April Sigman-Marx (she/her) is a neurodivergent, multi-regional actor, director, intimacy coordinator, and educator who strives to create inclusive, empowered, and embodied practices within every space she occupies.

Upon learning about intimacy work in 2016, April began a journey training in mental health first aid, trauma-informed practices, DEI, anti-racism work, gender and sexuality, anti-harassment work, bystander intervention, nonviolent communication, mediation and conflict resolution, navigating power structures, and consent and boundaries practices, with particular attention on navigating beyond physical boundaries into mental, emotional, artistic, and academic consent. Additionally, she applies her 30+ years of dance, movement, and choreography experience as well as her body language expertise to intimate movement choreography.

Specializing in new work development, April has created, written, directed, produced, and performed in several original solo shows, web series, films, plays, and virtual theatre productions—many of which focus on social justice issues. She is a strong believer in generating the work you are interested in versus waiting for someone to give you permission to create.

Fervent about individualized performance education, particularly amongst emerging artists, April formed the youth performing arts academy and theatre company Take the Stage Productions (2012-2019). She has taught theatre performance courses while on faculty at California State University, Long Beach (2016-2019) and the University of Northern Colorado (2022) and co-founded Thumbprint Studios (2020-present), a digital performance training program, artistic community, and theatre company where she is a Founding Artistic Director.

April earned a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Florida at New World School of the Arts in Miami and an MFA in Acting & Performance Pedagogy from California State University, Long Beach—graduating from both Summa Cum Laude. She has received a teacher training certificate from MICHA: The Michael Chekhov Association, mental health first aid certification from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and intimacy coordination certification (pending) from Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, and she is currently studying with the Trauma-Informed Organization’s Certificate Program. Additionally, she is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Dramatists Guild, the Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME), the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (TYA/USA), and the Fornés Institute.

For more info, visit:

AprilSigman.com

ThumbprintStudios.org

Carolina Pilar Xique (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate theatre and film actress, director, writer, and producer. An LA Native, she received her B.A. in Theatre Arts Performance from Cal State Long Beach, acting in theatrical productions such as Vagina Monologues, Macbeth, Funfair, Stop the World, I Want To Get Off, and After Orlando with Cal Repertory Company. Carolina specializes in devised theatre, having produced productions such as Dreamers: Aquí y Allá (voted “Best Play” by the OC Weekly), Generation XYZ, Mi Amiga La Luna, and Contigo Theatre Company's Stitching Stardust. She directed Venus in Fur, and musically directed First Date, West Side Story, Mulan Jr., and High School Musical.

She has worked with multiple acclaimed Los Angeles arts companies and organizations, including Independent Shakespeare Co., La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, Circle X Theatre Company, Playwrights' Arena, Greenway Theater Court, Projected Nongenue, BLKLST, and the recently disbanded LA STAGE Alliance. In 2020-2021, she served as Artistic Director for Streamlight Theatre Company in Long Beach, which had been the producer of the virtual event, The Festival of Healing, as well as the popular, pandemic-safe Halloween event, Chiu's Haunted Drive-Thru. The company recently disbanded to pursue independent artistic ventures. She is currently working with the BLKLST, a BIPOC created and led mechanism of accountability through transparency and community oversight in the Los Angeles Theatre Community, to create a podcast educating and commenting on the work still needed to bring true anti-racist theatrical practices to the Los Angeles community. Most recently, she has worked with Thumbprint Studios, Mentalhaus, and the Long Beach Playhouse in directing for their 24-hour theatre festivals, respectively. Her artistic work reflects her mission to bring voice to the Afro-Latinx experience and uplift the theatre community in Los Angeles.

Chuk Obasi (he/him) is an actor, writer, director and choreographer. In addition to serving on the advisory board for Collab24 co-producing partner Thumbprint Studios, he currently serves as Co-Director of TÈA Artistry, a company member with the People’s Theatre Project, and a company member with The Private Theatre. He is also an educator, currently a faculty member with the Michael Chekhov Association and Black Arts Institute, and having served as a Movement Project Director at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, a Musical Theatre Adjunct Professor at Drew University, and a frequent guest teacher for LAByrinth among other engagements. He has recently worked with Intersections International (Artist in Residence), the National Dance Institute (Teaching Artist), and STAR Theatre at the Director’s Company (Choreographer). Chuk has performed, written, or directed across disciplines, including theatre, film, television, dance, and live poetry performance.

Obasi is also a social justice activist. He has taught workshops on using art for social justice at colleges, high schools, and professional organizations - most recently including The University of Montana, Emerson College, Fordham University, Fieldston Ethical Culture, Humanities Preparatory Academy, and Girl Be Heard.

Obasi is a proud New York City Native and son of Nigerian immigrants.

Jaina Alexander (she/her) is a singer, actor, educator, dog mom and a Founding Artistic Director of Thumbprint Studios Chicago. A multi-genre artist, Jaina has sung with theatres, opera companies, and choirs all around the Midwest, at award-winning cabaret and jazz clubs, and with The Rolling Stones. Her work as an educator focuses on vocal confidence and flexibility to allow for bold and brave artistic choices. Select projects include: The Secret Garden (Lily, Guest Artist Residency with Cloud County Community College & Manchester Theatres), Chicago Premiere of Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line To Freedom (Ensemble, South Shore Opera Company), The Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezin (Chorus, a multimedia benefit for Holocaust survivors with The Defiant Requiem Foundation). She is also a proud member of Estill Voice (EMT-C), MICHA, VASTA, and Lola Bard Productions.

Katherine Tanner Silverman (she/her) is honored to return to Collab24 as a co-producer during its second fun-filled summer. As an artist Katherine has embraced a renaissance theatre career holding various positions including director, education manager, stage manager, instructor, actor and producer all before moving to Chicago. She holds an M.F.A. in Devised Performance from Columbia College Chicago, a program which included 10-months of intensive study with Arthaus-Berlin in Germany. She served as 2020 Festival Director for The International Voices Project during its first virtual season. During the Pandemic she directed selected scenes from the new play "Sita Burning'' by Ajitha Ready for Chicago Dramatists. She co-devised "Hindsight 2020", a show with an international cast, directed by Rebecca Haley Clark and produced by Those Women Productions. Katherine has developed a new solo performance based on Lady Macbeth's descent into hopelessness titled "Lady M," which will make its in-person debut at the Elgin Fringe Festival this September. She also co-devised "I Consent" with Sheryl Williams and is currently developing "Of Water and Wings'' conceived from writings by Zoe Rose Kriegler-Wenk with the Mentalhaus ensemble. Katherine is an educator with Chicago Dramatists and Beverly Art Center's outreach program where she brings theatre classes to Chicago Public Schools all over the South Side. In her current performance research, Katherine explores the intersections of the living and metaphysical spaces in dialogue with our bodies dubbed “the eternal space.” You can follow Katherine’s theatrical adventures on IG by following @tannerbackstage and @mentalhaus or stay updated on what’s happening in Mentalhaus at www.mentalhaus.org

Lana Palmer (she/her) is a San Francisco-based film and theatre artist, and the managing director of Bread & Butter Theatre. She holds an MBA (Queen Mary University of London), BFA in Film Production and BA in Film Studies (University of Regina), and a Graduate Certificate in Audio Post-Production from Fanshawe College. She is an alumna of the UCLA Professional Programs in Screenwriting and Television Writing, the RIFF Talent Lab, and the Canada Games National Artist Program. Lana is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and the Dramatists Guild.

Lana Palmer is a Canadian-born, San Francisco-based sound designer and composer. Her recent sound design credits include virtual productions of King Lear and Pericles (San Francisco Shakespeare Festival), In Love and Warcraft (American Conservatory Theatre/Perseverance Theatre), Stupid F#cking Bird (University of California, Berkeley), and the radio drama Learning Alone (SFSU). In her pre-pandemic life, recent productions include Bull in a China Shop (Aurora Theatre), The Humans (San Jose Stage), and The Daughters (World Premiere/SF Playhouse). As a composer, her music is heard on over 100 shows airing worldwide. She is excited to make her Custom Made Theatre debut with this production. www.lanapalmer.com

Lauren Heyboer (she/her) (Audience Engagement Coordinator) is a theatre maker currently based in Michigan. With degrees in theatre, English literature, and writing, she works with several theatres in her area as an actor, dramaturg, and stage manager. This past year, she worked with Thumbprint Studios as a production assistant mentee. Passionate about theatre for social change, Lauren also proofreads audiobooks and TYA scripts and plans to pursue a graduate degree in dramaturgy.

Lynreshay Johnson (she/her) is excited to be joining the Collab24 Collective for the first time! A born native of Nassau, Bahamas, Lynreshay ventured to the United States in 2016 to obtain her BA in Theatre Arts from Taylor University. After graduating, she worked as the Artistic Apprentice at Olney Theatre Center for their 2020-2021 season. During her time at OTC, she worked more closely with the administrative aspect of theatre, something that merged her business interest with her artistic ones. Working in this capacity during the pandemic and the movements taking place in the country surrounded by George Floyd’s death, Lynreshay realized that the power to truly change the industry came from the positions of the policy makers, which are still predominantly white spaces today. This led to her application and acceptance to Columbia College Chicago’s Master of Arts Management program, where she is currently excelling in her studies. For the past year, she has worked as an Audience Services intern with The House Theatre Chicago and is now an administrative intern at Mentalhaus. Each step taken in her life is motivated by her personal belief that, “inclusivity is an exhilarating experience, unequaled by anything else, as it provides the ability to create space for those individuals who have not been allowed to do what they are truly passionate about”. Her aspiration is to open up her own theatre center in The Bahamas and industrialize the performing arts in her country. She is grateful for the opportunity to work on this virtual festival and looks forward to the good work that will be produced and the incredible stories that will be told.

Mike Silverman (he/him) earned his Master of Arts Management degree at Columbia College Chicago and holds a BA in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine. Through Mentalhaus, he is extremely excited to be combining two of his passions, the arts and social justice/responsibility. He is proud to be a part of producing content that will help build mental health advocacy, transparency, and safety. The arts and performing have been a love of Mike’s since elementary school. He is fluent in American Sign Language, can remember ridiculously minute details, and has a wonderful wife and three fur babies who mean the world to him. Mike is also interested in many art mediums, particularly theatre, photography, and video games.

Sabrina Loe (she/her) began stage managing theater in high school and carried on through college at CSU Long Beach. She switched to teaching elementary education in Los Angeles during the pandemic. Missing life in theater, she works on projects with friends and former school alumni when possible.

Tracy Ka Hei CHAN (she/her) is an independent art administrator and artist, originally from Hong Kong and based in Chicago, IL. She graduated in May 2022 from Columbia College Chicago’s Bachelor of Arts program in Visual Arts Management, with a minor in Art History. Tracy has specialized in developing exhibitions and programs that engage conversation across diverse cultures and communities. Inspired by her trans-national experience, she is passionate about bringing people together through community events and collective experiences which transcend time, space, and language. Her areas of interest for future projects include theatre performing arts, history of architecture, spatial design, and films.

tracyckh98.wixsite.com/portfolio

tracyckh98@gmail.com

Victoria Melkonyan (they/she) is a West Asian artist based in California. Through the lens of actor, director, and writer, Victoria actively pursues, uplifts, and creates stories for and by People of the Global Majority. They are an alumnus of California State University, Long Beach with a BA in Theatre Performance and have studied with the SITI Company. Through both their art and activism, they hope to increase visibility for SWANA (MENA) and all who are absent from the mainstream in various performance/storytelling mediums.

As part of their tenure as Artistic Director of Theatre Threshold, Victoria produced many topical works such as LatinX, Out of Silence, Growing Up Gay, etc. as well as devising and directing 11.03.2020, and performing in Venus in Fur and devised piece Generation XYZ. Victoria also originated the role of Calypso in Take the Stage Productions’ Rover the Bear. Most recently, Victoria’s play CHEETOS, CHAI, AND CHANCE was produced by Streamlight Theatre as part of their Festival of Healing. Currently, they serve as the Director of Outreach & Education at Thumbprint Studios and curate the quarterly play reading event Thumbprint Reads & Listens, focusing on expanding the canon and highlighting underrepresented voices. They are also part of the BLKLST Collective, working to make LA theatre a more safe and equitable space for all. From the very beginning of their artistic career and education, Victoria has made it a point to face systemic issues head on and embraced the art of calling in and calling to action in everything that they do.