Behind The Scenes December 2022

A Picture Of Two Boys

BEHIND-THE-SCENES December 2022

Meet The People Behind The Magic

They say it takes a village, and boy is that true when it comes to theater! We have so many wonderful people that make up our board and staff. Some you see every time you come to the theater, and some you've probably never met! So here is your opportunity to learn about some of the team that brings our shows to the stage.

Meet The Board

Eve Lynch Board Chair

What is your favorite NCTC show you’ve seen? The Youth Conservatory’s show (written by Stephanie Temple) called The Melodrama Project. I think I saw it five times! Both my kids were in it and it was full of talent and variety and surprise. I laughed; I cried. I loved it. On the main stage, I’ve loved so many NCTC shows, but a particularly memorable one was The View Upstairs. Also, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. And, honestly, Avenue

Q never gets old for me. And—one more!—I loved Encore, which recapped NCTC’s entire history through song. Obviously I simply cannot narrow down my list of favorites! Favorite NCTC memory? There is nothing better than seeing your own kid performing. One of my favorite memories is of my son playing the role of the haughty Lady Tottington, in full wig, pearls, and ball gown. How did you get involved with NCTC? My kids had Stephanie Temple as their drama teacher in middle school. This led to their being in NCTC’s summer drama programs and then the high school performance programs. Once they aged out of the Conservatory, I just didn’t want to say goodbye to NCTC, and joined the board. Fun fact about you? I meet every Thursday with a group of urban sketchers to sit together and draw at various locations all around San Francisco. If you could play any character on stage, who would you be? I would want to do something intense and cathartic, like Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Pie or cake? Cake, please! A rich and delicious vegan chocolate cake.

Meet The Board

John Cavellini Officer

What is your favorite NCTC show you’ve seen? Probably Oy Vey in a Manger back in 2004. It was honestly one of the first time I had ever seen a show that only had drag queens. They were so funny and amazing singers. It just really left an imprint on me. (got my tickets for this year too!)

Favorite NCTC memory? The most fun I have ever had performing was doing Dames at Sea back in 2008. I had such a great time with the whole cast and still laugh at some of the funny moments we had doing the run. I still use my little coaster made from one of our promo pictures. How did you get involved with NCTC? Working for the theater as an actor, stage manager and concession stand employee. Fun fact about you? I summited Kilimanjaro in 2017 and plan to summit more mountains over the next few years. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog, but mainly because I have cat allergies. If you could play any character on stage, who would you be? I would like to play The Baker in Into the Woods or Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray Cake or Pie? Depends on the celebration. Birthdays/Holidays: Cake Summer Fun/Thanksgiving: Pie. However - I would throw them all away for Chocolate Chip Cookies! Which I perfected my favorite style during the pandemic.

Meet The Board

Pie or Cake! I prefer Pie (Pecan please)

What is your favorite NCTC show you’ve seen? Aunt Jack :)

Favorite NCTC memory? Going to see my first show, DOT!

How did you get involved with NCTC? My coworker at Kaiser was a former board member Fun fact about you? As military, I moved around all of my life; went middle school in Germany & highschool in Korea & DC Are you a cat or dog person? Dog of course

If you could play any character on stage, who would you be? Hmm hard one! I guess someone in Lion King

Theophilus D. Little Officer

Meet The Staff

What is your favorite NCTC show you’ve seen? EVERYTHING THAT'S BEAUTIFUL

Favorite NCTC memory? So many fond memories. During the run of COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY, Chris Morrell , one of the actors proposed to his now wife onstage after the curtain call. I got to call her up on stage before he popped the question. To add to it, he was dressed as a woman!

How did you get involved with NCTC? First worked for NCTC as an actor in a production of COCK by Michael Bartlett in 2014 Fun fact about you? I've met Meryl Streep Are you a cat or dog person? Love them both! I am allergic to cats so I only have a dog.

Stephen McFarland Institutional Giving Manager

If you could play any character on stage, who would you be? Elphaba in WICKED

Meet The Staff

What is your favorite NCTC show you’ve seen? I've only been here 1 season, but last season's Gently Down the Stream has been one of my favorites. I've always been a fan of Martin Sherman's work, and it was nice to see a Sherman piece that I had not previously seen on stage.

Favorite NCTC memory? Getting to know the subscribers. Our subscribers are not just patrons, they are friends and loved ones, and I cherish them all. How did you get involved with NCTC? When COVID took my position at American Conservatory Theatre I spent some quality "me time" before randomly noticing an ad on Facebook looking for a Box Office manager for NCTC. I took a chance, and here I am... in my second season! Fun fact about you? I speak both French and Spanish, in addition to English. I started fulfilling a childhood dream of learning to play piano during the COVID lockdowns, I paint (watercolor), and am a die-hard tree-hugger and hiker. I've lived all over the US as well as France. Are you a cat or dog person? I'm an animal lover in general, but if I have to choose, I choose dogs.

If you could play any character on stage, who would you be? Hmm... I'm getting to an age where Lear wouldn't be out of the question. Or if I could go back to a younger age, Hamlet.

Scott Tignor Patron Experience Manager

A Note From Our Director In Residence

Part of our mission at NCTC is to help the voices of today and tomorrow get their start and develop their creative expertise. Richard A. Mosqueda is our 2022-2023 Director In Residence. Here's what he has to say about his work with NCTC.

Nice to meet you! My name is Richard A. Mosqueda, and I am the Director in Residence this season for NCTC. I hope you had the opportunity to catch my mainstage directorial debut this season with the World Premiere of Nick Malakhow’s beautiful, haunting play A Picture of Two Boys. My mainstage debut has been a long time coming–let me tell you a little bit about it!

My journey with NCTC began back in 2018 when I bombarded Ed’s inbox with countless emails detailing my ambition to work with the company. Ed was very gracious and invited me in for an introductory meeting and the rest is history! I went on to direct the 2019 YouthAware production of Prince Gomolvilas’ Outspoken, a pandemic offering of A Mighty Queer Virtual Variety Show in 2020, and The TransNational Cabaret in 2021. Ed Decker was able to discern my potential through my enthusiasm for telling queer stories, though I may have been a bit rough around the edges, and he has been my mentor ever since.

I am humbled and honored to have been given the opportunity to grow as a director under Ed’s mentorship. The path to becoming a director can be somewhat of a catch-22; you must be able to showcase a full production to get other theaters interested in hiring you, but then theaters will not hire you unless you have a full production to showcase. A true conundrum! NCTC took a tremendous leap of faith since I had no production to show, and they chose to invest in my enthusiasm, vision, and passion. I am a better artist because of their support.

In full transparency, Ed and I had applied (twice) for a grant to support my director residency at NCTC. Unfortunately, we were not awarded the grant. To my great surprise, Ed committed to my residency without the grant. He believes in the artists. In fact, I recall attending a Pride Season announcement party shortly after I was hired to direct Outspoken. As I entered the lobby, Ed greeted me with a bear hug and thanked me for attending and mentioned that he was looking forward to seeing my production at NCTC. I facetiously responded with “It will be the first of many!” fully expecting him to sip his cocktail in judgemental silence through gritted teeth, but he then responded with a cheerful “Of course it will!” And here we are!

I encourage you all to consider donating to support NCTC so that future theater artists are allowed the same extraordinary opportunities I have been given.

I look forward to seeing you all in the audience this Spring for my second directorial offering with the West Coast Premiere of the dark and hilarious Locusts Have No King by C. Julian Jiménez.

See you at the theater!

Richard A Mosqueda

Director in Residence

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