David S. Kessler cannot believe his good fortune to be able to once again team with Nu Sass Productions (thank you Aubri!) and everyone on Team Wombat. He has written numerous sonnets, including one in 45 minutes for WNYC’s The Next Big Thing, songs for the short-lived Fidel’s Marching Marimba Band, three unpublishable novels for nobody in particular, and numerous scientific papers. He spent almost four decades at the National Zoo, many of them as a small mammal biologist. Nu Sass/Uncle Funsy Productions: Writer/Co-Producer: Gwen and Ida: The Object is of No Importance. Uncle Funsy Productions: Writer/Performer/Producer: Wombat Drool, One Mutual Happiness, Numesthesia (all at Capital Fringe Festival). The Arcanists: Medium (writer/performer): The Tarot Reading IV, The Tarot Reading V. Pointless Theatre: Performer: Forest Treás. Love and gratitude to his wife, Patricia, and his son, Benjamin, for their support and encouragement.

Lynn Sharp Spears, who has developed a new fondness for wombats, is a creative polymath well-versed in all aspects of theater work. She has performed and/or directed for Arena Stage, Studio Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Washington Women In Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Maryland Ensemble Theater, Keegan Theatre, Best Medicine Rep, WSC Avant Bard, Spooky Action Theater, Toby's Dinner Theatre, Adventure Theater and directed and performed in the World Premiere of “Twigs and Bone” by Tiffany Antone for Nu Sass Productions. Lynn's track record includes Casting and Production Design for Discovery, National Geographic, The History Channel, The American Heroes Channel, and more. She is delighted to be directing 5th Date for Nu Sass this Fall!

Liv Jin (Lighting Designer) is a freelance lighting designer and electrician. They designed for various theatre, opera, and dance companies in Knoxville, TN for several years before relocating to the DC area last year. Since then, they have worked with KCTYA, Full Circle Dance Company, and Loyola University Maryland. This will be their first show with Nu Sass.

Neil’s sound designs have been heard in many area theatres over the last 37 years; these include Arena Stage, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Olney Theatre, Adventure Theatre, Rep Stage, Longacre Lea, Everyman Theatre, Flying V (where he is a company member), Venus Theatre, and Round House Theatre (where he was the Resident Sound Designer and Sound Master for eleven years). An eleven-time nominee, Neil received the Helen Hayes Award for his design of Round House’s Heathen Valley. He has designed several national tours and Off-Broadway productions. Neil is also a musician and composer: he has played in many area shows; he also performs with several rock/blues bands, and as a solo acoustic performer. Love to Elizabeth.

Hannah Wing-Bonica is a freelance content marketer who helps arts organizations and creatives with their storytelling through her company, Airfoil Storytellers. When Hannah isn’t implementing marketing strategies, she loves to travel to new places, write speculative fiction, and solve puzzles. Hannah is also a freelance arts and entertainment writer. You can find her work in BroadwayWorld DC and Collider. A big thank you to Martin. https://www.airfoilstorytellers.com/

Aubri is cofounder, producer, and artistic director of Nu Sass Productions. She is also a 2024/2025 DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fellow. She is grateful to have had such wonderful co- producing partners as Uncle Funsy on this project, and is so proud to bring David’s beautiful show to life as a fully realized production. Aubri is excited for Nu Sass’s upcoming 2025 season, including her next partnership with Lynn in Fifth Date this fall. Aubri attended Oberlin College where OMTA taught her to dream big and take risks. She thanks her father, MikiBear, family, and friends for their endless support and encouragement. She also thanks all the generous donors that make shows like this possible. Learn more at www.nusass.com

Ileana Blustein is the Associate Artistic Producer for Theatre Prometheus and Production Manager for Nu Sass Productions. Previous directing credits include The Pliant Girls (Nu Sass Productions & Theatre Prometheus), Klecksography 24: The Silver Line (Rorschach Theatre), Dua: The Monster's Story (Theatre Prometheus, Staged Reading), Head Over Heels (Wildwood Summer Theatre), AU New Works Festival: Roll a Nat 20 & Doctor Faustus (American Univsersity). They have also worked at other theaters including Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre, Theater J, Imagination Stage, and Flying V in a variety of disciplines including wardrobe, stage management, accessibility and inclusion, education, and production assisting. Many thanks to everyone who helped make this crazy huge show happen.