BERNARDINE MITCHELL (MaDear) – Bernardine is an Atlanta native who has performed nationally and internationally in a wide range of roles that includes Mahalia Jackson in Mahalia, Bessie Smith in Bessie’s Blues, Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Velma and Mother Shaw in Crowns, Alice in Big River, the Matron in Chicago, Antigone in the international tour of The Gospel at Colonus and Rose in Lee Breuer’s Prelude to the Death in Venice.  Bernardine received the DramaLogue Award in Los Angeles for her portrayal of Bessie Smith at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Helen Hayes Award for  Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance of Lady from the Road in Blues in the Night at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC and for her performance as Mahalia in Mahaila.  She also recieved the Susi Bass Award for her Mahalia performance.  Bernardine has been a featured performer with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Harlem Gospel Singers, and in the films The Guyana Tragedy and A Resting Place, starring Morgan Freeman.  Bernardine was a vocal and musical theatre major at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.

DONNA BISCOE (Lola) -Ms. Biscoe is honored to appear in Jar the Floor! She is a graduate of Clark College and some of her favorite theatre appearances are: Doubt with the Alliance Theatre, Crumbs From The table of Joy, To Kill A Mockingbird, Waiting To Be Invited, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone with the Springer Opera House (State Theatre), Holiday Heart with the Arena Theatre, Homebody Kabul, Our Town with Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company, Fences and Gee’s Bend to name a few. Some of her television and film credits include: “Necessary Roughness”,  with Vivica Fox in “3 Can Play That Game”, with Nate Parker and Ricky Schroder in “Blood Done Sign My Name”. Other television guest starring roles include,  “Rectify”, “The Rickey Smiley Show”, “House Of Payne”, “My Manny”, and “Meet The Browns”. Other roles on the small screen include: Nashville, Drop Dead Diva, Gillian In Georgia, and Army Wives, Ruth.  Enjoy the Show!

CYCERLI ASH (MayDee) - Cycerli Ash gives all glory to her Savior Jesus Christ and is truly blessed and honored to be apart of this production. She received her BA in Theater (2006) from Rutgers University (New Brunswick) and her MFA in Acting (2010) from the University of Tennessee. She is a proud member of Actors Equity. Some Theater credits include: Delia, Missy Mae (Spunk): Christmas Past (A Christmas Carol): Sophie (Flyin’ West): Marion (Secret Rapture): Sally (Lie of the Mind). In Film Cycerli has worked on several projects as a principle chacracter along with well known actors/artists :Some include: Lisa Raye McCoy, Tommy Ford, Carl Payne, Mel Jackson, Forever Jones, Van Vicker and Christopher B. Pearman, Dorian Wilson and Michael Keith.

D. WOODS (Vennie) – D. Woods developed her love for the Arts growing up in Springfield Massachusetts, where she trained and performed in many dance and regional theater productions. Re-locating to Atlanta Ga in her high school years, D. Woods attended Tri-Cities High School of Visual and Performing Arts, performed with the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble and trained on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey School in New York. While studying at New York University’s Tisch School of the arts and Gallatin School of Individualized Study, D. Woods became quite popular as a dancer and singer in many circles, landing her on music videos and tours of major recording artists and eventually on the MTV show “Making The Band”. D. Woods and her pop/r&b group Danity Kane achieved chart topping and platinum status as well as recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records! Taking all that she has learned, D. Woods is now the CEO of her record label Woodgrane Entertainment/SonyRED and has gained recognition numerous times on the Grammy Academy’s Ballot for Nominations. She has been most recently seen in Shaking The Rafters produced by Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre, TVOne’s For The Love Of Ruth starring Denise Boutte and Loretta Devine, and Blackbird starring Isaiah Washington and Academy Award Winner Mo’ Nique. Blackbird is available now on DVD and Video On Demand everywhere and the film’s soundtrack, presented by Woodgrane Entertainment, is available now on iTunes!

CARA MANTELLA  (Raisa) – Cara has worked on stages in and around Atlanta including The Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Theatre in the Square, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Actor’s Express, Horizon Theatre, Stage Door Players, and Théâtre du Rêve.  Film: The Good Lie, Trouble with the Curve, Premature, 90 Minutes in Heaven.  TV: H.R.(Pilot), Army Wives, Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime), Christmas Cupid, My Future Boyfriend (ABC Family), The Game(BET), Royal Pains (USA) and the webseries That’s Educational (www.thatseducational.com). She has her BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.  www.caramantella.com