Meet the Artists

James is excited to welcome you to UR Here Theater's reading of The Submission. His favorite acting credits include: Laurie in Good Company Players' production of Little Women, Lewis in Selma Arts Center's production of Pippin, EKO in Fresno City's Production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.

Claudio Laso is a theatre maker and artist based in Fresno, CA. He has been an active member of the Selma Arts Council for over seven years, during which he has acted, directed and produced multiple events and productions. Recent Selma Arts Center directing credits include: Alice by Heart, Evil Dead the Musical, Ride the Cyclone and She Kills Monsters. Recent acting credits include: Sanctuary City (Henry, Fresno State), The Whale (Elder Thomas, Fresno City College), and Let the Right One In (Oskar, Fresno City College). Recent production credits include: Dysfunction: A Song Cycle, Selma Originals, We Slay Monsters.

Ananda Desirea is Theatre Education Major here in the valley. Her recent acting credits include American Son (Fresno state), Diaspora Dreams (Selma Arts Center), On Golden Pond (Good Company Players), The Odd Couple (Madera Theatre Project), Chicken & Biscuits (Fresno state), Red Velvet (Fresno state), Bettlejuice (Selma Arts Center), and Dysfunction: A Song Cycle (Selma Arts Center).

Toph is a queer, chicano theatre artist native to Fresno, California. Their recent acting credits include Ash in Evil Dead: the Musical, B in Sanctuary City and Charlemagne in Pippin. Behind the curtain, Toph has had the pleasure of co-directing Alice by Heart and Ride the Cyclone alongside Claudio Laso as well as directing Little Shop of Horrors, all in collaboration with the Selma Arts Center. He has also been Graphic Designer and Social Media Manager at the Selma Arts Center since 2023 and will be directing SAC’s upcoming production of Seussical this May.

Grant is a local theater artist and educator in the Central Valley. He has a degree in Acting from Fresno State, and has done numerous productions with the University Theatre. You may have seen him in Spring Awakening (Moritz), Seminar (Douglas), or The Pillowman (Ariel). He is happy to be supporting and working with UR Here Theater!

This is Dylan's first time with UR Here Theater, and he is very excited to be a part of this reading. You may have seen him in such productions as Ride the Cyclone (Selma Arts Center), Guys and Dolls (Fresno Pacific University), and American Idiot (Fresno City College). He would like to thank you for coming to see the show and his wife, B, for her constant support, encouragement, and love. Enjoy the show.