The 2026 FEST Committee expresses its gratitude to all our members and supporters who helped keep things moving in the right direction in 2025. With your support, energy, and motivation, a new Committee welcomes the challenges of 2026. FEST is ready to move forward doing what we do best… Theatre.
The 2026 FEST Committee consists of the following members:
Hazem Elessawy
Chair
Hazem is a born-and-raised Cairene living in Frankfurt. He discovered the world of theatre at the American University in Cairo, where he studied under renowned theatre director and founder of the AUC Theatre Department, Mahmoud El-Louzy, who also gave him his stage debut in 2017. He then became part of the Cairo-based Khoyout Playback Theatre troupe with whom he learnt the powerful impact of retelling real-life stories through theatre.
Hazem moved to Frankfurt in 2019 and joined FEST in 2022, although his connection to the group began earlier, in 2020, when he participated in a staged reading of Dinner for Five by Mike Rieple, helping FEST return from the challenges of the pandemic. Since then, Hazem has performed in several FEST productions, including Folly in All its Forms, And Then There Were None, Death of a Salesman, The Cherry Orchard, Old Saybrook, Pygmalion, and People Like Us Don’t Kill. Hazem’s role in FEST extends beyond the stage. He co-produced Love Bites: An Evening of One Acts and was Assistant Director for Rabbit Hole in 2024 and The Realistic Joneses in 2025.
After two years serving on the committee as ordinary member, Hazem was honoured to have been elected as Chair in 2025. He is eager to continue his journey on the committee this year and use his blend of creative and organisational skills to further FEST’s mission and foster a vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic theatre community that supports its members in achieving their artistic ambitions. His dedication to FEST is rooted in his belief in its transformative power:
“FEST saved me during the pandemic and helped me build a vibrant life in Frankfurt, much like the one I enjoyed in Cairo. I’m committed to paying that forward by helping FEST grow, thrive, and continue to provide its members with a place to discover, create, and shine on and off the stage.”
Emma Merritt
Vice Chair
Emma has been a member of FEST since 2023, and she falls more in love with this community every day. She has known she wanted to act ever since she was kicked off her kindergarten soccer team for pretending to be a dog – an immersive performance that tragically escalated to biting her coach on the leg. Many school drama clubs, three continents, and one pandemic later, she found the perfect place to continue developing her acting (but not biting) skills in FEST.
Since her FEST debut as Nina in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Emma has taken on several roles both on and offstage. She has tried her hand as a producer, makeup artist, lights and sound technician, stagehand, and assistant director, as well as assisting Hazem with managing the FEST Instagram page. In her day job, she creates apps and automations for the R&D team at a very well-named mattress company.
She is excited to explore new ways to serve the FEST community as Vice Chair in the 2026 Committee.
Ružica Vrbat
Secretary
Ružica first felt a spark for the performing arts at age 8, dancing on stage in her hometown’s cultural centre in Croatia. She later joined the local youth theatre at 14, where her on-stage career flourished until she moved to Germany at age 23. Since then, she has immersed herself in the local theatre scene, continuing dance classes and participating in Frankfurt’s improvisational theatre workshops. Ružica returned to the stage with FEST in 2024 as Jenny in Old Saybrook and has been involved backstage in numerous FEST productions.
In 2025, she combined her professional background in administration and management with her passion for theatre, serving as producer for FEST’s production of The Realistic Joneses. She is now eager to expand her role at FEST by serving as secretary on the 2026 committee. Ružica is now a digital nomad moving between the Netherlands and Germany, and she is confident her digital experience will be valuable to the FEST community.
Michelle Sellman
Treasurer
Michelle has been passionate about theatre and music since elementary school, where she joined the Drama Club at age 8. A Frankfurt native, she later went on to earn a BA in Drama Studies and English from JGU Mainz. After graduation, she took a break from acting and dancing – but an old flame never dies, so she was happy to find out about FEST in 2024.
Michelle started out in a backstage role, joining the Costumes Team for Pygmalion, and, together with Alice Thomas, served as a Producer for People Like Us Don’t Kill. 2025 was also the year she returned to the stage, as part of the Musical Interludes (Cell Block Tango, The Ballad of Guiteau) and Almost, Maine (as Deena and a Waitress) cast.
Outside of theatre, Michelle is passionate about healthcare and science, pursuing a career in Healthcare Management. She is eager to draw on her love for crunching numbers as Treasurer in the 2026 Committee and to help the FEST community with its many creative endeavours.
Julie Ng
Ordinary Member
Born in the Philippines, Julie worked as a strategy consultant and internal auditor, traveling the world before settling in Germany with her husband, children, and dogs. She currently works in Accounting and Special Projects for Source For Alpha AG.
Julie’s first audition and stage performance was as Cassandra in FEST’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Since catching the theatre bug, she has taken on various backstage roles, including Costumes Manager for The Cherry Orchard and producing Old Saybrook and Rabbit Hole. She also co-produced Gas Light with Alice Thomas and Pygmalion with Gulmira Jumayeva. In 2025, she returned to the stage as Jennifer in The Realistic Joneses and as Gayle and Rhonda in Almost, Maine.
After two years serving on the FEST committee as secretary, Julie is eager to continue using her skills and experience with FEST as an ordinary member on the 2026 committee.
To get in touch with any member of the Committee, use the form on our Contact page or email [email protected].