Meet the Creative Team

Effective by Charlie O'Leary. Grey photo of theatre building.

Creative Team of Effective
Playwright \| CHARLIE O'LEARY Charlie O’Leary is a second-year in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Alumnus of the Project Y Playwrights Group, the Brooklyn Generator, the Advanced BMI Workshop, Crashbox Theatre Company's Write Play Launch, the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and the Fornés Playwriting Workshop. Finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, the DVRF Playwrights Program, and the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. Short works published by Methuen Drama and Theatre Now New York.
Director \| SARAH GAZDOWICZ Sarah Gazdowicz is a first-year MFA directing candidate and could not be more delighted to be working with this team on this piece for her first project at UI. Before coming to Iowa City, Sarah lived and worked in the greater Boston area for over 10 years working as a director, performer, and educator with theatres at every level. Recent directing credits include The Last Catastrophist, Peter and the Starcatcher, and The Nether.
Dramaturg \| NATE FERGUSON Nate Ferguson is in his second year of the MFA dramaturgy program here. He has deeply enjoyed the process of making the worst office job imaginable come to life. Past UI productions: Merrily, We All Were Sunflowers, and Three Sisters.
Scenic Designer and Art Director \| CHRISTIAN JAY SANTIAGO Christian Jay Santiago is a second-year scenic and lighting designer from Guam, USA. He has returned to the University of Iowa after a four-year hiatus and has previously designed the scenery for Cut & Run (NPF ’16), as well as serving as assistant scenic designer for Food & Fadwa. He designed lighting for Jarred and served as properties master for Iphigenia Crash Land Falls… and Arcadia.
Costume Designer \| KAELEN NOVAK Kaelen Novak is a first-year MFA student pursuing costume and scenic design here at the University of Iowa. They recently costumed a production of Tooth of Crime, which was produced as a visual album, Slips Away, and a documentary of the process, The Play That Never Opened. They are excited to start on full productions again and look forward to designing more for UI in the future and to explore this new world of theatre.
Sound Designer \| HUDA AL-AITHAN Huda Al-Aithan received her MA and MFA degrees from the University of Iowa in three-dimensional design with a second emphasis in theatre arts. Huda’s work has been exhibited in design exhibitions in Milan, New York, and Chicago
Stage Manager \| DYLAN NICOLE MARTIN Dylan Nicole Martin is a first-year MFA stage manager. Since graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 2016 with a BA in Theatre Design and Production they have been teaching and stage managing in the Twin Cities. Dylan wants to acknowledge that their learning at the University of Iowa takes place on the occupied land of the sovereign Native tribes who continue to live and thrive in Iowa. For a full list of these tribes, please read the University of Iowa Acknowledgement of Land and Sovereignty. Black Lives Matter.
Video Editor \| MICHAEL FRANCIS Michael Francis (BFA) is a graduate acting candidate at the University of Iowa. Regional Credits include: Edward Bloom/Big Fish, Dan/Next to Normal, Chauvelin/The Scarlet Pimpernel, J. Pierpont Finch/How To Succeed In Business…, Tarzan/Tarzan: The Musical, The Duke/Big River, Virgil/Bus Stop, John Utterson/Jekyll & Hyde, Chebutykin/The Three Sisters, and The Snail with the Mail from A Year with Frog and Toad.
Video Editor \| 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.

Creative Team of Effective

Playwright | CHARLIE O'LEARY

Charlie O’Leary is a second-year in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Alumnus of the Project Y Playwrights Group, the Brooklyn Generator, the Advanced BMI Workshop, Crashbox Theatre Company's Write Play Launch, the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and the Fornés Playwriting Workshop. Finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, the DVRF Playwrights Program, and the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. Short works published by Methuen Drama and Theatre Now New York.

Director | SARAH GAZDOWICZ

Sarah Gazdowicz is a first-year MFA directing candidate and could not be more delighted to be working with this team on this piece for her first project at UI. Before coming to Iowa City, Sarah lived and worked in the greater Boston area for over 10 years working as a director, performer, and educator with theatres at every level. Recent directing credits include The Last Catastrophist, Peter and the Starcatcher, and The Nether.

Dramaturg | NATE FERGUSON

Nate Ferguson is in his second year of the MFA dramaturgy program here. He has deeply enjoyed the process of making the worst office job imaginable come to life. Past UI productions: Merrily, We All Were Sunflowers, and Three Sisters.

Scenic Designer and Art Director | CHRISTIAN JAY SANTIAGO

Christian Jay Santiago is a second-year scenic and lighting designer from Guam, USA. He has returned to the University of Iowa after a four-year hiatus and has previously designed the scenery for Cut & Run (NPF ’16), as well as serving as assistant scenic designer for Food & Fadwa. He designed lighting for Jarred and served as properties master for Iphigenia Crash Land Falls… and Arcadia.

Costume Designer | KAELEN NOVAK

Kaelen Novak is a first-year MFA student pursuing costume and scenic design here at the University of Iowa. They recently costumed a production of Tooth of Crime, which was produced as a visual album, Slips Away, and a documentary of the process, The Play That Never Opened. They are excited to start on full productions again and look forward to designing more for UI in the future and to explore this new world of theatre.

Sound Designer | HUDA AL-AITHAN

Huda Al-Aithan received her MA and MFA degrees from the University of Iowa in three-dimensional design with a second emphasis in theatre arts. Huda’s work has been exhibited in design exhibitions in Milan, New York, and Chicago

Stage Manager | DYLAN NICOLE MARTIN

Dylan Nicole Martin is a first-year MFA stage manager. Since graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 2016 with a BA in Theatre Design and Production they have been teaching and stage managing in the Twin Cities. Dylan wants to acknowledge that their learning at the University of Iowa takes place on the occupied land of the sovereign Native tribes who continue to live and thrive in Iowa. For a full list of these tribes, please read the University of Iowa Acknowledgement of Land and Sovereignty. Black Lives Matter.

Video Editor | MICHAEL FRANCIS

Michael Francis (BFA) is a graduate acting candidate at the University of Iowa. Regional Credits include: Edward Bloom/Big Fish, Dan/Next to Normal, Chauvelin/The Scarlet Pimpernel, J. Pierpont Finch/How To Succeed In Business…, Tarzan/Tarzan: The Musical, The Duke/Big River, Virgil/Bus Stop, John Utterson/Jekyll & Hyde, Chebutykin/The Three Sisters, and The Snail with the Mail from A Year with Frog and Toad.

Video Editor | 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.