Blog

Arin Arbus
Text Analysis

Arin Arbus is a director. 2022 productions include the NY debut of Denis Johnson’s DES MOINES, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE starring John Douglas Thompson for Theater for a New Audience (TFANA) and Shakespeare Theatre of DC; LA TRAVIATA for Canadian Opera Company (8 Dora Award nominations) and Houston Grand Opera.

In 2019, she made her Broadway debut directing Terrence McNally’s FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE (Tony nomination for Best Revival) starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon. 

For a decade Arbus served as associate artistic director at TFANA — an Off-Broadway companywhose mission is to develop and vitalize the performance of Shakespeare and other great works.  At TFANA she directed OTHELLO, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, MACBETH, TAMING OF THE SHREW, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, KING LEAR, WINTER'S TALE, Wilder’s THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (Obie), and Strindberg’s THE FATHER and Ibsen’s A DOLL’;S HOUSE in rep. 

For Houston Grand Opera she directed Britten’s RAPE OF LUCRETIA and LA TRAVIATTA, which she also directed at Chicago Lyric Opera and COC.

Arbus spent several years making theatre with prisoners at a medium security prison in upstate NY in association with Rehabilitation Through the Arts. In 2018, she directed an Arabic adaptation of The Tempest, performed by refugees in a camp in Greece for Campfire Project.

She’s directed productions and taught at Yale, Juilliard, NYU Grad Acting, Columbia University and The New School. She was a Drama League Fellow, a Princess Grace Award Recipient, a Samuel H. Scripps Award Recipient, and a member of Soho Rep’s Writer/Director Lab. www.arinarbus.com

Carlos Armesto
Invitation to the Theatre

Carlos Armesto is the Producing Artistic Director of theatreC, a company dedicated to creating unique theatrical experiences, as well as the CEO/Co-Executive Artistic Director of PITCHBLACK Immersive Experiences, an international company that creates sensory theatre in complete darkness. He has worked as a director and producer on festivals, plays, musicals, concerts, and events around the country. Mr. Armesto was an Associate Curator at the inaugural Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts and Associate Artistic Director at The Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST). 

Through theatreC, which celebrated its 11th anniversary last November, he has created over 50 theatrical works. Notable credits include THE WHO’S TOMMY (Best Director, Star Ledger’s NJ Tonys 2010), BINDING (Best Choreography, Solo Performance and Performance Art Piece – Innovative Theatre Awards 2010), ECHOES OF ETTA at Joe’s Pub (MAC Award for Outstanding Cabaret Act 2014), and ODD MAN OUT (The Flea Theater, NY Times Weekend Pick). He has directed, taught, and consulted for several university programs, including Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Rutgers Theater Company, Fordham University, NYU’s Drama Department, the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and Sarah Lawrence Graduate Theatre program.  Currently under development: ODD MAN OUT, (with PITCHBLACK and Bristol Repertory Theatre), CO-FOUNDERS, DIA Y NOCHE (LAByrinth Theater), and MARTIAN CHRONICLES. He is also Creative Director for Theatre C’s LGBTQ+ Party Series RETRO FACTORY.  MFA Directing Carnegie Mellon. BS Chemical Engineering & Theatre MIT. SDC. Princess Grace Award.

Deonna Bouye
Invitation to the Theatre and Acting for Non-Majors

Off-Broadway: CULLUD WATTAH (Public Theater-Studio); REVOLVING CYCLES (The Playwrights Realm); THE NETFLIX PLAYS (ARS NOVA). Regional: THE BLUEST EYE (The Guthrie); THE GREAT SOCIETY (Arena Stage); THIS RANDOM WORLD (Actors Theatre of Louisville-Humana Festival), HOW WE GOT ON (Actors Theatre of Louisville-Humana Festival); CLYBOURNE PARK (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); SAFE HOUSE (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) GUADALUPE IN THE GUESTROOM (Two River Theater); VANYA/SONIA/MASHA/SPIKE (Weston Playhouse); NOT MEDEA (B Street Theatre); BARRIO GRRRL (The Kennedy Center); Several summers at The National Playwright’s Conference (The O’Neill). Film: Brazzaville Teenager with Michael Cera; Jody (CGI) in PlayStation’s Hidden Agenda. TV: “My Crazy Love on Oxygen.” Training: MFA- The University of Iowa. 

Shawn Duan
Projection Design I & II

Shawn Duan is a New York-based Projections/Media Designer with a primary focus on new works spanning across opera, theatre, film, and concerts.  His recent work in New York include the premiere of LETTERS OF SURESH by Rajiv Joseph at 2nd Stage for which he received a Lortel Award as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination and THE CHINESE LADY by Lloyd Suh with Ma-Yi Theater Company at The Public, also nominated for both a Lortel and Drama Desk Award.  Recent work outside New York include a workshop presentation of the opera adaptation of Park Chan-wook’s THE HANDMAIDEN composed by Bora Yoon; Paulownia, a new devised performance piece for Crystal Bridges Museum; the premiere of BRUCE, a new musical about the making of the movie Jaws at Seattle Rep; and the premiere of a new updated version of 42ND STREET at Goodspeed.  Broadway Credits: David Henry Hwang’s CHINGLISH. Other NYC credits: Manhattan School of Music, the MET Museum, New York City Opera, and The Public Theater.  Regional credits: Arena Stage (DC), The Alliance, Berkeley Repertory, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center, Goodspeed, The Guthrie, The MUNY, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Trinity Repertory, and Yale Repertory.  Tour/Concert Design: AN EVENING WITH PACINO (US/international), HK Arts Festival, numerous US commercial entertainment tours and Las Vegas shows/concerts.  Film: VFX Supervisor for the indie feature 16 Bars (2020). 

Atticus Orsborne
Actor’s Vocal Technique

Atticus Orsborn is a professional voice and accent/dialect coach from the UK but based in New York, specializing in British regional and general accents. He has worked with both individual and corporate clients and taught at world class institutions in London and NYC, including Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Academy of Music & Dramatic, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Fordham University, and more. He has also coached extensively for stage and screen. Atticus holds a distinction MA in Voice Studies, Teaching and Coaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and is a licensed Lessac Kinesensics practitioner. He is also a graduate of the three-year professional conservatory program at the Stella Adler Studio. www.britishaccentcoach.com

Adrian Guo Silver
Global Theatre History

Adrian Guo Silver is a dramaturg, writer, and translator from Yiddish and Spanish. He has worked extensively with acclaimed choreographer and director Pontus Lidberg, creating works for Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Acosta Danza, and Danish Dance Theater, among others. He has also worked with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Colleen Thomas, and Martha Clarke. He holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University, where he is currently a Phd candidate in Theatre and Performance.

Norman A. Small
Stage Management

Norman Anthony Small is a Brooklyn, NY born and Orlando, FL raised freelance production stage manager, company manager, actor, singer, and musician.

As a stage manager, Mr. Small has worked on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, and virtually. Some of Norman’s stage management credits include the Broadway production of David Mamet’s American Buffalo (4 Tony Award nominations), Where We Stand by Donnetta Lavinia Grays (The Lucille Lortel Awards Nomination for Outstanding Solo Show) at WP Theater and Baltimore Center Stage, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven by Stephen Adly Guirgis (The Lucille Lortel Awards Nomination for Outstanding Play and multiple Drama Desk Awards nominations) at the Atlantic Theater Company, A Night of Wild Beauty (a tribute to Ntozake Shange) at The Public Theater, Twisted Melodies at Baltimore Center Stage and the Apollo Theater, and Water + at National Public Radio (NPR).  Norman earned a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Music Engineering Technology from the University of Miami as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Media Management from the Metropolitan College of New York. He also studied classical acting at the British American Drama Academy’s (BADA) Midsummer in Oxford Program in Oxford, UK. Mr. Small is the recipient of the Off-Off Broadway Review (OOBR) Award for Excellence in Theatre, The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), and the Charlie Blackwell Symposium Scholarship for Stage Managers of Color. Norman is also a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union for actors and stage managers. 

Bethany Weinstein Stewert
Production Management

Bethany Weinstein Stewert is a Production Manager and the founder of Stewert Productions.  For more than 15 years, she has accumulated a wide range of Production Management experience from commercial Broadway productions and not-for-profit Theaters to international festivals and robotics competitions. She has managed productions for Aurora Productions, Williamstown Theater Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, Atlantic Theater Company, Second Stage Theater, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Her credits include WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (Broadway and National Tour), IS THERE STILL SEX IN THE CITY, TINSEL, THE KING’S SPEECH, re-opening the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway, SUPERHERO, TORCH SONG, STRAIGHT WHITE MEN, LOBBY HERO, THE BAND’S VISIT (Atlantic Theater). www.stewertproductions.com

Paco Tolson
Acting Shakespeare

Paco Tolson is a New York based actor specializing in revitalized classical theater. He has performed Shakespeare for most of his career, notably with Actors Theater of Louisville, Classic Stage Company, Fiasco Theater, Chautauqua Conservatory Theater, Hampshire Shakespeare, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Paco has also been at the forefront of American new play development, originating roles in 11 Off-Broadway and regional premieres, including work with South Coast Rep, Ensemble Studio Theater, Vampire Cowboys, Two River Theater, Center Theater Group, Boston Court, Clubbed Thumb, Ma-Yi Theater, New Dramatists, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Theatre Club, and The Lark. Paco is a frequent collaborator with Play On Shakespeare, whose mission to broaden access to Shakespeare includes commissioning contemporary playwrights to translate the poetic heights of the original into modern verse. Paco has developed texts of HENRY V, 2 HENRY VI, HENRY VIII, ROMEO AND JULIET, HAMLET, and King Lear for Play On as well as audiodrama productions of MEASURE FOR MEASURE and HENRY V for the Play On Podcast Series. Paco is a proud member of FiascoTheater, an actor-driven ensemble that produces joyful and dynamic work renowned for innovation and textual clarity. For Fiasco: TWELFTH NIGHT, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, PERICLES, and Beaumont’s KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE. Paco is a graduate of Brown University. pacotolson.weebly.com/

Michael Walkup
New Play Dramaturgy

Michael Walkup is the Artistic Director of Page 73, a Tony- and Obie Award-winning theater company producing playwrights’ first professional premieres in New York City and developing the work of early-career playwrights who have yet to receive such productions. Page 73’s co-production of A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson won 2022 Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical as well as the 2020 Pulitzer Prize; it is currently running on Broadway. Other recent world premieres include Man Cave by John J. Caswell, Jr.; STEW by Zora Howard (2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist); and Catch as Catch Can by Mia Chung. Michael has been at Page 73 since 2011, working with over 100 playwrights through production, an annual Fellowship, and leading the Interstate 73 early-career writers group. He also teaches a First Draft Playwriting course at Primary Stages’ Einhorn School for the Performing Arts. Michael previously worked in new play development and dramaturgy at Yale Repertory Theatre; he received his MFA in Dramaturgy from Yale School of Drama and BA in Theater Studies from Penn State University.