Esther Farmer has been using theater as a tool for community development for 30 years. She is the former ombudsman for the New York City Housing Authority, and has received international recognition for success in crime prevention. She was the lead facilitator for Plays for Living, working with NYC seniors and school children creating original theater on community issues such as bullying, diversity, transportation and safety. She collaborates often with Everybody’s Theater Company in Ontario, Canada and she is the author of sev- eral published articles on theater and community development. Esther is a proud activist with Jewish Voice for Peace.

Kenneth Hughes has been working in the New York theatre scene for over 40 years. He is an experienced stage manager and casting director, and for eight years performed with the Gayggles, an improv troupe. For 25 years, as a builder of the non-pro t Castillo Theatre, he performed in over 55 produc- tions, from original musicals to the work of the German playwright Heiner Mueller. He became politically active in the early days of the AIDS crisis and has been able to express his politics through his art. Now retired, he spends his time cooking, painting, reading plays and playing with his dog, Pogo.