Duende (from Spanish mythology): (n.)
the mysterious power of art to deeply move a person.
Duende seeks to make profound, illuminating, and elegant works for the theatre that are classics-based or inspired, language driven and actor focused.
Desire. Ache. Feeling so deep and visceral that words won’t do. Art that affects us in a primordial way. Stories that explore the breadth and depth of human experience and leave us breathless.
Wonder. Mystery. Beauty. Ephemera.
Duende is magic. Duende is powerful. Duende is profound and moving and hilarious and ecstatic and stirring and heart-wrenching and joyful.
It comes out of nowhere. It surprises. It delights. It startles and mystifies and illuminates.
It is the depth and width of the human experience in the magical container of art.
Desire. Ache. Feeling so deep and visceral that words won’t do. Art that affects us in a primordial way. Stories that explore the breadth and depth of human experience and leave us breathless.
Wonder. Mystery. Beauty. Ephemera.
Duende is magic. Duende is powerful. Duende is profound and moving and hilarious and ecstatic and stirring and heart-wrenching and joyful.
It comes out of nowhere. It surprises. It delights. It startles and mystifies and illuminates.
It is the depth and width of the human experience in the magical container of art.
Meet the team
Founding Artistic Director & Actor: Amy Hayes
Amy Hayes has been performing for live audiences since she was a young child, singing on radio jingles, and recording in the studio. She studied acting at Interlochen Center for the Arts, received her B.A. in Theatre and English from Vanderbilt University, and her MFA in Acting from the University of Nebraska. She continues to study at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA.
She has acted all over the country in such roles as Lady Macbeth, Toinette in Moliere’s Imaginary Invalid, Lucia in A Shayna Maidel, Maria and Olivia in Twelfth Night, Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy, and Maria in The Sound of Music, Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Cecily in The Importance of Being Ernest, Mrs. Erlene in Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Veronica in God of Carnage (Nebraska Rep), as well as a one-woman show called Atomic Pomegranate.
She directed Romeo and Juliet (for Y2K and ACO Players); Midsummer Night’s Dream (for Putnam County Playhouse); Romulus Linney’s Sand Mountain (Wagon Train Productions in Lincoln, NE), Twelfth Night for IndyShakes at Indyfringe, , and Art which she created for Indyfringe Festival. She directed Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at DePauw and Impressionism for Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project.
Film credits include Mrs. Samuelson (with Rae Dawn Chong) in The Celebrant (2013) and Dr. Stolarz (with Marc Menchaca and Jon Huertas) in Reparation (2014).
Indianapolis audiences have seen Amy as Gretchen in the Midwest Premier of Chris White’s Rhythms at The Phoenix Theatre, Jasmine in the premier of Chris White’s Thaw at Indyfringe, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale for IndyShakes, in No Exit Performance Group’s Middletown, Gertrude in Acting Up Production’s Hamlet, and Mama in Wisdom Tooth’s Distracted, and Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor for IndyShakes.
Amy has recorded two music CD’s (Some Things Never Change and Hidden Graces) both for Spring House. Her book A Collection of Wednesdays was published in 2010 by Zondervan Press (Harper Collins).
She taught acting and theatre courses at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and was the founding director of The Fall Festival of Shakespeare at DePauw, a program which brings Shakespeare alive to Putnam County teenagers through their performance of his plays. She served as Artistic Director for Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project in Indianapolis for two years.
She launched Willow Tree Acting Lab in 2018 in NYC to teach and coach actors to sharpen their audition skills and to nurture them in their art.
She has acted all over the country in such roles as Lady Macbeth, Toinette in Moliere’s Imaginary Invalid, Lucia in A Shayna Maidel, Maria and Olivia in Twelfth Night, Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy, and Maria in The Sound of Music, Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Cecily in The Importance of Being Ernest, Mrs. Erlene in Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Veronica in God of Carnage (Nebraska Rep), as well as a one-woman show called Atomic Pomegranate.
She directed Romeo and Juliet (for Y2K and ACO Players); Midsummer Night’s Dream (for Putnam County Playhouse); Romulus Linney’s Sand Mountain (Wagon Train Productions in Lincoln, NE), Twelfth Night for IndyShakes at Indyfringe, , and Art which she created for Indyfringe Festival. She directed Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at DePauw and Impressionism for Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project.
Film credits include Mrs. Samuelson (with Rae Dawn Chong) in The Celebrant (2013) and Dr. Stolarz (with Marc Menchaca and Jon Huertas) in Reparation (2014).
Indianapolis audiences have seen Amy as Gretchen in the Midwest Premier of Chris White’s Rhythms at The Phoenix Theatre, Jasmine in the premier of Chris White’s Thaw at Indyfringe, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale for IndyShakes, in No Exit Performance Group’s Middletown, Gertrude in Acting Up Production’s Hamlet, and Mama in Wisdom Tooth’s Distracted, and Mistress Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor for IndyShakes.
Amy has recorded two music CD’s (Some Things Never Change and Hidden Graces) both for Spring House. Her book A Collection of Wednesdays was published in 2010 by Zondervan Press (Harper Collins).
She taught acting and theatre courses at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and was the founding director of The Fall Festival of Shakespeare at DePauw, a program which brings Shakespeare alive to Putnam County teenagers through their performance of his plays. She served as Artistic Director for Wisdom Tooth Theatre Project in Indianapolis for two years.
She launched Willow Tree Acting Lab in 2018 in NYC to teach and coach actors to sharpen their audition skills and to nurture them in their art.
Production Assistant: Jennifer Cox
Jennifer Cox (she/her) grew up in Knoxville, TN where she developed a keen interest in the arts and sports at an early age participating in the local soccer club and participating in the Knoxville Children's Choir.
She studied music education and flute performance along with acting at the University of Tennessee, performing in the Pride of the Southland Marching Band for 3 years before dedicating her time solely to theatre and film.
She graduated from the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York during the pandemic and has continued taking acting classes through the Actor's Community, a global community of creatives based in the UK.
She has appeared in several regional productions in Tennessee prior to moving back to NYC to continue pursuing her acting and creative career.
She studied music education and flute performance along with acting at the University of Tennessee, performing in the Pride of the Southland Marching Band for 3 years before dedicating her time solely to theatre and film.
She graduated from the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York during the pandemic and has continued taking acting classes through the Actor's Community, a global community of creatives based in the UK.
She has appeared in several regional productions in Tennessee prior to moving back to NYC to continue pursuing her acting and creative career.
Marketing Manager: Courtney Mentzel
Courtney Mentzel (she/her) is an actor, puppeteer, producer, and avid collaborator based in New York.
Some of her recent projects include the short film, Call Me Grizby, the podcast, Stella Maris, An Entertainment, and Warners Brother's production of The Polar Express in Whippany, NJ.
Courtney has had the pleasure of working regionally in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas with Undermain Theatre, The Classics Theatre Project, Prism Movement Theatre, and Hip Pocket Theatre.
Currently, she is the Exeuctive Producer, Showrunner, and lead actor in a Power Rangers inspired web series, Jammingers: An Overture of Gold and Silver and helping other artists in her community pursue their passions.
Courtney holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Brooklyn College and a B.F.A. in Acting/Psychology from Hardin-Simmons University.
Some of her recent projects include the short film, Call Me Grizby, the podcast, Stella Maris, An Entertainment, and Warners Brother's production of The Polar Express in Whippany, NJ.
Courtney has had the pleasure of working regionally in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas with Undermain Theatre, The Classics Theatre Project, Prism Movement Theatre, and Hip Pocket Theatre.
Currently, she is the Exeuctive Producer, Showrunner, and lead actor in a Power Rangers inspired web series, Jammingers: An Overture of Gold and Silver and helping other artists in her community pursue their passions.
Courtney holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Brooklyn College and a B.F.A. in Acting/Psychology from Hardin-Simmons University.
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