MOONSCHOOL STAFF

GARY STANFORD JR. (Interim Education Director)

Gary is a Bay Area native (born in SF) and has lived on the Bay Area peninsula and south bay for his entire life. He graduated from San Jose State in Computer Engineering and has worked for and done High Tech, Communications, Sports Gaming, Retail and Online Business Companies in the Bay Area and Nation. His 20 year career was resolved in 2019 where he retired and took his software development, QA automaton, Project Management and Process Management skills into the performing arts sector. 

As a performing artist he has been involved with singing, dancing, and acting since a young child he spent his youth with P. S. Performance, a bay area performing arts company that primarily performed for senior/retirement homes and hospitals as well as competed in State Talent Competitions. As an adult performer he has been heavily involved in Bay Area Musical Theater and appeared in over 80 musicals with various theater companies. 

Since 2019 he has been running his own theater company, North California Arts Collective and is on the Board of Directors for Z-Space theater (San Francisco), Woodside Community Theater and Hillbarn Theater (Foster City).

In 2020 he became deeply involved in education/mentoring and contracting in regards to social justice awareness (such as racism, colorism and emotional intelligence). He has his own radio podcast show, Planet Bay Area that is also dedicated to social justice, decolonization principles, self care and empowerment.

Recent productions include Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr (2021) (Director, choreographer, music director) with Woodside Elementary School, 2020 Once On This Island (2020) (Director, choreographer) with Sunnyvale Players, Into The Woods (2019) (Rapunzel’s Prince) with Woodminster Summer Theater.

DANIEL THOMAS (Co-Executive Director)

A Bay Area native, Daniel returns after two decades of professional theatrical experience as an administrator, producer, actor, director and musician in Southern California. Previously Daniel served as the General Manager for Musical Theatre West, Education Director for the Norris Center for the Performing Arts, and Box Office Manager for Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera. He was also a Founding Producer/Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Ensemble which is now the wildly popular Reiner Reading Series of Musical Theatre West. Daniel worked for nearly every regional theatre in Southern California as an actor, musical director/conductor, and/or musician, including Musical Theatre West, 3-D Theatricals, Cabrillo Music Theatre, McCoy-Rigby Entertainment, Moonlight Amphitheatre, Candlelight Pavilion and the Santa Barbara, Fullerton, and San Gabriel Civic Light Operas, as well as the Disneyland Resort. Recently Daniel has been the musical director/conductor on multiple productions for Woodminster Amphitheatre in Oakland and Lyric Theatre in San Jose. Daniel is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, AGVA, and American Federation of Musicians Local 6. Daniel is grateful and lucky to have the love and support of his wife Rebecca, and they are the extremely proud parents of their son Joshua.

DAREN A.C. CAROLLO (Producing Artistic Director)

Daren, an award-winning director and producer with over 175 credits, has been a leader in the San Francisco Bay Area arts scene for two decades previously serving as the Producing Artistic Director of Berkeley Playhouse, Executive Director of Broadway By the Bay, and Artistic Director for Diablo Theatre Company/DLOC.

His production company, Carollo & Palumbo, LLC, produced the musical bare Off-Broadway and A Time to Kill on Broadway. His Moon directing highlights include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, New Girl in Town and our in concert productions of Kismet, Follies, South Pacific, Titanic, and Brigadoon. Favorite directing projects include Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, Jekyll & Hyde, Ripcord, Clybourne Park, Noises Off (twice), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Trip to Bountiful, Dracula (twice), Peter Pan (twice), Miss Saigon, The Drowsy Chaperone (twice), A Grand Night for Singing, Rabbit Hole, Doubt, Curtains, and To Kill A Mockingbird (twice). Daren has directed for Diablo Theatre Company, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Napa Valley Opera House, Ohlone and Solano Colleges, Town Hall Theatre Company, DRAA’s On Broadway, El Campanil Theatre and Contra Costa Civic Theatre. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and Theatre Bay Area’s Theatre Services Committee. For all that Daren has been blessed and honored to accomplish theatrically thus far, he is most proud of his greatest accomplishment: being the father of his son, Jack.

ANGEL ADEDOKUN

Angel Adedokun is a bilingual vocalist, songwriter, and dancer. She has worked with the Latin company MundoBeat Entertainment and was featured as lead singer of leading Indianapolis Salsa band Grupo Bembe. In 2015, Angel moved from Indianapolis to California and has since jumped into musical theatre and teaching. Her stage credits include Hairspray (Lil Inez) with Footlite Musicals, SILENCE! The Musical (Ardelia Mapp), Jesus Christ Superstar (Peter, Dance Captain) with Ray of Light Theatre, Iron Shoes (Second Girl) with Shotgun Players, Avenue Q ( Gary Coleman) with NCTC, and Troop Beverly Heels and Mean Gays with Peaches Christ Productions.

Working for many Children’s Theatre companies, she has been the musical director and director for Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Tomorrow Youth Repertoire Theatre, and Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre. Angel has also choreographed multiple shows for Children’s Theatres. Among her the shows she has worked on, her highlights include The Little Mermaid (BACT), Shrek Jr. (SCHAT), and Aladdin (42nd Street Moon). Angel is thrilled to be back and work with MoonSchool!

STACI ARRIAGA

Staci Arriaga’s choreography has been seen in and around the Bay Area for the last 20 years. She has been recognized by the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Theatre Bay Area, Shellies, Elly’s and Arty’s with nominations and awards throughout her career. She has enjoyed working for many theatre companies including 42nd Street Moon, Berkeley Playhouse, Lucky Penny Productions, Center Rep, The Woodland Opera House, OMG Productions, Napa Valley Playhouse, 6th Street Playhouse, and Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre. She has spent 2 summers in Virginia with The Ash Lawn Opera as an Assistant Director/Choreographer and continues to teach Tap and Jazz at The Woodland Opera House Theater and Dance Annex and Justin-Siena High School.  She has also taught workshops in and around the Bay Area. You can also see her work at Lucky Penny Productions in Napa where she is an Associate Artist and Resident Choreographer. Staci has earned many awards and award nominations for her tap choreography many shows that include Singing In The Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street Moon. You learn more about her at Staciarriaga.com

DANIELLE BEHRENS

Danielle Behrens was born and raised in Visalia, California and has been dancing since the age of three. She works professionally as a musical theatre performer and dance instructor in both California and New York City. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College. Danielle has worked on the North American tour of The Wizard of Oz, Disney Cruise Line, and at regional theatres around the country. She loves sharing her passion for the arts as well as everything she has learned along the way!

MAGGIE CONNARD

Maggie Connard is a teaching artist and performer who graduated with a BA in Dance from Point Park University. Maggie loves musical theatre; especially the choreography of Bob Fosse. She has performed in local productions of “A Chorus Line”, “Singing in the Rain”, “Chicago”, “Cabaret” and “White Christmas”, as well as with many local modern dance companies, and SF’s go-go sweethearts, The Devil-ettes. She teaches Rhythm and Motion and barre fitness at ODC, and has taught ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre dance to children and adults.

JUAN CASTRO

Juan Castro has worked with children’s theatre programs such as Mugglebee Theatre and Bay Area Children’s Theatre as a Music/Vocal Director and Assistant Director. He has taught for programs in Pleasanton, San Ramon, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Sunnyvale, and Alameda. He is also a K-5 music teacher at Notre Dame Elementary in Belmont. Aside from teaching, he is an active performer in musical theatre. He has performed with theatre companies such as 42nd Street Moon , Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Bay Area Musicals, City Lights Theater Company, and Palo Alto Players.

ASHLEY COWL

Ashley is a Theatre Bay Area and SFBATCC award nominated actor, singer, and dancer with credits in musical theatre and live events from Las Vegas to the UK. At 42nd St. Moon, she appeared as Mona Kent in Dames at Sea! Other work includes projects for Apple, Danskin, Broadway Cares, and Miss America. She is a graduate of AMDA Los Angeles with a BFA degree in Musical Theatre and a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. She has taught aspiring artists of all ages across the SF Bay Area for 15 years and is thrilled to be a part of MoonSchool!

LAVELE DAVIS (COCO BUTTAH)

Coco Buttah (Lavale Davis) is an Oakland based drag queen, actor, singer and dancer, and has been a performer in many capacities since childhood. Before pursuing drag, Coco spent over a decade performing all over the Bay Area in countless musical theater productions, with some of the area’s best theater companies in productions such as: Hairspray (CCMT), The Full Monty (TRVT) La Cage Aux Folles (BAM).

DAVE DOBRUSKY

Dave Dobrusky has long been a 42nd Street Moon mainstay, delighting audiences with his instinctive and intuitive feel for the music of the golden age of Broadway. Dave has been the music director for over 90 of Moon’s productions over the last quarter-century. His past favorites include Zorba, Three Sisters, Strike up the Band, Babes in Arms, Call Me Madam, High Spirits, Finian’s Rainbow, Paint Your Wagon (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award), and Leave It to Me! (recorded). Other Bay Area credits include Road Show; Marry Me a Little; Tick, Tick, Boom! (Theatre Rhino); I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; The Full Monty (both for Ray of Light); Camelot; My Fair Lady; Man of La Mancha (BATCC Award); Putting It Together (all for SF Playhouse); and Connie Champagne as Judy Garland at the Rrazz Room. Dave has appeared with Emily Skinner, Cady Huffman, Karen Ziemba, Rebecca Luker, Donna McKechnie, Noah Racey, Faith Prince, Andrea McArdle, and the late Celeste Holm, all at 42nd Street Moon. Dave holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory.

MEREDITH FOX

Meredith engages in a wide variety of the performing arts as a choreographer, movement director, performer, and educator. She has an M.F.A in Physical Theatre, a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, and teaching certifications in ballroom dance and Elemental Body Alignment System (EBAS). Meredith taught for the Fred Astaire Ballroom Dance Franchise for 2 years before serving as Assistant Professor of Dance and Movement within the Department of Theatre Arts at Catawba College in North Carolina. Since relocating to the Bay Area, Meredith has choreographed and directed for Bay Area Children’s Theatre, and performed with Boxcar Theatre’s The Speakeasy: Age of Scofflaws. Some Meredith’s favorite choreography and movement direction credits include Anything Goes, Reefer Madness, Alice in Wonderland: A Dance Adaptation, Conference of the Birds, and The Comedy of Errors; favorite performing credits include A Chorus Line (Cassie), A Doll’s House (Nora), Shakespeare’s Henry V (Constable), and The Speakeasy: Age of Scofflaws (Violet). Meredith is excited to join MoonSchool’s education staff, and looks forward to dancing with you soon!

DAVE GARRETT

Dave Garrett is a teacher, actor, and playwright. Over the past fifteen years he’s taught with Children’s Creativity Museum, StageWrite and Each One Reach One. His students, aged 10-18, have created over 250 original short plays. Dave has an MFA in Acting (UC Davis.) He has been seen on Bay Area stages in both musicals and dramas. His short plays have appeared with PlayGroundSF. His adaptation of The Three Musketeers has been performed by Shotgun Players (Berkeley) and The Shakespeare Company (Calgary, CAN)

JOANA GRAY

JoAna Gray, coordinator for our new cabaret program, has attended shows at Moon since “the script-in-hand” days and ushered since 2006. A native Northern Californian, she moved to San Francisco from Santa Cruz after completing her MBA at Santa Clara University. She worked in marketing, product and project management in tech and financial services, eventually opening her own successful consulting practice. She began studying singing in 2001.

She loves the combination of story-telling and singing that is cabaret – her most recent show was Defying Expectations, Defining Dreams, at The Duplex, NY and Martuni’s, SF, directed by Tony Award winner Faith Prince/MD Christopher Denny. Other shows include her SF solo debut, Shades of JoAna Gray with MD Barry Lloyd at Society Cabaret, where she has participated in several shows, including all five Anniversary Celebrations, and monthly open mics. Her first solo cabaret show, Shades of Gray (before those books came out), was at the Larkspur Café. She has appeared in the musicals Anything Goes and The Pied Piper of Hamelin Town in Marin and multiple plays at the Fringe of Marin One Act Festival and Ross Valley Player’s RAW Festival. JoAna has performed locally at Savannah Jazz, Octavia Lounge, The Marsh, Oasis and Phoenix Theatre.

For three years, JoAna attended the St. Louis Cabaret Conference and worked with Broadway/Cabaret stars Faith Prince, Marilyn Maye, Billy Stritch, Ann Hampton Callaway and Jason Graae, among others. She currently studies with Bobby Weinapple (Acting for Singers) and Mindy Lym (voice). She is a member of Theatre Bay Area and Manhattan Association of Cabarets and served on the Cabrillo Music Festival board in Santa Cruz.

KEVIN GRUWELL

Kevin is an award-winning choreographer, performer, and teaching artist from the northern part of the Bay Area. His love of performing began when he started dancing with a Ballet Folklorico group as a young child, and since then he has cross-trained in many other styles, including jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballet. Kevin has trained in several major studios with industry professionals all over the Bay Area, in LA and Orange County, and in New York City. Recent performing credits include West Side Story (Berkeley Playhouse), Mamma Mia! (CenterREP), and as a dance lead for Six Flags Fright Fest. 

HECTOR GUERRERO 

Hector Guerrero has traveled throughout the world as a director, choreographer, performer and master teacher working extensively in film, television, theatre and opera.  Hector is one of the few approved by the Robbins Rights Trust to reproduce Jerome Robbins’ WEST SIDE STORY which he has set throughout the United States, China and for the Shakespeare Festival.  In New York City, he choreographed GIMME A BREAK! (Transport Group) and CONCERT OF EXCELLENCE (Lincoln Center).  At the Hollywood Bowl, he was the Assistant Choreographer for their production of A CHORUS LINE.  Please visit his website at www.hectorguerrerodance.com for more information.  You may also connect with him on Instagram @hectorguerrerodance and Twitter @hecgdance

PHILLIP HARRIS

Phillip Harris has sung as a soloist at venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and with organizations like the San Francisco Symphony, San Mateo Masterworks Chorale, and the Aspen Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In 2019, he released a CD, Phillip Harris in Recital, a book, Songs and Spirituals: The Life and Music of Jacqueline Hairston, and presented a lecture/recital and masterclass at Alabama State University. He has sung over twenty operatic roles and several soloist roles in oratorios. A winner of the Encouragement award from the Metropolitan National Council Auditions, he holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in voice. More information can be found at philliplnharris.com.

NICOLE HELFER

Nicole is an award-winning choreographer, director, equity actor, and Chair of the School of Theatre at Oakland School for the Arts. With over twenty years of experience, she has taught dance and theatre at such well-known bay area organizations as Dance Mission Theatre, Laureen Fender’s Ballet School, Steppin’ Out Studios, SF Park and Rec, Kid Stock Inc., Handful Players, YMCA, Spindrift School for the Performing Arts.
Nicole has also studied at SFSU, the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Big Sur Theatre Lab, the Dunham Technique Seminar in East St. Louis, and many professional workshops across the state. She has worked with many Bay Area theatre companies, including SF Playhouse, 42nd Street Moon, Broadway By the Bay, Center Rep, Ray of Light, The Mountain Play, and Pacific Coast Reparatory Theatre. Most notable choreography credits include Cabaret (TBA and SFBATCC nominee), Groundhog Day (SFBATCC nominee), Dames at Sea (TBA and SFBATCC nominee), She Loves Me (SFBATCC nominee), The Music Man (TBA nominee), West Side Story (TBA Award), In the Heights (TBA Award), No No Nanette (TBA and SFBATCC nominee), and Lizzie (SFBATCC nominee).

MARISSA HOCKFIELD

Marissa Hockfield is a director, choreographer, and educator. She has over 15 yrs experience teaching dance and theater in the Bay Area and Chicagoland area. In the Bay Area, Marissa teaches ballet to 18 mo – 8 yr olds at several Tutu School locations and serves as a director and choreographer for the Bay Area Children’s Theatre educational programs. She studied dance and educational studies at Washington University in St. Louis and also holds a Master’s of Arts in Teaching and taught elementary school for the Chicago Public Schools. She is passionate about creating a nurturing and supportive environment for young students to work together on creative pursuits. She is thrilled to be joining Moon School and can’t wait to meet the students!

ZACHARY ISEN

Zachary Isen is a Bay Area native and holds a BFA in drama from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He has also studied at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, The Performing Arts Project, and the International Theatre Institute in Amsterdam. Zachary has worked as a teacher, choreographer, and director at Oakland School for the Arts, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, The Urban School of San Francisco, Spindrift School of Performing Arts, The Mountain Play, The Performing Arts Academy of Marin, and Marin Musical Theatre Company. He has performed with companies such as San Francisco Playhouse, The Mountain Play, Hillbarn Theatre, Marin Musical Theatre Company, and Sierra Repertory Theatre. Zachary has a passion for using the Performing Arts as a tool to foster passion, creativity, respect, cultural appreciation and self expression.

JEAN-PAUL JONES

Jean-Paul has graced the stages of San Francisco with companies such as 42nd Street Moon, Bay Area Musicals, San Francisco Playhouse, Cinnabar Theater, Moonlet Theater and West Edge Opera. He has been featured as Nanki Poo in Hot Mikado, Jamie in Last Five Years, Tulsa in Gypsy with Texas/Emcee in Cabaret, Sam in Crazy for You, Vadime in Mata Hari and Ensemble in No No Nanette. JP currently teaches vocal jazz at RUTH ASAWA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS in San Francisco, CA.

KIAH KALONI

Kiah Kaloni Childress is California born and raised with a B.A in Deaf Education and dance from Cal State University Northridge. She move to Vegas a few years after graduating and taught kids through out Las Vegas and Los Angeles. She loves working with children and also works with kids with special needs. She even was an Artistic Director for a Deaf and hearing children’s performance group in Vegas. She also is an amazing performer, she has danced in shows on the Famous Vegas Strip and also in Reno, NV. She also dances with and for many Cirque de Soleil artists and has been in commercials, tv shows and game shows, and continues to grow her resume. She believes that everyone is a star and is here to help her students reach for their dreams.

FIONA KING

Fiona King is a current student at Smith College pursuing a B.A. in Theatre (playwriting emphasis), where she also acts, directs, and designs. She is currently the chair of a musical theatre company, Duct Tape Productions (also at Smith College). She has also previously studied theatre with the Cherubs program at Northwestern, the American Conservatory Theater, and The Bay School of San Francisco, of which she is an alum. This is her second summer with MoonSchool, having also previously worked with the American Conservatory Theater’s summer programs.

CHRISTINA LAZO

Christina Lazo is Bay Area Director, Choreographer and Teaching Artist.  She is the Executive Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Works, a performance company for young actors now in its 23rd year. She has directed and choreographed throughout the Bay Area and regionally with companies such as 42nd Street Moon, Bay Area Musicals, Woodminster Summer Musicals, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Broadway By the Bay, Berkeley Playhouse, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Tri Valley Rep and many others. Some favorite productions include, In The Heights, West Side Story, A Chorus Line and All Shook Up. Christina has also choreographed for Cedar Point Live Entertainment, Victoria’s Hair on Stage, and National Theatre for the Performing Arts Tours. 

MICHAEL MOHAMMED

Michael Mohammed has recently been engaged to choreograph Harvey Milk (Opera Parallèle) and the world premiere of She Persisted: The Musical (Bay Area Children’s Theatre). He created What’s Known To Me Is Endless with baritone Kenneth Overton and pianist Rich Coburn for the inaugural season of Amplified Opera, a Toronto based company that places equity-seeking artists at the center of public discourse. Additional directing and choreography includes Le nozze di Figaro, I Pagliacci, Carmen, Candide, and X: The Life & Times of Malcom X. Also active as a performer, his credits include Fakir in Secret Garden (42nd Street Moon), Bertarido in Rodelinda (Handel Opera Project), Luna Pearl Woolf’s Act Without Words (Bard Music West, world premiere), and the dance film Separate Sentences.

Michael received his doctorate from the Music and Music Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research looks at the representation of persons with marginalized identities in operatic and theatrical performance. He is the Director of the Musical Theatre Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is also on the faculty at San Jose State University, College of Marin, and the San Francisco Community Music Center. 

RENEE DEWEESE MORAN

Renee is a Bay Area native and award winning performer and choreographer. She received her BFA in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Renee has worked locally with Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Center Rep, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Diablo Theatre Company, Woodminster, and American Musical Theatre of San Jose. Favorite onstage roles include: Cassie in A Chorus Line (2010 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for best supporting actress), Dream Laurey in Oklahoma!, Louise in Carousel, Bambi in Curtains & Tiger Lily in Peter Pan. Notable choreography credits include CCMT’s 42ND STREET (2010 Shellie Award for Best Choreography) and Oklahoma (2011 Shellie Award for Best Choreography), PCRT’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, Diablo Theatre Company’s Annie and Legally Blonde (associate). Most recently Renee served as choreographer for 42nd Street Moon’s 2021 Virtual Gala. Renee is the co-founder of Performing Academy, an arts training program for children with locations in Lafayette, Pleasant Hill and Castro Valley. She is anxiously awaiting the return of live theatre where one of her first projects will be choreographing and playing Gladys in 42nd Street Moon’s The Pajama Game.

KEITH PINTO

Keith Pinto is a multi disciplinary artist from the peninsula. He is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and has been a dance instructor at San Jose State University for nearly 20 years. As an actor, choreographer, director and musician he’s worked all over the bay area as well as out of New York.

He has received Critics Circle awards for his role as “Bill” in Me and My Girl at 42nd Street Moon and for his choreography of Colossal at San Francisco Play-
house, as well as TBA awards for his role as “The Emcee” in Cabaret at Hillbarn Theater and his choreography of Altar Boys at CenterRep. Keith is a proud collaborator with the Bay Area Theatre Cypher as well as co-founder of the award winning hip hop band and theater company, Felonious. Felonious theater pieces, which Pinto appeared in as well as choreographed include: Beatbox: A Raparetta at Theatre Artaud, Angry Black White Boy and Block by Block with Campo Santo and Stateless: A Hip Hop Vaudeville Experience at Jewish Theater SF.

KIMBERLY RIDGEWAY

Kimberly Ridgeway has been working professionally as an Actor, Director, Playwright and Producer in film and theater for over 20 years. Kimberly wrote, produced and directed the stage plays The Drowning Pool, No More Secrets, Prospect Place, and The Gigolo Chronicles, and the short film “The Confession”.  Her favorite acting roles include Mrs. Muller, Doubt, Sam Stevens, The Gigolo Chronicles, Coretta Scott King/Fannie Lou Hamer, All The Way, Randa, Savannah Sipping Society, Bernice, The Piano Lesson, Duchess, Wonderland (World Premiere), Tiana in “Hopes Identity” and Camae in The Mountaintop for which she won the 2016 BroadwayWorld San Francisco Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play (Local). Kim has directed projects for several Bay Area Theater Companies including The Playwrights Center of San Francisco, Bay Area Drama Company, Ubuntu Theater Project Bay Area Performing Arts Collective and Dragon Productions Theatre Company.

CLAY ROBESON

Clay Robeson has been performing and teaching improvisation for the last 20 years. Whether it’s for the stage, the corporate world, or as an avenue to more organic character creation and storytelling, he believes the end goal is always to learn to trust yourself and the people around you. Clay has worked and taught with Boston’s Improv Asylum, and San Francisco’s Un-Scripted Theater Company, Moment Improv Theatre and VoiceOne where he is exploring how improvisation can help Voice Actors both with auditions and in the booth. He also tours improv festivals with Bookends, a two-person improvised musical inspired by Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, which will be presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

ZOË SWENSON-GRAHAM

Zoë Swenson-Graham returned to the Bay Area in 2015 after living in London for nearly seven years, where she worked as an actor, dancer, and trained as a stage combat instructor and fight choreographer– working around the UK teaching in various drama schools, and working with organizations such as the Royal Opera House, The Globe, Southwark Playhouse and The Kings Head Theatre. Since returning to the Bay, Zoe has choreographed for and taught with the American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, Oakland School of the Arts, Sierra Repertory Theatre Company, Broadway By The Bay, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, YMTC, Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, Mountain Play Association and MoonSchool with 42nd Street Moon. Dance choreography credits include: Newsies (Hillbarn Theatre), Camelot (Sierra Rep Theatre), Mamma Mia (Mountain Play and Hillbarn Theatre), White Christmas (Sierra Rep Theatre Company), The Producers, A Chorus Line, Company (Mayhem Musical Theatre Company, London) and she worked as the Associate Choreographer on Music Man and Saturday Night Fever at Broadway By the Bay. Zoe’s horror film Lasso features her acting and stunt work, which was released internationally last year and her motion capture and voiceover work will be seen in an upcoming feature film. Zoe still loves to perform on stage, most recently appearing in Cabaret at the SF Playhouse and A Chorus Line at Sierra Repertory Theatre.

CHANEL TILGHMAN

Originally hailing from the East Bay, Chanel Tilghman is an actor, vocalist, and dancer who attended Albany High School before earning a B.A. in Communication and a double minor in Theatre and Music Industry from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she was a member of UnderSCore A Cappella. Recent stage credits include Kitty Bennet in the world premiere of Paul Gordon’s Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, now streaming on Amazon and StreamingMusicals.com; Sophie Sheridan in Berkeley Playhouse’s Mamma Mia!; and the Acrobat in CCMT’s Matilda. Other notable roles include Ethel/Selma in Memphis (Berkeley Playhouse), a Dynamite in Hairspray (Bay Area Musicals), Michelle Morris in Dreamgirls (Berkeley Playhouse), Lisa in Mamma Mia! (Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre), and Vanessa in In the Heights (Plethos Productions). Along with MoonSchool, Chanel is an arts educator for Berkeley Playhouse and Bay Area Children’s Theatre, and is elated to be a part of the MoonSchool family! chaneltilghman.com

NICOLE TUNG

Nicole Tung is a Bay Area Native who started dancing at the age of 5. She has graced the stage with AMTSJ, Woodminster Theater, and TheatreWorks among others, working with the likes of James Monroe Iglehart, Kay Cole, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Francis Jue. Choreography credits include Guys and Dolls (co-choreographer), City of Angels (SVCT), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (SBMT). She is slated to assistant direct and choreograph Allegiance for PAP later this year. Offstage, she juggles the roles of wife/mother/homeschool teacher/social activities director to her husband, Jason and their 8 year old daughter, Kalana.

LESLIE WAGGONER

Leslie has been performing and choreographing in the Bay Area for most of her life. She received early training locally, as well as at California Institute of the Arts. Most recently, she choreographed the West Coast premiere of American Psycho with Ray of Light. Also with ROLT, she has choreographed The Rocky Horror Show for the past 4 years, adding Director to her title for the Fall 2018 production. Other choreo credits include The Wedding Singer (BAM), Pageant and Ghost (OMG I Love That Show Productions), direction and choreo for Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical (Oasis), and D’Arcy Drollinger’s upcoming film, “Shit & Champagne”. Up next: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Custom Made) and The Full Monty (BAM). She has performed locally with AMTSJ, Ray of Light, Diablo Theatre Company, BAM, Oasis, Magic Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, SF Shakes, Killing My Lobster (5-year company member) and at the Herbst Theater.

SCOTTIE WOODARD

Scottie is a Bay Area Director, Choreographer, Teaching Artist and Performer. He has had the privilege of working with many companies around the Bay including 42nd Street Moon, Berkeley Playhouse, Lucky Penny Productions and Center REPertory Company. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Napa Academy of Performing Arts at Lucky Penny Productions and spent the last several years working with the award winning Bay Area Children’s Theatre. Some of his favorite productions as Director and/or Choreographer include The Little Mermaid, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Godspell, The Andrews Brothers, Forever Plaid, Annie and 110 in the Shade. You may have also seen him on stage at 42nd Street Moon in Pardon My English or the Broadway Backwards concert. Some other favorite roles include Bonnie and Clyde (Buck), Scrooge in Love (Christmas Present), The Andrews Brothers (Lawrence), The Secret Garden (Neville), The Great American Christmas Trailer Park Musical (Rufus), Billy Elliot (Mr. Braithwaite), Hairspray (Corny Collins),Tarzan (Terk), Titanic (Charles Clark), It Shoulda Been You (Albert), Les Miserables (Marius), Peter Pan (Captain Hook), Avenue Q (Rod/Princeton), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmie), and Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely).