ZU Read Through
The January 3, 2025 read through of ZU would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the following individuals.
Our Talented Readers
Kela Parker
Narrator
Kela (like “hella”) Parker is originally from Berkeley, California and is an actress, voice actor, musician, writer, and producer in Los Angeles. She has played politicians, crypto traders, animals, and mythological characters in film, television, and commercials, and has taken her “art folk” around the United States. In her screenplays and nonfiction, Parker explores themes that often touch on magic realism, gender politics, and crime.
Kelsie McDonald
Kristen
Kelsie McDonald is an international actress, writer, and producer whose career has taken her from Australia to London, Mexico, and now Los Angeles. Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Kelsie honed her craft at the Atlantic Acting School in New York and earned her Master’s in Acting from the prestigious Guildford School of Acting in the UK.
After graduating, Kelsie co-founded the Encompass Theatre Collective, touring devised works across the UK and igniting her passion for storytelling. This experience inspired her to write and produce her own films, culminating in the launch of her female-driven production company, People Power Pictures, in 2021.
The company’s debut project, The Power Within, a sci-fi/superhero short and proof of concept for a feature franchise, premiered at the iconic Chinese Theatre during the esteemed Dances With Films Festival.
In June 2024, Kelsie wrote, produced, and starred in her comedic one-woman show, Who’s Serving Who?, a hilariously relatable exploration of life as an Aussie waitress in Hollywood. The show has been invited to the prestigious United Solo Festival Off-Broadway in NYC this spring. Kelsie is now crowdfunding to adapt the concept into a short film as a proof of concept for a TV series.
Most recently, Kelsie wrapped production on a bilingual romantic comedy feature film in Guadalajara, Mexico, which she co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in alongside Ted Lasso’s Cristo Fernández, slated for release in 2025.
As her career reaches thrilling new heights, Kelsie remains dedicated to storytelling that transcend borders, challenge conventions, spark conversations, and inspire meaningful change.
Cameron Place
Frankie
George C. Owens
Josh
George C. Owens is an LA based comedian and actor. He got his start in Chicago where he joined The Second City and eventually became an alumni of their Touring Company. In 2024 George took his one man show Holy Sh*t I Lived to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, performing it for the entirety of the festival, selling out shows and receiving 5 Stars.
Steph Martinez
James
Steph Martinez “She/They”, is a Latinx actor and director based in Los Angeles.
As an LGBTQIA+ filmmaker and advocate, Steph sees the importance of diverse visibility in film and entertainment, as well as the power of creating more LGBTQIA+ focused roles in film. When directing a queer centric piece, their main focus is giving it heart rather than stereotyping the traumas of queer life. Steph’s goal is to break the mold with her art, showing the world and the media that we queer folk are just like everybody else. We love, we hurt, we cry, we persevere.
On the acting front, there are quite a few premieres happening in 2025. She is a lead in an heist feature film called The Aftertaste. She plays “Cassandra” in Artemis & Cassandra, a lesbian vampire piece. And the fourth season of the award winning series BOTHERED on Indieflix comes out soon in which they direct and play the recurring role of love interest “Tessa”.
Martinez is a proud member of the Alliance of Women Directors with Cowboy being her first feature film. She directed the inspo short film of the same name, A New Era of Cowboy, which made it into the Sundance Lab Finals and won best LBGTQ short at the Palm Springs Movie Awards, and the Santa Barbara Intl. Short Fest.
Derek Ocampo
Rod
Native born to Los Angeles and a graduate with a BA in Dramatic Arts from UC Irvine, Derek has been acting and making films for over a decade. He has been the host of countless advertisements and product videos and enjoys making films with an emphasis on action and stunts.
Lindsey Mutert
Billie
Hans Heilmann
Slayter
Franco Salinas
Ian
Franco Salinas is born and raised in Los Angeles. He attended the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy, located at Los Angeles City College campus. He embellishes character roles; and approaches his work through psychological introspection. He enjoys playing complex characters that are far from his personality. Franco is represented by Raynard Pearson at Work!Talent.
Eden Lederer
Whitney
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eden is a lifelong enthusiast of all things TV, Film, and Theatre! As a graduate of USC’s BFA Acting program, she is thrilled to bring Stephanie’s compelling script, ZU, to life for the first time!
Caroline Kelly
Hilary
Hailing from Oklahoma, Caroline Kelly is an actress who can recently be seen in Jon Shaivitz’s Roses On The Vine and several projects by the production company California Sober, as well as Quinn Quinlan’s Final Reprise. Alongside her acting career, Caroline is an Executive at Pace Pictures and the co-founder of Mischievous Maidens LLC, a production company she launched with Director Quinn Quinlan to champion women-centered storytelling.
Lidiya Korotko
Campus Security Guard
President Fritz
Alex Cherry
Emmy
Little Bo Peep
Cynthia
Alex Cherry (she/her) is a filmmaker currently living her superhero dreams as Physical Production Coordinator at Marvel Studios. Recent credits include Deadpool & Wolverine and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with Captain America: Brave New World releasing this February. Creative pursuits outside of work include DMing a long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign and writing copious amounts of fanfiction. She’s so excited to be supporting Steph on this creative journey with ZU!
Ruben Mercado
Travis
Alan
Chief Robic
Nolan Rank
Malcolm Cills
Martin
Scantily Clad Sheep #1
Houston
Malcolm Cills started his comedy career in New York City before landing writing jobs for rapper Cardi B on her TV show, “Cardi Tries.” and “Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans”, he’s opened for comedians such as Tim Dillon, Kam Patterson, Bobby Lee, David Spade, and Sebastian Maniscalco. He’s a regular at The Hollywood Improv, and performs all over the country. You can follow him on TikTok @littlefatpug where he has over 170,000 followers or Instagram @malcolmcills where he has 30,000 followers.
Erin Ochi
Summer
The Slutty Pumpkin
Dana Vreede
Dani
Darcy
