Three Mothers

Judith is delighted to return to theREP after first appearing here in Bergmans’ “Nora.” Broadway: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child;” Summer: 1976; “Casa Valentina” (Manhattan Theatre Club). Off Broadway: “Linda” (MTC), “Eve-olution” (Cherry Lane), “Three Travelers,” (St. Clement’s), “The Normal Heart” (Public Theatre), “Communicating Doors” (Variety Arts), “Hamlet” (Kaufman). Regional: “Romeo & Juliet” (The Shakespeare Theatre); “Macbeth” (Arden), “The Graduate” (Ivoryton) and theatres including The Alley, Cincinnati Playhouse, Old Globe, People’s Light, Merrimack Rep, Syracuse Rep, theREP, Indiana Rep, Wilma and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Film includes “How to Be Single” and “Killer.” Television includes: “New Amsterdam,” “Unforgettable,” “Forever,” “Outlaw,” “Law & Order,” “L&O, SVU” and “Madame Secretary.” Graduate of The College of William & Mary. Proud mother of Owen and Beckett.

Trisha is thrilled to make her Capital Repertory Theatre debut! A founding member of Classical Theatre of Harlem, featured in their productions of “Electra,” “Lysistrata” and “Macbeth,” Trisha is a NYC-based award-winning actress whose singing voice is “liquid gold,” receiving the BroadwayWorld Chicago Award and Black Excellence Award for her portrayal of Celie in “The Color Purple.” Broadway credits: “Little Shop of Horrors” OBC (Crystal), “All Shook Up” (Lorraine+), “Rent” (Joanne/Mimi+), “Motown The Musical” (Diana Ross, Mary Wilson). Film/TV: Roxie in “Things Like This;” Lisa in “An Anomalous Love;” Apple TV’s “Dear Edward.” www.trishajeffrey.com. @trishajeffrey

Cheryl is so thrilled to return to theREP having relished playing five women in “Assisted Loving.”

Broadway credits include “La Cage” (Tony-winning revival), “The Women” (Roundabout, PBS), “Laughing Room Only.” National Tours: “La Cage,” “Les Misérables,” “Evita,” “Fiddler,” “Grand Night For Singing.” Off-Broadway: “A Letter To Harvey Milk” (Co- author) “Shoes and Baggage” (Solo Show/Author), “Fiorello” (Encores), “Being Audrey,” “First Lady Suite” and “Requiem For William” (Transport Group), “City Of,” “Game Show,” “I Love You,” “You’re Perfect.” Regional: Beautiful and Addams Family (Arrow Rock Lyceum) Bells Are Ringing (Berkshire Theatre Group), “Fiddler” (Goodspeed), “Candide” (IRNE Award, Huntington Theatre), “Into the Woods” (Westport Playhouse), “Falsettos” (Barrington Stage), “Light Up the Sky” (Seattle Rep), “Sisters Rosensweig” (Geva) and “Lost in Yonkers” (Tennessee Rep.).

TV: Recurring as “Ida” on “The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel,” “Unforgettable,” “L&O:CI,” “Sondheim at Carnegie Hall,” “All My Children,” “As The World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” Film: “Brooklyn Lobster,” “This is Where I Leave You.” She can be seen as Mario Cantone’s mom in the newly released “Can’t Let It Go” and will be heading to the famed 11,000 seat outdoor Muny Theatre this summer to play Yente in Fiddler.

Also a writer, Cheryl is a Jonathan Larson Award winner and recipient of the Jamie DeRoy and Friends ASCAP award. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. www.cherylstern.com @cherylsternlive

Petronia Paley (Director, “Three Mothers”) recently directed “Henry IV, Part 1” at Purchase College. “Emmet Till, the Opera,” Trilogy Opera Company; “Looking for Leroy” (Audelco Award) New Federal Theatre; “Truth Be Told,” Ensemble Studio; “Daughter,” Ensemble Studio Theatre; “Kernel of Sanity,” New Federal Theatre; “Ascension,” National Black Theatre Festival, International Fringe Festival; “Medea,” Take Wings and Soar Productions; “Antony and Cleopatra,” TWAS Theatre; “Can We Dance,” Henry Street Settlement (Women of Color Award); “Spic,” Chelsea Playhouse. Actor: “Macbeth;” “King Lear;” “The House That Will Not Stand;” “Modern Love;” “Billions;” “Damages;” Guiding Light, Another World, One Life to Live, “2 Days in New York,” “Solomon Northrup’s Odyssey.” “On The Way to Timbuktu” (written and performed) premiered at Ensemble Studio Theatre. She is the recipient of three Audelco Awards for acting.

Ajene D. Washington is an award-winning playwright, director, actor and set designer that resides in Bronx, New York. He received a B.S. degree in Speech and Drama from Lincoln University and a M.A. from Northern Illinois University.  His play, “Three Mothers” was the NEXT ACT! Play Summit winner in 2022 at theREP. He received the BRIO award from the Bronx Council of the Arts for playwriting in 2012 and 2020. His play, “I Can See, a Raging Revolt” was a finalist in the TruSpeak festival. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre selected his play, “Almost September” for its “Voices at the River” development series. His plays have received readings and performances in New York, California, Arkansas, Missouri and Nashville, Tenn. Ajene has directed a number of plays, such as “Adam,” “American Menu,” “Slapped,” “Family Night,” “The Old Settler” and many others. He received an AUDELCO Award for Best Director and Best Set Design, also a nomination as Best Actor. He received a nomination for Best Set Design by Lucille Lortel committee. Ajene is a member of the Dramatist Guild, AEA, SAG/AFTRA, SSDC, and Black Theatre Network. Albany, New York to write the children’s play “Around the World in 45 Minutes” for their Star Summer Program.

In 2012 and 2020, he was the playwriting recipient of the BRIO Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts.

Ajene is a member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA, SSDC, Black Theatre Network and The Dramatist Guild.

Shayne David Cameris originally hailing from the Adirondacks, is a theatre practitioner based in the Capital Region. He’s been on and off stage with some of the area’s leading professional arts organizations. Some credits include: Capital Repertory Theatre – “What the Constitution Means to Me” (PSM), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2nd ASM/Mechanicals US), “The Wizard of Oz” (1st ASM), “Jersey Boys” (2nd ASM/Bob Crewe), “Fly” (Reynolds), “Blue Sky Boys” (CJ Caldwell); Troy Foundry Theatre – “City of Myth: Ilium Sings,” “Where There’s Smoke: Ilium Burns,” “The Prohibition Project: Ilium Was,” “Catastrophe Carnivale” and “New World Order;” Theatre Institute at Sage – “Diary of Anne Frank” (Mr. Van Daan); Lake George Dinner Theatre – “Buyer and Cellar” (Alex More) and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (Sir Henry et. Al); Saratoga Shakespeare Company – “Twelfth Night” (ASM/Antonio), “Henry IV Parts 1 and 2” (Mistress Quickly et. Al), “The Winter’s Tale” (Clown); Theater Voices – “The Birthday Party” (Stanley); Siena College – “Endgame” (Hamm) among others. Shayne is also an Associate Producer with Troy Foundry Theatre and continues to cultivate and develop his own work. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Love to JSC.

Stephanie Klapper is thrilled to continue her long-time collaboration with Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill and theREP. SKC’s award-winning work is often seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, internationally, on film, television and streaming platforms. Select recent credits include: “Three Mothers;” “Beautiful;” “Sweat;” “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” (theREP); “The Night of the Iguana” (Off-Broadway); “Fun Home” 10^th Anniversary Concert (Additional Casting, Joe’s Pub; Our Class (BAM);  “Partnership” (Mint Theater); “Dracula;” “Stew;” “Ring of Fire;” “Clyde’s” (Cincinnati Playhouse); “La Cage aux Folles” (Trinity Rep); Philadelphia Orchestra: Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass;” “Candide” (narrated by Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan); “West Side Story.” Select Film/TV: “Liz Phair’s Exile in Guysville” Anniversary Tour Concert Video; “Ranked,” the musical/HBO Documentary; “The Standby” (w.Reed Birney); “Netuser” (w. Denis O’Hare); Theresa Rebeck’s “Poor Behavior;” “Alice Jacobs is Dead” (Adrienne Barbeau); “The Feast of the Goat” (Isabella Rossellini). Select TV: “Lazytown.” Audio movie: “ElfQuest.” Stephanie Klapper Casting is an Independent Casting Group, known for their limitless imagination and creativity on a wide range of projects. Stephanie, along with her exceptional team, is dedicated to continuing to expand and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business and is passionate about arts education. Stephanie teaches for NYU’s New Studio on Broadway and USC’s dept of Theatre/Musical Theatre and is a guest lecturer at many colleges as universities; participant NYU Tisch Women’s Mentorship Program, Fordham HS for the Arts, Syracuse University’s Tepper Semester, Jimmy Awards preliminary judge. Board Member Casting Society Cares. Co-host of the podcast Someone’s Thunder. For Bob and Florence, always. www.klappercasting.com

Michaela is thrilled to be working for Capital Repertory Theatre and has worked as Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant Company Manager. Prior to working on “Three Mothers,” Michaela has worked backstage for “The True,” “Jersey Boys,” “Dracula: a Comedy of Terrors,” “Wizard of Oz,” “Secret Hour,” “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,”“Honky Tonk Angels” and OTG “Shakespeare: the Remix.”

Kylee Loera is a video designer, associate video designer, and content creator/ video editor for live theatre, dance, and musicals based in New York. Kylee has worked at The Kennedy Center, The Metropolitan Opera, The Lincoln Center, The Muny, the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, The 92 YMHA Theater in NYC, Signature Theater, Theatre Row, Arts Emerson, MCC Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Pittsburg CLO.

Devorah Kengmana (she/her/hers) is thrilled to be returning to Capital Repertory Theatre after having previously designed “Lobby Hero” and “The True.” Other credits include: “Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos” (Universal Studios Japan), “Mudrow” (Premiere Stages), “The Sound Inside” (SpeakEasy Stage Company), “Surely Goodness & Mercy” (KEEN Company), “School Girls” (SpeakEasy Stage Company), “The Mecca Tales” (Voyage Theatre Company), “Beyond the Oak Trees” (Crossroads Theatre Company), “The Niceties” (Portland Stage Company), and “Journey’s End” (Kansas City Actors’ Theatre), among others. She also works at The New York Times as the Lead Video Engineer for their live event venue.

Elivia Bovenzi Blitz is a costume designer based in New York City. An Albany native, she graduated from Russell Sage College with a degree in Musical Theatre. Over the course of her career, Elivia has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally.

She has designed an extensive repertoire of Shakespeare and has spent the past six summer seasons in the Berkshires, MA, designing for Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre group. Notably, she was nominated for a 2019 Berkshire Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Costume Design for BSC’s production of Time Flies and Other Comedies. Other credits at BSC include “A Glass Menagerie,” “Typhoid Mary,” “The Birds,” “American Underground,” “If I Forget,” “Kunstler” and “Peerless.” For BTG, she has designed costumes for “Copenhagen,” “The Smile of Her,” “Photograph 51,” “Edward Albee’s Seascape,” “Once,” “White Christmas,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Shirley Valentine.” Additionally, she has worked at the Guthrie Theater, The Public Theater, Alliance Theatre, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Two River Theater, Hartford Stage, Papermill Playhouse, LaMaMa, Ars Nova, NYU, and Troy Foundry Theater, among others. She holds an MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama and is an Adjunct Professor of Fashion History at FIT. Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.eliviabovenzi.com IG: @eliviaseyes

Baron E. Pugh (Scenic Designer) is a Boston-based scenic designer for theater, opera and other live performance arts. Recent credits include:

theREP: “Henry Johnson: The Lost Hero.” Off-Broadway: “shadow/land” (associate designer) (The Public Theater). NYC: “King Lear,” “The Tempest” (The Juilliard School, Drama Division). Regional: “Million Dollar Quartet,” “B.R.O.K.E.N code B.I.R.D switching” (Berkshire Theatre Group); “ABCD” (Barrington Stage); “Trouble in Mind” (Hartford Stage); “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” (associate designer), “The Bluest Eye” (associate designer) (The Huntington Theatre); “Tiny Beautiful Things,” “Radio Golf” (Trinity Rep); “Detroit ’67,” “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” “School Girls” (TheatreSquared); “Assassins,” “The Light,” “Breath and Imagination,” “The Wiz” (Lyric Stage Company of Boston). 

Baron received his MFA in Scenic Design from Boston University and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. @bpscenic on Instagram

Nathan Leigh (original music & sound design) is a composer, animator and designer. Off-Broadway credits include: “Space Dogs” (MCC), “Our Brother’s Son” (Signature), “Original Sound” (Cherry Lane), “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (Spanish Repertory Theater), “Nat Turner In Jerusalem” (New York Theatre Workshop) and “How To Melt Ice, Fur, Mud, Conduct of Life, and Prospect” (Boundless Theatre). Regional credits include: “High Ground” (Arena Stage), “Anna In The Tropics” (Barrington Stage), “Godspell” (Berkshire Theatre Group), “Sweat” (Peoples Light) and many more. Nathan is the co-artistic director of CirqueSaw, whose remote theatre piece “POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness” recently concluded its third sold out run. “POV” was selected as the 2023 Immersive Production of the Year by the Young-Howze Theatre Journal, and won No Proscenium’s 2024 Editor’s Award for Merging Art and Technology. He is currently at work on his stop-motion feature debut, “The Golem” due out in 2025.