Ahkai Franklin is a New York city native. He has taught, performed, and produced throughout the tri-state area and beyond for over two decades. Ahkai continues to teach and perform and can be seen in the movie Barry (Netflix 2016) and in the collection of shorts, Pixar in Real Life (Disney+).
Anna Frankl-Duval is a London-born, Brooklyn-based actor and voiceover artist. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York. Some of her voiceover work includes voicing national and international commercials for Palo Alto Networks, 23andMe, Slack, and Abbott Medical, as well as a series of augmented reality children’s books for BooksARalive called Meet the Animals. Her off-mic work spans both film and theatre, including Anarchy at NPTC, the fierce leader of a resistance group in The Resistance, a baffled British Embassy employee in American Deportation, and writing, producing, and starring in If Only, which screened at festivals worldwide, picking up several award nominations, including one for Anna for Best Acting at the Festival of Cinema NYC. www.annafranklduval.com
Ben Rivers born & raised in NYC. He studied drama at Laguardia-The High School of Performing arts in NY. Ben has appeared in many productions throughout his career including “Sesame Street”, “Native Son” and the Hit N.Y.C stage play “Platanos & Collard Greens”. Ben has been a featured player of Mainstages shows, workshops & gameshows for over 10 years! Ben enjoys Improv and creating new things. His performance this summer is dedicated to his two sons Elijah & Ari.
James DiSandro is a Brooklyn-based actor from Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Drama and Philosophy, he moved to New York City in hopes of pursuing a career in the performing arts. James will appear in the New York Theatre Festival in the spring and is incredibly excited to be joining the Mainstages family!
Jonathan Arana originally from Southern California and has been a teaching artist for over 10 years. He has taught kids all over the country and is thrilled to be a part of Mainstages here in NYC!
Originally from Orlando Florida, Kelsey has over 7 years of experience as a teaching artist! She fully believes in using theatre education, paired with positive reinforcement, as a way to develop confidence and empathy in her students. With an eye towards inclusion, Kelsey makes sure each and every student that enters her space feels seen, respected, and cared for, and makes sure students learn how beautiful sharing in our differences can be. Besides teaching, since graduating from Rollins College with a BA in Musical Theatre and Directing, Kelsey is a full time performer. She has had a plethora of opportunities ranging from multiple National Tours, Regional Theatres and Theme Park Shows. Kelsey always aspires to take the diverse worldview she gains while on the road performing, and scaffold that into the lessons she teaches her students. She hopes that her time with her students, no matter the length of time, will help them become inclusive, worldly, life-long learners. Learn more about her on https://kelseyjkline.com/
Mary is an actor/voice-over artist and theatre educator who is delighted to join the talented team of teaching artists at Mainstages. As an actor she has performed in theatre, film, TV, animation, audio dramas, radio, and video games. A few of her recent credits include the one woman play An Evening With Lola Montez that originally premiered at Capital Fringe, It’s A Wonderful Life at Arkansas Rep, a streamed performance of the play Near Nellie Bly, and the audio dramas Newfield, and Frontier Gentleman. She can be heard voicing various characters on Disney, LeapFrog, Audible, and the Center For New American Media. She is also a regular performer on the award-winning radio play series Fireside Mystery Theatre, The NoSleep Podcast, The Wicked Library and To the Manor Borne By Robots. Proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and Irish Equity. marymurphyonline.com
Paola (Pao) Lehman is thrilled to be a part of the Mainstages family! From a young age, they discovered the magic that could come from theatre. Pao, born in Chicago, has been working in theatre since middle school, around the great city of Chicago, other midwest cities and is beginning to do so in New York CIty. They are excited to share their love for theatre from collaboration to putting up the show. The art of showmanship is something Pao is eager to teach to young performers. They want to show these young theatre artists that they have the power to create magic from their own imaginations.
Raquel is an actress, improviser, and voiceover artist in NYC. When she is isn't performing she absolutely loves making memories with her family & friends! The life of the party, and usually the host of them too!
