ALIENS

COLLABORATORS

LEMON ANDERSEN

Lemon Andersen (Writer/Performer) is a Tony Award-winning playwright, poet, performance artist, youth empowerment activist, brand creative, and television writer. His most recent play ToasT was commissioned by the Public Theater in New York City and developed by the Sundance Institute. Andersen’s performances and writing have been hosted in venues ranging from Theatre On The Square (San Francisco), Gammage Performing Arts Center (Arizona), Spoleto Festival (Charleston), Arts & Ideas Festival (New Haven), the Chicago Theatre, and the Kodak Theatre (Los Angeles). County Of Kings, Andersen’s coming-of-age autobiographical memoir produced by Spike Lee at the Public Theater, was met with critical acclaim by The New York Times and was awarded Grand Prize at the New York Book Festival. The television adaptation of his Broadway appearances on Def Poetry Jam ran for six seasons on HBO and earned Andersen a Tony Award. His book of poems, Straightrazor, was excerpted by actor and activist Hill Harper for his bestselling book Letters to an Incarcerated Brother. Marketing for premier brands and professional athletes seeking a unique cultural perspective is also a cornerstone of Andersen’s work, with clients including Google, Nike, Red Bull, Absolut, Boost Mobile, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant. Andersen launched the LeBron James XIII “Akronite,” an elite basketball shoe and apparel line, with Daniel Bernard Roumain performing a live score to his poetry. A native New Yorker, Andersen proudly represents Brooklyn. Learn more about Lemon Anderson

ELISE THORON

Elise Thoron (Director/Developer) is playwright, director, creator of new theater work.  She works cross-culturally abroad and within the United States, collaborating with poets, musicians, and fine artists, using multiple languages to create unique performances.  For over a decade she has collaborated with Japanese paper artist, Kyoko Ibe on Recycling: washi tales with a company of American and Japanese traditional performers. Her Afro-Cuban Yiddish opera, Hatuey: Memory of Fire, with composer Frank London, went from Sundance Theater Lab to a production at Opera de la Calle in Havana, to Peak Performances (USA).  For over twenty years, Elise created cross-cultural exchanges with Russian and American theater artists; she adapted and directed The Great Gatsby in Russian at a The Pushkin Theater in Moscow, where it played for nine years.  She is the co-founding Artistic Director of Literature to Life, a highly successful theater literacy program, now in its third decade nationwide, adapting books into solo performances with educational discussion to spark a passion for reading and writing in young people.  For Literature to Life Elise adapted Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, and developed County of Kings with Tony award winning poet, Lemon Andersen, with subsequent productions at the Under the Radar, the Public Theater, and venues around the world. www.elisethoron.com

PAOLA SOTO

Paola Alexandra Soto (Creative Producer) is a playwright, creative producer, director, and actress who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Harlem. Most recently she earned her MFA in Playwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts. Her writing credits include Lucha Libre, a one-act version of the play was translated in to Mandarin and performed by students at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Her other plays include The Sosa Sisters (which was named a finalist of the Columbia@Roundabout Theater 2021 New Play Reading Festival), D’Carnaval, The Commission, On The 1 Train, Bo+Li, and Macbéf. She also holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from CCNY where she won the Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award for her one act On The 1 Train.

RIKA IINO

Rika Iino (Executive Producer) oversees a trio of Sozo companies: Sozo Artists, a dynamic roster of artists in dance, music, spoken word, new media and film focused on innovation and social justice; Sozo Impact, a non-profit organization dedicated to incubating work by BIPOC artists and producers; and Sozo Vision, a consultancy which partners with institutions to design social impact-facing programs and strategies. Rika’s work as producer/manager spans two decades and hundreds of live and digital projects with artists and organizations globally. Rika plays an active role in arts advocacy and leadership development across the industry including work with Creative & Independent Producer Alliance, Association for Performing Arts Professionals, and International Society for the Performing Arts. She is the first woman of color to receive the Patrick Hayes Award for transformative leadership in the arts.

CHISA YAMAGUCHI

Born into a multicultural family, Chisa Yamaguchi (Line Producer) simultaneously celebrates her passion for tradition and innovation. Her desire to discover, collaborate, and deepen her connection with people, place and planet has taken her to 6 continents whether embarking on community service projects, undertaking family pilgrimages, or gracing historic stages and theaters as a professional dancer for over a decade. Driven by intuitive nurturing and a zealous need to contribute joy to the world, she avidly advocates for interdisciplinary art and collaborative practices as means to dissolve perceived barriers to open emotional and physical pathways to truth, justice and love. Fervently on a mission to align her personal power with her professional values, Chisa brings her caring presence, grounded discipline and deep listening to everything she undertakes and creates; she most recently celebrated her stage directorial debut with Lincoln Center’s 2021 Restart Stages Series and continues her role as Creative Producer on several location-aware app experiences across the US in partnership with Sozo artist The Holladay Brothers. Mindful to balance her psyche with fire and nectar, she nourishes herself with yoga, sending hand-written letters, burpees and never turns down a glass of bubbles.

JORGE ARROYO

Jorge Arroyo (Lighting Designer) is a freelance lighting designer based in Boston and New York with over 25 years of experience in theater, dance, concerts, corporate events, opera, and television. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he is one of only a handful of professional lighting designers to hail from the island. His work has been seen at venues such as The Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, The Public Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, La Mama, Weston Playhouse, TheatreSquared and others. He has created designs for over 50 shows at both the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center for artists such as Alicia Keys, Gabriel Iglesias, the Wayans Brothers, the Chieftains, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Paquito D'Rivera, Phoebe Snow, Stanley Jordan, Kenny Garrett, Jackie Mason, and others. He has also worked with choreographer Stacey Tookey, three-time Emmy nominee for her choreography on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, on her production of Moments Defined in both New York and California. Jorge received his MFA from New York University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Lighting Design and Co-Chair of Design and Production at Boston University. He is an organizing member of La Gente: The Latinx Theatre Design Network and is a member of USA Local 829. Upcoming: On Your Feet (Walnut St. Theater/Riverside Theater), The Garbologists (City Theater), Whisper House (59E59).

DJ MODE

For the past 18 years, NYC native Adam Merced, aka DJ Mode (Composer), has been curating music for some of the world’s largest and most recognizable brands such as Nike, Adidas, Fila, Brisk, Sony, Netflix, Audi, Highsnobiety, Peloton, NBA, MLS, NFL, The United States Tennis Association, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Carnegie Hall. He is the former Associate Music Director for Madison Square Garden. DJ Mode was also a part of the musical direction and creation of Spike Lee’s Netflix Series She’s Gotta Have It. Additionally, Mode has contributed sound design and original music production for Pepsi and Solomon brands, as well as for a nationwide Cadillac commercial in 2019. Most notably, DJ Mode is currently the Music Supervisor and DJ for the 2021 MLS Champion, New York City Football Club. Most recently, Mode opened up the New Year performing a half time set for the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. DJ Mode is an innovator and thought-leader in his craft. His vast musical range, music genre knowledge, and turntable acumen has led to speaking engagements for corporate clients and the cultural influencer community. He is also actively involved in various philanthropic endeavors, to include a mentorship role at the Harlem Children’s Zone where he created an after school music production and DJ program for the students at the New Visions Charter HS. Additionally, for over a decade, DJ Mode has graciously provided the musical entertainment for the Boys & Girls Club of New York’s ‘Big Night Out’ annual gala. Mode continues to push the boundaries of his creativity and is quickly becoming a driving force in the cultural economy.

GERMÁN MARTÍNEZ

Germán Martínez (Sound Designer) is a NYC based Sound Designer and Audio Engineer. He received his BFA in Production and Design in Theatre, with a concentration in Management and Sound, in 2018 from Montclair State University. His work has been featured at: American Repertory Theatre, GALA Hispanic, George Street Playhouse, Two River Theater, and New World Stages. Upcoming regional work includes: Stages Houston, Dallas Theater Center, and Trinity Rep. Germán is motivated to uplift stories that explore the topics of, queer experiences, immigrant and first generation stories, BIPOC narratives, and invites any like minded artists to collaborate. Keep up with his work on Instagram: @GermanTheSoundDesigner