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PASS OVER
By Antoinette Nwandu | July 13, 2022 – July 30th, 2022

PREVIEW Wednesday July 13th at 7:30pm (Pay What You Can)

OPENING NIGHT Thursday July 21st at 7:30pm

PERFORMANCE Friday July 22nd at 8:00pm

PERFORMANCE Saturday July 23rd at 8:00pm

PERFORMANCE Monday July 25th at 7:30pm (Pay What You Can)

PERFORMANCE Thursday July 28th at 7:30pm

PERFORMANCE Friday July 29th at 8:00pm

CLOSING NIGHT Saturday July 30th at 8:00pm

CREATIVE TEAM

Director – Sasha Maya Ada

Producer – Carson McCain (STT Artistic Director)

Producer/Technical Director – Drew Wall (STT Director of Operations)

Stage Manager – Katie Ibrahim*

Scenic Designer – Natalie Rose Mabry

Sound Designer – Noah James Heller

Costume Designer – Jasmine Woods

Lighting Designer – Aaron Johansen

Fight/Violence Director – Jeff Colangelo

Special Effects – Isa Flores

Technical Director – Ellie Wyatt

Covid Safety Officer – Kat Lozano 

CAST

MOSES – Daniel Saunders*

KITCH – Vandous Stripling II*

MISTER/OSSIFER – Matthew Manelli

* Appearing under a Small Professional Theatres contract courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

PASS OVER is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

The world premiere of PASS OVER was produced and presented at:

Steppenwolf theatre Company, Chicago, IL;
Anna D. Shapiro, Artistic Director and David Schmitz, Managing Director
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater
New York City, 2018
Developed by Cherry Lane Mentor Project, Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM 

Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu (Playwright) is a New York-based writer for stage, film, and television. Her play Pass Over made its New York debut at LCT3/Lincoln Center in 2018. A filmed version of the Jeff Award-winning Steppenwolf production—directed by Spike Lee— premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and at SXSW, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Victory Gardens produced the World Premiere of her play Breach: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate in February of 2018.

Antoinette is a MacDowell Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, an Ars Nova Play Group alum, and a Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Literary Fellow. Honors include a Lilly Award (2020); a Lucille Lortel Award (2019); the Whiting Award (2018); the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award (2017); the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award (2008); the Negro Ensemble Company’s Douglas Turner Ward Prize (2008), and spots on the 2016 and 2017 Kilroys lists. Her work has been supported by the Sundance Theater Lab, Space on Ryder Farm, Ignition Fest, the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Kennedy Center, Page73, PlayPenn, Southern Rep, The Flea, Naked Angels, Fire This Time and The Movement Theater Company.

Sasha Maya Ada (Director) is Dallas-based and works throughout the greater DFW area as an actor, director, and collaborator. She serves as the first Artistic Director for Big Thought, an arts education and equity organization, and, when not performing, loves coaching young artists in preparation for their next steps–whether it be for high school, summer, undergrad, or graduate programs. She is also the co-coordinator and lead teaching artist for the Dallas Region of the Next Narrative Monologue Competition (formerly the National August Wilson Monologue Competition). She finds the intersection of artistic technique and restorative practices fascinating and allows that relationship to guide her professional and personal approach to storytelling.

Katie Ibrahim* (Stage Manager) is a theatre artist originally from Orlando, FL. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in Theatre Studies where she directed, stage managed, and produced a number of productions, including directing Aaron Posner’s Stupid F***ing Bird. Stage management credits include: For a Brief Moment I was Something Else (NYC), Let’s Have a Seance (NYC). Since moving back to Dallas, she has worked as a lead teaching artist at The Playground Acting Program. She is thrilled to be working with Second Thought Theatre on this production!

Daniel Saunders* (Moses) was introduced to acting in 2014 by longtime friend and brother, Vandous. He was a junior in high school and has been in love with the craft ever since. He moved on to get his BA in Dramatic Media at Texas Lutheran University, graduating in the midst of the pandemic in May 2020. Now, his plans are to move to New York in the fall and continue to pursue his passion for performing arts.

Vandous Stripling II* (Kitch) is an Actor from Dallas, Texas who began acting in his later years of high school. He then went on to graduate with a B.A from Texas Lutheran University. Though he graduated during the pandemic, he kept busy with stage readings at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters directed by Akin Babatunde, who later became his mentor. Vandous’ recent theatre credits include Berta Berta at the Jubilee and What to Send Up When it Goes Down at Stage West. He will begin his MFA program at The OLD Globe & University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre program this Fall.

Matthew Manelli (Mister/Ossifer) is honored to be working with Second Thought to tell this impeccable story. Matthew graduated from SMU’s undergraduate program with a B.F.A in Theatre and a B.A in Spanish. He is currently working as a teaching artist and a public high school teacher. Matthew would like to thank Sasha, Daniel, Vandous, and Katie for creating the best rehearsal room that he could’ve ever asked for. He would also like to thank Bethany for putting up with his antics and for being a seemingly infinite source of patience.

Carson McCain (Producer/STT Artistic Director) is a born-and-bred Texas director and producer, with a heart for new and local work that serves to connect humans and foster empathy. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she studied acting, and directing. There, she received a Meadows Exploration Grant to develop and produce the world premiere of Michelle with Wet Eyeballs by Claire Carson. She serves as the Supervising Producer for Spoke Media where she has produced and directed numerous audiobooks and podcasts, including The Last Of Us Official Podcast, The Left Ear with Dakota Johnson and Because I Watched: A Netflix Podcast. Second Thought Theatre audiences will recognize her work as the director of Empathitrax by Ana Nogueira and The Great God Pan by Amy Herzog. She has also directed at Undermain Theatre (Really by Jackie Sibblies Drury,) and Stage West (Lungs by Duncan McMillan). She served as associate director on Dallas Theater Center’s 2016 production of A Christmas Carol, on Second Thought Theatre’s production of BOOTH by Steven Michael Walters, and as assistant director on Belleville by Amy Herzog, Kitchen Dog’s Production of I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard. Other directing credits include Middletown by Will Eno, Delirium by Enda Walsh and Theatre O, and the world premiere of Ophelia Underwater by Janielle Kastner. To experience more of Carson’s work, check out her podcast, Untitled Dad Project with Janielle Kastner on whatever podcast app you use.

Drew Wall (Producer/Technical Director/STT Director of Operations) is currently the Director of Operations for Second Thought Theatre and has been working with the company since 2007. During that time, he has served as an actor, designer, producer, production manager, and resident artist. Second Thought acting credits include Incognito, Empathitrax, Straight White Men, Belleville, Nocturne, The Great God Pan, Booth, Red Light Winter, A Behanding in Spokane, The Bombitty of Errors, A Skull in Connemara, The Country Wife, and Lobby Hero. Other (select) credits include Gloria (Dallas Theater Center); Long Way Go Down, Beauty Queen of Leenane, Totalitarians, Macbeth (Kitchen Dog Theater); On The Eve, Defiance (Theater Three); The Dog Problem (Undermain Theater); Father Comes Home From The Wars (African American Repertory Theater).  His work has also been found behind the scenes of many other local theater companies over the past years as a designer, welder, and carpenter.  From 2009 to 2015 he served as STT’s Production Manager and Resident Artist. In 2015, Drew was named Director of Operations, the first full-time position in STT history, where he currently leads both the Administration and Production departments and handles all daily company business. Drew received his BFA from Baylor University.

Natalie Rose Mabry (Scenic Designer)

Aaron Johansen (Lighting Designer) is pleased to be returning to Second Thought Theater. Previous collaborations have included: Dallas Theater Center; Dallas Children’s Theater; Kitchen Dog Theater (Company Member); Theater Three; Stage West; Uptown Players; Cry Havoc Theater Company; Cara Mía Theatre Co and Sweet Tooth Hotel Art installation. Aaron recently became the co-lighting director for the Drone Racing League where he designs lighting for drone race courses around the country. Follow him and his work on Instagram @Famoustrendywizard.

Noah James Heller (Sound Designer) is humbled to be working with Second Thought Theatre for the first time. Noah is a playwright/director and sound designer based in Dallas Texas. Previous design credits include in a word by Lauren Yee at Echo Theatre and We Are Proud to Present a Presentation… by Jackie Sibblies Drury at SMU. He would like to thank Daniel and Vandous for selecting the pre-show music, Sasha for bringing him onboard, his partner Katie, and their cats Squid and Posie.

Jasmine Woods (Costume Designer) is excited to be working with Second Thought Theatre for the first time. She is a costume designer and interdisciplinary artist based in Dallas. With a surrealist approach, she explores Black culture and mental health under the mediums of fashion, costume, collage, and digital art. Previous design credits include What to Send Up When it Goes Down by Aleshia Harris at Stage West, Egress by Melissa Crespo & Sarah Saltwich at Amphibian Stage, and Black Nativity by Langston Hughes at Bishop Arts Theatre.

Jeff Collangelo (Fight/Violence Director)

Isa Flores (Special Effects) is a Dallas native and has worked on a number of productions throughout DFW. She is a graduate of KD Conservatory where she studied film production. Isa has done SFX and prop work for Second Thought Theatre many times, as well as DGDG and Theatre Three. She has also done SFX for indie films, most recently Stuck (2016) and Final Dress (2019).

Ellie Wyatt (Technical Director)

Kat Lozano (COVID Safety Officer) is an actor and teaching artist based in Dallas, Texas. She is absolutely thrilled to be working with Second Thought Theatre on Pass Over. Acting credits include Libra Season (Second Thought Theatre), Queen of Basel (Kitchen Dog Theater), Pride and Prejudice (Shakespeare Dallas), Dracula (Theatre Three), and Wolf at the Door (Kitchen Dog Theater). Film credits include Artificial, Everything Except Hope, and Bitch’s Tit. Kat is a teaching artist with Dallas Summer Musicals where they offer arts-based programs to Dallas ISD students. Kat has a BFA in Acting from the University of Texas at Austin.