"¡Pa'Lante!" (2022) The Lehman Spotlight/ Vol. 2 (Lehman College)

L O V I N G E R

T H E A T R E

April 2022

VOLUME 2

April 2022

C O N T E N T S

Director's Note ........................................................ pg.3 The Program ............................................................pg.4 Actor Bios ................. ............................................ pg. 9 Creative Team Bios .............................................. pg. 11

¡PA’LANTE! Poster Design ALEXA DOWNING Program Design JUSTIN GALLAGHER Please put away all cellphones, cameras and any recording devices.

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Director's Note Here’s what we knew. We knew we wanted to create a space for the student storytellers to share and explore together. We knew we wanted the work to be created by the students. We knew we wanted to respond to the tumultuous times we are living in from the perspective of the young people and to be inspired by the work of the Young Lords. Lastly, we knew we wanted to use Puerto Rican Bomba as a symbol of resistance. That’s it. We held auditions, cast the show, and started having design meetings, devising workshops, and rehearsals. In a matter of 9 weeks, we have created an original story with 18 characters all told via the experiences of the students. One of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever been a part of. Watching the students stretch and grow as artists are what dreams are made of. We focused on the legacies our ancestors have left us. We are not the first people here. There have been MANY generations before us but sometimes we forget that. In times of need, we seek answers but the noise doesn't allow us to know whom to ask; that’s when oral storytelling comes to play. We acknowledge the need for multiple arts when making change; we need our muses. We are nothing without the knowledge of the people who fought before us, especially the ones that look and talk like us; The Young Lords. In uttering the word Pa’Lante we keep their story alive. Siempre Pa’Lante!

SPECIAL THANKS/AGRADECIMIENTOS Jahdiel Rodriguez, Julie Peteani, and Alyssa van Gorder for making this production run smoothly and for going the extra mile

Rick DesRochers, director of the theatre program for his vision in bringing the players together to make Pa'lante! possible

Victor Rendon for his inspired music direction and tireless support of these wonderful musicians

Miriam Crowe for always making us look amazing under light

Chris and Kyle Higgins for creating a transformative stage environment

Jenny Rocha and Anthony Paul-Cavaretta for inspired and inventive costumes

Felix Otero, Alma Martinez, and Noreen Crawford for helping us get what we need for this production

Luke Santy and Amira Mustapha for sound, projection, and video magic

Justin Gallagher, Alexa Downing, Alejandro Castro, Dante Albertie, and Erika Reinhart for the program, posters, publicity, and getting out the word

Aleigi Dume for brilliantly handling space scheduling and gatekeeping

Dean James Mahon for his continued support of our programs

The amazing faculty and staff of the Multimedia, Music, Theatre, and Dance Department and Lehman Stages who work so hard to create a space for learning and new ideas

And to the cast and production team for creating this inspired and original devised work from conception to the production you see before you today!

Victoria Pérez ¡PA’LANTE! Director

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LOVINGER THEATRE

LEHMAN COLLEGE The Music, Multimedia, Theatre & Dance Department

¡PA'LANTE!

A REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY INSPIRED BY THE YOUNG LORDS

Starring

LARRY ALLEN CRISTIAN BAJANA JA-EL LUCINA DOZIER MATTHEW GARAOCOA WILSON HERNDANDEZ CHANEL HUSTON VICTORY IKE MONICA CATILANA JARA ARISLADY MARTINEZ JORDAN MAYO DeANDRE ROWE-MCKENZIE BRENDALY CRUZ NUNEZ HILARY NUNEZ LEDA OBERGH KEVIN PATINO ISABEL POLANCO DYLAN TCHEDJI JOIE SCOTT THOMAS

Scenic Design KYLE HIGGINS

Costume Design JENNY ROCHA

Lighting Designer MIRIAM NILOFA CROWE

Stage Manager JAHDIEL RODRIGUEZ

Projection Design JENNIFER VILORIA

Video/Media Consultant MONICA DUNCAN

Sound Design/Music Supervisor LUKE SANTY

Assistant Stage Manager & Dance Captain JULIE PETEANI

Production Manager FELIX OTERO

Production Stage Manager ALYSSA VAN GORDER

Music Director/Ensemble Conductor VICTOR RENDON Assistant Director/Production Staff Writer ALEXA DOWNING Producer RICK DesROCHERS

Technical Director CHRIS HIGGINS Assistant Director/Dramaturg ISAIAS MORALES Director VICTORIA PÉREZ

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Scenes

SCENE 1: La Familia Y El Mundo SCENE 2: Meet the Muses SCENE 3: Colón Comes Out to Play SCENE 4: The Ancestors SCENE 5: La Gente Lose Their Light SCENE 6: The Bridge is Severed SCENE 7: Le Gente Find Their Way SCENE 8: Carniceria SCENE 9: Puerto Rican Obituary SCENE 10: The Ancestors Approve SCENE 11: The Takeover SCENE 12: The Muses Make Peace SCENE 13: Pa'Lante

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the PROGRAM

LA FAMILIA ABUELA ................................................................................................... Hilary Nunez NIETO ................................................................................................. Wilson Hernandez PRIMA ................................................................................................... Arislady Matinez PRIMO .......................................................................................................... Kevin Patino CUZZO ......................................................................................................... Jordan Mayo THE MUSES RITMO ............................................................................................................. Victory Ike ARIA ........................................................................................................... Isabel Polanco EL POETA ............................................................................. DeAndre Rowe-McKenzie LA GENTE/ANCESTORS THE FOUNDER ...................................................................................... Chanel Huston THE FIGHTER ......................................................................... Sipin Dylan Jules Cesar THE MARTYR ................................................................................... Matthew Garaicoa THE PROPHET ................................................................................ Joie Scott Thomas THE YOUNG LORDS Brendaly Cruz-Nunez, Larry Allen & Monica Catalina Jara MC ELEGUA ................................................................................... Ja-El Lucina Dozier CARMEN ...................................................................................................... Leda Obergh COLON ..................................................................................................... Cristian Bajana

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the PROGRAM

Director ....................................................................................................... Victoria Pérez Producer ................................................................................................. Rick DesRochers Assistant Directors/Dramaturgs ............................... Alexa Downing & Isaias Morales Production Staff Writer ........................................................................... Alexa Downing Production Stage Manager ................................................................ Alyssa Van Gorder Stage Manager ...................................................................................... Jahdiel Rodriguez Assistant Stage Manager .............................................................................. Julie Peteani Sound Designer ............................................................................... Miriam Nilofa Crowe Scenic Designer ............................................................................................ Kyle Higgins Technical Director ...................................................................................... Chris Higgins Costume Designer ........................................................................................ Jenny Rocha Costume Shop Manager ............................................................ Anthony Paul-Cavaretta Sound Design/Music Supervisor .................................................................... Luke Santy Dance Captain ............................................................................................... Julie Peteani Wardrobe ................................................................................... Jazmin Morales Cisneros Sound Mixing ............................................................................................... Yesenia Leon Assistant Sound Technician ...................................................................... Melanie Longo Music Director/Ensemble Conductor ........................................................ Victor Rendon Video/Projection Design/QLab Operator ............................................... Jennifer Viloria Production Manager ........................................................................................ Felix Otero Video/Media Consultant .......................................................................... Monica Duncan Light Board Operator .................................................................................. Yesenia Leon Assistant Technical Director ................................................................. Amira Mustapha Technical Consultant ............................................................................. Alejandro Castro Backstage Crew ........................................................ Isaias E. Morales, Alexa Downing, Julie Peteani, Melanie Longo, Jazmin Morales Cisneros Filming Documentation .......................................... Gabriel Agostinelli & Carol Serrano Editing Documentation ........................................................................... Phillip Adeyeye

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the PROGRAM

LARRY ALLEN

CRISTIAN BAJANA

JA-EL LUCINA DOZIER

CHANEL HUSTON

VICTORY IKE

MONICA CATALINA JARA

ARISLADY MARTINEZ

JORDAN MAYO

DeANDRE ROWE-McKENZIE

BRENDALY CRUZ-NUNEZ

HILARY NUNEZ

LEDA OBERGH

KEVIN PATINO

ISABEL POLANCO

SIPIIN DYLAN JULES CESAR TCHEDJI

JOIE SCOTT THOMAS

MATTHEW GARAICOA WILSON HERNANDEZ

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cast bios LARRY ALLEN is a Music Major at Lehman College. He recently acted in the play Betrayal by Harold Pinter and composed the Music for Farragut North, a play by Beau Willimon directed

by Diego Areas Munhoz at City College. Larry grew up in the Bronx and likes to ride motorcycles.

CRISTIAN BAJANA is a 22-year-old actor, born and raised in The Bronx, New York. He spent his earlier years wanting to be a doctor, but then came to a realization that acting was his passion. This occurred to him after watching a movie from an acting perspective rather than the entertainment perspective. He self-taped himself and found lots of joy in what he was doing. He's an active member of the theatre and film club at Lehman College.

JAE-EL - LUCINA DOZIER, also known as Sexy Jae, is an NYC-based creative & professional scholar. In addition to having already earned a BA in Psychology & African American Studies from Syracuse University, she continues her undergraduate career at Lehman college; seeking this time to obtain the Multimedia Performing Arts BFA & the Film/TV Studies BA. When she isn’t working on a film or theatre, she enjoys getting into good trouble with her partner-in-crime, young Huey.

MATTHEW GARAICOA is a current secondyear student at Lehman College with a focus in sociology. Classes taken include “The American Musical Experience” and “Advanced Voice for the Stage” Matthew has recorded several productions under WGTV Productions, such as BronxLive!

Freestyle Party with Brenda K Starr and Cover Girls which is featured on the Bronxnet YouTube channel.

WILSON HERNANDEZ is a Junior at Lehman College pursuing a BFA in Multimedia Performing Arts. Theatre Credits include: In the Heights (Usnavi), Two Noble Kinsmen (Theseus), and Lehman’s 2020 Playwriting Festival (Elevator Buddy).

CHANEL HUSTON is a Lehman College senior pursuing a BFA in Multimedia Performing Arts. At Alfred University, she starred in an array of awardwinning stage productions including leading roles in John Brown’s Body and Quilt: A Musical Celebration. She also has several college and indie film credits to her name with featured roles in The End (NYU student film) and Touched (MAC Productions). ¡Pa’Lante! will be her debut performance at Lehman College.

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VICTORY IKE was born & raised in Nigeria. She is a supermodel, fashion icon, and hairstylist who aspires to become a well-known actress and influencer. Victory is currently a senior with an intended major in Multimedia and Performing Arts (Theatre Track). Credits: Lehman’s 2020 Dance & Dialogue Project.

MONICA CATALINA JARA is a double major in Multimedia Performing Arts (BFA) and Computer Graphics and Imaging (BS). Monica is a storyteller and uses the art of video, theatre, mixed media, and animation to capture cultural identity and individuality. She is currently collaborating with Disability Unite and NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to produce an art festival celebrating the 31st anniversary of the ADA and Disability pride.

ARISLADY MARTINEZ is a theatre student at Lehman College who is also minoring in psychology. She transferred from LaGuardia Community College after receiving an associate degree in Liberal Arts in 2019. In 2021, Arislady worked as a videographer for the Lehman Dance in Dialogue production as well as The Lehman College New Voices Student Play Festival. She hopes to hone her acting and cinematography skills as her career progresses and hopes to continue acting after graduation.

JORDAN MAYO is a junior at Lehman College and has had a passion for theatre since she was 12 years old. Having predominantly a background in Shakespearean plays, Jordan is elated to be a part of ¡Pa’Lante! and not only represent her Hispanic culture but also tell the story of the Young Lords who have paved the way for the future young revolutionaries. Since attending Lehman her love of playwriting has skyrocketed and she is eager to produce plays of her own in the future.

DeANDRE ROWE-McKENZIE is a young artist from New York aspiring to one day be a producer and director of theatre and film. His love for the arts began at a young age when he would sing in the church choir and play in the community marching band while living in Jamaica. After moving to America, he joined his high school band and then later began his studies at Lehman College where he found his calling in theatre. Theatre Credits: The Immoralist (Moktir), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Stage Manager) and The Lehman College New Voices Student Play Festival(assistant director). DeAndre's wish is to one day become a role model for Caribbean theatre.

cast bios BRENDALY CRUZ NUNEZ is a performing arts major at Lehman. She looks forward to being a successful actress in the future and working with companies such as Netflix.

HILARY NUNEZ is a student at Lehman College majoring in Multimedia Performing Arts (BFA).

She started acting in the Opening Act afterschool program in which she participated in productions created by the students including Under Your Skin, and Me Voy. In 2016, she participated in the Acting Manitou Summer Camp where she performed in Click, directed by Chris Vega. Her most recent project was The Resurrection Men (Two) at the New Play Festival of 2020 at Lehman.

LEDA OBERGH is currently a double major in Multimedia Performing Arts (Theatre Track) and Multimedia Film and TV Studies (Film Concentration) at Lehman College. She interned at Bronxnet as a camera operator & floor manager, and as an AE for the upcoming documentary River of Denial by Megan Sanchez-Warner. Her directorial stage work includes assistant directing for the NVSPF of 2020, directing Tribulations by Wendy Torres. Obergh participated in the NVSPF of 2021, where she portrayed a nurse in IRE written by Urmi Rahman. She currently works as a production assistant for an upcoming Hulu Docuseries, and is directing a suspense short film Love is Red. KEVIN PATINO is a senior pursuing a BA in Theatre and a minor in Music. He is a singersongwriter, who has written twenty-two original songs, as well as an actor and has taken part in musical theatre performances with Ms. Penny Prince. He performed in The Wonderflight Of the Mushroom Planet (Shitakie) and Cinderella 2021 (Earl Maximus.) -Kevin also participated in a student-directing class acting piece for Anna in the Tropics (Santiago). Patino is looking forward to being able to express what he feels in this production and sends appreciation to Victoria Perez for giving him an opportunity to perform in this magical community.

ISABEL POLANCO is graduating in the Spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre. ¡Pa’Lante! marks her Lehman College debut.

Growing up, Polanco had the incredible opportunity of singing with notable performers such as John Legend, Kat Deluna and Gladys Knight and singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium and Citifield. Her role model and inspiration is her choir teacher, Glenda Ifill.

SIPINN DYLAN JULES CESAR TCHEDJI, (Jesus that’s long). All his life Dylan only had one goal in mind, and that was to be the very best at his God given talent. He graduated high school in 2018 and swore to make it to the major leagues by the time he was 37. In 2019 he came out victorious in an acting competition with up to 400 contestants.

As he received his award for best actor with tears in his eyes and 900 people watching him, he realized what his God given talent was, acting. From then on he decided to make his soul purpose for moving forward in his life, with making it to the major leagues as the final destination of this difficult quest.

JOIE SCOTT THOMAS is currently a first-year student at Lehman College majoring in Sociology.

Joie is an artist and poet and has performed her poetry at several locations around New York City.

Joie used to perform in Shakespeare plays as a child and has always had a passion for theatre.

percussionist bios ABNER CASTILLO is a Puerto Rican and Bronx native. He is a music major with a minor in music production.

YASUYO KIMURA asuyo is from Osaka, Japan.

She began her musical studies at age four on the classical piano and started studying modern dance in high school. After she finished her BA in Music in Japan, she moved to NYC to study modern dance.

It was in these dance classes that Yasuyo became attracted to the sounds of percussion. Since then, she has continued to dedicate her passion for playing percussion. Kimura currently studies percussion at Lehman College as a part-time student.

SASHA PEREZ is a music major at Lehman College working towards a BS degree. Studying music at an academic level is new to her as she was studying Criminal Justice before transferring to Lehman in 2019. Sasha has always been fascinated by music. When she was younger, Perez joined a percussion club at her school which sparked her curiosity for playing music. In her spare time, she is learning to play the guitar and piano.

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creative team bios VICTORIA PÉREZ

(Director) is a multiple award-winning accomplished bilingual theatre artist with over 25 years of experience on the stage as a singer, actor, director, writer, and Teaching Artist.

Hailing proudly from Puerto Rico and calling Buffalo, NY her home she is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Raíces Theatre Company, the only Latino theatre company in WNY dedicated to telling Latino stories. She studied musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and has worked as a performer with Pregones Theatre in the Bronx, NY. She recently made her OffBroadway directing debut at IATI with BLOOM

by Marco Antonio Rodríguez. Pérez was assistant director for Marco Antonio Rodríguez’ world premiere adaptation of La breve y maravillosa vida de Oscar Wao at New York’s Spanish Repertory Theatre. In Buffalo, she performed and directed with almost every theatre company including Road Less Traveled Productions, Ujima, Musicalfare, and Kavinoky. Victoria has been recognized multiple times for Buffalo’s local theatre awards in the categories of outstanding performance in a lead role, supporting role, a musical supporting role, and a director. She is the Lead Teaching Artist at Shea’s Performing Arts Center and has worked for many arts organizations including Arts in Education Institute of WNY, Buffalo Center for Arts and Technologies, Antecessors, Irish Classical Theatre, and Theater of Youth.

RICK DesROCHERS (Conceiver/Producer) is Associate Professor of Theatre and Director of Theatre and Multimedia Performing Arts at Lehman College, City University of New York. He has served as the Director of New Play and Musical Development for the Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival; the Goodman Theatre; and Artistic Director of the New Theatre of Boston. He has served as a director and dramaturg for the NYC Music Theatre Festival, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, the Playwrights' Center of Minneapolis, and the Soho Theatre of London. His work is primarily based in devised multimedia-based theatrical performance, using the training techniques of Ecole Jacques Lecoq and Viewpoints, and includes Lehman College productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Brecht’s Life of Galileo, and a devised multimedia production of BUSTED! created with choreographer Amy Larimer and hip-hop composer DJ Far Fetch.

Degrees: M.F.A. in directing the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Ph.D. in theatre Graduate Center, City University of New York. He is the 2015-2016 recipient of the Houghton Library Joan Nordell Visiting Fellowship at Harvard 11

University, and the author of The New Humor in the Progressive Era (Palgrave Macmillan); The Comic Offense from Vaudeville to Contemporary Comedy (Bloomsbury); “Keaton, Class, and Social Control: Comic Vaudeville in the Progressive Era” in Performing the Progressive Era (University of Iowa Press).

ALEXA DOWNING (Assistant Dir./Production Staff Writer) is a junior Multimedia Performing Arts and Film major at Lehman College. Credits at Lehman include Skinheadgirl in Naomi Iizuka’s Polaroid Stories both onstage and in an online hybrid performance and Fabiana Aziza Cunningham in the digital production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot directed by the wonderful Victoria Pérez. She has been studying acting in her hometown of Denver, CO for about ten years as well as writing - graduating from the Denver School of the Arts creative writing program in 2019 where she developed a love for devised theater and directing/stage management. Outside of Lehman, she has been working primarily in film; having recently played a lead role in her first feature The Cave directed by Cory Santilli. As well as several short and student works. She would like to thank the cast and crew of ¡Pa’Lante! for all their wonderful work.

ISAIAS MORALES (Assistant Dir./Dramaturg) is a transfer student and senior at Lehman College majoring in Multimedia Performing Arts (BFA).

He worked with Lou Bellamy in his production of Day of Absence at St. John’s University in Minnesota. He performed in the New Playwrights Festival in the plays Sonder and Volts and Ohms.

He also performed in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot as Butch Honeywell, Matthias of Galilee, and Soldier Number One. This production is his first Assistant Directing debut. During his free time, he likes to be with family and friends and get into deep conversations about life or just act like a fool with them. Add him on IG @Kaz2298.

ALYSSA VAN GORDER (Production Stage Manager) is a singer, actress, stage manager, and producer. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from SUNY Purchase and has been seen in various operas, musicals, plays, and films.

Alyssa has also co-founded two theatre companies and produced numerous plays and musicals to date.

She has worked with various organizations to raise money and awareness for charities, which include Broadway Cares, The Ronald McDonald House, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Helping Hands and The Anti-Defamation League. Alyssa is also currently the Managing Director of TITAN Theatre

creative team bios Company and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.alyssavangorder.com JAHDIEL RODRIGUEZ (Stage Manager) is a Lehman College alumnus with a BFA in Multimedia Performing Arts. Credits include: When January Feels Like Summer (Jeron), Hamlet (Marcellus & Osric), Electricidad (Nino), Polaroid Stories (Orpheus), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Judas), etc. Jahdiel was a PA for both Slave Play and MJ the Musical on Broadway. He has operated lights on seven theatre/dance productions, lightdesigned Lehman’s 2020 Student Playwriting Festival, and stage-managed their Fall 2021 Playwriting Festival. Jahdiel recently stagemanaged Titan Theatre Company’s Future Classics Festival, Fly-by-Night Dance Company’s Where Shall I Send My Joys and is stage managing Lehman’s Spring 2022 Multimedia Performing Arts Showcase. His short, one-act play Sonder premiered in Lehman’s Spring 2021 Fest and is available for viewing on the Lehman College Theatre and Dance YouTube channel.

JULIE PETEANI (Assistant Stage Manager & Dance Captain) is a Theatre Major in her final year at Lehman College. She has previously been a part of productions at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, On Your Toes Dance Studio & Studio B Dance Center. She is so excited to be working on her second Lehman production and would like to thank individuals individually but hates to be wordy.

MIRIAM NILOFA CROWE (Lighting Design) has designed many shows at Lehman College since 2015. Recently in NY: Kennedy (film version and Off-Broadway), Teenage Dick (Ma Yi +The Public), Trial by Jury (Bronx Opera), Sanctuary (Lindsey Hanson Dance), Stop-Motion, Mirrors and Charlie’s Waiting (Parity Productions), Hurricane Party (The Collective NY), SeagullMachine and Home/Sick (The Assembly), This is Modern Art and Platonov (Blessed Unrest), Anna (Dusan Tynek), PS 160 (Gabrielle Mertz), 6 Characters … (Theodora Skipitares), 2Hymnvb (Anneke Hansen), The Penalty (The Apothetae), Medea (Bryan Davidson Blue), and Symphony for the Dance Floor (BAM). She has an MFA from Yale School of Drama and is an Adjunct at Lehman College and NYU Tisch Drama. www.wingspace.com/miriam KYLE HIGGINS (Scenic Design) has designed for Lehman College since 2010. Her shows include: A View from the Bridge, Hairspray, Urinetown the Musical, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Noises Off, Motherfucker with the Hat, Macbeth, The Life and -

Times of Galileo, and Polaroid Stories. During the Pandemic she designed the online production of Kenopsia. She holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of the United Scenic Artists Local 829. For the past 20 years, she worked at Hudson Scenic Studio as a Scenic Artist, creating scenery for Broadway. She served as the Union Shop Steward for 12 of those years.

While - every project is challenging, fun, and in the end a beautiful work of art, her proudest achievements will always be her son and daughter, now fine young adults!

CHRIS HIGGINS (Technical Director) was appointed in July 2009 as the full time Technical Director for Lehman Stages. Mr. Higgins brings to the position over thirty-five years of experience as a technical director and carpenter in regional theater, summer stock, touring, and commercial scene shops. Prior to joining the staff at Lehman College, Mr. Higgins was a faculty member at New York City College of Technology. Mr. Higgins has also held full-time positions at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and at the University of Massachusetts’ Amherst campus. Mr. Higgins worked professionally at Hudson Scenic Studios, a commercial scene shop building scenery for Broadway shows and tours. He holds a BA in Theater Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MFA in Technical Design and Production from the Yale School of Drama. Mr. Higgins is also an active member of IATSE Local One. JENNY ROCHA (Costume Design) is a costume designer, choreographer, dancer, teaching artist, and Artistic Director of both Rocha Dance Theater and The Painted Ladies. A 1st generation Portuguese American from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Rocha attended Roger Williams University for Dance and Performance. She then moved to New York City, where Jenny served as a member of Sean Curran Company, Heidi Latsky Dance, and other choreographers for 12 collective years. As a costume designer, she has created a prolific collection for both of her companies. In addition, Rocha has designed for Heidi Latsky Dance, The Raving Jaynes, Lesley Garrison, Roger Williams University, Rutgers University and Lehman College. As a teaching artist, she has taught dance at universities and colleges nationwide. Rocha is in her eleventh year as a teaching artist at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and serves on the guest faculty of Mark Morris Dance Center.

ANTHONY PAUL-CAVARETTA (Costume Shop Manager) has been the costume shop manager 12

creative team bios for Lehman College since 2018. Prior to that, he was the costume shop manager at The Pearl Theatre Company on W42nd Street. He has also been the shop manager at Long Island University, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, and the assistant shop manager at Chautauqua Opera. He is an award-winning costume designer having worked for Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Peterborough Players, Theatre For the New City, Titan Theatre Company, Gallery Players, Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Chautauqua Opera, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, and Sarasota Youth Opera among many others. Film Design Credits: Camp Wedding (2019), Penned (Short 2019), The Tell-Tale Heart: A Musicabre (Short 2019) *Winner of the 2019 Cinema World Fest for Best Costumes, and Winner of the 2019 South Film and Arts Academy Festival for Best Costume Design in a Feature Film, and C.I.T. (Short 2016); M.F.A. Theatre (Purdue University) LUKE SANTY (Sound Design/Live Music Supervisor) is a Brooklyn-based musician and theater artist interested in the fields of sound design and creative tech. He is Co-Artistic Director and Musical Director of puppet-based theatre company Little Did Productions (lilttledidproductions.com), which has performed at St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta, GA), and at the National Puppetry Festival (Storrs, CT). Other Favorite Credits include Lost and Found (EMPAC), LA Party (Dartmouth College), First Violin (Mabou Mines), and several productions with Lehman College.

LUKEINTERNET.bandcamp.com YESENIA LEON (Live Sound Mix) is an aspiring music producer, writer, and college counselor. She is a recent graduate of Lehman College, returning for her second bachelor’s degree in music. Yesenia has worked as a stagehand in her middle and high school musical performances. ¡Pa’Lante! will be her debut as a sound operator, which is a new and exciting venture for her. Outside of school she is an avid reader and works to assist new students in transition into Lehman college successfully. She hopes to continue to work on more productions in the future.

VICTOR RENDON (Music Director/Ensemble Conductor) is a percussionist, educator, composer, and arranger. Rendón holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas and a Master’s degree in education from Hunter College (NYC).

He has had a lengthy career teaching instrumental music and Latin percussion in the New York City public school system. Victor is an active clinician and is the author of The Art of Playing Timbales 13 published

by Music in Motion Films and distributed

by Alfred Music. Victor currently performs with his group, Bronx Conexion Latin-Jazz Big Band, as well as his Afro-Caribbean percussion group, CoTim-Bó. Victor also teaches at Lehman College where he teaches percussion, and leads the Percussion Ensemble, in addition to the Lehman Latin Jazz Ensemble. www.bronxconexion.com JUSTIN GALLAGHER (Digital Program Design) is a sophomore majoring in Multimedia Performing Arts (BFA) with a concentration in Theatre. Directorial Credits: Comfort Woman (Secret Theatre/Manhattan Repertory), Bella Napoli (Secret Theatre/Workshop Theatre/Manhattan Repertory), The Wonderful World of Science (Manhattan Repertory), and Family Dynamics, which was nominated for Best Play in the 2018 New York Theatre Festival.

Other directing & assistant director/choreographer credits: Annie Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., The Wizard of Oz (MUNY and RSC versions) Alice in Wonderland, & Seussical Jr. Theatre: Bloody, Bloody, Andrew Jackson (Lyncoya) at the Nuyorican Poets Café; Disney’s High School Musical 2 (Teen Ensemble Alternate/ World Premiere/TOTS/Fox Theatre Atlanta under Tony Nominated director, Jeff Calhoun). Music Video: Drew Seeley’s “Feels So Much Better to Love.”

Justin is a proud member of Local 306 and usher at Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway. www.thejustingallagher.com

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