Meet the Creative Team

FOUND AND LOST by BRIDGET DIEDEN Meet the Creative Team
Director / Playwright \| BRIDGET DIEDEN* Bridget Dieden is a fourth-year Theatre Arts and Publishing major at the University of Iowa. She previously wrote the play Day Fades Into Night Fades Into Day last spring, wrote and directed the show Drill, Drill Drill last semester, and she has had smaller snippets of her work featured in festivals. She is very excited to be working on Ten-Minute Play Festival once again and would like to thank her cast and creative team for making this experience so much fun. In theatre, joy is bravery.

FOUND AND LOST
by BRIDGET DIEDEN
Meet the Creative Team

Director / Playwright | BRIDGET DIEDEN*

Bridget Dieden is a fourth-year Theatre Arts and Publishing major at the University of Iowa. She previously wrote the play Day Fades Into Night Fades Into Day last spring, wrote and directed the show Drill, Drill Drill last semester, and she has had smaller snippets of her work featured in festivals. She is very excited to be working on Ten-Minute Play Festival once again and would like to thank her cast and creative team for making this experience so much fun. In theatre, joy is bravery.

YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING by CASSEL ROSE Meet the Creative Team
Director \| VIVIAN BONDE* Vivian is a third year Theatre Arts and Communications double major. Her credits at the university include acting in Jellyfish Baby (Fall 2025) and THE (T-)RE(X)FORMATION (Fall 2024), and stage managing Day Fades Into Night Fades Into Day (Spring 2025). She is thrilled to be directing her first play alongside such a supportive team! Vivian would like to thank her friends, family, and mentors for helping her keep it together.
Playwright \| CASSEL ROSE*

YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING
by CASSEL ROSE
Meet the Creative Team

Director | VIVIAN BONDE*

Vivian is a third year Theatre Arts and Communications double major. Her credits at the university include acting in Jellyfish Baby (Fall 2025) and THE (T-)RE(X)FORMATION (Fall 2024), and stage managing Day Fades Into Night Fades Into Day (Spring 2025). She is thrilled to be directing her first play alongside such a supportive team! Vivian would like to thank her friends, family, and mentors for helping her keep it together.

Playwright | CASSEL ROSE*

MY BRAIN TELLS ME I LOVE YOU by ROWAN KOEHLER Meet the Creative Team
Director / Playwright \| ROWAN KOEHLER* Rowan Koehler (they/he) is a third-year undergraduate majoring in creative writing and cinema with a minor in theatre arts at the University of Iowa. This is their first show at the university and they're honored to have their script brought to life as a part of this festival. He's thankful to everyone he's workshopped this piece with as well as to the cast and crew with a special shoutout to Aasrith for being a fantastic SM. Enjoy the show!

MY BRAIN TELLS ME I LOVE YOU
by ROWAN KOEHLER
Meet the Creative Team

Director / Playwright | ROWAN KOEHLER*

Rowan Koehler (they/he) is a third-year undergraduate majoring in creative writing and cinema with a minor in theatre arts at the University of Iowa. This is their first show at the university and they're honored to have their script brought to life as a part of this festival. He's thankful to everyone he's workshopped this piece with as well as to the cast and crew with a special shoutout to Aasrith for being a fantastic SM. Enjoy the show!

MIRROR MIRROR by RHIANNA KOPPES Meet the Creative Team
Director \| JP Swartz* JP Swartz (they/he) is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in screenwriting. This is their third ten minuteplay festival, directing When It Matters Most their sophomore year and writing and directing MedLit last year. They are excited to be directing again and very happy to work with the amazing actors at the University of Iowa.
Playwright \| RHIANNA KOPPES* Rhianna Koppes is a junior studying Creative Writing and Theatre. She was previously part of the 2025 Ten Minute Play Festival staged readings, and this is her first time being a part of the production. Thanks to everyone who was along for the ride! Enjoy the show!

MIRROR MIRROR
by RHIANNA KOPPES
Meet the Creative Team

Director | JP Swartz*

JP Swartz (they/he) is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in screenwriting. This is their third ten minuteplay festival, directing When It Matters Most their sophomore year and writing and directing MedLit last year. They are excited to be directing again and very happy to work with the amazing actors at the University of Iowa.

Playwright | RHIANNA KOPPES*

Rhianna Koppes is a junior studying Creative Writing and Theatre. She was previously part of the 2025 Ten Minute Play Festival staged readings, and this is her first time being a part of the production. Thanks to everyone who was along for the ride! Enjoy the show!

VICTIM OF A HIJACKING by AUSTIN HOOK Meet the Creative Team
Director \| LUCAS NELSON* Lucas Nelson is a Junior English and Creative Writing and Theater major. This is the first show he'swritten, and his first time directing at the university! He would like to thank his parents, his teachers, and the various people he would annoy throughout the editing process. He would also like to thank the cast for helping this play find its heart. He hopes you enjoy the show!!
Playwright \| AUSTIN HOOK* Austin Hook is a second-year undergraduate student of History and the Theatre Arts. They are proud to present their first ever production at the University of Iowa! They would like to thank their family for their years of support, as well as their friends and classmates in Playwriting I who encouraged them to submit"Victim of a Hijacking" to the 10-Minute Play Festival in the first place.

VICTIM OF A HIJACKING
by AUSTIN HOOK
Meet the Creative Team

Director | LUCAS NELSON*

Lucas Nelson is a Junior English and Creative Writing and Theater major. This is the first show he'swritten, and his first time directing at the university! He would like to thank his parents, his teachers, and the various people he would annoy throughout the editing process. He would also like to thank the cast for helping this play find its heart. He hopes you enjoy the show!!

Playwright | AUSTIN HOOK*

Austin Hook is a second-year undergraduate student of History and the Theatre Arts. They are proud to present their first ever production at the University of Iowa! They would like to thank their family for their years of support, as well as their friends and classmates in Playwriting I who encouraged them to submit"Victim of a Hijacking" to the 10-Minute Play Festival in the first place.

THE SMELL OF RAIN by MILES PETERSON Meet the Creative Team
Director / Playwright \| MILES PETERSON* Miles is a first year Theatre Arts and Music Performance major focused on directing and design of all types. Professionally, Miles is working on Oliver JR! At CAP Theatre in Des Moines, among other projects. Outside of work, Miles loves the outdoors, and cooking good meals with friends.

THE SMELL OF RAIN
by MILES PETERSON
Meet the Creative Team

Director / Playwright | MILES PETERSON*

Miles is a first year Theatre Arts and Music Performance major focused on directing and design of all types. Professionally, Miles is working on Oliver JR! At CAP Theatre in Des Moines, among other projects. Outside of work, Miles loves the outdoors, and cooking good meals with friends.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL Meet the Production Team
Festival Coordinator \| TONY MENESES
Stage Manager \| AASRITH VEERAPANENI* Aasrith is a second-year student at the University of Iowa, studying Theatre Arts and English. Credits can be found in Iowa, St. Louis, and Connecticut. SM credits include The Indoctrination of Bananas (2025, UIowa Theatre). Select ASM credits include GOWANUS/DEGENERATES (2024, UIowa), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (2025, Stray Dog Theatre), Argonautika (2025, UIowa Theatre), and Die Fledermaus (2026, CROpera). He wants to thank Sam and the SM team for the opportunity to work with them. He also wants to thank the cast, crew, and creative team for a great festival and the folks back in CT for giving him his start.
Lighting Designer \| GABBY JOHNSON* Gabby is currently in their fourth year in the Department of Theatre Arts, focusing on theater tech and working as an electrician in the department. They have designed lighting for shows such as Death Surrogates, Salt Tongue, and IWP: Dialogic Works in Progress, and cannot wait to keep designing for the Spring Season!
Sound Designer \| DAN DICKERSON* Designer by day, actor by night. Dan Dickerson (he/him) is a fifth year triple major in Theatre Arts, Music, and Communication Studies with focuses in tech, sound mixing, and broadcast production. This is the second show at Iowa he's acted in, and the fifth show he's been on the tech team for. He has also worked in front of and behind the camera for numerous student films, and works on the tech team for DITV.
Assistant Stage Manager \| MEG DYE* Meg Dye is a first year Secondary Education and Theatre Arts major. She has been involved in one other production at the university, but has worked on many shows in her hometown of Mount Vernon, IA. Shewould like to give a huge thank you to her family and boyfriend for always supporting her. She hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoyed working on it!
Assistant Stage Manager \| SONIA CRYPTOMERIA* Sonia Cryptomeria (it/its) is a poet and a first-year transfer student to UIowa's Theatre Arts program, still figuring out its preferences between playwriting, dramaturgy, and stage management. It hopes you enjoy the festival!

TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL
Meet the Production Team

Festival Coordinator | TONY MENESES

Stage Manager | AASRITH VEERAPANENI*

Aasrith is a second-year student at the University of Iowa, studying Theatre Arts and English. Credits can be found in Iowa, St. Louis, and Connecticut. SM credits include The Indoctrination of Bananas (2025, UIowa Theatre). Select ASM credits include GOWANUS/DEGENERATES (2024, UIowa), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (2025, Stray Dog Theatre), Argonautika (2025, UIowa Theatre), and Die Fledermaus (2026, CROpera). He wants to thank Sam and the SM team for the opportunity to work with them. He also wants to thank the cast, crew, and creative team for a great festival and the folks back in CT for giving him his start.

Lighting Designer | GABBY JOHNSON*

Gabby is currently in their fourth year in the Department of Theatre Arts, focusing on theater tech and working as an electrician in the department. They have designed lighting for shows such as Death Surrogates, Salt Tongue, and IWP: Dialogic Works in Progress, and cannot wait to keep designing for the Spring Season!

Sound Designer | DAN DICKERSON*

Designer by day, actor by night. Dan Dickerson (he/him) is a fifth year triple major in Theatre Arts, Music, and Communication Studies with focuses in tech, sound mixing, and broadcast production. This is the second show at Iowa he's acted in, and the fifth show he's been on the tech team for. He has also worked in front of and behind the camera for numerous student films, and works on the tech team for DITV.

Assistant Stage Manager | MEG DYE*

Meg Dye is a first year Secondary Education and Theatre Arts major. She has been involved in one other production at the university, but has worked on many shows in her hometown of Mount Vernon, IA. Shewould like to give a huge thank you to her family and boyfriend for always supporting her. She hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoyed working on it!

Assistant Stage Manager | SONIA CRYPTOMERIA*

Sonia Cryptomeria (it/its) is a poet and a first-year transfer student to UIowa's Theatre Arts program, still figuring out its preferences between playwriting, dramaturgy, and stage management. It hopes you enjoy the festival!