Spellbound Artists and Staff
As of January 2022, Spellbound is now a company governed by our own artists.
Every board member is also on our teaching artist roster and has taken part in creative projects with the company.
The Oversight Committee
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Susanna Brock, Oversight Committee Member/Education Manager/Artist
Susanna is a native Swede who spent some time in Paris before ending up in Harlem to pursue a BFA in jazz singing. Music and theater has always been a big part of her life - starting ballet as a 5 year old, moving on to gospel singing in middle school and falling in love with improve in high school. Here in New York she has gotten the chance to perform jazz in different venues and to develop her skills as an actor through musicals and physical theater. Her passion for education developed during her years in New York when saw the need for art based learning. She has taught theater and singing to children and adults in Stockholm, New York and Kampala, Uganda. susanna@spellboundtheatre.com |
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Jody Doo, Oversight Committee Member/Artist
Jody Doo is an actor and host, born and raised in sunny Singapore. She is passionate about using her work to uplift minority voices. As an actor, Jody pioneered the role of Sunny Lee in the U.S premiere of White Pearl (Studio Theatre), and has been seen in international commercials. As a host, Jody has a decade of experience - Universal Studios Singapore, rock climbing competitions, national cultural events, to name a few. She is now the host and producer at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, pioneering Global Gab - a monthly virtual panel discussing immigrant topics - where she seeks to dig deep with fellow immigrant artists. Jody is also part of the ensemble and on the Oversight Committee of Spellbound Theatre. Find out more about her work on www.jodydoo.com. |
Asha John, Oversight Committee Member/Artist
Asha John was born on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago. In 2011 she began working as a teaching artist bringing her love of step, theater, dance, and math to the students of New York City. She has worked with numerous community based organizations using the arts to advocate for all underserved communities (LGBTQIA, immigrant, impoverished, and more). She plans to assist spellbound in expanding children’s theatre nationally and internationally. Since 2011, Asha has been cast in numerous productions for stage and film, encompassing original work as well as classics like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In 2020, Asha graduated with her Masters in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities from New York University and plans to pursue her educational doctorate as well.
Asha John was born on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago. In 2011 she began working as a teaching artist bringing her love of step, theater, dance, and math to the students of New York City. She has worked with numerous community based organizations using the arts to advocate for all underserved communities (LGBTQIA, immigrant, impoverished, and more). She plans to assist spellbound in expanding children’s theatre nationally and internationally. Since 2011, Asha has been cast in numerous productions for stage and film, encompassing original work as well as classics like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In 2020, Asha graduated with her Masters in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities from New York University and plans to pursue her educational doctorate as well.
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Melissa Costidis, Oversight Committee Member/Artist
Melissa Costidis is a New York based content creator, producer and editor with Spellbound Theatre to create online and live programming for young children. She’s been working with Spellbound for three years after starting as a communications and family engagement intern during her time at NYU Tisch. She aims to assist Spellbound artists with executing their visions for children’s content online and in person for years to come through the means of her photography, videography and editing skills. Outside of Spellbound, she works as a chef at KIPP College Prep High School where she specializes in the implementation of vegan/vegetarian meals and eliminating food waste in the school lunch program. She is especially interested in the intersection between food education and theatre for young people. |
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Jolene Noelle, Oversight Committee Member/Grant Writer
Jolene Noelle is a dramaturg, producer, and story consultant. Recent projects include the multiple award-winning film The Subject featuring Aunjanue Ellis and Jason Biggs; award-winning webseries Tuesday Nights; Wendy, Peter, Peter, Wendy written by Joshua Conkel for Single Carrot Theatre; ACE, written and performed by Emmy Award-winning comedian Ted Greenberg in Philadelphia and Off-Broadway NYC. She is a generative dramaturg member of the New Georges Jam. She is the Institutional Giving Manager at Rattlestick Theater and formerly the Program Director of Theaterlab. MFA, Dramaturgy: Columbia University. Shinyobjectsdramaturgy.com |
Board of Directors
Our entire Board of Directors is made up of Spellbound ensemble members who volunteer their time and help make decisions for the company.
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Janette Martinez is an arts administrator, facilitator, and multidisciplinary artist from the Bronx, New York. Janette has a BM in Vocal Performance from Boston University and an M.S in Educational Theatre from The City College of New York, and she has worked in multiple capacities for organizations such as Disney Theatrical Group, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, New Victory Theatre, Spellbound Theatre, and DreamYard Project on their arts education and community engagement teams. Most recently, Janette led the Human Resources Operations department at Little Island and was a member of the inaugural team that opened the park for New York City, and she is now the Head of Staff, Development, and Inclusion at Camp Arcadia, a wilderness camp in Maine! She loves bringing a creative, emergent, and inclusive approach to organizational leadership to Spellbound, and is grateful to lead alongside the talented ensemble of Spellbound Theatre!
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Krystal T. Brenes (she/her) is a Native New Yorker hailing from Washington Heights. She is of Latina and Italian descent and has been involved in the performing arts since the age of three. She is a graduate from SUNY Purchase (BA) and the City College of New York (MS.Ed) majoring in Studio Production, Arts Management, and Educational Theatre. Currently, she serves as the Board Treasurer for Spellbound Theatre and works as an independent sound designer/engineer for theatre companies in the tri-state area.
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Colleen Horan (she/her) Born and raised in NYC, Colleen is a theatre teaching artist, performer and applied theatre facilitator with over a decade of experience in using theatre for education, collaboration, exploration and joy. She has facilitated classes, performances and workshops for young people at multiple venues including the The NYC DOE, The American Alliance for Theatre in Education (AATE), The Creative Arts Team (CAT) Junior Youth Theatre, and Symphony Space, among others. As a co-founder of Theatre in Tandem, she’s had the privilege of using theatre techniques to explore and build professional skills for students of allied health professions in numerous higher ed programs, and does similar work for corporations as a project and design manager at Steps Drama. She holds a BA from UVM in Theatre and an MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY SPS. She stays connected to her roots in early childhood theatre education by serving on the board at Spellbound.
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Emily Baldwin (she/her) is a born-and-bred New Yorker currently based in London. Emily has been with Spellbound since 2016; before serving as Board Secretary she was a deviser, teaching artist, and performer, as well as the Family Engagement Manager through 2021. Emily has a BA in Theatre from Northwestern University and an MA in Applied Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She’s now an Creative Support Worker for Access All Areas Theatre and she spends her spare time roaming the streets of London in desperate search for good bagels, pickles, and black coffee (so far unsuccessful on all accounts).
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Khalia Davis (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and Artistic Director of Bay Area Children’s Theatre where she recently led the world premieres of a kids play about Racism and The Imaginaries: An Immersive Musical, an original new work created by the newly-formed BACT Writer’s Room. As a director and arts educator, she has worked on Broadway, off-Broadway and regionally with prominent theaters such as First Stage, Atlantic Theater Company’s Atlantic for Kids, New York City Children’s Theater, Disney Theatrical Group, Spellbound Theatre and more. Before assuming her new role as Artistic Director, Ms. Davis served as the Director of Inclusion and Education with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre restructuring their children’s musical theater programming through an anti-racism lens. She made her professional theatrical debut at thirteen years old launching a life-long career as a performer splitting her time between California and NYC. Proud board member for TYA/USA, Spellbound Theater, and The Story Pirates. Awards: 2019 Emerging Leader Fellowship-TYA/USA, 2019 NYCCT Leader Fellowship, 2021 Corey Medallion Award-Children's Theatre Foundation of America. BA in Theater Arts from the University of Southern California www.khaliadavis.com!
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Robert M. Thaxton-Stevenson (he/him) is a native New Yorker, raised in Greenwich Village and living in Brooklyn. He makes interactive theatre for all ages, works with young people in many settings, and designs for the stage. He has directed projects and work-in-progress showings at New Ohio Theater, New York Transit Museum, The New Victory Theater, Park Avenue Armory, Governors Island, and New York University. He is a company member with Atlantic Pacific Theatre, the Verbatim Performance Lab, and Spellbound Theatre. Robert is currently Drama Teacher & Technical Director at the Chapin School and has previously worked as a Teaching Artist at The New Victory Theater, Met Opera Guild, and New York Theater Workshop. He holds a BS and an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU.
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Spellbound Artists
Rebecca Gerrard
Andrea Ang
Sunder Ashni
Blanca Vivancos
Colleen Horan
Hannah Johnson-Walsh
Janette Martinez
Jody Doo
Khalia Davis
Lauren Sharpe
Lisa Kitchens
Nikki Calonge
Robert Stevenson
Sarah Folkins
Marisol Rosa Shapiro
Asha John
Valerie Clayman Pye
Christine Dehne
Melana Lloyd
Gyana Mella
Jackie Wolff
Jono Waldman
WT McRae
Valerie Reid
Melissa Costidis
Andrea Ang
Sunder Ashni
Blanca Vivancos
Colleen Horan
Hannah Johnson-Walsh
Janette Martinez
Jody Doo
Khalia Davis
Lauren Sharpe
Lisa Kitchens
Nikki Calonge
Robert Stevenson
Sarah Folkins
Marisol Rosa Shapiro
Asha John
Valerie Clayman Pye
Christine Dehne
Melana Lloyd
Gyana Mella
Jackie Wolff
Jono Waldman
WT McRae
Valerie Reid
Melissa Costidis
Our Founder
Lauren Jost, Founder, Former Artistic Director
ljost@spellboundtheatre.com
Lauren is a theatre artist and arts educator in New York. She was the Artistic Director of Spellbound Theatre, New York’s award-winning theatre exclusively for the very young. Lauren can occasionally be found performing as a storyteller and puppeteer, but spends most of her time directing and producing Spellbound’s public, school, and national touring theater productions for children ages 0-5. Additionally, Lauren works as a Master Teaching Artist in schools, libraries and community centers around New York with organizations such as The New Victory Theater, Lifetime Arts, and New York University. Lauren is also a mom to J. and L., whose imaginations are her daily inspiration. Check out her blog on arts education and TYA at www.LaurenJost.com
ljost@spellboundtheatre.com
Lauren is a theatre artist and arts educator in New York. She was the Artistic Director of Spellbound Theatre, New York’s award-winning theatre exclusively for the very young. Lauren can occasionally be found performing as a storyteller and puppeteer, but spends most of her time directing and producing Spellbound’s public, school, and national touring theater productions for children ages 0-5. Additionally, Lauren works as a Master Teaching Artist in schools, libraries and community centers around New York with organizations such as The New Victory Theater, Lifetime Arts, and New York University. Lauren is also a mom to J. and L., whose imaginations are her daily inspiration. Check out her blog on arts education and TYA at www.LaurenJost.com