Zach Cain's Resume
Acting
Natwick, PVT. Wars - Flea Theater, New York City
My history with the show is tied directly to my history as I learned to be an actor. I first performed this piece my sophomore at Florida Highschool Thespian Competition. I was awarded my first acting award, Critics Choice. My senior year we took this piece a one-act, where we once again won Critics Choice in the one-act competition. This comes full circle as I come back to this piece one last time as a six week run for the Circle Theater Festival at the Flea Theater. This production would then win the Best Directors, Best Ensemble, and Best Production for the entire festival at the Circle Awards.
Wanda, GHOSTFLUSTERS - Digital Adventure Theater, Orlando
My 9-5 is working at the Orlando Science Center as a Science Programing Specialist. Here I write and perform original science themed shows for thousands of guests daily. GHOSTFLUSTERS is my biggest acting challenge: a spoof Ghostbusters doing an informercial, all while doing our largest and most dangerous science demos for 300 screaming guests.
Phocas, The Flaming Barrel - Orlando Based Traveling Troupe
Combining my acting, improv and writing skills into one show birthed my work with The Flaming Barrel. Here I have created my own original character to fit into their fantasy themed universe and travel across the country to different conventions and renaissance faires. The show is very interactive and relies on audience interaction and heavy improvisation.
Bill Sikes, Oliver! - Pasco Center for The Arts, New Port Richey
While this is just a simple high school production of Oliver! It is also where I first fell in love with portraying the villain. I dove deep into making Bill as evil as I could while still grounding him in reality and motivating all of his horrific actions. This time and energy was rewarded by being awarded Broadway Star of the Future's Best Supporting Actor in Florida in 2018 in affiliation with the Jimmy Awards.
Writing & Directing
Don't Push The Red Button. - AMT Theater, New York City
DPTRB was the most chaotic and fulfilling experience in my life. The producers of the Circle Theater Festival the fall after I performed PVT. Wars contacted me and my team to fill a last minute drop out in their line-up. On 26 days notice I took on the challenge of writing and directing a one-act. I wrote the show in 13 days while still working a full time job. I had my cast learning lines as I wrote them and It created an amazing experience as I was writing for my actors, not just for the story. It created a piece they were able to smash out of the park. It ran for 6 weekends at the AMT Theater and later won Best Short Play at the Circle Awards.
Soup Skits - Playhouse 46, New York City
Soup Skits is a series of vignettes all related to St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Manhattan for their annual fundraiser dinner. These comedic, SNL Style skits combine comedy, absurdity and all are based on real events related to all the communities that call St. Luke's home. Written for a one-off event the cast was comprised of 13 performers with skits ranging in size of 2-7 performers at a time.
Powers of Pokémon- Digital Adventure Theater, Orlando
Powers of Pokémon is the Orlando Science Center's Flagship show where our performers explore the science of the Pokémon world! A crowd favorite, pulling in hundreds of guests every weekend to experience the science behind the abilities of your favorite Pokémon. Writing Powers of Pokémon is one of the crowning achievements of my work at the Orlando Science Center.
Awaiting Artemis - Science on a Sphere, Orlando
Awaiting Artemis is a grant funded educational show I wrote for the IF/THEN foundation in order to highlight women's often unsung stories of their impact in the foundation of NASA. All leading up to the explanation of the Artemis Lunar Missions and the impact it will have on the future of space travel. This process was the first time I wrote a show with government funding and oversight.
Awards
Best Short Play, D.P.T.R.B - Circle Theater Awards 2025, NYC
After the short timeline of ideation to creation and then to production for the Circle Theater Festival at the AMT Theater, DPTRB ran for 6 weeks and was recognized as the best short play. The judges for the awards were Albert Rudnitsky (Anora), Faryar Hosseini (Squeeze) and Stacey Maltin (Triple Threat).
Best Supporting Actor - Broadway Star of the Future Awards (National Highschool Musical Theater Awards) 2018, Florida
The Broadway Star of the Future Awards is the program affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) or the Jimmy Award. I was awarded best supporting actor in the state for my performance as Bill Sykes in Oliver! my senior year.
Best Ensemble, PVT. Wars - Circle Theater Awards 2024, NYC
This was the first professional award for acting I received. Highlighting years of training to be able to portray a wide range of characters.
Best Overall Production, PVT. Wars - Circle Theater Awards 2024, NYC
Winning "Best Production" is the culmination of the effort myself and my castmates made, the work the directors had in guiding us in this show, as well as my work as the technical director for the show.
Skills
Stage Combat - Hand to Hand, Various Melee Weapons
Due to my work with The Flaming Barrel I have been trained in staged combat and medieval combat. Performing with weapons like swords, spears, axes and shields, daggers and whips up close with guests only a few yards away has lead to a proficiency in realism, technique and timing.
Voiceover - Narration and characterization
Through my work at the Orlando Science Center I have filmed and recorded many voice over works as simple narration of science concepts and as various characters like "Stan" the T-Rex, or the mildly mad scientist "Dr. Dare".
Improvisation
Working with dangerous chemicals or live animals has grown a mastery of keeping the show going no matter the situation. As well as performing a tavern show with audience interaction means no matter how scripted the show is, no two shows will ever be the same.
Script Analysis
Studying theater under Broadway veteran Diana Rogers and playwright Peter Nason has established a foundation of theatrical analysis. Reading new works or classics and picking out the themes and meanings the playwright intended has truly enhanced my own acting, writing and directing.