NYSAF COMMUNITY: STAFF
JONATHAN ARKAY | Arts Administration Apprentice
Jonathan Arkay is beyond thrilled to join the NYSAF team as the Arts Administration Apprentice for the Summer 2023 season. As a recent graduate from Marist College, Jonathan is ready to dive headfirst into the creative theatre-making process. During his time at Marist, Jonathan was an active member of the school’s theatre program, and a Theatre Scholarship recipient. Some of the roles he took part in include writing a 15 minute play for the Playwright’s Festival, directing an original work for the Playwright’s festival, moving set pieces as a member of run crew for children’s theatre, and even working as both the Box AND House Manager for a production. Besides that, Jonathan also served as the Treasurer of the Marist Theatre Executive Board from Spring 2020-Spring 2022. While learning the ins-and-outs of theatrical production over the past few years, it has become apparent to Jonathan that the theatre is where he wants to spend the rest of his life, and he couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to assist in the process of developing new works.
KAITLIN BARNETT | Audio Mixer
Kaitlin Barnett is a sound designer and audio engineer. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Sound Design at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. Originally from the Pittsburgh, PA area, she moved to Nashville and graduated with a B.S. in Audio Engineering Technology from Belmont University. Kaitlin has been designing and engineering for companies such as Studio Tenn, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Street Theatre Company, Chaffin’s Barn Theatre, and Belmont University. When she is not designing, she has worked as a tour manager for a national piano artist and crew for a few local venues. She is also a member of both USITT and TSDCA. Kaitlin has been nominated for a KCACTF Region IV Festival Sound Design award and two First Night Awards for Outstanding Sound Design. Kaitlin aspires to design for both musicals and dramas and bring stories to life through sound.
BARI JAMES BELLARD | Resident Stage Manager
Bari James Bellard (He/Him) is thrilled to be rejoining NYSAF for this summer season. National Tours: Disney's Aladdin, CATS, The Color Purple. Regional: ... Death of Queens; Eclipsed; All The Way; A Doll’s House, Part 2; The Wolves (Southern Rep Theatre), The Potluck and Modern Gentleman (New York Stage and Film). BA, Loyola University New Orleans.
JAMES BEAUDRY | Company Manager
James Beaudry returns to NYSAF after serving as Company Manager in 2018 and 2019. James spent 8 years as Producing Artistic Director for Timber Lake Playhouse, and in Fall 2021 was project manager on the Broadway Reopening Project for MobileHealth and the Broadway League. He serves on the Theatre & Dance faculty at University at Buffalo. As a director, choreographer and producer, James has staged over 140 productions including directing the Chicago premieres of Heathers the Musical (Jeff Award nomination), Murder Ballad (Jeff Award nomination) & Meet John Doe. Additional favorites include: Pride & Prejudice (Long Wharf Theatre), Mark Twain’s Blues (Off-Broadway, DR2), Jason & Ben (NYMF), Other Desert Cities, To Master The Art (Theatre of Western Springs), Aspects of Love, The Most Happy Fella, Pump Boys & Dinettes (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre), Evita, Titanic, Big Fish, Chicago, West Side Story (Timber Lake Playhouse), West Side Story (CUNY 50th Anniversary Production). He is a proud member of SDC.
JONAH BOBILIN | Lighting Director
Jonah Bobilin is a theatrical lighting designer originally from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. They are fascinated by the spectator/performer encounter and the way that scenographic gestures can support and flavor this interaction. In particular, he enjoys working on productions which examine the important issues and contradictions of our society, and which induce the audience to enact meaningful change after leaving the theatre. Some recent credits include Hoʻoilina (Kennedy Theatre), The Monkey King (Queens Theatre), Florence & Mojo (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), the Hawaiʻi State 2022 Elections Gubernatorial Debate (Hawaii Theatre Center), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Mānoa Valley Theatre). Since 2021, they have served on the Executive Board of Design Action, an intergenerational coalition of BIPOC and white designers working to end racial inequities in the North American Theater. Jonah has received two Poʻokela Awards for Excellence in Lighting Design from the Hawai‘i State Theatre Council.
GABBY CLARK | General Manager
Gabby Clark is a NYC-based theater manager and is thrilled to be spending her first summer with New York Stage and Film. Originally from Chicago, her mom passed down a love of the performing arts from a young age. She most recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University where she earned a Master of Arts Management and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Abilene Christian University. Past research includes utilizing blockchain for various theatrical ticketing platforms, the application of 3D printing within theater, and foundational research in the ideation and creation of a “Center for Teaching Artists” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous work experience includes various company management and general management roles at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Williams Performing Arts Center, and Quantum Theatre.
ALEXUS CONEY | Stage Management Apprentice
Alexus Jade Coney (she/her) is a fourth-year M.F.A. candidate in Stage Management at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where her credits include Furlough’s Paradise, Marys Seacole, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Manning, and Bodas de Sangre. Select regional credits include Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Between Two Knees by the 1491s at Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as BURNBABYBURN: an american dream, In-Between Bitches, and BAKKHAI for Yale Cabaret. Alexus proudly holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature from Yale University, where she discovered her passion for live performance as a member of the Yale Dramatic Association, Inc. and Heritage Theater Ensemble. She is nothing without her people and sends abundant love to her peers and mentors at Yale, Adam Wassilchalk (a star and an amazing friend), and her beautiful family. Alexus is thrilled to join the NYSAF community this summer as a Stage Management apprentice!
JERON DOOLING | Stage Management Apprentice
Jeron Dooling - Heeeere’s Jeron! Fresh off her turn as ASM for Opera Parallele’s reorchestration of The Shining. Since picking up Stage Management in 2021 Jeron has worked on twenty-two productions in six states as a theater nomad. Other recent credits include stage managing X: the Life and Times of Malcolm X and Suor Angelica as well as being ASM on Le Nozze di Figaro all at Opera Omaha. In addition to Opera, Jeron enjoys working on musicals, plays, and outdoor events. Her other hobbies include doing improv with her team Daytime Delusions, taking pictures of bugs, and writing poems.
AKERIA GANT | Assistant Company Manager
Akeria Gant is an actor/singer/stage manager based in Atlanta, GA. She was recently a Teaching Assistant for Northern Stage’s BridgeUP Program. Before that, she Tour/Stage Managed And Then They Came For Us (Georgia Ensemble Theatre). Her credits include: A Year with Frog and Toad (Bay Area Children’s Theatre), Caroline, or Change (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Atlanta Lyric), Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, Mirandy and Brother Wind (Synchronicity Theater), and Black Nativity (Dominion Entertainment). Akeria is a graduate of the University of West Georgia, where she earned a B.A. in Theatre. She gives honor to God, and sends thanks to her friends and family for all of their support. IG @akeriaamariann.
LIAM MATTHEW GARDNER | Head Electrician
Liam Matthew Gardner is a proud trans & queer artist who holds their B.F.A. in Theatre Production & Design from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Liam is often immersing himself in his passions such as stage lighting, acting, writing, painting, hiking, and pop music.
Liam creates because every moment overflows with beauty; they seek to capture those moments and share them with the world. Liam is passionate about utilizing opportunities to construct bodies of work that highlights stories that have never been shared before, specifically stories from marginalized communities.
Liam has had the privilege of expanding on his craft with establishments such as The Rev Theatre Company, Encore Global, and Crescent City Stage. Liam’s short-film script “Transcend” was recognized as a Semifinalist in the 2022 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search. Liam is full of excitement and gratitude to be returning to NYSAF for their 2nd season with the company!
JASMINE AIYANA GARVIN | Community Liaison
Jasmine Aiyana Garvin is an actress from Poughkeepsie, NY. She graduated from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in 2021 with a degree in Musical Theatre. Soon after, she received a spot in the 2021 Warner Brothers Television "Top 10 Actors in Training", a global casting initiative for recent graduates from acting programs. You can find her listed amongst the talented cast of "Poker Face", a murder mystery-of-the-week series by Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne on Peacock. She strives to push boundaries, create opportunities, and share her knowledge with others as much as possible. She is thrilled to be part of the New York Stage and Film family again this year as Community Liaison! She is also working with the Poughkeepsie City School District and Poughkeepsie Rising to strengthen the relationship between her community and the performing arts.
KATIE GUDZIK | Box Office & Front of House Manager / Covid Compliance Officer
Katie Gudzik (she/her) is a recent Honors graduate from SUNY New Paltz, summa cum laude, with her BA in Theatre Arts (Performance), minors in Deaf Studies and Music, and a co-curricular focus on Sustainability. She is ecstatic to be rejoining the NYSAF team this summer! In the fall, Katie was the director, music director, producer, and ASL-interpreter for her Honors Thesis: a zero-waste musical staged reading of A YEAR WITH FROG & TOAD. She and the company proceeded to take FROG & TOAD “On the Road!” to Overlook Primary School in Poughkeepsie. Recently, Katie worked as House Manager and Box Office Associate at The Suffolk in Riverhead, NY and as an acting instructor for kiddos ages 8-11 at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, NY - her hometown. Katie’s mission is to build community, inspire growth, and spread joy, empathy, and love through the arts and beyond. She is passionate about increasing accessibility in the arts and considering the impact of her work for all people and the planet. Her goal is to leave our world a better place than we found it, collaborating with others who strive to do the same. linktr.ee/katiegudzik
KYDIANA JEANTY | Assistant Production Manager
Kydiana Jeanty is a returning member of the NYSAF team. Kydiana graduated from FSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. There, she refined her skills in stage management and acting. She also minored in Communications and Film Studies to not only learn about theatre, but entertainment in all aspects. She has worked on many memorable theatre productions, and with what she has learned, hopes to cross over to film production in the near future. She is very excited to be working on the production management team this season at New York Stage and Film.
EUN KANG | Audio Apprentice
Eun Kang (She/Her) is a sound designer and sound engineer from Jeju-do, South Korea. She is currently pursuing a major in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on sound at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has participated in several productions at Minnesota State University, Mankato, including Disney's High School Musical (Sound Mixer), The Sound of Music (Assistant Sound Mixer). Her first sound design was featured in The Language Archive at Andreas Theatre, which was released in April 2023.
RAE MCCREARY | Lighting Apprentice
Rae McCreary is a lighting designer and technician from Omaha, Nebraska. Rae is currently pursuing an MFA at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Previous design credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Creighton University and To Sangana: Connections to Africa at Wayne State. They have assisted on theatre, dance, and opera productions around the country. They enjoy roller-skating, watching movies, and petting cats. Rae wants to use their artistry to express every aspect of themself and their worldview while providing an example for the next generation that dreams were meant to be followed and stereotypes were meant to be challenged.
RHIANNON MOLINE | Production Management Apprentice
Rhiannon Moline is a rising junior at Marist College from Winthrop, Massachusetts. An English major with a concentration in theatre and a minor in music, Rhiannon is thrilled to be the Production Management Apprentice for the summer 2023 season with NYSAF! Rhiannon has been involved with theatre since middle school and began her production management journey in her junior year of high school. She dove headfirst into production management during her freshman year of college when she served as the Assistant Production Manager for Marist Theatre’s 2022 musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. From there, her life has been an endless stream of Google Drive, spreadsheets, paperwork, and folders (living the dream!). Rhiannon has managed three full productions with Marist Theatre, her favorites being Children’s Theatre 2022 The Princess and the Ogre, and the 2023 Experimental Theatre production Scab. Rhiannon is looking forward to learning more about production management this summer!
MADIE REILLY | Assistant Company Manager
Madie Reilly (she/her) is so excited to be joining the NYSAF team this summer. As a recent graduate of Bard College where she studied Theater and Sociology, Madie is passionate about supporting the development of new work. Madie is a director, performer, writer and producer of original work by herself and others in the Hudson Valley area. She aspires to make and support work that pushes past the boundaries of space and access for creators and audiences alike. Madie has also worked as the Program Assistant at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and as the Associate Company Manager and Producing Assistant at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
GRACE ROWAN | Marketing Associate
Grace Rowan is a recent Marist graduate and is thrilled to be joining the NYSAF 2023 Summer Season. She is from Northport, New York and loves that she can continue calling the Hudson Valley her home away from home. She received a BA in Media Studies and Production with a concentration in Television & Film and minored in Theatre and Music. Grace was the former Director of Club Marketing & Show Publicity for Marist Theatre and was the Marketing Intern for Marist Music. She hopes to grow her skill sets and turn her passion of performing arts marketing into a career. She has been performing and singing all her life and now enjoys promoting the craft she loves.
REBECCA SATZBERG | Audio Director
Rebecca Satzberg is a sound human working across the technical and design sides of audio. Recent Sound Supervisor credits include Playwright’s Horizons Wet Brain, Regretfully So the Birds Are, and Downstate, and NAATCO’s Romeo and Juliet. Recent Associate Sound Design credits include Espejos/Clean at Syracuse Stage and Once Upon a (korean) Time at La Mama ETC. Recent A1 credits include Florencia Iriondo’s South and Fefu and Her Friends at the New School. Rebecca is excited to be joining NYSAF this season, and looks forward to creating with this wonderful community!
BROOKE SCHROEDER | Assistant Company Manager
Brooke Schroeder is thrilled to be joining the NYSAF Team as Assistant Company Manager for the 2023 Summer Season. As a native of the Hudson Valley and a Marist College graduate, Brooke is excited to share her love and knowledge of the area with the NYSAF Community. A competitive dance team member for ten years, Brooke loved performing and telling a story through dance. Her love of dance and the Arts led her to major in Media Studies and Production with a concentration in Film at Marist. Making the transition from center stage to backstage, Brooke found her true passion in collaborating with others to help bring their visions to life.
Currently, Brooke is an Aquatics Manager and Instructor at a local swim school. Her favorite part of the job is “showtime” which is performing and singing to create a friendly learning environment for her students from age 3 months to adult! Brooke’s other loves include travel, fashion, interior design, paddleboarding, fishing, and the American neo-Western drama series genre. Brooke’s favorite season is Summer and she looks forward to spending this summer as an integral member of the New York Stage and Film family!
AMARA ELIZABETH SKINNER | Audio Tech
Amara Elizabeth Skinner (She/They) is a New Orleans born sound artist. She nurtured her talents at Loyola University of New Orleans by obtaining a bachelor's degree in Music Industry Studies in 2019. Since then, Amara built her own recording studio, where they produce music and other audio works, and began live audio engineering and sound designing with companies in the greater New Orleans area and New York state such as No Dream Deferred NOLA, New York Stage and Film, KM Dance Project, The Movement Theatre of Harlem, Crescent City Stage, and many more. She became production manager for No Dream Deferred NOLA in 2021, where she now manages the biennial We Will Dream: New Works Festival. Amara also served as sound designer for all four productions showcased during the We Will Dream: New Works Festival 2023. They will be returning to New York Stage and Film for their 2023 summer season as audio technician. Amara’s ultimate goal is to inspire Black and queer technical artists.
Recent Design Credits: RAW FRUIT- KM Dance Project, WHERE THE SUGA STILL SWEET(Directed by Lauren Turner)- No Dream Deferred NOLA, DRAPETOMANIA: A NEGRO CAROL (Directed by David Kote)- No Dream Deferred NOLA, DEFIANCE OF DANDELIONS (Directed by Nicole Brewer)- No Dream Deferred NOLA, VANYA & SONIA & MARSHA & SPIKE- Crescent City Stage