bridge phl staff & alumni
GABRIELLE CORSARO
Co-Founding Director |
MERYL LYNN BROWN
Co-Founding Director |
HANNAH TSAPATORIS MACLEOD
Co-Founding Director |
RENEE LUCAS WAYNE
Co-Director |
A native of Philadelphia and an actor since childhood, Gabrielle graduated from Temple University and spent several years studying and working as an actor in New York, appearing in indie films, commercials, and at many black box theaters. It was both wonderful and frustrating on a daily basis. Parenthood brought her back home, and gradually Gabrielle began writing and directing, frequently with the woman-centric Green Light Productions. She founded AngelPirate Productions in 2005 which evolved from a desire to serve the Philadelphia community by developing and producing original performance pieces by local artists that amplify voices historically silenced. In 2015 Gabrielle co-founded The Bridge PHL with Hannah MacLeod, Meryl Lynn Brown, and Kathy Harmer to foster healing connections between our diverse communities through powerful acts of theatre. Her plays "White Woman Meditates on White Privilege", "Diversity Day", "What You Stand For", "White Script", and "Love & Light (& Other Lies)" have premiered at The Bridge PHL Theatre Festival.
angelpirate.org |
Meryl Lynn Brown is a local actor, singer, and director who has worked extensively in the tristate area. Representative roles include Ruby in "King Hedley II", Lola in "Jar the Floor", Julia Caesar in the all-female reading of "Julius Caesar", Efay in "The Stuttering Preacher", Hecuba in "The Trojan Women", Aunt Ethel, Woman, Lala, Mama, and Topsy Washington in "The Colored Museum". She has worked with other area artists on the Black Theatre Festival. Meryl's social activism was displayed in college where she worked with other students to form the Frederick Douglas Society, which later became the Black Student Union. Her training includes Walnut Street Theatre's How to Design Your Own Solo Show, Master classes with Johnnie Hobbs, Jr. and Walter Dallas, Shakespeare and Company's Wakened Intensive, and Freedom Theatre's adult training classes. While speaking with artists several years ago about the lack of work for artists of color and what could be done to facilitate our understanding of each other, to build bridges and foster healing connections. And so The Bridge PHL began. From a few pieces in 2015 to 15 pieces with over 60 artists in our 2019 festival, a community is being built.
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Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod has her BFA from the University of the Arts where she studied Musical Theatre and Theatre Arts. A member of the Philadelphia Theatre scene for 20 years, she founded Naked Feet Productions in 2004. Through her company she has produced, directed and performed over a dozen productions including "Beloved Community" for the first ever Bridge PHL Theatre Festival in 2016. In 2015 Hannah co-founded The Bridge PHL Theatre Festival with Gabrielle Corsaro, Meryl Lynn Brown, and Kathy Harmer. Sticking true to the founding concepts of Naked Feet, her work with The Bridge PHL Theatre Festival continues to deconstruct social mythologies and preconceived notions around race, justice and accountability.
nakedfeetproductions.com |
Renee Lucas Wayne has been a playwright-in-residence for numerous organizations such as The Salvation Army of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Arts in Education (PAEP), the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, and the Rainbow Connection of the Prince Music Theatre.
Seeking to create opportunities for artists of color, Renee collaborated with like-minded women to birth Black Magic Woman Productions, a collective which develops new theater works, presents contemporary theater, and re-imagines the Classics. She is proud to now bring her unique perspective to The Bridge PHL. Writing across genres, Renee's plays include romantic comedies (While The Gettin's Good, It’s a Man Thing, Best Of Everything, Will Write 4 Food), dramas (God Waits, Angels Unaware), historical dramas (Fly Girl, Ride Mary, Ride!), and plays for young audiences (Fairy Tale Court: The Case of Little Red Riding Hood vs.The Big Bad Wolf, Kisa! Kisa! Kisa!). |
LORI WALSH
Operations Director Although Lori’s background has been primarily on stage, first as a dancer with the Young Dance Company of America in her home state of Massachusetts and then later in local musical theater community groups, she prefers to provide “behind the scenes” support for her fellow artists. Lori has been The Bridge PHL festival stage manager since its inception and is often seen zipping around The Rotunda doing all the things that stage managers do. In the last two years she has been supporting the The Bridge PHL Co-Founding Directors as the Operations Director, a role that she loves because she feels passionate about the work and the people who are part of The Bridge PHL community. During the day Lori provides advocacy services for vulnerable older adults, educating others about their rights and helping nursing home residents to resolve complaints. And she still loves to dance so you might catch her doing a step or two in the shadows, when she thinks that no one is looking.
KATHY HARMER
Co-Founder Kathy is an actor, writer, director and producer from Cheltenham, PA. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Temple University and has been performing for 20 years. Along with co-producing The Bridge PHL, she performed in both the 2016 & 2017 festivals playing the role of "White Woman" in White Woman Meditating on White Privilege and Diversity Day, both written by Gabrielle Corsaro; and directed To Not Be Anything. She is proud to be working alongside such talented artists of all disciplines to continue on our mission to change the dialogue of prejudice and bias.
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TIFFANI DEAN
Artistic Advisor Tiffani Dean is an Author, Playwright, Screenwriter, Poet, Executive Director, Executive Producer, Teaching Artist, Co-Founder Family Poetry Collective, and Co-Founder The Collective Mic, LLC, The Collective Mic Productions, The Collective Mic School Of The Arts, and The Collective Mic Art Gallery & Arts Café.
CARLA H. EZELL
Artistic Advisor Carla Ezell is a performer, playwright, director, blogger and entrepreneur from Burlington County, New Jersey. She joined The Bridge PHL's team in 2017 as a performer and director and has worked behind the scenes in everything from web design to photography to social media and advertising management. Her background in Psychology, Social Sciences and nearly two decades experience in Business Administration, Christian Ministries, and Worship Arts, gives Carla a unique perspective that has helped further The Bridge PHL's mission and opens dialogues on self-love, women's empowerment, racial equality and the power of black girl magic.
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JODY AUSTIN
Artistic Advisor Jody Austin is an Author, Playwright, Screenwriter Poet, Executive Director, Executive Producer, Teaching Artist, Co-Founder Family Poetry Collective, and Co-Founder of The Collective Mic, LLC, The Collective Mic Productions, The Collective Mic School Of The Arts, and The Collective Mic Art Gallery & Arts Café.
GINA RENZI
Artistic Advisor Since 2002, Gina Renzi has been managing off-campus cultural projects for the University of Pennsylvania. She is the Executive Director of The Rotunda, an arts and culture community venue that presents 300+ events per year. In addition, she has been directing the 40th Street Artist-in-Residence Program (aka AIRSpace) since 2008, supporting artists and coordinating community outreach projects and exhibitions. Also,
Gina facilities the 40th Street Summer Series, a longstanding presenter of free outdoor summer programming for audiences of 500+. In addition to the above, she has programmed a 3-screen movie theater-turned-community-venue and various series around the city, and comes from a commercial concert-production background, having worked at venues accommodating upwards of 2,500 people. She has contributed essays to the Philadelphia City Paper and Philly Creative Guide, and has presented on community arts and culture projects at the Imagining America and Building Neighborhoods conferences, the Reshaping Rochester series, as well as at Moore College of Art and Design, Drexel University, Rutgers University, and Philadelphia City Hall, among others. Gina has lived in Philadelphia all her life and is firmly committed to preserving its unique character while contributing to its future by working directly with artists, activists, educators, and neighbors. Gina is a world traveler and enjoys learning about other cultures and volunteering for important causes, especially those that elevate communities of color, LGBTQ communities, and people living with disabilities. |
LOIS MOSES
Artistic Advisor Lois Moses is a native of Philadelphia. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, a law degree from Temple University and is a graduate of LaSalle University’s Master’s program in Clinical Psychology. Mrs. Moses is an actress, poet, filmmaker, clinician, director and playwright who has toured and performed extensively throughout the United States. She has published three collections of poetry and is also an award-winning filmmaker.
As an actress, Mrs. Moses has toured and performed extensively throughout the United States with Kuntu Repertory Theater in Pittsburgh and the National Black Author’s Tour in Philadelphia. In addition to performing an off-Broadway run of Lady of Fadima, Moses has been an Acting Instructor and Playwright/Director at Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia, PA. As a member of the acclaimed Actor’s Studio, since 1990, she has studied under actors such as Martin Landau and Shelly Winters. The World Premiere of her acclaimed Play, “Say That He Had More Than a Dream…” debuted at First World Theatre in Philadelphia, PA on September 30, 2016, and toured at the Match Theatre in Houston August 2017, directed by Zuhairah McGill. Lois will be releasing her 4th book titled, “Freedom Not Them Give” summer 2020. loismoses.com moseslineproductions.com DANNI MORINICH
Artistic Advisor |
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ALUMNI
Artists who have worked with The Bridge PHL!
Kamillah Abdul, Ada Adhiyatma, Pratima Agrawal, Celeste Thompson Allen, Kristina Allison, Lisa Amos, Greg Austin, Jody Austin, Johanna Austin, Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, Ciani Barclay, Maria Genao Beltre, Chaka Benson, Kish Bolton, Shelli Pentimall Bookler, Alyssa Bowser, Rich Bradford, Shaenna Bradley, Shanice Brooks, Carter Brown, Kim Brown, Kira Brown, Meryl Lynn Brown, Maryann Bucci, Desirae Bush, Sterling Calhoun, Paula J. Caplan, James JC Carmichael, Susan Chase, Mae Claire, Briyana D. Clarel, Niya Colbert, Bernard Collins, RaQuel Sasha Colon, Gabrielle Corsaro, Emily Dale, Lenny Daniels, Alexandria Davis, Naveah Davis-Corbett, Alice Davis, Tiffani Dean, Mark Dixon, Robert Dobbs Sr., Robert L. Dobbs III, Robert Dobson, John Doyle, Christine Emmert, Richard Emmert, Kim England, Angel Ezell, Carla Ezell, Edgar Lee Faucett, Monica Fleurette, Tanesha M. Ford, Albert Fung, Beverly Gunn, Katrina Hall, Leslie D Hamilton, Kathy Harmer, Rhashea Lynn Harmon, Janelle T. Harvey, Charlese D. Hawkins, TS Hawkins, Tracey Hawthorne, Marcia Hinton, Tasha Holmes, Valeka J. Holt, Jim Holton, Ramona Hunter, Michael Jackson, Trish Jane, Cherie Jazmyn, Terrill Kevyn Johnson, Adrian N. Jones, Marc Jones, Francisco Joseph, Jennifer Jubilee, KAYPRI, G. Kadigan, Roshi Kasturi, Mark B. Knight, Kerry Kochanski, Autumn Konopka, Megan Krause, Jennifer Levitt, Lena Lewis, Aquilah Lews, Craig Liggeons, Amanda Kay Livezey, Rasean Lopez, Jai T. Lynne, Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod, Peter MacLeod, Stephen Mancini, Kyson Martin, Chik Mason, Mary May, Dionne McCray, JodyAnn McIntosh, Mellitta McKethan, Lia Menaker, Courtney Mitchell, Daniella Vinitski Mooney, Hafiza Moore, Gregg Moorw, Danni Morinich, Lois Moses, Jen Newby, Marj O'Neill-Butler, Nichole M. Palmer, Alex Dilks Pandola, Francesca Pazniokas, Marcia Pemberton, Chevon Phifer, Elijah Pringle, Cynda Purnell, Gina Renzi, Koren Rife, Bruce Robinson, Monique A. Robinson, Qudsiyya Ross, Jerry Rudasill, Daarinah Tonya Pinkins, Saafir, Kelci Schlierf, Darryl Shanks, Sabriaya Shipley, Katrina Shobe, Joshuah Simpson, Loni Skelley, Karen Smith, Taiwo Sokan, Jonathan Steadman, Ahshylonda Stephenson, Indiya Stephenson, Dylan Taylor, Ian Thomas, Shelli Thomas, Darryl Thompson Jr., Jarrett Thompson, Celeste Thompson-Allen, Kalif Troy, Stephen Tsapatoris, Marie Turco, Bri'Yanna Vaighn, Spencer Ventresca, Betsy Vivar, Lori Walsh, Adam Watson, Olivia Wayne, Renee Lucas Wayne, Quashawn White, James Whitfield, Anthony Williams, Candy Williams-Hagamin, Alisha Willis, Ra Wilson, Amir Worrell
2017 Festival Team
Our Festival home is The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA. This beautiful space was originally built in 1911 as a house of worship for The First Church of Christ Scientists. In 1996, The University of Pennsylvania purchased the building converted it into a spaced used primarily by The Foundation Community Arts Initiative. For more information on how this location has grown and been developed over the years, or to plan your next event at The Rotunda, please visit their website.