Artist & Production Bios:

Tim Barsky (Executive Director / Artistic Director) is a traditional Jewish storyteller and musician who has also worked extensively in the hip-hop community. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in Islamic & Judaic religious studies, he has also studied at the Berklee School of Music, and with the renowned Chassidic folklorist and archivist Fishel Bresler. He has worked as a producer for the Providence Black Repertory Company, as a fire juggler in Dublin Ireland, a street outreach worker for the state health department of Rhode Island, and as a flutist and beatboxer with over a dozen b-boy/b-girl (breakdancing) crews including Ground FX, Fillmore Rocks, & Sisterz of the Underground. His work has been performed at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley (2005), Traveling Jewish Theatre in San Francisco (2004), The Exit Theatre in San Francisco (2003), The Finborough Theatre in London, UK (2002)and AS220 in Providence RI (1997-2001). In addition he is a co-founder and lead organizer for The Vowel Movement, an organization which supports beatboxing in the bay area and beyond. A community artist with the Hybrid Project at SF's Intersection for the Arts, and a former artist-in-residence at AS220, he has also been a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Art, London, Stanford University & Oberlin College, a featured speaker at The American Press Institute, and a beatboxing instructor in SF juvenile detention facilities..

Jessica Ivry (cello and voice) works as a freelance cellist and music teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She plays and sings in the Real Vocal String Quartet (www.rvsq.com) a world music quartet playing arrangements and original songs. Jessica also plays with Shotgun Wedding Symphony (live hip-hop) and most recently with the Beth Custer Ensemble (music for cinema). She was a founding member of Balkan/Jazz outfit, Peoples Bizarre for four years. Jessica has recorded for local and national acts including jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon and indie rockers Buelah. She recently performed with Bauhaus at their Halloween reunion show at the Fillmore. Jessica holds degrees from Skidmore College and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Safa Shokrai (acoustic bass) has been in the San Francisco jazz scene for several years now. Having had the great pleasure to study with the late Ray Brown briefly, Safa has since gone on to form and participate in several projects, including Downtown Uproar, Tin Cup Serenade, and Iron and the Albatross. He has also worked with the theater group Killing My Lobster on several of their riotously funny projects. Safa is currently dreaming and scheming of moving to Paris to further pursue his musical career.

Soulati (aka Tommy Shepherd) is an Actor, Playwright, B-Boy, Rapper, Drummer, and Beatboxer. He graduated from both the Technical theater and Actors Training Programs at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts (P.C.P.A. Theaterfest). Past credits include Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet with Shotgun Players, Freddy in Stand-Up Tragedy and Musical Director for Cinderella at P.C.P.A. Theaterfest, Mickey Finch/Co-Author/Musical Director of Beatbox: A Raparetta at San Jose Repertory's New America Playwright's Festival. He was awarded a commission for the play, Is Life A Dream? in 2001. For the past seven years he's put his focus into training and mentoring youth in the Bay Area from Oakland to San Jose to East Palo Alto to San Francisco where he helped start PARTY! (Perfoming Arts Reaching to Youth) with Jhoannne Lubet and Felonious: onelovehiphop. Tommy is also an Executive Officer of Wishbone Entertainment, a production company promoting underground and under-heard music, theater, and visual arts. Tommy is currently a Resident Artist at Intersection for the Arts working as both a performer and educator for the Hybrid Project which seeks to find a new performance language for artists and audiences. He loves this game!

Mina Liccione began performing at age three and choreographing in her early teens. She's been seen in Stomp, Sweet Charity, The New Pickle Circus, Yas Hakashima's M and M Improvisational Theater, The Oneness Awards, the "Zap It!" Series, Make*A*Circus, J Mandle Performance, MTV's The Grind, The Beat, the Motion Picture Cradle Will Rock as well as numerous TV Spots and Cabarets. Some of her choreographic credits include: Martha's Scadalous Speakeasy Show, Play!, ExPand: A Circus Review, Cult Classic and The Secret Lives of Custodians. She received a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College, is a graduate from the San Francisco School of Circus Arts' Clown Conservatory and holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from the New College of California. She just recently presented her one woman comedy show entitled ella Pancha, is a member of the Velocity Circus Troupe and will be seen in the upcoming National Lampoon's Film The Trouble With Frank this winter.

Mike "each" Tinoco resides in California where he beatboxes daily. Studying how the mouth is a cavity that can be manipulated, he has developed a unique style implementing a consistency of fluidity, delivering precise timing, and creating a formulated blend of rhythmic sounds. Mike has performed at many beatbox events, including the 2004 International Human Beatbox Convention that took place in NYC. He has opened up for a number of artists and has shared the stage with many great beatboxers from around the globe including Dougie Fresh, Kid Lucky, & Kenny Muhammad (The Human Orchestra). Mike is a co-producer of The Vowel Movement, which is a monthly beatbox event that takes place in San Francisco. Aside from co-producing and performing at events, he is an eminent networker and organizer in the beatbox community. He recently helped establish an international beatbox organization called the World Beatbox Federation (WBBF), with some of the most well-known beatbox organizers from New York, Canada, and Europe. WBBF hopes to create international events such as beatbox battles & conventions to help expand & promote the art of beatboxing. Mike is currently further experimenting with incorporating various guitar-related effects into beatboxing -- imagine Brian Eno and Tony Williams jamming together, creating music from the beat within...

David Robertson (Lead Lighting Designer) has been designing in the Bay Area since her moved here in 1998. He is currently the Production Manater and Lighting Designer for Traveling Jewish Theater. He also works with many local companies including Teatro Zinzanni, The SF Mime Troupe, Theatre Rhinoceros, The Shotgun Players and Killing My Lobster.

Tanya Hurd (Production Manager) is a graduate of LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts (NYC), with over a decade of bi-coastal experience in arts production and management. A line producer and head stage manager for the Burning Man Arts Festival in Black Rock City Nevada, Ms Hurd is also a head administrator for the Epic Arts Foundation, technical director of Everyday Theatre & an associate producer for Paradox Media (all based in the Bay Area). She has worked at venues including A Traveling Jewish Theatre, Project Artaud, The Julia Morgan Center, DNA, The Great American Music Hall, Cat Club, The Ashby Stage, The Oakland Metro & The Headlands Center for the Arts. Ms Hurd’s education & experience as a practioner and performer in the fields of classical music, dance, theater, & film have provided her with a innovative & integrative approach to the management and production of live performance.

Justin Katz (Artist Representative) Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Justin has dedicated his life to the development of community through the arts. His creative career began with his involvement in a number of professional musical and theatrical ensembles, most notably as the bassist and composer for Bay Area cult favorites Rosin Coven and Dr. Abacus. His natural ability to run the business side of projects led to his development as a manager, promoter, booking agent, and event producer. In 1997 Justin co-founded The Epic Arts Foundation and continues to serve as the Program Director, booking and producing its diverse programming. He is also the founder of Paradox Media, an event production and design firm, serves as an associate producer with The Burning Man Project and ArtCar Fest, and is, above all, a proud papa.

Will Chase (Company Manager) brings to Everyday Theatre over 13 years of experience in project management, organizational logistics, business development, and market strategy. While overseeing and coordinating the EDT production team, he is responsible for formulating processes, policies and practices that enable Everyday Theatre to function efficiently and sustainably. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Will pursued a successful career managing a variety of consumer entertainment software teams. He eventually transitioned into event management, art curation, and arts management, including acting as the Operations Manager for the Burning Man Art Department.