An immersive play inside
The Brooklyn Pop

— Created, written and directed by Kaves —

WELCOME TO A BROOKLYN DREAM

Thank you for stepping into A Brooklyn Dream, an immersive play staged inside The Brooklyn Pop.

This experience was created to bring you inside the world of a Brooklyn story, surrounded by handmade sets, music, art, film, and characters inspired by the spirit, struggle, humor and creativity of the borough.

As you move through the space, the story will unfold around you. You may find yourself close to the actors, inside a scene, or standing in the middle of a memory.

Tonight, you are not just watching the story.

You are inside it.

CAST BIOS

KAVES
Self / Narrator
Kaves is the creator, writer, and director of A Brooklyn Dream, as well as the visionary behind The Brooklyn Pop. A Brooklyn-born artist, filmmaker, musician, and storyteller, Kaves brings his lifelong connection to the borough into this immersive experience.

QUINN McLEER
Young Kaves
Quinn McLeer is a Brooklyn-born writer, rapper, and actor who trained at HB Studio in New York City. His credits include The Brooklyn Way, the short film The Shoemaker, and numerous music videos.

MARA KAYE
Cookie / Barbra of Brooklyn / Janis Joplin
Mara Kaye is a Flatbush-born vocalist and performer whose voice has been celebrated on stages from Jazz at Lincoln Center to Sleep No More. Known for her powerful jazz and blues sound, sharp comedic presence, and deep Brooklyn spirit, Mara has performed with major artists and continues to bring unforgettable soul and character to every role.

JANA ARCIDIACONO
Bunny / Donna
Jana Arcidiacono is a graduate of Terry Knickerbocker’s two-year Meisner Conservatory and has also studied with Stella Adler Studio and Tony Greco. She recently appeared in The People’s Cabaret and the short film Amala. Outside of acting, Jana is a Registered Nurse Supervisor, yoga practitioner, dancer, and proud mother.

TAWNY DOLLEY
Rosie
Tawny Dolley is a singer, actor, and performer whose career has taken her from Disneyland and the Las Vegas Strip to national tours and major stages around the world. She has performed with artists including Solange, John Legend, Estelle, and Vintage Trouble, and played Etta James in the Broadway national tour of A Night With Janis Joplin. Tawny is also a graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Conservatory.

JOE GRIMALDI
Frank the Shoemaker
Joe Grimaldi is an actor and writer from Brooklyn with years of experience in Off-Off-Broadway theater. His credits include Pamela Scott’s The Heist and Aching Dog Theater’s A Gravedigger’s Tale. Joe considers A Brooklyn Dream one of the most meaningful productions he has been part of.

EMILY FEINSILVER
Young Barbra
Emily Feinsilver is a Musical Theater major at Professional Performing Arts High School. She discovered her love of performing in a middle school production of Oliver and has since appeared in several school and Kidz Theater productions, where she also serves as an Ambassador and Mentor.

TEAGHAN HELM
Dutchie
Teaghan Helm is a 12-year-old student at a performing arts middle school, where he focuses on drama. His recent roles include Michael in Mary Poppins and a Lost Boy in Peter Pan. Outside of acting, Teaghan enjoys soccer, football, spending time with friends, and saving up for his dream motorbike.

POWER MALU
Piragua Stand
Power Malu is a NYC-based community organizer, activist, and founder of the nonprofit Artists Athletes Activists. A Nuyorican from the Lower East Side, Power is deeply involved in grassroots relief work, supporting migrant families, bridging communities, and helping those affected by crisis.

MARK McNEIL II
Jackie Robinson / Mookie
Mark McNeil II is an actor, writer, and producer emerging as a strong young talent in entertainment. Originally from the Philadelphia area, he is featured in the Universal Studios film Shooting Stars, streaming on Peacock.

DANNY CORTES
Bodega Owner
Daniel Cortes is an artist from Bushwick, Brooklyn, whose work is inspired by his childhood and the New York City streets of the 1990s. He is known for creating detailed miniature models that bring the city’s urban landscape to life.

PAULIE NUGENT
Ralph
Paulie Nugent has spent more than 30 years in the performing arts. He got his start in A Bronx Tale and later became a full-time member of Lordz of Brooklyn. Paulie has written, produced, and performed nationally and internationally through solo projects and collaborations with multiple notable artists.

JOSEPH D’ONOFRIO
Joe
Joseph D’Onofrio is a Brooklyn-born actor known for both comedic and dramatic roles in film and television. His credits include Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, A Bronx Tale, 30 Rock, The Black Donnellys, Gravesend, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Don Q, where he played Al Capone.

DAVID McKITTRICK
Bones
David McKittrick grew up in New Jersey and moved to New York City in the late 1990s. After discovering acting about eight years ago, he has performed in numerous NYC plays and appeared in television series including Blue Bloods, FBI: Most Wanted, and Godfather of Harlem. He also executive produced and starred in the award-winning short film Hungry Ghosts.

NICK VALENTI
Stan
Nick Valenti is an NYC-based actor, stunt performer, and Terry Knickerbocker Studio graduate. He is known for work in independent film and theater, including Scarier Than Jason Voorhees at a Camp Fire, Punk Rock 101, Fool for Love, and the immersive production A Brooklyn Dream.

NICKY PETITO
Sal
Nicky Petito is a New Jersey-born actor, filmmaker, and impersonator known for his Italian-American pop culture work. He has collaborated with Spike Lee on multiple projects, appeared on NBC’s New Amsterdam, directed the cult fan film Halloween Obsession, and founded Paisan Con, the first Italian-American pop culture convention.

DJ RIZ
Self
DJ Riz has been a major force in the DJ world for more than 35 years. One half of the legendary Crooklyn Clan production team, he helped create the platinum party anthem “Be Faithful” featuring Fatman Scoop. Riz has performed across the world, held major residencies, DJ’d celebrity and corporate events, and can currently be heard on SiriusXM/Shade 45.

ALBA ALBANESE
Annette
Alba Albanese is a Brooklyn-born actor, multidisciplinary artist, writer, and creator whose work spans film, television, immersive theater, multimedia, and emerging technology. She spent seven years in the Off-Broadway production Sleep No More and created the immersive musical Serenade. Her projects have been featured by The New York Times and showcased at major festivals including Tribeca and Lincoln Center’s New York Film Festival.

NICHOLAS TURTURRO
Tony
Nicholas Louis Turturro is a Brooklyn-based actor and artist who works across New York’s theater, film, and commercial scene. He has appeared at venues including Classic Stage Company, Soho Playhouse, The Tank, Lenfest Center for the Arts, and The Flea Theater. He also self-produces live painting performances connected to his visual art practice.

JEFFREY DONALD THOMAS
Ghost of Fox
Jeffrey Donald Thomas is a Brooklyn-based multi-hyphenate artist. He attended NYU Tisch for Photography while training as an actor at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Since graduating in 2022, Jeffrey has worked as an actor, photographer, music producer, and independent filmmaker.

ROBBIE DEMA
Baseball Furie
Robert “Robbie” Dema is an actor and model from Wantagh, New York, born in the Bronx. A graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Equine Racing Science, Robbie has worked in commercials, television, film, print, and runway modeling.

JACK BLANCHARD
Bagpipes
Jack Blanchard is a 13-year-old bagpipe player from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. A talented young musician, Jack brings a special live musical element to A Brooklyn Dream.