A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU
CAST & CREATIVES
From L: N. Amherst, C. Bradberry, R. Cyprian, V. Ferro, G. Fries, E. Lin, P. Sottnik
NESSa amherst (marigold)
is an actress and writer based in the Washington, DC, area. Nessa is over the moon to play Marigold in A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU with A Theater in the Dark after playing the role in a November 2021 workshop. Her favorite stage credits (in-person and virtual) include THE SURVIVAL (National Queer Theater & Lincoln Center), #ENOUGH: PLAYS TO END GUN VIOLENCE (1st Stage), THIS PROFOUND ABYSS (Rorschach Theatre), AS YOU LIKE IT (The Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts), JULIA CAESAR (Barefoot Shakespeare Company), RUNTIME ERROR (Transformation Theatre), LOTTO & RAFFLES & SWEEPSTAKES, OH MY! (PlayZoomers), and HENRY VIII (Quarantine Queens Theatre Company). Nessa also performed two monologues with Mind the Gap Theatre, as part of their HOUSEBOUND virtual series: “Egypt” by Jennifer O’Grady and “Coffee & Cocoa” by Allie Costa. Her original monologue, DEFINE “BLACK,” has been published in an anthology entitled 08:46: FRESH PERSPECTIVES and is now available to purchase on Amazon. You can also read Nessa’s blog posts on her website. IG: nessaamherst; nessaamherst.com
Corey Bradberry (Director, PLAYWRIGHT, SOUND DESIGN, PRODUCER)
is a Chicago-based director and producer, Producing Artistic Director of A Theater in the Dark, and a Faculty Member at The Second City Training Center. Most recently, Corey served as Production Manager for A Red Orchid Theatre’s hits THE MOORS and LAST HERMANOS. This past summer, Corey directed SHIPWRECKED!: AN ENTERTAINMENT at Oil Lamp Theatre which won 2021 Broadway World Chicago Awards for “Best Director,” “Best Play,” and “Best Production.” Corey’s audio play A WHITE WHALE, which he wrote and directed, won top prizes at the 2021 Atlanta Audio Fringe Festival and Thornhill Theatre Festival. He also directed A Theater in the Dark’s hit original audio play A WAR OF THE WORLDS. Corey has assistant directed with major institutions including the Second City and Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. Corey is a 2015 Kennedy Center National Directing Fellow and was awarded the 2013 Emerging Artist Award from the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Education: M.F.A. Directing; B.A. Theatre & Performance Studies. Additional Training: Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Second City Advanced Directing program. This one is for “BG”. IG: corey.bradberry coreybradberry.com
robinson j. cyprian (kane, cogotai)
is an actor based in Hammond, Louisiana. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, this is Robinson’s third play with A Theater in the Dark, previously working with them as a Swing role in A WAR OF THE WORLDS, and as Ahab in A WHITE WHALE. Most recent stage credits include Westmoreland in HENRY IV PART I (New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane) & Lincoln in TOPDOG/UNDERDOG produced by RoBenHood Productions, which Robinson co-founded. Facebook: RoBenHoodProductions & RJ Cyprian Twitter: salutations_rj
van ferro (an actor who plays many parts)
is a professional stage, screen, and voiceover actor based in Chicago, IL. Van is excited to work with A Theater in the Dark for this extraordinary and unique production. Van’s recent stage credits include SHIPWRECKED: AN ENTERTAINMENT and FAILURE: A LOVE STORY (Oil Lamp Theater); CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and MASTER CLASS (Act Your Page), PERJURED LOVE and HEART OF FAIRY (Three Cat), and RUMPELSTILTSKIN and RIP VAN WINKLE (musicals, Sigman Brothers). He has also appeared in countless short films and commercials; and produced and appeared in the online talk show YSCHOOL, as well as the lead in the web series CORONA DIARIES and KITTY DIARIES (Vera Pictures on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram). He took home 2 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards for performance in the 2021-2022 theatrical season for SHIPWRECKED and RIP VAN WINKLE. IG, TW: @therealvanferro. Rep: HWA, Talent Networks, Lori Lins, DreamTeam, ProductionsPlus.
gabriel fries (ahmad)
is excited to be making his A Theater in the Dark debut! He is based out of Chicago where his credits include CAMPAIGNS, INC (TimeLine Theatre); HAND TO GOD (Paramount Theatre); IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, TALLEY’S FOLLY (Oil Lamp Theater); LYLE LYLE CROCODILE (Lifeline Theatre); BASKERVILLE, THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (Metropolis PAC); THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER (Permoveo/PFP); PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (E.D.G.E. Theatre); DO RE MI (Porchlight Music Theatre); THE KID THING (NWaC). Gabriel has a B.A. in Film Studies from Wesleyan University. He has also acted in various films and is at work on an album of original music. You can catch him in another audio project, The Merry Beggars’ ON THE NIGHT TRAIN, this fall. Love and thanks to Mom, Dad, and Rachel! gabrielfries.net
erin lin (marla)
is a freelance voice actress based in Oak Park, IL. She played Julia Conner/Emie Cigrand in A Theater in the Dark’s workshop of THE WHITE CITY back in Nov 2021.She is ecstatic to join the cast of A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU which will mark her audio drama debut with A Theater in the Dark. Her work consists of audiobooks, radio commercials, YouTube channel voiceovers and news narration for brands like Johnson & Johnson, Alibaba, the Atlantic, Vox and the New Yorker. You can find her on IG at @eire_lin
Paul Sottnik (Musician/Composer)
is a salad of leafy dance accompanist with a side of songwriter and a light vinaigrette of jazz and musical theater. He writes songs about familiar things like cafes, gardening, mythical creatures and the oppressive tyranny of the capitalist machine. He lives in Chicago, studied piano at SUNY Fredonia and is a multi-instrumentalist.
About A Theater in the Dark
Inspired by hard-boiled paperback novels and the radio mystery plays of the ‘30s and ‘40s, A Theater in the Dark invites audience members to tune out today’s visual barrage and explore three dimensional soundscapes combining the human voice, recorded sound, and live foley effects to create a theatre experience audiences will never forget. Exceptional in engaging the audience, A Theater in the Dark creates stories through sound - producing both in-person pitch-black theatre experiences and immersive audio plays. Their online audio dramas have broadcast LIVE to listeners in 40 states, 8 Canadian provinces, and 12 countries! Their stories use compelling characters, descriptive language, and stunning soundscapes to pierce through the dark.