The 39 Steps | Cast & Creatives

Cast

KRISTEN HAHN*

(The Woman) Broadway: A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder; Our Town starring Paul Newman. 1st National Tour: Hello, Dolly! (Minnie Fay); A Gentleman's Guide... (Phoebe). Regional: Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown) at Maine State; Death Takes a Holiday (Grazia) at Arvada Center; Our Town (Rebecca) at Westport Country Playhouse. Film: 5 Flights Up starring Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman; Our Town (PBS Masterpiece Theatre). BFA Carnegie Mellon University. Thanks to our brilliant director Mark, Virginia Stage, my teachers, and loved ones!

MICHAEL DI LIBERTO*

(Clown #1, Mr. Memory, and others) Virginia Stage Company debut. Michael is thrilled to clown around again after previously working with Mark on this show over twelve years ago.  This cast is a dream!  Broadway: Wicked. Off-Broadway: Cuts (York Theatre). National/International Tours: Wicked, Annie, Cinderella, Strike Up The Band, Disney on Classic w/ the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.  Select Regional: The Producers (Helen Hayes Nomination, Best Actor), Beauty and the Beast (PCLO), Elf and Oliver! (Paper Mill Playhouse), Around the World in 80 Days (Hangar Theatre), Sweeney Todd, Monty Python’s Spamalot, LMNOP (Goodspeed Opera House), Titanic, The Story of My Life.  Television: “The Good Fight” (Paramount+), “Evil” (Paramount+), “wecrashed” (AppleTV+), “Hit & Run” (Netflix), “The Gilded Age” (HBOMax, Season 2), and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Amazon, upcoming release).  A big thank you to Mark, Virginia Stage Company and the fabulous team at CGF Talent.  For mom, forever and always.  @MichaelDi_Li

JAMES TAYLOR ODOM*

(Hannay) is excited to make his Virginia Stage debut! National Tours: The D’Ysquith Family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder and Captain Von Trapp U/S in The Sound of Music. His recent regional credits include: Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (TheatreSquared); D’Ysquith Family in GGLAM (Gateway Playhouse & Tuacahn); Rev. Tim in the US premiere of Grumpy Old Men: the musical (Ogunquit Playhouse); Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps (Cortland Repertory Theatre); The Suspects in Murder For Two (Theatresquared); Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (Prather Entertainment Group); Alan in God of Carnage (Shadowland Stages); George Banks in Mary Poppins (Tuacahn/Broadway Palm); and George Bailey In It’s a Wonderful Life: a radio play (Gainesville Theatre Alliance). He is the creator of two one-person shows: Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon and The Mystery Bookshop Musical. He holds an MFA in acting from the University of Arkansas and a BA in Theatre from Brenau University. Avalon Artists Group. 

STEVE PACEK*

(Clown #2, Compere, and others) is thrilled to return to Virginia Stage Company! He last tread the board of the Wells Theater as Miss Tracy Mills in the The Legend of Georgia McBride, before the pandemic closed the show prematurely. Before that, he played Sir Henry in The Hound of the Baskervilles. And during the quarantines, he directed The Comedy of Errors in parks across Norfolk for the education department. Other credits include: Titanic (Bride/Hartley) at Milwaukee Rep; Hand to God (Jason/Tyrone) at the Alley Theatre; the World Premiere of See Monsters of the Deep (Morton Plank) at White Heron Theatre Co; The Secret Garden (Dickon) and Metamorphosis (Phaeton) at the Arden Theatre Co; Peter and the Starcatcher (Peter) at TheatreSquared & Arkansas Rep; Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour) at the Hangar Theater; The Glass Menagerie (Tom) at Cardinal Stage Co; Mary Poppins (Bert) at Quintessence; Les Miserables (Jean Prouvier) and Man of La Mancha (ensemble) at Walnut Street Theater;  A New Brain (Gordo) at Theatre Horizon; The Bombitty of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse) at 11th Hour; and a show he created for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, [Untitled Project] #213. Steve is also a director, choreographer, teacher and visual artist. Check out www.stevepacek.com for more info! Ithaca College Alum. Many thanks to Mark, Tom, Jeni, Meg and everyone here at VSC. It’s so good to be back!

Creative Team

MARK SHANAHAN

(Director) returns to Virginia Stage having directed The Hound Of The Baskervilles at Wells and his adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd online. Additionally, he is the proud author of Virginia Stage’s annual production of A Merry Little Christmas Carol. Mark is the writer and director of the hit play A Sherlock Carol, produced Off-Broadway and in London and nominated as Best New Play 2022 by the Off-Broadway Alliance. His directorial work has been seen at Alley Theatre,  The Westport Playhouse, The Irish Repertory Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Theatre Squared, Arkansas Rep, White Heron, Fulton Opera House, Weston Playhouse, Florida Rep, Penguin Rep, Merrimack Rep, The Cape Playhouse, and many more. As a playwright, Mark is the author of See Monsters Of The Deep, the Off Broadway and regional hit The Dingdong, and was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writer's Association of America for his stage adaptation of The Chronology Protection Case. Mark is the creator and writer of NPR's Radio "Ghost Light Series"  for the White Heron Theatre and Westport Playhouse- featuring original audio plays starring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivy and other notables of stage and screen.  As an actor, Mark performed on the New York stage in The 39 Steps on Broadway and in the Off Broadway hits As Bees In Honey Drown, Tryst, The Shaugraun, Small World, Checkers and many others. He has appeared on numerous regional stages across the country including the Alley, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Hartford Theatreworks. Mark is the resident director at The White Heron Theatre and curator of the Script-In-Hand Series at The Westport Country Playhouse, and a graduate of Brown University (BA) and Fordham University (MA) where he happily taught  classes on Hitchcock for 20 years.

D. CRAIG M. NAPOLIELLO

(Scenic Deisgner) is a New York City based designer.  Credits include Regional Scenic Design: River Ditty, Peter and the Starcather, VA Rep, I Am My Own Wife (Robert Fulton Award – Best Scenic Design), Witness For The Prosecution, Fulton Theatre, The Music Man-In Concert, Two River Theater. Off-Bway Scenic: I Forgive You, Ronald Regan, Beckett Theatre, The Bardy Bunch, St. Clement’s Theatre, Touch, 59E59, Sexual Healing, Rattapallax, The Germans In Paris, Arclight Theatre. Off Broadway Scenic & Costume: The Exes, Midnight Street, Theatre Row Come Light My Cigarette, St. Clement’s Theater Death of the Moon, Jerry Orbach Midnight Street, Lion Theatre Productions. Associate Scenic Designer (Selected) Broadway: In Transit Off Broadway: Scotland PA, Roundabout Theatre West Side Story, International Tour.  www.napoliellodesign.com

JENI SCHAEFER

(Costume Designer) is the Director of Design and Resident Costume Designer at the Virginia Stage Company in her 21st season. Regional credits include: A Christmas Story at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Hound of the Baskervilles at The Hangar and White Heron Theatre, Always...Patsy Cline PCPA Theatrefest, World premiere of Tom Jones for Florida Studio Theatre, Wit for Playmakers Repertory Theatre. VSC productions including; The Hobbit, Every Brilliant Thing, Dreamgirls, Merry Little Christmas Carol, Dear Jack Dear Louise, Hold These Truths, Sense and Sensibility, Guys and Dolls, Matilda, Secret Garden, Fun Home, Always Patsy Cline, Crowns,The Hound of the Baskervilles, Pride and Prejudice, The Wiz, A Streetcar named Desire, Oliver, Peter and the Starcatcher, All my Sons,The Great Gatsby,The Fantasticks, Death of a Salesman, Red, Around the World in 80 days, Crowns, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Hank Williams Lost Highway and A Christmas Carol. Jeni Schaefer holds a MAC in Theatre/Costume Design from Wichita State University. Thank you to my family Tony, Sara and Ethan for being my inspiration and for always believing in me.

ALYSSANDRA DOCHERTY

(Lighting Designer) (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based lighting designer originally from Vernon, NJ. After graduating with honors and a BA in Theatre from DeSales University, she continued her training as an apprentice at Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut.  She then spent five seasons as the Lighting Supervisor at Philadelphia Theatre Company.  She has toured internationally with Koresh Dance Company and BalletX to stages in Belarus, Mexico, Bermuda, Serbia, and all across the USA. Recently, Aly’s work has been seen in Here You Come Again (Delaware Theatre Company & Pittsburgh CLO), The Garbologists (Philadelphia Theatre Company), and RENT (New Light Theatre).  She has also designed for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Brian Sanders’ JUNK, Theatre Horizon, and Wolf Trap Opera, among others.  Her designs have been recognized with Barrymore and Ostrander Award nominations in Philadelphia and Memphis respectively.  www.alyssandradocherty.com

RYAN RUMERY

(Sound Design) is a 2017 alum of the Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab: Documentary. His music is regularly heard on “This American Life.”  His film credits include Food and Country (2023 Sundance), Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles (2020 Tribeca),  District 15 (2020 for Patagonia), America’s Pandemic (2020 The Washington Post), Epic Extras (2019 Major League Baseball), The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Paul Manafort (2018 The Washington Post). And, Apart (2016 Golden Door International Film Festival), Those People (UCLAxFilmFest 2022.) He has also contributed additional music to City of Gold (2015 Sundance), Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock (2017 Tribeca), How to Let Go of the World (And Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change) (2016 Sundance), and When We Walk (2019 Hot Docs).

BINDER CASTING 

(NY Casting) Binder Casting, now part of RWS Entertainment Group, was founded by Jay Binder, CSA in 1984. Binder Casting has cast over 80 Broadway productions, dozens of National Tours, off-Broadway shows, full seasons for over 25 regional theatres, as well as feature films, episodic television and commercials. Binder has cast for Encores! at New York City Center since its inception in 1994. The office was also featured in the documentary, Every Little Step. Binder Casting is a twelve–time recipient of the Artios Award. www.bindercasting.com

Daniel LeMien*

(Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back and joining the team at VSC for A Merry Little Christmas Carol. Tour Credits: Tour Manager for recording artist Jim Brickman, PSM for Forever Plaid 25th Anniversary Tour (Barter Theatre Company), Menopause the Musical (TOC Productions), Say Goodnight Gracie (Alan Safier) Strega Nona The Musical (Maximum Entertainment). Regional Credits: The Hobbit, Dreamgirls (Virginia Stage Theatre Company), West Side Story (City Springs Theatre Company), Cabaret, Spring Awakening, Mame, Into the Woods, Bright Lights Big City, The Burnt Part Boys, Fiddler On The Roof, Grey Gardens, Becky Shaw, Harvey (FreeFall Theatre Company), Dirty Blonde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Romeo and Juliet, Camping With Henry and Tom (American Stage Theatre Company) Daniel is a graduate of St. Petersburg College and a proud member of Actors Equity Association. @managethestage

EMMA D. EMDE*

(Assistant Stage Manager) is elated to be spending her first season with Virginia Stage Company. Her recent credits here include A Merry Little Christmas Carol and The Hobbit. Prior to coming to Virginia Stage Company Emma spent the summer in Ithaca, NY as the Assistant Production Manager at Hangar Theatre Company. As a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, her collegiate stage management credits include Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, She Kills Monsters, and Eurydice. Following The 39 Steps, she will continue her time here for the last two season productions. Emma is a proud member of the Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honors Society and National Honors Society for Dance Association.

TOM QUAINTANCE

(Producing Artistic Director) is in his sixth year with Virginia Stage Company. At the Wells, Tom has directed A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, The Santaland Diaries, and Matilda The Musical. Pre-pandemic, Tom traveled to Minneapolis where he directed Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theater. As Artistic Director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), Tom produced over 35 plays and directed the World Premiere of Downrange: Voices from the Homefront, a play based on interviews with military spouses from Fort Bragg. Tom is an Associate Artist at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill where he directed An Enemy of the People, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and The Little Prince. He also directed The Little Prince at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As the founder of FreightTrain Shakespeare in Los Angeles, he earned a Drama-Logue Award for his direction of Pericles. Other Los Angeles credits range from King Lear to The Devil With Boobs. A member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Tom is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) with a B.A. in Theatre and Economics, and the University of California, San Diego MFA directing program, where he was the assistant director on the original production of The Who’s Tommy. 

JEFF RYDER

(Managing Director) has been Managing Director of Virginia Stage Company since March 2022. Prior to coming to VSC, Jeff served in several roles at Cleveland Play House from 2013 to 2022. Jeff holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the Levin College at Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University. At Levin, Jeff was inducted into Nu Lambda Mu, the international honor society for the study of nonprofit management and philanthropy. Jeff also holds a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion for HR Professionals from Cornell University. He has served on the boards of the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, Theatre Forward, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. In Cleveland, Jeff was honored to be a part of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Advanced Leadership Institute and the Cleveland Foundation’s Foundations for Philanthropy Program. Jeff has also been a stage manager at several theatres including Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Berkshire Theatre Festival.

Additional Show Staff

Carpenters… Kacy McBride, Caleb Ouellette, TréVeon Porchia, and Michael Taylor
Scenic Charge… George Righter
Scenic Painters… Shawn Crawford, Deanna Hammond, Nanita Kovalik
Electricians… Harry Drew-Wingfield, Kim Fuller, and Leya Quiñones

Wardrobe Supervisor… Chelsie Cartledge-Rose
Wardrobe… Virginia Bird
Deck Captain: April Threet
Deck Hands: Iris Martin & Kylie Sorber
Light Board Operator: Eden Guill
Spotlight Operator: Joey Mueller
Sound Engineer: Shyloh Bailey
Sound Engineer…Danielle Saunders
Crew Swing… Cristina Shafarman

THE HOBBIT | Cast & Creatives

CAST

Ryan Clemens*

(Balin/Voice of Spider/Others) is proud to work both on the main stage and with VSC's Education Department. VSC patrons may remember Ryan as Jaxton in The Thanksgiving Play, Mr. Wormwood in Matilda; Trinculo in The Tempest; Lieutenant Brannigan in Guys & Dolls; Vinnie in The Odd Couple; Mortimer in The Fantasticks; Bob Cratchit, Old Joe, or Ghost of Christmas Present in several years' versions of A Christmas Carol; or as his famous relative Sam Clemens in his one-man show Meet Mark Twain. Originally from Wyoming, Ryan began his career in a travelling Wild West show. He has worked at theaters around the country, including several seasons locally with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Tidewater Stage Company. He performs with Plan B Comedy at Zeider's American Dream Theatre. Ryan holds a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University and an MFA in Acting from Regent University. He also teaches at ODU. www.clemensistwain.com

Jeffrey A. Haddock*

(Bilbo) is a local actor and puppeteer, currently working as a Teaching Artist with Virginia Stage Company; he is excited to be making his performance debut with VSC, and to be returning after working backstage on Matilda The Musical. Since 2017, he has spent his Winters working on Nauticus’ Dicken’s Christmas Towne & Winterfest on the Wisconsin as a performer and production manager. Jeffrey holds a BA in Theatre Performance from Old Dominion University. Favorite credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Algernon), Twelfth Night (Malvolio), Hair (Claude Bukowski), and The Burial at Thebes (Haemon). In his free time, he enjoys playing bass, practicing magic, and learning photography under his mentors at Lizard Leap Productions (@lizardleap/lizardleapproductions.com). Jeffrey would like to thank his lovely partner Krystal, his ever supportive family, and his friends who inspire him daily. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Thomas Hall*

(Thorin/Troll 2/Others) Debuting in his first ever VSC role, Thomas Arthur Hall is ecstatic to bring his energy to Wells Theatre. He was born and raised in Virginia Beach and studied with the George Mason University Players during his collegiate studies. Thomas has made appearances in The Importance of being Earnest, The Royal Family, and The Outsiders. He has also work in local film and television work and is represented by the Actors Studio. He looks forward to giving his all into bringing this show to life. 

Alana DODds Sharp*

(Gandalf/Bombur/Elven Queen/Others) Alana Dodds Sharp (Gandalf / Bomber & others) As a new resident to the Hampton Roads area from Northern VA, Alana is thrilled to make her debut at VSC. Recent area roles include Cynthia in SWEAT at Generic Theatre, and Arlena Cartwright in the 2022 Proteus Festival’s Likkor Outta Control at The Z. DC credits include the Cantor in The Jewish Queen Lear at Theatre J, Ensemble in The Great Society at Arena Stage, East of Eden as the Nurse & Eva at Next Stop Theatre and an understudying at The Folger Theatre in Henry IV, Part 1. Alana has also filmed a variety of commercials and videos for clients such as Berdon LLP, Shenandoah Valley Organic, MedStar Health, Medicaid Managed Care and the New York State’s Progressive Mobility Campaign. Originally from Ohio, Alana graduated with a BFA in Acting from Wright State University. Thank you Billy, Thom and Emel for this opportunity and thank you Sam, Gaby & Sebastian for letting me out to “play.” Loves you! 

Anna Sosa*

(Kili/Gollum/Others) is a proud Filipino American born and raised here in Norfolk.  She has worked locally and internationally in theater, film, improv comedy, and voiceover.  You may recognize her as Christmas Past from VSC's 2016 A Christmas Carol or Puck from a Midsummer Fantasy Festival in Town Point Park.  Favorite work includes her roles as Malcolm in Macbeth with CORE, as Denny in the world premiere of HOMEsick written and directed by Deborah Wallace, Catherine Givings from In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play, and her Raven’s Hollow County Players.  She thanks CORE Theater Ensemble, Push Comedy Theater, TCC's Shakespeare in the Grove, and the growing Viewpoints community in this area for building opportunities for underrepresented artists.  She earned her BFA in Theater Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.  To Bobby M., Matt C., her Sosa-clan and her Middle Earth tribe— espesyal na salamat.

Jayden Adams-Ruiz

(Ensemble) is excited to be making his debut with the Virginia Stage Company on the Wells Theater’s Equity Stage. Jayden is a 4th year performance student in the Theatre and Film Department of the Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) in Norfolk, VA. He is also completing an Advanced Studies Diploma at Maury High School. Jayden has previously acted in the GSA stage performances of Eurydice, 39 Steps a Radio Show, No Child, What Where, and Hamlet. He also wrote, directed, and acted in the film Mind Games as well as acted in the films Terminally Online, BFF, Cardinal Sin, The Mission, and Street Cred. Jayden’s acting experience also includes performances with Generic Theater and Harrah Players. Jayden plans to continue studying and performing Theater and Film in college. For more information visit Jayden’s website: https://jaydenadams-ruiz.godaddysites.com

Mark Andris

(Ensemble) is honored to be one of the few students from The Governor’s School for the Arts to be invited to join this production. He loves performing for others and has been a part of All Together Now! and Bright Star at Hickory High School in Chesapeake. He also enjoys music and has played the viola for five years inside and outside school. 

Katherine Cottrell

(Ensemble) Katherine is absolutely thrilled to be making her VSC debut! She is a senior at the Governor’s School for the Arts in the Theatre/Film Department as well as Grassfield High School. Recent credits include: Eurydice, The 39 Steps, Anniversary,The Odyssey 2.0, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Pre-Nostalgia, Zoe, and “Get Batter Soon” (48 Hour Film Fest). She would like to thank Steve and Ricardo for helping her grow as both an artist and a human being, and Taylor Swift- for the same thing.

Gunar Pencis

(Troll 1/Ensemble) is a freshman at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach. He is a first year student at Governors School for the Arts. Gunar grew up in Tyler, Texas where he attended Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy, it was here when his love for theatre began in 1st grade. Outside of school, Gunar can be found on the basketball court, or behind a drum kit. He loves his three dogs, Rock music (especially Van Halen) and his friends.

Kennedy Savage

(Troll 3/Ensemble) is a 14 year old girl currently attending the Governor’s School for the Arts as well as Princess Anne High School. Her hobbies include writing, debate, and forensics. This is her first professional theatre production as well as her first production with VSC. She’s super excited to be apart of the Hobbit team.

Kristina VanPeeren

(Ensemble) is a sophomore student at Western Branch High School, and it is also her second year attending The Governor’s School for the Arts. It is her debut with Virginia Stage Company. She has worked for four years in the musical theater industry, with some of her most memorable shows being Duffy in Annie Jr and Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland Jr. In addition to theater she played the violin for four years and was in All-City and Junior District Orchestra. “I am so thankful for the love and sacrifices my family and friends have made for me to support my dreams.”

Zia Gulson

(Understudy) is an aspiring actress who is currently a student at both Governor’s School for the Arts and Cox High School. She adores acting and has been doing it her whole life, this show marks her first professional production. Some of her most memorable past shows include Eurydice as Eurydice, The Lion King as Zazu, and Treasure Island as Molly. Since arriving at Governor’s School, she has been in six films that allowed her to discover her love for the film industry and its creative process. Zia spends as much of her free time as possible indulging in her other creative passions; songwriting, playwriting, playing electric guitar and ukulele, singing, dancing, and painting. Zia is thrilled to be a part of a VSC production for the first time. She plans on taking her acting, directing, and playwriting skills to the next level in a BFA Arts program next fall. 

Savanna Stone

(Ensemble/US) is very excited to be involved in her first professional level performance. She is currently a senior at Governors School for the Arts, where she has participated in a film and The 39 Steps: A Radio Play. She is applying to the University of Virginia to continue pursuing her career after graduation.

CREATIVE TEAM

Billy Bustamante †

(Director) Credits include Off-Broadway productions of Notes From Now (Prospect), Whisper House (Civilians) and Cinderella (NAAP).  Other credits include, Gold Mountain (Utah Shakespeare Festival),  Into The Woods (Arden Theatre), Matilda (Virginia Stage Company), Goodspeed, Lincoln Center, and NAAP. Broadway performing credits: Miss Saigon (Engineer alt.), The King and I (Lun Tha u/s). Off-Broadway/Regional: Soft Power and Here Lies Love at the Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, Arena Stage, Old Globe and Paper Mill Playhouse. Billy’s co-founder of Broadway Barkada and on faculty at Jen Waldman Studio and Circle in the Square Theatre School. Billy is passionately committed to the development of new artists and building a more equitable world. www.BillyBustamante.com Insta: @BillyBCreative

Josafath Reynoso

(Scenic Designer) Award winning scenic designer Josafath Reynoso was born in Mexico and was awarded the Gold Medal for Scenic Design at the World Stage Design 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan for his production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also received the 2015 USITT Scenic Design Award, the 2014 SETC Scenic Design Award for Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape; the 2013 BroadwayWorld Award for Our Country’s Good, and the SETC Ready-for-Work Award for The Threepenny Opera. Of his production of Crowns at Virginia Stage Company, Jeff Seneca of Alt Daily wrote, "the curtain opens on a set that will take your breath away. Josafath Reynoso has created truly magnificent scenery full of rich vibrant colors and wonderful use of space. I love when shows are able to build the music right into the set and Reynoso is able to do that with the organ and percussion right there onstage. It is an amazing set that truly shines as its own character in the show." Reynoso was also praised for his production of The Bluest Eye at Virginia Stage: “The real star of the show was the set. Josafath Reynoso took a simple idea of hanging laundry about the stage, from the rafters, from the box seats and the balcony and turned it to an elaborate display of color and whimsy." Mr. Reynoso was selected as a keynote speaker for Stage|Set|Scenery in Berlin and presented at the International Biennale of Architecture in Buenos Aires for his design of Noche Arabe.

Jeni Schaefer

(Costume Designer) is the Director of Design and Resident Costume Designer at the Virginia Stage Company in her 21st season. Regional credits include: A Christmas Story at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Hound of the Baskervilles at The Hangar and White Heron Theatre, Always...Patsy Cline PCPA Theatrefest, World premiere of Tom Jones for Florida Studio Theatre, Wit for Playmakers Repertory Theatre. VSC productions including; Every Brilliant Thing, Dreamgirls,Merry Little Christmas Carol, Dear Jack Dear Louise, Hold These Truths, Sense and Sensibility, Guys and Dolls, Matilda, Secret Garden, Fun Home, Always Patsy Cline, Crowns,The Hound of the Baskervilles, Pride and Prejudice, The Wiz, A Streetcar named Desire, Oliver, Peter and the Starcatcher, All my Sons,The Great Gatsby,The Fantasticks, Death of a Salesman, Red, Around the World in 80 days, Crowns, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Hank Williams Lost Highway and A Christmas Carol. Jeni Schaefer holds a MAC in Theatre/Costume Design from Wichita State University. Thank you to my family Tony, Sara and Ethan for being my inspiration and for always believing in me.

Christina Watanabe §

(Lighting Designer) is an award-winning designer and educator for theatre, dance, music, and events. At VSC: Guys and Dolls, Every Brilliant Thing. Recent: Clue (Dallas Theatre Center), Gypsy, Jersey Boys (Theatre Aspen), Sueño (Trinity Rep), The 39 Steps (Rep St. Louis), Elf (Pioneer Theatre Company), This Bitter Earth (Theatreworks Hartford), Carla’s Quince (virtual, Drama League nomination), Where We Stand (WP Theatre), As You Like It (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The Wild Party (Post Theatre Company), Peer Gynt (Barnard), Heartbreak House (Gingold Theatrical Group), A Christmas Carol (Florida Rep), Into the Woods (Charlottesville Opera), Peter and the Starcatcher (White Heron Theatre Company), Scissoring (INTAR), Dido of Idaho (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Small World: a fantasia (59E59), Neighbors: A Fair Trade Agreement (INTAR), Daniel’s Husband (Primary Stages/Cherry Lane), I Will Look Forward To This Later (New Ohio). TV: Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State (co-design, CNN). Lincoln Center Festival (2013, 2015-2017). USITT Gateway Mentor. Knights of Illumination winner. Faculty: Sargent Conservatory at Webster University. MFA: NYU. Member USA 829. www.StarryEyedLighting.com.

Steven Allegretto

(Sound Designer) is a proud graduate of Full Sail University’s Recording Arts program. Since graduating, Steven has worked relentlessly on perfecting his craft in both recording studio and live theatre environments. Steven also uses his expertise in professional audio to teach the upcoming generation as an Adjunct Professor of Theatre Sound Design at the College of William & Mary, as well as teaching privately. Steven has had the great pleasure of designing sound for past VSC shows including Matilda, Guys and Dolls, A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Dreamgirls, Every Brilliant Thing, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Steven is very excited to be back at VSC, and to share the magical sonic landscape of The Hobbit with you and yours.

Jamison Foreman

(Music Supervisor/Composer) is excited to be a part of his first production with Virginia Stage Company, and to help create some magic with the cast of The Hobbit. He acts, teaches, and musical directs mostly in Philadelphia. REGIONAL: Arden, Walnut St, InterAct, People’s Light, Quintessence Theatre Group, Theatre Horizon, Inis Nua, Azuka, 11th Hour, Applied Mechanics, Act II, Commonwealth Classics, Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre (DC), Everyman (Baltimore). INTERNATIONAL: Fame (Chinese Tour), Overexposed (Edinburgh Fringe Fest). AWARDS: 2014 Barrymore Award Winner for Best Musical Direction. TRAINING: STC’s Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University: MFA, Classical Acting; University of the Arts: BFA, Musical Theatre. TEACHING: The University of the Arts, Drexel University, George Mason University, West Chester University.

Daniel LeMien*

(Stage Manager) has been a proud member of the Actors Equity Association since 2003 and previously joined VSC for Dreamgirls. Daniel’s theatre credits include Spring Awakening, Mame, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Grey Gardens, Into the Woods, Bright Lights Big City and The Burnt Part Boys to name a few. Daniel has also toured with the 25th anniversary tour of Forever Plaid and Grammy nominated artist Jim Brickman for his holiday show. Daniel would like to extend his thanks to everyone involved in this production of The Hobbit. “Break em!”

Tom Quaintance

(Producing Artistic Director) is in his sixth year with Virginia Stage Company. At the Wells, Tom has directed A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, The Santaland Diaries, and Matilda The Musical. Pre-pandemic, Tom traveled to Minneapolis where he directed Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theater. As Artistic Director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), Tom produced over 35 plays and directed the World Premiere of Downrange: Voices from the Homefront, a play based on interviews with military spouses from Fort Bragg. Tom is an Associate Artist at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill where he directed An Enemy of the People, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and The Little Prince. He also directed The Little Prince at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As the founder of FreightTrain Shakespeare in Los Angeles, he earned a Drama-Logue Award for his direction of Pericles. Other Los Angeles credits range from King Lear to The Devil With Boobs. A member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Tom is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) with a B.A. in Theatre and Economics, and the University of California, San Diego MFA directing program, where he was the assistant director on the original production of The Who’s Tommy. 

Jeff Ryder

(Managing Director) has been Managing Director of Virginia Stage Company since March 2022. Prior to coming to VSC, Jeff served in several roles at Cleveland Play House from 2013 to 2022. Jeff holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the Levin College at Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University. At Levin, Jeff was inducted into Nu Lambda Mu, the international honor society for the study of nonprofit management and philanthropy. Jeff also holds a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion for HR Professionals from Cornell University. He has served on the boards of the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, Theatre Forward, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. In Cleveland, Jeff was honored to be a part of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Advanced Leadership Institute and the Cleveland Foundation’s Foundations for Philanthropy Program. Jeff has also been a stage manager at several theatres including Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Berkshire Theatre Festival.

ADDITIONAL SHOW STAFF

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Emma Emde
FIGHT director GREGG LLOYD
RESIDENT CASTING DIRECTOR EMEL ERTUGRUL
STITCHEr VIRGINIA BIRD
WARDROBE SUPERVISOR CHELSIE CARTLEDGE ROSE
SOUND SUPERVISOR SHYLOH BAILEY
ELECTRICIANS RACHEL ELDER, WILLIAM DOWDY
CARPENTERS Elijah Righter, TRÉVEON PORCHIA
PROPERTIES Manager TUMÔHQ ABNEY
Scenic Charge George Righter
Scenic Painter Deanna Hammond

The Making Of...Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has been almost two years in the making, and Virginia Stage Company couldn’t be more excited to share this production with Hampton Roads!

Watch as our incredible production team turns our beautiful stage into an extravagant bedroom on the Mississippi Delta where this tawdry tale takes place. Three weeks of work flash before your eyes in this beautiful 30-second clip that captures the real beauty of theater in motion!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Khanisha Foster, runs on The Wells Theatre stage from September 14th - October 2nd. Tickets can still be purchased by calling the box office at (757) 627-1234 or by clicking below!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Cast & Creatives

CAST

John Cauthen Jr.

(Reverend Tooker) John’s previous VSC appearances include Our Town, Pride and Prejudice, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Fighters, All My Sons, and A Moon for the Misbegotten.  Currently a Williamsburg resident, John taught high school English for 18 years in Virginia Beach.  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof marks John’s 93rd theatre production since he first began acting onstage in 2005.

Angel Dillemuth*

(Gooper/Brother Man) was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He received his M.F.A. from The Actor's Studio Drama School @ Pace University and attended The British American Drama Academy: Midsummer in Oxford program. He has primarily worked in television and film, appearing on Blue Bloods, The Equalizer, Person of Interest, Vox Lux, to name a few. Angel is excited to join VSC, working on Cat, which is on his bucket list. He is grateful for the opportunity. Angel is repped by Gray Talent. 

Marsha Estell*

(Big Mama) is a Chicago based actress and playwright. Regional Credits, Legacy Land - KC Repertory Theatre, First Breeze of Summer - Court Theatre, Blues for an Alabama Sky - Alabama Shakespeare Theatre. Favorite Chicago Theatre credits - My Other Full Time Job - Erasing the Distance Theatre, East Texas Hot links, Onyx Theatre Ensemble, Sty of the blind pig, Onyx Theatre Ensemble, Coffee will make you Black, City LIt Theatre, and her solo show Big Butt Girls and other Fantasies the Remix” was performed in Chicago, Detroit, New York and Los Angeles. TV Credits: Chicago P.D. (NBC) South Side, (HBO MAX) Proven Innocent, (FOX) and Electric Dreams (AMAZON). As a playwright, she is a recipient of the Illinois Art Council Fellowship for playwriting. Recently, she received a 3ARTs project match for her short film “Black Girl in Bathtub”(coming soon). She is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. www.marshaestell.com

Jeffrey King*

(Big Daddy) was a member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival acting company for 20 seasons where he appeared in more than 50 productions. Other theaters include Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Berkeley Repertory Theater, California Shakespeare Festival, The Magic Theater, The Empty Space in Seattle, The Hippodrome and Asolo Theater in Florida. He originated the role of Joe Pitt in Angels in America, first performed at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. He has appeared also in television, film and radio.

Aaron Kirkpatrick

(Doctor Baugh) is thrilled to join the cast in his first production with Virginia Stage Company. A native of Virginia Beach, Aaron has worked as an actor in New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and hither and thither as the wind of opportunity blows. Aaron has an MFA in acting from Indiana University, and is an adjunct instructor of acting at Old Dominion University. Aaron would like to share his appreciation for the many talented artists whose work make this production come to life, and thanks to the company for the opportunity to work on this incredible play

Brianna Robinson

(Polly) is thrilled to be making her VSC debut! A couple previous credits include Tosca -- Virginia Opera, Disney The Lion King Experience -- Hurrah Players, Celebration of Music -- PBS TV. She’s also been blessed with the opportunity to sing the National Anthem for the MEAC Basketball Tournament, Norfolk Admirals Hockey Team, and The Tides Baseball Team. She has also been featured in print and commercial for Dickens’ Christmas Towne at Nauticus. For more on Brianna, follow her @SingerBriannaRobinson

Anna Sundberg*

(Margaret) is thrilled to return to Virginia Stage Company after having previously appeared in VSC's Disgraced. Anna is based in Brooklyn, New York. In NYC she has workshopped plays with Roundabout, Playwrights Horizons, and Fiasco Theater. She has performed locally at the Access Theater and regionally at the Great River Shakespeare Festival and GreenHouse Theatre Project. Prior to NYC, Anna worked for 10 years in Minneapolis, MN at the Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, Ten Thousand Things, Children's Theatre Company, Park Square Theater, The Playwrights' Center, and many more. She appears in the FX series Fargo, the film I Am Not A Serial Killer (with Christopher Lloyd), and the award-winning web series Theater People. Anna also has experience touring the South Island of New Zealand playing a sheep.

Gregory Warren*

(Brick) is an actor based in New York City. Select acting credits: Off-Broadway: Colorblind (Actors Temple Theatre). Other NYC credits: Watch Me Burn (The Wild Project), The Prisoners of Quai Dong (The Tank), Will (The Hudson Guild Theater), The Exonerated, The Tempest and The Motherf*cker With the Hat (The Secret Theatre). Chicago Credits: Mana and Her Underground Family (Gorilla Tango Theatre). In 2017, Greg received the award for Outstanding Performance in a Supportive Role at Fresh Fruit Festival Awards for his performance in Watch Me Burn. Training: Second City Acting program & Green Shirt Studio (Chicago)

Penelope Hanson

(Dixie) is thrilled to be a part of the Virginia Stage Company. She has recently been seen in Pippin and Matilda the Musical. She loves everything about theatre and, in her off time, enjoys dancing, singing, and grooving to her Walkman. Penelope loves to read, be a big sister, and strum on the guitar. She wishes to thank VSC for giving her this opportunity and experience.

Wallis Herst

(Mae/Sister Woman) is thrilled to be returning to the Wells with this lovely group of humans. Previously at VSC, she has been seen in Our Town, The Parchman Hour, and The Secret Garden. In Hampton Roads, she has also appeared in No Exit, Macbeth, and Niobe with Core Theatre Ensemble and a staged reading of the documentary theatre piece Orange Avenue Project about the Pulse nightclub shooting. During her years in North Carolina living adjacent to Fort Bragg, she was part of the development and world premiere of Downrange: Voices From the Homefront at Cape Fear Regional Theatre where she also appeared in Henry V, Around the World in 80 Days, and The Parchman Hour. In Los Angeles she appeared in the world premieres of Stranger at the Bootleg Theatre and Fables Du Theatre at The Unknown. Other LA and NY productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Blood Wedding, The Serpent, Antony & Cleopatra, The Trojan Women, and The Astonished Heart. Film credits include the locally produced Last Moment of Clarity, the short films Anna at Home and Phenobarbital, and The Craving. On television you may be able to briefly glimpse her on a couple episodes of Law & Order: SVU in syndication. She received her B.F.A from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she studied with The Atlantic Theatre Company. Couldn't do any of it without the love, support, and patience of Tom, Miri, and Annika.

Miri Quaintance

(Trixie) is very excited to be a part of her first show at VSC! This past summer Miri participated in the VSC summer camp and loved it. Theater has been a big part of Miri’s life since she has been seeing shows from a very young age and she’s grateful for this opportunity to participate from the other side. In her free time, she likes to play softball, rock climb, and create art. Miri is very thankful for all the love and support from friends and family.

CREATIVE TEAM

KHANISHA FOSTER†

(Director) Khanisha’s work and her outrageous family history landed her writing opportunities with K&L Productions (Kay Cannon & Laverne McKinnon), as well as Julie Hébert (The Man in the High Castle), and Electric Shepherd Productions (stewards for the adaptations of the Philip K. Dick library). She was also a Fox Fellow, and her series Sancho was a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival and is being produced by Max Arciniega (Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul) and Alonso Alvarez (Snowfall). She’s written video games for Probably Monsters (the company founded by the creators of Halo and Destiny), and for Episodes. Her solo show Joy Rebel, directed by Obie Award winner Lou Bellamy, received critical acclaim and was chosen as a DC Metro Staff favorite for 2019. Her plays have been commissioned by Penumbra Theatre, 1st Stage, and 2nd Story. She was a featured storyteller on NPR’s The Dinner Party. Along with Lena Waithe, and was named one of 18 Black Women We Think Are Phenomenal by Mater Mea Magazine. American Theatre Magazine named her in their Role Call series as one of the 6 Theatre Workers You Should Know. Broadway World named her Best Director for The Bluest Eye, which also won Best Production. Her production of Yellowman is currently nominated for 7 OC Theatre Guild Awards. After playing 26 Characters in Anna Deavere Smith’s Fires in the Mirror, Broadway World said about her, “Obviously, I can only speak of Foster. She is breathtakingly good. Every character she embodied, whatever the accent, age, race or gender, comes across as real and distinct.” Her film acting debut, Chicago Boricua, was an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival. The Star Tribune called her writing “…risible and heartbreaking…”, the Compendium said she “…oozes charisma and charm, blinking in an instant between tremendous sadness and effervescent joy.” They added that her writing is “…lush and descriptive bearing hallmarks of Roxanne Gay, Lindy West, and Tracy K. Smith”, and the D.C. Metro said her work “comes from the rebellious joy of making others laugh so their days are not so dark. So they and anyone can enjoy laughter.”  If you’d like to enjoy a laugh, be sure to ask her about that time she broke onto the Queen of England’s land and got shot at, or when her sister — who is a legit Nigerian princess — showed up in Lagos two days late for her crowning ceremony, or about how she almost became a professional clown.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

(Playwright) Tennessee Williams, original name Thomas Lanier Williams, (born March 26, 1911, Columbus, Mississippi, U.S.—died February 25, 1983, New York City), American dramatist whose plays reveal a world of human frustration in which sex and violence underlie an atmosphere of romantic gentility. Williams became interested in playwriting while at the University of Missouri (Columbia) and Washington University (St. Louis) and worked at it even during the Great Depression while employed in a St. Louis shoe factory. Little theatre groups produced some of his work, encouraging him to study dramatic writing at the University of Iowa, where he earned a B.A. in 1938. His first recognition came when American Blues (1939), a group of one-act plays, won a Group Theatre award. Williams, however, continued to work at jobs ranging from theatre usher to Hollywood scriptwriter until success came with The Glass Menagerie (1944). In it Williams portrayed a declassed Southern family living in a tenement. The play is about the failure of a domineering mother, Amanda, living upon her delusions of a romantic past, and her cynical son, Tom, to secure a suitor for Tom’s shy and withdrawn sister, Laura, who lives in a fantasy world with a collection of glass animals. Williams’s next major play, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), won a Pulitzer Prize. It is a study of the mental and moral ruin of Blanche DuBois, another former Southern belle, whose genteel pretensions are no match for the harsh realities symbolized by her brutish brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.  Williams was in ill health frequently during the 1960s, compounded by years of addiction to sleeping pills and liquor, problems that he struggled to overcome after a severe mental and physical breakdown in 1969. His later plays were unsuccessful, closing soon to poor reviews. They include Vieux Carré (1977), about down-and-outs in New Orleans; A Lovely Sunday for Crève Coeur (1978–79), about a fading belle in St. Louis during the Great Depression; and Clothes for a Summer Hotel (1980), centring on Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, and on the people they knew. Williams also wrote two novels, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1950) and Moise and the World of Reason (1975), essays, poetry, film scripts, short stories, and an autobiography, Memoirs (1975). His works won four Drama Critics’ awards and were widely translated and performed around the world. (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tennessee-Williams) 

JOSAFATH REYNOSO

(Scenic Designer) Award winning scenic designer Josafath Reynoso was born in Mexico and was awarded the Gold Medal for Scenic Design at the World Stage Design 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan for his production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also received the 2015 USITT Scenic Design Award, the 2014 SETC Scenic Design Award for Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape; the 2013 BroadwayWorld Award for Our Country’s Good, and the SETC Ready-for-Work Award for The Threepenny Opera. Of his production of Crowns at Virginia Stage Company, Jeff Seneca of Alt Daily wrote, "the curtain opens on a set that will take your breath away. Josafath Reynoso has created truly magnificent scenery full of rich vibrant colors and wonderful use of space. I love when shows are able to build the music right into the set and Reynoso is able to do that with the organ and percussion right there onstage. It is an amazing set that truly shines as its own character in the show." Reynoso was also praised for his production of The Bluest Eye at Virginia Stage: “The real star of the show was the set. Josafath Reynoso took a simple idea of hanging laundry about the stage, from the rafters, from the box seats and the balcony and turned it to an elaborate display of color and whimsy." Mr. Reynoso was selected as a keynote speaker for Stage|Set|Scenery in Berlin and presented at the International Biennale of Architecture in Buenos Aires for his design of Noche Arabe.

BRYCE TURGEON

(Costume Designer) is returning to VSC after designing Dreamgirls this past April, and The Legend of Georgia McBride in the 2020 Season. He has worked on and off Broadway for 8 years building for such shows as Aladdin, Fun Home, Cinderella, Wicked, Phantom, Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and many others. For the past  5 years Bryce has been the owner of his own fashion brand, “Florence d’Lee” where he specializes in couture fashion for high profile drag queens. Bryce’s work can be seen on Rupaul’s Drag Race seasons 9-13 (Sasha Velour, Aquaria, Nina West, Rosè, Scarlett Envy, Etc.) as well as Drag Race All-Stars seasons 4-7 (Shea Coulee, Monèt Xchange, Miz Cracker, Blair St.Claire, Etc). Bryce’s work has also been seen on various Broadway and Hollywood Red Carpets as well as The Met Gala. 

DAVID CASTANEDA

(Lighting Designer) has shed light on more than 500 productions around the country including Parchman Hour and The Bluest  Eye for VSC and will illuminate the upcoming Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Some bright moments in NYC: Broadway: Irena’s Vow (Tovah Feldshuh), Helen Hayes: Marvin’s Room (T.R. Knight), The Directors Company: Murder in the First (Chad Kimball), Public Theatre, Peculiar Works Project, Abingdon Theatre, NY Fringe Festival.   Regional illuminations include Albany/Berkshire Ballet (NY/VT), Cape Fear Regional Theatre (NC), Broadway Rose (OR), Theatre Winter Haven (FL), Round Barn Theatre (IN), Temple Theatre (NC), Carousel Dinner Theatre (OH), Venice Stage(FL), Merrimack Rep (MA), ArtisTree Theatre Festival(VT), Seacoast Rep (NH), Millbrook Playhouse (PA), and many musicals in Spanish by ‘Misi’ in Bogota, Colombia. David radiates from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  

STEVEN ALLEGRETTO

(Sound Designer) is thrilled to be back at Virginia Stage, and to be collaborating with Norfolk State University as part of this amazing design team for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Steven graduated from Full Sail University in 2008, majoring in Recording Arts. Since then, Steven has worked relentlessly perfecting his craft in both recording studio and live theatre environments. Steven has had the great pleasure of designing sound for past VSC shows including Ring of Fire, Always...Patsy Cline, Matilda, Guys and Dolls, and A Merry Little Christmas Carol. Steven also uses his expertise in professional audio to teach the upcoming generation as an Adjunct Professor of Theatre Sound Design at the College of William & Mary, as well as teaching privately.

SASHA NICOLLE SMITH

(Intimacy Director) is a Chicago-based actor and violence and intimacy choreographer. Recent choreography credits include Familiar, You Got Older, How to Catch Creation, Ma Rainey, Smart People, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, The Toilet, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Gynecological Oncology Unit At Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center of New York City, Ideation, and Octagon. She is a company member pf Steep Theatre. She is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago. Sasha is represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent.

BINDER CASTING 

(NY Casting) Binder Casting, now part of RWS Entertainment Group, was founded by Jay Binder, CSA in 1984. Binder Casting has cast over 80 Broadway productions, dozens of National Tours, off-Broadway shows, full seasons for over 25 regional theatres, as well as feature films, episodic television and commercials. Binder has cast for Encores! at New York City Center since its inception in 1994. The office was also featured in the documentary, Every Little Step. Binder Casting is a twelve–time recipient of the Artios Award. www.bindercasting.com

CHARLES BAYANG*

(Production Stage Manager) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is Charles's first production with Virginia Stage.  His work has been seen in other regional theatres including PlayMakers Repertory Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Dallas Children's Theater, Dallas Theatre Center, Hartford Stage Company and Alabama Shakespeare Festival.  Charles holds an MFA from University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival and just celebrated his 25th year as a member of Actors' Equity Association.

DANIEL RUIZ

(Associate Scenic Designer) is a very passionate Mexican scenic designer and filmmaker. He is a MFA Live Design & Production candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. He has recently assisted the scenic design of the play Network (Mexico City, Mexico), collaborated with the scenic design team of Cocolab at FRIDA INMERSIVA (Mexico City, Mexico) and  it's currently assisting the scenic design of The Hobbit (Virgina, USA). He has also been director and art director of several short films including  Eva/Ana which was selected by the SOUND OF THE SILENT FILM FESTIVAL (Chicago, USA) to be performed with live music. Daniel holds a B.Sc in Computer Science Technology with a concentration in Filmmaking from Tec de Monterrey (Mexico City, Mexico); as well as a Scenic Design Speciality from CENTRO (Mexico City, Mexico).

TOM QUAINTANCE

(Producing Artistic Director) is in his sixth year with Virginia Stage Company. At the Wells, Tom has directed A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, The Santaland Diaries, and Matilda The Musical. Pre-pandemic, Tom traveled to Minneapolis where he directed Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theater. As Artistic Director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), Tom produced over 35 plays and directed the World Premiere of Downrange: Voices from the Homefront, a play based on interviews with military spouses from Fort Bragg. Tom is an Associate Artist at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill where he directed An Enemy of the People, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and The Little Prince. He also directed The Little Prince at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As the founder of FreightTrain Shakespeare in Los Angeles, he earned a Drama-Logue Award for his direction of Pericles. Other Los Angeles credits range from King Lear to The Devil With Boobs. A member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Tom is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) with a B.A. in Theatre and Economics, and the University of California, San Diego MFA directing program, where he was the assistant director on the original production of The Who’s Tommy. 

JEFF RYDER

(Managing Director) has been Managing Director of Virginia Stage Company since March 2022. Prior to coming to VSC, Jeff served in several roles at Cleveland Play House from 2013 to 2022. Jeff holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the Levin College at Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University. At Levin, Jeff was inducted into Nu Lambda Mu, the international honor society for the study of nonprofit management and philanthropy. Jeff also holds a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion for HR Professionals from Cornell University. He has served on the boards of the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, Theatre Forward, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. In Cleveland, Jeff was honored to be a part of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Advanced Leadership Institute and the Cleveland Foundation’s Foundations for Philanthropy Program. Jeff has also been a stage manager at several theatres including Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Berkshire Theatre Festival.

ADDITIONAL SHOW STAFF

Assistant Stage Manager … Lauren Stubenhofer
Intimacy Coach … Jordan Setzer
Fight Consultant … Greg Lloyd
Dialect Coach … Rachel Finley
Assistant Costume Designer … Jem Tepe
Stitcher/Young Performer Supervisor … Virginia Bird
Resident Casting Director … Emel Ertugrul
Wardrobe Supervisor … Chelsie Cartledge Rose
Sound Supervisor … Shyloh-Symone Bailey
Electricians … Rachel Elder, William Dowdy
Carpenters … Phillip Martin, Darion Carr, TréVeon Porchia
Properties & Artisan Swing … Tumôhq Abney
Wig Designer … Brawna Brinkley Gfeller

Staff Spotlight: Jeff Ryder, Managing Director

Virginia Stage Company is thrilled to welcome our new Managing Director, Jeff Ryder! Jeff joins VSC after nine years in various finance, fundraising, and management positions at Cleveland Play House. He joined the VSC team on March 28th!

We got to sit down with Jeff, during his very busy first week to ask some ‘top-tier’ important questions about him and his move to Virginia. Please stop and say hi to Jeff when you see him at the Wells Theatre or out in the community!

Marketing Associate: How would you describe your position at VSC to someone who may not be familiar with the title or a day to day in your life here?

Jeff Ryder: The Managing Director partners with the Artistic Director to support a strong organization that fosters an environment where artists can do their best work. Specifically, I focus on financial management, marketing, sales, human resources, fundraising, supporting our Board of Trustees, and all the other nuts and bolts that make a nonprofit organization run. All of this is in support of the art that Virginia Stage Company creates for the Hampton Roads community.

MA: Can you tell us a little bit about your background? What got you started in theatre and led you to here?

JR: So I’ve had a little bit of a winding path in the theatre. A lot of people start as actors and find their way to other areas of our business. That was NOT my journey. I started working in props design in High School and then grew into Stage Management. I majored in Stage Management at Tufts University and then worked for about a year and a half as a Stage Manager before I decided that I wanted to pursue other areas of theatre management. The Cleveland Play House Apprentice Program offered me the perfect opportunity to learn about finance and human resources, and led to me spending almost 9 years there working in every one of the departments that I now manage.

MA: How did you come to work for Virginia Stage Company?

JR: It was a really attractive opportunity to be a Managing Director at such a great organization that is well positioned to come out of the pandemic and be successful. This theatre is also very artistically familiar to me. VSC programs plays and theatre education programs that are interesting, thought provoking, and boundary pushing, and that ultimately build a stronger, more connected community. It is incredibly rewarding to support this kind of work.

MA: What's the biggest thing you are excited to have influence or impact on while working for Virginia Stage?

JR: I hope to have an influence on making Virginia Stage Company an integral part of our community. I mean that in a lot of ways. Welcoming the ENTIRE Hampton Roads Community to authentically enjoy our space, but also looking out at how we can make Hampton Roads a better place to live in a broad sense. VSC is already doing this work, but I look forward to helping it continue to advance.

MA: Before VSC, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever worked on?

JR: I did all kinds of unusual things at Cleveland Play House, but I once spent two summers managing a snack bar at a swimming pool. It was a real trial by fire experience in customer service. Many complaints came my way that were well beyond my purview…everything from ‘Can I get a different kind of iced tea’ to ‘Can you fix this maintenance problem with the pool’. At the time, I didn’t realize what good training this was for customer service positions that I would later hold in theatre.

MA: Where have you lived, and what is the most fun place to visit at those places?

JR: I’m from Iowa originally, went to college in Boston, spent some time in the Berkshires and Cincinnati as a Stage Manager, and then was in Cleveland for about 9 years working at Cleveland Play House. Boston is a great city with a wonderful connection to American History, but the place I most look forward to returning to visit is Cleveland. I don’t think it is well enough known that Cleveland is a great city for arts and culture. It has many theatres, a world-class orchestra, great museums, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I also look forward to going back to visit the West Side Market.

MA: When you first started here at VSC, what productions or projects in this current season were you the most excited to be a part of?

JR: I was really interested in The Thanksgiving Play when I was interviewing for this position, but the thing that made me feel like this could be my next artistic home was when I heard VSC was doing Every Brilliant Thing….this made me feel like this was a place that shared some of my values and would also feel artistically familiar. VSC’s programming sparks important conversations for our community in a wide variety of topics. I am happy to be a part of that.

MA: If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you'd buy?

JR: That is a tricky question. When I was in elementary school, I had to do that assignment of ‘what would you do if you had a million dollars?’ so I made a proposal to build a sanctuary for Orangutans. I know now that everything I wanted to do might take more than a million dollars…but maybe winning the lottery would be a good start.

MA: Are you a dog or a cat person?

JR: A dog person *answered confidently* I have a siberian husky named Togo. 

MA: Most obscure random fact you know off the top of your head?

JR: The weirdest fact I know is that Barbara Walters, Anne Frank, and Martin Luther King Jr. were all born in the same year.

Dreamgirls Interview: Tom Quaintance and Anthony Stockard

Virginia Stage Company couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Hampton Roads Community to the Wells Stage as it marks it’s fifth co-production with the talented and accredited artists at Norfolk State University Theatre Company in the form of Dreamgirls.

If you’re not excited yet then please take a listen to the words from Dreamgirls director and Norfolk State University Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Anthony Stockard and VSC’s PAD Tom Quaintance as they exclaim the excitement, joy, and energy that is going to grace the Wells Theatre Stage.

This is a show you won’t want to miss! Make sure to get tickets at www.vastage.org/dreamgirls today!

Staff Spotlight: Bethany Mayo, Education Director

Bethany Mayo and Patrick Mullins discuss rehearsals or VSC’s Newest Education Tour ‘Greenbeats!’

Last week, Virginia Stage Company had the privilege of welcoming a new team member to its organization in the form of new Education Director Bethany Mayo (she/hers). Bethany is an electric personality, with an ecstatic sense of excitement at the opportunity to bring theatre integrated education to the local student communities of Hampton Roads through Virginia Stage Company’s programming. Before joining us, she was the Director of Education for the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. From her work as an actor and artist, she began to develop a love for teaching theatre (and literature) through performance and classes with her students. While Shakespeare has been her recent main profession, her Master’s and thesis focus on integrated theatre into all forms of education and engaging students in History, English, Math, and in ways that move their body, engage their creative storytelling, and help them grow a passion for learning.

We are thrilled to share her infectious energy with you all, so we recently sat down with Bethany to learn a little bit more about her.

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Marketing Associate: How would you describe your profession to someone who might not be familiar with it?

Bethany Mayo: So…how I’ve described it in the past I “I make educational programing, for use in school or at the theatre, for K-12 students” so they can either use theatre to learn something or get more acquainted with other lessons. I’m excited to bring this experience to VSC, my previous experience was directly tied to Shakespeare and theatre education. We talked about language, rhetoric, or English classes…but here I’m more open to do everything! Which I think means more students can take advantage of the benefits of arts integrated learning. Connecting those things back to what students are learning in their classroom, or social skills, how to work in a group…all those skills you need to learn moving forward. It’s

MA: Can you tell me a little about your background?

B: I started a bank teller, believe it or not! My husband and I moved to Baltimore, and once there I finally found a theatre where I felt like I could find my full-time career as an artist. I auditioned, and found that there was a position available as a teaching artist. I took the job, hoping to lead to an opportunity there, but on my first job teaching students in an English class learning Romeo & Juliet I fell in love with the process and seeing what students learned from it. I continued as a teaching artist for 5 years, remaining with a focus on Shakespeare, and learning my voice and style as a theatre educator…I found an opportunity to be a Director of Education at another theatre and thought what’s the worst that could happen?

So I took a chance, applied, got it…found out I wasn’t half bad at it! And so I started to grow. While in the position, I started to wonder “!hat if we did this with other classes? How do we help theatre integrated teaching assist with teaching other courses like history where the content is so dense?” This was what started me on my Master’s Program…so I worked in my first Director of Education job at a theatre while beginning work on my Masters. 

Coming from my research, articles and news going all the way back to 1920 classroom professionals keep talking about how the next big thing will be ‘integrating theatre into classroom lesson plans for all topics’ but then here we are today…and it’s still going to be the next big thing. Imagine, What if you learned historical eras from what the most popular dance were? Kinesthetic learners can get engaged physically and hold onto new things learned if we expand their educational experience to include performance, movement, language in these new ways.
 
MA: How did you come to arrive at your position here at Virginia Stage Company?

B: I moved here with my husband, who’s in the military, and I looked at all the theatres I could back in December of 2020 but no one was hiring. But about 6 weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I had a sudden urge to go “I wonder if that theatre I liked was hiring?” I opened up my computer and saw the Director of Education position was available so I applied. It was like a voice from the universe!

MA: What impact do you hope to have with your time here?

B: What I want to do is…the way VSC’s current Education Program is built is made to operate externally and meet people where they are. What I feel is missing is how our program draws people in, so what I hope to do while I’m here is build the kind of Educational Programming that can bring people here. Combining arts integration skills to figure out where in the local school systems we can be of use, I’m a huge fan of arts in schools. It’s a wonderful tool that helps art meet those students in places and in opportunities where they might not normally get exposed to the theatre for a long time.

Rooting our external programs in a way that engages with the curriculum, but leaves bread crumbs to what we do with our shows back at the theatre and brings those students here. In the version where this doesn’t suck and I don’t get fired, of course!

MA: Before working at Virginia Stage, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

B: Two come to mind, the first one is a specific assignment I had on one of the jobs. I was a Standardized Patient in Baltimore and we were working with medical students at the end of their unit on labor and delivery. I had a backpack with a hollow belly where we had a water-filled infant doll inside the hollow case. It was supposed to teach the doctor’s in training about how to build repour and comfort quickly with patients in a time-sensitive situation. I had one student catch and piledrive the doll into my chest, and I cannot forget that experience.

I also used to work for a murder mystery company that would go to locations, restaurants etc., performing live murder mystery theatre experiences. But sometimes you’d be invited to personal homes and be in these spaces for 3 -4 hours that you’d never been before and with people you’d never interacted with before. So our audience member interactions were always a stab in the dark…but it was a lot of fun too!

MA: What places have you lived before here?

B: I have lived in Des Moines, Iowa; Cavalier, North Dakota; Kansas City, Missouri; Fulton, Missouri; Pensacola, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and now HERE!

MA: When you started with Virginia Stage, what show or project were you most excited for?

B: When I looked through the season, in the early days before I applied, I saw that VSC tackled Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. Both shows I loved, and with full casts that were made up of local and professional actors alike. A concerted effort to concentrate on hiring and presenting local talent alongside out of town talent to shape a full show that showcases the brilliant work of local artists.

MA: What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

B: Another house, real estate market y’all…that’s all I can say.