THE CREATIVE TEAM

Breaking Walls’ Creative Director Team

 

Fran Tarr is a renowned artist, Arts Educator, and Creative Activist. She stepped into her elementary Art classroom as a new teacher on the South Side of Chicago enthusiastic and naive. Instantly Fran realized that if she was doing her job correctly, using the incredible vehicle of art, she was creating art every day with every child by guiding them to discover their ever-evolving gifts, talents, and skills. And, if she was listening, talking, and observing her fellow educators, her impact could be even more empowering. By week three she was actively collaborating with her fellow teachers by designing handouts that explained the step-by-step instructions for each assignment – matching varying skill-level students to collaborate on the art activity. Fran embraced the value of the “we’re partners” attitude she witnessed between the children and the cross-generational guidance with her peers. Becoming a collaborator, in its most positive definition, is the greatest mind/action change Fran made as a woman, an educator, and an artist.

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Dannie Kagan, past president of Rotary was born in the UK and resides in South Africa. After enjoying a successful professional life in many fields, including personnel and real estate, whilst raising three sons, Dannie founded Rainbow Dreams Trust in 2006 fulfilling a lifelong dream. The aim of the trust is to implement programs to uplift, guide, and mentor disadvantaged youth, giving them direction, purpose, and hope for their own future. The trust is currently working with 400 children in eight projects.

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Tom Costello is a New York-based director from Ithaca, NY. He is the Associate Artistic Director of Pipeline Theatre Company and administers its PlayLab, a residency for new works of unbridled imagination. He is an Associate Artist at the Flea Theater where he directed the world premieres of Smoke by Kim Davies and The Wundelsteipen (and other difficult roles for young people) by Nick Jones. He is the Artistic Director of the Atlantic Acting School’s alumni program where he is also a faculty member. Tom is a proud graduate of the BFA program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a 2017 Drama League Directing Fellow.

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Angela Constantinidou Angela Constantinidou is an actress, director, writer, and architect. She is currently living in Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe, in Cyprus. Angela was trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre and is an alumnus of the Full-Time Conservatory of Atlantic Acting School. She owns an MA in Theatre Studies, with a focus on Acting and Directing, and a degree in Architectural Engineering. She has been working in the field of Building Conservation and Preservation for more than 10 years. She often promotes matters of preservation and Heritage through her artwork. She has taught architectural design, interior design, and acting to people of different ages and backgrounds. She is passionate about helping people discover their potential and find their true voice.

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Josh Brisa is a Director of Ensemble-Building from Barcelona. He’s an Actor, Singer, and Songwriter. He earned his degree in Stage Theater at the Col•legi de Teatre de Barcelona and studied abroad at the renowned Atlantic Theater Company Acting School. Josh pours everything he feels, right into his music and acting roles. His mission in life is to give a message of hope to those who may be going through tough times to show that even though we’ll shed a lot of tears along the way – in the end love always wins.

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Neil Tyrone Pritchard is a Liberian-American, New York City-based Actor/Singer/Teaching Artist. Credits include Dia Y Noche (LAByrinth Theater Company) Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven (Atlantic Theater) Berlin Electric (Park Avenue Armory), The Prizefighter of P.S. 217 (New Victory LabWorks), The Stowaway (Classic Stage Company), Clover (La MaMa), Queen Latina and Her Power Posse (Cherry Lane Theater), AT BUFFALO (New York Musical Theatre Festival) and workshops at Tectonic Theater Project, Sundance Theater LAB, Goodman Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Dorset Theater Festival, Lincoln Center Theater, & Primary Stages. He is currently on staff at The Park Avenue Armory where he brings Arts Education to public schools throughout the five boroughs. He is A Proud New York City Public School Kid, A Member of the LAByrinth Theater Company, and Actors Equity.

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Anthony Holiday is currently attending the Yale School of Drama, class of 2021, where he will be training in Acting to receive his Master’s degree. He’s from New Jersey, born and raised. He’s done extensive training at the Atlantic Conservatory as well as Brookdale Community College. Anthony has strong leadership skills from a wealth of empathy. Anthony Holiday is the first in his family to attend college in any facet.

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Adina Taubman is an award-winning actor, playwright, producer, and teaching artist. She is the Artistic Director of Chrysalis Theatre Company. Most recently, with Chrysalis, Adina produced and acted in an evening of original monologues about mental health on Zoom, THE MENTAL HEALTH MONOLOGUES. Her documentary solo show about the Columbine High School massacre, A LINE IN THE SAND, based on Adina’s interviews with survivors, which she has performed in more than 12 festivals and 20 high schools around the country, won the award for Outstanding Production of a Solo Show at both The Midtown International Theatre Festival and The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in New York. In the spring of 2022, Adina will perform in a limited run of her new solo show, THE ROAD BACK, about her journey from depression to recovery, at The Chain Theater Off-Broadway.

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Catherine Jacobs is an educator, writer, and fitness enthusiast. Her interest in theater as a transformative medium stems from her early experiences in the cast of the Youth Expression Theater, a group that performed for schools and community organizations to open up conversations about issues faced by adolescents and young adults. She later attended New York University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Educational Theater and a master’s in English Education. As a teacher with the New York City Department of Education, she taught Language Arts and Drama for over 25 years, while collaborating with artistic institutions and programs such as The Women’s Project, Atlantic Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Breaking Walls. At Brooklyn Academy High School, she helped launch an advisory program to address students’ needs related to trauma and promote social-emotional learning. Catherine is currently writing a series of short stories. She is also an avid athlete and member of CIBBOWS (Coney Island & Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers.)

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Jessie Fullenkamp, LMSW (she/her/hers), Director of Education and Evaluation, joined the Ruth Ellis Center in 2010. She led the development and implementation of the first Medicaid billable, LGBTQ youth-specific community mental health services in the state of Michigan. Additionally, she directed leadership and advocacy, transgender health, and street outreach programs. In her current role, she directs education and evaluation focused on increasing health and safety with diverse SOGIE youth. Fullenkamp has been instrumental in implementing positive youth development, harm reduction, transformative justice, and trauma-informed care at the agency. Jessie studied in Kumasi, Ghana, and graduated with a BSW from Xavier University and an MSW from the University of Michigan. Fullenkamp lived and worked in the Federated States of Micronesia on the island of Weno on education, HIV, and women’s issues. In 2016, Jessie was presented with the “Distinguished Alumni Award” by the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work.

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I am currently residing and working in Galicia, Spain, where I work as School Counselor, Coordinator of Internationalization and Cambridge Teacher for the Colegio Miraflores Ourense. I have worked in the field of education for 21 years, initially as a teacher and most recently as a school counselor in Brooklyn with the New York City Public Schools.

I am the daughter of Galician immigrants from the region of Ourense, and my formative years were spent mainly in the United States, between New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York.

I started my career in New Jersey, where I was a classroom teacher for 11 years. During that time, I developed an interest in working with students with special education needs to address their social-emotional as well as academic needs and earned a Master’s Degree in Science of Education in School Counseling. Part of my role as school counselor in Brooklyn for nearly a decade has been to assess the school environment to identify and support youth with their personal, social and academic goals.

I am an avid animal lover, especially dogs. I have spent the past 19 years in the company of my beloved chihuahua, Emilín, who recently passed away. Now that I have returned home to Galicia, I am eager to continue my passion of connecting with nature, its animals, as well as mountain biking, hiking and savoring the wonderful gastronomy the region has to offer.

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Artistic Mentors

Yadira is an American stage and television actress, best known for her roles in Star Trek: Discovery, Supernatural, 13 Reasons Why, and See.

Yadi began her work as an actress on the stage in New York City, landing roles in many works by Latin American playwrights and theatre companies. During the 2010s Yadi performed in productions by the Atlantic Theater Company, Cherry Lane Theatre,[3] and INTAR Theater, among others. In 2016 Yadi played the character of Lala in the world premiere of Pia Scala-Zankel’s play Street Children, for which she was praised by The New York Times.

Yadi made her television debut in 2016 as Zinky on the Amazon Prime Video series Mad Dogs. In 2017 she landed the role of Kaia Nieves on Supernatural. Yadi went on to reprise the role for Supernatural’s 13th, 14th, and 15th seasons. In 2018 Tadi made her first appearance in the Star Trek franchise portraying the Xahean queen Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po in the premiere episode of Short Treks on CBS All Access. She returned as Po for Star Trek: Discovery’s second season, for the season’s final two episodes.

In 2018, Yadi worked with the Breaking Walls Foundation to bring dozens of teens from around the world to Santiago, Chile for a residency of theatrical and creative writing workshops.

In 2019, Yadi became a regular cast member in the first season of the dystopian science fiction series See. The show was one of four inaugural scripted serials to be featured with the launch of Apple TV+ in November 2019, and Yadi starred as Bow Lion, a shadow warrior for a clan of nomadic people living 500 years in the future. Apple renewed the show for a second season shortly after its debut. In December 2019 the website Cinemaholic reported that Yadi would return for season 2.

In 2020, Yadi appeared on an episode of HBO’s High Maintenance.

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Josh is a Breaking Walls Acting and Vocal Mentor from Barcelona. He’s an Actor, Singer, and Songwriter. He earned his degree in Stage Theater at the Col•legi de Teatre de Barcelona and studied abroad at the renowned Atlantic Theater Company Acting School. Josh pours everything he feels, right into his music and acting roles. His mission in life is to give a message of hope to those who may be going through tough times to show that even though we’ll shed a lot of tears along the way – in the end love always wins.

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Andrea is a Chilean actress, director, writer, and singer. Andrea Velasco stands out for her performance in the film trilogy Que Pena by Netflix, on television in Vuelve Temprano TVN series, and in theater for her role in Los Invasores by Egon Wolff. As a singer for her EP “Piñata” nominated as Revelation Artist in the Chilean National Music Awards Pulsar 2015.

In 2018 debuted in NY theater in Verano Verano by Myrna Casas, IATI Theater, winning the Best Actress Award at ATI Awards 2019. And for her role in the short film Desde el Principio by Miguel Soliman, won Best Actress at the Rahway Film Festival, LA Diversity Film Festival, and Best Short Film at New York Latino Film Festival 2018, being acquired by HBO 2019.

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Silvana is a Mexican actress, Fosse, jazz, and classical ballet dancer who graduated from NYU Tisch with a Founders Day Award and BFA in Theater. Her most recent credits include Ondine in A Thousand Suns at LA MAMA, Hera in FauxBia! The Musical at Carnegie Hall, Hermia in an all-Spanish version of A Midsummer Night´s Dream, Cynthia in WarLovers at Theater Row, and Louise Overbee in Love/Sick. Her film credits include Dr. Esperanza Haddid in Call The Sandman, Maria in Disconnect by Ryo Jaegger, and Irene in IL by Xupeng Feng. Silvana is a member of the NYC-based theater company Something From Abroad, and is incredibly excited to work with the artists of the Berlin Program with Breaking Walls as an Artistic Mentor!

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Uma is an Indian-American actor and playwright from the San Francisco Bay Area. Favorite stage roles include Eman (Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar), Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet), and Sita (Ramaavan). Favorite projects include Orange Is the New Black, King Lahiri (premiering February 2021), and The Letter. As a playwright, Uma’s work will be seen in 2021 at the New Perspectives Theater Company and at Moxie Arts. She also works as a teaching artist with the Atlantic Theatre Company and the non-profit Breaking Walls. Uma currently lives in Brooklyn with her cat. BFA University of Miami.

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Patrica has been teaching, advising, and directing the Dance Department at Science Skills High School for Science, Technology & Creative Arts’ Jow-Ile-Bailar Dance Companies in Brooklyn for 25 years. She is also a dance faculty member for Ballet Hispanico and Lincoln Center Middle School Summer Audition Boot Camp. Dye has presented workshops for the NYCDOE Region 8 and conferences including NDEO, SDHS, NDA and CORD, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music Teacher Advisory Council. Throughout her successful career of over fifty years, Patricia has taught master classes and workshops choreographed and appeared in videos, industrial shows, Broadway shows television commercials, and movies throughout the USA and Europe, including three Professional dance Companies: Forces of Nature, Ballet Schulz Beckman, and Passing Ancestral Knowledge Along Theater Dance Company. In 2020, Patricia was named Dance Teacher of the Year by the Dance Teacher Award Committee.

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Mikhaella is the Founder & CEO of Freelife Productions, LLC where she uses the arts to uplift, entertain, and inspire. She is an award-winning spoken word artist, actress, motivational speaker, emcee, and now the author of her premiere book of poetry, Fruit: Haiku of Haikus for the Blossoming Soul. Between her two TEDx talks, current title as the Motown Mic Spoken Word Artist of the Year, and her work with the NBA for multiple performances including producing the Detroit Pistons’ 2019 Equality campaign she’s made her mark. Within her membership of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she has risen to national prominence as the go-to for inspirational content entertainment with performances at the 2020 Centennial in Washington, D.C., and followed up such a performance with exclusive poetry videos at the reception to welcome the newest Honorary Soror, Chaka Khan. As an internationally sought-after speaker whose voice has been heard from Poland to Brazil and even all the way to Israel, God has graced her with numerous platforms to inspire and help many. With all that, she’s been blessed with, she utilizes every gift in order to change the world one dream at a time.

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Mary is a NY-based actor/teaching artist and is delighted to be a part of Breaking Wall’s Virtual Artist Cooperative. She recently starred in the one-woman play An Evening With Lola Montez, played multiple roles in It’s A Wonderful Life at Arkansas Rep, appeared in the play Near Nellie Bly, and performed in the short The Divination of the Three. In addition to her stage and film background, she performs as a voice actor. A few of her voice acting credits include the animated series Octonauts, Past/Present, Muzzy, LeapFrog, Scampr, and Kinetic Light’s Descent. She can also currently be heard playing various characters in the audio drama series Fireside Mystery Theatre, Newfield, To The Manor Borne by Robots, The NoSleep Podcast, The Wicked Library, and The Lift.

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Winston is a cultural researcher, choreographer, vocalist, and educator. His artistic work is informed by socio-cultural studies and uses vocals, dance vocabulary, theatre, and text as arts linguistic tools. Winston has been a Bass/Baritone soloist and choir member of both the Riverside Church Inspirational Choir and The Park Avenue Methodist Church Choir. He has performed in the ensemble cast of the Martina Arroyo Foundation productions of La Fille du Regiment and La Bohème. As a vocalist, Winston has performed at Symphony Space, New School University, Riverside Church, Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Riverside Theater, Kaye Playhouse, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club at Lincoln Center.

Winston is currently Co-director and Cultural Advocate for the operatic piece “What Lies Beneath” being produced by On-Site Opera. He was also the Movement Director/Choreographer for On-Site Opera’s production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” He has done fieldwork in Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, New Orleans, Portugal, and Guyana. He has presented research in Cuba at the Caribbean Studies Association annual conference in partnership with Universidad de la Habana in 2018, and at Howard University as part of the Nankmana African Dance Conference in 2020. He facilitated his workshop Sonata, Sonnet & Social Justice as part of the Teaching Social Activism Conference at the Museum of the City of New York in 2017. Since 2016 Winston has developed and facilitated arts immersion workshops for the Family Linc program at Lincoln Center Education where families from the outer boroughs are invited to see ballets, plays, opera, and musical productions at Lincoln Center venues.

Winston is the Dance Captain at PAKA (Passing Ancestral Knowledge Along) dance company. He is also the Founder and Director of tRúe Culture & Arts an organization that produces cultural exchanges and develops and facilitates academic & cultural workshops/lectures/residencies. www.the-culturalist.com

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Creative Partners

• Tom Costello, Director of Theater Performance 2019, 2020, 2021
• Anthony Holiday, Director of Ensemble-Building 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Neil Tyrone Pritchard, Director of Ensemble-Building 2023
• Jessica Fullenkamp, Health & Wellness Ambassador 2018, 2019, 2020,
  2021, 2022
• Catherine Jacobs, Health & Wellness Ambassador 2023
• Dannie Kagan, Director of Leadership 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Adina Taubman, Director of Creative Activism 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Yadira Guevara-Prip Artistic Mentor, 2018
• Uma Paranjpe Artistic Mentor 2018, 2021
• Josh Brisa Artistic Mentor 2018, 2020, 2021
• Pat Dye, Artistic Mentor, 2021
• Andrea Velasco, Artistic Mentor, 2019, 2020
• Angela Constantinidou, Artistic Mentor, 2022
• Silvana Gonzales, Artistic Mentor, 2021
• Mikhaella Norwood, Artistic Mentor, 2021
• Sheikh Muhtade, Artistic Mentor, 2021
• Mary Murphy, Artistic Mentor, 2021
• Rony Metayer, Web/IT Consultant 2014 to 2023