Marialena DiFabbio
Marialena is a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter. With The Sycamore Theatre Company: Singer/Composer/Lyricist (Between Friends at The Brick), Singer/Composer/Lyricist (Honey of His Music Vows at CoHo Productions, Portland, OR). She sings with the band Bears of Alaska, and with the all-female acapella group The MetropoliTones. She and Susannah Jones are co-writing Bisland&Bly, a new musical that was recently workshopped at the Springworks Festival in Stratford, ON. She has an orange cat named Marmalade.
Danielle Frimer
Danielle Frimer is a writer and performer whose work has been produced in cities and on emerging technology platforms across the country. Her plays include Monarchs (current finalist for Theatre Viscera’s Queer Play Contest), Between Friends (developed as part of the This is Not Normal Festival at the Brick Theatre in Brooklyn, NY, and presented at Irvington Town Hall Theatre’s Stage Door Festival), the Honey of His Music Vows (developed at CoHo Lab in Portland, Oregon), and Ground/Work (developed and produced at Yale University). She has also developed several award-winning interactive storytelling projects for audio platforms, including the Emmy-nominated "Esme & Roy" (Sesame Street), the Cannes Grand Prix winning "Westworld: The Maze" (HBO/Kilter Films), "Bosch: A Detective’s Case" (Amazon Studios), and "The Grand Tour" (Amazon Studios). As an actor, she specializes in developing new work, and has participated in countless workshops and readings at places like Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, Z-Space, American Conservatory Theater, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Her most recent acting credits include Nellie Bly in the new musical Bisland & Bly (NYMF, Springworks), Daphna in Bad Jews (Cygnet Theatre), and Nell in Indian Ink (American Conservatory Theatre). Danielle received her B.A. from Yale University, where she was the recipient of the Branford Arts Prize, and her M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater. She is a proud member of Actors Equity and the Dramatists Guild.
Susannah Jones
Susannah Jones is an actress, singer, and writer. With The Sycamore Theatre Company: Jamie in Betweeen Friends at The Brick, Elizabeth Bisland in Bisland & Bly with the Springworks Festival in Stratford, ON, and Susannah in The Honey of His Music Vows with CoHo Productions. Other recent credits: A Christmas Story: The Musical (Mother—National Tour), Company (Susan—Bucks County Playhouse), Twelfth Night (Olivia—Mainestage Shakespeare), The Tempest (Miranda—Portland Shakespeare Project), and PLANT Web Series (Gwendolyn—2014 LA Web Fest Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy). Upcoming: Kate in CERTIFIED GUIDANCE the web series. She is currently co-writing new musical Bisland&Bly with Marialena DiFabbio. She is also an award winning audiobook narrator.
Avital Shira
Avital (she/her/hers) is particularly drawn to language-rich, ensemble-driven work that encourages us to embrace the cultural traditions that preceded us, while crafting art that speaks to the here and now.
Currently an MFA directing candidate at Boston University, Avital is also a founding company member of Sycamore Theatre Co. Avital's recent directing credits include EVERYTHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED by Sarah B. Mantell (Boston University), MY FAIR LADY (Boston University), WINTER PEOPLE by Laura Neil (Boston Playwrights Theatre), CYMBELINE (Boston University), INTIMATE APPAREL (Boston University), LIFEBOAT (Corrib Theatre), BETWEEN FRIENDS (Sycamore Theatre Co @ The Brick), and LOVE'S LABOURS LOST (Post 5).
Avital also has a strong interest in developing new work, and most recently directed the NYMF reading of the new musical, BISLAND AND BLY by Susannah Jones and Marialena DiFabbio. She has also collaborated with playwrights including Danielle Frimer, Joel Kelly, MJ Kaufman, and Laura Neill in the development of their works.
A community organizer and political activist, Avital spent two years leading the community engagement strategy on the ground in Colorado for the Markle Foundation's Skillful initiative. Avital holds a degree in Theatre Studies and English literature from Yale University, where she was awarded the James S. Metcalfe Prize for theatre and the Branford Arts Prize.
Avital is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. She was named Best Director at the 2012 Portland Outdoor Shakespeare Festival for her production of Twelfth Night.