Celia and Fidel

EDUARDO MACHADO

Playwright

EDUARDO MACHADO (Playwright) was born in Cuba and came to the United States when he was nine. He is the author of over 40 plays, including The Cook, Havana is Waiting, The Modern Ladies of Guanabacoa, Fabiola, Broken Eggs and Stevie Wants to Play the Blues. His plays have been produced at Seattle Repertory, The Goodman, Hartford Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf, Hampstead Theatre in London, The Cherry Lane Theatre, Theater for the New City and Repertorio Español, among many others. He was formerly artistic director of INTAR Theatre in NY and has been a Professor of Playwriting at NYU Tisch and Columbia. He is the co-author of Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile’s Hunger for Home and his plays are published by Samuel French and TCG.

MOLLY SMITH

Director

MOLLY SMITH (Director) has served as Artistic Director since 1998. Her more than 30 directing credits at Arena Stage include large-scale musicals, like Anything Goes, Disney’s Newsies, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Cabaret, South Pacific; new plays, like Sovereignty, The Originalist, Camp David, Legacy of Light, The Women of Brewster Place, How I Learned to Drive; and classics like Mother Courage and Her Children, A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Great White Hope and All My Sons. Her directorial work has also been seen Off-Broadway at 59E59 in New York, Portland Center Stage, Canada’s Shaw Festival, The Court Theatre, The Old Globe, Asolo Repertory, Berkeley Repertory, Trinity Repertory, Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, Montreal’s Centaur Theatre and Perseverance Theater in Juneau, Alaska, which she founded and ran from 1979-1998. Molly has been a leader in new play development for over 40 years. She is a great believer in first, second and third productions of new work and has championed projects, including Dear Evan Hansen; Next to Normal; Passion Play, a cycle; and How I Learned to Drive. She led the re-invention of Arena Stage, focusing on the architecture and creation of the Mead Center for American Theater and positioning Arena Stage as a national center for American artists through its artistic programming. During her time with the company, Arena Stage has workshopped more than 100 productions, produced 39 world premieres, staged numerous second and third productions, and been an important part of nurturing nine projects that went on to have a life on Broadway. In 2014, Molly made her Broadway debut directing The Velocity of Autumn, following its critically acclaimed run at Arena Stage. She was awarded honorary doctorates from American University and Towson University. In 2018, she was honored as Person of the Year by the National Theatre Conference and inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame. In 2020, she was awarded the Director of Distinction in Cairo, Egypt, from the Academy of Arts. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she developed the concept for two online films, May 22, 2020 and The 51^st State, overseeing the production direction as well as directing pieces within the films. She also spearheaded a variety of other new online content, including a weekly talk show Molly’s Salon, during the live performance hiatus.

RICCARDO HERNÁNDEZ

Set Designer

RICCARDO HERNÁNDEZ (Set Designer)’s Broadway credits include: Jagged Little Pill; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Indecent; The Gin Game; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; The People in the Picture; Caroline, or Change (National Theater London); Elaine Stritch at Liberty (Old Vic London); Topdog/Underdog (Royal Court); Bells Are Ringing; Parade (Hal Prince director, Tony and Drama Desk nominations); Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk; and The Tempest. Recent: Claudia Rankine’s The White Card (Diane Paulus director, ART); Lempicka (Rachel Chavkin director, WTF); Admissions (LCT); La Dame aux Camélias (France); and The Invisible Hand (NYTW – Henry Hewes Outstanding Set Design Award). He has designed over 250 productions in the U.S. and internationally. Awards include: OBIE Award Sustained Excellence; Yale School of Drama Design Faculty.

ALEJO VIETTI

Costume Designer

ALEJO VIETTI (Costume Designer)’sArena Stage credits include: Ella, The Pajama Game, Anything Goes (Helen Hayes Award) and Disney’s Newsies. New York credits include: Broadway’s Holiday Inn, Allegiance (Drama Desk nomination) and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (U.S. tour, West End – Olivier Award nomination, Australia, Japan and UK tour). He has designed for City Center Encores!, Radio City Rockettes, Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Atlantic Theatre, among others. Opera credits include: New York City Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera andDonesk Opera (Ukraine). Selected regional work includes: Alley Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Ford’s, Signature, Goodspeed, Guthrie, Hartford Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse and The Old Globe. Other credits include:Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award recipient.

NICOLE PEARCE

Lighting Designer

NICOLE PEARCE (Lighting Designer) is an international lighting designer for dance, theater and opera based out of Queens, New York. Her work has been seen across the United States, Europe, Siberia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Cuba. New York credits include: The Playwrights Realm, The Play Company, The Asia Society and The Mint Theater Company. Regional credits include: Long Wharf, McCarter Theater, Hartford Stage, Philadelphia Theater Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Resident Ensemble Players and Pittsburgh Public Theater. Selected dance credits include: Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street, Mark Morris Dance Group, Jessica Lang Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Nederland’s Dance Theater, Malpaso and American Ballet Theater. Opera credits include: Arizona Opera, L.A. Opera, The Juilliard School, Opera de Montreal and Minnesota Opera. Nicole's installation of 1,000 paintings entitled Tiny Paintings for Big Hearts will be open to doctors, nurses, staff and patients of Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, NY in September 2021 (@nicolepearceart). www.nicolepearcedesgin.com 

ROC LEE

Original Music and Sound Design

ROC LEE (Original Music and Sound Design) is a Helen Hayes Award-winning D.C.-based composer/sound designer. He holds a Master of Music in stage music composition from CUA. Credits include: Snowchild, The Price, Mother Courage (Arena Stage); Crossing Mnissose (Portland Centerstage); Small Mouth Sounds, Doll House 2 (Roundhouse); Kid Prince and Pablo (Kennedy Center TYA); Fairview, Describe the Night (Woolly Mammoth Theatre); The Lathe of Heaven (Spooky Action Theater); Admissions, Curve of Departure (Studio Theatre); CHARM, Ulysses On Bottles, Oh God! (Mosaic Theater); Aubergine, The Importance of Being Earnest (Everyman Theatre); Singin' In The Rain, Matilda The Musical, Tiger Style!, The Invisible Hand, On The Town, Aubergine (Olney Theater Center); AIDA (Constellation Theatre); Hello My Name Is... (Welders); [410]Gone (Rorschach Theatre); FAME!; In the Heights (GALA Hispanic Theater). https://roclee.net

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE

Hair and Wig Designer

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE (Hair and Wig Designer) is an award-winning Wig and Hair Designer who maintains a highly successful career on stages throughout the United States and abroad. Prior at Arena Stage: Disney's Newsies; Ken Ludwig's Dear Jack, Dear Louise; Anything Goes. Highlights: Numerous Broadway; Touring; American Regional Theatre; West End and International productions including Hamilton (Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award); Ain’t Too Proud; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Beetlejuice; The Cher Show (Drama Desk Award); The Band’s Visit; Anastasia; The Lifespan of a Fact; SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award); Jersey Boys; A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder; The Color Purple; In the Heights. Television: The Wiz Live! (Emmy Award Nomination); Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (Emmy Award Nomination and Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award).

JENNY MALE

Fight and Intimacy Consultant

JENNY MALE (Fight and Intimacy Consultant) is a certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and a certified intimacy director with Intimacy Directors International. She also serves as resident fight and intimacy director for Rep Stage and is an associate professor of theatre at Howard Community College.

LISA NATHANS

Dialect and Vocal Coach

LISA NATHANS (Dialect and Vocal Coach) is thrilled to be coaching again for Arena Stage after coaching Disney’s Newsies and Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise. Other D.C. credits include various productions with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, Theater Alliance, Keegan Theatre and MetroStage. Regional credits include: Guthrie Theater, The 5th Avenue and Theatricum Botanicum. TV credits include: National Geographic’s Elemental: Hydrogen vs. Hindenburg. Teaching (USA and UK): University of Maryland: TDPS (Assistant Professor, Voice, Speech, and Acting); CalArts; Stella Adler Academy; RADA; Royal Welsh; Royal Central; University of Washington (PATP MFA); and University of Minnesota (Guthrie BFA). Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama: MFA (Voice Studies); Boston University: BFA (Acting); Linklater Voice Designation; and Colaianni Speech Practitioner. Break legs all!

VICTOR VAZQUEZ, C.S.A.

Casting

VICTOR VAZQUEZ, CSA (Casting) is a casting director in New York City. He is the founder of XCasting (xcastingnyc.com) and sits on the national board of the Casting Society of America.

JOCELYN CLARKE

Dramaturg

JOCELYN CLARKE (Dramaturg) is Senior Dramaturg at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. He was Theatre Advisor to the Arts Council of Ireland for ten years.  As a dramaturg, Clarke has worked with writers such as Katori Hall, Taylor Mac, Lydia Diamond, Abhishek Majumdar, Eduardo Machado, Charles Randolph Wright, Lisa Kron, Craig Lucas, Carl Hancock Rux, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Tanya Saracho, and Karen Zacarias. He was a script editor on several Irish films, including Young Offenders, and was executive story editor on all three seasons of the BBC/RTE TV series Young Offenders.   He is a writer on the second season of P-Valley, Katori Hall’s acclaimed TV series for Starz.  His new adaptation of Elizabeth Swados’ musical The Beautiful Lady, will be directed by Anne Bogart at La Mama Theatre in New York in May 2022. 

SOYICA COLBERT

Original Production Dramaturg

SOYICA COLBERT (Original Production Dramaturg) is the Interim Dean of Georgetown College and Idol Family Professor of African American Studies and Performing Arts. Arena Stage: A Raisin in the Sun, Two Trains Running and Celia and Fidel. Off-Broadway: The Public Theatre: Shadow/Land. Regional: STC: Associate Director-Literary and Shakespeare Theatre Company. The Amen Corner. Studio Theatre: Okinawa Demo Reel. Awards: National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, Mellon Fellowship. Personal: she/her/hers | Colbert is the author of Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry, Black Movements: Performance and Cultural Politics and The African American Theatrical Body: Reception, Performance and the Stage. She co-edited The Psychic Hold of Slavery and Race and Performance After Repetition| Teaching: Georgetown University | Training: Rutgers University: Ph.D. in English, Georgetown University: BA in English |Twitter: @DrSoyica. is the Interim Dean of Georgetown College and Idol Family Professor of African American Studies and Performing Arts.

RIW RAKKULCHON

Assistant Set Designer

RIW RAKKULCHON (Assistant Set Designer) Bio coming soon. 

SUSAN R. WHITE

Stage Manager

SUSAN R. WHITE (Stage Manager), for Martha.