BRANDON BOGLE

Brandon Bogle is a multi-disciplinary artist based in NYC. He is a MFA graduate of the Rita & Burton Playwriting Program at Hunter College. As the co-lead of the LIT Council, Brandon is excited about helping his cohort in developing their new work in this space. Having worked as a Technical Director for many years and now as a Production Manager at Baruch Performing Arts Center, Brandon hopes to bring all of his skills in to bolster up this group as much as he can.

PJ O’NEAL

PJ O’Neal (he/him) is a multi-hyphenate artist, playwright, food writer, and educator. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and The Tank NYC’s Lit Council 2023 - 2025 for male playwrights of color. Previous work include a solo musical, CODE RED which had its world premier at the Borderlight Theatre Festival in Cleveland, Ohio in 2023 and a production at the Tank in New York City in 2025. Also his short play, DANTE’S 2 TRAIN, had its New York premier at the Secret Theatre Act One: One Act Festival in 2024, and his play STINGER recently had a developmental workshop produced by Seadog Theatre and NewYorkRep and won the Curtain Rising Playwriting award. His published food writing can be found in national publications such as Allrecipes, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Spruce Eats, as well as literary magazines..

MURPHY LORENZO APPLIN JR.

Murphy Lorenzo Applin Jr. is an artist from Philly, by way of Statesboro, GA, who is dedicated to making art for folks from communities and cultures that value togetherness, compassion, and love for each other. Murphy is a writer, an actor, a singer, a director, a teacher, and a student of life. Their most recent theater credits include Yami, which premiered at Lincoln Center under the Lincoln Center Education Fellowship. They also acted in Hello? Wayne Sanders? (The Gatekeeper's Collective), Guttah: Or Ceremonies for Alligator Bait (The Cell), Restoration In Progress (NYU Educational Theatre), and can be seen in Season 3 of The Other Two on HBO Max & Season 1 of Diarra From Detroit on BET+. Recent directing credits include Aftermath: Analyzing Anguish (vibe Theater Experience: The Flea), A Rollercoaster Ride: The Final Readings (WP Theater), and Yami (Lincoln Center Education). They just premiered their debut single, "Motion" by MALAj on all streaming platforms! Go check it out (you will not be disappointed)! They hold a BFA in Acting from UNC School of the Arts.

DONOVAN ROGERS

Donovan Rogers is a multidisciplinary artist and innovator of Black imagination in theatre & film. Founder and Producing Artistic Director of The DR's Laboratory LLC, Donovan develops community-centered research, creative methodologies, and original productions that actualize equity between and beyond Detroit & New York. An University of Michigan’s 2024 BFA: Acting alumnus, he instructs his alma mater’s scholars in artistic and administrative leadership within “DNA”, his legacy student organization that his company evolved from. His chorepoem, ''Into the Light of the Dark, Black Night'', earned multiple awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival 2024 and residency at their inaugural Black Playwrights Gathering. Rooted in Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, his credits include Let it Shine (The Public), Bad Kreyol (Playwright Associate: Signature Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club), Guttuh or Ceremonies for Alligator Bait (Assistant Dir: The Cell) and supporting vocals on music tours with Josh Groban and Michale Bublé. Instagram: @Donovanrogers_ DonovanRogers.com & TheDRsLaboratory.org

KYLE OSMON

Kyle Osmon (he/him) is a Korean American Playwright and Theatre Executive originally from Rogers, Arkansas. He currently works at Paper Mill Playhouse on their Executive and Artistic Teams serving as the Executive Assistant. He has previously held roles in Production, Administration and Company Management at Two River Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, The Rev and other regional companies. His playwriting is shaped by his Southern upbringing, the significant age gaps between him and his siblings, and the darkly humorous moments in his life when he felt “othered.” He currently attending Hunter College pursuing his MFA in Playwriting, where he looks forward to developing his voice as an artist and engaging with a vibrant community of writers, teachers, and collaborators who will challenge and inspire his work.

SAMUEL KANG

Samuel Kang (he/him) is an Asian-American actor and playwright born and raised in Queens, NY. He was awarded the National Undergraduate Playwriting Award and the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for his full length “what we will be”. He is currently finishing up his BFA degree in Acting from Adelphi University and is based in Brooklyn, NY. He is honored to be among other brilliant artists within the Lit Council and looks forward to gaining a greater understanding of his craft through collaboration with his fellow playwrights!

ĐAVID LEE HUỲNH

Đavid Lee Huỳnh is a Ragin’ Cajun Asian who went from working on his family’s shrimp boat to making Theatre all over the world. Onstage, he’s trod the boards in one of the rare American productions of a Shakespeare play to transfer to the United Kingdom (The Merchant of Venice, Royal Lyceum Theatre) and has worked with Theatre for a New Audience, Classic Stage Company, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, NAATCO, Yale Repertory, the Alley Theatre, and many others. On-camera, his work includes an eclectic range of credits from crime drama (FBI, Blue Bloods) to science fiction (Solitary) to high fantasy (Encounter Party). His work as a writer has been supported by Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America, HB Studios, Second Generation Productions, Leviathan Lab, Ozark Living Newspaper Theatre Co., and LIT Council. He is a professor in the Randolph College MFA Theatre Arts program as well as the associate artistic director of Second Generation Productions. MFA: University of Houston | www.davidleehuynh.com | @huynhsome | "không phải tôi. chúng ta"

SHARMARKE YUSUF

Sharmarke Yusuf is a Brooklyn-based actor, poet, playwright, and photographer. He was born & raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a BFA in Contemporary Theater and a minor in Creative Writing. His work seeks to inspire people to find freedom and expand consciousness. His acting credits include performances at The Public Theater, The Huntington, and on Hulu in Castle Rock. He is the recipient of two Elliot Norton Awards. Instagram: @Sharmarke_y

ANTHONY X [GRACE]

Anthony X [Grace] is an actor/writer based in Harlem. X explores the complexities of the socially dead, how there are no Blacks in the world and yet no world without the Blacks. X has an MFA in Acting from fka Yale School of Drama.

MATTHEW KEATON

Matthew Keaton is a playwright, composer, performer, and educator born in Chicago, IL, raised in Memphis, TN, now based in Harlem, New York. He holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Public Speech from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 2017, he was accepted to the Open Jar Studios Musical Theatre Residency and later joined the Broadway National Tour of Motown: The Musical. In 2020, Matthew developed his passion for writing and composing. Matthew’s musical, THE SOUL GOES ON, received a staged reading at the Emerging Artist Theatre’s New Works Series (2022). Matthew’s play, 7 ACTORS. 1 ROOM., received staged readings at The Evolution Festival at The Center at West Park (2024) and the Downtown Urban Arts Festival (2025). Likewise, his 10-minute play, TIME OF LIFE, received a staged reading at the Black Men Talk Play Festival in Chicago, IL (2025). Matthew continues to create and develop new works that bring forward underrepresented voices and highlight new narratives on the stage. Follow his journey on Instagram: @thematthewkeaton