THE TEAM
Stacy Whittle
Stacy Whittle is an actor, producer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. She is also the proud mom of two sons.
Stacy has lived and worked in more than a dozen countries. Her work ranges from producing a short documentary on a geospatial initiative with NASA to ongoing collaborations with the USDA Forest Service on the importance of trees, to her most recent short film featuring Rolando Villazón, the world-class tenor, on why urban trees matter. She’s the writer and director of an upcoming animated short called “The Tree with the Big Red Scarf,” starring Villazón.
As an actor, Stacy most recently played Maria Callas in Master Class in Madrid, Spain. She also appeared as Mary in the world premiere of The Last Drop, an apocalyptic drama about a world where water is nearly gone. Her stage credits span the United States, Ireland, and the Middle East, including Pankrac45, The Dead, Submission, 4.48 Psychosis (Helen Hayes Award winner), Black Comedy, Blithe Spirit, No Sex Please, We’re British, and Benefactors, among others. She received Broadway World’s Best Actress Award for her performance in Molotov Theatre’s Nightfall.
On screen, Stacy co-produced and starred opposite Eric Roberts in the independent film Eyes of the Roshi, now streaming on Amazon. She also appeared in Haunted History on the History Channel and in many short films in Washington, D.C.
Earlier in her career, she co-founded Culture Vultures in Manama, Bahrain, the Persian Gulf’s leading performing arts organization, where she produced hundreds of events in opera, theater, and classical music.
Stacy is a founding member of the Institute of Light alongside Tom Furness, founder of the award-winning production company Block of Love, and serves as the Lead Judge for The Conrad Challenge, which supports young innovators around the world.
She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from The George Washington University. She speaks Spanish and Arabic.
Felipe Benítez
Felipe Benítez is an award-winning social entrepreneur and proud dad.
Felipe is also the Founder and Executive Director of Corazón Latino, an international non-profit that seeks to reconnect communities of color with nature, arts, and civic engagement through love, compassion, and hope.
His visionary work includes leveraging social media and digital tools to reach people worldwide through artistic performances, while showcasing the importance of connecting with our planet’s natural treasures.
One of his proudest moments was producing the signature event for National Public Lands Day Celebration (in partnership with Toyota), which featured a virtual road trip through iconic parks and forests across the United States. The online event included performances by leading artists such as Lila Downs, Ozomantli, Nicho Hinojosa, and Ana Free. This event series reached more than one million users per month on average, earning the organization industry awards and recognition for its efforts in innovation, equity, justice, and inclusion.
Through work with leading organizations like United Way Worldwide, Fenton Communications, and Ogilvy Public Relations, Felipe designed and implemented communications and outreach strategies for advocacy campaigns worldwide, from protecting the fundamental rights of indigenous groups in the Amazon to fighting climate change to helping protect the rights of immigrants in the United States.
During his late teenage years and early college, Felipe trained in bel canto and musical theatre.
Dara Brewton is a multi-passionate person who has worn many hats in her life — from Starbucks manager to deputy editor for a progressive news site. Because she still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up, she dabbles in project management, acting, voice acting, scriptwriting, and filmmaking. She has a deep passion for travel and created her own travel website, www.backpackwanderings.com. On any given day, you can find her planning trips, writing articles, or scouring the internet for things to do in various locations.
Dara Brewton
Olivia Tyndall
Liv Tyndall was thrust into the performing arts against their will at the ripe age of 11. They have since forgiven those involved in the thrusting, given it spawning their life's passion. They hold a B.A. in Theatre with Acting and Stage Management concentrations from Muhlenberg College, as well as an M.A. in English Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Central Florida. They now teach theatre at School Without Walls High School and Duke Ellington School for the Arts, project manage for environmental non-profit Corazón Latino, and run their own online private acting studio, along with freelancing as a stage manager, teaching artist, director, producer, actor, and writer. Their work tends to revolve around neurodivergence, comedy, anti-realism, classical works, and gender studies–all through the lens of acting and writing. Some of their additional interests include animal rights, anti-capitalism, and petting any snail who will permit them to do so. @prof.tyndall; www.proftyndall.com
Saemi Guzman
Saemi Guzman is a senior at UMass Amherst studying Legal Studies and Information Technology. A longtime lover of the performing arts, she has a background in dance and once served as president of her high school a cappella group. She is passionate about advocacy and is still exploring where her interests in law, technology, and creativity will take her. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and spending time in nature.
Jesús Daniel Hernández
Jesús Daniel Hernández, known to audiences worldwide as The Walking Tenor, is a Mexican-American operatic tenor whose career bridges the worlds of classical music, cultural heritage, and personal resilience. Born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, Hernández emigrated to the United States as a teenager. From an early age, he dreamed of becoming a classical singer. In 2003, however, he enlisted in the United States Army, serving with distinction as a chemical operations specialist in Iraq. A turning point came in 2007 when Hernández attended a concert by Plácido Domingo in San Antonio, Texas. Seizing the opportunity to sing for the world-renowned tenor, Hernández impressed Domingo, who invited him to join the prestigious Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera. This mentorship provided him with rigorous training and exposure to the international stage, launching his professional career. He has since appeared with companies and orchestras across the United States and Europe, balancing traditional opera with recital work that highlights his bicultural identity.