The Creative Team
Bria Arpante
Make-up Artist Consultant
Bria Arpante has been a face and body painter for many years. Being a landscape painter for most of her life, she has transformed her craft into the theatre arts.
Bria can be hired for theatrical productions, fundraising events and private parties etc. Bria can be reached at 413-447-7999, or:
bria_arponti@yahoo.com.
Charlie Elkind
Box Office Manager; Set painter; Graphic designer
Charlie Elkind is not only the theatre company's office manager, he also created the playbill and helped paint the sets.
In addition, Charlie is an artist and poet and he sells his own line of greeting cards, which can be seen on his web site at:
www.charliescards.com/cardintro.
Brendan Flynn
Stage Manager
Brendan Flynn (Stage Manager) returns to CHTC this summer to take a position behind the lights for this show.
Brendan made his acting debut this past winter in CHTC's Tatterhood in the role of an incredibly delightful Troll. Brendan is a philosophy major at Simon's Rock and is from Denver, Colorado.
Jasmine Gage
Production Manager; Costumes; Props
Jasmine Gage, known as Jazz-of-all-trades, comes to CHTC with a wealth of experience. As a member of the Pablo Light Show in the 1960's, she performed at the Fillmore East, Electric Circus, Carnegie & Philharmonic Hall, as well as with rock 'n roll bands, classical concerts and theater productions.
In the mid-seventies, her talents found her producing multi-media events for corporate public relations and advertising. Her company In House Productions produced many shows, though her favorite was for a PBS series which included several trips in Europe.
Upon her move to the Berkshires from New York City, Jasmine was able to pursue her life long dream of painting and cultivating a garden and became known locally for her beautiful hand-painted silk scarves.
Mark Hohlstein
Cow and Harp Design and Construction
Mark Hohlstein has designed and painted several sets, including CHTC's recent production of Tatterhood, where he also made the wonderful masks. In addition, Mark designed and painted the sets for Alice in Wonderland and Workshop Playhouse's An Evening of Shel Silverstein, where he also made a mask.
Mark attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where he studied animation, drawing, welding and painting. Recently, Mark and his partner Amanda Sewall (the Costume designer for Tatterhood) welcomed a new member to their household, the adorable Jacob Mark Three Halos Sewall Holstein.
Andrew Joffe
Co-Director; Co-Writer
Andrew Joffe recently had two one-act plays, which he adapted, open in New York City at the Workshop Theatre: Gift of the Magi and The Blue Carbuncle. This is his fourth collaboration with Ms. Wilson, the other three being Rumpelstiltskin, Feathertop and Tatterhood.
Andrew has written radio shows for NPR: Visit New Grimston, Anyway and Jazz Play. He was the librettist for Beast and Superbeast, The Awakening and Medea in Exile. He has directed Threepennny Opera, The Medium, The Mikado and many world premiere operas.
Tom Murphy
Master Set Builder
Tom Murphy built the frames for the backdrop for Jack and the Beanstalk. Previously, Tom built the imaginative sets for Tatterhood and the aesthetically pleasing and multifunctional set for Feathertop.
Tom moved to the Berkshire area two years ago from Torrington, Connecticut where he worked in various capacities at the Warner Theater there. Before that he lived in Portland, Oregon and built the doors for a CBS Series called Under Suspicion.
Tom is a Master Carpenter and CHTC feels blessed to have his talent and skills.
Ned Oliver
Lighting Board Operator; Set Builder
Ned Oliver joins the CHTC crew for the second time this year. A graduate of Simon's Rock College, he worked the lighting and sound board for CHTC's last production and subsequently became the stage manager and lighting board operator for Upstairs Live at the Triplex.
An avid bicyclist and ping-pong player, Ned hails from Virginia.
Peggy Reeves
Cast Photographer; Poster Design; Costumes
Peggy Reeves has given an invaluable contribution of creativity to CHTC. Besides being the theatre company's photographer, Peggy helps by making props, painting sets, and coming up with answers to questions before they are asked.
An artist in her own right, her love of photography has brought her to explore all aspects of the art form. Her work ranges from primitive pinhole photography to the making of digital images. Peggy has had solo and group shows of her work and it can be seen in private collections, as well as, in the collection of the Berkshire Museum. She will be having a solo art show this August at Simon's Rock. Don't miss it! Peggy can be reached at 413-528-2446, or: pearl465@gmail.com.
Maia Robbins-Zust
Lighting Designer
Maia Robbins-Zust is well-known to local theatres for her lighting design and is currently the technical director of Williams College Theatre Department. Her company, Berkshire Production Resources, does among other things: stage lighting, scenic construction and special effects. Maia is a member of the Robbins-Zust Marionette Theatre, which has delighted Berkshire children for many years. Maia can be reached at 413-329-2032, or: bpr@berkshire.net.
Michael Sellon
Giant's Safe and Cupboard Design
Michael Sellon devotes his work to the integration of the arts through myth and symbol in writing, theatre, sculpture and painting.
Michael is a former research associate with the Museum of the American Indian. He has also worked as a book illustrator, a theatre set designer and as a teacher. He was the Director of Pumpkin Hollow Farm, a theosophical retreat center in Columbia County, for many years.
Dana Wilson
Backdrop Designer and Painter
Dana Wilson recently was accepted into the Scenic Artist Union #829 in New York City. Since then she has painted sets for Woody Allen's newest film and is currently painting the sets for Cirque Dreams, which will be coming to Broadway soon.
A graduate of Pratt Art School, Dana is a fine artist who has also painted sets for television's popular Daily Show, Off Broadway's at Second Stage, the Pod Show at Soho's Greene Gallery and the store windows at holiday time for Henri Bendel and Lord & Taylor. Dana previously painted the backdrop for CHTC's Puss and Boots.
Nicki Wilson
Artistic Director; Co-Writer; Co-Director; Public Relations
Nicki has worked over the years in all phases of the theatre. Two of the plays she wrote were produced in NYC: The Chameleon Echo and The Nesting. This is her fourth collaboration with Mr. Joffe, the other three being Rumpelstiltskin, Feathertop, and Tatterhood. She also directed Puss and Boots, Rumplestiltskin, and Feathertop.
In addition, she directed the Persian Sufi play The Tree Climber at the 18th Street Theatre in NYC, Dear Brutus by James M. Barrie and What I Did Last Summer by A.R. Gurney.
Nicki has written feature articles for the area newspapers, and Berkshire County Cable TV audiences may have seen her talk show where she interviewed artists, writers, and activists.
She is deeply grateful to the actors and the creative team for all their help and enthusiasm to bring quality family theatre to the area.
Jose Garcia
Web Site Designer
Jose Garcia is a landscape and nature photographer and a digital artist. He creates painterly images inspired by American and European landscape paintings. A simple gallery of his work can be seen at:
www.looktotheland.com.
Jose has also worked as an ecologist and furniture maker, and his long career was as a software engineer and manager. He leads nature walks and seminars throughout the Berkshire/Taconic landscape, and his heroes include Henry David Thoreau, Mary Oliver, and Wendell Berry.