HoustonAugust 5-10, 2012

ArtsFest

Artists in Residence

the premier arts experience for creative Jewish teens

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ACTING/IMPROV

Stephanie WittelsA native Houstonian and long-time theater artist, Stephanie Wittels holds a B.F.A in drama with a concentration in directing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an M.A. in theater education from the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance. She has trained in Chicago with The Actor’s Studio, in London with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and in New York City with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Stephanie has been a teaching artist for the last decade, working as a consultant at both the Alley Theatre Young Performer’s Studio and the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, where she currently serves as head of the acting program. Prior to taking over at HSPVA, Stephanie served as head of the theater department at Johnston Middle School, a magnet school for the performing arts in Houston. Here, her productions of Eugene Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest were both awarded district championships at the

2009 and 2011 UIL One Act Play competitions. Stephanie is also a well-known voice-over actress for ADV Films. Locally, she has worked with Stages Repertory Theatre, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, The Alley Theatre, Theater Under the Stars, The Houston Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Collide, and Unhinged Productions.

2012 JCC Maccabi ArtsFest in Houston

Artists in ResidenceOur artists-in-residence make JCC Maccabi ArtsFest the premier arts experience for Jewish teens. Carefully selected for their superb credentials and their excitement about working with young people, these working artists are at the top of their fields. They share their talent and experience in an intensive workshop structure, spending the week guiding and inspiring teens to express their own creativity.

OUR MISSION JCC Maccabi ArtsFest is designed to inspire Jewish teens through a dynamic combination of workshops, performance, exhibition, community service, social activities, and fun. Teens develop their individuality through the medium of artistic expression while strengthening their bonds to their Jewish heritage, community, and Israel.

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CULINARY

Sara BrookFor Sara Brook, life has been sweet. “I have loved desserts since the day I was born, especially chocolate desserts,” confesses the fifth-generation Houstonian. “I have always had a passion for baking. There’s a reason I have an Easy Bake Oven in my office! My fondest childhood memory is as a four-year-old in preschool, taking turns mixing cake batter in class.”

Sara originally planned to be a lawyer, but at the age of 21, she launched her first dessert business, and hasn’t looked back. The Executive Sweet, which flourished from 1979 until 1988 before she sold it, was a hit. One week later, without skipping a beat, Brook launched Sara Brook Desserts, a catering company she operated until 1992. In 1995, she founded her third (and favorite) dessert company: Dessert Gallery Bakery & Café, Houston’s premier dessert bakery. She now has more than 50 employees and ships her desserts nationwide.

Samuel BeierA native of College Station, Texas, Chef Sam Beier began his career working in the local restaurants and bars of the Brazos Valley college town. After a few years, he took a leap of faith to test his skills and increase his knowledge at the Culinary Institute of America, the nation’s oldest culinary arts school and one of the premier culinary colleges in the world.

Upon graduation, he traveled to Dallas to work with Executive Chef William Koval at the French Room in the Adolphus Hotel. During his tenure, the restaurant received the prestigious award of Top Hotel and Restaurant in the Nation from USA Today.

Next, Sam traveled to Houston where he worked for restauranteur Bryan Caswell (under the watchful eye of Jean-George Vonrichten) at the Hotel Icon restaurant, Bank. Leaving Hotel Icon, he pursued a life-long dream of working and training under Executive Chef Joel Antunes of Atlanta, Georgia. Chef Beier was exposed to many new products from France, Spain, and Italy—and incorporated fresh products from all over the globe into the menu. Chef Beier renewed his affiliation with Jean-George Vonrichten at Spice Market, Atlanta—the first venture outside of New York City for this landmark of the Meatpacking District. Chef Beier is now executive chef at the top catering and culinary production company in Houston, A Fare Extraordinaire foundedby Karen Lerner.

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CREATIVE WRITINGMarc Tyler NoblemanMarc Tyler Nobleman is the author of more than seventy books for young people of all ages. His book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman was the first biography on the two young men who dreamed up the world’s first superhero. His book on the “secret” behind the creation of Batman came out in July 2012. Other titles include Vanished: True Stories of the Missing, 365 Things to Do Before You Grow Up, and Ghost Hunting Handbook.

Mark has written extensively for Nickelodeon and his cartoons have appeared in about one hundred international publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Good Housekeeping, the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, and 94 more you’ve never heard of. On his blog noblemania.blogspot.com, he reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of his books, from uplifting research moments to unconventional promotional efforts. A Connecticut native, Mark now lives with his family in Maryland.

DANCENicholas RossNicholas Ross was born in Massachusetts but grew up in Colorado. Nick was a member of Peter Pucci Plus Dancers from 2002-2007, and has also worked with H.T. Chen and Dancers, Amy Marshall Dance Company, Jennifer Muller/The Works and Michael Mao Dance Company. He holds a B.F.A. from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY-Purchase.

In 2003, Nick formed Nicholas Andre Dance, and he has since choreographed more than sixteen works for his company, which toured around the U.S. and internationally. Nick has served as an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College and Adelphi University and created and directed Adelphi’s first Pre-College Summer Dance Program. He has taught in New York City at the Joffrey Ballet School, Dance New Amsterdam, 92nd Street Y/Harkness Dance Center, as well as in many other places.Nicholas is also active in athletics. He played collegiate baseball and is currently the head varsity baseball coach and assistant varsity football coach at a school in New York City.

Cat CogliandroCat Cogliandro is a native of Houston and trained under Sheryl Rowland, Rowland’s School of Ballet and Kingwood Dance Theatre. She attended SUNY Purchase, where she received her B.F.A. from the Conservatory of Dance. Since graduation, Cat has performed with Emily Bufferd/BEings Dance, John Zullo/John J Zullo Dance, Erick Montes, Malcolm Jason Low, Ferdinand De Jesus, Mondo Morales, Anna

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Vollmar, Bryn Cohn, Paige Manley, Loni Landon, Nicholas Andre Dance/Nick Ross and Ellenore Scott. She can also be seen in a music video with the Greek artist, Sophia Strati, titled “This Can’t Be Love” and was recently a featured dancer in the movie This Is My Girlfriend, to be in theaters in 2012.

In 2008, Cat was awarded the Choreography Connection Award, and was commissioned to set a new work for Pennsylvania Regional Ballet. Her newest piece, “kastro,” premiered at the first annual Young Choreographers Festival at Symphony Space in New York City. Cat has been a member of Nicholas Andre Dance since July 2010.

MUSICAL THEATERNaomi AckermanNaomi is an experienced actress whose credits include theater, musicals, films and television. She was born in the U.S., immigrated to Israel as a child, and recently moved back to Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

Naomi received a B.A. from Hebrew University and teaching credentials from the David Yellin Teachers Seminar. She graduated from the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, and successfully completed a level-two film acting course run by Ruth Dichess.

Naomi has participated in various multinational theater productions and was one of the founding members of View Points, an Arab-Jewish theater group promoting tolerance and dialogue, sponsored and produced by the Peres Center for Peace.

As a stilt walker and professional clown, Naomi founded the children’s clown school for the Jerusalem municipality. She has consulted with Dream Doctors, a project that integrates professional clowning into the medical services provided at Israeli hospitals.

Her acclaimed one-woman show Flowers Aren’t Enough has been performed over 1200 times globally. In March 2004, Flowers was performed at the United Nations In honor of International Woman’s Day in front of the Commission for the Status of Women. Naomi is the founder and director of the Advot Project, which uses theater to facilitate social change. Her educational curriculum, “Relationships 101,” is currently being implemented in public and private high schools as well as in juvenile detention camps in Southern California.

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JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Mattan KleinMattan Klein was born and raised in Jerusalem and won first prize at the Pizmon-Tichon composition competition when he was 16 by presenting music set to lyrics by poet Nathan Alterman. After completing his military service, Mattan performed on national TV, radio, and major festivals. He completed his music studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and soon blended into the Boston jazz scene. He gained a reputation as an innovative improviser as well as a proficient studio musician, and was often called upon to play with faculty members and visiting artists including Giovanni Hidalgo and Billy Childs.

Now, Mattan performs extensively on stages across North America, and is often touring the world as a leader and as a sideman. Past performances include Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC, the 92nd Street Y in New York, Regatta-Bar in Boston, and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. He is one of today’s hottest jazz/world music flutists, blending a clear and fluent sound with some of New York’s brightest contemporary new voices. Mattan has been an artist in residence at seven JCC Maccabi ArtsFests.

ROCK BAND

Josh NelsonJosh Nelson is one of the most popular performers and producers in modern Jewish music. A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Josh’s music is celebrated and integrated into the repertoire of congregations, camps and communities around the world. Josh has performed over one thousand shows in a variety of venues. Highlights include: International conventions for each of the major Jewish youth movements (NFTY, USY, BBYO, etc.), URJ Biennial Conventions, JCC Association National Conventions, JCC Maccabi Games, CAJE Conferences and JCCs across the country.

Delivering high-octane Jewish rock, the Josh Nelson Project is five of the most talented performers in the United States. Each musician is young, Jewish and a positive role model.

Josh serves as the music director for the URJ Biennial Convention and faculty for the Hava Nashira Music Institute.

Currently, Josh is part of the music/lyrics team penning the score for the Broadway production of Sleepless in Seattle. Josh was also selected as a 2011 PresenTense NYC Fellow for his new venture, THEWAREHOUSE, an alternative Shabbat experience for unaffiliated young Jews in major cities.

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VOCAL MUSICBeth SchaferBeth Schafer has spent her career redefining Jewish music by combining masterful songwriting with sensitivity to liturgy and unique insight into text. She specializes in music for Torah-minded adults looking for an extension to their Jewish lives through music. Beth won the 2006 American Idol Underground Faith Based Competition and has used that win to create new music for interfaith communities. She has been featured in many national conferences and festivals and has played at center court for the Orlando Magic as well as for President Obama during his historic 2008 campaign. Schafer has degrees in music theory and composition from the University of Miami School of Music and is a trained and much sought after guitarist in styles ranging from classical to blues, folk to jazz.

In 2010 Beth founded Positive Jewish Living. As chief conceptualizer, she takes her writing to a broader level offering new perspective, new music and a new Jewish experience in both worship and concert. Beth has been the spiritual leader of Temple Shir Shalom in Central Florida for 10 years, has been married for 19, and has two daughters. She has released seven CDs of original music and is the author of PJL’s Seven Sparks, Tools for Jewish Wellness.

VISUAL ARTJulie Brook AlexanderJulie Brook Alexander is a Houston artist whose work combines original photography, collage, and mixed media. From landscape photographs, she constructs new worlds with an artist’s eye and a storyteller’s insight. She earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and two master’s degrees from Rice University. She currently works as an adjunct instructor for the Fotofest Literacy Through Photography program. Her work is in the collection of Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and numerous private collections.

She describes her process in the following way: “I build little worlds, orchestrating original photographs, collage, and hand painting. Each vignette exposes the puzzle at the heart of the word microcosm: you cannot explain the world unless you can see it; you cannot see the world unless you can explain it. Through my artwork, I explore this duality.”

Artists in Residence

Paula L. Sidman

Chair

Allan Finkelstein

President & CEO

Michael Segal

Continental Chair

Dan Deutsch

Vice-President, JCC Maccabi Experience

520 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

tel: (212) 532-4949

fax: (212) 481-4174

www.jcca.orgwww.jccmaccabiartsfest.org