Gaven D. Trinidad | Playwright

Gaven D. Trinidad (They/Them, He/Him) is a first-generation Filipino American dramaturg, playwright, director, and educator from NYC. Gaven has collaborated in artistic and administrative roles in Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, Breaking the Binary, and National Queer Theater. Selected plays: Learning How to Read by Moonlight (Boston Critic’s Pick, Company One & CHUANG Stage), Mercury Makes the Skin Glow (O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights Festival Finalist), novena (O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist). Selected dramaturgy credits: The Duat (Philadelphia Theatre Company, PlayPenn), Waiting for a Wake (Page 73), The Pink (Primary Stages), The PreP Play, or Blue Parachute (National Queer Theater, NCTC), June is the First Fall (Yangtze Repertory Theatre), Collidescope 2.0 (Ping Chong + Company), Patience (Second Stage). Selected directing credits: Joker (National Queer Theater), Are You There, Truman? (Pride Plays, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, The Parsnip Ship, Leviathan Lab) Full Contact (Leviathan Lab, National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere). Member of Ma-Yi Writers Lab. After working at New York Theatre Workshop for almost 6 years on its administrative staff, they are now the Marketing Manager of Audience and Community Engagement at Signature Theatre Company in New York City. https://www.gaventrinidadtheatre.com/

Roger Q. Mason | Director

Roger Q. Mason (They/Them) is proud to return to directing for this special presentation of MERCURY MAKES THE SKIN GLOW.  Known for their genre-busting historical revisionist playwriting, Mason's plays have been seen on Broadway (Circle in the Square Reading Series; 24 Hour Plays at Town Hall), Off-Broadway, and regionally.  As a champion of new play development, Mason has worked as a director and dramaturg for National Queer Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, Padua Playwrights, A Noise Within, USC School of Theatre, Princeton University, Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and Sheryl Lee Ralph's Diva Simply Singing.  This summer, Mason will direct actor/comedian Anwar Ali's new show for the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  They hold degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University.  Roger Q. Mason is currently on the faculty at CalArts.  IG: @rogerq.mason | https://www.rqmason.com/

Arianne Recto | Carmelita

Arianne Recto is an actor and singer based in Queens, New York. She is a founding member of the Obie Award-winning Ma-Yi Theater Company, one of the longest-running Filipino American theatre companies in the United States. A member of The Public Theater's Public Works, her stage credits include Export Quality (Ma-Yi Theater Company), As You Like It, and Hercules (The Public Theater). Her film work includes Batang West Side/West Side Avenue. She is proud to join the cast of MERCURY MAKES THE SKIN GLOW. https://www.ariannerecto.com/

Liz Casasola | Jesca

Liz Casasola is a NYC-based singer, actor, and producer born in Los Angeles. She is a Co-Founder of Broadway Barkada, supporting Filipino artists worldwide. She has been seen in Dogeaters, Imelda the Musical and has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center. She is passionate about developing new works that tell Filipino stories. https://www.lizcasasola.com/ | https://www.broadwaybarkada.com/

Nacho Tambunting | Diego | Associate Producer

Born and raised in Manila, Nacho began performing professionally in 2006 with Repertory Philippines in The Sound of Music, later appearing in productions including Peter Pan, Seussical, Camp Rock, The Producers, and Jack and the Beanstalk. He earned his BFA from NYU Tisch and made his Off-Broadway debut originating the title role in Felix Starro with Ma-Yi Theater Company. Stage credits include Trilogy, The Play You Want, and the world premiere of Everything Beautiful Happens at Night. He contributed to developing the Broadway musicals The Notebook and Kimberly Akimbo. Screen credits include recurring roles on NBC’s Rise, Apple TV+’s Dickinson, Netflix’s Ashley Garcia and First Wives Club. Film credits include Asian Persuasion and Come Into My Arms. Nacho was most recently seen as Melchior in Sandbox Collective's Spring Awakening. https://www.nachotambunting.com/

Del Gonzales | Sebastián

Del Gonzales is a New York City based actor and theatre-maker. Filipino Latino American, born in Korea and raised in Louisiana, he trained at Hamilton College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). His stage work spans the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and PhysFest NYC, including his solo devised clown show The Adventures of Beastie soon to be presented at the Denver Fringe Festival and PortFringe. On screen, he leads the indie series Fuck Head (Bad Hombres Films, dir. Erick Moya) and stars in the short film Charlatans (dir. Cassidy Chen). He is delighted to be making his developmental workshop debut with Mercury Makes the Skin Glow. https://delgonzales.com/

Matthew De Lorme | Ernie

Matthew De Lorme is first-generation biracial American actor based in NYC with BFA in Drama from New York University. His goal as an actor is to create a bridge for his community, empowering others to break barriers and find their place in the industry. His most recent work includes the regional tour of STUY OR DIE (Alex), YO WTF LIVE! and NEWARK AND THE ORANGES (Martinez). He thanks you for coming to tonight's performance and hopes you enjoy! https://www.matthewdelorme.com/

Karl Alexis Jingco | Pageant Host

Karl Alexis Jingco is a 2025 New York Asian Cultural Council Awardee from the Philippines, an actor and theatre maker. He is the founder of theatre groups such as Eksena PH, One and a Halfmen Improv Theatre, Story Nights Manila, and the Shorts and Briefs Theatre Festival.

He has directed works across theatre, television, and concerts, collaborating with institutions like DepEd TV, Knowledge Channel, NCCA, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Regions in the Philippines as well as OPM bands and Drag Race Philippines concerts.

His work centers on inclusivity and arts education, shaping him as an overall creative dedicated to meaningful storytelling.

Mars Juno Bartolome Neri | Production Stage Manager

Mars Juno Bartolome Neri (they/them) is an artist and stage manager dedicated to supporting those who want to tell their personal stories and creating community through social justice oriented art through new plays or devised works. Their passion lies in community care and the joy that can be found through these collaborative storytelling processes. They’re devoted to doing work that brings unheard voices and untold stories to light. Previous collaborators include Leviathan Lab, NAATCO, Breaking the Binary Theatre, National Queer Theater, JACK, and Signature Theatre DC. https://marsjbneri.com/

Soomin Sun | Production Assistant

Soomin Sun is an NYU Drama major, double-minoring in Producing and Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. He’s trained at the Atlantic and Playwrights Horizons acting schools. He studied playwriting in London last fall and is learning directing and dramaturgy in his final semester! https://www.soominsun.com/

Ariel Estrada | Producer

Ariel Estrada (he/him/his) | Off-Broadway: A PERSISTENT MEMORY, MBL Productions (Jessi D. Hill, dir.); DOUBLE FALSEHOOD, Letter of Marque (Andrew Borthwick-Leslie, dir.); FAR EAST, Lincoln Center Theater (Daniel Sullivan, dir.); SHOGUN MACBETH, CAMBODIA AGONISTES, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre. Selected Indie/Regional: The Legionnaire/Danny, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, Perseverance Theatre (Leslie Ishii, dir.); FULL CONTACT, Perseverance Theatre (NNPN Rolling World Premiere, Leslie Ishii, dir.); BLENDED 和 (HARMONY), History Theatre/Theater Mu (Lily Tung Crystal, dir.); MADE IN CHINA (NYT Critics Pick); Wakka Wakka (Gwen Warnock, dir.). TV/Film: Nero, Title VII, “Osprey“, Blue Bloods”, “The Americans”. As an arts administrator and educator, his leadership has been recognized by National Alliance of Acting Teachers, Theatrical Intimacy Education, artEquity, New York Community Trust, New York Foundation for the Arts, and Theatre Communications Group. https://www.arielestrada.com/

About Leviathan Lab

Founded in 2009, Leviathan Lab is an award-winning nonprofit creative studio whose mission is the advancement of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) performing artists and their work. Through the speaking of AANHPI artists’ words, and the presentation of AANHPI bodies, presence, and gestures on stage and film, Leviathan works to open spaces that promote social justice, bridge communities, and assert the power of art to change the world. We function as a lab where early-career and established AANHPI artists can be courageous, experiment, and thrive as they createworks that captivate the audiences we serve. https://leviathanlab.org/