Fredo Aguilar (he/him)
Stage Manager Chicago, IL I have been a freelance Stage Manager in the city of Chicago for going on 11 years now and in that time, I have not only had to prove myself to countless PWI within the Chicago theatre community but have only recently found out just how many BIPOC members have struggled with similar issues to mine. That has led me to join the Stage Managers Association to be in a room with peers to discuss the removal of white supremacy within our theatre community. Unfortunately if there is one thing Covid has taught me, its that the world of theatre and opera are not as open and inclusive of the BIPOC community as we once thought. |
Melanie Bacaling (she/her)
Producer, Stage Director, Stage Manager Kansas City, KS Originally from Chicago, IL, Melanie Bacaling is an active director, stage manager, and producer in the opera industry. She was named an Emerging Artist for Boston Lyric Opera’s 18/19 and 19/20 seasons. Boston Lyric Opera also appointed Ms. Bacaling as the Company Intimacy Advocate, where she is developing protocols for consent-based practices in the opera rehearsal room. Ms. Bacaling has held production engagements with Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Omaha, Washington Concert Opera, Aspen Opera Center, Sun Valley Music Festival, The Boston Conservatory, and Longy School of Music. Her upcoming engagements include joining the staging staff at LA Opera for the spring 2021 season. She is currently producing a podcast for BLO called at its (s)core, which seeks to delve into the inner workings of the opera industry and highlight voices of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Also a vocalist and pedagogue, Ms. Bacaling holds a MM in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory. Her preferred pronouns are she/hers, and she identifies as a member of the BIPOC community. |
Bruno Baker (he/him)
Stage Director, Stage Manager New York, NY Bruno Baker is a latinx NYC based American/Brazilian multidisciplinary stage director and stage manager specializing in Theatre and Opera. This past season, he worked as the assistant director at Boston Lyric Opera and Madison Opera on their productions of Fellow Travelers, as well as the Production Stage Manager at the Park Avenue Armory for Maria Vespers, and on stage management for Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Baker’s New England directorial debut with Guerilla Opera on two pieces scheduled for spring 2020, is momentarily postponed. With NYU, Mr. Baker has directed The Glass Menagerie, Thyestes, Strange Interlude (NYU). Select assistant directing credits include: Kiss me Kate and the Complete works of William Shakespeare (Summer Theater of New Canaan) dir. for Allegra Libonati; World Premiere production of Micheal Weller’s play Jericho (Attic Theatre Co.); Brooklyn based opera company LoftOpera. In addition to directing, Mr. Baker was a guest teaching artist at Pace University and held a previous title as resident artist at the Attic Theater Company. For the past 3 years, he has enjoyed being a studio associate at Noulin-Mérat Studio where he worked on over 30 productions. Mr. Baker is currently a proud member of both Stage Directors & Choreographers and American Guild of Musical Artist unions. |
Courtney Banks (she/her)
Stage Manager, Stage Crew - Santa Fe Opera I have been working in Santa Fe for four years working from apprentice to crew lead and becoming one of the youngest staff members for the company. Along with that I am a production manager in Philadelphia. http://linkedin.com/in/courtney-banks-144677135 |
Axel Cruz (he/him)
Choreographer - Fight, Lighting Designer, Stage Director, Stage Manager Washington, DC Graduated with a B.A from UMass in theater. I started my own theater company in 2016 and produce and directed 3 plays and was hired to direct 2. I've also worked as a teaching artist for many years. https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-cruz/ |
Cori Diaz (she/her)
Costume Designer, Stage Manager New York, NY Cori Diaz is a queer Latina performer, writer, and stage manager based in New York, NY. She was a house team performer and sketch writer at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater in Hartford, CT, and has performed with her improv team, Mystery Switch, in the Hartford Improv Festival. For playwriting, she has been a finalist in Hartford Stage’s Write On!, a selected candidate in Middlebury College’s Young Writers’ Conference at Breadloaf Campus, and a Selected Playwright at the Eugene O’ Neill Theater Center’s Young Playwrights Festival. She has also done training for improv, sketch, and stand-up with The Onion, People’s Improv Theater, John Crane Sketch, The Groundlings, and Second City Chicago. For stage managing, she has stage managed shows at theaters such as Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, Metropolitan Playhouse, and the Hartbeat Ensemble. She really wants to be involved in more queer and experimental pieces in any capacity. www.linkedin.com/in/cori-diaz-5a3153253 |
Hope Ding (she/her)
Stage Manager New York, NY Originally from Shenzhen, China. Hope is a first-generation AAPI stage manager passionate about stories that represent and uplift diverse perspectives of our shared world. Experienced in new plays, new musical, stunt shows, corporate events, and immersive theatre. Hope is a proud UCSD alumni. linkedin.com/in/hope-binfengding |
Miguel Flores (he/him)
Technical/Production Administrator, Stage Manager, Production Manager Boston, MA I have worked with Long Beach Opera, IU Opera, Memphis Opera, Opera Del West, MIT Music and Theater Arts, and Boston Conservatory. |
KM Jones (she/her)
Producer, Stage Director, Stage Manager New York, NY KM Jones recent Directing credits include working with Playwrights Kristy Thomas, Kate McLeod, Jenny Lyn Bader, Zakeia Tyson-Cross, Carmel Lotan, Desi Moreno-Penson, Philip C Hall, Nicole Pandolfo and Amy E. Witting, Nia Akilah Robinson, Carmen Lobue, and Raymond Goode. As a mid-level career professional, KM is committed to Inclusivity, Diversity, and LGBTQIA+ voices in Theatre. KM is a Member of :AEA, Associate Member SDC, Workshop Theatre Company, Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU), and Co-ExecutiveVP and Board Member at The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW). Kmjdirector.com |
Nick Loweree (he/him)
Stage Manager - Dallas Opera |
Quinn O'Connor (they/them; she/her)
Producer, Stage Manager Quinn O’Connor is a stage manager and producer who has worked at various institutions across the country, including The Public Theater, L.A. Dance Project, the LA Phil, Barrington Stage Company, , IAMA Theatre Company, and A Noise Within. Quinn works at the intersection of theatre and disability access, both in audience experience and broader representation by consulting with regional theatres and approaching access through a lens of disability justice. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Disability Studies, with a concentration in stage management and producing from the University of California, Los Angeles. https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinn-o-connor-57a19670/ |
Samba Pathak (he/him)
Stage Manager Fairfax, VA SAMBA PATHAK is a stage manager, production manager, marketer, and producer born and raised in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Samba is currently enrolled as a Theatre student at George Mason University. He most recently was the Stage Manager for ‘The Road to the End’ presented at Theater J as a part of the Washington DC Fringe Festival. The production won “Best Drama” award of the festival. www.sambapathak.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/SambaPathak/ |
Danielle Ranno (she/her)
Stage Manager Danielle has worked as a freelance stage manager in opera, theatre, dance and special events for the last decade. Recent credits include Miranda: A Steampunk VR Experience (Tri-Cities Opera), Gypsy (TheatreZone), Kanye West’s Mary at Lincoln Center and Pergolesi: Stabat Mater with Death of a Classic in the catacombs at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Other companies include: The Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, The Mother Line Story Project, Opera Columbus, On Site Opera, International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Lakes Area Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, Opera Grand Rapids, The Castleton Festival, Opera Naples, and Gulfshore Opera. She has been a guest lecturer at Florida Gulf Coast University, Rutgers University, SUNY Sullivan, and Salisbury University. Danielle received her MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Proud member of The Actors Equity Association and American Guild of Musical Artists. https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-ranno-42433a162/ |
Anahita Sepehri (she/her)
Stage Manager Seattle, WA Anahita (she/her) is experienced in dubbing, voice-over acting, radio drama, reporting, and marketing assistant, Marketing apprentice at Macha Theatre Works, assistant stage manager at Theatre 22, Seattle Shakespeare, and Production Associate with Village Theatre. She also worked with Seda Iranian Ensemble Theatre as a camera operator. In 2014, Ana and her husband decided to move to the United States from Iran. She has a bachelor’s degree in Media Production and Journalism. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anahita-sepehri-75186b39/ |
Nina Schatell (she/her)
Stage Manager New York, New York Nina Schatell is a Manhattan based Stage Manager. Her most recent project was at Theatre Row where she stage managed an original Off-Broadway musical, Straight Forward. She graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Theatre Design/Technology with a concentration in Stage Management. During her time at school, she was a recipient of the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship and member of the Beyond The Stage Door program. Nina enjoys working on original projects and building shows from the ground up. She's worked on readings and workshops at New York Stage and Film (“The World is Not Silent”, “The Return of Young Boy”, “Sun Songs”). Other credits include: Broadway Bares Pleasure Park (ASM), Trixie & Katya Live at Radio City Music Hall (PA), Emmet Cohen Trio and Friends at Jazz at Lincoln Center (ASM), 1st National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen (Rehearsal PA), NYGASP’s H.M.S Pinafore (PA). This fall she will be a Stage Management Fellow at Playwrights Horizons. www.linkedin.com/in/nina-schatell-5a5a43257/ |
Kai Stanton (she/her)
Stage Manager, Sound Designer East Orange, NJ I have worked in the theater community for a very long time. I have worked with Broadway Inspirational Voices for most of my time in New York City and I would love the opportunity to work on a Broadway show! I’ve also worked in Off Broadway houses along with regional theater and community theater. I would love the opportunity to expand my reach and my resume! |
Tom Zhang (he/him)
Stage Manager Tom Zhang is an emerging stage manager from Beijing, China. His favorite stage management credits include Something Rotten (Post Playhouse), Sound of Music (Post Playhouse), Sweat (Illinois Theatre), and Turn of the Screw (Lyric Theatre at Illinois). His Assistant Stage Management credits include: The Royale (Illinois Theatre), Urinetown (Illinois Theatre), and The Adventures of Little Sharp-Ears (Lyric Theatre at Illinois). He just got an MFA in stage management from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His dream is to work in a professional Les Misérables production in his career. tomzhangsm.weebly.com |