Producer and Co-Writer

Jodie Bentley is an LA-based award-winning actor, writer, and producer. She’s a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting. With over 170 credits across television, film, theater, commercials, and audiobooks, her acting work includes Modern Family, Never Have I Ever, NCIS, and the upcoming Ryan Murphy series The Shards. Her projects have been produced and distributed through platforms and festivals including Netflix, Hulu, ABC, CBS, Apple TV, TIFF, and Cannes. As a producer, Jodie’s credits include Prey, starring Tyler Mane and Oded Fehr, and The Program, featuring Marisol Nichols and Kim Poirier. She also produced The Jokesters, directed by A.J. Wedding, which received distribution through Random Media.

Since 2008, Jodie has built a global community of over 20,000 actors through her company, Actor Insider, educating artists on branding, marketing, and career strategy. She has taught the business of acting at five universities and has spoken at Comic-Con and Comikaze. Jodie tells female-driven stories that amplify underrepresented voices, believing entertainment has the power to heal, connect, and remind people they belong. She’s a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting and a proud member of SAG AFTRA and AEA. jodiebentley.com@jodiebentley

Co-Writer

James Tabeek is a prolific actor, award-winning writer, and nationally recognized choreographer with an extensive list of credits in film, television, and commercials, including projects on Netflix, HBO Max, and Lifetime. A veteran of the stage, James has appeared in principle roles on Broadway in Beauty And The Beast, Taboo, Wicked, and Mary Poppins, the European tour of West Side Story, and most recently in the leading role in the world premiere of Tony Blake’s critically acclaimed new play Sunday Dinner in Los Angeles. James has also made theatrical appearances in New York at the Met Opera, City Center, and Radio City Music Hall, in Los Angeles at LA Opera, in Las Vegas at the Smith Center, in Seattle at the 5th Ave Theater, and in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center.

A former New Yorker turned Los Angeleno and current San Franciscan, James likes to synthesize a very complex world through a raw and honest lens, balanced with a thread of darkly optimistic comedy. He writes messy, nuanced characters forging their way through a beautifully imperfect world. James holds a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University and is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, for which he donates his talents in support. www.imdb.me/jamestabeek @jamestabeek

“Bridget”

Anna Rizzo is a TV/Film actor who guest starred on Law & Order and FBI: Most Wanted and won numerous awards for her roles in various independent films, including 5 Best Actress wins for her starring role in On the 7th Date. In addition, she went to Berklee College of Music and is a singer-songwriter and vocal coach.

“Brian”

Mark Souza has spent the past two decades working on countless Film, TV, and Theatre productions across NYC, Los Angeles, and New England. Recent credits include Law & Order: SVU (NBC), The Deponent (CineBueno Films), Proxy (Elazon Productions), Summerhouse (Magenta Light),Do You Remember Me? (Hull Bay Productions), and On Golden Pond (Theatre Workshop of Nantucket). He is currently based in Massachusetts and is represented by Rodney Swain at Swain-Thomas agency.

He would like to thank Jodie and James for inviting him to be part of a screenplay which is simultaneously poignant, funny, and aware of the healing potential of a good Chow Mein sandwich. markmsouza.com

“Jim”

Jody O'Neil is a New England and NYC-based actor and writer. Recent film roles include the Stage Manager opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Don’t Look Up, dir. by Adam McKay (Netflix) and Fred Fisher in Arthur Egeli’s Art Thief, based on the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist in Boston. He can be seen as another troubled dad in Limulus, the latest short film from Mick Gorley’s crime family syndicate series, which had its U.S. premiere at the Big Apple Fest in NYC this past March and will be re-filmed as a feature in 2027. His work in television includes Vince Sullivan, opposite Judith Light and John Rothman in “Julia” (HBO Max), Ivan Zamir in the 14-part series OFFSEASON, streaming on Amazon Prime, and an appearance on SNL as one of Chirs Kattan’s Mango Boys. Off-Broadway he appeared in Blackwater Angel, Everyday A Visitor, and created the dual roles of Sister Etcetera/Older Trevor in Sam Bolen and Oscar and Golden Globe winner, Matt Sonnenblick’s award-winning musical, Midnight at the Never Get, set to make its West End debut next year, starring Ben Platt. Favorite stage roles include The Lecturer in Reefer Madness: The Musical, Chris Christofferson in Anna Christie, Alan Riding in God of Carnage, John in Oleanna, Frank in Educating Rita, and Teddy in Faith Healer which will be produced for the 4th consecutive year by his pop-up theater company, Sailor Beware, on Cape Cod in August for three performances – as usual, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit a local non-profit; this year’s designee, Wild Care, Inc.

Jody is a former show writer for Broadway Cares where he handed off his cue cards to everyone from Hugh Jackman and Jane Fonda to Nathan Lane and Liza Minelli. He is repped by Thomas Ybarra at Top Priority Group. SAG-AFTRA, AEA.

“Patricia”

Kat Winn Blanchard brings decades of Theater and Film acting experience to her role of "Patricia Walsh". As an alumnus of the University of New Hampshire's prestigious Theater department, with a degree in Theater History; Kat is thrilled to bring the character of "Patricia" to life. She is also the co-author of the Musical Play, "The Red Ribbon". Having worked with notable Directors, Martin Scorsese, Barry Levinson, Clint Eastwood and David O. Russell; Kat has honed her character development skills. Kat is also an accomplished Voice Over Talent, Recording Artist, Guitarist and Pianist. During her leisure time, Kat enjoys playing Guitar, Trail Walking and spending quality time with her feline "Scout".

“Sully”

Jeff Byrd is a Rhode Island–based actor known for emotionally grounded, authentic performances for film and television. With a style rooted in subtlety and emotional depth, Jeff brings a natural presence to dramatic and lighthearted characters alike. Tackling a wide range of roles, Jeff is able to move seamlessly between grounded realism and more playful material. He got his professional start as a New Babylon soldier in the AMC television series The Walking Dead: Dead City and quickly began taking on lead roles in independent projects. His recent credits include ‘Phil’ in the award-winning short film Bad Fences, ‘Troy’ in the upcoming short drama Mercy Rule, and ‘Norman’ in the upcoming dramatic film ‘Grave’.

“Aunt Carol”

Cheryl McMahon (Aunt Carol) is a New England based SAG-AFTRA actress, with roots in both theatre and film.  Her regional theatre credits include roles at Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Speakeasy Stage, Huntington Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Merrimack Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Gateway Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse, Hanover Repertory Theatre, and Greater Boston Stage Company. Cheryl has been a part of the cast of “A Christmas Carol”, at North Shore Music Theatre for over 30 years (Yikes!) Film credits include “Defending Jacob”, “The Box”, “The A-Plate", “Vilomah”, and the soon to be released “Weekend Warriors”. For those old enough to remember VHS, Cheryl played Mrs. White in the Parker Brothers’ video game, “Clue.”

“Laurie”

Julie Burns is an aspiring actress with experience in photography, theater and film. She is a Certified Home Health Aide who has participated in two shows with the Stepping Stone Theater - Seussical and Spongebob, and several Shrewsbury High School productions. As an AAC Research Participant and speaker for several healthcare professionals and colleges including Penn State, she is dedicated to community inclusion and embracing disability. She was an AAC Conference speaker at the ISAAC International Forum, presenting on music therapy, and in her free time she enjoys writing songs and spending time with her dog. Julie is energetic and ready to make a name for herself in the acting industry. Keep up with her on Instagram here.

“Hannah” / “DD Cashier” / “Riley”

Reb Powers is an actress and comedian from central Massachusetts. She hosts and performs onstage and in front of the camera, recent credits including The Holdovers, Zippy's House, and On Cinema at the Cinema. Reb writes and performs her own solo work on both coasts, favoring absurdity and dark humor.

“Lisa Ming” / “Nurse Kim”

After spending most of her life doing theater and indie film in Los Angeles, Bahr moved to Massachusetts to write novels. Who is the Liar was released August 1, 2025, and The Knocking (a gothic historical fiction) will be out July 14th, 2026. For upcoming book events or to see more of her work as a performer and filmmaker, please check out her website. lauraleebahr.com

“Nurse Barb” / “Head of Social Services”

Pamela Jayne Morgan is an award-winning SAG-AFTRA film, television, and theater actress. She is known for her work in THE HOLDOVERS (with Paul Giamatti & Da’Vine Joy Randolph), BLACK RABBIT (with Jason Bateman), LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (with Mariska Hargitay), CITY ON A HILL (with Kevin Bacon) and BOSTON STRANGLER (with Keira Knightley).  She won five Best Actress awards for her short film, THE PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY, for which she was the Story Originator, Executive Producer, and Lead Actress.  Pam was honored as an "Imaginnaire" by Imagine Magazine for her contributions to the New England Film Industry.  She’s also been a radio voice-over actor, multimedia producer, theatrical dance studio founder, and children's theater director.

A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, Pam is a loyal supporter of animal welfare and children's health organizations, an avid reader, dog lover, wine enthusiast, die-hard Red Sox and Patriots fan, and beach goddess.

“Aide” / “Man #1” / “Cater Waiter”

Benjamin Mogel is an American actor who loves hiking and has appeared in AMC and HBO sitcoms, Hallmark movies and many independent films. Some credits include “Kevin can F*** Himself”, “Shakey Grounds”, “Trivia At St.Nicks” and “Widow’s Bay”. He loves nature, & is a fairly decent rollerblader.

“Dr Huang” / “Man #2” / “ER Doctor”

Tony SooHoo is a Boston based SAG-AFTRA actor for over 15 years on TV/Film, on stage and commercial work. His professional on screen credits include The Shape of Money, The Possession of Hannah Grace, November Criminals, Unfinished Business and WGBH-PBS show Nova “Decoding Covid 19” (VoiceOver). Tony has appeared on commercials such as  Keno CT Lottery, BlueCrossBlueShield, Point32Health, Visa and MA Voting PSA. He also enjoys  performing in community theater. Most recently he's been performing at the Boston Center of Arts, Starlight Theater AAPC Playfest, Boston Playwright Theater, Slam Theater for original plays such as The Fortune Teller, Trouble Maker, Coming Home, Two Sides of the Same Coin amongst others.

“Dr Offerman” / “Uncle Bill”

Gary Tanguay appeared as the con-man Evan in season one of The Chair Company. His credits include Ella McCay, Don’t Look Up and I Care a Lot. Along with acting Tanguay covered the Boston sports scene for 20 years.

Narrator

Elise Arsenault is an award-winning actor, coach and entrepreneur who is drawn to stories of overcoming challenges and is on a mission to empower artists and anyone with a dream to breakthrough and finally go after it! She has performed around the US and abroad and has received Elliott Norton, IRNE, MossHart and BroadwayWorld awards for her acting and singing work onstage. Elise won an AudioFile Earphones Award and a SOVAS nomination for her narration of the 40+ hour definitive biography of singer, director, philanthropist and disruptor Madonna: A Rebel Life.

Delivering her talk “The Power of The Human Storyteller In The Age of AI” at Tedx Anchorage in 2025, Elise stepped to the forefront of the #HumanVoices movement against the proliferation of Generative AI and its detrimental effect on the human experience and artistic expression. Elise is host of SOVAS-nomated The Global Actor podcast and creator of The Great Audiobook Adventure™, the leading audiobook narration program specifically designed to help actors build thriving audiobook narration careers working with publishers. elisearsenault.com @elisearsenault.actor