Hilary Asare (Narrator) is a Ghanaian-American actress, writer, and New York Neo-Futurist. You can hear her work on Hit Play, a New York Neo Futurist podcast. She has recently been in New Ohio Theatre’s Ice Factory Festival: Icons/Idols: Outside of Eden (2019), We Need Your Listening (2020), and the The Neo-Futurist's 45 Plays for America's First Ladies (2020).
Iris Beaumier (Cyra) is happy to be back creating with her ICONS/IDOLS family. TV/Film credits include "Modern Love" (Amazon), "Blindspot" (NBC), "Alternatino" (Comedy Central), and "Mariannes Noires" (Round Room Image), a documentary about Afro-French womanhood screening in the U.S. and abroad. She most recently starred in "Don't Stay Safe" (2021 Drama League Nomination) and played the title role in The Dark Star from Harlem: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker at La MaMa (VIV Audelco 2020 Best Lead Actress Award). She's also performed in Ragtime, Godspell (Theatre Aspen), ICONS/IDOLS: Outside of Eden (New Ohio Theatre), and Dr. Rees Ziti’s Pageant for a Better Future (ArsNova ANTFest). Iris is a proud New York City native and Carnegie Mellon alum. www.irisbeaumier.com
Isabella Dawis (Constantine VI) is a performer and playwright. Trained as a classical musician, she collaborates with artists of all disciplines on genre-crossing new works. Recent: Peerless (Theater Mu, opposite sister Francesca), Sweat (Center for Contemporary Opera), The Magic Flute (Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra), NY Philharmonic (soloist), American Theatre Wing’s SpringboardNYC. Bookwriter/Lyricist: Half the Sky (Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award, 5th Avenue Theatre Radio Play/First Draft Commission, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Lotte Lenya Competition Songbook), Sunwatcher (Civilians R&D), 24 Hour Viral Musicals. B.M. summa cum laude, piano performance, University of Minnesota; Classical Voice, New England Conservatory; Rockwell Scholarship, Primary Stages ESPA. www.isabelladawis.com
Hannah Eakin (Constantine V) is so happy to return to the Byzantine Choral Project with this wonderful group of artists. Her favorite credits include Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins; Jane in Tarzan (The Barn Theatre); the regional premiere of The Bridges of Madison County (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); and Mary Martin-of-Tours in Sister Act (Westchester Broadway Theatre). Most recently, she played Berenice in the award-winning short film Berenice, for which she also served as director and designer. She is a proud graduate of Oklahoma City University. Many thanks to Grace, Helen, and Robert, and much love to Mama, Daddy, and Sam.
Julia Izumi (Ensemble Voices) is a playwright and performer. Her work has been developed at MTC, Clubbed Thumb, WP Theater, Berkeley Rep, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ojai Playwrights Conference, and Seattle Rep. She is a New Georges Audrey Resident and an upcoming New Dramatists member. As a performer, she has been seen at HERE, Bushwick Starr, La MaMa, Dixon Place, Mabou Mines, Fresh Ground Pepper, the Motor Company, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. She received an MFA in Writing for Performance from Brown University. She is getting better at Mario Kart. www.juliaizumi.com
Lukas Papenfusscline (Staurakios) is a queer based in NYC creating & performing new music and theatre. Working with both ancient sources and contemporary compositions, their style fuses traditional performance practice with experimentation, improvisation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Shanta Parasuraman (Megaris) is an actor, singer, writer, and musician originally from the DC area. Recent credits include Outside of Eden (New Ohio Theatre), The Wolves (Studio Theatre), White Pearl (Studio Theatre), Yentl (Theatre J), and the national tours of The Buddy Holly Story and Remarkably Normal. She received a BA in Theatre/Drama and Telecommunications from Indiana University. www.shantaparasuraman.com
Yael Shavitt (Leo) is an actress and filmmaker. She’s the creator of the award-winning miniseries SPLIT on Amazon Prime. Yael performed at the Public Theater with Obie Award winners 600 Highwaymen in The Record, and with Icons/Idols at New Ohio Theatre in Outside of Eden. A founding member of the theater collective Asylos, Yael co-created and performed in Asylos’ Envy on Fire (Exponential Festival), Woolgatherers (Frigid Festival), Crystal Jukebox Hymn, and the immersive piece Out of the Ash. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) and the Thelma Yellin School of the Arts (Israel). www.YaelShavitt.com
Kay Weber (Irene), Mezzo Soprano, is a dynamic performer with a commitment to communication through music. Kay's work includes both opera and musical theater, performing with symphony orchestras, and Off Broadway musicals. Some of her credits include Sweetee at NY's Signature Theater Directed by Pat Birch, Soloist in Bernstein's Requiem with Tucson's True Concord and Handel's Messiah with Syracuse's Symphoria. Last (but certainly not least!) both 2016's Icons/Idols and 2019's Outside of Eden productions at The New Ohio Theater as Irene. She received a double bachelors from the Eastman School of Music in Voice Performance and Music Education.
Helen Banner (Playwright) is a playwright and librettist as well as a former adjunct professor at Birkbeck College, University of London teaching the religious, political and social history of Late Antiquity. A former member of the JAM at New Georges and the Ingram New Works Lab at Nashville Rep, their work has been shown at NYTW (Next Door), the Drama League, OPERA America and The Tank among other venues. Their play Intelligence will be presented at The Assembly, Roxy Upstairs for this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Lucy Jackson Productions and Dutch Kills Theater Company. www.helenbanner.com
Grace Oberhofer (Composer/Sound Design/Ensemble Voices) is an award-winning composer with a focus on non-traditional music theater. A Tacoma, WA native and Tufts graduate, Grace also works as a performer, sound designer, and educator. An alumna of the BMI Workshop, her work has been developed/presented by OPERA America, The Tank, New Georges, Corkscrew Festival, Seattle Rep, and Central Square, among others. Other compositional projects include Hot Cross Buns and A Doll’s House: A New Opera. www.graceoberhofer.com
Robert Frost (Music Director) is an NYC-based pianist, music director, and educator. Robert has worked with 5th Avenue Theater, New Dramatists, Lincoln Center, Ogunquit Playhouse, O’Neill Theatre Center, The Cher Show (Lab), Berkshire Theater Group, New Georges, Brown University, NYU, Theatre Latté Da, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Arkansas Rep, Under the Radar Festival (Public Theatre), Sharon Playhouse, and Molloy College. Voice Faculty: NYU Tisch (New Studio on Broadway). www.rfrostmusic.com
Nathan Leigh (Audio Engineer/Sound Design) has designed for theatres including New York Theatre Workshop, Cherry Lane Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group (Broadway World Berkshires Sound Design of the Decade for Godspell), Stoneham Theatre (IRNE Best Sound Design 2009 for Strangers On A Train), Central Square Theatre (IRNE Best Sound Design 2010 for The Hound of the Baskervilles), and many more. With Kyle Jarrow, Nathan co-created the musicals Big Money (WTF Boris Segall Fellowship 2008) and The Consequences (World Premiere 2012 at WHAT). With the Liars and Believers ensemble, Nathan Leigh composed scores for adaptations of Song of Songs, Icarus, and A Story Beyond.
Emily Caffery (Producer) is a theater producer and actor living in Brooklyn (Lenapehoking). She is the artistic producer of The Assembly, developing new work including In Corpo (upcoming at Theatre Row), Seagullmachine (La MaMa), HOME/SICK (JACK), and I Will Look Forward to This Later (New Ohio). Other producing/management: Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival; PROTOTYPE Festival; Colt Coeur’s Eureka Day (NY Times Critic’s Pick); and Hypokrit Production’s Elements of Change, a Climate Week NYC collaboration with UNICEF, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and GreenPoint Innovations. NY acting includes: Seagullmachine (La MaMa), King Lear (Brick), The Tempest, Marat/Sade (Columbia), Animal Wisdom choir (Bushwick Starr). Alumna: Wesleyan University, National Theater Institute. emilycaffery.com
David Gibbs (Press Representative) (he/him) is the founder of DARR Publicity, a boutique press agency specializing in theater, dance, film, music-driven shows and unique theatrical experiences. Clients include The Amoralists, Company XIV, Ice Factory Festival, La MaMa, Molière in the Park, New Ohio Theatre, Pig Iron and PTP/NYC. David has publicized shows at many Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway venues throughout NYC. His clients have won Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie and Off Broadway Alliance Awards. www.DarrPublicity.com
The Byzantine Choral Project is a dynamic collaboration between playwright Helen Banner and composer Grace Oberhofer to make theater using women’s (cis & trans) and nonbinary voices. Inspired by the Byzantine Empresses Irene, Maria and Euphrosyne, they are creating work that showcases the radical power of strong, diverse performers singing on stage and explores the importance of imagery, representation and iconoclasm in classical and contemporary life. byzantinechoralproject.com
