Ann Farthing worked in theatre in Los Angeles for almost 30 years as an award-winning actor, director, producer and writer.  She was literary manager of the National Play Awards sponsored by the National Repertory Theatre Foundation, an OVATIONS Award judge and a GLAAD Media Awards voter.  Ann worked in new play development with West Coast Ensemble, The Last Word (a Playwrights Collective) and Highways Performance Space.  Since relocating East two of her short plays have been read in NYC and she is at work on her third full length solo play.  She has a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Cal State L.A.  Ann is the Artistic Director of Playsmiths.  www.annfarthing.com

THE FOUNDERS

Michael Selkirk has been an actor for over thirty five years in New York and Los Angeles.  It was in L.A. that he met Ann Farthing and began reading for playwright groups.  He found that it greatly strengthened and honed his auditioning skills and was, as he put it, “like going to acting gym” every week.  It also helped him learn and better understand how a play is constructed and what elements can make a story more successful.  He’s a proud member of Equity, SAG and AFTRA.  Michael serves as the Actor-Manager of Playsmiths.  www.michaelselkirk.com

Jonathan Alexandratos is a playwright and proud founding member of "Playsmiths."  His play, ENGUAGED, was a finalist in the January 2009 Shotgun Theatre Festival.  DEATH IN MOZAMBIQUE, his two-act drama, had a two-week run at the Cherry Lane Theatre's Cherry Pit in the Summer of 2009.  Most recently, his play CZECHS AND BALANCES was part of Saturn 5 Productions' DECONSTRUCTING BERLIN - a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  He is currently working on his MFA in Playwrighting at Queens College.  Jonathan is also a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.  He loves writing comedy, but loves living it even more.  For the biggest joke in Jonathan's life, please see his paycheck. He is happy to serve as the Outreach Coordinator for Playsmiths!

Chrysta Naron is a Brooklyn based director who has worked in New York, Texas, and Germany.  She has directed multiple staged readings, 10 minute plays, and full lengths in New York City since moving to Brooklyn in 2008.  She has also worked as a prop intern at BAM on A WINTER'S TALE & THE CHERRY ORCHARD as part of Sam Mendes' The Bridge Project.  Chrysta also served as assistant director on THE TOWN OF NO ONE in the New York International Fringe Festival in 2011.  She is currently working on a new interpretation of MACBETH called DESIRES DARK AND DEEP, to open in May of 2012.  Chrysta serves as the totally rad Head of Production for Playsmiths.

THE OFFICERS

Lynn Battaglia has been an actor in New York City for over 26 years.  She moved to New York to study at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in the mid 1980’s.  She graduate from there and was invited into their prestigious third year program.  She was also fortunate enough to obtain an acting internship at the former off-Broadway house, Circle Rep.  There she worked with playwrights Craig Lucas, Paul Zindel and Lanford Wilson.  Some of the other NYC theater companies Lynn has been involved with are Riverside Shakespeare, American Globe Theater, Manhattan Class Company and The Barrow Group.  She was nominated for an award for her work in “Call Me Crazy.”  Some of the films Ms. Battaglia has been seen in are:  “Two Bits,”  “Frame of Mind” and “Blue Caprice.”  She is currently a member of Actors Shakespeare Company at NJU.  She is a proud member of Equity, AFTRA and SAG.  In addition, Ms. Battaglia has been working in Finance for over 14 years.  She is currently serving as Financial Manager at Playsmiths.

Arthur Shapiro is a part time marketing consultant with a full time passion for telling stories through plays. His short play, Stuck, was the winner week #2 at the Short Play Festival at Players Theatre in New York in June 2011. Stuck was produced, directed and starred members of Playsmiths. He has written full-length plays including Coming Apart At The Seams, and Barriers. Arthur has studied playwriting at The New School, Primary Stages School of Theatre, NY Theatre Workshop and elsewhere. His Hint Fiction and One Minute plays have recently been read at Playsmiths’ Flash Fest at the Manhattan Theatre Club. He is a member of the Dramatist Guild.

Mary Wilson is our Director of Fundraising.  She has most recently been seen as Mother May in The Town of No One at The New York International Fringe Festival. She is a graduate of NYU-TISCH School of the Arts, and has made NYC her home and acting playground for the past eighteen years.