Director
Ana Cantorán is a Mexican-born, Brooklyn-based Theater Artist and Arts educator who has collaborated and performed in award-winning national and international works in devised theater and performance art in America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Her devised work and collaborations have been selected by The Guggenheim, ASSITEJ Cuba,TYA USA, Singapore Fringe Festival, New Victory Theater, Labworks, Barn Arts Collective, The Quarry: Contemporary Arts International, Up close Festival, Barn Fest, United Solo, Poetic License Festival, Itinerant Performance Festival, Saint Louis fringe festival, Festival of the Death Miquixtli, Teatro en la Alacena, Centro cultural Santa Rosa, 11th and 12th Festival International du Théâtre Universitaire d’Agadir Maroc, and featured by The Tank, Dixon Place, IRT Theater, and more. Ana is a teaching artist with the New Victory Theater and The New York City Children's Theater. She has collaborated with the education departments at Roundabout Theater and Chamber Music society of Lincoln Center, and has been invited as Guest Director by Pace University and Guest Artist by Muhlenberg College. Ana holds a BFA in Dramatic Arts by BUAP, Puebla, Mexico and an MFA in Theater: Contemporary Performance by Naropa University, Boulder CO.
Her devised work and collaborations have been selected by The Guggenheim, ASSITEJ Cuba,TYA USA, Singapore Fringe Festival, New Victory Theater, Labworks, Barn Arts Collective, The Quarry: Contemporary Arts International, Up close Festival, Barn Fest, United Solo, Poetic License Festival, Itinerant Performance Festival, Saint Louis fringe festival, Festival of the Death Miquixtli, Teatro en la Alacena, Centro cultural Santa Rosa, 11th and 12th Festival International du Théâtre Universitaire d’Agadir Maroc, and featured by The Tank, Dixon Place, IRT Theater, and more. Ana is a teaching artist with the New Victory Theater and The New York City Children's Theater. She has collaborated with the education departments at Roundabout Theater and Chamber Music society of Lincoln Center, and has been invited as Guest Director by Pace University and Guest Artist by Muhlenberg College. Ana holds a BFA in Dramatic Arts by BUAP, Puebla, Mexico and an MFA in Theater: Contemporary Performance by Naropa University, Boulder CO.
Musical Director
Aviva Jaye is a multi-disciplinary artist & performer primarily creating music, wielding voice, keys, harp, guitar & ukulele. She often combines acoustic & electronic elements to unlock a portal for listeners to venture, exploring the dimensions of empathy, self-awareness, social justice & Afrofuturism. Her work includes theatre, dance & poetry.
Devisors | Performers
Susanna Brock (she/her) is a disabled, New York based, Swedish theater maker, performer, director and educator who creates multi-sensory, multi-lingual and interactive theater with and for young audiences. She aims to create spaces where young people can dream and play and critically reflect and comment on our world. For the past 15 years, she has had the opportunity to work in many different parts of the world including Stockholm, Paris, Kampala, Nairobi and New York where she has facilitated and performed in school and community-based programs. She is an ensemble member and administrator at the award-winning company Spellbound Theatre, an ensemble member and Director of Community Engagement at Flying Leap Productions and has been a teaching artist with organizations like ArtsConnection, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and The Children’s Museum of Manhattan. The past 5 years she has also led trainings and professional development for The Department of Education, NYU and Bank Street School of Education. In 2020 she graduated with a Master’s of Applied Theater from CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Dorothea Gloria | I am an artist from the Philippines with a deep-rooted foundation in theater. I trained in classical performance during my undergraduate studies and later at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. I love doing plays by Shakespeare and Chekhov, drawn to the richness of their language and the depth of their characters. Over the past few years, my artistic practice has expanded beyond performance into writing, generating, and producing my own work. My curiosity now leads me to explore the intersection of theater, ritual, and community. I am particularly interested in creating immersive spaces where audiences can engage with performance not just as spectators, but as participants in shared experiences of reflection and connection. Currently, my work is deeply influenced by mourning rituals and traditions from the Philippines. I am studying these ancestral practices, seeking ways to translate them into contemporary performance as a means of exploring grief and collective healing. Through storytelling and ritual, I aim to build spaces where audiences can come together, honoring what has passed while forging new communal ties.
Angela Parra is a talented performer hailing from the enchanting country of Peru. Her journey into the world of acting was inspired by her piano teacher, who ignited her passion for the craft. She excels in portraying eccentric and distinctive roles, bringing them to life with remarkable energy. Throughout her dynamic career, she has embraced a diverse range of characters, from a whimsical fairy in a television show to a profound elderly figure in theater. Angela has received training in Lima and Buenos Aires, specializing in Musical Theatre, and has further honed her acting skills at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Additionally, she has studied Physical Theatre under various mentors across these three nations. Following her debut in New York City with her last performance in “Peregrinations”, Angela Parra is eager to continue her artistic journey, exploring countless artistic ways to inspire hope and faith in the world, all while ensuring a sense of joy in her adventures.
Set Designer
Junran “Charlotte” Shi (she/her) is a set and production designer based in New York. With the background of Architecture, she is using space, structure and materials as powerful tools for storytelling on stage. Her rich imagination with solid research and model building skills help her creates from conceptual theater art pieces to detailed scenic presenting. Themes commonly seen in her works are nature, humanity and culture. M.F.A. NYU Tisch, Design for Stage and Film.
Puppet Designer
Dorothy James is a Brooklyn based puppeteer and maker. She has puppeteered for Wakka Wakka (Made in China, The Immortal Jellyfish Girl, Dead As A Dodo), The Avett Brothers (2024 US Tour), Nick Lehane and Derek Fordjour (SELF MUST DIE: “Fly Away”, Petzel Gallery), Basil Twist (Hansel & Gretel, Michigan Opera Theatre), Arena Stage (Snow Child), AchesonWalsh & Radio City (The New York Spectacular…), Eat Drink Tell Your Friends (Lectures, HERE Arts Center), Unknown Mortal Orchestra & Double Solitaire (“That Life” music video), BBC (Moon and Me), Amazon (Patriot), Apple TV+ (Hello Tomorrow!), and FX (Dying For Sex). Dorothy has also designed and fabricated puppets for The Muny (Joseph…Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast), the short film Tripping (Amelia Xanthe Boscov). Her own show, Bill’s 44th, received a New York Times’ Critics Pick, an UNIMA Citation of Excellence, the Seoul Arts Award, and sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe two years running. Www.dorothy-james.com
Stage Manager
Sydney Prince (she/her) is thrilled to be working with Spellbound Theatre on the next phase of Lullaby Land. She is a New York City based Stage Manager, Production Manager, and Director. Off-Broadway: Sesame Street the Musical (PSM, Rockefeller Productions), Shakespeare Stars (PSM, Spellbound), My First Nutcracker (PSM, NYCCT). Other Select NY Credits: Eat the Document (PM, Prototype Festival), Little Island (APM, 2024 Season). Nothing brings Sydney more joy than bringing theater to our youngest audiences. University of Michigan graduate. All the love to her family and fiancée. sydneyhprince.com & ig: @sydneyprince_
Dramaturg | Phase Two Performer
Marisol Soledad is a cultural worker, theater artist, educator, and facilitator. Her acting, directing, writing, and devising work have appeared in NYC, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston, Miami, Maine, Colorado, Alaska, Texas, Italy, and Mexico. Marisol is a tenured member of the teaching artist ensemble at the New Victory Theater in NYC, where she has also developed original work for young audiences as a lead artist in the LabWorks program and made her Off-Broadway directorial debut with Spellbound Theater’s Wink. She is a graduate of Princeton University and of Helikos International School of Theatre Creation in Florence, Italy. Recent original works include Read Me A World, Auntieland, The Most Important Place in The World, and The Seven Ravens Project. Her new play, Junk/Baby was recently a semi-finalist for the Terrence McNally Award in Philadelphia.
Producer
Melissa Costidis (she/her) is a New York based creator, producer, editor and member of Spellbound’s collaborative leadership group known as The Oversight Committee. She started her journey with Spellbound as a communications and family engagement intern during her time at NYU Tisch in 2018. She produced and edited Spellbound’s successful virtual series Anywhere with Catbear (2020) and Lullaby Land (2021). She is also responsible for Spellbound’s fundraising campaigns, newsletters, in person event leadership (Free Family Art Days at Brooklyn Public Libraries, pop-up shows at Little Island, etc.) and other administrative duties to support The Oversight Committee. She is passionate about supporting Spellbound artists as they execute their visions for children’s programming on an artistic level and an administrative level. Outside of Spellbound, she works as a cooking teacher and chef competition host at Hudson Table, she is a photographer and video editor, and she is always trying to find new ways to mesh her passions together to create exciting work. She is also currently studying to get her Masters Educational Theatre at CCNY. www.melissacostidis.com
Gabriela Maria for generously donating her sewing machine to Spellbound.
Trader Joes Manager, Tucker, from the Court Street location in Brooklyn. Thanks to your generous gift of $75, our team was fed for the entirety of our devising rehearsal week.
Brooklyn Apple Academy for giving us affordable access to their shop space so Charlotte Shi could begin building our magical set prototype.
Trader Joes Manager, Tucker, from the Court Street location in Brooklyn. Thanks to your generous gift of $75, our team was fed for the entirety of our devising rehearsal week.
Brooklyn Apple Academy for giving us affordable access to their shop space so Charlotte Shi could begin building our magical set prototype.