Negin Singh is the Executive and Artistic Director of The Ahimsa Collective. A 2008 graduate from the University of California-Irvine, she co-founded The Ahimsa Artists (now The Ahimsa Collective) as a way to express her frustrations with art-making conventions. She is also founder of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. There, she also managed the award-winning improvisational comedy troupe, Live Nude People (With Clothes On!), and now plays with Los Angeles- based improv troupe, Token Boy at Ultimate Improv. She is a performance artist, director, clown, and producer. She has been the creator/co-creator and director of all the company's shows to date. Negin also submitted a video contribution to Two, Ahimsa Collective's second birthday celebration.
Jack De Sena, now The Ahimsa Collective's Chief Artistic Consultant and Artist Outreach Associate, first worked with Ahimsa during Ahimsa's first project, playing Todd in Pterodactyls. He has since co-directed and appeared in A Quiet Night of Chaos and Attraction/Logic. Jack also directed Epilogue, an original play that was toured through California and produced in living rooms. Jack is also a member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. Jack submitted a video contribution to Two, Ahimsa Collective's second birthday celebration. He attended UCLA, where he studied theatre. As an actor, Jack has appeared in various film and television projects including Nickelodeon's All That and Avatar: The Last Airbender. As a swimmer, Jack cannot hold his breath for very long because he has asthma. He continues directing, acting, and performance-arting in Ahimsa productions.
Chris Smith graduated UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television in 2007 with a B.A. in Theater- Acting. Attempting to put his degree to good use (outside of auctioning Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph out on E-Bay) Chris most recently starred in Ahimsa's Holiday Show Everybody Nose: A Christmas Carol as Clock/Scrooge. Outside of his love for clowning, Chris is also an accomplished filmmaker having penned and directed his own Indy feature Shadow in the Trees as well as a series of commercials for Carls Jr. Chris has also ventured into the the wild world of web series as the co-creator, co-director, co-star, and solo editor of the web series Dorm Life. Outside of juggling these various interests, Chris also enjoys....well...juggling. He has performed his act around the world in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Copenhagen as well as at numerous men's basketball games including the '06, '07, and '08 NCAA Final Four Tournaments and halftime performances for the Lakers and Clippers organizations at the Staples Center in 2009. Chris is humbled to be working with such an incredibly talented group of artists and can't wait for you to see what 2010 brings!
Colin O'Brien-Lux, The Ahimsa Collective's Head of Research and Student Activities, has written, composed, and performed for Ahimsa's Attraction/Logic. He was amusic composer and performer for the production of Agamemnon on the Santa Monica beach. Colin also starred as Eric in Epilogue, an original play produced throughout Southern California in living rooms volunteered by friends of The Ahimsa Collective. Colin is a member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. He also submitted a video contribution to Two, Ahimsa Collective's second birthday celebration, and he looks forward to doing the same and more and future Ahimsa endeavors. Currently Colin is attending the University of California, Los Angeles where he is in pursuit of a Theater degree in acting. Colin is a performance artist, musician, actor, and clown coming to Ahimsa with the expectation of serious play. Colin's work with the Ahimsa Collective was highlighted in a recent article in the Daily Bruin.
Sebastian Kadlecik, The Ahimsa Collective's Head of Audience, Student and Artist Outreach, is an illustrator, an author, a spoken word artist and an actor. He was invited to join The Ahimsa Collective after performing in Attraction/Logic. He subsequently starred in the title role in The Ahimsa Collective's production of Agamemnon, which was performed on the Santa Monica beach. Sebastian next starred as Oliver in Epilogue, an original play produced throughout Southern California in living rooms volunteered by friends of The Ahimsa Collective. He is also a frequent performer and artist at Ahimsa's Community Pool events. Sebastian is originally from the Bay Area and came to Los Angeles after receiving his BA in Theatre from Santa Clara University and his MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. He is a big fan of charcoal artwork, children's books and intense theatre.
Matthew Chester, The Ahimsa Collective's Company Writer, is a writer, actor, and tries to direct every five years or so. He is the playwright of Epilogue, written for The Ahimsa Collective’s The Living Room Tour, an original play being toured through California and produced throughout Southern California in living rooms volunteered by friends of The Ahimsa Collective. Living Room Tour; such as it is, all he knows about it is that there will be a dwarf, a hunting knife, and a man in a woman’s hat (but that is subject to change). He graduated from Skidmore College in 2008 with a B.A in English and a minor in Theater. He wrote the book for Rufio: King of the Lost Boys, a musical spectacular, and his own play, Despite Everything, which he directed. He has acted in several Skidmore productions, a play in the New York Fringe Festival called On Air Off, and performs in the improv/sketch troupe The Younger Statesmen. Matthew Chester blogs at Rockstar Sunset Feelings.
Emmalinda MacLean is honored to be serving as The Ahimsa Collective's Educational Director and member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. She has previously taught childrens' theater in the bay area, for both California Theater Center and City Lights Theater Company, before coming down to Los Angeles to pursue her B.A. in Theater from UCLA. After graduating in June,s she appeared in Ahimsa's oceanside production of Agamemnon, and then went to Burning Man instead of getting a job. In addition to her acting and clowning careers, she sings alto in the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City and sews purses out of ripped jeans.
Deirdre Gaffney is a graduate of Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, King's College London, MA Text and Performance and Loyola Marymount University, BA Theatre Arts. She is a member of Everybody Nose and a great mover and shaker in as many aspects of the performing arts as she get her dirty mitts on, with particular emphasis on acting, circus arts, directing, production, writing and design. She also knows how to throw a party and longs to find that oft rejected fellow Jose, and say to him, "Yes...Yes way Jose, Yes way."
Leigh Zeichick, The Ahimsa Collective's Secretary, is a recent graduate of New York University with a B.A. in psychology and a B.A. in philosophy. He is honored to be involved with The Ahimsa Collective; he will stage manage the upcoming production of Agamemnon on the Santa Monica beach, and he has worked on numerous previous productions including Pterodactyls and Attraction/Logic. He also submitted a video contribution to Two, Ahimsa Collective's second birthday celebration.Leigh likes listening; he does not like talking.
Kit Steinkellner, as a playwright, has been produced nationally, with productions Off Broadway (at Playwright's Horizons), the Kennedy Center, the San Diego Old Globe, as well as at several theaters in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble. Her writing has received rave reviews from the New York Times, LA Times ('Critic's Choice') and LA Weekly ('Critic's Pick!'). Additionally, her writing has been honored with awards from Stephen Sondheim, Edward Albee, Tim Robbins, Jack Nicholson, the Kennedy Center and the Sundance Institute.
Aaron J. Sussman wrote Slow Through Eden, an allegory of Paradise Lost by John Milton. The play was produced and performed by The Ahimsa Collective in the Spring of 2008, and by The Ahimsa Collective UK in Spring of 2009. He is also the designer and webmaster of AhimsaCollective.com. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2005, with degrees in Theatre and Criminology, Law & Society. He is now a second-year law student at George Washington University, where he is research assistant for Professor Paul Butler, author of Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice.
Patrick Burns is an actor, playwright and musical director whose original one-man-musical, From Foster Care to Fabulous, will be produced by The Ahimsa Collective this January. He first worked with The Ahimsa Collective by portraying Friar Frances in their outdoor musical production of Much Ado About Nothing and is stoked to be working with them again! Patrick recently relocated to Los Angeles after graduating from UC Irvine this past June. He most recently appeared as Lucas in the LA concert version of Bare at the Hudson Theatre. He performed off-broadway in 4@15, and has appeared in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Ubu Roi, Seussical, Bare: A Pop Opera, Bat Boy: The Musical, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night. Patrick also spent three years as a performer on UCI's premiere improv troupe: Live Nude People (With Clothes On). Patrick blogs at Hella Boujie.
Cara Brody is an actress and dancer who was invited to join The Ahimsa Collective after performing in Attraction/Logic. She serves as The Ahimsa Collective's Grant Writer and also choreographed the heavily movement-based production of Agamemnon just south of the Santa Monica pier. Originally from Montana, Cara moved to Los Angeles in 2008 after graduating from Skidmore College with a degree in Theater. She has trained with Anne Bogart and SITI Company, as well as the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance Company. Her interests include experimental movement based theatre and wolves.
Erin Daley is a 2008 Skidmore College graduate living as a fledging director in Los Angeles (well, actually the Valley). She recently collaborated with The Ahimsa Collective on Attraction/Logic. Previously, she has directed We Three for the New York International Fringe Festival and the DC Fringe, The Good Woman of Setzuan for Skidmore College, and a good deal of Chekov. Erin has also studied abroad at the Moscow Art Theater, which explains the Chekov bit. As a director, she likes to mess things up to make them better and believes that you can do whatever the heck you want.
Noelle Blanco has been involved with The Ahimsa Collective for three years as the resident Costume Designer. She designed and built the first outdoor production, Much Ado About Nothing in UC Irvine's Aldrich Park in Fall 2007 with vibrant, bold colors in tutu's and petticoats; she designed costumes, from underwear to suits, for the Living Room Tour premiere of Slow Through Eden; and she designed costumes and makeup for Ahimsa's production of Agamemnon on the Santa Monica beach. She also designs crafts hats, masks and fashion jewelry. Noelle graduated from UC Irvine in 2009; she intends to continue costume designing, craft building and living life through the beauty of art.
Laura Hartley, originally from Northern California, first worked with The Ahimsa Collective as Hero in their spectacular outdoor production of Much Ado About Nothing. More recently, she appeared as a member of the chorus in Ahimsa's recent production of Agamemnon. Lauren is a member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. She received her BA in Drama from UC Irvine, where she performed in such stage productions as The Love of the Nightingale, All in the Timing, and the west coast premiere of Julie Marie Myatt's August is a Thin Girl. She also spent a lot of time singing at people very loudly. She enjoys photography, hiking, and discovering new music. Laura is currently studying acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, and loving it.
Cambria Beilstein has been working as a clown for three years, originally trained with Eli Simon at UCI. She has traveled and trained clowns abroad including Italy and Korea and has toured in Simon's troupe CLOWNZILLA. She is currently associated with training performers in Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. Beilstein has a BA in Drama from UCI and has been in shows such as The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and Under Milk Wood at UC Irvine, and The Ahimsa Collective's production of Much Ado About Nothing. Other professional credits include the San Diego Opera's production of Otello.
Taylor Jackson Ross is an actor and performance artist hailing from Manhattan Beach with a body built for movement, a powerhouse 60’s-rock-star voice and a love for off the wall humor. The Ahimsa Collective has featured her as Evelyn in Slow Through Eden and as a member of the amoebic Chorus in Ahimsa's production of Agamemnon produced on the Santa Monica Beach. Her recent work has included Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus, The Puppetmaster of Lodz, and Totally Bahassa with Associates of Awesome. Taylor is most interested in giving voice to the things we often overlook, giving people the opportunity to safely stare at what we were taught to politely avoid. Taylor is currently finishing her studies in Drama at UC Irvine.
Denver Vaughn is a director, actress, and writer who plays the kazoo and builds forts. She has starred as Cassandra in The Ahimsa Collective's production of Agamemnon on the Santa Monica Beach. Previously, she played Verges in Ahimsa's production of Much Ado About Nothing. She is a 2009 graduate of UC Irvine, where she graduated with honors in acting and directing.
Randyll Wendl: A Jack of all trades, master at none; something that sparkles; a redhead; Ahimsa Associate Artist. As a graduate from UC Irvine (B.A. Drama) Randyll hopes to one day become an expert at just one thing in life - let it be actress, photographer, waitress (please, not that), socialite or Mother of beautiful redheaded children. She hopes to accomplish this goal by age 30. Till then you shall find Randyll roaming Santa Monica beach on her hot pink roller skates or hailing a taxi in New York or perhaps meditating in India - creating art all the while in every way imaginable. Thank you Ahimsa Collective for inviting her on board. She missed you since Much Ado About Nothing when you let her flirt with boys in silly pants in the park.
Jaime Richter is an art school dropout who started working with Ahimsa Collective as a composer and performer in Attraction/Logic. Jamie is also a member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. She feels driven to explore the depths to find out Who We Really Are through art, and believes A) that making people laugh is the best feeling, and B) that as long as you're being creative you can't lose. Jaime is a visual artist, musician and performer who has been honored to work with Ahimsa Collective and hopes to contribute a unique vision to future projects.
Jeremy Slome proudly enters The Ahimsa Collective in recognition of its collaborated efforts and creativity toward pursuing important art. Jeremy graduated from UCLA in 2007 with a B.A. in communications. There, he co-managed BUICK Improv, UCLA's improv comedy company. He has continued to work with numerous productions in the arts and entertainment including UCLAlive and LACMA.
Madeline Harris is an actor, writer, performance artist and dancer who started out as a human being in the mountains of Redding, CA. She recently played Iphigenia in Ahimsa Collective's Agamemnon, produced on the Santa Monica Beach. Madeline is also a member of Everybody Nose, The Ahimsa Collective's resident clown troupe. Madeline studied first at Santa Rosa Junior College, then transferred into UCLA's Department of Theatre, Film and Television in 2008. She is so happy to work with the lovely people of Ahimsa who have helped her understand her favorite quote which she hopes through her art she can someday share.
