Artist in Residents
director
Heath Cullens
artistic director
Heath Cullens is a freelance director, writer and teacher. He has founded his own Summer Theatre intensive for high school students preparing to audition for collegiate performing arts programs in addition to serving as a guest artist at the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University. Recent Theatre credits include: New York: Dahlia (workshop starring Michael Pemberton), Take Ten (59E59), The Blue Bird (Urban Stages) The Calamity of Kat-Kat and Willie (premiere-Babel Theatre); We Have Separation (HERE); Regional: Doubt, The Laramie Project, Know Dog by Kate Walat (premiere), (Hangar Theatre); Polaroid Stories (Williamstown Theatre Festival); talc (Kennedy Center); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth (Stephen Foster); Warfare by Paul Grellong (premiere-Brown Playwrights Theatre); Strange Brew by Jonathan Cineceroz (premiere), Killer Joe (Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium). Film: Anxious To Die, The Middleman (Official selection of the 2007 LA Shortsfest). Heath is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, a Drama League Directing Fellow, and a recipient of the Garland Wright Directing Award. He received his MFA from the Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium.
acting/improv
LISA CLAIR
accomplished actor and writer
The Art of Physical Theater: What does it mean to find the game and be in the moment whenever we are on stage? We will explore various techniques and traditions of improvisation, ranging from American sketch comedy to commedia dell arte, to clown, to slapstick, to street theater. We will investigate what “funny” means to us, and what gives us the most pleasure while performing for an audience. All this research will culminate in the creation and sharing of a new work that will be part of the week’s final presentation.
This is Lisa Rafaela Clair’s second year as a JCC Maccabi ArtsFest artist-in-residence. After graduating Bard College, Lisa joined the Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis. She used a Rimon Ackerberg Travel Study Grant to study European clowning with Pierre Byland at the Burlesk Center in Locarno, Switzerland, and she was awarded "Artist of the Year- Playwright" and "Top Ten Performances of the Year" in 2007 by the Twin Cities City Pages for her original creation Jake-a-Dee Myer. Since arriving back in her native New York, Lisa has performed with The Woman's Project and with Clubbed Thumb. She is also a co-founder of the New York-based arts collective The Metric System. She was last seen at The Brick Theater's NY Clown Festival. Lisa played a cactus.
dance
LAUREN SHAVITZ
dancer/choreographer
Listen to the Sound of Your Soul ...and Dance: Develop your passion to dance and perform through daily classes in jazz technique, which will evolve into contemporary, lyrical, and musical theater skills. You will improve your technique, strength, and flexibility, making you a better all-around dancer and performer. Express your individual creativity while we work together on choreography, improvisation, and repertory for our final performance.
A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Lauren Shavitz has studied jazz and tap all her life and been dancing professionally and teaching for 25 years. She has experience with jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, tap, and creative dance for all levels and ages. Lauren has danced with Performing Arts Modern Dance Theater Company in Johannesburg as well as working as a resident dancer for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. She was also a member of Jazz Dance Theater South in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jazz Spectrum in Orange County, California.
photography
STACEY TAXIN
photographer
Hailing form the City of Brotherly Love, Stacey brings 10 years of photography experience to Southern California. After receive her BFA from the University of Colorado, Stacey moved to Laguna Beach, CA and quickly put her talents to work. Her East Coast flair, classical training and attention to detail bring out the best of every photo.
Stacey can be found frequently shooting photo layouts for the Tasting Panel Magazine. In her free time, she also teaches children’s art classes at the local Jewish Community Center.
Stacey’s portfolio includes modern photo editorials, a vibrant fine art collection, wedding photography, and timeless portraits. Her extensive world travel has allowed her to intertwine her cultural experiences into her work and give each piece an objective, artistic point of view.
film and TV production
KIM HAYES (new)
producer and director
Television Reality: Want to experience working on a TV film? Using state-of-the-art equipment and technology, independent television producer and show creator Kim Hayes will guide you in this unique filmmaking experience. In an intensive four-day program, students will conceive, write, direct, act in and shoot a five to ten minute film that will be screened during the closing talent showcase.
Independent filmmaker Kim Hayes has worked as a producer/director in the television industry for over a decade, creating network pilots for the Walt Disney Co., Imagine Entertainment, and the Fox network, and producing and directing national television commercials and award-winning short films. As an artist and his own production designer working primarily with animatronic puppets, Hayes’ films feature a distinct look and vision.
jazz ensemble
MATTAN KLEIN
internationally renowned touring musician
Get in the Groove Explore world music and a multitude of jazz music genres from across the globe. The main focus will be ensemble performance and establishing a strong sense of rhythm. We will bridge between cultures and musical traditions in a supportive and growth-oriented environment. You will enjoy working individually, but also in sections and as a large ensemble.
Mattan Klein is returning for his fourth year at JCC Maccabi ArtsFest. He performs extensively on stages across North America, most recently at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and is often touring the world as a leader and as a sideman. He regularly plays with Israeli legends such as Yoni Rechter and Miki Gavrielov. Mattan’s awards include the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Jazz Composition category and the 2003 USA Songwriting Contest. Since September 2007, Mattan has been a faculty member at the New York School of Sacred Music at the Hebrew Union College.
musical theater
NAOMI ACKERMAN (new)
actor, educator, director and producer
Let’s Put on a Show! Do you sing and dance around your room? Bring that love of musical theater and work with others just like you. In addition to preparing numbers from musicals you love, you will explore your personal creativity by writing original pieces. We’ll also learn a song from a well-known Israeli musical (no Hebrew experience needed!). Through vocal exercises, movement, improvisation, and theater technique, you will have a chance to enhance your performance skills and create amazing professionally choreographed routines for the culminating performance.
Born in New York, Naomi Ackerman moved to Israel with her family in 1973, where she lived until they relocated to Los Angeles in 2006. She received a B.A. from Hebrew University and graduated from the prestigious Nissan Nativ Israeli Acting Studio. Naomi is an experienced actress whose credits include musicals, drama/comedy, film and television. She has performed her acclaimed one-woman show, Flowers Aren’t Enough (which she researched and wrote) around the world over one thousand times. Promoting tolerance and dialog, Naomi has been part of various Arab-Jewish productions sponsored by the Peres Center for Peace. She is thrilled to be an artist-in-residence for ArtsFest in New Orleans and is looking forward to singing her heart out with the participants.
rock music
YONI LEVIATAN
performer and producer
Becoming A Band (A Successful One); Discover what it takes to be in a band from start to finish, from learning to play your instrument to working with other players and creating your own fresh sound. We will form bands based on style, ability and instrumentation. As we play, cover, jam and turn inside out the music of your choice (picked through general agreement… part of the band concept!) you’ll learn what it takes to be a successful band from both a musical and business perspective. In addition to creative and performance concepts like arranging and stage presence, you’ll also learn how to get your band off the ground and gain fans by booking shows, promoting through the Internet, and getting press coverage; we’ll also go over how to make your band a business, secure licensing and sponsorship deals, and get your first album recorded.
A Hanukkah gift of a toy guitar the year he turned three was Yoni Leviatan’s first clue that he was destined to be a musician. Soon after college, Yoni was producing instructional music content for Warner Publications and collaborating on projects for artists such as Green Day, Ray Charles, Peter Frampton and others. As a solo artist fronting the project Songs of Yoni, his debut album Extra Credit has been licensed to major TV shows The Hills, Real World, My Super Sweet 16 and others. Yoni has been featured on South Florida TV and print media, and performed at events including a Barack Obama rally during the recent presidential campaign.
visual art
LYNNE KAPLAN (new)
artist and educator
Exploring Mixed Media: With the focus on mixed media, artists will learn new and exciting ways to create paintings and wire sculptures. You’ll get the materials as well as hands-on training on using color, texture, and new media. Whatever your skill level, you will create work of a subtlety that you couldn’t imagine. The group will gain a deeper understanding of art concepts and techniques, while individual artists will develop their unique ideas.
California artist Lynne Kaplan was born in South Africa. After graduating from the University of Witwatersrand with a degree in fine art, Lynne went on to the Johannesburg School of Arts, where she specialized in interior and industrial design. Subsequent years in the fashion and design world have cultivated Lynne's fascination with color and texture. Her experimental approach with a variety of mixed media and artistic techniques has led to a number of exhibitions. Lynne's passion for art has, in particular, blossomed through teaching. Since her early experiences in South Africa, she has been instructing both adults and children in acrylic and oil, graphic design, mixed media, pottery and sculpture.
vocal music
BETH SCHAFER
singer/songwriter
Artists in Song: Calling all singers! Spend time enhancing your on-stage performance skills, as a soloist as well as part of an ensemble or choir. We’ll examine song styles and how they reflect the identity of the vocal artist, the crafting of performance techniques, as well as emotional authenticity during a performance. We will work on your rhythmic skills, your pitch, and your ability to harmonize. We will be the voices of the ArtsFest new anthem, recording the final piece as part of our workshop and performing it as part of the finale. We will also talk about songwriting and recording original songs.
Beth Schafer is an award-winning songwriter whose contemporary Jewish music shows blend first-class musicianship with a little teaching and a little theater into a high-impact experience. Beth has been a guitarist since the age of six and attended the University of Miami School of Music on a jazz scholarship, graduating with honors. Beth’s infectious energy, well-crafted songs, and intelligent lyrics, coupled with a great band, have made her a leading act in the Jewish music world. Her audiences are no longer only Jewish; she has many fans of all faiths who have found that her messages and music touch them. It is her universality that placed her at center-court for the half-time show at an Orlando Magic game, won her the faith-based competition of American Idol Underground in 2006, and brought her into the political world to perform for President-elect Barack Obama as part of his campaign fundraising efforts. She has been the guitarist-in-residence for the Union for Reform Judaism’s national conferences for the past eight years and is frequently a featured artist at folk festivals and conferences nationwide.
production stage manager
CAROL A. SULLIVAN
Carol will “run the show” and make sure that everyone shines at the talent showcase on closing day.
Carol Sullivan’s production credits include work on Broadway’s I Am My Own Wife and Match; Off Broadway with 59E59 Theaters, Target Margin Theatre, and Urban Stages. Her festival work includes NYC Fringe Festivals 2003-2007, NY Musical Festivals, 2006 Edinburgh Fringe and 2008 JCC Maccabi ArtsFest in Fairfax, Virginia. She is an active member of Actor’s Equity and enjoys volunteering for Broadway Bares, The Actor’s Fund and The 52nd St. Project.
Here’s what prior year Artists in Residence have to say:
ArtsFest's momentum has begun and being a Jewish, creative teenage soul now means there is a place to join with other Jewish, creative teenage souls.
(Stacy Beyer, vocal music artist in residence Baltimore 2006).
What an intense, rewarding, inspiring, challenging and fulfilling week! The students were all terrific - I was consistently impressed with their level of dedication and commitment!
(Tamara Keshecki, classical ensemble artist in residence Deal Park 2007).
“Fantastic program. It was a gift to be part of it.”
(Sam Glaser, vocal music artist in residence Deal Park 2007).
“Simply put, an amazing experience for the participants and Artists in Residence.”
(Josh Nelson, rock/pop bands artist in residence Baltimore 2006, Deal Park 2007).
“I love Artsfest. The greatest Jewish teen program in America for the creative crowd.”
(Mattan Klein, jazz ensemble artist in residence, Baltimore 2006, Boca Raton & Deal Park 2007).
