Creative Team
JULIE ATLAS MUZ (Director)
JULIE ATLAS MUZ is an internationally performing artist who is based between NYC’s Lower East Side and London, UK who has been around the block more than twice. One of the most acclaimed, prolific, and experienced creators around, Julie sucker-punches the boundaries between theater, dance, puppetry, film, and burlesque with outrageously loving performances that have secured her place in the underworld of nightlife, as well as solidifying her as a bastion of the art world. Julie is a Creative Capital Awardee, A Whitney Biennial Artist, A Valencia Biennial Artist, Ruthie Award Recipient, Lambent Fellow, Ethyl Eichelberger Award Recipient, and a Franklin Furnace Artist. She has won the titles: Miss Exotic World, Miss Coney Island, and Queen of the Mermaid Parade! For more info please visit: https://www.julieatlasmuz.com/
MAT FRASER (Writer)
Mat Fraser is a British Disabled actor, writer, and drummer/musician. He's written TV dramas, stage plays, and a full musical. “Sleeping Beauty" is his 6th stage production. Mat loves the Grand St / LES community, and making work here with his wife, life and work partner Julie Atlas Muz, that expresses their belief in diversity, equality, and love. As a drummer Mat has played with Coldplay, The Meteors, and Van Der Graaf Generator amongst others, and has recorded over 50 songs. An actor for 27 years, Mat has featured in American Horror Story:Freak Show, Loudermilk, The Full Monty, His Dark Materials, Best Interests, and KAOS. The drum kit used in “Sleeping Beauty” is a Roland V drums TDK 30 upgraded.
PAUL LESCHEN (Music Director)
Paul Leschen was nominated for his score for Bedbugs!!! The Musical by NY Innovative Theatre Awards, and for a Drama Desk for Outstanding Music for Twist. His co-arrangement of Scissor Sisters' “Comfortably Numb” was the band's first breakout hit and the biggest selling album in the UK in 2004. Paul is a longtime collaborator with international icon Murray Hill, and the notorious yet highly respected drag entertainer Hedda Lettuce. Paul is a fixture of the rock cabaret scene in New York City, and an innovator in the field of Live Piano Karaoke. He has written songs for or with many artists including Amber Martin, Angela DiCarlo, Brian Charles Rooney and Xavier, and has a band, Kingship, with singer/co-writer Chris Hall.
JAMIE AMADRUTO (Sound Designer)
Jamie Amadruto is a sound designer, audio engineer, and music producer for both traditional and immersive theater, contemporary dance, and film. His work has been heard in many spaces including Theater Row, Triskelion Arts Center, The Players Theater, Laguardia Performing Arts Center, The Rave Theater Festival, and The Queerly Contemporary Festival. Under the artist alias, Dietevil, he released his debut albums Timeout and CONTROL COPIES (funded in part by Queens Council on the Arts) in 2020. When not designing, Jamie can be found mixing at venues across NYC for companies including Sleep No More, The Manhattan School of Music, The Brooklyn Mirage, and Le Poisson Rouge.
CHARLIE O’CONNOR (Associate Music Director)
Charlie is a British musician and performer based in New York. When he’s not writing music for other people’s shows he is working on his own projects, most notably his band Charlie and The Darlings. Most recently Charlie composed music for the Universal movie 'Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain’ and the Westend stage show ‘Unbelievable'. He is super grateful and excited to be a new member of the Panto Project team.
STEVEN HAMMEL (Scenic Designer)
Steven Hammel is a Lower East Side Artist and Designer who has Created sets for numerous theatrical productions. BAM, LaMama, Dixon Place and Wild Project have all seen his designs come to life.
Steven's paintings will be on view at the Wild Project Gallery in December 2023.
Instagram: @Stevenrhammel
Website: StevenHammel.com
DAVID QUINN (Costume Designer)
Designer for theater, dance, circus, TV, film and the red carpet, Quinn’s work in costuming and fashion has received critical acclaim. Dance View Times stating that “Quinn is cutting and draping and coloring the most beautiful dance costumes to be found in New York.” Theater credits include many Off-Broadway and experimental theater productions. In addition to costumes, Quinn creates made-to-order clothing and gowns making him a favorite of both brides and burlesque stars. For the 2017 premier of “Jack”, Quinn’s costumes were called “jaw dropping” (Travelance) and “glorious.” (Time Out NY)
BASIL TWIST (Puppets & Special Effects)
Twist’s production credits include the award-winning Symphonie Fantastique and at Abron's Arias with a Twist, & Sister’s Follies. Other recognitions include an Obie, a Drama Desk Award, five UNIMA Awards, two Bessie Awards, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, a Henry Hewes Award, a Guggenheim, a USA Artists fellowship, Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, and Macarthur Fellowship. Twist serves as Artistic Director of HERE ’s Dream Music Puppetry Program in NYC.
JON HARPER (Lighting Designer)
Jon Harper is thrilled to be returning to return once again to design the lighting for the big holiday panto show at Abrons with such a wonderful team of creative team collaborators and truly phenomenal performers. After a little over 10 years on staff at the Abrons Arts Center, he recently departed to join the team at the Irish Arts Center in Hell's Kitchen, but kept his commitment to come design this show. He is thrilled as well to be able to share this amazing performance with his two children, Davey and Orson, who have come to see the panto every year that we've had one, since they were little kiddos. Thanks to everyone who has put SO much time and effort into making this show possible. Thanks also to all of YOU for coming to the performance, and ENJOY! HAVE FUN! BE LOUD!
SUMMER PARKS (Choreographer)
Summer Parks is a Biracial Queer Woman from the DMV area who moved to New York City to expand her performance career. As a young child Summer always enjoyed dancing. She took one dance class at the age of four and the rest was history. In Maryland, she performed on the Washington Commanders football field for the halftime show and was showcased on WNBC TV News because of her joy for acrobatics. While in New York she has performed on many stages including; The Iridium, Latin Plug Club, Sybarite showcases, and many others. Summer even got the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles and perform at the Carnival showcases for two years in a row! Summer is super excited to work with The Panto Project and touch the many hearts in the audience to motivate them to be on stage one day!
DANIEL BRODIE (Video Designer)
Brodie was born in Las Vegas and graduated with a degree in theater and media design from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. Broadway credits include Motown: the Musical, Jekyll and Hyde, and Disney’s Aladdin. Designs for ballet and opera include Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella and The Winter’s Tale and Basil Twist's Titon et l'Aurore conducted by William Christie. He has also created large-scale video designs for Sotheby's, Netflix, and the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Love to Caitlin and Ezra.
LAUREN PARRISH (Production Manager)
Lauren is a Bronx-based production manager and lighting designer who believes in a collaborative approach to theater. Lauren was the primary production manager for Camille A. Brown's award-winning trilogy MR. TOL E RANCE, Black Girl: Linguistic Play, and ink. She has worked with companies such as EnGarde Arts, Battleworks. Keigwin + Company, Page 73, Duende Productions, and, now, ONEOFUS. Previously the Production Manager at 59E59 Theaters, Lauren is also the Associate Director of Production at Abrons Arts Center. She would like to thank her partner, Patrick, for assisting her with the spinning wheel magic, as well as the whole creative and production team for all their hard work.
AZAEL ACOSTA (Assistant Costume Design)
A versatile designer who’s work has ranged from the stages of Ballet to the underground basement of a drag show. Currently Co-owns “HIGH WASTED” a small Studio in Brooklyn, that focuses on partnerting and collaborating with nightclubs, performance artists, drag queens, dancers, and generally anyone looking for a bit of escapism through clothes.
SOPHIE MILLAR (Wardrobe Supervisor)
Sophie Millar is a Costume Technician based in New York with a focus on costume construction, wardrobe, and makeup work. She started work in technical theatre in high school in the LaGuardia School of the Arts tech program and continued on to get a BFA in Costume Technology at SUNY Purchase. She is happy to be back running wardrobe for the Panto Project.
KAREN OUGHTRED (Production Stage Manager)
Karen is an educator and theater artist who has stage managed downtown theater for over 20 years. Co-created The Memory Project, storytelling through visual arts, theater and puppetry w/ Spica Wobbe, teaching older adults Director: Striving for Freedom (Jay Heritage Center), and actor People of our Past (Mount Vernon Hotel Museum) Puppetry: Inseparable, (LMCC Creative Engagement grant 2021) w/ Spica Wobbe. a shadow/object theater performance which explores our common humanity through the transformative lens of extraordinary older Asian American New Yorkers. Co-Curator Voice4Vision International Puppetry Festival (NY), The Dream Community (Taiwan), IsleWilde (WA), Bread and Puppet Theater, Chinese Theatre Works, La MaMa Puppet Slam. Founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Aboriginal Theater Initiative (NY) (2003-2011), a not-for-profit theater company producing annual festivals featuring over 100 First Nations artists from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, and USA. Acting: Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Yorick Theatre, Theatre at St. John’s. Training: New Actors Workshop (Mike Nichols, Paul Sills, George Morrison), MA, Theater, (Antioch University).
JOHNNY HORRIBLE (Digital Media)
NICOLE PORTER (Web Designer)
NORMAN BLAKE (Photographer)
JULIA BARLOW (Assistant to the Director, Video Assistant)
Julia Kobosky Barlow is an award winning filmmaker, photographer, and multidisciplinary artists based in New York City. Her films have been recognized at the Chicago CineYouth Film Festival, Fort Meyers Film Festival, and Film Festival International in London. Julia is currently pursuing a degree in Film and Politics at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study; and she works for the experimental, documentary filmmaker Jem Cohen and for the best of the best, Julie Atlas-Muz.
JOANNA EISENBERG (Assistant Stage Manager, Covid Coordinator)
(she) is a loophole-finding clown who focuses on everyday objects that are absurd. She received her MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College in May 2020, where her studies included stage management, puppetry, and devised collaborative performance. She appeared on the Sarah Lawrence main stage playing Woman in A Girl and A Doll, written by Sol Ji Kim, and as various characters in Grad Lab. Also for the main stage, Joanna costume designed Top Girls and was the production stage manager for Pippin. Outside of Sarah Lawrence, she appeared in and costume designed A Doll House at the Hudson River Museum and stage managed Game Night for LOUD COLORFUL FILTH. Originally from the Bay Area, Joanna currently resides in New York and is working on turning her thesis, The Fellowship, from the quarantine-required movie into the stage show she dreams of in her head.
PAIGE STEVENSON (Bookkeeper)
Paige Stevenson has been a full charge bookkeeper for over thirty years and has specialized in performance and fund tracking for over twenty five years. In addition to her financial work she is a belly-dance and fire performer, and runs a private venue called the House of Collection.