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Benjamin Viertel (Director) is a director based in New York City who has worked off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Benjamin grew up in France with an Italian mother and German father. At 11 he emigrated to the U.S. speaking three languages, none of them English. A director and foreigner, his work makes the outsider experience central while illuminating injustices and exposing the underpinnings of society. Through an amalgamation of American and European dramaturgical and theatrical styles, Benjamin creates performances that teeter between seduction and aggression, focusing on the individual versus society, and investigating shame in the personal and political spheres. Benjamin’s work has been reviewed by The New Yorker and The New York Times, among others. Benjamin holds a BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University and is pursuing his MFA in Directing at Columbia University.

Leah Plante-Wiener (Book) is a New York-based playwright, performer, and multidisciplinary artist originally from Montreal. She is currently pursuing her MFA in playwriting at Columbia. Recent productions of Leah’s work include the electrologist at the Catch Performance Series, watching you watching me watching you at The Tank, Warm Science at The Brick, and Gutbelly at Columbia, which Benjamin also directed. Additionally, Leah recently attended the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the La MaMa Umbria Playwrights’ Retreat. Leah is a fan of the unpleasant and the absurd. leahpwrites.com // @leah.annia

Nate Weida (Music/Lyrics) composer of 16 musicals – including Goldhaven (The Brick – directed by Benjamin Viertel), Byuioo (Pipeline), Boats And (Ars Nova), In Corpo (Assembly/Dutch Kills), Night Vale Presents’ podcast It Makes a Sound, and Pirate La Dee Da (Atlantic Theater). Currently music director for the Possibility Project; resident artist at Judson Church developing a folk opera adaptation of The Oresteia; Salty Brine’s Living Record Collection (Joe’s Pub & Lincoln Center). www.nateweida.com