JOKE SILVA
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater (Performer): Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014-2017; Her Majesty’s Visit, Abuja; Little Drops, South South States Tour; Digging for Gold (dir. Ifeoma Fafunwa); A Past Came Calling; The Fight. Film/TV (Performer): Potato Potahto; Bandits; Diamond in the Sky; Timeless; “Gidi Up,” web series; “Battleground” (Mama Egba), “Project Fame West Africa” 2007-2016; Widow’s Cot (AMAA Award, Best Actor in a Leading Role). Theater (Executive Producer/Producer): Heartbeat The Musical, The Lion and the Jewel, Naming Ceremony, The King Must Dance Naked, 2012 Olympics. Film (Executive Producer/Producer): Potato Potahto (Best Feature Film, Silicon Valley African Film Festival; Special Jury Prize, Chelsea International Film Festival; Best Feature Film, Baltimore
TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016,Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: The Lion and the Jewel, Royal Court Theatre London; Murderous Angels, Dublin Theatre Festival; The National Health; Buddy Caravaggio, Replique, Traverse Theatre; Parcel Post. Film/TV: A Warm December (starring and directed by Sidney Poitier); “Some Mothers Do ‘Ve ‘Em,” “Crown Court,” BBC; “Tinsel”; “Dazzling Mirage”; “The Inheritors”; numerous soap operas. Awards/Honors: Ofcer of the Order of Niger (OON, awarded in 2006 by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo); Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists. Education/Training: City Literary Institute London, the Dance Centre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Taiwo founded Talhouse Private Schools and Taiwo Ajai-Lycett Arts Academy, for the promotion of the arts and the training and nurturing of young Nigerian artists.
UFUOMA MCDERMOTT
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Film/TV: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014-2017; over fifty movies and four TV series, including Okafor’s Law (Ify Omene); The Women (Omoh); Wives on Strike (Mama Amina); Wives on Strike 2, Christmas is Coming (Henri, Director, Writer, Producer); Jungle Jewel (Producer, AMVCA Award nomination); What Just Happened (Producer). Awards: The Nymph Award nomination, 50th Monte Carlo TV Festival (nominated alongside Tina Fey, January Jones, and Jane Krakowski); The Future Award; Terracotta Award; Nigeria Entertainment Award. Education/Training: MA, Public and International Afairs; acting certificate, New York Film Academy Los Angeles; certificate, London Business School; Relativity School Los Angeles; Hollywood Film Institute (student of Dov Simens).
ELVINA IBRU
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014- 2017; Caucasian Chalk Circle, National Youth Music Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, The Lyric Theatre London; The Vagina Monologues, MUSON Centre Lagos, Women’s Centre Abuja; Magic of the Musicals (Miss Hannigan), Ultima Studios Lagos. Film: Letters to a Stranger, Theo’s Dora, Cajole, Alter Ego, Women on Strike. Awards: University of Lagos Faculty of Arts Students Association (FASA) Award for Developing Youth through Entertainment; Beatz Award for On-Air Personality of the Year 2016; Excellence Special Awards, Special Recognition for Excellence in Entertainment. Education/ Training: The London Academy of Performing Arts (LAPA); Webster University, Regents Park, London.
ZARA UDOFIA-EJOH
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014-2017; Morning Yet on Judgement Day (Mary), Freedom Park Lagos; Little Drops, NDDC, Nigeria Regional Tour, Azue; Okonkwo’s Inquest, Oxzygen Koncepts, Terra Kulture Lagos; Kakadu the Musical (Amonia, Theatre Production of the Year Award), Lagos, Davos; Heartbeat The Musical (Arinola), The Garden Theatre Lagos; Things Fall Apart, Collective Artistes, International Tour, Kennedy Center; Sense of Belonging, Royal National Theatre Studios London. Dance: Fear Abides With Me Constantly, Oxzygen Koncepts. Film/TV: “Everything In Between” (Dayna), TIERS Nigeria; “Best Friends,” EbonyLife TV, DSTV; Big Daddy, Amaka Igwe productions; “Battleground,” Africa Magic; 93 Days, Native FilmWorks, Michel Angelo Productions, Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions.
ODENIKE
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014-2017; The Wives (Tobi), Terra Kulture Lagos; Shattered, British Council Lagos Theatre Festival/ Eko Hotel and Suites. Film/TV: What Lies Within (Best of Nollywood Award, Best Actress); Lunch Time Heroes, Pheban Films; “Battleground,” “Head Over Heels,” Africa Magic; “Ojo’s in d’House,” EbonyLife TV; “We're Never Gonna Make It” (Writer), Accelerate TV. Education/ Training: Summer encore program, American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Screenwriting, Hatch Africa & British Council; “The Spirited Actor” (now Top Actor); B.S., Business Administration.
RITA EDWARD
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014- 2017; Still Single in Gidi, Lagos Theatre Festival, Freedom Park Lagos. Film/ TV: 93 Days, Native FilmWorks, Michel Angelo Productions, Bolanle Austen- Peters Productions; Isoken, 85 Pictures; “Tinsel,” Africa Magic; “Inspector K,” web series; Uncloaked, House5 and Iroko Productions. She has been trained by the British Council and participated in the iOpenEye workshop with Ifeoma Fafunwa.
DEBORAH OHIRI
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, United Nations CSW ‘18 General Assembly Hall, A.R.T.: Hear Word! International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014- 2017; Rubiewe, Pawstudios; The Secret Life of Baba Segi’s Wives (Actor/Lead Singer), Iyalode of Eti (Iyalode), AKE Festival in Abeokuta; SARO The Musical, Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions; Waiting for a Lottery, British Council Lagos Theatre Festival, Oxzygen Koncepts; Ajayi Write to Freedom (Music Director/Lead Singer, Quramo Publisher Award); Love & Recession (dir. Ifeoma Fafunwa). Film/ TV: “Project Fame West Africa” (Top 14 Finalist); “Busted” (Ofcer Titus); The Gods Are Still Not to Blame (Soundtrack); Taxi Driver (Oko Asewo, Soundtrack), Filmone/ House 5 Productions; Stormy Heart (Judith Audu Productions). Award: POPA Awards 2017 Golden Voice of Theatre.
OMONOR
A.R.T.: Hear Word! US 2018 LOEB Center, International Tour 2016, Harvard Dance Center, Connecticut State University, Frascati Theater Amsterdam. Theater: Hear Word! Nigerian Tour 2014-2017; Love & Recession (Aderonke), Nigerian Tour; The Fight (Mrs. Cole), Medicaid Cancer Foundation Abuja; Daniel (Queen Hajitha), The Vagina Monologues (Ensemble), MUSON Centre Lagos; V Monologues: The Nigerian Story (Ensemble), Lagos, Abuja; The Lion and the Jewel (Sidi), The Barbican, Theatre Royal Stratford East, UK Tour; Home (Pattie Mae), Nigerian Tour. Film/TV: “Wetin Dey,” “Twilight Zone,” “Against All Odds,” Anna P., Arakunrin Arabinrin Irinkunrin. Award: Best Actor, The Future Awards Nigeria 2007. Education: B.S., Biochemistry, University of Lagos.
OLUCHI ODII
BIO.
