Tom Allard (Cherokee) has the great fortune to be a longtime member of both the performing arts and the visual arts faculties of Pasadena Polytechnic School. He is also incredibly handsome … and humble.
Alyssa Anderson (Cherokee)
Alyssa Anderson (Cherokee) is a graduate of PCPA’s 50th Anniversary class and is currently based in L.A. She has a deep love for classical work——some of her favorite roles include Lysander in Midsummer, Dionyza in Pericles, and Titania in Midsummer. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support and love.
LaVonne Rae Andrews (Tlingit– Raven Clan)
LaVonne Rae Andrews (Tlingit– Raven Clan) is an actor whose theatre credits include Palestine, New Mexico with Culture Clash at the Mark Taper Forum, and Stand-Off at HWY #37 in L.A. and South Dakota. Her TV credits include The Millers, West World starring Anthony Hopkins, Banshee, and Days of Our Lives. She co-authored a book, Divine Dialogues, with her husband, Dr. Don Welsh; they write a weekly spiritual column in Paso Robles Press and Atascadero News.
Jennifer Bobiwash (Ojibway)
Jennifer Bobiwash (Ojibway) has been involved with Native Voices since 2003 and is a Lead Artist in the Ensemble. Her one-person show, There Is No “I” in NDN, premiered at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival. She guest starred on APTN’s (Canada) Mohawk Girls, and created the YouTube channel Welcome to the Tipi, on which she and her co-host share their stories about being NDN in today’s society. A technophile, she jumped at the chance to create content in the infancy of YouTube and has since produced more than 300 episodes of online content.
Samantha Bowling (Cherokee, Algonquin)
Samantha Bowling (Cherokee, Algonquin) acts, sings, dances, writes, directs, plays four musical instruments, speaks French, eats carbs, cries often (not because of the carbs), makes clothes, drives a stick shift, cooks, doesn’t clean, does yoga, bathes often, recycles, plays with her puppy, Bowie, and just generally brings this city to its knees. Check out her website, look her up on IMDb, Twitter, and Facebook, adopt pets, avoid plastic, don’t shave after you’ve waxed, and believe in yourself.
Carla-Rae (Seneca, Mohawk)
Carla-Rae (Seneca, Mohawk) is a SAG-AFTRA and AEA actor. In addition to her work on various short films, feature films (Imprint, AIFI Best Supporting Actress Award), and television, she has had the pleasure of working the stage in prominent roles with the NYC Liguorian Players. Carla-Rae has been a part of Native Voices consistently since 2010, contributing to the Playwrights Retreats and Short Play Festivals, as well as in her role as Majel in The Bird House. She is also creating her own web series called SHINE On With Carla-Rae, encouraging all to SHINE.
Tonantzín Carmelo (Tongva, Kumeyaay)
Tonantzín Carmelo (Tongva, Kumeyaay) was previously seen in Native Voices’s world premiere production of Carbon Black, as well as in Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders, Please Do Not Touch the Indians, and Jump Kiss. Her film/TV credits include Into the West, Imprint, Unearthed, Shadow Heart, Shouting Secrets, The Girl in the Lake, Medicine Men, CSI: Miami, Dark Blue, and American Dad. She is also the voice and image of Kendra Daniels in the Electronic Arts game, "Dead Space."
Ehécatl A. Chávez (Azteca)
Ehécatl A. Chávez (Azteca) is a producer, director, and actor. Born and raised in a small village in eastern Mexico, he studied drama and architecture at the National University of Mexico City, where he earned a BA in acting. He then studied in New York at the Actor’s Studio (with Estelle Parsons). At age 26, Chávez became the youngest theatre director at Universidad Veracruzana, one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America.
Tsulan Cooper (Ainu, Sauk and Fox)
Tsulan Cooper (Ainu, Sauk and Fox) is an actor based in LA. She's appeared in feature films, theatre, and television. Recent projects include Wind Walkers (20th Century); Baskets (FX) opposite Zack Galifianakis and Saginaw Grant in a guest role as Margaret; Sense8 (Netflix); Chance (Hulu); and principal role as Mary in upcoming Netflix's feature film Juanita, opposite Alfre Woodard and Adam Beach. Lifetime member of the Actors Studio, AEA, SAG-AFTRA.
Darrell Dennis (Shuswap)
Darrell Dennis (Shuswap) is an actor, writer, and comedian. His one-man show, Tales of an Urban Indian, has toured Canada and the U.S. and was accepted into the prestigious Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Dennis was a performer with the Second City and co-founded the Mayflower Welcoming Committee, an all— Native American comedy troupe. He has performed stand-up at the Just for Laughs Festival. Currently, he is a regular on the Nickelodeon TV series Open Heart.
Olivia Espinosa (Azteca)
Olivia Espinosa (Azteca) is a bilingual actor, singer, playwright, and director. Her Southern California acting credits include Milvotchkee, Visconsin; Kita y Fernanda (Mo’olelo Performing Arts Co.); The Astronaut Farmworker; A Lonely Boy’s Guide to Survival (and Werewolves) (La Jolla Playhouse POP Tour); Tortilla Curtain; Earthquake Sun (San Diego Rep); Learn to Be Latina (Diversionary Theatre); and Escanaba in da Moonlight (Cygnet Theatre).
Rainy Fields (Muskogee Creek, Cherokee)
Rainy Fields (Muskogee Creek, Cherokee) graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BA in theatre. She has performed throughout L.A. in various theatre productions, most recently with the Production Company in Enron. Fields is also a member of the Mayflower Welcoming Committee. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her adorable puppy, Boo Wagley.
Sheri Foster (Cherokee)
Sheri Foster (Cherokee) is originally from Texas. Her theatre experiences include The Independence of Eddie Rose, Death of a Miner, God of Vengeance, and touring with the Native American Theater group Mystic Voices. Her film work includes U-Turn (for which she was honored with a Best Supporting Actress Award from First Americans in the Arts), Naturally Native, Secondhand Heart, and Shouting Secrets. TV credits include House, Crazy Horse, Coyote Waits, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Elizabeth Frances (Cherokee)
Elizabeth Frances (Cherokee) has performed at various theatres, including Center Theater Group, La Jolla Playhouse, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Native Voices, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Some film/TV credits include AMC's The Son, LOVE on Netflix, NBC's Heartbeat, and Drunktown’s Finest (Sundance 2014) with executive producer Robert Redford. She has a BFA in acting from CalArts.
Kyla Garcia (Taíno)
Kyla Garcia (Taíno) graduated with a BFA from Rutgers University. Her stage credits include The Zip Code Plays (Antaeus), Vera (understudy) in Se Llama Cristina (The Theatre at Boston Court), Siu in Stile and Drewe’s Three Little Pigs (Lewis Family Playhouse), Juliet in Romeo and Julieta (CoLab Arts), and Demaris in In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. Her film/TV credits include Shotgun Wedding (Pamela White) and Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mrs. Zeller). Happy career moments include winning Twinkie Byrd’s 2013 Monologue Slam and creating the Hollywood Fringe award-winning solo show The Mermaid Who Learned How to Fly.
Jason Grasl (Blackfeet)
Jason Grasl (Blackfeet) has been involved with Native Voices since 2007. He has performed at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, New York’s Public Theatre, and La Jolla Playhouse. His stage credits include Cherokee, The Blame of Love (which he also wrote), Trophies, Sliver of a Full Moon, and Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. Film credits include Cassidy Red and Fantasy Football: The Movie. His TV credits include Hot in Cleveland and White Collar. Grasl is also a member of the Mayflower Welcoming Committee and serves on the SAG-AFTRA Native American Committee.
Allison Hicks (Prairie Band Potawatomi /Choctaw)
Allison Hicks (Prairie Band Potawatomi /Choctaw) is a SAG-AFTRA actor. Her recent theatre credits include They Don’t TalkBack (Linda, understudy), the staged reading of Fairly Traceable (Suzanne) and Sliver of a Full Moon (Terri Henry). Hicks has also appeared in various film and television productions. She holds a BA from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California, Irvine.
Carolina Hoyos (Quechua)
Carolina Hoyos (Quechua) is an award winning actor, musician, and dancer currently appearing in the groundbreaking western rock opera Sitting Bull’s Last Waltz. Recent film/TV credits include Under the Silver Lake, America Will Be, Polar Sun (imagineNATIVE 2016) and The Gym. Hoyos is also a proud member of comedy troupe Nightpantz with weekly sketches featured on Huffington Post, Upworthy and BuzzFeed. Carolina released her 3rd EP The Lost Tapes in 2016 and regularly volunteers with Musicians On Call.
Shayna Jackson (Dakota, Cree)
Shayna Jackson (Dakota, Cree) currently can be seen hosting the show The Hub on FNX. During the past year she has worked in film and theatre in NYC and L.A. Aside from acting and performing, Jackson spends most of her time working toward her degree at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. She has performed multiple times at the House of Blues in Hollywood as well as other local venues.
Bella King (Confederated Salish, Kootenai)
Bella King (Confederated Salish, Kootenai) was born in Montana and raised in Canada and the U.S. At the ripe old age of six, she began acting in various community theatre productions. After living in Indiana, Seattle, Vancouver, Alberta, and finally Los Angeles, King has expanded her career into numerous film and television projects. She wrote and directed the short film Unmatched, which was a finalist in the Burbank International Film Festival.
Shyla Marlin (Choctaw)
Shyla Marlin (Choctaw) is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she studied theatre and French. Her recent theatre credits include Native Visions (Will & Co), Off the Rails, Ungipamsuuka (My Story), and The Frybread Queen (Native Voices). Highlighted film/TV credits include Whatever It Takes, Lies and Alibis, Woo, Fashion House, Saints and Sinners, and Minding the Store. Her writing and producing credits include The Hummingbirds (Native Voices and LATC Playwright Workshops), Still Standing (Vitality Prod.), and A Starbuck’s Story (“Best Short,” FAIF Film Festival).
Jenny Marlowe (Algonquin)
Jenny Marlowe (Algonquin) hails from Cape Cod, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Princeton University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Recent work includes Variedades on Olvera Street for KCET television, Urban Rez for Cornerstone Theater Company, and multiple appearances for BuzzFeed Video. Marlowe is also an award-winning playwright – her work has recently been performed at Centre Stage South Carolina, Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, and the Southwark Playhouse, London.
Duane Minard (Yurok, Piaute)
Duane Minard (Yurok, Piaute) recently performed as Paul in They Don’t Talk Back at the Autry and La Jolla Playhouse. His other theatre credits as a member of the Ensemble include Off the Rails and Stories From the Indian Boarding School. Past theatre credits include Ramona, Zorro, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Bad Seed. His recent film credits include Open Season and the upcoming Frontiersmen TV mini-series.
Jaraneh Nova (Apache)
A composer, songwriter, and actress, Jaraneh Nova (Apache) was adopted and raised by an American family in Tucson, Arizona. Singing and playing piano and flute were an early source of musical joy for her. She grew up a part of the Sonoran Desert, riding horses through the days while writing songs in her heart. Nova later began performing in plays, musicals, and eventually film. She has written numerous albums and has scored videos and short films.
Adrieanne Perez (Taíno)
Adrieanne Perez(Taíno) splits her time between St. Louis and Los Angeles. She is a classically trained actor, singer, and dancer, training at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis Artist-In-Training (AIT) program and graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Her stage credits include Off the Rails (Native Voices), Cyrano de Bergerac (AMDA L.A.), The Sound of Music (St. Louis Shrewsbury Playhouse), and Rigoletto (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). Her film credits include American Streetballers (Audience Choice Award Winner/Best Feature Film, St. Louis Film Festival).
Kalani Queypo (Blackfeet, Hawaiian)
Kalani Queypo (Blackfeet, Hawaiian) is a founding member of the National American Indian Committee at SAG-AFTRA. He is also an active collaborator with Native Voices, where he proudly serves on the advisory council. His film and television credits include The New World, Slow West, Saints & Strangers, Into the West, Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, Bones, and Hawaii Five-0. Watch for the release of Jamestown, a new series from Carnival Films, the producers who brought you Downton Abbey.
Kenny Ray Ramos (Barona Band of Mission Indians - Diegueño Iipay/Kumeyaay)
Kenny Ray Ramos (Barona Band of Mission Indians - Diegueño Iipay/Kumeyaay) was raised on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County before earning his BA in American Indian Studies from UCLA. Regional credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 42nd Street, and Cats with Moonlight Stage Productions. Ramos originated the role of Max in Larissa FastHorse’s decolonial immersive theatrical experience, Urban Rez with Cornerstone Theater Company and made his Native Voices debut in the Sixth Annual Short Play Festival, Take Back the Land.
Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)
Randy Reinholz (Choctaw), founder and Producing Artistic Director of Native Voices at the Autry, is a director, producer, playwright, and actor on stage and screen. His work has appeared regularly in Los Angeles for the past two decades, as well as in major venues in New York, Washington, D.C., San Diego, and other regional theatres and universities, urban and tribal communities across the U.S., and internationally in England, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. He is also a tenured professor at San Diego State University, where he served as Head of Acting, Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film, and in the Dean’s office.
Katie Rich (Cherokee, Chickasaw)
Katie Rich (Cherokee, Chickasaw) has performed with La Jolla Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, Cornerstone Theater Company, and Native Voices at the Autry among others. She is a writer and improviser who has performed throughout Los Angeles through The Nerdist School. Rich holds a BA in Theatre and Religious Studies from San Diego State University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Acting at Harvard University.
Andrew Roa (Shasta)
Andrew Roa (Shasta) has been acting professionally for many moons and has worked with Native Voices since 1999. His film credits include Yellowrock, The Ice Man Chronicles, If, Picking Up the Pieces, and Pocahontas II. His TV credits include Quantum Leap, Doctor Doctor, Fame, and The Ellen Burstyn Show. His stage credits include Black Elk Speaks, The Spirit of Pocahontas, Kino & Teresa, Please Do Not Touch the Indians, and Equus.
Christopher Salazar (Cayuga, Seneca)
Christopher Salazar (Cayuga, Seneca) recently performed as the title role in The Importance of Being Earnest (A Noise Within) and All’s Well That Ends Well (The Old Globe), where he also acted in the 2012 and 2013 Shakespeare Festivals. In Los Angeles, he has performed with the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Theatricum Botanicum, and Coeurage Theatre Company. New York credits include the world premiere of Thieves (The Public Theater & Amerinda), Hamlet (Gorilla Rep), and The Tempest (Brave New World Repertory Theatre). Regionally, he has worked with the Barter Theatre, the Barnstormers Theatre, and the American Shakespeare Center, among others. MFA: The Old Globe/USD. BA: UNC-Chapel Hill.
Jean Bruce Scott
Jean Bruce Scott, founder and Producing Executive Director of Native Voices at the Autry, is a producer, director, writer, dramaturg, and actor. She has developed over 200 plays by Native American playwrights, produced 27 plays (17 world premieres), 21 New Play Festivals, 12 Playwrights Retreats, over 200 play readings, and 19 national and international tours. She is co-creator of the Native Radio Theater Project, La Jolla Playhouse Native Theatre Initiative, and the Alaska Native Playwrights Project, as well as a member of the National Theatre Conference in New York and the Leadership Board of the Theatrical Producers League of L.A.–Large Theaters.
Alec Shamas (Chickasaw)
Alec Shamas (Chickasaw) graduated high school from Interlochen Arts Academy and cum laude from the Hartt School of Music and Drama with a BFA in acting. He did a summer intensive with Shakespeare and Company. His previous works include an episode of the Web series Preface to Being Jaded, Off the Rails, and Stories From the Indian Boarding School in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Kevin Sifuentes (Hopi)
Kevin Sifuentes (Hopi) is an actor, writer, artist, and filmmaker. Originally from Texas, Sifuentes earned a BFA from USC. His acting career now extends over 20 years and includes numerous projects in film, television, national commercials, and theatre. His stage credits include work with Center Theatre Group, South Coast Repertory, San Jose Rep, About Productions, Cornerstone Theatre Company, and Native Voices. As a filmmaker, he has produced, directed, and written several shorts that have toured the film festival circuit.
Erika Stone (Iroquois)
After receiving a BA from Boston University and performing in several independent films throughout New England, Erika Stone (Iroquois) moved to Los Angeles and has performed in Caligula; Blood Wedding; Marry, F***, or Kill; and Not One More Foot of Land, as well as numerous productions with Native Voices. Notable film and television credits include Lucky Louie, Spring Breakdown, and most recently, a superhero series, The Ploy. This winter, Stone will be performing in Our Voices Will Be Heard at Perseverance Theatre in Alaska. She is represented by L&L Talent and is a member of SAG-AFTRA.
DeLanna Studi (Cherokee)
DeLanna Studi (Cherokee) has appeared in Shameless, SyFy’s Z Nation, and General Hospital. Her film credits include Edge of America, Dreamkeeper, and The Only Good Indian. She starred in the first national Broadway tour of August: Osage County and was in the company of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (2010–2012). Her theatre roles include Interpreting William, Cornerstone’s A Long Bridge, Te Ata, Berlin Blues, Stand-Off at HWY #37, and two one-person shows: What’s an Indian Woman to Do? and KICK.
Kholan Studi (Cherokee)
Kholan Studi (Cherokee) was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The son of actor Wes Studi and the grandson of Jack Albertson, Studi was bitten by the acting bug early on in life and recently completed his training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Joseph Valdez (Navajo)
Joseph Valdez (Navajo) was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to study theatre at the University of Southern California. His favorite theatre credits include Ramona (Ramona Bowl), Se Llama Cristina (Boston Court), School for Scandal (Theatricum Botanicum), and Looking Towards Lourdes (USC). His playwriting credits include Timestop, Little Big Joe the Bug Squasher, and Totem Boy. Valdez was recently featured in American Theater magazine as a theatre artist to watch.
Robert Vestal (Cherokee)
Robert Vestal (Cherokee) is originally from Chicago, where he graduated from the University of Chicago. His writing/directing credits include The Bullfrog Lover, an audio play produced by Native Radio Theater at Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary; The Key to the Fourth Wall;Reservoir Logs; Jerry; and I Know What You Did Last Spring Break. He also directed the one-woman show Wondering in Aliceland, Holding, and at Native Voices, Serra Springs. Vestal is a Lead Artist in the Ensemble and is also a veteran actor, having performed on stage literally thousands of times. His TV/film credits include ER, It’s All Relative, and the award-winning film, No Turning Back.
Brían Pagaq Wescott (Athabascan, Yup’ik)
Brían Pagaq Wescott (Athabascan, Yup’ik) just made his third outing as Tim in They Don’t Talk Back (at Perseverance Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, and Native Voices) and has played Sidney in The Winter Bear Project annually since 2010 (most recently for Perseverance). Films include Four Quarters, It’s Dark Here, and The Pipeline. He grew up in Alaska without running water, attended Harvard and Yale, and now studies with Laura Gardner at the Howard Fine Acting Studio. SAG-AFTRA, Equity, and WGA.
Román Zaragoza (Pima)
Román Zaragoza (Pima) can currently be seen as Miles on Austin & Ally, the hit Disney Channel show. Other TV credits include Nickelodeon’s Everyday Kid, the Conan O’Brien Show, Sesame Street, and numerous national commercials. He has worked with such notable directors as Ron Howard and Fred Savage, and has theatrical credits in both New York City and Los Angeles.
