Leo Kurland is delighted to be making his professional playwriting debut with GIDA/HaSTE’s production of Driver, Lender. His plays Driver, Lender and The Seagullman were produced at Northwestern University in 2023 and 2024 respectively. His plays Golemstein; or the Mid-Century Modern Jewish Prométhée and Remembrance for a King were performed as readings at Northwestern University. In 2024, he received the Max Saines Grant for his short film screenplay Reenactment. In 2025, his play Giocoleria was produced as a part of the Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival.
Adam Driver
Christopher Hawthorn
Christopher Hawthorn (Adam) Regional Theater- credits include the world premiere of Blue Ridge, A Curse of the Starving Class at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Off- Broadway: Blue Ridge at The Drama League, Dad Might of Killed Her at Cherry Lane Theatre. Television credits include When They See Us (Netflix). Film: California Dreams (SXSW) and Ciao Mama (NYFF).
"Grateful for my family & to be a part of the opening season of GiDA. JWW you are my Brother always."
Jenny, Eileen, Greta
Evangeline Edwards
Evangeline is delighted to be joining GIDA's inaugural season. Recent credits: The Typist (dir. Jeremy Wechsler), Fostered (PRT, dir. Andrew Weyman), A Good Guy (Rogue Machine, dir. John Flynn), Brushstroke (dir. Casey Stangl), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Rogue Machine, dir.Guillermo Cienfuegos), RZR (Exertion Films), In Love And Warcraft (A.C.T., dir.Peter J. Kuo). She received her MFA in acting from A.C.T. in 2022 and is a USC alumna. Much love and gratitude to her family for their amazing support and to the entire GIDA team. Representation: Brave Artists Management, Prototype Talent.
Jerome, Don, Artie
Yannick Haynes
Yannick Haynes is a Philadelphia native who discovered his love for acting through regional theater growing up in the city. He went on to earn his BFA in Acting from the University of Southern California, refining his craft and deepening his commitment to truthful storytelling. He has since appeared on stage and screen, including a guest star role on Will Trent.
"Deeply grateful for my loving family and thanks God for every opportunity along the way. Special thanks to HaSTE and the welcoming community of Plainfield, Vermont, for having him."
Avi, Noah Baumbach
Zeke Goodman
Zeke Goodman is an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker known for his roles in Amazon Prime’s I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cruel Intentions. He can also be seen in Fernando Andres’ Rent Free, which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. Stage credits include the Echo Theater Company’s One Jewish Boy by Stephen Laughton and Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies by Terrence Arvelle Chisholm, which earned him a nomination for the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor. His short “Peacocking,” won Best Narrative Short at the 2022 Oakcliff Film Festival and is currently streaming on FilmShortage. His feature script Breakthrough (How to:) is currently set up at A24. Zeke was trained in the MFA Acting Program at the University of Southern California. He’s represented by Lighthouse Management & Media and William Morris Endeavor.
Professor R, Dir. Ludlow
Rob Adler
Rob Adler is an actor, director, acting coach, and founder of AdlerImprov, a Los Angeles studio for actors working across stage and screen. He has coached performers privately and on productions for Lionsgate, Disney, FOX, NBC, ABC, Netflix, and BET, including the Netflix documentary Giving Voice. His recent directing work includes collaborations with Zach Helm and productions with Interact Theatre Company in Los Angeles. As an actor, he recently appeared in the independent feature Friend Divorce. His writing has appeared in Theatre Topics and Backstage, and his video essay The Alchemy of Space, produced by Theatre Journal, explores Viola Spolin’s space work in performance. He is currently Co-Head of BFA Acting at Chicago’s Theatre School, DePaul University. Learn more@adlerimrpov www.adlerimprov.com