New Play Reading Series

GUS HEAGERTY is a director, writer, actor and producer of works for stage and film. He is the founder of i am a slow tide, a performance collective that activates alternative pathways of consideration. Under the banner of slow tide, Gus produced and directed two critically acclaimed productions: Agnes Borinsky’s Brief Chronicle, Books 6-8 and Jacob Perkins’ The Gold Room. On social media (@gus.heagerty), Gus creates satirical videos that center on the performance of identity. He holds a BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts.

RIANNA SIMONS is a Bermudian-British playwright and writer. Her debut play White Girls Gang was shortlisted for the 2023 Yale Drama Series Prize and longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting as well as the Mustapha Matura Award. Rianna has worked with the Almeida Theatre as a part of their ‘Anthem’ writer’s group and at the Royal Court Theatre on attachment. She currently works at the National Theatre Archive.

GUS BIRNEY A dynamic young actress, Gus Birney can currently be seen in her second season starring opposite Courteney Cox in the Starz series “Shining Vale”, for which she received a Saturn Award nomination. She also recently shot recurring roles in both “The Last Frontier” for Apple TV+ and “Black Rabbit” for Netflix, and just wrapped a starring role opposite Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco in the Netflix series “Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen.” Onstage, Gus made her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated revival of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window opposite Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan, following a critically acclaimed run at BAM. She returned to the BAM stage in the New York premiere of Our Class and received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for her performance; she also reprised the role in its commercial run at Classic Stage Company, for which she and the cast won a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Ensemble. Other theatre credits include CSC’s production of The Merchant Of Venice, Williamstown Theater Festival’s production of The Rose Tattoo opposite Marisa Tomei, and Connected at 59E59. Gus’s television credits include ‘Jane Humphrey’ in all three seasons of the Apple TV series “Dickinson”, a series regular role on Spike TV’s “The Mist”, and guest star roles on “Insatiable,” “Blue Bloods,” “Bull,” “Jessica Jones,” “Instinct,” “Law And Order: SVU,” and “Chicago Med”. Her film credits include Netflix’s Happiness For Beginners, Plan B, Giving Birth To a Butterfly, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Here & Now, The Man in The Woods, A Rainy Day in New York, and Asleep in My Palm. Gus is also a singer/songwriter who has played at the Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery and The Listening Room. She lives in New York City.

KAIA GERBER is a muse to many and a multi-hyphenate on the rise. Gerber made her debut for the Young Versace ad campaign at the young age of ten. Since then, she has worked with the likes of Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, Celine, Loewe, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Versace, and countless other luxury brands. Having graced numerous international and US magazine covers, as well as being honored with the Daily Front Row’s 2017 Breakout Model of the year and the 2018 Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, she has established herself in the new generation of fashion icons. Kaia has swiftly made her mark, working with celebrated photographers like Steven Meisel, Inez & Vinoodh, Craig McDean, Mikael Jansson, and David Sims. She has been the face of campaigns for Marc Jacob's Beauty and the brand's Daisy fragrance since 2016 and has been a brand ambassador for OMEGA as of 2017. In 2018, Gerber became the face of YSL Beauté and partnered with the late Karl Lagerfeld to create the Kaia x Karl collection which combined Lagerfeld’s iconic Parisian chic with Kaia’s laid-back California style. In 2021, Gerber was tapped by creative director Hedi Slimane to become the new face of Celine. Over the last few years, Gerber has made a seamless transition into another true passion, acting. In 2024, Gerber could be seen on the Apple TV+ series, "Palm Royale", an original comedy series developed by Laura Dern, directed by Tate Taylor, and written by Abe Sylvia. The 10-episode series set during the powder keg era of the early 1970s follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) and her attempt to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society. Gerber stars alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, and Amber Chardae Robinson. The show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. The show is currently in production for its second season. Gerber could also recently be seen appearing in Benito Skinner’s comedy series for Prime Video, "Overcompensating". The college-set ensemble features Skinner along with Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco, Nell Verlaque, and Owen Thiele. On the big screen, Gerber can most recently be seen appearing in Sony Pictures’ film, Saturday Night. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film is based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Gerber played the role of Jacquelin Carlin and appeared alongside Dylan O’Brien, Finn Wolfhard, Andrew Barth Feldman, Gabriel LaBelle, Lamorne Morris, Rachel Sennott, Nicholas Braun, and Cooper Hoffman. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was released theatrically in October 2024. Gerber also appeared in the psychological thriller Shell, directed by Max Minghella and starred alongside Elisabeth Moss and Kate Hudson. The film is set in the near future when humanity’s cultural obsession with youth and beauty has been taken to new extremes. The film also premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2023, Gerber co-starred in Bottoms, a high school sex comedy directed by Emma Seligman (“Shiva Baby”) for MGM’s Orion Pictures and produced by Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, and Alison Small for Brownstone Production. Written by Seligman and Rachel Sennott, the film follows two unpopular queer girls in their senior year, played by Ayo Edebiri and Sennott, who start a fight club to try to impress and hook up with cheerleaders. The film premiered at SXSW in March 2023 and received a nomination for Best Comedy at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. Next, Gerber will co-star in the upcoming Apple TV+ original film, Outcome, directed by Jonah Hill. Keanu Reeves will lead the ensemble featuring Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer, David Spade, Susan Lucci, Laverne Cox, Roy Wood Jr., and Atsuko Okatsuka. Written by Hill and Ezra Woods, the film centers on a damaged Hollywood star who must dive into the dark depths of his past to confront his demons and make amends after he is extorted with a mysterious video clip from his past. Gerber's previous on-screen work includes the 2022 indie short, Palisades, written and directed by Carissa Gallo. She also starred in Season 10 of Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed anthology series, Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed anthology series, "American Horror Story: Double Feature" and "American Horror Stories: two horrifying stories....one season” alongside franchise veterans Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, Liya Rabe, and Macaulay Culkin. As an avid book reader, Gerber recently launched her online literature platform, Library Science. What started as a weekly Instagram Live evolved into a community that can use reading as a gateway into some important, though difficult, conversations. Over the last three years, the book club has become the catalyst for dialogue over race, sex, loss, consent, motherhood, girlhood, queerness, addiction, abuse, climate change, and intersectionality among other. Her unique position as a model and social media favorite has ignited an interest in reading for many, a rare commodity during an age polluted by technology. Gerber splits her time between NYC and LA and is likely to be reading during the commute. Representation: Gerber is represented by CAA, Entertainment360, DNA Model Management, Wolf Kasteler Public Relations, and Sloan, Offer, Weber & Dern.

LILY MCINERNY made her professional acting debut starring in Jamie Dack’s feature film Palm Trees And Power Lines, for which she received a 2023 “Breakthrough Performance” Independent Spirit Award Nomination. McInerny currently stars alongside Chloë Sevingy and Claes Bang in the film adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s classic novel, Bonjour Tristesse, from director Durga Chew-Bose. On television, McInerny had a pivotal role in season one of Hulu’s "Tell Me Lies" in 2022. Also in 2022, she made her New York stage debut starring in Bess Wohl’s off-Broadway play, Camp Siegfried, directed by David Cromer for Second Stage Theater. In January 2024, McInerny returned to the stage in Jack Serio’s lauded Off-Off Broadway production of The Animal Kingdom, opposite David Cromer. McInerny was raised in New York City and studied Drama at Laguardia High School and Bennington College.

YEL RENNALLS is a screenwriter, director, performer, and curve model based in Queens, NY. Her creative work explores themes of identity, desire and morality across film and performance. Yel's second narrative short film GLOWORM - which they self produced, wrote, directed and performed in - is currently in post-production.

AMANDLA JAHAVA is a first generation Kenyan-American actor, writer, and director based out of New York. Unfortunately her tribe is not the tribe that runs (they’re next door), so she had to settle on becoming a storyteller. She passionately creates and advocates for African stories from an African perspective for African people. Her first short film, Vuka, was shown at festivals in Switzerland, Amsterdam and Oaxaca. She is currently in post production for her second short film, Nonviable which she wrote and directed. She can be seen in Issa Rae’s Rapsh!t and Ava Duvernay’s DMZ. Some people call her a pilot princess having booked the leads of the FX produced Peep Show and Lena Waithe’s produced How To Make Love To A Black Woman. Film credits include the co-lead of This Will Never Work, directed by Marina & Nicco. She made her off-broadway debut in Dave Harris’ Exception To The Rule. Regional theater credits include: Geffen Playhouse, Arizona Theater, Denver Theatre Club. She received her MFA in Acting from the fka Yale School of Drama ‘19 and a BFA in Acting from CalArts ‘16

Gracie Gardner Gracie's play Pussy Sludge was selected for Theatertreffen Stückemarkt in Berlin, and previously received the Relentless Award; it was developed by Less Than Rent at HERE Arts Center, and The Old Vic in London. Her play Athena (New York Times Critics’ Pick) was presented by The Hearth at JACK. Gracie is the recipient of the Katherine Owens/Undermain Fund for New Work, a Theater of the Future Fellowship, the McKnight National Residency and Commission, an Ensemble Studio Theater Sloan Foundation Commission, the James E. Michael Award, the James Stevenson Prize, a Claire Tow Residency, and she is a Samuel French OOB Festival winner. She’s a proud member of New Dramatists, an alum of Ars Nova Play Group, and Youngblood, and she has received commissions from Clubbed Thumb, and Manhattan Theatre Club. As an interactive writer, she's written Annapurna titles Open Roads, and Maquette, and is currently writing for the upcoming Bioshock game.

DUSTIN WILLS was recently described by the Obie Committee as having an “ability to navigate chaos with precision,” and that about sums it up. Upcoming productions include an unannounced really good musical at Little Island, Jeremy O Harris’ A Boy’s Company Presents: Tell Me If I’m Hurting You, and some TOP SECRET unannounced stuff (!!). Recent theatre: Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play (2023 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Direction and Production), John J. Caswell Jr.’s Wet Brain (Playwrights Horizons/MCC), Kate Tarker’s Montag (Soho Rep), and SIX CHARACTERS by Phillip Howze (LCT3). Recent opera: Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro starring Anthony Roth Costanzo (Little Island NYC), Handel’s Alcina, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Stravinsky’s соловей.. Dustin has devised new work with Teatro L’Arciliuto in Rome, Italy, created large-scale puppetry pageants with Creative Action, trained with Augusto Boal in Theatre of the Oppressed legislative performance, and for a couple of years gave rogue tours of the Vatican. He is a 2023 Obie Award winner, SDCF Callaway Award finalist, Princess Grace Award recipient, a Drama League alum, and a 2015 Williamstown Boris Sagal directing fellow. He teaches in the Directing and Playwriting programs at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

SUSAN SARANDON The extremely versatile Susan Sarandon brings her own brand of sex appeal and intelligence to every role – from her fearless portrayal of Annie Savoy in Bull Durham to her Oscar-nominated performances in Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client, and Atlantic City to her Academy Award-winning and SAG Award-winning role as Sister Helen, a nun consoling a death-row inmate in Dead Man Walking. Sarandon made her acting debut in the movie Joe in 1970, which she followed with a continuing role in the TV drama “A World Apart.” Early film credits include The Great Waldo Pepper, Lovin’ Molly, Billy Wilder’s The Front Page, the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby. She went on to receive her first Oscar nomination in Malle’s Atlantic City. Additional film credits include The Hunger, The Witches of Eastwick, A Dry White Season, White Palace, Light Sleeper, Bob Roberts, Little Women, Stepmom, Cradle Will Rock, Igby Goes Down, The Banger Sisters, Moonlight Mile, Shall We Dance?, Alfie, Elizabethtown, Romance & Cigarettes, Enchanted, The Lovely Bones, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Robot & Frank, Arbitrage, Tammy, The Meddler, Blackbird, and The Jesus Rolls. The hard-working actress has made a career of choosing diverse and challenging projects in film as well as television, having received an Emmy and Golden Globe Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of Bette Davis in Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Bette & Joan” opposite Jessica Lange in 2017. In 2008, she received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries for her role in the HBO film Bernard and Doris, as well as a Golden Globe and SAG nomination. She also received an Emmy and SAG nomination for her work in Barry Levinson’s You Don't Know Jack with Al Pacino for HBO. Sarandon has made guest appearances on “Friends,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “ER,” “30 Rock,” “The Big C,” “Doll & Em,” “Mike & Molly,” “Search Party” and in the Mother Lover video on “Saturday Night Live.” As well as lent her voice to numerous animation projects including “The Simpsons,” James and the Giant Peach, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, April and the Extraordinary World, Hell and Back, Spark: A Space Tail, Skylanders Academy, and Rick and Morty. Most recently Sarandon played Victoria Kord in DC Film’s Blue Beetle, Linda Curson in The Lester Brothers, bowling comedy, The Gutter, and Gia in Stephen Chbosky & Netflix ensemble comedy, Nonnas. Upcoming projects include Zach Wood’s drama The Accompanist opposite Aubrey Plaza.

KATE WALSH is widely known for playing Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC dramas “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Theater: Jordans (Public Theatre NY); Mary Stuart (Perth International Festival); The Other Place (Fremantle Theatre Company); If I Forget (Roundabout); Dusk Rings a Bell (Atlantic); Orlando (The Actors Gang); Flight Courier Service (Cooke County Theater Company); The Four Twins (Ontological Theater); Burn Manhattan Improv, Born Guilty (Red Orchid Theatre); Moon Under Miami (Remains Theater); Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare Rep); The Danube (Piven Theater Workshop); Tooth of Crime (aka Theater); Other TV Credits: “Emily in Paris,” “Sprung,” “The Umbrella Academy,” “13 Reasons Why.” Film: Honest Thief, Almost Love, Sometime Other Than Now, Girl’s Trip, #RealityHigh, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. Walsh is also the founder of the award-winning lifestyle beauty company, Boyfriend®.

GREG KELLER was born and raised in New York City and has spent most of his career there, originating roles in new plays. This past year he received an Obie Award for Sustained Achievement in Performance, a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Performance in Marin Ireland’s pre-existing condition, and was in Yellow Face on Broadway, which received a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Play.