Creative Team
EVAN CABNET
(director)
Evan Cabnet- Recent New York credits: Chris Shinn's Dying City (Lincoln Center Theater/James MacDonald, dir.), I See London, I See France (Obstruction Plays/Slant Theater Co.), Elizabeth Meriwether's The Mistakes Madeline Made (Naked Angels/Culture Project), Molly Smith Metzler's Training Wisteria (Summer Play Festival), Edward Albee's Seascape (Lincoln Center Theater on Broadway/ Mark Lamos, dir.), As You Like It (Public Theater, Shakespeare in the Park/Mark Lamos, dir.). He has spent five seasons at the Williamstown Theater Festival, and has toured extensively in Europe and Asia with Richard Maxwell's New York City Players and Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theater, where he is an Artist in Residence.
ZOE SAMUEL
(book writer and co-lyricist)
Zoe is twenty-four years old. She first broke into the theater business at age nine, with BLUE SUEDE SHOES, an homage to low-brow daytime television quiz culture. In subsequent years, she co-created such work as JAMES AND THE GIANT SEASONAL TICKET TO BRIGHTON, THE GEISHA, a lesser-known sketch comedy, and THE MYSTERIOUS MURDERS OF MR. BOND. Her first job after moving to the States was as intern and communal dogsbody at Code Entertainment, an independent film company in Los Angeles, where she brewed tea, worked on movie sets, and read scripts. Zoe has always been a passionate writer, completing her first novel - a fantasy epic approaching 1,000 pages in length - at age seventeen.
BEN SCHEUER
(composer and co-lyricist)
After studying music and poetry at Eton College in England and at Harvard University, Ben moved to New York City, where he paid his rent engineering and producing records, and spent his free time writing and recording songs. In New York, Ben began studying jazz guitar with faculty from the Manhattan School of Music, and joined the BMI Musical Theater Writing Workshop. Jihad is the fourth musical for which he has composed the score and written lyrics. Ben plays guitar and sings in the rock band Escapist Papers. He is twenty-four years old, and he is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
JAMES LAWLER
(producer)
James worked for a variety of film and theater producers in New York before starting out on his own. JIHAD THE MUSICAL is his first production for the Edinburgh festival. James has worked on such projects as Joan Didion's YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING on Broadway, NOTES ON A SCANDAL dir Richard Eyre, and the upcoming MARGOT AT THE WEDDING dir Noah Baumbach.
CHANTAL PAVAGEAUX
(co-director)
Chantal Pavageaux is a performance artist, writer and director. She throws theatrical parties under the nom de guerre 'the pants' and co-founded the performance collective The Royal Lace Paper Works. She is an associate of the SFA Grocery: an art manufactory and has collaborated with numerous theatrical companies including the TEAM (Particularly in the Heartland: dramaturgy and writing), Theatre de la Jeune Lune (The Miser, Tartuffe, Don Juan Giovanni & Figaro: assistant direction, Dominique Serrand, dir.), Selma's Poundcake (Walking in Memphis & L'chayim: direction) and The Bushwick Hotel (Sequins for Satan & Bloody Mary: performance). She also fashions hairstyles and make-ups as Les Short and crafts handmade gifts for bitchcraft.
CARLOS MAISONET
(stage manager - NYC)
Carlos is thrilled to be a part of this amazing production of "Jihad: The Musical". A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (Playwrights Horizons Theater School, CAP21, and Stonestreet Studios), Carlos' recent credits include "The Awesome 80's Prom" (Off-Broadway), Stephen Schwartz's "Captain Louie" (National Tour), "Capture Now" (NY Workshop), and "The Wild Party" (The Culture Project).
DEB O
(costume designer)
Deb O is embarking on a 2nd profession after working in a factory for 20 years. She has recently graduated from Yale School of Drama where she received her MFA in set and costume design. Her recent design credits include The Mistakes Madeline Made (Yale Rep), The Great Divorce (315 Theatre, NY), Edward II (Yale), The Lacy Project (Premiere, Yale), Hamlet (Yale), Firebugs (Yale Cabaret), New Tenant (Ensemble for the Performing Arts, CT), Tongues and Savage Love (Ensemble for the Performing Arts, CT), The Cherry Orchard (Cherry Orchard Theatre, VA), Marionette/ Gesture Dance (Off Broadway Theatre, WI). Her work will also be seen at the Ohio Theatre (NY) in July on the set of The Lacy Project. She has received the Jay and Rhonda Keene Award and ACTF-Kennedy Center Best Designer Award. She is thrilled to be crossing the threshold into her new profession.
ANDY JORDAN
(prop design)
Andy is an artist with cross-disciplinary involvement including art, design, photography, fashion, and theater. Recently Andy has done costume and scenic work for Gotham Chamber Opera, Glenn Rumsey Dance Project, NYC Fringe festival and costume/fashion designer David Quinn. Andy continues to work with David Quinn on various adventures as well as with the Izquierdo Studio, while pursuing various freelance gigs and personal projects in art, fashion and performance. He received his MFA (emphasis on Sculpture) from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and his BFA in Fine Arts (minoring in Media Studies) from the Columbus College of Art and Design. More info at andyjordan.net
BETHANY SAMUELSON
(choreographer)
Bethany Samuelson has worked with director/choreographer, Christopher Gattelli on Martin Short’s FAME BECOMES ME, Kander and Ebb’s ALL ABOUT US, HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD AND FIND TRUE LOVE IN 90 MINUTES and SILENCE! THE MUSICAL. For the past seven years she has choreographed for Columbia High School, The Strollers and Seton Hall University. Bethany holds a masters degree in dance from Indiana University under choreographer Bill Evans. She has performed on Broadway in CATS and currently works as a children’s casting director/wrangler for TV and commercial print. She is excited to be a part of JIHAD THE MUSICAL.
DARYL EISENBERG
(casting director)
Theater: MY FIRST TIME (New World Stages), TULLY (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) (NYMF '07), THE AWESOME 80S PROM, JIHAD: THE EXPLOSIVE NEW MUSICAL (Edinburgh Fringe '07), TUESDAY THE MUSICAL, LUDLOW LADD, ...CATEGORIES (Fringe '06), THE SPICKNER SPIN (Fringe '04). Film: THE BOOK OF CALEB, ESCAPE FROM YOGA CAMP, THE DINNER JOB, THE STRANGER, RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. Web: MINUTEMANCOMEDY.COM. Currently the Casting Associate on GOSSIP GIRL (the CW) and CASHMERE MAFIA (ABC) with Bonnie Finnegan and Steven Jacobs. As the assistant at Stanczyk/Cherpakov Casting: CORAM BOY, RADIO GOLF, THE GLORIOUS ONES, THE SEAFARER. At Casting House: FORIEGN XCHANGE. At Ellen Parks Casting: DARK MATTER (Sundance '07), GREY GARDENS, AUGUST, THE KEY MAN. Daryl has also worked in the casting offices at Warner Bros. Television, Manhattan Theatre Club, Theatreworks/USA, and Binder Casting. She holds a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. http://decasting.com