Kin Cast

Sophia is an actor and award-winning filmmaker based in Brooklyn. After studying at Terry Knickerbocker Studio, Sophia made her New York stage debut in the American premiere of the chamber-musical Trojan Women. Her directorial feature debut, august at twenty-two, was acquired by Gravitas Ventures and lauded by The Guardian as “a commendable first outing.” A passionate proponent of independent film, she co-founded Lady Parts Production in 2019 with the aim of creating space for underrepresented communities to tell their stories. Beyond film, she also frequently performs in independent, new works in theatre. She hopes to create art that explores her Mexican heritage one day. Scorpio Sun, Scorpio Rising, Cancer Moon... she's doing okay.

Iliana is honored to be making her debut at Making Our Space Theater Co. Recent theater credits include, Anna in the Tropics Bay Street Theater, 26 Miles Gulfshore Playhouse, Superstitions directed by Jenna Worsham, It's Okay MCC's Youth Co. and Voices from a Pandemic for Notch Theatre Co. Some screen credits include, Law & Order:SVU and Organized Crime, City on a Hill, Quantico, Blue Bloods and Carnitas which just won best dark comedy at NYWIFT’s online festival.

Melissa’s New York Theatre credits include For Your Age at the Go Solo! Festival 2023, Utility at Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre and Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow (NY Times Critic’s Pick, Yale Drama Prize), Science Park at Target Margin, Leah the Forsaken at Metropolitan Playhouse, Delta in the Skies (with Austin Pendleton as God), One Neck (with Allison Janney) at the Atlantic Theatre Company, The Houseguests by Harry Kondoleon (Obie Award, Best Play), Cause Celeb! (with Charles Busch, Marylouise Burke) at Joe’s Pub, The Foul Seduction at Ensemble Studio Theatre, and the original production of Len Jenkin’s Dark Ride at Soho Rep. Regional credits include plays by Edward Albee, John Steinbeck, Tennessee Williams, William Inge, Noel Coward, and Alan Ayckbourn at The Alliance, Hartford Stage, GeVa, Pittsburgh Public, Woodstock Theatre, and 20 productions with Dorset Theatre Festival. TV: Law and Order and Guiding Light (recurring role). Recent Film: On Purple, Bleeck, Muddy Goes to College, Free Yourself with Emojis (newyorker.com) and Goldstar, Ohio opposite Michael Emerson. Melissa graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy high school and is an alum of NYU Tisch Grad Acting, where she studied with Olympia Dukakis and Ron Van Lieu.

Eli Mazursky is an actor/writer/producer based in Brooklyn. He attended Boston University’s School of Theatre with a concentration in acting. He also attended the 2-year acting program at the William Esper Studio upon arriving in NY. He’s worked as an Art Director and Production Supervisor for film (including Somewhere in Queens for dir. Ray Romano, Three Women for Showtime) and commercial projects (including Google, Dodge, and Zara). He has a passion for the collaborative nature of storytelling through theater and film. Eli has dreamed for a long time of being part of an organization that creates affordable opportunities for actors to learn and showcase their talent. He strongly believes Making Our Space has the power to create a home for a formidable community of storytellers in NYC.

Shah Motia just completed his feature film debut as the lead in Let Her Go, the directorial debut of Luis Ferrer, scheduled for a 2025 release. On stage, Shah has performed at The Cell (The Smallest Sound in the Smallest Space, premiere, lead); The Brick (Sleeping Car Porters, a New York Times “Critic’s Pick”); La MaMa (Everyday Murder), and Theater for the New City (Condo Rondo). Shah is also guitarist for the band Ex Models. Their unique meld of avant-garde, industrial, and post-punk has received wide critical acclaim from New York Times, Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, NME, and many other outlets. The band is completing its fourth album. Shah is a 2019 graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio conservatory.

Joe is a member of both the American and British Shakespeare Associations, where he has run workshops on aspects of Shakespearean acting in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, Jacksonville, and Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has performed internationally (Shylock in Venice, Italy; Claudius in Elsinore, Denmark; and Brabantio in Reading, UK) and domestically - including Duncan for Commonwealth Shakespeare, Boston; Chorus/Exeter in Henry V at Actors Shakespeare Theater, NYC; Shylock for Valley Shakespeare, CT; other Shakespeare roles include Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard 2, Richard 3, Petruchio, Brutus, Malvolio, and Sir Toby Belch. Non-Shakespearean roles include Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, O'Brien in 1984, Valdimir in Waiting for Godot, Clov in Endgame, Long John Silver in a stage adaptation he wrote of Treasure Island, and Morton Kill in A lie Agreed upon (An Enemy of the People). Film/tv credits include appearances as Karl Marx in "Marianne and the Rebels", Louis in "Eephus" (2024 Cannes premier), Leon Friedman in The Storied Life of AJ Fikry with Lucy Hale, Kunal Nayar, and Christina Hendricks, and head ref in "Wolves" with Michael Shannon, John Douglas Thompson, and Carla Gugino. He also appears in the usual NYC tv shows Law & Order, Long Bright River, and Only Murders In the Building.

Ellie M. Plourde (SAG/AEA) is a Jewish NYC and Southeast based actor, producer, and director. She began performing as a child actor at North Carolina Theatre, on set at Screen Gems in The Dress Code (Dir. Shirley MacLaine), and in various commercials and voiceovers. She studied theater at University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated from the Terry Knickerbocker Studio in Brooklyn. Recent credits: Young Bessie in Bettinger's Luggage (AMT Theater), Mrs. Winsley in Stop Kiss (Murmuration Theatre), Midge in Wedding Blues (Players Theatre), Eurydice in Polaroid Stories (Allen’s Lane), Dora Maar in The Artists’ Women (Philly Fringe). She's also acted in several indie films, including starring in Terrence Kirton’s short film, Visitor. Ellie's interest in socio-politically relevant work inspired her to direct and produce both the Philadelphia and NYC sold-out runs of This Is Not About 9/11 (SoLow Festival). She is also a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Making Our Space Theatre Co and so grateful to be playing Helena, a character so near and dear to her heart.

Yuka Taga is a second-generation Japanese American actor born and raised in New York City. Her parents immigrated from Tokyo in the early 80’s; her father is a musician, and her mother, a retired painter. Amidst the untamed melting pot of New York City, Yuka found herself existing in undefined spaces between disparities of culture, class, and society. Her upbringing inspires her work as an actor today. She wishes the characters she portrays to be a mirror of the most human qualities of people, honoring each of their complexities and individualities. Some of Yuka’s recent credits include Magic Hour (Tribeca Film Festival), Drifter (Screamfest LA, Chain Film Festival), Don't F*ck With Ba (Toronto International Film Festival), and various off-off broadways including the 2023 One Act Festival at Chain Theater. For her third return to the Chain Theater, she is very excited to bring life to the production of Kin.

Timothy Wagner is the second of five siblings and grew up in Cincinnati. He is a graduate (BFA, 1980) of the NC School of the Arts and worked professionally until 1988, performing at regional theaters in High Point (NC), Kansas City (MO), and Portsmouth (NH). He was a resident company member of NC Shakespeare Festival from 1979 through 1982. After 30+ years as an NYC business executive, Tim re-entered the acting world in 2021. NY credits include Stupid F*cking Bird (MCS Studio), Romeo & Juliet (Stella Adler Studio); Tiny Demons (Wonderhorse Theater) and Fool For Love (Douglas Fairbanks Theater). TV & Film credits include Law & Order (Atty. Menton) and the short films SERVED (Warden Hammer) and AWAKE (Dr. Hill), both of which won awards on the indie festival circuit. Thanks to Fran, Benno, Jules and Puja for your love and support.