Stream-A-Thon
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Bring Home the Adventure included 30 hours of program and featured talent from theatre around the world, stars of streaming platforms, community leaders, and—of course—Adventure’s students and productions.
Explore performances, interviews, and other segments from New York to Hollywood to Korea and beyond. Adventure Theatre’s Artistic Director Chil Kong hosts the 30-hour fundraiser with staff participants Leon Seemann, Margo Brenner Collins, Tony Thomas, and Kelly Scott.
Both April’s mother and father had lovely singing voices, and her dad was a natural storyteller. She remembers music being played a lot in their home. The acting bug really bit in second grade when April played a lovesick Martian in a musical at the Walden School in NYC.
April’s performance garnered much praise, and she was invited to perform the song in other classrooms for students’ birthday parties. She knew then that she was destined to entertain. Since those days, April has gotten to perform in much bigger venues and has had the pleasure of acting at many US regional theatres, on Broadway National Tours, on television and in films.
Before Ron Balicki got his start in the entertainment field as a stuntman and a fight / stunt coordinator, he grew up in the windy city of Chicago. Ron has trained the Martial Arts for over 35 years. After an in-depth study of the subject, Ron sought out the legendary martial artist, Dan Inosanto. After many years of study, Ron earned Full instructorships in Bruce Lee’s art of Jun Fan Gung Fu (Jeet Kune Do Concepts), Maphilindo Silat and Filipino Kali from Sifu Dan Inosanto. Ron has traveled as far as Japan and Indonesia to train and compete in “No holds barred fighting tournaments. As a professional Shoot Wrestler Ron has competed numerous times in Japan and America. Ron also earned instructorships in Thai Boxing, Savate, Lameco Escrima, Wing Chun Gung Fu, Latigo y daga (whip fighting), and Shoot Wrestling.
Ron can be seen performing stunts consisting of fights, car crashes, Ratchets, Air Rams, high falls, and Full body burns.
After studying theater at Rutgers University, Ben began working as a professional stage actor, before landing an internship at MTV. Immediately he was drawn to production, where his passion for pop culture, music, theater, and the arts has fueled his style and sensibility ever since. At MTV Networks, Ben eventually became a producer and writer for several seasons of Cribs, MTV News, VH1, and many of the VJ’s on-air.
In 2003, Ben launched his production company Diamante Pictures out of his apartment, eventually growing it into a full-service production & post facility in the heart of NYC, delivering 100+ hours of television, plus hundreds of commercials, webisodes, music videos, and DVD titles.
In 2015, Ben also co-founded NGL Studios with John Leguizamo and David Chitel, where he directs, produces, and creates a growing slate of original television, digital, and documentary projects. Current projects include upcoming docu-series John Leguizamo’s Latino History for Morons, the Romeo Santos concert tour documentary, and a PBS American Masters documentary film on the renowned Puerto Rican actor Raúl Juliá.
Haejung Hwang is a playwright, a travel writer, a street photographer based in Seoul. She is drawn to people who are bound to float around – bound not to be bounded: immigrants, youth, foreigners, international students and migrant workers. Her works have reflected the feeling of otherness at the fringes, around boundaries and borders. Her play, Merry Christmas was a recipient of the New Work Award at Seoul Theater Festival in 2013 and was produced as a part of Seoul Theater Festival 2016 by Seoul Theater Association. The Strangers got its premiere at KNUA Experimental theater in 2018 and has traveled all across Korea including Gunpo Culture & Art Center and Gwangmyeong Townhall Center and was invited to Bird Festival 2018 in Tottori, Japan. The Strangers won Arts Council Korea (ARKO)’s Young Art Frontier Grant in Dramatic Literature. She was a 2017 writing fellow for National Theater Company of Korea’s New Work Incubator Writer’s Room Residency where her play Chinese Cabinet was workshopped. She was a recipient of ARKO International Residency Grant in 2019 and stayed in Ljubljana, Slovenia for three months in 2019. As a part of the grant, Chinese Cabinet was translated into English and is available via request.
She released her first film Welcome to Playhouse—an autobiographical documentary film about how her life shifted from ‘promising artist’ to ‘young mother and family breadwinner’—which was nominated for Asian Vision Competition at the Taiwan International Documentary Festival in 2016.
She also works as a part-time manager of Kawakatsu, a gourmet local donkatsu restaurant run by her husband in Seoul. Currently, her first musical, Captain Nemo, is in development with Broadway-based musical theatre composer and conductor Jason Howland. She finds great pleasure in creating interesting stories.
Spike’s career, spanning nearly three decades, can be described as nothing short of creatively diverse. From chef and restaurateur to television personality, product developer and consultant, Spike is a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world. Spike has worked with some of the world’s most renowned chefs and restaurateurs. After making his television debut on Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Spike went on to appear on several other cooking-related shows, including Life After Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Late Night Chef Fight and Beat Bobby Flay. He also hosted Midnight Feast and Food Network’s Kitchen Sink.
In 2008, Spike opened up the first restaurant in his culinary empire on Washington DC’s Capitol Hill: Good Stuff Eatery. His burger joint quickly became a favorite of political elites, including President Barack Obama. This success inspired a cookbook (The Good Stuff Cookbook) and multiple locations across the country and overseas. Following the opening of Good Stuff Eatery, Spike opened up We, The Pizza, Béarnaise and Santa Rosa Taqueria. Spike’s newest restaurant, PLNT Burger, is dedicated to crafting and redefining some of America’s favorite foods without the use of any animal products.
Manu Narayan is an American Broadway/ film and TV actor, singer, songwriter and saxophonist. He has starred or co-starred on Broadway as Aakash in Bombay Dreams, Zoltan Karpathy in Lincoln Center Theater’s 2018 revival of My Fair Lady, and at the Belasco Theater as Robbie in Gettin’ the Band Back Together.
On film, Narayan is best known as Rajneesh in the The Love Guru (Paramount Pictures) opposite Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, and Justin Timberlake . He co-starred with Lucy Hale in A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song for WB & ABC Family and alongside Russel Peters in Quarterlife Crisis (Showtime). Narayan is featured in 99 Homes (Hyde Park) with Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield, and in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender (Paramount Pictures). For the Indian film markets, Narayan stars as the romantic lead in Sudhish Kamath’s Good Night | Good Morning (PVR Cinemas, India and Netflix) and Shailja Gupta’s Walkaway (Reliance). His guest starring appearances on TV include the most recent seasons of “Blacklist” (NBC), “Bull” (CBS), and “Emergence” (ABC). Prior Televison work includes “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “Deception” (NBC), “Unforgettable” (CBS), “Rubicon” (AMC), “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime), “The Sopranos” (HBO), “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “Cashmere Mafia” (ABC), “Lipstick Jungle” (NBC).
Erin Quill holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She was a member of the Original Broadway Company of Avenue Q. Other favorite roles include Lady Thiang in The King and I on tour and Madame Rita in the 50th Anniversary Production of Flower Drum Song. She has appeared on a variety of television shows but most recently can be found on John Mulaney and the Sacklunch Bunch on Netflix, which has been nominated for two Emmy-awards. Her blog, Fairy Princess Diaries, has led to a ‘side hustle’ as a diversity expert within the theater world. She has put together panels on AAPI representation for the past five years at BroadwayCon, in addition to being sourced or interviewed by The New York Times, LA Times, Buzzfeed, BroadwayWorld, Playbill, Backstage, the International Business Times and others. Last year she was honored to be included in a British compendium textbook entitled “Theatrical Blogging; The Emergence of a Critical Culture” by Megan Vaughn.
Erin hosts Adventure Theatre’s Sunday segment Mixing It Up with Erin Quill, which focuses on bringing new light to biracial and multi-racial stories.
Anthony Rapp is best known for originating the role of “Mark Cohen” in the Tony Award-winning rock opera Rent. Rapp shared an OBIE (Off-Broadway) Award with the rest of the cast for the performance. After taking the show from Off-Broadway to Broadway, Chicago to London, Rapp reprised his role in the 2005 Sony Pictures major motion picture adaptation.
Rapp’s prolific career includes roles in additional Broadway shows, major motion pictures, and several television series. He is back on tour with a performance adapted from his 2006 national best-seller Without You: a Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical “Rent”.
Rapp also serves on the board of the non-profit organization Friends In Deed, which provides emotional support for anyone with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, cancer or other life-threatening physical illnesses, their families, friends, and caregivers.
In CBS All Access’s new, highly anticipated series Star Trek: Discovery, the former Rent star plays the TV franchise’s very first openly gay character, astromycologist Lt. Paul Stamets.
Austin C. Thoms AKA A-Man The DJ is a recording artist and DJ originally from Baltimore, MD. He studied Mass Communications at Morgan State University and has been DJing and making music ever since. He is in a hip-hop duo called Roundtabel. Check out their most recent project Blue Dream EP, available on all streaming services. Feel free to find Austin on Instagram @a_manthedj and @roundtabelkings.
A seasoned broadcaster, journalist and leader in media, Thoms is recognized for his commitment to mentor for up and coming talent. As a senior member of several national broadcasting networks, he has been a staunch supporter for independent and minority producers and filmmakers. In addition, Thoms has extensive experience with television production and development, staff and budget management, journalism, marketing and communications, and strategic planning.
Thoms’s career spans more than 45 years, most of it in Public Television as well as at the Discovery Communications. He has been a recipient of Adventure Theatre MTC’s Spirit of Adventure Award during its 2020 Spring Gala for his accomplishments in delighting and educating families through the medium of television and providing opportunities for talented individuals, especially people of color.
Thoms was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Mariana and Donald Thoms. She has a brother, Austin. She started studying acting when she was ten and later on attended the Baltimore School for the Arts. She now holds a BFA from Howard University and a postgraduate diploma in acting from the Juilliard School (Group 30), where she was a classmate of actors Lee Pace and Anthony Mackie. She is currently playing the role of Joanne in the musical Rent on Broadway.
Thoms is known for her role of Mahandra McGinty in the television show Wonderfalls. She also played the part of Sasha in the series As If, which was cancelled after three episodes. Most recently she has been added to the cast of the CBS crime drama Cold Case, as the narcotics detective, Kat Miller. Thoms has also made guest appearances on Law & Order and The Shield.
Tamlyn Tomita is an actress and singer. She will be joining the cast of the third season of Netflix’s hit series Cobra Kai. Her other recent credits include starring in the EPIX Original Series Berlin Station and a regular on The Good Doctor. Many remember her from Karate Kid 2 and as a fiercely female and formidable Vulcan/Romulan in Star Trek: Pickard. When not acting or singing, she spends countless hours volunteering for diverse communities in Los Angeles and around the world advocating for voting rights and access for all. During the 2020 election season, Tamlyn joined Adventure Theatre to discuss the importance of voting. Watch the segment here.
Tamlyn has also been featured during Mixing It Up with Erin Quill, which focuses on bringing new light to biracial and multi-racial stories. Watch the episode here.
Justine Icy Moral*, Sarah Anne Sillers, Bekah Zornsa, Da’Von Moody, and Karen Vincent* reprise their performance from ATMTC’s digital production, Adventure Takes a Moment to Sing. This segment hopes to uplift children and families in every community and offer lighthearted joy in uncertain times with talent of local artists.
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association
Lindsay is currently in the Broadway cast of Wicked as an understudy for Glinda, as well as appearing nightly in the ensemble. Most recent television projects include New Amsterdam on NBC as Nurse McCarthy and Tales of the City on Netflix. Look for Lindsay in Season 6 of The Americans as well as Season 1 of The Last O.G. opposite Tracy Morgan.
Jason was 6-years old when he first started acting, appearing in commercials to kick off his career. He is best known for playing the role of Tommy Miller on the hit Nickelodeon series Every Witch Way. He also played Greg Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and co-starred in the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee.
Father and daughter, Mark and Lizzy Henry, present cooking videos using Island Bwoy Cuisine’s products. Initially Lizzy’s idea, their YouTube channel started as a result of the pandemic that closed schools and crippled Island Bwoy Cuisine.
Visit www.islandbwoycuisine.com for more information.
Andrés and Christina are the Latin Grammy-winning music duo 123 Andrés. Their catchy songs and lively concerts get the whole family dancing and learning, in Spanish and English. Visit 123andres.com for more information.
123 Andres has been featured during Contemos Nuestras Celebremos. Watch the episode here.
Kelly Scott is the Head of Music and teaches Pre-Conservatory and voice lessons. Kelly is a nationally board certified teacher of voice through the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA).
Kelly will be presenting with ATMTC Academy’s All Academy Choir.
Randy Snight is a choreographer, actor, and aerialist living and working in the DC area. He earned Dance Performance and Theater Performance degrees from Winthrop University in 2009 and has taught all over the DMV.
Randy will be presenting highlights from ATMTC Academy’s summer camp.
Tony Thomas is the Head of Dance and Artistic Supervisor for the Pre-Professional program. Tony has toured, performed, and worked as a professional artist, scoping a range of television, film, stage, and concert dance.
Tony will be presenting with ATMTC Academy’s current Pre-Professional students.
Melissa is a master gardener who loves to cook with her flowers! Melissa grew up in southern Arizona where cactus flowers are abundant. Some are edible like the fruits and other parts of the plants. Many years ago, she tried to frost daffodils for cupcake toppers. She couldn’t find out how make them, and after an exhaustive search found out they were poisonous. This started her journey to find out which flowers were edible and which were not.
Melissa serves on the Adventure Board of Directors as Secretary.
Thomas Squire was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. From an early age, he has always had a love for cooking and serving people. He attended Coastal Carolina University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with a minor in Journalism and currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Special Education from Howard University.
Thomas has been cooking since an early age, and after completing his undergraduate degree he began cooking and experimenting with new recipes to the point that he decided to pursue it as a business, creating ThomasThyme. Thomas was frequently featured on ABC’s Good Morning Washington doing cooking demo’s and recipe testing. Thomas currently caters for private events, brunches, meal prep and special events like this year’s Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.
Thomas serves on the Adventure Board of Directors.
Executive Director
Melynda Burdette Wintrol
Artistic Director
Kurt Boehm
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