Nell Benjamin (Book and Lyrics) Broadway: Mean Girls with Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond (Tony nomination), Legally Blonde with Laurence O’Keefe (Olivier Award, Tony nomination). Off Broadway/regional: The Explorers Club (Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Play), Because of Winn Dixie, Dave, Cam Jansen, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Halftime, Pirates!, The Mice, I Want My Hat Back, How I Became a Pirate (Theatreworks USA), New York Philharmonic New Year’s Eve and Young People’s Concerts. Film: The Sea Beast. Television: “Unhappily Ever After,” “Whoa! Sunday with Mo Rocca,” “The Electric Company,” “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris,” “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway,” “Julie’s Greenroom.” Member: ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. Grateful recipient of Kleban Foundation Award, Jonathan Larson Grant.

Aditya Chopra (Director) is the biggest filmmaker of India. At just 23 years of age, he directed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema history, which is still running in theatres 26 years since its release. Chopra’s vision for cinema in India has shaped and reshaped pop culture as he has directed and produced some of the biggest cult classics that the country has ever witnessed. His vision and trendsetting excellence over the years has elevated Yash Raj Films (YRF) to one of the most reputed and iconic brands in India today. He is the first Indian film producer to move toward a film studio model through independent projects helmed by producers, writers, and directors under the YRF banner. He is also a star-maker who has launched numerous generation-defining youth icons of India. As Chairman and Managing Director of YRF, Chopra is the driving force behind creativity at YRF Studios.

Shruti Merchant (Associate Choreography – Indian Dances) began her professional choreography career assisting her sister Vaibhavi Merchant in more than 50 films, and she made her Bollywood choreography debut with Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl and received several nominations and awards. She toured internationally with musicals for over nine years as an associate choreographer. In January 2011, Merchant started Quintessence Entertainment Productions to bring commercial theatre into the Indian entertainment market. With Taj Express she has created a groundbreaking song, dance, and drama extravaganza that has been entertaining audiences the world over. Taj Express has completed 500 shows worldwide and is slotted for a North American tour in early 2023.

Derek McLane (Scenic Design) Broadway: MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge! (Tony Award), A Soldier’s Play, American Son, The Parisian Woman, Beautiful, Follies, Anything Goes, Bengal Tiger, Million Dollar Quartet, Ragtime, 33 Variations (Tony Award), Little Women, How to Succeed, The Pajama Game, I Am My Own Wife, Ragtime. Other: six Academy Awards, four live musicals for television. Awards: multiple Obie, Lucille Lortel, Art Directors Guild, Emmy, Drama Desk, Tony Awards.

Japhy Weideman (Lighting Design) The Old Globe: Life After, Bright Star, October Sky, The Rainmaker, Bethany. Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen, The Visit, The Nance, Of Mice and Men, Airline Highway, Lobby Hero, Bright Star, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sylvia, The Snow Geese, Old Times, Macbeth, Cyrano de Bergerac, Significant Other, Marvin’s Room. Off Broadway: Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theater/NYSF, NYTW, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, MTC, MCC, LAByrinth, Vineyard, Ma-Yi, others. West End: Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre), Nice Fish (Harold Pinter Theatre), Blackbird (Albery Theatre). Recent: production designer for Hasan Minhaj’s The King’s Jester national tour, lighting designer for upcoming The King’s Jester Netflix special. Honors: five Tony Award nominations for Lighting Design.

Akhila Krishnan (Projection Design) Theatre: Chasing Hares (Young Vic), Our Generation (National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), What’s New Pussycat? (Birmingham Rep), The Two Character Play (Hampstead Theatre), Oliver Twist (Leeds Playhouse/Ramps on the Moon), While You Are Here (The Place/DanceEast), Maggot Moon (Unicorn Theatre). Opera: The Wreckers (Glyndebourne), Samson et Dalila, The Knife of Dawn, Echoes at the Gate, (Royal Opera House), The Handmaid’s Tale, The Valkyrie (English National Opera), Syllable (Theatre O). Live broadcast/film direction: Pod, Lifesongs (Guildhall). Event design: Sound of Colour (Arthouse Jersey), Mamma Mia: The Party (O2 Arena), Up Next Gala(National Theatre). Training: Royal College of Art, National Institute of Design in India. Other: previously Senior Designer at 59 Productions.

Stephen Sposito (Associate Director) Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Shrek The Musical, How to Succeed in Business, Promises, Promises, Scandalous. Director: Shrek The Musical (national, international tours), Pippin (Pittsburgh Playhouse), Crossroads (Regent Seven Seas), Something Rotten! (Cape Rep Theatre), American Theatre Wing Gala, Obie Awards, NBCUniversal’s Upfront (Radio City Music Hall), live events for Target, Robin Hood Foundation. Upcoming directing: Albert Herring (Chicago Opera Theater). Education: University of Michigan (Emerging Artist Award).

Billy Jay Stein (Music Production and Additional Orchestrations) Grammy Award for producing and mixing Beautiful: The Carole King Musical cast recording. Composer, arranger, music producer for The Radio City Rockettes New York Spectacular. Broadway: MJ, Kimberly Akimbo, 1776, Paradise Square, Caroline, or Change, Diana, Tootsie, Mean Girls, The Band’s Visit, Fun Home, Beautiful, Spider-Man, Hairspray, Amélie, Tuck Everlasting, The Rocky Horror Show, Jekyll & Hyde. Television/film: “Sex and the City,” Rudy! A Documusical, Handel’s Messiah Rocks, “Pawn Stars,” more. Other: Founder of Strange Cranium, a New York–based electronic music design company and developer of MainBrain show control software; Co-Founder of Strike Audio, a production music licensing company. strangecranium.com, strikeaudio.com.

Stewart/Whitley (Casting) Duncan Stewart, CSA and Benton Whitley, CSA. Broadway/New York: Paradise Square, Hadestown (Artios Award), Chicago, Rock of Ages, The Lightning Thief, Great Comet of 1812, Elf, On the Town, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Television/film: Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBC, Lionsgate, Disney Channel. West End/U.K.: Hadestown, Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory. Tours: Hadestown, Hairspray, Waitress, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Into the Woods, We Will Rock You. Regional: ART, Berkeley Rep, Alley, Bay Street, For the Record, TUTS, Hollywood Bowl, McCarter, Signature, RCCL. stewartwhitley.com, @stewartwhitley.

Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager) The Old Globe: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, The Gardens of Anuncia, Life After, The Blameless, American Mariachi, The Heart of Rock & Roll, October Sky, Rain, The Metromaniacs, The White Snake, Inherit the Wind, Somewhere, Lost in Yonkers, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet. Regional: Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin (La Jolla Playhouse), Kiss Me, Kate (Hartford Stage), The Foreigner, See How They Run, The Rivalry (Lamb’s Players Theatre), The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, Candide, Trial by Jury (Lyric Opera San Diego). Education: UC San Diego.

OrchestrA

All musicians are representated by the American Federation of Musicaisn of the United States and Canada, Local 325 San Diego.