HOSTS
Yvonne Huff Lee
Yvonne Huff Lee is a founding member, Board President, and storytelling activist with Lower Depth Theatre. She is also Co-CEO of The Lagralane Group, a film development and finance company, and has produced multiple films and documentaries. Fearless in her pursuit of authentic and original works, she is passionate about the power of storytelling to both entertain and foment social change. Her theatre credits include: Safe Harbor (Lower Depth Theatre) Br’er Cotton (Lower Depth Theatre), Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (Lower Depth/Skylight), Knock Me a Kiss and Voice of Good Hope (Victory Gardens), The Gift Horse (Goodman Theatre), and They All Fall Down (Lookingglass Theatre).
Jason Delane Lee
Jason Delane Lee is CO-CEO of the Lagralane Group – an award winning film finance and development company. Founded alongside his wife, Yvonne Huff Lee, in 2015, The Lagralane Group is committed to producing and creating personal and intimate films told through uncommon and unique perspectives. At Lagralane, Jason has Co-Executive Produced the 2018 Academy Award winning documentary, Icarus. His producing credits also include the 2019 Berlinale world premiere and TIFF North American premiere The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open; the 2018 Sundance premieres Night Comes On and This is Home; the 2017 SXSW premieres Served Like a Girl, The Blood is at the Doorstep, and Lucky, starring the late Harry Dean Stanton; the upcoming Lisa Cole short film, Bienvenidos a Los Angeles; and the upcoming Lisa Cortes documentary The Empire of Ebony. On screen he acted in and executive produced the indie film Givers of Death (G.O.D.), written and directed by Addison Henderson, distributed by Buffalo 8. As a filmmaker, Jason recently completed the short film Lifeline, which he wrote, co-directed and starred in. He is a founding member of Los Angeles based Lower Depth Theatre; which produces intimate theater for LA's theater arts community.
THE TEAM
Matthew Soraci
Producer
Matthew Soraci is the COO of The Lagralane Group. Matthew directs the day-to-day operations involving business development, finance, marketing, and human resources. Along with acting as COO, Matthew has garnered individual credits on Lagralane titles, acting as executive producer on The Blood Is At The Doorstep; The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open; Givers Of Death (G.O.D.); Lifeline (short) and as associate producer on Harry Dean Stanton’s last film Lucky. Under the Lagralane company credit, Matthew co-executive produced the 2018 Academy Award winning documentary ICARUS. He is also a producer of the podcast Lagralane Spirits – exploring identity & culture with cocktails. Alongside his professional credits, his penchant for creative storytelling has led to a lifelong involvement in the arts. Matthew serves on the board of Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre.
Courtney Oliphant
Co-writer & co-producer
Courtney Oliphant is a writer/producer with the Lagralane Group. She has worked in theatre management for over 8 years and is an experienced event producer in both fundraising and large-scale events. Courtney is the Managing Director of Lower Depth Theatre and served as the Production Coordinator of Directors Lab West for over five years, managing an annual week-long conference for theatre directors in Los Angeles. She is also an Executive Producer/Co-writer of the Lagralane Spirits Podcast and the Founder of MPower House. She has certificates in Nonprofit Management, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace. Courtney has been with the Lagralane Group since 2017 and graduated cum-laude from Pepperdine University.
Peppur Chambers-Soraci
Co-writer & co-producer
PEPPUR CHAMBERS is an international writer/producer/educator. An alum of Moving Arts MADLab, Circle X Emerging Playwrights Group, and Antaeus Playwrights Lab, she uses her voice to amplify women’s issues, social justice and love. Her plays For the Love of You, House Rules, The Build UP, Dick & Jayne Get a Life, Harlem’s Night Cabaret and one-woman show, Harlem’s Awakening: Storytelling Live have been produced in LA, NY and Prague. Her radio plays The Fire In-Between, End of the Line, and Chester Higgensworth & The Boll Weevil can be found on podcast platforms. She is a writer on Senator Nina Turner’s political podcast, Hello Somebody, and a co-writer and co-producer on Lagralane Spirits a podcast about cocktails, culture, and identity. Peppur is also a published author. Her novella Harlem’s Awakening can be found on Amazon. Visit penandpeppur.com where she tells stories of heroes, including her own.
AJ Dinsmore
Podcast Coordinator
AJ Dinsmore is a writer, director, producer, & coordinator. Born in China and raised in Nowhere, Wyoming, AJ is dedicated to telling stories from underrepresented perspectives and promoting diverse voices in the dominant narrative. AJ is the Executive Assistant for The Lagralane Group and the Podcast Coordinator for Lagralane Spirits. She is also the Project Coordinator for Lagralane's sister theatre company, Lower Depth Theatre, and serves as Lead Producer on their Writers Revealed podcast. AJ wrote, directed, and produced, her short film directorial debut, "Me With You, Without You," which will wrap post in 2023. AJ’s scripts have won or placed in the WeScreenplay Shorts Competition, ScreenCraft Short Film Competition, Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, and Fresh Voices Competition.