Still Life Creative Team

Meet the Creative Team of Still Life
Playwright \| VALERIE MUENSTERMAN Valerie Muensterman is a first-year MFA in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop from Evansville, Indiana. A Beinecke Scholar and Iowa Arts Fellow, Still Life is her first production at Iowa. In 2020, she graduated summa cum laude from Duke, where she received the University Scholarship, Fulbright Summer Institute Grant supporting theater study in London, and the Lipman & Cowen Scholarship in Playwrighting at the National Theater Institute, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
Director \| ERICA WRAY Erica Wray is a new play director. She specializes in directing new plays by feminist and queer writers that explore relationships, loneliness, and the need for human connection. Director: Gender Breakdown, Last Meal Man (Collaboraction/Chicago); three sisters I never had (The Healthy Oyster Collective,); Shoe, Polaris (a tragedy expansion pack) (Iowa New Play Festival); Twilight Bowl (Big Ten Theatre Consortium). SDC Associate, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, Chicago Directors Lab. MFA: University of Iowa. ericawray.com
Dramaturg \| NATE FERGUSON Nate Ferguson is in his second year of the MFA in Dramaturgy and the Graduate Translation Program. At UI, he was previously the dramaturg on Merrily, Three Sisters, and Effective, and due to COVID, this is somehow his first Iowa New Play Festival. Because of that, though, he's extremely excited for people to take in theatre in the new forms that it's sprouted this year.
Sound Designer \| COLTEN LANGFITT Colten is a sound designer, composer, engineer, and mixer based out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 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.
Stage Manager \| MARISA PAULSEN Marisa Paulsen is a 2020 Slum from the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts, now located in Des Moines, IA. She is excited to jump on this project and join the world of Zoom theatre. Her previous stage management credits at the university include Palanquin, Companion Animals, Messenger, and This King’s County. Assistant stage manager credits include Bell at the Back of Her Throat and Girl: A Labyrinth Dark. Thanks to Erica and Valerie for having me on this project!
NPF Readings Stage Manager \| TAYLOR LEIGH JACKSON Iowa New Play Festival is Taylor’s fourth production at University of Iowa, previously working on 6 by 6, Dance Gala, and An Unsettled Body. Taylor is a recent transplant from Omaha, NE, navigating her first year in the MFA Stage Management program. She has worked as an independently contracted stage and company manager for the past 13 years for productions ranging from opera, dance, plays, musicals, and symphonies. Proud member of IATSE Local 42.

Meet the Creative Team of Still Life

Playwright | VALERIE MUENSTERMAN

Valerie Muensterman is a first-year MFA in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop from Evansville, Indiana. A Beinecke Scholar and Iowa Arts Fellow, Still Life is her first production at Iowa. In 2020, she graduated summa cum laude from Duke, where she received the University Scholarship, Fulbright Summer Institute Grant supporting theater study in London, and the Lipman & Cowen Scholarship in Playwrighting at the National Theater Institute, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

Director | ERICA WRAY

Erica Wray is a new play director. She specializes in directing new plays by feminist and queer writers that explore relationships, loneliness, and the need for human connection. Director: Gender Breakdown, Last Meal Man (Collaboraction/Chicago); three sisters I never had (The Healthy Oyster Collective,); Shoe, Polaris (a tragedy expansion pack) (Iowa New Play Festival); Twilight Bowl (Big Ten Theatre Consortium). SDC Associate, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, Chicago Directors Lab. MFA: University of Iowa. ericawray.com

Dramaturg | NATE FERGUSON

Nate Ferguson is in his second year of the MFA in Dramaturgy and the Graduate Translation Program. At UI, he was previously the dramaturg on Merrily, Three Sisters, and Effective, and due to COVID, this is somehow his first Iowa New Play Festival. Because of that, though, he's extremely excited for people to take in theatre in the new forms that it's sprouted this year.

Sound Designer | COLTEN LANGFITT

Colten is a sound designer, composer, engineer, and mixer based out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 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.

Stage Manager | MARISA PAULSEN

Marisa Paulsen is a 2020 Slum from the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts, now located in Des Moines, IA. She is excited to jump on this project and join the world of Zoom theatre. Her previous stage management credits at the university include Palanquin, Companion Animals, Messenger, and This King’s County. Assistant stage manager credits include Bell at the Back of Her Throat and Girl: A Labyrinth Dark. Thanks to Erica and Valerie for having me on this project!

NPF Readings Stage Manager | TAYLOR LEIGH JACKSON

Iowa New Play Festival is Taylor’s fourth production at University of Iowa, previously working on 6 by 6, Dance Gala, and An Unsettled Body. Taylor is a recent transplant from Omaha, NE, navigating her first year in the MFA Stage Management program. She has worked as an independently contracted stage and company manager for the past 13 years for productions ranging from opera, dance, plays, musicals, and symphonies. Proud member of IATSE Local 42.