Roger Calderon has produced, written and directed high-profile events and galas for New York’s theatrical industry and LGBTQ+ non-profit world. He has co-produced benefits honoring Broadway luminaries such as Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone, as well as written remarks for Tony Award winners and nominees such as Billy Porter, Cynthia Nixon, Harvey Fierstein, Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Williams and Kathleen Turner. 

As a screenwriter, Roger’s most recent short film scripts, Laredo, TX (2020) and Collared (2021) advanced to the semi-finals round of the NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge. His short film script, Public Domain Day (2021) received an Honorable Mention in the NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge. 

Roger conceived, produced and directed the documentary, Trinity Pride: A Community Rebounds in 2021. The documentary brought together 13 LGBTQ+ community members from Fort Worth and recounted their stories of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

He is a co-host of Queer ConTXt, a podcast that illuminates the queer experience in Texas while providing a safe space to explore identity, context and queer expression. 

He is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in Theater Arts Performance and Arts Management.

Emily Scott Banks is a member of Actors Equity who has been in or led over 90 professional shows since returning to the Dallas/Fort Worth stages 20 years ago. Most recently she played Camille in Into the Breeches at Stage West and directed the first shows back at three different theaters when reopening’s first began in 2021. Pre-pandemic Emily reprised the one-actor Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at Stage West to a sold-out run; appeared as Agatha in The Moors at Theatre Three, Angel in Angels in America – Perestroika at Uptown Players, directed Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss at Circle Theatre in Fort Worth, and played Madame Ranevsky in The Cherry Orchard for The Classics Theatre Project. Her many area directorial credits include the critically acclaimed The Big Meal; The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for WaterTower Theatre. For Stage West the award-winning Stupid F*cking Bird, Life Sucks., An Iliad and The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence; and Egress for Amphibian Stage. Emily has won awards for her work in both disciplines, including multiple DFW Critics’ Forum Awards, and Best Actress of the Year nods from Dallas Observer, D Magazine, and TheaterJones.

Taliyah Salih is excited to be working with Amphibian Theater for the first time. Most recently she stage managed Moon Man Walk (Jubilee Theater), Wonder of the World and Chamber Music (Texas Wesleyan University). She is currently perusing a BFA in Design and Technology, with an emphasis in stage management.

Jeff Stanfield is a graduate of Texas Christian University. After spending eight and a half seasons with Dallas Children’s Theater, he is pleased to have returned to Fort Worth with Amphibian Stage. You may have seen him on stage under the open Texas sky at the Hip Pocket Theatre in such productions as Love Letters to a Raven, Loop the Loop, In Watermelon Sugar, The Lake Worth Monster and Don Quixote.

Ally Varitek is a dramaturg and occasional actor who recently graduated from Baylor University Theatre. She loves the intersections of the arts and is especially passionate about the literary side of theatre. She’s an interdisciplinary aficionado who finds herself enamored with approaching relationships from a place of abundance instead of competition and above all loves learning about the human experience through theatre. Find her at allyvaritek.com!

Joseph Tully is a recent graduate from Baylor University, where he studied Theatre Performance. His most recent credits upon the Baylor Stage include Antipholus of Ephesus in Ten Comedy of Errors, Juror #10 in Ten Angry Jurors, and Jim Fingal in The Lifespan of a Fact. Joseph is absolutely thrilled to make his first appearance on the Amphibian stage and would like to thank all those involved with the creation of this performance.

Efren Paredes is excited to work with Amphibian Stage in this year’s SparkFest festival! Efren is a recent graduate of UTA, where he performed the role of Misha in Lydia and Max in Cabaret. He also was a composer, director and playwright for the Teaching Arts Lab Theatre (TATL) company. He would like to thank his family and friends, for their words of inspiration and confidence.

Renee Micha’el Jones began her acting debut at age six and minored in Theater while majoring in Fashion Design at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Bachelor’s in Human Ecology and a master’s in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology from Northcentral University. She teaches Theater in the Lancaster Independent School District. Renee has performed on stage nationally. Television and film credits include such shows as Walker Texas Ranger, Carter High, and Lil Voices, currently on Netflix. Renee is a cultural artist who loves to embed the African diaspora in her textile works and teachings.

Ally Varitek is a dramaturg and occasional actor who recently graduated from Baylor University Theatre. She loves the intersections of the arts and is especially passionate about the literary side of theatre. She’s an interdisciplinary aficionado who finds herself enamored with approaching relationships from a place of abundance instead of competition and above all loves learning about the human experience through theatre. Find her at allyvaritek.com!