WHO’S WHO

Theater, Samba Fogo, PURE Theatre, Mobile Opera and Plan-B Theatre Company. He holds an MFA from Indiana University, and has previously served on the faculty of the University of Utah and the College of Charleston. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, and an active member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, where he is the Commissioner for Lighting Design and Technology. He is a founding member of La Gente: The Latinx Design Network, and works to make all aspects of live entertainment more diverse, equitable and inclusive by deploying anti-racist approaches in all aspects of his work.

MICHAEL FRANCIS ( Projection Designer) is an actor, director, musician, and visual artist. Apart from his contributions to the stage, Michael’s work spans discipline and genre ranging from devised installations to game design. A staunch advocate of arts education, he teaches acting in his private studio and as a visiting instructor around the United States. MWDFrancis.com

JORJI DIAZ FADEL (Asst. Director/Choreographer) is an artist based in Salt Lake City known for her talents in acting, dancing, choreographing, and modeling. Over the years you may have seen her in films/shows like High School Musical: The Series, The Mistle Tones, Den Brother, and Daddy Day Camp. Jorji received her BFA in Modern Dance Teaching from the University of Utah in 2020 and currently is a Company member for Stephen Brown Dance Company. Jorji had the pleasure of playing Daisy in Salt Lake Acting Company’s world premiere of Silent Dancer in 2018 and is honored to be back at SLAC assisting choreography/directing alongside Cynthia Fleming.

JOE KILLIAN (Sound Design) holds a B.F.A. in sound design and stage management from the University of Utah and currently serves as SLAC’s house sound engineer. In addition to event management, Mr. Killian is a free-lance designer of sound effects, soundscapes and arranged music for film, video games and the performing arts. His work has been heard in a variety of venues, including SLAC, Kings - bury Hall, Utah PrideFest, Utah Arts Festival, Plan-B, The Grand Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival and Utah Lyric Opera.

ERIKA AHLIN (Props Design) is so excited to be on the creative team for this World Premiere! She has been working administratively with the organization since 2012, and is currently serving as Director of Development. Erika has a multitude of creative hobbies including: card making, crocheting, sewing, decorating for events and birthday parties, designing halloween costumes, and curating experiences. In her free time, Erika plays bass in two SLC based bands--one with SLAC favorite, Elaine Jarvik.

JANELLE ASTI (Assistant Lighting Designer) is excited to be joining Salt Lake Acting Company for her first Summer Show. She is a recent graduate from Cal Poly Pomona with a Lighting Design Degree after many years of working hard to get back and finish. Janelle currently works at Chapman University in Orange, CA as the Master Electrician for the College of Performing Arts. Recent works; As You Like It (CPP), Mr. Burns, A Post-Apocalyptic Play (CPP), and Circle Mirror Transformation (Pomona College). Many thanks to Jesse Portillo for the chance to come and play with lighting in a new space. Finally, all the thanks to my partner John. To Bespin and Back!

AYANNA ALLEN (AMEA) (Asst. Sound Designer) is a captivating and multifaceted Recording Academy® singer, songwriter, engineer and producer. Immersing her audience in her mantra “Inspire Love Dream”, she orchestrates a sensual experience with her bandmates for audiences of all sizes. From rocking out at The House of Blues in Dallas and Houston, to a bustling Millcreek Commons in Utah, AMEA® is a master of cultivating a high vibrational music experience. AMEA® has had her works featured in the Emmy® Award Winning series, Washed to consistent mainstream radio play across the UK. Not only does her voice stimulate peace but her DJing is sure to keep you on your feet and in love. Catch up with AMEA® at a venue near you!

ANNA BLAES (Assistant Props Designer) is thrilled to be back for her second show with SLAC’s Professional Training Program! Credits: Enactment (University of Utah Film Department), The Sweet Science of Bruising (University of Utah), A Year With Frog and Toad (Salt Lake Acting Company), A Night To Dismember (Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival), Sympathizer (The Box Gateway), and assistant design for Illyria and Storm Still (University of Utah). Love and thanks to the whole SLAC family!

ROBERT SCOTT SMITH (Script Supervisor) Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory, Assistant Professor and Head of the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah. Directing credits include The View Upstairs by Max Vernon with Good Company; As You Like It, Tartuffe adaptation by Ranjit Bolt, Big Love by Charles Mee, and an All-Female Production of Hamlet with the U of U Department of Theatre; SLAC’s New Play Sounding Series reading of Reykjavik by Steve Yockey; and PLAN-B Script-in-Hand series reading of Quarter Horse by Rob Tennant. Recent work with FBTL includes Liminal by Troy Deutsch in 2022; with the Great Salt Lake Fringe 2021, Ronald & Edith by Connor Nelis Johnson (Best of Fest and Audience Award) and Strangers: a homo’s odyssey by Tom Roche (Outstanding Solo Performance). Strangers will also be part of the United Solo Screen Festival. Past projects include a collaboration with Ririe-Woodbury Allegory (2020 Re-Imagined) and Live Creature and Ethereal Things (2019); in 2016 the World Premiere of Climbing with Tigers; in September 2014 Lost in the Woods; in May 2015 collaborated with choreographer Charlotte Boye-Christensen, NOW-ID and NYC Playwright Troy Deutsch to create FEAST, a site-specific performance at The Great Saltair.

LATOYA CAMERON (Dramaturg) is full of gratitude to have been invited to participate with this production in a different capacity. You might have seen her perform on SLAC’s stage in Passing Strange, Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet, form of a girl unknown, The Cake, Stupid Fucking Bird, to name a few, or saw Sankofa, this journey: Go Back and Get it, a collaborative production with Salt Lake Acting Company and Utah Black Artists Collective (UBLAC) which she directed. This is her first time being a dramaturg for a production, and she is grateful to Olivia and SLAC for bringing her on board. She is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Dramaturg for Salt Lake Acting Company, and continues to be a voice for representation and inclusion in theatre, along with forming procedures on how to approach theatrical processes in a more humane and supportive way.

ADRIANA LEMKE (Intimacy Coach) is a Salt Lake City based theatre-artist and movement professional. Previous Salt Lake Acting Company productions include Yoga Play, Hairy & Sherri, Sleeping Giant, Surely Goodness & Mercy, and The Wolves. Most recently, she was intimacy/fight director for The Sweet Science of Bruising (UofU) and As You Like It (UofU). Other fight direction credits include At the