How to Defend Yourself

This production of How To Defend Yourself contains graphic dialogue about sexuality and sexual violence, as well as mentions of eating disorders. It also utilizes flashing lights. Recommended for mature audiences.

CAST BIOS:

Emma Baker (she/her) is a fourth year theatre and performance / arts management double major from Dansville, New York. SUNY Purchase credits include Marisol (Stage Manager), My Body, My Health, My Choice (Meredith), Fefu and Her Friends (Cecilia), and As You Like It (Audrey). She would like to thank her family for always supporting her, and the cast and crew of How To Defend Yourself!

Brandon Belcher is very honored and excited to take part In this production! He aims to portray Andy as authentically as he can.Brandon has been in productions of Le Mis (Marius) Jekyll and Hyde (Prostitute Owner) Clue (Wadsworth) Pippin (Pippin) and Ordinary days (Jason).

Solangel Galindo is a fourth year BA theater and performance student from the Bronx. Purchase Rep credits include Fefu and Her Friends (Juila) , The Silent Observer (Brenda) and Cutting Hair (Elena). Other credits include Rufus is Missing (Haley) and Seven Guitars (Vera). Many thanks to her mentors who have been a great influence to her, as well as her family and friends who have supported her in her on-going journey.

Roxane Guyton Vonneck

Izabella Hamboussi is an alumni of Purchase College as of this past year, May 2023 and is so excited to be working on How To Defend Yourself as a featured guest artist. She graduated from Purchase with a BA in Theatre & Performance and a BS in Communications. During her college career, she was in both Soul Voices Ensemble and Jazz Choir and starred in Ordinary Days as Deb for her senior project. Many thanks to her family, friends and boyfriend who supports her in all of her endeavors!

Kiana Hindi is a fourth year theatre and performance major from Phoenix, Arizona. Purchase credits include MacBeth (US Lady M & Banquo), What If If Only (Present), and The Attic (Mother). Other credits include Antigone (Antigone) and Les Miserables. She’d like to thank Philip and her wonderful parents and family for all their endless support.

Winnie Hurd is a fourth year transfer theatre and performance actor from Alexandria, Virginia. She is excited to be back on the stage and making her debut at Purchase College. She is so grateful for her family and friends who are so always supportive!

Therese (Tea) Marie Rigor (any pronouns) is a second year theatre and performance major and Asian studies minor from Gainesville, Florida. Purchase credits include As You Like It (Jaques) and Emily Coates’ Some Things We Know (musician). Other credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Present), And (Director), and more. Many thanks to the cast and crew for helping bring this story to life!

Jackson Sorice is in his second year at Suny Purchase in the theatre and performance program. Past credits include As You Like It (Le Beau/Silvius), Much Ado About Nothing (Benedict), The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), David Copperfield (Mr.Murdstone), and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Linus). Many thanks and lots of love to all the people who have supported him throughout his life.

Sophia Zheng is a first year Theatre and Performance major from Brooklyn, New York. This is her first show at Purchase. Many thanks to her family and friends who supported her throughout her acting journey.

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION BIOS:

Cayd Barrera is a fourth year BA theatre and performance student from Cape Cod, MA. They have worked in directing, production, performance, and design capacities for many shows on campus. They would like to thank Olivia, Casey, Kylie, Kat, and Ash, as well as the spectacular technical team and actors.

Jeremy Burd is a fourth-year lighting designer and programmer from Long Island, NY. After graduation, Jeremy plans to start working professionally, touring worldwide with various artists. As for now some of his Purchase credits Include: How To Defend Yourself | Lighting Designer, Cyrano De Bergerac | Assistant Lighting Designer. Professional Credits Include: Sesame Street: The Musical | Lighting Designer, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show | Lighting Designer, SOFI TUKKER Tour 2023 | Associate Lighting Designer.

Carsyn Gekas is a fourth year BFA dancer from Dallas,Texas and received her early training at Booker T. Washington High School and Dance Industry PAC (2020). Carsyn has performed works by Kyle Abraham, Mark Caserta, Peter Chu, Martha Graham, Micaela Taylor and more. Carsyn has had the opportunity to choreograph various projects and help movement direct for How to Defend Yourself!

Dahsir Hausif, a New York native, trained from the age of 6 in multiple dance styles, from technical styles to street styles and physical dance theater. He has had the honor of performing and making work throughout. Earning his BFA in dance performance and composition. He is a choreographer, filmmaker, photographer and creative developer.

Glo Jackson is a third year scenic design concentration with an interest in scenic artistry. Their credits include: “Fefu and Her Friends” (assistant props charge), “Twelfth Night” (props charge) and most recently, “How To Defend Yourself” (props charge).They’d like to thank their family and friends for loving and supporting them.

Sean Lillis

Julia Little is a fourth year in the BFA theatre design/tech program with a concentration in Technical Direction/Production Management. Some of her Purchase Rep credits include: Orestes/Good Goods (Production Carpenter), Orpheus Descending (Lead Technical Designer), and Life is a Dream (Lead Shop Carpenter). She has also worked at “The Fisher Center for Performing Arts” the past two summers. Julia gives special thanks to her parents, grandparents, and long time friend Shira Barnir.

Olivia Paquet is a fourth year theater design technology major with a concentration in Stage Management. She has worked on Waiting for Godot (ASM), Cyrano De Bergerac (SM), Road (PSM) and The Attic (PSM). She would like to thank her family and friends for all their loving support. Enjoy the show!

Zhengxue Qiao is a fourth year BFA Scenic Designer. From Purchase Rep credits include:How to Defend Yourself（Scene Design), Cyrano De Bergerac (Assistant Scene Designer), Proud to Present (Props Charge), Good Goods (Paint Charge), Orestes (Paint Charge).Many thanks to his family and everyone else who supports him!

Katie Thorn is a third year theater design/technology major with a concentration in stage management from Poughkeepsie, NY. Purchase credits include: As You Like It (ASM), Orestes (Programmer), Cyrano de Bergerac (A1), Fefu and Her Friends (ASM), and We are Proud to Present…(A1). Other credits include: Henri VIII (Spot Cue Caller) at Summerscape at Bard college. She would like to give a big thank you to her roommates, friends and family for all the support and love.

Kat Tobits is a third year Theatre and Performance director from Readsboro, VT. Past credits include For Thine is the Kingdom (Co-director), Mac Beth (Banquo), and As You Like It (Assistant Director). Many loving thanks to her family and friends for their undying support!

Mace Veeder-Shave is a third-year BFA costume design and technology student from Hyde Park, NY. Purchase Rep credits include: Twelfth Night( Assistant designer) and Serious Money (Assistant designer). They’d like to thank their family and their friends (especially their roommates!) for their support.

Tess Walsh is a dramaturg from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in their last semester at Purchase completing their degrees in Anthropology and Theatre and Performance. Recently, they served as dramaturg on Bonefruit by Leah Plante-Wiener at the Tank, had a reading of a new play they’re writing at the Makers’ Ensemble, and performed in + dramaturged their thesis adaptation of As You Like It. They’d like to thank Ash, Cayd, and Kat for their intrepid leadership, the cast, crew, and SMs for slaying, and Liliana Padilla for this beautiful, heartbreaking play.

Ash Marinaccio is a director and multidisciplinary documentarian working in theatre, photography, and film. She is dedicated to storytelling highlighting the socio-political issues defining our times and regularly works throughout the United States and internationally. For her work, Ash has received the Lucille Lortel Visionary Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women, a Drama League Residency, fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, NY Public Humanities, and National Endowment for the Humanities, been listed as one of Culture Trip’s “50 Women in Theatre You Should Know”, and is a two time TEDx Speaker. Currently, Ash is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Media Studies at Queens College and Ph.D. Candidate in Theatre and Performance at the CUNY Graduate Center, where she is completing her dissertation on nonfiction theatre in war zones. Ash is the founding artistic director of the United Nations recognized NGO Girl Be Heard and founder of Docbloc (docblocprojects.org), dedicated to bringing artists across documentary genres together for live performance collaborations. She is thrilled to be working on “How to Defend Yourself” and sends gratitude to the cast and creative team. Special love and thanks to her husband, Ryan. Connect: ashmarinaccio.com and on Instagram: ashmarinaccio.

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College.