Jess Chayes (Artistic Director, Founder)

Jess founded TASP in 2005 with collaborator Elissa Kozlov. With TASP she has directed Tone Clusters, We Can't Reach You, Hartford (which she also co-wrote) and Daguerreotype. Other favorite directing projects include Heart Play(s) and Chiang Kai Chek. She has worked with the Ontological Theater, Andhow! Theater Company, and The Civilians. She is a proud graduate of the Wesleyan University Theater Department where she studied with Yuriy Kordonskiy, Gay Smith and Claudia Nascimento. Email Jess.

Elissa Kozlov (Managing Director, Founder)

Elissa is a psychology and theater double major at Wesleyan. She produced TASP's award winning production of Tone Clusters in 2005 as well as the Fringe First nominated TASP production of We Can't Reach You, Hartford in 2006. In addition to producing, Elissa was part of the original cast of Hartford and is a member of Lunchbox Sketch Comedy, TASP's in-house summer sketch troupe. Email Elissa.

Tori Amoscato (Resident Artist, Stage Manager)

Tori is a native of Los Angeles, California, and is thrilled to be working on her first TASP production.  She is is a senior at Wesleyan, where she is the publicity coordinator for Second Stage, Wesleyan's only student-run production company.  In addition to stage managing, Tori also acts and was most recently seen playing the role of Little Miss 1565 in the recent production of We Can't Reach You, Hartford.  She enjoys the color pink.

Stephen Aubrey (Resident Dramaturg, Playwright)

Stephen was the co-writer and dramaturg of TASP's Fringe First Nominated We Can't Reach You Hartford and was the writer and dramaturg of Daguerreotype. Other playwriting credits include Spalding Gray is Missing, Secret Lives of Saints and the forthcoming epic musical Isto collaboration, The Dark Heart of Meteorology. He is a graduate of Wesleyan and currently lives in New York where he toils in the vineyards of liberal Catholic journalism.

Edward Bauer (Resident Actor)

Edward is a senior double-majoring in Theater and English at Wesleyan, has been working with TASP since early 2006. Most recently he appeared as the spectre of P.T. Barnum in We Can't Reach You, Hartford, and has played several other roles in the play's many past incarnations. His next role is that of Mathew Brady in Daguerreotype. Notable non-TASP productions include As I Lay Dying, and Labyrinths, both senior theses at Wesleyan. He is currently working on a senior thesis in acting. In his spare time, Edward takes every opportunity possible to play with his dog.

Nick Benacerraf (Resident Scenic Designer)

Nick designed the scenery for all of the incarnations of We Can't Reach You Hartford and Dagerreotype. He is a senior at Wesleyan, majoring in Sociology and Theater, and is currently preparing for a thesis in Scenic Design and a senior essay in Sociology. At Wesleyan, he served as Managing Liaison for Second Stage for 2006. His last two summers were spent at Princeton Summer Theater, most recently as Technical Director and Resident Scenic Designer. As always, Nick is excited to collaborate with such talented individuals.

Mike James (Resident Graphic Designer, Actor)

Mike acted in the original TASP production of Tone Clusters, as well as the Edinburgh production of We Can't Reach You, Hartford. He was an artistic intern at Juneau's Perseverance Theatre, and a corporate sponsorship intern at the Public Theater in New York. He attended the SITI Company's summer intensive this July. He graduated from Wesleyan with high honors in history. He lives in Brooklyn.

Greg Malen (Resident Lighting Designer)

Greg is a Chicago native and Wesleyan graduate. As a member of TASP he has designed the lighting for Tone Clusters and We Can't Reach You, Hartford and is working on Daguerreotype. He has also designed for Chicago-based companies The Comic Thread (Not for the Weak of Heart, A Fairy's Tale), Out of The Ashes Theatre (In Limbo, A Substitute for Margo) and most recently with La Costa Theatre Company on a production of A New Brain (which he also co-directed).

Rachel Silverman (Associate Producer)

Rachel is a rising junior at Wesleyan, double-majoring in Theater and Sociology. At Wesleyan she has been involved in over ten theatrical productions and is currently in charge of Outreach and Development for Wesleyan's only student run theater production company, Second Stage. This summer she is thrilled to begin working with TASP and preparing for her semester abroad in Madrid. She would like to thank Tezcatlipoca for this opportunity.

Hayley Stokar (Resident Actor)

Hayley performed in the 2006 New York and Edinburgh world premieres of We Can't Reach You Hartford, nominated for an Edinburgh Fringe Festival First Award.  She starred in the 2005 Fringe Festival production of Tone Clusters.  In addition, she played at the Kennedy Center in Master Peter's Puppet Show with Puppetsweat Theater Company.  She has also been featured in numerous works through Wesleyan.