Creator and Book Writer

DAMON CARDASIS is an Emmy and WGA Award nominated writer, director and producer of film, television and theatre. In 2017, Cardasis wrote and directed his critically acclaimed feature debut, Saturday Church, which won multiple festival awards around the world and was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Film, Limited Release. He is currently co-writing a musical adaptation of Saturday Church, alongside James Ijames (Fat Ham), with music & lyrics by global pop superstar Sia, additional music by trailblazing DJ Honey Dijon and directed by Whitney White (JaJa’s African Hair Braiding). The musical will receive its World Premiere at New York Theatre Workshop. Previously, Cardasis produced Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me, starring Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway, and Marisa Tomei, which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song by Bruce Springsteen, and was chosen as the opening night of the 2023 Berlin Film Festival. Cardasis also produced Miller’s Maggie’s Plan starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, and Maya Rudolph, which screened at the Toronto, New York, Sundance and Berlin film festivals. For television, Cardasis was nominated for an Emmy for producing the HBO documentary “Arthur Miller: Writer,” which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. On Broadway, Cardasis produced The Arthur Miller Centennial–a one-night-only benefit starring Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Laurence Fishburne, Tony Kushner, John Turturro, and Peter Sarsagaard. Cardasis was profiled in Out Magazine’s annual Tastemaker issue and was also chosen to be part of Out Magazine’s annual OUT 100. In 2009, he co-founded The Lower East Side Film Festival, which continues to showcase low-budget films from around the world.

Book Writer

JAMES IJAMES is a Pulitzer Prize winning and Tony Award nominated playwright, a director and educator. James’ plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theater Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia, PA), The National Black Theatre, JACK, The Public Theater (NYC), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, TimelineTheater (Chicago IL) Shotgun Players (Berkeley, CA) and have received development with PlayPenn New Play Conference, The Lark, Playwright’s Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theater, Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre and Victory Gardens. James is the 2011 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist recipient, and two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play for The Brothers Size with Simpatico Theatre Company and Gem of the Ocean with Arden Theatre. James is a 2015 Pew Fellow for Playwriting, the 2015 winner of the Terrance McNally New Play Award for WHITE, the 2015 Kesselring Honorable Mention Prize winner for ….Miz Martha, a 2017 recipient of the Whiting Award, a 2019 Kesselring Prize for Kill Move Paradise, a 2020 and 2022 Steinberg Prize, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama recipient and a 2023 Tony nominee for Best Play for Fat Ham. James was a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia’s first playwright producing collective. He received a B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and a M.F.A. in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. James is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University. He resides in South Philadelphia.

Music & lyrics

There is no artist in the world like SIA. Try to think about an artist who transformed from an in-demand indie pop vocalist and chanteuse into a global pop superstar more than a decade into their career. Try to imagine that same global pop superstar writing and producing music for many of the other most iconic stars of our time. And then let yourself think about how Sia Furler has racked up more worldwide streams and hits (8 in the “Billions Club” on Spotify, and counting…) all while never showing her face, never compromising her artistic vision, and never letting anyone else define pop stardom for her. It’s staggering to imagine any artist doing just one of these things, let alone all of them, over the course of a career that continues to reach new heights. It’s worth repeating: there is no artist in the world like Sia.

Additional music

DJ HONEY DIJON, born Honey Redmond in Chicago, Illinois, is an internationally acclaimed DJ, producer, and fashion icon. Known for her deep knowledge of house music and dynamic mixing style, she draws from her roots in Chicago’s vibrant music scene. Honey Dijon has performed at major clubs and festivals worldwide for the past 20 years. She has worked with major artists such as Madonna and Beyoncé, contributing her unique sound to their projects. In 2023, she won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Album for her work on Beyoncé’s “Renaissance.” In addition to her music career, she is a prominent figure in the fashion industry, collaborating with brands like Ray-Ban, MCM, and Dover Street Market with her own brand, Honey Fucking Dijon. She serves as a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Her innovative approach and authentic voice continue to influence both the music and fashion worlds.

Director

WHITNEY WHITE (she/her) is an Obie and Lily Award winning, as well as a Tony Award nominated director, writer and musician originally from Chicago, based in New York. Broadway: Jaja’s African Hair Braiding (Tony and Drama League nominations). London: The Secret Life of Bees (The Almeida). Off- Broadway: Liberation (Roundabout), Jordans (The Public), Walden (2nd Stage), Soft (MCC, Lortel nomination), On Sugarland (NYTW, Lortel and Drama Desk nominations), What to Send Up When it Goes Down (The Public, BAM, Playwrights Horizons, The Movement Theatre Company), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Second Stage, WP Theatre, Obie Award), For All The Women Who Thought They Were Mad (Soho Rep), Finish the Fight (New York Times). Regional: Jaja’s African Hair Braiding (Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, La Jolla Playhouse), What to Send Up When It Goes Down (ART, Woolly Mammoth), The Amen Corner (Shakespeare Theatre DC), A Human Being of a Sort (Williamstown), An Iliad (Long Wharf), Canyon (IAMA), Jump(National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, PlayMakers Rep), The Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (Steppenwolf Theatre). Original work: Macbeth in Stride (BAM, Yale Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Shakespeare DC, American Repertory Theatre, Under the Radar Festival, Eliot Norton Award for Best Musical Performance), Semblance (NYTW). Her four-part cycle, Reach For It, deconstructing Shakespeare’s women is currently in development with American Repertory Theater (Boston, MA) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (UK). Film/TV acting includes Ocean’s Eight opposite Anne Hathaway, “Single Drunk Female,” “Louie,” “The Playboy Club.” Awards: Lilly Award, Herb Alpert, Jerome Fellowship, Rolex Arts Initiative. TV Writing: Boots Riley’s “I’m A Virgo” (Amazon, Media Res). MFA Brown University – Trinity Rep. BA Northwestern.

Choreographer

A recipient of the Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award, DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE has established himself as one of the most diverse and sought-after choreographers and master teachers.

This spring, Moultrie’s choreography can be seen in the new musical, Goddess, at The Public Theater. Moultrie served as the choreographer for the Pulitzer Prize Winning & 2023 Tony Nominated Play Fat Ham both on Broadway and at The Public Theater. He received a Best Choreography nomination at the Netherland’s Musical Awards for his work on Disney’s new revival of the Tony Award winning musical Aida. Additional credits include Good Bones (The Public Theater), Goddess (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Space Dogs (MCC), Merry Wives (Shakespeare in the Park) the world premiere of Jeremy O. Harris’s play Daddy, Witness Uganda (American Repertory Theater), Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC), Invisible Thread (Second Stage), Redwood (Portland Center Stage Theater) and Evita and Pride & Prejudice (Kansas City Repertory Theatre). Moultrie has collaborated with Tony Award-winning dancer Savion Glover and choreographed El Publico, a new opera at the world famous Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain directed by Robert Castro and Conducted by Robert Heras-Casado.

Moultrie has created and staged works for dance companies across the world including American Ballet Theatre, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, BalletX, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet Colorado Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, Ailey 2, Tulsa Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, The Juilliard School, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and NBA Ballet in Japan among others.

Moultrie served as a choreographer on Beyoncé’s record breaking tour, the Mrs. Carter World Tour.

A proud New Yorker, Moultrie was born and raised in Harlem, and is a graduate of Laguardia High School and The Juilliard School.

Music supervisor, orchestrations & arrangements

JASON MICHAEL WEBB. Special Tony Award Recipient, 2x Drama Desk Award Winner. Broadway (Music Director): MJ: The Musical (Grammy nomination, orchestrations, arrangements), The Rose Tattoo (Tony nomination, orchestrations), Choir Boy (Special Tony Award, arrangements), The Color Purple (2016). Off-Broadway/Regional (Musical Director): Encores! Jelly’s Last Jam (NYCC), Hamlet (WNET), Revolution(s) (Goodman, orchestrations), “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (2013 Inauguration of President Barack Obama, arrangement). Executive Music Producer: Respect (Grammy nomination, MGM), Last Five Years (film). Composer: “The Ms. Pat Show” (BET+), “Beebo Saves Christmas” (CW), Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare in the Park), Light It Up! (Cleveland Playhouse, book, music, lyrics).

Music supervisor, orchestrations & arrangements

Celebrating three decades at the forefront of the music scene, Grammy-winning artist LUKE SOLOMON has cemented his legacy as a writer, producer, and remixer whose influence stretches across the global dance music landscape. His journey began in the early ‘90s and continues to shape the culture today. Luke’s contributions to two of 2022’s most anticipated albums—Renaissance by Beyoncé and Black Girl Magic by Honey Dijon—are a testament to his unparalleled technical mastery. The track “Cozy” and the groundbreaking “Alien Superstar” showcase his and long-time collaborator Honey Dijon’s distinctive, club-ready production, earning praise from both fans and critics. Renaissance was hailed by Pitchfork as “a rich celebration of club music and its sweaty, emancipatory spirit.” In 2017, Luke released The Lost Art of Getting Down with his band Powerdance to widespread acclaim, including a five-star review in The Guardian which praised the album as “smart and funny without being cynical, varied but coherent, experimental without losing sight of the dance floor.” 2022 marked a milestone in Luke’s career, earning him a second Grammy nomination for his work on Beyoncé’s Renaissance. That year also saw the release of Black Girl Magic, Honey Dijon’s second album, which Resident Advisor described as “an uplifting tribute to love and the golden years of house music.” The album, featuring collaborations with Eve, Channel Tres, Pabllo Vittar, and Mike Dunn, topped Billboard’s 2022 list of best dance albums. Now, as 2025 unfolds, Luke continues to push creative boundaries. He has just wrapped up production on Honey Dijon’s upcoming album alongside Chris Penny and is set to release Powerdance II, the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2017 album. Luke also serves as Honey Dijon’s musical director, leading her next performance with the legendary Halle Orchestra in Manchester following their iconic Royal Festival Hall show. Additionally, Luke has joined Honey Dijon and Chris Penny on Saturday Church, their latest groundbreaking project that promises to be one of their most exciting collaborations yet. Instagram SoundCloud