Mindplay

VINNY DePONTO

Creator, Playwright, and Performer

Vinny DePonto (Creator, Playwright, and Performer) The work of theater-maker and mentalist Vinny DePonto uses a combination of psychological tricks, visual art, and immersive storytelling. His off-Broadway show Charlatan was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. He is also a member of the Bessie Award–winning theater group Third Rail Projects. His solo work has been presented by Ars Nova, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theater at Harvard, and The Orchard Project. In addition to his live performances, DePonto’s consulting work was featured in the most recent production of Angels in America on Broadway, in Lincoln Center’s Ghostlight, and in hit television shows on the Discovery Channel, NBC, and Netflix. He enjoys burrata, colorful socks, and your deep, dark secrets. He currently lives in upstate New York. @VinnyDePonto

JOSH KOENIGSBERG

Playwright

Josh Koenigsberg (Playwright) is a Drama Desk–nominated playwright and screenwriter. His work has been produced at Ars Nova, Atlantic Theater Company, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Naked Angels, The Old Vic, Primary Stages, The Public Theater, Second Stage Theater, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Theatre Row, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The 24 Hour Plays/Musicals, and more. Josh’s plays include Al’s Business Cards, Dance Lessons, The Mnemonist of Dutchess County—all published by Samuel French—as well as Herman Kline’s Midlife Crisis, The Rise and Fall of Marcus Monroe, Charlatan starring award-winning mentalist Vinny DePonto, and Vroom Vroom, which he adapted and directed as an Audible Originals series. Josh has written screenplays for Disney, Hulu, Lionsgate, Netflix, and Paramount, among others. TV/Film credits include the Emmy–winning series Orange Is the New Black (Netflix/Lionsgate), High Fidelity (Hulu/ABC Signature), and Secret Headquarters (Paramount/Jerry Bruckheimer Films). Josh is currently writing the film adaptation of the popular video game Mega Man for Netflix and Chernin Entertainment. His burrito recipe “Josh’s Famous Burritos” is published by The New York Times.

ANDREW NEISLER

Director

Andrew Neisler (Director) is a Georgia-raised, New York-based theatermaker, director, and producer with a passion for joy-forward, laughter-filled, queer-affirming art, as well as a deepening interest in ecological theater that works to restore our connection with the Earth. Select directing credits include the immersive nightclub show Another Rose for Virgin Voyages, the critically acclaimed musical Folk Wandering which he also co-authored with playwright Jaclyn Backhaus (Pipeline Theatre Company), the world premiere of César Alvarez’s The Elementary Spacetime Show (Philadelphia’s FringeArts Curated Series), New York Times Critic’s Pick Clown Bar (The Box), and Drama Desk–nominated Charlatan (Ars Nova). He has developed new projects with The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Playwrights Horizons, HERE Arts Center, Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, NYU, University of the Arts, Colgate University, Williams College, and more. He is a Co-Founder and Creative Director of the arts incubation company Fresh Ground Pepper (www.fgpnyc.com), where he has cultivated over 750 artists in a series of development opportunities, residencies, and retreats over the past 12 years. He is currently serving as the Interim Associate Artistic Director at Ars Nova. www.andrew-neisler.com

EVA PRICE

Producer

Eva Price (Producer) is an Olivier, Emmy, and Tony Award winner and ACLU Honoree. Broadway: & Juliet, Jagged Little Pill (two Tony Awards), Oklahoma! (Best Musical Revival), Mr. Saturday Night, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, What the Constitution Means to Me, Angels in America (Best Play Revival), Dear Evan Hansen (Best Musical), On Your Feet!, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!, Peter and the Starcatcher (five Tony Awards), Colin Quinn: Long Story Short (directed by Jerry Seinfeld), Annie, The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino, Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking, The Addams Family, as well as several solo shows and concerts starring The Temptations & the Four Tops, Kathy Griffin, Lewis Black, and Hershey Felder. Off-Broadway and touring: Titanique (off-Broadway world premiere), Sanctuary City, Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical, Found, The Lion, Small Mouth Sounds, The Hip Hop Nutcracker (Emmy Award for PBS Special), The Magic School Bus Live!, and Ella.

NINA GOODHEART

Associate Director

Nina Goodheart (Associate Director) is a director, producer, and co-founder of Good Apples Collective. Recently: Wakeman (TBD Theatricals, Jenn Grinels), Gabriel Byrne’s Walking with Ghosts (Broadway, resident director), cityscrape (world premiere, Sophie McIntosh), before the flood (world premiere, Emily Bice). Previously: American Repertory Theater, Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill, Climan Producing. BA Yale. ninagoodheart.com she/her

SIBYL WICKERSHEIMER

Set Designer

Sibyl Wickersheimer (Set Designer)’s interests span design for live performances, installations, exhibitions, and design for mental health care initiatives. Her foundation as a theatrical set designer led Sibyl to co-author the book Scene Shift: U.S. Set Designers in Conversation with scenographer Maureen Weiss, published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis. Sibyl has designed for theatrical stages across the country, including A.C.T., Theatre for a New Audience, Steppenwolf Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. In the L.A. area, she has designed at Kirk Douglas Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, The Industry, Circle X Theatre Co., A Noise Within, The Actors’ Gang, and many more. Unique projects have included art installations in SoCal art galleries, Eric Idle’s What About Dick? (Orpheum/Netflix), and the stage for the daily giant dinosaur puppet performances at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Sibyl is also an Associate Professor at USC in the School of Dramatic Arts.

PABLO SANTIAGO

Lighting Designer

Pablo Santiago (Lighting Designer) is a Mexican American lighting designer. Born in Chiapas, Mexico, Pablo moved to the United States as a teenager and studied filmmaking at University of California, San Diego. After spending fifteen years working on major motion pictures, Pablo returned to school to earn his MFA in Theatrical Lighting Design from UCLA. He is the winner of the Richard E. Sherwood Award and Stage Raw Award. His most recent work was seen at LA Opera on the West Coast premiere of Omar. Pablo is proud to have long-standing collaborations with many great artists including James Darrah (Breaking the Waves), Ellen Reid (Pulitzer Prize winner p r i s m), José Luis Valenzuela (Destiny of Desire and Macbeth), Missy Mazzoli (Proving Up), Bill Rauch (Mother Road), Patricia McGregor (Skeleton Crew, Place, and Good Grief), Ted Hearne (Place), Adam Rigg (The Lord of Cries), and Yuval Sharon (War of the Worlds and Die Walküre). Pablo has designed for companies such as Santa Fe Opera, Geffen Playhouse, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Some of the amazing venues he has worked at include Theatro Municipal São Paulo, Kennedy Center, BAM Harvey Theater, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and Arena Stage.

EVERETT ELTON BRADMAN

Sound Designer

Everett Elton Bradman (Sound Designer)’s recent composer/sound designer credits include world premieres (Lear at Cal Shakes), West Coast premieres (TRAYF at Geffen Playhouse), audio dramas (Aurora Theater Company’s The Bluest Eye), student productions (UC Riverside’s Red Oleanders), Zoom theater (Actors Theatre’s Romeo & Juliet: Louisville 2020), podcasts (Z Space/Word for Word’s Retablos trilogy), filmed theater (San Francisco Playhouse’s [hieroglyph]), hybrid visual/audio (New Conservatory Theatre Center’s Interlude), and outdoor performances (Oakland Theater Project’s The Waste Land). Other recent adventures include teaching a sound design class and co-writing a musical for Bay Area Children’s Theatre and The Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Stop by and say hello at eltonsounds.com!

AUDREY LASTAR

Costume Design Consultant

Audrey Lastar (Costume Design Consultant), a costume creative, hails from San Diego and is currently head of costumes at Geffen Playhouse. She has been a member of the Geffen for five years and has worked on several shows including Mysterious Circumstances and Skintight, to name a few. Previously she was head of wardrobe for national tours including Cabaret and Finding Neverland. Other credits around the country include time at Arizona Broadway Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Adventure Theatre MTC, Imagination Stage, and many others. She is thrilled to be part of this team and is thankful for her crew and her dog Lady for all her love and support.

SARAH LINDSLEY

Costume Design Consultant

Sarah Lindsley (Costume Design Consultant) is Costume Shop Supervisor for Geffen Playhouse. Her Geffen credits include Head of Wardrobe for Power of Sail, Wardrobe on Mysterious Circumstances, and Wardrobe/Wigs for Key Largo and Black Super Hero Magic Mama. She was also Head of Wigs/Assistant Costumes for the international tour of Finding Neverland, Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University, and costume designed three of their operas: Le nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, and The Pirates of Penzance. During the pandemic, Sarah was commissioned by Pepperdine to illustrate the virtual operatic production of Cendrillon. You can see Sarah’s stitching work in American Horror Story: Roanoke, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Universal Studios Hollywood, Kanye West’s Saint Pablo Tour, Disney Channel, and more. She would like to thank her family and friends for being a constant well of inspiration, and a special thanks to her teammate, Audrey, for her continued support.

ENRICO DE LA VEGA

Creative Consultant

Enrico de la Vega (Creative Consultant) is a creator, consultant, producer, designer, and director of magical effects and illusions for television, film, and live performances. From the stages of Coachella to the theaters of Las Vegas, from Netflix originals to the television specials of David Blaine, magicians, performers, and productions across the globe have sought to have Enrico on their creative team.

AMY LEVINSON

Dramaturg

Amy Levinson (Dramaturg) is Associate Artistic Director at Geffen Playhouse. During her tenure at the Geffen, she has spearheaded numerous programs for commissioning and developing new plays. Dramaturgy credits include the commissions and world premieres of Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still and Coney Island Christmas, Jane Anderson’s The Quality of Life and The Escort, Amanda Peet’s Our Very Own Carlin McCullough, and Michael Mitnick’s Mysterious Circumstances. Other dramaturgy credits include Actually, Invisible Tango, Extraordinary Chambers, Build, Equivocation, Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress, Guards at the Taj, and Geffen Stayhouse virtual shows including Helder Guimarães’ The Present and The Future and David Kwong’s Inside the Box. She holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

GABRIELLE BRUNO

Stage Manager

Gabrielle Bruno (Stage Manager) is so excited to be working with Vinny again creating magic for the wonderful audiences at Arena Stage! Notable stage management and assistant stage management credits include Mindplay and Ava: The Secret Conversations at Geffen Playhouse; A Raisin in the Sun at South Coast Repertory; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Raisin in the Sun, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, A Christmas Carol, and Man of La Mancha at A Noise Within. She has also been the Production Manager of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival presented by Independent Shakespeare Co. 2021–2023. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from California State University, Northridge. she/her

CRISTINE ANNE REYNOLDS

Stage Manager

Cristine Anne Reynolds (Stage Manager) is based out of Atlanta, GA, and Seattle, WA, where she works at Seattle Repertory Theatre (18 seasons), Seattle Children’s Theatre (20 seasons), and Seattle Opera (23 seasons), including assistant stage managing Seattle Opera’s Ring Cycle from 1995 to 2013. National and international credits include Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), South Coast Repertory (CA), Pacific Northwest Ballet (WA), Edinburgh International Festival, Sadler’s Wells (London), Singapore Arts Festival, and Macau Arts Festival. She received her training at College of Marin and California State University at Long Beach: BA in Theatre Arts.