Producing Artistic Director

Deborah Block (She/They) has been a consistent figure in the Philadelphia arts community for over 30 years as a dramaturg, producer, curator, choreographer, educator and a director. She has received much recognition for her professional and educational work including receiving the Independence Fellowship in the Arts and the Albert Benzwie Award for playwriting. She received her MFA at Temple University where she taught for nine years. She is one of the founders of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe (now FringeArts) and was the program director for ten years. Deborah has been with Theatre Exile since 2006 and assumed the role of Producing Artistic Director in 2013.

Director of Operations

Darnelle Radford (He/Him) has been active in the Philadelphia theater community for 19 years. In 2005, he founded Represented Theatre Company. In 2009, he formed Em3ry, a media company that produces arts-centered content such as Rep Radio (2009-), Broad Street Review, Podcast (2016-) and The Business of Theater, A Working Title (2022-). Darnelle studied Arts Administration at NYU and Multimedia and Web Design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Learn more about him at www.darnelleradford.com

Operations Consultant / Rental Coordinator

Schlecker has been working with Theatre Exile since 2019. Areas of responsibility include management of rental partnerships, contracts, vendor negotiations, risk management, and governmental compliance matters. Schlecker has more than 20 years experience in arts management and administration in Philadelphia. Prior to that experience she practiced law in several areas including civil litigation in private practice, an appointed governmental position, and public interest law.

RENTAL INQUIRIES: rentals@theatreexile.org

General Manager

Randi Alexis Hickey (She/Her) is a Philadelphia based theatre-maker with a BFA in Directing from The University of The Arts. She produces and directs with her own company, Apartment 20, and works freelance in production throughout the city. Past collaborations include Directors Gathering, Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, Polyphone Festival for New & Emerging Musicals, Drunk Lion, and The Berserker Residents to name a few. She also runs a pet sitting business, Randi Sits! Learn more about her at www.randialexishickey.com

Director of Education

TS HAWKINS (They/Them) is an international author, performance poet, art activist, playwright, trauma-informed educator, and member of the Dramatists Guild. Plays, short works, and books include Seeking Silence, sweet bread peaches (formerly, Cartons of Ultrasounds), Too Late to Apologize, In Their Silence (formerly, They’ll Neglect to Tell You), #RM2B, The Secret Life of Wonder: a prologue in G, AGAIN, #SuiteReality, “don’t wanna dance with ghosts...”, Sugar Lumps & Black Eye Blues, Confectionately Yours, Mahogany Nectar, Lil Blaek Book: all the long stories short, and The Hotel Haikus. Hawkins’ works and powerful performances have been praised by Philadelphia Magazine - Best of Philly, BroadwayWorld, Philly Voice, NPR, WHYY, WURD Radio, Philadelphia Weekly, Chicago Tribune, The Dramatist, and dosageMagazine. Ongoing projects: TrailOff and Community Capital: an Afrofuturism South Philly Walking Experience. tspoetics.com

Director of Individual Giving

Denise Cavaliere (she/her) is Theatre Exile’s Director of Individual Giving and works to support events and initiatives to sustain the organization.

A South Philly native, Denise is an arts and culture worker that has worked in Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco in the performing arts, music and social justice communities.

She has worked with many organizations and nonprofits such as St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Mann Center for Performing Arts, Painted Bride Arts Center, Wilma Theater,

LaMaMa, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Center for Traditional Music & Dance, Theater for the New City, Intersection for the Arts, Brava! For Women in the Arts, Fifth Avenue Committee, WBAI, Partnership for the Homeless, Bread and Puppet Theater and the Robotic Church.

Denise has had the pleasure to work with artists such as The Wooster Group, Penny Arcade, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, National Theatre of Scotland, Enda Walsh/Druid Theatre, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond, Emma Rice/Kneehigh Theatre, Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Cynthia Hopkins, Daniel Kitson, Young@Heart Chorus, TR Warszawa, Nico Muhly, Antony, Karen O, Glen Hansard, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Thievery Corporation, Antibalas, Lee Breuer/Mabou Mines, Philip Glass, The Tiger Lillies, Rosanne Cash, Kelli O’Hara, Judy Collins, Erik Ehn, Rob Nilsson/Tenderloin Action Group, Chico Mac Murtrie, and Greg Giovanni/Big Mess Theater, among others.

Artist-In-Residence

Matt is a long time resident artist here at Theatre Exile, having directed and/or acted in over 20 productions. Other credits include Arden Theatre, People’s Light&Theatre, Lantern Theatre, 1812 Productions, Interact, Delaware Theatre Co, Theatre Horizon, Walnut St Theatre, Bristol Riverside, and 24 seasons with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, among others. Matt is a 12 time Barrymore nominee and winner for best Director for The Whale and The Invisible Hand both with Theatre Exile. He’s also the recipient of the F. Otto Haas Award. This production is dedicated to Annie and John. I love being your dad and I try to earn it every day.

Production Manager

Gabrielle Goldman (she/they) is an PHL/NYC based production manager and prop designer. This is their first season with Theatre Exile! Recent credits include Mary Gets Hers (prop design) at Playwrights Realm; The Trees and Regretfully, So the Birds Are (asst. Prop supervisor) at Playwrights Horizons; What the Constitution Means To Me (Weston Theater Company) as the Assistant Props Supervisor. They hold a BFA from Montclair State University

Grant Writer

Producer and Project Manager, Out of Exile