Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams is a junior studying English and Theology/Religious Studies at Fordham University. He is a two-time National Essay winner and founded the Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP) at Fordham University: Rose Hill campus. TOP abridges classic works of theater and performs them in community centers and schools in The Bronx. The performance is then followed by a theater workshop where the students who have just seen the play get to be a part of it, by acting and directing themselves in scenes from the show. Ryan is currently a resident assistant, IT technician/computer specialist, and tutor for Fordham University. He has no specific career path chosen, but is looking at professions in the arts, law, education/teaching, and journalism. He is, however, very open to suggestion and direction.
Jimmy Andretta: Jimmy Andretta is a junior at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. For the past several years, he’s been working at wine companies in Tokyo, Japan as a summer intern. He is currently majoring in Japanese, with minor concentrations in Economics and Psychology.
Miranda Baker: 20 years old and heading to college in the fall after a year’s respite from school, is a lifelong animal lover who has an extraordinary way with them. She has always had one pet or another, and has worked for years as a volunteer at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary upstate, which cares for maltreated and abandoned farm animals. In high school she worked with search and rescue dogs, visited old people with dogs to cheer them up, and volunteered at Kittykind, a cat adoption service (from which she adopted a pair of cats herself). She nursed and fed a motherless young kitten for its first six months, teaching it to come when called and to follow her around. Currently she lives in Brooklyn, where she cares for a pair of pit bulls, dogs so fearsome looking they intimidate most people, but whom she treats with calm affection. She hopes one day to work as a veterinarian, and meanwhile is seeking opportunities to work or volunteer in any capacity at a vet’s office.
Samantha Bilinkas: Samantha Bilinkas (aka “Sam”) is a High School Senior and a member of the National Honor Society. She has been performing since she was 9 years old. In addition to performing in countless local and regional productions with roles that included; Doubt (Sister Aloysius), Noises Off (Vicky/Brooke), Equus (Jill), Halcyon Days (Patricia), Hello Dolly (Irene Malloy), Godspell (Peggy), Fools (Sophia), Sound of Music (Elsa Schrader), Tuptim (The King and I), Alice in Wonderland (Alice), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy) , Sam has also performed professionally in a Broadway Workshop (Night of the Hunter), Off Broadway (Trials of Ms.Katherine), and in several movies (Spy, Civil War, Vacant, Recoil). Sam is an actress, singer, guitarist, songwriter, photographer, poet and writer. She has a passion for International travel and enjoys volunteering in her community. Sam is a member of Actors Equity Association.
Daniel Blanck: Daniel Blanck is from Syracuse, New York. He is currently a student at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music studying music industry technology. His music and recordings have won numerous awards including multiple Downbeat Awards in 2007 and 2008. He has founded his own recording studio and live recording company working with nationally acclaimed artists including members of the Metropolitan Opera and Symphony, grammy-nominated artists, big bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles. His has done pro bono sound editing for Mark Edwards, “Hard Rain” exhibit interfacing Bob Dylan, global warming, people with disabilities, and international civil rights issues. Additionally, he has edited sound for a documentary on Darfur. Daniel studies jazz guitar with USC professor Steve Trovato and has played venues ranging from clubs to theaters on the east coast. Daniel’s first mentor, Professor James Abbott, is head of recording engineering at Syracuse University. Daniel has worked for studios and concert halls such as, Belfer Archives and Crouse Recital Hall at Syracuse University, John Williams Scoring Stage and Bovard Auditiorium at The University of Southern California.
Owen Elijah Brown: Owen Elijah Brown was born in Harrisburg, Pa. Early in life he knew he wanted to be an entertainer. Though growing up in a small town can create somewhat of a tunnel vision when it comes to achieving your dreams in entertainment, Owen was able to cling to the positive and nurturing influences in his life that have allowed him to travel down a path that has helped me to achieve them. Owen has shared a stage with world renown acts such as Parlament Funkadelic’s George Clinton, and has been part of a musical group called Odysy. He has appeared on nation television many times, and have competed in national competitions, placing in the top 5. Owen has been an opening performer for Boyz II Men, Danity Kane, Flo Rida, RocaFella Records, Kelis, Elton John, and Patti LaBelle. He has traveled from Harrisburg, to Philadelphia, to California and Los Vegas and hashad experiences which have been mentally and spiritually enlightening. Owen truly believes that one’s true potential can exceed even their own wildest expectations and that it is all effected by their mind set. One truth that Owen has learned is that no matter what one has done or how much one has accomplished, it is wise to be in awe that the future which lies ahead and is still full of exciting new challenges.
Daniel Christopher: Daniel is a magna cum laude graduate of Rutgers University with a dual degree in political science and philosophy (2008). He is a budding creative media-maker interested in content development in a variety of mediums, as well as new forms of distribution. Through experience in a variety of production environments (national and regional commercials, news gathering / political coverage, fashion shows, music videos, concerts, training DVDs, promotional web videos, non-profit outreach films), he has developed technical knowledge of digital video cameras and lens, lighting and grip equipment, video technology and delivery formats, audio recording, and editing [Apple Final Cut Pro Certified]. Daniel is also skilled in sound recording and musical performance. He will be pursuing an MFA starting this fall at the UC Santa Cruz’s Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) program. His mantra is “staying prolific.”
Jacques DeBeer: Jacques de Beer is 16 year old high, and is graduation high honors in the 2010 class at Onteora High School in Woodstock, NY. He was born in and is a citizen of South Africa, and is fluent in Afrikaans. He moved to Woodstock, NY age 12, and has worked and attended school there since. He worked at the Catskill Mountain Pizza Company from 12, but stopped recently to open a clothing company, Jacques de Beer Inc. He’s an active member of Woodstock town politics, and enjoys running amongst other sports.
Samantha N. Drazin: Samantha is a recent graduate of Franklin & Marshall College where she majored in Government and minored in Psychology. She has experience in marketing, event planning, and fundraising for a non-profit organization called Prevention First. During her internship at Prevention First she coordinated public events and fundraisers which netted upwards of $200,000, wrote press releases, and secured donor support. Samantha was briefly Co-Director of Awareness and Development for the Tommy Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness about Autism in the greater Lancaster, Pennsylvania community. Eager to embark on an exciting career in communications and media, Samantha will be attending the University of Miami in September to obtain her Masters in Public Relations.
James Duarte: James Duarte, age 18, was born and raised in the Bronx and still resides there today. He is currently a freshman at the City College of New York and is pursuing a dual major in Film & Television and Political Science. James began his filmmaking career at age nine when he chose a camera over a family vacation. As part of the pioneering class at the Theatre Arts Production Company School in the Bronx, industry professionals like Steven Mudrick and Jesse Antigua-Perez taught James the fundamentals of video production. In 2006, James became the youngest member to join Downtown Community Television Center’s Pro-TV Fellowship and Samsung’s Fresh-Films program, where he experienced firsthand how the film industry works. Since then, James has produced work that has gone on to screen at film festivals including TriBeCa Film Festival, HBO’s Latino Film Festival, and Media’s DOCFest Festival. In 2008 James helped curate Listen Up’s 11th Annual Urban Visionaries Youth Film Festival and Arts Engine’s 8th Annual Media That Matters Film Festival. That same year, James was invited to screen one of his documentary films at the NY Museum of Modern Art. Also, his autobiographical documentary earned him a first place $5000 college scholarship. The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts has recognized James as an upcoming talented young artist in the field of Cinematic Arts for his production of his experimental short “Cause & Affect”. In his own words, James says, “The kinships created by making a film are precious because it calls for togetherness, but most importantly because of the impact films can encompass on audiences from all walks of life.” Today, James continues to work on his filmmaking career in hopes of becoming a successful Film Director.
Katherine Floberg: (Kate) was born in Seattle, Washington and soon moved to Billings, Montana where she lived for 13 years. At 14 she and her mother decided to move to New York City. She attended and graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School in the summer of 2010. She assistant directed the school’s production of Sweeney Todd starring Tyler Burr and Evan Daves, directed by Mala Tsantilas this year. She has also been interning with the fashion designer Adrienne Landau for over a year now in the public relations department. She has assisted stylists in dressing celebrities such as Vanessa Williams, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifa, Madonna and many more. She aspires to combine her passion for both fashion and theatre and create costumes on Broadway in the future.
Gary Goldman: Gary is currently a Junior majoring in International Relations Global Business at the University of Southern California. At 20, he has already been president of two major student organizations on campus (UNICEF at USC, Jewish Alliance for GLBTs and Straights), and has been published in major student and European publications. He has also interned at the United Nations Association Pasadena/Foothills, the leading and oldest chapter of the nation that focuses on bringing the United Nations’ missions and goals to local communities. In 2005, he also interned at Gaumont Buena Vista International, the French/American movie production and distribution company, as an assistant to the Director of Distribution Joel Pourgaton.
Aaron Gottlieb: Aaron is a 2007 honors graduate of Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude) Aaron has served as a Research Assistant for the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse, NY; as well as for the ICF International, Fairfax, VA. He also worked as an intern at Home Headquarters, Inc. where he helped develop a survey to analyze the effectiveness of the Foreclosure Prevention program. He has recently been accepted into the Columbia University Masters Degree program in Social Work. Prior to that Aaron served as a summer intern at the National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Scholars Program, Washington, DC; where he performed research and writing tasks for the Urban Land Institute using Excel to organize data. Aaron’s deep commitment to community service is evidenced by his work at the Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity, where he chaired the Scholarship Committee and served on the Service Committee, International Young Scholars Program, where he tutored refugee children, and the Boys and Girls Club, where he volunteered at after-school programs and supervised the Computer Room. While Gary is business-oriented, he is also passionate about the world, speaks three languages fluently, has written a TV pilot, and directed three short movies. His membership to USC’s leading consulting student organization, Los Angeles Community Impact, has bolstered his communication and presentation skills; he was selected to present his consulting recommendations at the Shrine Auditorium in a roomful of alumni and professors. Moreover, he has become proficient at doing in-depth research using a wide variety of search engines as a result of his previous experience as an intern at the Center on Public Diplomacy. Gary could not be more excited to be part of the Advisory Board and is an aspiring writer and social entrepreneur.
Denise Grayson: Denise Grayson, who portrays an intellectual property attorney in David Fincher’s movie “The Social Network,” a Columbia Pictures film, opening October 1, is a perfect example of art imitating life. She is an actress who IS an intellectual property lawyer. “I left a successful legal career to fulfill my dream of acting,” she says. “I’ve come full circle—a lawyer, to an actress, to an actress playing a lawyer in a major motion picture.” Denise landed her role in “The Social Network” after being spotted at a party by the film’s casting director, Laray Mayfield. Laray asked her if she was an actor. In the presence of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt who were standing nearby, Denise was at first reluctant to admit that she was. But it was a nerve-wracking four months before she knew the role was hers. At first she didn’t even know she was auditioning for a David Fincher movie.
“The Social Network,” written by Aaron Sorkin, is based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield as Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin (represented in the movie by Denise’s character, Gretchen) the two founders of Facebook. World premiere will be at the opening night of the New York Film Festival on September 24 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Garfield was recently signed to play the next Spiderman.
In her first feature film, 1999’s “Puppet,” Denise played an FBI agent. Next came a short film “Gasline,” which won the jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The writer/director, Dave Silver cast her again in his first full-length feature “Corn.” She followed with three movies for the Hallmark Channel. In “Though None Go With Me” she aged considerably, playing a sixty-year-old opposite Cheryl Ladd. This was followed by “Pandemic” and the 2009 movie “Citizen Jane,” playing a bank manager. Ally Sheedy starred.
Today Denise divides her time between homes in New York and Los Angeles. She is licensed to practice law in New York and Florida. Although Denise is immersed in her acting career, she generously donates her time in California doing pro bono mediation work. She also coaches stand-up comedians, though there is no apparent connection between the two activities.
While still in her twenties Denise was in-house counsel for Paine Webber (now UBS) and then for Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank) as an intellectual property lawyer with a specialty in technology. Denise was something of a prodigy, entering college in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York at the age of 16, majoring in accounting and economics. She also took courses in public speaking to overcome her shyness. At twenty she was already studying at the University of Miami School of Law. In her last year there she successfully tried six supervised felony cases. Upon graduating she had the opportunity to work as a state prosecutor, but realized this was not the work she wanted to do when she felt sympathy for the defendant in a major murder case.
Moving back to New York to be near her parents, both teachers and artists, she embarked on a legal career that was far removed from sympathetic murder suspects. She worked in the early days of the technology boom and the beginning of the Internet. Denise soon struck out on her own, representing most of the major banks and financial institutions, including Merrill Lynch, Chase and Prudential. At the same time, she became involved in acting, reigniting her childhood creativity when she played the lead in a number of school plays. Juggling two careers, Denise got work as a model and as an actress in commercials. She started classes at Uta Hagen’s famous HB Studios and continued to study there for years. Her lawyer friends thought she was nuts, but she quickly found herself in a number of off off Broadway plays and low budget movies. Today, she is able to enjoy the fruits of her labors, with her career now moving to a higher level.
Cooper David Grodin: Cooper was born and raised on the isle of Manhattan, which means land of many hills. Cooper went to Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in NYC, then earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and received his Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He loves to sing, play piano, compose and is always ready for a game of basketball! He has played Danny in Grease, Javert in Les Mis, Mr. Snow in Carousel, Junious in The Rape of Lucretia, the Count in A Little Night Music, Pharaoh in Joseph, and Billy in Carousel. In 2011 Cooper will be the Javert understudy in The New 25th Anniversary National Company of Les Miserables. Cooper has sung many a concert with the NY Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St Lukes, been in the NY primer of Grendel at City Opera directed by Julie Taymor, and been in Zaide as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival directed by Peter Sellars. In 2006 Cooper performed Paul McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum at Canegie Hall. He can be seen in the Films “Music and Lyrics”, (deleted scenes, on DVD) and the 2010 release “Salt”. In 2010 he was awarded a Lys Symonette Award in the Lotte Lenya / Kurt Weill competition. Cooper is a member of Equity, AGMA, SAG, and is singed with NY Agent About Artists.
Malik Hammond: Malik Hammond is a 15 years old Brooklyn, New York resident. Malik began his career in the modeling industry when he was just an infant and has been acting since the age of 6. His film credits include, “The Perfect Holiday”, directed by Lance Rivera, The Manchurian Candidate, directed by Jonathan Demme, and Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor. His Theater credits include “13” the Broadway musical and the “Scottsboro Boys”. On television, Malik has appeared on NBC’s Third Watch, Law & Order and has appeared in music videos for Kanye West and Sugar Babes. Malik has also been seen and heard in numerous national commercials and print ads like Gap, Target, Verizon Wireless & Toys R Us. He was directed by the Academy Award Winner Antoine Fuqua in a Disney Expedition Everest spot, and can currently be seen in a Feed America PSA & a back to school Wal-Mart commercial. When Malik is not acting, singing or dancing he enjoys playing video games and a little B-ball around the neighborhood.
Sarah Harary: Sarah is a 17 year old native of Winter Park, Florida. She is currently a senior at Trinity Prepatory School. Her academic accomplishments are numerous. She is a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program which recognizes the top twenty boys and girls in each state. She is a National Merit Scholarship finalist. She recently placed 10th in a ten week long Florida Stock Market Challenge in which more than 2700 students competed statewide. Since the conclusion of the challenge, Sarah’s investment portfolio has risen to the top spot in the state. Her varsity soccer team has won the district championships in each of the last two years. Sarah is the club treasurer for the Trinity Generation Green Energy Project. The goal of this project is to reduce energy usage on campus and to enforce recycling rules. Sarah participates in numerous community organizations. One of her passions is Habitat for Humanity. She works each week at the local building sites assisting the construction of homes for the homeless. Sarah recruits many students to this worthy cause and takes a leadership role on the jobsite. She also does various projects with the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Dana Harris: Dana Harris is currently a rising junior at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York with an anticipated BA in 2011. She is pursuing a double major in Media Studies and Political Science. She is the publicity director for an on campus, anti-poverty group called Operation Donation which raised approximately $50,000 worth of groceries for local shelters in the past academic year. In the summer of 2008, Dana was an intern at Human Rights Watch with the Creative and Multimedia Team and in the fall of 2008 she interned at Grace Smith House, a domestic violence shelter in Poughkeepsie. She is about to begin an internship for the summer of 2009 at PCI-Media Impact an organization whose goal is to use “creative media, the power of storytelling and the reach of broadcast media to mobilize individual, community and political action”. Dana’s interests include human rights, social change, the use of different media, and the role of ‘the’ media. She also loves traveling and photography.
Ana Maria Jomolca: Ana Maria is a Cuban-American writer, director and actress. Several of her plays have appeared Off Broadway. She has written and performed in theAtrainplays and The House of Bernarda Alba at Repertorio Español. Her one-woman show Just Another Spic was work-shopped at Manhattan Theatre Source. She wrote and produced the film, everygirl, which debuted at Tribeca Film Center and screened at “Women in the Director’s Chair International Film Festival” in Chicago, The New Festival in NYC, BAM Cinema and Pioneer Theatre’s New Filmmaker’s Forum. TVappearances include; 30 ROCK, Without a Trace, The Jury, directed by Barry Levinson, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Criminal Intent, and Rescue Me. She has been published in The Sun Magazine, The New York Press, ‘National Geographic’s ‘Glimpse Abroad’ and GLEE magazine. She received her MFA in Fiction Writing at Hunter College under the tutelage of Peter Carey and Colum McCann and her short story, Twin Bed, in Sisters: An Anthology is out now in bookstores. Her visual art, PINS, RODS & OTHER INTRUSIONS, a photo essay exploration of “the body as canvas” was on exhibit at The Estrogenius Festival. She currently performs the stage adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’s novel, The House on Mango Street (one woman show) as part of The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life Program.
Nicole Johnson: Nicole Johnson (16) is a junior musical theater major at Professional Performing Arts High school. At age 13 Nicole founded Javanna Productions, a student driven production company in Miami Florida. At age 14 Nicole moved to New York city and has continued to build Javanna Productions into a full fledge professional company that is geared towards raising funds and awareness for community causes. Recently, Nicole directed, choreographed and produced a choreography showcase, entitled Move For Autism. The cast consisted of New York city teens from the Professional Performing Arts School in midtown Newyork and the profits were donated to the national autism organization, Autism Speaks. In addition to raising funds for community causes, Javanna Productions is geared towards providing talented community kids with an opportunity to use their talents.
Jake Lazarowitz: For almost a year, Jake Lazarowitz has been acclimating himself to a post-graduate lifestyle. Graduating from William Paterson University in the Spring of 2008 with a B.A. in English, Jake has been steadfast in his career pursuit having found freelance challenges in sports marketing and administrative positions. Jake’s background in public relations runs nearly three years and he continues an ambitious effort to find a rewarding opportunity in the field. Additionally, Jake looks forward to one day working at a top book publishing company as an editor. Coming from a creative family of musicians, Jake is an avid reader and writer; and while not seeking his place in society, enjoys working on a number of creative projects in film, music and graphic novels. Currently a rambling man, Jake lives and travels between his mother’s home in Springfield, New Jersey and father’s home in Warwick, New York.
Kim Lockett: Kim Lockett is an actress/entertainer. Originally from Springfield, MA, Kim worked for Big Y Foods, Inc. for a little over six years as a Learning Services Support and Media Support person. She recorded over 70 voice-overs for many of Big Y’s computer based trainings and was also one of two news broadcasters for Big Y News—internal news broadcast highlighting Big Y’s events and company culture. Kim graduated in 2006 from Springfield Technical Community College with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. Her theater performances there include Marshael Foster in The Wake of Jamey Foster and Cora in Tom Walker. She transferred to Rutgers University in 2009 to pursue a Journalism and Media Studies Degree but recently put her degree on hold to pursue an acting career. She will play Delilah in the original piece Imperfect Women of the Bible, written and directed by Marsha Trice.
Jillian Markowitz: Jillian Markowitz is a 2007 graduate of the prestigious Gallatin School of Independent Studies at New York University. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Markowitz created an interdisciplinary major combining business and film studies. This unique focus lead her to accept a full scholarship to Hofstra Law School where she is currently in her third and final year. Her professional resume includes credit as a producer for the unreleased film, Elise. She plans to use her education and skills as a lawyer producer.
Hillary-Marie Michael- Hillary-Marie, Founder and Director of Jersey Tap Fest, is most known for being a tap soloist, performer, choreographer and teacher, specializing in the American art form of Rhythm Tap Dance. Her other dance training includes Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Swing, African and Modern. Having established herself as a reputable teacher, Hillary-Marie teaches weekly tap classes across the state of New Jersey.Hillary-Marie has been mentored by and assistant to Dr. Harold ‘Stumpy’ Cromer since 2007 and mentored by Karen Callaway Williams since 2004. A native to New Jersey, she has been a company member of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble since April 2006, where she continues to be overseen by Founder and Artistic Director Deborah Mitchell and Maurice Chestnut. Outside of the ensemble, she has worked with The Russian Moscow Ballet, The American Tap Dance Foundation as well as award-winning composers Marvin Hamlisch, Leonard Oxley and Nikki Denner. Outside of teaching and performance, she is currently a writer for Terrence Taps’ Tap Dance Blog. Additionally, Hillary-Marie is a member of the International Tap Association and New Jersey Jazz Society, where she dedicates herself to keeping the art form of tap dance alive.
Matthew McGlade: Matthew McGlade is a Pomona College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematical Economics, as well as a minor in Spanish. He is interested in international relations, foreign languages, and international business. In addition to speaking fluent Spanish, Matthew speaks near-fluent French, has taken one year of Chinese while in college, and most recently has begun to learn Russian. Matthew is familiar with foreign cultures and able to relate to different types of people with ease, as he has spent time in various foreign countries ranging from El Salvador to Greece. Not only is Matthew comfortable interacting with individuals, he has shown his ability to be a team contributor through his work at the United Nations University and he is also skilled in public speaking. He is adept with technology and proficient in many programs used on computers today. Recently, he has spent time investigating economic policy and international finance.
Glen Parker: Glen is a third year law student at Cardozo School of Law. His studies are concentrated in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He is a certified mediator with Safe Horizon and he lives in Brooklyn.
Francine Prewitt: After obtaining a Masters degree in International Business Law from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne in France, Francine Prewitt worked for a couple of years as an attorney in international law firms in Paris. A growing interest in human rights lead her to take a position with the Office of Prosecution of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) where she assisted in the conviction of some of the main perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In further pursuit of an international career, she decided to move to NYC to develop her legal knowledge by immersing herself in the one major aspect of law that she had not had the opportunity to study, the Common Law, and specifically American law. Presently, she is pursuing an international career as a corporate lawyer. Francine applied for and was accepted to the LLM (Masters of Law) Program of the University of Fordham as well as the Masters of Sciences in Global Affairs at New York University. She will be starting both programs in the fall.
Anne Radford: Anne, an attorney licensed to practice in New York and Connecticut, is currently spending time in Atlanta and excited about getting involved with the I Can Do That Foundation. A Georgia native, she has spent the past fifteen years in the northeast, attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts before moving to New York City. Following several years as a caseworker for children in foster care, she entered the accelerated law degree program at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law. During her school tenure, she interned with Federal Judge Harold Baer of the Second Circuit, aided in criminal defense cases with the Legal Aid Society, and worked in foster care and adoption law with The Law Office of James Abramson. Following law school, she worked in the Civil Courts of New York City as a trial lawyer with the Wall Street firm of Jaffe & Koumourdas, LLP, focusing on insurance defense, and was involved in numerous cases that successfully broke-up fraud rings. More recently, Anne has volunteered with the Sunshine Kids Foundation and with the Fulton County CASA program, as an advocate for children in foster care. She is a 1994 graduate of Atlanta’s Paideia School, received a degree in Psychology from Wellesley College in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law in 2003.
Kyle Lamont Robinson: Kyle Lamont Robinson graduated from The University of Missouri- Columbia in 2007 with a degree in English. She was a four time recipient of The Gannett Scholarship for outstanding journalism. She spent her first two years at Mizzou on the the Big VII swim team fulfilling her scholarship obligations. She was a distance swimmer which gave her lots of time to think; which in turn, helped her realize that swimming was no longer her passion. She set her sights on Broadcast Journalism. After completing an internship with Fox 10 News in Phoenix, Arizona she caught the bug and immediately applied for another internship with the ABC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri. Out of all the applicants from the Broadcast Journalism School, she was accepted. She worked very hard while simultaneously holding down a job as an artist liaison for The Blue Note, a live music venue. Here, she found the power of music and the meaning of a shared experience. Her hard work at ABC paid off and she was offered a job as a morning show production assistant. After Kyle graduated she embarked on a solo road trip across the country searching for a road that would lead her to a career. The road led to NYC. No career in broadcasting yet, but lots of live music. Currently, Kyle is working to create her own web series as in Internet Journalist. The series will capture and showcase the intricacies of an artist or band and the hard work that’s needed in order to make a concert happen. Utilizing her unique reporting style and alluring panache, combined with her love and knowledge for live music, will make the series one of a kind. Please contact me if you know how to design a website, edit video or operate a camera. This is Grass Rootz baby!
Max Schneider: Max Schneider, who was dubbed one of Broadway’s “future stars” by Playbill Magazine, appeared in the Broadway musical “13” and “Gypsy of the Year”. TV:” Law and Order SVU, LEAD (Justin)”, Other NYC: “Cool Dip…”(Playwrights Horizons workshop), At This Performance, HiFive, Move for Autism, MCC/Uncensored, Regional: Christmas Carol/UPAC (Young Scrooge), Macbeth( Fleance), multiple roles in MCC Theater’s off-Broadway production “Uncensored” in 2008 and New Dramatists Readings in 2007 and starred as Leaf Coneybear in the first regional production of Spelling Bee. He began performing with Woodstock Youth Theater at 5, and performed with Saugerties Ballet, Bird-on-a-Cliff Shakespeare, Out of the Nest and African dance and drumming group. Sougei Kibola. He’s a senior at Professional Performing Arts High School in New York.
Amanda Sileo: Amanda is a senior at Pace University in downtown Manhattan, she is a film and screen studies major. She recently finished up an internship at Mister-Lister films. There she helped them promote their film “Breaking Upwards” which was picked up and distributed by IFC. She set up screenings at colleges and film schools, contacted press, worked the New York premiere, and also performed personal assistant duties for lead actress Zoe Lister-Jones. It was a learning experience in how to promote your own independent film. Amanda has taken production classes and is interested in that aspect of film, however she did enjoy the publicity work as well. She is a hard working and driven 22 year old who is eager to learn.
Maria Sivori: Born into a family of Neapolitan restaurateurs, Maria developed a love for cooking as a child and as a teenager worked alongside her mother and grandmother at Icumani, the family restaurant. Coming to America in 2000, she quickly broke into the New York culinary world, establishing a reputation for creativity and quality which led to posts as Chef at Caffe Pompei, Cinema Paradiso (Astoria), and a brief return to Italy as Sous Chef at Milan?s Princi. Maria?s strong personality and passion for her art puts a unique stamp on her dishes. She currently has her own catering business and is exploring opening her own restaurant. She also has a weakness for Martinis and can drink any three Northern Italians under the table with one hand tied behind her back, blindfolded, and standing on her head.
Madeline Smith: is a Senior at the Professional Performing Arts School. She studies acting, but involves herself in the world of theatre in more ways then one. She has lighting designed and stage managed two showcases at PPAS. and also trains in Aerial Acrobatics at NY circus arts. Favorite roles include Little Sally in PPAS’s main stage production of Urinetown, Sal in PPAS’s black box production of The Moonlight Room, Rae in the off-broadway production
of Bellevue Sketches at the Player’s Theatre. She has recently made her TV debut on L&O SVU! Madeline is currently working for the nonprofit organization, Kids Meeting Kids. She is also president of the community service committee at PPAS. This year, she began the Feed The Hungry project at her school where every few weeks, a group of students put together 50
meals and hand them out to the homeless community of midtown, accompanied with hats, gloves, and scarves. Madeline’s next project will be a benefit for Haiti coming up in May.
Phoebe Nir: is an Honors Graduate of Fieldston School in the Bronx. A winner of the 2010 Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she is an aspiring writer, and has had fiction and non-fiction published in a variety of publications. Phoebe regularly tutors literacy-challenged elementary school students in New York City, and is a strong advocate for empowerment through education, especially for young women. Phoebe is currently collaborating on a television pilot for Liz Alderman Productions and is at work on her first novel. She will be attending Brown University in the fall.
Christopher Sokolowski: Christopher Sokolowski will be a Freshman this upcoming fall at Purchase School of Music, where he will be studying vocal performance as a Sopranist. He has been studying in this rare voice range for 5 years, and currently studies with world-renowned Counter-tenor Drew Minter, with whom he is currently working on many of the early baroque composers – Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, as well as preparing some operatic roles such as Le Feu (L’enfant et les Sortileges), and Idamante (Idomeneo). He has performed for years in musical theatre, oratorio, concert, as well as making his operatic debut with the Opera Company of the Highlands in the title role of Amahl and the Nightvisitors. He has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Suite with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Britten’s St. Nicholas Cantata with the Westchester Choral Society and Orchestra. Some theatre credits include Fyedka (Fiddler on the Roof), the Minstrel (Once Upon a Mattress), Bud Frump (How to Succeed in Business), Drake (Honk, with the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Program), and Colin (The Secret Garden), among others. In addition to stage performance, he also frequently does local recitals and benefits for local organizations. Christopher is very excited by the career path he has chosen, and is always looking to grow as a musician.
Yohei Suzuki: Yohei Suzuki is a filmmaker who focuses on social issues, especially those that relate to the African American experience. He has produced & directed a lot of documentaries, promotional videos, and music videos.
In 2006, he produced an directed “Our Pride: The Spirits of Black Japanese in Georgia,” which was invited to the Asian American International Film Festival 2007 in New York, Washington DC Urban Film Series 2007, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2008, Mix Roots Film & Literacy Festival 2008 in Los Angeles, and the International Black Film Festival of Nashville 2009, etc. Through his films, he hopes to encourage people of all ethnicities to be proud of who they are. He believes that films are powerful tools to inspire, motivate, and raise social awareness. Yohei Suzuki is originally from Japan. He received a master’s degree in Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College and is now based in New York.
Logan Tracey: Logan Tracey is an actress and singer based in New York City. A graduate of Ithaca College and the National Theatre Institute, Ms. Tracey has been performing in film, television, and theatre since moving to NYC in 2003. Logan has performed in numerous new musicals, as Sheila in HAIR at the Gallery Players, completed a season of summer stock at the Saxtons River Playhouse playing Catherine in Pippin and Laurie in Oklahoma! With a focus on comedy and improv (and training from the Upright Citizens Brigade), Ms. Tracey has performed with CollegeHumor.com, NBC.com, in the NY Underground Comedy Festival, numerous NYCFringe Festivals, and on All My Children and Guiding Light. Ms. Tracey has a strong background in Musical Theare and teaches dance and directs at SophieDance in Hollywood, CA. Logan is great with kids and loves teaching and working with children. Check out her website for photos, music, and a performance reel: www.logantracey.com
Jacob Troy: is an actor and a filmmaker. He began writing and performing at an early age in his hometown of Woodstock, New York. By age sixteen, a play he co-authored was accepted into the New York International Fringe Festival and featured on CNN. At age eighteen he co-founded the Wayfinder Experience, Inc., a summer camp and an arts-in-education program teaching theater and storytelling to young people, a company which still thrives today. Jacob earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, where he concentrated on Theater and Film. At the Universidad de Sevilla in southern Spain, he studied Art History. As a performer, Jacob has toured the United States with America’s longest-running classical touring company, National Players, bringing Shakespeare to cities around the country, and has performed with regional theater companies throughout the East Coast. In New York City, where he currently resides, Jacob has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows throughout Manhattan, and recently co-founded the Off-Off-Broadway ensemble, the American Bard Theater Company.
Saundi Wilson: Saundi Wilson has been active in virtually every sector of the music industry. His work in film and television began at age 19, and he has since composed music for A&E, CBS, ABC, and Disney as well as numerous short films. Saundi has licensed music to more than fifteen different television shows, including MTV’s Jersey Shore. Shortly after completing the masters program at NYU’s Steinhardt School, Saundi scored his first feature film, Manito , which garnered honors at several film festivals, most notably Sundance and South by Southwest. Since it’s theatrical release (by Film Movement), it has been licensed to HBO, Showtime and the Independent Film Channel. Saundi then began to collaborate with Sebastian Bardin, a former classmate from his undergrad days(S.U.N.Y. Purchase), and they created The Brüknahm Project. Their first LP (self-titled) was released on Knitting Factory Records to critical acclaim and they went on to complete two European tours performing on some of Europe’s greatest stages (i.e. North Sea, Jazz a Vienne). After their tremendous success in Europe, the duo packed up and moved to Paris. Brüknahm was commissioned by Universal (France) to produce tracks for Algerian star Khaled, not to mention two remixes for the Japanese sensation AIR on the LP On My Way(EMI/Capitol). Saundi also laid down his eclectic groove as a DJ in various locales in Europe as well as his monthly Brooklyn Zoo parties in Paris. Shortly after recording the second Brüknahm album -The City of Light(distributed on Believe Digital), Saundi moved back to the U.S., bouncing between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. He remains quite active with The Brüknahm Project, performing with them as the featured artist at the Shanghai International Jazz Festival (China). Currently, Saundi is licensing songs from his catalog through Stephen Arnold Music, producing/writing for his new project- Red Claire, featuring country/bluegrass artist Claire Holley, and he recently co-produced Canadian singer Jessica Brooks’ debut album- Our Place Now (Bungalow 7).
Amanda Zwirn: Amanda Zwirn has been involved in stage productions at French Woods Camp since age nine. She is currently a senior at NYC’s Firorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, majoring in Technical Theatre, where she works on major productions in dance, musical theatre and drama. In her spare time she has volunteered her theatre skills to a local non-profit community theatre organization in her neighborhood of Rockaway Beach. In the coming years she looked forward to employing her theatre skills at the college level.