STAGEBILL

RUTH ASAWA SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

I N T O T H E W O O D SMUSIC & LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM

BOOK BY JAMES LAPINEORCHESTRATIONS BY JONATHAN TUNICK

DIRECTORRon S.McCanCHOREOGRAPHER

Elizabeth CastanedaMUSICAL DIRECTOR

Daniel FeyerCONDUCTOR

Tristan ArnoldTECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Paul Kwapy

THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION BYHEIDI LANDESMAN ROCCO LANDESMAN RICK STEINER

M. ANTHONY FISHER FREDERIC H. MAYERSON JUJAMCYN THEATERS

ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY THE OLD GLOBE THEATER, SAN DIEGO, CA.

INTO THE WOODS IS PRESENTED THROUGH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTWITH MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI).

ALL AUTHORIZED PERFORMANCE MATERIALS ARE ALSO SUPPLIEDBY MTI: WWW.MTISHOWS.COM

PLEASE NOTE: FOG WILL BE USED IN TODAY’S PERFORMANCE.THE VIDEOTAPING OR OTHER VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION

IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Students at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts receive academic instruction in the morning and spend the balance of the day

immersed in learning the essential skills and craft of their chosenareas of creative study, through an inspiring hands-on program

that draws on the talents of over 70 Artists-in-Residence workingin the broader arts community, recruited to support specific goalsof each department’s curriculum. This unique teaching structure

exposes students to fresh ideas and experiences, creating a learning environment where vision, creativity and passion are valued

in the formation of the whole person.

This production of Into the Woods has been made possible bythe Friends of SOTA Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation

whose mission is to support the arts and academics programs at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and manage the Annual Fund which

funds the Artist-in-Residence program.

SPECIAL THANKSColleen Ivie & the Friends of SOTA Foundation

Barnaby Payne • Caitlyn Boyle • Phillip Rayher • Kristin Grzeca

Henry Hung • Tristan Arnold • Julie Glantz • Kate Stacy

Stephan Dupuis • Jenny King-Turko • Paulette Cauthorn

Merrill Komai • Sue Schechter & the Asawa SOTA PTSA

Paula Dinnell • Nancy & Matt Murphy • Janice Evans • Kelly Forde

Christie Stokes • Lili Gaudreau • Brian Garcia • Pam Wellner

Brian Chew • Maria Chew • Anne Yanow • Jeanne Batacan-Harper

Josh Davidson and the Asawa SOTA Cafeteria Team

Larry Doyle and Parkside Tavern • Emily Van Dyke

Eric Rice & Norbert Holter from the SFUSD

Career Technical Education Department

Jace Wittig • Michael Desnoyers Victor Cervantes

J. Llewellyn Gravely Action Rentals and

theTechnical Theater Department Alumni:

Gabe Pothier • Katarina Bone-Tsokaloti

Mohamed Benkelouf • Glenn Quilici

CASTin order of appearance

Narrator • Mysterious Man • Isaac Edejer ♪ Trey Harris ♫Cinderella • Jillian Abaya ♪ Lucy Murphy ♫

Jack • Niko Rakos ♪ Cole Sisser ♫

Milky White • Isabel Hansen

Baker • Ryan Doyle ♪ Ben Stacy ♫

The Baker’s Wife • Mackenzie Rohan ♪ Kaeli Shaw ♫

Cinderella’s • Mother • Giant • Granny • Aiyana Greene

Cinderella’s Stepmother • Mara Schumann

F lorinda • Alyzza Marquez

Lucinda • Zoe Bruce ♪ Kennedy Shelby ♫

Jack’s Mother • Emily Cronan ♪ Eleanor Stokes ♫

Little Red Riding Hood • Ariella Berkman ♪ Zoë Ferguson ♫

The Witch • Tasneem Norris ♪ Lauryn Thomas ♫

Cinderella’s Father • Cristian Rivas

Cinderella’s Prince • Wolf • Gabe Bibliowicz ♪ Nathan Savant ♫

Rapunzel ’s Prince • Joe-Joe Kelly ♪ Oliver Paddock ♫Rapunzel • Elisabeth Fortescue

The Steward • Euan Ashley ♪ Martin Schuler ♫

♫ = MARCH 3 - 7:30 • MARCH 4 - 7:30 • MARCH 11-1:30 • MARCH 12 -1:30♪ = MARCH 4 -1:30 • MARCH 5 -1:30 • MARCH 10 - 7:30 • MARCH 11- 7:30

MUSICAL NUMBERSACT ONE

TIME Once Upon A Time PLACE A Far-off Kingdom

OPENING…………Ensemble

CINDERELLA AT THE GRAVE…………Cinderella, Cinderella’s Mother

HELLO, LITTLE GIRL…………Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood

I GUESS THIS IS GOODBYE…………Jack

MAYBE THEY’RE MAGIC…………Baker’s Wife, Baker

OUR LITTLE WORLD…………Rapunzel , Witch

BAKER’S REPRISE…………Baker

I KNOW THINGS NOW…………Little Red Ridinghood

A VERY NICE PRINCE…………Cinderella, Baker’s Wife

FIRST MIDNIGHT…………Ensemble

GIANTS IN THE SKY…………Jack

AGONY CINDERELLA’S PRINCE…………Rapunzel ’s Prince

A VERY NICE PRINCE (REPRISE)…………Cinderella, Baker’s Wife

IT TAKES TWO…………Baker’s Wife, Baker

SECOND MIDNIGHT …………Ensemble

STAY WITH ME…………Witch, Rapunzel

ON THE STEPS OF THE PALACE…………Cinderella

ACT ONE FINALE…………Ensemble

ACT TWO

ACT TWO OPENING…………Ensemble

AGONY (REPRISE)…………Cinderella’s Prince, Rapunzel ’s Prince

WITCH’S LAMENT…………Witch

ANY MOMENT…………Cinderella’s Prince, Baker’s Wife

MOMENTS IN THE WOODS…………Baker’s Wife

YOUR FAULT…………Jack, Little Red Ridinghood , Baker, Witch, Cinderella

LAST MIDNIGHT…………Witch

NO MORE…………Baker, Mysterious Man

NO ONE IS ALONE…………Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood , Baker, Jack

ACT TWO FINALE…………Ensemble

ORCHESTRA

CONDUCTOR Tristan Arnold

MUSICAL DIRECTOR & PIANODaniel Feyer

FLUTES & PICCOLOJialin Li • Darren Lam ♪ • Brianna Carmona ♪ Hanako Rahdert ♫ • Milla Elliot ♫

OBOE Nicole Anderson

CLARINETSameer Eliot ♪ • Marisa Cruz ♪ • Georgia Chau ♫ • Moses Pippenger ♫

BASSOONAndre Bartalos ♪ • Adam Rechav ♫

HORNSEli Isaacs ♪ • Laura Bunger ♪ • Max Braun ♫ • Ronan Fitzsimons-Brey ♫

TRUMPETAneka Yee ♪ • Sarah Clayson ♪ • Daniel Rowe ♫ • Daniel Goldman ♫

VIOLINKaitlyn Huey • Faith Lam • Renata Volchinskaya • Matthew Silva

VIOLAMichael Tse • Jason Jue • Maya True-Fogel

BASSAtticus Simmons • Kimberly Rivera

CELLOJoseph Clayson • Madeline Belew • Katie Lee

PERCUSSIONJasper Mahnke

♪ = MARCH 3 -7:30 • MARCH 4 -1:30 • MARCH 10 - 7:30 • MARCH 11- 1:30 ♫ = MARCH 4 - 7:30 • MARCH 5 - 1:30 • MARCH 11-7:30 • MARCH 12 -1:30

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

At first glance, Into the Woods is an entertaining musical that weaves some of the Brothers Grimm most beloved fairytale characters with the genius of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. However, when you dive a little deeper, you learn that it is a metaphor for one’s personal journey in life: our wishes, and the paths we take to make them come true, and what we dis-cover along the way in regards to love, loss, choices, responsibility, and how our personal values impact our community. Musicals often reflect the times in which they are written. Into the Woods made its Broadway debut in 1987, however with our current world events and national political environment, the message and themes that this show touches on are just as profound today. Who do we blame? Who actually is to blame? Who gets to decide what is right, wrong or what justice looks like, and how do we work together to correct the errors made by those mak-ing these decisions? Into the Woods asks us to examine these thoughts, and encourages us to be mindful of the impact our choices have on our most vulnerable: our children. What you will see at this performance is what happens when 104 students come together to create art in a time when the world is much different than when they auditioned. This production has challenged our students to grow in the most magical ways, as artists and as human beings, and I am proud to have been a part of this journey. “What redeems us as human beings and restores us to our humanity is solicitude for those whom we love.” –Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales

Ron S. McCanDirector, Into The Woods

TECHNICAL CREWLEAD SET DESIGNER Sam GarciaPRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Evan GarrisonTECHNICAL STAGE MANAGER Iain LanglandsASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Sam Garcia • Jaden LuscherAPPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER Jaden LucherSCENIC PAINTERS Maia Cluver • Madi Gaudreau • Isa SpicerSCENIC APPRENTICES Maya Kunungo • Jaden LuscherLIGHTING DESIGNER Dexter ChewASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER Justin SvendbergDECK ELECTRICIAN Sage PothierLIGHTING APPRENTICES Emmet Forde • Tolya MueurSOUND DESIGNER Sam TraversASSISTANT SOUND Jack GramlingSOUND APPRENTICE Levi Morgan-WorleyFLY RAIL Zak Koshio • Tucker Predock • Ian Torok DECK CREW LEAD Sam GarciaDECK CREW Maia Cluver • Evan Garrison • Madi Gaudreau • Iain Langlands Isa Spicer • Alex Stewart • Anoah Wang • Sebastian YoungPROPS Alejandro Alfaro • Wes WellnerHAIR AND MAKEUP Maia Cluver • Maya Kanungo • Teaghan Rohan Keanna Vicente COSTUME LEAD Nina PatchellCOSTUME DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION CREW Amarisa Azucar • Char BurnsMaya Clemmons • Assata Conley • Beatrice Griffin • Meztli Mercado Mina Kreutzer-Joo • Sophia Lunardi • Alyssa McDowell • Grace McGee Bea Nussbaum • Juliao Ocampo CONSTRUCTION CREW/SCENIC PAINTERS Asawa SOTA Technical Theater Department

ARTISTIC STAFFPRODUCERSBarnaby Payne • Colleen Ivie & Friends of SOTA Foundation

DIRECTORRon S. McCan

CHOREOGRAPHERElizabeth Castaneda

DANCE CAPTAINJoe-Joe Kelly

*MUSICAL DIRECTORDaniel Feyer*

CONDUCTORTristan Arnold

TECHNICAL DIRECTORPaul Kwapy

COSTUMES DEPARTMENT HEADAnnette Ribeiro*

HAIR AND MAKEUP/SCENIC PAINTINGJenny-King Turko*(Courtesy of IATSE Local 706)

HAIR/MAKEUPStephan Dupuis* (Courtesy of IATSE Local 706)

SCENIC PAINTINGJay Koetcher* (Retired SF Opera Scenic painter, IATSE)

RIGGING/FABRICATIONStephan Gaudreau* (TrapezeArts, Oakland, CA) VISUAL ARTSJeff Castleman* (SOTA Visual Arts Department)

PUBLICITY/ART DIRECTION/GRAPHIC DESIGNJulie Glantz

PRODUCTION PHOTOSMichael Schumann • Niko Rakos

OUTREACH COORDINATORAnne Yanow

SPRING MUSICAL PARENT LIAISONKate Stacy

TECHNICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT PARENT LIAISONLili Gaudreau

*Asawa SOTA Artist-in-Residence

Jillian

Abaya

ZoE

Bruce

ZoE

Ferguson

Trey

Harris

Euan

Ashley

Emily

Cronan

Elisabeth

Fortescue

Joe-Joe

Kelly

Ariella

Berkman

Ryan

Doyle

Aiyana

Greene

Alyzza

Marquez

Gabriel

Bibliowicz

Isaac

Edejer

Isabel

Hansen

Lucy

Murphy

INTO THE WOODS WHO’S WHO

¨

Tasneem

Norris

Mackenzie

Rohan

Kaeli

Shaw

Ellie

Stokes

Oliver

Paddock

Nathan

Savant

Kennedy

Shelby

Lauryn

Thomas

Niko

Rakos

Martin

Schuler

Cole

Sisser

Cristian

Rivas

Mara

Schumann

Ben

Stacy

JILLIAN ABAYACINDERELLA MUSICAL THEATRE 2018

trained at YMTC, SSPA, and

Upstage Theatre. Her favorite

roles have included Heather

Duke Heathers, Olive Spelling

Bee and Diana Morales A

Chorus Line. Into the Woods has

been one of Jillian’s favorite

musicals, from when she first

played Cinderella in the eighth

grade. She would like to thank

her directors for this amazing opportunity.

EUAN ASHLEYTHE STEWARD THEATRE 2017

began acting when he realized

that it was the only realistic

route to ever becoming

Spiderman. Working in the SOTA

Theatre department has given

him experience in a variety

of eclectic roles in numerous

shows. Into the Woods is Euan’s

first role in a musical.

ARIELLA BERKMANLITTLE RED RIDING HOODMUSICAL THEATRE 2019

appeared as Helga in the

SOTA Spring 2015 production

of Cabaret and performed

in numerous shows with

SFartsEd’: Lil’ Abner, Destry Rides Again, Oklahoma!, Bells Are Ringing, and On The Town. Her experience with

SFartsEd has been integral to

her practice and understanding

of the discipline and behavior

needed for pursuing a career

in performance. She would like

to thank Ron McCan, Elizabeth

Castaneda, Daniel Feyer, and the

cast, musicians and crew for this unforgettable experience.

GABRIEL BIBLIOWICZCINDERELLA’S PRINCE/WOLFCLASSICAL VOICE 2017 performed on the SOTA

main stage in The Music Man

(2015-Charlie Cowell), and

Spamalot (2014). He recently

appeared in the SFArtsEd

production, Bells Are Ringing.

“I’m inspired by my parents,

Bill Clinton, and James Michael

McAdoo. All amazing people

and leaders on and off the

court.” He thanks his cousin,

Taco Bibliowicz, for always being

there and supporting him every

step of the way.

ZOE BRUCELUCINDA MUSICAL THEATRE 2019

credits Beyoncé as one her

greatest influences, “because

she has amazing vocal control,

a large range, a unique

sound, and a great sense of

theatricality”. Zoe was a member

of Voices Chorus from 2011-

2015, and has been a member

of the SFArtsEd theatre arts

community, as both a student

and a teacher, appearing in the

SFArtsEd Players productions

of Sittin’ On A Rainbow (2015),

and Building Broadway (2016),

for which she also mentored

younger students. Last year,

Zoe was cast as Rosie, one of

the Kit-Kat Girls in Cabaret, the

SOTA Spring Musical. She also

participated in the World Music

Taiko Show and Takeover IV and

can sing in Portuguese, Spanish,

Japanese and several African

languages.

EMILY CRONANJACK’S MOTHER JAZZ VOCAL 2019 received training at the American Conservatory Theatre

and Young Performers Theatre

and has appeared in eleven

theatrical productions. Her

favorite roles include Marvalyn

in Almost, Maine, Queen Of

Hearts in Alice In Wonderland,

and Sandy in Filed As CIP. Emily

considers Courtney Lindl, her

YPT family, and her parents,

her main influences and is

especially appreciative that they

encouraged her to pursue her

artistic endeavors. In her free

time, she enjoys songwriting and

traveling. Emily is thrilled to be

in the SOTA musical for the first

time and to work with such a talented cast and crew.

RYAN DOYLETHE BAKER MUSICAL THEATRE 2017has performed in every SOTA mainstage production since

his freshman year: Cabaret

(Cliff 2016) and The Music Man

(Harold Hill-2015), Spamalot (2014). He has been the

featured performer in two solo

shows at Society Cabaret in

San Francisco’s Union Square

district and produced Right By My Side, an album of original

material available on iTunes and

through ryandoylemusic.com.

Ryan would like to thank Ron

McCan for his endless support

and guidance, and for making

his last SOTA musical experience

unforgettable. He also wants to

shout out to Ben, Joe-Joe, Lucy,

Mackenzie, Mara, and Tazy, for

always having his back and for

making these past four years

so amazing–“I can’t wait to see

where the future takes us,” and

to his parents Paula & Larry,

for being the best parents a kid

could wish for. “I love you so much.”

ISAAC EDEJERNARRATOR/MYSTERIOUS MANTHEATRE 2017

claims that his greatest

inspiration comes from sleep

deprivation, guacamole, and

Korean Jesus, aka Genghis Khan,

aka Johnny Park, aka Parker, aka

Dumbfoundead. He appeared in

the SOTA main stage production

of Cabaret and A Charlie Brown Christmas with the SF

Symphony. He is very proud of the Theatre Department, Field Day Champs, 2016!

ZOË FERGUSONLITTLE RED RIDING HOODMUSICAL THEATRE 2018

is ecstatic to be in this

production after having to miss

most of the shows last year

due to an injury. Her last Asawa

SOTA Main Stage production

was The Music Man (Spring

2015), as a member of the

ensemble. Prior to her time at

SOTA, she spent 6 years with

Musical Theatre Works, and was

cast as Pilar in Legally Blonde,

and as a Wickersham Brother in

Seussical, among other shows.

Zoë is 5’1’’, lots of fun, and is

finally thankful for her height

(or lack thereof), allowing her

to play Little Red in her junior

year. In addition to musical

theatre, she is a women’s soccer

enthusiast, and enjoys playing,

watching, aand talking about

the sport. She enjoys sleeping

outside on warm nights and

frolicking in the outdoors. Zoë

is grateful to Christina Lazo, Ms.

Music, and her whole family

from MTW for helping her find

her love for musical theatre. She

would like to thank Ron McCan for this amazing opportunity,

and for all he’s done, both for

her and for the Musical Theatre

Department, this year. Shout out

to her parents, sister, and friends

for encouraging her daily to

continue pursuing her passions!

ELISABETH FORTESCUERAPUNZEL CLASSICAL VOICE 2019

played Rosie in the 2015 SOTA

Spring Musical production of

Cabaret and has trained with

Victor Cervantes of Inspire

Music and with SFArtsEd. Her

inspirations and influences

include Cecilia Bartoli, Kristen

Chenoweth, Megan Hilty, and

Ludwine Hall. Emily thanks

her friends and family for their

endless support. and a special

thank you to her little sister,

Claire, for never leaving her side.

She is very excited to be playing

such a dynamic role, and has

had an amazing time preparing

for this performance.

AIYANA GREENECINDERELLA’S MOTHER • GRANNY • THE GIANT CLASSICAL VOICE 2019

has performed at Musical

Theatre Works in numerous

productions: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Alice/Miss

Dorothy Understudy), Legally Blonde (Harvard Student/

Delta Nu understudy),

Seussical (Ensemble/Bird

Girl Understudy), Grease

(Ensemble), Bye Bye Birdie

(Ensemble), and Annie (Duffy).

She pursues her passion for

vocal and musical theatre

performance through classes

at A.C.T., ODC, and the

Conservatory of Music, and as

an intern at Musical Theatre

Works. Aiyana was introduced

to musicals at a very young

age and has loved them ever

since. Into the Woods marks

her return to the musical stage

after an 18 month hiatus. She

is very thankful to her family

and friends for supporting her

dream of being a performer.

ISABEL HANSENMILKY WHITE THEATRE 2018

has been recognized as a

California Arts Scholar twice,

having completed the summer

intensive for Theatre Arts at

CSSA (California State Summer

School for the Arts) in 2015 and

2016. She enjoys watching the

performances of her friends

and peers, because all of the

incredible work they do, pushes

her to work even harder and

learn more in the process. She

thanks her family for believing

in her and pushing her forward;

and her friends, who keep her

sane and grounded, and let her

be herself. She would also like to

thank the grass that has kept her

fed for this role, and the ancient

Egyptian cow goddess, Hathor,

for her unparalleled guidance in

preparing for this role.

TREY HARRIS NARRATOR, MYSTERIOUS MANMUSICAL THEATRE 2017

has portrayed Captain Hook in

his 2008 school production of

Peter Pan, Ernst Ludwig, in the

SOTA Spring 2015 production

of Cabaret, and most recently

appeared as Ted Sullyvan in the

2016 live broadcast of the Asawa

SOTA Holiday Spectacular.

Trey is inspired by the mighty

Peregrine Falcon, which has the

highest diving speed of any bird.

Majestic. He would like to thank

his parents for being supportive

(though not too supportive,

so he can have something to

base his comedy on later in

life), and his counterpart for this

production, Isaac Edejer, for

inspiring the both of them to be

better through their constant

attempts at oneupmanship (A

“Biggest Dramatic Commitment”

contest, so to speak.) Hi Erica!

JOE-JOE KELLYRAPUNZEL’S PRINCEMUSICAL THEATRE 2017

is thrilled to be performing in

his fourth and final SOTA main

stage production. His previous

roles include: The Ensemble in

Spamalot, Marcellus Washburn

in The Music Man, and Ernst

Ludwig in Cabaret. Joe-Joe

owes his early musical theatre

training to SFartsEd, with whom

he performed in Everything Goes: The Music of Cole Porter,

Guys and Dolls, Destry Rides Again (Bugs Watson), Bells are Ringing (Blake Barton), and On the Town. Additionally, Joe-Joe

trains in ballet, jazz, and modern

dance at Alonzo King Lines. He

would like to thank his parents

and grandparents for their

wisdom and encouragement,

the amazing artists-in-residence

of the vocal and musical

theatre departments, Elizabeth

Castaneda for teaching him how

to discover the beauty in dance,

and the musical theatre class of

2017 for the countless memories.

Joe-Joe plans to pursue musical

theatre in college and make it on

Broadway, but if it doesn’t work

out, at least he can still name the

capital of every country in the

world. @mojo_joejoe3.

ALYZZA MARQUEZFLORINDA MUSICAL THEATRE 2018

appeared in the 2015 Spring

Musical, Cabaret, as Fritzie, a

dance swing, and is extremely

grateful to be chosen to be

apart of this amazing show.

“My family keeps me driven

and focused in everything I do.

They constantly remind me to

remain positive and appreciate

everything that is given to me.”

LUCY MURPHYCINDERELLA MUSICAL THEATRE 2017

has been in great performances

during her time at SOTA: a

Laker Girl in Spamalot, Maude

Dunlop in The Music Man and

Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Her

inspirations and influences

are her family and friends, the

wonderful cast and crew of

Into the Woods, and her vocal

coach, Betty Schneider. Lucy

is excited to be able to fulfill

a childhood dream of being

a princess, even for just one

midnight.

TASNEEM NORRISTHE WITCH MUSICAL THEATRE 2017

played Jane Bennet in the

play Pride and Prejudice and

was also a Hot Box Doll in the

musical Guys and Dolls, both

during her freshman year at

Albany High School before

transferring to the School of the

Arts. Throughout her junior and

senior year in Musical Theatre

at SOTA, she trained in ballet,

jazz, and tap. While at Albany,

she played volleyball and also

participated in choir. Tasneem

is inspired by the people

around her, especially family

and friends. Music plays a big

role in her life and she hopes

someday that she’ll “be able to

give an audience the chills that

I experience when I listen to a

certain song”.

OLIVER PADDOCKRAPUNZEL’S PRINCEMUSICAL THEATRE 2019

became involved in musical

theater in the fourth grade and

has been non-stop since then.

He has performed in numerous

shows with the SFArtsEd Players,

such as Destry Rides Again,

Bells are Ringing, and Li’l Abner,

and was in SOTA’s production

of Cabaret last year as Victor.

Oliver has been around music

from “before I can remember.

My parents are both musicians,

and my grandfather thinks that

“entertainment” is a waste of

time. All the more reason to do

it.” He really likes cows and is

excited to be in a show with one

(real or not).

NIKO RAKOSJACK MUSICAL THEATRE 2018

has training in both classical

and contemporary vocal

performance, acting, and

dance. His past roles include:

Emmet Forrest in Legally Blonde and Horton the Elephant

in Seussical. Niko is an avid

thinker and creator, and believes

that by placing yourself in the

shoes of people like Stephen

Sondheim or Richard Rodgers,

you can really fully begin to

understand the world in a more

abstract way, not as defined

by set rules or restrictions. As

an aspiring composer/lyricist,

Sondheim is a huge inspiration

to Niko, so getting to work on

this show has been a wish come

true.

CRISTIAN RIVASCINDERELLA’S FATHERCLASSICAL VOICE 2018

played Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls as a middle school

student. He has a passion

for performing, singing and

acting. After watching last years

production of Cabaret, he

was determined to be part of

the next musical production at

SOTA.

MACKENZIE ROHANTHE BAKER’S WIFEMUSICAL THEATRE 2017

has been immersed in Musical

Theatre for almost a decade

and has appeared in numerous

roles: Fräulein Köst Cabaret,

Golde Fiddler On The Roof, Mrs. Paroo The Music Man,

and as a choral singer in Pink Floyd’s The Wall at SOTA; Claire

de Lune On The Town, UC

Berkley Summer Symphony

Orchestra, Ella Peterson Bells Are Ringing, SFArtsEd Players,

Kate/Ensemble, Oklahoma!, UC Berkley Summer Symphony

Orchestra, Ensemble, Destry Rides Again, SFArtsEd Players,

Narrators 1,2,3,4,&5, Aladdin Jr., Ruth Asawa School of the

Arts Junior Company, Cindy

Lou Who, Seussical, Mercy

High School. She takes dance

classes at Lines Ballet and

credits SFArtsED (early training),

Katie Kerwin (private voice),

and Ron McCan (department

head/mentor), for inspiring her

to continue training, pushing

her to be her best, and always

believing in her. Mackenzie’s

parents, Ethel & Padraig, her

sister, Teaghan, and her teachers

and friends are her biggest

inspirations and influences. “I

cannot thank them enough for

their continuous support and

love. They have made me the

person I am today.” Mackenzie

is looking forward to continuing

her training by majoring in

Musical Theatre in college. She

strives to become the best

performer and person that she

can be and thanks everyone in

her life for the role they have

had in her journey so far.

@mackenzierohan

NATHAN SAVANTCINDERELLA’S PRINCE/WOLFCLASSICAL VOICE 2017

is a Baritone Opera Divo from

Oakland. He has had the chance

to perform in Opera roles

such as Osmin in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail and

Falstaff in Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor. Since 2005, Nathan

has performed with the San

Francisco Symphony, Paul

Simon, and Gustavo Dudamel

through his involvement with

the Pacific Boychoir Academy.

Since transferring to SOTA at

the beginning of his Junior year,

Nathan feels like he has found

the place he truly belongs. He

loves the SOTA community

and has met many new friends,

and has been able to sing

much more then he could

before, participating in multiple

choirs and classical solo labs.

At SOTA, Nathan has also had

the privilege of studying under

artist-in- residence, Michael

Desnoyers, to whom he extends

heartfelt thanks for inspiring

him to become a better singer,

and helping him mightily on his

journey through the world of

music. Nathan would also like

to thank his family for always

supporting him.

MARTIN SCHULERTHE STEWARD MUSICAL THEATRE 2020

has appeared in three musicals

with SFArtsED, including

ensemble roles in Lil Abner, a

narrator in a revue, and the lead

role of Finch in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Martin is a passionate

practitioner of martial arts and

has been studying kenpo karate

for more than nine years, with

plans to study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

He enjoys watching sports and

cheering on SF teams.

MARA SCHUMANNSTEPMOTHER MUSICAL THEATRE 2017

has been twinkling her toes on

the stage since the age of three,

performing with the Brisbane

Dance Workshop. She appeared

as Lulu in SOTA’s 2016 Mainstage

production of Cabaret, and was

Dance Captain and a member

of the Ensemble in SOTA’s 2015

production of The Music Man.

Mara trained with SFArtsED

from 4th through 7th grade and

is currently studying dance at

Lines Ballet. The Musical Theatre

Department and the experi-

ence of attending Asawa SOTA

has pushed Mara to become

a confident, determined, and

passionate student, performer,

and person. She is constantly

inspired by the talent, hard

work, and commitment of the

students at SOTA and the work

of Ron McCan and his team of

artists-in-residence. She would

like to thank her family and gag-

gle for all the giggles and endless

support.

KAELI SHAWTHE BAKER’S WIFEMUSICAL THEATRE 2019

has appeared in the CCSF

productions of Pippin (Theo-

2006) and The Women (as

Little Mary -2013), as Glinda The

Good in SFCMT’s Destination OZ (2014), as Elphaba in SFCMT’s

Forever Broadway (2014) and

as Frenchie in SOTA’s Cabaret

(2016). She has studied ballet,

jazz, and tap at Star Dance

Studio and at Alonzo King Lines

Ballet. Kaeli studies voice with

Fred Ewing. Kaeli is extremely

excited to be a part of such an

amazing and beautiful show.

She looks forward to portraying

an interesting new character

that will push her out of her

comfort zone. She would like to

thank her family for all their love

and support.

COLE SISSERJACK MUSICAL THEATRE 2018

has been performing since a

very early age, with some of his

first performances being the

Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, and Judah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Some of his most

recent performances included

Chip Tolentino in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,

and The Emcee in SOTA’s main

stage production of Cabaret

last Spring. In response to the

questions for this cast bio

content, he provided two

words; when asked about his

inspirations and influences-

“Cole” and any additional

details: “Happy”.

KENNEDY SHELBYLUCINDA MUSICAL THEATRE 2020

first appeared as Abu, in the

musical, Aladdin, with Linda

Bulgo’s Musical Productions.

She then joined SFartsEd Players

and performed as Hairless Joe

in Lil’ Abner, as a secretary in

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. and

also performed a duet in a

Harold Arlen review. Kennedy

attended San Francisco Ballet

School, performing as a clown

in The Nutcracker and has also

studied gymnastics. She

credits her dad as the source

of her inspiration and the main

reason she discovered her love

of musical theatre, “because he

introduced me to music and

performing and taught me the

power of entertaining people

through your music.”

BEN STACYTHE BAKER MUSICAL THEATRE 2017

has been an assistant director

and choreographer for the

Musical Theatre department

since 2013 and appeared as Herr

Schultz in last year’s production

of Cabaret at SOTA. He would

to thank Ron McCan, Elizabeth

Castaneda, Terry Bamberger,

Christina Lazo, and Lynn Lewis

for all that they’ve taught him

throughout the years. “I could

not be here without all of you!”

ELLIE STOKESJACK’S MOTHERMUSICAL THEATRE 2020

is thrilled to make her SOTA

debut in Into the Woods!

Previous productions she has

performed in include MTW’s

Thoroughly Modern Millie

(Mrs. Meers), Guys and Dolls

(Benny Southstreet), West Side Story (Anita), and The Wizard of Oz (Glinda). Ellie also sings

and plays keyboards for SF Rock

Project’s House Band. Shout

out to her incredible family,

San Francisco’s Musical Theatre

Works program, and her mates

over at SF Rock Project. “Keep

being splendid, I owe it all to

you!”

LAURYN THOMASTHE WITCH MUSICAL THEATRE 2019

performed with SFCMT in small

musical theatre productions,

but Into the Woods is her

first SOTA mainstage musical.

Her inspirations? “Billy Porter-

his amazing voice and stage

presence makes me want to

be a better performer. Another

is Viola Davis- without saying a

word, by looking in her eyes, I

get chills. Someone asked me,

why do I like to do my art, what

do I want to do with it? It took

me a minute to answer but I

finally said music saved me, so

I would like to save someone

else.”

DEXTER CHEWLIGHTING DESIGN

2017 is a jack of all

trades and a student in

many areas including

stage lighting, welding,

and set construction.

Dexter can be found

working in some

capacity at almost

all SOTAshows. He is

always willing to jump

in and lend a hand

wherever he’s needed.

This is his second main

stage musical designing

lights. He would like

to thank his family for

their love and sup-

port, his peers for the

fun and eye opening

adventures, and Mr.

Kwapy for helping him

to make something of himself.

SAM TRAVERSLEAD SOUND 2017 has

extensive experience in

the performing arts.

He first started in the

San Francisco Ballet

School at age 8,

performing in the sea-

sonal Nutcracker and

Swan Lake. He then

performed in several

shows at the Spindrift

School of Performing

Arts, where he was

introduced to the SOTA

community. Since his

sophomore year, Sam

has been serving as

lead audio engineer, re-

sponsible for the plan-

ning and/or carrying

out of all moderately

audio-heavy produc-

tions and events. This is

his third and final year

as lead audio engineer.

Sam Travers is largely

self-guided, but thanks

Paul Kwapy for giving

him the opportunity to

thrive, and the numer-

ous artists and audio

professionals who have

helped him along the

way.

SAM GARCIASET DESIGN 2017

Sam began drawing

at a very young age

with his grandma, and

has been hooked ever

since. If you attended

IAIN LANGLANDSSTAGE MANAGER

2017 is excited to be a

part of his fourth and

last spring musical. He

has been part of the fly

rail crew twice for the

musical in his freshman

and junior year. For his

sophomore year, he

was gifted with the task

of co-designing the

lights for his sopho-

more year with Dexter

Chew. Iain would like

to thank Sam Garcia for

guiding him in the art

of stage managing and

helping him through

the process of running

a musical. He would

also like to thank Paul

Kwapy and Ron McCan

NINA PATCHELLLEAD COSTUME 2017

has specialized in the

Technical Theater

Costume Department

for the past four years.

Her work has been

featured in our

musicals including,

Spamalot, The Music Man, Cabaret and

this production of

Into The Woods. Nina

has earned her peers’

respect through her

extremely diligent

focus, hard work, and

professionalism. Nina

has been sewing since

she was five years old.

Since then, sewing

and fashion design

has become part of

her identity. She plans

to continue her arts

education and study

fashion in college. Nina

would like to thank her

last year’s production

of Cabaret, you are

already familiar with

the artistic talent of

Sam Garcia. His ability

to understand design

and adapt it for theatri-

cal purposes is truly

remarkable. That com-

bined with his skill as a

scenic artist makes him

a well-rounded, tal-

ented individual, which

is apparent through the

exquisite sets of Into The Woods.

for giving him the

opportunity of being

stage manager and

make sure that he does

the job to the best of

his ability. Finally he

wants to thank his

parents for raising him

because I assume that’s

a pretty hard thing to

do.

fellow costumers for

all their hard work and

Annette Ribeiro for her

guidance and love.

RON McCAN DIRECTOR/MUSICAL THEATRE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

An Asawa SOTA alumnus

Technical Theatre 1995, Ron has

a wide range of professional

experience, having worked with

ABC/Disney, BBC Worldwide, the

San Francisco Opera, Ameri-

can Conservatory Theatre, the

Mendocino Music Festival, and

the San Francisco Conserva-

tory of Music, among others.

His credits include: (Television)

Dancing With The Stars, GCB,

(Theatre) Nine, Company,

Gypsy, Steel Magnolias, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, The Colored Museum, Ma’ Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Boys from Syracuse, Bizet’s Carmen, Gian

Carlo Menotti’s L’Amour à trois,

and the West Coast premiers

of Michael John LaChiusa’s The Wild Party, Heather McDonald’s

The Rivers and Ravines, and

Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds

with Bay Area Children’s Theatre.

His work has been featured

in OUT Magazine, and most

recently he received a double

nomination for Best Costume

Design of a Musical in the 2016

Broadwayworld.com Awards.

In addition to directing SOTA’s

2016 Interdisciplinary Holiday Spectacular and CABARET,

Ron is a tireless advocate for

youth, and has been involved

with various local and national

organizations and city govern-

ments for more than 20 years. 

His work has been recognized

by the California State Assembly

and the San Francisco Board of

Supervisors.

ELIZABETH CASTANADA CHOREOGRAPHER has been

dancing for close to 30 years

and has been teaching and

choreographing for over fifteen

years. She has been teaching as

an artist in residence with the

SOTA Theater department for

the past five years and the

Musical Theater department

for two! Elizabeth has been

teaching at the ODC Rhythm &

Motion School for seven years

and has created choreography

for both the ODC School and

the ODC Dance Jam. Elizabeth

is one of the creators and

co-choreographers of The

Fossettes, a group inspired

by Bob Fosse that has been

performing in the Bay Area for

over ten years. She feels her

place in the world will always

involve dance, performance,

choreography, and teaching

others.

DANIEL FEYER MUSICAL DIRECTOR

A San Francisco native and

graduate of Lowell High School

and Princeton University, Dan

spent 14 years in New York City

before moving back to the

Bay Area. Favorite New York

productions include the U.S.

premiere and cast recording of

Evil Dead: The Musical, Peter

Mills’s The Underclassman

(2006 Drama Desk Award

nomination for Outstanding

Orchestrations), the award-

winning revival of Working,

shows at FringeNYC and NYMF,

and a host of new musicals. His

Regional theater credits include

Vermont’s Weston Playhouse

(eleven seasons), Michigan’s

Meadow Brook Theatre

Baltimore’s CenterStage, the

Barnstormers in New Hampshire,

and Gateway Playhouse on

Long Island. In San Francisco,

Dan is the music director

for American Conservatory

Theater’s A Christmas Carol, was assistant MD for A Little Night Music, and consulted

on Monstress and Ah, Wilderness!. He is the resident

music director/accompanist for

A.C.T.’s Master of Fine Arts acting

program, playing for classes,

cabarets, fundraisers, and the

full production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Strand

PAUL KWAPY TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/TECHNICAL THEATER PROGRAM DIRECTOR has been

involved in theater in one form

or another for almost 40 years.

His deep passion for Technical

Theater has helped bring

countless shows to life. Since

Spring 2011, as a SOTA Art ist in

Residence for Tech, and later

as the Department Director, he

has been the technical genius

behind Ragtime, The Producers,

42nd Street, Spamalot andThe

Music Man. In Fall 2014, he and

the Department spearheaded

an original production of Pink

Floyd’s The Wall, which met

with resounding success. Mr.

Kwapy has had longstanding

artistic relationships with many

Bay Area arts organizations, and

has been involved in numerous

works with SFArtsEd and the

Spindrift School in Pacifica. He

would like to extend a personal

thank you to all of his Artists in

Residence and to the theatrical

industry professionals who give

their time and expertise within

the Technical Theater program.

Theater. He is a six-time winner

of the American Crossword

Puzzle Tournament, and has

published three books of word

searches and four New York

Times crosswords.

TRISTAN ARNOLD CONDUCTOR/ORCHESTRA PROGRAM DIRECTOR joined the

SOTA faculty in 2015 as director

of orchestras. He concurrently

serves as Artistic Director of the

Napa Valley Youth Symphony

and conductor of the Santa

Rosa Symphony Preparatory

Orchestra. His musical direction

credits include Cabaret with

Lincoln High School, Oliver! with

University High School and Cosí Fan Tutte with San Francisco

State University. A native of

Petaluma, he graduated in

2006 with a Bachelor of Music

in Music Education from

Northwestern and received a

Master of Music in Instrumental

Conducting from San Francisco

State University in 2011.

ANNETTE RIBEIRO COSTUME HEAD has been sew-

ing since she was a little girl. She

graduated with a degree in Ar-

chitecture from UC Berkeley and

landed a job as a junior architect

in Sweden for a few years follow-

ing graduation. Upon returning

to San Francisco, she worked as

production manager for fashion

designer and manufacturer,

Julie Weston (Weston Wear) for

many years. Mother of three

very talented children (SOTA

Vocal ’10, Tech ‘13, and Vocal ’16),

Annette regularly volunteered

in the Costume Shop, which

led to an invitation from former

Vocal Director, Todd Wedge to

do wardrobe for the opera Dido

and Aeneas and has remained

in the Costume Shop ever since.

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