Who’s Who: Grand Concourse Cast

ALLY DAWSON (Emma) is pleased to make her SpeakEasy debut. Previous credits include Baltimore (New Repertory Theatre), That Time the House Burned Down (Fresh Ink Theatre), Luna Gale (Stoneham Theatre), and The Chronicles of Kalki (Company One Theatre.) Ally received her BFA in Acting from Boston University and is a member of StageSource.

THOMAS DERRAH* (Frog) returns to SpeakEasy Stage, having previously appeared in Casa Valentina, Necessary Monsters, Clybourne Park, Red, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Fuddy Meers. He is a founding member of the ART and has performed in 120 productions there. Mr. Derrah has also performed on Broadway in Jackie: An American Life (23 roles) and Off-Broadway in Big Time,Johan Padan, and Oliver Twist. He has performed regionally in theatres in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Houston, and has toured extensively to theatres and festivals in Europe and Asia. He also performed the title role in Julius Caesar on several tours throughout France for the Centre Dramatique National d’Orléans. Mr. Derrah has also appeared locally at the Huntington, New Rep, Commonwealth Shakespeare, Stoneham Theatre, and ASP. He has several IRNE and Norton Awards for acting, including the Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. He was also awarded the 2010 Brustein Award and a Los Angeles DramaLogue Award. Mr. Derrah appeared in Julie Taymor’s filmFool’s Fireas well as programs on CBS, A&E, and PBS. Other film credits include Mystic Riverand Pink Panther II. Mr. Derrah teaches acting at Harvard and MIT, and is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama

MELINDA LOPEZ* (Shelley) has appeared at SpeakEasy in Appropriate, The Motherf***er With the Hat (IRNE Award Best Supporting Actress), Anna in the Tropics, Theatre District, and The Dying Gaul, and directed SpeakEasy’s production of American Daughter. She has appeared at the Huntington in Our Town, Persephone, The Rose Tattoo, and A Month in the Country. Melinda has worked at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in A Girl’s War and Oil Thief. She is also the author of numerous plays including  Mala (Arts Emerson), Gary and Back the Night (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), Sonia Flew (IRNE and Elliott Norton Award, Best New Play) and Becoming Cuba (Huntington Theatre Company), Orchids to Octopi (Central Square Theatre), and many others.

ALEJANDRO SIMOES (Oscar) returns to SpeakEasy having previously appeared in The Motherf**ker with the Hat (IRNE Best Supporting Actor). Recent credits include Marjorie Prime (Central Square Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher, Light up the Sky, and One Man Two Guvnors (Lyric Stage Co.), Our Country’s Good, Recent Tragic Events, and Aunt Dan and Lemon (Whistler in the Dark), as well as productions with Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., Shakespeare & Co., A.R.T., Stoneham Theatre, Actor’s Shakespeare Project, and more. He trained at Shakespeare & Company and Northeastern University.