Introducing the HFF ACCESS Committee

We are so excited to announce the members of the 2020 Hollywood Fringe ACCESS Committee. These Fringers will work directly with the Hollywood Fringe staff to assess and identify successful approaches and actions to increase equity across the festival, and identify areas of inequity that need addressing by leadership. The list of our ACCESS representatives and their accolades are below.

Also a reminder that tomorrow, Saturday, June 27 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, we will host our first Listening Session and Roundtable with the Hollywood Fringe ACCESS Committee. We look forward to this being the first of many workshops and conversations led by our committee members, as we identify ways to institute change in the Hollywood Fringe and the LA Theatre community at large. If you would like to attend, please reserve a spot on our website. If you are unable to attend, but have a question, comment or discussion topic suggestion, please fill out this form. 

-—-

The Hollywood Fringe Festival ACCESS Committee Members

Ella Turenne is a native New Yorker who has been in Los Angeles for 10 years. She has narrated books such as A Good Neighborhood and Remembrance and has performed her award winning one woman show Love, Locs & Liberation internationally at festivals such as the Hollywood Fringe Festival, The Downtown Urban Arts Festival and the United Solo Festival. She also is an activist working on mass incarceration and racial justice issues. A perpetual student, Ella recently went back to school to get her PhD in visual studies.

Matthew Robinson is a writer, director and producer who has put on various theatre shows over the last four years of the Fringe. Works include “Olivia Wilde Does Not Survive The Apocalypse”, “BlackBalled” and “Mary’s Medicine.” Matthew has also participated the past three years in the diversity scholarship program for the Fringe. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @robinsonishyde 

Michelle Roshanzamir is a consultant and producer based in Los Angeles. She works with creatives and leaders to bring their dream projects and initiatives to life.  Started MVR Creative after seeing how many creatives struggle with the business and management side of what they’re working on and turning their ideas into an actionable, results driven plan.  Through individualized support, she helps them develop a rock-solid strategy, determine their next steps, and explore funding options so they can make their vision a reality and reach their goals in a deeply fulfilling and financially rewarding way.  Check more out at www.mvrcreativela.com

Natasha Lewin is a former LA elected official, touring musician and managing editor of High Times. She’s a four-time published author, award-winning playwright and screenwriter as well as a top podcast showrunner. In 2017, Natasha won the Hollywood Fringe Diversity Scholarship for her dark comedy, CHATTER. In 2019, Natasha wrote and directed CHATTER as a short film. It became a 92nd Academy Awards qualifier in 2020. 

Peerada Meemalayath is a first-generation Asian American. She is an actor, activist, and overall artist. She strongly believes in adopting theater as a catalyst for social change and devising narratives that focuses on finding a voice for the voiceless.

Royce Shockley is an accomplished producer, writer, and performer originally from New Jersey. He has been a mentor for the Diversity Scholarship program, and is also the leader of the Inclusivity Board at the Pack Theater. He is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is excited for everything that the ACCESS committee plans to accomplish.

Rufino Romero was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has worked on many projects,  from independent films like “In Echo Park,” world premier plays like “Always Running,” based off of a best seller book. And the latest powerful black and brown digital series “East of La Brea,” created by Paul Feig and Sameer Gardazi. 

Spencer Frankeberger is an actor/director/improviser and board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) as well as an enrichment instructor and teacher.  He is a Hollywood Fringe vet, award-winning producer and director, as well as a Hollywood Encore judge.  For a fun fact, he is a huge theme park enthusiast — including working at a theme park, having annual passes to multiple theme parks, teaching an amusement park science class for kids, and currently creating a theme park podcast.