New Place Players – Bios
Listings in alphabetical order by categoryCAST
Craig Bacon (Executive Director, Artistic Director, President) is a director, actor, and voice teacher designated by Kristin Linklater in 1998 to teach her technique “Freeing the Natural Voice”. He has taught at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University since 2011 and other faculty appointments include 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). Some of Craig’s directing work includes The Mercury Theatre in England (Macbeth, The Tempest, The Crucible); SUNY Purchase (The Winter’s Tale, By the Bog of Cats, and LAByrinth Theater Company’s One-Acts co-directed with Richard Crawford). He is founder and artistic director of New Place Players where he directed Twelfth Night and co-directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream with James Ortiz. Some of Craig’s extensive acting work includes Prospero in The Tempest (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.); One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; A Christmas Carol (American Drama Group, Europe); Kenneth Lonergan’s Borderlines; Off-Shore Wind w/William Hickey, and Sunday’s Child w/Celeste Holm (HB Playwrights). Craig trained extensively with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Tina Packer, and of course his mentor, the master teacher Kristin Linklater.
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.
Blake Brundy (Romeo) is originally from the Santa Barbara Coast of California. He studied at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts (PCPA) and went on to receive his BFA at Utah State University and an MFA in Acting from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Brundy is now based out of New York City, and has appeared in multiple, Long-Running Off-Broadway shows. The Most recent being Singfeld: The Parody Musical about Nothing!, and Apocalypse Truck: The Musical, where he is featured on The Original Off Broadway Cast Recording. Other notable works include: Antipholus of Ephesus, Comedy of Errors, Northumberland, Richard II; Hip to Hip Theater Co., Stewart Lasker, Into the Breeches!; Lyric Rep Co., Captain Hook, Peter Pan; Pickleville Playhouse, Emcee, Shockheaded Peter; Lyric Rep Co., Salerio/ Prince of Aragon, Merchant of Venice; PCPA
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.
Rose Kanj (Production Manager, Stage Manager, Actor) is a NYC-based actress, vocalist, and improviser. She is passionate about the art of storytelling and especially loves to collaborate on new works. Recently Rose wrote, produced, and starred in her own autobiographical cabaret, Rose Kanj: Loving Me, at Theaterlab. Other select credits include: Emilia & Bianca in Othello (New Place Players); Emilie in The Moors and Brenda in Election Day (ASDS Repertory Season); Valerie in Record (The Tank & Alchemical Studios); and Wrestling With Freedom by Jacqui Parker (Hibernian Hall). MFA, Acting from Actors Studio Drama School; BA, Music from Berklee College of Music.
@rose.kanj
rosekanj.com
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 (Executive Director, Artistic Director, President) is a director, actor, and voice teacher designated by Kristin Linklater in 1998 to teach her technique “Freeing the Natural Voice”. He has taught at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University since 2011 and other faculty appointments include 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). Some of Craig’s directing work includes The Mercury Theatre in England (Macbeth, The Tempest, The Crucible); SUNY Purchase (The Winter’s Tale, By the Bog of Cats, and LAByrinth Theater Company’s One-Acts co-directed with Richard Crawford). He is founder and artistic director of New Place Players where he directed Twelfth Night and co-directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream with James Ortiz. Some of Craig’s extensive acting work includes Prospero in The Tempest (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.); One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; A Christmas Carol (American Drama Group, Europe); Kenneth Lonergan’s Borderlines; Off-Shore Wind w/William Hickey, and Sunday’s Child w/Celeste Holm (HB Playwrights). Craig trained extensively with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Tina Packer, and of course his mentor, the master teacher Kristin Linklater.
Ethan Feil (Light Designer) is a New York City based lighting designer from Washington, DC. He has done designs all across the city including Royal Family Productions’ Lunchtime Theater, Women on Fire: Fair is Foul, & Upta Camp, Ice Berg Productions’ Orion & The Goatman, Elegies: A Song Cycle, & Tarrytown, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, Joshua Piper’s Cafe Americano, Camille Simone Thomas’s Sweet Blood, The Tank’s Chloe Saves Christmas, and more! His work has been featured in the Fresh Fruit Festival at Wild Project, NYC Fringe at the Chain, & The New York Theater Festival.
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.
Allison Jones (Intimacy Director, she/they) is an Intimacy Coordinator / Director and Movement Director based in NYC who draws from over a decade of experience as a professional dancer, choreographer and art model. Allison holds a BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, SUNY and is a certified Intimacy Coordinator with IDC Professionals, having received training and mentorship directly from the industry’s founders and pioneers.
Allison’s credits include YOU (Netflix), The Girls on the Bus (HBO), The Calling (Peacock), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s traveling production of Much Ado About Nothing and New Place Players’ The Masque of Night.
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.
Kathleen Rembish (Costume Designer she/they) is a NYC based costume designer and actor. She has a BFA in Musical Theater with minors in Costume Design and Psychology from Manhattanville College. Most recently she was the resident designer and shop manager for The Westchester Sandbox Theater where she designed 20 productions over the course of two seasons. Kathleen is currently the wardrobe supervisor for The Office! A Musical Parody which is running Off-Broadway at The Theater Center, where she also supervises and designs other productions. She continuously works in theaters as a designer, shop manager, wardrobe supervisor, stitcher and dresser. Kathleen is excited to continue collaborating and integrating her various disciplines!
Yokko Sienkiewicz (Movement Director, she/he/they) is a multi-award winning interdisciplinary Artist from Japan, specialized in Butoh, Acting, Theatre, Movement for Actors, and solo performance. They also sometimes layer texts, sound design and moving images in their work. Their works have been presented across the USA and Europe, and received awards including Best One Woman Show, Best Choreography, & Best Physical Theatre at United Solo 2014-2015 (Butoh Medea). Butoh Medea was selected to perform in Warsaw, Poland. (United Solo Europe 2015, Teatre Syrena), toured Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015, nominated The Asian Arts Award. It has been touring Europe and Universities in the USA. (www.butohmedea.com) Other original Theatre work includes Hide Your Fires: Butoh Lady Macbeth (Pan Asian Rep's NU Works, United Solo 2017: Theatre Row, Hollywood Fringe 2019: Winner of Best International Award), BALDY (CRS NYC, United Solo 2013, Hollywood Fringe 2013, Fringe NYC 2012). Original Butoh Solo dance includes Shira Hime Ryu (NY Butoh Institute Festival 2018 at Theatre For The New City), Butoh Dance Video, Pause; Yet Life Goes On (Moving Bodies Online Festival 2020 in Turin, Italy), Butoh Cinema, No One and Oblivion (Film Maudit 2.0 2021). Butoh Dancer credits include: Hijikata Tatsumi’s Last Words by Dance Medium (UNFIX Japan 2018 at Noguchi Room, Hijikata Archive, Keio University), ManJuShaGe:A flower on earth, A flower by Dance Medium (UNFIX JAPAN 2017 at Noguchi Room, Hijikata Archive, Keio University), FACET by The Ume Group (Irondale Center, White Wave, Hollywood Fringe 2013).Their choreographed Butoh work, SHINKA has been developed and received several awards such as Outstanding Production, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Ensemble (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2018), and also received Outstanding Premier production of a play, Outstanding Choreography & Movement from The New York Innovative Theatre Awards 2019. Lately, Yokko has been collaborating with musicians, visual artists, and film makers, and appearing as a Butoh dancer in their mediums. Music videos: Cage The Elephant (Grammy Winner - Best Rock Album 2017)- Ready To Let Go (2019), HOKO - I don't Know Where We Went Wrong (2020), NOIA- AUSENCIAS (2019) directed by Amy Gardner, POW! - Dream Decay (2019).
PRODUCTION TEAM
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.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Craig Bacon (Executive Director, Artistic Director, President) is a director, actor, and voice teacher designated by Kristin Linklater in 1998 to teach her technique “Freeing the Natural Voice”. He has taught at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University since 2011 and other faculty appointments include 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). Some of Craig’s directing work includes The Mercury Theatre in England (Macbeth, The Tempest, The Crucible); SUNY Purchase (The Winter’s Tale, By the Bog of Cats, and LAByrinth Theater Company’s One-Acts co-directed with Richard Crawford). He is founder and artistic director of New Place Players where he directed Twelfth Night and co-directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream with James Ortiz. Some of Craig’s extensive acting work includes Prospero in The Tempest (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.); One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; A Christmas Carol (American Drama Group, Europe); Kenneth Lonergan’s Borderlines; Off-Shore Wind w/William Hickey, and Sunday’s Child w/Celeste Holm (HB Playwrights). Craig trained extensively with Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Tina Packer, and of course his mentor, the master teacher Kristin Linklater.
Hale Gurland (Treasurer) is a helicopter pilot, accomplished sculptor with expertise in welding, painting and photography. He exhibits internationally, and his works can be found in private and public collections worldwide. Harper’s Magazine featured Gurland’s photographs from 9/11 when he rushed to Ground Zero with his torches, tanks, and gauges and worked for a week by night cutting steel in the recovery efforts, capturing on film extraordinary images of the proceedings. A 25-photograph portfolio was purchased by the National 9/11 Museum. He is currently a board member of University Settlement, which partners with 40,000 New Yorkers on the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn every year to build on their strengths as they achieve healthy, stable, and remarkable lives. For 135 years, they have collaborated with communities to pioneer highly effective programs that fight poverty and systemic inequality.
Liz Gurland (Secretary) is an accomplished actor and singer based in New York City. She is currently performing as Vi Moore in Footloose at the MacHaydn Theater. Past roles there include: Josephine Strong in Urinetown, Woman 3 in And the World Goes ‘Round, Grandma in Pippin, Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret, Angie in The Wedding Singer and Miss Lynch in Grease. Liz appeared as Helen in Fun Home at Hubbard Hall earlier this year. Additionally, she has performed with such diverse organizations as Theatre Now New York, Gallery Players, The Phoenix Theatre (PA), La MaMa E.T.C. and New Jersey Verismo Opera. She created a one-woman show in collaboration with the Emily Dickinson Museum. While earning her MFA at UC Irvine, she performed with Starlight Musical Theater in San Diego, Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach Opera and Aspen Opera Theater. Beyond her acting experience, Liz was a mergers & acquisitions attorney for over 20 years, working as an associate at Clifford Chance, supporting the M&A team at Siemens Corporation and leading the M&A team at Panasonic.