Our Brief (physical) Encounters Directors:
Join us in getting to know the directors for our second annual ten-minute play festival, Brief (physical) Encounters.
Sarah Scafidi; Director of Alouette (An April Atwater Short)
Recently transplanted from DC to Philadelphia, Sarah Scafidi is the
Artistic Assistant at Arden Theatre Company. Her most recent directing credits include Trigger Warning (Philly Fringe), Compressions (Arden Theatre), The Real World: Kabul (Capital Fringe), Leveling Up (Interrobang Theatre – “Best of Charm City Fringe”), The Metal Children (Silver Spring Stage – named one of the “Best Directors” and “Best Plays” of 2015 by DCMetroTheatreArts), [title of show] (purple light theatre), and a staged reading of Dancing Lessons (Olney Theatre Center). Her work has also been seen at Source Festival, the One Minute Play Festival, Nu Sass, and Rorschach Theatre. She has assistant directed at numerous theatres throughout the Northeast and completed an SDCF Observership. www.sarahscafididirector.com
Artistic Assistant at Arden Theatre Company. Her most recent directing credits include Trigger Warning (Philly Fringe), Compressions (Arden Theatre), The Real World: Kabul (Capital Fringe), Leveling Up (Interrobang Theatre – “Best of Charm City Fringe”), The Metal Children (Silver Spring Stage – named one of the “Best Directors” and “Best Plays” of 2015 by DCMetroTheatreArts), [title of show] (purple light theatre), and a staged reading of Dancing Lessons (Olney Theatre Center). Her work has also been seen at Source Festival, the One Minute Play Festival, Nu Sass, and Rorschach Theatre. She has assistant directed at numerous theatres throughout the Northeast and completed an SDCF Observership. www.sarahscafididirector.com
Sofía Anastasia; Director of Bread Crumbs
Sofía Anastasia is a Philadelphia-based playwright, director, designer, and performance artist. Their work explores heritage, community, and the healing that the ritual of theatre can engender in the face of trauma.
Sofía has been professionally involved with the Ko Festival of Performance, Seedling Productions, MJ Kaufman, and as a member of GLITTERVOM, an autonomous theatre collective. Their poetry has been published in GLITTERVOM, the Reader, and S/tick Magazine. In 2015, they were awarded a grant by the Ethics and the Common Good Project to intern with Wise Fool New Mexico.
Sofía graduated from Hampshire College, receiving a BA with a concentration in queer feminist theatre. Their senior thesis explored queer latinidad, Puerto Rican colonialism, and how communities of women and woman-aligned people support and uplift each other in the face of trauma.
Sofía has been professionally involved with the Ko Festival of Performance, Seedling Productions, MJ Kaufman, and as a member of GLITTERVOM, an autonomous theatre collective. Their poetry has been published in GLITTERVOM, the Reader, and S/tick Magazine. In 2015, they were awarded a grant by the Ethics and the Common Good Project to intern with Wise Fool New Mexico.
Sofía graduated from Hampshire College, receiving a BA with a concentration in queer feminist theatre. Their senior thesis explored queer latinidad, Puerto Rican colonialism, and how communities of women and woman-aligned people support and uplift each other in the face of trauma.
Ontaria Kim Wilson; Director of The Return of the Shogun
With a passion for the arts Ontaria Kim Wilson lives her life dedicated to creating and sharing her art. She is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, actress, writer and theater arts professional who has 26 years in the entertainment business. She has to her credit the following accomplishments: She was a member of 3 distinguished dance companies; She appeared as an actress, writer, or director in over 17 theatrical productions; 3 featured films; She has over 15 dancing placements in celebrity performances; and she has written and co-written featured films and an animated television cartoon series.
Due to her extensive background she has taught and coached children and adults throughout the Delaware Valley (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware) in the area of performing arts in elementary schools, spiritual institutions, community centers, and performing arts schools. Her mantra is based on pouring into others so that the arts continue to thrive.
Ontaria believes that following your passion is the source of your success. She has been blessed in many ways. Her passion has led her to be sought after internationally as well. In 2018 she will be starting a co-operation with The kingdom of Bahrain’s 7 TH Wave Performing Arts School as a guest facilitator and performer. Look forward to more works in the near future.
Instagram: @ontariakimwilson Twitter: @ontariakimwilsn
Due to her extensive background she has taught and coached children and adults throughout the Delaware Valley (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware) in the area of performing arts in elementary schools, spiritual institutions, community centers, and performing arts schools. Her mantra is based on pouring into others so that the arts continue to thrive.
Ontaria believes that following your passion is the source of your success. She has been blessed in many ways. Her passion has led her to be sought after internationally as well. In 2018 she will be starting a co-operation with The kingdom of Bahrain’s 7 TH Wave Performing Arts School as a guest facilitator and performer. Look forward to more works in the near future.
Instagram: @ontariakimwilson Twitter: @ontariakimwilsn
Nicole Godino; Director of Outside In
Nicole Godino
Logan Gabriel (Schulman); Director of Focus Group
logan gabriel (((schulman))) is a director, designer, and ritualist. Holding a degree in religious studies and performance theory, and utilizing multi-media and non-media, his work investigates the mundane real-life actions and objects of our digitally-rendered-society towards answering his defining artistic question: How do we, as entirely separate humans, come together to create a deep communing with the world and with one another?
He helped to establish the Windmill Theatre Company and has worked with the Harold Clurman Lab Theatre Company, the Stella Adler Studio, PS122, Headlong Performance Institute, Bread and Puppet Theater, and the American Society for Theatrical Research.
Cat Ramirez; Director of The Wall with Four Eyes
Cat Ramirez is a director, deviser, and producer born and raised in the Philly area.
Cat’s work explores mixed race narratives, competitive athletic practice, and site specific settings. They are the Season Producer for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA), and the Events Producer for Asian Arts Initiative Cat has also worked with Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Orbiter 3, and Director’s Gathering, among others. Cat is an alum of the National New Play Network Producer-In-Residence Program with InterAct Theatre Company and a recipient of Bonaly Reviews’ Unsung Hero Award. Next up: Cat will be directing for Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ Mouthful Monologue Festival.
Shira Berger; Director of Alice and Tommy Cross the Street
Shira is a freelance director, deviser, and teaching artist. She graduated from The University of the Arts in 2016 and since then, she's had the pleasure of working with Azuka Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, The Pub at The Public, and Orbiter 3 among others. She is a second year theatre educator for ASAP Drama, an afterschool theatre program for public and charter schools across Philadelphia, and loves working with all her students grades 1st-12th. She is so proud to be a part of a feminist play festival and is committed to making art that gives a platform to oppressed voices.
Check out her upcoming work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in collaboration with playwright, Emma Goidel, March 30th!
Check out her upcoming work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in collaboration with playwright, Emma Goidel, March 30th!
Ryan Rebel; Director of Leigha's Heel
Ryan Rebel is a Philadelphia based theatre artist. He prefers weird theatre that pushes the bounds of artist and audience; as such, he is thrilled to be a part of Philadelphia's eclectic theatre community. Ryan is a founding member of Shoe Box Company, resident theatre company of the Venice Island Performing Arts Center, with whom he has directed multiple shows. The most recent of these has been WILD, a devised Clown Western featured in the 2017 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Ryan is the producer of the annual Shoe Box Short Theatre Festival as well as the monthly-ish Improv Island, two showcases for all manner of local and regional talent. Ryan has worn various hats in recent years: director, writer, improviser, actor, dramaturg, producer, technician. That being said, he rarely wears actual hats. He did for a time in college, but that was a mistake. Ryan is currently assistant directing Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play at Bryn Mawr College.
