Brian Francoise is an actor, director and community engagement specialist. He has performed, directed, or taught at The Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, Everyman Theatre and Center Stage. He served as an Open Society Institute — Baltimore,  Community Fellow, where he led an intergenerational group of residents to devise a play about his neighborhood called Covenants, A Theatrical Collage about Northwood. For this project, Brian was awarded the Baltimore Mayor’s Individual Artist Award as well as the Ruby’s Artist Project Grant funded by Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. He is Co-founder of Theatre Action Group, a community performance company whose theatre projects intersect with activism, popular education, and community building.  Brian has led several youth theatre projects in DC, Baltimore and NYC. He teaches theatre courses to incarcerated individuals in the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. Mr. Francoise is the Director of a UMBC community-university partnership in South Baltimore called Lakeland Community and STEAM Center.

Sheila “Silly Sheila” Gaskins is a Teaching Artist, Activist, Playwright, Stand-Up Comic, Arts Advocate, Cultural Worker, DEI Facilitator, and Healer. Native of Baltimore, Maryland. Author of her first book of poetry and prose, A Whistling Girl and a crowing hen never comes to a very good end and other things my Mama said. (2022)Recipient of The Grit Fund for Puppets, Masks and Crankies - Shifting the Story, the goal is to expose children and adults to the oldest forms of storytelling. Gaskins has trained with Restorative Justice Circles (NYC/ DC Peace Teams),The Baltimore Improv Group,

 (BIG), Re-Imagining Comedia (Centerstage), Puppets & Performing Objects (MICA), Urban Bush Women and Augusto Boal, Innovator of Theatre of the Oppressed. Gaskins devised workshops and training curriculum for Alternative to Violence Project, (AVP), Non-Violent communication (NVC), Heart to Heart (NJ), Clayworks,Theatre Action group (TAG), ex-offenders, special needs children, gifted and talented, the elderly and life long learners. The recipient of Alternate Roots CAPP grant to produce, write and direct Last House Standing - A Play about the Highway to Nowhere. Gaskins, Co- Playwright for the Community based play, U Thought I was Him directed by Troy Burton.  Gaskins is  featured in The Baltimore Sun’s 10 People Who Make Baltimore Better. She received The Village That Vanished - Remember, Rekindle, Reclaim, Restore Award from the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum.

Natalya Brusilovsky has been theatre making in immersive, interactive, experimental and traditional settings since 1997. Natalya started teaching and stage managing with Pumpkin Theatre, and then Highways Performance Space’s Artists in the Schools in Los Angeles. With Fringe Benefits’ rigorous Theatre for Social Justice programs, she led students in collectively writing shows to implement anti-discrimination policies and behaviors in schools and districts; University of New Hampshire to legalize gay marriage; Allentown’s Theatre Outlet on school policies and more. Natalya has directed, produced, performed in, stage managed, dramaturged, designed/run sound or lights, festival organized, or taught with The Strand Theatre, Alternate ROOTS, Theatre Project, Creative Alliance, Current Gallery, Motor House, Annex Theatre, Odd Duck Theatre, Ivy Substation, Trade-City Productions, One World Cultural Arts, various schools and universities, films, garages, living rooms, beaches, parks and parking lots across Baltimore, Los Angeles, Seattle and back to Baltimore again. For the last 15 years, she’s been producing and writing/performing sketch comedy in Charm City Kitty Club queer cabarets; collaborating with Theatre Action Group to facilitate interactive performances and workshops, and working on various independent advocacy, community building, and creative projects as they arise.