"Hang Up Your Cleats" & "The Next Audition" Cast

Will Allen, born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a former collegiate and 3 times All-American in track and field before switching avenues to his first childhood love, ACTING! My most notable roles were George Washington from Hamilton in a musical vignette called "Broadway Today" while also writing and starring in the viral short film "Matter of Black."

Aileen is excited to be in Hang Up Your Cleats! She recently graduated from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Acting and English, and currently works in social media at a magazine. Select theatre credits: The Wizard of Oz, Anything Goes, The Saint Plays, Firebringer, Hello, Dolly!, Trial by Jury. TV/Film: A Royal Christmas Holiday. @aileen.bergin

Ken is very excited to expand his theatrical skill set and see his first two plays hit the stage. He credits his ability to move into to this realm of theater to his experiences as an actor/reader (not writer ) at the Frank Silvera Writer's Workshop, where he frequently heard the phrases "Plays are never written, they're re-written" and "If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage". In his 30+ years at ATA Ken worked very closely and learned from many of the accomplished playwrights who have unfortunately passed on, James Crafford, Steve Silver, Irving Greenfield, Irving A. Leitner, Wesley St. John. There are many still active playwrights, who he is still learning from, such as Lynn Navarra, Frank Cossa, Anne L. Thompson-Scretching, Meny Beriro, Joseph P. Krawczyk, Robert Liebowitz, Shirley Beth Newbery, Amy Losi, Michael Green, Phil Paradis, Andrea J. Fulton, Coni Koepfinger, Stephen Miller, Michael Bordwell, and of course the ever prolific James Jennings. There is a need to thank a very dear friend for providing the inspiration for The Next Audition, Irene Antoniazzi. A big thank you is necessary for Laurie Rae Waugh for her direction of Hang Up Your Cleats, and for the entire cast for helping to bring my words to life. He would be remiss if he didn’t express his gratitude to longtime friends Valerie O’Hara and Thomas J. Kane for accepting the challenge of performing a new work by a new and untested playwright. Finally, the woman who has supported and encouraged all of this craziness for over 30 years, thank you to my beautiful and brilliant wife Phyliss, I love you.

Daniel is making his NYC stage debut in Hang Up Your Cleats. Daniel is a classically trained actor, who has more recently appeared in television and film; including the upcoming Sirens and A Complete Unknown. He is grateful to his family and friends for their support, and would like to thank everyone involved in the Cleats production for their incredible work!

Kevin is an NYC-based actor who is excited to make his debut with The American Theatre of Actors. Previous theatre credits include Our Town (LSTFI). His recent film credits include If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing and Sweet Like Kandie, among others. He also recently participated in a staged reading of The Keys at the Polaris North Theatre. Kevin is a graduate of NYU and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.

Sonia (she/they) is a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include: “Uncle Vanya” (Yefim/Composed Original Score/Guitar/Harp) at Marymount Manhattan College, “Here’s To All The Broken Girls” (Genevieve/Estelle u/s) at The Tank Trash/Dark Fest, and “Hall Pass” (K in ilysm + Angelina in The List) at the La Jolla Playhouse WOW Festival. Sonia is thrilled to get back to her youth softball roots for this show! ig: sonianhalle

Mr. Kane has been living his dream of being an actor. He started studying at HB Studio 22 years ago and has been rewarded with many opportunities to perform. Among his favorite roles are Robert in "Proof", The Stage Manager and Doc Gibbs in "Our Town", Willie Loman in "Death Of A Salesman", Lloyd Dallas in "Noises Off", Willie in "The Sunshine Boys" and George in " Moon Over Buffalo. He Has also appeared here at ATA in several works By James Jennings, Steve Silver, and Vincent Apollo and that Englishman Bill Shakespeare. A big "thank you " to Ken Coughlin for affording me another opportunity to keep the dream alive. Break A Leg to the entire cast and crew. And to VOH just because!

Julianne (she/her) is a New York-based actor with a passion for classical theater and comedy. Julianne is so excited (and grateful) to be back at the American Theatre of Actors, where she was in the summer 2024 production of MACBETH. Julianne has also performed at the Producers Club, Arts On Site, and the Brooklyn Music School Playhouse. Her recent on-camera work includes an episode of Investigation Discovery’s EVIL LIVES HERE: SHADOWS OF DEATH (now streaming on Max). Visit JulianneLorndale.com for more. Thank you to all her friends, family, and castmates!

Luc Mitchell is thrilled to be making his New York stage debut in Hang Up Your Cleats. Select credits include Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), and Wet Road (Motorcyclist). Love to Emma, Boomy, and his family.

Dennis is an NYC-based actor and director with a BFA in Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and training from the Stella Adler Studio’s 3-Year Conservatory. His recent stage credits include Stop Kiss (Peter), Henry IV Part 1 (Prince Henry), and Jerusalem (Davey Dean). In addition to his extensive theater work, Dennis has mastered the art of communicating with the birds of NYC—pigeons, sparrows, and the occasional falcon—via bird calls.

This is Phil’s eighth play since restarting his acting journey last year after 35 years working as a cinematographer and camera operator on major motion pictures and TV series, including serving as the original cameraman on “Law & Order”, and several Spike Lee movies, including “Malcolm X” and “Jungle Fever”. A former radio and television announcer he has continued a side career as a Voice Over actor. Phil enjoys umpiring High School baseball and competing in curling. Phil lives in Brooklyn.

Valerie is happy to be back at ATA, where it all began for her, and to be working with friends old and new, especially TJK. New works are always a great adventure! Thanks to everyone in the seats and “Break a Leg” to those on stage.

Brian is an actor and playwright from Westchester, New York. His credits include The Annihilation of Je$$ie (Atlantic Theatre Company), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Fiasco Theater Company), Angels Among Us, Funhouse, A Sketch of New York, the short film Friendly and the MTV pilot of Punk 101. His plays include The Bomb, Sal and his Momma, The Portrait of Elliott West, and his most recent work 93 East 4th Street. His plays have been produced and performed at The Tank Theatre, The 13th Street Repertory Theatre, The Player’s Theatre, The Manhattan Repertory Theatre, The Hudson Guild Theatre, and SUNY Purchase. Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in Playwriting and Screenwriting from SUNY Purchase. Brian is a graduate from the Atlantic Theatre Company’s Acting School.

Jacob is very excited to be performing in his first play out of college. He is from Kent Island Maryland and studied Musical theatre at Pace University. He wants to thank his parents, friends and teachers for their amazing support!