Saphire Oshun’s (she/her) world has been encapsulated by theatre since she was 6 years old. She started performing in musicals and plays at Bayonne High School’s Community Theatre Program. She went on to major in Musical Theatre at High Tech High School and for college she got her BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Miami. After college Saphire started writing plays, teaching theatre, and directing shows at the Nimbus Arts Center. Saphire is also a teaching artist in Brooklyn at MS 915 and Fort Greene Prep. Recently Saphire was apart of the NJ Play Lab’s Storyteller Studio 23’-24’ and had a staged reading of her co-written play “Club Chakra” performed at the Jersey City Theater Center. Saphire has also written and produced her own single “Spade of Spades” which is currently on Apple Music, Spotify, as well as most music streaming platforms. Furthermore Saphire does Drag performance and singing gigs on weekends. Currently Saphire is the Youth Liason for the Jersey City Nutcracker, where she handles costumes, props, scheduling, ticketing, and parent emails. Saphire is absolutely thrilled to be a New Jersey Theatre Alliance Career Accelerator Fellow for 2025!
FY25 CAREER ACCELERATOR FELLOWS
Natasha M. Gallop (she/her/hers)
Natasha M. Gallop (she/her/hers) is a multi-disciplinary artist and facilitator with a deep commitment to community engagement through the arts. As a woman of many hats, Natasha is driven by her passion for human connection and creative expression. Raised by her devoted single father, Tillard Gallop Jr., Natasha learned the importance of resilience, the power of a supportive community, and the value of seeking knowledge to elevate the greater good.
A proud graduate of Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, Natasha earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications on a full academic scholarship, receiving the prestigious President’s Award for her outstanding academic and communal contributions. She later received an MFA in Acting from The Catholic University of America, where her passion for Devised Interactive Theatre and Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) took root. Her work with Imagination Stage and as a company member of Dog & Pony DC shaped her approach to creating immersive, thought-provoking theatre that encourages reflection and action. Natasha’s philosophy is simple: theatre should ignite change, spark conversation, and challenge audiences to reconsider their everyday choices.
Now back home in New Jersey, Natasha is eager to invest in her local arts community. Through this fellowship, she aims to expand her network, forge long-lasting collaborative partnerships, and learn the intricacies of building sustainable artistic pillars within her home state.
Elezia Miller (she/they/he)
Elezia Miller (she/they/he) is a New Jersey based casting professional. The majority of their work is centered in film and television. At the age of twenty, Elezia was hired as a casting associate for the Investigation Discovery channel and worked closely with Red Marble Media. Their current film credits include Evil Lives Here (2022), Shadows of Death (2022), Munchies (2024), Tangerine Drum Machine (2023), and a slew of others. Since starting her casting career in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elezia acquired impressive auditioning skills that aid the process smoothly in these recent times of remote casting work. Working in film and television is very near and dear to her heart, but theatre has always felt like home. She is ecstatic to join the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and work alongside a diverse and talented group of theatre professionals. In her time with the Alliance, Elezia hopes to continue her work in casting and broaden her knowledge about administrative roles.