APRIL 27 - 29, 2018
Fri. at 7pm: $20 Special Benefit Performance
Sat. and Sun. at 1pm + 4pm: Free!
Saturday 4/28: IS77 at 1pm, PS75 at 4pm
Sunday 4/29: PS75 at 1pm, IS77 at 4pm
Created in collaboration with Superhero Clubhouse
Plays written by Bushwick 4th, 5th and 6th grade students at PS75 + IS77
PS75 Student Playwrights:
Jayleen Colon, Brandon Duran, Mia Diamond Garcia, Leah Gethers, Dayzani Higgins, Deyanira Morales, Taylor Morgan, Perfection Okoli, Adelyn Peralta, Christian Robles, Mia Rodriguez
IS77 Student Playwrights:
Jayda Adamou, Jayla Chacon, Jeanine Cornet, Malachi Correa, Ayoub Elmouhcin, Brandon Guija, Victor Hernandez, Aarya Karmacharya, Brandon Narvaez, Kiara Sanders
Directed by Jeremy Pickard
Set: You-Shin Chen, Costumes: Sabrina Bianca Guillame, Lighting: Jay Maury, Sound: Hannah Birch Carl, Props: Cheyanne Williams, Composer/Music Director: Wesley Zurick*, Production Manager: Ann Marie Dorr, Stage Manager: Hanako Rodriguez, Assistant Stage Manager: Priscilla Villanueva*, Interns: Laura Elliot, Cathrine Engelbirth Olsen, Jasmine Vasquez, Katie Yun
Performed by:
Amanda Centeno, Andrea Ferro, Sam Gonzalez, Orlik Guzman, Christian Jimenez*, Brian Demar Jones*, Alejandro La Rosa, Penny Middleton, Serena Ebony Miller*, Beethovan Oden*, Kat Peña, Cristina Pitter*, Julia Schonberg, and Wesley Zurick*
*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actors’ Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production
Classroom sessions lead by Jeremy Pickard, Amina Henry, Vanessa Pereda-Felix, and Lanxing Fu with assistance from Kat Peña, Chris Ignacio, Joseph Judge, and Jennia Nabole
BIOS:
AMANDA CENTENO (IS77) BFA: NYU, Bat @ The Flea Theatre. Off Broadway: A Dream of Red Pavilions (Pan Asian Rep); Regional: Oklahoma! (Berkshire Theatre Group) The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night (TUTS, Shakespeare in the Valley). Select Credits: The Trojan Women (The Flea Theater, 2017 Drama Desk Nominee), Interabang (Ars Nova), serials@theflea. www.amandacenteno.com
ANDREA FERRO (PS075) recently graduated from The Atlantic Acting School. Previous credits include Next to Normal (Natalie), Les Miserables (Eponine), The Dreams Of Anne Frank (Anne Frank), Sweeney Todd (Tobias Ragg), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive Ostrovsky), Little Women (Jo March), Into The Woods (The Witch), and Fahad or The Secret of Being (Farhad). She most recently originated the role of Trini in Nilo Cruz’s new play Baño De Luna. Andrea is so happy to work with the amazing BGT!
SAM GONZALEZ (IS77) is an actor based in New York City. He is an alum of the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School through NYU Tisch. Recent credits include Salt Kid Watches Brooklyn Burn (Joe’s Pub), Little Match Girl Passion (Met Breuer), Sammy Spider's First Mitzvah (92Y), Lulu is Hungry, Blue Plate Special (Ars Nova), and The Velveteen Rabbit (Atlantic Theater Company). He’s so excited to be back at The Bushwick Starr for BGT 8.0!
ORLIK GUZMAN (PS075) Orlik Guzman has appeared in many community theatre productions in Massachusetts From musical productions like 'The Addams Family' as Grandma Adams to Shakespeare's 'Midsummer's night’s dream' as Hippolyta/Fairy Queen. Orlik studied Theater and the performing arts at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, MA and has also taken various character acting training with teachers and mentors like James Murphy, Susan Sander, Brianne Beatrice and workshops with Adam Pascal and Al Bostick. Orlik is a native of Haverhill, MA who now lives in NYC (as of May 2017). BGT will be her second performance in the city! Orlik is very excited to bring to life the amazing stories written by such talented kids! And is very honored to work with such amazing actors, crew, musicians and director!
CHRISTIAN O. JIMÉNEZ* (PS075) BGT 8.0 Debut! Graduate of UNCSA (BFA Drama ’17) and The WDW Disney College Program ’17-‘18. Off Broadway: Passenger 1 in Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theater). Regional: Black Magic (National Black Theater Festival), The Pirates of Penzance (NC Symphony). Favorite Educational Credits: Jake in Side Show, Brasil in The America Play, Reuben in Joe Turner’s Come & Gone, Speed in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (UNCSA). AEA Member.
BRIAN DEMAR JONES* (IS77) is privileged to be working with such a brave and talented group of folks, and is delighted to be working on plays written by such intelligent young people. NYC credits include, The Escape; Or Leap For Freedom; Lippa’s The Wild Party, Tempest with Smith Street Stage; No Man’s Land with The Anthropologists, of which he is a Resident Artist. Brian also works as a private acting coach, and director. For more information please check out his website www.bdemarjones.com
ALEJANDRO LA ROSA (PS075) is a Venezuelan born, North Carolina raised, Brooklyn residing actor. Most recent projects include playing the lead, Danny, in the upcoming film, Killer Unicorn and as Gavin in the pilot for I.O.U. (Ian Owes You). He can be seen performing around NYC every month at the PIT Loft with his BoogieManja sketch team, The House, every Tuesday night at The Magnet with his Musical Megawatt (improv) team, Fauna, and every other Saturday night at the PIT for Mary Night with his all queer improv team, Just A Phase. Just A Phase also hosts the Diversity Jam every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at the PIT Loft. He can also be heard commenting about pieces of art on the We Know Art comedy app. UNC School of the Arts Drama graduate.
PENNY MIDDLETON (PS075) I'm pleased to be working with SuperHero Clubhouse for the second year in a row. Big Green Theater, along with The Bushwick Starr, has given me the opportunity to align two of my passions- art and activism. Thank you to all the talented playwrights at IS77 & PS75, your work is inspiring! (Penny Middleton is an actress, writer, & producer. Website: pennymiddleton.com)
SERENA EBONY MILLER* (PERFORMER/BASSIST) is an actor, musician and music-maker originally from Baltimore, MD. BFA: University of the Arts, Acting. Training: James Brill (Meisner), John DeSotelle, and The Funny School of Good Acting. Regional credits: Twelfth Night (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), The Book of Will (HVSF),Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Acting Company/HVSF). Select NYC credits: Salty Brine’s Living Record Collection: The Jungle Book, Salty Folk (SHC), Measure for Measure (The Drilling Co.),A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the PARKing Lot), The Tragedy of Julius Caesar(Queens Shakes./WDMC), the old forever new things (The New School). Serena is delighted to be working with BGT and The Bushwick Starr, and sends her love to her family and Nameless (her amazing tuxedo cat that kinda meows like Cardi B.) www.serenaemiller.com.
BEETHOVAN ODEN (IS77)* Beethovan is a native of Oakland, California who residences in New York City. He is a graduate of both Cornish College of the Arts (B.F.A) and Southern Methodist University (M.F.A). A winner of the Black Theatre Alliance-Ossie Davis award-Best Featured Actor. Off-Broadway credits: New Federal Theatre The Fabulous Miss Marie and Luna Stage Company Master Harold…And The Boys. Regional credits: Playhouse On Park, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Florida Repertory, Capital Stage Company, Victory Gardens Theatre, The Dallas Theater Center, Seattle Repertory, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Indiana Repertory & Nebraska Shakespeare.
KAT PEÑA (PS075) Kat is super thrilled to be returning to perform in BGT! She also had the pleasure of being an assistant teaching artist at IS77, helping the students write these incredible plays! Credits include: The Cherry Orchard (Aaron Davis Hall), Elvira: The Immigration Play (Collaboraction Theatre, Chicago), Much Ado About Nothing (La Plaza Cultural), The Merry Wives of Windsor (WestBeth), River Rouge (Columbia University), and Michelle in award-winning short comedy, Reina. Kat is a teaching artist with the People’s Theatre Project in Washington Heights. She is a co-creator and producer of Cafecito Films and their Shakespeare series, Bits of the Bard. Gracias mami and Vanessa for giving me audience! Katpena.com
CRISTINA PITTER* (IS77) is a queer fat babe interdisciplinary artist, sex educator, and founder of The Ashè Collective, a group which focuses on storytelling inspired by ancestral roots and identities while also engaging in community outreach. She also has the best laugh ever. SERIOUSLY. You might have seen her work at The Metropolitan Opera, 59E59 Theaters, Ars Nova, Classic Stage, New Ohio Theatre, Joe’s Pub, The PIT, The Tank, The Flea Theater, JACK, Dixon Place, or three separate but specific bathtubs. She recently closed her sold out show, decolonizing my vagina, at JACK with The Exponential Festival. Feel free to follow her antics on Twitter @isisgypsy and Instagram @lavidabrujeria.
WES RUIZ (DRUMMER) Wes Ruiz is a freelance percussionist, born and raised in the Bronx. Wes has studied percussion at Manhattan School of Music Camp and Mannes Precollege program. He has played for theatrical productions at theaters such as The Tank and the Bushwick Starr. Wes is a rock drummer at heart and is currently the drummer of the pop-punk bands, Choked up, and Gibbons. When not playing music, Wes does community organizing with lgbtq communities in New York.
JULIA SCHONBERG (PS075) is a New York based actress and theatre maker. Recent credits: Between Fire and Smoke (Columbia New Plays Festival), Crisis:Ocean Planet (The Gallery Players), and Our Class (Boston Center for American Performance). Julia is the Founder & Co-Artistic Director of The Neighborhood Theatre Project, a theatre company devoted to creating original, verbatim theatre from interviews and untold stories. The company is currently working on The Willmar Project, devised from over 100 interviews from the town of Willmar, MN. Julia received her BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University.
WESLEY ZURICK* (PERFORMER/BAND LEADER) is thrilled to be returning to BGT. Recent credits include On the Shore of the Wide World (Atlantic Theater Company), Bible Stories! (Atlantic Farm Team), The Lightning Thief (Theatreworks USA), The Velveteen Rabbit, Camp Kapawanna, Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money (Atlantic for Kids), Boats And (Ars Nova’s ANT Fest), Welcome to the Jungle (Living Record Collection), I’s Twinkle (Pipeline Theatre Company), The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (Playhouse on Park), Ace (Playhouse in the Park). As a playwright and composer his work has been produced by The Atlantic Farm Team, Ape` Shakespeare, The Bushwick Starr, The Bowery Poetry Club, Judson Memorial Church, The Cincinnati Fringe Festival, The Joust Theatre Company and The Rescignos.
PRODUCTION BIOS:
HANNAH BIRCH CARL (Sound Designer) is a New York noob with over 8 years of theatrical sound design experience under her belt from her years living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area. She'll spare you an exhaustive list of Northern California theater companies, and instead would just like to thank The Bushwick Starr for hiring her, as well as her cat Pino for all the ongoing emotional support. Thanks for reading her cool bio!!!
YOU-SHIN CHEN(Scenic Designer) is a New York based scenic designer for performing arts. Originally born and raised in Taiwan, she came to New York to attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she received her MFA in 2014. As a theater practitioner, she is committed to diversity and humanity. Recent theater credits include: Eclipsed, dir. Shariffa Ali (Berlind Theater); Acquittal, dir. Noelle Ghoussaini (Pan Asian Rep); Men on Boats, dir. Sherri Barber & We are Proud to Present..., dir. Shariffa Ali (Yale Dramatic Association); Urinetown, dir. Johanna Pinzler (New York Film Academy); The Iceman Cometh, dir. Jim Furlong (Hudson Guild Theatre Co); Richard 3, dir. Jack Fletcher (NYU). www.youshinchen.com
ANN MARIE DORR (Production Manager) is a theater maker originally from the state of Maine. She often works on big-little shows with adventurous and ambitious ideas in downtown and Brooklyn spaces including Abrons Arts Center, The Brick,The New Ohio, JACK, and of course The Bushwick Starr. Shows at BWS include: Gertrude Stein Lab 1.0 with Target Margin Theater, Heartbreak by Ariel Stess, I'll Never Love Again by Clare Barron, Miles for Mary by The Mad Ones, and [PORTO] by Kate Benson, dir. Lee Sunday Evans. Upcoming: continued exploration of new plays by Sarah Loucks in Austin, TX and We Are Good and Noble Beings by Paul Ketchum. Proud Associated Artist of Target Margin Theater.
SABRINA BIANCA GUILLAUME (Costume Designer) Brooklyn girl to the core! Sabrina Bianca Guillaume was born, raised, and resides in Brooklyn, New York. From an early age she fantasized over costumes and fashion and its ability to tell a story. She works as a freelance costume designer for dance, theatre. She credits the beginning of her journey to be dressing in her Sunday best and designing costumes for her dance group as a teen. She received her BA in English and Theatre Arts at CUNY John Jay (2014). Most recently she received her MFA in Theater, with a concentration in design and technical production from CUNY Brooklyn College (2017). Often working on world premieres of productions she lives for making ever costume rememberable. www.SabrinaBianca.com
JAY MAURY (Lighting Designer & Technical Director) is a sound, lighting, video, and scenery designer working out of Brooklyn. As the designer of the BWS infrastructure and equipment, he has been working to raise the standards for control, efficiency, and artistic possibilities. Notably, BWS is now running an ultra-efficient LED worklight system with unparalleled control and light coverage. Recent design credits include Saratoga Opera (Sound Design, Lighting Design) BAWeaselOAPOYOB (Lighting Design) and Big Green Theater (Lights).
JEREMY PICKARD is the co-director of Superhero Clubhouse, which he founded in 2007. He has created, written, directed, and performed in dozens of eco-theater productions including The Planet Play series, Flying Ace and the Storm of the Century!, and a musical exploring geoengineering and the resurrection of the Woolly Mammoth. Jeremy has had the pleasure of leading Big Green Theater in partnership with the Starr since 2010, and has helped to initiate other programs dedicated to empowering kids and adults to make their own eco-theater. Jeremy’s essay "On Eco-Theater" was published by TCG in the book Innovations in Five Acts.
HANAKO RODRIGUEZ (Stage Manager) is freelance Stage Manager with a passion for helping to bring to life new works written by underrepresented voices. She is therefore thrilled to be collaborating with Superhero Clubhouse once again on BGT. Her recent New York credits include NYT Critic's Pick ATHENA with The Hearth, Dog Sees God at Matthew Corozine Theatre, Two Headed Rep's RENO & MOLL, softFocus's The Workshop (NYT Critic's Pick), Theater for the New City's 6th, 7th & 8th Dream Up Festival, The Dirty Blonde's How To Be Safe, Ardea Arts' BOUNCE the Basketball Opera, the world premiere of RIOT ANTIGONE at LaMama, Season 8 of The Fire This Time Festival, The Hot Box Girl's Off Broadway hit Knockers: A Burlesque Musical, and The Assembly's premiere of I Will Look Forward to This Later.
PRISCILLA VILLANUEVA* (AEA) Assistant Stage Manager - Is a Williamsburg based Stage Manager. Her recent Stage Management credits has been with INTAR Theatre, Theatre of the New City, Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, The Kraine Theatre, Pipeline Theater Company & Bushwick Starr, among others. She is happy to be back at the Bushwick Starr, with an amazing group of people. Peace & Love.
CHEYANNE WILLIAMS (Props Designer) is a New York based theater artist. Past design collaborations include Assistant Set Design for {mylingerieplay} (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Props Design for Cute Activist (The Bushwick Starr), and Assistant Set Design for Pay No Attention to the Girl, (Target Margin Theater). Upcoming projects include Associate Set Design for Jack &, premiering at BAM in November 2018. Upcoming performance credits include the premier of up your aesthetic., a devised retelling of the Ancient Greek myths of the Amazons, at the DC fringe festival this summer.
SUPERHERO CLUBHOUSE unites ecology and theater to enact justice, cultivate hope, and inspire a thriving future. We are a New York-based community of artists, scientists, and environmental professionals invested in a long-term experiment to understand how theater can help shift consciousness in the face of global climate change. www.superheroclubhouse.org
SPECIAL THANKS:
BGT Teaching Artists: Jeremy Pickard Amina Henry, Vanessa Felix, Lani Fu, Kat Pena, Chris Ignacio
BGT Resident Teachers: Joseph Judge, IS 77; Jennia Nabole and Harriet Fisher, PS 75
Interns: Laura Elliot, Cathrine Engelbirth Olsen, Jasmine Vazquez
Workshop Presenters: Markeya Thomas, Tattfoo Tan, Tanasia Swift, Erinn White, Nilda Mesa, Nissy Aya
Classroom Volunteers: David Schacht, Theo Maltz, Lana Richards, Monica Furman, Emilyn Kowaleski, Emily Cordes, Emily Caffrey, Alex Vásquez Dheming, Cassiope Sydoriak
Production Crew: Michelle Chery, Rui Konno, Megan Lang, Matt Korahais, Gene Lee, Sam Silbiger, Carl Whipple
Thanks to Moore PA for their donation of equipment, Materials for The Arts for continuing support of reusing materials in the arts, and Brooklyn College.
MADE POSSIBLE BY:
Big Green Theater is supported by a loyal group of individual contributors, corporate sponsors, and local businesses. Major funding for the program is provided by: The Revada Foundation of the Logan Family, the Cultural After School Adventures (CASA) Program, the Mental Insight Foundation, Con Edison, and the New York City Council.
The Bushwick Starr's Mission
The Bushwick Starr is an Obie Award winning not-for-profit theater that presents an annual season of new performance works. We are an organization defined by both our artists and our community, and since 2007, we have grown into a thriving theatrical venue, a vital neighborhood arts center, and a destination for exciting and engaging performance. We provide a springboard for emerging professional artists to make career-defining leaps, and we are a sanctuary where established artists come to experiment and innovate. We are also a neighborhood playhouse, serving our Bushwick, Brooklyn community's diverse artistic needs and impulses.
Our Team
Noel Allain - Co-Founder / Artistic Director
Sue Kessler - Co-Founder / Creative Director
John Del Gaudio - Producing Director
Lauren Miller - Development Director
Jehan O. Young - General Management Associate
Ann Marie Dorr - Production Manager
Jay Maury - Technical Director
John Budge - Box Office Manager
Kaitlyn Meade - House Manager
William Burke - Artistic Development Associate/Reading Series Curator
Jillian Walker - Reading Series Curator
Our Board
Matthew Cowherd
Gita Deo
Jeff Griffin
Robin Griffiths
Matthew Harrison
David Herskovits
Oliver Kramer
Tamar Lusztig
Alia McKee - Chair
Keanu Reeves
David Ringer
Rachel Viola
Support the Starr
Join us as a member! Your tax-deductible donation supports our ambitious artists premiering daring performances on our stage, and our Bushwick neighbors in our educational and community programs.
ALL STARR - $1000+ ($84/month) - 2 complimentary tickets to every show; Reserved seats; Coffee with co- founders Noel Allain & Sue Kessler; Invites to Summer Residency showings; Invitations to members-only events and the Starr Gala; Subscription to the Starr e-newsletter; Your name listed in our programs and on the website.
STARR SUSTAINER - $500+ ($42/month) - 2 complimentary tickets to every show; Reserved seats; Invitations to members-only events and the Starr Gala; Subscription to the Starr e-newsletter; Your name listed in our programs and on the website.
STARR SUPPORTER - $250+ ($21/month) - Invitations to members-only events and the Starr Gala; Subscription to the Starr e-newsletter; Your name listed in our programs and on the website.
STARR MEMBER - $100+ ($9/month) - Subscription to the Starr e-newsletter; Your name listed in our programs and on the website.
STARR DONOR - $25+ - Our endless gratitude and your name listed in our programs and on the website.
Our Supporters
Institutional Donors:
A.R.T./New York Creative Space Grant, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; The Axe-Houghton Foundation; The Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation; Educational Foundation of America; The Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust, The Faro Foundation; The Helen Clay Frick Foundation; Howard Gilman Foundation; The Revada Foundation; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mental Insight Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; New York City Department of Youth and Community Development; New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; The Shubert Foundation
Corporate Donors:
100 Bogart; ABS Partners Real Estate LLC; Braven Brewing Company; Bruce Cost Ginger Ale; Chef One; Collegiate Asset Associates; Con Edison; CNN; ExxonMobil Chemical; Frank Brunckhorst Co. LLC; Goldman Sachs; Old Navy; Gap Inc; The Breeze; Waste Management; Workman Publishing Co.
Individual Donors:
ALL STARRS
Anonymous; Jeremy Blocker; Christine & Lance Braunstein; Steve Coats; Matthew Cowherd; Max Dana; Gita Deo; Naomi Gardner; Jeff Griffin; Robin & Alice Griffiths; Matthew Harrison; David Herskovits; Megan Howard & Katie Fitzgerald; Casey & Mary Kemper; Douglas Kennedy; Oliver & Maxandra Kramer; Elizabeth Logan; Betsy Mallow & Jeremy Robbins; Dave Malloy & Eliza Bent; Alia McKee; Estelle Parsons; Paul & Jane Payne; Jason Kemper & Thor Perplies; Rashad Rahman & Tina Ting; David Ringer; John & Suzie Rothman; Mary Salter; Debra Fine & Martin Schneider; Michael Seelbach; Lee Seymour; Andrea Risoli & Jeremy Smith; Jody Falco & Jeffrey Steinman; Adam Sternbergh; Rachel Viola; Ashley & Shawn Woolf
SUSTAINERS
Susan & John Allain; Jessica Almasy & Benjamin Michael Friedstein; Christine & Lance Braunstein; Crystal Campbell; Lauren Glant; Leslye Headland & Rebecca Henderson; Jason Kemper & Thor Perplies; Jamie & Libby King; Dodge Landesman; J.R. Lederer; David Lieberman; Jase Miles-Perez; Carole Miller; Jojo Mu; Tracy Weller & Michael Ranson; Mark Rovner; Lyris Schonholz; Caitlin Simpson; Elizabeth Sorrell; Tony Barkan & Amanda Szeglowski; Samuel French; Andrew Waters & Sam Magill
SUPPORTERS
Anonymous (2); Afruz Amighi; Rachel Chavkin; Ashima Chitre; Denise Dickens; Daniel Emerman; Sara Juli & Chris Ajemian; Sann Knipple; Leslie Koch & Douglas Gray; Richard Kraft; Jill Hunter Matichak; Lee Osman; Lisa Reilly; Carmen Rodriguez; Eliza & Jim Rossman; Aaron Welch
MEMBERS
Anonymous (3); Susan Bernfield & Claude Millman; Elizabeth Caruso; Dave & Cindy Collins; MaryBeth DelGaudio & Barry Walsh; Jason Eagan; Jerome Ellis; Rhoda Farber; Missy Flower; Ashley Gillespie; Aaron Glick; Martin Hoffman; Mark McLaughlin; Deana Murtha & David Buccola; Harvey Neville; Sandra Salmans; Tim Sanford; Risa Shoup & Di Glazer; Deborah Stein & Andy Horwitz; Jaynie & Chad Saunders Tiller; Paloma Young
*As of January 10, 2018