PERFORMER BIOS

JamieLynn Bucci

JamieLynn Bucci

JamieLynn Bucci is a graduate of the University of Florida and was most recently seen as Maddie in TNP’s production of Making God Laugh. Other select credits include: Peter & the Starcatcher, Charles Ives Take Me Home, These Shining Lives, The Rocky Horror Show, The 39 Steps, and Shout! The Mod Musical. When not performing, she specializes in wig and makeup design (She Kills Monsters) and has worked throughout Italy teaching English through improvisation and theater. She is delighted to be working alongside such an incredible group of artists at TNP!

Kylie Campbell

Kylie Campbell

Kylie Campbell is thrilled to be performing again at TNP where she was previously seen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Puck, Peter and the Starcatcher/ Prentiss, and She Kills Monsters/Farrah. Acting since age 4, Kylie has performed in numerous KidzAct shows including The Taming of the Shrew/Petruchio, Sister Act/ Sister Mary Theresa, and Fosse/Ensemble.

Amy Hughes

Amy Hughes

Amy Hughes is so honored to be a part of tonight’s event! TNP has changed my life, and I am proud to be a part of this crazy family. Previous credits: Mamma Mia!; The Music Man; Sister Act; The Rocky Horror Show; Legally Blonde; and Oklahoma. Thank you to my amazing, supportive husband Jesse Hughes.

Jesse Hughes

Jesse Hughes

Jesse Hughes is stoked to be working with such an amazing group of artists. He was last heard as the lead in She Loves Me; as a booth singer in TNP’s Mamma Mia!, and appeared as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Other past credits include The Music Man, Maple & Vine, These Shining Lives and The Rocky Horror Show. Huge thanks to to his dear friend and gorgeous wife, Amy, for her laughter, love and support.

Pamela Larkin Caruso

Pamela Larkin Caruso

Pamela Larkin Caruso is from New York but has lived in Florida for the past 21 years with her husband and three children. She is happy to be part of The Naples Players family as our Director of Volunteers and Community Advancement. She holds a BFA in Painting/Drawing with minors in Printmaking and Art History and an MFA in painting with a minor in Printmaking. Her work has been featured in solo, juried, and invitational exhibitions, and extensively in national and international private collections. She is a former recipient of the Liquitex Color Award and Artist Enhancement Grant Award from the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs.

Mary Anne McAvoy McKerrow

Mary Ann McAvoy McKerrow

Mary Ann McAvoy McKerrow is excited to be working with this talented cast! Past TNP credits include Mamma Mia!, Felicia in I Hate Hamlet, Momma Rose in Gypsy and Madame Thenardier in Les Misérables. Shakespeare in Paradise credits include Mistress Page/ The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lady Macbeth/Macbeth, A Love Story, Katherine/ The Taming of The Shrew and Hippolyta and Titania/A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Mary Anne has been costuming and teaching young actors and actresses of TNP’s KidzAct program since 2005.

Alex Portaro

Alex Portaro

Alex Portaro is 18 years old and is a freshman Musical Theatre major at East Carolina University. A recent KidzAct alumna, she was last seen as Sophie in Mamma Mia!Teen at TNP. She is so excited to be a part of this performance while her school is online and she hopes that you enjoy!

Michael Santos

Michael Santos

Michael Santos recently designed the sets for Moana, Bye Bye Birdie, She Loves Me, Escanaba in da Moonlight, Mamma Mia!, Guys and Dolls, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at TNP. A graduate of Cazenovia College in Upstate New York, where he majored in Visual Communications with a specialization in Commercial Illustration. His first production at The Naples Players was as Tom in A Perfect Wedding. Other notable roles at TNP are: Paul/Barefoot in the Park, Michael/God of Carnage, Edgar/Jane/The Mystery of Irma Vep, Richard/The 39 Steps, and Orcus/She Kills Monsters. Mike co-owns the local comedy troupe Stage 2 Improv with his amazingly talented wife, Judith. He also offers a beginner-level improv class here at TNP.

David Shaffer

David Shaffer

David Shaffer is excited to return to The Naples Players. Following his debut performance last year as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, he went on to work on Making God Laugh. David is thrilled to work with the TNP family once again. When not on stage or at work, David enjoys singing, family time, and streaming TV shows.

Mark Vanagas

Mark Vanagas

Mark Vanagas is a Naples Players Life Member and has been involved with the Players since 2002. He is a thespian veteran of 25 onstage performances, and you can see him in the leading role of It’s a Wonderful Life on December 19th in Cambier Park. You have seen him as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show and Mr. Reed/Leonard Grossman in These Shining Lives. Past costume design credits for TNP include The House of Blue Leaves, The Women of Lockerbie, the ghosts in John Jakes Christmas Carol and co-costume design with his wife Dot Auchmoody for A Little Night Music. For Shakespeare in Paradise, Mark designed the costumes for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Love and thanks as always to Dot for her love and support and to all the volunteers in the costume shop who make it all happen!

Dominic Young

Dominic Young

Dominic Young is a senior at Gulf Coast High School. Previous roles include: Ren McCormack/ Footloose, Sam Carmichael/ Mamma Mia! Teen, and Billy Flynn/ChicagoTeen. He enjoys performing and would like to pursue it as a career. He would also like to thank Dawn and Charles Fornara for all they have taught him and for pushing him to the best of his abilities. Dominic has also received two awards from Broadway Stars of the Future for his role as Link Larkin/Hairspray.

Charles Fornara, Musical Director

Charles Fornara

Charles Fornara (MuBIO sic Director/Conductor) has previously conducted at TNP She Loves Me, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, The Spitfire Grill, Les Misérables, All Shook Up, 42nd Street and many, many others, as well as over 20 teen productions for KidzAct. Also in Naples for TheatreZone, he has music directed more than 20 shows including …Drood, Aida, The Secret Garden, Legs Diamond, Sweet Smell of Success, Grand Hotel, Little Women and Hair. Originally from Providence, RI, Chas conducted Jim Steinman and Roman Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires in Stuttgart, and has taught and coached singers all over the US and Germany, now offering private lessons here in Naples. A proud member of Actors’ Equity, he has appeared in almost 100 musicals, operas and concerts, including several appearances here in Naples with TheatreZone, most recently as the title role in Sweeney Todd. Much love to his beautiful wife, Dawn, and these talented performers!