Alexander Attea is the Artistic Director of Avalanche Theatre and the Creative Director of the Fine Arts Building & Studebaker Theater. He is also a playwright, actor, musician, and artist. More at www.alexanderattea.com.

Amal Mazen Salem (she/her) is a Palestinian-American artist born and raised in the southwest side of Chicago and is passionate about making theater that interacts, serves and uplifts our communities. Previously, she was seen on stage in Men on Boats at Wirtz Center at Northwestern University, as well as readings with Pocket Theatre VR. She has PM'd at Jackalope Theatre, Bramble Theatre, and A Red Orchid. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University, and she can now be found at her position as the Admin Associate with Palestine Legal. Amal is blessed to be a part of The Sex Talk I Never Had team and, as always, Free Palestine.

Anelga Hajjar is a Chicago-based actor and award-winning playwright. Recent credits: The Singularity Play (Jackalope Theatre), Tragedy Averted (iO), Selling Kabul (Northlight Theatre), and The Shroud Maker (Chicago Dramatists). When she is not acting and writing, she makes videos in Western Armenian on her Insta/Tiktok page @hayerenhayeren123!

Christy is excited to work with Avalanche Theatre again on this wonderful new play! She recently understudied Whittaker in Time is a Color and the Color is Blue with Avalanche and workshopped Elephant by Leah Roth Barsanti at Northwestern (Jig). After a break from acting, she's enjoyed returning to the stage and can't wait to keep working with such awesome people.

Iman Kamel is an Egyptian-American actor from Chicago. Most recently she could be seen in A Red Orchid's The Cave (u/s), Bramble Theatre’s Festival of Unfinished Work, Continental Split (Tubi Original), Golden Thread Productions’ staged reading of Alaa: A Family Trilogy. She is very grateful for the unending love and support from her family, her partner Evan, and Emma, who gave her the courage to continue creating, serving, and listening.

Karina Patel (she/her) is a director and dramaturg originally from London, UK. She is the Literary Associate at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and New Works Manager at Jackalope Theatre Company. Karina has developed new and devised work with Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, Goodman Theatre, The Story Theatre, The Understudy Chicago, APIDA Arts, Actor’s Gymnasium, Token Theatre, 24 Hour Plays, and more. Most recently, she directed HANNAH AND HALMONI SAVE THE WORLD at Filament Theatre and DUMMY IN DIASPORA at Jackalope. She has also served as an assistant director at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Court Theatre, and the Repertory Theatre of St Louis.

Kylie is so excited to be making her debut with the team at Avalanche for The Sex Talk I Never Had!  Kylie, an NKU graduate, is an actress, comedian, and director. Other favorite credits include Shirin in A Distinct Society, Lydia in Strong Bear, Estelle in No Exit, and pretending to be a Weekend Update host with her best friend, Rachel. She would like to thank her loved ones for their continued trust and support in her dreams.

Suzi Elnaggar is an Egyptian American performance scholar, freelance dramaturg, and theatre maker. She was a 2021 Kennedy Center Dramaturgy Intensive Fellow and works as a developmental and community-focused dramaturg. Her work has been published in Asian Theatre Journal, Arab Stages, Review: The Journal of Dramaturgy, and Theatre Times. Her interests include exploring postcolonial theatre contexts, decoloniality in performance, the intersection of trauma and performance, transnational and migrant stories, recontextualizing Greek tragedy, myths, and folklore, and exploring work that centers around SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) experiences. Suzi’s scholarship and practice center community, collaboration, and context.

As a dramaturg, she is experienced in both production and developmental work. She is the artistic director of Backstitch Story Project, and the founder and creative director of the Digital Development Project. She has read scripts for PlayPenn, Playwright’s Center, Rattlestick’s Van Lier New Voices Fellowship, SHE-LA, and Sparkfest, among many others. Selected dramaturgy credits (Production & Developmental Workshops): Avalanch Theatre’s Next Draft Series and Grape Leaves, Silk Road’s Shahadat; Backstitch Story Arts Off-White: The Arab House Party Play; Clamour Theatre’s Lived Experience; TACTICS Ottawa’s ANANSI V. GOD(S); Jubilee Theatre Waco’s Fairview (Texas Premiere); Wild Imaginings’ Jesus and Valium (World Premiere), The Way He Looks at You, Cardboard Castles Hung on Walls (World Premiere); Northwestern University Theatre’s The Great Sea Serpent (Workshop Premiere).

Theo Gyra is thrilled to be making his Avalanche Theatre debut and to be developing an exciting new play. Chicago credits include: Inherit the Wind (Goodman Theatre), Rome Sweet Rome (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), and The Listeners (Lyric Opera of Chicago). He is a proud alumnus of Northwestern University, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Interlochen Arts Academy. IG: @theogyra