A Distinct Society

Brant chairs the Acting department at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he also serves as Drama Editor of the Cincinnati Review.  Recent professional directing highlights include Gracie Gardner’s Malvolios for Drama Studio London and the world premiere musical adaptation of As You Like It for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.  His play Bankers premiered at Know Theatre, and his play Well Well Well was workshopped at New York Stage and Film and received an Honorable Mention from The American Playwriting Foundation’s Relentless Awards.  In addition to UC, he has taught at universities in the UK, France, Poland, and India. BA: Kenyon College.  MFA: Northwestern University.  Proud member, AAUP, SDC, and Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab.  www.brantrussell.com

Erin (she/her) is excited to return “home” to the Race after too many years away. During high school, Erin was paired with the late Kay Bosse, Resident Artist Emeritus, in an observatory mentorship for The Elephant Man. While studying at Wright State, Erin landed her first paid stage management job as Production Assistant on Sweeney Todd (1996). During the nearly three decades since, Erin has enjoyed a multi-genre career, with recent credits in dance (Texas Ballet); opera (Eklund); theatre (Opera House Arts, Northern Sky); a Star Wars burlesque parody; a Jennifer Holliday concert, a hybrid opera/circus (Opera North); contributing to two stage management books; and hosting a popular blog geeking out on stage management. Her favorite cast members ever remain the three adorable camels in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Erin is an active volunteer with leadership roles in several industry organizations, including the Stage Managers’ Association, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, and Actors’ Equity Association. This one’s for Kay – I miss you. erinjoyswank.com, @cue2go

Mark is a Professor and head of the Scene Design program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he has designed over 50 productions. Favorite past designs for the Human Race include On Golden Pond, Proof, and I Am My Own Wife. In addition to recently designing AMT’s Drama Desk-nominated Walking With Bubbles Off-Broadway, Mark has designed scenery for the Williamstown Theater Festival, Arizona Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Opera, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Stages St. Louis, Theater by the Sea, and Honolulu Theater for Youth, among other regional theatres. As a designer with Jack Rouse Associates, he has created scenery for numerous theme parks, zoos, cruise ships, and corporate clients around the world, including Universal Studios – Florida, LegoLand Windsor, Six Flags parks, Radisson and Princess Cruise Lines, and Steven Spielberg’s The Dive restaurant.

Fond of exploring far-ranging creative pursuits, Mark has created word puzzles and games appearing in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and on NPR’s Ask Me Another, and his original musical The Kid in the Dark was named Cincinnati’s Best Alternative Production in 2007.

Cat is excited to be back costume designing at The Human Race Theatre Company. Cat is the Costume Shop Manager and an Adjunct Professor at Northern Kentucky University’s Theatre & Dance Program. Cat received her MFA in Theatre Design from The Ohio State University and a BFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Costumes from Northern Kentucky University. Various regional costume design credits include: Alice in Wonderland and Hands on a Hardbody for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Looped and Around the World in 80 Days for HRTC; Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Into the Woods, and Little Shop of Horrors for The Carnegie; Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, 9 to 5, Amelie, and The African Company Presents Richard III for Northern Kentucky University; Daddy Long Legs and Avenue Q for CATCO; Othello for Ohio St. U. in collaboration w. Royal Shakespeare Company. Cat has also worked as a Cutter/Draper for numerous companies including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

Darin is making his HRTC debut. Darin has been designing scenery and lighting for twenty-five years in and around the Midwest. Darin started his career in Chicago, designing many world premieres for About Face Theatre and Lifeline Theatre, before life brought him to central Ohio, where his designs could be seen with CATCO, Available Light Theatre, Phoenix Theatre for Children, Columbus Children’s Theatre, and others. Darin is the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Wittenberg University, where he teaches courses in design, stagecraft and stage management.

Jay has designed sound, music directed, performed and composed music for countless theatrical events and is proud to call The Human Race his artistic home.  He has composed music and recorded audio projects for musical groups, voiceovers, regional commercials, radio spots, training videos, collegiate theatre, clubs, and community organizations. Jay owns and operates a professional recording studio (Audio Forest) with his wife, fellow HRTC Resident Artist Christine Brunner.

There comes the briefest of moments when the window to the soul opens. Strain to hear that small, insistent voice in the void. That is your sound. That is your music. That is your purpose. – jwb

Sarah has worked both on stage and off in Dayton and surrounding areas for over 20 years. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Dayton and a Drama Diploma from The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Sarah’s areas of specialty in props include puppets, paper goods, and historical artifacts. In addition to working as Properties Designer at The Human Race Theatre Company since 2021, she has worked with Zoot Theatre Co, The Rising Phoenix Theatre Co, Sinclair Community College, University of Dayton, Central State University, Dayton Theatre Guild, The Dayton Playhouse, and Town Hall Theatre. Sarah is proud to be part of the vibrant arts community that Dayton has to offer.

Gina is one of the few female Fight Directors in the country with the Society of American Fight Director and is the resident Intimacy Director for The Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet. Her work as an Intimacy Director has often been seen at The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and several high schools in the area. The respect for intimacy needs to begin early which is why she is seriously proud of the work she does for the high school programs. “It is just a kiss” is not a tolerable comment especially when it is a student’s FIRST kiss. Gina focuses much of her time on her now nationally recognized private acting studio and her theatre company, Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy. Gina has been awarded The United States of America Distinguished Teacher Award, was the first recipient of the Cincinnati Arts Association Arts Educator Award, and was nominated for the “Excellence in Theatre Education Award” presented by The Tony Awards. She was just dubbed a knight by the order of The Knights of Madoc, in honor of her “work in the art of stage combat and in recognition of her fine character and enduring good will.”

Samaneh (Sama) Faramarzi is a talented artist, baker, and cake decorator based in Dayton, Ohio. Born and raised in Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iran (a city in Southern Iran), she earned a degree in Visual Arts in 2005 from Abadan Art University and worked as an art teacher there before moving to the U.S. in 2015. In 2017, she decided to pursue her passion for baking, inspired by her father, a hobbyist chef. She became a licensed baker and now runs a business specializing in unique Persian-inspired cakes.

Since 2020, Sama has worked for Dayton Public Schools as a Persian/Dari New Arrivals Specialist at the International School at Residence Park (ISRP), where she supports Afghan families and Dari or Persian-speaking students. She is passionate about assisting students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and helping them be successful in the U.S. She also leads art projects for students, showcasing their work at the Welcome Dayton New Americans Art Exhibit at the Dayton Metro Library and at the Global Artisan Market at the Second Street Market.

Sama is proud to be part of the Dayton community, where she feels welcomed as an immigrant. She hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams, emphasizing the importance of self-belief, perseverance, and turning challenges into opportunities for growth.