Artists First hires Caroline Soss and Curtis Shaw Flagg as managers

EXCLUSIVE: Artists First today announced the promotion of Caroline Soss to manager and the appointment of Curtis Shaw Flagg to the same role.

Lyrica Okano (Marvel’s runaways), Dan Leahy (Start fresh), Katie Parker (The Ghost of Hill House), Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (Doogie Kamealoha, managing director) and Nicholas Ralph (All creatures, great and small).

Born in Philadelphia, he joined Artists First as an intern in 2015 and, after graduating from Syracuse University’s SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, was promoted full-time to Artists First as an assistant to Kimberlin Belloni and Maggie Haskins (who was last named partner) year). Soss then worked for co-president David Gardner, where she also served as the company’s drama talent coordinator before her final promotion.

Born in Illinois, Flagg studied bioinformatics at Marian University before moving to Chicago and switching careers to live entertainment in 2010. Books before being promoted to manager of Laugh Factory Chicago in 2013, where he was responsible for operations and bookings for ten years. Flagg joins Artists First to represent comedy talent, tours and personal performance, and will be based out of the company’s Chicago office.

“Artists First exists to create wealth for its clients and colleagues,” said Co-Presidents E. Brian Dobbins and Gardner, “and the addition of these exceptional young leaders empowers us to continue that vision.”

Artists First also announced today the appointment of Matt Shepley as Drama Talent Coordinator and the promotion of Katie Zipkin-Leed to Literary Coordinator.

Shepley joined Principal Entertainment LA where he was an assistant to a partner. Prior to that, he was Voiceover Booth Director for CESD LA, guiding the top voice talent through their auditions. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, he began his career in Chicago as a broadcast producer, working for high-end advertising agencies producing national TV, radio and Internet commercials.

Zipkin-Leed assisted partners Maggie Haskins and Allen Fischer prior to her promotion to literature coordinator. The LA Tulane graduate began her career in entertainment in 2019 in UTA’s mailroom, working in the agency’s TV talent department before joining Artists First.

Both new coordinators will be based out of the company’s LA office.

Talent management and production company Artists First focuses on actors, writers, directors and producers in film, television and digital media and has a roster that also includes Martin Lawrence, Awkwafina, Kenia Barris, Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Niecy Nash. , Ed Helms, Will Arnett, Ike Barinholtz, Paul Walter Hauser, Kate McKinnon, Michael Showalter, Jon M. Chu, Lior Raz, Mitch Hurwitz, and Cristela Alonzo. Notable previous productions in film and television include Central Intelligence Service, Like a boss, Keanu, blackness, Mixed, Adult, The last OG, hit and run And Reno 911!.