Board
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Alice Bishop, Chair
Anita Bruckmeir, Vice-Chair Claire Regan, Secretary/Treasurer Linda Brill, Trustee Jeannine Otis, Trustee Gina Russo, Trustee Susan Sappin, Trustee Elisa Sciortino, Trustee, Governance Committee Chair Kenneth Silber, Trustee, Past President Shari Stein-Ballow, Trustee |
Staff
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Arlene E. Sorkin, MSW, President/CEO, Producer
Arlene, a Staten Island resident, has a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Temple University and a Masters degree in Social Work from Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research. Her expertise and experience include eating disorders, perinatal and newborn health, domestic violence, LGBT topics, and dementia to name a few. While practicing clinical social work, she spent her spare time participating with community theater organizations both on stage (dancing and singing) and behind the scenes. In June 2000, Arlene became affiliated with the Minneapolis-based Illusion Theater when she produced their play, From the Beginning I Did Not Speak in Secret for the Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition in addition to five annual benefits for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with casts of Broadway touring companies. In 2002, she co-founded IlluminArt Productions (which became a 501(c)(3) in 2006) in Michigan with Patty Ceresnie. From February 2005 through May 2009, Arlene was the director of JCC Maccabi ArtsFest at the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America, located in Manhattan, creating and producing week-long arts festivals for teens each summer in various cities which offered workshops and performance in many different art disciplines including acting, musical theater, dance, digital media, visual arts, and vocal music to name a few. This gave her the opportunity to recruit and work with a variety of talented artists-in-residence. In June, 2009, Arlene established IlluminArt Productions in Staten Island, New York as a way to combine her love for theater and social work. |
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Randy Barrett Topper, BFA, Artistic Director, Teaching Artist
Randy has a BFA in Theater from Wayne State University in his native Detroit and will be completing his Masters degree in Social Work at the College of Staten Island this May. As part of his studies, Randy served as a social work intern at The Pride Center of Staten Island, providing individual, group and harm reduction counseling for LGBTQ Youth and their families. Currently, he serves as a social work intern at Project Hospitality’s O’Callaghan House providing individual, group and harm reduction counseling for individuals who are mentally ill and homeless with a history of substance abuse. Randy serves as Artistic Director for IlluminArt Productions. In that capacity, he oversees IlluminArt's Touring Company and directs all of IlluminArt’s plays as well as the annual Empowering Voices Musical Revue Benefit. Randy is responsible for training and developing IlluminArt’s teaching staff. He created IlluminArt's Write-A-Play and ACTive Adults programs, and teaches in IlluminArt school residency programs. Additionally, he developed and facilitates a class in Musical Theater Appreciation for senior adults as well as an adapted curriculum for adults with dementia. Randy authored and directs the plays Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service and A Nation of Immigrants, all performed by IlluminArt's Touring Company. As an actor, Randy has toured nationally with children’s theater companies such as Theatreworks USA, National Theatre for Children, and Dandelion Productions. He also spent a season as a teaching artist at the Florida Studio Theatre. Favorite directorial credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Isn’t it Romantic. In addition, Randy has over 20 years of experience in the summer camp field having worked as an administrator at the JCC Day Camp of Metro Detroit, The JCC of Greater Monmouth County, Surprise Lake Camp and most recently, The JCC of Staten Island. |
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Christine Zahra, BS, Program Director, Teaching Artist
Christine oversees all of IlluminArt's school residencies and is the moderator for Touring Company performances. Since joining in 2015 she has performed in Peace Up, Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, What Goes Around, and Truth in Excess. She is also a Teaching Artist for Write-A-Play, Project Spotlight, and ACTive Adults programs. Christine studied Dramatic Arts, with a concentration in Directing at The College Of Staten Island, where she received her Bachelor's of Science degree. Her greatest achievement and memory while studying at the college was directing American playwright and journalist, Sophie Treadwell's Machinal, alongside her incredible production team, cast and crew of solely students. She is a singer and Musical Theatre Director/Performer, and toured Italy with The Sheepshead Bay Youth Gospel Choir under the choral direction of Kenneth Brown. Christine was the Director, and Choreographer for 10 years at The Ressurection Church Community Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. She studied dance for 18 years (ballet, tap, and jazz) and was a cheerleader for 5 years. She can be seen singing on occasion performing with vocalists, Linda Marie and Nicholas John, The Songbirds, at locations in the 5 Boroughs and New Jersey. She is currently a member of CAMP TLC (Together Living A Challenge), through which she teaches music and coordinates performances for the amazing children at Saint Mary's Hospital, and other events throughout the year. Christine plans to further her education and acquire a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drama Therapy in the near future. Her life mission is to use her talents and wisdom through theatre to raise awareness of todays struggles, providing education and tools that will assist our community, and most importantly, heighten the self-esteem and strength of our youth. |
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Victoria Venezia, BS, Program Associate/Outreach, Teaching Artist
Victoria works with IlluminArt as a Teaching Artist for Project Spotlight, and Write-A-Play with youth and senior adults. She also does outreach and books performances for IlluminArt's Touring Company. Victoria graduated with Honors from the College of Staten Island with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dramatic Arts. As a student she performed in numerous productions including Medea (Medea), The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (Pace), The Skin of Our Teeth (Sabina), Doctor Faustus (Dutchess of Vanholt), The Laramie Project (Reggie Fluty and other various roles), and the student written production The Alchemy of Solitude. At the College, she also directed, produced, and acted in The Vagina Monologues, which she organized as a charity benefit that raised over $12,000 for Safe Horizon. Victoria had the privilege of studying acting under the tutelage of John Dapolito. She also studied acting and voice at HB Studio and Scott Powers Studio. Other acting credits include Ludlow Fair (Rachel), The Great Nebula in Orion (Louise), Boys’ Life (Karen), An Actor’s Nightmare (Ellen) and the original one-woman show With Milk and Four Equals which she wrote. For IlluminArt she has appeared in What Goes Around, Peace Up, Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service, and A Nation of Immigrants. Victoria is also credited with writing two original scripts for Holy Rosary Theater Group; an interactive mystery called All The World's a Stage and a musical entitled Changes. Both were performed by middle and high school students. She has appeared in several short films and also plays the bass guitar and piano. Victoria studied Screenwriting for seven years with Award-Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger in his Master Class and continues to pursue her career as a writer. Victoria is incredibly grateful to finally be able to use her passion for the arts and personal experience to help mentor and empower youth and show them what a powerful outlet a creative life can be. To book a Touring Company performance contact victoria.illuminart@gmail.com. |
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Ariel Marcus, BA, Touring Company Stage Manager, Teaching Artist
Ariel has been a member of IlluminArt's Touring Company. In addition, she has been a teaching artist for our Project Spotlight and Write-A-Play. Ariel has a BA in Theater and Graphic Design from Oswego State University of New York and has worked with the William Esper Studio Manhattan. Ariel has appeared in Peace Up, What Goes Around, Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service, and A Nation of Immigrants for IlluminArt. Ariel recently directed Lysistrata for the Staten Island Shakespearean Theater. She was also a teaching artist with the company 'Speak About It' which looks to bring the language of 'sexy consent' to college students all over the country. She recently completed several months on Norwegian Cruise Line with a Nickelodeon show. Ariel is the color-guard instructor for the Monsignor Farrell Marching Band, and enjoys tossing flags in her spare time. www.arimarc.com |
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Patty Ceresnie, Producing Artistic Director Emeritus, co-founded IlluminArt
Productions with Arlene Sorkin in 2002 and provides ongoing consultation. Trained at the Pasadena Playhouse, Patty has lifelong experience as a singer, dancer, and actor. Her long career in entertainment includes musical theater, night club singing, leading her own band, television commercials, industrial films and 19 years as rehearsal director for the Festival Dancers, a resident dance company at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit (where she met Arlene Sorkin). Working for the Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition (MJAC), Patty assistant produced benefits for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with the national Broadway touring companies of Saturday Night Fever and South Pacific in 1999 and 2000. She played a lead role in MJAC’s production of Illusion Theater’s From the Beginning I Did Not Speak in Secret. Patty directed IlluminArt’s 2003-2005 run of For Our Daughters and directed Project TRUST (Teaching and Reaching Using Students and Theater) in Michigan from 2003-2013. Student actors from four different high schools have presented bullying and violence prevention plays to over 20,000 middle and elementary school students under Patty’s direction. She currently enjoys spending her free time with her 2 beautiful grandchildren. |
Faculty and Touring Company
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Thomas Attino, Teaching Artist
Thomas Attino has been teaching and instructing youth in a variety of capacities for many years. After completion of his English literature Bachelor's Degree from The College of Staten Island, Tom has continued his role of mentorship of students and youth. He has most recently returned from the Adirondack mountains where he was a science education instructor for the company of Nature’s Classroom teaching a wide range of students ages 5 to 25. During his tenure there he was responsible for educating youth in a variety of disciplines including conservation education, wildlife biology, physics and chemistry; in addition to survival skills, camping, backpacking and wilderness instruction. He has recently returned from his adventures around the north eastern wilderness to pursue his masters in English literature at the College of Staten Island with aspirations of an English professorship at the collegiate level. Throughout his professional career, Tom has performed a multitude of theatrical productions including but not limited to, 'Machinal' produced and directed by Christine Zahra, 'Romeo and Juliet', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'The Dying Gaul'. In addition to his acting career, he is an accomplished vocalist and singer. Most recently Tom has been working in the education department of the Staten Island zoo teaching wildlife biology classes, wild animal handling and training as well as many other special events and presentations throughout the Staten Island zoo. Tom is extremely excited for the opportunity to become a teaching artist and work for Illuminart and continue the enrichment of students and youth. |
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Giavanna Bucciero, Actor
Giavanna is an actress and musician who recently graduated from Susan E. Wagner High School. As a freshman, she was an active participant in Wagner's chorus. During her sophomore year, Giavanna auditioned for Legally Blonde: The Musical, and got the role of Grandmaster Chad. The experience sparked a love for both theatre and musicals, prompting her to apply to Wagner's rigorous dramatic arts program. She was accepted and since then says, "Music and acting are the two strongest things in my life; the two things that have made me who I am today." Giavanna is extremely proud to perform with IlluminArt and hopes to impact audiences through her performances while exposing more young people to the dramatic arts. |
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Erica DeJulio, Teaching Artist
Erica is a graduate of the College of Staten Island with a BS in Dramatic Arts and has also studied at the Stella Adler Studio in New York City. Last year she was selected as a Semi-Finalist for ABC's Make Me A Star Contest. Erica is a proud member of IlluminArt's touring company and has performed in their productions of What Goes Around, Peace Up, Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service, and A Nation of Immigrants. At CSI she was featured in Machinal, The Conduct of Life, St. Joan of the Stockyards, and The Dying Gaul. She was also selected as an Irene Ryan Scholarship nominee for the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was showcased at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Baltimore. Her short film credits include The Original Caped Crusader, The Life Watcher, and Headlight. Recently, she has appeared in several commercials. Currently, Erica is teaching IlluminArt's Write-A-Play program and arts enrichment classes. |
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Shane Drucker, Actor
Shane Drucker is an actor and musician who graduated from Susan E. Wagner High School in 2017. During his 4 years he was actIve in the school’s choir as well as playing many roles in Wagner’s Dramatic Arts program such as Emmet Forrest in Legally Blonde: The Musical, Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, and Che in Evita. Shane is thrilled about the opportunity to perform with IlluminArt and hopes to teach important lessons through IlluminArt’s plays. |
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Sarah Franco, Actor
Sarah has just come home to New York in 2017 after four years in Boston, where she earned her BFA in Musical Theater and minor in Comedy Writing & Performance from Emerson College. To follow-up her education, she joined the Patchwork Players tour through the Weathervane Theatre in New Hampshire. Favorite credits include: Nunsense (Sister Robert Anne), Getting Out (Ruby), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Lolly & Puppet Ensemble), Mother Hicks (Izzy), and Sweeney Todd (Pirelli). Sarah has also narrated several audiobooks, including NAPPA & Parent’s Choice Award-winning, “The Thing About Jellyfish” by Ali Benjamin. Sarah is thrilled to join the Touring Company, and can’t wait for the stories yet to be told! For more information about Sarah, visit sarahfranconyc.weebly.com. |
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Justin Giachetti, Actor, Teaching Artist
Justin is a recent Theater Performance graduate at Rider University. Always believing that theater was meant to educate and inspire change as well as entertain, Justin is excited to join the IlluminArt family. Justin is also the co-creator and Artistic Director of Breaking Through The Box, a non profit theater company in Mercer County, NJ. As a non profit organization, they strive to serve as a forum for new work and new views on old work. Justin has also been a leader as Student General Manager of Rider University’s award winning radio station, 107.7 The Bronc. Now pursuing a Master of the Arts in Education, Justin hopes to ignite the same fire in the next generation of artists. Justin is also a director and playwright. Previous creative credits include Little Trifles (Student Film), Inferno: A New Work About Sin (World Premiere in NJ), Do Us Part: A One Night Murder Mystery (Rider University), and Inferno: A New Work About Sin (New York Premiere at the Flea Theater), Faith in Shackles (World Premiere in West Orange, NJ), Titus Andronicus (Mercer County Park in Robbinsville, NJ), and Faith in Shackles (NJ Fringe 2017). |
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Ingrid Marie (Alvarez) Harbour, Teaching Artist
Ingrid is a professional artist with over 17 years experience making, showing and selling her artwork. Classically trained in drawing and painting, she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts at the University of Washington in her hometown Seattle. Ingrid is primarily a painter, using watercolor, acrylics and oils, and has a deep passion for plein air painting in the great outdoors. Based in New York City, Ingrid creates visual art and digital content from her Staten Island studio. She started teaching and face painting children in Brooklyn and Manhattan in 2009, and currently serves as a Teaching Artist at the Staten Island Museum and the Art Lab, both located at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. Employing a interdisciplinary approach to the arts, Ingrid believes that all students can benefit from arts-integrated learning of any subject. Ingrid also works in technology producing video, graphics and written content for IEEE.tv, the science-based online television network of the IEEE organization, featuring world-class engineers and leaders from academia, industry and government. Learn more about Ingrid at: ingridalvarez.comingridalvarez.com/ and artbyingrid.com. |
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Sarah Law, Teaching Artist
Sarah is a performer and theater educator from Brooklyn, New York. She holds a masters in Applied Theater from CUNY SPS. She also holds a BFA in Acting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. For the past 10 years, Sarah has been a part of many theatrical endeavors as an actor, writer, improviser, singer, director and educator in New York. Her passion lies in collaborating with young people and directing original work. Sarah has worked in school residency programs; after school programs; residential treatment centers; Universities; and with organizations such as the CAT Youth Theater, Queens Theater, Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, Manhattan Youth Services, Manhattan Youth Services, Edith and Carl Marks JCH, West Side YMCA, CBE Kids, JDT Lab, Green Chimneys Farm, Neighborhood Improvement Association and The University of Rwanda. Some recent work she has directed with young people include, “The Enchanted Forest,” “The Lion and The Mouse,” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” She hopes to expand education through theater to a plethora of communities and empower young people and humans through imagination and expression. She is currently developing an English Language Learning Program for young people in the village of Nyarugunga, Rwanda. |
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Valerie Pinilla, Teaching Artist
Valerie is a teaching artist and a graduate from the College of Staten Island, earning her B.S. in Psychology and currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work at Stony Brook University. She has been performing since age 14, appearing in the ensemble of many musicals such as No, No, Nannette, Once On This Island, Back to the 80's, Les Miserables, Seussical, and leading roles in Bye Bye Birdie (Mae Peterson) and The Orphan Train (Mrs. Herndon). She has also performed in plays at the College of Staten Island such as The Conduct of Life (Olympia), Duets (Alice), and Three Plays on Love (Lottie/Country Woman). Valerie toured with "Speak About It", a company that promotes healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and sexual assault prevention through theater. Valerie has appeared in What Goes Around, Peace Up, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service, and Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream. |
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Alexandria Popick, Actor
Alexandria is a 2017 graduate of the Michael J. Petrides School where she was involved with SING and with IlluminArt's Project Spotlight for 3 years, appearing in Peace Up, What Goes Around, and People are People which she was also involved in writing. She is currently attending the College of Staten Island majoring in Music. Ally received a Rising Star Award at IlluminArt's 2017 Empowering Voices event. She enjoys writing short stories, poems and songs, playing her violin, and singing. She hopes to pursue a future career as a vocalist. Ally feels working with IlluminArt is a great way to meet new people and a way to inspire and be inspired. She also enjoys talking to children, teaching them the lessons in IlluminArt’s plays and is excited to be in the Touring Company. Ally plays 7 instruments and teaches violin and piano at Rustic Music. |
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Olivia Roldan, Teaching Artist
Olivia has been a member of IlluminArt's Touring Company and teaches Write-A-Play as well as arts enrichment. She graduated from Talent Unlimited High School in Manhattan where she majored in Musical Theater. Olivia’s credits include; A Chorus Line (Connie Wong), Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie), and Jason Brown: A Review, as a solo singer. After High School, Olivia enrolled in Circle in the Square’s Summer Intensive program where she studied all aspects of Musical Theater, culminating in a solo performance at the Gershwin Theater. Olivia starred in the lead role of Leticia, in the play, The Conduct of Life, as a student at CSI. Olivia was also in the chorus of the Harbor Lights Theater Company’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors and in The King and I, as one of the King’s wives. Olivia co-starred as Princess Leela in the Off-Broadway musical The Rajahs Son and Princess Labam located at the Medicine Show theater in Manhattan. For IlluminArt, Olivia has appeared in Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, What Goes Around, Peace Up, Truth in Excess and Table Service. She recently graduated as a Musical Theater major from Marymount Manhattan College. |
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Nora Shvartsberg, Assistant Teaching Artist
Nora is a graduate of Pace University with a BS in Communication Sciences/Disorders and Psychology. Her interest in childhood development combined with her passion for working with youth, has provided her with a variety of professional experience including Arts & Crafts Specialist and Camp Counselor for the Staten Island Jewish Community Center's Summer Day Camp. Most recently, Nora interned with Speak Out New York in their Speech & Language Pathology Department, working with children ages 3-6. A contributing writer for Spoon University, an online food resource website, Nora has published several articles for the organization's nationwide chapter. Nora has extensive performing arts experience that includes acting courses at Pace University and over 10 years of tap and 6 years of jazz dance. An accomplished musician, she plays clarinet, piano and ukulele. Nora is a bi-lingual Teaching Artist, speaking both Russian, conversational Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL). Nora teaches IlluminArt's Write-A-Play program and Hip Hop. |
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Kristi Sorkin, Actor, Teaching Artist, Choreographer
Kristi is a member of IlluminArt’s Touring Company and has entertained audiences at IlluminArt’s annual Empowering Voices events. She has a BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University in Detroit. Kristi studied dance since age 3 (ballet, tap, jazz, hop hop) and now enjoys dancing with her own amazing little girls as well as teaching arts enrichment classses. She worked professionally at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota and participated in the LBS workshop in Manhattan with choreographer John Paolillo. Kristi has also studied acting for daytime drama and sitcoms at the School For Film and Television in Manhattan and appeared in The Bully, a short film co-produced by IlluminArt. Favorite stage roles include: Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, Duckling in Our Country's Good and Maggie Antribus in The Skin of Our Teeth. As an actress she loves to bring honesty, inspiration and a whole bunch of funny to her characters. She has taught Write-A-Play, and currently teaches Hip Hop and choreographs dances for IlluminArt's Write-A-Play school residencies. She has appeared in IlluminArt's Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, What Goes Around, Peace Up, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service and A Nation of Immigrants. Kristi works as a freelance hair stylist and makeup artist as well. Visit KristiSorkin.com to see the many faces of Kristi. |
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Keith Gregory Taylor, Assistant Teaching Artist, Stage Manager
Keith feels the social impact messages of IlluminArt are very personal for him. As a youth he was involved in every school and community theater production he could be but as a teen he was bullied and took to being home-schooled. Keith found solace through stage, film and song and is proud to be able to help spread the message of kindness and acceptance through the performing arts as an adult. Keith teaches IlluminArt's Write-A-Play program and arts enrichment. He has appeared in What Goes Around, Peace Up, Sometimes I Just Want Ice Cream, Truth in Excess, Prescription for Addiction, Table Service and A Nation of Immigrants. Keith was recently the Stage Manager and Assistant Director for Lysistrata at the Staten Island Shakespearean Theater, where he also stage managed King Lear, and is currently stage managing Our Town. In addition to teaching for IlluminArt he is currently stage managing Table Service. |
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Nathan Ullrich, Actor
Has appeared in the Off Broadway National Tour of Tony and Tina’s Wedding (Joey Vitale). His Regional credits include: Oliver (Noah); It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play (Foley Artist) with Harbor Lights Theater Company; Man of La Mancha (Sancho); Angels in America Parts I & II (Prior Walter); and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Schroeder). Nathan is happy to be a part of IlluminArt's Touring Company. |
