Essential Workers Creative Team

Creative Team of Essential Workers: A Portrait
Director \| ALAN MACVEY Alan MacVey is the Director of the Division of Performing Arts. For 28 years he also served as Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts. He has directed over a hundred plays including, two years ago, Sunday in the Park with George. This is his first online excursion as a director and writer.
*Associate Director/Lead Editor and Scenic Designer (Essential Workers) \| NICK COSO* Nick is proud to be the associate director and lead editor on Essential Workers: A Portrait. His previous work at Iowa includes the lighting designs on Sweat and Polaris, and the media designs on Hit the Wall and Seven Spots on the Sun. Nick would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support.
Costume Designer and Scenic Designer (All Plays) \| BETHANY KASPEREK Bethany Kasperek is a second-year MFA student at the University of Iowa. Bethany is a costume designer and scenic designer/painter. At Iowa, Bethany's credits include costume design for Bonnets (How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder), scenic design for Three Sisters, and art director for Breath Behind The Mask. She is excited to be working on this project and can't wait for you to see it!
Lighting Designer \| KIMBERLY D. FAIN Kimberly Fain is a third-year MFA design candidate in lighting & media at the University of Iowa. Completed an internship in lighting with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BFA in Theatre in 2012. Kim worked as a lighting apprentice with Celebrity Cruises, then as assistant manager production – lighting with P&O Cruises, Carnival UK. Kim also freelanced in the SF Bay area as a lighting designer, assistant LD, and electrician.
Sound Designer \| COLTEN LANGFITT Colten Langfitt is a sound designer, composer, engineer, and mixer based out of Cedar Rapids, IA, and currently holds a BA in Theatre Arts. His previous work with the university includes Hit the Wall, Orlando, Sunday in the Park with George, and Blackberry: A Burial. He has also designed King George IV with Riverside Theatre and is always looking for new projects to work on. He hopes you enjoy the series!
Recording Engineer \| BRI ATWOOD Bri Atwood is a graduate of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts. Bri recorded audio for FOREST THROUGH THE TREES and Rest Stop.
Additional Video Editing \| CHELSEA JUNE Chelsea June is a 2020 graduate from the University of Iowa's MFA design program, based out of NYC. Chelsea began her studies as a costume designer and left as a multidisciplinary designer with a heavy focus in media design. During the COVID-19 pandemic she has been working on broadcasting and creating solutions to liveness. Chelsea is working as a video editor for the University of Iowa’s season, as well as a costume designer for Media Clown, a production that she has been on since its first conception which led to its debut in the summer of 2019 at the Prague Quadrennial.
Dramaturg \| ROB ASCHER Rob Ascher is a first-year dramaturgy MFA candidate hailing from New York. His work as a dramaturg includes Lucas Hnath’s The Christians at Bennington College and Tony Kushner’s Homebody at Ancram Opera House. Thanks go to Art and the dramaturgy cohort. Extra special thanks to Mom, Dad, Bea, and Lenny.
Dramaturg \| NATE FERGUSON Nate Freguson is in his second year of the MFA dramaturgy program. He has deeply enjoyed hearing the stories of the world that kept on going outside while he was locked in quarantine. Past UI productions: Merrily, We All Were Sunflowers, Three Sisters, and Effective.
Dramaturg \| MEG MECHELKE* Meg Mechelke is a second-year undergraduate student studying theatre arts and English, with a focus in dramaturgy. Originally from Sartell, MN, she is excited to continue her studies here in Iowa and loved having the opportunity to be a part of the Essential Workers team.
Stage Manager \| MADY DAVIS Mady Davis is a second-year stage manager MFA and GCTC student from the Twin Cities. Her past University of Iowa credits include Breath Behind the Mask (SM), The Light in the Piazza (ASM) (before it was postponed due to the pandemic), and MERRILY (SM). She would like to thank her friends, family, and her fellow UI SM's for all the love, support, and laughs.
Assistant Stage Manager \| JENI TUCKER* Jeni Tucker is currently a third-year stage management student in the theatre department. Some of her other recent credits include: Uncle Vanya (Riverside Theatre, Assistant Stage Manager), Three Sisters (University of Iowa, Assistant Stage Manager), and Ada and the Memory Engine (Theatre Cedar Rapids, Stage Manager). She is excited and grateful to be a part of Essential Workers: A Portrait with such an amazing team!
Special thanks to the University of Iowa School of Music Recording Studios.

Creative Team of Essential Workers: A Portrait

Director | ALAN MACVEY

Alan MacVey is the Director of the Division of Performing Arts. For 28 years he also served as Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts. He has directed over a hundred plays including, two years ago, Sunday in the Park with George. This is his first online excursion as a director and writer.

Associate Director/Lead Editor and Scenic Designer (Essential Workers) | NICK COSO

Nick is proud to be the associate director and lead editor on Essential Workers: A Portrait. His previous work at Iowa includes the lighting designs on Sweat and Polaris, and the media designs on Hit the Wall and Seven Spots on the Sun. Nick would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support.

Costume Designer and Scenic Designer (All Plays) | BETHANY KASPEREK

Bethany Kasperek is a second-year MFA student at the University of Iowa. Bethany is a costume designer and scenic designer/painter. At Iowa, Bethany's credits include costume design for Bonnets (How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder), scenic design for Three Sisters, and art director for Breath Behind The Mask. She is excited to be working on this project and can't wait for you to see it!

Lighting Designer | KIMBERLY D. FAIN

Kimberly Fain is a third-year MFA design candidate in lighting & media at the University of Iowa. Completed an internship in lighting with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BFA in Theatre in 2012. Kim worked as a lighting apprentice with Celebrity Cruises, then as assistant manager production – lighting with P&O Cruises, Carnival UK. Kim also freelanced in the SF Bay area as a lighting designer, assistant LD, and electrician.

Sound Designer | COLTEN LANGFITT

Colten Langfitt is a sound designer, composer, engineer, and mixer based out of Cedar Rapids, IA, and currently holds a BA in Theatre Arts. His previous work with the university includes Hit the Wall, Orlando, Sunday in the Park with George, and Blackberry: A Burial. He has also designed King George IV with Riverside Theatre and is always looking for new projects to work on. He hopes you enjoy the series!

Recording Engineer | BRI ATWOOD

Bri Atwood is a graduate of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts. Bri recorded audio for FOREST THROUGH THE TREES and Rest Stop.

Additional Video Editing | CHELSEA JUNE

Chelsea June is a 2020 graduate from the University of Iowa's MFA design program, based out of NYC. Chelsea began her studies as a costume designer and left as a multidisciplinary designer with a heavy focus in media design. During the COVID-19 pandemic she has been working on broadcasting and creating solutions to liveness. Chelsea is working as a video editor for the University of Iowa’s season, as well as a costume designer for Media Clown, a production that she has been on since its first conception which led to its debut in the summer of 2019 at the Prague Quadrennial.

Dramaturg | ROB ASCHER

Rob Ascher is a first-year dramaturgy MFA candidate hailing from New York. His work as a dramaturg includes Lucas Hnath’s The Christians at Bennington College and Tony Kushner’s Homebody at Ancram Opera House. Thanks go to Art and the dramaturgy cohort. Extra special thanks to Mom, Dad, Bea, and Lenny.

Dramaturg | NATE FERGUSON

Nate Freguson is in his second year of the MFA dramaturgy program. He has deeply enjoyed hearing the stories of the world that kept on going outside while he was locked in quarantine. Past UI productions: Merrily, We All Were Sunflowers, Three Sisters, and Effective.

Dramaturg | MEG MECHELKE*

Meg Mechelke is a second-year undergraduate student studying theatre arts and English, with a focus in dramaturgy. Originally from Sartell, MN, she is excited to continue her studies here in Iowa and loved having the opportunity to be a part of the Essential Workers team.

Stage Manager | MADY DAVIS

Mady Davis is a second-year stage manager MFA and GCTC student from the Twin Cities. Her past University of Iowa credits include Breath Behind the Mask (SM), The Light in the Piazza (ASM) (before it was postponed due to the pandemic), and MERRILY (SM). She would like to thank her friends, family, and her fellow UI SM's for all the love, support, and laughs.

Assistant Stage Manager | JENI TUCKER*

Jeni Tucker is currently a third-year stage management student in the theatre department. Some of her other recent credits include: Uncle Vanya (Riverside Theatre, Assistant Stage Manager), Three Sisters (University of Iowa, Assistant Stage Manager), and Ada and the Memory Engine (Theatre Cedar Rapids, Stage Manager). She is excited and grateful to be a part of Essential Workers: A Portrait with such an amazing team!

Special thanks to the University of Iowa School of Music Recording Studios.

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