The Creative Team for the play MAKE HER HAPPEN by L.E. McCullough: Program

MAKE HER HAPPEN
By L.E. McCullough
Directed by Van Dirk Fisher

Time:  Not too long ago.

Place:  A standard down-at-heels roadside diner on a backwater American highway.

Characters in order of appearance:

Waitress………………Gloria Bangiola
Customer……………..Ejyp Johnson

Who’s Who….

Gloria Bangiola (Waitress) has performed in many arenas from opera to Shakespeare and enjoys the opportunity to stretch her skills and expand her creative horizons. Gloria graduated from The Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College (MM ’18) where she debuted the role of President Winter Green in Brooklyn Baby, a political satire based on Gershwin’s review, Let ‘Em Eat Cake. Following this engagement, Gloria performed the role of Mina in InterACT Theater’s production of Dracula, and the role of Gwen in Bara Swain’s new play Planned Obsolescence as part of The Gallery Player’s Black Box New Play Festival this January. Most recently, Gloria took on her first Shakespeare production, performing as Portia, Octavius, and the Soothsayer in Julius Caesar.  Gloria’s classical work spans from the Baroque to the current day. Gloria has performed such roles as Second Woman in Dido and Aeneas with the Indiana University Summer Festival Chorus; Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, performed in Ischia, Italy; and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte at Indiana University ballet and opera theater. Recently, Gloria has stepped into the realm of contemporary opera as Lena in the NYC premiere of Svadba, by Ana Sokoloviç. In addition to her theatrical work, Gloria has written, produced, and performed two full-length albums, Past the Willow and the Well and Fool’s Gold, both available on Spotify and iTunes.  When she’s not performing, Gloria is the artistic director of The Washington Heights Choir School, where she works to bring the joy of performing to her students through choral singing. Gloria has worked as a teacher both privately and as part of the New York City Department of Education through the nonprofit: Education Through Music since moving to the city. Most Notably, Gloria worked as the Associate Conductor of the West choir of In the Name of the Earth by John Luther Adams, a work commissioned by Lincoln Center as part of the 2018 Mostly Mozart Festival.

Ejyp Johnson (Customer) is a native of NYC. This Show Time at the Apollo winner with the deep rich voice has appeared on the Steve Harvey Talk Show and has sung with the Philly Pops Orchestra under the conduction of Benjamin Wright.  Ejyp is an actor you may have seen the Netflix or in the movie See You Yesterday, produced by Spike Lee or Like Father.  Ejyp has also had co-star roles in FBI, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, What WE Doin The Shadows on FX. He has modeled for New York Fashion Week, and has appeared in ad’s and magazines all over the world. He released a single called Happily Ever… available on most streaming services. Visit www.ejyp.com

Van Dirk Fisher (Director) is the founder and artistic director of the Riant Theatre and the producer of the Strawberry One-Act Festival.  He graduated from the School of Performing Arts, which the television show FAME was based on.  He received his B.F.A. from SUNY at Purchase, where he was in the professional acting program.  As an actor, Fisher has appeared in several plays, commercials, voiceovers and soap operas. He founded the Black Experimental Theatre while attending SUNY at Purchase to provide an opportunity for plays to be presented that focused on the African American.  In 1991 BET became the Riant Theatre as it opened its doors in Tribeca and the focus expanded to celebrate our cultural diversity.  He has directed and written several musicals including:  Rock-A My Soul, No Name In The Street – The Biblical Story of Job, Somebody’s Calling My Name; Sweet Blessings; Tracks; Loving That Man Of Mine  and Revelations.  His dramas, which are inspired by real life news stories, include:  A Sin Between Friends; The Banjo Lesson; Mixed Blessings; Hotel Paradise and The Atlanta Affair.  His play Code of Silence has been compared to works by John Grisham and was pitched as a television series.  He has published 8 Anthologies of THE BEST PLAYS FROM THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL and his novel, Loving You, is sold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites as well as the Riant's website click here.  For his accomplishments with the Riant Theatre, he earned the prestigious 2009 AUDELCO Special Achievement Award. 

L.E. McCullough (Playwright) is a musician/composer and author of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays and film scripts.  His first New York production was 1995’s Blues for Miss Buttercup (Urban Stages) based on legendary blues pianist Leroy Carr; he has since written and published 188 historical plays for Smith & Kraus, EduPress, Indiana Historical Society, National Constitution Center and the book for a new musical, Orphan Train, with lyricist Michael Barry Greer and composer Doug Katsaros.

The Best Play From The Strawberry One-Act Festival
At the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95^th Street, NYC

Performances:
Fri, February 7^th at 7:30pm      Buy Now

Tickets:  $40 General Admission; $35 for Senior Citizens and Students with I.D.
Tickets:  www.SymphonySpace.org
Box Office:  212-864-5400

Gala Reception on Sunday, February 9th CAFE VICTORIA
70 West 107th Street, NYC at Columbus Avenue.
Time:  4:00pm - 6:30pm
Tickets:  $85

Buy Gala Tickets Now