Meet the Company of COME FROM AWAY

26-27 Season, Mainstage

Meet the Company of COME FROM AWAY

Meet the remarkable cast of Come From Away. These storytellers will take us on an extraordinary journey to Gander, Newfoundland — a journey filled with warmth, resilience, and spirit of community.

MEET THE CAST

DEE-DEE DARBY-DUFFIN, she/her (Hannah) makes art to see herself reflected, tell stories, provoke thought, spark ideas, tell the truth and to heal. Her greatest accomplishments are not in the list of prior performances, but with you—patrons of theater. Once you hear the story, the responsibility becomes yours. Art should leave you wanting. Want is the beginning of change. Be Open. Be Present. Her first time at Village Theatre, she is honored to join this community of visionaries.

MARK EMERSON, he/him (Claude) Village Theatre: Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, Legally Blonde, The Fantasticks, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood. The 5th Avenue Theatre: Sweeney Todd. Taproot Theatre Company: Albert Einstein in My Lord, What a Night (Gregory Award nomination – Best Performance). National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera. London: Angels in America (Lyric Hammersmith). Regional: Sunday in the Park with George (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Merton in Merton of the Movies (Dorset Theatre Festival). TV: The Late Late Show with James Corden. BS: Northwestern University; MFA: UCSD. Much love to Jake & Family! markemersonactor.com

NIK HAGEN, (Kevin T./Garth, Dance Captain) Hagen returns to Village Theatre after appearing last as Mordred in Camelot. Credits include Hairspray, Mary Poppins (Village Theatre); Sweeney Todd, Waitress, Mary Poppins, others (The 5th Avenue Theatre); She Loves Me (Bucks County Playhouse); and more nationwide. In a time that feels so laden with division, he hopes this show is a reminder that we all contain the capacity to open our hearts and, in many ways, we all come from away. @nikhagen

MATTHEW KACERGIS, he/him (Oz) Welcome to The Rock! Previously: Joe in 9 to 5, Tony in Billy Elliot, Marius in Les Misérables (Village Theatre); Younger Brother in Ragtime, Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (Showtunes Theatre Company). Recently: Pomatter in Waitress (Skylight Music Theatre). Matthew is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, where he’s directed Come From Away, Mamma Mia!, Godspell, and Jersey Boys. Proud Equity Member. Love to Katy and Daisy. MatthewKacergis.com

CASSI Q KOHL, she/her (Beverley/Annette) You might recognize Cassi (despite the excellent work of hair & makeup teams!) from Legally Blonde, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, or MISS STEP here at Village Theatre. Cassi shares her life in West Seattle with her beautiful wife and her large collection of clowns. Her versatility on stage ranges from being cast as an electric eel, a villainous priest, a knife-slinging convict, or a Shakespearian fool. Love to Amanda for always keeping her fed! @ThunderDyke

BOBBI KOTULA, she/her (Diane) Bobbi’s recent roles include Roz Keith in 9 to 5, Dolly in Hello, Dolly!, Janet in MISS STEP (Village Theatre); Mrs. Brill in Mary Poppins (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Sarah in Company and Victoria in Stu for Silverton (Intiman Theatre); Chester in Bunnicula (Seattle Children’s Theatre); the title role in Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Seattle Shakespeare Company); as well as roles in TV, films, and radio. One of her favorite roles is the one she’s playing today. bobbikotula.com

ANDEN LEO, he/him (Kevin J.) is delighted to return to Village Theatre after a debut performance in the 23rd annual Festival of New Musicals this past summer with An Optimist’s Guide to the Dark Ages. He is a Seattle-based performer and teaching artist with a BFA in musical theatre from Central Washington University. Former entertainer with RWS & Associates. Love to family, friends, and come from aways. @Anden_J_Leo

KATAKA J. MACKENZIE, she/they (Janice) is excited to be back at home with Village Theatre! Select Credits: The Color Purple, Once On This Island, Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); The Hula Hoopin’ Queen (Seattle Children’s Theatre); My Lord, What A Night (Taproot Theatre Company); Afterwords, The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre).

MARK RABE, (Nick/Doug) is thrilled to be back onstage at Village Theatre after decades away. Previous Village credits: Arthur in Camelot (1989), Book Of James. Others: Gunmetal Blues (Key City Public Theatre); Cabaret, Princess Ida (Gregory Award nomination), Yeomen of the Guard (Seattle G&S); Souvenir (SecondStory Repertory); title role Hamlet (WhiteRaven Productions); Children of Eden (CLO). Also decades-long pianist/music director with many local theatres, he travels nationally with Frank Ferrante’s Evening With Groucho. Special thanks TS (iykyk).

HANNAH SCHUERMAN, she/her (Bonnie) is a former KIDSTAGE kid who is jazzed to return to Village Theatre. Favorite Village Theatre credits include The Homefront, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, and several years of their Festival of New Musicals. Other credits include Romy and Michele the Musical, Elf, The Sound of Music, The Pajama Game (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Sister Act, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Taproot Theatre Company); Signs of Life (Astrolab Productions).

JIMMY SHIELDS, (Bob) is a professional actor, director and choreographer from the Pacific Northwest. His love for the performing arts started at a very young age and it has taken him all over the U.S. Jimmy’s work can be seen all around the greater Northwest and beyond. Recent credits include work with Village Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Rep, and Tacoma Arts Live.

VICKIELEE WOHLBACH, she/her (Beulah) Village Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, The Miracle Worker, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Big River, and many Village Originals. Regional: The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT, and Showtunes Theatre Company. Lead roles in Balloonacy; Promises Promises; Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse; The Importance of Being Earnest; Das Barbecu; Menopause the Musical; and most recently Diane in Come From Away (Seattle Rep). Performed in Japan, Canada, Europe and throughout the U.S. Heard locally rocking out with The Usual Suspects. Love to Mommy!

UNDERSTUDIES

JOHN ANDREW CAMARILLO, he/him (u/s Oz, Bob) is thrilled to make his professional debut at Village Theatre. Previous credits include Sundeep in Legally Blonde (Seattle Musical Theatre); Benny in In the Heights (Little Lemon); Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Romeo in Newsies (Theater Arts Guild). Much love to his family and drama teacher, Holly Wood, and special thanks to his dog, Rosie. @JohnnAndreww

ANNA GIBSON, (u/s Beverley/Annette, Diane) is delighted to return to performing in 2026, after 15 years away from the stage. She appeared earlier this year as Cynthia Murphy in the award-winning Pacific Northwest regional premiere of Dear Evan Hansen at Tacoma Musical Playhouse and is beyond thrilled to now be welcomed to The Rock for her first show with Village Theatre.

DYLAN ANTHONY MACABITAS, he/him (u/s Kevin T./Garth, Kevin J.) is thrilled to return to Village Theatre this season! Dylan is an actor, choreographer, and educator based in Seattle and Portland. Select credits include: Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); A Charlie Brown Christmas, Road Company Member (Taproot Theatre Company); Mamma Mia!, Footloose, Waitress, Once Upon A Mattress, Disney’s Newsies (Broadway Rose Theatre Company); Holiday Inn, A Christmas Story, Groundhog Day (Lakewood Theatre Company); and My Fair Lady (Clackamas Repertory Theatre). @dylan.macabitas dylananthonymacabitas.com

ROBERT MCPHERSON, (u/s Claude, Nick/Doug) is a Grammy Award-winning Metropolitan Opera tenor who has performed on five continents. He made his Off-Broadway debut in Trump L’Oeil and has appeared with Village Theatre as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and the Emcee in Cabaret. Most recently, he played Mr. Peachum in Theatre Battery’s production of The Threepenny Opera. McPherson is also one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable musical personalities as The Drunken Tenor, the region’s only stand-up comedian opera singer.

TRINA MILLS, (u/s Hannah, Beulah) is thrilled to be back at Village Theatre! A Seattleite, Mills’ regional acting credits include Paulette in Legally Blonde and Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); Sheila in A Chorus Line and Glinda in The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre); EVITA and Jesus Christ Superstar (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Jersey Boys and CHESS (The Muny); Cabaret (The Old Globe); TOMMY (Kennedy Center).

SAGE STEVENS, she/her (u/s Janice, Bonnie) has been performing since her first show at six years old in rural Minnesota. She has performed all over the U.S. and is thrilled to make her debut at Village Theatre. Recent credits include Lady Kate in the West Coast premiere of The Prince (Screaming Butterflies). Follow her on Instagram @sage_the_rage to see where she goes next! A very special thank you to her fiancé, the Michaelis family, and Michelle Lahey.

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

TIMOTHY DOUGLAS, (Director) Spunk, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, The Color Purple – Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical (Signature Theatre); safronia (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Champion (Boston Lyric Opera); Blue (New Orleans Opera); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Seven Guitars, Radio Golf (Yale Repertory Theater); Frankenstein (Classic Stage Company); Nina Simone: Four Women, King Hedley II (Arena Stage); Long Way Down (Kennedy Center); Primary Trust (McCarter Theatre); Etiquette of Vigilance (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Disgraced (Great Theatre of China); Insurrection, Three Sisters (Toi Whakaari/New Zealand); Rosmersholm (National Theatret/Oslo); Sally & Tom; Nine Night, Two Trains Running (Round House Theatre); In the Blood (Guthrie Theatre); As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III (Folger Shakespeare Theatre); The Trip to Bountiful, Jitney, Clyde’s (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); and many others. timothydouglas.org

BETH G. TANKERSLEY, (Music Director) is thrilled to make her Village Theatre debut! Previous credits: Music Director/Conductor for A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre and Theatre Aspen); Music Director/Conductor for Dear Evan Hansen, Music Director/Pianist for What We Leave Behind (Theatre Raleigh); Associate Music Director for Regency Girls work session (NYC); Music Director/Conductor for Bye, Bye, Birdie!, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 2 for Waitress and Disney’s Mary Poppins, Music Director/Conductor for Something’s Afoot, Associate Music Director/Conductor for White Christmas, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 1 for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 1 for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Keyboard 1 for Austen’s Pride (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Tour credits: Alternate Conductor/ Keyboard 1 for Mean Girls (1st National Tour). Living bicoastal between NYC and Seattle.

NIKKI LONG, (Choreographer) Choreography: The Color Purple, Guys and Dolls (Village Theatre); Elf (North Carolina Theatre); Once On This Island (Artistry Theatre, Minnesota); Jesus Christ Superstar (Cornish College of the Arts); Little Shop of Horrors (Shoreline Community College). Associate Choreography: The Wiz, Ragtime, Annie, On The Town, & Elf (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Dance Credits: Disney’s Aladdin (Broadway); Disney’s The Lion King (Broadway & 1st National); Monty Python’s Spamalot 1st National, & the Radio City Rockettes in NYC. Regional Dance Credits: Elf, Cinderella, Catch Me If You Can, On The Town, White Christmas, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, & Mame (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Appearances: Tony Awards, Good Morning America, The View, American Music Awards, Image Awards, The Today Show. BFA from Santa Clara University. Thank you to my family for their support. nikkiwomacphotography.com

TONY CISEK, (Scenic Designer) has collaborated with Timothy Douglas on over 50 productions including Sally & Tom (Round House Theatre); Joe Turner’s Come & Gone (Indiana Rep/Syracuse Stage); The Hot Wing King and The Color Purple (Denver Center Theatre Company); Primary Trust (Cincinnati Playhouse/McCarter Theatre); and productions at Alliance Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Arena Stage, Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Rep, Portland Center Stage, Signature Theatre, and Folger Theatre. Tony’s work has also been seen at Roundabout Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and New York Theatre Workshop, among others. Tonycisek.com

CHRISTINE TSCHIRGI, she/they (Costume Designer) Locally: The Odd Couple, Songs For a New World (Village Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Union Arts Center); King of the Yees, Wolf Play (ACT); Journal of Ben Uchida, Snow White (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Constellations (Seattle Rep); The Pirates of Penzance, Hello, Dolly!, And So That Happened (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Richard III, Bring Down the House (upstart crow collective). Nationally and internationally: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore Centerstage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Asolo Rep, Virginia Theater Festival and Kinoshita Circus, Japan. She holds an MFA from the University of Washington and is a member of USA 829.

PETER MARADUDIN, (Lighting Designer). Village Theatre debut. Mother Russia, Beauty of the Father, Anna in the Tropics (Seattle Rep); Threesome (ACT); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Kentucky Cycle (Broadway); Threesome, Hurrah at Last, Ballad of Yachiyo (Off-Broadway). Over 350 regional credits for: American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, among others. Over 200 architectural projects. BA in history, BA in drama, Stanford University; MFA in design, Yale School of Drama. Author of novels The Masked Avenger, The Queen of Spades and The Robber Barons under his alias, Peter Alexei.

LISA FINKRAL, (Sound Designer) has been a professional audio engineer for 20(!) years and has been sound designing for the last 14. She is excited to make her Village Theatre Mainstage sound design debut after many years designing for the Youth Education program. Favorite past designs include: Spring Awakening (Balagan Theatre); The Wild Party (Sound Theatre Company); The Fifth Wave (Macha Theatre Works); and Macbeth: A Rock Musical (Seattle Public Theatre). When Lisa’s not doing sound, she is a licensed attorney. Love to the Happy Husbean and the Little Miss!

ERIN B. ZATLOKA, she/her (Stage Manager) Erin was last the production stage manager on A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Some previous favorites at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Mary Poppins, Waitress and Ragtime. Grateful for the journey. All my love to Greg and Zoey.

Originally published October 13, 2026