Meet The Cast
Sarah Bartley
REESE NOEL
Sarah started her performance career in Pittsburgh, PA, before moving to New York to train and perform for stage and camera at the Upright Citizens Brigade, Comedy Cellar and David Mamet's Atlantic Acting School.
In 2018-2019, she hit the road with her award-winning short film, FIVE SECOND RULE, which led to the Chuckler Comedy (Meetinghouse Productions) commissioned digital series BETTINA & TREY: BFF ‘TIL DEATH, available now on Facebook Watch.
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Sarah currently serves as a director and actor on the New York digital comedy sketch team, Industry Plants, for GOLD Comedy – a comedy school, creative network, and content platform for women/non-binary folks who want to turn their sense of humor into their superpower.
She’s also a New York City-based filmmaker and creative director who has collaborated on programming for the likes of LucasFilm, Maker Studios/Disney, CMT, VICE, the NCAA, and Discovery Channel.
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Sarah is always excited to pursue new stories and adventures through diverse, creative collaborations!
Dr. Jeff Gardere
DEACON
Dr. Jeff Gardere is a board certified clinical psychologist. In addition to having a private practice in Manhattan, he is an Associate Professor and Course Director of Behavioral Medicine at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City. He is also an author of three books.
In addition to being a respected academician, Dr. Jeff has been a contributor to the FOX
Network, the Today Show, MSNBC, and CNN. Dr. Jeff was the host of VH1's Dad Camp, has
appeared on the Love and Hip Hop and Housewives reality show franchises, and was recently a contributor and occasional substitute anchor on the nightly newscast, Chasing News, on WWOR-TV, NJ .
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Dr. Jeff recently starred in the documentary film, Mental Health In Color.
Dr. Jeff has also co-produced the following documentary films:
• You Are Not Alone; Black Gay Men and Depression
• Erasing Family; Parental Alienation and the Effects on Children
• When Harlem Saved a King; The Assassination Attempt on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Anointed Friends
CHOIR
Anointed Friends, is a female recording artist and gospel group from Paterson, NJ passionate about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ through their music.
The group consists of six phenomenal singers, Brittany Dawson, Roz Thompson, Tyeshia Reels (as DEE), Darnell Reels, Tiffani McCutchen, and Josiah Blackmon.
Zari Veres Royal
MAX
Bio
James Zollar
TRUMPET JIMMY
James Delano Zollar began his musical career at age 9 playing bugle in his hometown, Kansas City Missouri. At 12, he graduated to the trumpet where he began to discover his musical voice and focus. After high school he continued to study at San Diego City College and then the University of California at San Diego. At the same time he honed his chops with various funk and jazz bands and lead his own straight-ahead quintet.
In, 1984, he moved to New York City and played with the Cecil McBee Quintet for five years and then recorded with Tom Harrell, with Weldon Erving and Sam Rivers. Zollar was featured in Robert Altman’s motion picture “Kansas City”, in Madonna’s music video “My Baby’s Got a Secret”, as well as Malcolm Lee’s film “The Best Man”.
He played on the sound truck of “The Perez Family” and is proud to be included in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (Oxford University Press 1999.) James was also a featured soloist with Jon Faddis and Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra as well as Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
He remains New York based where he stands out in a wide range of musical settings. Today, he’s playing with The Duke Ellington Orchestra,
The Count Basie Orchestra, Don Byron’s Bands, The Marty Ehrlich Sextet, The great vocalist Tony Bennett and working with the Latin piano master Eddie Palmieri.
“James is a really nice guy and very personal-sounding cat with a unique approach. He’s absorbed the history of the music, and he plays it with great care and warmth. And he doesn’t try to sound like someone else” says Ravi Coltrane his periodic jam-session partner.
James released the CD "Zollar Systems" in 2010 and also he released the CD “ It’s All Good People” in 2013. They both are getting great reviews and a lot of radio play.
