the company

woken'glacier began in the winter of 2002 in Long Island when co-founders Matthew Paul Olmos and Nichol Alexander invited several directors and actors to a week-long retreat. Through this collaboration both the theatre company and the play the beautifulest room were formed. Since then, we have continued to create pieces as a company, such as wired, meanwhile taking on more international work such as Hanoch Levin’s The Child Dreams (in collaboration with VOICETheatre), and Heiner Müller’s Quartet. As well developing original work, locomotive, seal sings its song, and 12 Billion. Twice nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award (locomotive, seal sings its song), and recently collaborated with Theatre Arts Japan for the U.S. premiere of Hideo Tsuchida’s It Is Said The Men Are Over In The Steel Tower. Currntly in development is a stage adaptation of Kobo Abe's THE BOX MAN.

advisory board
neal bell, gene lasko, sonoko kawahara, elinor renfield,
sam schacht, arthur storch, stuart vaughn

company members

dashiell eckman

beth manspeizer

ronit muszkatblit

eriko ogawa

matthew paul olmos

 


 

fractured atlas


dashiell eckman

resident actor, designer, & editor

(AEA) Third generation New York artist From Duane Street, Tribeca who began at Saint Anne's School in Brooklyn Heights. Continuing from there to study oil painting at Alfred University, Psychology at Westchester Community College and Theater and Film at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and is a graduate of the edit center and apple certified pro. Previously has worked as sound and Lighting designer for woken'glacier on their production of wired and locomotive… As an actor has appeared for Hudson Warehouses' production of Twelfth Night, as Duke Orsino, in their production of the Tempest as Caliban and for Palehorse Production's debut performance of Othello he appeared as Montano and was the executive producer. Having worked on both sides of the camera in several independent films across the United States and Europe as an actor, director and editor, Dashiell is looking forward to growing and learning with woken'glacier.
 


beth manspeizer

resident actor & associate producer

(AEA) Has an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School . She also holds a BS in Acting and Directing from Skidmore College . Beth received a nomination for Best Director and Best Ensemble for “The Skryker” from the Independent Reviewers of New England. Most notably her direction has been reviewed by the Village Voice for “Doing Justice”. Beth is trained in View Points and Improvisation. Her recent acting credits include: Nicotine (Theater 54 at Shetler - Personal Space Theatrics); Crochet: I dream Ballet? (Ontological Theater); Apartment Life (Creative Place Theater); Girl’s Room (Queens Theatre in the Park); Dinner with Friends and the beautifulest room (Westbeth Theater); Penguins, Puppies, and Porn (2003 NY International Fringe Festival); One For The Road (Here Theater); Strangers on a Train (Ensemble Studio Theatre); 8 Stories High (Altered Stages); Top Girls (Actor’s Workshop).  Beth was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress for seal sings its song in the 2005 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. And she is a founding member of woken' glacier.

www.bethmanspeizer.com

ronit muszkatblit

resident director & fundraising

Born in Germany, raised in Israel. Member of posttheater ny/berlin and a founding member of woken¹glacier theater company. Recent Credits include: I had a little voice (LABA 09) and Cantaloupe by Gina Bonati (Boston), ART by Yasmina Reza (Rohkunst Bau, Berlin), It is said the men are over in the steel tower by Hideo Tsuchida, adapted by Eriko Ogawa and Matthew Paul Olmos (TBG Theater, NYC), Struwwelmensch (Rohkunst Bau Festival, Berlin), Cop Out/Talking Dog by John Guare (Gene Frankel Theater, NYC), Matchmaker Matchmaker (Stadts Bank Berlin), Quartet ­ by Heiner Müller (Westbeth Theater, NYC) The Child Dreams by Hanoch Levin (59E59, NYC), La Mama Umbria (Italy). Ronit is a MFA graduate of the Actor¹s Studio Drama School in directing.

eriko ogawa

resident director & international correspondent

Born and raised in Japan, Eriko has an MFA Directing at the Actors Studio Drama School . She is a co-founder and a resident director of woken'glacier theater company and a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Recent directing credit includes, Audience, "Down the Road, the beautifulest room, the 7th Disorder (Westbeth Theatre), 12 Billion (NY Fringe), When We Wake (HERE), The Seagull (Lincoln Center Directors Lab), assitant director credit include, Cloko (canal theatre in Japan), O Jang-gun's Toenail (Cherry rchard Stuido), Cherry Orchard- Firs' dream (Chekov Now Festival), Curoios Tumor (ATA). She moved to NY in 2001 after graduating from the Sacred Heart University in Tokyo . She has production experiences as both an actor and director in Tokyo , in plays ranging from modern Japanese plays, to Western Classics, to original work. She decided to move to NY to create new theater by combining the two different theater styles of Asia and the West.


matthew paul olmos

artistic director & resident playwright
Born in East Los Angeles and now living in Brooklyn, Matthew was recently awarded the Sundance Institute’s 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship.  He was also invited as a 2010 Resident Artist at Mabou Mines and is currently a P73 Fellowship semi-finalist.  He was a 2009 O’Neill Conference Semi-Finalist, 2009 New Dramatists Semi-Finalist, 2008 Playwrights of New York (PONY) nominee, finalist in 2007 & 2009 for Ensemble Studio Theatre One-Act Marathons, finalist for InterAct Theatre’s 20/20 Commission program and was a semi-finalst for New Dramatist's residency.2004 Alternate Recipient of New Dramatists Van Lier Award.  A resident at INTAR Theatre; Lark Play Development Center staff. He holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from The Actor’s Studio Drama School, a B.A. in Playwriting from UC Santa Barbara, and was given UCLA’s GOP Award for Graduate Playwriting. His play I put the fear of méxico in'em has been developed & presented at Intar Theatre, Lark Play Development Center, The Kennedy Center with The Inkwell, and the Gala Theatre in DC.

 

 

associated artists



michael billingsley

founding member

(AEA, SAG) A native of Roma , Georgia , he has worked at several reputable theaters across the country from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Atlanta (New Conservatory Theater, Theater Rhino, Actor's Express, 14th St. Playhouse).  In New York he has appeared in Expiration Day by Nichol Alexander and Wineskins  at Altered Stages, One for the Road at THAW, 12 Billion at NY Fringe, The Vampire Lesson, Run Deep, The Imposters, One Wagon-One Boathouse-One Body and the beautifulest room all at Westbeth Theatre.  He was seen in O’Chang Gun’s Toenail at the Cherry Lane. And most recently he starred the leading role in seal sings its song at The Gene Frankel Theatre in New York. Michael is a Lifetime Member of The Actor's Studio. Aside from being a first degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, he also has a certain fondness for cheap wine and a founding member of woken’glacier. wwwmichaelbillingsley.com.

 


chantel cherisse lucier

founding member

Began her acting training at the American Conservatory Theatre at the age of 11. She has danced, choreographed and acted in New York, San Francisco and Regionally. Some of her stage credits include: NEW YORK: I (American Theatre of Actors),I (Gene Frankel),I(The Producers Club), O Chang-gun's Toenail (Cherry Lane Studio Theatre), Carnality (The Actors Studio - 44th St.), the beautifulest room, The Seventh Disorder, Fiat and The Imposters (Westbeth Theater), When You Wake (HERE), Law of Life and 12 Billion (The Great Hall - NY Intl Fringe Festival). SAN FRANCISCO: Hot ‘n' Throbbin’, Bukowski/Raw from the Page, The Philadelphia Story, Thin Line, The Arch Bishop’s Ceiling and the world premiere of Valerie Solanas’ Up Your Ass with George Coates Performance Works (S.F. and N.Y. cast). REGIONAL: Ice Cream, Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Old Times, No Exit, True Trash, and the original cast of Side Effects by Alberto Sandoval. Some of Chantel’s film credits include: Her Urge (Camille), Bar (Cat), Fanatik (Tracy), The Breathing Show (Cabbie), Smoke the Pipe Dream (Amanda) and Kelly and Arnie (Kelly). Chantel has taught beginning through advanced modern dance, contact improvisation and Suzuki technique. She is a graduate of San Francisco School of the Arts for dance. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College in Dance and Theatre Arts and an MFA for Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School in New York. She is a recipient of the Margaret M. Stitt Award for outstanding work in theatre and a Liberace Scholar Grant recipient. Member: Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and a founding member of woken' glacier.
chantellucier.com
www.revbilly.com




oscar a. mendoza

associated director/designer

Was born in Valencia, Venezuela. He has a BA in Directing and Design at the National School of Performing Arts in Caracas, Venezuela and a program for theater professionals at Brooklyn College. Oscar has been Director, Set and Lighting designer for all of the plays he has directed since 1992. He has shared his work with theaters with diverse styles from Latin American Center for Theater Studies to the Caracas International Theater Festival. He was invited to attend the Lincoln Center Directors Lab 2003 and 2004 and has trained with Odin Teatret of Denmark both as a Director and as an actor in his country. His most important works are: The Improvisation of The Soul or The Sheppard Chameleon by Eugene Ionesco; A Turtle Named Dostoievsky by Fernando Arrabal; The Deceased and The Hand by Rene de Obaldia, Fernando Josseau and The Tiger by Murray Schisgal. NYC credits: It's not Me by Gregory Xenopolus at the Greek Cultural Center in Astoria, On The Open Road by Steve Teshich at the Independent Theater in Manhattan, Figaro Gets a Divorce by Odom Von Horvath at The Access Theater in Manhattan, Mother Wove the Morning by Carol Lynn Pearson at the Shetler 54 Showcase Theater in Manhattan and Cop Out by John Guare at the Gene Frankel Theater In Manhattan.
www.oscaramendoza.com