Award-winning playwright and solo performer Heather Woodbury, winner of the first Spalding Gray Award, and a 2007 OBIE-Outstanding Achievement in Off-Broadway Theatre- recipient, will conduct workshops in performance and Dramatic Writing while in Albuquerque for a special one-night-only presentation of her new one-woman play, THE LAST DAYS OF DESMOND 'NANI' REESE: A Stripper's History of the World, directed by Abigail Deser, at VSA North Fourth Arts Center Saturday, April 26th at 8 p.m. More information available at her website: http://www.heatherwoodbury.com.

Sheila Tousey is a guest director for the 2008 Words Afire Festival of New Plays, directing Numunu Waiipu: The Comanche Women by Terry Gomez. Tousey is and actor, director and producer. Her reoccurring television roles have included Emma Leaphorn, for the PBS series Mystery! and Judge Danielle Larsen in NBC's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. She has appeared as Older Thunderheart Woman for the TNT mini-series Into the West, Janine in the ABC production Dreamkeeper, and Mollie in HBO's Grand Avenue. Tousey co-produced Kate Montgomery's film Christmas in the Clouds. She performed in Sam Shepard's play The Late Henry Moss, opposite Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Cheech Marin, and Woody Harrelson. She has performed with American Indian Dance Theatre in New York. Tousey was educated at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and the University of New Mexico. She was born on the Menominee reservation in Keshena, Wisconsin

Scenic, lighting, and sound designer Justin Townsend is the guest scenic designer for the 2008 Words Afire Festival of New Plays. He is the recipient of the USITT Rising Star Award, which recognizes excellence and artistic achievement in the areas of scenic, lighting, sound, and projection design, or the convergence of these design disciplines. Townsend holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and an MA from the California Institute of the Arts. He has assisted top name designers including LD Christopher Akerlind and set designers Chris Barreca and Doug Stein, as well as designed the lights, sets, and sound for numerous theatre and dance performances, including quite a few at the Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont. His New York credits include La MAMA and the Ohio Theatre, while regional credits range from Playmakers Rep in Chapel Hill, NC, to Hartford Stage in Connecticut. He is the co-founder of the company TENT, and worked on the creation of their shows in both Portland, ME, and in Los Angeles. He has served as guest lecturer at various universities as well as a teaching assistant at Cal Arts, and has won several awards for his work, and was named a young designer to watch in Entertainment Design in 2004. Images illustrating his work can be seen at www.justintownsend.com.

Scott Vehill, is a guest director for the 2008 Words Afire Festival of New Plays, directing Pajaros de Mi Sangre: My Blood Birds by Don Garcia and Aurora: an Adaptation of Alcestis by Leonard Madrid. As a founder and Artistic Director of Prop Thtr Group, he has worked in some capacity in all its 100 plus shows, over 21 seasons. As a producer he has worked with Arts Festival- Atlanta, Annie Sprinkle, Blue Man Group, Second City, Organic Theatre, The Mexican Fine Arts Museum, Paul Krassner, Steppenwolf, Chicago Park District, The Field Museum, Court T.V., The WB, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Prof. Irwin Corey, A.I.M. the InterAct Theatre Co. and the Curious and Practical Theatres to name a few. As a screenwriter he has written scripts for McNaughton Jones Motion Picture, D.J. International, Celozzi Media and Vigilante Films. He helped start the National New Play Network, a consortium of new play theatres from around the country.

Playwright Tim Acito taught master classes and attended the opening night of UNM's production of "Zanna, Don't!" November 14-16, 2007. Acito presented classes in Musical Theatre Auditions, Writing for Musicals, and Musical Theatre Movement. Tim Acito, is a graduate of UC Berkley and toured internationally as a modern dancer for many years before returning to Yale to get his MFA in Playwriting in 2002. He wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Zanna, Don’t! and The Women of Brewster Place, a musical based on the prize-winning novel by Gloria Naylor, which is co-produced by the Alliance Theatre ( Atlanta) and Arena Stage ( Washington D.C.) and premiered this Fall.

David Geist was guest artist and conductor for UNM’s regional premiere of “Zanna, Don't!” Mr. Gesit coached the cast, prepared the band, and conducted the opening weekend of performances. Music Director, pianist, and vocal coach David Geist has had an illustrious, twenty-year Broadway career as a conductor, pianist, and vocal coach for some of the stage’s brightest stars. In addition to his many theatre credits such as Cats, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, The Lion King, The Producers, Wicked, The Last Five Years, and Fosse, David has coached and performed with such world renowned singers as Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, Betty Buckley, Rita Moreno, Cassandra Wilson, Linda Eder, and Hugh Jackman. Composer legends Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber have requested David to perform their music in concert and theatre settings.