The O-1 visa is a common visa category for freelance theatre artists seeking to work in America. Yet the process of acquiring one is confusing and complex and is today only exacerbated by the current administration’s immigration policies. Many theatre companies and producers are ill-informed about the visa itself and misunderstand how to go about obtaining one for an international artist or how to hire someone already on an O-1.
Join Wingspace as we attempt to demystify the O-1 visa; from the application process, to the hiring process, to the struggles of inviting an international guest artist to work in the US today.
Joining us to share their expertise are our guests April Harris and Kevin Dyer (Immigration Attorneys), Kimie Nishikawa (Scenic Designer), and Alyssa Simmons (Assistant General Manager at The Public Theater). Produced by Reza Behjat, Melissa Ng, and Elizabeth Mak.
About Dyer Harris LLP: Our firm provides rigorous representation in the field of immigration. We provide individualized advice and prepare meticulously crafted petitions which honor the extraordinary endeavors and achievements of the artists and creative and business professionals whom we represent. Our mission is to educate and empower our clients about their immigration options, and to assist those clients to obtain both the short and long term immigration solutions they require. Our sweet spot is O-1s for artists and performers in the performing arts and media.
KIMIE NISHIKAWA is a Japanese scenic designer based in NYC. Recent NYC Off Broadway credits include Ain’t No Mo (The Public Theater) ; The Light (MCC) ; Dr.Ride’s American Beach House (Ars Nova) Her work has also been seen at The Playwrights Realm, Clubbed Thumb, NAATCO, Classic Stage Company, JACK, Dixon Place. Regionally, her work has been seen at McCarter Theater Center, Kansas City Repertory Theater, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Long Wharf Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Weston Playhouse. Up next, The Headlands by Christopher Chen at LCT3 ; GNIT by Will Eno at Theater For A New Audience. MFA: NYU Tisch. www.kimienishikawa-design.com
ALYSSA SIMMONS is a creative producer and manager. She currently serves as the Assistant General Manager at The Public Theater where her primary responsibility is the Under The Radar Festival. Her interests run the gamut from devised performance to new plays to musicals to immersive experiences and live events. She is a woman of two cities: her hometown of Los Angeles and her adopted city of New York. She is a member of the 2018-2020 WP Theater Producers Lab and produced the 2018 Prelude Festival. BA, Yale University; MFA in Theater Management, Yale School of Drama.
