Movement Workshop Group

THE GROUP

Rachel Garis                                                      
Performer

is a multidisciplinary artist with a BA in Acting and Visual Arts from Emerson College. There she created an installation solo performance, Kartiya, comprised of improvisational dance and movement, painting, and original music.  She traveled to Paros, Greece to further study painting and drawing disciplines with Hellenic International Studies in the Arts. Classically trained in voice, piano, and violin, Rachel’s first love remains to be dancing. She began her dance training with the Notara Dance Theatre’s ballet company in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and furthered her disciplines at the Ballet Theatre of Scranton before attending Emerson College.  She has worked as an actor, creator, choreographer, and art teacher.  Currently she is working on Movement Workshop Group’s production of Wanderlust and is proud to be a member a company with such open and creatively charged individuals.


Quincy Ellis                             
Performer

has been working with the Movement Workshop Group since its first production in 2005.  A trained gymnast and figure skater, he hails from Augusta, Maine and holds a BFA degree in Acting from Emerson College.  Outside of performing, Quincy has produced, directed, and choreographed for both the stage and the ice.  His experience with MWG has inspired much of his work, including his own movement piece SALIGIA in 2007.  Quincy is a founding member of Kill Mike, a New York based theatre company focusing on raw production and the power of text.


Percussionist

From the age of 5, Edward had always known he wanted to be a professional musician. He attended Western Michigan University where he majored in piano and was also in Marching Band, Concert and Pep Band. He served as captain of the drum line in 2008 while also joining the Band Fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi.  He currently serves as Music Director at Creston Ave Baptist Church.

Andy Chugg                                                                   
Sound Designer

Andrew has been a music consultant and sound operator for all MWG productions since Dust to Dust! Based out of Brooklyn, he is currently freelancing in the New York area as a Sound Designer/Engineer (and does other stuff too). He plays guitar and sings (some of the time) in Crinkles (myspace.com/crinkleswrinkles), and is the co-founder of HeavyPet, an independent music publishing company and record label.


Eliza Lay                                     
Artistic Associate


A graduate of Skidmore College in Theater (Acting Prize), Eliza has performed in Washington DC, Boston and New York. Acting Credits Include: Love-Lies-Bleeding, Dancing at Lughnasa (Way Theater Artists); Sacred Hearts, Flesh and Blood (Zeitgeist Stage Co); Gorilla Man (Boston Theaterworks); Ariel in The Tempest, The Autumn Hours, Yellow Ribbons, Our Hearts as Fiction, The  Ocean Room, Under Her Umbrella (11:11 Productions); Fathers and Sons, The Shoemaker's Remarkable Wife (Stanslavsky Theater Studio); Phaedra in Phaedra's Love (The Objective). Dance Credits Include: Impossible Things (Imaginary Beasts); Dust to Dust, Moontides in 23,149 Parts (The Movement Workshop Group).  She has appeared in several festivals including The Boston Theater Marathon, FeverFest, and SLAMBoston (winning play).  Eliza has been a company member with 11:11 Productions, The Stanislavsky Theater Studio and Way Theater Artists (co-Founder).  Eliza teaches acting and movement to children and adults, most recently, privately, at Westport Playhouse and The New York Film Academy. Of Eliza's acting The Boston Globe as said: "Something about Lay's acting makes you forget that she's acting."


Megan Curtis                                                                
Managing Director

graduated from Emerson College with degrees in Marketing Communication & Theatre Management & currently works for EdVestors, a non-profit educational investment organization in Boston. Previously she worked as a Marketing Assistant at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston for three years.


Ricardo Foster Jr.                                     .
Performer

Born & raised in Boston, Ricardo has worked with artists ranging from Jay-Z to NSYNC, En-vogue to Uncle Cracker, & Destiny's Child to old school classics like Naughty by Nature, & RUN DMC.  He tries to help people understand, enjoy, & enhance the experience of dance through all performances, classes, & demonstrations that he does.  He hopes to help people find a new appreciation for dance & themselves.


Justin Cornell                            
Stage Manager

Previous SM credits include: Two Girls (FringeNYC '10), Medea & Medea/For Medea (Red Handle Productions), and The Taming of the Shrew (Ramapo College).


Cydney McQuillan-Grace        
Lead Vocalist/Actress

is a New York based film and stage actress, singer, and dancer.  She has performed with Movement Workshop Group since 2006.


Colin Summers                                            
Guitarist/Actor

is excited as heck about MWG and thinks it's super-cool.  Colin is also an actor and musician working in Brooklyn.   When not acting Colin performs regularly with his band "Toys And Tiny Instruments."


Lighting Designer

has done lighting design on MWG's Dust to Dust and Moontides in 23, 149 Parts. He is excited to once again be working with such a talented group of artists.  Erik is a freelance lighting designer in the Boston and New York areas and is thrilled to be a part of Movement Workshop Group.  Previous designs include Starting Here Starting Now, Once Upon A Mattress, The Children's Hour, The Gondoliers, & a variety of others.


Angelica Olstad                                      
Pianist

Angelica Olstad is originally from Boulder, Colorado. Angelica's work focuses on interdisciplinary performances and experiential teaching.

  
David Rysdahl                                    

 Performer

David Rysdahl is a graduate of St. Olaf College and was most recently seen in Deborah Yarchun’s Next Year in Jerusalem.  www.davidrysdahl.com

Briana Carlson-Goodman     
Performer

performed in the 20-minute version of Moontides in 23,149 Parts at Dixon Place in New York as well as the touring version.  Based in New York, Briana has performed Off-Broadway & regionally primarily doing Musical Theatre.  She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College.  She can currently be found performing in the Broadway revival of Hair.  Much love & appreciation to Leslie & Liza.

Performer

Sara Ciampa is a native of Toledo, Ohio and graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Kent State University.  While pursuing her performance career, she is also an educator of dance and a certified yoga instructor. 

Resident Choreographer for LBArts Collective & MWG Company Member

was born & raised in Woburn, MA, where she continued to train throughout the Boston area, & later at Vassar College where she received a degree in Urban Studies.  She first performed with Movement Workshop Group in 2008 as the 'Thought Bird' in Moontides and is now working with the LBArts Collective as resident choreographer.   Dana is a dancer & educator in a number of venues & capacities in Massachusetts.


Ben Sloane                                 
Performer

is a New York based actor and dancer.  He graduated with a BFA in Acting from Emerson College.  He has performed in both Dust to Dust and Moontides in 23, 149 Parts with the Movement Workshop Group.  As a dancer in Moontides, he was thrilled to finally be a part of a girls dream.


Rowan Salem                          
Performer/Stage Manager

is pursuing her BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  She stage managed Moontides  and performed in MWG II's Lusterwand in Boston.  She completed a production internship at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, & has stage-managed numerous productions within the Five College Dance Program in Western MA.