Meet your facilitators

Dr. Axel Renée Winget (they/he) is a queer, transmasculine drama therapist (RDT), theatre artist, and educator. Founder of Queer Healing Space, Axel facilitates trauma-informed, consent-based somatic and expressive arts workshops for queer and trans communities. Axel has supported LGBTQI+ refugees through RFSL Stockholm and has taught at universities including LMU and USC.

Cody Sloan is a classically trained actor whose work spans theater, film, narration, and producing. He has originated roles in multiple Off-Broadway and regional world premieres, developed new work with theaters including MTC, Playwrights Horizons, 2nd Stage, and the Kennedy Center, and appeared in films showcased at national and international festivals, including Sundance. A dedicated coach since 2019, Cody deeply values bringing kindness and joy to acting training. www.codysloanactor.com

Jase Alan(they/them) is a writer/actor & also the Director of Operations at ActNOW (@actnowla), a queer-centered, trans-led acting & creative arts training studio where they also teach Scene Study for film/tv. They hold a BA in Theatre from CSULB. Jase has trained with Alexandra Billings, Rain Valdez, Jamie Clayton, Brian Michael Smith, Jett Garrison, & more. In addition to training at Groudlings, Steppenwolf, & UCB. They love to build community & create space for their TGI2S+ family to grow in their creativity.

Jen Olivares (she/they) is a two-spirit actor, dancer, singer, and transmedia maker living on Tongva land in LA. They’re a proud member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjáchemen Nation, and the playwright behind the Indigiqueer comedy Birthday Brunch. You may have seen them on Bull, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or as a two-time ABC Discovers finalist.

Jen’s self-tape class is all about helping LGBTQIA+ performers feel powerful on camera—embracing your full identity, making bold choices, and taping with confidence, resourcefulness, and most importantly, a friendly budget.

Maddox Pennington is an experienced facilitator of writing classes and workshops from Creative Writing 101 to Advanced College Writing. A life-long writer and performer, he began directing and producing after moving to LA in 2021. He has been featured as a writer, director, and performer with the Native Voices Theater Company. His work has been developed with the Moving Arts MADLAB in LA, the Creative Nations Festival in Boulder CO, the Kayenta New Plays Festival in Ivins, Utah. He has directed development workshops for playwrights Madeline Sayet for Fort Worth’s SparkFest and Dillon Chitto with Native Voices. Creative Director of the Trans Conversation Project, he has produced and directed his queer and trans-centered plays Love Chicken and Annex in award-winning productions in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

As Director of Education for the Joy Who Lived Festival, he’s passionate about making inviting and inclusive spaces for new theater artists to learn, connect, and create. He’s a member of the current cohort of the LA Writer’s Workshop at Center Theater Group where he is also a Teaching Artist for the Observers Program, and a 2025 recipient of the LA New Play Project grant for Embers Borne West. His next project is a Generation Now Theater for Young Audiences commission called Picture Day.

Natalie Nicole Dressel is a transgender actress/writer currently living in North Hollywood, CA. In 2019, she attained her MFA in writing for the Stage and Screen from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, and in 2013 she earned her BFA in Theater from Michigan State University. She is a graduate of the UCB LA improv program, and her play There is Evil in This House was a 2019 O'Neill NPC finalist and the winner of Best Ensemble in the SheLA festival.

She has 10+ years of stand up comedy experience and in 2012 was named "Funniest Mouth of the South" in Chattanooga, TN. She's worked on two projects that are currently available on HBOMAX (Veneno, The Lady and The Dale) and in 2021, she is the recipient of an artist grant from West Hollywood and put up an exhibition of her work in 2022.

Revel Langshall (they/them) is a trans nonbinary genderqueer genderbereft person who has worked in varied nonprofits doing fundraising and grantwriting for over 34 years. They use the 10 Principles of Community Centric Fundraising as well as valuable lessons learned throughout their life as a forest dweller, partner, and parent to drive their work.

Tilly Bridges, as part of a team with her wife Susan, wrote Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming at IDW, six episodes of Monster High (for which their Monster Fest special won an inaugural Velma Award for LGBTQIA+ representation in children’s media), consulted on Star Trek Prodigy, and their YA queer trans romcom graphic novel Just Another Summer releases this summer. Their award-winning short film, Long Away, is presently playing film festivals around the world. Tilly’s book Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix is available now, and you can find Tilly’s weekly essays on trans life at TillysTransTuesdays.com.

Vik Floyd (he/they) is East LA's drag prince of madness. Chaotic rockstar at stage entrance, tender vulnerability at eye contact - Vik Floyd inspires all to be fearless facing the darkside of their moon. Vik joined drag kings, queens, & things in October 2018 to tackle their gender dysphoria being born two-spirit and gender fluid. Honest about the madness that comes from sorrow, many of their drag performances also serve as an ode to losing their personal king, their rockstar dad Mickey Floyd. Vik firmly believes in the power of drag to release, empower, and connect.