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Backstage look at books starring on Broadway.
John Proctor is the Villain
Tony Award® Nominee for Best Play
Kimberly Belflower (Playwright)
Gabriel Ebert (Carter Smith) Tony Award® Nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Play
Fina Strazza (Beth Powell) Tony Award® Nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Play
Hosted by Ilana Levine, actress and podcaster, Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine
Kimberly Belflower is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. This is her Broadway debut, and she’s probably crying about it right now. Plays include JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN (2024 Huntington Theatre, 2022 Studio Theatre, 2019 Kilroys List, published by Broadway Licensing, Farm Theatre College Collaboration Project); LOST GIRL (2018 Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Kennedy Center Darrell Ayers National Playwriting Award, published by Concord Theatricals); and SAINT PIGTAIL (commissioned and developed by Studio Theatre, 2023 O’Neill Finalist). Kimberly has worked with South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Alliance Theatre, Ojai Playwrights Conference, among others. She was also a narrative lead at Meow Wolf, where she wrote a short film with original music by Beach House. Kimberly proudly holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches playwriting at Emory University in Atlanta. This show is for Gail.
Gabriel Ebert has been seen on Broadway in Matilda The Musical (Tony Winner, Featured Actor), Pass Over, Casa Valentina, Brief Encounter, Time And The Conways, Therese Raquin, and Red. His Off-Broadway credits include 4000 Miles (OBIE Winner), Preludes, Gently Down The Stream, Sally & Tom, Peer Gynt, and Prometheus Bound. His film and TV credits include News Of The World, “Dickinson,” I Am A Seagull, “Mr. Mercedes,” Ricki And The Flash, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, and the upcoming Dope Thief. As a singer, he’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall and with the New York Philharmonic.
Fina Strazza has been seen on Broadway as Matilda in Matilda The Musical. Her Off-Broadway credits include Animal, A Loss of Roses, and Member of the Wedding. Her TV credits include “Paper Girls” (series lead), “Law and Order: SVU” (recurring), “Madam Secretary,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “Last Week Tonight.” A student at NYU’s Tisch, her eight films include Above the Shadows, A Christmas Melody (recording “Oh, Santa!” with director Mariah Carey), and Netflix’s upcoming “Fear Street: Prom Queen.”
As an actress, Ilana Levine has performed on stage and screen to critical acclaim. On Broadway, Ilana is best known to musical theater fans for her comedic turn as "Lucy Van Pelt" in the Broadway revival of, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Ilana also starred in the Broadway productions of Jake's Women, Wrong Mountain and The Last Night Of Ballyhoo. She has performed on the Tony Awards. Her ability to portray characters with raw honesty, humor, and pathos, has sustained her career as an actress for over 25 years. She first appeared on the scene in the HBO series Tanner ’88 directed by Robert Altman and quickly was plucked by Vanity Fair journalist James Wolcott as an “up and comer to watch.” Seinfeld fans recognize her from the infamous episode "The Contest." She has appeared in many television shows and films including Divorce, Law and Order, Tanner on Tanner, Damages, The Job, Cashmere Mafia, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Kissing Jessica Stein, Gigantic, Ira and Abby, Failure to Launch, The Nanny Diaries, Friends With Kids and Five Flights Up. As a voice over artist she has done commercials and audio books. For the past three years Ilana has been cited as a “Twitter Influencer To Follow”. She resides in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, actor Dominic Fumusa, her two children, and their dog, Lola.