spit&vigor
Leaderboard:
SARA FELLINI (Artistic Director, co-founder) is an award-winning playwright, director, actress, and skilled artisan. Her first play, HAZARD A LITTLE DEATH, was nominated for six awards at the 2014 Planet Connections Theater Festivity including Best Production of a New Play and Best Lead Actress (Sara Fellini), winning Best New Script. She performed in the monodrama THE OTHER MOZART by Sylvia Milo at The Players Theatre in NYC and toured with the production (winning Cat5 magazine’s Best Theater Production of 2015, “the voice of a crystal bell, Fellini is captivating” –NOLA Defender), and created the role of Maeve Shourd in a site-specific production of IN VESTMENTS, a play of her own writing and winner of two NYIT awards, nominated for Outstanding New Full-Length Script, earning her theater company the Donn Russell grant, and acclaimed by the NYTimes as "wrenching and visually eloquent". She has appeared in another play of her own writing, THE EXECUTION OF MRS. COTTON (called "darkly humorous" and "deliciously ghoulish" by the NYTimes) as part of IRT Theater's 3B Residency. She played Mary Shelley in MARY’S LITTLE MONSTER by Thomas Kee at the mudlark public theatre in NOLA, The Davenport Theatre in NYC as part of the Davenport space grant, at at Torn Page, the historic home of Rip Torn and Geraldine Page. She played Artemisia Gentileschi in her play NEC SPE / NEC METU at The Tank’s July 2017 DarkFest, at Theater Row as part of United Solo Festival, and by special invitation at The Glitter Box in Pittsburgh, PA. She played Asia Booth Clarke in THE BRUTES ("irresistibly dramatic, legitimately upsetting" - The NYTimes) by Casey Wimpee at The Flamboyan as part of The 10th Anniversary Planet Connections Festivity, nominated for 8 awards including Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Costume Design (both Sara Fellini). During quarantine, she wrote and directed LUNA ECLIPSE, a one-shot livestream film, chosen as one of TIME OUT's Best Online Theater Productions, and she recently made her off-broadway in THE WAKE OF DORCAS KELLY at The Players Theatre, a play she both wrote and directed, chosen as one of The Observer's Best Summer Theater of 2021.
NICHOLAS THOMAS (Executive Producer) is an actor, writer and director from Melbourne, Australia. As an actor/producer he has studied at HB Studios. His sketch comedy troupe has produced two web series and multiple television shows at MNN Studios. He also writes, produces and directs original online content with his company Blunderbuss. Phoenix Reign: Nominated Best Dark Comedy Screenplay, Oregon Short Film Festival (2019); Nominated Best Comedy Television Episode Screenplay, Portland Comedy Film Festival(2018).Return Of the Green Dragon: Semi Finalist The Comedy World Network International Film Festival, (Las Vegas 2018) Businessman ShowdownNominated New York Indie Film Fest 2016. He was a performer and teacher at the Peoples’ Improv Theatre (The PIT).
ADAM BELVO (Executive Director, co-founder) is a Brooklyn based actor and theater producer. Recent New York acting work includes Edwin Booth in THE BRUTES (2019 NYIT Outstanding Lead Actor Nominee), John Polidori in MARY's LITTLE MONSTER, Azra Todd in THE EXECUTION OF MRS. COTTON, Danny in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, Father Nathan Shourd in the NYIT Award winning IN VESTMENTS, K.Bus and Muskie in Aztec Economy's BUTCHER HOLLER HERE WE COME (NYIT 2016 Outstanding Lead Actor nominee), Jack in OVER, Georges in HAZARD A LITTLE DEATH (Planet Connections Festival 2014: Best Actor Award Winner), Jaques in AS YOU LIKE IT, El Spectro in COLOR TVs IN TIJUANA, Ryszard in PONTIAC FIREBIRD VARIATIONS (Ice Factory 2011) and Vanya in UNCLE VANYA. Regionally, Adam has toured and performed as K.Bus in BUTCHER HOLLER HERE WE COME (Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2013, New Orleans Fringe Festival 2013, Out-of-the-Loop Festival 2014-Dallas, Revolutions 2016-Albuquerque, NM, Hollywood Fringe 2019, others), he has worked with MTB productions to produce and star in HELPLESS DOORKNOBS (New Orleans Fringe 2012) and as The Stranger in MY AIM IS TRUE (New Orleans Fringe 2011). He is Executive Producer of the Brooklyn based theater company spit&vigor (www.spitnvigor.com), and a collaborating member of Working Man's Clothes Productions and Aztec Economy. His work has been showcased at The 14th Street Y, The Tank, 3LD, The Ohio Theater, The New Ohio Theatre, The Davenport Theater, WestPark Presbyterian Church, The Abingdon Theater (Dorothy Strelsin and the June Havoc,) American Place Theater, Under St. Marks, and IRT Theater, among others.
spit&vigor Ensemble:
CAITLIN DULLAHAN-BATES is an actor, writer, and director from NYC. She holds a BFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied at the Atlantic Acting School and Stonestreet Studios. Caitlin was most recently featured in spit&vigor’s productions of ECTOPLASM (The Players Theatre) and THE BRUTES (The Players Club) as well as the New York Times recommended Fucked-Up Play Fest! (Caveat NYC). Last October, she wrapped production on Hell Wanted (Irving Pictures), in which she'll make her independent feature film debut. Her upcoming short film, of which she is both screenwriter and director, Hyacinth Girl, is currently in pre-production.
CHLOÉ BELL is originally from Louisville, KY and received her BFA from The University of MN / Guthrie Actor Training Program. She packed up a car on December 31st 2019, to move to New York, and what a ride it's been. She's so grateful to be working with this team and is excited to share these pieces with you. Some of her most recent work here in New York has been Macbeth with Hamlet Isn’t Dead, Captain Placeholder... with Greenhouse Ensemble, Voyeur: The Windows of Toulouse Lautrec with Bated Breath Theatre Company and On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle: or Owed with The Lark Theatre. You can keep up to date with her and her work at chloebellactor.com. She'd like to extend a special thank you to her immensely supportive friends and boyfriend, Andrew. <3
STEPHANIE BOK has worked in theatre for over 30 years in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. As a writer, her work has been presented by companies such as Center for Performing Arts Bonita Springs, White Bird Productions, Dramatic Question Theatre, American Theatre of Harlem, Inneract Productions, ActNow Foundation, Just Ask Productions, the Modern Day Griot Theatre Company and the DUMBO Arts Festival. She hosted the original writers’ cabaret Write Night @ Frank’s in Brooklyn for ten years. She has been a writer/producer/director/performer with the sketch comedy group American Candy since 2010. Stephanie has worked for the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York since 2000 where she currently oversees two multi-tenant performing arts facilities. She has a B.A. in Drama from the University of Southern California. Stephanie is grateful for this opportunity to perform with the talented people at spit&vigor.
JILLIAN CICALESE is an actor, director, and teaching artist based in NYC. She earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the FSU Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. She was previously seen off-Broadway at The Player’s Theatre as psychic-medium Sara Marshall in spit&vigor’s production of Ectoplasm by Sara Fellini. She is also a resident actor with NYC’s 812th best Shakespeare company, Hamlet Isn’t Dead, with whom she most recently performed as a Weird Sister and Songstress in their production of Macbeth. As a teaching artist, she offers group workshops and private coaching, which include monologue coaching, ensemble building, and Shakespeare workshops! She is excited to share these pieces with you all and thanks you for supporting the arts! To keep up with her work, visit jilliancicalese.com and follow her on Instagram @jmcicalese.
KYRA JACKSON is a very soulful actor with a strong command of herself and any character she inhabits. Her electric passion and thoughtful nature has arrested audiences, while her comical light and deliberate timing delights them. Kyra Jackson is primarily an actor but also often directs and writes for stage and film as well as finding a hobby in post production editing. She promotes herself as a “well rounded artist” expressing herself creatively though photography, painting, spoken word, and song as well as many other means of visual / performative art. After having graduated from Hamilton College, where she majored in Theater and minored in Psychology and foreign languages, she got her M.F.A from Arizona State University where she cultivated her love of teaching the craft. When not on the stage or in front of the camera Kyra enjoys laughing loudly, taking photos whilst walking in no particular direction around NYC, learning new people, and reading well written works on long flights to anywhere she can travel to. Due to her insatiable wanderlust, Kyra has done quite a lot of traveling in her young life and doesn’t plan to stop until she has seen everything the world has to offer. Her bright energy is palpable in every room she finds herself in and is second only to her wonderfully meticulous mind. (Association of Theatre in Higher Education ATHE, presenter/teacher)
DUOER JIA is a recent graduate from Cornell University, where she majored in Theatre and Information Science. On stage, she has appeared in The Wolves (#00), Night Returns from the North Country (Girl), and The Picture of Dorian Gray (Victoria). Her film credits include Off-Campus/On-Screen, Barrier, and Incident. She has directed Asiamnesia, Rumors, and various theatre festival projects at Cornell.
IRINA KAPLAN Irina is delighted to work with spit&vigor. What a joy to be back in the theatre, with such an exciting collaborative team. Big thanks to Sara Fellini, Joe Biden, and Tsu Tsu Stanton. Irina-Kaplan.com @tangirina_k
CLARA KUNDIN is a theater-maker and educator. She received her B.A. in theater from St. Olaf College and continued her studies in physical theater at the École Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She is a current MFA candidate in Theater for Youth and Communities at Arizona State University. New York Theater: Luna Eclipse (spit&vigor), The Jewish King Lear (Metropolitan Playhouse), Doomocracy (Creative Time), {my lingerie play} (Rattlestick Theater), Helena in The Rover and The Naked Tempest (Torn Out Theater), Lake Victory (GYM at Judson), The Lysistrata Project (Irondale Center). Regional: Nancy in Oliver! (Lawrence Arts Center), The Sunshine Boys (Guthrie Theater). She served as the Founding Executive Director of Rebel Playhouse from 2016-2019. www.clarakundin.com
MORGAN ZIPF - MEISTER is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Over the past decade she has found a home in the New York Indie Theater scene, and has worked with too many companies to list here, including having worked previously with Spit & Vigor in The Brutes at the New Ohio. She can be seen in New York's Favorite Monthly Soap Opera for the stage It's Getting Tired Mildred as Charmaine Milton, the villain of Mildred Springs, and is a member of the New York Madness Acting Company. Morgan is also a New York Innovative Theatre Award nominated Lighting Designer and Moth storyteller, who has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour. Her short film Push Up has played festivals both locally and internationally. For more information, please visit www.morganzipfmeister.com.
CAIT MURPHY is a Brooklyn-based performer, producer, and production manager. She has performed onstage with Aretha Franklin a L’Oréal industrial and Kathleen Turner in Gloria Feldt's Take the Lead. She played the title character in HAPPY HAMSTER BIRTHDAY at the the Leela Theater Festival, and was featured in ZUCCOTTI PARK in the 2016 NY Fringe and as a faceless nun in the site-specific production IN VESTMENTS - called "wrenching and visually eloquent" by The New York Times. Cait has worked in production for programs on Netflix, NBC, MTV, Travel Channel, and truTV. She is thrilled to be a part of the company of spit&vigor!
EAMON MURPHY has appeared as Grant in Agnes Borinsky’s Ulysses S. Grant in the New New World (PAM Residencies); Theseus/Titania, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Little Flame); Jaques, As You Like It (Columbia School of the Arts); the Ghost, The Brutes (spit&vigor), Camillo, The Winter’s Tale (South Brooklyn Shakespeare); Orsino, Twelfth Night (Old Hat); Donald Rumsfeld, Oh What a Lovely War on Terror (Edinburgh Fringe); King Henry, 1 Henry IV (Clare College Cambridge); and Prince Edward, Richard III (PA Shakespeare Fest).
CAEDEN MUSSER (she/they) An Austin, Texas transplant, they primarily identify as a Shakespeare nerd, budding verse playwright, fight human, musician, and aerialist. Favorite roles include Agravaine, (The Table Round and The Seige Perilous, Turn to Flesh), Iilyan (Damned, Dixon Place), Bardolph/Westmoreland (Henry V, Occupy Verona), Launce (Two [gentlemen] of Verona, Monsterpiece Theatre), Fontaine (The Brutes, spit&vigor), Cressida (Troilus and Cressida, Rosedale Theater), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet, Rosedale Theater), and Cassandra (The Trojan Women, The Baron’s Men). Since moving to NYC, they've trained with Dylan Hintz of SAGA Action Arts, Jared Kirby/NYCSS, Turn to Flesh, Shakespeare & Company, and The Humanist Project. See their writing in 2021 when their full length play The Lifted Instants Before the Fall will be performed as part of Turn to Flesh’s staged reading series.
NICOLE ORABONA is a collaborative theatre-maker with a passion for interactive, immersive, and devised new works. She has trained with the SITI Company, Frantic Assembly, and The Interactive PlayLab. In addition to spit&vigor, she is a company member of This is Not a Theatre Company and Emit Theatre. Recent credits: Cafe Play, Theatre in the Dark, Play in Your Bathtub (This is Not a Theatre Company), Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec (Bated Breath, original devising member) Midsummer and Romeo & Juliet (Emit), meg jo beth amy & louisa (Tier5/Hollywood Fringe). BA Boise State University. nicoleorabona.com
XANDRA LEIGH PARKER (Company Member) studied at Maggie Flanigan Studio Conservatory, Colorado State University and Perry Mansfield. She has appeared in Mary’s Little Monster, The Brutes, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Pizza Man, Italian American Reconciliation, Three Penny Opera, La Llorona, As You Like It, as well as many others. She also has worked on many independent films, cabarets and is the lead singer of Just Fabulous.
CAMILA BRAVO RIVERA is an aspiring writer, performer, and educator. She is currently finishing a degree in Theatre Studies with a minor in Language Arts Education at the University of Central Florida. She has starred in a number of short films in Florida and hopes to continue growing as a performer and artist in New York. Her short play Gone Away is her first produced work.
Z. QUINN REYNOLDS is a multimedia artist living and working in Brooklyn. After graduating from the SUNY Purchase Playwriting/Screenwriting program, (2020) they moved to New York City To begin a frustrating and short lived career in commercial video production. Since 2017, Quinn has been working with the Superhero Alliance of Western New York, The Buffalo Bisons, and The Explore and More Children’s Museum, to produce a series of multimedia interactive children’s shows. As a one person production house, Quinn writes, directs, films, edits, post produces, and scores these projects. Their work has been featured by the Road Less Traveled Theater Company, and has been awarded a place on the SUNY Heliotrope List. Outside of theater, Quinn plays lead guitar with Queens based songwriter Nora Knox. They Currently work for A.R.T. /New York as a Facilities Coordinator
LAURA SISSKIN is an Asbury Park/NYC-based actor, writer, and singer/songwriter (under the name Oh, Elis). Her debut solo show, You Hold a Pole Everyday, won for Outstanding Performance of a Solo Show at The 2018 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and was nominated for a NY Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Performance of a Solo Show in 2019. Favorite credits: Eleemosynary (Artie), Proof (Claire), Vagina Monologues (Various Roles). Laura holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College and studies with Caymichael Patten. LauraSF.com.
AZUMI TSUTSUI (Performer - Gone Away) is from Osaka, Japan. She appeared in advertisements and commercials such as Adobe, Renaissance Hotel, Ritz, and McGraw-Hill Education. Her favorite stage roles are Woodcutter in an all-female theater production of Rashomon, Robin in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, Diane in Losing my Religion, and Murderer in Macbeth. In feature films, she played the role of Interviewer in "The Vanishing of Sidney Hall" and Good Angel in "Apocalypsis." She hosted a Japanese TV show "Made in NY." Her major voice over works are Google Pixel Help Video, "Mettle Creek" (animation) and "Metanoid" (animation on adult swim https://youtu.be/p0zQ_IHW8ZI) . She is a resident actor of Hamlet Isn’t Dead. She plays the French horn. She has black belt in Aikido, been trained in stage combat and fencing and Japanese sword fighting, and loved kickboxing (pre-Covid). http://www.azumitsutsuiactress.com/
PERRI YANIV, born and raised in NYC, has appeared in over 40 productions locally, most recently with spit&vigor’s THE BRUTES at The Players Club and previously at The New Ohio. pre-COVID theatre credits include RAFT OF THE MEDUSA for Barefoot Theatre Company, THE PLANTATION for Brave New World Rep, and title roles in revivals of Shaw’s DON JUAN IN HELL and Ansky’s THE DYBBUK. TV/FILM credits “The Blacklist,” “BEDLAM: the series,” “Purity,” “Delivery Hour,” and the forthcoming “White Peacock.” www.perribazyaniv.com