PITCH WEEK SESSION #4 GUESTS

Joe Barros

Artistic Director, New York Theatre Barn

Joe Barros is a New York-based stage director and award-winning choreographer working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally.

Joe recently directed and choreographed two national tours of A Charlie Brown Christmas (Gershwin Entertainment), the new musical Love and Yogurt in New York, the musical Aida in Singapore, and A New Brain at Five Towns College on Long Island.

New York credits include the Broadway revival of Gigi (associate director, directed by Eric Schaeffer) starring Vanessa Hudgens and Victoria Clark, Cagney (associate director, directed by Bill Castellino), the New York premiere of Dan Elish and Douglas Cohen’s The Evolution of Mann Off-Broadway (starring Max Crumm and Allie Trimm, cast recording on iTunes and Spotify), the world premiere of Marc Acito and Amy Engelhardt’s critically acclaimed rock musical Bastard Jones Off-Broadway, Nine at CAP21/Molloy College, Out of the Box Theatrics’ Alice in Alice’s (Alice in Wonderland at Alice’s Tea Cup with a company of actors with disabilities, co-writer, world premiere at Weathervane Theatre), I Married Wyatt Earp at 59E59 Theatres (Prospect Theater Co./NY Theatre Barn), Hard Times (NY Innovative Theatre Award Nominee for Best Choreography, NY Times Critics’ Pick), Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin’s A Taste of Things to Come (associate director, directed by Lorin Latarro, York Theatre Company, Bucks County Playhouse, Broadway in Chicago), and the world premiere of Cheryl Stern’s Shoes & Baggage (The Cell). With New York Theatre Barn, Joe produced the new musical Sam’s Room, inspired by real stories of nonverbal teens who find a way to communicate.

Regional/International productions include Beaches at Chicago’s Drury Lane (associate director, directed by Eric Schaeffer) starring Shoshana Bean and Whitney Bashor, For Tonight at Goodspeed Musicals and Michigan State University, the world premiere of Brother Russia (associate director/choreographer, directed by Eric Schaeffer, choreography by Jodi Moccia) and The Haunted Hotel at DC’s Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, Aida at Singapore’s LASALLE College of the Arts, Carrie at Michigan State University (recipient of SDCF’s Guest Artist Initiative program), Small Town Story at The Hartt School (also co-conceived), Tuck Everlasting, Bright Star, Cabaret, Catch Me if You Can, My Way, and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical (Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute), the world premieres of The Mysterious Candy Factory and Mini Lover (Kaixinmahua, Shanghai), Nine and Die Fledermaus (Music Academy International, Italy), Fall in Love (Seoul, Korea), and workshops/readings of King Kong, Eastbound (by Khiyon Hursey/Cheeyang Ng), Mommie Dearest (by Christina Crawford and David Nehls), and Frankie.

Choreography for films include The Girl Who Left Home with Paolo Montalban (written by Mallorie Ortega), Mangus with Jennifer Coolidge, Leslie Jordan and John Waters, and Petunia with Christine Lahti, Thora Birch, and Michael Urie (both written/produced by Ash Christian).

Steven Alan Black

Producer, Straighten Your Crown Productions, Barn on Fire Residency

Cate Caplin

Producer/Director/Choreographer

Cate Caplin has produced, directed, and choreographed over 200 productions and her work has been seen on television, in films, music videos, commercials, and in theatrical venues world wide from the Paris Opera House to the Broadwater Stage.

She is a 34 times Regional and International Theatrical Ballroom Dance Champion, a published writer, and an acting and dance coach.

Cate wrote and directed her first feature film, Mating Dance, which won an Accolade Award, and she has been the recipient of a Garland Award, a Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award, multiple LA Stage Alliance, Ovation, Eddon, and Scenie Awards and an Award of Excellence from the LA Film Commission for her work as a writer, director, choreographer, and producer.

Cate is a Directing Member of Actors Studio West, an Associate Member of SDC, and was honored to receive Playwright Arena’s “Lee Melville Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Los Angeles Theatre Community.”

Marco Gomez

Producer/Director, DOMA Theatre Company

Marco is an award winning director (Broadway World, LA Weekly, NAACP, etc) in Los Angeles for his work with DOMA Theatre Co and his recent Broadway credits include – An Act of God, Matilda, On Your Feet, The Color Purple, Latin History For Morons. He is also a film producer and has developed films in the US, Rio de Janeiro, and Rome. He is also the Chief Financial Officer for Spare Some Change, a California non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and assisting run away youth and other arts based non-profits. Marco has over 20 years of experience in real estate development and construction, asset/project/property management, financing, and production and investment. He maintains professional memberships with the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, Burbank Association of Realtors, Pacific West Realtors, Affordable Housing Management Association and The Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers.

Nicole LaFountaine

Producer, Straighten Your Crown Productions, Barn on Fire Residency

Nicole LaFountaine, the dynamic force behind Straighten Your Crown Productions, began her professional theatre journey over 30 years ago, initially as the assistant to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Really Useful Group. She then returned to her hometown of Fire Island Pines, carving out a successful path as a real estate investor and property manager. Driven by an unwavering passion for the arts, Nicole has dedicated her “third act” to a full-time return to her theatrical roots.

Throughout her real estate career, Nicole remained dedicated to the arts as a performer, investor, producer and philanthropist holding several committee and board positions with organizations such a Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, The Fire Island Dance Festival, and the Fire Island Pines Arts Project.

Now, at the helm of Straighten Your Crown Productions, Nicole has taken her wealth of experience to create a hub for creative minds to flourish; connecting people and creating spaces where artistic expression can thrive. It’s not just about making something; it’s about making something extraordinary, and it is not just WHAT we make, but HOW we make it that truly matters.

Nicole’s commitment to creating these artistic spaces remains at the forefront of her endeavors. Her leadership is characterized by a deep understanding of the evolving dynamics within the theatre and film industries. She perceives the challenges posed by escalating commercial production costs and is steadfast in her mission to provide opportunities for new voices to be heard, ensuring their productions receive the exposure needed to succeed in commercial markets. Through the Fire Island Pines Arts Project, alongside New York Theatre Barn, Nicole is the co-creator of the Barn on Fire new musical writers’ residency program, which provides writers and creative teams an opportunity to develop new original musicals while also collaborating with a like-minded community of artists. She also founded the SYC Development Initiative, a non-profit arts organization committed to support the creation of original content while ensuring that creators and performers receive a living wage for their invaluable contributions.

Cody Lassen

Producer, Cody Lassen & Associates

Cody Lassen is an American Tony Award-winning and Grammy nominated theater producer and consultant. He is best known for producing the revival of Spring Awakening, which won him an Ovation Award and a Tony nomination.

Lassen was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He earned his MBA from the University of Notre Dame and graduated from DePaul University.

He held live entertainment management positions with Nielsen and NBCUniversal. While at NBCUniversal, Lassen was active in their corporate diversity initiatives and was part of the team that led the company to be named one of the best places to work for LGBT employees. In addition to producing his own projects, Lassen consulted for major studios, producers, theatres and agencies. He oversaw marketing efforts for Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group and was a production assistant for several films and TV series.

His Broadway productions include Indecent and revival of Spring Awakening and co-productions include Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, “Significant Other“, The Band’s Visit, and Torch Song.

When Lassen joined the production of the Deaf West Theatre revival of Spring Awakening in 2015, it premiered at Inner-City Arts’ Rosenthal Theater in L.A. Under his production management, the show went on to win six Ovation Awards (with 15 nominations), including best musical in two categories, intimate theater and large theater. The latter was won by Lassen together with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Deaf West Theatre.

Lassen teamed up with producers Ken Davenport and the Deaf West Theatre, and transferred the show from the 99-seat Los Angeles production to Broadway in just 366 days, an unprecedented feat. The production opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in September 2015. For the show, performed in both American Sign Language and spoken English, the producers were honored with the Champion of Change Award by the New York Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for their “efforts to increase diversity and inclusivity on Broadway.” The show was a success on Broadway and was even performed at the White House.

He partnered with Daryl Roth to transfer the critically acclaimed Paula Vogel play Indecent to Broadway in the 2016/17 season where it was honored with two Tony Awards for Best Direction and Best Lighting, and nominated for Best Play.

Lassen’s upcoming projects include How I Learned To Drive, a Pulitzer-winning play by Paula Vogel opening on Broadway in 2021, with much of the original cast and creative team from its off-Broadway debut 23 years prior, Alice By Heart, a new musical by Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson, premiering at MCC Theater in February 2019; and Some Lovers, a new musical by Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater opening at the Adirondacks Theatre Festival in June 2018.

Molly Rhode

Artistic Director, Northern Sky Theater

The mission of Northern Sky Theater is to create, develop and present professional musical and dramatic productions that will further the knowledge and appreciation of the culture and heritage of the United States.

The Theatre is dedicated to maintaining standards of artistic excellence; celebrating and illuminating the human condition; reaching a large audience of all ages, including families; and fostering a humanistic work environment with adequate and appropriate emotional, financial and creative support for all those associated with us.

Molly joined Northern Sky as an actor in 2007, directed her first new work in Pen. Park in 2013, and joined the staff as Associate Artistic Director in 2014, and is now the Artistic Director. Her focus is new play development, and she is honored to work closely with so many extraordinary authors. Molly also works regularly with theaters in Milwaukee and Madison, and she represents Northern Sky on the leadership team of World Premiere Wisconsin. It’s been a thrill to witness the success of this statewide collaboration celebrating new plays and musicals! Wisconsin has a truly special ecosystem. Thank you, Northern Sky patrons, for always believing in new work. We make these shows for you.