MACHA Theatre Co. Mujeres(Women) Advancing, Culture, History & Art is a non-profit organization under the 501c3, that was formed in 2000 in order to build social, cultural, and artistic bridges between the straight an gay communities of various ethnicities and provide the LGBTI community a sense of belonging.


ODALYS NANIN,
Producing Artistic
Director - President

Since graduating from The Drama Studio London and Rutgers University, Ms. Nanin has appeared in many MOW, soap operas, series, T.V. commercials and at least 30 theatre productions both in New York and Los Angeles. She has earned a stellar reputation for writing, directing and producing theatre in Los Angeles.

Ms. Nanin is the recipient of three Drama-Logue Theatre Awards for direction, performance and production of “Vargas Llosas La Chunga.” Skin of Honey is the fifth play she has written and plans to produce it in 2007. Her other plays are Love Struck 1997, Garbo’s Cuban Lover 2001, The Nun and the Countess 2003 and Beyond Love 2005.

Garbo’s Cuban Lover and The Nun and the Countess were chosen as “One of the Best Ten Plays by the Advocate Magazine and were Critic’s Pick in Backstage West. Beyond Love received a Curve Magazine Award for best Lesbian play. She has also translated, adapted, directed and produced Blood Wedding by Garcia Lorca which received Critic’s Pick in Backstage West.
Ms. Nanin is also a screenwriter/filmmaker and has written, directed and produced two short films Only One Suitcase and Garbo’s Cuban Lover which are promo’s to her screenplays. Only One Suitcase the short film has screened at the NYFilm Festival, the LA International Film Festival, Cinemafest in Puerto Rico and the Taos Film Festival. Garbo’s Cuban Lover the short film has screened at Outfest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and at the L.A. Shorts Festival. It’s also scheduled to screen at The Habana Film Festival in December 2006. Ms. Nanin has been recognized by Tentaciones Magazine as one of the most influential Latinas in the LGBTI community. She has been interviewed by the Advocate, Curve Mag, The Blade, L.A. Times, Frontiers, L.A. Weekly, Entertainment Today, The Sophisticate, La Opinion, and Power Up Magazine. She has also participated in the following panels: Queering the Heart of Aztlan at UCLA, Queer Filmmakers Panel, Chicano/Chicana Literature Conference in Alcala, Spain and has been on the board of the Astraea Foundation. She is the Producing Artistic Director and Founder of Macha Theatre/Films.

 

CELIA DOMINGUEZ, VP/Treasurer
Celia obtained her BachelorŐs degree in chemistry from Rutgers University in 1984. Soon after graduation she obtained a research chemist position at Ayerst (currently Wyeth-Ayerst) in Princeton New Jersey were she synthesized novel heterocyclic compounds targeted for biological activity as antihypertensives, cardiotonics and bronchodilators. Her work at Ayerst inspired her to proceed towards her Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry. In 1991 she defended her thesis and received her Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Brown University. She then proceeded to do a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. After completion of her one year post-doctoral fellowship she began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at DuPont Merck as Senior Research Scientist where she designed and synthesized novel heterocyclic compounds as thrombin and Factor Xa inhibitors for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases from 1992 to 1997.

Celia is currently an Associate Director in Research at Amgen Inc. She is responsible for the management and direction of Medicinal Chemistry research in the therapeutic areas of inflammation and oncology. Celia has over 15 publications and patents. She is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Association of the Advancement of Science, associate editor in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents and has been and continues to participate as a session chair at Medicinal Chemistry Gordon Research Conference.

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Judy Baca-Chicana Muralist & founder of Sparcs

Irene Bouza- Graphic Designer/Artist

Alicia Gaspar de Alba-UCLA professor

Deena Gonzalez-Professor at Loyola Marymount University

Ivette Falcon- Accountant-Financial Analyst

Brenda Funches- Astraea Foundation Board Member

Stacy Macias - Tongues Magazine co-founder

Xochitl Marquez - Law Student

Tanya Martinez - Social Worker-LCSW

Carmen de la Paz - Interior Decorator/Set Dresser

Johanna Siegmann - writer-director

Sweet Baby Jai - Jazz Singer

Annaliese Trejo - VP at Hertz Corporation

Lee Werbel - Executive Director at Temple Kol-Ami

©2006 MACHA Theatre Company. All Rights Reserved.