KDB has been writing, directing , teaching and acting for nearly two decades, and has worked her way from Boston to San Francisco to Miami to Los Angeles. The Artistic Director and Founder of Atlantis Playmakers, KDB currently resides in Los Angeles in the off-season where she is writing a text book on Shakespeare for high school students. She coaches professional actors and has had the pleasure of co-teaching a course with Roz Symon, former Education Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (Stratford-on Avon, England). She has developed curriculum and taught students of all levels for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Dublin Theater Company, the California Shakespeare Festival, Pembroke Pines Charter High School, Muskrat Theater Company, and of course, Atlantis Playmakers, where she develops the curriculum for the studio programs. She has her BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross, and has trained with the Classical Acting Program at SF Shakespeare, the American Conservatory Theater, and Dueling Arts International. KDB has directed more than 100 plays, from Shakespeare to world premieres, from opera to musicals. She has had success as a playwright as well in Boston and San Francisco, including Locked from the Inside and the smash AP hit The Bride among her 15 or so produced plays. KDB performs rarely these days, but was seen during the 2005 season in both Love Letters and Fool for Love. "Director, fight choreographer, playwright and performer, Basso is a jack-of-all-trades..." - Callboard Magazine, San Francisco
FACULTY BIO: Sarah Cohen
Sarah Cohen returns to Atlantis Playmakers with her Masters in Teaching from Clark University, where she also holds a BA in Theatre. As an undergraduate, Sarah appeared in several productions, including Fuddy Meers, and Romeo and Juliet. Sarah worked as the assistant costumer for the Visual and Performing Arts Department for two years as well as working on many student productions. During grad school, Sarah coached University Park Improv, an improvisational comedy troupe for middle and high school students that performed as part of First Night Worcester. Most recently, Sarah assisted the costumer of the Brown Middle School production of Anything Goes, where she is currently working.
FACULTY BIO: Erika Geller Erika Geller is excited to join the staff of Atlantis Playmakers. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Women's and Gender Studies from Brandeis University. She is also a graduate of the London Dramatic Academy where she studied in Spring 2008. In 2007, she was the Performing Arts Director at YMCA Camp Sloane where she wrote two out of the four shows she directed. She most recently was seen acting in Atlantis Playmakers' Comedy of Errors as Dutchess Solinus. Her favorite Brandeis credits include her senior thesis, Splatter Paint, which she wrote and collaboratively directed as well as A Devil Inside (Caitlin), 365 Days/365 Plays (Core Ensemble), A Summer Evening in Des Moines (Nancy), and The Water Children (Liz).
FACULTY BIO: Amy Joy Laffin
Amy has been teaching with Atlantis Playmakers Studio program since 1999. She has her degree in Education from and an Associates degree in theater from Middlesex Community College. Amy brings nearly a decade of experience coaching theater and working with children to her workshops which are always considered favorites with the students. Amy has also been a member of the professional company since our first season in 1998. She has created dozens of memorabe characters for the stage, for plays ranging from classics like The Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet to contemporary world premieres, like A is for Apple.
FACULTY BIO: Chris Cardoni
In a career that has spanned 31 years and over 140 shows, Chris Cardoni has been a director, producer, actor, playwright, set designer, fight choreographer, and acting coach. Chris taught theatre for many years, and has worked with professional, community, and educational theatre companies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. He has won multiple awards from the NETC and EMACT for acting, directing, makeup, and set design. He has taught workshops in set design, makeup, and stage combat, and has lectured on directing and design for local theatre groups. He currently directs and performs with local community and professional theatres, notably Turtle Lane Playhouse and Atlantis Playmakers. Directing credits include The Glass Menagerie, Story Theatre, The Actor’s Nightmare, Dracula, A Chorus Line, 1776, Annie, Rags, The Secret Garden, She Loves Me, and Singin’ in the Rain. Acting credits include the Older Son in Table Settings, Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet (twice), Glenn in Rumors, Tulsa in Gypsy, Tom in The Glass Menagerie, the title role in Dracula, and Bogey in Play It Again, Sam. Chris was named Best Actor for his leading role in The Good Doctor at the 1984 NETC festival, and was presented with a Special Recognition award for his performance of six different roles in Greater Tuna at the 1992 EMACT/NETC festival. Chris is a feature writer for the New England Entertainment Digest, a consultant for the NETC Moss Hart Awards, a former consultant for EMACT, and an occasional acting coach. He is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors, and performs and choreographs stage combat.