Coming soon…

Isaiah Hsu is ecstatic to be apart of the writing team at KIDSTAGE. He has a vast range of songs he loves, but his most favorite at the time is “Trouble” by Omar Apollo. He is excited to see where his writing takes him. Special thanks to K&P

Aresa Berry is very excited to be a writer in the KIDSTAGE Originals program. Her past KIDSTAGE productions include Urinetown (Stage Management Assistant) and A Christmas Story (Stage Crew). She would like to thank her friends, family, and writing mentors Tony and Rico for supporting her.

Colin Bixler is excited to be attending KIDSTAGE Originals in-person this year! His most previous work was KIDSTAGE Originals’s Not So Grim done virtually as part of the KIDSTAGE Originals New Works Festival last year, and he would like to thank his family and the front line workers for making all of this possible!

Sidh Shroff is 15 years old. He is also a student composer, having composed multiple pieces for his high school orchestra and radio station. When not composing or acting at Youth Theatre Northwest, you can find Sidh playing tennis, practicing multiple instruments, or even going live on 88.9 the Bridge.

ASHA GRACE [she/her] (Constance)  is so excited to partake in her first production with KIDSTAGE! Favorite past roles include Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz and Melpomene in Xanadu. In her free time, she loves writing and baking. Thanks to her family, friends, and Village!

CARTER JOHNSON [He/They] (Ensemble) is very excited to be a part of this show. They enjoy Pokémon, folk punk, AJR, golems, being creative, and learning. They are in the Village Theatre Pathway to Institute program and want to thank friends and family.

CHAILIA WENDLAND [she/her] (Cri) is beyond excited to be apart of this show and to be working with amazing people. Some favorite roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia and Patrice in 13. Chailia would like to thank her friends and family for always being supportive to her in this art.

JOLEE ZAMIRA [They/Them] (Lydia) is so excited to be in their first KIDSTAGE production. Favorite roles include Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown. Jolee enjoys singing in choir at school and Tacoma Youth Chorus and playing Stardew Valley. Enjoy the show!

LACHLAN SWANSON [he/him] (Ensemble) is excited for his first KIDSTAGE Show. His claim to fame is being Troy Bolton in 8th grade, but he’s ready to move on to bigger things. He plays trumpet, guitar, and sports and doesn’t understand people in management.

MILAN SHETTY [he/him] (Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of this KIDSTAGE Original Production. Previous productions include: Addams Family, Anne of Green Gables, Mary Poppins, The Music Man and many more. He would like to thank his family and friends for supporting him.

PIPPIN LEIPER [they/she/he] (Ensemble) is so excited to perform with KIDSTAGE Originals once again. They absolutely adore this program. Past credits include; Urinetown: The Musical, and The Little Mermaid, and past KIDSTAGE Originals productions  The Gray Area, and All That Glitters – A Rock Legend. They hope you enjoy the show!

SAMUEL MILLER [he/they] (Logan) is excited to be back on the stage! Being relatively new to the village theatre programs they are so excited to be a part of this new work and hope to be able to support many more to come.

SOFIA MARCHIONE [she/her] (Ensemble) This is Sofia’s second production at Village Theater KIDSTAGE, and this is her third year in the Institute program. She would like thank you to the entire team who worked on this show and to her parents for all their support! She hopes you enjoy the show!

TONY CURRY (Writing Mentor) is now in his 8^th year as the Play Writing mentor for KidStage’s New Works program. As a writer, he has more than 25 plays and screenplays to his credit. Seattle has seen the premieres of several of his plays including Café Ooh Longue, BlackJack, Unidentified Flying Object, Red, White & Turning Blue, Rumpelstiltskin and That Millennium Thing. He was commissioned by the Seattle Opera to help create a children’s adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute for both a Northwest tour and recording. He was a recipient of the Artist Trust Fellowship for Playwrights. His screenplay, The Sand Sea, is in now pre-production and scheduled for filming in England and Morocco in Spring of 2022. But most of all, he loves working with these incredible young people as they create a new musical.

RICO LASTRAPES (Music & Composing Mentor) is an actor, composer, choreographer, teaching artist, and a 2021-2022 Tacoma Artists Initiative Program funding recipient. He began to write music after performing in orchestra pits for multiple productions, including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Parade, while attending Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. As his love for musical storytelling grew, he began to pursue theatre and dance, receiving his BFA in Acting from The University of Central Florida. He has performed in several regional productions in Washington and Florida (West Side Story, Newsies, In the Heights, RENT, Godspell). He has created a 15 Minute Story for The 5th Avenue Theatre and founded Break the Table, an online streaming channel for BIPOC creatives.

NICOLE BEERMAN (Director) is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, teacher, wife to Josh and mother to Max and Huxley. Nicole has lived and worked on both coasts, loves to paint, garden, and do construction projects at home! As an actor, Nicole has been seen at Village Theatre in Cabaret (Gregory Award Nominee), Mary Poppins, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, How to Succeed, Once Upon A Time in New Jersey and many Village Originals, The Constant Wife (Seattle Rep), Cabaret (5th Ave, AMTSJ, Ordway Center), Wonderful Town (5th Ave), Ming the Rude (Empty Space), Elephant and Piggie, Fire Station 7, Sleeping Beauty (SCT), Tapestry (Oregon Cabaret Theatre), and many more. As a choreographer Nicole’s work has been seen at KIDSTAGE, Cornish, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, The Triple Door, Café Nordo, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Fantastic Z, and Art Institute of Seattle, and in NYC, at the HERE Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Sam French Festival, Clubbed Thumb, Astoria Performing Arts, The Management and Acting Manitou. Nicole has taught at Cornish College of the Arts, UW, Art Institute of Seattle, Hunter College High School, VAM Studios, 5th Avenue, Century Ballroom, McCarter Theatre Company, Jersey City Dance Academy, The Studios, and All That Dance. Nicole holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, is a Simonson Technique certified teacher and is a member of Actors’ Equity. www.nicolebeerman.com

CHRISTIAN DUHAMEL (Music Director) is an internationally regarded multi-hyphenate artist and voice and expression expert. For his work as the librettist of My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, he received the the prestigious Kleban Award in Musical Theatre and he and his collaborators received an IRNE nomination for Best New Play. He is also a recipient of the BMI Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Songwriting and the Pearl Animation Studio Songwriting Artist Residency. His original works include My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, X-MAS: A Merry Mutant Musical, Worlds Apart, The Girl Who Turned into a Feather, Reeling, Miss Mayor, and The Uncivil Ones. He has presented concert works at The Duplex, 54 Below, The Metropolitan Room, The Neon, Martin’s Off Madison, New Voices, and The Battersea Barge and has received commissions from theaters across the country, such as Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden-O, and The Human Race Theatre Company. As an actor, he has been seen onstage at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, among others. Over his career he’s been honored to collaborate with such luminary artists as Martin Charnin, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jerry Dixon, Caitlin Kinnunen, Shelly Burch, and Carolee Carmello. A native of Kellogg, Idaho, Christian is an alumnus of DePaul University and Wright State University. He currently resides in Seattle where he is an active member of the Dramatists Guild of America, the Off-Broadway Alliance, and Actors’ Equity Association.

COLLEEN NEILSEN (Stage Manager) A proud member of the KIDSTAGE family and so grateful to be back doing live events.   Previous credits with KIDSTAGE include: The Wiz, Ragtime, Tarzan, and a number of Sing It Forwards.   This one’s for SR and JB.

The KIDSTAGE Originals Writing Team is an original musical project created by emerging theatre artists. Students in grade 9–age 20 generate their own material under the mentorship and guidance of a professional writing, composing, and directing team. The program emphasizes the process of creating a script from the initial concept to the stage.

Once the writing team has a completed script, student actors are added to the process and the show is shared with an audience for feedback regarding their script and story. This process is designed to teach students about process of creating a show from script to stage, and provide students the life skills of collaboration, compromise, communication of ideas, and receiving critical responses to creative endeavors, among many others. The show’s final product will be staged reading of a 90-minute script and a talk back with the writers about the show and process.

General Adult: $17
Senior (Age 65+): $17
Youth (Age 18 and Under): $17

DISCOUNTS AND GROUPS

Service fees for online or phone orders not included.