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.”

John Coppola

Director/Choreography

A native of Brooklyn, New York, John Coppola is a multi-talented director and acting coach, whose clients have starred on HBO, Showtime, ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, Netflix, FX, AMC, USA, Lifetime, Fox, WB, TNT and Showcase.

As a director, John has helmed more than 100 theatrical productions in New York, Los Angeles and abroad. His credits include groundbreaking productions of Shakespeare, Brecht, John Patrick Shanley and Caryl Churchill, as well as critically acclaimed adaptations of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Cabaret. Reviews available upon request.

As a film director, John’s accolades include the award for Best Director at the New York International Film & Video Festival for his film, Possibility, which also took the Grand Jury Prize for short film In Los Angeles. Then, he directed Bourbon Street, a New Orleans television pilot for Rampart Entertainment. Most recently, he directed In the Basement, a short film that is scheduled for screening at festivals across the country.

John began his career as an actor, whose career took him from the footlights of Broadway to the soundstages of Hollywood. After attending Yale’s prestigious drama program, John first appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, followed by Biloxi Blues, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, American Buffalo, and the European revival tours of Hair and West Side Story.

John’s television acting credits include Fox TV’s Herman’s Head, NYPD Blue, and Chicken Soup for the Soul, among others. On film, John starred in Into the Paradise and has also appeared in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap, and Terry Southern’s You Gotta Leave Your Mark. John also produced and starred-in his award-winning one-man show entitled The DeVivo Variation, which premiered at the prestigious HBO Workspace in Los Angeles, and successfully ran for more than two years on both coasts, garnering two Critic’s Choice Awards and a Dramalogue Award.

John currently lives in Los Angeles, where he is in demand as one of Hollywood’s top acting coaches. He offers his unique style of teaching and private coaching to a thriving group of students, established actors and movie stars.

Stuart Ross

Director, Producer, Writer

Besides creating Forever Plaid, Stuart has directed (and or written) over 50 productions throughout the United States, Canada, and internationally.  He directed Forever Plaid at the West End’s Apollo Theatre and the film of Forever Plaid. He wrote Plaid Tidings for theatres in the United States after the tragedy of 9/11.  The Sound of Plaid (a glee club sequel to Forever Plaid) has been performed around the world including the Edinburgh Festival.

His other shows include: Radiant Baby – the Keith Haring Musical at New York’s Public Theatre); Enter Laughing the Musical (Drama Desk Nomination); and The Radio City Music Hall Easter Show.  His television work includes the sitcom “Frasier” and PBS’ “Great Performances”.

Stuart began his directing and writing journey when he attended the University of Manchester. He later went on to study at New York’s Circle In The Square. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

Joanna Syiek

Artistic Director, Color & Light Theatre Ensemble

JOANNA SYIEK is the founder of Color and Light Theatre Ensemble, a LA theatre initiative dedicated to exploring new works and modern musical theatre. Directing credits include American Idiot (Indy Award Winner – Direction), Lizzie, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Assassins, Company, and Tick Tick…Boom! along with the West Coast premieres of both Things to Ruin and See Rock City and Other Destinations. Her new musical theatre directing credits include Giraffenstein, The Bully Problem, Merely Players, Path to Catherine, as well as The Pokémusical, which received the awards of Best Musical and Best of Fringe from the Hollywood Fringe Festival. More info at www.colorandlighttheatre.com/joanna-syiek.