Meet the Creative Team

Basically children By charlie o'Leary Creative team
Playwright \| CHARLIE O'LEARY Charlie O'Leary's plays include An Axemas Story (concert reading: the PIT), Ridgway (staged reading: Dartmouth College), Rekidk (selection: Samuel French OOB Festival), The Switch (audio drama: Fresh Fruit Festival), Humiliation Play (podcast reading: Dreamwell Theatre), and Effective (virtual production: University of Iowa). Finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, DVRF Playwrights Program, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. Short plays with Methuen Drama and Music Theatre International. www.charlieholeary.com
Director \| NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO Natalie Villamonte Zito is a second-year MFA directing candidate at the University of Iowa. She is an NYC-based theatre artist and is one of the co-founders of The Wandering Theatre Company. At the University of Iowa Natalie has directed Ghost Limb, Candyland, Wild, Wonderful, Three to Five Days, and Letters from Cuba. She is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Natalie would like to thank Charlie, the ensemble, and the creative team of Basically Children!
Scenic Designer \| R. ERIC STONE R. Eric Stone is an associate professor, director of graduate studies, and head of the design program. He has designed 20 productions for our department since his arrival in 2008, including Smile Medicine, Our Lady of 121^st Street, Orlando, The Crucible, American Idiot, The Luck of the Irish, and Eurydice, as well as advised 160 student productions. Eric has designed productions in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Utah, and Wisconsin, with work touring to New York and beyond. His design for She Loves Me just opened at the Madison Opera. He earned a BA, Lewis & Clark College, and an MFA, Ohio University. Eric is a member of the United Scenic Artists 829. www.rericstone.com
Costume Designer \| JILL KLINKEFUS* Jill Klinkefus is a fourth-year theatre arts major with a focus on design. Credits at Iowa include assistant costume designer for Three Sisters and costume designer for Three to Five Days and HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING. Jill would like to thank everyone who’s helped her to have a wonderful undergraduate experience at Iowa!
Lighting Designer \| VICTOR MALDONADO
Props Designer \| DOROTHY CRAVEN* Dorothy Craven is a second-year theatre arts major from Chicago. She has previously worked on shows such as I Saw You/New Person, Gwenevere, and Iowa Directors Festival. She is excited to be working on her first Iowa New Play Festival and thanks everyone involved for all their support and hard work in making this festival come together!
Dramaturg \| ROB SILVERMAN ASCHER Rob Silverman Ascher (he/him) is very excited for his first IRL festival. Along with dramaturging Basically Children, he is directing Chris Lysik's Berrigan, an Island tale. He would like to thank Charlie and Natalie, the Basically Children ensemble, the theatre department faculty, and all the guests. Love to Margo and his family.
Intimacy Director \| ERICA BARNES
Stage Manager \| OLIVIA LESLIE Olivia Leslie is an alum of the theatre arts program and is so happy to return for NPF! Selected previous credits include University of Iowa: Orlando (SM), Blackberry: a Burial (SM), Agnes in Green (SM), Sunday in the Park with George (ASM). Riverside Theatre: Stages (SM), Straight White Men (SM), The Winters Tale (ASM), Comedy of Errors (ASM) Henry IV (ASM). Warner Brothers/REP: The Polar Express Train Ride (SM). Thank you to Melissa, Bryon, Kyle, Mady, and to the entire Basically Children team!
Assistant Dramaturg \| ALICE DOHERTY*
Assistant Stage Manager \| HOLLAND LARNED* Holland Larned is a first-year student at the University of Iowa studying theatre arts and Italian. Selected credits include playing Frenchy in Grease, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Sioux City Community Theatre, and Hermia in Morningside University’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Holland would like to thank the Basically Children ensemble for welcoming her into her first time doing stage management! It has been a joy to watch this show come together and to be a part of it.

Basically children
By charlie o'Leary
Creative team

Playwright | CHARLIE O'LEARY

Charlie O'Leary's plays include An Axemas Story (concert reading: the PIT), Ridgway (staged reading: Dartmouth College), Rekidk (selection: Samuel French OOB Festival), The Switch (audio drama: Fresh Fruit Festival), Humiliation Play (podcast reading: Dreamwell Theatre), and Effective (virtual production: University of Iowa). Finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, DVRF Playwrights Program, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. Short plays with Methuen Drama and Music Theatre International. www.charlieholeary.com

Director | NATALIE VILLAMONTE ZITO

Natalie Villamonte Zito is a second-year MFA directing candidate at the University of Iowa. She is an NYC-based theatre artist and is one of the co-founders of The Wandering Theatre Company. At the University of Iowa Natalie has directed Ghost Limb, Candyland, Wild, Wonderful, Three to Five Days, and Letters from Cuba. She is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Natalie would like to thank Charlie, the ensemble, and the creative team of Basically Children!

Scenic Designer | R. ERIC STONE

R. Eric Stone is an associate professor, director of graduate studies, and head of the design program. He has designed 20 productions for our department since his arrival in 2008, including Smile Medicine, Our Lady of 121^st Street, Orlando, The Crucible, American Idiot, The Luck of the Irish, and Eurydice, as well as advised 160 student productions.

Eric has designed productions in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Utah, and Wisconsin, with work touring to New York and beyond. His design for She Loves Me just opened at the Madison Opera. He earned a BA, Lewis & Clark College, and an MFA, Ohio University. Eric is a member of the United Scenic Artists 829. www.rericstone.com

Costume Designer | JILL KLINKEFUS*

Jill Klinkefus is a fourth-year theatre arts major with a focus on design. Credits at Iowa include assistant costume designer for Three Sisters and costume designer for Three to Five Days and HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING. Jill would like to thank everyone who’s helped her to have a wonderful undergraduate experience at Iowa!

Lighting Designer | VICTOR MALDONADO

Props Designer | DOROTHY CRAVEN*

Dorothy Craven is a second-year theatre arts major from Chicago. She has previously worked on shows such as I Saw You/New Person, Gwenevere, and Iowa Directors Festival. She is excited to be working on her first Iowa New Play Festival and thanks everyone involved for all their support and hard work in making this festival come together!

Dramaturg | ROB SILVERMAN ASCHER

Rob Silverman Ascher (he/him) is very excited for his first IRL festival. Along with dramaturging Basically Children, he is directing Chris Lysik's Berrigan, an Island tale. He would like to thank Charlie and Natalie, the Basically Children ensemble, the theatre department faculty, and all the guests. Love to Margo and his family.

Intimacy Director | ERICA BARNES

Stage Manager | OLIVIA LESLIE

Olivia Leslie is an alum of the theatre arts program and is so happy to return for NPF! Selected previous credits include University of Iowa: Orlando (SM), Blackberry: a Burial (SM), Agnes in Green (SM), Sunday in the Park with George (ASM). Riverside Theatre: Stages (SM), Straight White Men (SM), The Winters Tale (ASM), Comedy of Errors (ASM) Henry IV (ASM). Warner Brothers/REP: The Polar Express Train Ride (SM). Thank you to Melissa, Bryon, Kyle, Mady, and to the entire Basically Children team!

Assistant Dramaturg | ALICE DOHERTY*

Assistant Stage Manager | HOLLAND LARNED*

Holland Larned is a first-year student at the University of Iowa studying theatre arts and Italian. Selected credits include playing Frenchy in Grease, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Sioux City Community Theatre, and Hermia in Morningside University’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Holland would like to thank the Basically Children ensemble for welcoming her into her first time doing stage management! It has been a joy to watch this show come together and to be a part of it.

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