GAY IN NYC

+CARLO

Carlo is originally from Lima, Peru with Italian roots. He is an actor, writer, director, producer, and storyteller. As an actor in NYC, he spent a great deal of time as a Teaching Artist. “I am most proud of my work with inner-city youth. As a Latin American immigrant and member of the LGBTQA+ community, I know firsthand the importance that theater offers to all communities, especially those who are most marginalized. The theater literally taught me to speak, think, and listen, like nothing else.”

His award-winning company LIT Interactive LLC (Live in Theater) has done the unthinkable, by creating immersive true-crime mysteries and corporate professional development workshops that have been played to hundreds of thousands of happy fans, worldwide! He created Navigating Diverse Conversations in the spring of 2022, seeing the need to create not just another DE&I workshop, but rather by using theater and interactive techniques to create something altogether different. “The way we enter NTC is through fun, and play, we essentially allow the audience to feel safe, and protected, before we get to the tough topics. We utilize the magic of the theater and role-play to collectively have some deep conversations. We’re very excited to take participants through a workshop that will be enlightening, provocative, and FUN, while giving all the tangible tools to make our workplaces welcoming and invigorating!”

+LAURA

Laura was a Texan until she moved to New York City, where she has gleefully cemented herself for two decades. She is an actor, writer, and educator with NYC students. Laura began working with LIT in their first production “The Ryan Case 1873” (set outdoors in the original “5 Points” location in NYC!) and has been thrilled to watch it grow to larger audiences. In addition, Laura has worked with thousands of students, parents, and educators to help them navigate and understand the choices they make and to set goals and benchmarks for their future. In addition, she has led anti-bullying workshops and DE&I classes where folks explore scenarios through role-playing. Laura is passionate about using theatrical means to grasp the nuances of relationships and the power of unity.

+COLLIN

Collin is an actor and comedian specializing in interactive entertainment. For the past 13 years, the immersive work he’s done with LIT allows him to place audiences in the shoes of marginalized characters with the goal of offering the audience perspective and ultimately empathy for those who have been disenfranchised.

+DESI

Desi is an actor, singer, writer, director, and teaching artist focusing on DE&I Training. Working along with LIT Interactive LLC (Live in Theater) gives Desi the opportunity to interact with people from all across the world. “When we break the 4th wall there is a different level of fun and exploration!” She started facilitating Navigating Diverse Conversations because she knows the inherent power in the theater, interactive and process drama as a way to enlighten what it means to be human. “We are all in a fascinating time full of change. Change can be scary until you jump in and realize that just like Franklin D. Roosevelt said “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself!”

+OLIVIA

Olivia (she/ella) is an artist, educator, organizer, and dog/cat/plant-mom based in Austin, TX. She holds a B.A. in Theater from the University of Southern California and studied interactive storytelling with Deep Dive Austin. Working with LIT is one of her favorite things because she gets to use her interactive and improvisational skills and play with actors and audiences from all over the world! She is a social action warrior and one that leads with the heart! Currently, she is a company member of the VORTEX Repertory Company and Shrewd Productions and oversees creative community development initiatives for Foundation Communities in Austin, TX.