Meet the Creative Team

BRAIDED SORROW by MARISELA TREVIÑo ORTA DIRECTED BY NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO creative team
Director \| NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO Natalie is in her final semester as an MFA Directing candidate and is honored to be able to share this poignantly important story. She is an NYC-based theatre artist; most recent Off-Off Broadway directing credits: The Trial of Mrs. Surratt, The Laramie Project Cycle, The Insanity of Mary Girard and Jean Anouilh’s Antigone. UIowa directing credits: Basically Children, Letters from Cuba, 3-5 Days, Wild Wonderful, Candyland, and Ghost Limb. Natalie is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and is one of the founders of The Wandering Theatre Company. This play is dedicated to the missing and murdered women of Juárez, Mexicó and to all the people seeking asylum in our borderlands.
Stage Manager \| JORDAN "J.J." JONES Jordan “J.J.” Jones is a second-year MFA stage management student from Clarksville, Tennessee. She has previously worked on Media Clown, IT’S LIKE RIDING A BIKE, Gwenevere, and Smile Medicine here at the University of Iowa. Before joining the graduate program at the University of Iowa, she worked in Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Virginia. She has been greatly impacted by the efforts of this cast and crew to tell this very important story, and she hopes that you enjoy and learn from our production. Thank you!
Assistant Stage Manager \| SAVANHA MOORE Savanha Moore (she/her) is a Theatrical Artist and Production Stage Manager from Southern California. She is happy to be continuing her education at the University of Iowa as a first-year Stage Management MFA candidate. Savanha has always wanted to tell stories that serve a greater purpose and that makes way for the change she would like to see in the world. She is incredibly grateful to be a part of this team and to be a part of telling this story. Thank you to the cast and crew and creative team for their incredible work throughout this process, and for creating space for this story. She thanks those who have always supported her on this journey and encouraged her to take that leap of faith; without your support none of this would be possible. Her recent show credits include Mother:Knife (MacVey Theatre), HBO House of the Dragon Activation (SDCC 2022), Untitled Baby Play (IAMA Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Geffen Playhouse). She thanks you for coming and enjoying live theatre; enjoy the show!
Scenic Designer \| ALEX CASILLAS
Assistant Scenic Designer \| DOROTHY CRAVEN*
Lighting Designer \| VICTOR MALDONADO
Assistant Lighting Designer \| JEFFREY OAKLEY
Costume Designer \| ABIGAIL MANSFIELD COLEMAN Abigail Mansfield Coleman is a third-year MFA student in Costume Design, Makeup Design, and Masks and Puppetry. She has designed 50 productions across the Carolinas, Georgia, and here in Iowa, including Into the Woods (3 times!), Tuck Everlasting (2018 KCATCF Region IV Costume Design Nomination), and Exit the King (2017 KCATCF Region IV Nomination). Her most recent costume design at the University of Iowa was the 2022 spring musical, String, and The Weir and Henry V at Riverside Theatre.
Assistant Costume Designer \| ANNELIES KNIGHT*
Video Designer \| KENNETH COLLINS Kenneth Collins is a writer, director, designer, and performer who works in contemporary theatre, film, and installation. He is best known for his work with Temporary Distortion, a non-profit theatre company he formed in New York City in 2000 whose mission is to create experimental performance that is accessible to all. Since 2012, Collins has been dedicated to studying meditation and compassion-based practices with a variety of teachers as part of his focus on integrating the contemplative arts into contemporary performance. www.kennethcollins.art
Sound Designer \| COLTEN LANGFITT Colten is a NYC-based Audio/Video Technician, Mixer, Engineer, and Designer. He is currently the Video Engineer for Without You, a musical written by and starring Anthony Rapp. Various projects include Off-Broadway: Hound Dog (Ars Nova), Weightless (WP Theatre); UIowa: Small Hours, Hit the Wall, Blackberry: A Burial; Other: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Hangar Theatre), Dance Nation (Theatre Cedar Rapids), Godspell (Festival 56). Proud member of the TSDCA. coltenlangfitt.com
Dramaturg \| MEG MECHELKE Meg Mechelke is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa with degrees in English/Creative Writing and Theatre Arts. Previous credits in the department include rockabye, I Saw You/New Person, Queer Horror Festival, Symphony, and New Play Festival 2022.
Fight Director \| PAUL KALINA
Intimacy Director \| OWEN BRIGHTMAN Owen Brightman is a graduate of the University of Iowa Theatre Arts program, Class of 2020. Having received his BFA with a focus in acting, he has been nurturing a career in intimacy choreography and coordination in recent years. After serving as Assistant Intimacy Director for the University's 2022 spring season, he took on the role of Intimacy Director the following semester. University credits include The Children's Hour, Mother:Knife, rockabye, BLKS, and others. Community credits include The Kornilov Affair at Willow Creek Theatre Company and The Play That Goes Wrong at CC Stoplight Players Community Theatre.

BRAIDED SORROW
by MARISELA TREVIÑo ORTA
DIRECTED BY NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO
creative team

Director | NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO

Natalie is in her final semester as an MFA Directing candidate and is honored to be able to share this poignantly important story. She is an NYC-based theatre artist; most recent Off-Off Broadway directing credits: The Trial of Mrs. Surratt, The Laramie Project Cycle, The Insanity of Mary Girard and Jean Anouilh’s Antigone. UIowa directing credits: Basically Children, Letters from Cuba, 3-5 Days, Wild Wonderful, Candyland, and Ghost Limb. Natalie is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and is one of the founders of The Wandering Theatre Company. This play is dedicated to the missing and murdered women of Juárez, Mexicó and to all the people seeking asylum in our borderlands.

Stage Manager | JORDAN "J.J." JONES

Jordan “J.J.” Jones is a second-year MFA stage management student from Clarksville, Tennessee. She has previously worked on Media Clown, IT’S LIKE RIDING A BIKE, Gwenevere, and Smile Medicine here at the University of Iowa. Before joining the graduate program at the University of Iowa, she worked in Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Virginia. She has been greatly impacted by the efforts of this cast and crew to tell this very important story, and she hopes that you enjoy and learn from our production. Thank you!

Assistant Stage Manager | SAVANHA MOORE

Savanha Moore (she/her) is a Theatrical Artist and Production Stage Manager from Southern California. She is happy to be continuing her education at the University of Iowa as a first-year Stage Management MFA candidate. Savanha has always wanted to tell stories that serve a greater purpose and that makes way for the change she would like to see in the world. She is incredibly grateful to be a part of this team and to be a part of telling this story. Thank you to the cast and crew and creative team for their incredible work throughout this process, and for creating space for this story. She thanks those who have always supported her on this journey and encouraged her to take that leap of faith; without your support none of this would be possible. Her recent show credits include Mother:Knife (MacVey Theatre), HBO House of the Dragon Activation (SDCC 2022), Untitled Baby Play (IAMA Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Geffen Playhouse). She thanks you for coming and enjoying live theatre; enjoy the show!

Scenic Designer | ALEX CASILLAS

Assistant Scenic Designer | DOROTHY CRAVEN*

Lighting Designer | VICTOR MALDONADO

Assistant Lighting Designer | JEFFREY OAKLEY

Costume Designer | ABIGAIL MANSFIELD COLEMAN

Abigail Mansfield Coleman is a third-year MFA student in Costume Design, Makeup Design, and Masks and Puppetry. She has designed 50 productions across the Carolinas, Georgia, and here in Iowa, including Into the Woods (3 times!), Tuck Everlasting (2018 KCATCF Region IV Costume Design Nomination), and Exit the King (2017 KCATCF Region IV Nomination). Her most recent costume design at the University of Iowa was the 2022 spring musical, String, and The Weir and Henry V at Riverside Theatre.

Assistant Costume Designer | ANNELIES KNIGHT*

Video Designer | KENNETH COLLINS

Kenneth Collins is a writer, director, designer, and performer who works in contemporary theatre, film, and installation. He is best known for his work with Temporary Distortion, a non-profit theatre company he formed in New York City in 2000 whose mission is to create experimental performance that is accessible to all. Since 2012, Collins has been dedicated to studying meditation and compassion-based practices with a variety of teachers as part of his focus on integrating the contemplative arts into contemporary performance.

www.kennethcollins.art

Sound Designer | COLTEN LANGFITT

Colten is a NYC-based Audio/Video Technician, Mixer, Engineer, and Designer. He is currently the Video Engineer for Without You, a musical written by and starring Anthony Rapp. Various projects include Off-Broadway: Hound Dog (Ars Nova), Weightless (WP Theatre); UIowa: Small Hours, Hit the Wall, Blackberry: A Burial; Other: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Hangar Theatre), Dance Nation (Theatre Cedar Rapids), Godspell (Festival 56). Proud member of the TSDCA.

coltenlangfitt.com

Dramaturg | MEG MECHELKE

Meg Mechelke is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa with degrees in English/Creative Writing and Theatre Arts. Previous credits in the department include rockabye, I Saw You/New Person, Queer Horror Festival, Symphony, and New Play Festival 2022.

Fight Director | PAUL KALINA

Intimacy Director | OWEN BRIGHTMAN

Owen Brightman is a graduate of the University of Iowa Theatre Arts program, Class of 2020. Having received his BFA with a focus in acting, he has been nurturing a career in intimacy choreography and coordination in recent years. After serving as Assistant Intimacy Director for the University's 2022 spring season, he took on the role of Intimacy Director the following semester. University credits include The Children's Hour, Mother:Knife, rockabye, BLKS, and others. Community credits include The Kornilov Affair at Willow Creek Theatre Company and The Play That Goes Wrong at CC Stoplight Players Community Theatre.

You may download a copy of our program here.

*Undergraduate student. UI Theatre is dedicated to providing hands-on theatre experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.