Maurice S. Mallard II
Artistic Director/ Co-Founder
Maurice Mallard graduated Tallahassee Community College where he earned his A.A. in English. He then went on to study Musical Theatre at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
He is a performer in Orlando theme parks as well as an Actor in other projects nationally as well as locally. Maurice is a member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Maurice is a creative mind with a passion for drama, and storytelling.
Some of his more notable works are Hair as Hud/ensemble, Spunk and the Harlem Literati as Spunk, and countless character rolls around central Florida theme parks and original award winning works apart of The Orlando Fringe Festival.
Creative Credits include The Colored Museum, Co-Director (MAC Boys Entertainment), Blues for an Alabama Sky, Director ( MAC), Hold for show…. Drumroll Please…. A Holla’Day Celebration…. And along those lines, Director/Writer (MAC and Ultimate Soprano), MACKOSSA, Writer
Arius West
Artistic Director/ Co-Founder
Arius West graduated from the University of Central Florida with his bachelor’s in Theatre, Education, & Stage Combat. He is a performer, teaching artist, and director around the greater Central Florida area. He has worked on productions at The Orlando Family Stage, The Renaissance Theatre Company, CFC Arts, ArtReach Orlando, Michelee Puppets, SeaWorld & Disney, and now The Dr. Phillips Center with students K-12 and adults up to 65+.
In addition, Arius is a Co-Founder of MAC Boys Entertainment whose main prerogative is to increase black talent on stage and black people in the audience, and to entertain the community with stories FOR us BY us because we are more than our pain and trauma. In the near future, the company will help tell all BIPOC stories.
Some of his most notable works are An Octoroon as the lead role of BJJ/George/M’Closky, Lenox Ave as a Principal Performer & Collaborator, Aida & Chicago as Choreographer, Swordplay as Fight Director, and The Colored Museum as a Director.
Christopher Payen
Artistic Director/ Co-Founder
Christopher is a graduate from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Theatre Studies and a minor in Dance. Before moving to Orlando to pursue his career in the arts and further his education, he lived in Broward where he got his AA degree at Broward College studying theatre and dance. In South Florida, He directed Arts “R” Us (Muse Center for the Arts) was a featured choreographer for Mic Check: Vocal Performance Artist Showcase (Sunrise Civic Center), and was a dance instructor at Performance Edge Dance Studio and Kirova Ballet Academy.
Central Florida directing credits includes Worlds Warfare Dance Showcase (Marshall Ellis Theatre) and assistant director for the performance workshop of The Karate Kids (Orlando Family Stage). Choreography credits includes Big, the Musical (Garden Theatre), Something Rotten and The Secret Garden (Montverde Academy Theatre Conservatory), Baseball: A Musical Love Letter (Opera Orlando), Dreamgirls (Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center) I Dance Orlando Festival (Marshall Ellis Theatre), High School Musical 2 Jr. (Orlando Family Stage) and Heathers the Musical: High School Edition (Theater West End).
Currently, Chris is a Choreographer for Montverde’s Academy Theatre/Music Conservatory and a teaching artist for the Orlando Family Stage.