Director | MARY BETH EASLEY

Mary Beth Easley is head of directing in the Department of Theatre Arts. From 2006–2018, she was Artistic Director of the CUNY-Brooklyn College Department of Theater. Focusing on new play development, intercultural theatre expression, and outreach to under-represented urban and rural communities, Ms. Easley has been directing plays, coaching, and teaching acting for many years. She has directed Off-Broadway and in regional theatres throughout the United States. In NYC, her work has been featured at The Bushwick Starr, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Circle Rep, The Women’s Project, The New Federal Theater, and LaMama ETC, among others.   

Fight Director/Movement Coach | PAUL KALINA

Intimacy Director | ERICA BARNES

Scenic Designer | CHLOE COBB

Chloe Cobb is a first-year MFA Theatre Arts student with a focus in Scenic Design. They are so excited to be part of this production as their first mainstage show at the University of Iowa! In their time at Iowa so far, Chloe has scenic designed for the galleries Mother:Knife and Pierogi Play, and assisted Kaelen Novak in scenic design for The Bacchae. Upcoming projects include scenic design for Fathers and Sons as part of Iowa New Play Festival 2023. 

Props Artisan | GINA SMOTHERS

Lighting Designer | BRYON WINN

Costume and Makeup Designer | ABIGAIL MANSFIELD COLEMAN 

Abigail Mansfield Coleman is a third MFA candidate in Costume Design, Makeup Design, and Mask and Puppetry Design. This is her last show as a student at the university! She has been designing for over 12 years across the Carolinas and Georgia. Some highlight productions she has designed include, Into the Woods (3 times!), Tuck Everlasting (2018 KCATCF Region IV Costume Design Nomination); and Exit the King (2017 KCATCF Region IV Nomination). Recent work at the University of Iowa includes Braided Sorrow, The Bacchae (makeup/hair design), and String; Evita: In Concert at Cornell College, and The Weir, and Henry V at Riverside Theatre. You can see more of Abigail’s work and follow her career at abigailmansfieldcoleman.com.

Video Designer | DAN FINE

Daniel is an artist, teacher, and creative technologist working in immersive physical/virtual environments, site-specific locations and installations for interactive users, audiences and live performance. He is an Associate Professor of Digital Media in Performance at the University of Iowa in Theatre Arts, Dance, and Public Digital Arts, for which he is the certificate coordinator. He is the co-author of Digital Media, Projection Design & Technology for Theatre. He has been recognized as a “creative disruptor…exploding traditional disciplinary boundaries.” His work has been seen throughout the USA, England, Mexico, and the 2019 Prague Quadrennial and combines traditional forms of storytelling with that of cutting-edge, interactive digital media technologies in order to engage the imaginations and hearts of a twenty-first century audience. 

Sound Designer | MARK BRUCKNER

Mark Bruckner (Composer-Sound Designer) is a New York Innovative Theater, Audelco Award-winning composer, and Henry Hewes American Theatre Wing design nominee. Recent work: Music Direction and Conductor for Something Rotten! (directed by Jonathan Hadley, Mabie Theatre); Original music and music director for The Bacchae (directed by Sarah Gazdowicz, Thayer Theatre); Original music and ambisonic sound design for Body Concert by Kevin Augustine of Lone Wolf Tribe (International premiere, Mar 2nd, 2022 - Montreal International Puppetry Festival; International Microfestival, Vindt Plaats, Netherlands, Sept. 2022); Original music and sound design for The Marriage of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein by Edward Einhorn (Jermyn Street Theatre, West End London, UK, March 2022); Original music, sound, and interactive audio installation for Alma Baya by Edward Einhorn (Off-Broadway, Gural Theatre, A.R.T.NY, 2021); Music Director and Conductor for Midwest premier of String by Adam Gwon and Sarah Hammond (directed by Eric Forsythe, Mar. 2022, Mabie Theatre); and Original music and sound design for Our Lady of 121st Street, (Oct 2021,Mabie Theatre) directed by Mary Beth Easley. Visit www.markbruckner.net.

Stage Manager | JORDAN "J.J." JONES

Jordan “J.J.” Jones is a second-year MFA stage management student from Clarksville, Tennessee. She has previously worked on Braided Sorrow, Media Clown, IT’S LIKE RIDING A BIKE, Gwenevere, and Smile Medicine here at the University of Iowa. Before joining the graduate program at the University of Iowa, she worked in Alabama, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Virginia. She has been greatly impacted by the efforts of this cast and crew to tell this very important story, and she hopes that you enjoy and learn from our production. Thank you! 

Dramaturg | REBECCA WEAVER

Rebecca Weaver is a first-year MFA Dramaturgy candidate from Anniston, Alabama. Previously, Rebecca obtained two bachelor’s degrees in English and Drama at Jacksonville State University where they then received their master’s degree in English. Their most recent theatre credits include dramaturging The Children’s Hour (UIowa), Emilie: du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight (JSU), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Shakespeare Project). They are very excited and honored to work with the wonderful creative team and cast of Ugly Lies the Bone and are excited to work on the upcoming Iowa New Play Festival production of Olivia Clement’s You’re Still Here.  

Musician | COLEEN PETERSON

Coleen Peterson, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, has performed throughout the Midwest since the 1980s. She has played and recorded with many outstanding groups, including Too Much Yang, Monel Sweeney, Wheel Hoss, The Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, and others. Her musical influences include Bluegrass, Country, Swing and Americana. 

Assistant Lighting Designer | NICOLE BLODIG*

Nicole Blodig is a current Junior, majoring in Theatre Arts on the Design track with a minor in Art and works as an Electrician for the UI Department of Theatre Arts. She has been the lighting designer for many shows at the university including Rockabye, Or: a Play About a Tree and Stars and Stones. She has also been the assistant lighting designer on The Bacchae and H.M.S. Pinafore. Most recently, her work was seen in Mamma Mia! with Jones College Prep in Chicago. This summer, she will be a lighting intern with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, Michigan to develop her skills as a designer and electrician! 

Assistant Costume Designer | ABBY PAUL*

Abby Paul is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Cinema and Theatre Arts. Her focus is acting, and she was last seen in the Ten-Minute Play Festival as well as Barefoot Girl in rockabye. She is excited about assistant costume designing this show, something that she has never done before! She would like to thank Abigail Mansfield Coleman for mentoring her through this process and always being willing to answer any questions and offer advice. 

Assistant Stage Manager | SOPHIE YOUNG*

Sophie Young is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Cinema and Theatre Arts on the Stage Management track. Some of her previous credits at the University of Iowa include The Lazaretto, rockabye, Stars and Stones, I Saw You/New Person, Cupid Tyrannous, and Global Express—but she is thrilled to have Ugly Lies The Bone as her first mainstage production. She would like to thank the cast and creative team for all their incredible work on such a powerful and moving show.  

Assistant Makeup Designer | NAT PAYAN*