Brooke began her relationship with Making Books Sing in 2005 when she worked as a teaching artist. A professional actor, Brooke has performed in Micronesia, Asia, Indonesia and Europe. For the past ten years, she has worked in both theatre and film in New York City while also attending two graduate programs. She holds an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School (New School University), as well as an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. Brooke received her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and Theatre from Northern Michigan University. Her background in the arts is deeply rooted in a passion for contemporary and experimental theatre. While attending NYU, Brooke studied the philosophies of Anne Bogart, Tadashi Suzuki, Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal. Their techniques and theories greatly influenced Brooke's educational pedagogy. Before returning to Making Books Sing in 2007, Brooke worked as a playwriting and theatre teaching artist at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ.

Growing up outside of Philadelphia, Sara cultivated her love for theatre as an actor and teaching artist at several regional theatres, including People's Light and Theatre Company and Walnut St. Theatre. Sara holds a BFA in Acting and a Minor in Education Studies from Syracuse University. During her time in college, she lived in London to train as an actor at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Upon graduation, she moved to Sarasota, FL, where she worked in the Education department of Asolo Repertory Theatre. She is currently in her final year in the MA in Applied Theatre program at the City University of New York. She is passionate about using theatre as a tool to empower others, and is proud to be a co-writer of Making Books Sing's newest anti-bullying program, Sticks and Stones.

Julie recently joined Making Books Sing in the Fall of 2011. She has worked in both non-profit and commercial theatre companies in development, marketing and management including Lincoln Center Festival, The Pearl Theatre Company, Soho Rep, Prospect Theater Company, Richard Frankel Productions, MTWorks, 321 Theatrical Management, Nederlander Worldwide, New York City Center, Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York Musical Festival, Target Margin Theater Company, Prospect Theater Company, New Professional Theater, Red Bull Theater Company, The Gallery Players, The Cell Theatre Company, The Production Company, The Public Theater, Working Theater, InterAct Annex, Ateh Theatre Company and Abingdon Theatre Company. She holds a BA in Theater and Creative Writing from The George Washington University. Currently, she is working on her MFA in Performing Arts Management at Brooklyn College and expects to graduate in the Spring of 2012.

Max Arnaud is an actor, writer, director and teacher. He studied at Tulane University (BA) and West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts (MFA). He teaches for Making Books Sing, PS 87 Afterschool, Young Playwrights and formerly at Multicultural Music Group’s Integrated Arts Project. He directs plays for young people at the Brooklyn Players Summer program as well as full-length productions for adults at of Brooklyn Players Community Musical Theater. At the college level, he taught introductory and first-year acting at West Virginia University. At Greenbrier Valley Theatre he led student playwriting workshops culminating in fully produced showcases of new work. As an actor, he has performed in over 50 plays. Recently, Max played a leading role in Upstate, an independent feature film by Ground Glass Productions (LA Film Festival 2010.) His play Daydream toured the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit in the Summer of 2010.

Ria Cooper is a Brooklyn-based teaching artist who uses theatre and yoga as tools to educate and build community. Ria has worked both domestically and internationally, most recently in places as varied as the five boroughs of New York City, New Orleans and Rwanda. She received her children's yoga teaching certification from Karma Kids Yoga in New York. She holds an MA in Applied Theatre from the CUNY School of Professional Studies, a certificate from the National Theatre Institute, and a BA in Theatre and Dance from Oberlin College. Ria teaches yoga, theatre and arts & crafts to young people in New York City.

Danielle Defassio is starting her first year as a teaching artist with Making Books Sing. She is a new face to the NYC acting scene and is quickly earning credits. Most recently she was Mama Bear in The Berenstain Bears Live! and is happy to be reprising her role as Polar Bear with MBS's original production If You Really Love Polar Bears… this December. In addition to acting, Danielle loves to sing and makes appearances at local piano bars to croon. A CD is currently in the works. Danielle loves to travel and has lived in PA, Wisconsin, Chicago, New York and Germany. She reads and tells stories and is looking forward to bringing the magic of storytelling to students all over NYC! Follow her at www.danielledefassio.com

Anneka Fagundes is a teaching artist who loves using theatre to educate, build community and address social issues. She is beginning her second year as a teaching artist with Making Books Sing, and is co-creator of MBS’s anti-bullying interactive performance Alice’s Story. For the past six years, Anneka has worked with various arts-in-education organizations throughout the city and has also been involved in theatre-for-development projects in Rwanda and Guatemala. She holds a MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY School of Professional Studies, and a BA in Drama from Vassar College.

Jennifer Houseal, a professional Teaching Artist for ten years, and a Making Books sing employee since 2004, has taught theatre arts to Kindergarten through 12th graders in NYC public schools and after-school programs for organizations such as Vital Theatre Company, Manhattan New Music Project and Hip Hop 4 Life. Jennifer also works with older adults and intergenerational groups for Elders Share the Arts and in 2011 co-facilitated intergenerational programming at Penn South Center for Seniors. In addition, Jennifer is a costumer who has worked at Off-Broadway musicals, such as Menopause, the Musical and SHOUT! The Mod Musical, the LOGO Network’s Big Gay Sketch Show and The Baryshnikov Arts Center. She designed the costumes for the Creative Arts Team Youth Theatre’s productions of: From Time to Time, The Power Game and Seeking Justice; as well as Vital Theatre Company’s “Vital Voices” productions of: Verdict, Once on this Island and Footloose. A singer and an actress, Jennifer completed Manhattan School of Music’s Professional Musical Theatre Workshop in 2006. Jennifer also has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. in Applied Theatre from The CUNY School of Professional Studies.

Shelah Marie is a performer, writer and Arts Educator from Hollywood, Florida. Shelah studied theater and performance at Florida State University, where she received dual BA degrees in Theater and Mass Media Studies. She recently earned her MA degree in Performance Studies from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She loves homemade popcorn, documentaries and reading children's original stories. Currently, Shelah is in Brooklyn teaching, performing, changing the world and trying to put one foot in front of the other.www.ShelahMarie.com for more info.

Brisa Muñoz is a director, arts administrator and teaching artist. She is a Texas native who graduated from Baylor University in 2011 with degrees in Theatre and Neuroscience. Brisa is the Executive Director of Thirteen O'Clock Theatre, a community theatre in the Rio Grande Valley which functions seasonally each summer and provides programming to support the cultivation of the theatrical arts in South Texas. She is currently pursuing her MA in Applied Theatre at the City University of New York while working at Creative Arts Team, a nonprofit organization that uses the power of drama to inspire youth to learn more. She is passionate about expanding the body of practitioners and advocates who recognize the value in cross-sector partnerships between artists and communities, whether it be in the workplace, the educational system or elsewhere.

Liz Parker is a passionate performer, director and educator. Her work has been used to address social issues including school violence, depression, child abuse and trauma. Liz has performed regularly in all five boroughs of New York City over the past ten years and has also performed in theaters across the United States while on tour with two productions for young audiences. She loves creating new work as evidenced in her one-woman show Mr. Morning Mends His Mind, as well as more recent co-created works including a children’s piece, Blown Away By Poetry. Liz holds a master’s degree in Applied Theatre from the City University of New York. She especially enjoys working with puppets, stilts and kazoos.

Laura Poe has been creating make-believe worlds with kids since she was old enough to babysit her little sister. She started her journey into storytelling as an actress, appearing in plays, commercials and movies and then began creating her own stories by writing and producing plays, short films and a one-woman show that traveled to six cities. Comedy improv is one of her favorite pastimes where she can create crazy characters and discover new games to share with kids. For six years, Laura has been blessed to create some terrific stories with kids through Making Books Sing, helping students find fun ways to express their imagination. Laura is also a wanderlust travel buff and extends this love of culture to the classroom any chance she gets. http://www.laurapoe.com/iWeb/Site/HOME.html

Amy is a Brooklyn-based actor, improv comedian, and teaching artist. With roots in her native Chicago, as well as Madison, WI and Raleigh, NC, Amy has been performing regionally with MPTG in Chicago, University Theatre and Mercury Players in Madison, and with Burning Coal in Raleigh. She holds a BA in Theatre and Women's Studies from UW Madison, and has studied the Roy Hart Vocal Techniques at Malerargues in Southern France. In her deepening passion to create community-based performance and socially activated theater, she finds herself as a MA candidate in Applied Theatre at CUNY where she has co-created participant-centered dramas based on the Arab Spring and the role of books in an age of technology as well as worked in Theatre for Development in Rwanda. She takes improv classes at UCB and is thrilled to join the Making Books Sing world this year.