'Once Upon a Riot' casts Maya Bartley O'Dea in the role of 'Dawn Jackson'...

Dreamotion Studios and Broken Flames Productions are proud and absolutely elated to announce; Maya Bartley O'Dea has been cast in the role of 'Dawn Jackson' on the 'Once Upon a Riot' film project. Maya's journey to being cast has been something of a 'Cinderella Story'. Meaning, it was perhaps unexpected, full of wonderous surprises and with a fairytale ending. Maya, who is a solid and fabulous producer in her own right, was part of the team responsible for setting up and coordinating the auditions and was never on the initial audition list. But when one actor couldn't make her scheduled audition time, keeping in mind the audition sides and scenes included other auditioning actors, Maya stepped in to read the part of 'Dawn'. And in that moment, she illustrated she had every right to officially audition for the role, if she wanted to do so. And she did. In the next audition weekend, Maya was on the list, and delivered an outstanding performance. Which ultimately secured her a place along side the other talented actors who had made the final call-back list. And with yet another brilliant performance, where Maya showed she fully understood the character and how to portray her, the decision was made. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Congratulations and welcome to the cast, Maya! You are a truly talented actor and undoubtedly earned the right to play the part of 'Dawn'.

With immense pride and jubilation,

Paul James (writer/director), Connie Jo and Ella (producers).

We would also like to sincerely thank all the talented actors who submitted and auditioned for this role. Once again, we feel incredibly fortunate to have seen so many sensational actors. Thank you!

Maya Bartley O'Dea Official Bio:

Maya is a young actor and producer from Yorkshire. She trained with the Stratford East Young Company in 2020-2021. A month after her training she made her professional stage debut back in York - ‘Northern Girls’. This play represented the joys, frustrations, and complexities of northern female identity. She then returned to the Stratford East performing in ‘Maryland’, alongside Anya Chalotra (The Witcher). As well as acting, Maya has been working as a Producer at Broken Flames Productions for the past year. She is Co-Director of the Lucas A. Ferrara Film Fund and leads the development of Broken Flames' upcoming projects including features, documentaries and TV shows. Maya always wanted to produce to help make a change and contribute to showcasing new voices within our industry. Alongside this she teaches acting, singing and dancing to children, hoping to encourage self confidence and enjoyment for the future generations. Maya’s producing and acting world came together on this project - ‘Once Upon A Riot.’ Originally just being a producer on the film, she is now also playing the role of ‘Dawn’. This is Maya’s first on-screen role and she is so excited to be on board. She is thrilled to be part of a project that is supporting and showcasing new talent like herself.