Dear Mr. C

 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Tidtaya Sinutoke (ฑิตยา สินุธก) (writer and composer) (she/her) is a Jonathan Larson Grant winner, a Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award winner and a Fred Ebb Award–winning musical theater composer, writer and musician. Her composition credits include Half the Sky (The 5th Avenue Theatre's First Draft Commission and 20/21 Digital Season, Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award, Richard Rodgers Award finalist); Sunwatcher (The Civilians R&D Group, Ancram Opera House’s Play Lab, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s Global Forms Theater Festival), and Dear Mr. C (NYFA’s City Artist Corps Grants, Polyphone Festival, The Crossroads Project). Sinutoke is a proud member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild, Maestra, MUSE and Thai Theatre Foundation. She earned a BM from Berklee College of Music and her MFA from NYU. Learn more about Sinutoke at tidtayasinutoke.com. 

Lily Ali-Oshatz (lyricist) (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based creator who focuses on composing, writing and performing new musicals. Her shows written with Mark Galinovsky have played Off-Broadway and often deal with queerness, love and consent. An audio version of her solo Me Too musical, She Said, played at the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe. Ali-Oshatz is a founding producer of the philanthropic national campaign The Lesbian Bar Project. Dear Mr. C is her first writing collaboration with Tidtaya Sinutoke and Naomi Matlow and represents the beauty that can come from supportive and loving friendships in the theater community. She earned her BFA from NYU Tisch. Learn more about Ali-Oshatz at lilyalioshatz.com.

Naomi Matlow (lyricist) (she/her) is a musical theater lyricist, freelance writer and mindfulness educator. Her theatrical writings include A Day at the Zoo with Tidtaya Sinutoke and Dear Mr. C with composer Tidtaya Sinutoke and co-lyricist Lily Ali-Oshatz (Polyphone Festival). With composer and co-bookwriter Teresa Lotz, she wrote ThreeTimesFast (AEA Industry Reading; O’Neill NMTC semifinalist), and together they have contributed their songwriting to Letters to the President (The Great Hall at Cooper Union) and Engineers Not Found (Honest Accomplice). She earned her BA from University of Toronto and her MFA from NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Learn more about Matlow at naomimatlow.com.

Marina Montesanti (director) (she/her)

MingMing Wang (associate director) (she/her) is a Chinese actress, theater deviser, director and educator based in both Shanghai and Philadelphia. She has signed as the devising artist with Shanghai Dramatic Center and the director with Penn Chinese Theater. Wang has worked with SITI Company and Aoaoing Ensemble and has taught at University of the Arts and Eastern University. Wang holds an MFA in Devised Performance from UArts and Pig Iron School and a BA in Economics and Theater from UCLA. Wang is a professional at Lecoq, Viewpoints, clown, commedia dell’arte and Qin opera. Her work combines and builds connections between western and Asian cultures.

Raina Jackson (assistant director) (she/her) is a sophomore Directing, Playwriting and Production major and a Film minor. Her past UArts credits include assistant stage manager for The Blazing World, assistant production in Getting By With a Little Help From My Friends and director of Non-Monogamy. Endless thanks to UArts community. 

Kristen Brooks Sandler (choreographer) (she/her)

Dorie Byrne (music director)

Joey Rice (assistant music director)

Lindsey Silver (stage manager) (they/them) is a senior Theater Design and Technology major. This is their  first time stage managing for Polyphone, and they couldn’t have asked for a better team and experience. To see more of Silver’s management and design work, visit lindseysilver.com.

Sydney Taper (assistant stage manager) is a first year Directing, Playwriting & Production major. This is her second credit as an ASM with UArts, the first being Nonmonogamy (Equinox 2022). She thanks Lindsey for sharing their wisdom, and for showing her so much patience and kindness.

Dannielle Shugart (costume design)

ABOUT THE CAST 

Amy Chen (The Writer) (she/her) is a junior Musical Theater major. Her select UArts credits include We’re Gonna Die (Singer), Norton I (Ah How) and Lilith and Her Demons (Lilith). Huge thanks to Tidtaya, Maggie-Kate, Marina, Mingming, Dorie, Kristen, Lily, Naomi, Joey, Lindsey and the entire cast and crew of Dear Mr. C for the honor of getting to tell this story!

Megan Derbick (The Writer's Sister) is a Sophomore Musical Theatre major and prospective Music minor. Past UArts credits include Pyra in “The Blazing World” in last year’s Polyphone Festival and Ensemble in the Fall production of “Pippin”! She is thrilled to be back on stage again and thanks the cast, crew, her family, and friends for all their love and support! @meg.derbick

Yoojung Park (Mom) (she/her) is a senior Musical Theater major. Her past UArts credits include An Incomplete List … , Akira and the Merpeople. Endless thanks to God!

Dallas Jimmar (Sadness)

David Carver (Anxiety)

Gabriela Santana (Anger) (she/her) has credits that include Footloose (THT), Legally Blonde (Northern Stage), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (NLBP), Grease (NCCT), Tuck Everlasting (WPP) and Newsies (THT).

Madison Luckey (Ensemble) (she/her) is a first-year Musical Theater major. This is her first UArts production, and she is beyond grateful for the opportunity. Luckey would like to thank the entire production team of Dear Mr. C, her teachers, her friends and her family for their support! She also thanks her mother for everything. Learn more about Luckey on Instagram at @madsluckey.

Ellie Linsz (Ensemble/Dance Captain)

ABOUT THE BAND 

Dorie Byrne (piano, accordion, various other)

Joey Rice (piano)

Dot Levine (bass/guitar)

Julia Baker (drums)