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Jeffrey Coyle: Director
Jeffrey is a multiple award-wining theater director and performer and has been working professionally since graduating with a B.F.A. from the University at Buffalo in 2006. He has worked as a performer, director, stage hand, designer, technician, and stage manager at many of WNY’s theater companies, including Irish Classical Theatre Co., Shakespeare in Delaware Park, MusicalFare Theatre, American Repertory Theatre of WNY, Subversive Theatre Collective, Kavinoky Theatre, Theatre of Youth, O’Connell & Co., Alleyway Theatre, Shea’s 710 Theatre, Road Less Traveled Productions, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, New Pheonix Theatre, Buffalo United Artists, Unique Theatre Co., Jewish Repertory Theatre, Lancaster Opera House, and Theatre In the Mist. Jeffrey is a nine-time Buffalo ARTIE Awards nominee and has won for his direction of FLOYD COLLINS, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, and UNINETOWN, THE MUSICAL, as well as for Supporting Actor in THE FULL MONTY. Love, as always, to mom, dad, Erin, and now William!
Matthew Igoe - Director
Matthew Igoe graduated from Princeton in 2020 with a major in Religion and minors in Creative Writing and Humanistic Studies. After working at a publishing house in Boston, Matthew moved home at the end of 2023 where he is presently managing a career,assisting with the founding of a startup in Provincetown, MA.
Matthew’s publishing experience is a major bonus for FIrst Look Buffalo Theatre Company as he in integral in contributing to the upbuilding of the arts in Western New York. He is currently managing First Look Buffalo’s grant writing committee, working with multiple foundations throughout the U.S., to build First Look Buffalo’s financial security.
Samantha Pangorn - Director
Samantha Pangborn is the Fundraising Producer at Buffalo Toronto Public Media whereshe prepares, produces and directs both live and pre-produced pledge breaks across all of the PBS stations; both on radio and television. Through her position, she has received leadership training from attending 2023’s WNY Women’s Foundation Women’s Leadership Conference and from the Rising Stars Leadership Program with Buffalo’s Clementine Gold Group. Samantha received her education from SUNY Niagara with an Associates Degree in Theatre Arts and completed her Bachelors Degree in Media Production from Buffalo State University. She is elated to be a part of the First Look Buffalo Theatre Companies board where she is committed to using her leadership training and education towards the companies mission, working with top playwrights from around the country to introduce brand new productions to our audiences!
Mike Doben: Director
Mike is the Co-Artistic Director of Buffalo United Artists, Buffalo’s only exclusively LGBTQIA+ theater company. He is also the Executive Director of 1666 Theatrical Productions. Mike has worked at Subversive Theatre Collective where he directed FAHRENHEIT 451 and MERCURY FUR. For the latter he garnered an Artie nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play. Mike has also worked on the Road Less Traveled production staff in the capacity of Stage Manager and Assistant Director. He is thankful to be a part of First Look Buffalo’s first full season of theater, owing special thanks to Bob Rusch and Drew McCabe for the opportunity.
Stacey Kosiorek – Director
Stacy works currently, with M&T Bank as a data analyst. Stacey has been interested in the film, theater and TV mediums for as long as she can remember. When asked as a child of what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would always answer the same: an actress, an Archaeologist (we can thank Indiana Jones for that) and an FBI Agent.
Stacey has worked in theatre, behind the scenes in productions, over the years, doing set work, painting, and quickly became the Props department for the productions she worked on. In 2016, she started acting classes with Frank Rossi and then classes with Bob Rusch. These classes also deepened her love and interest in supporting the local theater and film industries.
Stacey brings her valuable marketing and social media skills to First Look Buffalo, helping the company expand it’s viewer base and increase revenue as a member of our fundraising committee..
Kayla Victoria Reuman (Reu) - Director
Kayla is a Buffalo actor and director who graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theater Performance. Kayla is a resident director with First Look Buffalo. Some of Kayla’s favorite past work includes directing Sylvia by A.R. Gurney and The Exorcism of Princess Bubblehead by Maddison Sedlor as well as playing Rose in FALL FROM THE GRACE OF GOD with A.R.T., Holly Seabe in Anton in Show Business at Niagara University and performing throughout England as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Kayla would like to thank family, friends, and Amanda Garry.
Drew Fornarola - Director
Drew Fornarola is a playwright, songwriter, and occasional director from New York City, and is the artistic director of Starring Buffalo. He has written for DreamWorks’ Shrek and VeggieTales franchises, and his play STRAIGHT, a New York Times Critics’ Pick off-Broadway, is now in development as a major motion picture. Other credits include Tilly the Trickster (written with SNL’s Molly Shannon), which has been performed around the world, and Hershey’s Unwrapped, the 2019 IAAPA show of the year, which has played over 1,000 performances at Hershey Park. Next up: Tiananmen, premiering at Phoenix Theater Company in 2023. Drew has headlined concerts around the world including Lincoln Center, 54 Below, London Theater Workshop, and Broadway au Carre (Paris). Recent directing credits include Little Shop of Horrors starring Tony Award-Winner Matt Doyle, and Sunday in the Park… starring Tony Award-Nominee Josh Young. Graduate of Princeton, Fordham, and the BMI Workshop. @drew-fornarola www.drewfornarola.com
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Drew McCabe - Director
Drew (director) - an multiple Artie Award nominee for both directing and writing, over the past 13 seasons he has directed 49 productions across WNY. A 2007 graduate of the University at Buffalo where he studied Japanese and Theater, Drew is happy to be returning to First Look where he previously directed COPS AND FRIENDS OF COPS. Other favorite regional productions under his directorial eye include IT'S ONLY A PLAY, SHE KILLS MONSTERS, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, THE PRIDE, CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL and ORGAZMO. It is widely speculated that Drew has one of the largest retro videogames collections in WNY, in fact, when he’s not directing, he is religiously practicing on his Dig-Dug arcade machine for high scores. He would like to thank his cast and crew for their hard work, his wife Jenny for her love and support, and his emotional support soccer team, the New York Red Bulls.
VANESSA SHEVAT - Director
(Director THE MEAN BOY ON MOVING DAY and JUST SIGN) graduated from Niagara University in 2017 with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance. She is excited and grateful to have the opportunity to direct two plays with First Look Buffalo, and is so proud of the cast and crew for all their hard work. Some of her favorite stage roles include The Widow in TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare and Goneril in CINDERELLA WALTZ by Don Nigro. Vanessa has also made appearances in commercials and films which include THE FIRST PURGE, BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE, CROSSBREED, and SEX APPEAL.