Staff
Elizabeth Boone, Artistic & Executive Director of Miami Light Project
Beth Boone is the Artistic & Executive Director of Miami Light Project. She received a B.A. in Fine Arts from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and a MFA in Theater Arts from Brandeis University in Boston, MA. Following a year as artist-in-residence at Brandeis, Beth relocated to New York to pursue a career in theater. While in New York, together with colleagues from Brandeis, she co-founded an Off Broadway theater company, New York Rep, and she served for six years as a Program Associate in the Arts & Culture Program of the AT&T Foundation. At AT&T she was responsible for coordinating several nationally and internationally recognized artistic initiatives including AT&T: OnStage/The New Plays for the Nineties Project. In 1995, in search of a more tropical life, Beth relocated to Miami to become the Associate Director of Development for Florida Grand Opera. Following her position at FGO she became the Deputy Director, and then Interim Director, for the Department of Cultural Affairs at Miami Dade Community College, Wolfson Campus.
Since 1998, in her role as Artistic and Executive Director of Miami Light Project, Beth has distinguished herself as a leader in Miami's cultural community. She has developed critically acclaimed artistic programs that have asserted the organization as one of the leading cultural institutions in South Florida and which have brought her national recognition for her work in the field. These programs include: the establishment of Here and Now, South Florida's most respected commission and presenting program for community-based artists; premiere presentations of internationally acclaimed; pioneering historic international cultural exchange with Cuba; and the creation of The Light Box at Goldman Warehouse, a multi-use performance and visual art space in Miami's Wynwood Arts District. Beth is married to Cuban Hip Hop musician, Yrak Saenz, and they have a seven year old son, Thomas.
Rebekah Lanae Lengel, Managing Producer
A native of Miami, Ms. Lengel began working with Miami Light Project in 2001. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for Youth Expressions Inc., Crystal Parrot Players, the Hanan Arts Cooperative, and was a member of the Miami Emerging Arts Leaders Task Force. In 2006, Ms. Lengel was selected by the Arts & Business Council of Miami as the co-recipient of the inaugural Miami Emerging Leaders Award; in 2005 she was recognized as a "Leading Woman in South Florida's Urban Community" by Urban America Newspaper and was, in the same year, selected by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters as one of 18 individuals across the country to participate in the 2005 Emerging Leaders Institute. A former Ford Scholars Performing Arts nominee and National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts ARTS Merit Awardee, Ms. Lengel is also an accomplished journalist and playwright, having had her plays Malcolm & Martin, 5 Days, 9 Months, 6 Years, and Amore Alla Luce Della Luna produced and presented and such theatres as City Theatre in Miami, and the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville. Her work has been published in three languages and articles have been published in the web based magazines 88hiphop.com, styluswars.com, manhunt.com and The Hip Hop Newsletter. Ms. Lengel was recently part of the 2012 class of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Leadership Development Council.
Megan Swick, Membership Development and Box Office Manager
Megan Swick joined Miami Light Project in 2011, after previously working with The Colony Theatre, Florida Dance Association, Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, Miami Theater Center and as Director of Studio 1415. Megan graduated from Florida International University with a BFA in Dance and a concentration in choreography and Middle Eastern and Pan African dance aesthetics. Since college, she has received commissions and artist residencies from institutions including Florida International University, Miami Beach Botanical Garden / Sleepless Nights, and Anchor Arts Management. Her choreographic and cinematic works have been shown at American College Dance Festival, twice at Florida Dance Festival, Miami Beach Cinemateque, Multiversal Miami, OCinema, Hangar Gallery, Erotic Art Fair, Wernheim Performing Arts Center, Excello, LHCC, Sleepless Night Miami Beach / MBBC, Spiegelworld, New World Theatre and Winter Fest. She has produced several evening-length choreographic works with her dance ensemble, Binti, including Haram (2007), The Flour & The Flow Theory (2008), Smoke & Mirrors (2009), Pollinate Me (2011), and one film, Danse Du Venture (2010). A native of Sarasota, Megan currently resides in Miami Shores with her partner, Ben and their two year old son Bernard. When not working, Megan enjoys swimming, cycling, stitching, reading, dancing, cooking, jamming and cuddling.
Estelle Sorkin, Office Administrator
Estelle Sorkin joined MLP as a staff member in 2011, after volunteering with the organization since 1998. Prior to joining MLP, Estelle was a Legal Assistant at the law firm of Holland & Knight. As MLP’s Office Administrator her primary areas of expertise are anything and everything that pertains to keeping The Light Box from having its lights go out! A native of New York, Estelle currently resides in Miami and enjoys being with family and friends and enjoying all that Miami has to offer.
Sevim Abaza, Technical Director
Sevim Abaza became Miami Light Project’s Technical Director & Facilities Manager in 2012. Sevim has with worked with various companies including New World Symphony, Young Arts, Philharmonia Orchestra, Miami Lyric Opera, Mad Cat Theatre, PlayGround Theatre, The Colony, Barry University, Naked Stage, City Theatre, The Adrienne Arsht Center and The City of Miami Beach. As MLP’s Tech Director / Facilities Manager her primary areas of expertise are Design, Stage Management, and 20 minute naps. A native of Amman, Jordan, Sevim currently resides in The Light Box with Estelle Sorkin, Megan Swick, Rebekah Lengel, and Beth Boone. When not working, Sevim enjoys not working.
Regina Moore, Grants Writer
Regina Moore joined Miami Light Project in October 2012. Previously, Regina worked as an independent consultant and grant writer for nonprofits in South Florida. Since 2003, Regina has worked with cultural & arts and community services organizations on projects that have generated more than $1.8 million in grants. Regina holds a master degree in business administration from the University of Miami and bachelor's degree in business from Pontificia Universidade Católica (Sao Paulo, Brazil). A native of Brazil, Regina currently resides in Boca Raton with her husband, John, and two children, Thomas and Emilie. When not working, Regina enjoys being with her family, watching movies, going to the beach, cycling, jogging, reading and traveling.
Rhonda Mitrani-Buchman, Filmmakers Workshop and Bootcamp Director
Rhonda Mitrani began her career at Miramax Films and edited for film and television in New York. In Miami she worked with MTV Networks Latin America and co-founded a socially conscious film festival called the Florida Room Documentary Film Festival. Rhonda made her first documentary, Cuba Mia, which premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. The film later aired on PBS. In 2002, Rhonda began to explore video art as digital technology became more accessible and allowed her to shoot and edit her work in different formats. As a video artist she also an active member of RPM Project, a multi-media installation-based collaborative. Rhonda focuses on telling socially conscious and inspiring visual stories as both a video artist and as a filmmaker. She currently lives in Miami with her husband and two children.