Bios - The Masque of Night
(Listings in alphabetical order by category)
CAST
Anna Bikales (Nurse; Principal Musician) is a harpist, director, actor, choreographer, and composer (B.A. in Dance Choreography & B.M. in Harp from the Conservatory at Bard College, MFA in Directing from The Actors Studio Drama School at PACE University. Recent work includes playing with Ensemble Mise-En, Contemporaneous, Beth Morrison Projects, MUR Experimental Theater Company, and Mabou Mines. Anna is an SDC Associate, and is a member of ASCAP and SAG-AFTRA.
Jorge Carrión Álvarez (Romeo) is an actor from Madrid, Spain. He holds an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School. He’s currently working on his first feature film, The Flesh People. New York acting credits: Chasing Andy Warhol (Off-Broadway), Beatrice (the Cell), and Antony and Cleopatra (Hamlet Isn’t Dead).
Flavio Gaete (Peter, Mercutio, Friar Lawrence, Balthazar; Music Director) has worked as a musician, sound designer, actor, arts administrator and teacher for the last 20+ years. He has collaborated with a wide variety of ensembles in music, theater, film, and dance. Some of his latest collaborations have been with film composer Renaud Barbier for his latest film soundtrack, Petit Pays, filmmaker Rodrigo Monterrey, and the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile. Flavio has taught at the Rudolf Steiner School, the Institute of Audio Research, and has been a guest lecturer at Sciences Po Paris-Reims, NY University and Dubspot in NYC. Flavio has also played with various orchestras and ensembles, including the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile, Distinguished Concerts International NY, The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, the Manhattan Camerata, Nikolett Pankovits and various others, having performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, among others.
Kenji Golden (Musician) is a senior at LaGuardia High School. As a classical string player, he is the principal violist in LaGuardia’s Philharmonic Orchestra and the concertmaster for LaGuardia’s production of The Gondoliers. Kenji is the bassist for an alternative rock band, Matter of Minutes, and is coming out with a new album this spring.
As a theater musician, he has been in the pit of productions such as The Addams Family, A Christmas Carol, and Les Miserables. He was also the solo musician for the John Jay College production of Seeing Rape in 2023.
Kenji will be attending NYU Steinhardt for violin performance in the fall.
Libby Lindsey (Juliet) is an actor born and raised in Alabama as a middle child. Before Libby fell in love with acting, she was a ballet dancer. She holds an MFA in Acting from ASDS at Pace University, a BA in Theatre from Wofford College, and studied abroad at LAMDA. New York Credits: Heroes of the Fourth Turning (ASDS Rep), The Glass Menagerie (Polaris North), Last Rites (ASDS Rep), Love’s Labor’s Lost (Theatre 315), Grown Ups (UNFIX NYC). Select Regional Credits: Insulted Belarus, and Tightrope (Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga). Film Credits: Outen the Light Feature Film (Girlsoup).
Maximilian Macdonald (Romeo) is an actor, multi-hyphenate based between London, New York and LA. British by birth he began by performing in his first feature film at 3 years old playing David Tennant and Emily Mortimer’s son in ‘Bright Young Things’ in 2003 and was further called to acting as he grew up. Maximilian got his Bachelors in Acting at ALRA in London, then travelled to the world renowned Actors Studio Drama School in New York City in 2020. After class, Maximilian would rush out of the studio’s downtown residence and perform in his evenings, for a long time playing Stefan in New York Times featured cult hit, ‘Dimes Square’. Upon his graduation in 2023, Maximilian’s experience at the Actors Studio MFA culminated by being awarded their coveted Acting Excellence Award.
Since then he’s been involved in various projects including the development and performance of new plays, films, TV and was kindly referred to Director, Greta SeaCat at the Actors Studio, to join as Tuzenbach in her production of Chekhov’s 'Three Sisters'. Maximilian kicked off 2024 with a lead role in the film ‘Will I See You Again’, which took him to Paris and couldn’t be happier to be working with the talented artists at the New Place Players as their Romeo.
Clara Tristan (Juliet) is a Latin American actress from Panama. Her profound love for experiencing and developing her craft as an actress have lead her to New York.
New York credits include Sassafras and The Captain by Sarah Elizabeth Brown (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy); The Future is Female by Nandita Shenoy, Pegao by Cin Martinez: both regional runs, and the Off-Broadway run of Two Girls, directed by Karen Carpenter. Among her film credits include The Unknown (TVN Series), The Retrievers (Adam Johns), Fallen from the Sky (Gino Casasola Productions).
She has received training worldwide with international figures such as Susan Aston, Tito Ochoa, Ted Gregory, Monalisa Arias and Juanfer and Esteban Roel; all in different techniques for film and stage.
CREATIVE TEAM
Craig Bacon (Artistic Director) was trained and designated as a voice teacher by Master Teacher Kristin Linklater and also studied voice with Noah Pikes and Richard Armstrong, both founding members of the Roy Hart Theater Company. He also studied clown and buffoon with Philippe Gaulier and Lecoq movement technique with Norman Taylor. Craig is an Artistic Associate of the Mercury Theatre in Colchester UK, where he staged Macbeth, The Tempest, The Crucible, and served as the voice and text director for four seasons. Craig currently teaches voice and text at the Actors' Studio MFA program at Pace University. He has held faculty appointments at SUNY Purchase, Columbia University, Fordham University, NYU (Atlantic Theater Company), National Theater Institute (US and UK), The Actors Centre (London), The Linklater Center, and Shakespeare & Co. (Lenox, MA).
In addition to his extensive vocal coaching in the UK, he has served as vocal coach for several productions in New York, including Anthem (Baryshnikov Center) and The English Channel by Robert Brustein at (Abingdon Theater). At SUNY Purchase, he directed The Winter’s Tale, By the Bog of Cats, and co-directed LAByrinth Theater Company’s One-Acts with Richard Crawford. Craig has also worked internationally as an actor, both in Europe and the US. Productions include The Tempest (Mercury Theatre, UK; New Place Players), Henry IV, pt. 1, Much Ado About Nothing, Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare & Co.); Cymbeline, The Rover, Twelfth Night (Lincoln Center Inst.; New Place Players); One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Christmas Carol (American Drama Group, Europe); Kenneth Lonergan’s Borderlines, Off-Shore Wind w/William Hickey, Sunday’s Child w/Celeste Holm (HB Playwrights).
Craig trained extensively with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, and Tina Packer. Craig has had a lifelong love affair with good food and wine. In Paris in the late 70’s he served as a valet at the Residence of the American Ambassador, serving gourmet dinners to the likes of François Mitterrand and Baron Philippe Rothschild. He also made sure that Miss Lillian Carter had her glass of bourbon in her room each night (she was on her way to work for the Peace Corps in Africa). She preferred it without ice.
Flavio Gaete (Music Director, Managing Director) has worked as a musician, sound designer, actor, arts administrator and teacher for the last 20+ years. He has collaborated with a wide variety of ensembles in music, theater, film, and dance. Some of his latest collaborations have been with film composer Renaud Barbier for his latest film soundtrack, Petit Pays, filmmaker Rodrigo Monterrey, and the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile. Flavio has taught at the Rudolf Steiner School, the Institute of Audio Research, and has been a guest lecturer at Sciences Po Paris-Reims, NY University and Dubspot in NYC. Flavio has also played with various orchestras and ensembles, including the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile, Distinguished Concerts International NY, The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, the Manhattan Camerata, Nikolett Pankovits and various others, having performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, among others.
Aaron McDaniel (Production Manager, Fight Director) Previous shows with New Place Players: Othello, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest. Other credits include: The Woodsman (New World Stages). Enchanted April, The Bungler, Tartuffe, Charlie’s Aunt, & Love’s Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare Theater of NJ). Macbeth, Cyrano De Bergerac, & Taming of the Shrew (Aquila Theater). TV: A Crime to Remember, The Food That Built America. Fight Direction: The Woodsman (New World Stages), Family (Signature). Asst Fight Direction: Newsies! (Paper Mill Playhouse), Aladdin (New Amsterdam).
Janina Picard (Director, Operations) is a German-born actor, director and teacher of dreamwork for artists based in NYC.
With over a decade of professional experience working as stage and film actor in both Europe and the United States her directorial vision is deeply influenced by working with the unconscious.
She assisted, trained and studied extensively with her mentor Sandra Seacat in Los Angeles and has furthered her studies of dreamwork with the C.G. Jung Institute Berlin and the C.G. Jung Centre Dublin.
She has been coaching artists privately and teaching workshops internationally since 2020.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Cristian Gastelo (Illustrator, Graphic Designer) Designer, illustrator, photographer and Co-Founder of CG Artist of ASTRO-Image Creators Studio. He has worked with renown agencies and brands such as Coca-Cola, General Motors, Ford, Nestlé, Teatro Nacional De Chile, Banco Central de Chile, Viña Concha & Toro, among many more. Cannes 2009 Silver Lion Scrabble Campaign. Cannes 2008 Ford Campaign Finalist.
Leah Michalos/Michalos Management (General Manager) is an entertainment management, producing and consulting firm with over 16 years’ experience in both commercial and nonprofit entertainment ventures. Broadway: lead producing team, Chicken & Biscuits (Circle in the Square). Select credits include: The Orchard with Jessica Hecht and Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Lucky Star, Renee Taylor’s My Life on a Diet (Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle nom.), Terms of Endearment with Molly Ringwald, Butler, A Better Place, The Road to Damascus, Murder in the First, Poetic License, The Best of Everything. Film: Executive Producer: Beau, a new musical. Director: GABBY Awards at Carnegie Hall, El Capitan (LA) and Ellis Island.
Reza Mirjalili (Videographer, Photographer) is a New York City based actor, photographer and film director, born and raised in Iran. He is currently earning his MFA in Acting at the Actors Studio Drama School where he is being trained in Strasberg’s Method. His recent credit is Sciarrone in Tosca (Heartbeat Festival)
Before moving to the US, Reza got his BA in Film Directing from Tehran University of Art in Iran, while simultaneously taking acting classes. This led to his performances at “Independent Theater of Tehran” and “Molavi Hall” in Tehran. He also acted in short films, a radio play for national radio, and did voice-overs for short documentaries for national TV. He sends his love to the people of Iran, whom he’d love to represent through his art.
Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR (Press) Off-Broadway highlights include: The Lucky Star, 59E59; The Little Match Girl, St. Luke’s; unFRAMED, John Jay College Performing Arts Center; GLAAD Award Nominee, She Like Girls, Ohio Theater; Glimpses of the Moon, Algonquin Hotel; IT Awards recipient, Elizabeth Rex, Center Stage; Mother Load, Sage Theater; Triple Threat: 2007 Drama Desk Nominee (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story, Theater 5. She most recently served as Director of Communications at the Broadway Podcast Network.