Monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon
About
MONSOON, A MUSICAL TRILOGY is a three-part musical series by award-winning writer-composer Erin Kamler about human rights issues in Southeast Asia. Drawing on a decade of original research and fieldwork, Kamler’s trilogy tells the story of Emma Gable, a young American human rights worker who journeys to Thailand, where migrant sex workers and missionaries clash around the ideological crusade to end human trafficking; to Burma, where women’s rights activists work against all odds to bring peace to a country crippled by endless civil war; and to the remote Andaman Islands, where ecological degradation and development threaten the future of the land, sea, and all who dwell there. Inspired by in-depth field research with NGOs, UN agencies, women’s rights organizations, members of government and civil society, MONSOON illuminates the struggle, sacrifice, and resilience of the activists and international aid workers who have made this part of the world their home.
About
MONSOON, A MUSICAL TRILOGY is a three-part musical series by award-winning writer-composer Erin Kamler about human rights issues in Southeast Asia. Drawing on a decade of original research and fieldwork, Kamler’s trilogy tells the story of Emma Gable, a young American human rights worker who journeys to Thailand, where migrant sex workers and missionaries clash around the ideological crusade to end human trafficking; to Burma, where women’s rights activists work against all odds to bring peace to a country crippled by endless civil war; and to the remote Andaman Islands, where ecological degradation and development threaten the future of the land, sea, and all who dwell there. Inspired by in-depth field research with NGOs, UN agencies, women’s rights organizations, members of government and civil society, MONSOON illuminates the struggle, sacrifice, and resilience of the activists and international aid workers who have made this part of the world their home.
Creator’s Statement
The American imagination has long been consumed with the idea of spreading good: We promote democracy around the world; we pledge fidelity to human rights; we like to think of ourselves as allies—even saviors—of the oppressed. But sometimes, despite our good intentions, our efforts to help and heal fall short. If we dig deeply into the struggles of women in the developing world—struggles of violence; gender inequality; of striving to make a living, care for their families, and survive—a more complex picture emerges, in which members of the privileged West, intent on promoting “progress” are in fact, often doing more harm than good.
MONSOON dives into the stories of marginalized women in Thailand, Burma and the Andaman Islands—women whose experiences and lived realities often go unseen. Far from being the stereotypical “victims” they are often portrayed to be, suffering in silence and deprived of agency or complexity, the women of this world are savvy political leaders, powerful healers, survivors, providers, and experts in their own lives.
Based on my work over the past decade with women’s rights activists, UN agencies, and civil society organizations in Southeast Asia, the trilogy draws on the lived experiences of migrants fleeing war-torn Burma; ethnic female combatants braving jungles riddled with landmines to fund an armed resistance; Thai sex workers union organizers immersed in a decades-long struggle to claim their rights; activists striving to build peace amid endless civil war; indigenous “sea gypsies” protecting the ecology of the land and ocean, along with the foreign aid workers, policy experts, missionaries, diplomats, and researchers working to support them. Inspired by my own journey– often tumultuous, constantly eye-opening—through the turbulent social politics of the region, MONSOON seeks to critically interrogate the Western ideal of “rescue”, probe the limitations of “development,” and champion the strength, love, and resilience that drives women’s rights activism in this part of the world.
Creator’s Statement
The American imagination has long been consumed with the idea of spreading good: We promote democracy around the world; we pledge fidelity to human rights; we like to think of ourselves as allies—even saviors—of the oppressed. But sometimes, despite our good intentions, our efforts to help and heal fall short. If we dig deeply into the struggles of women in the developing world—struggles of violence; gender inequality; of striving to make a living, care for their families, and survive—a more complex picture emerges, in which members of the privileged West, intent on promoting “progress” are in fact, often doing more harm than good.
MONSOON dives into the stories of marginalized women in Thailand, Burma and the Andaman Islands—women whose experiences and lived realities often go unseen. Far from being the stereotypical “victims” they are often portrayed to be, suffering in silence and deprived of agency or complexity, the women of this world are savvy political leaders, powerful healers, survivors, providers, and experts in their own lives.
Based on my work over the past decade with women’s rights activists, UN agencies, and civil society organizations in Southeast Asia, the trilogy draws on the lived experiences of migrants fleeing war-torn Burma; ethnic female combatants braving jungles riddled with landmines to fund an armed resistance; Thai sex workers union organizers immersed in a decades-long struggle to claim their rights; activists striving to build peace amid endless civil war; indigenous “sea gypsies” protecting the ecology of the land and ocean, along with the foreign aid workers, policy experts, missionaries, diplomats, and researchers working to support them. Inspired by my own journey– often tumultuous, constantly eye-opening—through the turbulent social politics of the region, MONSOON seeks to critically interrogate the Western ideal of “rescue”, probe the limitations of “development,” and champion the strength, love, and resilience that drives women’s rights activism in this part of the world.
Land of Smiles
Journeying into the brothels, detention centers and NGO rescue operations of Thailand’s north, Emma Gable, a young American human rights attorney with aspirations to “save the women of the world” collides with an imprisoned Kachin migrant sex worker from war-torn Burma whose only goal is to return to the brothel from where she was rescued.
Land of Smiles dives into the world of human trafficking in Thailand as seen through the eyes of sex workers, grassroots activists, NGO employees and other members of the anti-trafficking movement. Based on field research including over 50 interviews with stakeholders in Thailand’s anti-trafficking movement, Land of Smiles presents a critical look at how the story about trafficking is told, and shows that finding a solution to this problem is even more complicated than it seems.
The story focuses on the aftermath of a brothel raid in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. Lipoh, a young Kachin (ethnic minority) migrant from Burma, seems to be underage, making her an automatic “trafficking victim” in the eyes of the law. Emma Gable, an NGO case worker from Cedar Falls, Indiana is sent to prepare Lipoh to be a witness in a trial to prosecute her trafficker. Emma must convince Lipoh to be the person everyone sees: a trafficking victim. But Lipoh is unwilling to cooperate. She insists that she is eighteen, and was working in the brothel willingly. Not only that—she wants to go back.
What transpires is a journey into Thailand’s anti-trafficking movement—a world burdened by politics, morality and the rhetoric of human rights. Through hearing Lipoh’s story, Emma discovers that grave atrocities are being committed against the Kachin people of Burma. But these atrocities are overshadowed by a narrative about trafficking that serves the needs of the anti-trafficking movement, rather than the women it is trying to help.
Journeying into the brothels, detention centers and NGO rescue operations of Thailand’s north, Emma Gable, a young American human rights attorney with aspirations to “save the women of the world” collides with an imprisoned Kachin migrant sex worker from war-torn Burma whose only goal is to return to the brothel from where she was rescued.
Land of Smiles dives into the world of human trafficking in Thailand as seen through the eyes of sex workers, grassroots activists, NGO employees and other members of the anti-trafficking movement. Based on field research including over 50 interviews with stakeholders in Thailand’s anti-trafficking movement, Land of Smiles presents a critical look at how the story about trafficking is told, and shows that finding a solution to this problem is even more complicated than it seems.
The story focuses on the aftermath of a brothel raid in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. Lipoh, a young Kachin (ethnic minority) migrant from Burma, seems to be underage, making her an automatic “trafficking victim” in the eyes of the law. Emma Gable, an NGO case worker from Cedar Falls, Indiana is sent to prepare Lipoh to be a witness in a trial to prosecute her trafficker. Emma must convince Lipoh to be the person everyone sees: a trafficking victim. But Lipoh is unwilling to cooperate. She insists that she is eighteen, and was working in the brothel willingly. Not only that—she wants to go back.
What transpires is a journey into Thailand’s anti-trafficking movement—a world burdened by politics, morality and the rhetoric of human rights. Through hearing Lipoh’s story, Emma discovers that grave atrocities are being committed against the Kachin people of Burma. But these atrocities are overshadowed by a narrative about trafficking that serves the needs of the anti-trafficking movement, rather than the women it is trying to help.
Foreign
Emma journeys to gritty, glamorous Rangoon, Burma on assignment with the NGO Human Rights Collective, to investigate the politics and plight of women’s rights activists, diplomats, and international aid workers working to end Burma’s civil war amidst the onset of the Rohingya genocide.
Foreign interrogates the politics of modern Burma and the plight of women’s rights activists, diplomats, and international aid workers striving to end the country’s civil war amidst the Rohingya genocide. Probing the passion and politics of Rangoon’s peacebuilding elite, Foreign reveal the conflicting dynamics of activist forces working to bring a country from conflict to peace.
November, 2016. Emerging from decades of isolation, Burma (Myanmar) is a nation in transition. Military rule has left the former British colony devastated, and ethnic war ravages the land. Despite this, hopes are running high that Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party, which swept the country’s first democratic elections in a landslide victory, will usher in an era of peace.
Reeling from the U.S. Presidential election, Emma arrives in Rangoon (Yangon) to report on the country’s nascent democratic transition. There she meets the dazzling Ma May, a prominent queer feminist leader whom the international donors are enamored by; Annabel Morton, a dedicated aid worker championing women’s rights; her husband Daniel, a self-assured British diplomat; and Oliver Dembele, a smooth-taking Scottish entrepreneur who opens Emma’s eyes to Rangoon’s magnificence and decay. Diving into the glamour and grit of her work, Emma becomes captivated by a nation whose people who seem committed to healing the wounds of their traumatic past.
Meanwhile, as Ma May reaps the rewards of her achievements, she is pulled into tumultuous family dynamics by her father, an illustrious military Commander whom she renounced in her youth. Throwing her support behind Ma May’s organization, Annabel recognizes her attraction to Ma May, and the women’s relationship becomes romantic. Emma discovers the affair – a criminal offense under the repressive regime – and realizes the danger her knowledge could create.
But when a wave of violence breaks out in Muslim-dominated Rakhine State and the people of Burma – including Ma May’s activist colleagues – begin to openly condone mass atrocities and the displacement of thousands, the spell of Emma’s romance with the country is quickly broken. Scrambling to follow the trail of the unfolding crisis, Emma realizes that Burma is not the success story it’s been made out to be.
As the crisis escalates and polarization between the aid workers and the people grows, Emma must decide where their allegiances lie. Caught between her destructive love affair with a country in chaos and the responsibility to report the truth, Emma must decide what she is willing to stand for, and at what cost.
Emma journeys to gritty, glamorous Rangoon, Burma on assignment with the NGO Human Rights Collective, to investigate the politics and plight of women’s rights activists, diplomats, and international aid workers working to end Burma’s civil war amidst the onset of the Rohingya genocide.
Foreign interrogates the politics of modern Burma and the plight of women’s rights activists, diplomats, and international aid workers striving to end the country’s civil war amidst the Rohingya genocide. Probing the passion and politics of Rangoon’s peacebuilding elite, Foreign reveal the conflicting dynamics of activist forces working to bring a country from conflict to peace.
November, 2016. Emerging from decades of isolation, Burma (Myanmar) is a nation in transition. Military rule has left the former British colony devastated, and ethnic war ravages the land. Despite this, hopes are running high that Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party, which swept the country’s first democratic elections in a landslide victory, will usher in an era of peace.
Reeling from the U.S. Presidential election, Emma arrives in Rangoon (Yangon) to report on the country’s nascent democratic transition. There she meets the dazzling Ma May, a prominent queer feminist leader whom the international donors are enamored by; Annabel Morton, a dedicated aid worker championing women’s rights; her husband Daniel, a self-assured British diplomat; and Oliver Dembele, a smooth-taking Scottish entrepreneur who opens Emma’s eyes to Rangoon’s magnificence and decay. Diving into the glamour and grit of her work, Emma becomes captivated by a nation whose people who seem committed to healing the wounds of their traumatic past.
Meanwhile, as Ma May reaps the rewards of her achievements, she is pulled into tumultuous family dynamics by her father, an illustrious military Commander whom she renounced in her youth. Throwing her support behind Ma May’s organization, Annabel recognizes her attraction to Ma May, and the women’s relationship becomes romantic. Emma discovers the affair – a criminal offense under the repressive regime – and realizes the danger her knowledge could create.
But when a wave of violence breaks out in Muslim-dominated Rakhine State and the people of Burma – including Ma May’s activist colleagues – begin to openly condone mass atrocities and the displacement of thousands, the spell of Emma’s romance with the country is quickly broken. Scrambling to follow the trail of the unfolding crisis, Emma realizes that Burma is not the success story it’s been made out to be.
As the crisis escalates and polarization between the aid workers and the people grows, Emma must decide where their allegiances lie. Caught between her destructive love affair with a country in chaos and the responsibility to report the truth, Emma must decide what she is willing to stand for, and at what cost.
Andaman
Emma journeys to the remote islands of the Andaman Sea to investigate human trafficking in the illicit fishing industry, and uncover the mysteries surrounding a missing teenage Moken “sea-gypsy” and a Rohingya boy fleeing a Bangladeshi refugee camp.
Fisherman, “sea gypsies,” policy experts and eco-tourists make up the eclectic cast of characters in this musical meditation on the politics of development in the waters of the Andaman Sea.
The third and final musical in the trilogy, Andaman centers on the friendship between Surin, a teenage Mokan “sea gypsy” whose home off the coast of Moore Island in Asia’s Andaman Sea has been washed away by a typhoon, and Nour, a Rohingya boy fleeing a Bangladeshi refugee camp who dreams of seeking asylum in the West. Surin and Nour meet working as fishers on board a Malagasy vessel which has gone dark in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman Sea. It is not long before they realize they are being held captive by Andry, the vessel’s captain whose desperate search for a new source of marine catch has driven him to abuse his crew. Kept alive by their love for each other and the will to survive, Surin and Nour vow to escape together, whatever it takes. But when The Merina transfers its illegal catch to another vessel, Surin flees while Nour remains trapped in the hull.
Meanwhile, back in Rangoon, a world-weary Emma is finishing her work. Exhausted by watching the country’s human rights record go from bad to worse, Emma’s passion has waned and she can barely wait to get back to the States and resume a normal life. But when she hears about the missing vessel, Emma decides to undertake one final mission: to report on the plight of those trapped on board—if they can be found.
Emma rushes to the Andamans where she meets an eclectic group of travelers, development specialists, and policy experts at an eco-tourism resort. Rolling up her sleeves, the group embarks a journey to find the missing vessel, visiting exotic shipping ports where rugged dock workers, high-rolling casino patrons, and glamorous cronies’ wives immersed in the illicit gemstone trade could harbor clues about the vessel’s whereabouts.
But when Surin’s mother Lua appears on the island with a message about the ecological degradation that’s destroying her home, Emma must confront the question of whether her work is doing more harm than good. With time running out, Emma realizes that the search to find the missing vessel is more urgent than ever. At the same time, forces beyond her control are propelling Burma towards a cataclysmic political crisis. As the world around her starts spinning out of control, Emma must choose whether to abandon a country in turmoil or stay, and fight for justice.
Emma journeys to the remote islands of the Andaman Sea to investigate human trafficking in the illicit fishing industry, and uncover the mysteries surrounding a missing teenage Moken “sea-gypsy” and a Rohingya boy fleeing a Bangladeshi refugee camp.
Fisherman, “sea gypsies,” policy experts and eco-tourists make up the eclectic cast of characters in this musical meditation on the politics of development in the waters of the Andaman Sea.
The third and final musical in the trilogy, Andaman centers on the friendship between Surin, a teenage Mokan “sea gypsy” whose home off the coast of Moore Island in Asia’s Andaman Sea has been washed away by a typhoon, and Nour, a Rohingya boy fleeing a Bangladeshi refugee camp who dreams of seeking asylum in the West. Surin and Nour meet working as fishers on board a Malagasy vessel which has gone dark in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman Sea. It is not long before they realize they are being held captive by Andry, the vessel’s captain whose desperate search for a new source of marine catch has driven him to abuse his crew. Kept alive by their love for each other and the will to survive, Surin and Nour vow to escape together, whatever it takes. But when The Merina transfers its illegal catch to another vessel, Surin flees while Nour remains trapped in the hull.
Meanwhile, back in Rangoon, a world-weary Emma is finishing her work. Exhausted by watching the country’s human rights record go from bad to worse, Emma’s passion has waned and she can barely wait to get back to the States and resume a normal life. But when she hears about the missing vessel, Emma decides to undertake one final mission: to report on the plight of those trapped on board—if they can be found.
Emma rushes to the Andamans where she meets an eclectic group of travelers, development specialists, and policy experts at an eco-tourism resort. Rolling up her sleeves, the group embarks a journey to find the missing vessel, visiting exotic shipping ports where rugged dock workers, high-rolling casino patrons, and glamorous cronies’ wives immersed in the illicit gemstone trade could harbor clues about the vessel’s whereabouts.
But when Surin’s mother Lua appears on the island with a message about the ecological degradation that’s destroying her home, Emma must confront the question of whether her work is doing more harm than good. With time running out, Emma realizes that the search to find the missing vessel is more urgent than ever. At the same time, forces beyond her control are propelling Burma towards a cataclysmic political crisis. As the world around her starts spinning out of control, Emma must choose whether to abandon a country in turmoil or stay, and fight for justice.
Music
Music
Music
Producing Team
Producing Team
CREATOR
Erin Kamler
Dr. Erin Kamler is an American writer, composer, musician and academic researcher who works at the intersection of feminist social justice and the arts. Over the past decade, Erin has worked as a researcher and gender equality consultant with international development agencies, NGOs and civil society organizations in Burma, Thailand, and throughout Southeast Asia. Her book, “Rewriting the Victim: Dramatization as Research in Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking Movement” is available from Oxford University Press. Recent projects as a composer and playwright include DIVORCE! THE MUSICAL, which made its 2009 world premiere at the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles where it garnered the LA Times’ Critic’s Choice, Backstage West’s Critic’s Pick, won the 2009Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Book, Music and Lyrics for an Original Musical, the 2010Backstage Garland Award for Best Play writing, the 2010Backstage Garland Awardfor Best Musical Score, the LA Weekly Awards for Best Director and Musical Director, and was nominated for the 2009LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Original Score and RUNWAY SIXTY-NINE, about a strip club on the eve of the clean-up that transformed Times Square received New Dramatists’2008Frederick Loewe Award. A member of the Dramatist’s Guild, Erin’s work has been staged at New Dramatists, Berkeley Rep, The Public Theater, Playwright’s Horizons, and she is a three-time winner of Stephen Sondheim’s Young Playwright’s Festival and University of Michigan’s Hopwood Award.As a recording artist, Erin’s music can be heard on numerous albums and films. Erin holds a Ph.D. in Communication, an MA in Communication and an MA in International Public Diplomacy from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, and a BA in Music Composition from Sarah Lawrence College.Erin divides her time between Southeast Asia and the United States, where she works as Director of Partner Programs, Asia at Minerva Project and Affiliated Researcher at Chiang Mai University.
For more information about Erin’s work visit www.erinkamler.net.
Producer
Gregory Franklin
Gregory Franklin is an Emmy, Grammy, Webby, Tony and Drama Desk Nominated Producer and Principal Producing Partner of Franklin Theatrical Group including over 20 theatrical, film, television and new media productions. He is producer and executive producer on the Emmy nominated, dramatic thriller series, The Accidental Wolf written and directed by Arian Moayed and starring Kelli O’Hara. Broadway producing credits include; the revival of Side Show directed by Bill Condon, The Velocity of Autumn starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella, The Visit starring Chita Rivera, The Great Society starring Brian Cox, Waitress starring Jessie Mueller, The Kite Runner starring Amir Arison and Ohio State Murders starring Audra McDonald. He serves as an advisor on Prodooser, a web-based software that tracks, manages and organizes data digitizing the producer-investor relationship. His nonprofit work with Waterwell centers around the ethos of artist-as-citizen as the foundation for theatrical storytelling to create a more just and humane society through theatre arts training & performance and inspired filmmaking & live events supporting the immigration and veteran communities. He serves on the board of Waterwell.org as Governance Committee Chairperson.
For more information about Gregory’s work visit www.franklintheatrical.com
Producer
David Lipman
David is a writer/producer residing in Los Angeles, developing features, series, and theatre. He most recently was a producer on the animated feature film SPELLBOUND for Skydance and Apple+, featuring the songs of Alan Menken & Glenn Slater and the voice talent of Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Jennifer Lewis, and Nathan Lane.
Other recent projects include, THE PROFESSOR, SERENITY, KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, Academy-nominated SHREK 2, SHREK 4D, and the Academy Award-winning SHREK. David has also served as Head of Production at Starlings Entertainment, Vice President of Feature Production at Digital Domain, Managing Partner at Framestore Animation, Supervising Producer and Executive in Charge of Production at Hanna-Barbera, Vice President and Executive Producer for USAnimation, and Head of Production at DreamWorks Animation, where he oversaw production on THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, SPIRIT, THE ROAD TO ELDORADO, ANTZ, and CHICKEN RUN. David has worked in live-action, having been both an Assistant Director and Second Unit Director on several feature films and consulted for several animation studios, including Alpha Animation, Moonbot Studios, and Bardel Entertainment. He continues to have an ongoing relationship with Media Guarantors, a bond company, overseeing all their animated projects.
David graduated from the Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Film. He is a member of both the Writers Guild and the Directors Guild of America.
Cultural Consultants
Cultural Consultants
Donhathai Sutassanamarlee
Donhathai Sutassanamarlee is a researcher, development practitioner, translator, and educator from Thailand. He currently works as a Senior Consultant at a Bangkok-based NGO, Kenan Foundation Asia, where he primarily leads and manages research projects to provide evidence-based policy and/or programmatic recommendations. These research projects cover a wide variety of issues, including MSMEs, women’s economic empowerment, the gig economy, and population policy. Donhathai also serves as a trainer for MSME-related projects at Kenan. He is certified by both Google and Meta to train small businesses in leveraging digital marketing tools to expand their economic opportunities. Prior to joining Kenan, Donhathai previously worked as a lead tutor and research assistant at Monash University; an intelligence analyst at Global Rescue South Asia; and a translator at InfoQuest Limited. He has also worked as a freelance translator for the past ten years.
Donhathai holds a Master of International Development Practice from Monash University, Australia and a B.A. in Linguistics from The Ohio State University, USA.
Khin Yadanar Oo
Khin Yadanar Oo is a researcher from Myanmar working in the areas of natural resources and environmental governance. Over the past six years, Khinhas collaborated with international non-profit development organizations, ethnic community-based organizations, and think-tanks focusing on water governance, national land use, and forest governance policy in Myanmar and throughout the Mekong region. In her roles as coordinator, policy officer, and researcher for organizations such as Oxfam and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, Khin has worked to advocate and build the capacity of multi stakeholder groups including local communities, government administrators, policy makers, and indigenous people.
Most recently, Khin’s research has focused on the extractive industry sector. Her study assessing the governance of jade and gemstone mining in Myanmar was published by Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI) as part of the annual Natural Resource Governance Index. In addition, Khin recently served as a teaching assistant at the National University of Myanmar (NUMM) led by the Burmese American Community Institute, which offers certificate programs to students who have joined the civil disobedience movement in Myanmar.
Khin holds an M.A. in Natural Resource Management from Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok and a B.A. in Agricultural Science from Yezin Agricultural University in Naypyidaw. She is fluent in Burmese, English, and Thai.
Recording Artists
Recording Artists
Jillian Lewis
Jillian has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on tour, in group and solo concert and cabaret and at countless regional theaters. Film/TV credits include: Law & Order SVU, Show Me A Hero, Mount Joy. Next up: The Pinup Girls @ Casa Manana & Golden Rainbow @ The York. Jillian teaches privately and through many organizations and has an album coming soon. In her time in New York she has participated in the development of roughly 200 new projects. For more information about Jillian’s work visit www.jillianlewis.com
Cathy Ang
Born to Chinese-Filipino parents in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her parents met at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and immigrated to the USA to start their medical careers. She credits her 2 older sisters, Stephanie and Kimberly Ang, as taking a large part in raising her and as her role models. She grew up primarily in Cupertino, California, singing at home but not seriously considering pursuing performance. She was accepted to NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program, however, and “fell in love” with acting in their Musical Theatre department. She has since lived in New York, working primarily in theatre and voiceover. She is best known for voicing Fei Fei in Netflix’s Over the Moon (2020). For more information about Cathy’s work visit IMDB
Melody Butiu
Melody Butiu can currently be seen as Estrella in Here Lies Love by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim on Broadway. She plays Tita Yvonne in the film Easter Sunday, starring Jo Koy. Credits include Doctor Zhivago (Broadway), Here Lies Love (off-Broadway), as well as plays and musicals throughout the country, and as far as Thailand (Land of Smiles in Chiang Mai) and Singapore. Film/TV credits include: Untold: This is My Story, Call Me Kat, Mom, This Is Us, The Kominsky Method, NCIS, NCIS:LA, Kingdom, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Gotham, andTrue Blood. When she’s not working in NYC, she lives in Manhattan Beach, CA. For more information about Melody’s work visit www.melodybutiu.com.
Gabrielle Wagner
Gabrielle is a singer/actor/writer/director. Film/TV credits include: Mad Men, Wilfred, Firefly, Strong Medicine, Stonerville. Theatre: she recently starred in The Lifespan of a Fact, 2020: a Fantasy, and Valer, was an Ovation nominee for her role in Erin Kamler’s world premiere of DIVORCE! the Musical, and received a Garland nod for Best Lead in a Musical as Polly in The Threepenny Opera. Other favorites: A Ring in Brooklyn (Gina), The Most Happy Fella (Rosabella), Suburbia (Sooze), Prelude to a Kiss (Rita), Cabaret (Sally). As a writer, her musicals; City of Light and iWish and play, Pot Odds, were produced multiple times from 2012 to 2022. Many of her short plays have been produced around the country. She has an MFA in Playwriting/Screenwriting from Point Park and a BA in Theatre from Smith, and is a member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and Dramatists Guild. For more information about Gabrielle’s work visit www.gabriellewagner.com
Kristian Espiritu
Off-Broadway credits include: Here Lies Love (Ensemble/Soloist). National tour: School of Rock (Ensemble/Patty u/s). East West Players: Interstate (Adrian), Merrimack Repertory Theater credits include: The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge (Holly), Pioneer Theater Company: Once on This Island (Erzulie). Other credits include: Music Theatre of Connecticut, Disney Cruise Line, Leviathan Lab, New York Musical Festival, New York Classical Theatre. TV credits include: Love Life, Ray Donovan, Hunters, Younger. Kristian is also a certified intimacy professional, fiber artist and owner of How Bout Knot. For more information about Kristian’s work visit www.kristianespiritu.com.
Joan Almedilla
Broadway, national tour & regional credits include: Miss Saigon (Kim), Les Misérables (Fantine), The King and I (Lady Thiang), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary cover), Mamma Mia! (Donna), Assassins (Sara Jane Moore), Chess (Florence), Krunk Fu Battle Battle (Jean). She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Disney Concert Hall and The Apollo Theater. Film/TV: “Pam & Tommy” on Hulu (2022), “Griselda” on Netflix (TBD), “Bupkis” on Peacock TV (2023), “Commencement” (Prime Video), “Nurses’ Station” (YouTube series), “Shatter Belt” series (SXSW 2023), “Next of Kin” (in festival circuits 2023.) For more information about Joan’s work visit www.joanalmedilla.com.
Renee Albulario
Currently performing in Broadway’s Here Lies Love and recently seen in David Byrne’s American Utopia. Favorite projects include NY City Center’s The Wild Party (Nadine), Jason Robert Brown’s The Connector (Veronica), Reefer Madness (Sally), and the Untitled B52s Project. Regional credits include: Seattle Rep, Weston Playhouse, NCT, Ogunquit, Gateway, NCT. Film/TV credits include: The Tonight Show w/ Jimmy Fallon, One Life To Live, Ricki & the Flash. Commercial credits include: Amex, Match.com. Proud NYU/TISCH grad. For more information about Renee’s work visit www.reneealbulario.com
THAI LANNA MUSICIAN
Khru Add Panutat Apichanatong
Khru Add Panutat Apichanatong is a renowned Lanna (Northern Thai) musician and composer. Together with his bands, “The Salor” and “Nakatan”, he has been performing domestically and internationally. He has released more than 20 albums covering the range of strict old-school tradition, to adapted Thai pop music, improvisation and contemporary styles. As an exceptionally talented musician in his desire to be able to play with modern western tuned music he has mastered adapting a range of his traditional instruments, like strings, drums, and flutes to western tuning. (The Lanna music scale is based on 8 equal intervals within an octave.) Having inherited the skills and craftsmanship of instrument making from his father, he is now the first instrument maker creating cross cultural instruments in Western tuning.
Sound Design
André Pluess
André Pluess is a sound designer and composer specializing in live theatrical performance. Projects include the Broadway productions of Good Night Oscar, The Minutes, 33 Variations, I Am My Own Wife and Metamorphoses, as well as the Lincoln Center production of The Clean House. His designs/compositions have been featured at regional theaters throughout the country including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Seattle Repertory, Yale Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Steppenwolf Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, The Huntington, South Coast Repertory and Playwrights Horizons.
He has received numerous awards for composition and sound design including multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards, an Ovation Award, a Barrymore Award, a Helen Hayes Award, and Lortel and Drama Critics Circle Award Nominations. Film credits include the score for Showtime’s feature length documentary The Business of Being Born, as well as the short films Cell Watch, Netuser and War Words. André is an ensemble member of Looking Glass Theatre Company.
For more information about André’s work visit www.andrepluess.com
Recording Engineer
Thomas van Nes
Thomas van Nes, born 1959 in Leiden, Netherlands, has been living in Thailand since 1986. After obtaining a BA in History from Leiden University, he followed his passion instead and has been working with music all his life. First as a performer, singer songwriter of acoustic music in various bands, collaborations and solo since 1980 all over Europe and Asia, and since 1997 as studio owner, sound engineer, producer and owner of his own label of relaxation music. Whenever he’s not in his music studio working on his own or on clients’ projects he is losing himself in painting. His painting has been likened to his music with bold colors, underlying themes, interesting lines and unique style. For more information about Thomas’s work visit www.thomassomusic.com
Contact
For more information please contact:
Erin Kamler
Gregory Franklin
David Lipman
©Copyright 2012, 2020, 2021 by Erin M. Kamler.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Contact
For more information please contact:
Erin Kamler
Gregory Franklin
David Lipman
©Copyright 2012, 2020, 2021 by Erin M. Kamler.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.