Oliver Jeffers (Author) is a visual artist and author working in painting, bookmaking, illustration, collage, performance, and sculpture. Curiosity and humor are underlying themes throughout Oliver’s practice as an artist and storyteller. While investigating the ways the human mind understands its world, his work also functions as comic relief in the face of futility. Jeffers’ engagements and practice are truly international in scope. His critically acclaimed picture books have been translated into over fifty languages and sold over 14 million copies worldwide. His original artwork has been exhibited at such institutions as the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Palais Auersperg in Vienna. Jeffers has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award, Bologna Rigazzi Award, An Irish Book Award, and a United Kingdom Literary Association Award. His nineteenth book as author and illustrator was released in October 2021, and he has illustrated several others. Oliver grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland; he currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. 

Madhuri Shekar (Playwright) Shekar was born in California and grew up in India. She is currently based in the New York region, having recently graduated from the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at Julliard. She writes on themes of love, relationships and sexuality inspired by her cross-cultural background. Madhuri’s plays include Dhaba on Devon Avenue (commissioned by Victory Gardens), House of Joy (California Shakespeare Theatre, San Diego Rep, developed at South Coast Rep, Juilliard, Atlantic, NY Stage and Film), Queen (Victory Gardens—2017 Jeff Award for Best New Play; APAC—NY Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Full Length Script; Geva Theatre Center), A Nice Indian Boy (East West Players, Rasaka Theatre Company, EnActe Arts), In Love and Warcraft (Kendeda Graduate Playwriting contest winner), Antigone, Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s (Alliance Theatre), and Bucket of Blessings (Alliance Theatre). Madhuri was one of the first recipients of Audible’s new commissioning program for emerging playwrights. Her audio drama, Evil Eye, debuted at #5 on Audible’s bestseller list, and won a 2020 Audie Award from the Audio Publishers Association for Best Original Work. The film adaptation is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime. In Hollywood, Madhuri was a staff writer on HBO’s The Nevers and is currently at work on a film to be announced soon. Madhuri is a Resident Playwright at New Dramatists. She has an MFA in Dramatic Writing from USC, and a dual Master’s degree in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and USC. 

Christian Albright (Lyricist) is thrilled to be working with the creative team behind the Alliance Theatre’s production of The Incredible Book Eating Boy. Credits include lyricist for the Seattle Film Festival Selectee, The BoomBox Saints, and Librettist and Co-Lyricist for the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival Selectee, Mother of God. Christian continues to write songs and lyrics for numerous artist in Atlanta as well develop musicals and screenplays. Mother of God, co-created with Christian Magby, will be making its main stage premiere this December! Christian is very thankful for the support of his parents, family and friends!

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Kat Conley (Scenic Designer) is ecstatic to return to the Alliance. She has designed more than 30 Alliance productions, including Courtenay’s Cabaret, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Wizard of Oz. Kat has designed scenery for Arena Stage, Orlando Shakespeare, the Kennedy Center, Georgia Shakespeare, Marin Theatre Company, Actor’s Express, The Atlanta Ballet, The Center for Puppetry Arts, 7 Stages, Theatrical Outfit, Synchronicity Theatre, Theatre in the Square, and Aurora Theatre. She continues to be the Charge Scenic Artist for the Alliance Theatre. Whether dramatically challenging, visionary, or escapist, all theater and art is important; thank you for supporting it in our community. 

An-lin Dauber (Costume Designer; she/her) is excited to be returning to the Alliance Theatre for The Incredible Book Eating Boy! She previously designed sets and costumes for A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play. Favorite costume designs include Paul Swan is Dead and Gone; What You Are Now (The Civilians), The Song of Summer (Mixed Blood Theatre), The Kind Ones (Magic Theater), Common Ground Revisited (Huntington Theatre Company), It’s A Wonderful Life; Lost in Yonkers (Hartford Stage), Seven Guitars (Yale Repertory Theatre), Into the Woods (Arkansas Repertory Theater), And Then They Came For Me (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), The Thanksgiving Play (Virginia Stage Company), Macbeth (Theater Alaska), The Seagull (Serenbe Playhouse). She is a company member of The Williams Project, a living wage theater company committed to radical hospitality. MFA Yale School of Drama. Member local USA 829.

www.anlindauber.com 

CBD (Music Director; he/they, aka “Chris Brent Davis”) Chris Brent Davis aka CBD is an Atlanta-born music director, pianist, conductor, arranger, and goofball. Off-Broadway/National Tour: Greenwood: the Musical (Original Cast — NYMF, starring Andrea McArdle), Della’s Diner (Music Director/Conductor, Springer Theatricals). Regional Credits: john & jen, Spring Awakening (freeFall Theatre Co.), Les Misérables (The Springer Opera House), and Children’s Letters To God (Suzi Nom., The Legacy Theatre). CBD served as Resident Music Director for Serenbe Playhouse from 2015-2019, on their landmark productions of Titanic, Miss Saigon (Suzi Bass Award), and Carousel. Following that, CBD served as Resident MD for City Springs Theatre, working on Holiday Inn, Mary Poppins, Hairspray, and A Gentleman’s Guide To Love & Murder (City Springs). He is a member of the Broadway Dreams Foundation faculty, serving as music director and pianist. This performance and every performance is dedicated to his #1 cheerleader, Nana!

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Jeremiah Davison (Sound Designer) is super excited to be back at Alliance Theatre! Some of his credits include: Do You Love The Dark? (TVY Alliance Theatre); Bootycandy, Home Town Boy, Heather's: The Musical, Head Over Heels, and Audio Engineer for The Color Purple Musical (Suzi Award Winner for Best Sound Design – Actor’s Express). The Light (Horizon); Cinderella, Song & Dance (Aurora Theatre); Fires in a Mirror (Theatrical Outfit), Mirandy & Brother Wind, Ella Enchanted (Synchronicity). And Step Afrika’s National Tour of Drumfolk, which appeared Off-Broadway at The New Victory Theatre. He has also served as the Associate Sound Designer for Hands Up (Alliance Theatre); An Octoroon, Jump (Actors Express); Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time, Pipeline (Aurora Theatre); Skeleton Crew (Westport Country Playhouse, CT); Too Heavy for Your Pocket (George Street Playhouse, NJ). He is a University of West Georgia and Georgia State Perimeter College alum. Davison is a Co-Founder and the Director of Operations of Multiband Studios LLC.

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Christian Magby (Music) is an actor and composer, is thrilled to be back at Alliance Theatre, where he was last seen in A Christmas Carol, 2019. He can currently be seen in the CW hit series, The Flash, as Deon Owens, the Still Force, the latest cosmic force to be introduced to the Arrowverse. Magby can also be seen in the Oscar nominated, Amazon feature One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King, starring opposite Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge and Lance Reddick. Magby has worked in the music departments for the NBC/Universal musical films Dear Evan Hansen and Pitch Perfect 3. He has worked as an actor and music director in many of the theaters in Atlanta, including Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Horizon Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company, among others. His newest musical, Mother of God, will be premiering this December at Southwest Arts Center. SCAD Grad. YEA Alum.

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Ben Rawson (Lighting Designer) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Theatrical/Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre, Michigan Opera Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Theatrical Outfit, Actors Express, Aurora Theatre, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, 7 Stages, and Synchronicity Theatre. Dance design work includes choreographers Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Danielle Agami, and Claudia Schreier as well as with Atlanta Ballet, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, BalletCollective, Fly On A Wall, Staibdance, Bluebird Uncaged, Proia Dance Project, and Emily Cargill and Dancers. Ben has also worked across the country as an Associate & Assistant Lighting Designer for San Diego Opera (CA), The Alliance Theatre (GA), Berkshire Theatre Festival (MA), Atlanta Opera (GA), Utah Opera (UT), Atlanta Ballet (GA), and Playmakers Repertory Company (NC). benrawsondesign.com 

Danielle Swatzie (Choreographer; she/her) is thrilled to join the creative team of The Incredible Book Eating Boy at the Alliance Theatre. Danielle Swatzie was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance from The University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield in Spring 2019. Swatzie is a Director, Choreographer, Movement Artist, and Freelance Dancer based in the southern city. She has presented growing roots through concrete, her debut dance film premiering at The Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (MAD). In addition to her latest work, META, created through Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company as a Dihvinely Konnecked Fellow, which later won Best Music and Dance Video at the BronzeLens Film Festival. Swatzie’s work extends into academia, where she has set work on Spelman Dance Theatre, and has nourished her craft through residencies through organizations like Dance Canvas. As a freelance dancer, she can be seen on Television Networks such as BET, YouTube RED, Amazon Video, and Apple TV, in addition to performance on independent films, and with project based companies.

Follow @daniswatziee
www.danielleswatzie.com

Jamil Jude (Director) is a highly accomplished director, producer, playwright, and dramaturg focusing on bringing socially relevant art to the community. Jamil is the Artistic Director at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, where he previously severed as Associate Artistic Director. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder of The New Griots Festival, which is dedicated to celebrating, advocating, and advancing the careers of emerging Black artists in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area in Minnesota. Prior to joining the staff at True Colors, Jamil served as the Artistic Programming Associate at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, a Producer in Residence at Minneapolis’ Mixed Blood Theatre, a New Play Producing Fellow at Arena Stage in Washington, DC and co-founded the Colored People’s Theatre. Among his many awards, Jamil has been named the recipient of the Turn The Spotlight Fellowship (18/19), Andrew W. Mellon/TCG Leadership U Fellowship (2015/17), Nautilus Music Theater Management Fellowship (2014/15), NNPN Producer Residency (2011/12; 2012/13), Jerome Foundation/The Playwrights’ Center Many Voices Mentorship (2013/14) and the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship at Arena Stage (2009/10; 2010/11). Jamil received his Bachelors of Arts from Colgate University. 

Liz Campbell (Stage Manager) local credits include: Bina’s Six Apples, A Christmas Carol, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, Max Makes a Million, The Wizard of Oz, Paige in Full, Winnie the Pooh, The Jungle Book, The Dancing Granny, Cinderella and Fella, Ugly Lies the Bone, Pancakes, Pancakes!, Tiger Style!, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, James and the Giant Peach, Shrek, and Charlotte’s Web (Alliance Theatre); The Drowsy Chaperone, Camelot, The World Goes Round, Million Dollar Quartet, Monty Python's Spamalot, and Ragtime. (Atlanta Lyric Theatre); Book of Will and It’s a Wonderful Life (Theatrical Outfit). She has been the Stage Manager for the GHSMTA (Shuler Awards) since 2015. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Niagara University. Member of Actors’ Equity Association. Co-founder of Atlanta Theatre Artists for Justice. Love to Ali and Maggie. 

Amanda Perez (Stage Management Production Assistant) Alliance Theatre credits include: Bina’s Six Apples, Dream Hou$e, A Christmas Carol, Beautiful Blackbird Live!. Other Atlanta credits include: Chess, Nine (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre); The Best of Broadway, Luminous, Oliver (Atlanta Lyric); Leading Ladies, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, Bullets Over Broadway (Georgia Ensemble Theatre). She’d like to thank her husband and daughter for all their love and support.