Meet the Hitler's Tasters Team
Michelle Kholos Brooks
Playwright
Michelle is an award-winning playwright with productions staged across the U.S. and Canada. Awards and distinctions include the Susan Glaspell Award for Hitler’s Tasters. Hostage was selected as a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award, the Fratti Newman Political Play Contest, and was a Showcase finalist for the National New Play Network. Chair won second place in the Firehouse Theatre of New American Plays and Family Planning was a finalist for the Riva Shiner Comedy Award. Kalamazoo, co-written with Kelly Younger, is a recipient of the The Riva Shiner Comedy Award, Bloomington Playwright’s Project and is published by Dramatists Play Service. Developmental support and productions of various works by Pacific Resident Theatre, The Road Theatre Company, The Boston Court Theatre, Centenary Stage, Venue 9, The Barrow Group, Drama West, Wordsmyth Theatre, The Colony Theatre, The Skylight Theatre, Florida Repertory and Bay Street Theatre. Michelle is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, The Playwright’s Center and Pacific Resident Theatre. She is a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council within the Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Security. For more information, please visit her website: MichelleKholosBrooks.com.
Sarah Norris
Director
Sarah is the Founding Artistic Director of New Light Theater Project. Her directing work has been seen around the country (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Fresno, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Maine & Alaska) and around the world (Australia, England, & Ireland). Select NYC: Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), LAByrinth Theater Company, Disney Theatrical Productions, 59E59 Theaters, The Flea Theater, Primitive Grace ( Paul Calderon & David Zayas), and The Gallery Players. She has an MFA in Directing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a BA in Theatre from the University of Alabama. She is the former Artistic Director of Access Theater (2016-2018) where she launched the Access Theater Residency Program for indie companies and she is a former Associate Producer for the Broadway company, Bisno Productions. She is a proud member of AEA, associate of SDC, and serves on The Artist Co-op Artistic Board. For more information, please visit her website: SarahNorris.org.
Meet the Cast
Hallie Griffin
Liesel
Hallie is a New York based actor, singer, and voiceover artist. NLTP: In The Soundless Awe and REX. New York: Edelweiss Pirates (NCTC). Regional: [title of show] (Florida Rep), Folk City: The Musical (Stumptown Stages). Thanks to Sarah, Mike and Michelle for the opportunity. To my family and husband, for your love and support. @bucketosunshine
MaryKathryn Kopp
Hilda
MaryKathryn is an actor/writer/vegetarian. Favorite credits include Salomé (Salomé), April (Company), Cunningham (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot). Training: Sarah Lawrence College; Moscow Art Theatre School; Prague Film School. “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.” – M.O. marykathrynkopp.com
Kaitlin Paige Longoria
Anna
Kaitlin Paige is Texas born and raised, moved to New York City to cultivate her technique at William Esper Studio with the guidance of both William Esper and Bruce McCarty. She’s worked extensively in both film and stage, for updates on current work and future projects check out her website at kaitlinpaige.com.
Hannah Mae Sturges*
Margot
Hannah Mae is honored to bring Margot to life here in NY after performing the role in a staged reading in Los Angeles! BFA CSU Fullerton, Shakespeare at the British American Drama Academy. Gulfshore Playhouse, Road Theatre Co., Tennessee Shakespeare Co. “Into the Sand” short film and just finished “Fingernail Moon”. hmsturges.com
Sarah Finn
Hilda/Margot Understudy
Sarah is a performer and playwright based in NYC and a member of First Round International Creative Platform (Paris). Sarah’s play, In the woods where the men work was recently shortlisted for The Leslie Scalapino Award for Innovative Women Performance Writers, and will be performed in festivals in NYC and abroad this coming year. For details: https://www.inthewoods.info/. Sarah trained at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq and got her BA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College.
Lea Parker
Leisel/Anna Understudy
Lea is brand new to New Light Theater Project and a graduate of Western Carolina University. Past credits include Nunsense, Intimate Apparel, Hair, Bright Star Touring Theatre, and The Nutcracker. She is so excited to be a part of this amazing production!
Meet the Creative & Production Team
An-lin Dauber
Scenic Design
An-lin is a collaborative, curious, compassionate, experimental set and costume designer. Notable designs include Seven Guitars (Yale Repertory Theatre), An Acorn (Brown/Trinity Rep), Displaced: A Response to Qurban (Boston Conservatory at Berklee), Caged by the New Jersey Prison Cooperative (Passage Theatre Company), Measure for Measure (EPIC Theatre Ensemble), You Can’t Kiss A Movie (HERE Art Center), The Oresteia and Othello (Yale School of Drama). MFA Yale School of Drama. www.anlindauber.com.
ToniAnne DiFilippo
Technical Director
ToniAnne has her BFA in Theater Arts from Five Towns College. She is a resident artist with New Light Theater Project, serving as the Technical Director for Sight Unseen, Breeders, Time Stands Still, and the hollower (in which she also performed as Missy).
Alyssa May Gold
Line Producer
Alyssa is the founder/President of Pocket Universe, (Julius Caesar set in an all-girls high school, The Maid's Tragedy). Her other work as a producer includes the web series “You Made It Worse,” (which she also wrote and directed), the indie feature Dream Years, and a season as the associate producer for BEDLAM. Her credits as an actress include Broadway: Arcadia, NY Theatre:Julius Caesar, The Maid's Tragedy (Pocket Universe), Brilliant Traces (Art of Warr), Middle of the Night and Lemon Sky (Keen Company), Film/TV:Rebel in the Rye, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Taking Woodstock, “Law and Order: SVU” and “Ed.” Alyssa holds a multidisciplinary BA from NYU Gallatin and an MA in Classical Acting from LAMDA.
Lindsey Hurley
Production Stage Manager
Lindsey is a NYC based stage manager. NLTP: the hollower (PSM), and ASM on Meaningful Conversation, The Property, Hal & Bee, Breeders, Time Stands Still, Two of Us, Sight Unseen, Omega Kids. Other credits include: Divine Horsemen, Fringe of Humanity (Primitive Grace - PSM), and Lucky Chick (Lucky Chick LLC - PSM).
Carsen Joenk
Sound Design
Carsen is a director, sound designer, and a co-founder of Rat Queen Theatre Co. Select Directing: The Election (EST/Youngblood), The Bench (Secret Theatre), Unboxing (Dixon Place). Short plays/readings with La MaMa ETC, Fresh Ground Pepper, and Exquisite Corpse Co. Select Sound: Peace for Mary Frances (asst. The New Group), Dream Season (Spicy Witch), What the Constitution Means to Me (asst. Clubbed Thumb), How We Live in Our Bodies Now (Exquisite Corpse Co.). www.carsen-jewell-joenk.com
Ashleigh Poteat
Costume Design
Ashleigh has designed scenery, costumes, and properties around the country, working in Florida, Washington, New York, Nevada, North Carolina & New Jersey. BA from University of North Carolina at Asheville; MFA University of Nevada-Las Vegas. She is a resident artist of New Light and has designed for the company: Less Than 50% (Scenic), Time Stands Still (Costume), Still Dance the Stars (Scenic & Costume), Sight Unseen (Costume), and A Burial Place (Scenic).
Frances Ramos
Fight Choreographer
Frances, proud Boricua: Started her theatre studies at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School (2016). Theatre credits include Broken Pieces (Happily Bohemian), Little Shop of Horrors (9to5), Godspell (What Dreams May Co.), Much Ado About Nothing (CITSTS), Uncommon Women and Others (CITSTS), Sweet Charity and Legally Blonde (Dramadanza). Stage readings of Hielo, The Vagina Monologues and a live Audio Reading of Timestorm by Dania Ramos (Cocotazo Media). Stage management credits Mr. Mr. & Dr. Dr. (Winner of Fuerzafest 2018), Julius Caesar (CITSTS) and A Night of Durang (9to5).
Christina Tang
Lighting Design
Christina is a lighting designer based in NYC. Recent design credits include The Maid's Tragedy (Pocket Universe), Hair (York College), Assembled Identity (HERE Arts Center), skin flick city (Columbia Stages), and SOMEONEPLEASELISTENANDUNDERSTAND (The Brick). She was recently the assistant lighting designer on Eve Ensler's Fruit Trilogy (Abingdon Theatre Company) and is the resident technical director of the Corkscrew Theater Festival. She is thrilled to design for NLTP after designing Meaningful Conversation earlier this season! christinaftang.com
Sonya Thiel
Assistant Director
Sonya is a Senior at Centenary University. She is a Theatre Major with a double concentration in Technical Theatre and Production Management. This her second time working on Hitler’s Tasters with Sarah Norris. Other past credits include: Stage Managing Centenary Stage Company’s Disney’s Newsies and Disney’s Mary Poppins. She has also been the Assistant Stage Manager of CSC’s productions of Art, The Surrogate, and The Nether. She has also been the Scenic Intern at Chautauqua Theater Company summer 2017 and this past summer was at Forestburgh Playhouse as their Scenic Artist/Carpenter. Sonya thanks her parents, her friends and family for their constant support. She thanks Sarah Norris for giving her the opportunity to work with her again. She wishes the best of luck to the cast and crew!
Ashlee Wasmund
Choreographer
Ashlee is honored to join Sarah and New Light Theater Project after previously collaborating on Still Dance the Stars. She proudly serves as the head of the Dance and Musical Theatre programs at Western Carolina University. Prior to her move to the Smoky Mountains, Ashlee worked as a Chicago-based actor, choreographer, and director with theaters such as Milwaukee Repertory, Drury Lane Theatre, Midsommer Flight, and Provision Theatre, among others. She has been dancing and choreographing for over 30 years in theatre, competitive dance, and concert dance. She holds an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University.