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.