SPOTLIGHT ON Fu ure Leaders: Mentorships 2005-2007 Mentees in the new generations program TCG takes great pleasure in introducing the Mentees for the 2005-2007 round of the New Generations Program Future Leaders: Mentorships. The New Generations Program has been cooperatively designed by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group. The resulting program supports two separate objectives: Future Leaders—to cultivate and strengthen a new generation of theatre leadership through Mentorships or International Fellowships at U.S. theatres, and Future Audiences—to expand and strengthen existing theatre programs that have proven effective in reaching young and/or culturally specific audiences. Through a highly competitive selection process, a national, independent and aesthetically diverse selection panel identified exceptionally talented theatre professionals to be mentored by accomplished theatre practitioners. These mentees have committed to be in residence with their host theatre for two years in a full-time capacity. They have been given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the not-for-profit theatre— both through their time at the host theatre and in travels domestically and internationally. They have made strong contributions to their theatres and at the same time have honed their leadership skills. Seth Bockley Brad Carlin Redmoon Theater SITI Company 1438 W Kinzie Street 520 8th Avenue #310 Chicago, IL 60622 New York, NY 10018 phone: 617-821-1177 phone: 212-868-0860 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] In New York City, Brad Carlin is being mentored by SITI Company’s managing director Megan Wanlass In Chicago, Redmoon Theater’s artistic director Szalla in ensemble management. Brad is helping James Lasko and associate artistic director to implement the theatre’s strategic plan, Frank Maugeri are mentoring Seth Bockley in produce the Associates New Work Series and “As a performer, writer “I am most interested directing and artistic leadership. The two-year streamline the management of the company’s and collaborative director, mentorship will provide Seth with the skills of art in the power of the education programs. I’m interested in the fluid direction and resource management in a dynamic ensemble. I am inspired interchange of research, not-for-profit environment. Seth is collaborating by the creative energy Brad Carlin is from Texas and earned his writing, image-making with Redmoon as an assistant director, performer, generated by a group of undergraduate degree in acting from St. Edward’s and performance. writer and art director for the company’s major individuals who are willing University in Austin. After two years as a working actor, including several projects with I believe that the most productions, as well as for the Redmoon-for-Hire to work beyond their SITI company members, he returned to school to vital art of our times is program. With Mr. Lasko, he has embarked on own expertise—utilizing get his masters degree in arts management from that which investigates a project to document the theatre’s diverse skills and interests Carnegie Mellon University. While in graduate America’s history, artistic process. to bring the project to school, Brad worked with Americans for the biography and geography. fruition. I believe the Arts in Washington, D.C., where he designed and I seek collaborators and field is rich with talented, Seth Bockley has collaborated as a performer, implemented research studies in local cultural companies that dedicate passionate and creative writer, director and dramaturg with Chicago’s policy and arts education. Brad previously worked themselves to social Redmoon Theater, Local Infinities Visual artists, but there is a as an administrative intern for SITI, and spent change through the act Theater, Lucky Pierre, Walkabout Theater and shortage of equally able his last year of graduate school assisting the of public celebration and Collaboraction. He apprenticed under artistic administrators who are managing director of City Theatre Company investigation, with the director Stacy Klein of Double Edge Theatre willing to ensure the in Pittsburgh. aim of one day creating Productions (Ashfield, MA) in ensemble physical vitality of American a company to continue theatre direction and performance. At Chicago’s theatre. I hope, in the those goals.” 2005 PAC/edge Festival, he performed an original spirit of the ensemble, solo show based on the life of Joseph Smith. my artistic background At Redmoon, Seth’s credits include and administrative training Sink. Sank. Sunk…, Loves Me…Loves Me Not will serve me well in and The Golden Truffle. He holds a B.A. in addressing the diverse comparative literature from Brown University. issues in the field.” Jake Hooker Michael Thomas Newberry phone: 917-547-9978 Deputy Director [email protected] Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 East Grand Avenue on Navy Pier In New York City, Big Dance Theater’s co-artistic Chicago, IL 60611 directors Paul Lazar and Annie-B Parson phone: 312-595-5621 are mentoring Jake Hooker in his artistic fax: 312-595-5607 development and administrative leadership. [email protected] Jake is participating in the company’s rehearsals as dramaturg and working with the theatre’s In Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s staff on company planning and management, executive director Criss Henderson is mentoring grant writing and other important skills, as he Michael Thomas Newberry as deputy director in “I’m primarily a writer, “I aspire to one day lead continues to make and produce his own work producing, as well as in planning and program but I don’t believe in the outside of the company. a theatre that is not just development work. In this cross-departmental primacy of language. a cultural institution, but position, Michael is the chief administrator of My goal is to destabilize Jake Hooker writes for performance. In New also a social, economic the theatre’s 60-member board of directors, the written word and to York City, his work has been seen at HERE Arts and educational entity. negotiates and fulfills actors’ contracts, manages create performance in Center, Raw Space, the Ontological-Hysteric Not content to simply be selective donor events, oversees the theatre’s which text, dance, music, Theater, La MaMa E.T.C. and the Medicine Show, a community member, MFA/Arts Leadership training program, leads the visual art, new media among others. He holds a BFA in theater from I want to direct a theatre company’s evolving website development and is and design coalesce into Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and an that is a community the interim manager for the individual giving staff. a cohesive whole that M.A. in theater and the world from the Centre leader—bringing to the for Performance Research at the University of Michael Thomas Newberry holds a degree excites the imagination stage provocative texts Wales. In New York, he is a founding member in electrical engineering from the University of and allows the spectator that spark conversation, of the International Company Project, resident Michigan, where he spent more time producing, access to a world outside tell compelling stories that playwright with Adhesive Theater Project, directing and performing theatre than doing his her own making. I want and co-curator of the Bridge Dance-Theater for challenge our beliefs and semiconductors homework. Prior to obtaining mystery, magic, mayhem; WaX. His newest piece, Pot au Noir, will premiere evoke disbelief and wonder a masters degree in arts management from equal parts lyricism and at New York’s Chocolate Factory in November. with grand theatricality. Carnegie Mellon University, Michael worked for matter-of-factness. For me, the theatre is Teach For America, first as a 4th and 8th grade I want entertainment and that rare place where, teacher in Phoenix, then as development director enlightenment; poetry and for two-and-a-half hours, for the Arizona region. He has also worked with prosaism in a performance we lose hold of our Childsplay in Tempe, AZ, and with Future Tenant, of paradox. This is a wholly certainties and dare to a laboratory space for emerging visual, literary American theatre and a reconsider, to dream, and performance artists in Pittsburgh. hopefully global one: to be moved.” a Theatre-of-All-Things.” Kemati Porter KJ Sanchez McCarter Theatre Center 408 W 51st Street #103 91 University Place New York, NY 10019 Princeton, NJ 08540 phone: 917-744-6700 phone: 609-258-0595 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] In Princeton, NJ, McCarter Theatre Center’s In New York City, New Dramatists’ artistic producing director Mara Isaacs is mentoring director, Todd London, is mentoring KJ Sanchez Kemati Porter in artistic producing. in artistic leadership and new play and playwright Kemati is focusing on producing both new work development. KJ is serving as a partner-director and classics, and participates in season planning, on a large number of existing programs in all “I am interested in a “I’m a Slasher. It’s not artist cultivation, short- and long-term project areas of operation, including co-producing New theatrical landscape that development, artistic oversight of the production as violent as it sounds: Dramatists’ Playtime Lab, co-administering the supports culturally specific process and facilitating the work of other I’m a director/actor/ admissions process and assisting on all benefit voices and validates departments within the theatre. teacher/writer. events. She will also create workshops for the theatre in our myriad I’m passionate about playwright company and hold a series of forums communities as necessary Kemati Porter is a director, actor and arts empowering actors, for playwrights on leadership issues. and contributory to the administrator with eta Creative Arts Foundation supporting the ‘worldview’ of art and in Chicago. In her tenure with eta, Kemati chaired playwright’s voice and KJ Sanchez wrote and directed Pants on Fire literature.