Claire Robinson May

Claire Robinson May is a playwright based in Cleveland, Ohio with roots in New England and Nova Scotia. In 2019, she was named Playwright in Residence for the inaugural Exceptional Inclusion Program at Talespinner Children’s Theatre, working with specialists and company members through a devised process to adapt a cycle of Aesop’s Fables for intentional inclusion of audience members with disabilities. Her plays have been performed on the stages of Talespinner Children’s Theatre (THE SILENT PRINCESS, THE BREMENTOWN MUSICIANS, ANDROCLES & THE LION, THE WIND & THE SUN, and THE FOX & THE CROW), convergence-continuum (PUPPET PARTY and RIVER SKY (SOAPOCALYPSE NOW)), Cleveland Public Theatre (MOTHER/TONGUE, THE WORLD’S LARGEST AXE, and STANDARDIZED CHILD TM ), Playwrights Local, and others. She served on the board of Talespinner Children’s Theatre for five years, from 2014-2019. Claire Robinson May is a licensed attorney in Ohio and teaches legal writing at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She is a Cleveland Heights native and a proud graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, Harvard College, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing (NEOMFA) at Cleveland State University.

Rachel Zake

Rachel Zake is a writer, actor, and director. A native of Cleveland, Ohio and a graduate of Boston University, Rachel used her degree in advertising and psychology for a few years before moving to Madrid and traveling the world. She landed in LA in 2010 to pursue her first love, acting, before stumbling into published writing. Rachel has published three books: Two People are Coming out of a Building(2014, fiction), The Nomad Diaries(2017, nonfiction), and Pants Off/Dance Off: A Gentleman's Guide(2019, nonfiction). Her plays have been seen onstage at Playwrights Local and other local venues. Rachel has been acting for over 27 years, having performed on numerous stages, including (locally): Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Cain Park, Playwrights Local, and Halle Theatre. A member of SAG-AFTRA, she has appeared in many TV shows, films, and commercials. She also served as Director of Playmakers Youth Theatre in Beachwood, OH for approximately four years. During that time, she directed over 40 casts of kids (ages 5 to 22) in musicals and straight shows and oversaw 17 other casts in various shows. Beyond the theatre, Rachel proudly serves on the Hathaway Brown Alumnae Committee.

Lisa Langford

Lisa Langford, a graduate of Harvard University, is an actress and playwright.  In addition to television and film, Lisa has acted Off-Broadway (Playwrights Horizons), regionally (LaJolla Playhouse, Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville) and locally (Cleveland Play House, Dobama and Mamai).  Her plays have appeared at Cleveland Public Theatre (ICOGNEGRO, THE NEGRO PERKINS, THE BOMB and, most recently THE ART OF LONGING) and convergence-continuum (OUTSIDE/IN: THE FATTENING HOUSE and THE SPLIT SHOW).  Lisa has also been a copywriter, a journalist, and a member of the creative team that launched the late Dr. Maya Angelou’s greeting card line. She received her MFA from Cleveland State and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

RASTUS AND HATTIE

Greg Vovos

Greg Vovos is a playwright and director who has worked in Cleveland theater since he returned in 1998, after earning his MFA in Playwriting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  He has worked as a director and playwright for Dobama, Cleveland Public Theatre, the Beck Center, Cleveland Play House, Charenton Theater Co., TITLEWave theatre, Baldwin Wallace University, Tri-C and others on many critically-acclaimed productions.  He has taught playwriting at Baldwin Wallace University, Cuyahoga Community College West, UNLV and various theatres in the area. He also writes screenplays and is a writer at American Greetings. His plays have been seen all over the world and published by Dramatic Publishing and PPT Press.  His most satisfying work has been for the Theatre for Healthy Living, where he has written plays about difficult issues facing youth today.  These plays — performed by the young people themselves — have been produced at high schools, detention centers and youth prisons, among others, and address issues such as racism, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, heroin abuse, obesity and the challenges of transitioning back to society. Greg was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for Playwriting for 2014. Beyond writing, he is married to his best friend and together they have two awesome kids.