Sheila Callaghan's plays have been produced and developed with Soho Rep, Playwright's Horizons, South Coast Repertory, Clubbed Thumb, The LARK, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, New Georges, and Moving Arts, among others. Sheila is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Award for emerging artists, a 2001 LA Weekly Award for Best One-act, a 2001-02 Jerome Fellowship from the Playwright's Center in Minneapolis, a 2002 Chesley Prize for Lesbian Playwriting, a 2003 Mac Dowell Residency, a 2004 NYFA grant, a 2005 Cherry Lane Mentorship Fellow, and a 2006 NYSCA grant. In 2007 she was a co-winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. Her plays have been produced internationally in New Zealand, Norway, and the Czech Republic. She has been commissioned by Playwright's Horizons, South Coast Repertory, and EST/Sloan. Her full-length plays include SCAB, THE HUNGER WALTZ, CRAWL FADE TO WHITE, CRUMBLE (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), WE ARE NOT THESE HANDS, DEAD CITY, LASCIVIOUS SOMETHING, and KATE CRACKERNUTS. Several of her plays are published by Playscripts, Inc. She has taught playwriting at The University of Rochester, Spalding University, The College of New Jersey, and Florida State University. Sheila is a member of the Obie winning playwright's organization 13P and resident of New Dramatists.
Daniella Topol's directing is primarily focused on working with new writers and new plays. New York productions include: Sheila Callaghan's DEAD CITY (New Georges; Public Theater – New Works Now;); Peter Gil-Sheridan's TOPSY-TURVY MOUSE (Cherry Lane Theatre); Zakiyyah Alexander's SICK (Summer Play Festival); Snow Queen (Urban Stages), Dreams This Way – Best of Raw Impressions (TADA); Unreal City (Epiphany Theatre/Chelsea Playhouse); David Simpatico's MARY (NYC Fringe), LIFE GAME EFFECT (Axis Theatre), among others. She has directed readings and workshops at numerous theaters including: Lark Play Development Center, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, and Roundabout Theatre. Regionally, she has directed at City Theatre, Connecticut Rep, Goodspeed Musicals, Mill Mountain Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, and Village Theatre. In the university sector, Daniella directs with NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program as well as NYU's Department of Dramatic Writing, and has taught at Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University. Formerly the New Works Program Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and Associate Producing Director of City Theatre in Pittsburgh, Daniella is currently the Artistic Program Director at the Lark Play Development Center. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon's Directing Program, a member of the Women's Project Director's Forum and an NYTW Usual Suspect.
Leah Gelpe (Video Designs)
Katie Down (sound designer) performs on multiple instruments, composes, sings, and creates sound installations. She likes sound. She has created original scores and sound designs for several downtown directors including David Herskovitz, Rachel Dickstein, Will Pomerantz, Elyse Singer, and others. Katie has traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and most recently South Africa teaching workshops in voice, improvisation, and song writing. This summer she is teaching a week-long workshop at the Ko Festival in theatrical sound design using non-traditional instruments and voice.
