Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026

Jesus Live!

Official Program

Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, Hollywood

Welcome

A Welcome from Billy Threadgold

If you’re sitting in the Stephanie Feury Theatre about to watch Jesus Live!, we thank you. We’re well aware you could have stayed home and watched a life altering episode of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island but you didn’t. We really appreciate that.

I’d also like to thank everyone associated with Hollywood Fringe for giving us such an incredibly organized platform to try new ideas.

Lastly, the cast and creative team listed below are entirely responsible for our run over the next 2 weeks. Without them (especially David Carbonara) this play would be an unfinished collection of scattered thoughts and ideas in my laptop sitting on my nightstand.

Thanks,
Billy

PS: Good News, tonight’s episode of RHORI is a rerun!

About the Show

Nazareth's favorite son is back—and while he appreciates the seasonal perks, he'd like a word with all of us.

Joined by God, Mary Magdalene, Satan, and others, Jesus Live! blends soul concert, talk show, and theatrical storytelling into a thought-provoking exploration of faith, mythology, and the stories we tell ourselves.

This telling by the man, not the myth, is guaranteed to entertain—or offend—just about everyone on your Christmas card list.

Performance Information

VenueStephanie Feury Studio Theatre
5636 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, California

PerformancesJune 14, 2026 – 5:30 PM
June 19, 2026 – 8:00 PM
June 25, 2026 – 8:00 PM

RuntimeApproximately 75 Minutes

Tickets & Information:https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/14404

Cast & Creative Team

Cast

Jesus – J.D. Mata
God – Evan McNamara
Mary Magdalene – Alexandra Fragoso
Various Roles – Jack Little

Creative Team

Playwright / Executive Producer – Billy Threadgold
Director – John Coppola
Composer – David Carbonara
Composer – John Carbonara
Music Director – Ron Barnett
Costume Designer – Jenna Feniks
Stage Manager – Michelle Elizabeth Vasquez
Consulting Producer – Matthew V. Quinn
Publicity & Marketing – Bertha Rodriguez

Actor Bios

J.D. Mata

Jesus

Instagram: @jdmata13

A seasoned musician (vocals, guitar and piano), filmmaker, and actor, J.D. Mata has composed hundreds of songs and performed hundreds of shows and venues throughout the country. He has been a regular at the legendary Whisky a Go Go, where he has wooed audiences with his original shamanistic musical performances. He has written and directed numerous feature films, web series, and music videos.

You can currently see him on Netflix in the theatrically released film CLIKA!. Other memorable appearances include True Blood (HBO) as Tio Luca, a national UPS Store television commercial, and the lead in Lil Wayne's How To Love music video, which has received over 129 million views.

J.D. was also the lead, portraying a Mohawk Medicine Man in the spiritual film Kateri, which won the prestigious Capex Dei Award at the Vatican in Rome.

J.D. co-starred, performed, and wrote the music for the original world premiere play An Enemy of the Pueblo by Josefina Lopez. This is J.D.'s fourth Hollywood Fringe Festival. In 2022 he wrote, directed, and starred in the Fringe Encore award-winning A Night at the Chicano Rock Opera.

He recently completed his fifteenth feature film, Glorious Salvo, Rhapsody, and currently appears in season two of his YouTube comedy series Rock God.

J.D. is a native of McAllen, Texas and resides in North Hollywood, California.

Evan McNamara

God

Instagram: @dadaist77

Evan McNamara is excited to join the company of Jesus Live! as God. A member of both AEA and SAG-AFTRA, Evan has worked extensively in theatre, film, television, and improvisational comedy. His screen credits include appearances in ER, The Soup, Taprooting, Silence, and Freedom's Gate. His theatrical work ranges from Shakespeare to contemporary drama, with notable roles including Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, MacDuff in MacBeth, Orlando in As You Like It, Iago in Othello, Trotsky in Variations on the Death of Trotsky, and Mozart in Amadeus.

A longtime improviser, Evan has performed with IO West and the Improv Theater and has trained with renowned teachers including John Coppola, Larry Moss, Mary Lou Belli, The Groundlings, and ImprovOlympic. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Theatre and Film, he is grateful to be part of bringing this unique new musical to life.

Alexandra Fragoso

Mary Magdalene

Instagram: @alexandraefragoso

Alexandra is stoked to be correcting history in Jesus Live! Recent television and film credits include Ballard (Amazon MGM) and the pilot for the new series This Is Fine.

Recent theatre credits include Enid Hoopes in Legally Blonde (SRT) and Cynthia in Tam Tran Goes to Washington (East West Players).

Alexandra was one of the top selected finalists in the Latine Global CSA competition and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.

She is passionate about all things film and is currently developing a screen adaptation of a short horror series with her business partner. Stay tuned!

Jack Little

Various Roles

Instagram: @thatjacklittle

Jack Little is thrilled to return for his second Fringe Festival with Jesus Live!.

Recent credits include Convention, Kitties in Space in the 30 Minutes or Less Festival, and The Rabbit Queen with Color and Light Theatre, which took home several awards including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Ensemble Performance.

He is also featured in fellow Fringe production Unplugged Electric Guitar.

Jack earned his BA in Musical Theatre and Dance at Christopher Newport University. When not on stage, Jack rolls the dice as a TTRPG writer.

He would like to thank his partner Shannon for her endless support.

Creative Team Bios

Billy Threadgold

Playwright / Executive Producer

Instagram: @bthread

Billy Threadgold makes his musical theatre debut with Jesus Live!.

Developed over several years in collaboration with composer David Carbonara, the project evolved from a personal creative exploration into a full-scale production.

Threadgold previously wrote and staged a short play in Santa Monica and is grateful to his collaborators for helping bring this work to life.

John Coppola

Director

A native of Brooklyn, New York, John Coppola has directed more than 100 theatrical productions across New York, Los Angeles, and internationally.

His credits include groundbreaking interpretations of Shakespeare, Brecht, Shanley, and Churchill, as well as acclaimed adaptations of Madame Butterfly and Cabaret.

Based in Los Angeles, he is also one of Hollywood's most respected acting coaches.

David Carbonara

Composer

David Carbonara is an American film and television composer best known for his work on the critically acclaimed television series Mad Men.

His television credits also include Vegas, The Romanoffs, the miniseries The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, and original songs for the period drama The Last Tycoon.

His film work includes David O. Russell's Spanking the Monkey, Amos Kollek's Fast Food Fast Women, and the award-winning Amélia by Brazilian director Ana Carolina.

Throughout his career, Carbonara has collaborated with some of the industry's most respected composers, including Rachel Portman, Michel Legrand, and Howard Shore.

Ron Barnett

Music Director

Photo: Mark Van Scyoc

Ron Barnett is a composer living in Los Angeles, where he serves as Director of Music and Sacred Arts at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Glendale, California.

His musical Around the World in 80 Days, with book and lyrics by Julianne Homokay, premiered at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

His other works include scores and sound designs for the world premiere productions of Lightning Rod, Treasure, The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Turn of the Screw, and Cyrano.

Barnett has scored more than two dozen productions for regional children's theatre, several of which have toured nationally. His work has been presented at the Producers Association of Children's Theatre in New York City and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has received TCG Award nominations.

He is currently a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop. With Greg Edwards, Barnett was a finalist for the 2010 Fred Ebb Award.

Jenna Feniks

Costume Designer

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Jenna Feniks is a costume designer and seamstress now based in Southern California.

Jenna has been in and out of costume shops since age fourteen, with her passion for creating costumes stretching back to age six when she first learned to knit and sew.

In Spring 2021, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Occidental College, where she studied theatrical costume design.

Since arriving in Los Angeles, she has worked in a wide range of costume and wardrobe roles, from supervising wardrobe and assistant designing for independent films to managing an entire costume shop for a season of Broadway Under the Stars in Sonoma.

Jenna currently works as a stitcher creating costumes for Universal Studios Hollywood.

Michelle Elizabeth Vasquez

Stage Manager

Hailing from the City of Burbank, Michelle's journey as a Stage Manager has brought her many different experiences and opportunities. From touring productions to concert galas to new show development, her career has been nothing but colorful.

When she is not in a booth calling a show, she works with middle and high school students as a stagecraft mentor and choreographer, utilizing her many years of performance experience.

Her notable credits include:

● 2nd Annual Music Is Instrumental Concert (Stage Manager – Burbank USD Arts For All)
● End Days (Assistant Production Manager – Windy City Playhouse)
● Titanic The Musical (Assistant Stage Manager – Griffin Theatre Company)
● Secret Comedy of Women (Production Stage Manager – Playhouse Production)
● Is God Is (Assistant Stage Manager – Lobby Theatre)
● There Used to be Fireflies (Stage Manager – Cranky Inc)
● Let's Write A Musical (Production Stage Manager – Grief Dialogues)

Combined Artform

Consulting Producer / Publicity & Marketing

Founded by Matthew V. Quinn and Bertha Rodriguez, Combined Artform (est. 1998) is a Los Angeles-based producing organization dedicated to supporting independent artists through festivals, venue management, artist development, marketing, education, and community building.

For more than fifteen years, Combined Artform has provided producing, consulting, marketing, and operational support to emerging and established artists alike. Its projects have included the Hollywood Encore Producers' Award, the 30 Minutes or Less Festival, the 30–60 Minute Festival, artist training programs, venue partnerships, and collaborations with theatres, festivals, and arts organizations throughout the United States.

Together, Quinn and Rodriguez remain committed to creating opportunities for independent artists and helping new theatrical work reach audiences.

Special Thanks

Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre

Stephanie Feury

Hollywood Fringe Festival

Spencer Frankeberger

Michael Lamb

The artists and audiences supporting new work

Friends, family, and supporters of Jesus Live!

Thank you for supporting independent theatre.