Story, book & lyrics
Barry Mann
Dr. Barry Mann is a retired surgeon and medical educator who currently serves as dean of the Faculty of Health and Allied Sciences at Pentecost University in Ghana. He directed surgery residency training and served as Chief Academic Officer of the Main Line Health System for two decades. A national leader in surgical education, he authored SURGERY: A Competency-Based Companion and received the AAMC Robert P. Glaser Distinguished Teacher of Medicine Award. His children’s book Miri and Her Drum Set: A Modern Hanukkah Miracle inspired Cousins, his first musical.
Read the book →
Co-book & lyrics
Barbara Bellman
Barbara Bellman is an award-winning playwright, librettist, producer, and arts advocate based in Philadelphia. Her work has been developed through NAMT, BMI, Theatre Row, and the O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference. Her musicals include Bordello, The Word Police, Steadfast, and Anna: Unmasked. She is co-founder and former producing artistic director of MusiCoLab and a member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Barbara’s website →
Composer & musical arrangements
Emiliano Messiez
Emiliano Messiez is a Latin Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, and orchestrator originally from Argentina and now based in New York City. His work blends tango, classical music, jazz, and musical theatre traditions into a distinctive theatrical voice. Messiez is the founder of Típica Messiez and pianist for the internationally acclaimed production Forever Tango. His recent theatrical works include Bordello, The Guava Tree, Casa Alfonsa, and Coyote and the Counting Game.
Emiliano’s website →
Producer
Marley Shropshire
Marley Shropshire is an award-winning director, producer, and writer specializing in new-work development. Her credits include the world premieres of The Woman in the Mirror, For Tonight, Breaking Out of Sunset Place, and The Sweet Potato Queens, plus youth productions including Elf Jr., James and the Giant Peach Jr., and Zombie Prom. Her leadership roles include associate artistic director at Theatre Under the Stars, producing executive director at Queensbury Theatre, and director of artistic production at HITS Theatre.
Marley’s website →