Patrizia Acerra – Artistic Director, Founder

2009-2010 Interns:
Meghan Reardon
Maggie Carlin

2011-2012 Interns:
Kortney Kwong Hing
Kelli Johnson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Catherine Zelman - President
cathy@ptapchicago.org

Mary Acerra - Vice President
mary@ptapchicago.org

Donald Glass - Member
donald@ptapchicago.org

CHICAGO ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES

Patrizia Acerra
Anna C. Bahow
David Denman
Hank Hilbert
Mac Vaughey
Carol J. Blanchard
Sarah Stec
Jennifer Reinhardt

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES

Iris Manca

Basia Wajs

Emmanuelle Capozzi

ADVISORY BOARD

Gary Cestaro - De Paul University

Thom Van Ermen

John Heuring - Porchlight Music Theater Chicago

Willaim Grange - University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Lucyanna De Stefano

Walter Stearns - Mercury Theatre

Eugene Dizon - Mercury Theatre

Christa Buck Van Ermen

STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

PATRIZIA ACERRA Director, PTAP Artistic Director & Founder Patrizia is a Midwest-based stage director, adapter, arts instructor, and producer, with over 45 productions in the past 15 years. In 2000-2001, she resided in Rome, Italy, working with The English Theatre of Rome, and creating an ensemble of actors for the then newly formed International Theatre of Chicago. She is a former Director of Liturgy at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Milwaukee, the former Managing Director of Bailiwick Repertory and Oak Park Festival Theatre. Pat holds degrees in Theology, Communications and Directing, and is a former university instructor of Theatre, Communications and English as a Second Language. In addition, she is the founder of P L Acerra Consultants, which specializes in non-profit consulting.

ANNA C. BAHOW Artistic Associate Anna C. Bahow is an Associate Artist at Premiere Theatre & Performance, Chicago Dramatists and the Side Project. Recent work includes the critically acclaimed premiere of New Orleans at The Side Project, named one of the top Fringe shows of 2006 year by the Chicago Tribune and Gray City for Premiere Theatre and performance. Other work includes Vintage Red and Dust of the Road for Visions & Voices-nominated by the American Theatre Critics Association's Steinberg Award for the "Best New Play Produced Outside of New York" and recipient of a Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation for best new play and the world premiere of St. Colm's Inch for Chicago Dramatists. She directed the Jeff recommended premiere of Martin Furey's Shot at TimeLine Theatre. The project was supported by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Ovie Carter and several international war correspondents. Ms. Bahow workshopped, Odin's Horse, winner of the national EcoDrama Award. She has written radio pieces for the Chicago Public Radio program 848, shot photographs, and has worked on video and film shorts. Ms. Bahow is a member of the Directors Lab at Lincoln Center in New York and Chicago and is a past program director for the Women's Theatre Alliance's New Play Development Workshop in Chicago.

ELIZABETH CARLIN METZ Artistic Associate Elizabeth Carlin Metz the founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s acclaimed VITALIST THEATRE, where she received After Dark Awards for her direction of MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN and for technical achievement for A PASSAGE TO INDIA. Other productions for Vitalist include the Jeff nominated Chicago premiere of THE NIGHT SEASON (Jeff Award for best Supporting Actress), ANNA KARENINA, KING LEAR, THE THREE LIVES OF LUCIE CABROL, the world premiere of ANUNG’S FIRST AMERICAN CHRISTMAS, THE MILL ON THE FLOSS and FLOATING RHODA AND THE GLUE MAN. She was a Directing Associate with California Shakespeare Festival where she directed AS YOU LIKE IT with the interns and also served as voice and text coach for the company. Other directing credits include HAMLET, MACBETH, PERESTROIKA, THE LOVE OF THE NIGHTINGALE, PYGMALION, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, WOMAN IN MIND, and her own original adaptation of HENRY IV PTS 1 & 2 in Manchester, UK. As a voice director Liz has worked for Seattle Repertory Theatre, Tacoma Actor’s Guild, and Steppenwolf (Chicago and Off-Broadway) and four years as a Resident Voice Director at Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has served on the Illinois Arts Council, presented on acting and directing at the Association for Theatre in Higher education, and served on the faculties of the Professional Actor Training Programs at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, the University of Washington, and the University of California at Davis where she also taught in and administered the graduate directing program. She is Professor of Theatre at Knox College and holds an MFA from Temple University.

LAVINA JADHWANI Artistic Associate Lavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director; her primary areas of focus include developing new plays and culturally specific work. Lavina is the Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company, an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project and Premiere Theatre & Performance and an Artistic Associate at Halcyon Theatre; she also serves on the Steering Committee for the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. Her work with Rasaka includes directing and curating the Chicago premiere of Yoni Ki Baat and the world premiere of culture/clash, the nation’s first fully produced South Asian short play festival. Other directing credits include work at American Theatre Company, Apple Tree, Bailiwick, Chicago Dramatists, Raven Theatre, Remy Bumppo, the side project, Stage Left and Victory Gardens. Lavina received LMDA awards for her work on Merchant on Venice at Silk Road and Urinetown and Arcadia at Carnegie Mellon University. She has been a finalist for the Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship, the 3Arts Artist Awards and the Luce Scholars Program. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Drama; Masters, Arts Management) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

CAROL J. BLANCHARD Chicago Artistic Associate Carol J. Blanchard has designed for companies such as Cleveland Symphony’s Blossom Opera (Falstaff), Skylight Opera (La Traviata, La Boheme, The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro), New York’s Hillman Opera (Hansel and Gretel), Shakespeare in the Park (Much Ado About Nothing, A Winter’s Tale), First Stage Childrens’ Theatre (Seussical, The Sleeping Beauty), Karamu Theatre (Devil Mas, Hamlet Jones), and the Champlain Shakespeare Festival(Love’s Labours Lost, The Importance of Being Earnest). Her Chicago credits include Goodman Theatre/Silk Road Theatre (Yohen), Drury Lane (Barefoot in the Park, Of Thee I Sing), Victory Gardens Theatre (Love Person, Four Places, A Guide for the Perplexed, I Sailed with Magellan), Porchlight Music Theatre ( Sweeney Todd, Pacific Overtures, Once on This Island), Appletree Theatre (Wings, Match), and The Silk Road Theatre Project (Scorched, Merchant On Venice, Pangs of the Messiah). Her work for PTAP includes RIGHT, Einstein’s Dreams, The Quiltmaker’s Gift and 7 Doors. She has been honored with a Joseph Jefferson Award for Costume Design and an After Dark Award for her collaboration in the Silk Road Theatre’s Golden Child. She is a Professor Emeritus of Design at The State University of New York.

SARAH STEC Creative Ringleader As a grad of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in visual communications, Sarah has created design for such clients as Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Kraft and Absolut Vodka, when she worked onsite with some of Chicago’s finest agencies. Deciding to venture out on her own in 1998, she has built a network of clients ranging from local theatre groups to schools to restaurants under the name of Archetype. Visit www.archetypegd.com to view her portfolio.

HANK HILBERT Artistic Associate Hank Hilbert received his M.F.A from Northern Illinois University and his B.A from the University of Wisconsin Parkside. Hank has been seen in shows from Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Illinois.

IRIS MANCA Sinologist, Director, Translator, Writer Iris was born in Italy in 1969, moved on to Beijing, China, in 1991 and returned to Europe 10 years later. A specialist in Chinese Contemporary Theatre, started her path as director in China, where she co-founded the international theatre group "Testimony". She lives now in Rome, where she first met Patrizia Acerra while working at the Italian adaptation of "Picture This", in 2001. At ease in between different cultures, she easily embraced the philosophy of the PTAP and is now writing a play on immigration.

MAC VAUGHEY Chicago Artistic Associate Mac is a Chicago-based lighting designer whose recent credits include work with Open Eye Productions,Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, Teatro Luna, 16th Street Theatre, and the Oracle Theatre. Mac is also theMaster Electrician for Pegasus Players, the Next Theatre, Timeline Theatre Company, American Theatre Company and the House Theatre of Chicago.