A Light in Dark Places: DALLAS
April 2024 Program
Jamale Abou Hamad
Get Well Soon by Blake Lewis
Blake Lewis, Writer
After coming on board as a director for the inaugural year of A Light in Dark Places, Blake knew that he would love to continue to be able to help Kelly and the organization in whatever ways he could. Since then, he has written a couple different plays for the events, as well as serving on the board and play selection committee. He believes that the topic of suicide has been shrouded in secrecy and shame for far too long.
Blake also produced, wrote and acted in the recently released film Dylan and Zoey.
Kelly O’Malley, Director
Kelly O’Malley is a Los Angeles based actress from Frisco, Texas. She studied acting at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre - Los Angeles after graduating from Southern Methodist University with a double major in Religious Studies and Film & Media Arts. Her most recent works include short films Valentine's Day (dir. Tina Carbone) and Woman Reclining on Grass (dir. Claudia Doumit, The Boys) acting opposite Pete Gardner (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).
Faith Noster, Livi
Faith Noster is so jazzed to be working with A Light In Dark Places for the first time. Her recent credits are Grease where she played Teen Angel/Ensemble, The Revolutionists where she played Marianne Angelle, and Rhonda in Almost Maine. She also directed Seussical in 2021. Faith has always attributed theater to being a source of comfort in her mental health journey, so she is so honored to be able to combine her passion for mental health awareness and theater. She would like to dedicate her performance to her late mom and dad, Diane and John Noster.
Devon Michaels, Martin
Devon Michaels is thrilled to be joining the cast of A Light in Dark Places. He directed Janielle Kastner’s “Feed Me” in the festival’s inaugural production, Owen Conway’s “Good Radio” in year three, and Kimberly Shimer's "Talking Over Tea" in year six.
Other LA directing highlights include "Who Made Robert DeNiro King of America?" by Jason Katims, “The Straight Bozo” by Tim McNeil, "Raised in Captivity" by Nicky Silver, and Julianne Grossman’s critically acclaimed “From Bonkers to Botox,” which was chosen to be part of HBO’s U.S. Comedy Festival in Aspen.
Now Devon is happily returning to his acting roots. He grew up in New York theater, making his Broadway debut at age 12 and going on to perform in prominent Off-Broadway venues such as The Public.
Since graduating Yale University and moving to LA, Devon’s made guest appearances on numerous TV series such as "House," “Monk,” and "Without a Trace." He is probably best known for his recurring role as Bill on the hit CW show “Gilmore Girls.” More recently he played a smug defense attorney on BET’s “Rebel,” a corrupt Assistant D.A. on “NCIS:LA” and a home caregiver on “Grace and Frankie,” appearing opposite Lily Tomlin. His latest film appearance will be in the upcoming western drama "Long Shadows", joining a cast that includes Dermot Mulroney, Dominic Monaghan and Chris Mulkey.
Jason Crawford Jordan, Owen
Jason is excited to make his return to the stage alongside A Light In Dark Places! Jason fell in love with acting and performing after doing his first school play in 5th grade. He would then go on to study theatre at Tarrant County College and now works as a Film/Voice actor. Jason's most recent works include various english anime dubs produced by Crunchyroll like "One Piece", "BLUELOCK'', and "Trigun Stampede''. Jason would like to thank his friends and family for their continuous love and support as well as the entire ALIDP team for the opportunity to work on such a beautiful show! @NotTooJason
Dylan Ray Owen, Conner
Dylan Ray Owen is thrilled to return to Dallas theatre as Conner in Get Well Soon! Dylan was most recently seen on stage in 2018 as Laurie in Little Women (Firehouse Theatre) and Henry in The Skin of Our Teeth (Collin Theatre Center). Offstage, you may recognize Dylan from his voiceover work in commercials, animation, and video games, or his work on screen in film and television. Dylan would like to thank his friends, family, and his partner, Tatum, for their kindness and patience throughout his own mental health battles. He'd like to thank A Light in Dark Places for their amazing work, and most importantly, he'd like to thank his very perfect dog, Pumpkin.
Gracyn Reddick, Maria
Gracyn Reddick is 17 and is playing Maria. She is finishing her junior year, and spends most of her time involved with her school’s theatre department. She loves spending time with her family and friends and she is so grateful to be a part of this production. She is so thankful to have worked with A Light In Dark Places, and thanks everyone for an amazing experience.
Blue Christmas by Allie Costa
Chris Millar, Director
Chris is a native Texan freshly returned and replanted from many years in Los Angeles. Chris studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse under Rick Podell, Chick Vennera, and Milton Katselas, and trained in improv at IO West of Hollywood. He has acted, directed, and produced theater in Los Angeles and is a member of Sacred Fools Theater Co. In addition to stage work, Chris has written and directed short films, one of which progressed to final jury in USA Film Festival’s National Short Film competition. Away from creative endeavors, Chris runs an IT company and is obsessed with racing.
Ryan Negrón, Kinnin
Native to the frigid north, Ryan originally hails from Chicago, Illinois. This is his first full year here DFW and he couldn't be more happy! Ryan grew up on the stage and pursued a degree in theater performance from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. From there Ryan performed in the Regional theater scene working on such productions as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with Playhouse on the Square, Sweat by Lynn Nottage with the Circuit Playhouse in Memphis Tennessee, Peter and the Starcatcher at the McLeod Theater, and JUNK by Ayad Akhtar. Outside of stage Ryan is also a working voice talent at Crunchyroll and can be heard in such series as Metallic Rouge, Reincarnated as a Slime, Sugar Apple Fairytale and many others! Ryan is honored to join the cast of A Light in Dark Places to raise awareness for the cause.
Yaletzy, Samina
Yaletzy is making her Dallas debut in her portrayal of Samina in Blue Christmas. She is an advocate for representation of historically oppressed and underrepresented individuals within all professions and, in particular, within the arts. She previously served as the Communications Coordinator at Cara Mía Theatre and aspires to continue to make theatre accessible to everyone as she believes in the positive impact theatre can have.
Man in Cage with Friend by Jim Kuenzer
Ale Fips, Director
Ale is a multifaceted performer hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, with a rich tapestry of experiences in the entertainment industry. She began her career at a very young age, starring in beloved musicals like "El Príncipe Rana" and "Peter Pan," along with Mexico's rendition of Disney’s "High School Musical." Her talent transcended stages onto screens, gracing Spanish TV shows like "Código Paranormal" and "La Rosa de Guadalupe," and making her mark in films such as "El Buchon" and “Ciudadano Buelna”. Training at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting LA expanded her skills, leading to memorable performances in New York City productions like "Judgment on a Grey Beach," which she also produced,"Seucy and Boto," and “Undefined Fraction” at La Mama ETC. Also, she contributed to several short films that have been official selections of renowned festivals and award winners. In addition, she lent her voice to the award-winning immersive exposition "Viva la Vida" as Frida Kahlo, which has traveled the world. Offstage, Ale's versatility is evident as she led the management of Riverdance's 2023 Mexican tour and directed plays for "A Light in Dark Places" since 2020. Dedicated to nurturing theatrical and cinematic excellence, she also serves on play and screenplay selection committees for various festivals. Ale recognizes the profound impact of the arts and the transformative power of storytelling, believing wholeheartedly in their ability to change lives.
Cheyenne Haynes, Me
Cheyenne Haynes is thrilled to be working with A Light in Dark Places this year! She has recently been seen as Antigone (Antigone/Stolen Shakespeare Guild), Ensemble (The Manic Monologues/WaterTower Theatre), Ada Byron Lovelace (Ada and the Engine/ Mainstage Irving) and Lydia Wickham (The Wickhams/Stolen Shakespeare Guild). She is incredibly thankful to be given the opportunity to help start a conversation that is near to her heart and often hard to approach in a way that both respects and brings light to it. She would like to thank her good friends Cory and Jule from the bottom of her heart for being her Light in a Dark Place when she needs the support, her parents for being her biggest fans and reminding her to never give up, and God for always putting her exactly where she needs to be.
Dylan Ray Owen, It
Dylan Ray Owen is thrilled to return to Dallas theatre as It in Man in Cage with Friend! Dylan was most recently seen on stage in 2018 as Laurie in Little Women (Firehouse Theatre) and Henry in The Skin of Our Teeth (Collin Theatre Center). Offstage, you may recognize Dylan from his voiceover work in commercials, animation, and video games, or his work on screen in film and television. Dylan would like to thank his friends, family, and his partner, Tatum, for their kindness and patience throughout his own mental health battles. He'd like to thank A Light in Dark Places for their amazing work, and most importantly, he'd like to thank his very perfect dog, Pumpkin.
Isabelle Culpepper, Friend
Isabelle Culpepper is so excited to be part of A Light in Dark Places again this year. She first participated in 2019, in I’ll Tell You at Sunrise, and last year in Hope Springs A Turtle. Isabelle tries to stay active in the DFW community whenever she has time. You may have recently seen her as Cora/Tailor/Widow in Taming of the Shrew in Living Black and WhiteTM (Plague Mask Players /Elevator Project). Favorite roles include Gabriella in Boeing Boeing (Mainstage Irving Las Colinas), Madge in Games Afoot (Richardson Theatre Center), and Jayne Mansfield in Dead Wait (Festival of Independent Theatres). She especially loves any show she gets to work on with her multi-talented husband, Jared. As is the case with so many of us, Isabelle has had some experience with friends and family dealing with suicide or suicidal thoughts, and fully recognizes the importance of support and prevention, and believes ALIDP can help make a difference, and is so proud to be part of it.
Claire Fountain, Issues
Claire Fountain is a DFW-based actor, playwright, and intimacy director. She holds a BFA in Acting from The University of Oklahoma. She most recently performed in a staged reading of a play she wrote, Stressor, at Sundown Collaborative Theatre on March 16th. Other recent roles include Actor 5 in I'm Still a Theatre Kid directed by Mies Quatrino and The Guinea Pig VI with Flexible Grey Theatre Company. She would like to thank the team at ALIDP for creating such an important piece of theatre and would like to thank her mom for her endless love and support.
At Least Slightly by Andrew Heinze
Ale Fips, Director
Ale is a multifaceted performer hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, with a rich tapestry of experiences in the entertainment industry. She began her career at a very young age, starring in beloved musicals like "El Príncipe Rana" and "Peter Pan," along with Mexico's rendition of Disney’s "High School Musical." Her talent transcended stages onto screens, gracing Spanish TV shows like "Código Paranormal" and "La Rosa de Guadalupe," and making her mark in films such as "El Buchon" and “Ciudadano Buelna”. Training at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting LA expanded her skills, leading to memorable performances in New York City productions like "Judgment on a Grey Beach," which she also produced,"Seucy and Boto," and “Undefined Fraction” at La Mama ETC. Also, she contributed to several short films that have been official selections of renowned festivals and award winners. In addition, she lent her voice to the award-winning immersive exposition "Viva la Vida" as Frida Kahlo, which has traveled the world. Offstage, Ale's versatility is evident as she led the management of Riverdance's 2023 Mexican tour and directed plays for "A Light in Dark Places" since 2020. Dedicated to nurturing theatrical and cinematic excellence, she also serves on play and screenplay selection committees for various festivals. Ale recognizes the profound impact of the arts and the transformative power of storytelling, believing wholeheartedly in their ability to change lives.
Kelly O’Malley, Jenny
Kelly O’Malley is a Los Angeles based actress from Frisco, Texas. She studied acting at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre - Los Angeles after graduating from Southern Methodist University with a double major in Religious Studies and Film & Media Arts. Her most recent works include short films Valentine's Day (dir. Tina Carbone) and Woman Reclining on Grass (dir. Claudia Doumit, The Boys) acting opposite Pete Gardner (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)..
Alex Rain, Jay
Alex Rain last appeared on stage as George in "Same
Time, Next Year" at Theatre Frisco in 2022. Other recent
area productions include Nostradamus in Theatre Frisco's
production of "Something Rotten" and Sidney Bruhl in
"Deathrap" (Allen Contemporary Theatre). Alex's film and
television credits include "Danger in the Spotlight" (Lifetime
TV), "Dead Mount, Death Play" (Crunchyroll), and the
narrator for six seasons of Dr. Chris Pet Vet and two
seasons of Pet Vet Dream Team (CBS). Off stage, Alex is a
full-time voice actor/voiceover coach and a professional
photographer/videographer. You can learn more about Alex
at his website www.alexrain.com and on Instagram
@alexrainphoto
PANDORA'S BOX OF DONUTS by Aly Kantor
C. Ryan Glen, Director
Ryan studied theatre and playwriting at the Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts (2010), and enjoyed several years in professional productions around DFW. Favorite roles include Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night with Shakespeare Dallas and John #3 in Dreamless with Ochre House, as well as a bevy of shows with the original Shakespeare in the Bar crew, Lyric Stage, and others. Ryan and his family recently live in Grapevine, TX, where he has a new life of being a father, landscape designer, writer, and otherwise charmingly-restless artist. With a past of difficult mental health issues of his own as well as several friends whose lives have been deeply marked by suicide, Ryan believes avidly in this production and these plays, and he is humbled to get to help bring one of them to life.
Leo A. Vibal, Em
Leo A. Vibal is a DFW-based artist. His recent work includes performing in The Mousetrap with Luminosity Theatre Center, and providing production assistance for Amphibian Stage’s Spaceman, and now he’s excited to work with A Light in Dark Places! He’s grateful for the opportunity to take part in sharing these stories. Leo would like to thank his family and friends.
Aren M Hugo, Cal
Aren Hugo is a DFW native actor most recently seen in “Two Gentlemen of Verona” with Shakespeare Dallas and the staged reading of “Walden (Remixed)” with Kitchen Dog Theater. Aren is incredibly excited to be a part of this production and would like to thank her friends and family for their constant support and A Light in Dark Places for this opportunity.
Production Staff:
Produced by: Kelly O'Malley
Co-Produced by: Kristina O'Malley, Sam Sheeks &
Josh Reiter
Original Music by Jack Brewer
Light Design: Ben Bryant
Theater Manager: Stewart Mikkelsen
Stage Manager: Ale Fips
Board Operator: Allye Akin
Mural by Claire Morales
Graphic Design by Jill Duddleston
Still Photographer: Zack Huggins
Board of Directors:
Kelly O'Malley, President
Matthew Fuller, Treasurer
Ana Roza Cimperman, Secretary
Salim Aliaga
Art Cisneros
Ale Fips
Jessica Glenn
Bruce Katzman
Blake Lewis
Katie O'Malley
Rick Peters
Nimalee Wickremasinghe-Kuhn
Christina Zamora
Special Thanks To…
The Bath House Cultural Center & Stewart Mikkelsen for hosting us and going above and beyond to ensure the quality of our show. The Clantons for their continued generosity and many-faceted ways of support, including facilitating the beer donation from TUPPSBrewery. Bill O’Malley for preserving the legacy of his brother through generous sponsorship. The Lafatas and all of our various donors for making events like these possible and keeping them affordable to all. Lawrence and Anna Man for their unwavering enthusiasm, love and mentorship. Jessica Glenn for organizing our post-show discussions. Katie O’Malley for designing a beautiful reception space. Devon, thanks for jumping in with a weeks notice, you brave brave soul. Ale, welcome to Texas! You’re amazing, thank you for wearing so many hats and for all the wonderful ways in which you’ve supported me on this journey. I'm sorry I had the flu and you had to shoulder the set build!! <3 Kris, you’re amazing. I love you so much and I am so lucky and grateful that we can do this show together.
A Personal Note
It’s been eleven years. More than eleven, and it still hurts. Maybe not as frequent as it once did, but the grief is there. Suicide is a complex type of grief. There’s the classic guilt. Doubt. Confusion. Betrayal. Sorrow. Shock. Trauma. All combined with the slow realization that what we’re grieving isn’t just the person. We grieve our former selves. I’m not who I was, but I sure do wish I were. It feels as though my very DNA changed, and no matter what I do, I can’t get it to go back. I miss my old life. I miss my pre-crime-scene-tarnished childhood home. I miss my sense of security. I miss the version of myself before I was propelled into adulthood.
But most of all, I miss my Dad.
I’m painfully aware of his absence with each big life event, but I also feel him gone in the most mundane of moments. Putting air in a tire, or going for a sunset walk. And I’m perhaps most aware when I allow myself to feel the weighty fact that many of my loved ones will never know him. The best I can give them favorite memories, shared characteristics, (and for a lucky few) home videos pale in comparison to the real him. But it’s in those moments of connection that comfort comes.
There’s joy to be found in exchange of memories. There’s a peace that comes with seeing our loved ones live on through the stories we tell. We honor them when we speak of them, and we move closer to them through those shared experiences.
That’s why we’re here tonight. Stories are powerful, even fictional stories, because they share life. We all recognize the people in these plays. We’ve been them, or we know them. Maybe we’ve lost them. We can’t bring those passed back physically, but they don’t have to be gone forever. We don’t have to shut the memory of them away or be afraid to look at what happened.
What happened happened. My Dad took his life, and he’s not coming back.
But he (and the others like him) can live on. If we keep talking, if we keep helping others. If we keep reaching out, if we keep learning how to better care for each other. And ourselves.
We didn’t have a choice in what happened to our lost loves, but we do get to choose to move forward. We get to choose to spread the word there’s no shame in struggling with your mental health, none. Help is attainable, and you are precious to someone. You are more than your struggles.
You are loved.
- Kelly O'Malley
