The Purple Eyes Collaborators
Josh Inocéncio, Playwright and Performer
Josh Inocéncio is a playwright and performer who focuses on queer and indigenous reclamations within Latina/o and Euro-American cultures. After graduating with his Bachelor's at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi in 2012, he pursued and completed his Master’s degree in Theatre Studies at The Florida State University. While writing and defending his Master’s thesis on cultural memory, Josh independently wrote, performed in, and produced his solo play Purple Eyes, which was directed by Ph.D. candidate Jeff Paden. Now that he’s returned to his native Houston, Josh is touring Purple Eyes tour across Texas to theatres, cultural centers, and universities. Alongside his artistic endeavors, Josh also taught introductory theatre courses to both majors and non-majors at Florida State and now offers writing workshops for college and high school students. Currently, Josh is a writer for OutSmart Magazine and a Teaching Artist for the Alley Theatre.
Check out his personal website www.joshinocencio.com
Jeff Paden, Director
Jeff Paden, an artist/scholar, is a doctoral candidate in the School of Theatre at Florida State University. As a scholar, his research considers theatrical representations of violence, particularly those related to human rights violations. His chapter in the forthcoming A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage (Routledge) analyzes Ruined as a frame for considering the ethical problems and potentialities that emerge when staging a body in pain. Jeff is an active member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, and is also a member and co-convener of the Traumatic Structures working group at the American Society for Theatre Research. As an artist, Jeff has performed and directed with Villanova University, Port Tobacco Playhouse, and the Hard Bargain Players. He has also served as dramaturg at Florida State University, most recently for the world premiere of The Pretty Girl Basket Toss.
Dr. Trevor Boffone, Dramaturg
Trevor Boffone is a Houston-based scholar, educator, writer, dramaturg, and producer. He is the founding managing editor of the 50 Playwrights Project, a member of the National Steering Committee for the Latina/o Theatre Commons, and the champion of the Café Onda Editorial Board. Trevor has a Ph.D. in Latin@ Theatre and Literature from the University of Houston. As a dramaturg, he has worked with Josh Inocéncio, Mercedes Floresislas, Magdalena Gómez, and Jasminne Mendez. His writing has appeared in GESTOS, Latin American Theatre Review, Label Me Latina/o, Gender Forum, The Rocky Mountain Review, El Mundo Zurdo 4, Voces del Caribe, Upstage, Café Onda: Journal of the Latina/o Theatre Commons, HowlRound, Sounding Out! The Sound Studies Blog, and The Panza Monologues Blog. He is currently finishing his first book manuscript—Eastside Latinidad: Josefina López, Community, and Social Change in Boyle Heights—and co-editing an anthology of plays from the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Encuentro 2014 featuring the work of Karen Zacarías, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and other playwrights.
Check out his 50 Playwrights Project here as well as his personal website here.
Ariel E.R. Emmerson, Scenic Designer
Ariel received her MFA in Scenic Design from Florida State University in 2009. Since then, she has worked on over 50 productions in Florida and across the country as a freelance scenic designer and scenic artist. Ariel was resident Scenic Designer for three years at Florida State University where favorite productions included For the Love of the Nightingale, Dangerous Liaisons, Spring Awakening, and Much Ado About Nothing, among many others. Ariel was Seasonal Scenic Designer for The Seaside Rep, in Seaside, Florida for three summer seasons where she designed The 39 Steps and Hounds of the Baskervilles, in addition to many children’s shows. Additional selected credits include The Nutcracker, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Company, Hair! The Musical, and Leading Ladies. Ariel is honored to be collaborating with Josh on his production of Purple Eyes.
Rainy Edwards, Costume Designer
Rainy Edwards has been designing costumes for theatrical productions, dance pieces, and film for six years. Recently graduated from Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi in 2014, Rainy has designed numerous main stage and student directed pieces at TAMUCC. She is currently in her first year in the MFA Costume Design program at Florida State University. Rainy has also been working professionally with the Utah Shakespeare Festival for three years and five seasons. She has received a Meritorious Achievement in Costume Design from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2013 for Wild Honey and the School of Arts, Media, and Communication Best Designer Award from TAMUCC.
Ian Scot, Composer & Sound Designer
Ian Williams is happy to be working with Josh Inocéncio once again on their fourth collaboration together. Theatrical credits include: Compositions and Sound Design for some bodies travel (Carlotta New Play Festival); Merchant of Venice and This Land Was Made (YSD); Dutch Masters, Roberto Zucco, Moon Song, and 50:13 (Selected Works at Yale Cabaret); and Associate Sound Design of Caucasian Chalk Circle with music by David Lang at Yale Repertory Theatre. Ian has also featured installations, compositions, and performances at Boston Conservatory, Firehouse 12, Texas A&M University, A+D Gallery Chicago, and the PROP THTR. He currently lives in New Haven and is a third-year MFA Sound Design candidate at Yale School of Drama.
See more here.
Shannon Kaplan, Stage Manager/Sound Technician (Original Production in Tallahassee, 2015)
Shannon Kaplan is a BA theatre student pursuing stage management at Florida State University. She worked alongside Josh Inocéncio as his Stage Manager and Sound Technician for the majority of his productions at FSU, including Gruesome Playground Injuries and The War Boys. In addition to these, she served as an Assistant Stage Manager for props for Ragtime and as the Stage Manager for the Social Issues projects at Florida State. Her focus is working with pieces that incite social change or critical thinking about societal norms. It was an honor for her as a Latina woman to be a part of the Purple Eyes process.