Cynthia Henderson is a Professor of Acting, in Ithaca College’s Department of Theatre and Dance Performance. A professional actor, director, and the author of The Actor’s Landscape, and her new book Beyond the Studio a conversation about acting will be released this year by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Cynthia’s artistic and educational work has been experienced in the U.S., Europe, South America, Asia, and on the African continent. She is the founder of Performing Arts for Social Change. Her work in the area of social justice has earned her the CSPA of New York State’s award for “Outstanding Contribution to Social Justice.” She was also cited at the NYS Women’s Expo as one the “20 Outstanding Women You Should Know” in Central NY. Her directing credits include Rent, Everybody, Plumfield Iraq, The Exonerated, Burn This, The Colored Museum, and other explorations. Cynthia is a member of Actors’ Equity, the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, and a Fulbright Scholar.

Jenny Mercein is an actor, teacher, director, producer, and writer currently living in New Orleans. She is an Associate Professor at Tulane University, where she received the 2023 Mortar Board Excellence in Teaching Award. She is proud a producer of Roleplay, a play and documentary film project exploring student perspectives on love, sex, power, and consent. The script for live stage version of Roleplay is published by Dramatic Publishing. The Roleplay documentary premiered at SXSW in March of 2024, where it was hailed by critic Brian Tallerico as “one of the best docs I’ve seen so far this year.” Along with KJ Sanchez, Jenny also co-created the acclaimed docudrama X’s and O’s about football and traumatic brain injury, which received the Rella Lossy Award Playwright Award.

Her latest solo show Two Elizas will have a European premiere in Amsterdam at Mezrab in June of 2024 following performances at Luna Stage (NJ) and Whitefire Solofest (CA). Other acting credits include Your Honor, NCIS: New Orleans, 30 Rock, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Law & Order, and extensive theater credits spanning the country. Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. BA: Yale, MFA in Acting: University of Washington.

DIRECTOR – KATIE MATHEWS

Katie Mathews is a filmmaker, researcher, & educator whose work explores the gray areas and transitional moments of modern life. Her recent narrative short film Dark Moon (2022) was a Vimeo Staff Pick and her non-fiction short Signal and Noise (2021) won a Special Jury Prize at New Orleans Film Festival. Previously she produced feature documentary Mossville (2019), which won the Human Rights Award at Full Frame and aired nationally on PBS. She is the 2022 recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Film.

Irondale exists at the intersection of art, education, community engagement and social justice. We develop long-term artistic collaborations to create theatre that expands the boundaries of the art form and helps audiences and artists make sense of today’s world.
Every play and program we produce is chosen for its relevance to what is going on in the world now. Our projects range from epic theater pieces developed over several years to work that immediately engages at-risk youth, young scientists and engineers, and the New York City Police Department.
At the core of what we do is the notion that theatre can lead us to a greater understanding of who we are and how we can communicate with each other—and coexist with empathy and compassion—in an increasingly polarized world.

Terry Greiss is a co-founder of Irondale, where he is also an actor and the Executive Director. He has performed more than 60 roles with the company and is a creator of most of Irondale’s original works and education programs. He has conducted hundreds of workshops in public schools, prisons, theaters and professional training programs. Terry was the Founding President of the Network of Ensemble Theatres and the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance where he continues to serve on its Board of Trustees. He was a panelist for the New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2008 he was invited by the US Embassy to lecture and teach improvisation in Russia. He has taught at the New School, the University of Wisconsin Drama Center and in 2010 he was awarded Brooklyn Arts Exchange’s Arts Education Award. From 2015-2020 he was an improvisation instructor for the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. In 2015, he created To Protect, Serve and Understand Irondale’s improv training program for NYC police officers, designed to heal some of the tensions between officers and community members and provide real tools to improve communication and understanding. Terry is a graduate of the New York (LaGuardia) High School for the Performing Arts and Sarah Lawrence College. Outside of Irondale he has performed at the Manhattan Theatre Club and the Cincinnati Playhouse, in Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of Three Sisters, directed by John Doyle. If you watch carefully, you can see him on episodes of Boardwalk Empire and Sneaky Pete. He is married to the amazing actress Vicky Gilmore and they have a son, Liam.

Erika R. Moore is a dance and theater artist, international speaker, creative strategist and Creative Response Process Certified Trainer. With a strong presence in the arts and corporate sectors, she utilizes the values of the Critical Response Process (CRP) to eliminate disruptive behaviors and cultivate respect and connection. Erika’s visionary leadership empowers organizations to unlock their creative potential and drive meaningful change. Alongside her professional pursuits, she embraces an active lifestyle, participating in triathlons and marathons, brunch with friends, and immersing herself in new cities and cultures worldwide. Erika’s multifaceted talents and dedication to her artistic and personal growth make her a dynamic force in various spheres of life.