LOS ANGELES PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, & PRODUCTION TEAM

JONAH PLATT (Honorary Producer / Noah in This Place Stinks)

Jonah Platt is one of the world’s most trusted voices on contemporary Jewish identity, culture, and current events. He hosts the award-winning show Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Apple’s #1-ranked Jewish podcast globally, and the only Jewish podcast to crack the Religion/Spirituality Top 100. An accomplished entertainment multi-hyphenate, Jonah has starred in acclaimed projects from Broadway (Wicked) to Hollywood (Being the Ricardos), written for network comedies, directed award-winning plays, sung on iconic stages across the country, and is currently co-writing the stage musical adaptation of literary classic The Giver. @JonahPlatt www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

LAUREN SCHAFFEL (Executive Producer / Gali in Flatbush Lysistrata)

Lauren Schaffel is an actor, writer, and producer. Television/film credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Will and Grace, and the voice of Lucy in A Charlie Brown Valentine’s Day. She’s worked at numerous theaters including the Road in LA, Geva in Rochester, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Playwrights Horizons, and The Barrow Group. As a filmmaker, she wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning short, musical comedy film Catalogue of Noses.

ILLANA STEIN (Host / Director of A Play about a Baby Carrot and This Place Stinks)

Illana Stein is a NYC-based director. Director: Julius Caesar Tour (Hudson Valley Shakespeare), Director/Co-writer: Hans & Sophie (5 awards, Amphibian Stage) Guest Director: NYU Tisch/Stella Adler and Strasberg. Associate Director: Tamburlaine the Great (TFANA, Dir: Michael Boyd), Pericles (TFANA, Dir: Trevor Nunn), Fingersmith (A.R.T., Dir: Bill Rauch). Asst. Director: Signature, Pearl, OSF, Yale Rep, Hangar, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cincy Shakes. Drama League First Stage Residency, LCT Directors Lab, LPTW former board member, JPP Director of Artistic Programs. Upcoming: A Little Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona (Two River) illanastein.com

JEREMY ALUMA (Co-Producer / Director of Flatbush Lysistrata)

Jeremy Aluma, award-winning, Jewish-American theatre director & producer of Iraqi descent. Founded the internationally touring Four Clowns and was artistic director for 7 years. Directing credits include: Abraham & Isaac (MuBe Theatre, São Paulo, Brazil); Pinocchio (South Coast Repertory); Sublimity (Theatre Row, NYC); Chad Deity (Chance Theater). Four Clowns, a show Aluma conceived & directed, toured to La MaMa (NYC), Chicago, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and throughout California. MFA in Directing, DePaul University; SDC Member. www.jeremyaluma.com

MELANIE ANTHONY (Co-Producer)

Melanie Anthony (she/hers) is a production dramaturg, new play festival literary manager focused on curating work to amplify underrepresented voices, an audience engagement creator and moderator, and a supportive, collaborative, inquiry-based dramaturg for playwrights, filmmakers and documentaries. Full bio and credits on NPX. Let’s connect! IG: melanieanthony.dramaturg

RACHEL BERNEY NEEDLEMAN (Co-Producer)

Rachel Berney Needleman is a director and dramaturg of new work and reinterpretations of the classics. She has directed productions, workshops, and readings at theatres around Los Angeles. Dramaturg credits include Antaeus and Arizona Theatre Company. Rachel is a member of EST/LA and Playground-LA and a co-author of the LA Anti-Racist Theatre Standards.

MATTHEW BOHRER (Co-Producer)

Matthew is proud to return as a co-producer of this year’s contest! Credits include Marjorie Prime (Mark Taper), Sunshine Boys (Ahmanson), Lucifer, Modern Family, Goliath, and Grey’s Anatomy. B.A. from Harvard. Currently pursuing his J.D. at UCLA, specializing in entertainment law. For Emily and Rose. www.matthewbohrer.com

EMILY NASH (Co-Producer / Soshi in Flatbush Lysistrata)

AEA/SAG-AFTRA. Off-Broadway: Joey and Ron (Players Theatre). Other theatre: POTUS (CVRep), I’ll Give You My Heart (Colony Theatre), Spring Awakening (Argyle Theatre), The Mysteries (The Flea). Select TV/film: “Forever” (Netflix), “Growing Up” (Disney+), “Extrapolations” (Apple TV), “Scare Tactics” (USA/Peacock). She wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning short film “Judy-ism.”

JACOB SUROVKSY (Co-Producer)

Jacob Surovsky is a playwright, game designer, and puppeteer born and raised in sunny San
Diego. He almost completed a minor in playwriting at USC, and now he’s a proud EST/LA
company member and alumni of EST/LA’s New West Playwrights. He strives to write plays that
explore Jewish identity with a unique blend of theatrical maximalism, poetic language, and
disarming humor. His 10-minute play Campus Safety was recently presented at the 2025
Festival of New Jewish Plays. Other career highlights include puppeteering at the historic Bob
Baker Marionette Theater in LA, designing puzzles and levels for the Webby award-winning
video game Escape Academy, and sharing his new plays at EST/LA including Mira and the
Whale (Winterfest 2023), Think of the Children! (Winterfest 2024), and This Place Stinks
(Winterfest 2025). Favorite animal: giraffe. Favorite color: yellow. Thanks!

JOHN NOBLE BARRACK (Stage Manager)

As Actor- Select TV: Big Mistakes, Julia, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Scare Tactics; Select Film: The Instigators, A Ring for Christmas; Select Theater: Henry Box Brown (National Tour), A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep), Robin Hood (Williamstown Theatre Festival). As Producer with Pink Tax Productions- Award Winning shorts Catalogue of Noses, Ride or Die.

LOS ANGELES CAST

LAURA GARDNER (Leah in Flatbush Lysistrata)

Laura Gardner: On and Off Broadway, National tours, regional theatre. Some credits…TV:CHICAGO MED, CRIMINAL MINDS, LAW & ORDER, SVU, and more. Currently appearing at many short film festivals in MIRIAM and CATALOGUE OF NOSES (written by our own Lauren Schaffel Braunstein) and both directed by Josie Andrews!!! www.lauragardner.org

JULIETTE GOGLIA (Clara in A Play about a Baby Carrot)

Juliette Goglia is thrilled to return to the JPP. TV: The Michael J. Fox Show, NCIS, Scandal, Veronica Mars, Two & a Half Men, That’s So Raven, & more. Film: Fired Up!, Easy A. @juliettegoglia for news about her upcoming short film Act Your Age & solo show Get Her Off This Set.

SAMANTHA (SAMI) KLEIN (Eva in Flatbush Lysistrata)

Samantha (Sami) Klein: LADCC winner for If I Forget at Fountain Theatre directed by Jason Alexander. Other theatre credits in LA: Reel to Reel, A Shayna Maidel, On Emotion, Trip to Bountiful, Into the Woods, Chapter Two, and many more. TV: Numerous including ICarly (Paramount +), Pretty Freekin Scary (Disney +), Physical ( Apple TV), Modern Family, Veronica Mars, You’re the Worst, Masters of Sex, Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, and many more. BFA from Chapman University. Proud SAG/AFTRA and Equity member. sweetsamiklein on IG/Twitter and samiklein.com

RORY KULZ (Rabbinic Intern/Four in This Place Stinks)

Rory Kulz is an actor, improviser, writer. Favorite theatre credits: PRISONCORE! (Exponential Festival), Travels with My Aunt (Keen), In Quietness (Dutch Kills, dir. Danya Taymor), The Mysteries (Flea). Film: The Assistant, The 3_2 Pulldown. His writing has appeared in McSweeney’s; Screencraft and WeScreenplay TV pilot winner. BA Harvard, MFA LAMDA.

BETH LANE (Naamah/Yapeth in This Place Stinks)

From The Metropolitan Opera stage to Francis Ford Coppola’s Distant Electric Vision soundstage, Beth is an award-winning actor, director, producer and writer. Her debut feature, UnBroken, streaming on NETFLIX earned the Anthem Award for Human & Civil Rights in Documentary Film and has surpassed over 1.5 million views. @bethlanefilm | @unbrokenthefilm

DANIEL LENCH (Stan in A Play about a Baby Carrot)

DANIEL LENCH Theatre credits include A Picture of Dorian Grey at A Noise Within, Leading Ladies at The International City Theatre, The Manor at Theater 40, Amadeus, Journey’s End and To Kill a Mockingbird at Repertory East Playhouse. Film&TV credits include MAXXXINE, CIRCLE, PATIENT SEVEN, THE LURKING MAN, The Goldbergs, Poppas’ House.

AMIR LEVI (Shem/Merchant in This Place Stinks)

Amir Levi (he/she/they). Credits include Mariology (Critical Mass Performance Group & Boston Court), Miracle on 55th Street (PRT), Bat Boy (Open Fist), Wood Boy Dog Fish (RogueAE& Garry Marshall). TV: “Night Court,” “Grand Crew,” “911,” “Brooklyn 99,” “New Girl.” Represented by Smith & Hervey/Grimes, and Debra Manners Talent. theamirlevi.com. IG: @theamirlevi

YAHM STEINBERG (Ham/Zillah in This Place Stinks)

Yahm Steinberg (they/she) is a multi-hyphenate artist who brings their Jewish, Queer, and Israeli-American identities to every facet of their work. Currently, Yahm can be found in the Holocaust education play Survivors, developing new works, and releasing original music (available under ‘Yahm’ on all platforms).

ALI STONER (Heather in A Play about a Baby Carrot)

Ali Stoner has performed at The ART, The Moscow Art Theater, Williamstown, EST, among others. Film/TV: Recurring on Chicago Med (NBC), Black Rabbit (Netflix), and more. Catch her this summer as a Russian mini-golf champion opposite Dave Koechner in “Mick Skylark: Mini Golf Prodigy” @ali.stonerrr

ALLISON YOUNGBERG (Stage Directions)

Allison Youngberg’s recent stage credits include the 1st Annual JPP LA Contest, Norman Judd: A Life in Concert; screen credits include When Mary Met Betsy, Ex-Sisters in Law. She is a graduate of Emerson College and the American Conservatory Theater and an Emerita Co-Creative Director of Naked Angels Tuesdays@9 LA.