Lydia R. Diamond is an award-winning playwright whose work includes Toni Stone (2019 premiere at Roundabout Theatre Company), Smart People, Stick Fly (Broadway run at Cort Theatre), Voyeurs de Venus, Harriet Jacobs, and The Bluest Eye. Her work has been performed at Arena Stage, Arden Theatre Company, Second Stage Theater, The New Vic Theatre, Company One, Goodman Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and McCarter Theatre Center. Diamond has been a W. E. B. DuBois Institute Fellow at Harvard, a Sundance Playwright Lab Creative Advisor, a Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow, a Sally B. Goodman Fellow, a Huntington Playwright Fellow and a National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group playwright. She is the 2020 recipient of The Horton Foote Prize, sits on the Dramatists Guild Legal Defense Fund board and is on faculty at University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Tinashe Kajese-Bolden is an award-winning director, actor and producer. She is the BOLD Artistic Director Fellow at Alliance Theatre and driven to create stories that celebrate our differences while building community. Tinashe is a Princess Grace 2019 Award Winner for Directing, and Map Fund Award recipient to develop her devised new work All Smiles for Theater for the Very Young, centering the experience of children on the autism spectrum. Recent theatre directing credits include School Girls (Or the African Mean Girls Play) (True Colors Theatre), Ghost (Alliance Theatre), Native Gardens (Virginia Stage Company), Pipeline (Horizon Theatre), Nick’s Flamingo Grill (World Premiere at Alliance Theatre), Eclipsed (Synchronicity Theatre, Best Director Suzi Bass Award). Up next: Candrice Jone’s FLEX at Theatrical Outfit. As a director and actor, she has worked On and Off Broadway, including Imperial Theatre, Primary Stages, 59E59 Theaters, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and regionally at Yale Rep, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co, Cincinnati Playhouse, Geva Theatre, CTG’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, among others, as well as recurring roles on TV/Film (“Suicide Squad,” Marvel’s “Hawkeye,” CW’s “Valor,” “Dynasty,” HBO’s “Henrietta Lacks” and currently filming Season 2 of Ava Duverney’s “Cherish the Day”). She proudly serves on the ARTS-ATL Artist Advisory Council. “My mission is the pursuit of what connects our different communities and how we create art that serves that.” 

Look What God Has Done! Amar is elated to make his Alliance Theatre Debut after portraying Elzie in Milwaukee Rep’s production of Toni Stone. Broadway Tour: The Color Purple Revival (Mister/Harpo U/S). Off-Broadway: King Lear (Edmund). Select Regional: The Color Purple Revival (Paper Mill Playhouse), Rent (Gateway Playhouse), Sophisticated Ladies (New Venture), Clybourne Park (Swine Palace). Select TV/Film: "Annie Live!," "America's Got Talent," "City on a Hill," "Blue Bloods," "Bull," "Wu-Tang: An American Saga." Numerous National/Worldwide  commercials. MFA in Acting from LSU and BA in Theatre from Albany State University. All my love to my tribe and DGRW! @amaratkins_ 

Dimonte Henning is excited to be making his Alliance Theatre debut. Dimonte is a Milwaukee native and serves as Artistic Director for Lights! Camera! Soul! and is a founding member of the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival. Dimonte’s regional theater credits include: The Island and Deathtrap (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre), Stick Fly (Writers Theatre), Skeleton Crew (Forward Theater), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre LILA), Our Town, A Christmas Carol, and Dreamgirls (Milwaukee Rep), The Wiz (First Stage), Black Nativity (Black Arts MKE). TV and commercial credits include: Guest starring roles on NBC’s “Chicago PD” (seasons four and six), Disney’s “Encore!,” UBER, Inpro Designs, and Harley-Davidson. 

Recent credits include: The Bluest Eye (Synchronicity Theatre), It’s a Wonderful Life, Skeleton Crew, Between Riverside and Crazy, A Raisin in the Sun (American Stage), Paradise Blue, Skeleton Crew (True Colors Theatre), Hands of Color (Synchronicity Theatre – Suzi Bass Award for Best World Premiere), A Christmas Carol (Shakespeare Tavern), The Mountaintop (Heritage Theatre Festival), Anne and Emmett (Amsterdam, VA, NY, NC), The Christians (Actor’s Express – Suzi Bass Award for Best Supporting Actor). Be safe, smile hard and love free! 

Sekou Laidlow’s craftsmanship can be seen in his recurring guest star role as Leon Payne in NBC’s "Ordinary Joe." He is a recurring guest star in ABC’s "Women of the Movement" and plays Harrison Carter in the BET+ episodic "Kingdom Business." Some of his TV credits include "The Breaks," "The Good Wife," "Person of Interest," "The Carrie Diaries," "SMASH," "The Wire," and "Law & Order." Laidlow’s most recent film credits include the Warner Brothers feature Black Adam, The Mend, Better Off Single, and Alieu the Dreamer. Sekou is making his debut at the Alliance Theatre. Some of his theater credits include two Broadway appearances in Airline Highway and Boys in the Band. Regional credits include Skeleton Crew, A Doll’s House, Father Comes Home from the Wars, The Mountaintop, Civil War Christmas, Seven Guitars, Of Mice and Men, Stonewall Country, and Runaway Home. Sekou is an alumnus of the Juilliard School of Drama and is grateful to God for this opportunity. 

Eric J. Little is elated to be making his Alliance Debut. Eric is a proud graduate of Alabama A&M University and Louisiana State University. He has worked as an actor and director with Theatrical Outfit, Actor’s Express, True Colors, Aurora Theatre, Horizon Theatre, North Carolina Black Rep and others. Eric is a tenured tracked professor at Clark Atlanta University. Eric has won three Suzi Bass Awards (the professional theatre awards in Atlanta). Follow him on IG: iamejlittle 

Lau'rie (Luh-Ree) Roach is originally from Atlanta and graduated from AMDA in NYC. Re has had the opportunity to work with Alliance Theatre and True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta. Regional credits include North Carolina Black Repertory Company, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and now Milwaukee Rep! Film credits include “Rules to Rule,” “Po’ Psi Broke” (YouTube) and “This World Alone” (Apple TV, Amazon Prime and now Hulu), where he won an award for Best Actor in Italy! @Iamreanthony 

MFA, FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Select Regional: The Tempest (Shakespeare Theatre Co), Richard III, Twelfth Night, Dial ‘M’ for Murder (Monmouth), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (FSU/Asolo Conservatory), Evita (Asolo Rep), Little Shop of Horrors (Trinity Rep). TV: “New Amsterdam,” “Manifest,” “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “Search Party” (HBO), “Bull” (CBS). Film: “Half Day” (short), “Reopening” (short). Kedren is also currently in post-production for her first film and directorial debut, “Last Call.” Grateful doesn’t begin to cover it. For my family. For the Forgotten. For Toni. 

dane troy is a storyteller. He hails from Atlanta and is a graduate of the University of Georgia's professional theatre program. Dane has performed professionally in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, North Carolina and the Bay Area. Dane is grateful to be back onstage at The Alliance for this production. He sends lots of love to his family and his wife Paige Mayes

Regional theatre credits include: Theatrical Outfit, Alliance Theatre, True Colors Theatre Company, Horizon Theatre Company, Theatre in the Square, Huntington Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Indiana Rep, Burt Reynolds Theatre, Jomandi Productions, Mill Mountain Theatre, among others. He has also acted in more than a dozen film or television productions for Marvel, Showtime, Millennium Filmworks, Twentieth Century Fox, FX, CBS and HBO. Geoffrey trained at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of Fine Art in Dallas, Texas, the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre in Florida and Northside School of Performing Arts in Atlanta, Georgia. Geoffrey dedicates this show to his sister, who wore a tutu in the dugout! 

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Chris Blount attended Pebblebrook High School’s Magnet program. He also graduated from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a B.F.A. in Acting in 2021. You may have seen him in "American Rust" on Showtime or "Queens" on ABC. He is beyond excited to be making his Alliance debut and for this to be his entrance into the Atlanta Theatre scene. He thanks his family for the never-ending support. But most importantly he would like to thank God for all the blessings he has been given and that are to come.

A theatre graduate from Georgia Southern University, Brian has appeared in various film and theatre productions including NBC's The Blacklist, The Wizard of Oz, and August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Training under several New York acting companies such as The Producers Club, Actors Connection, and The Barrow Group, Brian has recently relocated to Georgia where he continues to build his craft and experience the amazing talent and creativity Atlanta has to offer.

Paige Mayes is a positive & energetic spirit from Aurora, CO. She works professionally as an actress, choreographer, dancer, model, singer, and yoga instructor. Paige is a graduate of Arizona State University in the performing arts and dance department. She is grateful to be a part of this production.

David Rucker, III (US Millie/Alberga/Ensemble) is an actor, writer, and teaching artist who has been privileged to work in film, television, and theatre. David has enjoyed success on film, with roles on BET’s “The Quad,” and the TV One film Downsized. His most recent film credits include The Good Things Devils Do, Here Comes The Sun (starring Terri J. Vaughn), and Homestead. David’s theatre credits include multiple performances at the Atlanta, Washington, and National Black Arts Festivals, and various theatres throughout Atlanta. Currently he appears in Javon Johnson’s (star of The Oval), Sanctified, and When Love Calls, and is preparing for the 2022 production of Much Ado About Nothing at The Shakespeare Tavern. Having the opportunity to work on the Atlanta run of Toni Stone at the Alliance is a dream come true, and David thanks Jody Feldman, Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, and the production team for this time.

Mike Sallee Jr has been seen in such roles as Jack Kelly in Disney's NEWSIES (Circle Players), Jesus in Godspell (Actors Pointe), Flick/Ensemble in A Christmas Story (Nashville Rep), Chris in Lynn Nottage's SWEAT (Street Theatre Company), Lucas in IF/THEN (Circle Players), Robbie the Stockfish/Ensemble in Urinetown The Musical (Nashville Rep), Benny in RENT (YA4ever), Antipholus of Ephesus in The Bomb-Itty of Errors (ACT1), Frederick Douglas in Civil War The Musical (Street Theatre Company), Simon Zealotes in Jesus Christ Superstar (Camarillo Skyway Playhouse). Sallee Jr has also been cast in Disney's Mary Poppins (Nashville Rep), Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (McCoy Rigby), Disney's NEWSIES (Audience of One). Sallee Jr is blessed and excited to have this debut opportunity with the Alliance. Thank you to Maria and my team! Instagram: @mikesalleejr

Tony Cisek has designed Milwaukee Rep’s productions of Two Trains Running, Gem of the Ocean and the premiere of The Night is a Child. His work has also been seen at Roundabout Theatre, Arena Stage, Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Denver Center, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Baltimore Center Stage, Indiana Rep, Syracuse Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, Cleveland Play House, Pioneer Theatre, People’s Light, Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. www.tonycisek.com

Derek A. Graham is a composer based in North Carolina. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Derek holds an MFA in Sound Design from Ohio University and a BA in Music from Elizabeth City State University. Recent composer credits include The Chinese Lady (Artists Repertory Theatre), Protocol and Redwood (Portland Center Stage). Derek is invested in using sound and music to encapsulate emotion in storytelling and is excited to collaborate with Milwaukee Rep for the first time.

Off Broadway credits include: Dot (Vineyard Theatre) and Lockdown (Rattlestick). Select Regional credits include: Steel Magnolias and Guys and Dolls (Guthrie Theater), The Wiz – Helen Hayes Costume Design Award (Ford’s Theatre), The Purists, The Niceties and A Guide for the Homesick (Huntington Theatre), Nina Simone: Four Women (Arena Stage), The Color Purple (Portland Center Stage), Barbecue – NAACP Outstanding Costume Design Award (Geffen Playhouse), Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors (OSF) and world premieres: Goodnight, Tyler and Angry…Gorgeous (Alliance Theatre). Her assistant costume design credits for television include "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon), “Daredevil” (Netflix) and “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO). www.karaharmondesign.com.

Dell Howlett is a New York-based, Virginia-born choreographer/director. Select credits include: Stick Fly (Plays in the House), R&H Cinderella (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Guys and Dolls (Ford’s Theatre), Paradise Square (Associate to Bill T. Jones, Berkeley Rep), Guys and Dolls (Guthrie Theater), The Wiz (Ford's Theatre, Helen Hayes Nom.), Wig Out! (Studio Theatre, Helen Hayes Nom.), The C.A. Lyons Project (Alliance Theatre, Suzi Bass Award Winner), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Marin Theatre Company, BATCCA Nom.), YoungArts Presidential Scholars Show (Kennedy Center), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (The Acting Company), Broadway Inspirational Voices (Foxwoods Theater), Is Anybody Listening? (Sheen Center). Dell is a full-time professor and Associate Head of Dance at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts in the Department of Drama's New Studio on Broadway. He dedicates this work and every work to his muse, his husband Aaron.

Sharath Patel is an Oregon-based designer who works internationally focusing on experimental, commercial, academic, political and socially conscious theatre. Recent designs: Portland Center Stage, Indiana Rep, ACT Theatre, American Rep, Artists Rep, Seattle Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cal Shakes, Alabama Shakes, Arena Stage. Affiliations: USA 829 IATSE, Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, Department of State Arts Envoy, National Respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Resident Artist at Artists Rep. BFA: Ohio University. MFA: Yale School of Drama. www.sharathpatel.com

Previously for Milwaukee Rep: Junk, The History of Invulnerability, The Royale, A Christmas Carol. His work has been seen at NYSF/Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre, Primary Stages, Signature Theatre (NY), Wilma, Arden, PTC, New Paradise Laboratories, Walnut, CenterStage, Huntington Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Syracuse Stage, Shakespeare Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Cleveland Play House, Round House Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Spoleto Festival, Pittsburgh Public Theater and Yale Rep, among others. 6 Barrymore Awards, 2 Jeff Awards and 2 AUDELCO Awards. Co-Founder of Die-Cast with Brenna Geffers, founding board member of Theatre Philadelphia and a member of Wingspace. Education: Carnegie-Mellon and Yale. He/him. Black Lives Matter.