2025 TenTastic Showcase
Join our presenters at the 2025 staging of the TenTastic Theatre Festival from May 31 to June 1, 2025 at the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Arts, UWI Mona (Kingston, Jamaica).
Meet the Presenters
Desmond Dennis
An award-winning, Jamaican actor, writer, and director, Desmond brings over a decade of fearless storytelling to the table – blending the political with the poetic, and never shying away from the bold.
His work is a masterclass in cultural reflection, identity, and power.
GiHRL
GiHRL is a multidimensional artist known for her work in acting, singing, and songwriting. With over 15 years in the theatre and film, she brings emotional depth and authenticity to every role.
She is the 2024 winner of the prestigious Actor Boy Award for Best Supporting Actress and gained international acclaim for her powerful performance in HBO’s Get Millie Black.
As a singer-songwriter, her music reflects her roots and personal journey. Whether on stag, or behind the mic, GiHRL captivates audiences with a soulful energy that transforms every space she enters.
Gracia Thompson
Gracia Thompson is a dynamic writer, actor, director, and educator whose work has earned her multiple accolades, including two Actor Boy nominations and several awards for her writing and directing.
Her commitment to nurturing talent is evident through the dynamic rise of the UTECH Players – a collective of students and co-corricular creatives who has graced stages from cultural Showcases to Evenings of Excellence and beyond.
Jean Small
Originally from Guyana, Jean Small is a season French educator and theatre practitioner with over 60 years of experience. Her passion for both languages and performance began simultaneously, shaping a unique teaching style that blended theatre with language learning.
Inspired by her secondary school French teacher, Jean began writing short dialogues and plays to help students practice communication, eventually creating the educational puppet series Puppets for Peace.
In 1998, she wrote A Black Woman’s Tale, based on her life, which was translated into French and performed in Paris, representing Jamaica.
After retiring in 2002, she joined Toastmasters International, later developing a puppet persona, Mrs. Ida Martin, to continue her storytelling.
Jessica Shaw
A powerhouse in the Jamaican dance world, Jessica is a senior lecturer at the Edna Manley College School of Dance, Artistic Director of L’ACADCO, and a level 6 L’Antech professor – the highest level of certification in this Afro Caribbean technique.
She’s trained in classical ballet since the age of 3, holds a Master’s in Dance Sciences and Education from the University of Edinburgh, and has been shaping Jamaica’s landscape with her bold, genre-blending choreographic works.
Joel Miller
Joel Miller is an award-winning Jamaican playwright, director, and filmmaker whose work spans theatre, education, and cinema. His plays – rich with symbolism and emotional depth, explore Caribbean identity, trauma and the e intimate intersections of family and society.
Kaleb D'Aguilar
Kaleb, who splits his time between London and Jamaica brings his signature brilliance to the stage with a bold 10-minute the trial presentation you do not want to miss. His work, deeply rooted in themes of blackness, Caribbeanness, gender, and migration, has been featured everywhere from American Airlines to the National Gallery of Jamaica.
Kaleb is a filmmaker, poet, and a visionary who continues to redefine storytelling in the Caribbean.
Maylynne Lowe
Trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Emerson College, she’s worked with some of the island’s most iconic theatre houses; Jambiz, Basil Dawkins, DMH Productions, University Players, and more. Many know her as Tanya Blackburn from Jamaica’s longest-running soap opera – Royal Palm Estate.
An Award-winning talent with passion for performance and storytelling. Maylynne brings grace, grit, and experience to every role.
Renae Williams
Renae Williams is an Award-winning playwright, director, and actress with over a decade of experience in the creative arts.
Passionate about storytelling, she’s written and directed plays – often for charitable causes – that highlight real-life experiences and amplify unheard voices.
Her work spans stage and film, enriched by her background in acting, and she also writes poetry and prose to inspire and engage audiences.
Jean-Paul Menou (J-P)
Jean-Paul Menou (J-P) is an award-winning Jamaican actor, director, media consultant, and educator. He held consular positions in Chicago and Kingston before transitioning to media, producing popular talk radio programs. J-P co-founded the 8×10 Short Play Festival and has directed numerous plays with the University Players.
Since 2013, he has been a Spell Master for the National Spelling Bee, hosted “NCB Capital Quest,” and is best known as the Quiz Master on Television Jamaica’s “Schools’ Challenge Quiz.”
He has acted in local and international productions, including “Locked Up Abroad” and “Get Millie Black.” J-P currently teaches at the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts.