Blessed Unrest is in its 22nd season of generating original theatre in NYC and touring internationally. They create safe environments where dangerous things can happen, producing dynamic, disciplined, and exuberant new works for the stage with their culturally diverse ensemble. They teach their approach to physical and devised theatre at universities across the country. Among their awards are four New York Innovative Theatre Awards (twelve nominations) including the Cino Fellowship for Sustained Excellence, the LPTW Lucille Lortel Award, and first prize at the 2016 Secondo Theatre Festival (Switzerland). The company’s work has been praised for “magnetism and electricity” (TimeOut NY) and “physical ingenuity and visual artistry” (NYTheatre.com). blessedunrest.org 

Jessica Burr (Director) is the founding Artistic Director of Blessed Unrest and a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2019 Kennedy Center ACTF Commendation for Distinguished Leadership, First Prize at the 2016 Secondo Festival (Switzerland), the 2011 LPTW Lucille Lortel Award, and multiple NY Innovative Theatre Awards.  Burr was recently named Artist in Residence at Sacred Heart University (CT) in recognition of her work on The Untitled Othello Project.  She has directed and choreographed over twenty productions and workshops for Blessed Unrest, including Body: Anatomies of Being (New Ohio), The Snow Queen (2019 Independent Theatre Award for Outstanding Premiere Production of a Play), This Is Modern Art (New York Theatre Workshop Next Door), Refuge (with Kosovo’s Teatri ODI, Baruch Performing Arts Center), and Battle of Angels (commissioned by the 2021 Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival).  Burr has taught workshops and directed at The Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival, Texas Tech University, Stephens College (MO), Eastern New Mexico University, Centenary College (NJ), and Prishtina University (Kosovo).  She has degrees in theatre and dance from Bard College.

Matilda Woods (Writer, Performer) is a stage name of an accomplished NYC-based actress, director, playwright, and academic who specializes in devised and physical theatre. 

Darielle Shandler (Production Stage Manager) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and has been working with Blessed Unrest since 2016 on BODY: Anatomies of Being. Selected favorite credits: Barococo (SM, Happenstance Theater Company at 59E59 Theaters); The Bridges of Madison County and The Merry Wives of Windsor (SM, Texas Shakespeare Festival 2021); Jacqueline Novak’s Get on Your Knees (Sub SM, Lucille Lortel); Refuge (PSM, Blessed Unrest + Teatri Oda at Baruch Performing Arts Center); Canarsie (Director, NYTF SummerFest); Doruntine (SM, Blessed Unrest + Teatri Oda, Secondo Theaterfestival in Zurich, Switzerland). Her original play, Don’t Make It Weird, premiered in Portland, Maine, at Deering High School. www.darielleshandler.com 

Julian Evans (Sound Design) A proud member of USA829 and IATSE Local 700 (Motion Picture Editors Guild), Julian oscillates between theatrical and cinematic mediums, bringing cinematic language to the stage, and theatrical stylings to the screen. As co-founder of Audioworks Film & Theatre in Chelsea, he has provided sound supervision for four seasons GZero World with Ian Bremmer on PBS. Recent mixes include One December Night starring Bruce Campbell (Hallmark), and indie shark thriller The Requin starring Alicia Silverstone. Off-Broadway: Desperate Measures (New World Stages), Cheek to Cheek; Forbidden Broadway; Enter Laughing (The York), Felix Starro (Ma-Yi); Tick, Tick…BOOM! (Keen Company); The Artificial Jungle (TBTB), I Like it Like That! (Pregones Theater), Soulographie (La MaMa), Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night (59e59). Regional: The End of War [2017 RTCC Winner: Outstanding Sound Design] (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Oklahoma! (Weston Playhouse). Cruise: Scarlet Night (Virgin Voyages). BA: Carnegie Mellon. www.julianevans.info @SpliceSoundNYC “Live fast, cry hard.”

Jay Ryan (Lighting Designer) fled to NYC after one too many Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals in his hometown of Richmond, Va. He is a frequent Blessed Unrest collaborator; credits include Body: Anatomies of Being, A Christmas Carol, The Snow Queen (New Ohio), and Refuge (Baruch Center for the Performing Arts).  As Resident Lighting Designer at Dance Theater Workshop (DTW), he designed lights for hundreds of dance pieces and developed the Dance and Technology initiative. He has toured the world with the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, Big Dance Theater, H.T. Chen, Chris Aiken, Karl Anderson, Dan Safer/Witness Relocation, Fiona Marcotty, Nami Yamamoto, Jeanine Durning, Sally Silvers, American Spanish Dance Theater, John Jasperse, The Bang Group, The Elementals, and many others. Jay was Nominated for a New York Innovative Theater Award for his lighting of Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment with WRC and was Awarded the Eva Adamson award for Excellence in Lighting Design in 2011. He was a Senior Designer at Levy Lighting in NYC designing lights for many high-end weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, fashion shows, corporate product launches, and private parties. Recently he started working for Frost Productions doing more high-end weddings and corporate events. He continues enjoying a variety of rich collaborations.

Sera Bourgeau (Costume Designer) is a New York City-based freelance costume designer. She has worked as an Associate and Assistant Designer on productions at George Street Playhouse, The Mint Theatre/New York City Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Guthrie Theatre, The Santa Fe Opera, The New York City Opera, and the New Haven Ballet, among others. Sera has worked as a full-time Costume Production Assistant on both POWER: Season 4 (STARZ) and THE EQUALIZER: Season 1 (CBS/NBC), on which she also worked as the Costume Department Coordinator. She received her MFA at the University of California – Irvine, and her BA at the University of New  Hampshire. Selected New York design credits include Battle of Angels (Blessed Unrest/The New Ohio Theatre),  Nickel Mines (NYMF/The Duke at 42nd Street), #yourmemorial (Pigeonholed Theatre Company/HERE Arts Center), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New York Shakespeare Exchange/The Secret Theatre). www.serabourgeau.com  

Artwork : Ripples of Thoughts by Rafal Makiela, courtesy of the artist. Model: Barbara Sklarek.