About the event
9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28
Lowe Center for the Arts
9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28
Lowe Center for the Arts
Following the multi-year success of the Creative Imperatives festival, the School of Visual and Performing Arts is pleased to announce the inaugural season of UWL ArtsFest—a celebration of the artistry and innovation that infuses our campus. The festival’s goal is to highlight the work done by faculty, staff, and students in Art, Music, and Theatre & Dance, along with partners from across campus, ranging (we hope) from accountants to zoologists and everyone in between.
The 2023 Festival, A Beautiful Remedy for Today, will showcase the role of the arts in health and healing. The arts play a unique role in inspiring the body and soothing the soul and we plan to explore this mission with events highlighting artistic creations, arts-infused techniques, and arts-inspired events and memorials. The festival will take place on Monday February 27 and Tuesday February 28. Explore these pages to see the full festival schedule and meet the guests coming to campus this spring.
In 1985, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived by long-time human rights activist, author, and lecturer Cleve Jones. It was first a wall of placards on the San Francisco Federal Building; now, the pieces of fabric hold dedications to more than 110,000 people who died from AIDS. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is made up of almost 50,000 panels, and was last displayed in full in 1996, covering the entirety of the National Mall in Washington, D. C. Including panels from every state and 28 countries, the Quilt was nominated for the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its global impact. UWL is honored to have 9 panels memorializing individuals from the La Crosse area on display in the UWL Art Gallery
Students in painting and color theory will demonstrate techniques of color mixing and exhibit art that addresses the emotional and restorative aspects of color and scale. This exhibition presents interactive experiences of expressive color and space. To see students at work creating this art, consider attending the Painting Open Studio on Monday, February 27 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Room 204 of the Center for the Arts.
Mason Jars & Moleskines is a student project run by two simultaneous interdisciplinary classes in Art and History, where students were given the prompt: "what is your beautiful remedy?" They then responded by filling mason jars with objects and reflecting on their choices in moleskine notebooks. The students worked in groups to curate the mason jars for public viewing. The ArtsFest community is invited to contribute their thoughts and feedback on the exhibition. These comments will come back to the classes for discussion and will ultimately lead to a proposal for a community-wide project of the same name.
Julieth Maya is a Colombian artist whose visual art and performances have complementary perspectives on the experiences of women during birth, as well as postpartum emotional development of mothers in Latin American societies. The work on display at UWL will include “40 Semanas,” a collection of 42 paintings that represents the act of birth, as well as “Sacos Gestacionales,” a mixed media piece.
Guests are invited to observe this course in the new UWL Dance minor, to experience the way dance improvisation embraces the idea of healing and connection to the people around us. Improv is centered around how a dancer feels, which then influences movement. Dance is equally a mind and body experience that helps us identify and understand that movement can heal both mentally and physically.
Shawn Copeland is a multidimensional musician, pedagogue, and entrepreneur whose talents have made him a leader in both the performance and musician wellness spaces. In his first session, Shawn will give an introduction to the art and science of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique.
This session will share some stories of home, belonging, language, and identity of people in our own community of La Crosse. Audience members will be encouraged to participate and explore how personal challenges can be understood and overcome through digital storytelling. In addition, this session will explore how digital stories can be easily shared to heal, or at least provide different perspectives, on social conflicts in our community.
The process of collage offers meditative and intuitive opportunities for the mind to play and wander creatively until a fixed arrangement/position or narrative is determined. This process often involves quieting the mind and opening up to free flow associations, thoughts, ideas, and feelings without judgements. This session offers hands-on opportunities to reconsider collage in multimedia applications of drawing and painting. Students, faculty, staff, and the public are invited to come explore in the studio. All materials will be provided.
Columbian artist Julieth Maya will present a live performance entitled Parto: No son nueve meses (“Delivery: Not just Nine Months”), enacting a visual and audible conceptual representation of the overlapping, yet contradictory, voices of women from different social backgrounds during the labor of birth. The performance will be performed in Spanish but will have supporting text in English. This short event will take place twice in the hour, beginning at 12:00 noon and then again at 12:30 p.m.
This session features a discussion with students and guests of the dangers and benefits of evaluating musicianship through a health and body awareness lens.
Contribute to the UWL AIDS Quilt Panel! No sewing experience necessary. In this session we will be creating a general panel for the AIDS Quilt, memorializing all those who have passed from AIDS. Space is limited but open to all who wish to participate. A second session will be offered on Tuesday at 9:25 am. You need only attend one to be part of the process.
Join this roundtable discussion on theatrical intimacy practices and how these practices are helping to “heal” the theatre industry in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. The #MeToo Movement has hastened the urgency and awareness of intimacy choreography and its attendant ethos within the field. We will explore what intimacy choreography is, how it came to be, the science and psychology behind it, consent-based best practices, and how it is helping the industry to heal and grow from the traumas of the past.
Jada Harris is the Call My Name Quilt Program Manager for the National AIDS Memorial Quilt. She joined The NAMES Project Foundation/AIDS Memorial Quilt in 2001 when it moved from its San Francisco location to Atlanta, Georgia. During her tenure with the Quilt she has held positions as a Display Coordinator, Curator and Director of Programs. Join her for a discussion about the Quilt and its history, as well as her current efforts to increase the number of quilt panels from the African American community and all marginalized communities. If you would like to join but cannot attend in person, this session is also available as a Zoom webinar. (You will be able to ask questions, but will not appear on screen.)
Click HERE to join remotely.
“Somebody said they saw me, swinging the world by its tail, bouncing over the white clouds.” In this session, participants will learn about the life and music of American songwriting icon, John Prine. Carlson will share details related to his transformational experiences as an instructor teaching a First Year Seminar course at UWL on the importance of John Prine as a respite for healing and reflection. Session participants will also hear key songs from the Prine archive which hold the power to remedy the blues and other funks we may be experiencing in light of what is happening around us.
Festival Guest Shawn Copeland will recap key details about the Alexander Technique for those not in attendance at the first session and then expand on our understanding of how to move mindfully through life and take charge of our learning and healing process by active exploration that changes the way we can think and respond in activity.
Take a step behind the scenes to see how the wonderful work on display in the Third Floor Gallery is created. Participate or observe as UWL painting students demonstrate color mixing techniques in media including acrylic, encaustic, oil, and watercolor, resulting in art that addresses the emotional and restorative aspects of color and scale.
The year is 2023. Roe V. Wade, the legal ruling enshrining a constitutional right to abortion, has been overturned. As legislatures across the United States rush to restrict access to reproductive care, a small Southern family business decides to defiantly stand for love. Journey into the belly of the beast to meet a family that is dreaming a new dream for this world and its nightmares. Radically living and loving in hostile territory, they are The Southern Reproductive Freedom Fund, and they refuse to back down.
After the performance Elevate company members will be joined by a panel of experts and advocates in the field to help us dive a bit deeper, followed by an opportunity for those in the audience to join the conversation.
In 1985, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived by long-time human rights activist, author, and lecturer Cleve Jones. It was first a wall of placards on the San Francisco Federal Building; now, the pieces of fabric hold dedications to more than 110,000 people who died from AIDS. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is made up of almost 50,000 panels, and was last displayed in full in 1996, covering the entirety of the National Mall in Washington, D. C. Including panels from every state and 28 countries, the Quilt was nominated for the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its global impact. UWL is honored to have 9 panels memorializing individuals from the La Crosse area on display in the UWL Art Gallery
Students in painting and color theory will demonstrate techniques of color mixing and exhibit art that addresses the emotional and restorative aspects of color and scale. This exhibition presents interactive experiences of expressive color and space. To see students at work creating this art, consider attending the Painting Open Studio on Monday, February 27 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Room 204 of the Center for the Arts.
Mason Jars & Moleskines is a student project run by two simultaneous interdisciplinary classes in Art and History, where students were given the prompt: "what is your beautiful remedy?" They then responded by filling mason jars with objects and reflecting on their choices in moleskine notebooks. The students worked in groups to curate the mason jars for public viewing. The ArtsFest community is invited to contribute their thoughts and feedback on the exhibition. These comments will come back to the classes for discussion and will ultimately lead to a proposal for a community-wide project of the same name.
Julieth Maya is a Colombian artist whose visual art and performances have complementary perspectives on the experiences of women during birth, as well as postpartum emotional development of mothers in Latin American societies. The work on display at UWL will include “40 Semanas,” a collection of 42 paintings that represents the act of birth, as well as “Sacos Gestacionales,” a mixed media piece.
Hammers, files, and fire! All that’s needed to transform a piece of metal into a work of art. Please join the metalsmithing students as they demonstrate both non-ferrous metalworking/jewelry techniques and traditional blacksmithing processes. Students will be available to answer technical questions, discuss creative influences, and guide visitors through the two studios.
Take advantage of this second opportunity to contribute to the UWL AIDS Quilt Panel! No sewing experience is necessary to participate, and you do not have to attend the first session to be in this one. We will be creating a general panel for the AIDS Quilt, memorializing all those who have passed from AIDS. Space is limited but open to all who wish to participate. A second session will be offered on Monday at 1:10 pm. You need only attend one to be part of the process.
In the 1980s and 90s, the silence and shame of those affected by HIV/AIDS and the lack of public discourse around the disease led to decades of inaction, misinformation, and stigma that still last to this day. Some of the loudest and most “vocal” advocates became those that operated in a form that was completely silent. Designers and artists took to the ad covered streets, magazines, buses, pickets, billboards, and newspapers screaming as loud as any megaphone through images for people to break their silence and fight the racism, sexism, homophobia, and AIDS stigma. This image and lecture-based session will explore the work of artists and design collectives from the 80s and 90s such as The Silence = Death project, The Gran Fury Collective, General Idea, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Keith Haring, David Wojnarowicz and many more as an evolution of graphic design’s passive advertising past to a bombastic and furious public health and human rights advocate.
TRIGGER WARNING - this session will include discussions and depictions of death, nudity, sexuality, and violence.
All are welcome to come watch the Improvisation class in the Department of Theatre & Dance work on scenes that deal with health issues we experience in our community. Theatre performance includes much of real life and using health and healing as inspiration can be informative for everyone. You may also participate if you want to get up on your feet and enjoy the healing power of improvised theatre!
This hands-on session will explore how picture books are responding to emotional distress. Although picture books are usually targeted for children under the age of 8, the elegance of a well-written and illustrated picture book can bring out the universality and depth of the human condition. In this session, participants will experience a small curated collection of picture books that address emotions, emotional management, stress of various kinds, and gentle ways to meet, acknowledge, and interpret big emotions. A bibliography will be provided.
The Replication Machine explores art as a performative act of labor. Co-designed by the Spring 2023 sculpture and printmaking classes, students in this group have collaborated to design and fabricate a portable structure modeled after a small kiosk, and members of the public are invited to deposit small objects into the space using a drop box. Students will be stationed inside the structure with an assortment of tools and art supplies. When an object is deposited into the room, they will interpret its form and function by fabricating a copy using the materials at hand. When the replica is complete, both items will be documented and available for pickup.
Students are stressed as *$%^. They feel pressured to get a degree that will ensure they will have a job. What they don't know is that they can ENJOY getting their "piece of paper" AND develop valuable transferable skills if they realize what they can get out of classes in the arts other than just an easy A. The arts help us connect to each other and ourselves while teaching us to be valuable, contributing members of society - yes, even in jobs that pay actual money. Join VPA faculty for less pointless stress, more community, and just as much learning.
Dr. Copeland will put to work all the components of the Alexander Technique in this final opportunity to learn and explore as he works with students. The session will begin with a recap of the important principles, so it is not necessary to attend prior sessions in order to understand or benefit from this open studio.
Jon Ailabouni's forthcoming debut album, You Are Not Alone, includes nine original pieces that reflect on themes such as parenting in the pandemic, quarantine isolation, the insurrection at the Capitol, and the civilian cost of American foreign wars. The album's name is inspired by the way the phrase interrupts cycles of isolation, fosters compassion, and bridges divides. This music strives to create room for emotional catharsis and societal healing. The session will include a public performance of select works from the album featuring Jon Ailabouni (trumpet), Jeff Erickson (tenor saxophone), Luke Thering (piano), Brad Townsend (bass), and Nick Zielinski (drums) and a time for Q&A with the musicians.
As ArtsFest 2023 nears its end, join us for a community-based conversation about La Crosse’s relationship to the AIDS Memorial Quilt. On the panel will be Leslie Shield, Tom Boylan, UWL News & Marketing Director Brad Quarberg, and Katie Jenson, the Wellness Education Specialist in Gunderson Health System’s Office of Population Health.
Join festival participants and guests for a (free) catered reception to celebrate the exhibition of panels from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, and the close ArtsFest 2023. The Quilt provides an important symbol of hope, healing, activism, and remembrance as the nation marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States.
Shawn L. Copeland
Clarinetist Shawn L. Copeland is a multidimensional musician, pedagogue, and entrepreneur whose talents have made him a leader in both the performance and musician wellness spaces. He is the founder of mBODYed, LLC, a new program specializing in Alexander Technique and Body Mapping Training for musicians, actors, and dancers. In 2014, Copeland joined the faculty of the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho, where he currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Clarinet and teaches Alexander Technique and Entrepreneurship classes.
A staunch advocate for new music, Copeland is a founding member of TOSCA DUO, Hammers & Reeds Trio, and Relevents Wind Quintet. These chamber groups seek to champion new music by creating innovative performances and commissioning projects. His ongoing work with composer Carlos Velez has resulted in a growing body of solo and chamber music for clarinet, including three quartets, two duos, a sextet, a solo suite, and an album of the composer’s works. Many of these works have been premiered at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFests in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Of a Song, a Hammers & Reeds Trio commission, was premiered at the 2015 International Double Reed Society Conference in Tokyo, Japan. These chamber groups have also resulted in several recorded albums, Copeland’s most recent recording project, Pulse: The Collected Works of Carlos Velez, includes the Pulse Sonata with Rajung Yang (piano) as well as three clarinet quartets featuring the Velez Clarinet Quartet (Copeland, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lynn Musco, and Jessica Speak). Copeland has also been featured on two albums with TOSCA DUO: a self-titled debut album and another, titled Dimensions, with Rajung Yang (piano). Copeland is a strong supporter of creating equity in the arts. His upcoming projects celebrate diverse people groups and voices. Upcoming projects include the recording of works by Nansi Carroll and a recording project entitled Heros and Icons that commemorates the LGBTQIA Fight for Civil Rights.
As an avid orchestral and chamber musician, Copeland has occupied the principal clarinet chair with the Washington/Idaho Symphony Orchestra, e-flat/bass clarinet with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, e-flat clarinet with the Winston-Salem Symphony, principal clarinet of the Fibonacci Chamber Orchestra and the Novus Chamber Ensemble, co-principal of Southern Winds, and performed with the North Carolina Symphony, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Bach Festival Orchestra of Winter Park, FL.
In addition to his vibrant performance career, Copeland is an accredited teacher of the Alexander Technique and a specialist in Body Mapping. His interest in Alexander Technique and Body Mapping began in 1997 at the Brevard Music Center. It was here where Copeland’s passion surrounding holistic teaching began. He believes in the inclusion of the body in the creative process and strives to create a safe place for the whole person to learn. His pedagogy teaches that the body represents lived experiences and seeks to affirm these experiences while helping students grow. Through his work with performing musicians, he has helped hundreds of musicians improve their performance and understand the nature of their performance-related injuries. He currently serves as a training mentor and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee, with the Association of Body Mapping Education, is a sponsoring teacher with Alexander Technique International. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Inter-Mountain Alexander Training, a new program that trains teachers of the Alexander Technique. He is the co-author of the upcoming publications, Body Mapping for Clarinetists and Breathing for Clarinets.
Copeland’s entrepreneurial background combined with his studio and classroom teaching experience has led him to become a sought-after clinician. He travels extensively, giving masterclasses and lessons at universities and conferences throughout the country. During the summer Copeland teaches at the Stetson University Summer Clarinet Clinic, the Eastern Music Festival, and Freedom and Ease of Movement, an Alexander Technique residential workshop in Spokane, Washington.
Copeland holds degrees a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master in Music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University, and a Master of Arts in Non-Profit/Arts Management from the University of Central Florida. Primary teachers include Kelly Burke, Lynn Musco, and Frank Kowalsky.
Shawn Copeland is a Performing Artist and Clinician for Buffet Crampon U.S.A., Gonzalez Reeds, Inc., and the Silverstein Group.
National AIDS Memorial Quilt
The National AIDS Memorial Quilt provides an important symbol of hope, healing, activism, and remembrance as the nation marks 40 years since the initial cases of AIDS were first reported in the United States. Each Quilt display shares the names and heartfelt stories of loved ones lost to AIDS. Every Quilt panel has been hand-sewn and stitched together as part of more than 50,000 panels of the entire Quilt. Nearly 110,000 names are sewn into the 54 tons of its fabric. The Quilt was created during the darkest days of the AIDS pandemic by gay rights activist Cleve Jones. While planning a march in 1985, he was devastated by the thousands of lives that had been lost to AIDS and asked each of his fellow marchers to write on placards the names of friends and loved ones who had died. Jones and others stood on ladders taping these placards to the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building. The wall of names looked like a patchwork quilt, and inspired by this sight, Jones and friends made plans for a larger memorial. Today, the National AIDS Memorial is the steward of the entire Quilt and all 50,000 panels are located in San Francisco. The Quilt can be viewed in its entirety online at www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt and visitors can search for names on the Quilt and see where sections of it are being displayed, sharing its power and beauty, and helping change hearts and minds.
Jada Harris
Jada Harris is a proud native of Oakland, CA, an American born multi-media Artist, Visual Archivist, New Thought Minister, Speaker and Creative Artist. She produces multimedia productions focusing on cultural preservation, storytelling, metaphysical interpretation and spiritual expansion. She has held positions at Oakland Ensemble Theatre, Alliance Theatre Company, The Library Channel, Fulton Government Television (FGTV), Robert W. Woodruff Library - Atlanta University Center and the Atlanta History Center.
She is currently a Facilitator for Storycorps, Inc. She joined The NAMES Project Foundation/AIDS Memorial Quilt in 2001 when it moved from its San Francisco location to Atlanta, GA. During her tenure with the Quilt she has held positions as a Display Coordinator, Curator and Director of Programs. She is excited to be a part of the National AIDS Memorial in the role of Program Manager for the Call My Name program to increase the number of quilt panels from the African American community and all marginalized communities. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Film/Video from Savannah College of Art and Design.
“On worn kitchen stools and tables, we are piecing our weapons together, scraps of different histories. Do not let us shatter any altar.” - Audre Lorde
Julieth Maya
Julieth Maya is a painter and performance artist born and raised in Medellín, Colombia. She studied art at the Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes. She is currently a founding member of the Medellín-based Cromático and Se vale art collectives. Maya is also part of the Latinx, Portland-based IdeAL art collective, and the women-only feminist art collective Siren Nation, also in Portland, where between 2013 and 2016 she also acted as creative and marketing director of the Milagro Theater group. Since 2005, Maya Sierra’s work has been shown in both collective and individual exhibits at numerous art venues including the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes, the Ateneo Porfirio Barba Jacob in Medellín, Portland’5 Center of the Arts, Milagro Theater, and Lewis & Clark College in Portland. She is also a mom and loves to travel and write.
Julieth Maya es una pintora y artista de performance nacida y criada en Medellín, Colombia. Estudió arte en la Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes. Actualmente es miembro fundador de los colectivos de arte Cromático y Sé vale, con sede en Medellín. Maya también forma parte del colectivo de arte Latinx, IdeAL con sede en Portland, y del colectivo de arte feminista solo para mujeres Siren Nation, también en Portland, donde entre 2013 y 2016 también se desempeñó como directora creativa y de marketing del grupo Milagro Theatre. Desde 2005, el trabajo de Maya Sierra se ha mostrado tanto en exposiciones colectivas como individuales en numerosos espacios de arte, como la Cámara de Comercio de Medellín, la Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes, el Ateneo Porfirio Barba Jacob en Medellín, el Centro de las Artes Portland'5, el Teatro Milagro, y Lewis & Clark College en Portland. Es también mamá y le encanta viajar y escribir.
Elevate Theatre Company
Elevate Theatre Company creates space for audiences and artists to explore health and well-being through the art of storytelling. The company was founded by Christina D. Eskridge, a performing artist, teaching artist, director, playwright, and public health professional, holding a master’s degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley. The artistic work primes audiences, drawing them in with relatable stories and then Elevate provides opportunities for discussion and engagement post performance with healthcare professionals.
Christina D. Eskridge
Christina D. Eskridge, MPH, Founder and Executive Director
She is a performing artist, teaching artist, director, playwright, and public health professional, holding a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley. For the past decade, Christina has worked to fuse her two passions of health and theater through performance, her teaching artistry, and her extensive work in health care at Kaiser Permanente. Christina is also on the Board of Directors for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH). From performances specifically for children with autism, to facilitating workshops using drama-based techniques in the corporate environment, Christina believes live theater is a healing tool, ripe with opportunity. This belief drove her to establish Elevate in 2020, during the historic COVID-19 pandemic, producing live, virtual theater about important health issues, for audiences across the country.
ChelseaDee
ChelseaDee is an interdisciplinary creator, artivist, and arts educator. Specializing in theater-making, she performs, curates, facilitates, develops curriculum, directs, and produces arts events. She has facilitated community-based arts workshops with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Carnegie Hall, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and for survivors of human trafficking and their families. She is a tenured Teaching Artist with the New Victory Theater, a former New Victory Theater LabWorks artist, a founding member of the DC-based CFA Repertory Theatre, and a cohort member of the inaugural ARTIVISM Fellowship with the Tony-award winning Broadway Advocacy Coalition. Her focus is creating new works of theater that highlight history, challenge dominant narratives, and ensure art is a tool in the hands of the people.
Princess Jacob
Princess Jacob is a New York based actor. She's appeared on Bull on CBS, The Christians at Baltimore Center Stage, as well as Self Portrait with Dirty Hair at Keegan Theatre's Womxn on Fire Festival. In the virtual space, Princess has participated in Elevate Theatre's 2020 Winter Series, as well as the 24-Hour Plays Viral Monologues. She is thrilled to join Elevate Theatre again for the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, Arts Fest!
Alverneq Lindsay
Alverneq Lindsay (she/her) is a creative producer and performer from Brooklyn, NY. She is a fellow of WP Theater’s 2022-2024 Lab and is currently working as a Line Producer at The Public Theater (Richard III, A Raisin in the Sun). She has previously worked at Little Island and the New Victory Theater, curating artistic programs and providing developmental support for artists across various disciplines. Within her independent producing she curates spaces that build community through shared experience and emotional vulnerability. Alverneq believes the arts have the ability to generate empathy and joy and strives to help increase arts access through her work as a producer and arts advocate.
Natalie Djondo
Natalie Djondo is a Virginia born actress delighted to visit and perform in La Crosse, Wisconsin! Having studied at the Stella Adler Studio Professional Conservatory for 2 years in New York, her work prior to participating in UWL ArtFest includes performing in the 2022 NY Theater Festival as Rhonda in Leaves by Victor Vauban Junior ( 4 Nominations including Best Production). Other NY theater collaborations have included Queens Theater, New Victory Theater Labworks, New Plays for Young Audiences, Columbia University and more. Recent film credits: Ruth in Maroon by Donovan Stanley, which follows the story of an African woman that knows her freedom and will run to any length to save her freedom. www.nataliedjondo.com
Jamie Roach
Jamie Roach (he, him) is an actor, playwright, and facilitator. A Graduate of NYU with an MA in Educational Theater, and Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway, Jamie has performed at The Public Theater, BAM, Playwrights Horizons, Feinstein's/54 Below, and The Metropolitan Opera House. As a playwright, Jamie has had four plays produced in New York City, including in Play/Date, heralded as "thoughtful drama" by The New York Times. Jamie designs and facilitates curriculum with Broadway theater companies, and in business settings including PwC, Google, Facebook, and The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Jamie is also co-founder of Queer Playback Theatre, which uplifts the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, and “Give Love New York,” which creates playful events for joy and connectivity. Jamie currently works for Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation, and has enjoyed working, living, and traveling through six continents. www.jamieroach.com
