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PFAELZER AWARD
The Pfaelzer Award was created in honor of former Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer’s twenty-year commitment to nurturing artists and their developing stories at NYSAF. The award is meant to serve an inspiring generative voice with financial support, access to the NYSAF artistic community, and mentorship from Johanna Pfaelzer.
TRISTAN ANDRÉ | Pfaelzer Award Recipient
Tristan André. Brother. Sun. Black memory cultural worker. Lover of his community. Tristan, an alum of the MFA Professional Actor Training Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, is a Southern multi-hyphenate artist whose credits include PlayMakers Repertory Company's LIFE OF GALILEO, SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, LEAVING EDEN, TWELFTH NIGHT and THE CRUCIBLE, Shakespeare Theatre Company's THE AMEN CORNER, Philadelphia Theatre Company's CHOIR BOY, Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park's AS YOU LIKE IT and THE TEMPEST. Tristan premiered his solo performance work THEY DO NOT KNOW HARLEM a la PlayMakers Rep Spring 2023. He has worked as choreographer for Charleston Gaillard Center's FINDING FREEDOM: THE JOURNEY OF ROBERT SMALLS, Theatre Raleigh's 1940'S RADIO HOUR and most recently Virginia Theatre Festival's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. He is thrilled to be a recipient of the Pfaelzer Award and to be sown into the fabric of the New York Stage and Film community. Light.
ALEJANDRA CISNEROS | Pfaelzer Award Finalist
Alejandra Cisneros is a creative producer and director who excels in community building and artistic collaboration. With a degree in Film, Media, and Art History from the University of California, Irvine, and advanced training in project management, leadership, and equity, Alejandra brings a powerful and comprehensive perspective to her work. Throughout her diverse career, Alejandra has worked with esteemed organizations such as The Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She is passionately dedicated to amplifying diversity, equity, and inclusion, celebrating individuality, and fostering mission-driven partnerships. Her approach is rooted in creating spaces that honor truth and reject narratives of otherness. Alejandra's directorial projects reflect her versatility and commitment to innovative storytelling. In EL VERDE she explores Latinx superhero culture with a dynamic and humorous touch, blending comedy with social commentary. IT TASTES LIKE WHAT I REMEMBER delves into personal and collective memories through the lens of culinary traditions, highlighting the intimate connections between food and identity. Meanwhile, CHISME Y QUESO offers a vibrant and interactive theatrical experience, engaging audiences with stories of community, culture, and gossip, and emphasizing the importance of shared narratives. Her dedication to community engagement and innovative direction has earned her several accolades, including being a member of the artEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle, receiving Theatre Communications Group's Young Leader of Color award, and being honored with the prestigious Leadership U grant for visionary rising leaders. Alejandra continues to push the boundaries of the arts, creating spaces that not only entertain but also enlighten and empower. Her work is a testament to the power of storytelling in celebrating diversity and fostering community. For more information, visit alecisneros.com.
FOUNDERS' AWARD
NYSAF’s Founders’ Award was established on the occasion of the company’s 25th anniversary in honor of the founders’ commitment to nurturing writers. Historically, the Founders’ Award Recipient has been provided a financial award and an extended residency during our annual Summer Season in the Hudson Valley.
storäe michele | Founders' Award Recipient
storäe michele (they/them) is a blackqueer, shape-shifting, non-binary femme, afro-futurist performer + storäe-teller. their creative practice builds a present + embodied archive of black femme futures + aliveness.
their experimental films, performances, and choreopoems center black femmes, honoring their routes to authenticity— the reclamation of body, sexuality and personhood—reminders of how to create brave space as blackqueer wild + holy beings.
storäe is a Lambda Literary Fellow (Playwriting Cohort, 2021) and their choreopoem, mama [rose.], was nominated for the 2022 LGBTQ Drama Lammy Award. storäe is a fellow for the 2023 Baldwin for the Arts Residency and the 2023 Greenhouse Residency (SPACE on Ryder Farm).
storäe recently collaborated in an on-site gallery installation and exhibit titled, because you’re [mine.], which nuances self-possession and ritual practice in the mundane. their upcoming performance piece [claustrophobia], is supported by Columbia University’s Center on African American Religion, Sexual Politics & Social Justice as a Rapid Response grant recipient.
CAMILLE SIMONE THOMAS | Founders' Award Finalist
Camille Simone Thomas is a 5th generation Detroiter through her father’s side and a first generation Jamaican through her mothers. Her work most often interrogates cultural legacies, familial healing, spirituality, and how Black femmes get free. Her plays have been workshopped at New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Sanguine Theatre Company, Blackboard Playwriting series, Lime Arts Theatre company, American Slavery Project, The Obie Award-winning Harlem9 and Detroit Public Theatre Company, Dixon Place, Workshop Theatre, Barter Theatre Company, The Brick, and more! She was a 2023 Broadway Advocacy Coalition Artivism fellow and a 2024 finalist for the Eugene O’Neill NPC. Currently Camille is in the Under Construction Playwrights Group working on 111 ORCHESTRA PLACE a play in her six play COTTON & CANE play cycle. Upcoming her play MUD; OR WHEN THINGS GET MESSY AND HOW WE LIVE WITH IT is having it’s Off-Broadway premiere at the Connelly Theatre August 3rd and 4th with SheNYC Theatre festival. Then she will begin her artistic research fellowship at The Folger Library in DC for her play SWEETBLOOD.
DONATHAN WALTERS | Founders' Award Finalist
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Donathan Walters holds a BFA in Screen Acting & a minor in Film Production from Chapman University. He recieved his MFA in Acting from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program at Tisch School of the Arts, class of 2022. Some of Donathan’s credits include: Classical Theater of Harlem’s acclaimed production of TWELFTH NIGHT; Motion Capture work for NBA 2k18 and 2k19 video games, Voice Over Work: Uber, and most recently: EVIL (Paramount+). Donathan brings a passion for developing new content and gauging provocative conversation amongst the community to bridge generational gaps to process hidden traumas amongst black people. In 2023, Donathan was chosen to participate in The Gatekeeper’s Collective’s Learning to Love fellowship, where he wrote and further developed HOPE IN PIECES, a one-act play that highlights the relationship between technology, love, and cultural expectation between strangers, strengthening his voice as both as a writer and storyteller.
THE DRAMA LEAGUE
Since 2018, NYSAF has partnered with The Drama League – America’s only full-time, year-round career and creative development home for directors – in providing residencies for their annual fellowship recipients.
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ZOË ADAMS | STAGE DIRECTING FELLOW
Zoë Adams creates theatre to spark imagination and open hearts to the magic of transformation. Her eclectic body of work includes: THE CHRISTINE JORGENSEN SHOW, WIZARD OF OZ, THE HISTORICAL RANGE OF URSUS AMERICANUS, SISTER ACT, MELTDOWN: A LIVE-ACTION GAME ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, IN THE NAME OF US (Best Short Play at DUAF), THE CHERRY ORCHARD, NOT CLOWN, SKIN FLICK CITY, STACKED at the National Theatre of Croatia, and the immersive supper club Krāv. She is the proud recipient of the 2024-2026 Drama League Stage Directing Fellowship. MFA, Directing, Columbia University; SDC Associate. zoecraigadams.com
SARAH HUGHES | BEATRICE TERRY RESIDENCY
Sarah Hughes is a director of new plays, radical adaptations, and devised work. Recent: DAPHNE by Renae Simone Jarrett (LCT3), GALATEA by MJ Kaufman (Brooklyn Bridge Park), HIS CHEST IS ONLY SKELETON by Julia Izumi (Playwrights Horizons), #GRACED by Vanessa Garcia (Zoetic Stage). Sarah is an Associated Artist of New Georges and Target Margin Theater, worked for many years with Elevator Repair Service, and has taught at Dartmouth College, Purchase College, and NYU. As Director of Artistic Programming at Theatre Row, she created the Kitchen Sink Residency for new work development. SDCF Barbara Whitman Award Finalist, Mercury Store Rresident, Drama League Resident, National Directors Fellow, WP Theater Lab Member, Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow. Upcoming: A WOMAN AMONG WOMEN by Julia May Jonas (The Bushwick Starr).
COLM SUMMERS | NEXT STAGE RESIDENCY
Colm Summers is an award-winning, Irish director-writer, based in NYC, and the new Artistic Director of the Working Theater. Most recently he directed EVERY BRILLIANT THING at the Geffen Playhouse by Duncan MacMillan, starring Daniel K Isaac (Theaterly's BEST OF 2023). Colm has developed work with Berkeley Rep, New York Stage & Film, Rattlestick Theatre, Abbey Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Irish Rep and more. He was a 2023 Groundfloor cohort member at Berkeley Rep and was the inaugural Resident Director at both the Geffen Playhouse and at the Abbey, the National Theater of Ireland. In 2023, he won Ireland's Next Generation Artist Award. He is a writer in the Origin Theater/Irish Arts Center playwrights’ group and BMI Musical Theater Book Writers Workshop.
STEPHEN QUINN | Actor
Stephen Quinn is an award-winning Irish theatre and performance maker,
whose work encompasses a kaleidoscope of music theatre; drag; physical
theatre and alternative cabaret. New York Magazine described his
recent performance in Taylor Mac and Matt Ray's BARK OF MILLIONS as
"mesmerizing" and his solo performances have been presented
internationally, both in Europe and the United States. He has received
multiple funding awards from the Irish Arts Council and the Abbey
Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre. Recent credits include THERE
WILL BE RAINBOWS (Irish Repertory Theatre, NY, 2024) Taylor Mac and
Matt Ray's BARK OF MILLIONS (Main Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House,
2023; Brooklyn Academy of Music, 2024; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley,
2024); SHAME // LESS (Galway Film Fleadh, 2022; GAZE International
LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Dublin, 2021); Anu Productions FAULTLINE
(Dublin Theatre Festival/Gate Theatre, 2019) and OVERFIRED (winner
of the Outburst Queer Fringe Award at Dublin Fringe, 2018. See
stephenquinn.org for more details.
GABRIEL STELIAN-SHANKS | Artistic Director
Gabriel Stelian-Shanks is the Artistic Director of The Drama League of New York, and a co-founder of the award-winning A Certain Something. Gabriel has directed over sixty theatrical, film, and television projects across the United States and Europe. A co-director of the Obie Award-winning THE VILLAGE FRAGMENTS and a nominee for Best Director at the Madrid International Film Festival, he recently directed HOW TO MOURN AN AMERICAN for Little Island in New York City. He has been honored by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and by U.S. Ambassadors; his awards include the Theatre Project Honor for Outstanding Vision and the Arnoult/Coigney Award for Global Theatre from the Center for International Theatre Development. He is currently working on the series THE RECIPE, which was developed by The Orchard Project, and his next film, VANCOUVER.
LIZ PETERSON | Associate Director
Bio coming soon.
ANDREW COOPMAN | Artistic Associate
Andrew Coopman (they/he) is a director, choreographer, and playwright of Middle Eastern descent. A Drama League Directors Project alumnus, Andrew’s work as a director and choreographer has been seen on stages in Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Ithaca, New York City, and more. Credits include: THE APOLLO OF BELLAC (Hangar Theatre), HEAD OVER HEELS (Lakewood Playhouse), Bryony Lavery’s FROZEN: A PLAY (Cabaret Theater), LITTLE WOMEN (Seattle Musical Theater), CINDERELLA (Village Theatre), and ORFEO Y EURIDICE (Seattle Opera). Their original work, TAROT, premiered at Strawdog Theatre Company in Chicago. Other new work includes …AND THEN THE LIGHTNING STRUCK and TREESON: A NEW ECO-MUSICAL. MFA Directing, University of Washington and MA, Educational Theatre, New York University – Steinhardt. Proud SDC and AGMA member. AndrewCoopman.com
MAY TREUHAFT-ALI | Dramaturg
May Treuhaft-Ali is a playwright and dramaturg from Queens, New York. Her dramaturgy credits include THE BAND'S VISIT at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, THE WISH: A MANUAL FOR A LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO SAVE ABORTION IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGH THEATER, and KISS by Guillermo Calderón at Haven Theatre in Chicago. She also served as Associate Director on the world premiere of SHHHH by Clare Barron at Atlantic Theater Company. As a playwright, her plays have been developed at Page 73, EST/Youngblood, Rattlestick, Ars Nova, Clubbed Thumb, The Playwrights Realm, The Movement Theatre Company, MCC Theater, Irish Repertory Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, South Coast Repertory, Cleveland Play House, and the Cape Cod Theatre Project.
BREAKING THE BINARY THEATRE
Breaking the Binary Theatre is a new work development and community building hub wherein transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ (TNB2S+*) artists come together to reclaim our artistic license and liberty through a number of initiatives and programs, including the annual all-TNB2S+ Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival each October. Founded and led by George Strus (they/them), since Breaking the Binary Theatre’s launch in July 2022, the organization has produced over twenty-five workshops and readings of new works by TNB2S+ artists, commissioned over fifty TNB2S+ artists, hosted over fifteen community events, launched a free educational Summer Intensive for emerging TNB2S+ performers, partnered with Playbill and BroadwayCon, been in-residence at Playwrights Horizons, Williamstown Theatre Festival and New York Stage and Film, and paid out over $300,000 to over 275 TNB2S+ artists. Residency participants: George Strus, Dominique Rider, Garrett Allen, reid tang, Adrian Einspanier.
GEORGE STRUS | FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
George Strus (they/them) is a Tony Award-nominated and Obie Award-winning trans non-binary Latiné theatremaker. They founded Breaking the Binary Theatre: a new work development and community building hub for transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ theatremakers (Obie Award). Commercially, they were a proud co-producer of the 2023 off-Broadway world premiere production of Stephen Sondheim's final musical, HERE WE ARE, and are currently making their Broadway debut as a co-producer of Jackie Sibblies Drury, Justin Peck, and Sufjan Stevens’ ILLINOISE at the St. James Theatre (Tony nomination). In addition, they are a part of the producing team behind Moisés Kaufman and Sasha Velour’s VELOUR: A DRAG SPECTACULAR (premiering at La Jolla Playhouse in August 2024) and are developing Amber Ruffin’s BIGFOOT. They also currently serve as SigSpace Curator + Producer at Signature Theatre, Producers Cohort Program Facilitator at The Tank, Theatre Scout at Curate Management, and Project Director at Meena Harris’ Phenomenal Theatre Fund. They are an Associate Member of The Broadway League with Greg Nobile (Seaview Productions) serving as their mentor. www.georgestrus.com
reid tang | DEBT
reid tang writes plays and makes weird internet experiments. Their work includes WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY (Clubbed Thumb), FUTURE WIFE (Theatertreffen Stückemarkt), and Party in a Google Sheet (New Georges). They’re under commission from NYTW, NAATCO + Long Wharf Theatre, and a past recipient of the Sundance Institute Interdisciplinary Program Grant. Currently, they are part of Ars Nova's Play Group, the New Georges Jam, and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers' Group & NYTW’s 2050 Fellowship. They grew up in Singapore and presently live in Brooklyn, NY. reidtang.com
ADRIAN EINSPANIER | DEBT
Adrian Einspanier’s plays include LUNCH BUNCH (PlayCo and Clubbed Thumb; New York Times and Time Out Critic’s Picks; licensed by Concord Theatricals; in development for television with Film Nation), HOUSE PLANT (New York Theatre Workshop’s Next Door; ‘highbrow / brilliant’ in New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix; Lambda Literary Award Finalist), I FORGOT TO TELL YOU (published in The Brooklyn Rail), and DEBT (co-written with reid tang, in development with Breaking the Binary Theatre). A recipient of the 2023 Lotos Foundation Prize and a member of SPACE on Ryder Farm’s 2024 Working Farm, Adrian currently teaches at NYU Tisch and the National Theater Institute and is working on a new play commission for Darren Aronofsky‘s Protozoa Pictures and LAMF’s Theater Fund.
GARRETT ALLEN | RACIAL BONUS
Garrett Allen is an artist and director. They create activating experiences that explore the simple and complex realities of our individual and collective life, our lives, and our living. Garrett's art and practice questions, uncovers, excavates, connects, imagines, and realizes: action. They do for and toward liberation. And love. These actions manifest in stories, journeys, reflections, and mediations shared with embodied liveness, gathering, and engagement. Their current explorations and collaborations circle theater, performance, video, djing, and collectivizing. Garrett has shown and shared with Ars Nova, Prelude Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Yale Dramat, Spectrum NYC, School for Visual Arts NYC, and University for the Arts. They recently directed CLEANSED by Sarah Kane, an original adaptation of JULIUS CAESAR by Shakespeare, and a workshop production of ESME by Doug Robinson at Yale for their MFA in Directing. They are the cofounder of LEGACY: a production collective created for and by Black, queer and trans artists. www.garrett-allen.com
DOMINIQUE RIDER | RACIAL BONUS
Dominique Rider is a Brooklyn-based transdisciplinary artist whose work seeks to answer the question: “What is a world unmade by slavery?” while attempting to analyze the layers of anti-blackness that maintain the world we live in. Deploying theatre and performance as tools of Afropessimism, Dominique has developed and staged work with Soho Rep, Portland Stage, The Bushwick Starr, The New Group, The Park Avenue Armory, and more. Past fellowships/residencies include Playwrights Horizons, The Atlantic, Hi-Arts, The National Black Theatre, TheaterWorks Hartford, BRIC Arts, Roundabout, and NAMT. Currently, Dominique is a producer with CLASSIX, an artist in residence at Duke University, and a member of The Civilians R&D group.
ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE
Ensemble Studio Theatre (Estefanía Fadul and Graeme Gillis, Co-Artistic Directors) is a Hell’s Kitchen-based, Off-Broadway theatre focused on the development of new work and voices since its founding by Curt Dempster in 1968. In those 55 years, EST has developed thousands of new American plays and has grown into a company of over 600 actors, directors, playwrights, designers, and stage managers. EST's mission is to develop and produce original, provocative, and authentic new work. A dynamic community committed to a collaborative process, EST is dedicated to inclusion across all aspects of identity and perspective, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexuality, physical or mental ability, physical or mental health, and recovery, while acknowledging and working to end systemic marginalization and oppression at all levels of its organization. EST discovers and nurtures new voices and supports artists throughout their creative lives. This extraordinary support and commitment to inclusivity are essential toyield extraordinary work.
ESTEFANÍA FADUL | EST Co- Artistic Director
Estefanía Fadul is a Colombian-born, New Hampshire-raised, New York-based director, and a co-Artistic Director of NYC’s Ensemble Studio Theatre. She has directed multiple world premieres, including HOTEL HAPPY by Camilo Almonacid (Houses on the Moon); Caridad Svich’s Spanish-language adaptation of EVA LUNA, based on the novel by Isabel Allende (Repertorio Español); THE GARBOLOGISTS by Lindsay Joelle (Philadelphia Theatre Company); THE SAME DAY by Stefan Ivanov (Theatre Laboratory Sfumato, Bulgaria); SCISSORING by C. Quintana (INTAR); and the Drama League Award-nominated CARLA’S QUINCE, which she conceived and devised with the Voting Project Ensemble to mobilize Latiné voters to the polls. She has developed work off-Broadway and regionally at the Public Theater, Playwrights’ Realm, NYTW, Chautauqua, Audible, and more, and has guest directed at training programs including Juilliard, Princeton, and NYU. She is a recipient of New York Stage and Film’s Pfaelzer Award, and fellowships including the Drama League Directors Project, O’Neill/NNPN National Directors Fellowship, Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellowship, Williamstown Foeller Fellowship, and Van Lier Fellowship at Repertorio Español. She serves on the Drama League’s Board of Directors, and is a member of the leadership circle of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice, the Latinx Theatre Commons advisory committee, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, New Georges, and SDC. B.A. Vassar College. www.estefaniafadul.com.
GRAEME GILLIS | EST Co-Artistic Director
Graeme Gillis is from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He is co-Artistic Director of Ensemble Studio Theatre with Estefanía Fadul. Prior to this he has co-led EST/Youngblood with RJ Tolan, fostering early-career playwrights (Obie Award winner); and the EST/Sloan Project with Linsay Firman, fostering plays about science and technology (over $3 million in grants awarded nationwide). As a Canadian he proudly bears a US green card for playwriting. He is a member of the Actors Studio and EST. He teaches at Sarah Lawrence College.
RATTLESTICK THEATER
Founded in 1994, Rattlestick Theater has been steadfast in producing diverse, provocative, and expansive new work to foster the future voices of the American theater. From its historic West Village theater, Rattlestick has produced the first plays and early works of some of today’s leading voices, including Martyna Majok (Ironbound), Diana Oh (mylingerieplay), and Heidi Schreck (There Are No More Big Secrets). Rattlestick is where some of our nation’s most celebrated playwrights are encouraged to test their boldest ideas, including Dael Orlandersmith (Until the Flood), José Rivera (Massacre, Sing to Your Children), and Samuel D. Hunter (Lewiston/ Clarkston, nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play).
MAEGAN MORRIS | RATTLESTICK THEATER
Maegan Morris is the Managing Director of Rattlestick Theater. Previously, she was at Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, where she served as the Contract Affairs Representative for Off-Broadway and New York theaters among other jurisdictions. During her tenure, she served as primary negotiator for several bargained agreements and participated in labor organizing campaigns including the successful inclusion of associate and resident directors and choreographers on Broadway. Previously, she was a talent agent at Bloc Talent Agency in the Legit and Choreography departments, representing artists in film/TV, theater, music videos and concert tours. She is the founder of the NYC Dancers Vote Registration Drive, running voter registration events throughout the tri-state area encouraging the dance community to register the vote in local and national elections. She received her BA in English & Theatre from Middlebury College. A third generation native New Yorker, she currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids.
BAILEY WILLIAMS | RATTLESTICK THEATER
Bailey Williams is a playwright, producer, and performer. Upcoming: TWO SISTERS FIND A BOX OF LESBIAN EROTICA IN THE WOODS, Rattlestick/New Georges, Spring 2025. Past productions: COACH COACH, dir. Sarah Blush, Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks 2024; EVENTS, dir. Sarah Blush, THE HEARTH AT THE BRICK, December 2022; I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE BUT I DIDN’T, dir. Sarah Blush, THE TANK, May 2019; BUFFALO BAILEY’S RANCH FOR GAY HORSES, TROUBLED TEEN GIRLS AND OTHER: A 90 MINUTE TIMESHARE PRESENTATION, The Exponential Festival, January 2018. She was a 2022 MacDowell Fellow for Fiction and a member of the Clubbed Thumb Early Career Writers Group and Ars Nova’s Play Group. She is a New Georges affiliated artist and recipient of the 2022 Audrey Residency with Emma Horwitz. MFA: Brooklyn College. baileywilliams.live
Additional participants include Will Davis, Kate Eminger, Emily Feldman, and Emma Horwitz
BRINGABOUT DEVELOPMENT
BringAbout Development: 501c3 nonprofit development and production company dedicated to developing dance as a narrative tool early in the process of writing new musicals. Recent work: Little Island, Ars Nova, Old Globe, Goodspeed, CUNY Dance Initiative, Berkeley Rep. New projects: Bodies of Work with Zoe Sarnak, new musical with award-winning writer in Tokyo, NYU GMTWP. Collaborators: more than 200 artists - writers, composers, music directors, sound engineers and the most wonderful and inspiring creative performing artists. BringAbout Programming: 8 years of studio residencies exploring new works, Kingston multi-day residencies, BC Beat, salons, digital programming & collaboration! http://www.jenniferjancuska.com/tba
BODIES OF WORK ZOE SARNAK
For the first time, award-winning composer and lyricist Zoe Sarnak shares her own story from the stage, in a piece that leads the audience through the expansive and intimate life moments that influenced her songwriting process. From the piano, or with a guitar in hand, Zoe uncovers family cycles of immigration and assimilation, unpacks queerness and the expansive horizon of a different kind of family making, and teeters on the heartbreak and nerves of her risk-reward relationship with work, art, and the future.
BODIES OF WORK is a theatrical series that employs The BringAbout’s method of development and signature intertwining of music, text, movement and sound design to immerse audiences into the powerful, complicated, and thrilling world of songwriters. Bodies refers to the songwriter’s body of work and to the bodies bringing the story to life. The concept for BODIES OF WORK is originated by BringAbout Artistic Director, Jennifer Jancuska. Bodies of Work copyright, Jennifer Jancuska
JENNIFER JANCUSKA | BODIES OF WORK ZOE SARNAK
Jennifer Jancuska (she/her): @jencuska Founding artistic director of BringAbout Development. Seven years of leading the Broadway company of HAMILTON as Resident Choreographer & Dance Supervisor. Selected work & collaborators: DEM Productions, Wagner Johnson Productions, Universal Theatricals, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, The Public, Dallas Theatre Center, Goodspeed, Madison Square Garden, New York Musical Festival, The Drama League, Ars Nova, Little Island. Jennifer is known for producing the sold out bi-annual event BC BEAT, described by The New York Times as the place to “step into the spotlight and re-imagine the possibilities for dance in musical theater.” Teaching: NYU GMTWP, Syracuse University, Ithaca College, Pace University, University of the Arts, College of Charleston, Shanghai Theatre Academy. Cornell University grad. Proud SDC member. Jennifer is named to the 2024 Broadway Women’s Fund Annual Women to Watch on Broadway list. www.jenniferjancuska.com
ZOE SARNAK | BODIES OF WORK ZOE SARNAK
ZOE SARNAK is a New York City-based composer, lyricist, and writer. She is a Jonathan Larson Award winner; and a finalist for the Ebb and Kleban Awards. Her work has been developed with and presented by Second Stage, New York Stage & Film, The Public, Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Theatre Workshop, WP Theatre and many more. Works include: NY Times Critics Pick, THE LONELY FEW (with Rachel Bonds) at MCC and The Geffen; GALILEO (with Danny Strong and Michael Weiner) at Berkeley Rep; A CROSSING (with Josh Bergasse, Mark St. Germain, and Calpulli Mexican Dance Company) at Barrington Stage Company; the upcoming world premiere of EMPIRE RECORDS (with Carol Heikkinen) at McCarter Theatre; PARTICLE FEVER (with David Henry Hwang and Bear McCreary), SPLIT (with Michele Lowe) and others soon to be announced. Her music has been featured by the NY Times Live, The Guggenheim, the BBC, and in benefit concerts and albums for Everytown. www.zoesarnak.com @zoesarnak
EPHIE AARDEMA | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Ephie Aardema (she/her) played Emma and understudied the role of Fanny Brice in the revival of FUNNY GIRL and is headed into rehearsals for the upcoming Broadway revival of OUR TOWN. She was in the original Broadway cast of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY and played Dawn on the 1st national tour of WAITRESS. She was nominated for a Jeff Award for her performance in EMMA at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Off-Broadway credits include the Drama-Desk Award winning revival of I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE (CSC), PARADE (Lincoln Center), SONGBIRD, DADDY LONG LEGS and DEAR EDWINA. Regionally she has played at the Old Globe, La Jolla, Papermill, PCLO, Goodspeed and St. Louis Rep among many others. She’s an international tap champion with a history of working in community organizing & online integrity. She was the youngest-ever graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School and holds a Congressional Gold Medal for Outstanding Youth. @ephieaardema
MARISSA BARRAGAN | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Marissa Barragan (she/her) is thrilled and deeply grateful to be part of BODIES OF WORK! Recent credits include: American Repertory Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Bucks County Playhouse, Flat Rock Playhouse, Riverside Theatre, Transcendence Theatre Company, and several new works in development. Proud Georgetown University graduate. Endless thanks to her loving family. Gratitude and glory to God. @marissabarragan www.marissabarragan.com
VERONICA FIAONI | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Veronica is originally from Toronto, Canada but was raised in Los Angeles, California. She discovered her passion for the arts at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), where she majored in Dance. Veronica went on to attend Montclair State University where she graduated with her BFA a semester early in order to join the International Tour of WEST SIDE STORY. Since then, she has continued to work both on Broadway and TV.
Some credits include: Broadway: LEMPICKA. Regional: CHICAGO (The Muny); JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY (TUTS); ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (Goodspeed). Tours: A CHORUS LINE (Maggie); BEETLEJUICE (Miss Argentina); WEST SIDE STORY (Clarice/Swing). TV: AMERICAN HORROR STORIES, LAW AND ORDER, and THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON. www.veronicafiaoni.com | @vernyverny
ALEXANDER MENDOZA | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Alexander Mendoza (he/him) is a New York based artist. He was most recently seen in Berkeley Rep’s World Premiere of GALILEO: A ROCK MUSICAL.
Select theatre credits include: 1st National Tour of Disney’s FROZEN THE MUSICAL understudying the role of Kristoff. Mendoza was also seen on The World Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA understudying the role of Raoul, where he performed in the Philippines, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Israel, Dubai, and South Korea.
Other credits include the 1st National Tour of SISTER ACT THE MUSICAL and the North American Tour of MAMMA MIA! His original pop song “WOW!” is available on streaming platforms.
VERONICA OTIM | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Veronica Otim is an NYC based actress, and is honored to help bring Zoe and Jennifer's work to life. Past credits include JAGGED LITTLE PILL (Broadway), & JULIET (OBC).
NICOLE PATRICK | Musician, Singer, Mover
Nicole Patrick (they/them) is a percussionist and drummer living in Brooklyn. They are currently subbing on Broadway for the Tony Award winning ILLINOISE on both percussion and drumset. In 2022 they premiered the role of “Rockstar”, the on-stage percussionist, with the BLUE MAN GROUP World Tour. Current projects: pop kiss (indie pop), Alaara (experimental trio), Goldfeather (art-rock), Tanner Porter (chamber folk). @niconeeek nicoleepatrick.com
MASON REEVES | Singer, Dancer, Actor
(he/him) National Tour: FROZEN (Kristoff, First Natl.) Regional: HAIR (Berger), Signature Theatre; REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (Henry), ART; FOOTLOOSE (Ren), MUNY; ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (Daniel), PCLO; MAMMA MIA! (Sky), Connecticut Repertory Theatre. University: WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT… (Actor 2), THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (Jesus of Nazareth). Film: INHUMAN (Elliot), HOW TO CURE INSOMNIA. Education: BFA in Musical Theater, University of Michigan. Artistic Associate of the Bucks County Playhouse. Masondreeves.com. Instagram: @rasonmeeves
HUGO BRUMENT SCUDERI | Singer, Dancer, Actor
Bio coming soon.
LUKE WYGODNY | Musician, Singer, Mover
Luke Wygodny (he/him) (Cello, Guitar, Vocals) As a Songwriter, Luke composed & performed the music for the World Premiere Pulitzer Prize winning play, PRIMARY TRUST, at Roundabout. His indie/folk band The Heartstrings Project was up for consideration at the 64th Grammy Awards 2022: Best Americana Album of the Year & Best American Roots Song. American Songwriter Semi-Finalists (2022.) Performed at Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Virtual 50th Anniversary of Tea for the Tillerman, and was Deepak Chopra's Monthly Featured Artist Pick on Spotify. As an actor - Judas in GODSPELL (PCLO) and Broadway tours ONCE, AMERICAN IDIOT, HUNDRED DAYS (The Bengsons) & SOUL DOCTOR. David Cromer’s production of Rent, and originated the role of “Jumping Jack the Acrobat” in THE DISAPPEARING MAN (St. Louis Rep.) Upcoming: West Coast Premiere of Primary Trust (La Jolla Playhouse) & releasing another album with his band. @Lukewygodny @TheHeartstringsProject lukewygodny.com
NICHOLAS CONNORS | Music Director, Piano
Nicholas Connors (he/him) is a composer/lyricist, Broadway conductor and orchestrator. For his new musical COAL, he is a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow and recipient of the Lortel Theatre’s 121 Project grant. He was also a recent finalist for the Ed Kleban Prize, Jonathan Larson Grant, and Fred Ebb Award. Nicholas’ other stage musicals include PAPER VALLEY and HERE, IN THE PARK. Nicholas has orchestrated and arranged music for many stars of the stage and screen, including Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Lea Salonga, and Jessica Vosk. His orchestrations have been performed by orchestras across the country, from Carnegie Hall to the White House. Nicholas' Broadway credits include ALMOST FAMOUS (Asst. Music Director), Kristin Chenoweth's FOR THE GIRLS (Assoc. Music Director, Orchestrator) and MEAN GIRLS (Pianist). Nicholas is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. @nick_connors www.nicholas-connors.com
NATALIE BROWN | Music Assistant
Natalie Brown is a composer, musician, and playwright. Original works include the opera adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s FOR COLORED GIRLS (New York City Center/Yale University), chamber music piece insomni/black (commission, Carnegie Hall), and new musical FINDING EDEN. Additional musical experience: GUN AND POWDER (Music Assistant, Paper Mill Playhouse), incidental music for SANCTUARY CITY (Yale University), and performances at venues including New York’s 54 Below and New Haven’s Koffee?. Natalie is pursuing her BA in Music and African-American Studies at Yale University, where she is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Among other musical and academic awards, she has been honored as a Eugene O’Neill NMTC Semifinalist, Write Out Loud Finalist, and Yale Swensen Scholar in the Arts. Her new musical LITTLE WHITE LIES will debut at Yale in February 2025.
MAX REUBEN | Dramaturg
Max Reuben (he/him) is a Philadelphia-born, Brooklyn-based playwright, director, and teacher. Recent directing: A series of cabarets for Salty Brine’s Living Record Collection (the David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Neutral Milk Hotel, Harry Nilsson, and Led Zeppelin shows, respectively), as well as the upcoming WE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER with actors at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater Training Program. Recent playwriting: THIS PLACE IS DEFINITELY HAUNTED (Powerhouse); THEN, OF COURSE, ALL THE THINGS HAPPENED (Crashbox, Seven Devils, Paper Kraine); Bank Holiday (The Hive Collaborative). MFA: NYU. @maxreubensandwich www.maxreuben.com
JAMES JIN | Assistant and Photo/Video Capture
James Jin (he/him) is a photographer and an artist mindset coach. James explores how to stay curious and open in the midst of feeling creative fears. @jamesjinimages jamesjinimages.com
LOST CITY RADIO
As the host of Lost City Radio, Norma reads the names of those who have disappeared, bringing consolation and hope to a country fractured by war. Her own life is about to forever change—thanks to the arrival of a young orphan boy from the countryside, Victor, who brings with him a clue about the fate of Norma's vanished husband, Rey. Together, they embark on a journey that weaves in and out of their memories to probe the deepest questions of war and its meaning: from its devastating impact on society to the emotional scarring each survivor carries for years after. Lost City Radio is a timeless tale of family, collective memory, and corrupt control.
JOEL PEREZ | LOST CITY RADIO
Joel Perez is an award-winning actor and writer living in NYC. His acting work includes FUN HOME (Broadway), KISS MY AZTEC! (Hartford Stage), AS YOU LIKE IT (The Public Theater), and SWEET CHARITY (New Group; Lortel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical). Film work includes TICK, TICK… BOOM! (Netflix). TV work includes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE! (NBC), PERSON OF INTEREST (CBS) and ODD MOM OUT (Bravo). He wrote and stars in BEAUTIFUL, FL which premiered on Disney+ in 2023. Other writing includes STIR, a play commission from the Old Globe Theater which premiered in 2024. Follow him at @misterjoelperez and visit www.misterjoelperez.com
BENJAMIN VELEZ | LOST CITY RADIO
Benjamin Velez is a composer/lyricist born and raised in Miami, FL. Proud member of the Advanced BMI workshop (2012 Harrington Award), he has developed original musicals at Ars Nova, Sundance at UCROSS, Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, and the O'Neill, where his musical BORDERLINE opened the 2019 Musical Theater Conference.
He was a Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow, the 2019 Fred Ebb Award Winner, a 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient, and 2023 winner of the Stephen Schwartz Award. His musical KISS MY AZTEC, written with John Leguizamo, Tony Taccone, and David Kamp, has appeared at Berkeley Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, and Hartford Stage. His Public Works musical of THE TEMPEST premiered at the Delacorte Theater in August 2023. REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, a collaboration with Joy Huerta (of Jesse Y Joy) Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin, directed by Sergio Trujillo, premiered at the American Repertory Theater in December 2023.
THE BAD NEWS BEARS, A MUSICAL
THE BAD NEWS BEARS, A MUSICAL, is based on the classic 1976 Paramount Studios film with a screenplay by Bill Lancaster. The musical stage adaptation is written by Brian Feinstein & Eric Garcia and directed by Sherri Eden Barber; musical direction by Makulumy Alexander-Hills. The musical is produced by Marissa McMahon of Kamala Productions with EPs Nathan Gehan and Jamison Scott of ShowTown Theatricals. THE BAD NEWS BEARS is about a washed-up baseball player who takes a job coaching a ragtag team of Little League misfits, and winds up finding victory not on the field, but in accepting and embracing their own quirky imperfections.
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BRIAN FEINSTEIN | THE BAD NEWS BEARS
Brian Feinstein (music) is delighted to be returning to NYSAF with his writing partner Eric Garcia to continue developing their adaptation of THE BAD NEWS BEARS! Original musicals include (Off-Broadway): GIRLSTAR, (Signature Theatre, DC, directed by Eric Schaeffer), MIMI LE DUCK starring the legendary Eartha Kitt, (NYC), THE TOP JOB (Vital Theatre, NYC), THE DOLLMAKER’S GIFT (Rose Theatre, Nebraska) DIAL M FOR MURDER (John Engeman Theatre, NY) AS YOU LIKE IT (Shakespeare on the Sound, CT) THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN (Theatre West, Los Angeles), among others. In Development: PUPPY PIRATES based on the celebrated Random House book series.
A graduate of the USC School of Cinema and NYU’S Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Brian is also the founder of the FeinLine Musical Theatre Academy: a one-stop destination of “Musical Theatre Instruction & Creation from Beginner to Pro”. His “Superhero Songwriting For Kids” video series is now streaming on Broadway On Demand. While not at the piano, Brian is a strong supporter of dog and animal rescue leagues across the country. www.FeinLineMusic.com
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ERIC GARCIA | THE BAD NEWS BEARS
Eric Garcia is thrilled to be coming to NYSAF (for the very first time) with his partner Brian Feinstein and THE BAD NEWS BEARS! Eric is the creator, showrunner, and Executive Producer of the Netflix hit show KALEIDOSCOPE, which reached #1 in 180 countries and was seen by more than 50 million viewers in its first month on air. He is also a screenwriter, producer, and novelist, whose books have been published in 22 countries and translated into 15 languages, and he has been behind such books and films as the Ridley Scott-directed MATCHSTICK MEN; THE REPOSSESSION MAMBO and its film adaptation REPO MEN directed by Miguel Sapochnik; and the cult hit ANONYMOUS REX series. He produced the award-winning horror film THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE starring Brian Cox and was the writer and executive producer of STRANGE BUT TRUE, starring Amy Ryan, Nick Robinson, and Margaret Qualley.
Born in Miami and educated at Cornell University and the University of Southern California, he lives outside Los Angeles with his wife Sabrina, his children Bailey and Teddy, and more pets than are probably necessary.
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SHERRI EDEN BARDER | THE BAD NEWS BEARS
Sherri Eden Barber is a director, Artistic Director of Ricochet Collective, and Resident Director of HAMILTON (And Peggy Company). Recent productions: TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS with Nia Vardalos (Pasadena Playhouse), TO LET GO AND FALL (Theater Latté Da), Esperanza Spalding’s EMILY’S D+EVOLUTION (Development on European Tour), HAPPILY AFTER EVER (Ricochet Collective – 59E59, Edinburgh Fringe), GOOD FRIDAY (The Flea Theater), ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES (Ricochet Collective – Teatro Circulo), GORDY CRASHES (Ricochet Collective – IRT), MR. LANDING TAKES A FALL (The Flea), HERMAN KLINE’S MIDLIFE CRISIS (The Beckett), 24 Hour Plays on Broadway with Pablo Schreiber, Laverne Cox, and Melanie Griffith (American Airlines Theatre). Sherri is a recipient of The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Directors Fellowship, a Drama League Directing Fellow, and recipient of the US/UK Exchange Award. RicochetCollective.com | SherriEdenBarber.me
AVA BRIGLIA | Amanda
Ava Briglia is thrilled to play Amanda in Bad News Bears the Musical! Broadway: SCHOOL OF ROCK (Summer), MATILDA (Matilda), THE FERRYMAN. First National Tour: SOR (Summer). Off Broadway: TREVOR THE MUSICAL, ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE. Other: JOHN MULANEY & SACK LUNCH BUNCH (Netflix)
BONNIE MILLIGAN | Turner
Tony-award winning Bonnie Milligan is a certified star of stage and screen. After making her Broadway debut originating the role of 'Pamela' in HEAD OVER HEELS, Bonnie has gone on to win a Theatre World Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performances. Bonnie's theatre credits include RESTORATION COMEDY (Flea Theater), KINKY BOOTS (National Tour), and OTHER WORLD (Delaware Theatre Company.) On TV, Bonnie was recently seen on AND JUST LIKE THAT Season 2, and has appeared in HAPPY!, NEW AMSTERDAM, CHICAGO FIRE, ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA, and recurring as 'Katherine Winterbottom' on SEARCH PARTY. Bonnie just finished her run as 'Debra' in the critically acclaimed KIMBERLY AKIMBO on Broadway in which she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress. Bonnie has also received the Actors' Equity Foundation Clarence Derwent Award for her performance.
QUINN VANANTWERP| Buttermaker
Quinn Vanantwerp is a Broadway and Television actor who most recently appeared in the Original Broadway Cast of SHUCKED! Quinn is best known for his work as the longest running Bob Gaudio in the Broadway Company of the Tony Award Winning Musical, JERSEY BOYS, as well as recurring roles on AMC’s BETTER CALL SAUL and Showtime’s THE AFFAIR.
His other credits includes TV: FBI, I’M DYING UP HERE, BLUE BLOODS, THE GOOD WIFE, ELEMENTARY, SHADES OF BLUE, NURSE JACKIE, THE FOLLOWING, and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. Film: MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, FOUR CHRISTMASES. Broadway: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
MARISSA McMAHON | THE BAD NEWS BEARS
Marissa McMahon is a New York-based film producer, and founder of Kamala Films, an independent production company focused on the development of intelligent, emotionally resonant films that are both expansive and intimate.
McMahon’s first feature, ANAMORPH, a psychological thriller starring Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman and Clea Duvall, premiered at the Milwaukee International Film Festival and screened at Cameraimage, the world's foremost festival for cinematography and visual storytelling. ANAMORPH was released theatrically by IFC.
Most recently, McMahon produced Matthew Heineman’s gripping narrative feature debut, A PRIVATE WAR, a biopic based on Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair article about slain war journalist Marie Colvin. Written by Arash Amel, stars Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci and was nominated for two Golden Globe awards including Best Actress.
Kamala’s current slate of films include the following literary fiction and non-fiction adaptations: LOVE IS A GUN, the true, untold story of Bonnie and Clyde based on the best selling book, GO DOWN TOGETHER by Jeff Guinn, with Chloe Moretz and Jack O’Connell attached to star; Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer nominated novella, TRAIN DREAMS; Jennifer Banash’s SILENT ALARM; best-selling novel AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld; and influential Japanese manga, LONE WOLF AND CUB adapted by Andrew Kevin Walker and to be directed by Justin Lin.
McMahon is actively involved with foundations that support the environment and literacy including The Surfrider Foundation, Global Education Fund, Good Start, and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. She is a member of the Board of Directors of New York’s The Children’s Museum of Art and a founding partner of Global Power Of Literacy.
A lifelong bookworm and avid snowboarder, Marissa lives in New York City with her husband, Shane, and their three sons.
MAKULUMY ALEXANDER-HILLS | THE BAD NEWS BEARS
Makulumy Alexander-Hills is a music director, arranger, and pianist working in London and New York. Previous work includes FINDING NEVERLAND (ART), TRIANGLE (TheatreWorks), THE MAN IN THE CEILING (TheatreWorks), VIOLET ON A BUS (ART), RAGTIME on Ellis Island, THE DOLL MAKER'S GIFT (Rose Theater), and NICE TOWN, NORMAL PEOPLE (Rhizome Theater Company). PhD Music Theory, Columbia University.
AN AMERICAN GHOST DANCE | INDIGENOUS VOICES OF THE NORTHEAST RESIDENCY
Based on a true story, AN AMERICAN GHOST DANCE will be a one act play which will explore the impact of the past on the present, when the descendants of a general, (who played a leading role in nearly all of the U.S Army's campaigns against Native Americans on the Great Plains in the 19th century), hire a young Native American woman as a nanny for their child.
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THEA HOPKINS | AN AMERICAN GHOST DANCE
An aspiring playwright, Thea Hopkins has established herself as a performing songwriter. A member of Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard MA, she calls her music Red Roots Americana. She has been described as a “standout writer” by the Washington Post. In the Spring of 2024, Thea was selected by the Western Arts Alliance to attend the ISPA Congress in Perth, Australia as a PADX artist delegate. Thea was an official showcase artist at the International Indigenous Music Summit in Toronto in June 2023. She received an artist award in January 2023 from the Newport Festivals Foundation in support of her new album, HERE IN OUR WORLD, to be released in September 2024. Venues where Thea has performed include Massey Hall (CA), Kennedy Center (DC), Brooklyn Americana Festival (NY), the Atkinson (UK), Woody Guthrie Festival (OK), Moseley Folk Festival (UK), Summertyne Americana Festival (UK), Greenbelt Festival (UK), Museum of Fine Arts (MA), and Bluebird Cafe (TN).
THE PAINTER AND THE THEIF
After her work gets stolen from a gallery, a talented painter makes an unexpected connection with the thief who ripped her missing paintings from the walls. When she invites him to coffee to understand his motivation, they each find so much more: she, a muse, and he, a new understanding of himself. As their relationship grows, so do its implications for their established lives, resulting in both unfounded support and unexpected chaos. Based on the 2020 documentary of the same name, THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF is an unconventional story of understanding and the life-altering power of human connection.
RYAN DOBRIN | THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF
Ryan Dobrin (he/him) is one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of Obie-winning The Movement Theatre Company, the associate director of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG on Broadway, and the director of THOSE GUILTY CREATURES. Directing: Ryan Drake's you don't have to do anything (HERE Arts), Billy McEntee & Grier Mathiot's THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD (St. Lydia's), MARIA FRIEDMAN & FRIENDS (re-staging direction at Tufts), Eboni Booth's CONFERENCE ROOM B (Atlantic Acting School), Billy McEntee & Cam Cronin's GERALDINE REALIGNED... (The Brick), Mona Mansour's SET ME FREE starring Christian Slater, Clark Gregg, and Lola Tung (24 Hour Plays on Broadway), JULIAN HORNIK IN CONCERT (Joe's Pub), Halley Feiffer's MOSCOW X6 (University of Michigan), Caryl Churchill's A NUMBER (The Drama League), Bess Wohl's CONTINUITY (Fordham), Gage Tarlton's THE HOMIESEXUALS: A SOCIAL MEDIA TRAGEDY (short film), and Jordan Harrison's MARJORIE PRIME (NYU ETW). Fellowships/affiliations include The Drama League, Playwrights Horizons, MTC, WTF, Roundabout Directors Group, Fault Line Theatre, and Ars Nova. Development with New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, The Civilians, Ars Nova, Rattlestick, The Black List, The Movement, Victory Gardens, IRT, Clubbed Thumb, Mercury Store, and Waterwell. Ryan graduated from Wesleyan University (Rachel Henderson Theater Prize and the Outreach & Community Service Prize). ryandobrin.com
JULIAN HORNIK | THE PAINTER AND THE THEIF
Julian Hornik is a composer, lyricist, and librettist based in Brooklyn. Shows include ASSISTED with Adam Chanler-Berat (developed with The Civilians and Rhinebeck Writers Retreat), THREE DAYS with Mark Sonnenblick and Khiyon Hursey (Stanford, Vineyard Arts), DEATHBED EDITION (Ars Nova, Bedlam), TENN (Yale), and @QUEERZ, commissioned by the SF Gay Men’s Chorus. Film/TV credits include SHARE (A24) and animated musical series HELLUVA BOSS. Recipient of the Jonathan Larson Grant from the American Theatre Wing, the Lucille&Jack Yellen Award and the Sammy Cahn Award from the ASCAP Foundation, and the Bryan Gallace Fellowship from SPACE on Ryder Farm; an alum of the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project and the Orchard Project Greenhouse. He has performed his work at, amongst others, Joe’s Pub, The Kennedy Center, New York City Center, and Carnegie Hall.
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A FITTING
A play about fashion and disability, bodies and how they are perceived, and how new generations deal with the path that has been carved by their predecessors in a changing world. The story centers on Desiree Keller’s fashion house, a well-meaning integrated studio that creates adaptive designs for disabled and non-disabled models. Still, saviorism abounds. Within, an inverse relationship boils between two Black disabled models, the elder Roy and the newcomer Jacquis, as one rises and the other declines. With ableism, fetishization, and care brewing underneath their choices, the characters narrate our world’s rabid desire for novelty and altruism.
JERRON HERMAN | A FITTING
Jerron Herman is a dancer/writer compelled to create images of freedom. He has premiered works at Danspace Project, Performance Space New York, and The Whitney Museum; Tours: Baltimore Museum of Art, ODC SF, Lincoln Center (digital). Lax, commissioned by SPC, premiered at BDF and has activated museums like The Met and Guggenheim. Jerron is also the choreographer and co-director of Sensorium Ex, a new opera. His writings have been published in the US and abroad including Art Papers and his play, 3 BODIES, for Theater Magazine in 2022. He is a part of INTERIM, a boutique centering joy for disabled artists helmed by Candace Feldman that includes Molly Joyce and Christopher Unpezverde Nuñez. Other accolades: 2024 USA Fellowship, 2023-24 Fellowship at the NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts, 2021 Grants to Artists Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, 2021 Jerome Hill Fellowship in Dance from the Jerome Foundation, 2020 Disability Futures Fellowship.
AUSTIN REGAN | A FITTING
Austin Regan is a New York City based director of opera, theater, and video. His acclaimed stage work has been seen across the United States, including recently: RIGOLETTO at Minnesota Opera (". . . a scorching take on politics, patriarchy, and power," Minneapolis Star Tribune), DON GIOVANNI at FM Opera (“Great skill and vision . . . superb,” Fargo Forum), and DISCOUNT GHOST STORIES at Local Theater Co ("Hauntingly beautiful," Boulder Daily Camera), which won the True West Award for excellence in immersive theater. Regan is also the Tour Director for the Broadway musical A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, which launches a major national tour in 2024. Other projects and productions include LEFT AND RIGHT (National Sawdust); OUT OF A THOUGHT (PROTOTYPE Festival); LOOSE WET PERFORATED (Guerilla Opera); THE TROJAN WOMEN (The Hangar Theatre); MAD LIBS (New World Stages); WELL WORN WORDS (Ars Nova); THE BLIND (The Flea Theater), and video projects for Carnegie Hall (Molly Joyce's Side By Side) and National Sawdust. As associate director, Regan’s work comprises five Broadway musicals, the Metropolitan Opera, and Off-Broadway's award-winning hit revival of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Drama League Directing Fellow, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and former Resident Director at the Flea Theater. www.austinregan.nyc
LILY HOUGHTON | Playwright
Lily Houghton is a playwright born and raised in Manhattan. Her plays have been produced/developed at MCC Theater Company, Atlantic Theater Company, New York Stage and Film, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Flea Theater, NYU, Seattle Repertory Theater, New Harmony Project, 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, Normal Ave, Yale, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Jermyn Street Theatre in London as well as dozens of colleges throughout the country. She has won two Sloan Foundation Science Grants, the Elizabeth George Grant and is the recipient of Launch Commission from the Atlantic Theater Company. She has been a proud member of the Obie Award-winning Youngblood playwrights group since she was twenty-two. She is a member of NYTW’s Usual Suspects and sits on the board of The New Harmony Project. Just announced: Lily is one of the winners of 2023 Relentless Award from The American Playwriting Foundation.
Lily’s first feature, which was an adaptation of her stage plays, just landed in the top ten scripts of the 2023 Black List. Diablo Cody and Mason Novack will produce the film. Lily is currently adapting another one of her plays for Plan B Entertainment. In television, Lily currently has projects in development with Dakota and Elle Fanning's LEWELLEN, Mark Gordon, Chernin, AMC Studios, Gia Coppola’s DETOUR, Utopia, Elliot Page’s PAGEBOY, and Amazon with Blake Lively's B FOR EFFORT. Lily’s scripted podcast with Audible and Temple Hill was just ordered to series. Gia Coppola will direct.
MAYA SHORE | Epstein Fellow
Maya Shore (she/her) is a rising senior at Barnard College. She is a director, playwright, and production assistant based in New York City. She is passionate about theatre that looks the audience in the eye and experiments with technical ingenuity in every inch of available space. A selection of her past work includes HUMBLE BOY (Director, Columbia University Players) and THERE RUNS A MOUSE (Playwright and Director, Columbia University Players). Maya is this year's recipient of the Dasha Epstein Fellowship.