Alison Vasquez – Dialect and Vocal Coach • Ella Wetmore – Assistant Costume Designer
Julia Yelvington – Scenic Designer • Zach Young – Lighting Designer • Walker Zupan - Dramaturg
The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.
Student/Aunt Sponge
Student/Aunt Spiker.
Student/TV Reporter
Student/Captain of the Queen Mary
Student/New York Tour Guide
Student/Old Man
Student
James
Old-Green-Grasshopper
Oren Ederi
Markus Lee
.Trevor Gatabaki
Dominic Gross
Ladybird Taylor Dees
Earthworm Connor Burk
Centipede Eli Leva
Miss Spider Ola Mbonu
“James and the Giant Peach (Wood)” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
WHAT’S ON STAGE THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
BECOME A SEASON SUBSCRIBER LOCATION,
Eian Johnson
James and the Giant Peach is a story about how cruel and frightening the world can be and about how a wondrous life can suddenly change—sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. We explore how the familiar can become awful and how the strange can become riveting. We discover that a chosen family can fill a missing spot in our hearts, and we reason that perhaps, upon further inspection, the ‘odd’ may not be as scary as it seems.
Through Dahl’s words and David Woods’ adaptation, we embark on a journey filled with marvelous joy, empathetic storytelling and heartfelt performances.
James’ journey leaves us with a resounding declaration: a child's imagination is a powerful tool. I assert that this tool is not limited to children; we all possess it. We must learn how to access it again, and oftentimes, children are our greatest teachers.
I invite you to step into this world with us, bringing your inner childlike imagination. Allow your senses to absorb the environment by perceiving shapes, sounds, images and moments with a commitment to play. Let yourself react with deep delight or heartbreaking dismay. Use this short time frame as a window into yourself – an opportunity to reconnect with the magic within.
As our story begins, I invite you to rediscover your sense of wonder and see where it carries you.
“There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven't even started wondering about yet.” –Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach.
NOTE FROM THE DRAMATURG
“How do we tell the truth and make that truth bearable?” children’s book author Kate DiCamillo once asked, reflecting on the responsibility of telling stories for the young.
In James and the Giant Peach, author Roald Dahl offers an answer. The story is set in motion by tragedy. Its main character, James, is subject to cruelty from adults and intense bouts of loneliness. Yet ultimately, like all of Dahls’ protagonists, James discovers strength he didn’t know he had. With the support of newfound friends, he escapes his villainous aunts, ventures across an ocean and makes a wonderful new life for himself.
In our story, as in each of his books, Dahl refused to shy away from the challenging, at times painful, experiences of being a young person. At its heart, however, James and the Giant Peach is a story of young people’s capacity for resourcefulness, connection and wonder in spite of hardship. Dahl’s reverence for children – their imagination, resilience and unapologetic belief in magic – is the thread that weaves the world of our story together.
DiCamillo ultimately observed that the only answer she could come up with for how to tell the truth and make that truth bearable was love. Reflecting on E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web she wrote, “White loved the world. And in loving the world, he told the truth about it — its heartbreak, its devastating beauty. He trusted his readers enough to tell them the truth, and with that truth came a feeling that we’re not alone.”
In James and the Giant Peach, Dahl offers a story that tells heartbreaking and beautiful truths about childhood – a story rooted in love for young people and their wonder at the world around them. A story that reminds us, no matter our age, that we’re not alone.
Sarah Apple (Assistant Stage Manager) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (with a focus in stage management) at The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance.
Leah Austin (Scenic Designer) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent credits include scenic design for TEDxUT Austin 2024: Mosaic and puppet design for Tea: A Mirror of Soul (Butler Opera Center, 2024).
Arash Baqipur (Assistant Projection Designer) is a M.F.A. in Theatre (integrated media for live performance) candidate with a background in architecture and cinema. As a production designer, his films have screened at festivals including Portobello Film Festival, American Film Institute, Palm Springs International Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival and Bolton Film Festival. Recent theatre credits include Fall for Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2023) and assistant media design on Romeo y Juliet (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2024) and Sunset Baby (Signature Theatre, 2024).
Angel Blanco (Choreographer) is a secondyear M.F.A. in Dance candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. Blanco's movement approach is one that works with and through improvisation as the collaborative force that reigns the entire cast to problem solve, trust and build with one another.
Nicole Chacko (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (with a focus in stage management) at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include Pretend it’s Pretend (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024) and Cowboy Mouth (Studio Series, 2024).
Annie Clepper (Assistant Director) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer's process at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent acting credits with Texas
Theatre and Dance include Hamlet (Studio Series, 2023), Squid Kid (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2023) and Our Town (Studio Series, 2022). Additionally, she has held multiple roles on creative teams with Texas Theatre and Dance. Clepper is interested in pursuing TV/film development after graduation, and she currently works for production companies in both Austin and Los Angeles.
Katie Concannon (Costume Designer) is a second-year M.F.A. in Theatre candidate. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Justice at Middlebury College and asks questions in her art about how to create theatre in a time of environmental crisis. Recent credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include Choreomaniac 1518 (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024) and Ride the Cyclone (2023). She also works as a scenic artist, having painted set pieces for Grease (Summer Stock Austin, 2023), The Wizard of Oz (Summer Stock Austin, 2023) and La Bohème (Butler Opera Center, 2023). (she/her)
Rodolfo Robles Cruz (Director) is a Mexican interdisciplinary theatre artist from Morelia, Michoacán and Fresno, California. He is a M.F.A. in Theatre candidate with a specialization in directing at The University of Texas at Austin. Select directing credits include Sanctuary City (Texas Theatre and Dance Studio Series, 2024), Anna in the Tropics (Madera Theatre Project) and Oedipus El Rey (Selma Arts Center). Previous collaborators include Teatro Vivo, The Pan Valley Institute, Teatro Espejo and Lime Arts Productions.
Demian Chavez Galvan (Composer) is a theatre-maker and third-year student at The University of Texas at Austin. Their work as a writer, director, designer, dramaturg and composer has been seen on stages throughout Texas. They are the founding artistic director of Teatro Sin Fronteras, a bilingual theatre company based in El Paso, Texas. Credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include …but you could’ve held my hand (2022), Address the Body! (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2023) and El Corrido de la Soldadera: A Mariachi Musical (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2023). (they/them)
CREATIVE
Amber Huchton (Media Content Creator) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her previous credits include Elysian Heights (Texas Immersive Institute), Ride the Cyclone (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2023) and Fishing for Stars (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2023). amberleighhuchton.com
Jason Lee Huerta (Technical Director) is the Operations Manager of Fabrication for Texas Performing Arts and a lecturer for the Department of Theatre and Dance. He has a M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Huerta currently holds the role of mentorship representative for the Technical Production Commission of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT). His most recent credit with Texas Theatre and Dance is Ride the Cyclone (2023).
AJ Hurtado (Projection Designer) is a M.F.A. in Theatre (integrated media for live performance) candidate at The University of Texas at Austin, where he also received a B.S. in Arts and Entertainment Technologies. Projection design credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include two pieces in Fall For Dance (2022) and one dance piece and one interactive installation for The Cohen New Works Festival (2023). He aspires to combine digital fabrication and new media technologies to create a new wave of production and design. (he/him)
Ishu (Assistant Director) is a M.F.A. in Theatre (drama and theatre for youth and communities) candidate. He is an educator and trained actor with a Masters in Performing Arts from the University of Hyderabad. Ishu has worked with several renowned theatre directors globally, and for the last eight years his focus has been in theatre for young audiences. Over this past summer, Ishu served as the director of junior interns at New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire, where he directed a musical production of Tuck Everlasting with young theatre artists.
Olivia Longoria (Sound Designer) is a third-year B.S. in Arts and Entertainment Technologies student at The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently studying audio design and game development and has recently expanded her skillset into live productions. Longoria’s credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include assistant sound design for Romeo y Juliet (2024), and she will be a part of the sound design teams for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Studio Series, 2024) and UTNT (UT New Theatre) (2025).
Breanna Pruitt (Stage Manager) is a secondyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (with a focus in stage management) at The University of Texas at Austin. This will be her second production with Texas Theatre and Dance after working on Choreomaniac 1518 as part of UTNT (UT New Theatre) (2024).
Alison Vasquez (Dialect and Vocal Coach) is a Professor of Practice specializing in acting and voice at The University of Texas at Austin. She completed her Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Theatre with an emphasis in acting and voice from The Ohio State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in acting from the University of Northern Colorado. She is owner/operator of Claridad Voice, owner/ operator of Representation Matters Training and founding executive director of Teatro Audaz in San Antonio. alisonvasquezmfa.com
Ella Wetmore (Assistant Costume Designer) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design at The University of Texas at Austin. Her recent credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include Choreomaniac 1518 (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024) and three dance pieces performed as part of Points of Intersection (2024). For James and The Giant Peach, she helped build the costumes for “Old-Green-Grasshopper” and “Earthworm” and served as assistant costume designer.
Julia Yelvington (Scenic Designer) is a fourthyear B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include Choreomaniac 1518 (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024), in addition to design for TEDxUT Austin 2024.
Zach Young (Lighting Designer) is a third-year M.F.A. in Theatre (live design and production) candidate. His recent credits include lighting design for Points of Intersection (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2024), Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2022) and La Bohème (Butler Opera Center, 2023), as well as lighting and media design for The Queen of Spades (Butler Opera Center, 2024). He is currently working on scenic design for The Ghosts of Versailles (Butler Opera Center, 2025) in addition to his thesis project.
Walker Zupan (Dramaturg) is an educator and theatre-maker pursuing a M.F.A. in Theatre with a specialization in drama and theatre for youth and communities at The University of Texas at Austin. His research centers on intergenerational queer communities as well as devised theatre as a form of climate justice and liberatory world-building. He holds a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University.
Oren Ederi
Belén Tamez
Markus Lee
Immanuel Thomas
Trevor Gatabaki
Dominic Gross
Taylor Dees
Connor Burk
Eli Leva Ola Mbonu
Ella Scoresby
Eian Johnson
Sereniti Patterson
CAST
Ella Scoresby (Student/Aunt Sponge) is a forth-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin with a background in film acting. She’s been involved in numerous Texas Student Television projects, as well as the Texas Theatre and Dance production of Hamlet (Studio Series, 2023).
Sereniti Patterson (Student/Aunt Spiker) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Recent performance credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include Ride the Cyclone (2023) and More Blackberries, Please (The Cohen New Works Festival, 2023). She recently made her directorial and playwriting debut in the Texas Theatre and Dance 2023/2024 Studio Series with her original work, to love and to be loved and everything in between
Belén Tamez (Student/TV Reporter) is a third-year B.F.A. in Acting major. She has an extensive background in both dance and acting. She has a great passion for the arts and feels blessed to be a part of the program at The University of Texas at Austin.
Immanuel Thomas (Student/Captain of the Queen Mary) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin also pursuing a minor in arts management and administration. He is a recipient of the Arts Administration Fellowship, awarded through the Office of Community Engagement and Public Practice in partnership with the Center for Creative Economies (CCE) in the College of Fine Arts.
Eian Johnson (Student/New York Tour Guide) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer's process at The University of Texas at Austin. Her recent credits include "Frau Mika" in Choreomaniac 1518 (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024), “Helena” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare at Winedale) and “Dr. Caius” in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare at Winedale).
Oren Ederi (Student/Old Man) is a fourth-year student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance. He works both on stage and behind-the-scenes as a sound designer, lighting designer, lighting electrician and playwright. Acting credits include “Eitan” in The Mikvah Project (Texas Theatre and Dance Studio Series, 2022). He released the single Thunderstorms with over 40,000 streams on Spotify. Currently, Ederi is writing a new musical called You Need the Goo!
Markus Lee (Student) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Lee has a background in music and acting and has worked on numerous student films with the Moody College of Communication. This is his first production with Texas Theatre and Dance.
Trevor Gatabaki (James) is a third-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. He has a substantial background in acting and performance, with an added passion for music. He was most recently seen on stage as "Hamin" in True 2 My Religion (Marygrove Theatre, 2023). This is his first production with Texas Theatre and Dance.
Dominic Gross (Old-Green-Grasshopper) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major. This is Gross’ ninth and final production with Texas Theatre and Dance. Previous credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include “Dennis” in This is Our Youth (Studio Series, 2024) and “Hamlet” in Hamlet (Studio Series, 2023). He just completed his second season as a company member with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, where he played “Sebastian” in Twelfth Night and “Willoughby” in Sense and Sensibility.
Taylor Dees (Ladybird) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Dees was last seen performing as “Jessica” in the Texas Theatre and Dance production of This is Our Youth (Studio Series, 2024). Other credits with Texas Theatre and Dance include
“Horatio” in Hamlet (Studio Series, 2023) and “Simon Stimson” in Our Town (Studio Series, 2022). Dees has performed in various short films with the Moody College of Communications and The Cohen New Works Festival (2023).
Connor Burk (Earthworm) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in performer’s process at The University of Texas at Austin. Burk has a long history of performance. Recent credits in with Texas Theatre and Dance include to love and to be loved and everything in between (Studio Series, 2024) and understudying for Pretend it’s Pretend (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2024)
Eli Leva (Centipede) is a second-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. This is his first production with Texas Theatre and Dance. Leva has an extensive background in theatre and acting and has spent the past two years expanding his capabilities through training in voice, movement and film. Leva looks forward to further developing his artistry and collaborating on this production.
CAST
Ola Mbonu (Miss Spider) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Acting major at The University of Texas at Austin. Her acting credits include the Texas Theatre and Dance Studio Series production of to love and to be loved and everything in between (2024) and the film Party People, premiering at the Austin Film Festival this fall.
CAST
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS FABRICATION STUDIO
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
J.E. JOHNSON
KAREN MANESS
PROJECT MANAGER
DAVID TOLIN
OPERATIONS MANAGER
JASON LEE HUERTA
PROPERTIES MANAGER
CAROLYN HARDIN
LEAD FABRICATOR
HANK SCHWEMMER
PROJECT SPECIALIST
ASHTON BENNETT MURPHY
SENIOR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
SCOTT BUSSEY
EMERGING ARTS PROFESSIONALS
BRIDGETTE CLIFFORD
DANIEL GELD
GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
BRITTNEY BARTON
DANIEL RUIZ BUSTOS
ZACH YOUNG
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
MADISON JACKSON
PRODUCTION LEADS
JUNO ADAIR
LEAH AUSTIN
ELIZABETH BANDA
AYLIN CIBIK
DANIEL COLCOCK
VALERIA NUNEZ ESTRADA
SARAH EWING
ANA LARA
CODIE LIGHTFOOT
KRISTA MCLEOD
GABRIEL GOMEZ REYES
MONSE SANDOVAL-
MALHERBE
KARINA TREJO
CASSIDY WEN
JULIA YELVINGTON
324P FABRICATION
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
HAYLEY JAN CARBAJAL
JORGE A GONZALES
SANDHYA IYER
YASMYNNE S KNOX
DAIJHA MAINOR
ERIC LEE RAMIREZ
ERICK VARGAS ROJAS
PRODUCTION PROPS MANAGER
CAROLYN HARDIN
PROP STOCK MANAGERS
EVELYN BECERRA KATELYN NGUYEN
CHARGE ARTISTS
BRIDGETTE CLIFFORD KAREN MANESS
ASSISTANT CHARGE ARTIST
JULIA YELVINGTON
DRAFTSPERSON ANA LARA
SCENERY/PROPS CREW
GIULIANNA COCO
KEEAN DAILEY
CALEB GOODWIN PRESTON POWE
COSTUME
PRODUCTION AND FABRICATION STUDIO
COSTUME PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NANETTE ACOSTA
PRODUCTION ASSOCIATES DESIREÉ HUMPHRIES JONATHAN WATERS
STAFF DRAPERS
SARAH BARBOUR
POUA YANG
STAFF FIRST HANDS
JENNIFER BALL WAYNE FOWKS
STUDENT DRAPERS AND TECHNICIANS
LUCIA CALLENDER
RACHEL GREEN
MARISA LAWRENCE
KAITLYN COMFORT
MATTHEW SMITH
STUDENT FIRST HANDS
ALLISON JOHNSON
AVA SETTOON
STUDENT STITCHERS
JACOB BENAIM
SOPHIE DIETERLEN
MEGGIE HUNT
LAYLA ISAAC
ELLA WETMORE
COSTUME CRAFTS ARTISAN
TANYA OLALDE
COSTUME CRAFTS
ASSISTANTS
RACHEL GREEN
MATTHEW SMITH
STUDIO ASSISTANTS
LAYLA CREAR
AVA SETTOON
WIG AND MAKEUP ARTIST STEPHANIE MILLER
WIG AND MAKEUP ASSISTANT KAITLYN COMFORT
STUDIO CREW SUPERVISOR KAITLYN COMFORT MATTHEW SMITH
STUDIO CREW
JAZ BURCHELL ALEXIS HUNT LOGAN MARQUEZ ANGELA MATA JAY SMITH COURTNEY TROWERS
WARDROBE SUPERVISOR TANIA HERNANDEZ
WARDROBE CREW CHIEF SAVANNAH HOLLOWAY
WARDROBE CREW STORI JASPER
MARCEL JOHNSON SABRINA MARTINEZ KATELYN QUINTANILLA ANALEE TINAJERO
COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR DESIREÉ HUMPHRIES
COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS KATIE CONCANNON ALLISON JOHNSON EMORY KENNEMORE
LIGHTING/SOUND/ MEDIA
ACADEMIC PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER EARNEST MAZIQUE
ASSISTANT LIGHTING SUPERVISOR MICHAEL SHANKS
SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS ALIK CLAY KP PIERCE
324P LIGHTING FACULTY SUPERVISOR SEB BOONE
324P THEATRE AND DANCE
LIGHTING CREW ELICIA HARTZELL
THEATRE AND DANCE VOLUNTEER LIGHTING CREW
RAIN SNYDER RYLIE WILSON
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS
LIGHTING CREW JOSE CALVILLO
ADAM CORONADO COBY HUGHES
OLIVIA LONGORIA JOSE SALCIDO ETHAN SEBREE
LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR ANNIE LANG
LIGHTING PROGRAMMER DONNA YANCEY
ASSISTANT SUPERVISING ELECTRICIAN ANA AYALA GASCA
ASSISTANT AUDIO VIDEO SUPERVISOR K. ELIOT HAYNES
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AUDIO CREW
GEORGIA BECKHAM THEARY LLOYD
SOUND MIX ENGINEER GEORGIA BECKHAM
AUDIO BOARD OPERATOR DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
MIC TECHNICIAN THEARY LLOYD
MEDIA PROGRAMMER NITSAN SCHARF
MEDIA GRADUATE ASSISTANTS A.J. HURTADO NITSAN SCHARF
MEDIA SHOP CREW JOE ADKINS CHANTELL GONZALEZ AYESHA HUGHES
MEDIA OPERATOR AMANI EDMOND
PRODUCTION ADVISORS
STAGE MANAGEMENT RUSTY CLOYES
DIRECTING KJ SANCHEZ ALEXANDRA BASSIAKOU SHAW
COSTUME DESIGN RAQUEL BARRETO
COSTUME TECHNOLOGY DAVID AREVALO
LIGHTING DESIGN MICHELLE HABECK
INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE
KATE FREER
SCENIC DESIGN
JOSAFATH REYNOSO YVONNE BOUDREAUX
SOUND DESIGN
PHILLIP OWEN
DRAMATURGY MADGE DARLINGTON
RESIDENT INTIMACY DIRECTOR ANDY GRAPKO
CREW SUPERVISOR
AUSTIN SHIRLEY
CREW
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION RUSTY CLOYES
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS DIRECTOR OF FABRICATION AND ACADEMIC PRODUCTION
JEFF GRAPKO
FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGEMENT AND TICKETING DANA MCLAUGHLIN
PR/MARKETING MEGAN BOMMARITO SYDNEY PATTILLO
PHOTOGRAPHER ESSENTIALS CREATIVE
GRAPHIC DESIGNER JEFF GRAY
SPECIAL THANKS
Oren Ederi and Markus Lee for their assistance in the process of music composition. Oren Ederi in their service as music director.
Cast of James and the Giant Peach for their collaboration in the devising of the songs.
