Company Of Angels Expands Staff By Three Positions

Company of Angels will welcome three new hires who are passionate about furthering CoA's mission to create a theater of Los Angeles that is deeply connected to communities who are under-represented on Los Angeles stages. Corinne Chooey is an accomplished actor and improvisor who will establish the role of Company of Angels' Director of the now one year old 'Angel City Improv" plus also lead the organizations' Community Engagement initiatives throughout Boyle Heights and the Los Angeles community at-large. Julianna Stephanie Ojeda takes the formal position of Associate Producer and Nakasha Norwood will take the role of Company Manager after both working with CoA in varying capacities including acting, directing and assistant producing.

"I am honored to welcome these incredible women to the CoA's staff. Their vision, passion, artistry and advocacy will elevate our company's driving focus, they embody the heart of our mission and are exemplary examples of the passionate artistic leaders we hope to build upon here at CoA. Their collective experience, accomplishments, and history of bringing theater to people who need it most make them a powerful addition to our company as we grow, and advance. Corrine, Julianna and Natasha will support us as we continue to develop local theater artists and create work that depicts Los Angeles," said Artistic Director Armado Molina

Chooey is originally from San Francisco and studied at The American Conservatory Theater, East West Players Conservatory, and UCLA's School of TFT. She began her improv training at The Groundlings and Cold Tofu Improv. She is an improv graduate of UCB and the Pack Theater, where she was on the Decon house team. A past participant in Fox Television's Diversity Writers Program, Corinne completed the sketch comedy program at ACME and was a weekly performing company member for over three years. She also completed the J. Paul Getty Foundation's Arts Management program and spent her residency at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. Currently, she performs with The Color Collective Comedy and the improv team, Friday. She is a company member of Company of Angels, where she directs the improv comedy program, Sacred Fools Theater, and the Pack Theater.

Ojeda is a Latinx Theatre artist born and raised in the Gateway Cities of LA. Graduate of Rio Hondo College and completed her BA in Drama with Honors in Acting at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. During undergrad she was a directing intern turned production assistant/ASM on the South Coast Rep production The Long Road Today by José Cruz Gonzalez directed by Armando Molina. At San Diego Repertory Theatre she joined the Fellowship program with a focus in stage management. At San Diego she worked with artists like Herbert Siguenza by assisting in casting the workshop of his show Beachtown. She continues to work with SD REP annually as a reader for their Latinx New Play Festival. She also worked at Oregon Shakespeare Festival as the assistant director for UniSon by Universes directed by Robert O'Hara. While at OSF she participated in ED&I training as a part of their FAIR program under Dawn Monique Williams and performed in the OSF Latinx Play Project. She has served as a member of the Steering Committee for the Latinx Theatre Commons. In Chicago Carnaval she was the "Show Liaison" for Killing of a Gentlemen Defender by Carlos Murillo directed by Michael John Garces. Guest director at ACT in Seattle as a part of their ACTivate Series in collaboration with Latino Theatre Projects. Telling the untold story and developing new works are her core mission in theater.

Norwood is originally from Des Moines, IA, but has lived in FL, VA and NY before settling down in CA. She began to develop her interest in performing while an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech. Upon graduating, she made her way to New York City and began to study acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting. It was there that she got her first taste of theater and loved it! She continued her studies in acting at the Atlantic Acting School. She performed in several off-off Broadway shows, including Convention/Atlantic Theater Company, The C Word/Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Acceptance/Sundog Theatre, Criminal Hearts/Stella Adler Studios and The Women/Stella Adler Studios. She also worked part-time for the theater company Ars Nova and was able to get her start working backstage. Once Nakasha moved to Los Angeles, she immediately got involved with Company of Angels. She performed in the company's LA Views X: Sanctuary, Short Play Festival: TomorrowLAnd, and Wing's project: Solidarity Is A Four Letter Word. She's also been in other projects, including Dracula/New Hollywood Theater Company, We Breathe/Willie Agee Playhouse, and the short films The Attack of the Killer Clowns/YouTube and Door Post/Screenland Productions. She's also worked behind the scenes doing production assisting and/or social media marketing for projects with the American Film Institute, USC, Unabashed Productions, ChicArts Productions, and All Is Well Productions. She's also been developing her skills as a producer. She co-produces and performs in the company's monthly improv and spoken word show. She also helped produced their Short Play Online Festival: What's Going On, as well as their weekly virtual readings. Nakasha is excited to continue working with CoA and sharpen her skills as a performer and leader in production and management.

"It is my distinct honor to accept this position at Company of Angels. I look forward to creating, exploring and developing bold new stories with our membership and the greater community.," said Chooey " As Los Angeles' oldest repertory theatre, Company of Angels has a history of valuing and presenting diverse voices. I am thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary journey."

Said Ojeda, "I'm excited to join this diverse group of artists to continue to uplift and tell the stories of our Los Angeles community."

Norwood offered, "I'm very excited to join the staff at Company of Angels. CoA has been a big part of my theater life since I moved to L.A. 3 years ago. I've had many opportunities through them to grow as an actor and producer. I'm beyond thrilled to become company manager and develop my leadership skills. I look forward to contributing to the team and company as we continue to develop diverse stories and engage more with the community."

Founded in 1959 by a group of television and film actors that included Richard Chamberlain, Leonard Nimoy, and Vic Morrow, Company of Angels is now the oldest professional theater in Los Angeles. As such it has a revised mission to provide a space for the voices and audiences neglected by the major regional theaters.

Company of Angels now produces original work by professional theater artists who reflect the communities that make up the City of Los Angeles and engages residents from low-income communities including Boyle Heights and Skid Row to develop original theater pieces for performance. In this way CoA re-envisions theater to reflect and respond to the richness, diversity, and complexity that is Los Angeles, entertaining new audiences and serving the City of Angels.

Since 1959 Company of Angels productions garnered over thirty Los Angeles Drama-Logue Awards including a special award for Continued Excellence, nine Back Stage West Garland Awards, eight Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (three nominations) including a special award for Distinguished Achievement, six LA Weekly Theatre Awards (three nominations), six NAACP Theatre Awards (four nominations), eleven LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, five Dimension Robby Awards nominations and seven Broadway World Los Angeles nominations. The Company aspires to share and give voice to the many stories that exist in our communities. For more information visit www.companyofangels.org

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