Patchwork 2:Eclectic Boogaloo Creative
Playwright--"All Grown Up"
Dana HallDana Hall (she/her) is a playwright, actor, and mental health therapist. She was awarded Excellence In Playwrighting by the Theater Association of NYS (TANYS) 2022. Her Edgar Allen Poe adaptation (Under the Floorboards) took home Outstanding Theatrical Adaptation, Gee-rated Intertainment. She was a finalist with Morecambe Fringe John Clarke Memorial Prize for script-writing (Lucid). Her self-performed/original monologue (Snowglobe) won the Femuscript Monologue Contest 2022. In 2022 New York Journal recognized her as one of their 50 under 50 most influential creators. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, League of Professional Theatre Women, Honor Roll!, and International Centre for Female Playwrights. DanaHallCreates.com
Director--"All Grown Up"
Anthony WilliamsAnthony Williams is an actor and award-winning director, writer, and producer living in Chicago. Founder of Second Glance Productions, a multi-media video production company, his award-winning short film, Absolutely Positive, claimed the award for "Best Director" and earned a personal invitation to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative at the Obama White House in 2013. Now developed as a scripted series, the pilot for Absolutely Positive advanced as a Quarterfinalist in the 2020 TSL Screenplay Contest.
His directorial-debut feature film, Thicker Than Blood, has garnered him awards for "Best Director in a Feature Film" and "Best Narrative Feature Film" from two national film festivals in 2019, in addition to screenings hosted by community-based LGBT and African-American nonprofits, HBCUs, medical organizations, and state and local health departments in nearly 20 major cities across the country.
In 2022, Anthony directed his first stage play, Underneath, in Eclectic Full Contact Theatre's "Patchwork Play Fest" which was the recipient of the Audience's Choice award. He serves as a content advisor and consultant with Impulse Group Chicago -- a social, nonprofit organization under the AIDS Healthcare Foundation -- and as a Production Advisor within the Chicago entertainment ecosystem, Creative Cypher.
He's repped by Lori Lins Limited and The Talent Network.
Playwright--Any Port In A Storm"
Aly KantorAly Kantor is a playwright, performer, and teaching artist from Long Island, New York. Her award-winning, internationally-produced work is pleasantly quirky, femme-focused, often queer, and full of speculation and subversion. She is a Creative Associate with EastLine Theatre, where her new adaptation of The Great Gatsby, These Gilded Souls, premiered in Westbury, NY, in December 2022. You can find her at www.alykantor.com or read more of her work on NPX.
Director--"Any Port In A Storm"
Rashaad BondRashaad moved to Chicago from Albuquerque, New Mexico in the summer of 2019. In Albuquerque, Rashaad founded and served as the artistic director for Middle Ground Theatre Company, a company dedicated to giving opportunities to those in the community that were often neglected. He holds a BA in Theatre from the University of New Mexico. His studies allowed him to develop skills in directing, producing, acting, lighting design, and scenic carpentry. Since moving to Chicago, Rashaad has had the opportunity to work with organizations such as Black Ensemble Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, The League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Above the Law, Ghostlight Ensemble, Perceptions Theatre, and Possibilities Theatre. He is currently an ensemble member of BYOT Productions and The Lightbulb Factory.
Playwright--"Awesome Possum"
Elizabeth A.M. KeelElizabeth A. M. Keel is a playwright and theatremaker in Houston. She serves as the Resident Playwright and Literary Manager for Mildred's Umbrella, and is a double alumna of the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance. Her writing celebrates science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and magical realism on stage. Her work has been read or produced at 14 Pews, Bootown, Cone Man Running, Flexible Grey, Fresh Produce’d (NYC), The Growing Stage: Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Landing Theatre Company, METDance, Mildred's Umbrella, Nova Arts Project, Otherworld Theatre Company, Shattered Globe Theatre, Squeaky Bicycle, Stages, The Studio Theatre at Tierra Del Sol, T.E.T.A., This Is Water Theatre, Tokyo International Players, Voxfest, and Wordsmyth, among others. She is also the Artistic & Community Engagement Administrator at Stages. Upcoming projects may be found at www.elizabethamkeel.com.
Director--Awesome Possum"
Stephanie MurphyStephanie is thrilled to be working with ECFT on the Patchwork festival again. In last year's festival, she directed Irish Stew. She has also directed the audiodramas Title IX and Two Girls, and Why Am I Sticky for the 2019 24 Hour Theatre Festival. Stephanie is also a playwright, actor, and dialect coach, as well as an ensemble member at Stage Left Theatre.
Playwright--"Crime of Curiosity"
Lena KaminskyLena studied acting at Emerson College and has been working in the theater professionally for over 20 years. As an actor, she has worked in tv, film, and regional theaters around the country. She has written two full length plays, Salvage and Ursa Major. Her short film Little Mouse (written & directed) premiered at Dances With Films in New York City where it won the Audience Award. She lives with her wife and two adopted elderly dogs in NYC. LenaKaminsky.com, LittleMousethemovie.com
Director-"Crime of Curiosity"
Brandii ChampagneBrandii Champagne (they/she) is a Louisiana native and graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a B.F.A. in Performing Arts. They are one of the co-Artistic Directors of Theatre L’Acadie and are thrilled to be directing for this year's Patchwork New Play Festival! On top of being a director, she is also an actor & free-lance designer (graphic, scenic, costume). Some of their recent directing credits include A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kevin Blair (Theatre L’Acadie), SPOTTED (an independent short film), & The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder (Tea Sippers’ Theatre co.). More of their work can be found at: brandiichampagne.com
Playwright--"Dolly"
Becky SchlomannBecky Schlomann (she/hers) is an Indianapolis director, actor, and playwright. She’s thrilled to be working with EFCT for the first time. BA, theatre: Knox College; MFA, drama and theatre for youth: U.Texas-Austin. As an emerging writer, Becky’s work has been produced at a handful of theatres across the country. Her play Cornered is published in the Smith & Kraus Best Ten-Minute Plays 2021 anthology and is currently a finalist for the Kairos Italy Theater (KIT)’s International Political Theater Competition in New York. A former K-12 theatre teacher, Becky now teaches acting and stagecraft for playwrights through the Indiana Playwrights Circle, where she also serves on the Steering Committee.
Director--"Dolly"
Michelle AnnetteMichelle’s selected Chicago directing credits include:Director for Eclectic Full Contact Theater’s, The Squirrel Plays: Infestation Compensation Eradication, Lifestyle Content, as well as assistant directed As You Like It. Michelle thanks the cast, crew and her family for their support…especially her husband Marty for his constant love and support! And, as always– she thanks her mother for her love and encouragement.
Playwright--"Heist!"
Lisa Dellagiarino FeriendVirginia-born and Chicago-based, Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend is an award-winning playwright, a member of the Dramatists Guild, and President of the Board of Arts For All, a NYC-based nonprofit bringing accessible artistic opportunities to children who face barriers to exploring the arts. She has a BFA in Film & TV from NYU and two kids who are disappointed that she doesn't write plays about dinosaurs. www.arts-for-all.org
Director—“Heist!"”
Ben LockeBen F. Locke (he/she/they) is a Chicago actor, director, writer and casting director. They have worked with theatres such as Steppenwolf, Court, Drury Lane, Music Theatre Works, House Theatre and more. You can find Ben’s plays at The New Play Exchange.
Playwright--"A Kind of Blue"
Michael Wells-OakesMichael Wells-Oakes’s plays include, SEA VINE,NJ; WINTER
WHEAT; LEAVE PHILADELPHIA,NEVER GRACE, BREATH TO
BREATH and KURT’s WIFE and have been produced by Luna Stage
(NJ), Puzzle Theater,The Triangle (SC); Bernie Wohl Center; The Ko
Festival (MA); Marble Collegiate Church Theater. His Monologue,
YOU LABOR, received the Silver Ear Award at the “Me & My Masks”
Monologue Festival and had a London premiere as part of Lost Souls
Monologues. BLANCA was part of the Rose Theater Co.’s podcast
and a finalist at Hear Me Out Monologue Festival in NYC. He is a
Resident Playwright with the 29th Street Playwrights Collective in NYC
and hosts the Playwright’s Jam every first Sunday of the month at
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY. Member of the Dramatist Guild,
Actors Equity, and a MacDowell Colony Fellow, a National Playwrights
Conference Finalist, he received the NYFA's grant for screenwriting
and the DeWitt Wallace Reader’s Digest Writer of Distinction Award.
Director--"A Kind of Blue"
Joel WillisonJoel (he/him/his) was born in Evanston, Illinois but spent most of his childhood growing up in Kampala, Uganda. As the Artistic Director for Pocket Theatre VR, he focuses his work on collaboration with early career theatre artists, and increasing accessibility to the stage using Virtual Reality. Joel has worked with Stage Left Theatre, Playground, Chicago Dramatists, Haven, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, VTC, and now with Eclectic Full Contact Theatre! Joel is always looking for more opportunities to support theatre in Chicago, keep up to date with his work at joelwillison.com
Playwright--"What the Puck?"
Nina MansfieldNina Mansfield is a Connecticut based playwright, fiction writer, screenwriter and educator. Nina’s plays have been produced throughout the United States and internationally and are published by Smith & Kraus, YouthPLAYS, Original Works Publishing, One Act Play Depot and Stage Partners. Nina’s short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mysterical-E, Kings River Life Magazine, Crime Syndicate Magazine, and anthologized. Her novel, Swimming Alone, a YA mystery, is published by Fire & Ice YA. Nina is a member of The Dramatists Guild, Mystery Writers of America, The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, International Thriller Writers and she is a Co-Vice-President of the NY/Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives with her husband, cats, and energetic 8-year old daughter, Bailey. Connect with Nina on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Director--"What the Puck?"
Alexis VaselopulosAlexis Vaselopulos is a Director, actor and writer from Northfield,IL based in Chicago, and is thrilled to make her directing debut with patchwork and What the Puck?
A graduate in Theatre and Psychology from the university of Iowa (class of 2021), Alexis enjoys new works, and looking at theatre from a psychological lens. Recent directing credits include Pocket Theatre VR for their pocket playfest new works featival (You Must be the Mom by Steven San Luis), centerstage (a Midsummer Nights Dream) and the university of Iowa (Cupid Tyrannus, A Part) she has also worked as an actor with Naked Angels, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Paradox Theater Works, Braving the Bard and Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, of which she is a company member. Many thanks to Andrew, Dan, and the entire EFCT family for the opportunity, the cast for their brilliant work, and her friends and family for their love and support. Love always to my grandparents.
Playwright--"Weird Girl Summer"
Courtney TaylorCourtney Taylor is a playwright and speechwriter from Massapequa, NY. Her short play Lights in the Sky has been performed across the U.S., and opened Off-Off-Broadway in March 2019. She was a recipient of the 2019 Edward Guiliano Global Travel Fellowship from Stony Brook University, used to research and develop her play Jenkins: An All-American Outing. Courtney was a member of Imaginarium Theatre Company’s spring 2022 writing group, and directed a live reading of her play The Warren Commission Spectacular through the company in June 2022. Her play No Entrance is a semifinalist for the 2023 National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Currently, Courtney is an inaugural Feminism Is for Everyone fellow at The Bechdel Project, a feminist arts incubator in Brooklyn, NY. She also serves as a Teaching Fellow at Lehigh University, and a speechwriting consultant at West Wing Writers. Find her on New Play Exchange and on Twitter @CourtBeTweeting.
Director-"Weird Girl Summer"
Lexy Hope WeixelLexy Hope Weixel [they, them] is honored to be working with Eclectic as a director, after performing for them in Mother Goose Lost and the audio drama A Christmas Carol. In the Fall of 2022 Lexy directed a devised show about the Salem Witch Trials with a group of middle schoolers at Mudlark Theatre in Evanston. They have also directed various devised productions in the past, their favorite being, I Am: The Story of Sylvia Plath. Favorite recent Chicago acting credits include: Bechdel Fest 9 - I’m a Gamer (Broken Nose Theatre), I Build Giants (The Plagiarists), Twelfth Night (Midsommer Flight), and The Miscellany (The Passage Theatre). Lexy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in arts administration - theatre from Butler University. They also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Lexy wants to thank everyone they've been able to connect with since moving to this city 3 years ago. They're excited to keep making cool, weird, queer theatre.
Stage Manager
Zachary Osterman
Sound Design
Laurel Barrett
Lighting Design
Lena AubreyLena Aubrey is a freelance electrician and lighting designer continuing her work with Eclectic Full Contact Theatre. She worked on their Patchwork Play Festival in 2022 and is glad to work with them again. Other theater credits include working with Northwestern K-Dance and with Infinity Arts Academy. In addition to doing theater, she moonlights as a boat captain on Lake Michigan during the summer months. Lena is a multidisciplinary and talented artist, her full portfolio can be found at https://lenakatherineaubreyart.com/
Producer
Daniel Houle
Panelist
Rinska Carrasco-PrestinaryRinska Carrasco-Prestinary is a Dominican-American who is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Gray Talent Group. Selected directing credits include: ISAAC'S EYE, DEATH TAX and BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY (Redtwist), FIREFLY LOVE (Something Marvelous) THE RIVER BRIDE (Halcyon). Past selected production credits include: TAMING OF THE SHREW Assistant Director (Barbara Gaines/Chicago Shakes, ROMEO AND JULIET, Directing Intern (Marti Lyons/Chicago Shakes). When Rinska is not directing you can catch her spending time with her 6 month old daughter.
Panelist
Christina CasanoCHRISTINA CASANO (she/her) is a theatre artist based in Chicago. Her training includes a BA in Theatre from Miami University, Victory Gardens Theater’s Director’s Inclusion Initiative, and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Summer Professional Training Program. Selected directing credits: I Build Giants and Poison (The Plagiarists), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stone Soup Shakespeare), How To Murder… (workshop, Bramble Theatre), Blood of My Mother’s (workshop reading, Wayward Sisters), Plaid As Hell (Babes With Blades), Deep Shadows (audio drama, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre), Fame Heaux (staged reading, Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival), The Living Newspaper Festival (Jackalope Theatre), Fighting Words Festival (Babes With Blades). Other favorite projects: Some Like It Red and The Epic of Gilgamesh, etc. (The Plagiarists), How To Defend Yourself (Victory Gardens), Bury Me (Dandelion Theatre), The Light Fantastic (Jackalope Theatre). She is the Artistic Director of The Plagiarists and the Creative Producer at Remy Bumppo. www.cmrcasano.com
Panelist
Ele MatelanEle (She/Her/Hers) has designed, choreographed, and performed Foley for over 90 productions ranging from London, UK to Portland, Oregon, and for Chicago companies such as A Red Orchid Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, The Second City Training Center, Prop Thtr, and Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment. She served as resident Foley designer for WildClaw Theatre's Deathscribe from 2014 to 2021. Ele has guest lectured and led workshops on stage Foley for universities including Northwestern, Harvard, DePaul, and Purdue. She was recently featured in the 3rd edition of the definitive textbook on Foley, The Foley Grail, by Vanessa Theme Ament. Ele is also a voice actor on Hartlife NFP's audio dramas 'Our Fair City' and BBC Best Online Audio Drama winner 'Unwell.'
Panelist
Christopher PazdernikChristopher Pazdernik returns to EFCT after directing Make Me A Song in 2016. He is best-known for his work as Artistic Director of Refuge Theatre Project (Jeff Awards, Best Director & Best Production of a Musical, High Fidelity); a long association with Porchlight Music Theatre, including directing eight Porchlight Revisits productions; directing the annual production of Who's Holiday at Theatre Wit, and his current role as Producing Director at Theo, where he directed Godspell earlier this year.
In the new works vein, he has guided many new musicals in development, including directing Wonder Women (2020 Best in Fest, Chicago Music Theatre Festival) and serving on the reading committee for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre Festival.
MUSIC ATTRIBUTION
EFCT would like to thank and credit the following artists whose work has been sourced for this production.
Songs used in these performances created or sourced by the following artists under various Creative Commons licenses:
Andy G. Cohen: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andy_G_Cohen/
• Just a Blip
Droopies: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Droopies/
• Power of Suggestion
• Even Better
Elysian Bailey: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Elysian_Bailey/
• Stella
Fog Lake: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Fog_Lake/
• strung back around
• pretty lights
• lost love letters
Golden Duck Orchestra: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Golden_Duck_Orchestra/
• On Sale
HoliznaCC0: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/
• Letting Go of the Past
• Shadow Self
• Goodbye Good Times
Jahzzarr: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
• The Shine
• Comedie
• Take Me Higher
• Patience
Jason Shaw: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jason_Shaw/
• ONE FINE DAY
Josh Woodward: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward
• Invisible Light (Instrumental Version)
Katy Kirby: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Katy_Kirby/
• All of Everything
• Come Back to Nashville
• Every Time
Kirk Osamayo: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/kirk-osamayo/
• We Made It
Later Boy: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lazer_Boy/
• Together We Are Beautiful
Man Bites Dog: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/manbitesdog/
• Milk and Honey
• Perfect One
Mise Darling: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Mise/
• Young Lovers
Monplaisir: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monplaisir/
• Far and High
My Monthly Date: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/My_Monthly_Date/
• Change
Shibuya Terminal: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/shibuya-terminal/
• Gingham
Steve Combs: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Steve_Combs/
• Fine
Telepathic Teddy Bear: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Telepathic_Teddy_Bear/
• My Body is a Question
Three Jolly Rogues: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Three_Jolly_Rogues/
• Holly and the Ivy
Troigo: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/troigo/
• So it Goes
• Dust in the Water