THE FOUNDERS
Steven T Boltz
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
He/Him
Steve is a playwright, columnist, and creative writing instructor originally from Pennsylvania, USA. His play, Orson Welles and The Mercury Theater on the Air in 'The War of the Worlds' by HG Wells was staged in 2018 for the 80th anniversary of Welles' War of the Worlds radio broadcast, and his play, Lenore--A Tale of Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance, performed in 2021, is inspired by the works of Edgar A Poe and the films of Roger Corman. Steve owns and runs the Knack Theatre with his wife, Lourdes Zamanillo.
Lourdes is a Mexican writer. She worked as a content writer for Monash University and has spent more than five years working in Communications for health organisations in Australia. In addition to this, she has written three works for the stage (a monologue and two full-length plays), one of which was selected to take part in Melbourne Writers Theatre’s ‘In One Act’ program and in Cracked Actors Theatre's Summer Readings program. In 2022, she produced The Knack Theatre's Lenore--A Tale of Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance, and her first full-length play to hit the stage, 'the weight of dreams'.
Lourdes Zamanillo
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
She/Her
THE BRAINSTRUST
The Brainstrust is not a board or a committee, but a team of advisors, all professionals, with a broad stripe of theatre experience. Actors, writers, directors, producers, stage managers, costume designers, and even a magician have been part of the Brainstrust.
Positions are fluid and are not set for a fixed term, as we know members will want to have various levels of involvement depending on their own projects at any given time.
If you'd like to join the knack as part of our brainstrust, click here and fill out the form, or send us an email at theknacktheatre@gmail.com with 'brainstrust' as the subject header.
Paolo Bartolomei
He/Him
Paolo is a charismatic Italian performer, born in Rome who completed his theatrical training at the National Theatre Drama School in Melbourne in 2019. Originally trained in dance, he moved on to train in other performance areas in institutions such as the Teatro Golden Academy and The European Academy of Theatre and Cinema. He was the first student visa holder to obtain the 'Florence Young Scholarship' at National Theatre Drama School. His recent acting credits include Stay, and Circuit, and he has appeared in the upcoming ABC TV production of The Newsreader. He will soon be appearing in a physical theatre production at the Malthouse Theatre in October 2021, and in Othello at the Alex Theatre in November 2021.
Aiden Seanchaidh
He/Him
Aiden has been performing professionally since he was 16 as a magician, mime, and ghost tour guide. In 2018 he won Best Street Performance for his magic show in the Australian National Busking Championships in Ballarat. Recently graduating from Acting at Federation University, Aiden is excited to move onto performing for stage and screen. During his time at university, Aiden has played the role of Juror 12 in Twelve Angry Jurors by Sherman L. Sergel, Death in Everyman by Carol Ann Duffy, and D/Farmer in Embers by Campion Decent. Currently studying costume design, Aiden finds joy in many aspects of theatre, and aims to spread that joy and interest through all his work.
Amelia Nemet
She/Her
Amelia is a Melbourne-based filmmaker and actor who is currently completing her Bachelor of Film and Television with honors at Swinburne University. Since 2018, Amelia has been an active member of Melbourne's filmmaking industry, producing and acting in a range of short films, independent features, short documentaries, and music videos. Passionate and driven, Amelia thrives in creative environments, whether that's on stage or over Zoom, and no matter what barriers there may be, she works hard to find a way to perform and collaborate however she can.
Vincent Pidal
He/Him
Vincent graduated from Federation University’s Arts Academy (formerly BAPA) in 2019 with a Bachelor of Acting for Stage and Screen. He has appeared in various film and theatre productions including The Caucasian Chalk Circle (2019) by Bertolt Brecht, Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors (2019), and Lenore: A Tale of Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance (2022). In 2020, Vincent began studying The Method under Peter Kalos at the Melbourne Actors LAB. Vincent is currently continuing to refine his skills as an actor through consistent study and work in the industry.
Tobin Varley
He/Him
Tobin is a Melbourne based artist who graduated from Federation University's Arts Academy in 2018. Tobin has performed on stage and screen with various companies and completed a national tour with Brainstorm Productions in 2022. Tobin loves all thing entertainment as he also works behind the scenes as a writer, director and lighting and sound technician. He believes that collaboration is key to the creative arts and loves to explore new projects in whatever way he can.
advertising team
Marcella Papandrea
MARKETING/SOCIALS
She/Her
Marcey is a freelance writer, artist, and podcaster. Currently the Editor at The Super Network, running two podcasts and contributing film reviews, she has been a member of the Australia Film Critics Association since 2014 and has been writing professionally for over 8 years.
Imogen Smith
RESIDENT ARTIST
She/Her
Immy is a Melbourne/Naarm-based visual artist and poster designer. Her work is primarily influenced by a lifelong affinity for classic horror and noir cinema, and the artistic movements underpinning the genre’s development. This is reflected in her portraits, which often feature classic horror protagonists and femmes fatale.