Artistic Director Michael Stevenson & Managing Director Keith Riedell Present PASS OVER
by Antoinette Nwandu
Directed by Anthony D'Juan
Live Theatre & Virtually On Demand March 16 - April 17, 2022 Performance Length:  75 Minutes, No Intermission
Featuring Dane Troy*      Kriston Woodreaux* Ian C. Hopps*
Scenic Designer Stephen C. Jones**	Costume Designer Mari Oyaizu Carson
Lighting Designer Isaiah Leeper
Sound Designer/Engineer Ed Lee	Properties Designer Rebekah Fegan
Stage Manager Melissa Jernigan*
Assistant Stage Manager Katherine Cannon*
ADVISORY: Gunshots & strobe effects will be used during the performance.
“Pass Over” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com The world premiere of PASS OVER was produced and presented at Steppenwolf theatre Company, Chicago, IL; Anna D. Shapiro, Artistic Director and David Schmitz, Managing Director Produced by Lincoln Center Theater  New York City, 2018 Developed by Cherry Lane Mentor Project, Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director
*Member Actors' Equity Association | **Member United Scenic Artists 828

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OUR MISSION

Capital Stage’s mission is to entertain, engage and challenge our audience with bold, thought provoking theatre.

THINGS TO KNOW

COVID-19 SAFETY:

To attend a performance everyone in your party must present proof of vaccination for COVID-19 (with a second dose at least 14 days prior to the date of the performance), plus a booster (if eligible and 6 months after your final dose) with a valid photo ID. Masks also must be worn in the theatre and interior lobby areas at all times. NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED INSIDE THE THEATRE.

VIDEO/PHOTOS:

Recording and photography of any kind are prohibited at Capital Stage.

CELL PHONES:

Patrons are asked to turn communication devices off upon entering the theatre.

LATE SEATING & RE-SEATING:

Due to the design of our theatre, we cannot guarantee seating for late arrivals or for patrons who leave the theatre during the performance. As a courtesy to our artists and our audiences, late arrivals will be seated in a suitable location by our staff if possible and at the appropriate intervals.

REFRESHMENTS:

Only concession items purchased in the Wine & Dessert Bar are allowed. Concessions will be limited and can only be consumed while on our Patio. NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED IN THE THEATRE.

CHILDREN:

Capital Stage is noted for bringing intimate bold productions to our region and we encourage young adults to experience a live performance. Children age sixteen and up are welcome at Capital Stage unless specifically noted in the production’s description.

WHEELCHAIR SEATING:

Seating locations at Capital Stage for patrons using wheelchairs or with a disability are located in the first row. Tickets for these seats may be purchased in person or by calling the Box Office at 916-995-5464.

RESTROOMS:

Restroom facilities are located in the lounge behind the Wine & Dessert Bar.

INFORMATION:

Brochures and information about upcoming Capital Stage productions and events are available in the box office or by visiting capstage.org.

Capital Stage is a member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Capital Stage is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.

Capital Stage is a member of the National New Play Network, the country’s alliance of leading nonprofit theaters that champion the development, production and continued life of new plays.

Capital Stage is a member of Blue Star Theatres, offering discounts to Military personnel, Military family members, and Veterans.

Setting

SETTING

now. right now

but also 1855

but also 13th century BCE

TIME

a ghetto street. a lampost. night

but also a plantation

but also Egypt, a city built by slaves

About The Play

By Stephanie Tucker, PhD

When Antoinette Nwandu graduated from Tisch with her MFA in playwriting, to embark upon a professional career, it was 2008—smack in the midst of the Great Recession. Consequently, she was relieved to get a job teaching, which, not only, became a source for financial security but also provided her with the models for Pass Over’s protagonists, who are “super-loosely inspired by young men I had been teaching at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.” In addition, she “was finding out that my young black and brown students were heavily policed.” Such was the kernel. 

Other inspirations include “the murder and then the trial of the murder for Trayvon Martin,” the history of chattel slavery in this country, and the Book of Exodus—to which Nwandu’s stage directions point:

                                 SETTING 

                             now, right now

                              but also 1855

                       but also 13th century BCE

                                     TIME

                   a ghetto street. a lamppost. night

                            but also a plantation

                  but also Egypt, a city built by slaves

By drawing analogies among young Black men on an urban street corner, or their “block”, slaves bought and sold to 19th-century plantation owners, and Israelites who fled Egypt on a journey to the “Promised Land,” Nwandu places her protagonists, Moses and Kitch, in a vast historical, and Biblical, realm.

The playwright’s most immediate theatrical inspiration, one noted by critics and readily acknowledged by the playwright herself, is Samuel Beckett’s most popular and well known play, Waiting for Godot. Not only had Nwandu written her undergraduate thesis on Beckett’s novels (an impressive challenge for any accomplished scholar, much less a college senior—even at Harvard!), but while conceiving Pass Over, she had her “lightbulb moment” while attending a Broadway production of Godot, with the elderly Knights, Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McClellan, playing the aging tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, respectively.

“I was like, oh, in this existential darkness they still get to be old,” said Nwandu. Yet her protagonists, Moses and Kitch, like the young men in her classroom, are “people for whom life should just be opening up. And to have the problems that in Godot are specifically old men problems—that existential dread, really.”

Yet, like Beckett’s characters, Moses and Kitch banter, tell stories, joke around, entertain “guests” and clearly care for each other. Pass Over’s set also mirrors Godot’s—“A country road” becomes “a ghetto street”; “A tree” transforms into a “lamppost,” post World-War II-Europe into “now, right now.”

To date, Pass Over exists in three versions. The original Steppenwolf production, which Spike Lee filmed for Prime Video; the 2018 revision Nwuandu wrote for its New York debut at Lincoln Center Theater and published by Samuel French (the one CapStage is performing), and a third iteration for the 2021 Broadway run. In the last, Nwandu revised the ending “in a daringly and self-consciously theatrical way,” to quote one reviewer.

Although the first two versions exist (one on video, the other in print), the third iteration, to date, does so only to those who have contributed to its production or in the memories of those fortunate enough to have seen the Broadway production.

          An Apologia:

Although Antoinette Nwandu has discussed the reasons for her most recent (2021) revisions, I believe sharing them prior to an audience’s viewing our production of Pass Over might diminish the immediate theatrical experience.

So I shan’t, but feel to ask me afterwards.

‘Til then, enjoy a magnificent play! 

                                                Stephanie Tucker, Dramaturg

About The Playwright

By Stephanie Tucker, PhD

Born in 1980, Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu grew up in a family which adhered to “a very charismatic Evangelical cult.” Living in Los Angeles, she applied for and was awarded a scholarship to the elite Brentwood School, a stepping stone to her acceptance at Harvard. Before veering into theater, Nwandu concentrated in English literature, writing her undergraduate thesis on Samuel Beckett’s novels. After graduating magna cum laude, she studied at the University of Edinburgh, earning a Master of Science degree in “cultural politics”; the topic of her thesis—the 1950’s demise of Scottish fringe theatre, which made her question the similar fate of American political theatre. To quote the playwright: “Was it TV, was it culture, was it McCarthyism? And then the larger idea is: what can we do to bring it back?”

Returning from Scotland with a newfound interest in theater, Nwandu applied to and was accepted into NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts’ MFA program in playwriting. During this time, she worked with Katori Hall, whose Olivier-Award-winning play, The Mountaintop, CapStage produced in 2013, also directed by Anthony D’Juan, some audience members may remember.

After receiving her MFA, Nwandu took a job at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, teaching speech and theater, where she worked for 7+ years. During this time she also wrote plays—including Black Boy and the War (2011); Vanna White Must Die (2012); 4 Sustenance (2012); and FLAT SAM (2013). In 2017, her breakthrough play, Pass Over, premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The following year, Victory Gardens Theatre, also in Chicago, produced Breach: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate.

Nwandu has received a number of prestigious theatrical awards: including the 2009 Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award for FLAT SAM; the 2017 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award for Pass Over and Breach. Pass Over also won the 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for the Best New Play. 

Sounding somewhat “Beckettian” herself, Nwandu has described her artistic trajectory as, “Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, and then a few things at once.” Among these “few things” include working with Spike Lee on his filming of a performance of Pass Over for Amazon Studios; writing for the second season of Lee’s television show, “She’s Gottta Have It”; and adapting Nafissa Thompson-Spires’s short story, “Wash Clean the Bones,” also for Amazon Studios, while also writing plays.

Alas, Nwandu’s recent coming-of-age drama, Tuvalul or, the Saddest Song, scheduled for a Spring 2020 production at the Vineyard Theatre, became victim to Covid—and had to be cancelled temporarily. However, the Vineyard’s promotional description suggests its autobiographical bent: 

Los Angeles in the mid-nineties and twelve-year old Jackie is at a crossroads.  She’s just been accepted to a private school in Brentwood, the affluent, white neighborhood that also happens to be ground zero for the O.J. Simpson murder trial. At home, the Lord is alive and well, the rent’s past due, and Momma’s boyfriend just came back to town. Sexuality and spirituality, race and class, love and violence collide as Jackie attempts to make sense of her life . . . ”  

…a work which may shed further light on the playwright’s life and artistic aspirations. And, perhaps, reflect on her past accomplishments, while pointing towards future pursuits.
 

Sponsors

Cast

Creative Team

Special Thanks

Donna Chipps

Parker Hopps

Jim Hensley, President Abbey Flooring, Inc.

Oak Park Brewing Company

Robert Mandelson

Production Staff

Production Manager/Asst. Stage Manager  - KATHERINE CANNON*

Technical Director  - CARLOS LLONTOP

Lead Carpenter - RICH KIRLIN

Scenic Charge Artist  - SAMANTHA McLEAN HAAS

Sound Designer & Engineer  - ED LEE

Lead Electrician/Costume Designer  - MARI OYAIZU CARSON

Literary Manager/Dramaturg  - STEPHANIE TUCKER, PhD.

Stage Manager  - MELISSA JERNIGAN*

Stage Management Production Assistant  - KADEN ZALDUMBIDE^

Assistant to the Director/Asst. Dramaturg - NICHOLAS RABORN^

Fight Choreographer - MATT K. MILLER

Properties Coordinator - KIMBERLY TAKETA

Properties Assistant  - ANDREW FRIDAE^

Sound Assistant  - RAND DOERNING^

Lighting Assistant  - CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ^

Paint/Costume Assistant  - KAITLIN WEINSTEIN^

Assistant to the TD & PM  - ANA MUNTEAN^

BIPOC Liason - JAMES WHEATLEY

Build Crew  - RAND DOERNING^, ANDREW FRIDAE^, CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ^, RICH KIRLIN, ANA MUNTEAN^, NICHOLAS RABORN^, KAITLIN WEINSTEIN^, KADEN ZALDUMBIDE^

COVID-19 Safety Managers  - KATIE CANNON, ELIJAH PETERS, RUBY SKETCHLEY

Graphic Designers  - DAN LYDERSEN, MISTY MCDOWELL

Photographer  - CHARR CRAIL

Videographer/Editor - MISTY MCDOWELL

Webmaster - MISTY MCDOWELL

^ Capital Stage Apprentice  |  * Member Actors' Equity Association

Meet the Company

Dane Troy*

Moses

Dane is a storyteller. He hails from Atlanta and is a graduate of the University of Georgia's professional theatre program. Dane has performed professionally in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, North Carolina and the Bay Area. Dane is thankful to make his debut in Sacramento and grateful to Anthony D'Juan & the Capital Stage team for this opportunity. He sends lots of love to his family and his wife Paige Mayes.

Kriston Woodreaux*

Kitch

Kriston is a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago, IL. His recent productions include BRUTAL IMAGINATION (Salvage Vanguard); EVERY BRILLIANT THING, NOTES FROM THE FIELD, and THIS GIRL LAUGHS, THIS GIRL CRIES, THIS GIRL DOES NOTHING (ZACH Theatre); THE CITY WEARS A SLOUCH HAT (Rude Mechanicals); ACTUALLY (WorkHound), MONROE (Austin Playhouse); HENRY IV (The Hidden Room); and NEVA (Theatre en Bloc). Kriston is ignited by the opportunity to share this story alongside such a talented and dedicated team.

Ian C. Hopps*

Mister/Ossifer

Ian is grateful to be back at Capital Stage to share this experience with an incredibly talented team of artists. Previous appearances at CapStage include SWEAT, LUNA GALE, and STUPID FUCKING BIRD. Other local productions include HAMLET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, MACBETH, and THE TEMPEST (Sacramento Theatre Company); COMEDY OF ERRORS, MARY STUART, and ROMEO & JULIET (Davis Shakespeare); AN IDEAL HUSBAND, THE 39 STEPS, and THE ROVER (Big Idea Theatre). Ian extends immense gratitude to those supporting the return of live theatre, especially here in the Sacramento region. (www.ihopps.com)

Antoinette Nwandu

Playwright

Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu is a New York-based writer for stage, film, and television. Her play PASS OVER made its New York debut at LCT3/Lincoln Center in 2018. A filmed version of the Jeff Award-winning Steppenwolf production—directed by Spike Lee— premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and at SXSW, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Victory Gardens produced the World Premiere of her play BREACH: AMANIFESTO ON RACE IN AMERICA THROUGH THE EYES OF A BLACK GIRL RECOVERING FROM SELF-HATE in February of 2018. Antoinette is a MacDowell Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, an Ars Nova Play Group alum, and a Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Literary Fellow. Honors include a Lilly Award (2020); a Lucille Lortel Award (2019); the Whiting Award (2018); the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award (2017); the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award (2008); the Negro Ensemble Company’s Douglas Turner Ward Prize (2008), and spots on the 2016 and 2017 Kilroys lists. Her work has been supported by the Sundance Theater Lab, Space on Ryder Farm, Ignition Fest, the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Kennedy Center, Page73, PlayPenn, Southern Rep, The Flea, Naked Angels, Fire This Time and The Movement Theater Company. Antoinette has a bachelor’s degree in English, magna cum laude, from Harvard College; an MSc from The University of Edinburgh; and an MFA from NYU Tisch. Antoinette is a writer on the second season of Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It for Netflix, and will premiere her play TUVALU, OR THE SADDEST SONG at the Vineyard Theater in New York City once the theater is allowed to reopen.

Anthony D'Juan

Director

Anthony D'Juan is a Sacramento based playwright/director and has been active since 1996. His writing credits for the stage include THEORY OF THE DREAM, SAFE AT HOME: THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY, KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE, AND THE DREAM GOES ON, 3: BLACK GIRL BLUES (with Danielle Mone’ Truitt), and THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED. Directing credits include OTHELLO, FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (THE MUSICAL), TOP DOG/UNDERDOG, ENDGAME, BASH, OUR TOWN, A TIGER WITHOUT MERCY (world premier) ,THE MOUNTAINTOP, BOOTYCANDY and SKELETON CREW.

Vernon Lewis

Assistant Director/Co-Dramaturg

Vernon is very excited to finally be working with Capital Stage. For the past 15 years, Vernon has been able to be a part of many thrilling productions such as a list of British Pantos, multiple Shakespeare Festivals at Sacramento City Theatre, and assortment of supporting and lead roles in BOOTYCANDY, A CHRISTMAS CAROL and CANNERY ROW. Recently, Vernon has been gaining experience Directing and Assistant Directing with shows such as THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED, THE MAGIC LAMP, and BAD TASTE IN BOYS.

Melissa Jernigan*

Stage Manager

Melissa has most recently worked at Capital Stage on MISS BENNET 2021 and HOLD THESE TRUTHS, and has been stage managing at Capital Stage since 2016: Some favorites include VIETGONE, MISS BENNET 2017/2018, THE NETHER, AN OCTOROON, AND STUPID F##KING BIRD. Other theatrical credits include Production Assisting on Broadway’s LENNON, Off-Broadway: FELA! the Lagos Tour, David Cromer’s OUR TOWN, John Leguizamo: A WORK IN PROGRESS, BEAUTY OF THE FATHER at Manhattan Theatre Club, BREATH & IMAGINATION at Hartford Stage, OUR TOWN starring Helen Hunt at The Broad Theatre in Santa Monica and THE LASSO OF TRUTH at Marin Theatre Company.

Michael Stevenson

Artistic Director

For Capital Stage, Michael has directed ADMISSIONS, THE HUMANS, THE OTHER PLACE, SWEAT, THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, LUNA GALE, STUPID F##KING BIRD, HOW TO USE A KNIFE, DISGRACED, MR. BURNS, IDEATION, CLYBOURNE PARK, MAURITIUS, ERRATICA (World Premiere), and LES LIAISONS DANGERUSES. He has directed at regional theatres including: B Street Theatre, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Perseverance Theatre Company, and Sacramento Theatre Company. As an actor he has appeared at many regional theatres including: 42nd Street Moon, American Conservatory Theatre, The Aurora Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, Capital Stage, B Street Theatre, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre. He holds an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theatre.

Keith Riedell

Managing Director

Keith Riedell celebrates his 15th year at Capital Stage, joining the company early in the second season. He brings to Capital Stage his varied experiences in the theatre, management, team building, counseling, training and corporate improvement. In his role as Managing Director he hopes to make Capital Stage a world class place to work, while playing an important role in the social justice efforts in our region.

Katherine Cannon*

Production & Company Manager/Asst. Stage Manager

Katie is in her 4th season as Production & Company Manager for Capital Stage, after several years with them as an AEA Stage Manager. Favorite shows stage managed for Capital Stage include AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, BETRAYAL, DISGRACED and ANNA KARENINA. She has also stage managed for Broadway at Music Circus for 17 seasons, most recently for SHREK, as well as being their Production Stage Manager at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Additional stage management credits include productions for the Sacramento Opera, Sacramento Theatre Company, and Musical Theatre West & Main Street Theatre in the greater Los Angeles Area.

Carlos Llontop

Technical Director

Having been a Technical Director for Folsom Lake College for many years as well as a Lead Technician at the Harris Center of the Arts, Carlos is excited to make his debut with Capital Stage during their reopening season. Some of his favorite productions include Spring Awakening, The Who’s Tommy, Hair, and Marat/ Sade. He wants to take a moment to thank his previous professors and mentors Ian Wallace, Rebecca Redmond, David Harris and Sam Coquerille. He would also like to thank his amazing team of apprentices for all their hard work and dedication. He is looking forward to making some magic and creating art with his fellow artists for time to come.

Stephen C. Jones**

Scenic Designer (**USA 828)

Stephen Jones is a California based United Scenic Artist local 829 Scenic and Lighting Designer. Selected Regional Theatre and Off Broadway design credits include: THE DRESSMAKERS SECRET (Off-Broadway), Orlando Shakespeare Theatre (FL), Utah Shakespeare Festival (UT), Broadway Sacramento (CA), Colorado Shakespeare festival (CO), Portland Stage Company (ME), Sacramento Ballet (CA), Alley Theatre (TX), B Street Theatre (CA), Capital Stage Theatre Company (CA). Formerly the Artistic Director at Vassar College’s Experimental Theatre, Stephen is currently serving as Professor of Theatrical Design at California State University, Sacramento. He has been highlighted in Live Design Magazine and other publications for the creativity of his design process using 3D rendering software.

Isaiah Leeper

Lighting Designer

Isaiah Leeper is incredibly excited to be lighting up Capital Stage for the first time! Recently he was able to bring light to the world of FENCES and AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Sacramento Theatre Company. He would like to take the time to thank the cast, crew, and entire company for being so welcoming and making this every bit the experience he hoped to have.

Mari Oyaizu Carson

Costume Designer

Mari Oyaizu Carson has been designing costumes in the Sacramento area since 2006. She got her start designing THE SUGAR BEAN SISTERS for the now-defunct Studio Theatre in 2006. From there on she designed costumes for various local theaters before returning to school to get her MFA in theatrical design from the University of California at Davis. She picked up a few other skills along the way and is also the Lead Electrician for Capital Stage as well as the Costume Designer for this show. Designing costumes for PASS OVER has been a delight and she hopes everyone will love this show as much as we do.

Ed Lee

Sound Designer/Engineer

Ed is delighted to be part of another season at Capital Stage. He has been involved in almost every production since the company’s aquatic days at the Delta King, from artwork for SPEECH AND DEBATE to appearing in FIRST PERSON SHOOTER. Favorite sound design credits include: MASTER CLASS; SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME; 4000 MILES; MISTAKES WERE MADE; RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN; and UNCANNY VALLEY.

Rebekah Fegan

Properties Designer

Rebekah is a local freelance Stage Manager, Theatre Technician, and Art Director. She was a part of the 2017/18 Apprentice Company at Capital Stage, and most recently graduated from UC San Diego with her MFA in Stage Management. Rebekah is thrilled to be back at Capital Stage, who shares her love of thought provoking new works and authentic collaboration. Favorite local credits include: The Nether (Asst. Stage Manager, Capital Stage), Playwright’s Revolution 2019 (Stage Manager, Capital Stage) The Roommate (Wardrobe Supervisor, Capital Stage), The Nutcracker, 2019 & 2021 (Stage Manager, Sacramento Ballet), Pacerville (Feature Film, Nick Leisure Productions).

Kimberly Taketa

Properties Coordinator

Kimberly Taketa is excited to return to Capital Stage, previously working as an apprentice during their 2017-2018 Season. She is a graduate of SacState and alumni of the Music Circus Intern Program, primarily as a Props Artisan. She has worked as a Props Master, Light and Scenic designer, and Stage Manager for over 20 productions. She is currently the Technical Director at The Fourth Wall. Notable productions being THE PRODUCERS, DIVINERS, LUNA GALE, MAJORIE PRIME, BARE: THE MUSICAL, and finally, her directorial debut of Team Starkid’s THE TRAIL TO OREGON at the Fourth Wall.

Matt K. Miller

Fight Choreographer

Previous fight directing credits for Capital Stage include THE GREAT LEAP, SWEAT, AN OCTOROON, THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, BAD JEWS, DISGRACED and IDEATION; for B Street Theatre, THE JACKSONIAN and EQUIVOCATION; for Sacramento Theatre Company, THE CRUCIBLE, MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE GRAPES OF WRATH and DIAL M FOR MURDER; KOLT Run Production’s THERE IS A HAPPINESS THAT MORNING BRINGS; and Sierra Repertory Theatre’s MACBETH. Internationally, Matt has staged combat for the world premieres of Timberlake Werternbaker’s OUR AJAX and Judith Thompson’s ELEKTRA IN BOSNIA, both produced in Greece. Matt is also an actor, director, playwright and adjunct professor of theatre for the Los Rios Community College District. A full list of credits and bio can be seen at www.sagaftra.org/iactor/MKMiller

kaden zaldumbide^

Production Assistant

kaden ezra is an interdisciplinary artist currently attending UC Davis for their BA in Art Studio and Theatre and Dance. They began their theatre career acting in several shows at Inner City Arts in Downtown Los Angeles. While pursuing their undergrad, kaden has broadened their experience to costumes, stage management, and directing. They hope to gain more in-depth, extensive experiences, and a greater sense of the community in Nor-Cal theatre.

Nicholas Raborn^

Assistant to the Director/Assistant Dramaturg

Nicholas has been working in theaters for seven years, both onstage and behind the scenes. Some highlights in his acting career include Lt. Brannigan in GUYS AND DOLLS, Philostrate in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and most notably as Chuck Biggs in SHE KILLS MONSTERS, all at Sac State. He was also involved in the writing process and performance of FOLLIES OF THE FOUNTAIN as part of a senior production and has most recently performed as Stan in a virtual production of SWEAT. He earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Sacramento State in 2020.

Samantha McLean Haas

Scenic Charge Artist

Samantha McLean Haas has been painting sets for 11 years. She's worked at Sacramento City College, University of California Davis, Sacramento Theatre Company, and Music Circus. This is her tenth show with Capital Stage.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA)

Founded in 1913, this union represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence.

Capital Stage Staff

MICHAEL STEVENSON - Artistic Director

KEITH RIEDELL - Managing Director

KATIE CANNON - Production & Company Manager

MISTY MCDOWELL - Marketing Manager

AALIYAH PETERS - Audience Services Manager

CARLOS LLONTOP - Technical Director

ED LEE - Resident Sound Designer & Engineer

RICH KIRLIN - Lead Carpenter

LOGAN HELLER, CHRIS SAECHAO – Box Office Assistants

RUBY SKETCHLEY – Front of House Assistant

ALYSSA MARIE MATHEWS - Concessions Associate 

JAMIE JONES, PETER MOHRMANN, GAIL RUSSELL, JANIS STEVENS – Associate Artists

DEEDEE WALKER – Volunteer Coordinator

RAND DOERNING, ANDREW FRIDAE, ANA MUNTEAN, KAITLIN WIENSTEIN, CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ, NICHOLAS RABORN, KADEN ZALDUMBIDE - Apprentices

ELIJAH PETERS, RUBY SKETCHLEY - COVID Safety Officers

Capital Stage Board Members

Chastity E. Benson
California State Association of Counties

Donnell Brown
National Grape Research Alliance

Dan Brunner, Treasurer
Arts Patron

Melissa Conner
Seed Communications Design

Kathryn E. Doi
Hanson Bridgett LLP

Sherry Hartel Haus
Downey Brand

Steve Koonce
Arts Patron

Kris Martin
Arts Patron

Kristi Quesada Mathisen
Sacramento Country Day School

Lori Abbott Moreland
Arts Patron

Damaris L. Perez
Crowe LLP

Mike Tentis, Board President
UC Davis Strategic Communications

Peggy Wheeler
California Hospital Association

Board Emeritus:

Stephanie Gularte, Founding Artistic Director
Capital Stage

Peter Mohrmann, Co-founder
Capital Stage

Clif McFarland
Mitchell Chadwick

Arlen Orchard
SMUD

Jonathan Williams, Co-Founder
Capital Stage

Julie Stark
Arts Patron