MISSION STATEMENT: Powerstories is a nonprofit professional theatre whose mission is to stage true stories of women and girls to open minds and hearts
and inspire action worldwide.
6th Annual Voices of Women Theatre FestivalFull-Length Play SelectionsShort Plays and StoriesSeek and Speak Your Powerstory Mini WorkshopFestival PressFestival USF Marketing Team
Showcasing the Works of Women Playwrights on March 5-8, 2026
Powerstories’ Voices of Women Festival encourages submissions from women-identifying playwrights, playwrights of color, and other underrepresented groups. We are committed to promoting intersectional equity and enabling various submissions related to the theater of historically marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.
The 2026 Voices of Women Theatre Festival will present four unforgettable nights of storytelling on stage. Audiences will experience three evenings of full‑length staged readings in two categories, General and Women Playwrights Over 40, spotlighting powerful new works by women playwrights. A dedicated night of bold and surprising ten‑minute plays will round out the performance lineup.
The festival will also feature performances by Seek and Speak Your Powerstory 2025 participants, a mini Seek and Speak Your Powerstory, and workshops designed to inspire both new and veteran playwrights as they develop their craft and share their voices.
Sponsors
Full-Length Selections
THURSDAY, MARCH 5 – 7 PM – Sam Hernandez: “How To Rob the Art Institute of Chicago” (General Category), Texas
FRIDAY, MARCH 6 – 7 PM – Kira Rockwell: “The Tragic Ecstasy of Girlhood” (General Category), Georgia SOLD OUT!
SUNDAY, MARCH 8 – 3 PM – Shelli Pentimall Bookler: “All My Mothers” (Women Playwrights Over 40 Category), Pennsylvania BUY $20 TICKETS
Short Play Selections
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 – 7 PM – Local selections – SOLD OUT!
- “Love, Lost (Rings), and What We Wore” By Jessica Burchfield
- “Black Barbie” By Ashley Burgess Laster
- “What about Ruth?” By Charlene Dorsey
- “Zeus Gets Cancelled” By Alaina Rahaim
- Seek and Speak Your Powerstory presentations
March 5-8, 2026
Hillsborough College Theatre, 1411 E. 11th Ave., Tampa 33605
Full-Length Staged Reading Play Selections
Thursday, March 5
7 PM
Sam Hernandez
TEXAS
How to Rob the Art Institute of Chicago
GENERAL CATEGORY
On a cold Chicago night, four friends debate a serious question: Is stealing Indigenous art of Latin America a radical act of decolonization or a stupid way to get arrested? In How to Rob the Art Institute of Chicago, a comedy about friendship, identity, and colonialism, four college seniors plan the most important heist of their lives.
Sam Hernandez is a costume designer, artist, and playwright who recently graduated from Northwestern University with a major in Theatre and a minor in Art, Theory, and Practice. She was a finalist for the Agnes Nixon Playwriting Award at Northwestern University in 2024 and won the award in 2025.
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Melanie Martinez (Emiliana) – is a fourth-year student at the University of South Florida pursuing a concurrent degree in Musical Theatre and Marketing. Melanie comes from a Cuban American background with a deep passion for the arts whether that is singing, acting, drawing, or crocheting. She has had the privilege to portray Beth in Gin Mummy (USF), Kate in Enemy/Flint (USF), Maria in 9 to 5 (USF), the Announcer in As You Like It (USF), and Wednesday in The Addams Family (Alonso High School). You can find her playing Emiliana in the staged reading of How to Rob The Art Institute of Chicago and Silena Beauregard in The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical at USF!
Matthew Gasperino (Elijah) – is an actor from Annapolis Maryland, recently graduated from USF he is extremely excited to be part of this wonderful production.
Jessica Baca Aguilar (Vicky) – is second year musical theater and pre-dental student at the University of South Florida. She most recently played Nurse in Machinal for USF. She is grateful and excited to be reading for Vicky.
Dylan Lauricello (Luis) – is in his first-year second semester at HC. a Tampa Bay native, he has appeared in numerous productions in the local community such as Guys & Dolls (Harry the Horse) with mad Theatre of Tampa, HC’s production of 35MM: A Musical Exhibition (male role swing) he is also appearing in the voices of women Festival’s staged reading of Black Barbie. He is very excited to be apart of new works.
Alec Ortiz Calderòn (Jose) – is twenty, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, raised and educated in Connecticut, he has appeared in several musicals and recently HC‘s production of Enter the Body as Romeo. This is his final semester before receiving his AA. Lastly, he is very thankful to be in this cast and knows this play will be on massive stages.
Ariana Perera (Stage Directions) – is an actor, stage manager, and theater youth educator from Tampa. After graduating with BFAs in Musical Theater and Technical Theater from Florida Southern College, she has worked in Stage Management for various shows at American Stage and Patel Conservatory. She is also currently a theater enrichment teacher with Shining Stars and Assistant Director for Aristocats Kids and Moana Jr at Center Stage Youth Theater. Previously, she has performed as Vanessa in In the Heights at, featured ensemble/Lord Clapham Understudy in Something Rotten, and Hymen in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. She is so excited to return to her love of performing with this staged reading at the Voices of Women Theater Festival.
Alexa Pérez (Director) –a director and actor local to St. Petersburg, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from the University of Tampa. Alexa is a graduate of the Emerging Arts Leader Fellowship at American Stage and is currently both an Artist in Residence and the Associate Artistic Producer at The Studio@620. Past directorial credits include Ada and The Engine (Powerstories Theatre), Enemy | Flint (USF), Parallel Lives (The Studio@620), LIFE CORP (The Sarasota Players), Decolonizing Your Mind with Walter Mercado (American Stage). Assistant director credits include Cadillac Crew (The Studio@620), In the Blood (USF), La Gringa, Disgraced, and Ragtime (American Stage).
Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Friday,
March 6
7 PM
Kira
Rockwell
GEORGIA
The Tragic Ecstasy of Girlhood
GENERAL CATEGORY
After the sudden death of a housemate, four teenage girls living in a group home try to combat their grief. A poetic, heartfelt drama that explores the chrysalis of female adolescence and demands our attention be on the youth of America who are living in the shadows of a broken system.
Kira Rockwell (she/her) is a playwright and Atlanta-based educator, originally from the heart of Texas. Rockwell is a Fellow with the Mass Cultural Council, a recipient of the Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award, Gene Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, Second Place recipient of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, Three-time Finalist for the O’Neill, Runner-Up for the Princess Grace, and more.
Her plays include Oh To Be Pure Again (world premiere: Actor’s Express); Wicked Bitter Beast(s) (development: Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Holy Chicken Sandwich (workshop premiere: Boston New Works Festival); The Tragic Ecstacy of Girlhood (workshop premiere: Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); Nomad Americana (world premiere: Fresh Ink Theatre); With My Eyes Shut (Now available here through Original Works Publishing).
Rockwell’s work has also been developed with The Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, Great Plains Theatre Commons, and Last Frontier Theatre Conference, among others. Commissions with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actor’s Express, and Moonbox Productions. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Baylor University and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University.
Before graduate school, Rockwell worked at the intersection of mental health, youth advocacy, and arts education. Through a trauma-informed, healing-centered lens, she aims to nurture communal spaces that disrupt passivity and empower agency.
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Payton Bradley (Charlie) – is a high school junior with a strong passion for performing and a background in musical theatre. Over the years, she’s had the opportunity to grow as a performer through various stage performances, including Frozen the Musical, Matilda the Musical, and The Addams Family the Musical, building confidence and flexibility. She also has over 10 years of dance experience, which has helped strengthen her performance skills on stage. Being part of this production means so much to her, and she’s truly excited for this performance. She’s grateful for the chance to do what she loves and can’t wait to share it with the audience.
Azalea Jordan (Izzy) – is a student in the PCCA program at Gibbs high school! This is her first play despite being in musicals such as Aladdin as Babkak, Frozen as dancer ensemble, and stepmother in Cinderella. She is so thankful for this wonderful opportunity and the ability to share this story with you.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Diamond (Adriana) – Be swag when everyone else is afraid to be.
Zuri Warren (Mercy) – (15) is a Musical Theatre major at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. She has trained with American Stage Theatre since 2019 through its spring, fall, and summer programs. Favorite roles include Ti Moune in Once on This Island and multiple roles in The Descendants. Zuri has also worked on the tech crew for Big Fish. She is excited to be performing in ACT/YCA’s production of Aladdin: The Remix.
Ryleigh Amoriello (Amber) – is a 15 year old at Boca Ciega High School and she has been in the performing arts since she was 3. She aspires to be a dentist, but loves acting singing and dancing in her free time!
Amiyah Baker (Stage Directions) – Playwright, actress, and stage manger by age 17.
Ivy Sunflower (Director) – is an AEA Award Winning Actress, Director, and Teaching Artist based in Tampa Bay. Her work centers community, creative spaces rooted in care and courage, and empowering young and emerging artists. She has directed projects across the region, including new works, staged readings, and youth theatre. Ivy is honored to direct The Tragic Ecstasy of Girlhood for the Voices of Women Festival and to help bring this powerful story to life, celebrating the strength, complexity, and creative force of women whose voices continue to shape our stages and our communities.- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Sunday, March 8
3 PM
Shelli Pentimall Bookler
PENNSYLVANIA
All My Mothers
WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS OVER 40 CATEGORY
Sophie works at a non-commercial aquarium dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured and abandoned sea mammals. However, beneath this outward focus lies a profound personal journey. As Sophie searches for her birth father for a sense of connection, she navigates complex relationships with her birth mother, an emotionally distant former competitive swimmer; her adoptive mother, who faces the potential loss of her cherished neighborhood restaurant, and her restless mother-in-law. Ultimately, Sophie’s quest to heal her sense of abandonment leads her to discover renewed strength within the community surrounding her.
Shelli Pentimall Bookler holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Temple University and an M.A. in Theatre Arts from Eastern Michigan University. Productions of her full-length plays include the musical Snyder v Phelps, Addicted, All the Dead Biddles, and Bird in the Window. Short plays featured in play festivals include Committed (Montgomery Theatre, the Brick Playhouse), Decision (Village Players of Hatboro), Jugs (Colonial Playhouse), Global (Heartlande Theatre Company), and Vanity, featured in Seeds of Spring, A Night of Feminist Performance Art. She was the New American Voices Playwriting Series finalist, Midwest Dramatist Center’s Playwriting Conference finalist, American Association of Community Theatre semi-finalist, Dayton Playhouse PlayFest finalist, and winner of audience favorite, and completed a residency with Out of the Box Theatrics in New York City. She is a member of The Dramatist Guild, Philadelphia Dramatist Center, and the Witherspoon Circle, as well as an actor, director, dramaturg, and choreographer in Philadelphia.
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Alli Bica (Sophie) – is a Tampa actor and sound engineer from Michigan. She has been heavily involved with Stageworks and Powerstories. Notable credits with Stageworks include Evil Dead: The Musical, Our Town, and Falsettos. Previous work with Powerstories includes Girls in the Boat, In McClintock’s Corn, and Steel Magnolias. She is excited to be a part of this festival and present such a lovely piece of work, bringing Sophie to life. And as always, thank you to Javy for being the rock through it all.
Suzy Devore (Adele) – is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Hillsborough College. She holds an MFA from The Actors Studio Drama School, NYC. She is very proud to be a part of Voices of Women. Thank you to Powerstories for giving women these voices.
Janice Nepon-Sixt (Doris) – has degrees in theatre from two universities and one in leadership from a third. Janice has acted, directed, musical-directed and sung in shows since she was eight years old. In addition, she was a teacher and principal for decades. She was Director of Girl’s Programs for Powerstories Theatre for 12 years and has been on its’ Artistic Direction Committee ever since. Janice’s partner in all things is her husband, Jerry. They have two sons, and one grandson. Janice also enjoys qigong, Jazzercise, ballroom dance, and reading.
Trish Parry (Ellen) – (MFA University of Idaho, MA East 15 Acting School) is thrilled to be a part of this staged reading! Trish was last seen on stage as a part of The Roast Hosts at Whinge! Fest 2026, and the last play she performed in was Vino Veritas at Studio Grand Central. When she’s not performing, Trish can be found producing Tampa Fringe and teaching at Hillsborough College & Pasco-Hernando State College.
Kal Cadet (Stage Directions) – A sophomore at HC, prior acting and tech credits include: Matilda, Mean Girls, Heathers, and Enter the Body. They have a passion for acting, singing, voice work, and writing.
Ami Sallee (Director) – is a freelance theatre artist and interdisciplinary theatremaker with an MFA in Acting from The University of Georgia and a BA in Performance from the University of South Florida. Sallee has been making theatre for Tampa Bay area stages for over 25 years, on and off the stage. She’s currently on the faculty team for Hillsborough College where she trains our future artsts in this very room. She’s grateful to be a part of a professional community like Powerstories that gives voice to new work. Many thanks to Shelli for trusting us with your beautiful story.- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Short Plays and Stories
SOLD OUT
Staged Readings – March 7 – 7 PM
Charlene Dorsey
TAMPA
What about Ruth?
What About Ruth? is a 10-minute monologue play told fully from the biblical character Ruth’s point of view — reclaiming the story that history, scripture, and tradition have always told about her, but never from her. Through poetic language, soulful vocal riffs, and internal testimony, Ruth questions loyalty, obligation, womanhood, and self-worth. This play challenges the romanticized “Boaz narrative” and instead centers the truth inside the woman who was expected to serve everyone’s lineage but never got to speak her own. This time — Ruth speaks.
Charlene Dorsey is a multifaceted creator, educator, and entrepreneur whose work bridges faith, identity, memory, and womanhood. As founder of One Woman, Many Passions™, Charlene explores narrative through multiple creative branches — from travel writing to spiritual education to brand storytelling — with a consistent focus on integrity, transformation, and the reclamation of voice. A native of Tampa, Florida, she has spent more than two decades empowering women and young adults through teaching, arts mentorship, and narrative expression.
Her work centers the inner lives of women who have been historically spoken for — specifically giving language to the silence, survival, humor, and spiritual knowing that often sits underneath tradition. What About Ruth? is Charlene’s first staged theatrical offering under her Rooted Media branch — disrupting biblical assumptions by asking the most human question of all: “What was HER truth?”
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Natasha McKenzie (Ruth) – is a local artist from Queens NYC, who has performed in several community theater productions and is thrilled to be returning to the stage here in the Tampa Bay Area. NaTasha was most recently seen in The Studio@620 adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf where she played The Lady in Red. Other roles: The Princess Who Kissed the Frog in Disenchanted! with mad Theatre and as Effie White in New Tampa Players’s production of Dreamgirls. NaTasha feels everyone has a gift as well as a purpose and she is blessed to be able to use hers to give back through performing. Outside of performing, she is a mentor and tutor to teens in her community. She lives to uplift people’s souls so that they enjoy themselves, CELEBRATE LIFE & LIVING. NaTasha is thankful for family and friends and all their love, support and unceasing prayers.
Vette Berrian (Sister Vett/Church Lady) – Army veteran and retired Air Force spouse. She is an accomplished and award winning actress. Her play, Please Don’t Touch My Hair premiered at the VOM festival last year. Thank you Charlene and Indi for taking me along on this great journey of self realization and truth that is explained in What About Ruth.
Indy Rivers (Co-Director/Creative Advisor) – makes their theatrical directoral debut with Black Barbie and What About Ruth? as part of Powerstories’ VOW festival. They are a storyteller who writes, directs, and produces for film and stage, and are passionate about stories that highlight social injustices and mental health issues. Their most recent short film, The Lover’s Reprise, can be seen locally on March 14 at the Tigertail Asian Film Festival.- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Jessica Burchfield
CLEARWATER
Love, Lost (Rings), and What We Wore
What happens when the wedding rings are lost, someone gets stuck in a closet, and the bride has no idea what’s going on? Chaos! This short play dives into the farcical aspects of wedding day excitement and highlights the chaotic nature of family, love, and aging gracefully.
Jessica Burchfield is the Director of the Performing Arts program at St. Petersburg Catholic High School and a local director at area community and professional theatres. Her works highlight the heartwarming moments that make up her crazy life story through farce, comedy, and drama. She wouldn’t be who she is without her lifetime boyfriend, hubby Rob, and is grateful to you, the audience, for supporting local playwrights. Always remember to love one another!
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Isabelle Sparks (Tara) – is a Florida born and raised actress! She recently moved back from Louisiana, where she received her B.A. in musical theatre from Loyola University New Orleans in 2023! Recent credits include, The Farce Day of Christmas (Karen u/s), Romeo, Romeo (Ava), Comedy of Errors (Amelia), Melancholy Play (Frances u/s), and Everyone and Everything (Ensemble). She is so thrilled to be back on the stage in her hometown, and now work with the people who inspired her to pursue theatre!
Alaina Rahaim (Jenna) – is so honored to participate in the Voices of Women Festival as both a playwright and actor! In her comedy, Zeus Gets Cancelled, Alaina portrays the incomparable King of the Gods himself, Zeus. She is very grateful to Chris Collier for going on this Odyssey with her. Alaina is also thrilled to perform as Jenna in Love, Lost (Rings), and What We Wore, written and directed by her friend, Jessica Burchfield. She had the privilege of portraying this role previously in August 2025 at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Other recent credits include Cindy Lou Who in Who’s Holiday at The Off-Central Players and the title-character in Sylvia at Early Bird Dinner Theatre, directed by Powerstories’ one and only, Clareann Despain! Alaina hopes you enjoy the performances and thanks you for supporting women’s voices!
Michael Kenneth Fahr (Jeff) – has previously been seen on stage in Oscar & Felix (Roy), On The Farce Day Of Christmas (Chip), Casserole (Nick), The Underpants (The King) and Romeo, Romeo (Nyles Sinclair). The Connecticut native is exited to return (and work with this cast ) for Love, Lost (Rings) and What We Wore as Jeff. I’m very grateful to Writer/Director Jessica Burchfield for this awesome opportunity!
Elizabeth Bell (Mom) – is so pleased to be a part of this production with such a talented writer/director and cast. She has enjoyed many years of performing on both community and professional stages throughout the area. Enjoy the show!- Jessica Burchfield (Playwright/Director/Stage Directions)
- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Ashley Burgess Laster
TAMPA
Black Barbie
During a Monday morning staff meeting in a sleek Tampa office, Janelle, the only Black woman on her team, learns that everyone but her was invited to the CEO’s weekend boat party. As small talk turns sharp, she faces microaggressions masked as humor and inclusion. What begins as an ordinary meeting spirals into a moment of truth when Janelle confronts the hypocrisy of corporate culture and claims her identity with the words, “I am not a Black Barbie.” Black Barbie is a ten-minute drama about power, perception, and the courage to stop performing and start being seen.
Ashley Burgess Laster is a Tampa-based playwright, community leader, and Medicare sales professional whose work explores identity, inclusion, and resilience. Drawing from her real-world experiences as a Black woman in corporate America and her passion for storytelling, Ashley writes with humor and heart about belonging, courage, and the power of speaking truth. Black Barbie is her first stage play.
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Michaela Gibson (Janelle) – (also goes by Kayla) is stoked to play Janelle in this 10 minute play Black Barbie. Kayla has loved theatre since middle school, in high school she played Annelle in Steel Magnolias, and she will also be playing Rebecca in Our Town in April. In addition to her love of theatre, she also aspires to be a film actress. She was a “Fly Girl” in Basketball Jones featured on Tubi and Amazon Prime. When not acting she loves to spend time with her friends and family and incorporate her faith into everything she does.
Noah Krush (Rick) – I’ve been at HC since end of 2023. Since then, I have been in every show here. I love acting and Black Barbie has given me a chance to be in a show that has such an important story to tell and also a chance to work with some amazing performers and people. I thank Ashley and Indi for the chance to do it!
Julia Rose (Karen) – is an aspiring actress with a love for musical theater and film. She is currently studying theater at Hillsborough Community College and wants to move to LA and continue working as an actress. Her previous theater experience includes performing as Inga in Young Frankenstein (CWP), Young Republicanette in Heathers: The Musical (HCC), and Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun (Stage West). Julia thanks her parents, her brother, and her partner Ethan for their continued support!- Dylan Lauricello (Ben) – is a first-year in his second semester at HC. a Tampa Bay native, he has appeared in numerous local productions, including Guys & Dolls (Harry the Horse) with mad Theatre of Tampa, and HC’s production of 35MM: A Musical Exhibition (male role swing) and is also appearing in the voices of women festival’s staged reading of How to Rob the Art Institute of Chicago. He is very excited to be a part of new work in the Tampa Community.
- Indy Rivers (Director) – makes their theatrical directoral debut with Black Barbie and What About Ruth? as part of Powerstories’ VOW festival. They are a storyteller who writes, directs, and produces for film and stage, and are passionate about stories that highlight social injustices and mental health issues. Their most recent short film, The Lover’s Reprise, can be seen locally on March 14 at the Tigertail Asian Film Festival.
Blake Ballard (Stage Manager/Music Coordinator) – is excited to support Black Barbie as Stage Manager. Blake assisted the production by helping coordinate music and supporting the team during rehearsals. He enjoys learning about the behind-the-scenes work that brings a theater production together and is proud to be part of the Voices of Women Theatre Festival.- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Alaina Rahaim
TAMPA
Zeus Gets Cancelled
In this ten-minute, two-person comedy, Zeus hosts “ZEUS: On the Loose,” a late-night talk show for the gods, demigods, and mortals. Defying the wishes of his studio executives, Zeus goes off script to clear the air about some recent, and not-so-recent, allegations. Through charades, puns, Dr. Seuss rhyme, and spoken word poetry, Zeus shares his apologia, rather than his apology.
Alaina Rahaim is a native Floridian playwright and actor who grew up in the West Palm Beach area, yet remains a kid at heart living in Tampa. A number (and that number is precisely three) of her plays have been produced locally through staged readings at The Beach Theatre and the Carrollwood Cultural Center, as well as the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Making people laugh has been a lifelong love for Alaina. She began acting at the age of five and wrote her first play at twelve. She would rather not keep doing the math on how long ago that was. Alaina majored in Theatre at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, earned degrees in Communication and Literature from the University of Central Florida, and obtained her Master of Science and Educational Specialist degrees from Florida State University. Because while laughter may be the best medicine, comedy tragically does not cover dental. Alaina is excited to share her love of comedy with others!
PLAYBILL CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
- Alaina Rahaim (Director & Zeus) – is so honored to participate in the Voices of Women Festival as both a playwright and actor! In her comedy, Zeus Gets Cancelled, Alaina portrays the incomparable King of the Gods himself, Zeus. She is very grateful to Chris Collier for going on this Odyssey with her. Alaina is also thrilled to perform as Jenna in Love, Lost (Rings), and What We Wore, written and directed by her friend, Jessica Burchfield. She had the privilege of portraying this role previously in August 2025 at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Other recent credits include Cindy Lou Who in Who’s Holiday at The Off-Central Players and the title-character in Sylvia at Early Bird Dinner Theatre, directed by Powerstories’ one and only, Clareann Despain! Alaina hopes you enjoy the performances and thanks you for supporting women’s voices!
Christopher Collier (Producer) – has been looking forward to doing Zeus Gets Cancelled since reading Alaina’s first draft. He is grateful to work with such a talented individual. Chris says Zeus Gets Cancelled is a funny piece and he hopes the audience enjoys watching it as much as he did working on it.- Brianna “Bree” Brand (Production Stage Manager) – is a New College Alumni with a Bachelor of Arts. In the past, she has stage managed multiple shows for Powerstories including (but not limited to): Alabama Story, Irena’s Vow, and Witch Hunt. She looks forward to working with everyone!
- Jenny Kokai (Festival Dramaturg) – is an award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate, and our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others.
- Harley Jones (Assistant Festival Dramaturg) – is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance. They began working with Powerstories as an Apprentice Dramaturg for the 2025 Voices of Women Theatre Festival. This year, they serve as the Assistant Festival Dramaturg. They would like to thank this year’s playwrights for allowing them to have a hand in telling their stories.
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory
Chloe Corwin
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory is a guided storytelling experience where women explore pivotal moments in their lives, uncover the meaning behind them, and learn to shape those experiences into clear, confident, spoken narratives. Throughout the process, participants reflect, write, and rehearse in a supportive environment that helps them find the heart of the story they’ve carried. At the 2026 Voices of Women Theatre Festival, these women step onto the stage to share the Powerstories they’ve crafted, offering an evening filled with honesty, vulnerability, and connection. Each story is true, each voice is distinct, and together they create a powerful reminder of what happens when women claim their stories out loud.
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory
Stephanie Kiser
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory is a guided storytelling experience where women explore pivotal moments in their lives, uncover the meaning behind them, and learn to shape those experiences into clear, confident, spoken narratives. Throughout the process, participants reflect, write, and rehearse in a supportive environment that helps them find the heart of the story they’ve carried. At the 2026 Voices of Women Theatre Festival, these women step onto the stage to share the Powerstories they’ve crafted, offering an evening filled with honesty, vulnerability, and connection. Each story is true, each voice is distinct, and together they create a powerful reminder of what happens when women claim their stories out loud.
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory
Richedean Hills-Ackbar
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory is a guided storytelling experience where women explore pivotal moments in their lives, uncover the meaning behind them, and learn to shape those experiences into clear, confident, spoken narratives. Throughout the process, participants reflect, write, and rehearse in a supportive environment that helps them find the heart of the story they’ve carried. At the 2026 Voices of Women Theatre Festival, these women step onto the stage to share the Powerstories they’ve crafted, offering an evening filled with honesty, vulnerability, and connection. Each story is true, each voice is distinct, and together they create a powerful reminder of what happens when women claim their stories out loud.
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory
Niki Kissell
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory is a guided storytelling experience where women explore pivotal moments in their lives, uncover the meaning behind them, and learn to shape those experiences into clear, confident, spoken narratives. Throughout the process, participants reflect, write, and rehearse in a supportive environment that helps them find the heart of the story they’ve carried. At the 2026 Voices of Women Theatre Festival, these women step onto the stage to share the Powerstories they’ve crafted, offering an evening filled with honesty, vulnerability, and connection. Each story is true, each voice is distinct, and together they create a powerful reminder of what happens when women claim their stories out loud.
Seek and Speak Your Powerstory
Mini Workshop
By Invitation Only
Saturday, March 7 | 10 AM–1 PM at Hillsborough College Theatre
Taught by Janice Creneti, Workshop Facilitator
You’ve had the transformative experience of seeking and speaking your powerstory. By leaning into the skills of great storytelling and the magic of live performance, you can make your story even more transformative and powerful. Join us in our Bringing Your Stories to Life workshop as part of the Voices of Women Theatre Festival. In this 3-hour session, we will explore storytelling and performance techniques such as dialogue, pauses, and characterization, which not only bring your audience even deeper into your story but also make telling the story more fun! You will have opportunities to practice these techniques and receive coaching on incorporating them. Ready to take your story to the next level and make an even greater impact with it?
Festival Press
- Tampa Arts Passport: https://www.tbartspassport.com/when-womens-stories-are-optional-powerstories-makes-them-the-point/
- Artisan Magazine: https://theartisanmagazine.com/her-stories-center-stage/
- Tan Talk radio: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17b8AcpCQJ/
- St Pete Catalyst: https://stpetecatalyst.com/weekend-spotlight-british-pop-pioneer-gary-numan/
- Broadway World: https://www.broadwayworld.com/tampa/article/Previews-POWERSTORIES-6TH-ANNUAL-VOICES-OF-WOMEN-THEATRE-FESTIVAL-at-Hillsborough-College-Theatre-20260219
- Patch: https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/6th-annual-voices-women-theatre-festival-returns-march-5-8-hillsborough-college
- North Tampa Buzz: https://www.northtampabuzz.com/p/three-tampa-stages-one-month-and-a-whole-lot-of-herstory-in-motion
Festival USF Marketing Team
Powerstories is thrilled to be the project of and work with six talented students from USF Marketing for the Voices of Women Theatre Festival.
