2018 Institute Class introduces themselves

Amanda Chandler. I am a resident of Harrisonburg, Virginia and graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2014 with a B.A. in Theater and History.  I have been a member of Inside Out Playback Theatre since 2014, using Playback and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques with groups such as migrant farm workers, refugee and immigrant students in English language learning classes, and students returning from study abroad semesters. I am an active member of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and am currently serving on a committee to revitalize Gemeinschaft Home for recently incarcerated men re-entering society.  In my spare time, I enjoy cycling around the Shenandoah Valley, reading, writing and any and all live music.  

Paul DeFilippo is currently a Queens College student double-majoring in English and Drama/Theatre, and the Treasurer of the Queens College Theatre Guild. He has written about theatre and hip hop music/culture for the Queens College student blog, QC Voices. As a theatre actor, Paul has appeared in theatre productions such as: Twelfth Night, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, An Octoroon and, most recently, The Tempest. Last month, he directed his first full-length production of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters.

Stephen Earnhart.  Hi folks!  I’ve been working in the New York film & theater worlds as a director/writer/performer for over 20 years. As a theater maker, I focus on visual storytelling to create cinematic stage productions. My last full-scale production was a multimedia adaptation of Haruki Murakami's best-selling novel “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.”  In the film world, I was previously Director of Production for Miramax Films and did three seasons at SNL. Documentaries I directed include “Mule Skinner Blues” and “Source of Pride: The Making of Pride & Glory.” I produced video content for David Byrne, Barnes & Noble, IBM, American Express, Kenneth Cole, and Radio City, and internet content for artists such as Santana, KD Lang, The Who, Seal, Sammy Hagar, Sheryl Crowe, and The Wallflowers.  I just finished my first year at Naropa University’s MFA program for theater performance. I’m also a Kundalini yoga teacher. I’m searching for new ways to use my skills at the intersection of art, wellness, healing and social impact, and I’m super excited to be a part of the summer intensive!

Eliot Feenstra. I am a theatre-maker as well as an organizer, facilitator, scholar, and farmer. I'm currently finishing up an MA in Performance Studies at York University in Toronto. My work as a theatre-maker focuses on theatre, ritual, and rural communities--arts in collaboration with rural community economic development and particularly rural queer/trans and marginalized communities and how people forge a sense of place/belonging/stewardship. I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA; my dad is the child of Dutch immigrants to British Columbia and my mom's from the South; and have been living and making theatre in rural southern Oregon in collaboration with the Oregon Humanities, Ford Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, and Rural Organizing Project for the past several years. 

Starleisha Michelle Gingrich is a theatre professional who lives and works in Lancaster, PA and yes there are more than just Amish there! She works in a box office, teaches beginner acting to 8-14 year olds, and does publicity for a local theatre non-profit. She is excited to be joining the Cornerstone family for what will be an enriching and exciting experience in Queens this summer!

Hi, I'm Jack Jackson! I'm a senior theatre major at Reed College in Portland Oregon. I've dabbled in every aspect of theatre making, but have the most experience as a deviser and dramaturg. When I'm not studying, I spend my time reading or playing D&D. 

Claire Kostova is currently majoring in Drama and Theatre at Queens College. Her areas of concentration are Acting, and Lighting Design and has experience with various theatre-related positions. She looks forward to meeting and working with everyone at Cornerstone Theatre!

Sarah Meister. Hello all! I am a director and theatermaker originally from the suburbs of New York City, and I'm thrilled to be participating in this year's Cornerstone Institute. After graduating from Carleton College in 2016, I spent two years working for a college access nonprofit and making community-based theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul, where my interest in the relationship between social justice and the arts grew significantly. This fall, I will begin the Master's program in Applied Theater at the CUNY School for Professional Studies. 

Haawka (Greetings)!  My name is Kenny Ramos and I am Diegueño Iipay/Kumeyaay from the Barona Band of Mission Indians; I grew up on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County before attending UCLA where I graduated with a BA in American Indian Studies.  I've been involved with Cornerstone Theater Company since 2014 and was in the cast of their production of Urban Rez, which literally changed my life and continually inspires me and the work I do as a theater artist within my community!  I studied at the Center for Theater of the Oppressed in Rio de Janiero and am in the Artist Ensemble of Native Voices at the Autry, the country's leading professional Native American theater company, as well as a company member of Dancing Earth Creations, a professional dance company specializing in Indigenous Contemporary dance!  As an actor, I have worked on Native-written theater work at Cornerstone Theater Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland), The Rose Theater (Omaha, NE) and the John F. Kennedy Center (Washington, DC).  I love Cornerstone and I can't wait to meet everyone and I am looking forward to growing through this experience together!

Hi, my name is Kayla Rivera and I am 20 years old. I'm a proud member of the LGBT+ community, and I love to express myself through theater and improv. I'm very excited to bring this community piece to life both as a collaborator, and as a born and raised Queens native. 

Taylor St. John. I am a current M.F.A. Directing Candidate at The University of Memphis. Prior to returning to grad school, I was based in Kansas City, MO where I taught theatre and worked as a freelance actor and director developing new plays. My work explores the questions: How can we create experiences and events that could only happen through the medium of theatre? How can art be a vehicle for creating community and seeking justice for voices not always given a seat at the table? I love working with young people, devising original work, and entering worlds not available to me in my every day life. Currently, I live in Memphis, TN with my fiancé Mary, dog Opie, and cat Olive. 

Anissa Weinraub is a public school educator, theater-maker and organizer, living and working in Philadelphia. Currently, her best work can be viewed during any school day at the Academy at Palumbo HS, where she is lucky enough to teach students about speculative fiction, visionary theater, and how to claim their fullest selves in order to push back against structural oppression.  She loves facilitating ensemble-based devising processes, telling stories to live audiences, and convening groups of people to strategize toward collective change.  She is very excited to learn and grow alongside everyone this summer. 

Hi, I'm Ariella Wolfe, Northern California born-and-raised (but currently based in Los Angeles). I have loved performing in musicals and playing music since I was a little kid, but my experiences directing, stage managing and working in community and Applied Theatre spaces have really helped shape who I am. I graduated from the University of Oregon (Theatre major, Psychology & Spanish minors) in 2015 after also studying abroad in Buenos Aires and then spent a year in the fellowship program at A.C.T. in San Francisco. I am passionate about social justice, and you can usually find me eating yummy food, reading (plays), singing, or spending time in nature. 

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