Off the heels of their duet at Maestrea Amplify 2025 Antwayn Hopper & Zeniba Now come to Behind the Awards to talk about working together on The Loophole at The Public Theater as well as their upcoming projects.  Antwayn can be seen on ABC’s Will Trent Season Three and Zeniba’s show Take the Lead which she did Music & Lyrics for had its World Premier at The Paper Mill Playhouse.  Also a recording artist Zeniba’s music can be found on Spotify.

Also in this episode - Francis Jue’s 2025 Tony Win for Yellow Face plus Eila’s trip the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival to see The Matchmaker. 

Antwayn Hopper is a two-time Obie Award-winning actor, singer, and performer known for his work in stage, film, and television. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, Hopper was part of the original cast of the Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop (#6, Inwood Daddy) with NY Times' praising his powerful performance and was nominated for a 2024 Audelco Award for his portrayal of Macavity in CATS: The Jellicle Ball (PAC). In 2023, he was honored with the Edie Windsor LGBT Trailblazer Award. Other notable highlights: Memphis in Billy Porter's The Life at New York City Center, which earned a spot in The New York Times '23 Unforgettable Theater Moments of 2022'. In 2024, he was invited by Elvis Costello to perform in A Face In The Crowd at The Gramercy, receiving rave reviews from SPIN Magazine. Hopper's film credits include A Thousand and One (2023 Sundance Grand Jury Prize), with Teyana Taylor. On TV, he appeared as Woodson (recurring) Andre Holland's Asst. in THE KNICK (Cinemax). Last Season, Antwayn played Hakim Saran, the Season's Villain-for FBI(CBS). Currently, he stars as Rafael Wexford on WILL TRENT (ABC).

Zeniba Now is a Richard Rodgers, Jonathan Larson, Vivace, and Thom Thomas Award-winning writer, recording artist, comedian, actress, and educator, named a 2024 Woman to Watch on Broadway. She co-wrote and starred in Beloved, filmed live at The Public Theater for #BARS (created by Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal) and later featured on PBS’s The Great American Read. She also co-wrote and starred in The Loophole in The Public Theater’s Public Studio; the show later headlined The Passing the Mic Intergenerational Hip Hop Festival, whose former headliners include Janelle Monáe. Her co-written musical Take the Lead premieres at Paper Mill Playhouse in spring 2025, directed by Tony Award-winner Christopher Gattelli. Zeniba co-wrote the audio collection Human Resources, which played Woolly Mammoth and St. Louis Rep. She is currently co-writing music and lyrics for a new musical with Tony Award-winner Tom Kitt for Disney Theatrical Productions. As a recording artist, Zeniba spans genres—from the meditative debut EP Wholly Chill to zany bops like “Stay on the Line,” produced by Teddy Roxpin, which holds the highest possible honor: two babies laughed for the first time while listening to it! Recently, she contributed vocals and voice acting to a new project in development with Disney Animation.

Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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