AUTHOR’S BIO

Karen Zacarías was recently hailed by American Theater Magazine as one of the ten most-produced playwrights in the US. Her award-winning plays include The Copper Children, Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens, The Book Club Play, Legacy of Light, Mariela in the Desert, The Sins of Sor Juana and the adaptations of Just Like Us, Into the Beautiful North and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. She is the author of ten renowned TYA musicals (including Ella Enchanted: The Musical) and the librettist of several ballets.

She is one of the inaugural resident playwrights at Arena Stage, a core founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons – a large national organization of artists seeking to update the American narrative with the stories of Latinos – and she is the founder of the award-winning Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT). YPT was cited by the Obama administration as one of the best arts-education programs on the nation.

Karen was voted 2018 Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine for her advocacy work involving the arts. She is an inaugural 2019 Sine Fellow for Policy Innovation at American University and is selected by The League of Professional Theatre Women to receive the 2019 Lee Reynolds Award, given annually to a woman in theater who has helped illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural or political change. In 2021, Karen was awarded a United States Artists Fellowship award.

Karen lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children.

www.KarenZacarias.com

WHO’S WHO IN NATIVE GARDENS

Kristin Clippard (Director)

Selected directing credits include freeFall Theatre Company’s The Agitators by Mat Smart, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson and The Roommate by Jen Silverman for American Stage, Alabaster by Audrey Cefaly for Capital Stage, The Luckiest People by Meridith Friedman for Orlando Shakespeare Theater, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza for Incline Theater, and Champagne Gods by Emily Dendinger for Clifton Players. Favorite classic play projects include Twelfth Night for Theater at Monmouth, The Merry Wives of Windsor for Richmond Shakespeare Festival, Dr. Faustus and She Stoops to Conquer at the University of Iowa. She enjoys developing new works with writers and is a playwright herself. Clippard holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Iowa and a BFA in Acting from Wright State University. She is an associate member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association, the Theatre Communications Group, the National New Play Network and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.kristinclippard.com

WHO’S WHO IN NATIVE GARDENS

Marco Adiak Voli* (Pablo Del Valle)

Marco is thrilled to be working with Hippodrome on this raucous, relevant and personal production. Originally from Nicaragua Marco has studied at Cornish College of the Arts (BFA) and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (MFA). Some recent and favorite credits include Cymbeline (Seattle Shakespeare Co.), Nora (LAMDA), O Cascadia! (Seven Devils), FADE (Seattle Public Theatre) and American Junkie (Book It Repertory Theatre). He lives with his loving and supportive wife in Brooklyn, NY.

Aléa Figueroa* (Tania Del Valle)

Aléa Figueroa is a classically trained actor, Emmy award winning producer, and a proud dog mom of three. She was most recently seen on stage as Tania del Valle in Native Gardens at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and is thrilled to bring the character back to life again for her debut at the Hippodrome. TV/Film: “Cobra Kai” on Netflix, “The Right Stuff” on Disney+, “Bigger” on BET+, “Killer Island” on Lifetime, “#killerpost” on Oxygen. In addition to acting and producing, Aléa co-manages a YouTube channel with her handsome husband, Brendan. Together they have seen the channel grow from 2k subs to 140k subs with their comedic short films and parodies. She is also the film festival director of the Spooky Empire Horror Film Festival (submit your horror film today on filmfreeway. com). You can currently see her in theaters in Warner Bros.’ Magic Mike 3. YouTube: @andyoufilms IG: @aleafigs

WHO’S WHO IN NATIVE GARDENS

Nell Page (Rainsberger)*^ (Virgina Butley)

Nell’s first foray with the Hippodrome was in the 1974 production of Marat Sade. Forty-nine years ago and over 70 productions later Nell is still acting at the Hippodrome with her history placing her at all three locations. She was last seen on the Hippodrome mainstage as Clara in Miracle on South Division Street. Her past favorite productions include: Ripcord, Vanya Sonia Marsha and Spike, Good People, Sirens, Smell of the Kill, As Bees in Honey Drown, Dinner With Friends, Life X Three, Sylvia, To Kill A Mockingbird, Les Liasison Dangereuses, Steel Magnolias, Suddenly Last Summer, A Christmas Carol, Vanities, and The Pursuit of Happiness. Nell appeared off-Broadway at New World Stages for E.P. Productions in Elvis People, and is the co-author of Coquina, a play that opened in New York City at the Harold Clurman Theatre. Nell has been a member of the Actors’ Equity Association for over 36 years and a proud member of the Hippodrome Acting Company. When Nell is not acting, she helps people buy and sell homes as a Realtor for Campus To Coast Realty.

Kevin Rainsberger^ (Frank Butley)

Kevin Rainsberger first performed at the Hippodrome in 1978 production of The Passion of Dracula. That was season 5. Kevin is thrilled to be perfomring in this, the Hippodrome’s 50th season. He is a verteran of more than 30 shows at the Hipp.. mainly between ‘87 and ‘90. Kevin holds an MFA degree in acting from UF and has performed in over 100 productions during his career. Kevin has worked for Disney World for 22 years and acted in various shows, but primarily the Indiana Jones StuntSpectacular and FindingNemotheMusical. Kevin is happy to be acting with wife Nell Page, playing husband and wife for the first time since the Hippodromes production of Betrayal in the mid 80’s.

Alexandra Lopez (Ensemble)

Alexandra is excited to make her debut on stage in Native Gardens! This is her final semester at the University of Florida and will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Management. During her education, she was the Stage Manager for Stupid F*cking Bird and Deck Stage Manager for Cabaret and Yemaya’s Belly. In her free time, she loves to practice her artistic abilities through theatre, traditional painting, writing, sewing, and crafts. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continuous support.

Allen McBride (Ensemble)

Allen McBride is a local singer and actor who is currently a student at Santa Fe College. He has performed in various productions including Chicago (Billy Flynn) and Spamalot (King Arthur) as well as a soloist with the Gainesville Orchestra and a performer at New York Carnegie Hall. Allen has attended Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City and will attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) this fall. Native Gardens marks his professional theatre debut.

Andrea Acevedo (Ensemble)

Andrea Acevedo is a second-year Theatre and Media Production student at the University of Florida. She has served as the Assistant Director of UF’s Yemaya’s Belly and she is thrilled to participate in her first production with the Hippodrome. She grew up performing as a dance soloist and hopes to follow her passion for theatre and continue her education in the arts.

Amanda Nipper (Sound Designer) Amanda is thrilled to be in her tenth season at the Hippodrome. Other regional credits include Cape Fear Regional Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Legally Blonde: The Musical, and The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ’61 Freedom Riders, and as the mix engineer in Fayetteville, North Carolina at Dorset Theatre Festival: Keep moving forward.

Ana Muñoz* (Stage Manager) Ana Muñoz (they/them) is thrilled to return to the Hipp after working on A Christmas Carol and the New Works Festival last year. As a stage manager, Ana has worked at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (AL), TheatreSquared (AR), Trans Theatre Fest Madison (WI), Purple Victory (AL), and more. Ana is a graduate of the University of Montevallo (AL) and a proud new member of Actor’s Equity Association. Early career stage managers, let’s connect! IG: @anacammunoz. Trans rights are human rights. Thanks to Mars and Max.

Bill Boothman (Master Electrician) Bill joined the Hippodrome as Master Electrician in September of 2019. Six months later the pandemic would be in full swing, and Bill would become a videographer/editor for the Hippodrome’s virtual productions. Favorite productions from this time include This Wonderful Life and Shakespeare, Thou Art Translated. Before getting into technical theatre Bill earned an AA in Anthropology from Santa Fe College, a BA in Sociology from Florida State University, and studied Chinese Language and Culture at Tianjin Foreign Studies University. After a brief (and expensive) detour to graduate school for Museum Studies, Bill went on to earn an AS in Theatre and Entertainment Technology at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Favorite productions worked as a student include Young Frankenstein as Props Designer, Stalking Ottis Toole: A Southern Gothic as Master Electrician, and Peter and the Wolf as Lighting Designer. After graduating from FSCJ, Bill worked full time as a union stagehand with IATSE local 115 in Jacksonville, FL. Bill is an art and music hobbyist.

Erin Jester (Costume Designer/Shop Supervisor) is delighted to return to the Hippodrome for its 50th season. Erin is a UF alumna and a former Hippodrome costumes intern (2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons), and in 2020 received her MFA in costume design and technology from the University of Southern Mississippi. Previous costume design credits include productions of Cabaret, Much Ado About Nothing and Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. Other credits include costume historical research for North Carolina State University’s Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, historical costume reproduction for the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, MS, and costume coordination for the Moscow Ballet’s The Great Russian Nutcracker and the independent film series 12 Westerns in 12 Months, directed by Travis Mills.

Elaine Shoaf (Properties Designer) Alma Elaine Shoaf is a painter, illustrator and book artist based in Gainesville, Florida. She graduated from The Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in illustration, and has created illustrations for Radix Media, the Florida Trail Association, Hachette Books, Before the Door Pictures, Keepers of the Springs, Swamp Witch Pedals, and the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. Her second solo show, Ghost Lines, premiered at 621 Gallery in Tallahassee, FL in 2017, and her drawings and paintings have been exhibited across the country. Additionally, she makes and sells handbound journals and sketchbooks under the moniker Inky Cap Books using a combination of repurposed materials and her original prints and drawings/paintings.

Mihai Ciupe^ (Scenic Designer) Originally from Romania, Mihai Ciupe received a double MFA degree in costume and set design from Carnegie Mellon University and his BFA from Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. During his MFA he was awarded the George Kimberly Scene Design Award and the Oren Parker Award in Design and Production. Prior to the United States he was resident scenographer at The National Theatre of Cluj, Romania. During his former years he traveled extensively in Europe in tours with the shows that he designed, getting exposure to the various schools of theatre from England, Scotland, Hungary, France, and Yugoslavia. As a designer he worked with some of the greatest Romanian directors: Gabor Tompa, Alexandru Dabija, Iulian Visa, Mihai Manutiu, Victor Ion Frunza. In 1991 he received a scholarship to attend The London International Festival of Theatre. Since 1995 he is a member of The United Association of the Romanian Fine Artists in the scenography section. In1999 he joined the theatre and dance faculty at University of Florida, where he was assigned to start the graduate program in Set Design. By 2013 his graduate students won The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Award three times: in 2005, 2007 and 2013. During his tenure at UF he has built a strong artistic relationship with The Hippodrome State Theatre, the only professional theatre in North Central Florida, where he has designed the sets for over twenty-five productions. He has continued to work professionally at national and international level.

WHO’S WHO IN NATIVE GARDENS

Robert P. Robins^ (Production Manager/Lighting Designer) Bob is enjoying his 39th season here at the Hippodrome, where he has designed lighting for over 700 Hippodrome productions and events. He has worn many Hipp hats throughout the decades: Lighting Designer, Production Manager, Facility Manger, IT Manager, AEA Stage Manager, TYA Tour Stage Manager, Safety Officer, Intern Recruiter, Light Board Operator, Sound Mixer, Mainstage State Tour Technical Director, and Bartender, just to name a few. Bob also continues to provide lighting designs throughout the country, working with clients that include architects, theatres, dance companies, industrial events, schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, various types of small and large companies, and homeowners. He proudly holds a BFA in Theatre Production from the University of Florida.

Susan Schuld (Voice & Dialect Coach) has been acting and vocal coaching nationally for over 25 years and is an Associate Professor of Voice and Speech here at the School of Theatre and Dance. M.F.A in Acting from Rutgers University, Designated Linklater Teacher, Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork, and a National Michael Chekhov Association Teacher.

Warren Goodwin (Technical Director) Warren joined the Hippodrome in 2004 as a carpenter in the scene shop, and assumed the role of Master Carpenter in 2006. In addition to helping build over a hundred of Hippodrome sets, Warren served as co-scenic designer on The Christians and The Wolves. He is thrilled to be currently serving as Technical Director. In his free time, Warren enjoys painting, and is an accomplished local artist. You can often find his work on display next door at Maude’s Cafe.

Our Generous Donors

The Hippodrome thanks its many donors for their generous contributions to support our productions and programs! For more information on how your gift supports the Hippodrome, please contact Matt Dibble at (352) 373-5968 ext. 217. Donations listed are from 2-1-22 through 2-24-23

PRODUCER $50,000+

Nathan S. Collier

DIRECTOR $10,000+$49,999

(anonymous)

Anne Margoluis

PLAYWRIGHT $5,000-$9,999

(anonymous)

Bill Bryson

Janet Silverstein

Mary Trew & Weaver Gaines

Jan Snyder & Steve Wilson

DESIGNER $2,500-$4,999

Debbie & Mike Conlon

Paul & Leslie Klein

Eileen McCarthy Smith

Midge Smith

Merry Lynne Wilson

Our Generous Donors

COMPOSER $1,000-$2,499

Tim Altmeyer

William Anderson

Julie Anspach

Wayne & Penny Archer

Maria Elena Augustin

Margaret Bachus Estate

Jan Baur

Dr. Theresa Beachy

Kenneth & Laura Berns

Roxane Bleiweis

David & Linda Bloom

Joyce bono

Kim Bosshardt

Phoebe H. Bowers

Patrice Boyes

Richard Brown

Mary Day Coker

Bruce Cornwell

Forrest S. Crawford

Katherine D’Amato-Weinhold

Sheila K. Dickison

Skip & Lynda Everitt

Chris & Rusty Forsmark

M. Susan Fulford

Ira & Gerri Gessner

Bob & Carol Gwin

Tashia &Jeff Hale

John Howard

Linda Kallman

Kim Kazimour

Maureen Killoran & Peter Hyatt

Lucinda Lavelli

Jennifer Lee

Melanie Leonard

Joseph W. & Lucille Little

Trevor & Charlene Luke

Stephanie B. Lynge

Ginny Maurer

Quinn Family Charitable Foundation

Gary & Laura McGill

Carol F. Meyer

Jeff & Lauren Miller

Chris M. Morris

Jon Morris

Nell Page Rainsberger & Kevin

Rainsberger

Pennypacker Family

Emily Pritchett

Galatia Ramphal

Amanda Rodriguez Demaria

Lynn Rousseau

Sally Ryden

Vivian Ruth Sawyer

Richard & Joy Segall

Molly Sexton

Ilene Silverman-Budd

Bob & Connie Stern

Betsy Styron

Farol Tomson

Justine Vaughen Fry

Nora Hoover & Amor Villar

Nel & Daniel Webster

Kate Wilkinson

Jorgia Wooten

Bill & Carol Zegel