University Co-op Presents Cohen New Works Festival 2009 Guest Artist Roster and Events

Guest Artist Focus Groups

• Monday, March 30 2:30–4:00pm 2.112
  The Business of Show Business
  Panel discussion with David Conte, Ed Raymond and Bruce Ostler, moderated by Denise Martel
• Tuesday, March 31 11:00–12:30pm 2.136
  Dance
  Amy Greenfield and Kelly Hargraves , facilitated by David Justin
• Tuesday, March 31 4:00–5:30pm 2.112
  Intellectual Property Law
  Louis Bonham, facilitated by Rachel Durkin-Drga
• Wednesday, April 1 3:00–4:30pm 2.136
  Directing New Work
  Sarah Benson, facilitated by Katie Pearl
• Thursday, April 2 11:00–12:30pm 2.136
  New Play Development
  Wendy Goldberg, facilitated by Steven Dietz
• Saturday, April 4 12:00-1:30pm 2.112
  Capturing the Moment: Photography
  David Bjurstrom, facilitated by Susan Mickey

Guest Artists

• Sarah Benson – Director is a professional director and dramaturg. She is the artistic director at Soho Repertory Theatre in New York City, and has directed new work for some of the leading experimental venues in the country, including NY Stage and Film and La MaMa.
• Richard Berentsen – Production Designer
  is a production designer/art director based in Los Angeles. His work includes television: the Grammy Awards, Talk Soup and Saturday Night Live; film; commercials: Nike, Chrysler and Yamaha; and music videos: Bril, John McLaughin, and Michael Bublé.
• Louis Bonham – Attorney
  received his undergraduate and law degrees at UT Austin (BA (Plan II) 1983; JD 1986), and practices law with the firm of Osha Liang, L.L.P. He is a frequent speaker on intellectual property law, and has been interviewed as a commentator by major media outlets such as Bloomberg, Agency France Presse, the National Law Journal, and USA Today.
• David Bjurstrom – Photographer
  renders work in graphite pencil, and is well–known nationally for his imaginative landscapes and highly detailed renderings of cowboys, horses, and the American West.
• David M. Conte – Manager/Producer
  is a theatre manager working on Broadway and the author of the text Theatre Management. He is an experienced manager of musicals on the road, and has worked in regional theatre and touring international ballet and opera companies, ranging from the Bolshoi Ballet to the road company of Annie.
• Gary Garrison – Playwright
  is a playwright and author, as well as the executive director for creative affairs of the Dramatists Guild of America. He teaches dramatic writing at Tisch School of the Arts in New York and is the author of several critically acclaimed books on playwriting.
• Wendy C. Goldberg – Director
  is the artistic director of the prestigious National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, and an award–wining director. She has directed at leading regional theatres including Actor's Theatre of Louisville and Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.
• Marlina Gonzalez – Interdisciplinary Artist
  is the program director for Intermedia Arts, and has produced work such as film documentary, visual art, dance, spoken word, street theatre as well as politicized adaptation of existing and devised theatre.
• Amy Greenfield – Choreographer/Filmmaker
  has directed, produced, edited, and performed in more than thirty films, plus holographic moving sculpture; live multimedia and video installations. In 2007 she was honored by the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. and her work was screened in the 2004 Athens pre–Olympics celebrations.
• Kelly Hargraves – Choreographer/Filmmaker
• is a Los Angeles based dance critic and producer of dance on film. As filmmaker she creates, choreographs and directs original work as well as produces the work of other artists. Titles have included Dance for Camera: Vol 1 & 2 (2003 & 2007); Cargo (2007).
• Linda Hartzell – Director
  is the artistic director of the internationally recognized Seattle Children's Theatre. She has directed over 45 plays for SCT including 35 world premiers. Her work has also been seen in Australia and Japan.
• Sherry Kramer – Playwright
  is an award–wining playwright and master teacher. She is the head of the playwriting program at Bennington College in Vermont. Her work has been produced nationwide by major regional theatres including Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Wooly Mammoth and So Ho Rep.
• Megan Monaghan – Dramaturg/Director
  is the artistic program director of the Lark Play Center in New York City. As former literary manager of South Coast Rep and The Alliance Theatre, she has been a major force in new play development throughout the United States.
• Bruce Ostler – Literary Agent
  is a professional agent with Bret Adams Agency in New York City who represents theatre professionals (directors, designers, playwrights, actors) nationwide. Mr. Ostler has represented many of the leading established and emerging playwrights in the American theatre.
• Rubén Polendo – Director
  is the artistic director of Mitu, a theatre based in New York City. He has written and directed multiple productions performed and workshopped across the country and across the world. Mr. Polendo and his associates also teach Mitu's Training Methodology called Whole Theatre at several institutions in the United States and abroad.
• Ed Raymond– IATSE
  is the president of IATSE Local 16 and is currently employed by the local as an assistant to the business agent with a primary focus on training and organizing.
• Billy Seago – Actor
  is a professional actor, director, master storyteller and Deaf culture consultant. He has acted in professional productions across the United States and Europe and is co–founder of the Deaf Youth Drama Program in Seattle.
• Mac Wellman – Playwright
  is a playwright and novelist whose work has been read and produced nationwide. He has received numerous awards, including multiple Obie awards, NEA, NYFA, Rockefeller, McKnight and Guggenheim Fellowships. He teaches playwriting at Brooklyn College.