SPOTLIGHTFuture ON Leaders 2003-2005 and 2004-2006 Mentees in the new generations program about the New Generations program 2003-2005 recipient Kevin Bitterman TCG takes great pleasure Theatre de la Jeune Lune in introducing the mentees for 105 N 1st Street Minneapolis, MN 55401 the 2003-2005 and 2004-2006 rounds of the phone: 612-423-6611 New Generations Future Leaders program. work: 612-332-3968 x140 [email protected] The New Generations Program has been cooperatively designed [email protected] by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation In Minneapolis, MN, Theatre de la Jeune Lune’s and Theatre Communications Group. The resulting program supports co-artistic directors mentored Kevin Bitterman in two separate objectives: Future Leaders—to cultivate and strengthen the area of theatrical creation. Kevin served as a “The future of the American de facto member of the company, working as a new generation of theatre leadership through mentorships with not-for-profit theatre rests Dominique Serrand’s assistant director on accomplished theatre practitioners, and Future Audiences—to expand “in the hands of artists Carmen, The Ballroom, Maria de Buenos Aires willing to author and and strengthen existing theatre programs that have proven effective and The Miser and appearing in Carmen, Ubu for produce their own work— President, The Ballroom and the Off-Broadway in reaching young and/or culturally specific audiences. work that responds to tour of Hamlet. In addition, the theatre’s producing director, Steve Richardson, mentored Kevin in the Through a highly competitive selection process, national, independent our complex world, that illuminates the human area of theatre management. and aesthetically diverse selection panels identified exceptionally condition and searches Kevin Bitterman has collaborated as an talented theatre professionals to be mentored by accomplished for new ways of telling actor/director with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, theatre practitioners. These mentees have committed to be in residence unfamiliar stories. I strive Theatre Latté Da, Mixed Blood Theatre Company, to create theatre that with their host theatre for two years in a full-time capacity. They have been Chicago Avenue Project, Interact Center for the stimulates its audience to given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the not-for-profit theatre— Visual and Performing Arts and the Footsbarn “respond—to disagree and Traveling Theatre. He was a visiting lecturer at the both through their time at the host theatre and in travels domestically and “encourage a dialogue École Nationale des Arts Appliqués and artist in internationally. They have made strong contributions to their theatres with the artists. I believe residence at the Fondation des Etats-Unis in Paris, and at the same time have honed their leadership skills. in the collaborative model France. There, he co-created and produced Ça, “to produce work—a theatre C’est l’Amour, La Mort du Prince and the short film without boundaries—that 4h40 with Studio Kremlin. Currently, Kevin is co- “unites artists with individ- developing an international collaborative project with the International Theatre Institute (ITI) New ual voices. One of my Project Group based on The Circular Ruins for the career goals is to 2006 ITI World Congress in the Philippines. Kevin cultivate an ensemble of holds a B.A. in theatre and communication from St. international artists whose John’s University and is a graduate of the École creative process will draw Jacques Lecoq. from diverse artistic styles, languages and tra- ditions to create new work and promote new voices both here and abroad.” 2003-2005 recipient 2003-2005 recipient Rebecca Lynn Brown Robert Castro Luis Alfaro, associate producer of new play 73 Seaman Avenue, #3C 160 Claremont Avenue, #3G development at Center Theatre Group in Los New York, NY 10034 New York, NY 10027 Angeles, CA, and Diane Rodriguez, director of the phone: 917-604-8434 phone: 212-316-4682 Latino Theatre Initiative, mentored Robert Castro [email protected] [email protected] in the area of artistic and administrative leadership. As a member of the artistic staff, In Minneapolis, MN, the Children’s Theatre Robert participated fully in the artistic and Company’s artistic director, Peter Brosius, administrative activities of the theatre. mentored Rebecca Lynn Brown, artistic associate, in the areas of new play development, producing, Robert Castro is currently an artistic associate artistic leadership and the national and at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. international field of theatre for young people. His directing credits include works by Ibsen, “My goal as an artist is to Shakespeare, Maeterlink, Lorca and Brecht, make theatre that poses Rebecca Lynn Brown’s directing credits include: as well as new plays by Julia Cho and Jessica significant questions to Splash Hatch on the E Going Down, Whittier Goldberg. He served as an associate artist with the audience for which it Stories, Stories From Montevideo and Eurydice the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue at is performed, inviting an (The Children’s Theatre Company); The Clean American Repertory Theatre/Harvard University. audience to meet the House (McCarter Theatre Festival of New Plays, Robert is a recipient of the NEA/TCG Career performance in the room workshop production); You’re No One’s Nothing Development Program for Directors. as an equal partner in a Special (HERE Arts Center). Associate directing He is a member of New York Theatre Workshop’s credits include: Gertrude and Alice (Anne Bogart, Usual Suspects and a member of the Lincoln dialogue. My process director) and And God Created Great Whales Center Theater Directors Lab. He has worked includes incorporating (David Schweizer, director). Her new play with Peter Sellars, George C. Wolfe and training practices that development credits include work with Sarah Ruhl, Anna Deavere Smith. Robert is a graduate of enable a production to Jorge Cortiñas, Anton Dudley and Jordan the University of California—San Diego and the reach beyond conven- Harrison. She holds an MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama. tional thinking about form University of Washington and has taught at the in terms of time, space, University of Maryland and Simon Fraser language, image and University in Vancouver. metaphor. My directing interests include new plays, re-imagining classics and creating original work from non-dramatic texts. Most recently I have been working to create interview-based oral histories that seek to unearth what is compelling that lies beneath the surface of a community.” 2003-2005 recipient 2003-2005 recipient Clove Galilee Melvin D. Gerald, Jr. c/o Mabou Mines African Continuum Theatre Company 150 First Avenue, 2nd Floor 3523 12th Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10009 Washington, DC 20017 phone: 212-473-0559 phone: 202-529-5763 [email protected] [email protected] In New York, NY, Mabou Mines’ co-artistic director In Arlington, VA, Signature Theatre’s managing Sharon Fogarty mentored Clove Galilee as an director, Sam Sweet, mentored Melvin D. Gerald, artistic associate. The two-year mentorship Jr. Melvin participated in building the organization provided Clove with a background in balancing the as the theatre moved to a new space, promoting artistic and managerial responsibilities of an program evaluation and developing the board. “As a performer, I am artistic director at a small experimental theatre “I want to lead Melvin also assisted in budgeting and increasing interested in working with company. an organization that annual support as well as developing an internship a wide array of directors embraces and program to foster training and partnership and tackling both classic Clove Galilee is an artistic associate with Mabou celebrates the diversity opportunities with colleges and universities in and contemporary roles. Mines and co-artistic director of her theatre of America and that Washington, D.C. As co-artistic director of company, School for Gifted Children. Her work has includes the multitude my own theatre company, been presented at P.S. 122, the Public Theater, the of voices that comprise Born in Washington, D.C., Melvin D. Gerald School for Gifted Performing Garage, the Flea Theater, Primary the African-American received his B.A. in theatre from Morehouse Stages and P.S. 1 / MOMA. She is a Princess College in Atlanta, GA. In addition to organizing Children, I am dedicated community. As there Grace Award recipient in directing and grassroots arts organizations in Atlanta, Melvin to the collaborative is not one voice that performance. Her work is supported by the worked in human resources and operations creation of innovative speaks for that Greenwall Foundation, the Jerome Foundation and management for Gap, Inc. Melvin also studied arts works that combine the community, there is a New York Foundation for the Arts’s Emerging management at American University, with a focus uses of new media, Artists Fiscal Sponsorship Program. Upcoming need for a multitude on the comparison between not-for-profit and dance, live music and projects include Mabou Mines’s Red Beads at the of voices, a host of commercial business structures. After two years original scripts. I have Skirball Center in New York in September 2005, theatres—big and small, with Signature Theatre, Melvin will become the extensive experience direction of The Libation Bearers in Athens, mainstream and managing director of Washington D.C.’s African in the creation of Greece in December 2005 and choreography for alternative—that speak Continuum Theatre Company (ACTCo) where experimental theatre as and performance in Wickets with School for Gifted of the varied experi- he will heighten ACTCo’s visibility, increase an artistic associate Children in 2006. ences. I look forward its funding and strengthen the organization’s with Mabou Mines. to the partnership infrastructure at its new home in the Atlas Performing Arts Center. I am now interested in between artistic director expanding my range as a and managing director in performer and a director.