Paul is excited to return to the Foodbank Players and raise money for the cause, having played Edgar in King Lear and Oliver in As You Like It, both in 2024. Other recent credits include Doctor John Watson in Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Missing Mystery (Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley), Performer in Hold On: When Everything Changes in a Flash (Crescent Moon Theater Productions), Rutherford Selig in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Lower Bottom Playaz), and roles in a variety of short films, including a sociopathic stalker, a pretentious clown, and Death. See him next in Inferno Theater’s Twelfth Night in Berkeley May-July, or check out paulbisesi.com for more.

My name is Matt Hess and I am from Lafayette, CA. I recently graduated from the University of Washington and am currently living in San Francisco. This is my first play with the Foodbank Players of Alameda and my second play in the Bay Area. This has been a dream role to play Gatsby and work with all of these great people and I am so happy to be apart of this production.

Darrah Jones, LCSW #127653, is a native Alamedan, trauma therapist, and lifelong fan of feeding and serving the community. As a kid, she enjoyed helping her dad volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and once in middle school, began volunteering at the Alameda Food Bank. Nowadays, when she isn't working, she enjoys coaching and swimming competitively with the Alameda Aquatic Masters team, acting, and watching Rick and Morty with her friends.

Sam is an East Bay native who earned a BFA from Chapman University before spending a decade in LA. Memorable roles include Romeo, and performing in If All The Sky Were Paper around the country, most notably at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C. Back in the Bay Area now, he is excited to tread the boards again.

Kelsey's last project with The Foodbank Players was as director for our production of King Lear. She is an actor and improviser from the central coast of California, where she began her theater career at PCPA. With a musical theater scholarship, she received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and theater arts from California Lutheran University. Through CLU, she studied the Meisner technique and studied abroad at the Theatre Academy of London. During her time at school, she was a KCACTF finalist and was awarded CLU’s Theater Arts Contribution to Acting award. Some of her favorite stage roles have included Gayle in Almost, Maine, Miss Foxhill in Suddenly Last Summer, Maggie in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Rizzo in Grease. In addition to stage acting, Kelsey is an improviser who’s been on long-form house teams at Second City and iO West. You can also see Kelsey in such independent films as The Power of Laughter and The Moon Also Rises, which went to Cannes in 2018, as well as several BuzzFeed videos. She is so excited to be in her first Foodbank Players show!

Ben's previous project with The Foodbank Players was as stage manager for our production of King Lear. He has previous acting experience at West Valley College in Saratoga, but has been away from the stage for the better part of a decade. Some shows he has been involved with include You Can’t Take it With You, Epic Proportions, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Actors Nightmare.

Originally from Michigan, Ben lives and works in Alameda. In his free time loves to play guitar, listen to music, and spend quality time in nature.

Mary Watson is originally from Western Pennsylvania, where most of her family still resides. She most recently performed as Solicitor 1, Clara, and Mrs. Fezziwig in the Foodbank Players 2024 Production of A Christmas Carol. She also performed as the titular role in "The Curious Mrs. Savage" and directed and starred in the 2008 production of "Greater Tuna" at Woodside High School. Since 2021 she has focused on voice acting, performing many solo and ensemble productions. Among her solo endeavors, she has narrated works by Stephen King, Chuck Palanhuik, Poppy Z. Brite, Maurice Level, Shane Stevens, and Joyce Carol Oates. She resides in the East Bay with her partner and her cat.

Justin is an East Bay native who recently returned to the Bay Area after graduating with an M.S. in Computer Science from UC Santa Barbara. This is his first production with the Foodbank Players of Alameda, and he’s enjoyed diving into the world of the Roaring Twenties with such a talented group of actors. When he's not pretending to be someone else, Justin enjoys cooking, writing, hosting Murder Mysteries, and playing chess with his cat.

Recently, Bill reprised his role as Jacob Marley in last December's production of A Christmas Carol.

Bill's website is at: https://billbrobeck.com

Retired mechanical engineer/inventor turned voice-over artist for marketing videos & YouTube channels - model for music & industrial videos, marketing brochures & websites – play by play announcer - MC for charities - On stage: Words That Made The Difference - Much Ado About Nothing - Hamlet - The Marvelous Land of Oz (musical) – A Christmas Story – A Midsummer Night’s Dream -12 Angry Jurors.

Here's something fun! Bill can be seen in this awesome music video: https://youtu.be/mH_LFkWxpI0?si=kQoL1Y3Hpm4lPbgC

[Katya is a returning cast member who previously played young Scrooge in last December's production of A Christmas Carol]

Hi! My name is Katya, and this is my first production with the Food Bank Players! I don’t have a lot of experience in acting, but I’m really excited to be a part of this play! I enjoy reading, hiking, and listening to music, and I work at a Ice cream shop.

Frida's experience with the Foodbank Players includes playing Witch 2 and Murderer 2 in last Aprils's production of Macbeth, and Benvolio in last years's production of Romeo and Juliet. She was also featured in last December's production of A Christmas Carol

Additionally, She's been in middle and high school productions, including Clueless, 12 Angry Jurors, and The Lion King. I love cats, hiking, and baking, and is excited to preform and help my local food bank!

Gene was last seen playing King Lear in last October's production of the same name.

Gene Kahane founded the foodbankplayers in order to support the vital work of the Alameda Food Bank, give local actors a chance to perform and because the stage in the Healing Garden called out to him one day. He is so deeply moved by everyone who has helped in so many ways: Tara as our first supporter, Scott for his passion and generosity, Luis the actor/web wizard, and all the actors and audiences. We all sing the same song, "What I did for love. "