DASHA EPSTEIN AWARD
New York Stage and Film offers the annual Dasha Epstein Fellowship to an emerging writer or director who is a student or alumni of Barnard College during the Summer Season. These young artists work with our staff and other professional mentors to hone their craft, and engage in their own creative projects within our vibrant artistic community.
Isabel Beatriz Tongson | Dasha Epstein Fellow
Isabel Beatriz Tongson is a Filipina-American playwright, actor, and director. Select writing accolades: Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Fellowship, the Dasha Epstein Award in Playwriting, the Kenneth Janes Award in Theatre, two-time winner of the Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival, winner of Best in Show at the Central Florida Theatre Festival for Dramatic Script, and winner of the Valencia College BIPOC Playwrights Festival, finalist of the #ENOUGH Plays Project, finalist of the Et Alia Theater Lab, semi-finalist for the Gary Garrison National Ten-Minute Play Award by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s NuWorks Festival. Past favorite performances: Disney at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Love & So (Barnard Theatre Department), and Camp Cattywampus (CUPAL). She is an alumnus of the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. Her career is dedicated to opening the entertainment industry to underrepresented artists by providing them with authentic stories to tell. She is represented by Rebel Creative Group. isabeltongson.com
THE DRAMA LEAGUE
Since 2018, New York Stage and Film (S&F) 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. In 2026, S&F will host the following artists:
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Tatiana Baccari | Drama League Fellow
Tatiana (she/they) is a director making tragicomic theater and films that explore grief, disability, dissent, and intergenerational change by connecting with audiences through the inexplicable. Select new play credits: RADIO MAN by Sarah Groustra (World Premiere/The Paradise Factory), MONSTROUS by Elle Thoni (ColLABo Residency), THEN ACT LIKE IT by Savannah Lyons Anthony (Writing Is Live/Brown University), HEAVEN IS SOMETHING TO KEEP YOU WARM by Kandace James (Carnegie Mellon University), and DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION by Dana Leslie-Goldstein (Brave New World Rep). Production credits include THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (NYU Tisch/Atlantic Acting School), MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY by Anne Washburn (CMU), LEAR by Young Jean Lee (CMU), and ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER by Rajiv Joseph (Jobsite Theater/Straz Center). Tatiana has served as an assistant/associate regionally at Asolo Rep, Geva Theatre, Northern Stage, and City Theatre Company. She is a 2026-2028 Drama League Stage Directing Fellow. BFA: NYU Tisch. MFA: John Wells Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. TatianaBaccari.com.
Danny Sharron | Drama League TV/Film Fellow
DANNY SHARRON (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based theater director with a focus on developing new plays and musicals. He recently directed the world premiere of HOLD ME IN THE WATER by Ryan J. Haddad at Playwrights Horizons (Lortel & Drama Desk nominee, Outstanding Solo Show). He will direct the world premiere of Haddad's play GOOD TIME CHARLIE this fall at The Public Theater, and a new production of HOLD ME IN THE WATER at Berkeley Repertory Theatre next spring. Broadway: CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB (Associate Director), DEAR EVAN HANSEN (Associate Director; also West End, Toronto, and 1st Nat’l Tour). Regional: THE MODEL AMERICAN (Williamstown). He has developed and directed work at many off-Broadway and regional theaters, including The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, Berkeley Rep, Denver Center, and Woolly Mammoth. Danny is a recipient of NYTW's 2050 Fellowship, Williamstown's Foeller Fellowship, and The Drama League's New York & TV/Film Directing Fellowships. NYTW Usual Suspect. SDC member. Proud husband and father. dannysharron.com
Steven Sapp | Next Stage Recipient
Steven Sapp is a co-founder/core member of UNIVERSES Theater Company. Playwriting/Acting credits include: AmericUS; UNISON; PARTY PEOPLE; AMERIVILLE; The Denver Project; One Shot in Lotus Position; BLUE SUITE; SLANGUAGE; RHYTHMICITY; THE RIDE. Acting-only credits include: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Directing-only credits include: TITUS ANDRONICUS, SERIOUS MONEY; THANKSGIVING PLAY; FIREFLIES; PASSOVER; SWOPERA; METAMORPHOSES; THE SEVEN; ALFRED JARRY’S UBU: ENCHAINED. Awards/Affiliations: 2023-2024 Astere E. Caleyssens Artist in Residence, 2020 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation National Playwright Residency Program recipient; 2015 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award (Theatre); Oregon Shakespeare Festival Acting Company Member (3 Seasons:’12-‘14); 2008 U.S. Cultural Ambassador w/ the U.S. State Dept./Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rhythm Road Tour; 2008 TCG Peter Zeisler Award; 2002 TCG National Directors Award; 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award; 1998 and 2002 BRIO Awards (Bronx Recognizes its own-Performance); Van Lier Fellowship w/ New Dramatists; Co-Founder of The Point CDC; New
Ian Friday | Next Stage Support
Ian Friday is a pioneering DJ, producer, and founder of Global Soul Music — a driving force in the global soul and Afro house movement whose immersive, spiritual sets have made the party he founded, Libation, New York City's iconic home of all things globally soulful. Through his music, Ian archives and uncovers the living pulse of Black musical culture, weaving house, soul, Afro, jazz, and world music into a seamless sonic tapestry that connects the diaspora and elevates the dance floor. Beyond the decks, Ian is an audio/visual curator and performance artist whose work explores and exhibits the cultural traditions and histories of people of African descent — honoring the oral traditions through which those histories have always been passed down. For Ian, music and art are not just creative expressions but sacred conduits, deepening our understanding of the narratives that bind us across generations.
Mildred Ruiz Sapp | Next Stage Support
ELEANOR
Zoe Sarnak | Writer/Composer
ZOE SARNAK is a Drama Desk nominated and Larson Award winning composer, lyricist, and writer. Works include GALILEO (with Danny Strong and Michael Weiner) opening at the Shubert this year, NY Times Critic’s Pick THE LONELY FEW (with Rachel Bonds), EMPIRE RECORDS (with Carol Heikkinen), PARTICLE FEVER (with David Henry Hwang and Bear McCreary), A BEAUTIFUL MIND (with Sarah Treem); and others soon to be announced. Sarnak was named to the 2024 Broadway Women's Fund "Women to Watch" list and her music has been featured by the NY Times, The Guggenheim, the BBC and more. @zoesarnak
Taibi Magar | Director
Taibi Magar is the Co-Artistic Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company. (Selected NYC) NYTW, LCT3, The Signature, The Shed, The Atlantic, Soho Rep, Ars Nova (Selected Regional) A.R.T., CTG, Yale Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Alley Theatre, The Guthrie Theater. International: Hamburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), and Soho Theatre (London). Awards and Nominations: Obie, Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel. MFA: Brown University.
Lisa Mcginn | Stage Manager
Lisa McGinn (Production Stage Manager) Recent credits: WATCH ME WALK (Soho Rep); WE COME TO COLLECT: A FLIRTATION, WITH CAPITALISM (Jenn Kidwell, The Flea Theatre); RHEOLOGY (Misha Chowdhury, Bushwick Starr); A KNOCK ON THE ROOF (NYTW, tour); Geoff Sobelle’s FOOD, HOME and THE OBJECT LESSON; ON BECKETT: AN EVENING WITH BILL IRWIN (tour); 300 PAINTINGS (Sam Kissajukian, tour); UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME (Jennifer Kidwell, Scott R. Sheppard, Ars Nova, tour); THOSE WITH 2 CLOCKS (Wilma Theatre), OCEAN FILIBUSTER and HOW TO BUILD A FOREST (PearlDamour); DETROIT RED (ArtsEmerson); LOVE (Alexander Zeldin, Park Ave Armory) COMPASS AND SLEEP (Ripe Time Theatre); CHIMERA and THE WHOLEHEARTED (Stein | Holum Projects); THIS IS READING (Lynn Nottage, Kate Whoriskey); LA DANCE PROJECT (European tour); JACUZZI and THE LIGHT YEARS (The Debate Society); REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN and WINNERS AND LOSERS (Soho Rep); CHEKHOV at Lake Lucille.
Nina Schatell | Assistant Stage Manager
Nina Schatell (Assistant Stage Manager) is a New York based Stage Manager. Broadway: MAYBE HAPPY ENDING, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. Off-Broadway: AS YOU LIKE IT (The Public Mobile Unit), THE WATERFALL (WP Theater), PRACTICE (Playwrights Horizons), HOUSE OF MCQUEEN (The Mansion), LOWCOUNTRY (Atlantic Theater Company), TEETH, SCHOOL PICTURES, AMUSEMENTS (Playwrights Horizons), H.M.S. PINAFORE (NYGASP), STRAIGHT FORWARD (Theatre Row). She has also worked on projects with the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, NAMT, New York Stage & Film, The Public, Dramatist Guild Foundation, BCEFA, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The National Asian American Theatre Company. BFA from SUNY Purchase College.
Andrea Grody | Music Director
ANDREA GRODY is a Grammy, Olivier, and Drama Desk-nominated music director, arranger, and composer with a focus on developing new work. Her Broadway credits include the Tony Award-winning musicals SUFFS, TOOTSIE, and THE BAND’S VISIT. Other favorite projects include ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE by Adam Gwon (Keen Company), the Public Works musical adaptations of AS YOU LIKE IT (music by Shaina Taub) and THE TEMPEST (music by Benjamin Velez), AN AMERICAN TAIL at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, CAKE OFF at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA and the Bucks County Playhouse, THE GREAT IMMENSITY at the Public Theater, and ROBIN HOOD at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (as Composer/Music Director). Writing credits include the full-length musical STRANGE FACES and several songs for THE CIVILIANS’ LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU series. Andrea is Associate Director at New York Vocal Coaching and an AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique Teacher. She is also the creator of WordWaves (www.singwordwaves.com). B.A. Princeton University, M.A. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Jonathan Bauerfeld | Associate Music Director
Jonathan Bauerfeld is an award winning composer, music director, arranger, and orchestrator. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway and beyond, including ALL OUT, THE WHO’S TOMMY, KING KONG, HAMILTON, and THE RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. Regional: GALILEO (Associate MD, Berkeley Rep) …SPELLING BEE (Associate MD, Kennedy Center) MOTHER ROAD (MD, Berkeley Rep) SPLIT (MD, Transport Group). Off B’way - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HEATHER (MD, Vocal Arrangements), SINGLE RIDER (MD, Orchestrations), THE POUT-POUT FISH (MD, Arrangements). Bauerfeld’s original scores include: THE LAST TIME I DIED (Pipeline Award, Frank Young Award), BOOK LOVERS (MTI), and THE BOOK OF NAMES (Edinburgh Fringe.) www.jonathanbauerfeld.com
Jason Belanger | Music Assistant / Copyist
Jason Belanger (he/him) is a Japanese-American music director, pianist, and voice teacher. He has spent time living and working in dozens of cities, states, and countries. He has worked under Tony and Grammy award winners including Elton John, Alicia Keys, and Tom Kitt. Broadway credits include HELL’S KITCHEN (Music Assistant), TAMMY FAYE (Score Manager and Rehearsal Pianist), and HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO (Music Assistant and Keys 2 sub). Other favorite credits include LITTLE WOMEN (MD/Conductor; Edinburgh Fringe), THE MUNY’S 101ST SEASON (music intern), SPAMALOT (Keys 2/Assoc. Conductor; National Tour), and INTO THE WOODS (MD/Pianist; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). He is a proud graduate of the Masters in Music Direction course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Find out more about him at jbelangermusic.com.
Jana Bezdek | Producer
Jana is a co-founder of FourthWall Theatrical. She produces original musicals in the medium they best suit - stage, film, television. Jana is a Co-Producer on JAGGED LITTLE PILL, which was nominated for 15 Tony Awards. She is an active supporter of Los Angeles theater, holding board positions at Center Theater Group and IAMA Theater Company.
Jana previously produced live events at venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center for NBC Universal and A&E. Jana also worked in television production, producing in genres from animation to documentary.
Jana received her BA in Theater from the University of California School of Theater, Film & Television. Jana lives with her husband and her young sons in Los Angeles and New York.
Jen Hoguet | Producer
Jen is a co-founder of FourthWall Theatrical. As a creative producer who specializes in developing content for Broadway and the West End, her passion for artist-driven new work has led her to careers with both non-profit and commercial theatre producers, including New York Stage & Film, Blue Spruce Productions, and as an early member of Ambassador Theatre Group's New York producing office. A graduate of Northwestern University, Jen also holds an MFA in Theatre Producing and Management from Columbia University and was the 2015 recipient of Hal Prince's T Fellowship. Jen lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
CAST OF ELEANOR
Kerstin Anderson | Anna Sr./Lucy Mercer/Marion
Kerstin Anderson is delighted to be working at New York Stage and Film and reuniting with Zoe! Broadway: MY FAIR LADY (Eliza Doolittle, Alternate). National Tour: THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Maria). Selected Other: UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Playwrights Horizons & Arena Stage), CULT OF LOVE (Berkeley Rep), OBIT (East Village Basement), WAITRESS (5th Avenue Theatre/TUTS), AFTERWORDS (5th Avenue Theater), ALL SHOOK UP (Goodspeed), A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC: IN CONCERT (David Geffen Hall). @kerstanderson1
Hannah Corneau | NAN/MME SOUVESTRE
A singer songwriter from New York, Hannah Corneau blends genres with her sweeping vocal range. With origins from the theatrical world, storytelling is paramount within her composition and expression. Hannah made her Broadway debut as Elphaba in WICKED on Broadway. She has also starred as Edna St. Vincent Millay in the critically-acclaimed Transport Group production of RENASCENCE. Previously, she traveled around the country as Yitzhak in the First National tour of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Her original show, ‘beautiful little fool’ is currently in development with Michael Greif, Mona Mansour and Mark Cortale. @hannahcorneau
Chilina Kennedy | Eleanor Roosevelt
CHILINA KENNEDY is an award winning singer, actor, songwriter and the longest running Carole King in BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL (Broadway). She most recently played Billie Jean King in BILLIE JEAN (Chicago Shakespeare). Broadway: PARADISE SQUARE (Annie), THE GREAT GATSBY (Myrtle) and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Mary). Film/TV: “THE 2015 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS,” WITH ME. Other: THE BAND’S VISIT (International Tour), THIS AIN’T NO DISCO (Atlantic Theater Company), MAMMA MIA! (1st National Tour), A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER (Hartford, Old Globe), three seasons at The Stratford and Shaw Festivals. Chilina is the composer of the new musicals WILD ABOUT YOU and is the Creative Director of New York Theatre Company.chilinakennedy.com
Jeremy Kushnier | Louis Howe
Jeremy Kushnier is very excited to back with New York Stage and Film. You'll be able to see him later this year on Broadway in the new musical GALILEO. Other Broadway:
RENT (Roger) , JERSEY BOYS (Tommy Devito), FOOTLOOSE (Ren), PARAMOUR (AJ), HEAD OVER HEELS (Basilius). TV: CHICAGO MED, THE GOOD WIFE, PERSON OF INTEREST and NURSE JACKIE. Film: THE IDEA OF MANHOOD. Jeremy has two independent albums available wherever you stream music.
Alexander Mendoza | Elliot/John/Senator and Secretary Of State Hull
Last seen in the World Premiere of the new production of EVER AFTER THE MUSICAL along with the Broadway Bound GALILEO: A NEW MUSICAL at Berkeley Rep, directed by Tony Award Winner, Michael Mayer. Select credits: 1st National Tour of FROZEN (Kristoff u/s), The World Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Raoul u/s), 1st National Tour of SISTER ACT: THE MUSICAL, & The North American Tour of MAMMA MIA! His music can be heard on all streaming platforms. Instagram: @officialalexandermendoza
Dylan Paul | William Randolph Hearst, AS CAST
New York Stage & Film Debut. Broadway: MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL (The Duke of Monroth); CABARET (Victor). West End: MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL. Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Illinois Shakespeare Festival; Houston Shakespeare Festival; American Shakespeare Center; Folger Theatre; Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. Favorite roles include Romeos, Orlando, Orsino, Octavius, Bertram, Molière’s Don Juan, Herbert Pocket in GREAT EXPECTATIONS and Jack Absolute in THE RIVALS. Fulbright recipient for Trinidad & Tobago; MFA University of Houston Professional Actor Training Program; BFA University of Kansas. Online: dylanpaul.net and @_dylanpaul
Salome Smith | Mary Mcleod Bethune
SALOME SMITH: 1776 (Broadway, national tour), JELLY’S LAST JAM (Off-Broadway), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Off-Broadway), A NEW BRAIN (Barrington Stage Company), THE WORLD GOES ROUND (Everyman Theatre), THE WIZ (Theatre Under the Stars, Lyric Stage Company), TAKE THE LEAD (Paper Mill Playhouse), SHREK (The Muny). Film/TV: EAST NEW YORK (co-star).
Katie Thompson | Politician/Sara
Broadway/Off-Broadway: Aunt Eller in Daniel Fish’s “OKLAHOMA”, “RENASCENCE” by Carmel Dean, and “R.R.R.E.D. A SECRET MUSICAL”, which she composed, Vashti in “GIANT” by Michael John LaChiusa, The Witch in “BIG FISH" by Andrew Lippa, Nora Hildebrandt in “THE TATTOOED LADY” by Max Vernon, and Fannie Porter in “WANTED” by Ross Baum & Angelica Cherie. Cast albums: “GIANT”, “RENASCENCE”, “R.R.R.E.D. A SECRET MUSICAL”, “THE MAD ONES”, “POLKADOTS”, and “WELL BEHAVED WOMEN”. Katie’s original solo albums can be found on iTunes. katiethompsonkt
Isabel Tongson | Ensemble
Isabel Beatriz Tongson is a Filipina-American playwright, actor, and director. Select writing accolades: Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Fellowship, the Dasha Epstein Award in Playwriting, the Kenneth Janes Award in Theatre, two-time winner of the Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival, winner of Best in Show at the Central Florida Theatre Festival for Dramatic Script, and winner of the Valencia College BIPOC Playwrights Festival, finalist of the #ENOUGH PLAYS PROJECT, finalist of the ET ALIA THEATER LAB, semi-finalist for the Gary Garrison National Ten-Minute Play Award by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s NUWORKS FESTIVAL. Past favorite performances: DISNEY AT THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE, LOVE & SO (Barnard Theatre Department), and CAMP CATTYWAMPUS (CUPAL). She is an alumnus of the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. Her career is dedicated to opening the entertainment industry to underrepresented artists by providing them with authentic stories to tell. She is represented by Rebel Creative Group. isabeltongson.com
Ryan Vasquez | Franklin Roosevelt
Ryan Vasquez is an actor and responsible technology advocate based in New York City.
Broadway/Tour: THE NOTEBOOK (Original Broadway Cast), HAMILTON (Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr), WAITRESS (Original Broadway Cast), MOULIN ROUGE (Christian), and WICKED.
World premieres: THE OUTSIDERS (La Jolla Playhouse), SCHMIGADOON! (Kennedy Center), WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Alliance Theater), THE WRONG MAN (Drama Desk nomination, MCC Theater), THE JANEIAD (The Old Globe), and WALK ON THROUGH: CONFESSIONS OF A MUSEUM NOVICE (MCC), written by his mentor and friend, Gavin Creel. Film/TV: TICK…TICK…BOOM!, THE GOOD FIGHT, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE CODE. ALBUMS: THE NOTEBOOK, WAITRESS, WALK ON THROUGH, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL (West End premiere, 2026). Ryan also works writing ethical and responsible technology policy for organizations across sectors. He is completing a Master's in Ethics and Society at Fordham University, concentrating in AI and Emerging Technologies, and hopes to shape policy that centers our humanity in a digital world.
LEVIATHAN LAB
Alexandra Haddad
Alexandra Haddad is a Third Culture Kid who directs, develops, and produces new theatrical work. She’s drawn to funny and scary plays about women, queer people, and people of the Global Majority.
Directing premieres: BERLIN (Sapphest), HONEYSUCKLE (Bechdel Project), GRIEF PLAY (Queens Short Play Festival), PEACH BOY (Pan Asian Repertory - Nu Works), POOLSIDES (the pebble collective).
New work development: Vaibu Mohan (Live and In Color), Abigail Duclos (The Elif Collective), Kenjiro Lee (Leviathan Lab), Joshua Piper (Fresh Fruit Fest).
Assisting: Amanda Dehnert’s INTO THE WOODS (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, FAIR Assistantship) and LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST (Hudson Valley Shakespeare, SDCF Fellowship), Katie Willmorth’s RICHARD II (Smith Street Stage).
Movement: Fight & Intimacy Director of SLAUGHTER CITY (Small Boat), SUMO (associate fight & intimacy director, The Public), Intimacy Choreographer of MEASURE FOR MEASURE (Shakespeare & Company), RIDE THE CYCLONE (McCarter/Arena Stage). Advanced Plus Diploma & Associate Faculty with Theatrical Intimacy Education.
Playwriting: HELEN IN HER HOMELAND (Frayed Knot Collective), Under Construction Cohort 7 with The Road Theatre.
Associate Member, SDC | alexandradarcyhaddad.com | @alexhad
Gaven D. Trinidad
Gaven D. Trinidad (they/he/siya) is a first-generation Filipino American theatre maker from NYC. Their work explores the intersections of race, language, queerness, and ritual. Has collaborated in artistic and administrative roles at The Juilliard Drama Division, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Jacob’s Pillow, New York Theatre Workshop, and Signature Theatre Company. Selected plays: LEARNING HOW TO READ BY MOONLIGHT (Boston Critic’s Pick, Company One & CHUANG Stage), MERCURY MAKES THE SKIN GLOW (O’Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights Festival Finalist). Selected dramaturgy: THE DUAT (Philadelphia Theatre Company, PlayPenn), PREP PLAY, or BLUE PARACHUTE (NCTC), JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL (Yangtze Repertory Theatre), COLLIDESCOPE 2.0 (Ping Chong + Company). Selected directing: ARE YOU THERE, TRUMAN? (Pride Plays, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), FULL CONTACT (Leviathan Lab). 2021 Rising Leader of Color, Theatre Communications Group; Ma-Yi Writers Lab member. As someone living with bipolar disorder, they are an advocate for Mental Health Awareness.
Lisa Virginia
Lisa Virginia is a director, deviser, and producer born and raised in Flushing, Queens who believes in making the mundane moments of our lives magical through theatrical practice. Being Filipino-American, they are committed to telling stories about and with racial minorities. With a strong foundation of curiosity, complexity, and community they aim to balance empathy and irreverence in all that they do. Follow along with their journey at lisa-virginia.com!
Kenjiro Lee
Kenjiro Lee is a Korean/Japanese-American playwright and puppeteer. Selected works include: SEOUL CITY SUE, NO FAN SERVICE: AN UNAUTHORIZED SEQUEL TO AN ANIME ABOUT GIANT ROBOTS, NINJA TEA, and A BLOCKHEAD AND A FUSSBUDGET WALK INTO A BAR…. His work has been developed through Leviathan Lab, Pan Asian Rep, The Road Theatre Company, Harriet Tubman Effect, Paper Kraine Productions, and the Fled Collective. He is an active member of the Serials Artist Pool, serving as both a playwright and dramaturg for the late-night episodic theater showcase SERIALS at the Tank in New York City. He is also a member of the Dramatists Guild and Puppeteers of America.
UNTITLED SPINNING PLAY
Emily Moler
Emily Moler is a multidisciplinary director of theater, film, and voice over performance. Selected theatrical credits include: WAD (American Lives Theater and New Harmony Project), MINOR CHARACTER (Skidmore), THE GROWN-UPS (Baby Teeth), BITCH BOXER (Krank Brooklyn), THE WINTER GUARD PLAY (Skidmore), DANCE NATION, NONNA KILLS THE PRESIDENT, PROMITHES PROMITHES, UNCLE VANYA, AS YOU LIKE IT, MEN ON BOATS, END DAYS, and IRONBOUND (UCSD); AND WE’RE LIVE, and COFFEE BREAK (Actors Theatre of Louisville); CHAMBER MUSIC, UNTITLED AMERICAN FLAG CRAFT PROJECT, and GOOD CRY (self-produced). Emily was the 2025-2026 Next Stage Director in Residence with The Drama League. She has developed new plays with S&F, The New Harmony Project, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Orchard Project, Chautauqua Theater Company, EST LA, The Associates Theater Ensemble, Chance Theater, IAMA Theatre Company, SITI Company, The Duplex, Geffen Playhouse, The Tank, and Pipeline Theatre Company. M.F.A UCSD.
Beth Hyland
Beth Hyland’s plays and musicals include SYLVIA SYLVIA SYLVIA (Geffen Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival), FIRES, OHIO (Alliance Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Goodman Theatre), BABY SHOWER KATIE (Primary Stages, Round House Theatre), CANCELINA, ANNA K., and FAT FOREVER. She received the 2025 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Award for FIRES, OHIO and the 2024 Weissberger Prize for SYLVIA SYLVIA SYLVIA. She currently holds commissions with Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan, Geffen Playhouse, Steppenwolf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and La Jolla Playhouse. MFA: UC San Diego. Representation: Jamie Kaye-Phillips, Paradigm; Benjamin Blake and Anthony Ippolito, Heroes and Villains. bethhyland.com
Emily Stout
Emily Stout is thrilled to be here and to recreate the feeling of summer camp until she dies. Recent workshop credits include: The Refrigerator by Keiko Green (Geffen Playhouse), burn for you by Regan Moro (Ojai Playwright's Conference), Ten Grand by Kate Cortesi (South Coast Repertory), Alien Girls by Amy Berryman (Center Theatre Group), Camp Winona by Mara Nelson-Greenberg (Cherry Lane Theatre), Watch Me by Dave Harris (Manhattan Theatre Club), You are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! by Keiko Green (South Coast Rep/Boston Court Pasadena), and The Bed Trick (Chance Theatre, directed by Emily Moler!).
YOU BROUGHT ME THE OCEAN
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Preston Max Allen
PRESTON MAX ALLEN (he/him) is a playwright, lyricist, and composer whose musicals include 2019 Off-Broadway debut WE ARE THE TIGERS (album streaming); NEVER BETTER (Theo Ubique); AGENT 355 (dramaturgy/co-book by Jessica Kahkoska, Marion Fellowship Award Winner); THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY (Underscore); and KRISIS KIDS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE CAMP (Village Theatre KIDSTAGE Commission). Plays include CAROLINE (MCC Theater); NUCLEAR (MTC Sloan Initiative commission); MODERN GENTLEMAN (About Face); and STORYTIME (Lucille Lortel micro commission). Over the last decade, Preston's work has been developed and featured at New York Stage & Film, Goodspeed Musicals, The Chautauqua Institution, Musical Theatre Factory, UCROSS, the Orchard Project, Lincoln Center, and more. Preston is a member of the Writers Guild of America East, alum of the Ars Nova Play Group and BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist, and above all, proud father to his cat Hero. @prestonmaxallen
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Julian Hornik
Julian Hornik is a composer/lyricist based in Brooklyn. Shows include "Assisted" with Adam Chanler-Berat and Annie Tippe (developed with MCC, The Civilians, Berkeley Rep, and Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat); "Weekend" with Mark Sonnenblick, Khiyon Hursey, and David Cromer; "The Painter and the Thief" with Ngozi Anyanwu and Ryan Dobrin (New York Stage & Film). He is a songwriter for the animated musical series "Helluva Boss" (soundtrack available on Atlantic Records). Julian is a 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, the Bryan Gallace Fellowship from SPACE on Ryder Farm, and is a McNally Fellow at The Hermitage . An alum of the Joe’s Pub Working Group and Yale’s Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater, he is currently under commission from The Civilians, No Guarantees, and Tom Kirdahy Productions.
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Tom Kirdahy Productions (TKP)
Tom Kirdahy Productions (TKP) is a Tony and Olivier Award-winning commercial theatrical production company with projects spanning Broadway, off-Broadway, the West End, and national and international tours. TKP is motivated by a belief in the transformative power of live theatre, and committed to bringing soulful, ambitious, unforgettable work to audiences across the world. With a values-driven approach to producing that centers and empowers artists, TKP has fostered the work of visionary theatre-makers and continues to develop and produce game-changing projects by some of the most exciting artists in the industry. TKP’s slate includes the smash-hit new Broadway musical JUST IN TIME; the current revival of Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Stephen Flaherty’s epic American musical RAGTIME at Lincoln Center; the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical HADESTOWN, as well as the current Olivier Award-nominated West End production; and the long-running off-Broadway revival of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.
ayóó’áníínísh’ní
Jolie Cloutier
Jolie Cloutier is a Native American actress from the Onondaga Nation outside of Syracuse, New York. Jolie has been climbing her way through New York's theater scene, working mostly in Native centered productions. Jolie has worked with NAICNY, National New Play Network, New York Stage and Film, Putnam Theater Alliance and Long Wharf Theater. Jolie most recently performed in her Off-Broadway Debut in STAND-OFF AT HWY#37 by Vickie Ramirez at Theatre Row.
Blossom Johnson
Blossom Johnson is Yé’ii Dine’é Táchii’nii, and her maternal grandfather is Deeshchíí’nii. Her plays include RED RUNNING INTO WATER, MONSTER SLAYER, DINÉ NISHŁĮ (I AM A SACRED BEING) OR, A BOARDING SCHOOL PLAY, OUR LEGENDARY MOTHER, K’É, DARK EARTH and AYÓÓ'ÁNÍÍNÍSH'NÍ. Her work has been developed and presented by Bag&Baggage and Native Performing Arts Network, Perelman Performing Arts Center and Playwrights Horizons, Alternative Theater Ensemble, La Lengua, Mixed Blood Theater, Durango PlayFest, Pillsbury House Theatre (CAP) and New Native Theatre. She has been supported by FPF Cultural Capital Fellowship, The Playwrights’ Center’s Jerome Fellowship, UC Berkeley’s Arts Research Center, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. She is proud to be a 2025-2028 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow and thrilled to announce she is a Democracy Cycle 2025 recipient with Daniel Leeman Smith. She holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University and a BA in Theatre from Arizona State University.
Daniel Leeman Smith
Daniel Leeman Smith is a proud hatukiklanna (two-spirit) citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a New York City–based director, playwright, dramaturg, and producer. Daniel is a recipient of the 2025 Democracy Cycle commission at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City, where they will develop Proclamation to the Great White Father and All His People, a new documentary play about the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz by the Indians of All Tribes group, alongside their longtime collaborator, Blossom Johnson (Diné). Daniel’s work has been seen at PAC NYC, Playwrights Horizons, Perseverance, Native Voices, Center Theatre Group with At Rise Creative, the Playwrights’ Center, Long Wharf, the Public Theater, Woolly Mammoth, Alter Theater, UC Berkeley, YIPAP, OKC Rep, and OK Indigenous, among others. His play, Perhaps the World Ends Here—a Choctaw sci-fi epic—was developed in residence at NYU Tisch. Daniel teaches at Tisch Drama and Northeastern University NYC (formerly Marymount Manhattan College). Affiliations include the Dramatists Guild, SDC, LMDA, and Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. www.leemansmith.com
INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCIES
Nathan Alan Davis
Nathan Alan Davis's writing for the stage includes THE REFUGE PLAYS (Roundabout/NYTW), Nat Turner in JERUSALEM (NYTW), THE HIGH GROUND (Arena Stage), ETERNAL LIFE PART 1 (Wilma Theatre), ORIGIN STORY (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), THE WIND AND THE BREEZE (Cygnet Theatre), and DONTRELL WHO KISSED THE SEA (NNPN Rolling World Premiere). For his body of work, he has received a Windham-Campbell Prize, a Steinberg Playwright Award, and a Whiting Award. He is the Director of MFA Playwriting at Boston University.
Ira Gamerman
Ira Lawrence Gamerman is a writer, actor, musicmaker in Brooklyn. (SAG-AFTRA) Screen: David Byrne’s EVERYBODY LAUGHS, THE LAST OG (TBS) , EAST NEW YORK (CBS) Recent Stage Acting: THE EDGE OF NATURE at La MaMa, DOOMERS at Brooklyn Center For Theatre Research. Ira’s writing has been showcased by Kennedy Center, Mortified Live, ChaShaMa, KGB Bar, Radiotopia’s The Truth, House Of Yes, The Flea, Collaboraction (@ Steppenwolf Garage), Australian Broadcast Corporation, Samuel French OOB, and Chicago New Media Summit. “Moving The Eruv” is a 2025 Austin Film Festival Script Competition Semifinalist. Ira is a member of the 2026 Jewish artist working group at The Neighborhood. Listen to AMBNT MNDLN, and Ira Lawrence’s Haunted Mandolin on Bandcamp/ Streaming. Awards: New York Innovative Theater Award Nomination, Best Playwright of Baltimore (City Paper), BILLY BITCHASS is published in BEST 10 MINUTE PLAYS OF 2016 by Smith & Kraus. www.iralawrence.com
Talene Monahon
Talene Monahon is a Boston-born playwright of Armenian descent. Her play MEET THE CARTOZIANS premiered at Second Stage Theater, directed by David Cromer, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Outer Critic's Circle Best New Play winner, Drama Desk Nominee, and a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Other recent plays include: EAT ME (South Coast Repertory), WONDER! A WOMAN KEEPS A SECRET (Northern Stage), THE GOOD JOHN PROCTOR (Bedlam, The New Yorker’s Top 10 Best Plays of 2023), JANE ANGER (New Ohio; 2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Best New Play nominee), and HOW TO LOAD A MUSKET (59E59). Upcoming plays include WONDER! A WOMAN KEEPS A SECRET at Classic Stage Company and MEET THE CARTOZIANS at the Huntington Theater andBerkeley Rep. Talene is currently under commission from Second Stage Theater and Protozoa Pictures. She teaches playwriting at the Sewanee Writers' Conference. B.A. Dartmouth College.
Noelle Viñas
Noelle Viñas is a writer and educator from Springfield, Virginia and Montevideo, Uruguay. Their play DERECHO had a world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse after being developed at LJP’s DNA Festival, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and NYC Latinx Playwrights Circle. Other productions include FEEL THE SPIRIT (Shotgun Players, Colt Coeur), and ZOOM INTERVENTION for Weston Playhouse (NY Times Critic's Pick).
She’s received commissions from Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company for cóndor, Colt Coeur for matrescence, and IAMA Theatre Company for tether, which was part of New York Stage and Film’s 2025 Summer Season and Two River’s upcoming 2026 ¡Festejo! festival. They have received institutional support as a member of the Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm, New York Stage & Film, Tofte Lake Center, Playwrights Foundation, the 2020-2021 Civilians R&D Group, and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Currently, she's a 2026 NYSCA New Work grantee for their musical THE STRIPPER AND THE CONGRESSMAN with Julián Mesri and is a 2026-27 Playwrights International Travel Grant Recipient through the MAP and Venturous Theatre Fund.