People

Sarah Wansley (Artistic Director) is a New York-based director and producer. Directing credits with Aporia include Bare Naked Drama, The Disappearance of Jonah, Moonlight, The Real Inspector Hound, No Exit, and The Real Thing. As a Directing and Producing Assistant at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, Sarah had the opportunity to assist such inspiring directors as Tina Landau, Emily Mann, and Roger Rees. Other directing credits include The Suitcase (Looking Glass Theatre Writer/Director Forum) and What the Future Awaits (McCarter Theatre Center Youth Ink Festival). Sarah graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University and currently works as the Assistant to the Producing Director at The Flea Theater.

Lydia Brunner (Director of New Play Development) writes, performs and produces plays in the New York area. She recently started Aporia’s playwriting group. Acting credits include Titus Andronicus (The Brick), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Looking Glass Theatre), Happy Hour (45th Street Theater), Macbeth (Chashama), Pound (Miller Theater), Rainbow Monologues, Agamemnon, The Thing About Robocop, and Listen to Me. Her film credits include Insomnia, a SAG short film. She has worked as an assistant on Othello (The Juilliard School), and Twelfth Night (Barnard College). Lydia spent a summer at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and graduated cum laude from Columbia last May. She currently works at New Dramatists as a Literary Associate.

Elizabeth Grefrath (President of the Board of Trustees, Artistic Affiliate) is an oral historian and founding Executive Director of Aporia Repertory Theater. Producing credits with Aporia include The Disappearance of Jonah, Moonlight, The Real Inspector Hound, No Exit, and The Real Thing. Elizabeth currently directs projects on the history of the death penalty and post-September 11th civil and human rights abuses at the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University, and has worked in development at The Public Theater in New York City. Elizabeth graduated with degrees in History and English & Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Nikki Rothenberg (Resident Director) currently works in the Television, Film, and Theater dept. at Don Buchwald and Associates. Some of her NY directing credits include Why Can’t I? (New York Theater Barn), Grimm Late Night (NY Artists Unlimited Bad Musicals Festival), and Anna’s Perfect Party (Looking Glass Theater). She has also worked with the New York International Fringe Festival on Muffin Man as a creative consultrant and is an Artistic Associate at the Looking Glass Theater. Nikki has a B.A. in theater studies from Emerson College.

Sarah Hartmann (Resident Director) recently completed a summer working with the Chautauqua Theater Company. Her past work includes directing Sorry, Wrong Number (Barnard College); assistant directing Arms and the Man (The Juilliard School) and What of the Night (Barnard College); acting in The Golden Cockerel (Casa Italiana), yellow electras (Ontological-Hysteric Theatre); title roles in Mariana Pineda (British American Drama Academy), and Elektra (British American Drama Academy);productions at the Player’s Theater and the Historic Atlas Theatre and others. Sarah has held internships with How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Primary  Stages. Sarah graduated with a B.A. in theatre from Barnard College and spent a year studying at the British American Drama Academy.

Allison Smith (Casting Director) recently completed a year working as a Casting Assistant at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ. At McCarter, Allison served as Casting Director for all non-equity mainstage and educational casting and assisted with casting Talley’s Folly, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Twelfth Night, The Brother/Sister Plays, Eclipsed, and the annual production of A Christmas Carol. She has held internships with Jim Carnahan Casting and Second Stage Theatre. Allison graduated with degrees in Business and Theatre from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and spent a semester abroad studying theatre at Goldsmiths College in London. She currently works at South Orange Performing Arts Center as a Marketing Associate.

Patrick McKelvey (Resident Dramaturg) recently moved to New York following a year as Literary Assistant at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ. While at McCarter, he dramaturged the YouthInk! Festival of Ten-Minute Plays, and assistant dramaturged Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (directed by Liesl Tommy), Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays (directed by Tina Landau and Robert O’Hara), and George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession (directed by Emily Mann). Other favorite dramaturgy credits include Assassins, Slaughter City, and The Summer People at the University of Texas at Austin, and The Realm and God of the Gaps at the Mark Cohen New Works Festival. Patrick graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with dual degrees in English and Theatre (Performance as Public Practice).

Patrick Barrett (Founding Member) is a New York-based actor and writer. Previous work with Aporia includes the roles of Henry in The Real Thing, Jonah in The Disappearance of Jonah, Garcin in No Exit, and Ralph in Moonlight. Other credits include Sgt. dePreez in Athol Fugard’s Statements and Hal in Proof, both presented at Barnard Stages. Patrick is a graduate of Columbia University.

Maura McNamara (Founding Member) is a theater and film actor originally from Portland, Oregon. In New York, she recently appeared as Debbie in The Real Thing at the T. Schreiber Studio, a performance for which she received a 2009 New York Innovative Theatre Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role. Other favorite East Coast productions include Amy in The Disappearance of Jonah in the 2008 Capital Fringe Festival and Bel in Moonlight, both with Aporia, as well as numerous performances at Columbia University. She has studied under Peter Jensen at the T. Schreiber Studio, as well as with Carol Reynold for movement, and is thrilled to be a current member of Aporia.

Alec Turnbull (Producer-at-Large, Web Designer) has worked as producer and managing director of Aporia.

Eric Tam (Special Advisor and Co-Producer) is an attorney who has had the fortune to cross paths with far more creative and energetic people than he ever expected. Eric contributed to the production of Aporia’s Bare Naked Drama. He practices in New York and holds an undergraduate degree in Arts and Science and Philosophy from McMaster University, a graduate degree in political theory from Yale University, and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Laura Cole (Development Manager) has been involved with Aporia in a variety of capacities since its inception. She is currently working as a nonprofit development and communications consultant with Sanky Communications. Additionally, she currently works as a House Manager at the Cherry Lane Theatre and has previously worked as the Marketing Assistant for Wicked and as a Venue Director for the NY International Fringe Festival. Laura is a graduate of Columbia University.