Our Team of Creative MiNDS

Michel Hausmann is a Venezuelan-born theater director, producer, and writer. He is the recipient of the Drama League Award for conceiving and directing Seven Deadly Sins, “the biggest live professional theater production in the country” during the pandemic (The New York Times). He is the founder and Artistic Director of Miami New Drama, the largest bilingual theater company in the country and resident and operator of the historic Colony Theatre on Miami Beach. Under his artistic leadership, Miami New Drama has produced world premiere plays that are as diverse, multicultural, and multilingual as Miami’s extraordinary community, including: A Wonderful World, Confessions of a Cocaine Cowboy, ¡Viva La Parranda!, The Cubans, Fake, When Monica Met Hillary, Gente Ociosa, Queen Of Basel, Papá Cuatro, The Cuban Vote, 7 Deadly Sins, and the first multilingual production of Our Town. Other productions include The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (in co-production with Asolo Rep), The Album (in co-production with Tectonic Theater Project), A Special Day (in co-production with The Play Company), Terror (Directed by Gregory Mosher), One Night in Miami…(Directed by Carl Cofield), The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Directed by David Greenspan), among others.

Michel is the book writer and director of The Golem Of Havana, a critically acclaimed original musical that has been produced across the country, including a sold-out, extended run at the Colony Theatre. Hausmann’s Off-Broadway credits include the New York Premiere of Vassily Sigarev’s Black Milk and the New York premiere of The Color Of Desire by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nilo Cruz.

He was the co-founder and Artistic Director of an award-winning theater company in Venezuela, where he directed over a dozen productions. Michel received a BA from Emerson College and an MFA in Theater Directing from Columbia University. He is a New York Theater Workshop 2050 Fellow, an IRNE nominee, a Silver Palm Award winner, a Richard Rodgers Award finalist, and a two-time Knights Arts Challenge Award recipient.

Nicholas Richberg (Managing Director) is a Cuban-American award-winning producer, actor, and nonprofit executive who has received critical acclaim for his broad range of work. Under his executive leadership Miami New Drama has produced 7 Deadly Sins, A Wonderful World, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Cubans, When Monica Met Hillary, The Cuban Vote, Elián, Anna in the Tropics, Defacing Michel Jackson, Create Dangerously, and Papá Cuatro. He previously served as Managing Director of Zoetic Stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, where he produced numerous world premiere and award-winning plays and musicals. As an actor and director, Richberg has appeared on national television, radio, and in theaters and concert venues across the country, originating numerous roles including in Confessions of a Cocaine Cowboy at Miami New Drama prior to his tenure as Managing Director. He is a Drama League Award winner, Carbonell Award winner, multiple Silver Palm Award winner, twice named Best Actor by Miami New Times, and was named a Miami Leader by the Miami Foundation. A Miami native, Richberg is a graduate of Miami Country Day School and University of Miami Frost School of Music. He also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and an MBA from IE University (Madrid) and Brown University, for which he received a distinguished leadership scholarship.

Moisés Kaufman was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in September 2016. He is also a Tony and Emmy nominated director and playwright. Prior Broadway credits: The Heiress with Jessica Chastain, 33 Variations (which he also wrote) with Jane Fonda (5 Tony nominations); Rajiv Joseph’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams; the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife. His plays Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project are among the most performed plays in America over the last decade. Kaufman also co-wrote and directed the film adaptation of The Laramie Project for HBO, which received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writer. He is currently directing and writing a new Broadway-bound adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen with Grammy-winning composer Arturo O’Farrill. He’s the artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project, co-founder and Artistic Associate of Miami New Drama, and a Guggenheim Playwriting Fellow.

Stefanie is a director, educator, and administrator. She has hands-on experience producing and directing arts, media, and educational programs for diverse audiences. Anarumo specializes in developing and directing inclusive artistic programming for children and adults across the ability spectrum.

Directing credits include serving as Associate Director to Julie Andrews on the development of a new musical and serving as Assistant Director to Broadway directors Walter Bobbie, Scott Schwartz, Michael Arden, and David Saint on various productions. She has collaborated with Deaf West Theatre, NY Deaf Theatre, the Public Theater, the Hippodrome Theater, Palm Beach Dramaworks, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, in various capacities on and offstage.

As a US Exchange Alumni, she was awarded a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Grant for her international arts education project “Creative Collaborazione,” which fostered relationships between American and Italian Deaf and hearing elementary-aged artists. She is a Fulbright Research Grant Recipient, a Manhattan Theater Club Directing Fellow, and a Harvard Innovation Ventures in Education Pitch Finalist. Previously, she joined Bay Street Theater in New York as the Associate General Manager and was the Program Associate for East End Special Players, a theater company for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, she serves as the Education Director for Hamptons Doc Fest, a documentary film festival in Long Island.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Arts in Education from Harvard University, a BFA in theater performance, and a certification in arts in healthcare from the University of Florida.

stefanie@miaminewdrama.org

Vyana Preti s a Venezuelan-born educator, theater director, writer, and community organizer leader holding a B.A in Philosophy from Universidad Central de Venezuela. She was part of the Direction Department with Palo de Agua, an award-winning theater company founded by Michel Hausmann. Her interest in theater, community and social change has led her to be the General  Manager in the re-opening of the “Teatro de Petare César Rengifo”  and she founded a Theater School for kids and teenagers  in Petare (Caracas), one of the largest and most dangerous favelas in Latin America where she was the academic director for nine years. She is the writer and artistic director of several children’s plays, among them the trilogy of “Ratón y Vampiro” based on the tales of Yolanda Pantin. She co-founded and co-owned Lugar Común Bookstores, 6 cultural spaces dedicated to cultural activities in Venezuela. She was selected for the International Visitor Leadership Program Promoting Social Change Through the Arts of the U.S. Department of State and is currently part of the Theatre Communications Group “Rising of Leaders of Color Round 4”. She is thrilled to be further developing the Miami New Drama Educational Program.

vyana@miaminewdrama.org

Lucas is a nonprofit and fundraising professional and has raised tens of millions for charities and educational institutions both domestically and internationally. Lucas was born and raised in South Florida and has also started two nonprofit organizations in Florida and the Bahamas. His development work was recognized when he was named Nonprofit PRO’s Fundraiser of the Year in 2019 for assisting with one of the first major gifts in cryptocurrency in the world. He holds a Bachelor’s and an MBA from Duke University, with an additional certification in Blockchain Strategy from Oxford University.

Lucas has received multiple national accolades, including being named one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans, an Environmental Educators 30 Under 30 recipient, a Nantucket Project Scholar, and the USA Weekend Magazine National Make a Difference Day Award in 2010.

lucas@miaminewdrama.org

P. Vanessa Losada is an award-winning producer and multi-faceted theatre manager. She is of Colombian and Cuban heritage. She was born in Miami and raised in Washington, D.C. Her previous experience includes (selected) Production Manager and Producer at GALA Theatre, Technical Manager and Producer at Adventure Theatre, Stage Manager at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Folger Theatre Library, and The Smithsonian Associate’s Discovery Theatre—general Manager for Fever Entertainment (Mad Hatter and Sleepy Hallow Bar: An Immersive Cocktail Experience).

She is a graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Arts. She has received multiple Helen Hayes Awards, including for best production of a musical – Helen, “On Your Feet,” that began the 2nd national Broadway tour.

Finalist for Inaugural Miranda Family Fellowship at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. DCMTA 2021 Staff Favorite: Outstanding Design Element in Professional Theatre Production: Fight Choreography “Luchadora!”

When she is not in the theatre or on set, she is training and competing in martial arts (Brazilian jiujitsu, Muay Thai)

vanessa@miaminewdrama.org

Bio coming soon…

william@miaminewdrama.org

Kelly Gonzalez, Media & Communications Manager – Kelly Gonzalez is a dynamic marketing and public relations professional with a robust background in integrated marketing strategies and social media management across various industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Miami and has a rich portfolio that includes partnerships with major brands like Chick-fil-A, Bacardi Limited, and McDonald’s.

Currently, Kelly serves as the Media & Communications Manager at Miami New Drama, a renowned theatre non-profit. In this role, she oversees marketing initiatives, enhances brand visibility, and engages diverse audiences through innovative and strategic campaigns. Her skills in media relations, content creation, and analytics contribute to the MiND’s belief in the transformative power of theater.

kelly@miaminewdrama.org

Jessica Farr is a writer, director, and actor from Miami. She is an alumnus of New World School of the Arts, Fordham University, and Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT). She has developed original programming for film, television, stage, and radio, including Comedy Central’s South Beach Comedy Festival. She is a recent MIA Artist grantee, participant of the Miami Film Lab Development Series, the Playwriting Development Program, and recipient of a TCG Artist Grant. Jessica has worked for numerous theaters in various roles, including City Theatre, Theatre Lab, Juggerknot Theatre Company, GableStage, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Actors’ Playhouse, Miami Theater Center, and Mad Cat Theatre Company, where she served as Associate Artistic Director. Her film A FLORIDA STORY has won accolades in several festivals including Indie Short Fest LA, IndieX-LA, and the Independent Shorts Awards. Jessica is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast WORST PLACE ON EARTH, an original storytelling series based on Florida headlines. www.jessicafarr.com

Bio coming soon…

boxoffice@miaminewdrama.org

Jessica Kaschube a multi-faceted theater manager with a passion for regional theatre. Her previous experience includes: Company Manager of Mad Cow Theatre (2017-2018), General Manager for GableStage (2013-2017), and various technical and managerial capacities for Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Montana Repertory Theatre, Bigfork Summer Playhouse and Alpine Theatre Project (2005-2013). She is a graduate of The University of Montana with a BFA in Technical Theatre and Design.

jessica@miaminewdrama.org

Bio coming soon…

karen@miaminewdrama.org

Proudly born and raised in El Salvador, Natalia (she/her/ella) is a multi-hyphenate creator and 2022 graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts, focusing on Stage Management and Theater Management. After moving to South Florida at the age of ten, she found her love for the arts and pursued her Certificate of Arts in Medicine: Applied Theatre for Health. All this guided her to start as an intern with MiND’s Department of Education in 2021. She has previously worked as a PSM on A Little Night Music and a dramaturg on Marisol (UF), as well as independently produced her own projects both in film and theater.

natalia@miaminewdrama.org

Bio coming soon…