Colt Coeur
THE GODDAMN TOONEY LUNES, MAY 12-22, 2022
THE GODDAMN TOONEY LUNES, MAY 12-22, 2022
Colt Coeur
ANNOUNCING OUR 2021-2022 COCO RESIDENTS, + NEW ...
ANNOUNCING OUR 2021-2022 COCO RESIDENTS, + NEW COMMISSIONS!
Colt Coeur
PLEASURE MACHINE - now available!
PLEASURE MACHINE - now available!
Colt Coeur
Reviews are in! POLYLOGUES will be available to ...
Reviews are in! POLYLOGUES will be available to livestream Oct 3-13th!
Colt Coeur
Announcing our 2020-2021 Resident Artists!
Announcing our 2020-2021 Resident Artists!

Announcing our 2024-2025 CoCo Residents!

We received 190 submissions to our Open Call for Residents and interviewed 21 incredible finalists. We held our first Resident meeting this year a couple of weeks back.

We are finally ready to announce the 2024-25 cohort of nine playwrights, directors, designers, and dramaturgs: Micaela Bottari, Kathleen Capdesuñer, Justine Gelfman, Renae Jarrett, Ying Ying Li, Alex Lin, Molly Marinik, Graham Techler and Seayoung Yim. 

To learn more about this incredible group, click here.

(Photo features artists alphabetically, from left to right, top to bottom.)

HELP US REACH OUR BENEFIT GOAL!

Our Benefit Bash on October 6th was a great success - thank you to all who attended.
We are roughly 85% to our goal - please consider making a donation today to help us reach our goal!

(Tickets are no longer on sale.)

Colt Coeur
our Board & Benefit Committee
invite you to our

BENEFIT BASH
The evening will feature special performances, a live auction and appearances from CoCo artists and students. On October 6th at the Wythe Hotel, Colt Coeur will be hosting its annual benefit bash, honoring Tony-nominated actress Juliana Canfield (Stereophonic, “Succession”)  and corporate leader Deborah DeCotis with our Pony Awards. 
In the past, Colt Coeur has honored Ato Essandoh (“The Diplomat”), RoAnn Costin, Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen), Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”), Celia Keenan-Bolger (“The Gilded Age,” To Kill a Mockingbird), Erica Rotstein (Water for Elephants), Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge, Beetlejuice, Here Lies Love) and more. 


Sunday, October 6th
6:00pm - VIP Reception
6:45pm - Doors Opens

Wythe Hotel
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Festive Attire

Get Tickets Now
Early Bird Deadline: Sept 25

BENEFIT COMMITTEE
Tim Daly & Téa Leoni, Honorary Co-Chairs
Irene Lazaridis, Benefit Chair

Jayne Atkinson & Michel Gill, Meg Campbell & Bill Walczak, Chris Lowell & Kerry Bishé, Sonia Friedman Productions Limited, Carolyn Bransford MacDonald, Elizabeth O’Donnell, Alison Overseth and Ken deRegt, Quontic Bank, Jenny & Jon Steingart, Barry Weissler


BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Amy Ashton, Audrey Vuong Broome, RoAnn Costin*, Rachel DeMatteo, Braley Degenhardt, Ato Essandoh, Annie Shea Graney, Amy Groeschel, Julia Jones, Roberta Kelly*, Irene Lazaridis*, Steven Levenson, Ray Levin, Alex Marrs*, Tomi Olabanji*, Andrew Perlmutter, Sendhil Ramamurthy, AJ Strasser, Ebony Vines

*denotes member of the Benefit Committee

ABOUT OUR HONOREES

Juliana Canfield and Adrienne first collaborated at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2015, where Adrienne directed Juliana in Laura Jacqmin's Dental Society Midwinter Meeting (and which they are still conspiring to bring to NYC!). Juliana then helped develop the role of Woman in Colt Coeur's world premiere of Zürich by Amelia Roper, directed by Adrienne, and was part of the starry 10-person cast which included Paul Wesley, Austin Smith, and Gregory Diaz IV in the 2018 production at New York Theatre Workshop. Juliana is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and is best known for her role as Jess on "Succession" and as Holly in David Adjmi's Tony Award-winning Stereophonic (Broadway). Currently, in between Vogue shoots and awards luncheons, Juliana is serving as a Mentor in Colt Coeur's Mentorship program.

Deborah "Debbie" DeCotis has been a longtime fan and supporter of Colt Coeur, dating back to the world premiere of Dry Land, in 2014. Ms. DeCotis is a close friend and professional peer of current Board member (and one of last year's PONY honorees) RoAnn Costin, and the two hosted a spectacular event for Still’s launch this past March. DeCotis has over 45 years of financial, advisory and business operations experience with a successful track record of leadership across multiple global institutions and industries, and was one of the first women Directors at Morgan Stanley.

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT

Mail a check, payable to Colt Coeur Theatre Company: Colt Coeur
ATTN: Benefit
20 Jay Street, Suite 208
Brooklyn, NY 11201

To place an ad in our digital journal, give by wire/ACH transfer, or offer in-kind contributions or volunteer hours: email Heather Cohn at ColtCoeurEP@gmail.com

CoCo Residents: OPEN CALL

Seeking playwrights, directors, designers & creative producers! Click here to apply!

The CoCo Residency program started 7 years ago and invites 8 early-to-mid-career theatre artists to form a cohort over a year-long period. The cohort includes playwrights, directors, producers and designers. 

The goal of this program is for residents to build authentic relationships within their cohort, as well as with the Colt Coeur Leadership team. Unlike other residencies, there is no specific product you are working on, nor is there a forward-facing presentation of any kind. Hopefully, our time together yields exciting ideas, nourishes our souls, and establishes the foundations for future collaborations.

The CoCo Residency program alumni include: Brittany K. Allen, Will Arbery, Rashad T. Bailey, Katie Brook, Bleu Beckford-Burell, Dustin Chinn, Kate Cortesi, Melissa Crespo, Sarah Dahnke, Adrienne Dawes, Kate Douglas, Tara Elliot, Emma Goidel, Jeremy O. Harris, Justice Hehir, Rachel Herron, Obehi Janice, C.A. Johnson, J. Mehr Kaur, Portia Krieger, Niara Mae, Natalie Margolin, Rehana Lew Mirza, Lia Romeo, Sarah Sander, Danya Taymor, Corey Umlauf, Liba Vaynberg, Noelle Viñas, Whitney White, Pirronne Yousefzadeh, and Cate Yu. (If you know any of these artists - we encourage you to ask them about their experience!)

Through this residency, we are excited to offer:

  • a $750 stipend (in two payments, one in October 2024, one in August 2025)

  • access to the CoCo office/rehearsal studio in DUMBO (we encourage Residents to collaborate with each other and share their work in our DUMBO studio)

  • $100 towards workshop/development

We will be accepting submissions through August 2, 2024. We will notify finalists and conduct interviews in August. Our first session is Friday, September 6th.

If you would like to speak to our team about alternative ways to apply (i.e. self-recorded video, or audio file), please get in touch at coltcoeur@gmail.com.

CoCo For All - Ticket Subsidy Fund

Click here to learn more!

At Colt Coeur, we are deeply committed to bringing art to a wide community and aim to provide show tickets at accessible prices. Despite rising production costs, we will continue to provide at least 30% of all tickets at highly subsidized rates to help eliminate financial barriers to access our work. 

In addition to offering the alumni of our Education Initiaitive – a signature Colt Coeur education program that has been running for 15 years –  four complimentary tickets to each of our productions, we continue to prioritize offering free or discount tickets to artists and arts workers who make up about 20% of our audience.  

Donations to our CoCo for All –Ticket Subsidy Fund make it possible to provide complimentary, $10, & $25 tickets for our next production, Still – running April 13 - May 18, 2024 at DR2 Theatre. 

Special thanks to CoCo Board Member Roberta Kelly for inspiring this initiative with a generous lead contribution. 

Learn more about Still here. 

Buy tickets to Still here. 

All contributions to this fund are fully tax-deductible. 

Announcing our 2023-2024 CoCo Residents!

After receiving over 70 submissions to our Open Call we are thrilled to announce this year’s cohort!

Colt Coeur's 2023-2024 Residents (clockwise from top left):
Jose Sebastian Alberdi (playwright), Brittany K. Allen (playwright), Sarah Dahnke (director/choreographer), C.A. Johnson (playwright), Eric Norbury (designer), Lia Romeo (playwrights), Danny Tejera (playwright), Liba Vaynberg (playwright)

Read more about these exciting artists below!

jose sebastian alberdi (he/him) is a Mexican-Basque-American playwright (with TV aspirations). Originally from San Diego, CA, he now lives in New York & writes about queerness, faith, power, & other things he finds interesting &/or important. He has developed his work with/at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, The Orchard Project, INTAR, the Huntington Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage, Exquisite Corpse Company, Breaking & Entering Theatre Collective, Fresh Ink Theatre, & Teatro Chelsea. He has received commissions from SpeakEasy Stage for their annual Boston Project & he is currently under commission at INTAR as their inaugural Max Ferrá Playwriting Fellow. MFA from New York University, BA from Northeastern University.

Brittany K. Allen (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based writer and actor. Her plays have been staged and developed at Portland Center Stage, Jungle Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, The Public, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Studio Theatre, and KC Rep, among other places, and she currently holds commissions from Playwrights Horizons and Clubbed Thumb. Recognitions include the Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award, the Dramatists Guild Foundation Comedic Playwriting Prize, and a Van Lier New Voices Playwriting Fellowship. She is a member of the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages, and her writing has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship, and scholarships to Bread Loaf, and the Sewanee Writers Conference, where she now teaches on faculty. brittanykallen.com/

Sarah Dahnke (she/her) is a choreographer, director and arts educator deeply committed to empowering communities to use movement to reclaim narratives stripped away by colonialism. She was the Crane Directing Fellow at Opera Columbus for 2022-2023, a MAP Fund awardee, an NEA Our Town-funded resident artist, and a former awardee of fellowships from Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice, Target Margin Institute, New Victory LabWorks, and Culture Push. Dahnke has received commissions from PEN America and A Studio in the Woods and has been in residence at Abrons Arts Center and Brooklyn Studios for Dance. As a practitioner, Dahnke specializes in devised performance and site-specific dance film. Her dance film work has been screened through the Dance Films Association, Tiny Dance Film Festival, DanceBarn Collective, BRIC, and Movies By Movers. SarahDahnke.com

C.A. Johnson (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based playwright originally from Metairie, Louisiana. Her plays include ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS (MCC Theater), THIRST (2017 Kilroys List, CATF), THE CLIMB (Cherry Lane Mentor Project), AN AMERICAN FEAST (NYU Playwrights Horizons Theater School), I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW, and SOMEBODY’S BODY. Most recently she was the Tow Playwright in Residence at MCC Theater. She was previously the 2018 P73 Playwriting Fellow, The Lark's 2016-17 Van Lier Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a member of The Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm, A Core Writer at The Playwrights Center, a member of The Civilians R&D Group, a Sundance/Ucross Fellow and a 2018 Sundance Theatre Lab Fellow. Her work has been commissioned by Manhattan Theatre Club, Seattle Rep, Page 73, and Chatauqua Theater Company. C.A. also has an active career in film and television, with several projects in development, including at ABC Signature, Netflix and New Line. She has written for a number of television series, including projects helmed by Drew Goddard, Marielle Heller, and more. BA: Smith College MFA: NYU

Eric Norbury (he/him) Lighting Designer - Select credits include Hong Kong Mississippi (La MaMa ETC), Dodi & Diana (Colt Coeur), The Prom (WPPAC), Footloose (Argyle Theatre), Xerxes (Detroit Opera), Blue (Seattle Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Dutch National Opera), Only Human: A Musical (Theatre St. Clement’s), Till: A Musical (NYMF), Nimbus Dance at BAM Fisher,. Previous work: LaMama ETC, NYTW, Playwrights Horizons, Barrington Stage Company, La Jolla Playhouse, New School of Drama, Washington National Opera, 5th Avenue Theatre, The Glimmerglass Festival, Seán Curran Dance Company, De Funes Dance, Second Avenue Dance Company and many others. MFA NYU/Tisch. Member USA829. ericnorburylighting.com

Lia Romeo (she/her) was a recent playwriting fellow at Juilliard. Her plays have been developed at the O’Neill, La Jolla Playhouse, the Lark, and elsewhere, and have been produced off-Broadway at 59E59 and ART/NY as well as regionally at venues such as Dorset Theatre Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Unicorn Theatre, New Jersey Repertory Theatre, and others. Four of her plays have been recognized by the Kilroys List. Her plays are published by TRW, Broadway Licensing, and Broadway Play Publishing. She is the associate artistic director with Project Y Theatre Company and the co-founder of the Parent-Caregiver Playwrights Group, and she teaches playwriting at Primary Stages/ESPA and in the M.A. program in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University. www.liaromeowriter.com

Danny Tejera (he/him) is a writer, actor and teacher from Madrid. His play TOROS was produced at Second Stage Uptown and received a New York Times Critic’s Pick. He is a member of EST/Youngblood and a Colt Coeur Resident Artist, and has received fellowships from MacDowell, Millay Arts, Stillwright, and Tofte Lake Center. He has received commissions from Second Stage Theater and EST/Sloan. Short plays include SCARY FACES HAPPY FACES (Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival, The Best 10 Minute Plays 2023) and TWO TWO WOMEN (Ensemble Studio Theatre). He teaches with The Bushwick Starr’s Senior Storytelling program and previously taught at UT-Austin, The School of the NYTimes, and Breakthrough NY. He got a B.A. from Columbia University and a Playwriting M.F.A. at Hunter College/UT-Austin, where he was mentored by Annie Baker and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. He’s represented by WME and 2AM.

Liba Vaynberg (she/her) is a bilingual first-generation American artist whose work reimagines  canonical text by centering contemporary questions of gender, progress, and God (or lack thereof). The daughter of Ukrainian and Azeri Jewish refugees, she studied Molecular Biology at Yale before receiving her MFA at Columbia. Plays: The Matriarchs (Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, Civilians R&D, Theater J Abramson Finalist, Blue Ink finalist), The Gett (Rattlestick, Princess Grace Semi-Finalist, Colorado New Play Festival), Round Table (59E59, Fault Line, Times Square Chronicles 10 Best Plays of 2019), Scheiss Book (United Solo Festival: Best One-Woman Show & Backstage Magazine Audience Choice Award, Dixon Place, Wild Project, Kitchen Theater), The Blue Parts with Dina Vovsi (Working Theater, NYSCA Grant). Her work as an actor includes “The Soap Myth” (PBS) opposite Ed Asner, Oregon Trail at the Women's Project, Lost In Yonkers opposite Marsha Mason (CT Critics' Circle nom.) and Golem of Havana at La Mama. Fellowships include LABA, COJECO Blueprint, and Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She writes for Lilith Magazine. libavaynberg.com

CoCo welcomes four new Board members

Colt Coeur recently welcomed 4 additions to its Board of Directors: Ato Essandoh, Annie Shea Graney, Irene Lazaridis, and, Steven Levenson. Additionally, Alex Marrs and Andrew Perlmutter have been named Board Co-Chairs, with Tomi Olabanji taking on the role of Vice Chair.


Ato Essandoh (he/him)
Born on a Saturday in late July in Schenectady New York, the first child of Ebow and Monica Essandoh did not have an official name. Ghanaian custom dictated that the new parents wait a week before divining a name during a traditional ceremony. Seven days hence, "Baby Boy Essandoh" became Ato Essilfi Bracato Essandoh. "Ato" meaning Saturday born, "Essilfi" after his grandfather, a beloved school teacher in Ghana, and finally "Bracato" a designation meaning "warrior."

While studying Chemical Engineering at Cornell, Ato was dared by his college sweetheart to perform in a play. Years later, Ato still marvels at the experiences and opportunities that have been afforded to him since that fateful performance at Cornell.
From his beloved role as Titembay the affable and fastidious African exchange student in the indie classic GARDEN STATE, to his breakout role as Matthew Freeman, the brilliant Civil War doctor of BBC America’s gritty crime series “Copper”; to recurring roles on hit shows like HBO’s “Girls,” and CBS’ “Elementary” to unforgettable turns in critically acclaimed films like DJANGO UNCHAINED and BLOOD DIAMOND, Ato has and continues to amass a broad and diverse range of roles proving himself to be a sought after emerging talent. 

Ato has been a Colt Coeur company member since 2011, when he developed and starred opposite Katya Campbell, Betty Gilpin and Joe Tippett in Fish Eye. 


Annie Shea Graney (she/her) is an arts administrator with backgrounds focused in general management, company management, stage management, and ticketing. Currently working with Pemberley Productions, Annie has developed a specialty in international presenting and touring as well as forming mutually beneficial collaborative relationships with regional theatres around the country. Prior to joining Pemberley Productions, Annie worked with the producers and general managers at Frankel Green Theatrical Management, managing shows such as STOMP and SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE. She also spent time working in the general management departments at Roundabout Theatre Company and Berkshire Theatre Festival. She's a proud alumna of TedxBroadway's Young Professionals Group and a member of the Broadway Women's Alliance. 

Annie prides herself on her values-based approach to producing and management, focusing on a people-first approach. Colt Coeur's mission of nurturing young talent and keeping the focus in tight on storytelling rings true with Annie's personal artistic value set. She's excited to bring her touring, budgeting, and contractual expertise to the CoCo board so she can contribute to a company that takes care of its artists and hugs its audience tight. 

Irene Lazaridis (she/her) is an Associate Producer at Ars Nova Entertainment led by Jenny and Jon Steingart. Ars Nova Entertainment produces theater, film and tv, including projects like Freestyle Love Supreme and “Black Dynamite.”

In addition to this, Irene is a creative producer with expertise in theatrical and experiential production. Recently, she produced a unique art exhibition, Postcards From, by Sharone Halevy at St. John’s Lutheran Church and has co-produced various projects with Tiresias aka Evan Silver including HYPERFANTASIA at the Brick and UNDERWORLD at 3DollarBill. Prior to this, Irene has produced experiential projects for PBS, Amazon Prime, Facebook, CES, Pop Culture Collaborative, and Meow Wolf. As a theatermaker, she has produced work at Waterwell, the Tank, La Mama, Atlantic Theater, Paradise Factory, Irvington Shakespeare Company and more.

Irene is the lead producer of the annual arts festival, Cosmic Cherry Arts Festival, which showcases new works by emerging femme and LGTBQ+ artists. She received her BFA in Drama at NYU/Tisch. irenelazaridis.com

Steven Levenson (he/him) is a Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and television writer and producer. His plays include If I Forget, Core Values, Seven Minutes in Heaven, and The Language of Trees. He wrote the book for the musical, Dear Evan Hansen, which won six Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Musical, as well as the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. He received nominations for the Writers Guild Award and the Humanitas Prize for his screenplay of tick, tick…BOOM!, which won an AFI Award as one of the top ten Movies of the Year, and was nominated for Critics Choice Association and Producers Guild Awards.

He co-created and executive produced the FX series FOSSE/VERDON, which was nominated for seventeen Emmy Awards, including Best Limited Series and Best Writing for a Limited Series, in addition to winning the WGA Award and an AFI Award for Outstanding Series. Other honors include the OBIE Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award. He is a founding member of Colt Coeur and a graduate of Brown University.

Announcing our 16th world premiere!


We are thrilled to be partnering with WP Theater for this world premiere of
Bite Me
by Eliana Pipes
directed by Rebecca Martinez

Explore the Drama (And Trauma) of High School in BITE ME.

This captivating dark comedy dares to explore the raw undercurrents of youth, and the unspoken truths that bind us.

The cast and creative team are absolute superstars–we can’t wait for you to experience their incredible work. . . Read all about them below!


Performances begin September 23rd!
Get your tickets now!

DAVID GARELIK (Nathan) Select TV/Film: “Power Book 2: Ghost” (STARZ), “FBI” (CBS), “FBI: MOST WANTED” (CBS), “The Blacklist” (CBS), “Dear White People” (Netflix), “MacGyver” (CBS), “Madam Secretary” (CBS), Trey Edward Shults’ Waves (A24), Peter Berg’s Mile 22 (STX),  Zoey Cassavetes’ Junior (Blackpill), and a lead role in Daniel Byers’ upcoming film Paradise.  Theater: u/s LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (The Geffen), THE GOOD MUSLIM (Ensemble Studio Theater).  Love to my family, my teachers, and those that have believed in me/helped me memorize lines over the years.  Thrilled to be here with WP Theater and Colt Coeur.  Socials: @DavidGarelik

MALIKA SAMUEL (Melody) who starred in WP Theater’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, is an interdisciplinary storyteller and teaching artist, presently faculty at her alma mater NYU Tisch. Additionally, she applies her creative experiences and professional skills towards developing curricular interventions across the medical/healthcare education/practice continuum. Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC), The Music Man NY Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Double Feature Plays), Bernarda’s Daughters (TNG/TNBT and TNG/Audible Theater), Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Keen), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP) TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, EVIL, Orange Is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Chicago P.D., Law & Order: SVU, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, The Big C Hosting: Nick Studio 10, 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards Pre- Show, Kidz Bop Kidz Star USA Film: Holiday Rush, Submission, Central Park, Hello Apartment, Kilimanjaro Directing: in lucem: a devised piece (Tisch Drama Stages), The Wolves, Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes, The House of Bernarda Alba (NYU MSNR), Bloom Bloom Pow ( A.R.T/NY Theaters, movement direction) XOXO to family, friends, Paradigm and A3!

And a Big Welcome To BITE ME’s Brilliant Creative Team!

Scenic Design - Chika Shimizu
Costume Design - Sarita Fellows
Lighting Design - Lucrecia Briceno
Sound Design -  Tosin Olufolabi
Production Stage Manager - Caren Celine Morris
Assistant Stage Manager - Siobhan Petersen
Props Supervisor - Addison Heeren

For more information about #BiteMePlay visit WP Theater. 

2023 BENEFIT TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

We are thrilled to be celebrating RoAnn Costin & Ato Essandoh, two longtime champions of Colt Coeur’s groundbreaking work! Join us on Thursday, October 12th at our annual Benefit Bash.
Click here for info and tickets!

Corporate leader RoAnn Costin, and actor/writer/director Ato Essandoh have been part of the Colt Coeur community for over a decade and Ato developed and performed in Colt Coeur’s world premiere of Fish Eye, opposite Betty Gilpin and Joe Tippett. He can currently be seen opposite Keri Russell on “The Diplomat” (Netflix). 

More info about the honorees:
RoAnn Costin (she/her) is the founder and president of Wilderness Point Investments, a private equity company that focuses on investing in early and expansion stage consumer non-durable product and retailing companies. Ventures in which Ms. Costin has invested and sits or has sat on the board of directors include Lululemon Athletica, Genuine Health International, 2020 Onsite Optometry and Sarah Flint, Inc. Ms. Costin began her career in 1981 working for State Street Research and Management, Co. She was the first woman investment analyst, portfolio manager and partner in the firm. In 1989, Ms. Costin joined the Putnam Companies as a member of the Quality Growth group, and in 1992 she founded and was president of Reservoir Capital Management, a firm specializing in quality growth equities investments. Prior to her career in business, Ms. Costin worked in government at the federal and local levels. She received an MBA from Stanford University and a BA in Government, cum laude, from Harvard University, where she was an All-American in swimming and crew. She currently serves on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, American Repertory Theater and Codman Academy Charter School.

Ato Essandoh (he/him)
Born on a Saturday, late July in Schenectady New York, the first child of Ebow and Monica Essandoh did not have an official name. Ghanaian custom dictated that the new parents wait a week before divining a name during a traditional ceremony. Seven days hence, "Baby Boy Essandoh" became Ato Essilfi Brakutu Essandoh. "Ato" meaning Saturday born, "Essilfi" after his grandfather, a beloved school teacher in Ghana, and finally "Brakutu" a designation meaning "warrior."
While studying Chemical Engineering at Cornell, Ato was dared by his college sweetheart to perform in a play. Years later, Ato still marvels at the experiences and opportunities that have been afforded to him since that fateful performance at Cornell. Ato’s career has blossomed over the years with memorable turns in movies such as “Garden State,” “Blood Diamond,” and “Jason Bourne.”  On TV Ato has had the fortune to play a great variety of roles.  His favorites include a Civil War doctor in BBC America’s crime series “Copper;” a blues singer in HBO’s music industry drama “Vinyl;” and an astronaut in Netflix’s space saga “Away.” Currently Ato stars as “Stuart Hayford” in Netflix’s hit drama “The Diplomat.” Ato has been a Colt Coeur company member since 2011, when he developed and starred opposite Betty Gilpin, Joe Tippett and Katya Campbell in Lucas Kavner’s Fish Eye.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: HEATHER COHN

On the cusp of an exciting double world-premiere season, Colt Coeur is thrilled to announce our new Executive Producer, Heather Cohn. Heather brings rich experience in the NYC theatre landscape - having served at institutions ranging from Flux Ensemble to En Garde Arts, New York Theatre Workshop, Disney Theatrical and TCG. She will continue her work as a dynamic force behind innovative works that drive industry change as she collaborates with Founding Artistic Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt and the greater Colt Coeur community.

Learn more about Heather below!
_____________________________________________

Heather Cohn (she/her) is thrilled to be joining the Colt Coeur company as Executive Producer. Heather is a producer, director, fundraiser, ensemble artist and activist. She co-founded Flux Theatre Ensemble in 2006 and with Flux has produced over 30 full productions, including 18 world premieres. As a Creative Partner with Flux, Heather learned the nuanced art of ensemble theatre practice and consensus-based decision making. She also helped launch Flux’s Living Ticket program, removing all financial barriers to attendance.

 

Most recently, Heather served as the Executive Director for En Garde Arts where she proudly commissioned and produced Andrea Thome’s Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) and guided the organization through the Covid-19 pandemic. She has also worked with Epic Theatre Ensemble, New York Theatre Workshop, The Pearl Theatre, Theatre Communications Group, and Disney Theatrical. As a director, Heather directed world premieres by Johnna Adams, Erin Browne, Kevin R. Free, Kristen Palmer and Corinna Schulenburg; and has assisted Austin Pendleton and José Zayas.

 

Heather has served on several not-for-profit boards including the League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), where she co-chaired the Task Force for trans inclusion. She is also a leader of the Racial Equity Committee at the Academy for Excellence Through the Arts and serves as a member of the School Leadership Team. She is a graduate of Vassar College, where she majored in Latin American Studies and spent time living in Cuba and Chile. And most importantly, she’s a proud mom to Mercena.

SEEKING FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE PRODUCER!

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 

Location: Hybrid; one day a week in office + full-time on-site during production 

Reports to: Artistic Director for first 6 months**, Board of Directors after the first 6 months 

Position: ¾ time (option to work 30 hours/week or 9 months/year)
Compensation: $65,000
Benefits: Health stipend, generous leave & vacation options 

Job summary:
The Executive Producer (EP) of Colt Coeur will be part of a co-leadership model alongside the Artistic Director (AD) and will report to the Board of Directors.
The Executive Producer takes a leading role in development, finance, communications, and general management responsibilities.


ABOUT COLT COEUR 

Artistic Director and Founder Adrienne Campbell-Holt leads a 21-member ensemble of actors, playwrights, directors, and designers committed to nurturing the next generation of theater artists through the development and production of new plays and by providing arts education and mentorship to students from under-resourced NYC public schools. Over 12 years, Colt Coeur has produced 14 world premieres + 1 east coast premiere; developed 48 plays; and provided free arts education for over 180 students. Through our commissions and residency program, we are a pipeline for mounting new plays and developing new work from scratch.

Colt Coeur has a distinct place in the ecosystem of the New York and American theatrical field. We serve as an artistic incubator for the most exciting emerging playwrights, actors, directors, and designers, launching artists who have not yet been produced. We take seriously our artistic and social responsibility to serve as a resource to youth through engaged, exemplary theater education, mentorship, and internships.

At Colt Coeur, we welcome and embrace all human beings and safeguard and embolden our differences. Our company does not tolerate racism, sexism, queerphobia, ableism, entitlement or any other conduct that threatens to destroy the fabric of the socially equitable industry we are creating.  We acknowledge the variety of visible and invisible access needs of our community of artistic collaborators and audience members and make a commitment to supporting those needs to the best of our abilities. We recognize the delicacy of theatrical performance and of the social aspects affiliated with theater – but we place the health and well-being of our company and community as paramount. We nurture and prioritize personal investment in our artists, students, community and all we come in contact with. It’s essential the Executive Producer shares our ongoing commitment to individual and collective learning and unlearning. 


SPECIFIC DUTIES & COMPETENCIES 

Administration & Production

At Colt Coeur, we aim to produce two theatrical productions per “season.” Typically, our performances run 4-5 weeks and past venues include HERE Arts Center, Walkerspace at SoHo Rep, the Wild Project, NYTW Next Door, co-productions with WP Theater and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. We are committed to increasing accessibility through continued digital/virtual offerings, when possible. 

  • Act as Virtual and/or Mainstage productions’ Executive Producer. Oversee the production’s line producer in all aspects of show production, including fundraising, budget management, payroll, hiring, contracts, company management, venue liaison, marketing, ticketing, and house management. 

  • In collaboration with the AD and creative teams, produce and facilitate talkbacks, panels and other community engagement activities connected to CoCo’s annual Parity Plays Festival, Instagram Live conversations, Play Hotel developmental readings, and all Mainstage programming (2 productions/year), develop relationships with appropriate panelists, moderators, partner organizations, etc., document this programming.

  • Work closely with the AD on season planning, including reading and scouting for new talent and artist development. 

  • Along with AD, set weekly and monthly priorities and goals for the organization.

Fiscal Management

Colt Coeur has historically operated with two part-time employees at ~20 hours a week - the Artistic Director and the Managing Director. This position will assume the former Managing Director’s responsibilities as detailed below. Ideal candidate has experience with Quickbooks online and CRM systems. Additional training can be provided in these areas. Most of our organizational systems are built in GoogleDrive and Dropbox. 

  • Responsible for tracking and reporting all finances for the company in Quickbooks, including fees for artists, bills and utilities on a monthly basis, insurance, donations, box office income, etc. EP will provide a monthly reconciliation to the Board Treasurer and help to consult with AD and Board on creation of yearly budget. EP will prepare 1099s and W2s in January of each year and complete the Form 990 and  CHAR-500 with the Board Treasurer. 

  • EP will actively research and apply for funding opportunities including grants, foundations and special opportunities and work with AD and the Board’s Development task force to build relationships with funders and individual donors. EP (with support of AD) will complete all grant applications, and EP will complete all Interim and Final Reports, as well as any additional reporting required. 

  • Responsible for processing donations, including drafting donor communication emails and weekly donor acknowledgement letters, ensuring the Little Green Light donor database is up-to-date, and attending monthly Development meetings with AD and Devo task force. Leads the year-end campaign. 

  • Engagement with Colt Coeur’s community both in person and virtually, and generate quarterly Community Updates newsletter. 

  • Attend all community meetings (every other month), Board meetings (quarterly), and ½ of all Committee meetings (split with AD). 

  • With AD plan and attend annual Benefit, Holiday party, and company retreat. 


Community Facilitation

Colt Coeur is committed to upholding transformative and anti-racist work as a company and expects all who collaborate with us to join us in this work. We consistently seek opportunities to grow and to learn how we participate in antiquated, problematic systems. We dedicate our time together to not only champion the arts but also to reflect and assess how we can DO better and BE better for our POC artistic community.

  • Lead operations and human resources for a full-time staff of 2, contractors, and freelance artists.

  • Collaborate on our ongoing anti-racist training commitments for company members and associated artists.

  • Navigate and actively engage in complex investigations, mediations, and restorative processes between community members, using and uplifting Colt Coeur’s Code of Community and Collective Values. 

  • Nurture Colt Coeur’s culture, and lead the organization in evolving that culture as the organization’s structure and operations evolve.

  • Serve as a thought partner to the AD in identifying and implementing ways in which Colt Coeur can be a more sustainable, ethical, inclusive, anti-racist company that is accessible to all.


Responsibilities may shift as needed to align with organizational needs.


ABOUT YOU

  • You hold a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression principles and practices, and a commitment to ongoing work in this area;

  • You have experience and talent in building relationships with people from varying cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. This experience could be through community organizing, producing, etc;

  • You are a confident fundraiser.

  • You have a passion for connecting with new people and engaging in person;

  • You have experience building budgets through a values-first lens. 

  • You have exceptional organizational, written and social communication skills and love keeping your collaborators in the loop;

  • You possess a relentless curiosity: the ability to productively question the status quo and engage in creative problem-solving and change-making;

  • You have the skills to both conceive and take the lead on projects;

  • You thrive in both group settings and independently;

  • You are ​imaginative and resourceful.

  • You have an aptitude for long-term planning.

  • You have expertise and/or proficiency with financial management.

  • You have familiarity with non-profits and ideally with New York’s theater community.

BONUS IF: 

  • You have experience working in a performing arts organization with an operating budget between 100k and 1 million.

  • You have experience producing ‘downtown’ theater.

  • You have a particular knack (and patience!) for storytelling within the confines of character counts and word restrictions i.e., grantwriting.

Colt Coeur’s studio/office is located at 20 Jay Street, Suite 208 in DUMBO, Brooklyn. It is not necessary for the person in this position to report to the office everyday and can choose to work from home, if desired. At least 1 day/week the EP and AD will work together in the office. At least 1x/week this person will collect the mail, deposit checks, and ensure best practices are maintained for recordkeeping.

Benefits include a health care stipend, flexible paid time off, 12 weeks of paid family leave, and free and discounted theater tickets, when available. 

Responsibilities may shift as needed to align with organizational needs.

**6 month probationary period: Continued employment is subject to a 6 month probationary period. This 6 month period will allow the Executive Producer time to learn more about the job requirements and the expectations to perform the job successfully. Please note that the probationary period can be extended in exceptional circumstances. During this period your employment can be terminated by either party with a 2 week notice period. Examples of probationary terminations included poor performance, poor attendance, and unsatisfactory references. Immediate employment termination can be caused by gross misconduct regardless of probationary period.
Please note, here is a rough timeline of the first 6 months:
Month 1 - onboarding
Month 2 - preproduction #1

Months 3-4 production #1, post-production, and EOY Appeal
Months 5-6 pre-production #2

We are committed to diverse and inclusive hiring practices and we strongly encourage individuals that have historically been under-represented in the arts administration/leadership sector to apply.  At Colt Coeur, we aim to provide an anti-oppressive environment for people from all backgrounds. Applicants, employees, community members, and artists will not be discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, nationality, citizen status, hair texture, hair style, sex, sexual orientation, gender(s), age, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, educational background, class, nor immigration status.


TO APPLY:
Please submit a resume plus an expression of interest in any format (video, audio, written), addressing the following: interest in the position, specific relevant skills, and relevant success stories. Please also include your access needs, if any, and contact information for two references. Email coltcoeurEP@gmail.com. Feel free to ask any questions as well.
Applications will be accepted until June 1st, 2023, however we will be reviewing applicants on a rolling basis. Interviews will be held with a panel of Colt Coeur community members the week of June 12th (zoom), and 2nd round interviews between June 20 and 22 (in-person). 


CoCo's FREE THEATRE CAMP returns this April!

CALLING ALL NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT ARTISTS AGES 11-14:
COLT COEUR THEATER IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE OUR 14TH ANNUAL FREE THEATRE CAMP!

Click here to apply!

CAMP WILL BE HELD IN-PERSON DURING THE APRIL SPRING BREAK
April 10 - April 14, 2022, at the Colt Coeur Studio in DUMBO Brooklyn

Monday - Thursday 9:30am-1:30pm 
Friday 12:30pm-6:30pm 

Presentation for Family and Friends at 5:30pm, Friday April 14th 

WHO: Students ages 11-14 who have an interest in creating original plays/theatrical pieces & learning about acting, writing, design, and more!

WHAT: In this 5-day workshop, students will work with professional actors, playwrights, directors and designers to conceive and create original short plays that highlight their creativity, and uplift their stories. (Snacks will be provided each day!)

WHEN: Camp is in session Monday-Friday April 10-14, 2023. Hours are 9:30am-1:30pm (M-Thur), and 12:30pm-6:30pm on Friday. Students are asked to commit to attending all 5 days of the program, and must arrive punctually each day. 


WHERE: Colt Coeur's studio in DUMBO Brooklyn. Short walk to F, A/C, 2/3 trains, and B61 bus line.

HOW MUCH: FREE!!

If you have any questions please contact Kelcey and Adrienne at cocoplaymaking@gmail.com. (You can also learn more about the program by watching videos of past years' programming here.)

We will be in touch with additional information by March 20th, 2023. In the meantime, please help us spread the word!

** We also offer alumni of our program ages 16+ the opportunity to be PAID student leaders. Email cocoplaymaking@gmail.com if you're interested in applying to be a student leader.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN...

Audiences & critics alike are loving DODI & DIANA…
have you booked your tickets yet?

Check out our teaser here and get your tickets today!

THE NEW YORKER said: "directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, for Colt Coeur, the intriguingly odd premise occasions a tense, engrossing, and astute study of the mysteries of a marriage; the playwright, Kareem Fahmy, demonstrates a particular skill at doling out insightful nuggets."

THE NEW YORK TIMES called the show “intrinsically compelling”

and THEATERMANIA said “it will have you reaching for the popcorn,” as well as “exacting, unsentimental, ferociously truthful direction” and “a needed corrective to a sexist fairytale.”

Running through Oct 29th only! Limited tickets avail!

Performances are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 4pm.
Run time is 93 minutes.

Announcing our 2022-2023 CoCo Residents!

Welcome
Rashad T Bailey, Katie Brook, Dustin Chinn,
Kate Douglas, Rachel Herron, Niara Mae,
Sarah Sander, and Corey Umlauf!

Now in its 6th year, our Residency continues to provide an intimate group of playwrights, directors, producers & designers with the invaluable resources of community, space to work, and a stipend. Artistic Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt meets with Residents on a quarterly basis with an emphasis on forging authentic creative collaborations and amplifying these artists' voices. We also invite luminaries from the field to join us for conversations.

After issuing an Open Call this past July, Colt Coeur received over 80 applications from interested artists. Our Artistic Programming Committee reviewed materials and selected 16 Finalists. Interviews took place in early September and the Residents were announced at our Benefit Bash, September 22nd, 2022.

L to R: Kate Douglas, Sarah Sander, Niara Mae, Rachel Herron, Dustin Chinn, Rashad T Bailey.
Not pictured: Katie Brook, Corey Umlauf

Interested in learning more about our Residents?
Read on below…

Rashad T. Bailey (he/him) is a Brooklyn based artist & producer. He has worked for such organizations as the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York Live Arts, The Play Company, National New Play Network and Kashif, a film incubator and production house, developing BIPOC, LGBTQIA and disabled filmmakers. Bailey produced the documentary film, La ENA (2019). He is Associate Producer of the documentary film, BEBA (2021). Bailey was an associate on the 2021/22 Broadway remount Slave Play. Bailey is Associate Producer of Hart Island, which debuted March, 2022. Bailey is Co-Producer of the Off-Broadway revival of Kinky Boots which began its production in July, 2022. Bailey is a member of the inaugural Theater Producers of Color (TPOC) cohort.

Katie Brook (she/her) is an experimental theater director and producer. The innovative theatrical work she creates with her ensemble, Televiolet, has been presented at venues in New York City and beyond, including The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival, The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, and Boom Arts. Recent work: ISLANDER (HERE Arts Center); The MS Phoenix Rising (with Trish Harnetiaux, Playwrights Horizons), Dr. Ride’s American Beach House (by Liza Birkenmeier, Ars Nova), and most recently, a site-specific production of The Cherry Orchard (Quantum Theater). Notable producing credits include Strange Window (The Builders Association, BAM) and O, Earth (by Casey Llewellyn, The Foundry Theatre). Katie received her MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, and her BFA in Drama from New York University. She is originally from Toronto, Canada.

Dustin Chinn (he/him) is a Seattle native who’s developed work with Ars Nova’s Play Group, Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep Summer Residency Lab, A.C.T.’s New Strands Festival, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, the University of Washington via a Mellon Creative Fellowship, UC Berkeley, SPACE on Ryder Farm, UMass at Amherst New Play Lab and Vampire Cowboys. His comedy COLONIALISM IS TERRIBLE, BUT PHO IS DELICIOUS will start its rolling world premiere with Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre this November.

Kate Douglas (she/her) is a writer, composer and performer. Recent work includes The Apiary (O’Neill Playwrights Conference, 2022), Against Women & Music! (with Grace McLean, The Civilians), Wonderland (Finalist, Jane Chambers Excellence in Feminist Playwriting Award), and The Ninth Hour (with Shayfer James, The Met Cloisters). Her work has been developed at NY Stage & Film, New Victory Theater, the Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellows Program, SPACE on Ryder Farm and Rhinebeck Musicals. This year, she was a finalist for the Princess Grace Award and a semi-finalist for Page 73’s Fellowship. As a complement to her artistic practice, an Ilan Lev Method practitioner and a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist. She is currently working towards her Horticulture Certificate in Sustainable Garden Design with NYBG.

Rachel Herron is a proud, Black, Baltimore native and multidisciplinary writer who attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. After receiving her BFA in Drama, Rachel self-produced and starred in her first original play, SHE CAME TO TEA. Rachel then worked as a freelance writer for three years before pivoting to scripted development. She was named a finalist CBS Writers Mentoring Program (2019) and the Disney TV writing program (2021). She was awarded the audience favorite in Fresh Fruit Festival's Monologue Project. In July 2022, Rachel's play RED RED WINE premiered at the Obie award-winning Fire This Time Festival (Kraine Theater).

Niara Mae (she/her) is an early career playwright and writer currently based in Brooklyn. She recently graduated from The New School for Drama, where she produced and directed readings for two of her full length plays. In her work currently, she’s negotiating with form and structure, writing plays that are both intuitive and grounded. Her pursuit has yielded work with rhythmic language and compelling characters, creating as full an experience as possible as she strives to make the internal external. She was a recent member of Playground-NY’s Writer’s Pool, and has worked on audio plays for The Language of Us Podcast. She was a Monthly Contributor to Mixed Mag’s Theater and Film Section, and was recently published by The Independent. You can often find her rushing to a bookstore, chai latte in hand.

Sarah Sander’s work has been developed/produced by BAPF, Columbia University, |the claque|, DC Arts Center, Florida Studio Theatre, Kennedy Center, Lark, NYSF, Page 73, The Public Theater, Project Y, and Raven Theater. She’s an alumnus of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group, Dramatist Guild Fellowship and P73’s Interstate 73. Residencies: MacDowell, Millay, SPACE at Ryder Farm and Stillwright. Finalist: ATL’s Heideman Award, Clubbed Thumb’s Biennial Commission, Ingram Fellowship, Jerome Fellowship, Juilliard, Leah Ryan Prize, P73’s Fellowship, Playwrights Realm Fellowship, and Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. Nominations: Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, NTC’s Stavis Award and Williamstown's Weissberger Award. MFA: University of Iowa.

Corey Umlauf (she/her) is a scenic designer and miniature artist. Her design work has been presented by: Ars Nova, Columbia University, JACK, Clubbed Thumb, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Emerson Stage, and on film by Vundabar. Corey is a resident scenic designer at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Playwrights Conference. Select Associate Design: Topdog Underdog (Golden Theatre, upcoming), A Strange Loop (Lyceum Theatre), Goddess (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), To My Girls (2ST), A Case for the Existence of God (Signature Theater Center). Proud Member, USA-829.