Be Here Now

Matthew Sincell is thrilled to join the New Play Sounding Series! His past theater credits include Shakespeare’s R&J (West End, London), A Shakespeare Master Play (The Globe, London with Mark Rylance), The Clean-up Project and Jump (Plan B Theatre Company), Tribes, Harbur Gate, and Streetlight Woodpecker (Salt Lake Acting Company), three seasons with The American Shakespeare Company, and Beyond Glory with Stephen Lang. Special thanks to Salt Lake Acting Company, his wife Corinne, and his two wonderful daughters, Semalu and Marisol.

NIKI RAHIMI is thrilled to return to SLAC, where she last appeared as Trudy in SLACabaret: Down The Rabbit Hole and as an understudy in A Year with Frog and Toad. Her regional credits include Around The World In 80 Days (Hale Centre Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Good Company Theatre), Harvey (The Grand Theatre), Hello, Dolly! (Pioneer Theatre Company), and SLACabaret 2021 (SLAC). This season, Niki will tour Utah elementary schools with Squeak (Plan B Theatre) and The Story Weavers (Hale Centre Theatre). She extends heartfelt thanks to the cast, crew, and her friends and family.

Brenda Hattingh has been active in the Salt Lake theater community since 2015, collaborating with companies like PYGmalion, Plan-B Theatre, and Sackerson. She has enjoyed various roles, including playing Mother in Shockheaded Peter and Lavinia in Julie Jensen’s Two Headed. Recently, Brenda co-founded Immigrant’s Daughter, a theater company, alongside local playwright/director Morag Shepherd and actress/playwright Ariana Farber. She is excited to be working with SLAC for the first time.

April has previously worked with Pygmalion Productions in THE HALF LIFE OF MARIE CURIE, WHITE SAVIOR, and LIVING OUT. Other local credits include MEDEA (Classical Greek Theatre Festival); MESTIZA (OR, MIXED), THE AUDACITY, and SUFFRAGE (Plan-B Theatre Company); MERCURY, BULL SHARK ATTACK, and BLACKBERRY WINTER (Salt Lake Acting Company); A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (The Grand Theatre); CLUE, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (Hale Center Theater, Orem); STAGE KISS (Wasatch Theatre Company); AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (Silver Summit/Utah Rep); and TITUS ANDRONICUS (Pinnacle Acting Company). Regional credits include work with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the California Shakespeare Festival. April holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from UC Berkeley.

Jason Bowcutt serves as the Community Programs and Performing Arts Manager for the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, overseeing initiatives like the Mountain West Arts Conference, OnStage in Utah, and the Utah Artists Fellowship. With a background in acting and directing and a degree from the University of Utah, he co-founded the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation and actively supports arts accessibility and leadership development statewide. Jason is also a board member of Arts Northwest and has served on the boards of the Utah Arts Alliance and Utah Pride Center.

Deborah Zoe Laufer is an acclaimed playwright whose work has been produced at top theaters worldwide, including Steppenwolf, Humana Festival, and Cleveland Playhouse. Her plays, such as Be Here Now, End Days, and Informed Consent (a New York Times Critic’s Pick), explore profound themes with wit and insight. A recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and the ATCA Steinberg Citation, Deb has developed her work at prestigious venues like The O’Neill Playwrights Conference and PlayPenn. Her plays are published by Samuel French, Concord, and others.