Holiday

PHILIP BARRY

Playwright

Philip Barry (Playwright) (1896-1949), one of the most gifted writers of American comedy, wrote over twenty plays for the Broadway stage, including such hits as The Philadelphia Story, Without Love (both with Katharine Hepburn), Foolish Notion (with Tallulah Bankhead), Hotel Universe, Paris Bound, Here Come the Clowns, and The Animal Kingdom. Although he made his reputation with distinguished high comedies, he was also noted for his unique excursions into fantasy and serious drama. Produced by the Theatre Guild, The Philadelphia Story opened March 28, 1939, at the Shubert Theatre in New York City.

ANITA MAYNARD-LOSH

Director

Anita Maynard-Losh (Director) is the director of community engagement and senior artistic advisor at Arena Stage, where she leads the theater’s education and outreach programs and serves on the artistic team. Now in her 19th season at Arena Stage, Anita has been involved in an artistic capacity on 45 Arena Stage productions: she directed the world premiere of Our War as part of the National Civil War Project, and has been an associate director, text director, and vocal/dialect coach on multiple other productions. Anita trained and taught at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, was on the faculty at Webster University in St. Louis, headed the theater department at the University of Alaska Southeast, and was the associate artistic director of Perseverance Theater in Juneau, Alaska, where she directed 21 mainstage productions. Anita traveled extensively with the artist-in-schools program in Alaska, working primarily with indigenous populations within the context of traditional villages. The Alaska Native-inspired production of Macbeth that Anita conceived and directed was performed in English and Tlingit at the National Museum of the American Indian as part of the Shakespeare in Washington Festival. Her essay about the project was published in Weyward Macbeth: Intersections of Race and Performance, Palgrave MacMillan. She has coached dialects for the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, and the Broadway revival of Ragtime. Anita has traveled with Arena Stage’s devised theater program, Voices of Now, to India (2012, 2014), Croatia (2015, 2019), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2019) to collaborate with communities in devising original plays addressing social justice issues.

MISHA KACHMAN

Set Designer

Misha Kachman (Set Designer)’s previous designs at Arena include The Originalist, Two Trains Running, Smart People, Junk, and Kleptocracy. He has also worked at Asolo Rep, Baltimore Center Stage, Children’s Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Play House, Court Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre Center, Opera Royal Versailles, Pasadena Playhouse, Filarmónica de Jalisco, Portland Center Stage, Round House Theatre, Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Theater J, The Wilma Theater, and Woolly Mammoth, among many other companies. Misha is a recipient of the 2013 Helen Hayes Award and a Company Member at Woolly Mammoth in Washington, DC. Mr. Kachman serves as Professor and Head of MFA in Design at University of Maryland. For more information visit www.mishakachman.com.

IVANIA STACK

Costume Designer

Ivania Stack (Costume Designer) is delighted to return to Arena Stage, where she previously designed for Right to Be Forgotten, The Heiress, The Price, Two Trains Running, and Intelligence. Her work has been seen at many other DC theatres including: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Company Member), Ford’s Theatre, Round House Theatre (Resident Artist), The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Imagination Stage, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Theater J, Pointless Theatre, Synetic Theater, Forum Theatre, Theater Alliance, Rorschach Theatre, MetroStage, and Gala Hispanic Theatre. Her regional credits include designs for Seattle Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, The McCarter Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Everyman Theatre, The Karski Project, Andy’s Summer Playhouse, The Second City, and The Contemporary American Theater Festival. She has an MFA in design from the University of Maryland, College Park.

PABLO SANTIAGO

Lighting Designer

Pablo Santiago (Lighting Designer) is a Mexican-American lighting designer. He is the winner of the Richard Sherwood Award and Stage Raw Award and a four-time Ovation Award nominee. Pablo has designed for companies such as Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Beth Morrison Projects. Some of the amazing venues he has worked at include Teatro Municipal de São Paulo, Kennedy Center, BAM-Harvey Theater, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center, and Arena Stage. Pablo obtained a BA in Visual Arts at UCSD (Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society) and his MFA in Lighting Design at UCLA, where he obtained Magna Cum Laude honors and won the Cirque du Soleil Grant. Instagram: @pablosdesign

DANIEL ERDBERG

Sound Designer / Original Music

Daniel Erdberg (Sound Designer / Original Music) returns to Arena Stage, where his work has appeared in Catch Me If You Can, Disney’s Newsies, Anything Goes, Pajama Game, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Lion. Daniel’s designs have been heard at numerous New York theaters, including The Public, Roundabout, City Center, Town Hall, 59E59, Atlantic, Prospect, and HERE, as well as in nearly a dozen productions on Broadway. Highlights include the world premieres of Stonewall with NY City Opera and Time It Was with Bill Irwin, and the American premiere of Caryl Churchill’s Drunk Enough to Say I Love You. Regional credits include Pasadena Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Geffen, ACT, Merrimack, and Long Wharf, as well as shows in Korea, Japan, China, Canada, and Cuba. Daniel has taught at Tisch/NYU and is a proud graduate of Northwestern University. Member of USA829, IATSE, and SDC.

URSULA KWONG-BROWN

Original Music

Ursula Kwong-Brown (Original Music) is thrilled to make her debut at Arena Stage. Previous designs include King Lear at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Head Over Heels at Pasadena Playhouse, Native Gardens at Merrimack, and the world premiere of Stonewall with NYC Opera. As a composer, her work has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Miller Theatre, le Poisson Rouge, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, as well as by festivals and ensembles across the country and around the world. Ursula received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and her B.A. from Columbia University. More info at www.ursulakwongbrown.com.

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE

Hair and Wig Designer

Charles G. LaPointe (Hair and Wig Designer) is an award-winning wig and hair designer who maintains a highly successful career on stages throughout the United States and abroad. Prior at Arena Stage: Catch Me If You Can; Disney’s Newsies; Ken Ludwig's Dear Jack, Dear Louise; Anything Goes. Highlights: numerous Broadway, touring, American regional theater, West End, and international productions including Hamilton (Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award); MJ The Musical; Ain’t Too Proud; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Beetlejuice; The Cher Show (Drama Desk Award); The Band’s Visit; Anastasia; The Lifespan of a Fact; SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award); Jersey Boys; A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder; The Color Purple; In the Heights. Television: The Wiz Live! (Emmy Award nomination); Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (Emmy Award nomination and Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award).

LISA NATHANS

Voice and Dialect Coach

Lisa Nathans (Voice and Dialect Coach) is thrilled to be coaching again for Arena Stage with this fabulous team after previously coaching Catch Me If You Can, Disney’s Newsies, and Anything Goes. Other DC credits include various productions with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, Theater Alliance, Keegan Theatre, and MetroStage. Regional credits include Guthrie Theater, 5th Avenue Theatre, and Theatricum Botanicum. TV credits include National Geographic’s Elemental: Hydrogen vs. Hindenburg. Teaching (USA and UK): University of Maryland: TDPS (Assistant Professor, Voice, Speech, and Acting); CalArts; Stella Adler Academy; RADA; Royal Welsh; Royal Central; University of Washington (PATP MFA); and University of Minnesota (Guthrie BFA). Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama: MFA (Voice Studies); Boston University: BFA (Acting); Linklater Voice Designation; and Colaianni Speech Practitioner. Break legs all!

OTIS RAMSEY-ZÖE

Dramaturg

Otis Ramsey-Zöe (Dramaturg) is a care worker, dramaturg, director, theatre arts educator, Literary Manager at Arena Stage, and Lecturer in Dramaturgy at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He has developed new works at such institutions as Sundance Institute, Kennedy Center, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Playwrights Center, and National New Play Network. He has held posts in Theatre at Northeastern University, Dramaturgy at Carnegie Mellon University, Women’s Studies and Honors Humanities at University of Maryland, Performing Arts at American University, and Theatre Arts at Howard University. He was Associate Artistic Director at banished? productions, Future Classics Program Coordinator at The Classical Theatre of Harlem, Literary Manager at Center Stage, and an Allen Lee Hughes Senior Fellow at Arena Stage.

JOSEPH PINZON

Casting Director

Joseph Pinzon (Casting Director) is the founder and creative producer of the contemporary circus company Short Round Productions and its award-winning show Filament. With over 25 years of performing experience, he has worked internationally with renowned companies such as Cirque Éloize, Compagnia Finzi Pasca, Cirque du Soleil, and The 7 Fingers. He holds an MS in Arts Leadership from USC, a BA in Psychology from UCLA, and graduated from the National Circus School in Montreal with a specialization in aerial techniques. He was the casting and resident director for Chamäleon Productions (Berlin) and Constellation Immersive (CAA’s experiential affiliate). He is also a member of the Creative & Independent Producer Alliance and a founding board member of the American Circus Alliance. You can see him causing chaos on season 6 of Nailed It! on Netflix, where (spoiler alert) he is a part of the series’ first three-way tie.

JZ CASTING / GEOFF JOSSELSON, C.S.A. AND KATJA ZAROLINSKI, C.S.A.

New York Casting

JZ Casting / Geoff Josselson, C.S.A. and Katja Zarolinski, C.S.A. (New York Casting) are New York-based casting directors, handling productions for theater, film, and television. Recent work includes productions for Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Baltimore Center Stage, Cape Playhouse, Denver Center, The Irish Repertory Theatre, Merrimack Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Round House Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, TheaterWorks Hartford, and Weston Playhouse. For more information, please visit www.jz-casting.com.

CHRISTI B. SPANN

Stage Manager

Christi B. Spann (Stage Manager) has been working as a stage manager in DC since 2011. Favorite Arena Stage productions include A Raisin in the Sun and Junk. She previously spent 12 seasons on the stage management staff at the Denver Center Theatre Company and has also worked with The Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN and Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, VA.

EMILY ANN MELLON

Assistant Stage Manager

Emily Ann Mellon (Assistant Stage Manager) is returning to Arena Stage for their seventh season and twenty-first production. Selected DMV credits include: The Till Trilogy (Mosaic Theater Co); There’s Always the Hudson (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co); Souvenir (Rep Stage); A Doll's House, Part 2 (Round House Theatre); Girlfriend (Signature Theatre); Wig Out! (Studio Theatre); and The School for Lies (Shakespeare Theatre Co). Additional regional credits include: The Niceties (Geva Theatre Center) and The Upstairs Concierge (Goodman Theatre). Television credits include: Inside Edition and Good Day New York.

LEIGH ROBINETTE

Assistant Stage Manager

Leigh Robinette (Assistant Stage Manager)’s Arena Stage credits include Change Agent, The Originalist, Dear Evan Hansen, Fiddler on the Roof,and Mother Courage and Her Children. Other DC credits include The Second City’s Love, Factually at the Kennedy Center, Love Sick and The Jewish Queen Lear with Theater J, and There’s Always the Hudson, Describe the Night, Gloria, Botticelli in the Fire, Familiar, The Arsonists, and An Octoroon with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. She has worked Off-Broadway at Second Stage, with the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, and the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY. She is a graduate of Boston University.