The ARTISTS OF LOVE AND OTHER NONSENSE

COMEDY

KENDRA DAWSEY is an up and coming stand-up who has performed in clubs and showcases in NYC and all over New England, including the Comedy Studio, the Hartford Funny Bone, and Comix Mohegan Sun. Kendra has performed as part of the Midwest Queer Comedy Fest, Portland Maine Comedy Fest, She Makes Me Laugh! Fest, and the Baltimore Comedy Fest. She has also been a featured comic on the Sirius XM radio program Paid or Pain. Kendra garners humor from her identity and experiences by blending anecdote with higher concepts. Never too proud to laugh at herself, Kendra endears audiences by inviting them to laugh with her.
kendradawsey.com

DANCE

OLIVIA BLAISDELL was born in Connecticut, but raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up studying dance at The Vonder Haar Center for the Performing Arts. Olivia returned to the East Coast to attend high school at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts where she studied ballet, modern, and choreography with Michael Owen, Denise Lewis, Diane Arvanites, and Monica Lender. She has also trained with Hubbard Street, Joffrey Chicago, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet; and artists including Meredith Dincolo, Alexei Kremnev, Cindy Montoya, and Glenn Edgerton. In 2017, Olivia joined KAIROS Dance Theater for two seasons under the direction of DeAnna Pellechia. Currently she dances with Jennifer Lin, Kristin Wagner, and Boston University’s Dance Theatre Group.

She may be more commonly known as Olivia Moon Photography or halfasianlens as Olivia is also a freelance photographer in the Boston area. She has worked with artists such as Rose Eichenbaum and Whitney Browne and has studied photography at Jacob’s Pillow and the Art Center College of Design. Olivia is currently working toward her degree in Health Science at Boston University.

I.J. CHAN is a dance artist and educator born, raised and now based in Boston. She graduated from James Madison University with a BA in Dance and Journalism, and began performing and creating professionally shortly thereafter. I.J. diversifies her dance training and artistry by working with a variety of choreographers, including KAIROS Dance Theater, McKersin Previlus/Lakaï Dance Theater, Jennifer Lin, and Jean Appolon Expressions. In her own work, she is interested in intersecting the Asian-American narrative. In addition to performing, she is passionate about bringing quality dance instruction to low-income and minority youth populations within the city. She also works as a freelance graphic designer with a special focus on working with other dance artists in the Boston community.

PETER DIMURO has woven a career as a dancer, actor, choreographer, director, teacher, arts engager and facilitator of creativity for over 30 years. Peter, under his creative umbrella Public Displays of Motion, is in the process of creating a series of intergenerational duets that investigate what it meant to be gay versus what it now means to be queer, or, in other words, the evolution of LGBT+ culture and its impact on relationships across generations.
publicdisplaysofmotion.com

Known by the New York Times as the “deliciously goofy Guglietti,” TONY GUGLIETTI received his BFA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Upon graduation, he became a founding member of Sean Curran Company, with whom he toured regularly across the United States, France, and Germany from 1998-2005, in addition to working with several NYC-based choreographers. In addition to his work with PDM, Tony collaborates with Brian Feigenbaum and Kristin Wagner. Outside of dance, Tony refs hockey, thinks hot dogs are a perfectly acceptable meal, and is an excellent painter (houses, not canvas).

AUDREY MACLEAN is a Boston-based dance/performance artist. Since graduating from Connecticut College, Audrey has had the pleasure of performing throughout New York and New England in work by Jimena Bermejo, Peter DiMuro, griffindance, Heidi Henderson, Annie Kloppenberg, Betsy Miller, power|PLAY, Ruckus Dance, shovegentlydance, and is a founding member of Grant Jacoby & Dancers. Audrey's own work has been presented through Green Street Studio's New Works program, The Dance Complex's aMaSSiT program, and was featured on CPTV's Spotlight on the Arts. In 2016 Audrey was invited to show work at ART’s Oberon theater as part of DanceNOW Boston. In the spring of 2016 she co-produced and curated an evening of short dance/performance work titled "Dance Shorts" which brought together eight Boston-area female choreographers. Aside from her own choreographic pursuits, Audrey has served in administrative roles for The Dance Complex, Green Street Studios, and is currently curator and series manager of Moving Target Boston.

KRISTIN WAGNER is a Boston-based dancer who performs with KAIROS Dance Theater, Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion, and Brian Feigenbaum, among others. She creates work both independently and with partner Tony Guglietti, and teaches youth to adult at several dance and arts institutions in the region. Kristin is the Creative Director of Lady BOS Productions, so you can read more about her on this very website!

OPERA

DUE DONNE PRODUCTIONS brings opera to the greater Boston community through traveling productions while also giving young singers more opportunities to perform.
​duedonneproductions.com

Philadelphia native HANNAH SHANEFIELD is pursuing her Master's of Music in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Karen Holvik. Her operatic roles include Diana in La Calisto, the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda in Rigoletto, the title role of Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen, the Sandman/Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, Madame Herz in The Impresario, and Jenny in Ned Rorem's Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters. She has also portrayed Norma, Suzel (L’amico Fritz) Ilia, Elvira (Rossini), Susannah (Floyd), and Giulietta in scene performances. In addition, she has performed the soprano solo in Mozart's Requiem, Dubois's Seven Last Words of Christ, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Poulenc's Gloria, and Mozart's Coronation Mass. In May 2018, she graduated summa cum laude from the Hartt School with a major in Vocal Performance and minor in Music History studying with Maureen O'Flynn.

KATELYN HEMLING, Soprano, is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Vocal Performance at New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Jane Eaglen. Katelyn completed a Bachelors degree in Music Education at Westminster Choir College in 2017 under the tutelage of Nova Thomas. Katelyn has performed with renowned conductors and symphony orchestras with the Westminster Symphonic choir and has recorded multiple CD’s with the Grammy Nominated Westminster Williamson Voices. Recent performances include Elettra and Marenka in NEC’s Opera scenes program, and chorus roles in NEC’s productions of Bernstein’s Candide, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Puccini’s Suor Angelica.

JUAN SUAREZ, baritone, is currently studying at the England Conservatory of Music, where he is a student of Carole Haber. He has most recently performed roles in both of NEC's mainstage productions, singing Antonio in Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro, and Betto in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. In addition, he performed the role of Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in Bloomington, Indiana in a workshop with renown AVA coach, Luke Housner, in early June.

LARISA BAINTON, soprano, has been an active performer in the Boston area for the past 3 years, where she studies with Dr. Ian Howell. In 2016 she completed the Dual Degree program at the University of Rochester and received a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is currently working towards her Masters in Vocal Pedagogy at the New England Conservatory. While at NEC, Larisa has performed in opera scenes from L’Elisir d’Amore, Ariodante, and Poppea. In addition, Larisa has performed with the Contemporary Improvisation and Community Partnership Program departments. In the Boston area Larisa has performed with Opera 51, MassOpera (formerly MetroWest), New England Conservatory Opera Theater, and Promenade Opera Project. Globally she has performed with OperaWorks in California, in Hawaii with the Hawaii Performing Arts Center, and in Austria with the American International School of Music. She currently teaches at Music 101 Schools.

CELESTE PELLEGRINO, director, is a singer and educator originally from Rochester, NY. She earned her Bachelors degree from the Eastman School of Music in Vocal Performance and Music Education and is currently pursing a Masters degree in Vocal Pedagogy at the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Carole Haber. Celeste has sung with MassOpera, Odyssey Opera, Eastman Opera Theater, New England Conservatory Opera Theater, and the Rochester Association for the Performing Arts. A lover of both classroom and private voice teaching, Celeste has worked with all age and ability levels. She has taught at Brighton High School (Rochester, NY), Hochstein School of Music (Rochester, NY), Josiah Quincy Upper School (Boston, MA), The South Shore School of Theater (Quincy, MA) and is currently an instructor at the Amy Dancz School of Voice (Boston, MA). Upcoming performances: Linfea in La Calisto.

HANZHENG LI received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Shanghai Conservatory of Music, followed by double Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano with honors as well as a Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano from New England Conservatory, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate with Dean’s Scholarship. Her teachers include Minduo Li, Yun Sun, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, Victor Rosenbaum, Cameron Stowe, Pei-Shan Lee, and Jonathan Feldman. As a soloist, she has received numerous awards in both national and international competitions, such as the Gulangyu National Piano Competition and International Keyboard Odyssiad Competition. Her performances have been heard in Carnegie Weill Hall, Jordan Hall, and Kresge Auditorium, etc.  As an experienced collaborative pianist, she was invited to the Cremona International Music Academy and Competition in 2017 (Italy), Bowdoin International Music Festival as a fellow in 2018 (US), Songfest with full scholarship in 2019 (US), and Toronto Music Festival as a fellow in 2019 (Canada). She has worked with renowned musicians and teachers, including James Conlon, Graham Johnson, Margo Garrett, Susan Graham, Alan L. Smith, Kevin Murphy, Kayo Iwama, Warren Jones, Shai Wosner, Jake Heggie, and Libby Larsen among others. 

PUPPETRY

HONEY GOODENOUGH is a puppeteer, educator, and children’s party entertainer, and Resident Teaching Artist at Puppet Showplace Theater. Her company, Good Hearted Entertainment, created the literacy-based puppet show Word Play as part of the 2016 Puppet Showplace Incubator program. Honey is a trained marionette performer and has performed with PuppetWorks, and toured nationally with the National Marionette Theatre and Frisch Marionettes. She has also produced and performed in Puppet Slams across the country. Her solo show, Sock Monkey Circus, toured in China in fall 2017. Honey holds an MA in Educational Theater from New York University, and a BA in Theater Crafts and Technology from the University of Texas, Austin. Email: Honey@PuppetShowplace.org

JEFFERSON FIETEK is a theater artist who recently relocated here from Minnesota.  He  has directed over 80 stage productions and often likes to utilize puppetry in his stage productions. His most recent puppet production was a video series focused on the social emotional needs of middle schoolers (think monsters go to middle school). He currently teaches puppetry, theater education and directing at Emerson college.
jeffersonfietek.com

THE GOTTABEES is known internationally uniting simple-but-elegant visual theater with astonishing technique. They apply their interdisciplinary training in music, dance, acrobatics, theater, and design to share original non-verbal stories set to live music that weave together human and puppet characters in surprising ways.  Their show “Squirrel Stole My Underpants earned an UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence and they perform their shows for family audiences throughout the US and abroad. At Love & Other Nonsense, Bonnie Duncan, Brendan Burns, and Tony Leva will be performing "Seraphina." This is NOT one of their family shows.
www.thegottabees.com