JUICE BAR
The Creators
Cara Deptula
One of the visionaries and creators of the “Juice Bar” project, Cara is a multifaceted Creator, Producer, Photographer, Cinematographer, Editor, Director of Photography, Writer, and Actress. Always an advocate for health and wellness, Cara was inspired to create “Juice Bar” while writing stand-up comedy centered around the health food industry and the unique social culture of health food stores.
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Cara originally began writing stand-up, creating characters as part of her routines. As she continued to develop these characters, Obi suggested she write a full show instead of stand-up. With that idea, Cara started crafting characters specifically for a show. That show became "Juice Bar". Cara continued developing the concept while Obi came on board as a writer. They met daily to collaborate, with Cara sharing her ideas while she and Obi then worked together to shape them into scripts. And thus, “Juice Bar” was born.
Obi Ndefo
A native Los Angelean, his work with young people in schools and community organizations has focused on bridging cultures and creating a voice for common welfare. Seeking to connect his Nigerian and Jewish-American roots, he began writing, directing, and acting to tell stories of unity. After receiving his BA in psychology from Yale University and MFA from the Yale School of Drama, he went on to work at the Williamstown Theater Festival, Yale Repertory Theater, the Santa Monica Playhouse, and the Cornerstone Theater in Los Angeles. After acting in film and television for years he wrote and directed the short film Downstream, starring Eric Stoltz and Saul Williams, and was brought on to write American Amplitude, a film currently being developed about the birth of Hip Hop in America.
He currently lives in Los Angeles, writing and directing, while working as a theater educator and yoga/movement teacher (LA County High School for the Arts, LA Center for Enriched Studies).
