Phoenix Festival Playbill 2023 WEB - Flipbook - Page 37
2022-2023, and has twice been awarded the O-1 visa for extraordinary artistic
achievement in the US, as well as the City Artists Corps Grant by the City of New York.
LAURA SATIVA (Musician/Flute) (she/her)
Laura Sativa is a multi-instrumentalist and longtime New York
City resident. Switching between 昀氀ute, bass guitar and
percussion, she has performed and recorded in 14 countries
with a diverse roster of artists. Her 昀椀rst band, the feisty allfemale punk performance collective known as Mongrel Bitch,
enjoyed early recognition and support from Village Voice
critic Evelyn McDonnel. The band signed to Noiseworks Records in Germany and
toured Western Europe several times in support of their 昀椀rst album Ausfahrt.
Laura rocked the bass guitar for Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls) on his solo
recordings and tours, and she recorded with musician/author/icon Jayne
County aka Wayne County (Jayne County Meets the She Wolves). Her rock band
No Valentine was a 昀椀xture on the NYC music scene for six glorious pre-pandemic
years, releasing 昀椀ve EPs and regularly keeping crowds out late dancing. Currently
Laura can be heard playing 昀氀ute and percussion at venues around the northeast
with folk-rockers SoulCake (www.soulcakenyc.com). Watch and hear Laura with a
whole lot of talented musicians at www.youtube.com/laurasativa.
CRAIG SMITH* (Executive Director, Resident Artist) (he/him)
Craig Smith was an ensemble member of New York’s prestigious
Jean Cocteau Repertory where he made his artistic home for
more than three decades, appearing in over 200 productions
from Stoppard to Shakespeare and Sophocles to Williams.
In 2004, Craig and four colleagues founded Phoenix Theatre
Ensemble, an Off-Broadway award-winning artist-directed
ensemble, presenting three to six productions of new and classical works annually.
The Ensemble also produces an award-winning arts-in-education program for
NYC public schools, and a new-works program, as well as a variety of NYC
community activities.
The New York Times has described Craig as “one of our most consistently 昀椀ne
actors” and Playgoer.com said he is “a downtown legend.” He is the recipient of
the President of the Borough of Manhattan’s Award for Distinguished
Achievement in the Arts and Community Service.
