Artists Sans Frontières Presents
A World Premiere
CREATIVE TEAM
Katie Burks – Auteur
Caroline Hodge – Lighting Design
Charles Seals – Sound Design
John Cann and Rodney Dobbs – Scenic Design
LightWare Labs – Projection Mapping
PERFORMERS
Evelyn Randolphe as The Shelterer
Gabriel Scampini as The Traveler
Guillermo Solorzano as The Survivor
Jaiquan Laurencin
Jean Carrio-Mendez
Katie Burks
Marquenys Brice
Niki Davis-Vohs
Made possible by the generous support of
ACT I
The Harbinger Beckons
Braving the Unknown
The Tale of the Survivor
Heat Wave, Drought, Strong Wind
A Fated Meeting
Texas Thunderstorm (Lighting, Hail, Power Outage)
Texas-sized Tornado
Aftermath of the Storm
Sit Rep: Hurricane Situation Report
Flash Flood (Coastal Flooding, Riverine Flooding)
A moment of Respite
Tsunami
The Fog
Interval – 15-minute intermission
ACT II
All at Once, The Fog Disperses
Winter Weather
Signals Lost in Wonderland
Ice Storm
Frost Unveils a Chilling Truth (ColdWave)
A Surge of Force: The Mountain Awakes
Avalanche
Earthquake
Echoes of Hope: Voices Unite
Landslide
Volcanic Activity
Wildfire
ABOUT ASF
Founded in April 2022 as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Artists Sans Frontières began with one question: Do the performing arts belong on the frontlines of conflict, violence, and war? The answer was an emphatic, “Yes!” Since its inception, ASF’s understanding of an essential frontline has expanded to include North Texas-based economically disadvantaged schools, international humanitarian aid centers, refugee shelters, air raid shelters, and even war-bordering circus tents. To date, ASF has provided programming to Over 1,500 forcibly displaced and economically disparaged families and children through Over 80 Classes and Workshops and Over 13 Performances and Performance Opportunities. ASF aims to make the arts accessible to all. Learn more at www.asf-ngo.org.
CREATIVE TEAM BIOS
Katie Burks (Auteur) Founder + Executive Director, Artists Sans Frontières; Creator + Performer, HAZARDS. Above all else, Katie Burks proudly calls herself a dancer, but lifelong passion for the performing arts has fostered the privilege of performing, teaching, collaborating, and creating dance, theatre, and interdisciplinary work across the United States and internationally. In 2017, Katie began her foray into the field of humanitarian relief as a volunteer on the frontlines of areas affected by Hurricane Harvey (Texas) and Hurricane Irma (Florida). Katie founded Artists Sans Frontières with the fervent belief that the performing arts should be accessible to everyone - no matter what their geographic, physical, or financial situation. A proud native of Dallas, Texas, Katie is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. For full performance, choreographic, and educational credits visit www.katieburks.com
Caroline Hodge (Lighting Design) is a Dallas-based programmer and designer who is delighted to be making her design debut with Artists Sans Frontières. Favorite credits include Every Brilliant Thing with the Dallas Theater Center, The Perspectives Project with Pegasus Contemporary Ballet, Mini Movement Fest 24 and 25 and Seeds 23 and 24 with Agora Artists, and The Persians at Undermain Theatre. Caroline would like to thank her family and her colleagues for their support. See more of her work at CEHodgeLighting.com
Charles Seals (Sound Engineer) is a multidisciplinary artist excited to make his theatrical SX debut with Artists Sans Frontières. A former musician, Charles studied film for a semester at Southern Methodist University while pursuing Audio and Sound at The Art Institute of Dallas. Currently freelancing as a Sound Engineer and Video Production Specialist, Charles recently competed in the 48 Hour Film Project - Dallas with Team Silent Meadows. His upcoming projects include Inside Thoughts Productions’ Freedom Concert and ongoing work as Sound Technician for Saintsville Sanctuary Church of God in Christ. Charles is grateful for the support of his family and friends, and to you for attending tonight’s show. Enjoy!
LightWare Labs’ Camron and Courtney Ware (Projection Mapping) are a Dallas-based duo where artistry meets engineering. With nearly fifteen years of daily practice in the specialization of the art of video projection mapping, LightWare Labs’ expertise extends far beyond merely operating projectors. Masters at eliciting a sense of wonder and astonishment from audiences, customers, and clients alike, LightWare Labs is excited to return to assist the full-length production of HAZARDS and enhance the overall impact of the show. Learn more at www.lightwarelabs.com
PERFORMERS BIOS
Evelyn Randolphe (The Shelterer) is a Collin College alumnus and trained with the Collin College Dance Ensemble, a modern dance company under the direction of Tiffanee Arnold, before graduating in Spring 2023. Being Carribean-American, Evelyn has always found a deep connection to art that embodies the feelings of struggle, war, and injustice. Evelyn has family who have been directly impacted by violence as well as natural disasters—especially those that have impacted Haiti – thus she strives to showcase the difficult conversations regarding the future of Haiti and other poverty-stricken countries. Evelyn wants to extend her gratitude to her family, her partner, her close friends who are here
for the show as well as in spirit, and to all the dance professors who have introduced the performing arts into her life.
Gabriel Scampini (The Traveler) is a Venezuelan actor and dancer. He started dancing Salsa and Afro-Cuban rhythms at the age of 11 before pursuing Sociology at Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas. He then expanded his knowledge in dance by exploring Jazz Funk, Afrobeats, and disciplines such as Ritual Theatre. Gabriel has worked with various companies as an actor and singer in productions such as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Ventura Producciones), and Pechos de Nina (Teatro Nueva Era). While in the United States, Gabriel has performed both professionally and competitively across Texas and California with groups like Mademoiselle, The Neighborhood and Team Athena. He was part of the cast for First, M.I., Last (by Rai Barnard), and most recently directed the piece LATIDO I as a part of the SEEDS 2024 Cohort (by Agora Artists). As an immigrant, Gabriel is deeply moved by the stories told in HAZARDS and is excited to form part of the production. Gabriel would like to send thanks to his parents and partner for their continuous support, to the cast for being a safety net, and to Katie Burks for her spirit and teachings.
Guillermo Solorzano (The Survivor) has been dancing since 2000. A native of Bogota, Colombia, Guillermo trained under Jaime Diaz and the late Ana Consuelo Gomez. His performance credits include works as diverse as Ballet Anna Pavlova’s The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo and Juliet, the musical Fame, and additional modern and contemporary dance, jazz, and street dance plays. In the past year, Guillermo performed at Cox Playhouse Theatre in Plano with North Star Dance Project in two pieces: Untethered (July 2023) and Forward Motion (April 2024). He is excited for the challenge that HAZARDS creates to explore his deepest feelings and share his personal story with the audience in the most honest and heartfelt way possible. Mostly, Guillermo is grateful to his mom and sister for their unconditional support, his mates and Katie for believing in him, and the generosity of all that supported this project to bring stories like his to the stage.
Jaiquan Laurencin (Performer) is an educator, performer, and choreographer born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut where he studied under his mentor Jolet Creary in multiple styles. After moving to Texas, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education from Texas Woman’s University where he was awarded Undergrad Excellence in Performance his first year. As a performer, Jaiquan has danced for companies including Dark Circles Contemporary Dance under
Joshua Peugh, Pedestrian Dance Movement under Liz Terry, and a guest performer with Noble Motion Dance under Andy and Dion Noble. Artists he has worked with include Sidra Bell, Gabrielle Lamb, Gregory Dolbashian, Justin Giles, and Meredith Rainey, to name a few. Along with getting the opportunity to be on film, perform at fashion shows, and appear in music videos such as Bastille’s Glory, Jaiquan has worked with nonprofit organizations such as performance theaters, pre-professional and professional companies, and multiple dance studios teaching workshops and choreographing works. Currently, Jaiquan is the Middle School Dance Director at Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, teaches and choreographs around Dallas-Fort Worth, and pursues his passion to grow and inspire the next generation of artists.
Jean Carrio-Mendez (Performer) Born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, Jean Carrio began his dance training in Arlington, Texas. He is a TCC Southeast alumnus! He earned a BFA in Dance from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. While attending SRU, Jean performed in many guest artist residencies, including Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane company and the Martha Graham Dance Company. Most recently, he completed his MFA in Dance at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Jean has taught numerous dance courses and master classes in higher education and privately. His work both in performance and choreography has been showcased nationally and internationally. Currently, Jean Carrio-Mendez is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at the TCC Southeast Dance Program. He is grateful to be part of a project that showcases climate impacts and natural disasters like hurricanes, which greatly impact his home country of Puerto Rico each year.
Niki Davis-Vohs (Performer) holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Minor in Dance from the University of Texas at Arlington. There she studied ballet, jazz, modern, improvisation and performed and choreographed for the Maverick Dance Company. She has presented work at the American College Dance Association and Big Rig Dance Collective Co-Op. Post-graduation, she has performed with Danielle Georgiou Dance Group, Big Rig Dance Collective, and Artists Sans Frontières. Niki holds the belief that, in addition to aesthetics, art should have a perspective and enact story telling. She was drawn to devise and perform in HAZARDS to go beyond the stage to engage audiences in conversations about the pressing issues faced by those impacted by displacement. Niki would like to thank her extremely supportive husband, Wesley.
Marquenys (M.J.) Brice (Performer) is a performer and choreographer from Dallas, Texas. She is a former Collin College CDE member and had the opportu-
nity to train with Tiffanee Arnold (Full Circle Dance), Andy and Dione Nobel (Nobel Motion), and Elijah Gibson (Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater). She previously attended Sam Houston State University as a BFA Dance student, where she was an active member of several organizations and held leadership positions in the “Night of Visions” heel dance organization. During her time at SHSU, she decided to take time off from her studies to train and gain experience in the professional industry, which led her to the city of Chicago, where she was able to perform and train as a freelance dancer. Brice is now a BA Dance Performance Candidate in the Division of Dance at Texas Woman’s University, performing works with Faculty members Sarah Gamblin and Jordan Fuchs, and MFA students Asiyah Martin and Daneil Garcia! As she completes her degree, Brice is excited to take on the powerful narrative of HAZARDS to inspire empathy and action. An active dancer and performer in the DFW metroplex, she is dedicated to using performance as a tool for advocacy.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Action PAC Stunts – John Cann and Rodney Dobbs for outstanding scenic design, fabrication, and particularly prop safety
Arts and Culture Texas Magazine – Ken Villalovos, Nancy Wozny, and Lindsey Wilson for invaluable help in sharing ASF’s mission across Texas
Dan Schlund – for gracious prop storage facilitation
Massage Rockwall – Debbie Gillespie LMT for enabling Katie to keep up with the incredible cast
Free Range Artist – Hannah Finch for custom, hand-detailed logo design and branding
Paofilm – Paolo Linares for terrific video footage
The 411 Agency – James Quinonez for beautiful promotional print materials
XD2 Dance – Melissa Glasgow for extremely generous rehearsal space
Diana Simpson – for unwavering support at all times, and
Donna Blackwood – for phenomenal costumes, and for everything, always.
