A Little Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”.

Diana M. Fathi (ADAPTOR/DIRECTOR) she/her, is a multidisciplinary theater practitioner from Tehran based in California. Some of her recent directing credits are Thirteen (Odyssey Theater) Third Person Singular (Columbia University). Her recent dramaturgical credits include Glimpse (Rattlestick Theater), Hedda Gabler (Columbia University), and Loneliness (Columbia University). Diana received her BA and MA from Tehran Art University, her MFA from Columbia University, and is continuing her studies towards a PhD in Theater and Drama at UCI/UCSD.

Afsaneh Aayani (SCENIC DESIGNER) is an Iranian scenic designer and puppeteer. She graduated with her MFA in Scenic Design from UH in 2020. She has created work in Houston, NYC, Iran, China, Poland, Sri Lanka and Germany. In 2020 she was the winner of the USITT young designers scenic design award and previously has received multiple national/international awards for puppeteering and puppet making as well as directing and design. You can check out her work at www.afsanehaayani.com

Mariko Ohigashi (She/Her) A NY based Costume Designer, born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Mariko is so thrilled to be back in Red Bank! Her U.S. theatre credits include A Little Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Two River Theater); Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (Transport Group/Connelly Theater, NYC); Out of Time (NAATCO/The Public, NYC); Veil Widow Conspiracy (NAATCO/NYTW Next Door); Vis-à-Vis (New York City Ballet, Choreographic Institute); Hanjo (SITI Company/Japan Society, NYC); Williams College Dance Concerts. International theatre credits in Japan include Hansel and Gretel (Sony Music Foundation/Suntory Hall, Tokyo); Lulu (Shinjuku Bunka) and Carmen (Kanagawa Kenmin Hall) with Tokyo Nikikai. Professional training: MFA from NYU-Tisch, BA from UNC-Chapel Hill. www.marikoohigashi.com

Betsy Chester (CO-LIGHTING DESIGNER) is an NYC-based freelance lighting designer, passionate about creating work that sparks meaningful conversation. Most recently, she has designed work for productions with NYU Grad Acting, Tisch Dance, Columbia University, as well as Ayodele Casel + Arturo O’Farrill at the Joyce Theater. Betsy received her MFA in Lighting Design at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2021. www.betsychester.com

Eric Norbury (CO-LIGHTING DESIGNER) Select credits include The Prom (WPPAC), Footloose (Argyle Theatre), Blue (Seattle Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Dutch National Opera), Only Human: A Musical (Theatre St. Clement’s), Till: A Musical (NYMF), Nimbus Dance at BAM Fisher. Previous work: LaMama ETC, NYTW, Playwrights Horizons, Barrington Stage Company, La Jolla Playhouse, New School of Drama, Washington National Opera, 5th Avenue Theatre, The Glimmerglass Festival, Seán Curran Dance Company, De Funes Dance, Second Avenue Dance Company and many others. MFA NYU/Tisch. Member USA829. www.ericnorburylighting.com

Austin Tooley (DRAMATURG) he/him, is an NYC-based director and dramaturg who received his MFA in Dramaturgy at Columbia University in 2021. Recent directing work includes Argonauts, by Jacob K Robinson, at Columbia University; The Outposters, for PrideFest at The Tank; and Narcissus, a Roman pantomime live-taped in partnership with PBS. Dramaturgical work at Columbia University included Three Sisters directed by Rebecca Miller-Kratzer; The Cherry Orchard directed by Rakesh Palisetty; and Mud/Springtime directed by Colm Summers. Tooley’s most recent work includes dramaturgy on A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Young Company and The Classical Theatre of Harlem; work in residency in Waterford Ireland on Purgatory by Colm Summers and Ciara Ní Chuirc, funded by the Irish Arts Council; and development work on Barbies by A.A. Brenner, at the Catwalk Art Residency in Catskill, NY.

RAKESH PALISETTY (he/him) ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR is a theater, film, and opera director from New Delhi, India. His shows have been toured extensively across India. Select credits include Kimberly Akimbo Musical (Directing Fellow) at Atlantic Theater, Hedda Gabler at Lenfest Center for the Arts, Thirty Six Questions at Columbia Stages, and Bedtime Plays at The Tank.  He will soon receive his MFA in Directing from Columbia University.

Kyle Jensen (SOUND DESIGNER) is an award-winning sound designer and audio engineer based out of Pennsylvania. Selected design credits: Somewhere Over the Border (assistant) (Teatro Vista, Chicago, IL – World Premiere), Something Grim(m) and Cake Ladies (Dallas Theater Center, Dallas, TX – World Premieres), Tuck Everlasting and Bright Star (Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute, Hilton Head, SC – Regional Premieres), and How to Succeed in Business… (American University, Washington, DC). Engineer appointments include GEVA Theatre Center and Nazareth College (Rochester, NY), Dallas Theater Center (Dallas, TX), Baltimore Center Stage (Baltimore, MD), Penn State (State College, PA), and American University (Washington, DC). He is a professional member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA), a member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), and an associate member of the Association of Sound Designers (ASD). kylejensenmedia.com, Instagram: @kylejensensound

JESSICA PARKS (she/her) PROPERTIES DESIGNER has been working as a properties designer since 2003 and has been the resident scenic designer and prop designer at the NJ Repertory Company in Long Branch since 2010. This her 5^th season working with Little Shakes and she is very excited to be a part of this wonderful project and finally back to doing live theatre. NYC credits at 59E59 St. Theaters include: Michael Tucker’s Fern Hill, Butler, The Housewives of Mannheim, Jericho and Poetic License. Other credits include: The End of Hester for the New Light Theatre Project, Brecht: Call & Respond at Paradise Factory Theatre and Dan Lauria’s Dinner with the Boys at The Acorn Theater.

Michaella Craver (STAGE MANAGER) Off-Broadway: Our Brothers Son, Chushingura – 47 Ronin. National Tour: Jabari Dreams of Freedom! Regional: Little Women (Skyline Theater Company), Norwegian Cruise Line. James Madison University alumni. For Mom, Dad, and Allegra

Isabella Como (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) is a junior at East Brunswick Magnet School in Arts Technology. She has done quite a few shows since being in high school. Some of which include last year’s Little Shakes production of Much Ado About Nothing and her school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. She is excited to be back at Two River Theater for the second year in a row.

Easy Jack Portman (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) is a sophomore at Red Bank Regional High School and in the creative writing academy. This is his second time working as the Assistant Stage Manager for the Little Shakespeare program, as well as being the Lighting Assistant, and is thrilled to be participating again this time. Before this, he worked on his school’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire where he helped build sets and work lights. He has experience with Shakespeare from performing in The Taming of the Shrew at the Will Gear Theatricum Botanicum. He is so excited to be working with this team again and can’t wait to see how the show turns out!