AHOY-HOY
by Jenny Stafford

2025 Modern Works Festival finalist, Jenny Stafford is an award-winning playwright, bookwriter, and lyricist whose works have been heard on Broadway and beyond. Her work has been featured at Lincoln Center, Cirque du Soleil, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Dancing with the Stars, and other regional and international venues. Awards include the Reva Shiner Comedy Award, the Paulette Goddard Award, and the Capital Repertory New Works Award. Three-time finalist status for the Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre, and a finalist for the McKnight Fellowship, the PEN Writing for Justice Fellowship, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and Playwriting Conference. Nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Artist in Residence at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, Goodspeed Musicals, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. Dramatists Guild member; MFA NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.​​

Céline is a Tony®-nominated producer, “Key” in The Ring Of Keys and New Georges Affiliate Artist. At Urbanite they had the pleasure of directing JENNIFER, WHO IS LEAVING. At Asolo Rep: DIAL M FOR MURDER, GRAND HORIZONS, THE INCIDENT AT OUR LADY..., THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT, and CAMELOT, among others.  

Recent Projects: DIAL M FOR MURDER (Pittsburgh Public Theatre) QUEEN OF WANDS (Union Theatre, London), WHEN WE WHERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID, ANGEL STREET, IN THE NEXT ROOM,(Studio Theatre); TRAYF (New Rep); DROWNING IN CAIRO (N.Q.T); the Award Winning short film WILDFLOWER and upcoming films GETTING OFF and MUSINGS, and workshops of ONEIDA by Beth Blatt (Seven Dials, London), ADVENTURE OF LIFE by Veronika Duerr (Warehouse Theatre, SC & Chisenhale Dance, London), DALLOWAY by Lindsay Joelle (PlayLab, Florida Rep), and MY FAVORITE SOCIOPATH by Aurin Squire (SCNPF & New Dramatists).

 Amber McNew is a Brooklyn based actor, choreographer, and drag king. Recent credits include: HAMLET, Lake Lucille Project; BLOOM BLOOM POW, New Georges; HENRY VIII (choreographer), Columbia Stages; 1999, Modern Works Festival at Urbanite; MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Double Feature; SCORCH, Urbanite; RECKLESS, Asolo Rep. MFA FSU Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. www.ambermcnew.com 

Casey is thrilled to be back on stage at Urbanite Theatre again after previously appearing in SPACEMAN and THE FEAST, as well as four different Modern Works Festivals (AHOY-HOY, A NICE MOTHERLY PERSON, THERAPY, and TESTING GOLD). Currently based in Sarasota, Casey has also worked regionally and in New York, where he spent 15 years. Local credits include Asolo Repertory Theatre (LADY DISDAIN World Premiere), Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (A SOLDIER’S PLAY), Florida Studio Theatre, and the Hermitage. Re include Prague Shakespeare Company, Magic Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Colorado New Play Festival, Marin Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Cohoes Music Hall, and Michigan Shakespeare Festival. Casey is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. CaseyMMurphy.com; IG: @case.murphy

Ariel is an actor, writer, and recording artist who feels most at home under stage lights and behind a microphone. She's happy to be back at Urbanite Theatre. Ariel has performed internationally with Connelli Circus in Switzerland and is a familiar face at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (FL). Her stage credits include FENCES, THE APIARY, FLYIN’ WEST, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, SISTAS IN THE NAME OF SOUL, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, DREAMGIRLS, AVENUE Q, THE WIZ, A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS, and THE AMEN CORNER. Ariel has produced three one-woman cabarets and has played with the brilliant minds at FST Improv. She was featured in The Know Women Magazine (2022) and received the Tampa Bay Women in Film & Theatre Award (2023). Offstage, she’s likely reading, dreaming up her next project, or being the world’s most devoted aunt. 

Ben is delighted to return to Urbanite. Regional credits: Urbanite Theatre (ISAAC'S EYE, WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD), Manhattan Theatre Club, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Capital Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, American Stage, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Shadowland Stages, Cider Mill Playhouse, Madison Theatre, Know Theatre, Denizen Theatre, and the National Academy for Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China. TV and Film credits: VINYL (HBO, dir. Martin Scorsese), ROYAL PAINS (USA), THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (NBC), THE PERFECT MURSER (ID), LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE (Feature), PETER THE GREAT (Feature), and BARRY BAKER (Amazon Prime). National commercials: Benjamin Moore, Doritos, Corona and Adams Fairacre Farms. Ben serves as Managing Director of Shadowland Stages in Ellenville, NY and teaches Directing and Performing in Media at SUNY New Paltz. BA w. Honors: Binghamton University, MFA: FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.