Anatoly Antohin the co-founder and artistic director, of Lul theatre and academe has enjoyed an outstanding career as a playwright in his native Russia before his defection to the United States in 1980. He is a twenty five year veteran within the U.S. higher education system having taught at University of Connecticut, New York University, Norwich University, Hollins College and University of Alaska.  Antohin is the recipient of several awards for his playwriting and directorial works among them are; New Jersey State Council on the Arts Drama Award, Pen Club Grant of New York, and the Ostrovsky Award for Drama from the U.S.S.R. In all,  Antohin has directed several dozens of plays, many of these were adaptations and original plays. Beginning in 1998 Anatoly developed a web presence with the intent to foster greater interest in Ethiopian history, culture and the Arts. Today it is one of the largest site of its kind and has enjoyed several million visitors over the course of its existence. 

During his twenty year tenure at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Antohin was instrumental in transforming the Theater department which at the time of his hire in 1989, was a small drama program merged with communications department. Between 1991 - 1994, Antohin developed Russian American Theater (RAT), a foreign exchange program with American students and faculty members with Russian Theater professionals. A true testament of his dynamic talents, he leaves behind a full-fledged Theater department, graduates, countless actors, directors and playwrights and media professionals who continue to attest to his outstanding contribution to his craft. For more, see CV press coverage and testimonies by his students and colleges.

Esther Sellassie Antohin, co-founder and the Administrative director of Lul theatre and Academe is a native of Ethiopia. She fled her country in 1977 during the military dictatorship (1974 - 1991).  She holds a BA in Russian language and History from New York University and an MA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Esther has dedicated the better part of two decades educating the American public about her natal home. She began in early 1980s when she became a spokesperson for a fundraising campaign to aid victims of drought in Ethiopia and concurrently organized Ethiop Village,  an arts exhibit in the New York tri-borough area, Virginia, and later in Alaska. She has lectured on Ethiopian history and culture in numerous venues across the United States to a wide range of audiences including universities, junior and high schools and civic organizations.

For the past twenty years while living in Fairbanks, Alaska Esther has taught Russian language in the public schools as well as at the university level. After she obtained her MA in cultural anthropology, she became fully engaged in research on Ethiopia, culminating in a Alaska humanities grant for research which she undertook in 2008. She is also the author of three books on this subject. For more, see CV and press coverage.