ABOUT THE CAST
CIARA MONIQUE
Belinda
Originally hails from Jackson, Mississippi. She is thrilled to make her film debut with MAJOR. Monique received her BFA in Acting from Virginia Commonwealth University, MFA in Acting from Yale School of Drama. A go-to collaborator of Betts’, Monique and Betts have collaborated on Fireflies and Is God Is. Monique’s Yale Repertory Theatre credits include Native Son, A Raisin in the Sun, and the world premiere of Cadillac Crew. Select School of Drama Credits: Trouble in Mind, Hamlet, and Henry VI Part 3. Yale School of Drama awarded Ciara with a scholarship to train at the British American Drama Academy’s (BADA) Midsummer in Oxford program. Other Yale School of Drama honors include the Constance Welch Memorial Scholarship, the Jerome L. Green Fellowship, and the Carol Finch Dye Award, whose previous recipients include Frances McDormand and Meryl Streep.
LAUREN E. BANKS
Coach Frankie
The "E" standing for Elizabeth (a multi-generational family name), was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Banks is most known for her work as Siobhan Quays in Showtime's drama series CITY ON A HILL, where she plays opposite Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Recurring roles include MANIAC and DIETLAND. Lauren can also be seen in INSTICT. An athlete herself, Lauren spent the early years of her life playing basketball and aspiring to become an Olympic track star until her talent and passion for storytelling guided her toward acting. Lauren is a graduate of Yale School of Drama and Howard University, from which she received her MFA and BFA in Acting. At Howard University, where she trained under the late Al Freeman, Jr., Lauren served two years as President of The Howard Players and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Select Howard University credits include: For Colored Girls… (Woman in the Blue) Suzan Lori Parks' Venus (Mother-Showman, Brother, Grade-School Chum). At Yale, Lauren was awarded The School of Drama's Carol Finch Dye Award, whose previous recipients include Frances McDormand and Meryl Streep.
JORDAN-Amanda Hall
Danita
A stage and film actor born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California. She began acting at Amazing Grace Conservatory, a theatrical training institute for inner city youth. To hone her theatrical skills, Jordan-Amanda moved across the country to attend New York University’s (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. At NYU Tisch, she studied theatre at Stella Adler Studio of Acting conservatory and at Stonestreet Studios Film Conservatory, an on-camera training program. While training at NYU Tisch she performed in the Tisch Mainstage productions of “Rent” and “Hairspray” in addition to starring in, Cross My Heart, a dramatic short which became a Vimeo Staff Pick and aired on Aspire TV. Jordan-Amanda graduated from NYU Tisch with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Drama with a minor in Film & TV production. Post-graduation, she worked as an assistant in the art department on Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It. In 2019, Hall made her television debut in Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga as Tanaka.
MICHELE SHAY
Denise
A Tony nominated and award-winning actress, director, producer, healer and certified Coach. She has appeared on and off-Broadway, on television and film and in regional theaters around the country. She is currently a member of the Actors’ Center Theater Workshop Company founded by J. Michael Miller in New York City. Ms. Shay also has served on Theater Panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, New York and New Jersey State Arts Councils, the Princess Grace Foundation and the Board of directors for Theater Communications Group. She has taught acting at UNCSA in North Carolina, American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, Actors Theater of Louisville, Cal Arts, David Kagen’s on-camera Film Acting Studio in Los Angeles and currently at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Clients include Bridges in Organizations, Mind-Body Medical Institute, Essex County College, Melissa Rivers, the singing group TLC, gospel singer Delores Burgess, writer-comedian Elisa Perry and Tony-nominee stage and film actress Sanaa Lathan.
Jocelyn Bioh
Professor Perkins
A Ghanaian-American writer/performer from NYC. NYC acting credits include In the Blood (Signature Theatre, Drama Desk Nom); Everybody (Signature Theatre, Lortel nom); Men On Boats (Playwrights Horizons); An Octoroon (Soho Rep); Neighbors (The Public Theater); and Curious Incident…. (Tony Award Best Play). Her plays include 2015 Kilroys’ List selection Nollywood Dreams, presented in 2017 as part of The Cherry Lane Mentor Project, School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play (MCC Theater, 2017/18, Lortel Award, OCC John Gassner Award, Hull-Warriner Award, Drama Desk Nom, Drama League Nom, Off Broadway Alliance Nom, Kilroys’ List 2016), African Americans (Ruby Prize Finalist 2011), Goddess (book writer) and The Ladykiller’s Love Story of which she conceived the story and wrote the libretto with music/lyrics by Cee Lo Green. She is a commissioned playwright with Manhattan Theatre Club, Atlantic Theater Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Second Stage Theater. Resident playwright at Lincoln Center and a Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence with MCC Theater for 2017–18. BA in English and Theatre from Ohio State University and MFA in Playwriting.
BRENNYN LARK
Laurin Smith, Journalist
A New York based actor/ singer credits include: Broadway: “Eponine” in Les Misérables. TV/Film: “Dawn” in season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. West End: “Deena Jones.” Regional Theatre: “Tzipporah” in Stephen Schwartz’s The Prince of Egypt, “Mary Magdalene” in Jesus Christ Superstar. Brennyn has also worked with Gospel/ r&b artist Bebe Winans. She has a growing coaching business, as is extremely passionate about imparting confidence and performance technique to those wanting to step into their potential!
MARS RUCKER (They/Them)
A multi-disciplinary artist, creator, and thinker. They seek for the intersection of their passions through music, dance, modeling, and acting. They were most recently seen as a soloist in Playbill’s Pride Play’s Spectacular and were also seen originating the role of Tina Turner’s sister Alline in Tina on Broadway. They are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and create with other artists.
KYRA DAVIS (She/Her)
An actress born and raised in Tuscumbia, AL. She has double majors in Theatre and News Media from The University of Alabama. Upcoming Credits: Jitney (Rena); Other Credits: Intimate Apparel (Esther) and The Christians (Elizabeth).
DIAMOND ESSENCE WHITE (She/Her)
Thrilled to be a part of MAJOR! She was most recently seen as a Zoe/Alana standby in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway.
ALEXANDRA MAURICE (She/Her)
A Fourth-year MFA candidate at Yale School of Drama, where she was seen in Luna Gale, YELL, How to Get Over Fuckbois Vol. 1, Measure for Measure, and The Tempest. Other credits include Schoolgirls, We Are Proud to Present, and No Dead Thing (Yale Cabaret). She holds a BFA in Theater Arts from Howard University, and has trained at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York City.
IMANI (They/Them)
An artist from the Southern United States currently working as an actor in Connecticut. Maal is currently in their fourth year of study at Yale School of Drama, pursuing a master’s in Acting. In the five years Maal has lived and worked in the Northeast, they have worked closely with community theaters in New Haven and beyond, starring in musicals such as Spring Awakening and Ragtime, plays such as The Mountaintop by Katori Hall and Milk Like Sugar by Kirsten Greenidge at Collective Consciousness Theatre and original works like Angie Bridgette Jones’ Lenny’s Fast Food Kids Gang and How Black Girls Get Over Fuckbois: vol 1 as well as their own original work, Black Girl Burning. Maal is currently returning to the world of filmmaking, spending the summer producing short films and digital artwork and is thrilled to be on the MAJOR team!
MYA KING (She/Her)
A New York based dancer from Chicago, Illinois.While receiving her BFA from The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Mya developed a true love for choreographing and performing. Throughout her time in New York, Mya has been mentored by choreographers such as Jennifer Archibald, Oliva Cipolla, and Ebony Williams. She has had the opportunity to perform throughout the country at music festivals, concerts, and theatres. Mya has also performed in Broadway Bares which is produced by the Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS Organization.She can also be seen in Chance The Rapper’s Christmas Special, Brandon Blackwood’s digital campaign, as well as In The Heights the Movie Directed by Jon Chu.
TAMARA WILLIAMS (She/Her)
An actress/dancer/Writer hailing from, New York City! Most recently had a re-accruing role on hit tv show, “Dispatches from elsewhere” as a fierce, high, energy Aerobics Instructor(AMC); Currently streaming on season 1 of “Pose” on ‘Netflix’. Her Theatrical start was, being featured apart of The New York Times Critics pick "Street Children!" choreographed by Tamara. Tamara is a classically trained performer by way of Harlem School of The Arts, she is passionate about seeing change in her community and Globally; a former Human Rights Campaign youth ambassador, advocating for the basic human rights of Inner city youth throughout the greater New York and Tri-State area for much of her younger life. Tamara M. Williams co- Starred along side fellow Cast-mates Carlie Guevara, Amanda, and Ivana Black in the critically acclaimed, award winning, feature film "The Garden Left Behind" directed by Flavio Alves written by John Rotondo, Producer Roy Wol and continues to reinvent the way we view Trans/Gender non- conforming Non Binary Performers.