 

Diana Fathi (She/Her) is a multidisciplinary theater artist hailing from Iran, currently dividing her time between California and New York. Her selected directing credits are Romeo and Juliet at Two River Theater, Thirteen at Odyssey Theater, Third Person Singular at Columbia University, and Foggy Season at Iliauni Theater. Her recent dramaturgical credits include Cabaret (Claire Trevor Theatre), Glimpse (Rattlestick Theater), Hedda Gabler (Columbia University), and Loneliness (Columbia University). Diana completed her BA and MA at Tehran Art University and holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University. She is continuing her studies towards a PhD in Theater and Drama at UCI/UCSD.

Ben Rawson (Lighting Designer) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Theatrical/Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre (GA), Detroit Opera (MI), Florida Studio Theatre (FL), Glimmerglass Opera (NY), Utah Opera (UT), Atlanta Opera (GA), Theatrical Outfit (GA), Center Rep (CA), Aurora Theatre (GA), Actors Express (GA), and others. Dance design work includes choreographers Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Claudia Schreier, Remi Wörtmeyer, Bryn Cohn, Danielle Agami, and Omar Roman De Jesus, as well as with Atlanta Ballet (GA), BalletCollective (NY), Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (GA), Fly On A Wall (GA), and others. Ben has also worked across the country as an Associate & Assistant Lighting Designer for San Diego Opera (CA), The Alliance Theatre (GA), Berkshire Theatre Festival (MA), Atlanta Opera (GA), Utah Opera (UT), Glimmerglass Festival (NY), Playmakers Repertory Company (NC), and Atlanta Ballet (GA). benrawsondesign.com 

Kaylee “Mesa” Mesa is a California State University Fullerton theater alum, where they received a B.A. in Theater Design/Technical Production with an emphasis in Stage Management. As a young professional, they boast an impressive list of stage management credits including After Juliet (South Coast Repertory), Appropriate (SCR), A Small Man (SCR), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Chance Theater), The SpongeBob Musical (CSU Fullerton), The Book of Unknown Americans (CSUF), and Beauty and the Beast (CSUF), among others. Mesa was a ’23 fellow of Beyond the Stage Door, a rigorous stage management program in New York City designed to teach and uplift recent BIPOC college graduates. They are excited to be the National Vision BIPOC Stage Management fellow for the Alliance Theatre’s ‘23/24 season. English is Mesa’s first show with the Alliance, and they are thrilled to be part of the team. 

Amanda J. Perez's Alliance Theatre credits include: Bina’s Six Apples, Dream Hou$e, A Christmas Carol, Beautiful Blackbird Live!. Other Atlanta credits include: Chess, Nine (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre); The Best of Broadway, Luminous, Oliver (Atlanta Lyric); Leading Ladies, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, Bullets Over Broadway (Georgia Ensemble Theatre). She’d like to thank her husband and daughter for all their love and support.