James La Bella '27 MFA  is a writer and dramaturg. James’ writing has been seen onstage at NYU Skirball, The Prelude Festival, Joe’s Pub, WNYC’S Greene Space, Invisible Dog, PS21, Life World, The Brick, ART/New York, Lost Bag, and in print in  McSweeney’s, The Washington Square Review, The Maine Review, Motif Magazine, and Emerge Anthology. James is a former Lambda Literary Fellow and a member of 2023/24 Civilians R&D Group. He’s a recipient of the Betsy Carpenter Playwriting Award, the Rod Parker Playwriting Award, and an EVVY Award for Best Writing for the Stage.

As a dramaturg, James is a frequent collaborator of The Civilians (8+ shows) and recently co-wrote their show Sex Variants of 1941, which premiered this fall at NYU Skirball. He's done other dramaturgical work with Playwrights Horizons, New Georges, The Mercury Store, Hedgepig Ensemble, PlayPenn, Brown Arts Institute, New Repertory Theater, Fresh Ink Theater, The Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and Clubbed Thumb, where he assistant directed the Obie-award winning Grief Hotel at The Public Theater. James is the primary historian for Smith's Point, a partially "lost" 1970s sitcom. Jameslabella.com.

Daniel Shtivelberg '26 MFA is a Ukrianian-Jewish theater artist from Chicago, IL. Daniel has developed new work with The New Coordinates, MUnCh at Rhinofest, and with The Sound in Chicago, as well as Available Light Theater in Columbus, OH. As an actor, Daniel was in Harley Elias’ Scourge, directed by Brian Mertes as part of the 2024 Writing is Live Festival. Other theaters Daniel has acted with include Trinity Rep, Brown/ Trinity Rep, The Artistic Home, Teatro Vista, Bramble, Redtwist, and Steep. Daniel is currently a second-year MFA Acting candidate in the Brown/ Trinity Rep MFA Programs. www.danielshtivelberg.com