Tenali: The Royal Trickster - NW Children's Theater

®

By Avantika Shankar

APRIL 20–MAY 12, 2019

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PUBLISHER + FOUNDER Misty Tompoles ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER + MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Katrina Ketchum MANAGING EDITOR Kristen Seidman MEDIA DIRECTOR Chris Porras SALES DIRECTOR Lindsey Ferguson DESIGNERS Lisa Johnston-Smith Dan Le Heidi Rush Jackie Tran ARTSLANDIA BOX MANAGER Bella Showerman PUBLISHER'S REPRESENTATIVE Nicole Lane PUBLISHING COORDINATOR Sara Chavis NEW BUSINESS ASSOCIATE Ashley Coates PHOTOGRAPHERS Christine Dong Max McDermott PODCAST HOST Susannah Mars

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BY Avantika Shankar DIRECTORS Sarah Jane Hardy & Anita Menon CHOREOGRAPHER Anita Menon SET AND PROPERTIES DESIGN John Ellingson COSTUME DESIGN Mary Eggers & Suvarna Menon LIGHTING DESIGN Paul Brown SOUND DESIGN Jake Newcomb Approximate production run time: 60 minutes.

There will be no intermission.

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MUSICAL NUMBERS

CAST TENALI RAMA �����������������������������������Ajai Tripathi KING KRISHNADEVARAYA............Samson Syharath QUEEN TIRUMALA � �������������������������������Wynee Hu TATTACHARYA ������������������������������ Melody Bridges MINISTER OF SPIES ��������������������������� Sam Burns MINISTER OF ARTISTRY........Heath Hyun Houghton MINISTER OF COIN � ����������������������� Ken Yoshikawa GUARD PANDU ����������������������������� Maggie Stanton GUARD PERI �������������������������������������� Ella Carson

MALLARI Ragam: Gambheera Nattai Talam: Rupakam (6 beats) Composer: Mridanga Vidwan Sri. Nellai D. Kannan

MAYA...............................................Gowri Ganesh MEERA........................................ Kalyani Shankar DANCERS........................................ Sanuhi Achar Ritika Jain Mini Sharma-Ogle Ishani Sinha

DANCE PARTY Original Composition: Zakir Hussain Music arrangement: Murali Krishna

THILLANA Ragam: Kadhanakuthuhalam Talam: Adi (8 beats) Composer: Sri Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna

DHOLI TARO DHOL BHAJE Composer: Ismail Darbar Lyrics: Mehboob Movie: Hum dil de chuke sanam Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali 4

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Arshia Sohal Poorna Sridharan TATTACHARYA (UNDERSTUDY)........Jennie Spector DANCER (UNDERSTUDY)................Meera Kanagal

MUSICIANS CYMBALS.................................. Sowmini Sengupta VOCALIST ���������������������������������������� Harini Rahul PERCUSSION (MRIDANGAM, GHATAM, BOX DRUM & MORSING).............................. Vasudev Raguram PERCUSSION (MRIDANGAM & GHATAM).....Krishna Srikanth VIOLIN......................................Ravidath Gurudath FLUTE...................................... Aayush Neil Surya KEYBOARD � ������������������������������������������� Sahil Pai

PRODUCTION TEAM COMPANY STAGE MANAGER Roger Monroe TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Steve Hambrick

BHARATANATYAM COSTUME TAILOR Alex from Ranjana Tailors, Chennai, India

INTERN TECHNICIANS Della Cosloy, Riley Holmes, Alexa Lagesen, Libby Rouffy, Michaela Warren

MASTER CARPENTER Paul Brown

COSTUME STITCHERS Nancy Christy, Jean Hardy, Wendy Meehan, Claudia LaRue, Tevis Hockenbury

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennie Spector

CROWN DESIGNER Suvarna Menon

COSTUME SHOP MANAGER Nancy Christy

SCHOOL MATINEE MANAGER Cindi Kinder

CROWN FABRICATOR R.K. Jewellers, Chennai, India

SCENIC ARTIST AND FABRICATOR David Pritchard

ASL INTERPRETERS Carli Jones, Emily Sizemore

WARDROBE Jean Hardy

CULTURAL CONSULTANT Anita Menon

AUDIO INTERPRETER Julie Gebron

SOUND TECHNICIAN Jake Newcomb

DANCE COORDINATOR Meera Kanagal

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sucha Production

LIGHTBOARD OPERATORS Paul Brown, Steve Hambrick

MUSIC COORDINATOR Murali Krishna

COVER & POSTER ILLUSTRATOR Lee Moyer

SEASON CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS, AND PAINTERS Mikal Von Borg, Corey McCarey, Mark Schwan, David Pritchard, Sam Burns, Kay Conneely, Signe Larsen, Laine Wagner, Corey McCarey, Bryan Ringsted

PROGRAM DESIGN Artslandia

DANCE CAPTAIN Sowmini Sengupta PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Henry Martin

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR & HOUSE MANAGER Becca Reyes–Geislinger

PHOTOGRAPHER David Kinder

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CAST BIOS AJAI TRIPATHI TENALI RAMA NWCT is delighted to welcome Ajai to the stage. Favorite roles include La Siguanaba in Judge Torres, Fig in Bi-, Ben in El Payaso, and Jaguar in Searching for Aztlán at Milagro Theater, where he is also the Education Director. Ajai is the playwright of three plays for young audiences, Sueños de Fútbol, Mijita Fridita, and ¡Corre!¡Corre! He recently directed Rhinoceros at Oregon State University, where he earned a Bachelors in Theater Arts.

SAMSON SYHARATH KING KRISHNADEVARAYA Samson recently appeared as an ensemble member in Here on this Bridge: The -Ism Project with Theater Diaspora, Mark in Map of Virtue with Theatre Vertigo, Cerimon/Thaliard in Pericles Wet with Portland Shakespeare Project, and in the ensemble of Exodo with Milagro Theater. A graduate of Portland Actors Conservatory and University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Samson enjoys anime, video games, and dancing like there’s no tomorrow! www.samson.actor

WYNEE HU QUEEN TIRUMALA Wynee is thrilled to be performing at NWCT for the first time.

Recent appearances include Hurl at Corrib Theatre (ensemble), The Tempest at Oregon Adventure Theatre (Ferdinand), and The White Hound of the North at Speculative Drama (The Crow Witch), and multiple roles in the Exoplanetary podcast series. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Southern California and has taken improv and storytelling classes at the Brody Theater.

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MELODY BRIDGES TATTACHARYA Melody is a local actor, director and playwright best known for her comedic roles, including Miss Hannigan in NWCT’s Annie, for which she earned a Portland Area Musical Theater Award nomination.

As an NWCT actor and guest director for many years, favorite roles with the company include the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, and The Grand High Witch in The Witches. She spent seven years as this theater’s Director of Marketing and Development, and now runs her own marketing company, FlannelPDX.com.

She is never far from NWCT, serving on its board of directors, and emceeing the company’s annual gala. She studied theater at Portland State University, but her BEST training came when Sarah Jane Hardy insisted she learn to sing so she could cast her in NWCT musicals. She loves, loves, loves NWCT and is delighted to return for this remarkable production.

SAM BURNS MINISTER OF SPIES NWCT audiences have enjoyed Sam’s many performances over the seasons including: Wizard of Oz (Hunk/ Scarecrow), Shrek (Donkey), The Sun Serpent (Anahuac), The Jungle Book (Monkey), Mary Poppins (Policeman, Park Keeper, Von Hussler), Sherlock Holmes (The Great Grigori), Goodnight Moon (Clarabelle/ Tooth Fairy), Peter Pan (Cecco, PAMTA Award for Best Duo), James and the Giant Peach (Earthworm), The Big Friendly Giant (Fleshlumpeater), Busytown (Farmer Alfalfa), and the title role in the premiere of Robin Hood.

Sam is also an NWCT teaching artist, and enjoyed his directorial debut in the remount Robin Hood. Huge thanks to the Production Manager for always writing his bio.

HEATH HYUN HOUGHTON MINISTER OF ARTISTRY A Korean American actor, writer and director. He is very excited to be working with NWCTS again, having appeared in Chitra: The Girl Prince. Other Portland stage credits include work with Corrib Theatre (Hurl), Staged! (Spring Awakening, Merrily We Roll Along), Theatre Vertigo (Assistance), Milagro (American Night, ¡O Romeo!), CoHo (Maple and Vine, Enjoy), Imago Theatre (The Black Lizard), and Broadway Rose (Thoroughly Modern Millie). His plays, Night Breezes and the Ballerina and Depo#1 M. Merian have been seen as staged readings as part of Fertile Ground New Plays Festival.

KEN YOSHIKAWA MINISTER OF COIN Ken is grateful for his third production on the NWCT stage after the jolly ride of Mary Poppins. Other appearances include H in Grit: a touring educational show in Washington State, Soldier in Mojada, A Medea in Los Angeles with Portland Center Stage/Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Malvolio and Antonio in Twelfth Night with Oregon Adventure Theater, and Clerk in You For Me For You with Portland Playhouse. A Reed College Theater Arts and OSF Summer Seminar Alumnus, Ken can also be found reading his poetry around the city.

MAGGIE STANTON GUARD PANDU Maggie is thrilled to be back on the Mainstage after performing in last season’s Cinderella as Tammy/Ensemble.

Other roles include Thenardier in Les Miserables and Pepper in Annie at St. Mary’s Academy, and various roles in The Complete Works

CAST BIOS of William Shakespeare (Abridged) with Interns NW. She is a junior and member of the Marian Singers at St. Mary’s Academy, and a third-year NWCT intern.

Maggie sends special thanks to her friends, family, and TRIMET.

ELLA CARSON GUARD PERI NWCT Mainstage debut! Ella previously appeared in Shiver: A Musical Ghost Story (Tala) and Jasper in Deadland (Beatrix and Others) at Oregon Children’s Theater, Annie (Annie) at Broadway Rose Theatre Company, and The Secret Garden (Mary Lennox) at Southwest Stageworks. She trained at NWCT in Studio NW and Summer Days!, and is an OCT Young Professional. When not onstage, Ella sings in choir at Wilson High School, and cheers on the Portland Thorns. So much love to her friends, family, and Sarah Jane for the wonderful opportunity!

GOWRI GANESH MAYA NWCT welcomes Gowri back to the stage after her performance as a dancer/bandit in Chitra: The Girl Prince. A seventh grader at Stoller Middle School, Gowri enjoys reading, art, and contortion. She has been training in Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form, since she was 5 years old.

KALYANI SHANKAR MEERA Kalyani is thrilled to make her Mainstage debut! A member of Studio Jr., Kalyani performed as Poseiden in The Odyssey, Vlad Vladikoff and the Marshall in Seussical Jr., the Prince in Romeo and Juliet, and Jaybird and Snowy in Honk Junior.

Kalyani is a sixth grader at Stoller Middle

School, and thanks her friends, family, and especially Dustin Brown and Leigh Mallonee for encouraging her to always do her best.

ARSHIA SOHAL DANCER Arshia is 13 years old and has been studying Bharatanatyam since age five under Smt. Sivagami Vanka of Kalabharathi School of Dance. She also enjoys snowboarding and volleyball, is an OMTA piano student, and volunteers at Camp Yakety Yak, a special needs camp.

She loves to travel to different countries and experience different cultures.

ISHANI SINHA DANCER Ishani is a seventh grader at Stoller Middle School and loves to play the piano, competing and winning in OMTA festivals. She’s been

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CAST BIOS dancing since age six, training and performing with her Guruji Smt. Radhika Narayanan in Bharatnatyam at the Navarasa Dance School. Ishani would like to share special thanks to her piano teacher, Mrs. Barbara Parker, for making music exciting and keeping the rhythm alive in her. She also thanks her parents and sister for their continuous love and support.

MINI SHARMA-OGLE DANCER Mini appeared as a dancer in IGNITE_ Bliss and other Easy Things at New Expressive Works, A Bollywood Dream at Jai Ho Dance, Showcasing Indian Dances with ENEDSA in France, and several theater and classical dance shows in India, Canada and the US. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, and holds Masters degrees in Anthropology and Ancient Indian Culture. When not dancing or choreographing, she

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can be found working full time as an Archaeologist for a Portland utility company, or planning her next travel adventure. That is when she gets a break from her two little kids' antics. “I am so grateful for my village of support- super spouse Todd, Mummy, Papa, Dad and of course my wonderful children, Manali and Manav.�

POORNA SRIDHARAN DANCER Poorna has appeared as a principal dancer at the Anjali School of Dance and the Abhinaya Natyalaya School of Dance.

She studied the Indian classical dance for over twenty years at the Abhinaya Natyalaya School of Dance in Chennai, India. Her most recent performance was "Chandrika Ranjan" in Murder of the Ganges under the Anjali banner.

In her words:"A chemical engineer with an MBA, I am passionate about numbers and equally passionate about

the arts. I was raised in the home town of Bharatanatyam and have learnt this form of dance from the tender age of 5.

I keep this aspect of the arts very close to me as it will be a constant reminder of where I am from and what I am working for. I moved to Portland 7 years ago and got the opportunity to explore arts beyond that of the traditional form.

There is always a challenge between preserving and creating new traditions. I think it is critical to understand an idea that is traditional but translate it to a language that is current. Coping with and taking advantage of the dual sides of this complexity has shaped my educational, professional and artistic choices."

RITIKA JAIN DANCER Ritika is a twelfth grader at Westview High School and is excited to be a part of Tenali. She has been learning dance since the age of 5 and has done many dance

CAST & MUSICIAN BIOS performances. However, this is her first theatrical performance and she's thrilled to work with the Northwest Children's Theatre! Ritika will be heading off to college in the fall. In her free time, she likes to draw, hike, and try new foods with her friends.

SANUHI ACHAR DANCER Sanuhi Achar is a freshman at Westview HS. She is an avid dancer and has been learning Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Smt. Radhika Narayanan. She has performed in Portland, Seattle & Bangalore, India. Sanuhi’s passion for dance led her to take the Bharatanatyam exam and passed it with distinction.

Outside of academics; dance, music (keyboard, percussion), reading, long distance biking and volunteering for the community keeps her occupied.

JENNIE SPECTOR TATTACHARYA (UNDERSTUDY) Jennie is delighted to be back on the NWCT stage after performing in the world premieres of Snow White (Queen u/s), Robin Hood (Maid Marian) and Pinocchio (ensemble). Recent appearances include Straight (Emily) at triangle productions!, The Art of Blushing and The Lazarus Complex at Hand2Mouth, and Arc, a self-produced devised performance workshop. An Interns NW alum and NWCT’s current Production Manager, Jennie is thrilled to have the chance to learn how to be just like Melody, and thanks Sarah Jane for pretty much everything.

SOWMINI SENGUPTA CYMBALS Sowmini Sengupta studied the Indian Classical Dance form of Bharatanatyam at the Kalasagara Academy of Fine Arts (Chennai) and completed her Arangetram at the age of 10 under the tutelage of Mrs. Malathy

Thothadri and Mrs. Usha Raghavan. She has given performances in Chennai and Portland at various community programs.

She has continued to nurture her passion for dance under Mrs. Anita Menon since 2004. As a staff member at the Anjali School of Dance, she has choreographed items for multiple performances at local Portland cultural events. Sowmini also studied the Indian Classical Music form of Carnatic under Mrs. Sarada Mani for 5 years in Chennai, she continues to learn under Mrs. Archana Mungara.

HARINI RAHUL VOCALIST Harini is a disciple of Violin Maestro Shri Ganesh Rajagopalan(GaneshKumaresh fame). She has learnt music for 10 years from her mother Smt Renuka Das, Vid Dr. Sukanya Prabhakar and Vid Shri T P Vaidyanathan in India. Since her move to Portland in 2014, she has performed in IndianRaga labs, events at eswara.org etc. She has performed in various local events such as Kalakendra annual community concert, Marghazhi Utsavam at HECSA to name a few. She is also a sought after Vocal Music teacher in the Portland Indian Community.

VASUDEV RAGURAM PERCUSSION Vasu is excited to be part of Tenali. A twelfth grader at Valley Catholic High School, he sings tenor in the school concert choir. Vasu enjoys singing and acting in theatrical musical productions.

He plays the Mridangam, (Indian percussion instrument), and has performed solo, for dance dramas and as an accompanist to leading Carnatic musicians in the US, Canada and India. He also plays other Indian percussion instruments, and is interested in music production.

KRISHNA SRIKANTH PERCUSSION Krishna is an 8th grader at Stoller Middle School and is a student of Sangita Kala Acharya & Kalaimamani Sri

T.H.Subash Chandran, Sri Shankar Viswanathan and Sri Murali Krishna.

He has performed at various events as part of the Sankara Drumming group and has also performed during the Chennai (India) December music season. Apart from mridangam, he plays soccer and runs track.

RAVIDATH GURUDATH VIOLIN Ravidath is a disciple of All India Radio A grade Violinist B. Raghuram. He learnt Carnatic Classical music on the Violin for seven years and has accompanied several artists in India and the US. Since moving to Portland in 2015, Ravidath has performed for several dance debut performances and productions in the local community. He currently pursues an Engineering career at Intel, Portland Oregon.

AAYUSH NEIL SURYA FLUTE Neil is thrilled to be part of Tenali after appearing in last season’s Summer Days! He is 14 years old and likes to read, play table-tennis, and collect pens. He is in the Summa program at Meadow Park Middle School. An accomplished musician, Neil also loves singing, playing western and Indian flutes, drums, and mridangam.

SAHIL PAI KEYBOARD NWCT welcomes Sahil for his Mainstage debut. Previous NWCT classes/playlabs include Phil and Ned’s Bogus Journey (Phil and John Lennon), Harmony and Vocal Training, and the audition class.

He also played Inspector Lestrade/ Chorus in Baker Street Irregulars and The Network at Stoller Middle School, where he’s in the 8th grade. Sahil has played piano for eight years on the OMTA level 10 syllabus. He thanks Nancy Sassaman for training him in piano and musical theory.

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CREATIVE TEAM BIOS ANITA MENON

CO-DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER Anita Menon is a director and choreographer who is recognized as one of the leading exponents of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form originating in Southern India. Anita is the recipient of the prestigious Performing Arts Fellowship in 2014 from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (Portland, Oregon), the first Asian-American to receive this honor.

As the Founder and Artistic Director of the Anjali School of Dance, her classical yet inventive approach creates an exceptional style that is distinct, meaningful and appealing to diverse audiences around the world.

Besides choreographing dances with strong women role models including Jhansi Ki Rani, Meerabhai and Chitrangadha, her passion has been to choreograph Western stories through Indian dance including Red Riding Hood, Pegasus, and Wizard of Oz. Anita has directed theatrical productions that are Indian adaptations of Classical Western plays including Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot murder mystery Death on the Nile titled Murder on the Ganges. Her productions are known for their big dance numbers using several styles of dance including Indian Classical, Folk & Bollywood.

Anita's previous collaborations at Northwest Children’s Theater include The Jungle Book & Chitra: The Girl Prince, both of which received multiple Portland Area Musical Theater Awards and Drammy nominations and awards. Besides choreographing the dances and co-directing the productions, Anita also serves as the cultural consultant and liaison with the Indian American community. Anita currently serves on the boards of the Northwest Children's Theater as well as the Arts Council of Placer County and Theatre for Young Audiences.

AVANTIKA SHANKAR

PLAYWRIGHT

Avantika Shankar is a writer based in Mumbai, India.

She comes from a family that is dedicated to the arts, and grew up knowing she wanted to be a writer. She pursued her passion for the performing arts and writing with a degree in Dramatic Writing at NYU. Her Indian heritage, coupled with her exposure to American theatre arts practices has allowed her the unique opportunity to showcase Indian stories to Western audiences. One of her first assignments after graduating college was a collaboration with Anita Menon in 2014: Murder on the Ganges. In 2018, Avantika collaborated with NWCT for the first time on Chitra: The Girl Prince, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's Chitrangadha. Tenali: The Royal Trickster will be her second play with NWCT. Besides theatre, Avantika is also a lifestyle, design and travel correspondent for various publications. She recently wrote the script for an ad campaign for Dubai Tourism, and is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest India.

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SARAH JANE HARDY

CO-DIRECTOR As the Artistic Director of Northwest Children’s Theater, Sarah Jane enjoyed directing the world premieres of Chitra: The Girl Prince, Cinderella, The Starlings Present: Dinosaurs!, Sherlock Holmes, The Jungle Book, El Zorrito, Rapunzel Uncut, Snow White, Robin Hood, Pinocchio, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Alice in Wonderland, and Hansel and Gretel; as well as The Wizard of Oz, Elephant & Piggie’s “We’re in a Play”, James and the Giant Peach, Seussical (2005/2012), Willy Wonka, Go, Dog. Go!, Annie, Narnia (2010, 2004), Goodnight Moon, The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, Crazy for You, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and more. She also directed the 2014 production of Mary Poppins, which received 7 Drammy Awards including Best Director of a Musical, Best Choreographer, and Best Production of a Musical; and 6 Portland Area Musical Theater Awards including Outstanding Director and Outstanding Production.

Other Portland work includes directing The Lesser Magoo for defunkt theatre (for which she received a Drammy) and The Secret Garden for Staged!

Together, Sarah Jane and Anita have been invited to speak about developing audiences through intercultural connections at Art of Leadership, Statera Conference (Women in Theater), and Theater for Young Audiences One Theater World. As a 2017 recipient of the Theater for Young Audience’s Ann Shaw Fellowship, Sarah Jane traveled to Indonesia to study under Balinese shadow puppet master, I Made Sadia.

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS MURALI KRISHNA MUSIC COORDINATOR Murali Krishna is a South Indian Classical (Carnatic) vocalist and a percussionist based in Portland, and has been performing on the concert stage since the age of 13. He teaches/mentors our local community in the art of Carnatic music and percussion. His mother/ teacher, Radha Krishna, performed with Bharatanatyam dancers. Those performances by some of the finest dancers helped educate him on dance.

Tenali is his first dance production foray.

MEERA KANAGAL DANCE COORDINATOR/ UNDERSTUDY Meera Kanagal has been learning Bharathanatyam for more than 35 years. Apart from dancing, she loves to teach/ choreograph Bharatanatyam and Indian folk dances. As part of Anjali School of Dance, Meera has has also been a technical coordinator for the school’s performances and productions in Portland and Seattle. Meera also work as a Material Analyst for Intel Technology Development team.

JOHN ELLINGSON SET AND PROPERTIES DESIGNER John is NWCT’s Associate Artistic Director, and his artistic stamp has been on every NWCT production since 2006. For NWCT, John has acted, devised, co-directed, taught classes, and designed and fabricated scenery, props, and puppets. Favorite productions include the Starling series, for which John recently designed and fabricated over 25 original puppets, and the 2014 production of Mary Poppins, which was the recipient of 7 Drammy Awards including Outstanding Achievement in Properties Design; and 6 PAMTAs including Outstanding Set

Designer. Other memorable productions include Elephant & Piggie, James and the Giant Peach (2013 Drammy recipient for Special Design), The BFG (2012 Drammy Award for Outstanding Mask Design), Busytown, Snow White, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Go, Dog. Go! and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

John studied puppetry in the U.K. as a recipient of the Portland Civic Theatre Guild’s Leslie O. Fulton Fellowship.

MARY ROCHON COSTUME DESIGNER (US) NWCT welcomes Mary back this season for Tenali. She is a recipient of several Drammy Awards for her costume designs for NWCT (Chitra: The Girl Prince, Snow White, Pinocchio, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, and Go, Dog. Go!), and for Les Miserables with Broadway Rose Theatre.

Other memorable NWCT work includes the premieres of Alice in Wonderland, Hansel & Gretel, Robin Hood, and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mary is the former Costume Director for the La Jolla Playhouse and a graduate of the renowned MFA design program at the University of California - San Diego.

SUVARNA MENON COSTUME DESIGNER (INDIA) Suvarna Menon, based in Chennai, India, has been designing costumes for Indian Classical dance and drama performances for the past 40 years. Her expertise and keen eye for detail have been sought after by dancers from around the world.

She was the costume designer for A Midsummer Night's Dream and Murder on the Ganges both by the Anjali School Of Dance. She was most recently recognized with a Drammy award for Best Costume Design for her work in Chitra: The Girl Prince. She enjoys collaborating with Northwest Children's Theater to bring authentic Indian designs and fabrics to the productions.

PAUL BROWN LIGHTING DESIGNER For many years at NWCT, Paul has worked as Technical Director, Designer, Master Carpenter, and a stage manager for our Mainstage and Second Stage productions.

Highlights include The Starlings Present: Amelia Earhart’s First Flight, Robin Hood, The Cat in the Hat, Swiss Family Robinson, Frankenstein, Jack and the Beanstalk (2004), A Wrinkle In Time, Arthur & Merlyn, and Amazing Grace. He also supports our education department with designs and fabrication for playlabs.

Paul is a graduate of Portland State University. When he isn’t working, Paul loves to go camping with his family.

JAKE NEWCOMB SOUND DESIGNER Jake is thrilled to be back for another season at NWCT. There are few things he likes more than making a room sound great, and sharing his work with an audience.

Jake has mixed shows at Portland Center Stage, The Newmark Theater, and has filled the role of Co-Sound-Designer for Artist Rep’s productions of Magellanica and It’s a Wonderful Life. He recently worked on the audio team for the 2018 Pickathon music festival, which included 3 days of music and camping on a farm in Happy Valley, Oregon. In the summer of 2017, Jake served as the Chief Audio Engineer for the Tony Award winning show The Lost Colony, located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As a freelance engineer, he records podcasts, voiceovers, commercials and musical acts within the Portland area. Some clients include BBC radio, Nike, The National Park Service, OCAC, and Music Together of Portland. He has recently begun designing sound for short film and animation. Jake has a B.S. degree in Audio Engineering from Husson University, where he graduated with high honors. He was the recipient of the Spotlight Award at the 2016 Drammys, and a multiple time PAMTA nominee.

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BIOS (CONT.) ROGER MONROE STAGE MANAGER Roger has served as NWCT’s resident stage manager for 19 seasons, including the last production of Mary Poppins, and five productions of Peter Pan. In addition to co-directing NWCT’s Interns NW, Roger designs sets, lights, and properties for Main and Second Stage productions and Playlabs. Previously his work was seen in Robin Hood (2016), Sherlock Holmes, El Zorrito, Busytown, Rapunzel Uncut, The Hobbit (2009), The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Seussical, and The Magic Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (2002) for which he received a Drammy in Scene Design. Roger holds a B.S. in Theater Arts from Portland State University.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF MANAGING DIRECTOR

OUTREACH MANAGER

Judy Kafoury

Nicole Smith

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

STUDIO AND KIDS CO. COORDINATOR

Sarah Jane Hardy EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Leigh Mallonee MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Nick Fenster ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

John Ellingson PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jennie Spector COMPANY STAGE MANAGER & INTERNS NW DIRECTOR

Roger Monroe TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Steve Hambrick MASTER CARPENTER

Paul Brown RESIDENT ARTISTS

Dustin Brown, Sam Burns INTERNS NW DIRECTOR

Andrés Alcalá

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Dustin Brown REGISTRAR

Chris Parsons VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR & HOUSE MANAGER

Becca Reyes-Geislinger MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

Talon Bigelow BOX OFFICE CO-MANAGERS

Rebecca Hawkins, Amanda Clark HR DIRECTOR

Cindy Simpson FINANCE MANAGER

Cindi Kinder MAINTENANCE MANAGER

Mike Musick OFFICE ASSISTANT

Jacob Alexander

NWCT BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS PRESIDENT Carolyn Sheldon PAST PRESIDENT Stephen Kafoury SECRETARY Judy Kafoury* TREASURER David Tucker

BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Sheldon Stephen Kafoury David Tucker Judy Kafoury Elizabeth Aaby Julie Ball Melody Bridges Lory Caldwell Diane Carlsen* Mark Desbrow Emily Jones Anita Menon Andrea Nicholas Verónika Nuñez Jennifer Standke Anne Talcott Carol Turner

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Brad Avakian Charlotte Beeman Beverly Cleary Rex Crouse Barbara Drinka Harold Goldstein Michael Lindberg Victor Morris Carolyn Newson* *company founders

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THANK

YOU CORNERSTONE SUPPORT ($20K+) Arts Education & Access Fund ♥♥♥ Gregory & Judy Kafoury ♥♥♥♥ James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation ♥♥ Kafoury & McDougal ♥♥♥♥ Oregon Arts Commission ♥♥ Oregon Cultural Trust ♥♥ Regional Arts & Culture Council ♥♥♥ The Oregon Community Foundation ♥ SPOTLIGHT CIRCLE ($10K– $19,999) Collins Foundation ♥♥♥♥ NW Neighborhood Parks & Recreation Fund of OCF ♥ Sarah A. Stewart Foundation ♥ DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($5K–$9,999) Bing Sheldon Edward Hamilton Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen Charitable Foundation NW Neighborhood Cultural Center in memory of Raghavan Family Robert & Julia Ball ♥♥ CAT IN THE HAT CIRCLE ($1,000–4,999) Anne Bothwell ♥ Benjamin Buckley Young Actors Fund of OCF Bertram W. Coltman Jr. Foundation ♥ Cindy and Larry Simpson ♥♥♥ Dan Gibbs & Lois Seed Deirdre Atkinson Jessica and Mark Desbrow Family Jessie Jonas ♥♥♥ Julie Carreira ♥ Kafoury & McDougal ♥ LAMB Foundation Lawrence W. Browne, MD ♥ Pacific Power Foundation ♥ Rodney L. & Lynn M. Staben ♥♥♥ Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt PC ♥♥ SERA Architects ♥ Shelda Holmes ♥ The Amanda Morris Family The Andrea Nicholas Family ♥ The Comalli - Kidd Family The Jackson Foundation ♥♥ The Raghavan Family The Talcott Family ♥♥

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NWCTS.ORG

FOR

BEING LOYAL DONORS!

The Teresa Campbell Family ♥ The Terzo Elkin Family ♥ The Turner Family ♥♥ The Zawada Family ♥♥♥ Thomas & Jeanne Patterson on behalf of Emily Jones ♥ Waterleaf Architecture ♥♥♥♥

EMERALD CITY CIRCLE ($500–999) Ann Messick ♥ Don & Jo Barney ♥♥ Esther Lindbloom Ginnie Cooper Family Intel ♥♥ Johnson Project Solutions Kelly Burns ♥♥ NIKE ♥♥ Pledgeling Foundation Scott Kerman & Jill Speaker♥♥ Stacy and James Shaub ♥♥ Stephen Kafoury Susie & Bernie Miller ♥♥ The Ann & Eric Smith Family The Eggert Family ♥ The Hanson - O'Hare Family ♥ The Jan Fancher Family ♥ The Kindermann - Skinner Family ♥♥ The Kopetz Family ♥♥ The Lyford Family ♥ The Melinda Gale Family The Romel and Claire Hernandez Family The Rouffy Family ♥ The Sheldon Family ♥♥♥ Wendy and Carter Wray ♥ MAGIC MIRROR CIRCLE ($250–499) Annette Martin Lindsay Spear Marshal Spector Penny Harris ♥ The Aukerman Family The Britton Taylor Family The Caroline Swindells Family The Charu Uppal Family The Cutler Family ♥♥ The Drinka Family The Gibbs Fenster Family ♥ The Lagesen Family The Meehan - Sneed Family ♥ The Melissa and Robert Good Family ♥ The Nolfi Family ♥♥ The Patricia Sammis Family The Reed Family ♥♥

NWCT thanks our loyal donor families who have donated for multiple consecutive years: 3–5 Years ♥ 6–10 Years ♥ ♥ 11–15 Years ♥ ♥ ♥ 16+ Years ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

GOLDEN TICKET CIRCLE ($100–249) Art and Sarah Schmidt ♥♥ Brad Bowers Carol Gourley ♥ Charles and Christine Farrington ♥ Jennifer Rawcliffe ♥♥♥ Leo and Marilou Reinikka ♥♥ Les Schwab Marla Beeson Mary Klune Michelle Maida & James Hager ♥ Rosalie Goodman Family The Coates Family The Crenshaw Family ♥ The Dani Kerrigan Family The Ehlbeck Family The Ellen Fader Family The Flicker Family ♥ The Goodrich Family ♥ The Haygood - Tebo Family ♥♥ The Henzel Family The Jennifer Nordstrom Family ♥ The Jordan Family The Julia Hale Family The Karen Halloran Family The Klohr Family The Lynn Ferguson Family ♥ The MacKay Family ♥♥ The McKnight Family ♥♥ The Rosemary Hendrickson Family ♥ The Rutis Family The Salmieri Family ♥ The Sandell - Sturtevant Family ♥♥♥ The Souza-Mayer Family ♥ The Susan Kelly Family ♥ The Takla Family ♥ The Trinka Family ♥♥ Victoria Pratt ♥ KLICKITAT STREET CIRCLE (UP TO $99) Adina Rimes Household Adrian & Heather Smith Akkapong Ninsom Family Alexis Mason Annie Willis Athena Patterson Family Barbara Mills Beck Weiser Family Bryan Kinder Carol Richmond Family Casey Collett-Paule Christina Kelly Christine Yokoyama Family Costco Wholesale Corporation ♥♥

David Bellis-squires Elaine F. Wood Evangel McVicker Florence Le Bas Fred Meyer Community Rewards ♥ Georgia Welch Hester Capriotti Jennifer Ohno Judy Klein Juliet Hatcher-Ross Kari Christensen Kari Paulson Katharine Laughlin Family Leif Schmit Liesl Andrico ♥ Lisa Rogers Lynda Chick ♥ Malana Knephoff Mark Lavey Megan Wilson Michael Mulholland Mike and Susie Peebles ♥ Mike Phillips Family Miriam Jaffe Household Nephyr Jacobsen Omar Shaar Family Pat Scanlan Peggy Sinclair & Brian Kerr Peggy West Ruth Bach ♥ Sarah Knipper ♥ Sarah Richardson ♥ Selcuk Tsolak Steve Wells Summer Sweet Household Susan Philpott Tessa Carter ♥♥ The Nicole Davis Family The Aceves Family The Alexandra Weaver Family The Alice Bull Family The Amanda Ashley Family The Amanda Johansen Family The Andrea McDowell Family The Anna Alsufieva Family The Anne King Family The Annee von Borg Family The Aoife O'Sullivan Family The Aquilla Hurd-Ravich Family ♥ The Arguello Family The Ashley Wigod Family The Bailey Family The Berenice Kamber Family The Bhaskar Ganguly Family The Bjelland Family The Caroline Cummins Family The Cassidy Family

The Charles Williams Family The Charlet Family The Chris Williams Family The Christine Mach-Merrill Family The Christine White Family The Clara Hillier Family The Conner Reed Family The Corbin Wescott Family The Cunliffe Family The Curl Family The Dan Anolik Family The Darcy Dillon Family The Dawe Family The Dawn Borden Family The Debora Williams Family The Deer Squillante Family The Diana Woll Family The Donna Greene Family The Dragana Milosevic Family The Dunitz Family ♥ The Eklund Family The Ellen Brittan Family The Emily Peterson Family The Ezra Kover Family The Faber/Patterson Family The Fay/Robinson Family The Federer Family The Fishler/Sweeney Family ♥♥ The Fran Jensen Family The Fugere Family The Giannotti-DeFrain Family The Gordon Barnes Family The Gordon-Cumbo Family The Gracie A Lee Family The Guzzo Family The Haygood/Tebo Family The Heather Costello Family The Hebdon Family The Hector Jaramillo Family The Helen Chandler Family The Hesse Family The Hovee Family The Hughes Family The Isabel Johnson Family The James Ware Family The Jamie Cole Family The Jane Anne Morton Family ♥ The Jason Dodge Family The Jellesed Family The Jennie Spector Family The Jenny Nielson Family The Jessica Anderson Family The Jill Bernazzani Family The Joanna Svoboda Family The Joni Rader Family The Judy Bridenbaugh Family The Jung Family ♥

The Kathryn Rompala Family The Kearns Family The Kendra Reid Family The Kitano/Watt Family The Kitchens Family The Koesel Family The Kristen Layton Family The Lambert Family The Lavanya Parthasarathy Family The Lesley Anctil Family The Linda DiPaola Family ♥ The Linda Fields Family ♥ The Lindwall Family The Lippl Family The Lisa Determan Family The Lishiana Shaffer Family The Lucius Family The Lyndsay Harvey Family The Lyndsey McCartney Family ♥ The Mackenzie Lang Family The Madhavan Family The Maria Tucker Family The Marianne Wakerlin Family ♥ The Maris Pauk Family The Matheus Family The McKay Family The McLaughlin Family The McLoughlin Family ♥♥ The Megan Bolton Family The Mercier Family The Michael Levinson Family The Modoran Family The Molly Shaw Family The Molly Williams Family The Mooers Family The Moshofsky Family The Naomi Broome Family The Natalie Foster Family The Natalie Long Family The Newburn Family The Nirvana Schuyler Family The Pamela Gire Family The Papp Family The Pasha Levitan Family The Passadore Family The Paula London Family ♥ The Priya Kansal Family The Rhiannon Family The Robin Romer Family The Robin Spear Family ♥ The Ronak Singhal Family The Rosenkranz Family The Ross Family The Sarah Power Family The Selina Scott Family The Sharon Allen Family The Snyder Family ♥

The Spragg Family The Standard ♥♥ The Stefanie Millar Family The Stockton Family The Straub Family The Stricklin Family The Stults Family The Suzanne Conrad Family The Teresa Rhodes Family The Tricamo/Palmer Family ♥ The Trickey Family The Trudi Walker Family The Trujillo Family The Werlin Family The Windy Ford Family The Young Family Tia Ribary ♥ Tracy Lind Travis Brown Valerie Liptak Virginia Tinling

PADDLERAISE SUPPORTERS OF NWCT’S ACCESS PROGRAMS: Amy Jacobsen and Jonas Biery Anne Bothwell Annette Martin Bob & Jean Hardy Cindy and Larry Simpson David Kafoury David Tucker Elizabeth Aaby Esther Lindbloom Gordon Davis & Viki White Ivan and Jeannine Kafoury Jen Livengood Jessica and Mark Desbrow Family Judy Kafoury Olliemay Phillips Rose Cohen Scott Kerman & Jill Speaker Sharla Moffett and Family Stephen Kafoury The Ann & Eric Smith Family The Ball Family The Barrett Family The Beard Family The Bilyeu-Leib Family The Blodgett Family The Capps Family The Carlsen Family The Churchill Family The Cindi and David Kinder Family The Coltman Family The Comalli - Kidd Family The Cornelius Family The Deborah Pollack Family

The Deidre Davis Family The Donovan Family The Gibbs Fenster Family The Gibbs-Seed Family The Hanson - O'Hare Family The Holmes Family The Jagruti Phadke Family The Kelly-Pettit Family The Ku Family The Lagesen Family The Laura Warren Family The Linda Standke Family The Lombard Family The MacKay Family The Malloy Family The Meehan - Sneed Family The Miska Paulorinne Family The Nirvana Schuyler Family The Nuesa Family The Romel and Claire Hernandez Family The Sandra Southall Family The Serritella-Bachara Family The Sheldon Family The Staben Family The Standke Family The Stephanie Stanton Family The Susanna Duke & Earl Robisheaux Family The Susie and Bernie Miller Family The Talcott Family The Tara Porter Family The Teresa Campbell Family The Terzo Elkin Family The Thompson Family The Trinka Family The Turner Family The Valentin Family The Wendy Meehan Family The Wolahan Family Things From Another World Thank You to All of NWCT’s Auction Donors!

Please contact NWCT with any changes for this list.

503-222-2190 donations@nwcts.org

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