Parallel Veins Cast

Johánna Crystal, Sunny's Founder, is a writer, actor, director and multiartist from Elk Grove. She holds a BA in journalism from Sacramento State. For this showcase she created, she will perform her original song, “Kahon” ("Box"). It is an ode to growing into your own person and walking away from what is not meant for you to make room for what is. Crystal has also previously acted in and directed "Water by the Spoonful" and her whimsical murder mystery, "Anything Green". Her first play she helmed through Sunny was “City of Trees”, a love letter to this city and to healing. It is now available to borrow from the Sac Public Library.

Josie Robo (they/them) is a transgender South Asian artist born and raised in Sacramento, California to parents who have always supported their artistic pursuits (and still avoid acknowledging Josie's queerness). They graduated from Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Digital Media, and now share their design skills as a public servant. Currently, they are taking a break from many of their personal artistic pursuits (illustration, game design, video editing) to focus on dance. Their practice is a fusion of ecstatic dance and embodied movement, with influences from ballet, Bollywood, and belly dance. Josie dances anywhere, anytime to find new ways to make their body a home for themself.

Gabriela Llarena is a Cuban/Filipino actress, poet, model, and world traveler. Born and raised in Sacramento and trained by NYU, Gabriela is excited to bring her artistry to Sunny Side’s stage! Her family is the foundation of all she has accomplished, and she is grateful for the opportunity honor her heritage. Mahal na Mahal Kita.

Caralie Wegeng, of Crafti Babii, is a multiracial Filipina-American artist and environmental advocate based in Sacramento. Her art is inspired by Filipino culture, queer identity, and environmental justice (she received her M.S. in Water and Environmental Law in December 2022). She is part of Sacramento Filipinx LGBTQIA+, writes for Mahalaya SF Newspaper, and is part of Kapwa Magazine as an illustrator and as a writer for the Nature and Environment Department. Caralie’s artwork can be viewed on Instagram (@craftibabii) and on her Etsy shop (www.craftibabii.etsy.com).

Shawntay treats art as a way of life and a passion that she's enjoyed for as long as she can remember. Her work has been inspired by a cross section of music and culture, while infusing messages that reference a multitude of social injustices that directly impact people of color in the United States. Shawntay has a special place in her heart for activism and demonstrates this in her art by confronting difficult concepts and turning them into a palatable burst of color and life in a pop art style that attempts to tell the stories of those whose voices are normally silenced. Her art has been shown in galleries around the world, from San Francisco to Dubai, and she has participated in both her own solo shows and group shows for years. Her dedication to her craft, her community, and her people comes through in everything she does -- and she will continue to work with those goals in mind as she moves forward into the next phase of her career.