BFD Mentors work directly with Assistant Directors to help them grow their careers and skills. Check them out and follow their work! These are just a few of our mentors, we are always looking to grow our network!
Casaundra Freeman
Casaundra has performed on stages across Michigan and the country, including Detroit Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and The Purple Rose where she is a Resident Artist. Casaundra has won multiple awards for her work in both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. She’s also an audiobook narrator and the Founder/CEO of Unbittered.com.
Sherrine Azab
Co-Director, A Host of People
Sherrine is the Co-Director of A Host of People. In addition to directing she’s also a producer, performance curator, and educator. She holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she founded the critically acclaimed company Strike Anywhere Productions before moving to New York City. There she served as the Associate Producer for The Foundry Theatre (NYC) during their 2011 and 2012 seasons and is a proud Associated Artist with Target Margin Theater (NYC). She holds a postgraduate certificate from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University and was a member of the 2008 Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. Azab is currently the Engagement Manager for the Network of Ensemble Theaters. She was a 2017-18 UMS Artist in Residence, a 2018 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow, and has worked with the Arab American National Museum, Ping Chong + Co, and the Network of Ensemble Theaters among many other theaters and arts organizations.
Angie Kane Ferrante
Some of Angie’s recent directing credits include A Comedy of Tenors, Every Brilliant Thing, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. She is a graduate of the Wayne State University Theatre program, and is a proud Resident Artist of the Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, MI where she serves as a director, AEA Stage Manager, and vocal & movement teacher. Angie is also a licensed massage therapist and outdoor enthusiast. Starting in April 2019 she will set off to thru hike the 2,650 miles of The Pacific Crest Trail.
Leah Smith
Associate Artistic/Managing Director, Detroit Repertory Theatre
Leah Smith is the Associate Artistic/Managing Director of the Detroit Repertory Theatre and a local actor, director, and stage manager. Previous directing credits at the Detroit Repertory Theatre include Burying the Bones, A Thousand Circlets, The Kiss of the Sun for Pardon, My Occasion of Sin, Devil Dog Six, Capital, Dauphin Island, and The House on Poe Street.
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