How to Eat an Orange

Featuring Paula Pizzi
Written by Catherine Filloux
Directed by Elena Araoz

Set and Prop Design by Daniel Landez
Projection Design by Milton Cordero
Lighting Design by Maria-Cristina Fusté
Sound Design by Nathan Leigh
Co-Costume Design by Suttirat Larlarb and Brynne Oster-Bainnson
Stage Manager Milan Eldridge
Assistant Director Fabiola Arias
Press Representative Emily Owens
Production Manager Karen Oughtred

PAULA PIZZI (Claudia) is an Argentinian actor, writer, translator and director. Theater: Fractured (New CircleTheatre Company), Burning Cities (New Circle Theatre Company), Devil of Choice (Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival 2019), Cost and Benefits (Spring Fling Festival at IRT), Years May go by...(Planet Connections), Los Monólogos De La Vagina (Westside Theatre), underneathmybed (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Face Cream (Ensemble Studio Theater), Where's My Money? (Manhattan Theatre Club/LAByrinth Theater Company), Wit (original Off- Broadway production)– Long Wharf Theater, Manhattan Class Company, Union Square Theatre, Geffen Playhouse (Ovation Award nomination), Clean (Atlantic Theater Company/Hartford Stage), Another Part of the House (Classic Stage Company), Dark Rapture (Pope Theater), Dating Dummies (LAByrinth Theater Company). T.V./Film: Stockade, FaceTime, Almost Anonymous, Loserville, The Smurfs, Frágil, Lloró, Law & Order, City of Angels, Law & Order SVU, Extraño Desencuentro (Argentina), Las 24 horas (Argentina), Música Total (Argentina). Paula has been a member of LAByrinth Theater Company since 1992 and its Education Director since 2018. She's also a member of New Circle Theatre Company, Barefoot Theater Company and the Playwrights Directors Unit (PDU) at the Actors Studio.

CATHERINE FILLOUX (Playwright) is an award-winning French Algerian American playwright, librettist, and activist, who has been writing about human rights for many decades. Her plays and operas have been produced nationally and internationally. Filloux’s new musical “Welcome to the Big Dipper” (composer Jimmy Roberts) premieres Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in New York City (NYC) in November 2024. Catherine’s new play “White Savior” was nominated for The Venturous Play List. Filloux is the librettist for four produced operas: “Orlando” (composer Olga Neuwirth) is the first opera at the Vienna State Opera by a woman composer-librettist team (2022 Grawemeyer Award); “Where Elephants Weep” (Chenla Theatre, Cambodia, composer Him Sophy) was broadcast on Cambodian national TV and Broadway on Demand. Filloux’s recent plays include: “turning your body into a compass” her livestream web drama at CultureHub, NYC; “whatdoesfreemean?” at Nora’s Playhouse, NYC; “Kidnap Road”, La MaMa, NYC; “Selma ‘65”, NYC and U.S. tour; “Luz”, La MaMa and Looking for Lilith in Louisville, KY. Catherine has traveled for her plays to conflict-zones including Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Morocco, and to Sudan and South Sudan on an overseas reading tour with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program. She received her French Baccalaureate in Philosophy with Honors in Toulon, France. She has spoken about her artist-changemaker work for media and for organizations around the world. www.catherinefilloux.com

ELENA ARAOZ (Director) is a stage director of theater, opera, multi-media performance, and theatrical large-scale immersive events, working internationally, Off-Broadway, and across the country. Elena is attracted to epic stories, and her productions are known for huge dance-like theatrics and acutely naturalistic acting. The New York Times has praised Araoz's productions as “form-busting and gorgeous,” “striking,” “primal,” “wild,” “stirring,” and “refreshingly natural,” The Boston Globe as “riveting,” “dreamy,” and “vivid,” and The New Yorker as “refreshing.” Time Out New York mentions, “Elena Araoz is a director with deep wells of imagination; she seems drawn to magical realist work.” Elena also serves as the Producing Artistic Director of Princeton University’s Theater and Music Theater Season. As a founding member of The Sol Project, she is also an Obie winner. In October 2023, The Dallas Opera released her 3D Immersive audio-only production of No One Is Forgotten: An Immersive Opera. Most recent projects include Elena’s critically acclaimed bilingual new production of Espejos: Clean by Christina Quintana at Studio Theatre in D.C. Also, Senator Bill Bradley’s documentary film Rolling Along, produced by Spike Lee, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, on which Elena served as Artistic Consultant after having served as Dramaturg for the Senator’s stage production. Elena also directed the development process of Melinda Lopez’s new play Power Trio at The Huntington Theatre in Boston. https://www.elenaaraoz.com/

DANIEL LANDEZ (Set and Prop Design) is a spatial designer whose transmedia work hybridizes architecture, performance, queer of color critique, chicano studies, urban studies, and art. His work seeks to propose queer and decolonizing architecture practices using projection, archiving, and performance. Landez is expected to receive his professional Master of Architecture at Princeton University with a certificate in Media + Modernity in May 2024 and received his B.S. in Architecture and Theater Arts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Queer Space Working Group and a board member for the Princeton Chapter of NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architecture Students). Recently, Landez has presented lectures at the Princeton School of Architecture and Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space and consulted exhibition designs for the Power Station of Art and MAXXI at Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

MILTON CORDERO (Projection Design) is thrilled to be part of the “How To Eat An Orange” production. Cordero started his career in film and theater (actor and designer) at a young age. Eventually, he explored the use of multimedia in live performances, which led to a career in projection design. Cordero’s projection designs have been seen on stages in New York, Atlanta, California and Puerto Rico. Credits: Beautiful  The Carole King Musical (Broadway At Music Circus, CA) Anna in the Tropics (Bay Street Theater, NY), Hands Up (Alliance Theatre, GA), In the Heights (“Choliseo” Coliseum, PR), The Nether (Emory Theatre, GA), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Aurora Theatre & Horizon Theatre, GA), El Burlador de Sevilla (Teatro Ciìrculo, NY) @mcorderodesigns miltoncordero.com  Milton would like to dedicate this performance to the memory of his wife Sharon Estela.

MARIA-CRISTINA FUSTE (Lighting Design) Pronouns: She/her/ella. Ms. Fusté has a career in lighting design with credits in New York, her native Puerto Rico, major cities in the U.S., Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, México, and the Dominican Republic. She is also the founder and Executive Artistic Director of BOUNDLESS theatre company, a designer-led theater company that produces theater in NY and PR. Broadway:  Jagged Little Pill, Associate LD 2021 remount (Justin Townsend LD). Off Broadway: “La llamada” (Spanish Repertory Theater); Borinqueñas (EST, LPC, Boundless Theatre); Sancocho (WP Theater, LPC, Sol Project), Songs About Trains (Working Theater/Radical Evolution); Fur, Mud, and The Conduct of Life (Boundless Theatre Company, NYC) Regional: Measure for Measure( Chicago Shakespeare Co); American Mariachi (Goodman Theatre, Chicago/ Alabama Shakespeare/ Cleveland Playhouse); Anna in the Tropics (Barrington Stage, MA); Airness (Geva Theatre Center, NY); Children of Eden (Aurora Theatre, GA); Sweat (People’s Light Theater, PA); In The Heights (Westport Country Playhouse, CT/ Aurora Theater, GA/ Colorado Springs Arts Center); The Heath (MRT, MA). Opera: Cecilia Valdés (Teatro Colón, Bogotá); Tosca, Bluebeard’s Castle, Madama Butterfly, Don Pasquale, and L’Elisir d’Amore (Ópera de Puerto Rico, San Juan PR). Training: MFA in Lighting Design (NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts). Awards: Princess Grace Award 2018, Suzi Bass Award 2016/ 2017, Nomination 2019, HOLA and ATI Awards 2022. LATA Award 2023. www.boundlesstheatre.org. Website: www.mcfuste.com

NATHAN LEIGH (Sound Design) is a composer, animator, and designer. Off-Broadway credits include: Space Dogs (MCC), Our Brother’s Son (Signature), Original Sound (Cherry Lane), The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Spanish Repertory Theater), Nat Turner In Jerusalem (New York Theatre Workshop), and How To Melt Ice, Fur, Mud, Conduct of Life, and Prospect (Boundless Theatre). Regional credits include: High Ground (Arena Stage), Anna In The Tropics (Barrington Stage), Godspell (Berkshire Theatre Group), Sweat (Peoples Light) and many more. Nathan is the co-artistic director of CirqueSaw, whose remote theatre piece POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness recently concluded its third sold out run. POV was selected as the 2023 Immersive Production of the Year by the Young-Howze Theatre Journal, and won No Proscenium's 2024 Editor’s Award for Merging Art and Technology. He is currently at work on his stop motion feature debut, The Golem due out in 2025.

SUTTIRAT ANNE LARLARB (Costume Design) works internationally as a designer for film, television, and live performance. This marks Suttirat’s third collaboration with playwright Catherine Filloux; she also designed ‘Eyes of the Heart’ for NAATCO as well as ‘Selma ‘65’ at La Mama. Other credits include Costume Design for the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony in London, the theatrical production of "Frankenstein" at London's Royal National Theatre and the Broadway productions of “Macbeth”, "Straight White Men", "Waitress", and "Of Mice and Men"; Off Broadway: “Dying for It” and “Hold on to me Darling” at the Atlantic. “The Killer” at TFANA (Set + Costume Design). “Learning Curve” and “Stealing Sweets and Punching People” at the Beckett Theatre. Regional: “Macbeth” at Hartford Stage, “Orange, Lemon, Egg, Canary”, “Tape”, “The Lively Lad”, “Angels in America” at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Opera: “Macbeth” at LA Opera.  Larlarb is the recipient of the 2016 Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, an Emmy Award in 2012, and the 2009 Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film. She has been nominated for 3 Emmys, an Art Directors Guild Award, and 2 Costume Designers Guild Awards.

BRYNNE OSTER-BAINNSON (Costume Design) is a costume designer for theater, film and opera. MFA: NYU. Recent projects include: Millennials are Killing Musicals (Out of the Box Theatrics), The Great Divide (Boomerang Theater Company) Measure for Measure (Smith Street Playhouse), Hit the Wall (Spin Cycle) Don Giovanni, Bel Canto (Aspen Music Festival). Assistant/associate work has included Clue (First National Tour, 2024), Macbeth (Broadway, 2022) and various productions at Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Music Festival, and Williamstown Theater Festival. Website brynne-osterbainnson.com instagram @brynnefinite

FABIOLA ARIAS (Assistant Director) is a Panamanian, New York based theatre director. She has worked in new play development and existing plays and has a deep passion for bringing untold stories to the stage. Previous credits include: Tartuffe by Moliere (Assistant Director), Merry Go Round by Laurel Mora (Director), Los empeños de una casa by Sor Juana Ines (Assistant Director), Fefu y sus amigas by Maria Irene Fornes (Associate Director), Red by John Logan (Director), Aztec Pirates by David Davila (Assistant Director), and Marisol by José Rivera (Director). She is incredibly grateful to every single person on this team for letting her be apart of this wonderful project.

MILAN ELDRIDGE (Stage Manager) is a stage manager, theater designer. and filmmaker who is fascinated by the ways these different disciplines can interact, inform, and influence each other. She is passionate about exploring peculiar interpretations of the world. Her recent virtual stage management work includes The Manic Monologues (McCarter Theatre Center), SUGAR SKULL! A Virtual Día de Muertos Adventure (Mexico Beyond Mariachi), and Virginia Grise’s a farm for meme. Her recent theatrical editing work includes Black Picture Show (Artists Space), Seeing Rape (John Jay College), A Past Becomes a Heritage: The Negro Units of the Federal Theatre Project (Princeton University; CLASSIX), The Chinese Lady (Princeton University), and All Her Power (Princeton University). She has served as a Teaching Fellow for Trenton Youth Theater. Milan is currently on the Programming Committee for the inaugural Bridgeport Film Festival and is an Associate Digital Producer for MELA Arts Connect.

KAREN OUGHTRED (Production Manager) is a multidisciplinary theater artist, actor and teacher. She is thrilled to be working with Cat and Elena again. Company Manager: Misdemeanor Dream Tour, Spiderwoman Theater, Production Stage Management includes the Panto Project at Abrons Arts Center, the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Theatre at St John’s, NOMAD Theatrical Co., Untitled Theater Co. No. 61, visual artist Theresa Byrnes, John Jahnke’s Hotel Savant, La MaMa, BAM, the Town Hall, PS 122, National Museum of the American Indian. Director: interactive museum theater, Striving for Freedom, Jay Heritage Center. Actor: Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Theatre at St John’s. Puppetry: Inseparable, Object and Shadow Theater co-created with puppetry artist, Spica Wobbe. Karen co-created The Memory Project, storytelling through visual arts, theater & puppetry with Spica Wobbe in 2016.

Emily Owens (Press Representative)