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Jeffrey Coyle: Director
Jeffrey is a multiple award-wining theater director and performer and has been working professionally since graduating with a B.F.A. from the University at Buffalo in 2006. He has worked as a performer, director, stage hand, designer, technician, and stage manager at many of WNY’s theater companies, including Irish Classical Theatre Co., Shakespeare in Delaware Park, MusicalFare Theatre, American Repertory Theatre of WNY, Subversive Theatre Collective, Kavinoky Theatre, Theatre of Youth, O’Connell & Co., Alleyway Theatre, Shea’s 710 Theatre, Road Less Traveled Productions, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, New Pheonix Theatre, Buffalo United Artists, Unique Theatre Co., Jewish Repertory Theatre, Lancaster Opera House, and Theatre In the Mist. Jeffrey is a nine-time Buffalo ARTIE Awards nominee and has won for his direction of FLOYD COLLINS, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, and UNINETOWN, THE MUSICAL, as well as for Supporting Actor in THE FULL MONTY. Love, as always, to mom, dad, Erin, and now William!
Mike Doben: Director
Mike is the Co-Artistic Director of Buffalo United Artists, Buffalo’s only exclusively LGBTQIA+ theater company. He is also the Executive Director of 1666 Theatrical Productions. Mike has worked at Subversive Theatre Collective where he directed FAHRENHEIT 451 and MERCURY FUR. For the latter he garnered an Artie nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play. Mike has also worked on the Road Less Traveled production staff in the capacity of Stage Manager and Assistant Director. He is thankful to be a part of First Look Buffalo’s first full season of theater, owing special thanks to Bob Rusch and Drew McCabe for the opportunity.
Drew Fornarola - Director
Drew Fornarola is a playwright, songwriter, and occasional director from New York City, and is the artistic director of Starring Buffalo. He has written for DreamWorks’ Shrek and VeggieTales franchises, and his play STRAIGHT, a New York Times Critics’ Pick off-Broadway, is now in development as a major motion picture. Other credits include Tilly the Trickster (written with SNL’s Molly Shannon), which has been performed around the world, and Hershey’s Unwrapped, the 2019 IAAPA show of the year, which has played over 1,000 performances at Hershey Park. Next up: Tiananmen, premiering at Phoenix Theater Company in 2023. Drew has headlined concerts around the world including Lincoln Center, 54 Below, London Theater Workshop, and Broadway au Carre (Paris). Recent directing credits include Little Shop of Horrors starring Tony Award-Winner Matt Doyle, and Sunday in the Park… starring Tony Award-Nominee Josh Young. Graduate of Princeton, Fordham, and the BMI Workshop. @drew-fornarola www.drewfornarola.com
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Drew McCabe - Director
Drew (director) - an multiple Artie Award nominee for both directing and writing, over the past 13 seasons he has directed 49 productions across WNY. A 2007 graduate of the University at Buffalo where he studied Japanese and Theater, Drew is happy to be returning to First Look where he previously directed COPS AND FRIENDS OF COPS. Other favorite regional productions under his directorial eye include IT'S ONLY A PLAY, SHE KILLS MONSTERS, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, THE PRIDE, CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL and ORGAZMO. It is widely speculated that Drew has one of the largest retro videogames collections in WNY, in fact, when he’s not directing, he is religiously practicing on his Dig-Dug arcade machine for high scores. He would like to thank his cast and crew for their hard work, his wife Jenny for her love and support, and his emotional support soccer team, the New York Red Bulls.
VANESSA SHEVAT - Director
(Director THE MEAN BOY ON MOVING DAY and JUST SIGN) graduated from Niagara University in 2017 with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance. She is excited and grateful to have the opportunity to direct two plays with First Look Buffalo, and is so proud of the cast and crew for all their hard work. Some of her favorite stage roles include The Widow in TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare and Goneril in CINDERELLA WALTZ by Don Nigro. Vanessa has also made appearances in commercials and films which include THE FIRST PURGE, BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE, CROSSBREED, and SEX APPEAL.