CRlogomain

classical and contemporary plays in unconventional spaces

Artistic Team

Carson Kreitzer - PLAYWRIGHT

Carson Kreitzer's plays include, SELF DEFENSE or death of some salesmen, 1:23, Flesh and the Desert, The Slow Drag (New York and London), Freakshow, Dead Wait, Take My Breath Away, featured in BAM's 1997 Next Wave Festival, and The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer which won the Lois and Richard Rosenthal New Play Prize, the American Theatre Critics' Steinberg New Play Citation, the Barrie Stavis Award,. Her plays have been produced or developed by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Public Theatre, The Royal Court Theatre, the Guthrie Theater, Portland Center Stage, Perishable Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, Mabou Mines, Frank Theatre, the Actors Gang, and Next Theatre, among others. She is currently working with composer Matt Gould on a musical inspired by art deco artist Tamara de Lempicka, commissioned by Yale Rep through Full Stage USA, a program of New Dramatists and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and a commission for Marin Theater and the National New Play Network. BA: Yale University. MFA: Michener Center for Writers, UT Austin. Behind the Eye, her new play about surrealist muse and WWII combat photographer Lee Miller, premiered at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park last April, directed by Mark Wing-Davey, and supported by a grant from the NEA New Play Development Program. More information at www.carsonkreitzer.com

Casey Stangl - DIRECTOR

CASEY STANGL is an award-winning director of theater, opera, television and film. Most recently Casey directed Peace in our Time for Antaeus Company, which made Charles McNulty’s Best of Theater list for 2011 in the Los Angeles Times. Casey has worked extensively in the Los Angeles area including South Coast Repertory Theatre where she directed the West Coast Premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or the vibrator play and won StageScene LA’s award for Best Director and Best Production. She directed and produced the world premiere of How Cissy Grew at the El Portal Theatre, which was named Best New Play at the 2009 LA Weekly Theater awards. Casey’s work was praised in the LA Times as “one of the best directorial efforts in LA this season.” Casey is a frequent collaborator with Garry Marshall’s Falcon Theater directing An Act of Love, Darwin in Malibu, Exit Strategy and Barbra’s Wedding. Nationally Casey’s work has been seen at the Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center Theater Company, HERE in New York, Portland Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Bailiwick Art Center in Chicago, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Jungle Theater, The Humana Festival and the Pantages Theater. Casey served a twelve-year tenure as Artistic Director of Eye of the Storm Theatre in Minneapolis. Casey’s short film, a romantic comedy entitled C U @ ED’S, was completed as part of American Film Institute’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. C U @ ED’S has screened at eighteen film festivals and won several awards including the Audience Award at DC Shorts, “Pick of the Fest” at Palm Springs International ShortsFest and Finalist in USA Film Festival’s National Short Film Competition. Casey’s opera credits include Music Academy of the West, Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, Portland Opera, Minnesota Opera Company, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Opera Omaha, and Juilliard Opera Center in New York. Casey has twice been a consulting director for ABC/Disney’s Talent Showcase and her web series Front Men can be seen on cheekstv.com.

Michael Shapiro - ORIGINAL MUSIC, CO-COMPOSER

Michael Shapiro has enjoyed a successful thirty-year career as a drummer, percussionist, producer and educator. A self-taught musician from Washington D.C., Shapiro has performed with many legendary artists spanning multiple genres. Mike has worked with such noted artists as will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Natalie Cole, Macy Gray, Dori Caymmi, and Sergio Mendes with whom he has recorded many albums together including 1993’s Grammy-winning “Brasileiro”, 2006’s Latin Grammy-winning “Timeless” and 2010’s Latin Grammy-winning “Bon Tempo”. Currently working with the legendary Herb Alpert and wife, singer, Lani Hall, Mike toured the country in 2008/2009 and recorded a live c.d. titled "Anything Goes" in August 2009. A track from the album; "Beseme Mucho" was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Pop Instrumental" field. His movie soundtrack credits include, Shrek the 3rd, Rio, Welcome To People, The Odd Life Of Timothy Green and Should’ve Been Romeo.

Jamieson Trotter - ORIGINAL MUSIC, CO-COMPOSER

 
Jamieson Trotter attended school at California Institute of the Arts, learning from the great bass player Charlie Haden. He has also studied with Joe LaBarbera, Larry Koonse, and even the harmonically challenging Waddada Leo Smith (formerly of the Chicago Art Ensemble). His hands have played small roles in a few movies. He was Val Kilmer's piano hands in "The Salton Sea," and Debra Winger's coach for "Eulogy" with Ray Ramano. He wrote, co-produced, and played on Roxy Especial's debut release which mixed latin style with pop song forms right around the same time he was co-composing the lion's share of songs from Shira Myrow's "Slow Burner." Shortly after that, he co-wrote, produced, arranged, and played radio personality, Tera Bonilla's (of Movin' 93) lastest and greatest mix of old school sounding latin gems. Carol Bach y Rita and Mark Winkler both have critically acclaimed jazz albums with Jamieson's hands on keys. He is currently composing in a small room in Highland Park. Don't disturb him.

Naomi Kasahara - PROP DESIGN

Naomi is glad and excited to work with Chalk Rep again. Originally from Japan, Naomi finished the MFA program in scenic design at Cal State Long Beach, where she designed several shows as a member of California Repertory. She also has worked with Teatr Pokoleniy in St. Petersburg, Russia, as stagehand/props while she was there in two fall seasons in 2008 and 2009. Her latest works include set design for Alceste and The Pity of Things at Theatre of NOTE, Hell Money for Chalk Rep, and The Underpants at Long Beach Playhouse.