Artist Biographies 2007 - 2008 Music Drew Boles Born in Springfield, Missouri, Drew Boles began classical piano study at the age of seven. Soon after moving to Tampa, Florida in 1993, Drew took up the acoustic guitar and began composing. He spent the following six years as a singer/songwriter/folksinger in pursuit of a recording and touring career; this pursuit culminated with his first album, Freak O' Nature, which he co-produced and later released on his own record label, Scheisspie Records. From 1998 - 2002, Drew attended Emory University in Atlanta, GA. There, he helped create the honors program in composition, and was the first student to graduate with Honors (summa cum laude) in Music Composition. At Emory, Drew studied theory, composition, electronic music, orchestration, conducting and counterpoint. He also performed with the Emory University Chorus, Emory Concert Choir and the Emory Javanese Gamelan Ensemble. Other performance credits include a piano master class with Ursula Oppens as well as a number of solo folk appearances at Dooley's Den (where he opened for Atlanta favorite Michelle Malone), Eddie's Attic, both Atlanta and Tampa Gay Pride Festivals, and the Tampa Gay & Lesbian Film Fest. From 2003 - 2005, Drew attended the University of California, San Diego, where he completed his master's degree in music composition. There, he studied composition, electronic music, musical theatre, and critical theory (primarily post-colonial and gender studies). He also taught a variety of classes at the undergraduate level, and worked as an ArtsBridge scholar, teaching music in several public schools throughout the San Diego area where the arts have been sufficiently, if not entirely, stripped. As a member of Teknika Radica, Drew helped organize the Powering Up, Powering Down festival at UCSD in January 2004. Later that year, he formed the Meehoos, a pop-folk-electronic fusion band, with fellow students Lauren Wooley, Kariann Goldschmitt, and Andre Elias, and went on tour with them in the summer of 2004. The Meehoos have since disbanded, and Drew has begun working with Lauren as the Mercurial Gay Beings. Drew currently lives in San Francisco where he teaches music, composes, and performs. He has recently completed the score for a film entitled Dear Beverly, a collaboration with longtime friend and filmmaker Melanie Mascioli. Current projects include the Mercurial Gay Beings' BaMeThi, a large-scale musical/performative/theatrical work slated for a summer 2006 premiere, and a new songwriting/recording project centered around a crunchy upright piano. This is Mr. Boles' second year with SFArtsEd. Jason Brown (Tata Salah Konko) Mr. Brown received his Master of Arts in English from the University of Vermont. He studied abroad at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, East Africa. Mr. Brown is a guest accompanist for West African Dance classes at ODC/SF, City Dance and the Malonga Casquerland Performing Arts Center. He was the Musical Director of Ayoluwa African Dance Company and he has accompanied Modern and traditional West African dance classes at Spelman College and well as various African Dance Companies in Buffalo, New York. He has worked with the Jeh Kelu African Dance Company and been a Rhythm Artist with the Living Word Project. Some of the local agencies that Mr. Brown has worked with are: the City and County of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency, San Francisco Unified School District, Lighthouse of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Bayview Hunter’s Point YMCA, Street Beats, Coalition on Homelessness and San Francisco Network Ministries. Mr. Brown has also taught Elementary School in Buffalo, New York. This is his first year with SFArtsEd. Rhonda Crane Ms. Crane is a performer with Street Sounds, a vocal ensemble a capella quintet committed to performing traditional, contemporary and original songs that embody the influence of Africa on world music. As a member of Street Sounds, she has traveled to Europe and Asia and recorded with the group as well as other artists. Ms. Crane is the Adult Choir Director for the Greater True Light Baptist Church and teaches the Good News Gospel Chorus. She is a singer and national conference instructor for the Edwin & Walter Hawkins Music and Arts Conference. This is Ms. Crane's third year with SFArtsEd. Marcus Dyson Mr. Dyson has been teaching choruses since the age of twelve. He is the Minister of Music at Calvary Hill Community Church in San Francisco. Mr. Dyson has also served as Minister of Music at Monument of Love Fellowship in San Diego making musical appearances on BET, TBN with top recording artists including Andrae Crouch, Shirley Caesar, Dr. Bobby Jones, Destiny's Child and Kelly Price. As Minister of Music, Mr. Dyson started the first youth choir for True Hope COGIC in San Francisco. Additional experience includes teaching Chorus class at Eugene McAteer High School. This is Mr. Dyson's third year with SFArtsEd. Alfie Macias Alfie has worked as a traditional percussionist in the Bay Area for over 10 years. Alfie began working as an understudy to Master Ghanaian Drummer, S. Kwaku Daddy. Together they taught and performed for children throughout the Bay Area with Life's Rhythms, a West African percussion group. Alfie served as teacher's aide to Afro-Caribbean Master, Zeke Nealy, playing for Blanche Brown and Halifu Osumare's dance workshops. Alfie performs with the acclaimed folkloric company Aguas da Bahia under the direction of Master Condomble Percussionist Gamo da Paz and Tania Santiago of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Alfie has participated in several Bay Area performance groups, including the Mara-Reggae, Fogo Na Ropa and As Pernas Com Alma Brazilian dance companies. Alfie is also an ensemble member and instructor for the San Francisco Carnaval champions Loco Bloco. Alfie works as a Percussion, Music Exploration and Dance teacher for the San Francisco Arts Education Project in such schools as L.R. Flynn, Glen Park and McKinley. Alfie is also the Musical Director and Lead Instructor of the Windsor Bloco Afro-Brazilian drumming bateria for youth of all ages. Alfie has spent 6 years working with at-risk youth in San Francisco's Mission district through L.E.A.P., Saint John's Educational Threshold and Loco Bloco. In 2003 he began directing the Pocos Locos group, including participants from K-5th grade. In 2004 Alfie created Fuel, a salsa rueda performance group, dedicated to promoting youth awareness of Latin dance influences in the Mission district. Alfie teaches rhythm, music and dance concepts through contemporary and traditional musics of the world. Alfie develops his students' creativity and social awareness. His work provides an opportunity for youth to perform for the local community and study abroad. This is Alfie's sixth year with SFArtsEd. Mozel Zeke Nealy Mr. Nealy received his Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies and American History from San Francisco State University. His performances include the Ethnic Dance Festival, Oakland Youth Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens for Robert Henry Johnson, Pecong for ACT, Tales of the City for PBS, Kimball's East with Dizzy Gillespie, Radio Drama Workshop directed by Francis Ford Coppola and Life on the Water Theater. He has been a Staff Accompanist and Drummer for dance classes at Mills College, Marin Ballet, Skyline College, Pacifica, San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Ballet. He has taught Drum Workshops for Mills College, City College of San Francisco, California Arts Council Children's and Adult Music Workshops, San Francisco State University and the Herald Project. He has been the Music Director for Group Petit LeCroix and Grupo Africania. Currently, Mr. Nealy is the director of the Haitian Dance & Drum Retreat and Congo Solo and Percussion Festival, two major annual events dedicated to the study, exploration and performance of African derived music and culture. Mr. Nealy has been a long time artist-in-residence in San Francisco public schools and has taught for San Francisco Parks and Recreation. This is Mr. Nealy's tenth year with SFArtsEd. Keta Bill Selvin Ms. Selvin received her B.A. in Theater and Music from Western Illinois University. A powerhouse performer in the Bay Area for over twenty-five years, she is a five-time Bammie nominee for Best Female Vocalist. She has performed with a variety of local pop groups including Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra, Big Bang Beat, MVP with Keta Bill and Keta Bill Trio. Ms. Selvin has sung on the movie soundtracks for Beverly Hills Cop II, Ferngully III and Rent. She has performed background vocals for performers such as Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller, Van Morrison, Bonnie Hayes, The Grateful Dead, Roy Rogers, Kenny G and Eddie Money. Keta is the voice of Rice-a-Roni, the national ad everyone remembers. Other work includes ads for Toyota, Taco Bell, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Nintendo. Ms. Selvin has performed several runs as "The Chanteuse" in the long-running local favorite Theatro Zinzanni. She has been a music instructor for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department for the past 13 years. This is Ms. Selvin's seventh year teaching with SFArtsEd. Visual Arts Aileen Barr Ms. Barr is a native of Ireland and a graduate of the National College of Arts and Design in Dublin. Prior to coming to the United States, she worked on various public arts projects in Ireland and Europe. Locally, Ms. Barr is well known for her work as co-creator of the mosaic design for the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project. The design featured a sea-to-sky scene consisting of more than 300 handmade tiles of flowers, leaves, stars, birds, fish and other animals, embedded in a background of colorful broken glass and ceramic tiles. With funding for completion provided by a grant from San Francisco's Neighborhood Beautification Fund the steps were unveiled to great acclaim in September 2005. Other local public works by Ms. Barr include Life Cycle of the Salmon in 1996. This is Ms. Barr's fifth year with SFArtsEd. Ray Beldner Born in San Francisco, Beldner received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Mills College in Oakland, California. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally and his work can be found in many public and private collections including the Federal Reserve Board, Washington D.C., the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Jose Museum of Art. Beldner is a 1996 recipient of a California Arts Council Fellowship in New Genres, a 1997 recipient of a Creative Work Fund Grant from the Haas Foundations, and a 1999 recipient of a Potrero Nuevo environmental art grant. He has taught sculpture and interdisciplinary studies at the San Francisco Art Institute and the California College of the Arts, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, CA. His work has been reviewed in publications including Arte, Art on Paper, Wired, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Village Voice, International Herald Tribune, and The New York Times. Most recently, his work has been seen in Living With Duchamp, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, Argent et Valeur, Le Dernier Tabou, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Biel-Bienne, Switzerland, and in the traveling exhibition, Illegal Art: Freedom of Expression in the Corporate Age. He recently had a solo exhibition of his money-related artwork at Caren Golden Fine Art in New York. Mr. Beldner has been associated with SFArtsEd since 1998. Jessalyn Haggenjos Barr Ms. Haggenjos Barr received her Master of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited in major US cities that include New York, Boston, Richmond, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle. Locally Ms. Haggenjos Barr’s art has been seen at Root Division, The Autonomous Museum, Swarm Gallery, Crucible Steel Gallery, Café Royale, and the Oakland Art Gallery. She has also been shown in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ms. Haggenjos Barr has been a Teaching Assistant at California College of the Arts and taught Painting and Drawing for SFArtsEd’s Summer Camp. This is Ms. Haggenjos Barr’s first year with SFArtsEd. Deborah Hoch Ms. Hoch received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. She has exhibited her work throughout California in venues that include the Bucheon Gallery, Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rental Gallery, de Saisset Museum and the International Airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Ms. Hoch has been teaching clay classes in San Francisco for adults and children since 1995. She has served on the faculty of the EBA/Soma Studio School, taught ceramics at The Crucible in Oakland and worked for Terra Mia Studios Art Exploration Summer Day Camp. This is her second year with SFArtsEd. Erik Parra Mr. Parra received his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work has been exhibited throughout America in states that include New York, Nebraska, Indiana, North Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, Minnesota and Texas. His work has also been shown at the Museu se Arte de Brasilia. Locally, Mr. Parra’s work was most recently seen at Southern Exposure Gallery. He has lectured at The University of Wisconsin, the Western University in Bellingham, Washington and Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska. He has been a studio art teacher at the El Paso Museum of Art and has been a Teaching Artist for children at: Dream Yard in the Bronx, New York; Architots in Middle Village, New York; the Monroe Street Fine Arts Center in Madison, Wisconsin; Children’s Art Center and Kid’s Art in San Francisco. This is Mr. Parra’s first year with SFArtsEd. Aliza Rand Ms. Rand received her BA from the UCLA School of Art and Architecture. Her work has been seen locally at the Artist’s Gallery at Fort Mason, Pen and Needles, Zines and Art Gallery, Aldea Boutique, Therapy Boutique, Oxenrose Salon and Gallery, Tartine Cafe and Bakery and the SF Arts Commission Gallery. Her work has also been shown in Southern California. Ms. Rand has taught through ArtsBridge in Los Angeles and was a Museum Educator at The UCLA Armand Hammer Museum. Ms. Rand has also been a Museum Educator at the Ansel Adams Friends of Photography Gallery and has worked for The Jewish Museum. This is her first year with SFArtsEd. Wendy Robushi Wendy Robushi's oil and wax paintings are alive with color, texture and symbolism. They combine paint, pastels and wax with words and rich underscorings and have been exhibited throughout California, Connecticut, and Montana. Her work is in public collections in Prague, Czech Republic and Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven as well as many private collections, including that of novelist Danielle Steel. Also a prolific muralist and dedicated art educator, Robushi was active in securing funding for the execution of numerous murals designed and painted by artists and students in San Francisco's Bayview Hunter's Point. Her mural work is catalogued in "San Francisco Murals: Community Creates its Muse," published in 1994. Wendy Robushi received her MFA from the University of California at Berkeley. She works out of her studio at Hunter's Point Shipyard, an artists' colony where she has been based since 1989, and she is represented by the Steel Gallery of San Francisco. This is her seventh year with SFArtsEd. Rucha Shirsalkar Ms. Shirsalkar received her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Pennsylvania State University. She also studied with Studio Escalier at Argenton-Chateau, France. She has taught arts and crafts internationally; most notably in Dubai at the Dubai International Art Centre and in India for Aina Arts. Ms. Shirsalkar has worked as an Assistant to the local artist Agelio Batle. She has also worked for Design Concepts, an architectural firm in Dubai and The Palmer Museum of Art in Pennsylvania. Ms. Shirsalkar is the recipient of a Gold Key Award for Excellence in Visual Arts from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of 2001. This is Ms. Shirsalkar’s second year with SFArtsEd. Dance Brianna Anthony Ms. Anthony received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a Minor in Psychology from the California State University at Long Beach. She currently studies dance at ODC School with Bliss Kohlmyer and Augusta Moore. She has performed for David Herrera Performance Group and Jesse Beck. Theater experience at the Performing Arts Guild includes work in “The Prince and the Pauper”, “Twelfth Night” and “Death is my Darling.” Ms. Anthony teaches Ballet at Spindrift School of the Performing Arts. She has also taught at Expressions School of Dance. Clint Calimlim Mr. Calimlim is trained in Hip Hop, Jazz and Ballet. He has performed with various Bay Area Hip Hop Dance Companies that include Culture Shock, Funkanometry SF, Khaotic, Mind Over Matter and Xplicit. He has choreographed and performed with recording artists Deborah Cox, Jocelyn Enriquez, Ryan Duarte and Angelina. Mr. Calimlim served on the judging panel for the Bay Area Dance Quake and was a member of the audition panel for the 2007 San Francisco Hip Hop Dancefest. He is the Hip Hop Program Director at Spark of Creation Studio and he teaches at Dance Mission in San Francisco. Mr. Calimlim has also taught at the Metronome Dance Center and been a Hip Hop instructor for the San Francisco Ballet’s Outreach Program. He has also served as the Head and Artistic Director of the Hip Hop Department at Westlake School for the Performing Arts. This is Mr. Calimlim’s first year with SFArtsEd. Julia Graham Ms. Graham received her Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College. She has performed locally in solo and ensemble works with emerging Asian American artists at Intersection for the Arts and at CounterPulse. She has choreographed work in Kuala Lampur, Malasia and work that has been performed at the Bessie Schoenberg Dance Theater in New York. She has been an Assistant Teacher at the School for Performing Arts at P.S. 315 and the Frank Sinatra High School in New York. She has also taught at the Kipp Academy in New York. Currently, Ms. Graham teaches Hatha Yoga in San Mateo. This is Ms. Graham’s first year with SFArtsEd. Brianna Anthony Ms. Anthony received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a Minor in Psychology from the California State University at Long Beach. She currently studies dance at ODC School with Bliss Kohlmyer and Augusta Moore. She has performed for David Herrera Performance Group and Jesse Beck. Theater experience at the Performing Arts Guild includes work in “The Prince and the Pauper”, “Twelfth Night” and “Death is my Darling.” Ms. Anthony teaches Ballet at Spindrift School of the Performing Arts. She has also taught at Expressions School of Dance. Natalie Greene Natalie Greene works in modern and jazz dance, musical and physical theatre. She enjoys sharing her love of the arts with students and audiences alike. Natalie has performed with Mary Armentrout, Kim Epifano, Kelly Kemp and Leyya Tawil. Her choreography has appeared in Italy's Montescudaio Amphitheatre, Club Principe in Granada, Spain, and for three funny years in Phoenix's weekly "Farce Side Comedy Hour." Her work has appeared locally at ODC Theater, John Sims Center, the Eureka Theater and Counterpulse. Natalie currently teaches with SFArtsED, ODC Children's School, School of the Arts High School and the University of San Francisco. She studied at Jacob's Pillow and holds a BFA from Arizona State University. Natalie also loves traveling and making music with her family. This is her fourth year with SFArtsEd. Metzi Henriquez Ms. Henriquez is a Masters Degree Candidate in Psychology at New College of California. She received her B.A. in Sociology from San Francisco State University. Ms. Henriquez performs with Fogo Na Roupa. She has also performed with Jacinta Vlach and Dancers. Ms. Henriquez is trained in Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Contemporaneo, Modern Jazz Blues, Ballet and Jazz Dance forms. She has also studied Pilates and Dance Kinesiology. She teaches for Fogo Na Roupa Grupo and Steppin’ Out Dance Studio. Ms. Henriquez has also taught at the Melrose Leadership Academy, the St. James School and ArtRise. She was Dance Director for Kidstock Inc. Theater for six years. This is Ms. Henriquez’s first year with SFArtsEd. Karen Ivy Ms. Ivy received her MFA in Dance from Ohio State University. She has performed in San Francisco with Janice Garrett, Deborah Slater and Rebecca Salzer. She performed full-time in San Diego with Malashock Dance. She has also choreographed and performed for TRIP Dance Theatre in Los Angeles. Her choreography has been presented in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Columbus and New York. She has taught Modern Dance, Jazz Dance and Ballet at Ohio State University and lectured on Dance and Theatre History. She has served as Lead Dance Teacher of North Carolina’s Governor’s School East summer program. In San Diego she taught Emotion-in-Motion, a component of San Diego’s School’s Balboa Park program dedicated to arts enrichment. This is Ms. Ivy’s first year with SFArtsEd. M. Koob Mr. Koob trained in Wigman technique under Hellmut Gottschild at Temple University in Philadelphia. He has toured the Eastern United States and Europe with ZeroMoving Dance Company and has choreographed and performed with Six Thumbs Dance Theater in San Francisco. He is currently the Artistic Director of TRANSIT. He teaches extensively throughout the Bay Area and serves on the faculty of ODC/SF. In 2002 the Mayor's Department of Children, Youth and Their Families honored him as a "Teacher of the Year" during the Celebration of the Young Child Week. This is his seventeenth year with SFArtsEd. Laura Marsh Laura Marsh hails from Memphis, Tennessee, where she received a B.F.A. in Dance and Theatre from University Of Memphis in 1992. After graduating, she performed and choreographed with Project:Motion, later moving on to become co-artistic director of the company. In 1997 she was awarded first prize in Tennessee Association Of Dance's annual choreography competition. She has taught creative dance, modern, and ballet to students from age 3 through adult. Since her arrival in the Bay Area in 1998 she has performed with Megan Nicely and Company, Right Brain Performance Lab, Nina Galin Music and Dance, and Steamroller. She has taught dance at Synergy School, ODC, Rhythm and Motion, and Beresford Recreation Center in San Mateo. Currently Laura teaches children's dance classes at Brisbane Dance Workshop, ODC, San Mateo Parks and Rec. and Burlingame Parks and Rec. This is her third year teaching with SFArtsEd. Melanie Mitchell Ms. Mitchell received her BFA in Dance and Choreography from Arizona State University. While at Arizona State University she studied with Elina Mooney and Cliff Keuter. She has been a member of Desert Dance Theater Company and also presented her choreography for Lansing Chamber Dance and Sterling Dance Company. She has performed at venues that include the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and Chandler Center for the Arts in Arizona. Ms. Mitchell has been a substitute teacher at Casa Grande High School in Arizona and a Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University and Okemos Radmoor Montessori School. Ms. Mitchell teaches for The San Francisco Ballet's outreach program. This is Ms. Mitchell's third year with SFArtsEd. Travis Rowland Mr. Rowland received his B.A. in Drama and Dance from San Francisco State University. He performs as a Company Member with Paco Gomes & Dancers, Deborah Slater Dance Theater and TalisMANIC Physical Theatre. He has also performed as a guest artist for Anne Bluethental & Dancers, Printz Dance Project, Muso Collective and Serene Dance Collective. Mr. Rowland has also performed with the Berkeley Musical Theater Company. He has been a Hip Hop & Theatre Instructor at the Volee Calssical Ballet School has also taught at Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance, El Granada Elementary School, Monterey Youth Center, Stars Dance Studio, and Eugene Fields Elementary School. Mr. Rowland has led Master Classes in Brazil. This is Mr. Rowland’s first year with SFArtsEd. Rebecca Weisser Rebecca Weisser brings her love of dance in all its forms to children of all ages throughout San Francisco. She has been teaching dance to children and adults for the past 10 years. She currently dances with Mixtiso, a Latin Hip Hop group that mixes Salsa, Cumbia, Samba and other Latin dance forms with Hip Hop. She was trained at Luna Kids' Summer Dance Institute to teach the elements of Dance (Time, Space, Force, etc.) through creative movement. She fuses individual exploration with community building dances. Her classes include everything from Hip Hop to Hula to Bhangra to Square Dance. Children are encouraged to create their own movement and work together to perform fun and challenging choreography. This is Ms. Weisser's third year with SFArtsEd. Deedra Wong Ms. Wong is a dancer, singer and actress. She has performed in the Bay Area for Janlyn Dance Company and in productions for Broadway by the Bay. Ms. Wong has choreographed numerous Musical Theater productions for Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. She has also choreographed for Wingspread Theatre Company, South San Francisco High School, Wilcox High School and Burlingame High School. Ms. Wong has taught dance at Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance, Volee School of Ballet, The Ballet Studio and San Mateo High School. This is Ms. Wong’s first year with SFArtsEd. Dramatic Arts Sarah Axelrod Ms. Axelrod received her MFA in Theatrical Writing/Production from Florida State University. She also studied Theater at the London Study Center as well as Boston University. She has participated in theater productions at venues that include: Florida Stage, Caldwell Theatre, Burt Reynolds Theatre Company, Essey Theatre, Lake Worth Playhouse and the Stonzec Studio Theatre. Ms. Axelrod participated in the making of over 30 films at Florida State University Film School. Ms. Axelrod has served apprenticeships under the playwrights Mark Medoff, Adam Bock, John Walch and Sheila Callaghan. She has taught theater at the Kaplan Community Center in Florida and at Camp Walt Whitman in New Hampshire. Ms. Axelrod also teaches children in an after-school program in San Bruno. This is Ms. Axelrod’s first year with SFArtsEd. Mandana Khoshnevisan Ms. Khoshnevisan received her MA in English from Stanford University. She performs with Un-Scripted Theater Company in San Francisco. She is also performs and teaches for BATS Improv Young Audiences. Ms. Khoshnevisan has also taught at Louise Van Meter Elementary School, Menlo School, Walter Hays Elementary, Diane Kwan Music Studio, Children’s Musical Theater San Jose and Jewish Community Center Summer Camp, Palo Alto. She has served as a publicity coordinator for the Drama Department at Stanford University and been a substitute teacher at the Stanford Arboretum Children’s Center. This is Ms. Khoshnevisan’s first year with SFArtsEd. Noah Martin Mr. Martin received his Bachelor of Arts in Education from Western Washington University. He is an Improvisation intern with Un-Scripted Theater in San Francisco. He has also performed with Jerk Alert and Wing-It Productions in Seattle, Washington and was the Artistic/Education Director of Dead Parrots Society Improvisation at Western Washington University. He teaches for Cal Shakes, Marsh Youth Theater, Performing Arts Workshop and Glitter and Razz Productions in San Francisco. Mr. Martin has also taught in Washington state as well as the United Kingdom. This is Mr. Martin’s first year with SFArtsEd. Joey Price As well as working for SFArtsEd as a drama teacher and assistant director for the SFARtsEd Players production of The Music Man, Joey Price is also involved in other artistic projects throughout the city. During his time at San Francisco State University, Joey created Emo! The Musical, presented by the SFSU Players’ Club in 2006 and directed Urinetown, the Musical in 2007, also presented by the Players’ Club. He is an intern for Boxcar Theatre Company and the co-founder of the up and coming BEARDS BREADS BREADS: A Theatre Company, which will be presenting Emo! The Musical again this August. Joey is also a founding member of Venture Tek, San Francisco’s newest, alternative sketch comedy group. Joey graduated with high honors from San Francisco State University in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama. This is his first year with SFArtsEd. David Rosenthal Actor, teacher, voiceover artist, director and private coach, David received his BA in Theatre, Anthropology, and English Lit. from Sarah Lawrence College. He also studied acting in NYC at Herbert Bergoff Studios and in San Francisco with Richard Seyd. Cast in over 60 national commercials, television and film roles, David has also voiced hundreds of characters for video games by Sony, EA, Xbox, Sega, and Nintendo. Directorial and coaching credits include Kids on Camera, Kittredge School, Mercy High, Freeman School, SFUSD, Young Performers Theatre, and Lilliput Players Children's Theatre. He has 20 years of teaching experience, and works with all ages, from pre-school to seniors. Mr. Rosenthal has taught for SFArtsEd's ARTSummer Camp for many years. This is his second year as an Artist-in-Residence with SFArtsEd. Trish Tillman Trish Tillman is an actor, improviser, and teacher. She has taught acting technique, improvisation, and storytelling in New York and California for 15 years. She has written, produced and acted in two one-woman shows, founded two improv troupes and has performed leading roles in the Bay Area in The Cherry Orchard, Antigone, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, All in the Timing, What The Butler Saw, and is currently working on a Pod-cast story project. Trish holds a BS in Performance Studies from Northwestern University and an MA in Acting from Antioch University/New Actors Workshop. This is her sixth year with SFArtsEd. Circus Arts Tavis Beem Mr. Beem received his Bachelors in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He trained with the Advanced Clown Conservatory. Mr. Beem has been a circus performer since 1995. His performance credits include Circus Chimera and Pickle Circus High Water Radio. He also performed for seven years as part of the Juggling Comedy Duo, The Juggling Beem Brothers. Mr. Beem has taught circus skills at Splash Circus and Head Over Heels Gymnastics as well as the San Francisco Circus Center. This is his first year with SFArtsEd. SF ArtsEd Players Staff Biographies Emily Keeler - Producer/Artistic Director/Choreographer Ms. Keeler has worked as a professional dancer and choreographer in the San Francisco Bay Area for over thirty years. She served as dancer and resident choreographer for the San Francisco Moving Company and was a principal dancer for Cliff Keuter New Dance Company and the Joe Goode Performance Group. Ms. Keeler has choreographed dances for many companies including Joffrey Dancers, DanceArt and Oakland Ballet. She also has choreographed for George Coates Performance Works, Magic Theater, The Pickle Family Circus, Make*A*Circus, American Conservatory Theater and several Z Space productions. She is a recipient of four National Endowment for the Arts Choreographers' Fellowships. Ms. Keeler has been Artistic Director of the San Francisco Arts Education Project since 1985 and serves as Artistic Director and choreographer for the Event Players. She has worked as a guest artist at School of the Arts for five years and served on the San Francisco Arts Commission from 1994 to 1997. Camille Olivier-Salmon Program Liaison/Choreographer Ms. Olivier-Salmon is the founder and acting Artistic Director of Brisbane Dance Workshop. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Choreographic Design and was an American Dance Festival and National Dance Guild scholarship recipient. She has studied and performed professionally in New York City, Louisiana, and in the San Francisco Bay Area. A mother of three, she has been teaching children's dance for over fifteen years. She has been working with Artsed since 1985. Ms. Olivier-Salmon is one of the choreographers for the EVENT Players. Danny Duncan - Theatrical Director/Dramaturge Danny Duncan is a native San Franciscan who has worked in the Bay Area most of his life. As founder and Artistic Director of Duncan & Company, he toured the West Coast for seven years. Duncan's writing career began in 1969 with Uhuruh, which appeared Off Broadway in New York at the City Center Theatre. Since then, he has authored and produced eight original musicals including Billieís Song -- winner of six Bay Area Critic Awards, including Best Musical of 1982. He is also the recipient of the Bay Area Critics Circle Award for his choreography for Theatreworks production of RAISIN the musical in 1998 as well as the Dean Goodman Choice Award for outstanding achievement in theatre. For five years Duncan served as Artistic Director for the Mayor's Summer Youth Program (Bayview Hunter's Point) and for ten years with United Projects, an arts organization that trained young people in the performing arts. Duncan has written the librettos and song lyrics for eight of the San Francisco Arts Education Project's Events. Mr. Duncan has a long association with the School of the Arts and has taught at the American Conservatory Theater. He has been associated with Artsed since 1991. Barry Koron - Musical and Vocal Director Barry Koron has served as the Conductor/Music Director for A Man of No Importance at the New Conservatory Theater, Assassins and On the Town for the American Musical Theatre of San Jose and Ken Hillís The Phantom of the Opera for Theatre on the Square. Work for the Shorenstein Nederlander Hays organization includes rehearsal pianist or auditions pianist for Rent, Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast as well as synthesizer for Les Miserables, Ms. Saigon, The King and I, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Titanic, La Cage aux Folles, Blood Brothers, Grease, State Fair and many others. Mr. Koron can be heard on the Film Soundtracks for Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Jurassic Park III. Mr. Koron has also worked for the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, the Silicon Valley Symphony, Oakland East-Bay Symphony and Santa Rosa Symphony. Mr. Koron has been part of the creation process for the original shows Irving Berlin in Revue, An Evening at Widow Begbickís and A Marvelous Party. Mr. Koron has been associated with Artsed since 2003. Tom Shaw - Vocal Coach and Accompanist Tom Shaw has been a busy accompanist and event and theatre pianist in San Francisco since 1978 and he joined SFArtsEd as vocal coach and accompanist in the summer of 2007. Among his credits are "The Very Worst of Varla Jean Merman," "When Pigs Fly," "Christmas With The Crawfords," "Oh, My Godmother!" and "The Man Who Saved Christmas." Next up, a new production of "Oh, My Godmother!" that will play for 10 weeks at the Zeum Theatre in San Francisco starting in June, 2008. Tom also appears regularly at various monthly events on Sunday nights at Martuni's in San Francisco, including: Bijou, Opera Lady, Katya Presents and Cookie After Dark. Nicola Bosco-Alvarez - Choreographer Ms. Boscoís training includes intensive study of Classical Ballet at Scuola di Danza in Florence, Italy. She holds an Associate Credential from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance in the Ballet Method of Maestro Enrico Cecchetti. She has performed with Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Palesch Pacific Ballet and Redwood Empire Ballet. Ms. Bosco has been a guest artist and choreographer for Skyline Community College and Ballet Conservatory of Sonoma. She has performed under the direction of Carlos Carvajal, Gina Ness and Deborah Palesch. Recent work includes numerous performances and choreography for the Coastal Repertory Theatre. Ms. Bosco has taught for Brisbane Dance Workshop and Artsedís ARTSummer Camp. She is the on-site Program Coordinator of the Glen Park After School Program. This is her fifth year with Artsed. Natalie Greene - Choreographer Natalie Greene is a performer, choreographer and arts educator who received her BFA from Arizona State University. Her choreography has appeared in Italyís Montescudaio Amphitheatre, Club Principe in Granada, Spain, and for three funny years in Phoenixís weekly ìFarce Side Comedy Hour. î Natalieís work has been seen locally at ODC Theatre, John Sims Center and the College of San Mateo. She has performed with Kelly Kemp/raw footage, Leyya Tawil/Dance Elixir, Kim Epifano/Epiphany Productions and is currently working with Mary Armentrout. This is her third season with the Event Players and she has truly enjoyed bringing this story to life. Dan Kryston - Set Designer Is the head of the Technical Theatre Dept. at SOTA. Mr. Kryston received his degrees in Theatre Directing and Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and Regis University. He has worked as artistic director for the Berlitz Gallery Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona and has been an active force in San Franciscoís cabaret scene. He has directed and designed over 120 productions nation wide for such companies as the Ravens Conservatory Theatre in Chicago; The Black Friars, in Washington D.C. and the New Conservatory Theatre and Lamplighters, here in San Francisco. He is currently directing Follies for School of the Arts. Bronwen Bloem - Costume Designer & Builder Ms. Bloem received her Undergraduate degree in art history with a minor in costume design from Mills College. Ms. Bloemís costuming experience includes work for the Berkeley Repertory Theater, Beach Blanket Babylon, Theatre on the Square, CmC Designs and Aurora Theatre Company. Ms. Bloem is the special events coordinator for the San Francisco Art Institute. This is Ms. Bloemís third year with Artsed. Kathleen Moore - Wardrobe Mistress Ms. Moore has been designing and coordinating costumes for the San Francisco Arts Education Project since 1994. She was Wardrobe Mistress for three years for Lenwood Sloanís Jubilee Minstrels. She has also done costuming for Oblong Rhonda Dance Theater, TRANSIT Dance Company, Brisbane Dance Workshop and Emily Keeler for Summerfest. During the daytime hours, Ms. Moore is the Administrative Coordinator for the San Francisco Arts Education Project. She also performs with TRANSIT Dance Company and teaches creative movement and dance to senior citizens in the Tenderloin community.