KYLE BOSTIAN: Kyle Bostian, MFA/Ph.D., is a Professorial Lecturer in Theatre at American University. He previously served on the faculties of Point Park University and the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, where he taught theatre history, dramatic literature, playwriting, dramaturgy, and more. He’s presented academic papers at various national conferences. In addition to his endeavors as an educator and scholar, Kyle is a practicing theatre artist, primarily as a director and dramaturg, with an emphasis on new plays. He’s helped develop works by internationally known playwrights Arthur Kopit (Tony nominee and Pulitzer finalist) and Lucy Alibar (Oscar nominee), local writers Mark Clayton Southers (for Pittsburgh Playwrights), Mary Lipple (for NEW stAGE), and Philip Real (for 12 Peers), and many others. He’s held artistic staff positions at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, the Horizon Theatre in Atlanta, and the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He’s also independently produced and directed collaboratively created work through Pittsburgh PACT (Public Action Communitarian Theatre). He joins the Hiawatha Project Advisory Board after participating as dramaturg and workshop performer on JH: Mechanics of a Legend.

ELIZABETH BRADLEY:  Elizabeth Bradley is an educator, theatrical producer, festival curator, presenter, and international cultural consultant. She came to the Tisch School of the Arts as Chair of Drama after seven years leading the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Her appointment at Carnegie Mellon followed a wide-ranging career of almost thirty years in the professional performing arts in her native Canada.  Bradley was CEO of the Hummingbird Centre (now Sony Centre) for the Performing Arts in Toronto, a fourteen million dollar organization that presents multi-disciplinary attractions from around the world, including many of the major artists of the last two decades. Her theatrical producing credits include Tony-nominated Broadway productions, Edinburgh Festival premieres and extensive tours to major houses such as the Kennedy Center and New York’s City Center. She has worked directly for artists as manager and agent and occupied a senior management position for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada.   She is a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Gold Medal for outstanding contribution to the arts in Canada.  A past Chair of the International Society for the Performing Arts, an organization that links leaders in the arts from 51 countries, Bradley was instrumental in the creation of the Inaugural International Arts Forum in Beijing, China in 2001.  She was the Founding Artistic Director of the first edition of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts held in October of 2004. The Festival brought nine US premieres of cutting edge multidisciplinary performance work to Pittsburgh to complement the visual arts showcased in the Carnegie International.  Currently, Bradley is the Chair of the American Board of the National Theatre of Scotland and is Senior Artistic Associate for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Canada under the Artistic Directorship of Des McAnuff.

MONTEZE FREELAND: Monteze Freeland trained at Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. As an actor, he most recently appeared in principal roles in Aida and South Pacific with Pittsburgh CLO. Additional credits include: The Piano Lesson, Congo Square: The Musical, Christmas Star (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company), The Electric Baby (Quantum Theatre), Fahrenheit 451 and Of Mice and Men (Primestage Theater Co.), Angels in America (Throughline Theater Co.), JH: Mechanics of a Legend and Camino with The Hiawatha Project, and Radio Golf (Kuntu Rep.) to name a few.

Monteze directed the world premiere of the critically-acclaimed production of Miss Julie, Clarissa and John, Christmas Star, Poe’s Last Night (PPTCO), The Gospel Singer (The LAB Project), Is That A Gun in Your Pocket (Act Out), Reservations Cancelled (PNWF), Harriet Tubman Loved Somebody (Kuntu Rep), and Fences (CCAC- Co-director).

Monteze was commissioned by the Arena Players to write three plays and one musical for their Youth Theatre Company, original work for Tricksters and Truth Tellers, and an adaptation of Caps For Sale for ACH Clear Pathways. In addition to serving as artistic associate for Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, he is a teaching artist for City Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival. In 2014, he acquired the position of Education Director for Quantum Theatre Company and artistic director of The LAB Project, educating students in the Pittsburgh region. In 2017, his original musical Kalopsia The Musical will premiere through the New Hazlett Theater’s Community Supported Artists (CSA) performance series.

TAVIA LA FOLLETTE: Tavia La Follette is a visual artist, deviser of theatre, performance artist and puppeteer. She is the Founder and Director of ArtUp, a space for artists concerned with exploring the contextual inter-relationships of theatre, visual arts, movement, media, and sound.  La Follette’s work has toured all over Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia.  Her politically-driven work has been the subject of articles in The Economist, Rolling Stone Magazine and The New York Times. La Follette joined Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Arts in Society in the fall of 2010 as the first Artist-in-Residence. She is currently the director of The Firefly Tunnels, an exchange of ideas through the language of Performance Art between artists in Pittsburgh and Egypt.

RYAN McMILLEN: Ryan McMillen is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, having grown up in the North Hills.  He attended North Allegheny High School and then graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. McMillen graduated with his degree in podiatric medicine from Temple University where he served as president of the student body.  He completed his surgical residency at UPMC in 2010.  During his residency, Dr. McMillen was published in the most prestigious orthopedic journal, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and won a “Top 10 Paper” award at the Orthopaedic Trauma Association annual meeting in 2010.  He is also an author of numerous research papers, invited articles and book chapters on foot and ankle surgery. Ryan completed his orthopedic foot and ankle fellowship at the Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center at UPMC in 2011 and is board-qualified in foot and ankle surgery.  He currently lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. He and his wife are expecting their first child this winter.

ANNE MUNDELL: Anne Mundell is the Associate Professor of Scene Design and the Director of Growing Theater Outreach. Growing Theater is a program that pairs Carnegie Mellon student mentors with 5th Graders from an at-risk population as they write and produce a play over the course of eight months. As a professional Scene Designer, she has designed and painted scenery for hundreds of projects throughout the United States.  Anne serves on the Boards of Directors of The Murals Project (Marilyn G. Rabb Foundation) and Pittsburgh City Theater.

VANESSA ROSENBERGER CHEATHAM: Vanessa Rosenberger Cheatham is the Advancement Officer for Carnegie Mellon University and specializes in fundraising and alumni relations for the College of Fine Arts. She has worked in the non-profit sector for arts and human service organizations for the past twelve years from the grassroots level to large-scale companies. Currently, she is earning her Masters in Non-profit Management from the Heinz College of Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.