CAST & CREW

J. Bailey Burcham | Playwright

J. Bailey Burcham (he/him) is an award winning performer and dramatist residing in Los Angeles. After receiving his second degree in Theatre Performance from Wichita State University, Bailey transplanted from Kansas to California to pursue his love of the theatrical arts. He has won multiple awards as a playwright and comedian including his historic 1st and 2nd place win at the Serial Killers writing competition at Sacred Fools, Hollywood 2019. Bailey has also traveled the world performing musicals, plays, cabarets, stand-up comedy, dance, spoken-word and improv; from the echoing chambers of Carnegie Hall to the vast plains of Kogelo, Kenya, Bailey has had the privilege of creating theatre in some of the most incredible places on earth. From 2020 to 2023 Bailey was the Manager of the Pasadena Playhouse where he was a crucial part of their Tony Award winning season. After seven years of serving as a teaching artist and pseudo-production manager at the Shakespeare Youth Festival, Bailey has officially stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Los Angeles Drama Club and Shakespeare Institute.

Rachel Burcham | Playwright

Rachel Burcham (she/her) is a professional playwright and poet living in LA. After receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre from Wichita State University she transplanted to California to pursue her love of creating unique and innovative stories in an art-forward community. Her play Campfire Stories was produced to rave reviews in 2015 at Studio C Artists on Theatre Row in Hollywood. Two years later the theater revived the piece due to popular demand. Rachel has also performed on many of the regional stages of LA, and was a finalist in the LA's Next Great Stage Star showcase 2016. When not working on her next play she spends her days using storytelling for climate solutions and raising her daughter Imogen (Idgie). She would like to thank you all for being a part of this workshop process.

Ms. Christopher Callen as Naomi

Ms. Christopher Callen (she/her) is an American Actress who, for over 30 years, has made a name for herself as an Artist that is bold, daring - and brings something unexpected to every part she plays. This ability has opened doors in comedic and dramatic roles opposite Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Bruce Willis and John Travolta, to name a few. TV audiences will recognize the exceptionally versatile Ms. Callen from her many regular, recurring and guest starring lead roles. Currently, she can be seen as the British wife of Eric Roberts in the series Date of Honor. And to her surprise, she has entered the world of TikTok in a two-person series with 7.5 million views! You might also have caught her in this year's TV Christmas movie Secret Santa. Besides having starred in twelve shows on Broadway, which include Tony winners Lend Me a Tenor, Over Here!, Fiddler on the Roof, 1776 and The Desert Song; film buffs have acclaimed her work, from provocative independents, such as Burning Shadow (Julie Delphy /Lewis Twins Queens Gambit) to blockbusters such as Lionsgate's Deep Water3: Cage Dive. Three other movies, Lineage, Apple Blossoms and Swallowtail & Dragonfly are scheduled for release in early 2024. She is well-remembered as the "Mouthy Waitress" in the film classic Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. A Renaissance Woman, she has also garnered notoriety as a professional Singer, Dancer, Writer and Sculptor/Painter. Christopher has lived, worked, or traveled to forty-one countries and is an Activist for Peace and Human Rights. As such, she supports and is a spokesperson for Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

Meg Cashel as Tamar

Meg Cashel (she/her) is an actress originally from New York! She moved to Los Angeles after completing the three-year conservatory program at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and has been working in theatre, film and television ever since. She was most recently seen as Hedda in Hedda Gabler at the Hollywood Fringe Festival with The Attic Collective, and was recently on CBS' The Neighborhood. She is repped by Eileen O'Farrell and Kevin Turner at Daniel Hoff. Meg loves Sacred Fools and is so excited to be working with them again! Meg feels weird about talking in the third person as she writes this. Follow me @meg_cashel.

Gabriella Certo as Mary

Gabriella Certo (she/her) is an actress, singer, and dancer born and raised in Los Angeles. She received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Pace University (NY). Past credits include Law & Order: SVU, Luck (Skydance Animation), Cracked Open (League of P.T.W), and Noel (1st National Tour). She is so thrilled to get to work with this wonderful cast and crew. Huge thank you to her family for being a constant force of support.

David Gow as Jonny

David Gow (he/him) is a NY based actor with a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Credits include: FILM/TV: Chrissy Judy (Apple TV), The Girls on the Bus (HBO), The Good Fight, Madam Secretary (CBS), Jon Glaser Loves Gear (truTV), Candice (Austin Film Festival).

NY THEATER: Burning Leaves (Duke Theater), Chokehold (14th St. Y), What I First Desired (Soho Playhouse), Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone (Workshop Theater), Bleach (Wilson's Lounge), Decky Does a Bronco (Royal Family Productions).

REGIONAL: Hamlet, Dear Jack Dear Louise, Measure for Measure, Mothers and Sons, Waverly Gallery (Shakespeare & Company), Up the Hill (Eugene O'Neill Center), Peter and the Starcatcher (SPAC), Pirira, Giant Void in my Soul (Luna Stages), The Group (Great Barrington Public), Why Do You Stand There In the Rain (Edinburgh Fringe), Scooter Thomas Makes It To the Top of the World (Hollywood Fringe);

Scott Leggett as Judah | Producer

Scott Leggett (he/him) appeared in the modern farce Tangerine Sunset at Sacred Fools. He performed multiple characters in Burglars of Hamm's critically acclaimed production of Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk, which won Top of Fringe at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. He was Monster in Cookie and the Monster at the Hollywood Fringe Festival '15, which won Best Ensemble. He earned praise playing Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle opposite French Stewart in the critically acclaimed Pasadena Playhouse production of Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton. At Sacred Fools, he played the titular character in Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes as well as its sequel. Other shows include 43 Plays for 43 Presidents and The Swine Show in addition to numerous other productions. He studied theater at Penn State University and has appeared in several films, commercials and TV shows. Scott is also an accomplished director, having staged the hugely successful adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere at Sacred Fools. He also directed The Poe Show, which won Best Comedy at the Hollywood Fringe Festival '15, and Skullduggery: The Musical Prequel to Hamlet. He has also served as Co-Artistic Director of Sacred Fools.

Maribel Martinez as Ruth

Maribel Martinez (she/ella) is a multi-hyphenate artist, proudly Black-Latina, with Dominican and Puerto Rican roots. She is an Artistic Producer for the Dominican Artists Collective; she wrote and performed in DAC's The Cooking Project, presented by New York Theatre Workshop's Artistic Instigators virtual series in 2021. She's part of The Latinx Playwrights Circle community and considers it one of her favorite artistic homes.Credits include Off-Broadway: Bees & Honey (MCC Theater) - HOLA Awards nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor 2023; Will You Come With Me? (PlayCo); Julius Cesar (New York Shakespeare in the Park). Select Regional Theatre: Mushroom (People's Light); Vanity Fair (Shakespeare Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theater); Christmas at Pemberley (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Henry V P 1 (Folger); Black Joy Project (JAG). Film / Television: Evil (CBS), New Amsterdam (ABC), The Watcher (Netflix), Sacrifice (BET+), Dr. Death (Peacock). MFA, UC Irvine. www.maribel-martinez.com

Katharine McDonough | Director

Katharine McDonough (she/her) is a producer and director best known for her award-winning 10-chair adaptation of Frank Wildhorn's The Scarlet Pimpernel (Hollywood Fringe Festival and Chromolume Theatre), lauded as "brilliantly crafted," "intimately large," and "beautifully directed for the small stage." As an actress, she was most recently seen as Marian Paroo (Ovation Award Nominee) in The Music Man, opposite Adam Pascal, as well as Evelyn Nesbit in Pasadena Playhouse's acclaimed production of Ragtime, and Elsa in Frozen: Live at the Hyperion. Many thanks to Bailey and Rachel for bringing her along on this journey! @ladykatethegreat

Sean McHugh as David

Sean McHugh (he/him) is excited to be making his Sacred Fools Debut! Born and bred on cheesesteaks and Rocky, Sean was last seen in A Man for All Seasons as the Duke of Norfolk at Actors Co-op, where he is also a member. Other favorite roles include Henry Harry in Brilliant Traces, Adam in The Shape of Things, and Warren in This is Our Youth, for which he won the Independent Theatre Award for Best Actor. Sean has also produced, starred in, and won awards for the web series Trading On 15 and the short film Winds and Strings. Currently, you can catch him calling the bingo balls and doing his "Jackpot Dance" as a host on the mobile gaming app, Live Play Bingo. He would like to thank his wife, VK Lynne, for her constant love and support, this amazingly talented cast and crew, and God for making it all possible!

Cj Merriman as Rahab

Cj Merriman (she/her) is so stoked to be working on mothers of god. Favorite credits: Three Guys, One Groupon (HFF 2022), The Behavior of Broadus (Sacred Fools), There Is Evil in this House (She LA Festival 2023), and Nightwitches (HFF 2016). You can also catch her podcasting with mothers of god co-writer, Bailey Burcham and fellow cast mate, Scott Leggett on Theatre Theater, available on any pod catcher of your choice! Many thanks to Sacred Fools for keeping small theatre alive and kicking!

Luce Metrius as Uriah

Luce Metrius (he/him) is very happy to be making his debut with Sacred Fools! After receiving his BFA from Roosevelt University in Chicago, he has performed in numerous theatre productions from (The Adventures of Augie March/Court Theatre), (Twelfth Night/Writers Theatre), and (East Texas Hot Links/Writers Theatre). TV credits include Chicago Fire, The Redline, and a Spike Lee Joint, Chi-Raq. He gives his thanks to his mother for her continued love and support and his significant other for adding more value to his life. He also gives his thanks to Sacred Fools for giving him the opportunity to play with them.

Kevin Shewey as Boaz

Kevin Shewey (he/him) This is Kevin's first time performing at The Broadwater! Other favorite projects include Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night's Dream at New York Classical Theatre, Henry V and Our Town at Chautauqua Theatre Company, She Loves Me and The 39 Steps at The Actors Co Op, The Odd Couple and Present Laughter at Summer Repertory Theater, and Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol at Sierra Repertory Theater. Kevin has an MFA from UC Irvine and a BA from Azusa Pacific University.

Allie-Rae Treharne as Sheba

Allie-Rae Treharne (she/her) is an actor, filmmaker and producer born in Salt Lake City, raised in Tokyo, and currently based out of Los Angeles. Favorite credits include "Gretchen" in Seasons 3 and 4 of Netflix's Atypical and "Sharon" in the Los Angeles premiere of the Pulitzer Prize nominated play Detroit ('23), which she also co-produced (Nothing Ever Happens Productions). Her recent performance in the horror film Whisper has received multiple awards, and is currently circuiting at festivals around the world. She is currently in pre-production to shoot a Western this Spring. Special thanks to Ari Wojciech, her beautiful friends & collaborators, The Last Acting Studio, and Vincent the Cat. She is very grateful to help bring this beautiful script to life as "Sheba." @allieraebird