Baba Yaga

Jen Pearcy-Edwards is the Cherry’s Education and Development Manager. An MFA graduate from the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), Jen arrived in Ithaca following almost two decades of working in puppetry, devising, and physical theater in the UK.

Among octopi, izaq charp was by far the most distinguished octo-harp player in the ocean until an unfortunate incident involving a disgruntled sea-witch left izaq transformed into an orangutan. Finding octo-harp utterly impossible with a measly four limbs, izaq decided to pick up the quadra-phone, which he quickly mastered. But after another incident, this time with a jungle-wizard, izaq was transformed again, this time into a human. Without dexterous toes, quadra-phone too was out of the question, so izaq tried a guitar. Despite being neither as melodious as the octo-harp nor as sonorous as the quadra-phone, izaq enjoyed the guitar and practiced enough to become moderately good, by human standards. More (mostly true, moderately interesting) information about izaq can be found on this website: isaacsharp.art. And information about puppet happening (of which izaq is often a part) can be gleaned hither: lilypadpuppettheatre.org.

Claire Chesne is a lighting designer from Chicago, studying Theatre Production and Design at Ithaca College. She has worked at the Hangar and Kitchen, and is making her debut at the Cherry with Baba Yaga.

Norm Scott is Ithaca-based inventor, sound designer, and video editor. He builds wacky contraptions and audio-visual installations both functional and imaginary. A childhood penchant for documenting life with a handheld tape recorder led him to a career in audio recording and production and a handful of albums, including “H2so4” and “Bone Music.” Norm has collaborated locally with House of Ithaqua, the Cherry, Arhanta Studio, and the Beyond Art Collective, lending his talents in videography, sound design, music composition, plastic art, and motion graphics. He divides his time between work at PhotoSynthesis Productions, Cornell University, his own venture Scott Mediaworks, and being a dad.

Rosalina Maassen Rosa is a Wells College alum, who is super grateful to continue to be working on Cherry Arts productions. Recent works include Rosa and Blanca and La Cerise Noire. Rosa can also be found at The Hangar just up the street!

Mo Dransoff is an Ithaca-based artist.

Robin Guiver is an actor and movement artist, who relocated to Ithaca after nearly two decades working in theatre and film in the UK. He has appeared as the lead in a number of award winning short films, and was a member of the original West End cast of the Royal National Theater’s production of War Horse, as both human characters and a horse puppeteer, before going on to take over the movement associate role on the production. He’s toured the UK and Europe, and performed at the prestigious London International Mime Festival, and was both professional cast and movement assistant in the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony. Some of his best know projects include Creature work on the recent Star Wars films, the Wicked film, Jurrassic World Fallen Kingdom, an appearance in season 12 of Dr Who, and being the on set performer for Flounder and lead puppeteer in Disney’s live action film of The Little Mermaid. Robin originally trained in Lecoq’s style of actor created physical theatre at the London International School of Performing arts, specializing in mask work and animal movement. Find out more about Robin at www.robinguiver.co.uk.

Karen Rodriguez is an Ithaca-based filmmaker and cinematographer. She is the owner of Wind-Up Productions. She has co-designed the Cherry Livestreams since the 2021 including And What Happens If I Don’t by Iva Brda, The Wetsuitman by Freek Mariën, E-Motion by Saviana Stănescu and Daniel Gwirtzman, and Carbon by Pier Lorenzo Pisano. A 2017 Fulbright Scholar, Karen holds an MFA in Film and Video Production from the University of Iowa Graduate College. Instagram: @winduppics.

Greg Levins graduated NYU with an emphasis in film directing, screenplay writing and video editing. Greg worked for a number of casting houses in NYC, auditioning actors in commercials, industrials, music videos and films. He’s directed two indie features, wrote a handful of screenplays and dabbled in music video and commercial production. Since moving to Ithaca he’s made a few promotional videos for Ecovillage, filmed a weekly Gayogohó:nǫ’ language class taught by one of the few remaining native speakers, along with working for the Cherry Arts in numerous productions over the past three seasons. He’s thrilled to be a part of Ithaca Fever, helping to expand the audience to include viewers at home with a livestream feed.

Claire Marie Mannle is a partner and parent who lives on Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ land (Central New York). Claire holds an MFA in Ensemble-based Physical Theater from the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater and a BA in Theater and French Studies from Smith College. She has directed, taught, and performed across the US and abroad.

Claire is interested in telling new stories in old ways and old stories in new ways. When she is not in rehearsal, she loves foraging, hiking, gardening, playing with dogs, and making children laugh.

Arthur Groys is an actor, puppeteer, as well as a film director, scriptwriter, and literary writer from Moscow, Russia. He is currently in Ithaca as an Artist Protection Fund Fellow in residence at Ithaca College and Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA). Arthur studied classical Russian drama and puppetry and has written plays for children and teenagers, which have been staged in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, and Israel. He has also written books of comedic and fantastic poetry, sketches, stories, and novels for children and teenagers. Arthur speaks several languages and has performed in English, Russian, and French.

Emily Pugh is an actor, director, and stage manager, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. She recently graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Performing & Media Arts and Literatures in English. She has trained with the Juilliard School, the Prague Shakespeare Company, and the British American Drama Academy. Some of her recent stage credits include acting in Orlando’s Gift by David Feldshuh, directing Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, and stage managing and assistant directing Baba Yaga at the Cherry.