CAST & CREW

Declan Rapp

PRODUCER

Declan Rapp is absolutely ecstatic to be joining the Breadcrumbs Productions team for this performance of Come Like Shadows. Declan has broad experience working in theater, with experience ranging from musical theater performance to lighting design. Recently, his work was seen in Le Moyne College’s productions of Godspell (Light Design), I Hate Hamlet (Scenic Design), The Squirrels (Stage Management/Sound Design), and The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong (Light Design). Past directorial and performance credits include Dancing to the Rhythm of a Hidden Flame (Writer/Director/Designer), Hand to God (Director), 9 to 5 (Dick/Ensemble), and Bare: A Pop Opera (Priest). Declan currently works as a freelance theater artist in Syracuse, New York, and you can see examples of his previous work on Instagram @declanrappdesign.

Whitney Tenney Pak

DIRECTOR 

Whitney Tenney Pak is an actor, director, and teaching artist based in Syracuse, New York by way of Los Angeles, CA. She is Associate Artistic Director of Circle Squared Collective, a theatre company creating new and devised work. Most recent projects include the virtual production, This Land, an exploration of the 2020 Election created bi-coastally using interviews from voters all over the country. In 2014, she trained with Tectonic Theatre Project (The Laramie Project) in their system of devising, Moment Work, and has collaborated to produce multiple shows using this method of creating new work in the years since. She currently teaches in the Drama Department at SU, and has taught and directed for the Education Department at Syracuse Stage. Previously in LA, she taught and directed for multiple youth theatre organizations, and most recently was director of the theatre program at Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary School. She previously worked with Breadcrumbs in pre-pandemic days, and is thrilled to be returning to direct this wonderful new work!

Gemma Cooper-Novack

WRITER

Gemma Cooper-Novack was the resident playwright with The Theater Offensive’s Creative Action Crew (2015-2016), generating new plays (including Reporting Live from Under the Rainbow and Through the Glory Hole and What We Found There) based on the work of a queer youth performance ensemble. Once I Was a Kingdom was presented on Zoom for the Women+ in Theatre Conference. Recent workshops include Break (About Face Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2018), This Not That (The Depot for New Play Readings, Hampton, CT), and You Want Them to Look Away (Breadcrumbs Productions, Syracuse, NY, 2020). The Dating Game was performed in New York and Boston in 2015. Her light opera adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, co-written with Joshua Tyra, has been workshopped at colleges in New York and Chicago. Her play Blindside was produced in Chicago in 2008. Gemma’s poetry book We Might As Well Be Underwater was published by Unsolicited Press in 2016. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Literacy Education at Hobart & William Smith Colleges and a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Cosette Myrick

STAGE MANAGER

Cosette Myrick is excited to return as stage manager after the workshop production of Come Like Shadows last Fall. She has a wide variety of stage managing credits during her time at ESM High School and Ithaca College. Those credits include Chess: In Concert, Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, and We Are The Ants. Before graduating from Le Moyne College, she acted in  The Squirrels, and I Hate Hamlet as Felicia Dantine. She is a Marketing Coordinator at SecureIt Tactical and a proud cat mom. In her free time, she does freelance video work and creates foodie content highlighting local businesses, and gluten-free eats. You can follow her on Instagram @gottatacoboutit!

Jason Ngo

SOUND DESIGNER

Jason Ngo is thrilled to be the sound designer for the production of Come Like Shadows. His most recent work on sound design was for Goblin Market (2021) with Breadcrumbs Productions and “Bring it to the Ball” (2022), a Sparkles Royale drag production. Jason has also acted and performed in other theatre and film productions as well.

Luke Blumencranz

SCENIC DESIGNER

Luke Blumencranz is making his scenic design debut for the production Come Like Shadows. He is currently a sophomore at Syracuse University, getting a BFA in Theater Design and Technology. His recent experiences include scenic assisting Sweet Charity (2022) at SU Drama and scenic assisting A Christmas Story (2022) at RedHouse.

Tanner Efinger

ACTOR

Tanner Efinger (he/they) is the Founding Artistic Director of Breadcrumbs Productions. He is a theatre maker, arts advocate and community organizer. Select original works include Marie & The Nutcracker Prince (Producer/Performer), The Picture of Oscar Wilde (Writer), 1918 (Writer/Director), and High As Sugar (Writer/Performer). Other regional and international credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oxford University Press), Hamlet (Boston Theatre Company), The Marriage of Figaro (Boston Lyric Opera), Footloose & Rough Crossing (Cortland Repertory Theater).  He has taught devised theatre at LeMoyne College, Shakespeare programs at Oxford University, as well as various improvisational theatre and acting classes with numerous schools and organizations. Tanner is the co-owner of Wunderbar, a queer bar and theatre in downtown Syracuse.  His long term goal is to help develop Central New York as a place for artists and queer people to migrate to because of the depth of opportunity. For more information, please visit www.tannerefinger.com.

Emilee Edick

ACTOR

Emilee Edick is excited to be a part of this production of Come Like Shadows! Emilee participated in theatre, including musicals, all throughout high school, in productions like A Chorus Line (Shelia), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror 8), and Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey). Emilee has trained at the New York State Summer State School of the Arts (NYSSSA) School of Theatre, and Bennington College where she studied within the drama/acting program. Emilee will be continuing her training in the fall! She will be attending Point Park University where she will study under the B.F.A. Acting program!

Mary Nickson

ACTOR

Mary Nickson (they/them) is excited to be a part of the inaugural Saltland Festival! Born and raised here in Syracuse, Mary worked professionally in the CNY Theatre scene for several years before earning their BFA in Music Theatre from Elon University and moving to Manhattan in 2018. After a year in NYC, they toured North America with the First National Broadway Tour of 'The Spongebob Musical' as a Swing covering >12 tracks in the show, pre-COVID. For the past 2 years, Mary has Co-Directed/Co-Choreographed the FMHS Musical, which has been an absolute gift to be involved in. Mary has spent the better part of a decade working as an Arts Educator and Vocal Coach, having taught at several accredited Universities, including Boston Conservatory, Nazareth College, Heidelberg University, and The Hartt School. Mary is a passionate, Mixed Race, Queer Activist/Musician/Artist who is very proud to be making art here in Syracuse. Thank you for coming out to see us! @marynickson // marynickson.net

Binaifer Dabu

ACTOR

Binaifer Dabu is a storyteller who has performed in India, Boston, Off-Broadway (Lion Theatre), and in Syracuse, with variety of regional theatre companies, play festivals, and independent film projects.   She is grateful to be a part of the artistic team of “Come Like Shadows” at the Saltland Theatre Festival.  She most recently appeared in the Redhouse production of “Angels in America” (The Angel) and world premiere production of Garrett Heater’s “Puccini”, for Chelsea Opera. Some other favorite roles:  “Antigone and Letters to Soldiers Lost” (Antigone);  “Romeo & Juliet” (Nurse);  “Marie and the Nutcracker Prince” (Tsarina Alyx);  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Puck);   “August Osage County” (Violet);  “The Elephant Man” (Mrs. Kendall);  “Importance of Being Earnest” (Lady Bracknell);  “Twelfth Night” (Olivia).  She has written and performed in her original piece “Tower of Silence” and “Fragments”, as part of the Virtual Play Festival.  We all carry rich stories of our own, of which we are both the narrator and the audience. Thank you for supporting live theatre.

Emily Elizabeth

ACTOR

Emily Elizabeth (she/her) is excited to be back on stage with Breadcrumbs Productions in this beautiful new piece of theatre. Emily is a multidisciplinary theatre artist, and film actor. While she finds her joy on stage, she is also a voice artist, most recently heard as Olivia in the audio drama “Forgive Me.” She is an award nominated producer, and headed an all-female production team for “Independence.” She was last seen on stage with Breadcrumbs in “Grimm Cinderella,” and also portrayed Constance Wilde in the premiere of “A Picture of Oscar Wilde.” Emily is passionate about finding and offering professional, sustainable opportunities for artists in Central New York through her work as Executive Director.