Jason Slavick is the Artistic Director of Liars & Believers. He is a director, writer and educator. For the LAB, he conceived and directed Who Would Be King, Yellow Bird Chase, and ICARUS, which premiered in Cambridge, played Outside The Box in Boston and made an acclaimed New York debut at the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival (honorable mention for book and design). Jason directed 28 Seeds , he co-wrote and directed, Song of Songs – a LoveRomp, and wrote and directed Le Cabaret Grimm – a punk cabaret fairy tale {sans fairies}, which premiered in Boston and played at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival (best featured performer and best design, honorable mention for choreography). Jason also directed the LAB’s experimental project, Talk to Strangers. Jason wrote and directed Heaven & Hell – The Fantastical Temptation of the 7 Deadly Sins, a musical excursion commissioned by The Boston Conservatory. As a company member of Boston Theatre Works, Jason directed Othello (Elliot Norton Award nominated for Best Production and Best Actor), The Tempest, Antony & Cleopatra, and Macbeth. He developed and directed Emily Mann’s critically acclaimed Meshugah, Olga Humphrey’s  Veronika Vavoom Volcanologist, and his own play J: a one-act improvised tragi-comedy. He also directed numerous developmental workshops and readings including Joyce Carol Oates’ The Tattooed Girl. Jason has directed throughout New England, in Tel Aviv, and in Philadelphia. Besides the shows above, Jason has written and directed The Golem, Icaphish, and Alice: a Grotesque Turn in Twelve Scenes. Jason has taught at colleges and schools throughout New England. He earned his MFA in directing from The Trinity Repertory Conservatory in Providence, where he was awarded the inaugural Pell Scholar Award.

There he had the great fortune to work with Oskar Eustis, Brian Kulick, and Kevin Moriarity. Jason also studied at the Dell Arte International School of Physical Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute, and the Warsaw Theatre Academy in Warsaw, Poland.

Cassandra is a critically acclaimed pianist, vocalist and musical director. As a pianist and cabaret artist she has performed throughout Boston and the country, including such venues as: The Napoleon Club, Dedo’s, Club Cafe, The French Library, The Duplex, The Majestic Theatre, Club Passim, and North Shore Music Theatre. She received her BFA from Ithaca College with additional studies at The Royal Conservatory Toronto, The Longy School of Music and The American Music Center. She has musically directed over 50 shows both regionally and professionally, including the 1st National Tour of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. As an educator Ms. Marsh has taught at The Merrimac Repertory, The Middlesex Summer School for The Arts, Winthrop School of Performing Arts and The North Shore Music Theatre. Currently, she teaches piano, voice and theory privately. Her students have gone on to such schools as: New York University, Boston Conservatory, Ithaca College and Berklee School of Music.

She has written and produced three one-woman shows and is currently working on her latest installment, The Unashamed Accompanist. She also composed and wrote the book for Alice, a musical adaptation of the Lewis Carroll story which has been produced by the Boston Baked Theatre Company and The Middlesex Summer School for the Arts. Her song, My Hometown, was written for the Boston production of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. As a singer/songwriter she is currently working on her second full-length CD, a follow-up to Spellbound With Hope, due out on the Whirlygirl label. Cassandra is an experienced church musician and has served as the Minister of Music for the last six years at the First Church of Winthrop United Methodist. She is also a community activist and founding member of the Winthrop Coalition for Peace and Justice.

Michelle Chassé was principal dancer with Portland Ballet, Ballet New England, and other local companies. Ms. Chassé trained at the Boston Ballet School, studied privately with Maestro Vincenzo Celli, and was on scholarship at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She graduate cum laudewith a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory, where she was the first recipient of the prestigious Ruth Sandholm Ambrose Award. Since then she has studied and performed with ballet, concert dance and Broadway legends from around the world. Ms. Chassé has performed as a guest artist with Franklin Performing Arts, Granite State Ballet, and was a featured ballet dancer in a VH1 video starring Michael Crawford, and has been a featured jazz dancer and model for numerous television commercials and industrials. She has performed openings for Gregory Hines and Harry Connick Jr., among others. Her choreography was seen in the Boston Conservatory Musical theater productions Where’s Charley?, Side Show (New England Premiere), Anyone Can Whistle, Street Scene, Crazy For You, and Wild Party. She served as Associate Choreographer for the Boston Conservatory’s production of Chicago, and as Principal Choreographer for the world premieres of Andrei Petrov’s The Captain’s Daughter and Joe Jackson’s Heaven & Hell, as well as the Conservatory’s critically acclaimed 2003 production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Ms. Chassé is the 2004 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the Boston Conservatory. She has also performed and choreographed for the nationally recognized Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, and is a highly sought after guest artist performer and master teacher. Ms. Chassé is on the dance faculty at the Boston Conservatory, where she serves as Dance Instructor, Resident Choreographer, and Musical Theater Dance Coordinator, and on the faculty of the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio.

Aaron Sherkow has been designing shows since 2001. He has designed for theatre, dance and opera companies around Wisconsin, including Cornerstone Theatre, Danceworks, Nevermore Theatre, Attic Theatre Inc and Chamber Theatre. In 2008, he moved to Boston to pursue his MFA in Design at Boston University. He received his BA in Theatre with a Music minor from Lawrence University in 2004. In 2006, he joined the staff of Ripon College’s Theatre Department. He is currently on the design faculty of Lawrence University.

Kendra is on the theatre faculty of Tufts University. She has worked for Huntington Theater Company, Stonehill College, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Glimmerglass Opera, and Hubbard Street Dance.  Some of her design work includes Song of Songs (LAB),  The Fantasticks (Prometheus), Cosi Fan Tutte (Millikin University), and Peter (Braintree Films). She holds a BFA in Studio Art from Millikin University and a MFA in Theatrical Design from Rutgers University.

Marc Ewart has worked in many departments of theatre production throughout his education and start of his career. He attended Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH where he graduated in 2005 cum laude with a B.A. in Theatre Arts with a concentration in directing. During his four years at F.P.C. he performed in many productions while also working in the costume and prop shop. There he appeared in productions of You Can’t Take It With You, The Laramie Project, Vertical Talking, Blood Brothers, and The Death of Don Juan. In 2003 he was honored to be a cast member in …but the rain is full of ghosts by Robert Lawson, which attended the American College Theatre National Festival and performed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has worked on many productions around Boston in many different departments including stage management, carpentry, set design, lighting design, costume design, and also selling tickets in the box office. He currently works freelance technical theatre and ushering in the Boston area. He is also the site manager of Pioneer Village: Salem 1630 in Salem, MA. With Liars&Believes he has stage managed Song of Songs: A LoveRomp and was ASM for Le Cabaret Grimm. He attributes much of his success in technical theatre to owning a pick-up truck.

Eric Bornstein (MLA Harvard 2000 Fine Arts) is an award winning mask maker, who has studied with masters Agung Suardana in Bali, and Donato Sartori in Italy. He received his MLA in Fine Arts along with the Thomas Small prize from Harvard University. His masks have appeared at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, the Fuller Craft Museum, the Kennedy Library/Museum, the Boston Lyric Opera, the Boston Ballet, the Society of Arts & Crafts (Newbury Street), King Richard’s Faire, Revels, and First Night Boston. He teaches classes in making and performing, and offers performances and residencies to schools throughout the state through Young Audiences of Massachusetts. Local and national media have described him as “a man of many talents” and his masks as “phantasmagoric,” “magnificent,” “Stunning, finely crafted…first-rate,” and “gorgeous.” For more information please visit behindthemask.org.

Haley Selmon is thrilled to be returning the the world of Le Cabaret Grimm! Originally from San Francisco, she decided to brave the cold and attend The Boston Conservatory. While there, she played a variety of roles; from a little old lady (Hattie in Follies), to a Shakespearean noblewoman (Lady Anne in Richard III), and of course, Veronique in the world premiere of Le Cabaret Grimm! Since graduating, she spent time singing for Carnival cruise lines and recently went to Stratford-Upon-Avon to perform Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Ashley Lanyon, a recent graduate of The Boston Conservatory’s esteemed Musical Theatre program, is thrilled to be making her NYC debut at NYMF with Liars & Believers. Favorite recent credits include Georgia (Curtains), Claudia (Nine), and Monica Murray (By the Bog of Cats). Enormous amounts of gratitude to Jason, Michelle, and Cassandra for this opportunity! Love to her family, who are the reason why she has the faith and confidence to go for her dreams.

Bart Mather is beyond excited to take the NYMF by storm for the second year in a row! This year with Liars & Believers and Le Cabaret Grimm. Last year he appeared in Matchmaker, Matchmaker, I’m Willing to Settle. Bart is a recent graduate of The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Recent credits include, PrometheusBound (A.R.T.), The Donkey Show(A.R.T.), The Balcony (The Boston Conservatory).

Meryn Beckett is thrilled to be performing in NYMF this year! She is a San Diego native who recently graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. She was most recently seen under the direction of Laura Marie Duncan in The Full Monty as Georgie. Other credits include One Touch of Venus (TBC), Oliver (Fullerton FCLO), Jesus Christ Superstar (The Curtis Theatre), Brigadoon (The Barnstormers Theatre), Factory Girls (TBC), The Rocky Horror Show (TBC), Pippin (TBC), Grease (Casa del Prado Theatre), Fosse (Casa del Prado Theatre) and others. This is for you Daddy!

Davie M. Kaim is very excited to make his NYC debut with Le Cabaret Grimm! A Boston native, Davie has studied at the Boston Conservatory for the past year. Favorite roles include: Juliet (Shakespeare’s R+J), Doctor Parker (Bat Boy), Glen Gulia (The Wedding Singer), and Prince Stephen (The Little Mermaid). Modeling credits include Fear editorial (Men’s Health). Thank you to Jason, Cassandra, and Michelle for this amazing opportunity!

Alessandra Vaganek is a rising senior at The Boston Conservatory, where she majors in Musical Theatre. She is a certified dance teacher through Dance Educators of America, and a part time choreographer as well. Some of her favorite roles include: Aurora (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Princess Barbara (The Apple Tree), Hattie (Laundry & Bourbon) and Witch (Into the Woods).

Brandon Timmons, born and raised in Gulf Breeze, Florida, is a rising senior at The Boston Conservatory, working on a BFA in Musical Theatre. You may have seen him recently at the conservatory in Curtains, or dancing with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. Try to be good and choose happy!

Jenna Schoen is thrilled to be a part of Le Cabaret Grimm. She is currently training at The Boston Conservatory. Regional credits include A Chorus Line, Annie Get Your Gun, A Christmas Carol, The Sound of Music, Sweet Charity, and Anything Goes. She would like to give many thanks to Michelle Chasse and everyone at The LAB for this amazing opportunity; and all her love to her family and friends for their endless support!

Haley Selmon is thrilled to be returning the the world of Le Cabaret Grimm! Originally from San Francisco, she decided to brave the cold and attend The Boston Conservatory. While there, she played a variety of roles; from a little old lady (Hattie in Follies), to a Shakespearean noblewoman (Lady Anne in Richard III), and of course, Veronique in the world premiere of Le Cabaret Grimm! Since graduating, she spent time singing for Carnival cruise lines and recently went to Stratford-Upon-Avon to perform Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.