Maria Hinojosa and John Schaefer talk to members of the Labyrinth Theater Company, one of the nation’s leading ensemble theater companies that’s driven by a diverse group of over 120 actors, directors, playwrights and designers, about how they began and diversity within the New York City theater scene.

Paula Pizzi is an actress and director. Theatre: Los Monologos de la Vagina (Westside Arts), Unerneathmybed (Rattlestick Theatre), Face Cream (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Wit (original Off-Broadway company – Long Wharf Theatre, MCC Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Union Square Theatre), Where’s My Money? (Manhattan Theatre Club/Labyrinth Theatre), Clean (Atlantic Theatre/Hartford Stage), Another Part of the House, (Classic Stage Company) Dark Rapture (Pope Theatre) Dating Dummies (Labyrinth)  Director: All the Bad Things (Labyrinth) T.V./Film: The Smurfs, Fragil, Lloro. Law and Order, City of Angels, L&O: Criminal Intent. Paula wrote her first play “Hopping on Rooftops” and it was workshopped at Labyrinth where she is a founding member . She is also a member of Circle East.

Cusi Cram is a playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, teacher, occasional performer, and a passionate advocate for women in the arts. She is also one of very few people who can claim the honor of Bolivian and Scottish heritage – her parents met at the United Nations.

 Cusi has received three Emmy award nominations for her extensive writing in children’s television, most notably for WGBH’s, Arthur. She was also a writer on the Showtime series, The Big C, starring Laura Linney. Her play, Dusty and the Big Bad World, was optioned by Points West Films  (Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, producers). She is currently developing several original pilots for television, a web series about tour guides in the West Village, and a feature film titled, Three Graces, which she plans to direct.

Photo by Michael Katzif