MICHAELA LIND is an Award-winning performer, first time filmmaker, and co-founder of ARA Theater & Media. Michaela feels lucky to have grown up in Sweden where her childhood was enchanted by a closeness to nature and the magical stories of Astrid Lindgren. After receiving a theater degree from the GITIS-Moscow Art school, she moved to New York City to continue her studies and work with legendary clowns Slava Polunin, Bill Irwin, and David Shiner and eventually joined the all-female clown troupe “Clowns Ex Machina” with whom she performs regularly. Michaela rounded out her performing arts pedigree with photography and filmmaking, studying at HDK Valand, DCTV NYC and the School of Visual Arts while working as a crew member on several indie short films in NYC. After receiving a Creatives Rebuild New York arts grant she created her first film, WHERE IS NOW, her directorial and writing debut, with a team of spirited artists. She is currently in pre-production on two projects. Her short documentary in the Arctic Circle of Sweden, based on her family that stems from a small local population there, and her short narrative film, “Solaris Tegumentum,” which will be shot on the Gulf Coast of Florida. 
Her dream is to work with Ruben Ostlund, Roy Andersson, Alice Rorhwacher and Mica Gustavson.

DREW VALINS is a native of Tampa Florida, and a NYC based actor and playwright for the past 15+ years. Company member of the Drilling Company in NYC, the producer of the longstanding tradition “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot & Bryant Park,” where he has performed in and directed many plays. With the Alliance for New Music Theatre, in Washington, DC and Prague, Drew has played Vaclav Havel’s alter ego, Vanek, in Protest, Unveiling and the original musical Vanek Unleashed. Drew has two solo shows based on the life and work of Franz Kafka: A Report to an Academy, and Franz/Drew which was nominated for best actor and playwright in the Midtown International Theater Festival in NYC. Drew has been featured in many short films and music videos as well as on network television, appearing on CBS's "Bull".

Our company is under fiscal sponsorship by :