About Co-Op Theatre East
Co-Op Theatre East believes in the power of art to foster a dialogue for social change. We provide an entertaining performance forum in which to ask evocative, challenging questions of artists and audiences on our way to creating collaborative answers.
Founded in Spring 2008 by three graduates of the Performance Studies graduate program at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU, Co-Op Theatre East produces socially minded performance that deals with the questions of today, the situations we find ourselves immersed in as New Yorkers, Americans, and world citizens at this moment. The staff at COTE firmly believes that theatre can do something; not only do we hold Hamlet’s mirror up to nature, but we can use theatre as a means to make a positive impact in the world.
Learn more about COTE's resident company at The Company page, and read more about the founders & administrators below.
Robert A. K. Gonyo (Artistic Director) is a theatre artist and musician residing in Brooklyn, NY. He is an alumnus of Siena College’s Creative Arts & Political Science departments, and the Master’s Degree program in Performance Studies at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Recent directing credits include Craig Abernethy's Do/Don't Do and his own Urinal Play as part of COTE's 2009 Questionable Content one-act play festival, Mission with Mixed Phoenix Theater Group, Absolutes and Been Laden with Terrorette’s Syndrome in COTE’s 2008 Questionable Content one-act play festival, Samuel Beckett’s Cascando (with music ensemble thingNY), and Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Convicts, part of End Times Productions’ 2009 “Vignettes for the Apocalypse” festival. www.robertgonyo.com.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Practicing music for COTE's January 26th fundraiser @ Jimmy's No. 43; prepping for an ensemble role in COTE's upcoming Decadent Acts; and writing a new piece for an upcoming COTE project!
Ashley Marinaccio (Artistic Director) is an activist and artist dedicated to creating theatre that challenges the status quo. Ashley has numerous directing, playwriting and performing credits. Most recent COTE credits include My Name is Rachel Corrie (director), Documentary: A Suicide Narrative (playwright/director), A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer (co-director), and two directing selections in Questionable Content. In November 2008, Ashley developed GirlPower: Voices of A Generation and GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest as part of the Manhattan Theatre Source's Estrogenius Festival. GirlPower: Voices of A Generation was featured and received numerous accolades in the 2009 NY International Fringe Festival. Awards include "Young Playwright of the Year" (2005) for Documentary: A Suicide Narrative at TADA! Theater, LUNA Bar's "Outstanding Production" Award for her work on The Vagina Monologues (2007) and several nominations for outstanding directing in the Vignettes for the Apocalypse (2008) One-Act Festival. Education/Training: MA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in Performance Studies, BA in directing and sociology/anthropology from Pace University, Hemispheric Institute's EMERGENYC (2008) and American Theatre Wing's "Springboard NYC" (2008). Ashley is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Visit her website at www.ashley-marinaccio.com.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Preparing the script for COTE's next production, Decadent Acts; and developing a solo performance piece called What To Do In Case You Miss the Rapture, based on interviews with people on the end of the world.
Casey Cleverly (Literary Director) As literary director, Casey curates the monthly playreading series COTE Tales which showcases emerging playwrights work at Kaffe 1668. Most recent COTE directing credits include A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer (co-director), and There is No Dash (director) part of COTE’s Questionable Content play festival. A recent graduate from Tisch School of the Arts with a Master's in Performance Studies, Casey has been involved in theater since the age of nine as actress, director, dramaturge, critic, and playwright. She studied script development at the College of William and Mary, London University, and Cambridge University. When not in the theater, she works in the marketing department at BAM.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Curating & directing COTE Tales!