is the founder and creative director of fieldnotes company.

fieldnotes company is an art production house founded by Zoe Hertzberg in 2023. The aim of fieldnotes company is to produce and platform new original work by artists in the community of CalArts and beyond.

fieldnotes was launched in 2023 with ZOE^10: The Conference to Solve All Your Problems and has since produced several plays, films, stand-up shows, and live events.

fieldnotes functions as a community where artists share their strengths to create great art for all the world to stop and see.

A principle of a fieldnotes projects is seeking a level of elevation. Not everything can be perfect but fieldnotes projects are about an investment in the craft, a study of the process of making. While a relationship to the audience is paramount and a large pillar of the fieldnotes doctrine, fieldnotes projects are not about pandering to trends. fieldnotes projects seek to define a singular voice and fill a hole in the representation market. fieldnotes projects are spearheaded by a little voice: this needs to be made now, not because anyone asked me to, but because I need to make it, and share it with the world NOW.

fieldnotes projects seek what we call a Level Five Motivation. Level Five Motivation is about internal fulfillment, a quiet comfort in knowing you have achieved what you were seeking to learn, the exploration of a new way of making throughthe execution of the project. Level Five is something only the team of artist will experience as has nothing to do with the amount of seats sold or viewers viewed. While there is Much to learn from an audience, they are as much an ingredient in the process as the lighting, set design, actors. The audience is a tool to learn with, not a body to please.

GROTESQUE BURLESQUE 2024

The tradition of a burlsque show was something lost in the lore of CalArts until 2024 Graduate Zoë Lappin decided to revive it. With the help of Zoe Hertzberg as co-producers, the two created the fieldnotes sub-label Zoë and Zoe and brought to CalArts the first annual Grotesque Burlesque. With magic lantern projections designed by Zoë and assistance from Victoria Solorio, the show is a magic lantern review and burlesque show exploring the grotesque and sensual nature of the body. The show had one of the highest turnouts of any student-produced live shows that year.

Graphic Design: Justin Gold
Stage Manager: Darby Huffaker
Sound Desgin: Charles Glaudini
Lighting Design: Miles Karraa
Costume Design: Tara Froehlich

Photographer: Bailey Johnson

GROTESQUE BURLESQUE 2025: GOTHIC UNDERGROUND

Following the success of Grotesque Burlesque 2024, Zoe Hertzberg as lead producer with the help of coproducer and magic lantern designer Victoria Solorio, and stage manager Darby Huffaker, the three revamped the success of Grotesque Burlesque with a new theme: Gothic Underground. Inspired by punk and goth culture of the 90’s the show explored the same themes of the grotesque and sensual with a new themed twist.

CREATIVE TEAM
Graphic Design: Justin Gold
Lighting Design: Cathleen Conte-Marrero
Live Sound Operator: Jonathan Flikkie
Photographer: Alejandro Caminos
Photo Editor: Zoe Hertzberg

BAD APPLE: A VARIETY SHOW

Bad Apple was a two-show installment variety show featuring performances by the graduating actors of the Class of CalArts 2025. The premeire Bad Apple was Bad Apple Holiday, and the finale was Bad Apple Graduation. The show featured stand-up, clowning, character, singing, and drag acts and helped the actors raise money for their New York Showcase in the spring of 2025.

Graphic Designer: Zoe Hertzberg
Stage Manager: Natalee Hapaniewski
Photographer: Zoe Hertzberg and Alejandro Caminos
Photo Editor: Zoe Hertzberg

LOSER! A STAND UP COMEDY SHOW

Loser! is a stand-up comedy show by Rachel Edelstein about heartbreak, hinge, and all things that start with H! Premiering at the Actors Company in February of 2025, the show went on to do a three show run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025.

Writter and Performed by Rachel Edelstein
Photographer and Graphic Design by Zoe Hertzeberg
Fringe Stage Manager: Claire German

THE ART SCHOOL DROP INS

The Art School Drop Ins is a sketch comedy team founded by Zoe Hertzberg. The team included Natalee Hapaniewski who also stage-managed the rehearsal process, Beverly Steele, Ben Crowell, Kenzie Welch, María Jurado, Stella Cockrum, Gracie O’Leary, and Riley Kristine Martin. The team premiered at the USC Sketchella Festival in 2025 and took their successful forty-minute show titled “The Birthday Party!” back to CalArts for a final performance in the spring. The team is looking to reprise their success in the 2025-2026 school year under new elected director Kenzie Welch.

Graphic Desing by Zoe Hertzberg
Photographer: Alejandro Caminos
Photo Editor: Zoe Hertzberg
Special Thank You: Tyler Atkins, Richie Jendruczec

THE FOURTH FOLD

The Fourth Fold is an original play written by Miles Moon Karraa about Thelonious Monk (no relation) and his run-in with new-wave Buddhism as he prepares for his upcoming jury duty. The show premiered as part of the 2024-2025 CalArts Coffeehouse Season.

CAST
Thelonious Monk: Brian Nai
Matt: James Cook
Ida DiPonti: Romy Kim
Genla Kelsang Dekyong: Glory Chase
Captain Abe Kaufman: Farbod Farrokh
Golda Jessup: Noa Levy
Harriet: Anushka Shah
Robert: Stella Cockrum

CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Miles Karraa
Co-Director & Head of Marketing: Zoe Hertzberg
Stage Manager: Mia Condon
Costume Designer: Raven Skye O’Donnell
Lighting Designers: Ella Fornof & Emma McManus
Graphic Desginer: Ally Sutton
Event Photographer: Alejandro Caminos
Photo Editor: Zoe Hertzberg

ZOE HERTZBERG Acting Comedy Videography 35 mm Galleryfieldnotes company Headshot, Resume, Reel Contact Instagram ©bellephantt

ZOE HERTZBERG

Acting
Comedy
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fieldnotes company

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