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Laurel Wetzork (Playwright, Athena Cats co-founder) is a 3rd generation SoCal native. She considers her fictional WWII and science-fiction works a perfect frame and mirror for today's world. Blueprint for Paradise was a semi-finalist in the Eugene O'Neill Theatre competition and the Center Stage/Humanitas playwriting prize. Laurel volunteers for the LA Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI) as web editor for the Women at Work pages, and the International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP). She's a member of the Dramatists Guild of America (DG) and Association of Writers & Writers Programs (AWP). www.mojewetzorkstudios.com
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Laura Steinroeder (Director) is a theatre director with a passion for working on new plays. She is the co-Founding Artistic Director of Red Cup Theatre Company and an Associate Member of the SDC. Recent credits include Turtles (West Coast Premiere), and DNA (Red Cup Theatre Company), All About Harold (Green Light Productions, GLO 2015), 5 Sirens: Beware of Rocks (World Premiere, Hollywood Fringe Festival), and Obviously Michael (World Premiere, Hollywood Fringe Festival). www.laurasteinroeder.com
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Debbie Bolsky (Executive Producer/Athena Cats co-founder) is a playwright and screenwriter whose work features strong and layered roles for women and explores themes of death, baseball, and politics. Her stage play Biking With Andrew Scott enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles in 2008. Her current projects include the plays Ashes to Ashes, Three Sides, and Bringing a Urine Sample to Hitler and Other Stories of My Crazy Mother and her baseball-centric screenplay -- Diamond Behind the Plate (aka The Umpire Has No Balls). Bolsky’s roles in filmmaking include Associate Producer on Laurel Wetzork's independent film Rogues (2003), Executive Producer on Katie Rogers documentary, Carless In L.A. (2016), and as Vice President, Media Advertising at Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment). Bolsky is an active member of the Dramatists Guild, International Centre for Women Playwrights, New Play Exchange, Film Independent, and the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI). www.dbolskywriter.com
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Theatre Planners (Producers) is a complete theatre production service company that hit the Los Angeles scene over ten years ago. Founded by Racquel Lehrman (Producer), and joined by Victoria Watson (Associate Producer) in 2012, Theatre Planners has developed into a very busy and successful outlet for actors, writers, directors, and theatre companies. Doing everything from consulting, to budgeting, to logistics and marketing, Theatre Planners loves making productions a reality and helping to keep the theatre scene in LA alive and strong. Theatre Planners also owns and manages The Lounge Theatres on Theatre Row in Hollywood. For more information about Theatre Planners and The Lounge Theatre, please go to www.theatreplanners.com.
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Michael Mullen (Costume Design) is an actor, costume/fashion designer, and writer. He has performed in and costume designed productions on stage and on film throughout Los Angeles. He has been honored with StageSceneLA awards for his acting as well as for his costume design, including: 2012-2013 Costume Designer of The Year and 2013-2014 Costume Design of the Year for Dorian's Descent. |
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Jean-Paul ‘JP’ Rosenveldt (Technical Director) began working in technical theater after an ill-fated acting attempt in high school. He apprenticed for Richard W. Nelson at Gardiner Spring Auditorium in Ontario, CA. After earning his Journeyman’s card, he began working for IATSE locals in San Bernardino, Orange and LA counties. In 1986 he began working at Disneyland as a stagehand on shows and events, going on to work as a TD with Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland Technical Services and Technical Director at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Currently he works as a Technical Coordinator for the Walt Disney Corporate Events group in Burbank, CA.
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Matthew Gorka (Lighting Designer) has worked professionally for over 19 years in many forms of arts and entertainment lighting including professional theatre, television, national and regional tours, corporate events, and education. He graduated in 2002 from Whittier College with a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in technical direction and design. In 2008 he founded Matthew Gorka Lighting, LLC. MGL’s clients include The Walt Disney Co., LAOpera, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles among others. www.matthewgorkalighting.com and on Twitter @MattGorkaLight
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Letitia Chang (Stage Manager) is an LA convert transplanted from NY & VA, respectively. She can trace her love of theatre to when she agreed to be the “cannonball” in a failed human catapult experiment at the tender age of 9 -- she overshot the cushion pile. She’s been working primarily with East West Players since 1996 (and with the occasional start-up theatre group outside of EWP), when she graduated from Pitzer College with a BA in theatre arts. Her recent work includes the Red Cup Theatre's West Coast premiere of Turtles with Laura Steinroeder (director).
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Michael Donovan C.S.A. (Casting Director). Michael casts for film, theatre, television, and commercials.
His credits include 45+ films, nine TV series, and over 1,200 commercials. Michael is a six-time winner of the Casting Society of American's ARTIOS awards given for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. http://www.michaeldonovancasting.com/Welcome.html |
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Lucy Pollak (Publicity) has been providing publicity services to the Los Angeles arts community for the past 23 years for companies including 24th Street Theatre; Antaeus Theatre Company; DOMA Theatre Company; The Echo Theater Company; The Fountain Theatre; International City Theatre; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; The Matrix Theatre Company; Odyssey Theatre Ensemble; Padua Playwrights; Theatre Planners; Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum; numerous independent theater and dance productions; and large events and festivals. She is the recipient of a Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle Award (Master Class), an LA Weekly Award (Mary Barnes), four Drama-Logue Awards (Mary Barnes, Idioglossia, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, It’s A Girl!),and a Women in Theatre Recognition Award. She has served on the boards of directors of the Los Angeles Theatre Alliance (now L.A. Stage Alliance), Women in Theatre and P.A.T.H. (Performing Arts Theatre for the Handicapped). http://www.lucypr.com/
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Kiff Scholl (Graphic Designer) Headed by Kiff Scholl, AFK Design has a long history of designing original and eye catching graphics for Los Angeles theatre and film productions. Long time theatre clients include the wonderful folks over at The Athena Cats, Theatre Planners, Sierra Madre Playhouse, West Coast Jewish Theatre, Indie Chi, KADM Productions, Sacred Fools, Theatre of NOTE, as well as countless independent companies. In addition to graphics, Kiff is also an award-winning actor, director and filmmaker. Like AFK Design on Facebook and follow Kiff on Twitter @afkiff. www.KiffScholl.com
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Gary Lee Reed (Set Designer) When not acting Gary directs. When not directing he designs. Sometimes he is blessed to do both. The last show he designed was The Andersonville Trial at GTC in Burbank which he also directed. Two things Gary is most thankful for are his relationship with Raquel, Victoria and Andy at Theatre Planners and the great experience and collaboration with his wife Bonnie who is the prop mistress... when she is not acting.
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Cricket S. Myers (Sound Designer) On Broadway, Cricket earned a Tony Nomination and a Drama Desk Award for her design of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Off Broadway designs include The Marvelous Wonderettes. She has also designed regionally at The Geffen Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, The Ahmanson, The Mark Taper Forum, Berkley Rep, Arena Stage, South Coast Rep, The Kirk Douglas Theater, and the Pasadena Playhouse. Other selected L.A. designs include NoHo Arts Center, Ghost Road Theater Company, The Celebration Theater, Anteaus Theater Company and Circle X. She has earned 18 Ovation Nominations, as well as winning The Kinetic Award for Outstanding Achievements in Theatrical Design, an LADCC and a Garland Award. www.cricketsmyers.com
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Bonnie Bailey-Reed (Property Mistress) The 1940’s being one of Bonnie’s favorite eras, she is thrilled to be working on Blueprint for Paradise! Bonnie most recently provided Props for Weapons - The Lounge Theatre, Hollywood, CA and THE ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL - at The Grove Center Theatre, Burbank, CA. Bonnie’s avocation of Property Mistress has included productions of: DRIVING MISS DAISY-Innovation Theatre in Bend, OR, INHERIT THE WIND - THE GROVE CENTER THEATRE, Burbank, CA; LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT - Actors Co-op, Hollywood, CA; THE DYING GAUL - The Elephant Space, Hollywood, CA.
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Peppur Chambers (Social Media) is a writer/actor/director who loves social media. She is a published author of "Harlem's Awakening" (1888 Center/Black Hill Press); she has written several plays, one of which, "Dick & Jayne Get A Life", played in the Prague Fringe Festival. She has created and co-written an award-winning web series, "The Brown Betties Guide: How To Look For Love in All The Wrong Places"; and is the creator of the sultry, sassy, sophisticated Brown Betties (tm) who are the stars of her long-running dinner-theater show, "Harlem's Night: A Cabaret Story". She is currently directing "A Streetcar Named Desire" for her production company CATNIP. For the past three years, Peppur has applied her love of content creating to Racquel Lehrman's Theatre Planners where she proudly handles social media for the wonderful plays produced by dynamic duo, Victoria Watson and Racquel.
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