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Nigerian Son

Written and Directed by Taiwo Aloba

Content warnings: References to war and its violence

synopsis

Set during the Nigerian Civil-War, Nigerian Son explores the intergenerational tensions within a family grappling with a changing nation and legacy.

Bios

Ammunikee Gomez (Col. Vincent) is thrilled to play the role of Col. Vincent in "Nigerian Son." A proud alumni of The American Academy of Dramatic and Operation Triple Threat Performing Arts Academy, Ammunikee is an actor and singer based in New York.

Kwasi Perry (Professor Beecroft) is an actor and singer. He truly enjoys being a storyteller across a multitude of mediums, and is constantly creating and growing in his craft.

TAIWO ALOBA, D.P.A (Playwright & Director), is a visionary theatermaker and dynamic performer who merges ancestral storytelling with contemporary edge. Aloba’s electrifying works amplify diasporic voices, blending ritual, movement, and raw lyricism to dissect identity and liberation. Featured in multiple festivals and theaters, Aloba champions global collaborations, reclaiming stages as spaces where African heritage and futurity collide. www.TaiwoAloba.com

The Sound of Being Found

Written and Directed by Bram Hartman

Synopsis

After a one-night stand in a Manhattan apartment, Kevin and Hugo’s flirtation turns volatile as politics, privilege, and undocumented survival collide. When an ICE checkpoint appears outside, the morning after becomes a test of complicity.

Bios

Juan C. Ortiz (Hugo) is a NYC-based actor, dancer, writer, and director. His recent stage credits include The Cherry Orchard (NYC & Italy), The Seagull, and Culturally Cool, with screen work in The Eternal Night,Tarro, and directed, starred and choreographed the award-winning short Dance Therapy. Back up dancer for A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie at Madison Square Garden. Hip-Hop champion in Colombia and Mexico, stage combat certified, bilingual, and always ready for the next story on stage, on screen, or on the dance floor. @juankortiz_01

Scott Woods (Kevin) (he/him) is an actor and writer based in Brooklyn and is thrilled to be a part of Chain Theatre's One Act Festival! He starred in the feature film Bears (IG: @bearsmovie) with recent screenings at the Chandler International Film Festival and Greenpoint Film Festival. Scott also performs stand up comedy and improv at venues all around NYC.

Bram Hartman (Writer and Director) (he/him)is a NYC based writer. His work has been seen in California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York. Bram is a 2024 Lambda Literary Fellow. He is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the PlayGround-NY Writer’s Pool. Bram lives with his husband and cat. bramhartman.com @instabram26

The Yard

Written and Directed by Ojan Assadollahi

Synopsis

A graveyard set, Persian sitcom. Jazmin and Mehran used to be married. They also used to be alive. They share a son, Jay. Adrian is also here, he’s dead too, and is Jay’s childhood friend. The three of them hang around the yard, reflect on their lives, and probably ask themselves questions like, “how are we able to cook stew here?”

BIOS

Ojan Assadollahi (PLAYWRIGHT & DIRECTOR) is me. Hello. Khoobe? (you good?) I hope so. This fellow is from California originally and now lives Brooklyn in a perfectly strange home with his bestie and his dog, Tofi. Acting is Ojan’s main expression. He also comes from a culinary background. He writes plays and in this case, directs them too.
Comedy, cooking and chaos are his love languages - @therealojie - hit him up.
May the brave people of Iran be liberated. Mersi (thank you) for showing up tonight. Now go try some Ghormeh Sabzi baba!

Leila Kashani-Sabet (لیلا کاشانی ثابت) (JAZMIN) is a queer Iranian artist, actor, and facilitator. She merges her background in dance and theater to create multi-media performance pieces that move audiences from spectatorship into action. She was awarded the ’69 Kenneth Memorial Baker Prize for her devised piece “Seasons of Revolution” and was accepted to Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s 2025 Theater of Change cohort. As a theater facilitator, she works closely with QTBIPOC youth in New York City, empowering them to see performance as a vehicle for personal and social transformation. http://leilakashani-sabet.com

Daryush Assar (MEHRAN) is a German / Persian actor based in New York City. He is a recent graduate of the William Esper three year Conservatory program where he studied the Meisner Technique under Deb Jackel, Suzanne Esper, and David Newer. Daryush is making his stage debut in the role of Mehran in the Yard. www.daryushassar.com

Mateen Nemati (ADRIAN)  is excited to make his Chain Theatre debut in The Yard. Theater: Kazuri (NYC workshop). Awaken the Devil (NYC workshop). Training: William Esper Studio. Penny Templeton Studio.

Touch Grass

Written by Jason Wang

Directed by Caroline Castellano

Synopsis

With an upcoming match against four Korean dudes, a dysfunctional esports team of Asian-Americans hires a Korean “esports coach” of their own. 

BIOS

Jonon Gansukh (he/him) (BROCK) is a Mongolian actor and playwright based in NYC. He crafts art that forges creative space for the BIPOC community and amplifies unheard voices. Acting credits include Off-Broadway and regionally with THE RICE EATERS (Night Cafe/Sunflower), THE SUPREME LEADER (Kim Jong Un) at Miles Square Theatre, and ANCIENT HISTORY (Ari) at The Tank. Jonon would like to thank the people who doubted him for always motivating him to keep moving forward, to spite them.

Audrey Kim Chung (Sang) is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama. She has studied at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She hopes you enjoy the show!

NaFis (they/them) (CIOPPINO) is a NYC-based, queer, non-binary, multidisciplinary artist. They are thrilled for their first show at the Chain Theatre. Off-Broadway & NYC: Public Obscenities (Drama Desk, Pulitzer Finalist: Drama), Down Once More (NY Theatre Festival), Femininjection (The Tank), House of Joy (Salima), The Ghost of Leslie-Fucking-Feinberg (Brick Theatre), Rent (Angel: Open Hydrant Theatre Co., NYC), Lady in the Dark (NY City Center). Regional: Mahamoha (The Voxel), Public Obscenities (Woolly Mammoth), Polar Express (Warner Bros.) They are also a multi-lingual singer. 

Brian Tong (he/him) (BLOMBO) is an actor, dancer, producer, and theater artist dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices on stage. He is a student at Fordham University and has received training at LAMDA and Interlochen. Recent: STUY OR DIE (NYC Tour), TOGETHER, APART (Dir: May Adrales), THURSDAYS COME AT MORNING (Leviathan Lab), GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES (The Barrow Group). Fordham Theater Performance: THE TEMPEST, THREEPENNY OPERA, THE WEDDING GIFT, SAGITTARIUS PONDEROSA, WE ARE ARTISTS. He has collaborated with NAATCO/ Transport Group/ Classic Stage (BUS STOP), (ISABEL), and interned at The Tank, Theaterlab, and New Perspectives Theater Company.

Caroline Castellano (she/he) (DIRECTOR) is a NYC-native actor and director, focused on brining Asian-American theater to the forefront and interested in exploring the unique connection between love and violence. A recent college graduate, during her time at Oberlin College, Caroline directed a production of PEERLESS, and acted as Catherine in THEORY OF RELATIVITY, and Debbie in DANCE OF HANDS. She is excited to be making her NYC-theater directorial debut and to take part in the Chain Theater Festival for the first time.

Jason Wang (PLAYWRIGHT) is making plays about eating a Babybel cheese on the train like it is forbidden fruit, forgetting the name of an important fish, or soaking in a squall on the open sea because the small moments are what make us. Touch Grass began from a playwriting bake-off by Alexandra Haddad. Special thanks to her and all involved :) Currently, Jason is an artist-in-residence at the Performance Project @ University Settlement. They were previously a MAP Fund Grantee, Flushing Town Hall Grantee, NYFA New Work Grantee, and HEAR US Grantee, through which they produced their play, STUY OR DIE as an inter-borough tour in 2025 to span Flushing Town Hall, Speyer Hall, Bronx Music Hall, Brooklyn Public Library, and Glow Cultural Center. Through their experiences as a Laundromat Project Create Change Fellow ('25), FABNYC Fellow ('24), and EmergeNYC Fellow ('21), they continue to practice theatre's inherent ability to empower and connect community members most directly impacted by social issues.