Our Team
Selena is versatile artist hailing from Orlando, Florida, has established herself as a singer-songwriter, dramaturg, and playwright based in the United Kingdom. Her musical playwriting journey commenced in 2010 under the mentorship of Eugene O’Neil award-winning playwright Ken Eulo. Recognizing Selena's songwriting talents, Ken invited her to collaborate on "Paradise Walk," a play with music workshopped in 2012. This marked the beginning of Selena's exploration in the world of theatrical composition. Graduating with Merit from Goldsmith’s University in London, she holds a Masters Degree in Writing for Performance and Dramaturgy. In 2021, Selena served as the dramaturg for the workshop of the immersive musical "Whisper Darkly," a collaboration with DJ Salisbury and Andrew Gerle. Beyond the stage, Selena has ventured into podcast writing and currently contributes as the book and lyrics writer for "The Chequerboard Watch," showcasing her multifaceted creative prowess.
Book, Lyrics, Story
Selena Seballo
Jack Denman
Jack is our composer, arranger of all the shanties, and has contributed to the overall plot of the story. Jack is a Philadelphia-based music director, accompanist, composer, and musical theatre collaborator. After getting his B.M. in Music Education (Voice) from Temple University, Jack began working in both educational and professional settings including the Fulton Theater, Centre Theater, Temple University and University of Pennsylvania. Jack is thrilled to be writing with this incredible team and exploring how music is the language we share across borders.
Composer, Arranger, Story
Eyakeno Ekpo
Story
Eyakeno was one of the original collaborators on the project, and has contributed to the overall plot of the story. Eyakeno is a passionate storyteller, musician and performer. Born in Nigeria, emigrated with his family to USA and now making his way through life in Switzerland. His love for telling stories led him from graduate from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, onto performing on cruise ships and traveling the world, to finding love in Switzerland, to having the confidence to explore and create new stories through writing, music, and live performances.
Mimi Warnick
Conceived, Story, & Direction
In October 2020 as covid cases began to rise again, Mimi opted out of going to dinner with friends, and instead came across one of the greatest films of all time, "The Fisherman's Friends". Coming from a vibrant Irish family and community, and brought up through Irish dance and music, she was immediately inspired by the rich sound of the shanty and sea faring traditions. Mimi began to explore the music's history, and how it could ultimately end up on a musical theatre stage. Besides her deep love of shanties, Mimi was raised in the Philadelphia area, learned a whole lot in Boston, and currently lives in New York City. Mimi holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Directing from Emerson College. Mimi has an extensive background directing Musical Theatre, New Work, Plays, and Theatre for Young Audiences. She is drawn to directing stories that close the gap between humans. People can be born in different places at different times, live very different lives, but when they intersect on feelings, for her, that sweet spot, is what she wants to live in, and explore with people. In addition to being a freelance director, Mimi is a Co-Founder and the Programming Artistic Director of In Confidence, a social storytelling production company, and she is also the New Work Director with AMT Theater.