Previously workshopped in 2019 through the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival, the first full staged reading of the play was held at the District Fringe Festival and Friends Meeting of Washington in July 2025. Read more below:
PROGRAM
THEATRE51
Presents
Now To Ashes
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY RENAE ERICHSEN-TEAL & SARAH PULTZ
July 13, 2025 at Friends Meeting of Washington
July 19, 2025 at University of the District of Columbia as part of District Fringe
Presents
Now To Ashes
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY RENAE ERICHSEN-TEAL & SARAH PULTZ
July 13, 2025 at Friends Meeting of Washington
July 19, 2025 at University of the District of Columbia as part of District Fringe
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CAST
Angelina Weld Grimké (Present) \ Grace Douglass: Jam Donaldson Sarah “Sally” Moore Grimké: Mikaela Fenn Angelina “Nina” Grimké: Alexandria Grigsby Sarah Mapps Douglass: Amber Patrice Coleman Angelina Weld Grimké (Young) / Margaretta “Marg” Forten: Madison Norwood John Grimké / Johnathan Evans / William Lloyd Garrison: Paul Brewster Polly Grimké / Quaker / Catharine Beecher: Allison Turkel Charlotte Forten: Paulette Grady Israel Morris / Arthur Tappen: Ari Post Theodore “Theo” Dwight Weld: Max Johnson |
UNDERSTUDIES
Angelina / Grace / Charlotte / Sarah: Gaddiel Adams Sally / Nina: Lillian Grace Hall Theo / Israel / John / Garrison: Stefan Mitrović CREATIVE TEAM Playwright/Director: Renae Erichsen-Teal Playwright/Director: Sarah Pultz CREW Stage Manager: A.J. Jelonek Graphic Designer: Amanda Burtka Sensitivity Reader: Renee Harleston |
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Looking Backwards in Order to Look Forwards
a Dramaturgical Note by Sarah Pultz Do you remember sitting in your history class, learning about abolition, the civil rights movement, and many other intense conflicts in our not-so-distant past? Do you remember thinking about what you would have done at that time? How would you have protested, supported the movements? How many people in your life have you heard say that they would have been “on the right side of history?” When pondering these questions, I encourage you to think of one at the heart of them all – what are you doing now? In the early 1800’s, Sally and Nina Grimké, two young heiresses in Charleston, South Carolina, witnessed the horrors of slavery before them, and despite attempts by their family and neighbors to normalize it, the girls refused to accept the abuse of people around them. At the time, abolition was a fringe movement - barely in the cultural consciousness. Yet, Sally and Nina were steadfast in their radical belief that all races were the same in the eyes of God and deserved fair treatment and equality. They faced isolation from their communities, churches, and family, but still persisted in their goal to change minds. Their decision to do so began a journey that put abolition front and center in U.S. politics, started the early waves of feminism in America, and left a family legacy of activism and empowerment. The women toured the Northeast, speaking on the violence they had witnessed, promoting boycotts, and leading letter-writing campaigns to political leaders. Their actions led to a split in the movement over the argument of women’s rights’ to work in the public sphere toward abolition, which caused an irreparable split in abolitionist activism. This led to violence against known abolitionists and forced the Grimkés to retreat from the public sphere. Yet, they continued their activism through published writings and by living their beliefs. Upon discovering they had black nephews through their brother Henry, they welcomed the nephews into their family, paid for their schooling, and supported them. These men became prominent men in Washington, D.C., with Francis being a preacher, and Archibald becoming an American Consul and the President of the D.C. Chapter of the NAACP. Archibald even named his daughter after Nina, calling her Angelina Weld Grimké. Angelina went on to become a feted poet, playwright, and writer. She was the first black woman to have a play produced in America and was a major influence on the Harlem Renaissance writers and musicians. This incredible family took on the battles of prejudice and oppression across the years. In our show, Angelina Weld Grimké bridges the gap between the past and the present, showcasing how these issues repeatedly come back to haunt us or are reborn under a new name. So many of the arguments used against these activists are the ones still being used today: protect state’s rights, women, and the traditional family structure, protect your family from “dangerous criminals”, even the argument that protestors and activists are paid actors has been used repeatedly throughout American history. Now to Ashes asks us to think critically about our own involvement in the pursuit of justice and equality. What are the modern-day versions of enslavement, sexism, and xenophobia that are creating fear and division amongst us as a nation, and how can we be a better ally to our neighbors? As you leave today, we encourage you to get more involved. Below, we have listed some organizations you can connect with today! MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
Renae Erichsen-Teal (co-writer and director) is a professional writer, actor, and singer based in the D.C. Metro area. Selected credits include the Kennedy Center 2019 Page-To-Stage Festival’s workshop of Now To Ashes (playwright), Story District's He Said, She Said, They Said (writer, storyteller), and Theatre Prometheus' Abortion Road Trip (actor) at the Capital Fringe Festival, where it was the winner of the Best Comedy Award. Renae is also a seasoned member of the Washington Chorus (singer). She received her training and education at Christopher Newport University (vocal performance, acting), Story District (storytelling/writing), and Studio Theater Conservatory (acting). Sarah Pultz (co-writer and director) is a Playwright and Freelance Dramaturg living in the Washington, DC area. Her main skill sets include script editing, research, and assistant directing. She has worked with multiple up-and-coming playwrights and has helped produce plays at the D.C. Fringe Festival as well as other small, local theatre companies. Sarah attended The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she received her M.A in Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy. Since then, she has focused her career on facilitating new art and helping new artists discover and develop their voices. (sarahpultz.com)
A.J. Jelonek (stage manager) (he/him) is proud to support the development of the next historic epic, Now To Ashes. He has served the performing arts in many capacities, including stage manager, house manager, production assistant, supernumerary, usher, assistant head usher, singer, actor, dancer, festival logistics, arts administrator, spotlight cue caller, artist wrangler, seat filler, audience member, emcee, and mascot. In his spare time, he is an architectural historian and cat uncle to Mr. Knightly. Cheers to the Friyay crew! (historyscout.blogspot.com)
Mr. Sid Knightly (assistant stage manager) is an accomplished feline and new member of the Jelonek-Pultz household. He has been invaluable in providing emotional support and dopamine breaks during this process.
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Quakerism Then and Now
a Dramaturgical Note by Renae Erichsen-Teal In the early decades of the 19th century, the Religious Society of Friends—commonly known as the Quakers—was a spiritual home to some of the earliest voices against slavery in the United States. Known for their pacifism, commitment to equality, and belief in the Inner Light – the core tenet that “there is that of God in everyone” – Quakers offered a moral framework that deeply resonated with reformers. Yet despite their principled opposition to slavery, most Quakers in the 1830s resisted direct political action, favoring quiet witness over public confrontation. This tension—between personal conviction and public protest—was at the heart of the Grimké sisters' conflict with their Quaker meeting in the 1830s. Sarah (Sally) and Angelina (Nina) Grimké, born into a wealthy slaveholding family in Charleston, South Carolina, converted to Quakerism and attempted to live according to its moral code. But in choosing to speak out boldly and politically against slavery, they ultimately found themselves too radical for the very religious tradition. The sisters’ defiance not only shaped the trajectory of American abolitionism, but also anticipated the eventual transformation of Quakerism itself—from a community largely averse to political engagement to one now openly committed to activism and social justice today. In the 1830s, Quakers were widely recognized as principled opponents of slavery. Since the late 17th century, the Society of Friends had publicly condemned the practice. By the early 1800s, slaveholding was explicitly banned among Friends in both the United States and Britain. However, the Quaker witness against slavery was largely moral and social rather than political. Quakers often emphasized the importance of living a virtuous life over challenging unjust systems through the political process. This "quietism"—a tradition of inward reflection, spiritual humility, and political disengagement—meant that many Quaker meetings actively discouraged members from taking part in abolitionist societies, public lectures, or political organizing. At the same time, a deep contradiction persisted within the very meetings that professed spiritual equality: many Quaker congregations practiced racial segregation. Despite their theological commitment to the Inner Light—that divine spark said to dwell equally in every person—most Quaker meetings in the United States in the 1830s excluded Black Friends from full participation. Black attendees were often forced to sit separately in meetinghouses, denied formal membership, or barred from leadership and decision-making roles. In Philadelphia, where the Grimké sisters were members and where leading Black abolitionists like Sarah Mapps Douglass were active, racial exclusion was widespread, even as some white Quakers worked alongside Black activists in abolitionist causes. This hypocrisy was not lost on the Grimkés, who recognized that many Quakers' moral convictions stopped short of confronting their own racial bias within their communities. After joining the Quakers in Philadelphia in the late 1820s, the Grimké sisters became increasingly involved in the abolitionist movement, fueled by their personal experiences in the slaveholding South and their belief in the spiritual and civic equality of all people. Nina, in particular, became a powerful writer and orator, issuing an open letter to the South and embarking on a highly public lecture tour in 1837. Her speeches, alongside Sally’s, were groundbreaking not only for their content but for their audiences: the sisters insisted on addressing men and women together, breaking social norms about women's public speech. Their outspokenness drew widespread criticism—from the clergy, from Southern mobs, and from within the Quaker community. The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting rebuked their activism, and the Grimkés ultimately distanced themselves from organized Quakerism. The sisters believed that moral purity without action was not enough; true faith, they argued, required political engagement, public confrontation with injustice, and one’s actions reflecting spoken convictions, which is captured by a common charge among Quakers today to“Let your life speak.” Though rejected by many within their faith tradition, the Grimkés were not alone in their convictions. Other Quakers, particularly among the more liberal Hicksite branch, were also beginning to push the boundaries of acceptable engagement. Figures like Lucretia Mott, a fellow Quaker and close friend of the Grimkés, combined abolitionism with advocacy for women’s rights and public reform. Levi Coffin and other Quakers operated stations on the Underground Railroad, directly aiding enslaved people in their escape to freedom. Even earlier, Benjamin Lay was an outspoken anti-slavery reformer in the 18th century. Still, the broader Quaker community remained divided—torn between its roots in quiet spiritual discipline and the growing call to prophetic public witness. Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, Quakerism evolved in response to these tensions. The movement fractured into several branches: Evangelical Friends, who emphasized biblical authority and often retained a conservative social orientation; Conservative Friends, who clung to traditional silent worship and internal discipline; and Liberal or Unprogrammed Friends, who embraced the primacy of the Inner Light and increasingly adopted a universalist, socially engaged ethos. By the mid-twentieth century, many Quaker meetings had come to see activism not as a distraction from faith, but as a direct expression of it. Quakers became leaders in conscientious objection during both World Wars, advocates in the civil rights movement, supporters of prison reform, and participants in anti-war and environmental campaigns. Today, Quakerism is marked by this diversity. Some meetings retain a cautious approach to politics, while others see lobbying, protest, and community organizing as integral to their spiritual practice. The testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship (collectively known as the “SPICES”) guide many Quakers in their ethical and political commitments. In this pluralistic landscape, the once-radical stance of the Grimké sisters—faith as fuel for political action—has become a widely accepted Quaker path. Local to D.C., the Friends Meeting of Washington is a reflection of this evolution, with its public commitments and active work toward inclusion, social justice, and peace. In retrospect, the Grimké sisters stand as prophetic figures—not only in the history of American abolition and feminism, but in the story of Quakerism itself. Their insistence that faith demanded more than passive virtue, that it required public risk and political courage, anticipated a transformation that would come to shape much of modern Quaker witness. Their rejection by the Society of Friends in the 1830s reveals the limits of even well-intentioned religious traditions—but their legacy reminds us that those limits can, and sometimes must, be broken. |
MEET THE CAST
Gaddiel Adams (u/s Angelina/Grace/Charlotte/Sarah): Excited to understudy for Now To Ashes with THEATRE51, Gaddiel is thrilled to be a part of the first-ever District Fringe! She most recently debuted as lead in the film Unbroken Faith. Previous Film & TV credits include The Will Chair Games and Anacostia: The Series. Stage credits include Assistant Director for Capital Fringe Fest - Best Comedy Winner This is My Sister, The Return of John Brown, String of Pearls, One Mo' Time at Anacostia Playhouse, and as immersive actor “Rebekah" at Museum of the Bible. Professional studies include Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and New Freedom Theatre. Gaddiel would like to thank JESUS and her family & friends for their tremendous support. Very special thanks to Renae, Sarah, and the cast & crew of Now To Ashes for this amazing opportunity!
Paul Brewster (John Grimké/John Evans/William Lloyd Garrison) is delighted to join THEATRE51 for its staged reading of Now To Ashes. As a dad with wonderful daughters, he has a streak of Shakespeare’s “Dads”: Leonato in Much Ado about Nothing (Little Theater of Alexandria), Baptista in Taming of the Shrew (Fat and Greasy Citizens Brigade) and Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Silver Spring Stage). Other credits: Nurse in Romeo and Juliet (NOVA Nightsky Theater), Charles III in King Charles III (Globe Openstage), and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (Port City Players).
Amber Patrice Coleman (Sarah Mapps Douglass) is thrilled to make their District Fringe Debut! Amber has recently obtained her MFA in Acting from the University of Florida in May 2024. She also received her BA in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2020. Amber’s recent stage credits include: Theatre Prometheus: Galatea in Galatea; Folger Theatre: Ophelia u/s in A Room in the Castle; Hippodrome Theatre (Florida): Audrey in As You Like It; University of Florida: Courtney in Pliant Girls, Yemaya in Yemaya’s Belly, Marta in I AM THE DEAD MAN (World Premiere). University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Death in Everybody, Fabian in Twelfth Night. Film: Kiss and Tell, Sweet Nothing. You can follow their acting journey at www.amberpatrice-coleman.com and @amber.coleman_official.
Jam Donaldson (Angelina Weld Grimké (present), Grace Douglass) is thrilled to be rejoining the cast of Now To Ashes. A DC-based actor, her selected credits include Prometheus (Studio Theater), Girl Dogs and A Campfire (New Concepts One Act-NYC), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Washington Shakespeare Co.), The Nat Love Story (The Discovery Theater), Camino Real (The Shakespeare Theater), Hellcab (The Source Theater), MLK and the FBI (Woolly Mammoth Theater), Purlie Victorious (D.C. Arts Center), Measure for Measure (Washington Shakespeare Co.), and Invisible Disability (The Kennedy Center/VSA.)
Mikaela Fenn (Sally Grimké) (she/her) is thrilled to be making her THEATRE51 and District Fringe debut in Now To Ashes! She is originally from Fairfax, VA but has lived half of her life overseas. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Theatre, minors in dance and French, and a concentration in stage management. Recent credits include the national tour of T’was a Girls Night Before Christmas (Internal Swing), The Frogs (Dionysos), and Indecent (U/S Vera). She believes that theatre can change the world and she hopes you enjoy this show as much as she has enjoyed working on it. Thank you to all her friends and family for their endless love and support!
Paulette Grady (Charlotte Forten) has appeared in film, television, and in stage productions. You may have seen her in The Washington Revels stage productions 2018-2021, Maafa 2020, We Own This City, Swagger 1, Wonder Woman 1984, and the 2019 production of Now To Ashes, to name just a few. In addition, she has appeared in a full-page PHARMA ad, AARP, and numerous Erickson Senior Living projects. Paulette does Role Player scenarios for the United States Secret Service, and acts as a Standardized Patient in patient simulations for various universities. She also sings with her church choir as a cantor for mass, and has sung The Star-Spangled Banner at a Black History Program during Black History Month at her former employer the United States Department of Transportation. Paulette is a member of The Washington Revels and Jubilee Voices.
Alexandria Grigsby (Angelina “Nina” Grimké): REGIONAL: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Comedy of Errors | STCA: The Rover, Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: A Haunting. READINGS/WORKSHOPS: Georgetown University: Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice | Journeymen Productions: Let’s Get Rocked! (DC Workshop) PERSONAL: she/her/hers. Training: George Washington University/Shakespeare Theatre Company: MFA in Classical Acting, Pace University: BA in Film and Screen Studies, BA in English - Creative Writing. PERSONAL: Alexandria is a DC-based actor, singer, and writer. Instagram @alexandriagrigsby. Website: alexandriagrigsby.com
Lillian Grace Hall (u/s Sally/Nina) (she/her/hers) is an actor and theatre artist originally from Wise, a small town in Appalachian Virginia. She is a proud alum of James Madison University and forever a Duke at heart. Lillian is a recent DMV transplant and is over the moon to be doing theatre in this amazing area. Big thanks and hugs to her family, friends, family friends, the folks who are making DC Fringe happen, and her dog-brother, Bingo.
Max Johnson (Theodore “Theo” Dwight Weld) (He/Him) is a Washington, DC local working actor, teaching artist, electrician/lighting designer, and deviser. Recent theater credits include Butterflies Are Free (Bluff City Theater), The Pliant Girls (Theatre Prometheus/Nu Sass), The Waverly Gallery (u/s, 1st Stage), Inside Out and Backwards (Imagination Stage), A Commedia Romeo and Juliet (Faction of Fools), The Caretaker (Edge of the Universe Theatre), Angel Number Nine (Rorschach Theatre), Mankind (Iron Crow Theatre), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Raisin in the Sun (Olney Theatre’s National Players Tour 72.) Max graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Theatre and a BA in History. More information about Max can be found on his instagram @maxjohnsondc or his website: maxjohnsonactor.com
Stefan Mitrović (u/s Theo/Israel/John/Garrison) is excited to join THEATRE51 and the cast of Now To Ashes! A few previous credits include: Junk: The Golden Age of Debt (SSS), Marriott’s Love Travel, and Atlantis (NBCUniversal). He can also be seen in the upcoming reading of Charlie’s Year. Stefan is a student of Studio Acting Conservatory and is thankful for his sister’s and teacher’s continued support.
Madison Norwood (Angelina Weld Grimké (Young) / Margaretta “Marg” Forten) is ecstatic to be a part of the cast of Now To Ashes; and equally as excited to be a part of the inaugural District Fringe. Her recent credits include; DC Area: Ethiopia (In Series Opera) Covenant (Theatre Alliance), The Colored Museum (Studio Theatre); Regional: The Book Club Play (Barter Theatre). She would like to thank God, her family, friends and girlfriend for always pushing her to follow her to be best. Instagram: @maddi.norwood
Allison Turkel (Polly Grimké / Quaker / Catharine Beecher) is thrilled to be working with THEATRE51 on this important play. Allison has acted throughout the DMV. Some of her favorite roles include playing Alexis in the Helen Hayes nominated Trojan Women Project at Brave Spirits Theatre Company, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias at Wolf Pack Theatre Company, Mudman/Golem in Dry Bones Rising at Venus Theatre, Mrs. Baker in Come Blow Your Horn at The American Century Theatre, and Reggie Fluty and 8 other roles in DHTC’s The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Allison is a graduate of the Studio Acting Conservatory, and has studied with the Atlantic Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company and the Theatre Lab.
Ari Post (Israel Morris / Arthur Tappen) is happy to be joining Now To Ashes, a story that feels both timely and reflective. His recent DC-area theater work includes Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, and The Rover with Shakespeare Theatre Company, and roles in Electionland with StoryWorks Theater, as well as Venus in Fur, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Side Man with other area companies. Offstage, Ari has also spent many years involved in Washington’s visual arts community, as a writer, illustrator, and art director. He holds an MFA from the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University.
Gaddiel Adams (u/s Angelina/Grace/Charlotte/Sarah): Excited to understudy for Now To Ashes with THEATRE51, Gaddiel is thrilled to be a part of the first-ever District Fringe! She most recently debuted as lead in the film Unbroken Faith. Previous Film & TV credits include The Will Chair Games and Anacostia: The Series. Stage credits include Assistant Director for Capital Fringe Fest - Best Comedy Winner This is My Sister, The Return of John Brown, String of Pearls, One Mo' Time at Anacostia Playhouse, and as immersive actor “Rebekah" at Museum of the Bible. Professional studies include Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and New Freedom Theatre. Gaddiel would like to thank JESUS and her family & friends for their tremendous support. Very special thanks to Renae, Sarah, and the cast & crew of Now To Ashes for this amazing opportunity!
Paul Brewster (John Grimké/John Evans/William Lloyd Garrison) is delighted to join THEATRE51 for its staged reading of Now To Ashes. As a dad with wonderful daughters, he has a streak of Shakespeare’s “Dads”: Leonato in Much Ado about Nothing (Little Theater of Alexandria), Baptista in Taming of the Shrew (Fat and Greasy Citizens Brigade) and Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Silver Spring Stage). Other credits: Nurse in Romeo and Juliet (NOVA Nightsky Theater), Charles III in King Charles III (Globe Openstage), and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (Port City Players).
Amber Patrice Coleman (Sarah Mapps Douglass) is thrilled to make their District Fringe Debut! Amber has recently obtained her MFA in Acting from the University of Florida in May 2024. She also received her BA in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2020. Amber’s recent stage credits include: Theatre Prometheus: Galatea in Galatea; Folger Theatre: Ophelia u/s in A Room in the Castle; Hippodrome Theatre (Florida): Audrey in As You Like It; University of Florida: Courtney in Pliant Girls, Yemaya in Yemaya’s Belly, Marta in I AM THE DEAD MAN (World Premiere). University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Death in Everybody, Fabian in Twelfth Night. Film: Kiss and Tell, Sweet Nothing. You can follow their acting journey at www.amberpatrice-coleman.com and @amber.coleman_official.
Jam Donaldson (Angelina Weld Grimké (present), Grace Douglass) is thrilled to be rejoining the cast of Now To Ashes. A DC-based actor, her selected credits include Prometheus (Studio Theater), Girl Dogs and A Campfire (New Concepts One Act-NYC), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Washington Shakespeare Co.), The Nat Love Story (The Discovery Theater), Camino Real (The Shakespeare Theater), Hellcab (The Source Theater), MLK and the FBI (Woolly Mammoth Theater), Purlie Victorious (D.C. Arts Center), Measure for Measure (Washington Shakespeare Co.), and Invisible Disability (The Kennedy Center/VSA.)
Mikaela Fenn (Sally Grimké) (she/her) is thrilled to be making her THEATRE51 and District Fringe debut in Now To Ashes! She is originally from Fairfax, VA but has lived half of her life overseas. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Theatre, minors in dance and French, and a concentration in stage management. Recent credits include the national tour of T’was a Girls Night Before Christmas (Internal Swing), The Frogs (Dionysos), and Indecent (U/S Vera). She believes that theatre can change the world and she hopes you enjoy this show as much as she has enjoyed working on it. Thank you to all her friends and family for their endless love and support!
Paulette Grady (Charlotte Forten) has appeared in film, television, and in stage productions. You may have seen her in The Washington Revels stage productions 2018-2021, Maafa 2020, We Own This City, Swagger 1, Wonder Woman 1984, and the 2019 production of Now To Ashes, to name just a few. In addition, she has appeared in a full-page PHARMA ad, AARP, and numerous Erickson Senior Living projects. Paulette does Role Player scenarios for the United States Secret Service, and acts as a Standardized Patient in patient simulations for various universities. She also sings with her church choir as a cantor for mass, and has sung The Star-Spangled Banner at a Black History Program during Black History Month at her former employer the United States Department of Transportation. Paulette is a member of The Washington Revels and Jubilee Voices.
Alexandria Grigsby (Angelina “Nina” Grimké): REGIONAL: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Comedy of Errors | STCA: The Rover, Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: A Haunting. READINGS/WORKSHOPS: Georgetown University: Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice | Journeymen Productions: Let’s Get Rocked! (DC Workshop) PERSONAL: she/her/hers. Training: George Washington University/Shakespeare Theatre Company: MFA in Classical Acting, Pace University: BA in Film and Screen Studies, BA in English - Creative Writing. PERSONAL: Alexandria is a DC-based actor, singer, and writer. Instagram @alexandriagrigsby. Website: alexandriagrigsby.com
Lillian Grace Hall (u/s Sally/Nina) (she/her/hers) is an actor and theatre artist originally from Wise, a small town in Appalachian Virginia. She is a proud alum of James Madison University and forever a Duke at heart. Lillian is a recent DMV transplant and is over the moon to be doing theatre in this amazing area. Big thanks and hugs to her family, friends, family friends, the folks who are making DC Fringe happen, and her dog-brother, Bingo.
Max Johnson (Theodore “Theo” Dwight Weld) (He/Him) is a Washington, DC local working actor, teaching artist, electrician/lighting designer, and deviser. Recent theater credits include Butterflies Are Free (Bluff City Theater), The Pliant Girls (Theatre Prometheus/Nu Sass), The Waverly Gallery (u/s, 1st Stage), Inside Out and Backwards (Imagination Stage), A Commedia Romeo and Juliet (Faction of Fools), The Caretaker (Edge of the Universe Theatre), Angel Number Nine (Rorschach Theatre), Mankind (Iron Crow Theatre), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Raisin in the Sun (Olney Theatre’s National Players Tour 72.) Max graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Theatre and a BA in History. More information about Max can be found on his instagram @maxjohnsondc or his website: maxjohnsonactor.com
Stefan Mitrović (u/s Theo/Israel/John/Garrison) is excited to join THEATRE51 and the cast of Now To Ashes! A few previous credits include: Junk: The Golden Age of Debt (SSS), Marriott’s Love Travel, and Atlantis (NBCUniversal). He can also be seen in the upcoming reading of Charlie’s Year. Stefan is a student of Studio Acting Conservatory and is thankful for his sister’s and teacher’s continued support.
Madison Norwood (Angelina Weld Grimké (Young) / Margaretta “Marg” Forten) is ecstatic to be a part of the cast of Now To Ashes; and equally as excited to be a part of the inaugural District Fringe. Her recent credits include; DC Area: Ethiopia (In Series Opera) Covenant (Theatre Alliance), The Colored Museum (Studio Theatre); Regional: The Book Club Play (Barter Theatre). She would like to thank God, her family, friends and girlfriend for always pushing her to follow her to be best. Instagram: @maddi.norwood
Allison Turkel (Polly Grimké / Quaker / Catharine Beecher) is thrilled to be working with THEATRE51 on this important play. Allison has acted throughout the DMV. Some of her favorite roles include playing Alexis in the Helen Hayes nominated Trojan Women Project at Brave Spirits Theatre Company, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias at Wolf Pack Theatre Company, Mudman/Golem in Dry Bones Rising at Venus Theatre, Mrs. Baker in Come Blow Your Horn at The American Century Theatre, and Reggie Fluty and 8 other roles in DHTC’s The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Allison is a graduate of the Studio Acting Conservatory, and has studied with the Atlantic Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company and the Theatre Lab.
Ari Post (Israel Morris / Arthur Tappen) is happy to be joining Now To Ashes, a story that feels both timely and reflective. His recent DC-area theater work includes Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, and The Rover with Shakespeare Theatre Company, and roles in Electionland with StoryWorks Theater, as well as Venus in Fur, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Side Man with other area companies. Offstage, Ari has also spent many years involved in Washington’s visual arts community, as a writer, illustrator, and art director. He holds an MFA from the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University.