AMANDA MILLER (PLAYWRIGHT/ACTOR)

Amanda Miller has been creating, producing and performing theatrical comedies that promote healing, community and social change for venues nationally and internationally since 2010. Prior productions include Smile All The Time about a youth's unjust placement in adult prison, (Best Energy Award- Frigid Fest) How To Suffer Better in which six contestants compete to be the one who suffers best (“Ludicrous comic talent”- Arts Fringes. “Theatre at its best” -Pittsburgh in the Round. Best Actress Award-Pittsburgh Fringe. Edinburgh Fringe, Edmonton Fringe, Pittsburgh Fringe), Edith Vs. Quarantine: 89 & One Tough Cookie about an old woman's strategies for surviving lockdown (“What happens when a one-woman show has reached peak performance” -New England Theatre Geek. Fringe PVD, Minnesota Fringe), and The Jew in the Ashram about healing ancestral trauma under the guidance of an exuberant guru (“I loved this play and I felt enlightened by the end of it. Truly grateful.” -Nohoartsdisistrict.com. Whitefire Theatre's Solo Fest, Minnesota Fringe, Charm City Fringe). Amanda is the author of One Breath, Then Another: A Memoir and co-editor of Words After Dark: A Lyrics, Lit & Liquor Anthology. Her poetry, fiction and nonfiction have been featured in a number of publications including The Rumpus, Jewishfiction.net, PEN America's Temperature Check: Covid-19 Behind Bars, and Poetry in the Time of Covid-19. She produces and hosts performances series' Lyrics, Lit & Liquor and Supper in Fort Lauderdale. Amanda has studied clowning, improv, and sketch comedy. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School and a BFA in Acting from NYU.

TERRY MILLER (PLAYWRIGHT)

Terry Miller is a retired theatre teacher living with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. The highlight of her career was the award-winning Drama program at Pershing Middle School in San Diego which she ran for seventeen years. She also taught at Bell Middle School, Patrick Henry High School, and the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego. An east coast native, she taught drama at middle and high schools in New York City and Virginia before moving to California. Terry has directed in both educational and community settings and has adjudicated many theatre festivals.  She also serves as a reader/evaluator for both the San Diego Young Playwrights Project and the Jewish Plays Project in New York. Throughout her career, she has witnessed the transformative nature of theatre not only for its participants and the audience, but also as a powerful agent for social change. She holds an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University and has studied improv comedy at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles.

 CATT FILIPPOV (DIRECTOR)

Catt Filippov is a Russian-Canadian film, theatre, and experience artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Armed with a glue gun and tongue planted firmly in cheek, Catt’s work wades into the horrors and humours of our species to oyster poetry from the pedestrian, spotlighting the truths we share as humans, especially when we’re pretending to be anything but. Her recent stage and screen credits include Self Driver (Feature), Murder in the Park! (Short Film), 5 Brendas of Murray County (Short Play, Under St. Marks Theatre), ONE-SONG (Supporting, dir. Miet Warlop), and Strippin’ and Trippin’ on Mother’s Milk (Working Theatre, Reading). Recent writing includes HELLO, WORLD! (One-Act, Commission), WORM PLAY (Short Play, Commission), and ROOT ROT: A Supergood Fatherland Play for to Make During “Occupation” to Make “Daddy” “Proud” (Full-Length, Columbia University). More can be found on NPX. Her directing credits include Acid Test Toronto (Geary Lane), Acid Test Toronto II (Redwood Theatre), TromaDance Film Festival, NICE (Reading, Maker’s Ensemble), and MONSTER MATCH (Underscore Short Film Festival). Catt has trained with the University of Toronto (BA, Theatre), Columbia University (MFA, Playwriting), Canada’s National Voice Intensive, Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Pencil Kit Productions, The Lucid Body House, and the Brooklyn Comedy Collective.

KATIE KOPAJTIC (ACTOR) 

Katie Kopajtic is an actor, writer and filmmaker based in Tarrytown. Acting credits include Peekaboo at the Bethany Arts Community, and Modern Witches at the Players Theatre. Her published writing may be found in cream city review, Electric Literature, Variant Literature, The Future Fire, and more. When not on stage, she is writing the narrative of a new sci-fi video game, and working on a feature length documentary about the fantasy of heritage. Explore her work at www.katiekopajtic.com

BRYAN FERNANDEZ (ACTOR)

Bryan Fernández, a native New Yorker, was born in Queens to an Ecuadorian mother and a Dominican father. From an early age, he has been fascinated by new worlds and absurd realities. He has embraced a vibrant career in comedy, earning titles such as American Mime, NY Goof, Physical Comedy Lab Technician, and a graduate of the Nouveau Clown Institute. He is also a Flow juggle Ambassador and a spokesperson for the Idiot’s Hour Show. Bryan’s performances span across NYC, appearing in comedy clubs, bars, party venues, parks, streets, and even trains. His comedic talents have also taken him to international stages in Barcelona and Costa Rica. In February 2023, Bryan produced his first headlining show, captivating audiences for nearly two and a half hours. By December 2023, he had created a new show that introduced a unique blend of circus, comedy, and performance art to Queens, showcasing the talents of his close colleagues and friends. https://loisaida.org/bryan-fernandez/

 AUDRA BRANDT (PUPPET MAKER)

Audra Brandt is a New York-based artist and educator specializing in puppetry and animation. She is a co-founder of Storycamp, a circus-inspired summer camp in Colorado, and a frequent collaborator with the performance group Whoop Dee Doo. Audra has performed and created puppets for theater and film, including the "Day of the Dead, Live!" Currently, she is developing a unique puppetry program at a nature preschool in Brooklyn, blending her passion for the arts with early childhood education.

MATT LITWACK (VISUAL ARTIST)

Matthew Litwack is a New York City native who has run the mural painting business, Intelligent Graffiti, for the last twenty years. To view his work, visit intelligentgraffiti.com.