Artistic Director Michael Stevenson & Managing Director Keith Riedell Present World Premiere UNSEEN
by Mona Mansour
Directed by Benjamin T. Ismail
May 7-June 8, 2025 PERFORMANCE LENGTH:  1 Hour, 30 Minutes, No Intermission
FEATURING:
Brittni Barger*      Rasha Zamamiri*      Jamie Jones*
Scenic Designer Tricia Tecson		Projections Designer Ethan Hollinger
Lighting Designer Shae Mercer
Sound Designer Ed Lee		Costume Designer Gail Russell
Properties Designer Riley Cisneros-Gruenthal		Dramaturg & Intimacy Coordinator Nicole Limón
	Stage Manager Melissa Jernigan*
Assistant Stage Manager Rachel Lau-Kee Browne^
SPONSORED BY:
Dan Brunner & CapRadio
SEASON WINE SPONSOR:
*Member Actors' Equity Association | ^Capital Stage Apprentice

Follow Us:

OUR MISSION

Capital Stage is dedicated to creating transformative, thought-provoking theater experiences that challenge, inspire, and connect.

THINGS TO KNOW

HEALTH & SAFETY:

Visit our COVID-19 Safety Protocols & Procedures Page to stay up to date on our Health & Safety requirements and recommendations. 

VIDEO/PHOTOS:

Recording and photography during the performance are prohibited at Capital Stage by copyright law and union regulations.

CELL PHONES:

Patrons are asked to turn any noise making 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 in the theatre, patio and lobby areas. Yes, you can bring your drinks and snacks into 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 limited mobility 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. Please call ahead to notify the staff if you required these seats.

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.

SDC is the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional Stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States.

Sponsors

Cast

Creative Team

Special Thanks

Joe Bertolucci, Affordable Heating & Air, Inc.

Donna Chipps

Di Arie Vineyard & Winery

Bob Mandelson

Oak Park Brewing Company

Joaquin Ortiz

UC Davis Dept of Theater & Dance

Production Staff

Artistic Director - MICHAEL STEVENSON

Director - BENJAMIN T. ISMAIL

Production & Company Manager - TONY GABRIELSON

Technical Director - CALEB JONES

Lead Carpenter - CONOR WOODS

Carpenter, Painter - SUNNY MACKEY

Lighting Designer & Lead Electrician - SHAE MERCER

Lighting Supervisor - ISAIAH LEEPER

Electricians - ISAIAH LEEPER, SHAE MERCER

Scenic Charge Artist - SAMANTHA McLEAN HAAS

Sound Designer & Engineer - ED LEE

Stage Manager - MELISSA JERNIGAN*

Assistant Stage Manager - RACHEL LAU-KEE BROWNE^

Rehearsal Stage Manager - ERIKA L. PLACENCIA*

Scenic Designer - TRICIA TECSON

Projections Designer - ETHAN HOLLINGER

Properties Designer - RILEY CISNEROS-GRUENTHAL

Costume Designer - GAIL RUSSELL

Build Crew - SUNNY MACKEY, CONOR WOODS, CALEB JONES

Painters - SAMANTHA McLEAN HAAS, CALEB JONES, SUNNY MACKEY, CONOR WOODS

Wardrobe/Run Crew - RACHEL LAU-KEE BROWNE^, KATIE HALSTEAD^, ZAARA LITTLE^, JAROD WIGGINS^ 

Intimacy Coordinator & Dramaturg - NICOLE C. LIMÓN

Resident Dramaturg - K. KEVYNE BAAR 

Infection Control Manager - ELIJAH PETERS

Graphic Designer, Marketing Manager, Webmaster - MISTY MCDOWELL

Photographer - CHARR CRAIL

^ Capital Stage Apprentice  |  * Member Actors' Equity Association

About The Play

by K. Kevyne Baar, PhD

“When you’re shooting conflict. If you’re shooting conflict. You have to find a way to not really look, or it will all start to sink in and, you know, you’ll start to want to kill yourself.” – Marian to Mia

We are living in the days when one turns on the television news and is immediately told that what is to follow may be difficult to watch. Do you look away? The photojournalists, such as Mia, the protagonist in our play, do not have that choice. 

Our play opens with a flashback of Mia photographing a young woman in a bombed-out schoolroom in the Gaza Strip of 2008. Almost immediately we flash forward and are thrust into Istanbul, Turkey in 2015, with Mia waking up in the apartment of a former girlfriend, Derya. Mia, unaware of where she’s been or what she’s seen, can’t even remember how she got there. Together, and with the help of Mia’s mother, Jane, they will “try to piece together the story of what happened.”

For our playwright, Mona Mansour, “one inspiration for unseen is the work of Nichole Sobecki, an American photographer and filmmaker based in Kenya whose photography...has illuminated everything from war, terrorism, and climate change to illegal trade in endangered animals.” A feature in The Independent Photogapher includes a collection of her stunning photos, ‘Too awful to publish.’” This writer is reminded of the photos of another woman photojournist, Lee Miller who photogaphed the liberation of Dachau at the end of World War II. It is said that she suffered from what we now know as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the remaining years of her life. 

In an interview before the Washington, D.C. opening, Mansour was asked, “What would you like audiences to take away from unseen?” Her answer was succinct. “The humor, the loss, and the complexity,” she said. “On the one hand, the play has a lot of humor in it. It’s like life. Humor allows us to live with complicated relationships. It’s how people get through difficult times. While, “on the other hand, there is loss. There’s a cost for not looking at the truth, about not seeing the things that we don’t want to see. The play questions what we block out or forget. But the camera forces us to remember. It provides a link to what we have ignored.”

Capital Stage is inviting you, our audience, to join Mia, her Turkish girlfriend Derya, her California mother Jane, and the people who live in the shadows of Mia’s memory as she slowly “pieces together the details of her past to find out what happened.”  

Reviewing a 2023 production, the critic for The Washington Post wrote, “unseen gracefully turns its lens on stirring themes: human connection and betrayal, cross-cultural friction and understanding, and the cost of seeing suffering — and of looking away from it.” 

Ultimately for Mia, she is “not interested in making beautiful things for the sake of making beautiful things. That’s part of it, of course but it’s not enough. I want to capture the kind of moments that make an impact.”  

About The Playwright

by K. Kevyne Baar, PhD

“I like to disrupt what you thought you knew before you see the play, in ways conscious and unconscious. That’s where the poetry of the writing comes in. A collection of words can just hit you in an unexpected way. I love seeing theater like that and I love writing theater like that.” – Mona Mansour

On her website, we find out that Mona Mansour “grew up in a Southern California suburb, the daughter of a Lebanese immigrant father and American mother from Seattle. Global politics were brought inside when various cousins, uncles and aunties came to live with the family during the Lebanese Civil War.” As an undergrad Mansour studied acting, “but in her senior year a class in improvisation led her down that path; she then studied at Second City Chicago and was a member of the Groundlings Sunday Company, which gave her a visceral first taste of writing.”

“Her commitment to theater deepened after a move to New York City in the wake of the September 11th attacks. At this point, the Middle Eastern theater community was ascending, fired up by an urgent need to change the narrative around Arabs and Arab Americans.” Like a number of the playwrights whose work has been presented at Captial Stage over the last couple of seasons, Mansour began to write into her bicultural existence,” with plays such as The Vagrant Trilogy, The Hour of Feeling, The Way West, and We Swim, We Talk, We Go to War, she has additional commissions to write for the La Jolla Playhouse and Playwrights Horizons.

In 2019, Mansour joined Scott Illingworth and Tim Nicolai to form SOCIETY, “a collective of theatre makers based in New York City creating new research-driven, radically collaborative works. Their aim is “to create a company where work could be created, joint stock style, with improvisation, research, and discussion that involves every company member. Their first production, Beginning Days of True Jubilation, was performed entirely on Zoom in August 2020. The play, with its cast of 10, explores the absurdity, chaos and psychic cost of a fictitious start-up. The play was remounted in person in July 2022 at the New Ohio Theatre. 

Mansour received the prestigious Steinberg Award for Playwriting, along with Martyna Majok in December of 2023. Other awards and fellowships include: Award in Literature (Academy of Arts and Letters); the Kesselring, and Helen Merrill Prizes; Whiting, Middle East America Playwright, MacDowell, and New Dramatists Class of 2020. 

A writer for NBC’s long-running series New Amsterdam, she is currently creating a series for Fisher Stevens’ company Highly Flammable. Yet through it all, Mansour returns to the theatre. In an early career interview she opined, “I do think when you’re dealing with human beings, you can take turns that other art forms can’t take, because for example, in the span of a few seconds, there’s so many things that can happen in someone’s face. I feel like live theatre allows for that, and I definitely like to have moments like that, where it goes from one feeling to another, with or without words.”

Her plays have been translated into Arabic, Italian, Romanian and Hungarian.

Meet the Company

Brittni Barger*

Mia

Brittni is so honored to return to Capital Stage in such a deeply important and timely show as UNSEEN. She has been lucky enough to play Lizzy Darcy at CapStage in eight iterations of the “Christmas at Pemberley” series, as well as Nora in A DOLL’S HOUSE, and Sylvia in TRIBES. Brittni is a company member at B Street Theatre, just down the road. Catch her there this Christmas in TIS THE SEASON on the Family Series stage, directed by Sacramento favorite, Stephanie Altholz. Thank you to Rasha, my Derya, for being such an integral part of this show and process. None of this would have been possible without you.

Rasha Zamamiri*

Derya, and others

Rasha Zamamiri is ecstatic to be making her Capital Stage debut with such an incredible cast. Rasha is an Arab-American actor and voice-over artist who is most recognized as the Hijabi Woman in the multi-season Coca-Cola commercial campaign, "America Is Beautiful", with the distinction of being the first Arab woman shown in a veil during the Super Bowl & Olympics. She was last seen in another Mona Mansour play WE SWIM, WE TALK, WE GO TO WAR, at Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. TV credits include; “The Blacklist”, “Leverage: Redemption”, “Blue Bloods”, “Instinct”, “The Looming Tower” and “Ramy”. Theatre credits include; WHEN MONICA MET HILLARY (Colony Theater), THE AMERICAN UNDERGROUND (Barrington Stage), KISS (Yale Rep), THE WHO & THE WHAT (Gulfshore Playhouse), and AFTERMATH (NYTW/International Tour). You can also listen to one of her AudioFile Earphones Award winning narration of “As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow” by Zoulfa Katouh.

Jamie Jones*

Jane, and others

Jamie is happy to return to Capital Stage, where she was last seen in ARCHDUKE and HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING. She was also seen at the B Street Theatre in WIPEOUT and INSERTION. Other theaters include: ACT, American Stage, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California Musical Theatre, Center Repertory Theatre, Davis Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre Company, STC, Utah Shakespeare Festival and Z Space. New York: The Connelly Theatre, Theatre at St. Clements and the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab at HERE. Television: LAW AND ORDER and the mini series GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. B Street Company Member and an Associate Artist at Capital Stage. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, C.S.U.S. and holds an M.F.A. from American Conservatory Theatre. Thanks again, as always, to Tamara Walters. And thank you for supporting the arts.

Mona Mansour

Playwright

Mona Mansour is a celebrated American playwright of Lebanese and American heritage whose work powerfully explores identity, displacement, and bicultural existence. Raised in Southern California, she was influenced early on by family ties to Lebanon and global events like the Lebanese Civil War. Initially trained as an actor, her path shifted after studying improvisation at Second City and Groundlings, which ignited her passion for writing. Her first play, ME AND THE S.L.A, was a solo piece inspired by the Patty Hearst kidnapping. After moving to New York post-9/11, Mansour became part of a growing Middle Eastern theater movement, driven to challenge stereotypes and expand roles for Arab-American performers. Her exploration of displacement and her father's homeland inspired URGE FOR GOING, which evolved into THE VAGRANT TRILOGY. The trilogy premiered at the Mosaic Theater (2018) and had its New York debut at The Public Theater in 2022. The New York Times praised it as “Stoppardian in its intellectualism.” Her play UNSEEN premiered at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (2022) and later ran at Mosaic Theater (2023), earning acclaim for its exploration of suffering and human connection. In 2019, she co-founded SOCIETY, a collaborative theater company, which produced BEGINNING DAYS OF TRUE JUBILATION. Mansour's other notable works include THE WAY WEST, WE SWIM, WE TALK, WE GO TO WAR, and collaborations with Tala Manassah. Her accolades include the 2023 Steinberg Award, Whiting Award, and fellowships from New Dramatists and MacDowell. She has also written for NBC’s New Amsterdam and is developing a musical with Hannah Corneau. www.monamansour.com

Benjamin T. Ismail

Director

Benjamin T. Ismail has worked from coast to coast both as an actor and a director, and is back at Capital Stage after directing last year’s AMERICAN FAST. Some previous Capital Stage credits include directing AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and LOVE & INFORMATION as well as performing in THE SANTALAND DIARIES (Crumpet), DISGRACED (Abe), TRIBES (Billy), and SPEECH & DEBATE (Howie). Other local directing credits include THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME and DOROTHEA PUENTE TELLS ALL (STC). While serving as the former Artistic Director of Big Idea Theatre, he directed many productions including ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, ARCADIA, 33 VARIATIONS, and NO EXIT to name just a few. Other favorite credits include playing Louis in ANGELS IN AMERICA (Berkeley Rep), Bashir in THE INVISIBLE HAND (American Stage) and directing MUCH ADO and 4000 MILES (American Stage). Love to Jerid.

Michael Stevenson

Artistic Director

For Capital Stage, Michael has directed ARCHDUKE, HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING, GLORIA, THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT, 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 DANGEREUSES. He has directed at regional theaters including: B Street Theater, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Perseverance Theater Company, and Sacramento Theater Company. As an actor he has appeared at many regional theaters including: 42nd Street Moon, American Conservatory Theater, The Aurora Theater, Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Capital Stage, B Street Theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theater. He holds an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater.

Keith Riedell

Managing Director

Keith Riedell is celebrating his 19th year at Capital Stage and brings to the company his varied experiences in the theatre, management, team building, counseling, training and corporate improvement. While at Capital Stage he has grown box office operations and installed online ticketing and donor systems, developed sound accounting and financial policies and systems, led efforts to provide living wages and benefits to the staff and artists, and has been an outspoken voice for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts. Working with the board of directors Mr. Riedell is leading a five-year strategic planning process with Michael Kaiser and the DeVos Institute of Arts Management. The plan, completed in the Summer of 2023 is now in the implementation phase. Along with Artistic Director Michael Stevenson, Keith has worked on capacity building projects with Third Plateau and the University of the Pacific.

Tony Gabrielson

Production & Company Manager

Tony has worked with many theaters and dance companies locally and around the country over the last 15 years as a stage manager, carpenter, painter, and technician. Favorite productions include: DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with Barter Theater in Abingdon, VA, ON BORROWED TIME at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ, and developmental workshops of BOTTLESHOCK! THE MUSICAL. He is blessed and beyond grateful to continue working as an artist in our community. Love and thanks to Jessa and Piper - his favorite people.

Caleb Jones

Technical Director

Caleb is proud to be Capital Stage's Technical Director since the 23/24 Season. He is new to Sacramento but has worked at the San Diego REPertory theater and with several theaters within Fresno County. This year serves as his 11th year in the field, and he hopes you enjoy our shows. Lots of love to Clarissa and all of his loved ones.

Melissa Jernigan*

Stage Manager

Melissa most recently worked at Capital Stage on the world premiere of EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT. She has been stage managing at Capital Stage since 2016. Some of her favorites include VIETGONE, THE NETHER, STUPID F##KING BIRD, CLYDE’S and THE HOMBRES. Other credits include being a PA 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. She was a sub stage manager on HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD in SF and this past holiday season returned to her roots as an ASM on ELF: THE MUSICAL at Broadway at Music Circus. She is a proud Equity Member. When she’s not inside the stage management booth with her good friend Ed Lee, Melissa enjoys spending time with her Husband and two young sons.

Rachel Lau-Kee Browne^

Assistant Stage Manager

Rachel is excited to join Capital Stage for the 24/25 season to follow her heart and pursue her love of theatre after over a decade away. Recent productions include A LITTLE MORE BLUE (NYC, LA) and the world premiere of MY HOME ON THE MOON (SF Playhouse), as well as FAIRVIEW, GEORGIANA & KITTY: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY, ENGLISH, and the world premiere of EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT (CapStage). Rachel is grateful to her family and friends for their love and encouragement, her parents for always being her biggest supporters, and Chris and Bruce for believing in her even before she did herself.

Erika L. Placencia*

Rehearsal Stage Manager

Erika Placencia is happy to be the Rehearsal Stage Manager for this show. She has also been with Capital Stage as the production stage manager for ENGLISH, THE HEART SELLERS, NOW CIRCA THEN and CRY IT OUT. She has been an assistant stage manager at Capital Stage for AMERICAN FAST, HOMBRES and HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING. She was also a stage management intern at Broadway at Music Circus. She was also assistant stage manager for B Street Theatre’s ‘TIS THE SEASON. She earned her first degree in Media and Communication studies from University of Maryland University College and received her second degree from William Jessup University with Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. She is a proud Air Force Veteran and is happy being able to live her dreams through the support of her family.

Tricia Tecson

Scenic Designer

Tricia is honored to return to Capital Stage for this production of UNSEEN. She is ecstatic to be bringing her academic background of architecture into the theatre world as a Scenic Designer. Tricia is currently working with Contra Costa Civic Theatre, and Berkeley Playhouse as a Scenic Designer as well as working at Cosumnes River College as an Adjunct Technical Theatre Professor. Tricia would like to thank her fiance, her friends and family for being her tremendous support.

Shae Mercer

Lighting Designer

Shae Mercer is thrilled to be working on UNSEEN after designing EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT here at Capital Stage. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts from Southern Oregon University in 2022, and has since been paving her way into the Sacramento theatre scene as Capital Stage’s Lead Electrician. Her previous work includes ENGLISH and CRY IT OUT at Capital Stage, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL at Sacramento Theatre Company, and HEARTS LIKE FISTS at Southern Oregon University.

Gail Russell

Costume Designer

Collaborating with Capital Stage for over a decade, favorite shows include: “Everything Pemberley!”, NOW CIRCA THEN, MARJORIE PRIME, AN OCTOROON, BETRAYAL, THE HOMECOMING, A DOLL’S HOUSE, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR, DANGEROUS LIAISONS. Other local credits: FOOTLOOSE for Broadway at Music Circus. Sacramento Theatre Co. CLUE, CURIOUS INCIDENT, DORETHEA PUENTE, KATE, THE WHIPPING MAN, GEM OF THE OCEAN; Fair Oaks Theatre Festival’s SEUSSICAL, WILLY WONKA, SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER; SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, THE SEAGULL, JEKYLL AND HYDE, JULIUS CAESAR, SPRING AWAKENING, HAIRSPRAY at American River College where she also teaches in the Theatre Arts and Fashion departments.

Ed Lee

Sound Designer

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.

Riley Cisneros-Gruenthal

Properties Designer

Riley Cisneros-Gruenthal is thrilled to be part of the team for UNSEEN, her ninth show with Capital Stage (their work was previously seen in EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT, ENGLISH, GEORIGIANA & KITTY: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY, THE HEART SELLERS, CLYDES, ARCHDUKE, & CRY IT OUT). Riley graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern Oregon University in 2020 with a degree in Theatre Arts. Previous credits include props designer for CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME, WAIT UNTIL DARK, and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at Sacramento Theatre Company.

Ethan Hollinger

Projections Designer

Ethan Hollinger can now add "international children's book illustrator" to his portfolio here at Capital Stage! An avid writer, artist, musician, and advocate, his lighting, sound, & media designs have spanned theatre, dance, opera, art installations, concerts, and beyond from coast to coast. He continues to tinker with everything that plugs in for the UC Davis Dept. of Theatre & Dance. A few recent projects include SHE KILLS MONSTERS (UCD), FADE (Capital Stage), ONCE (Duluth Playhouse), and STUPID FUCKING BIRD (UMD). BA: NGU, MFA: Illinois State. Special thanks to Chris & Diego who light up his life. Deep Breath. Follow the shenanigans at ethanjhollinger.com & IG: @ethanjhollingerdesigns.

Samantha McLean Haas

Scenic Charge Artist

Samantha has been painting sets for over a decade in the greater Sacramento area. She’s thrilled to be painting for her fifth season with Capital Stage. In addition to Capital Stage, she’s worked at Sacramento City College, Sierra College, University of California Davis, Sacramento Theatre Company, B Street, and Broadway at Music Circus.

Nicole C. Limón

Intimacy Coordinator & Dramaturg

Nicole C. Limón is a multidisciplinary theatre artist: an actor/director/dramaturg, and theatre faculty at California State University, Sacramento. She most recently directed: HOUSE OF DESIRES, EVERYBODY; and DANCE NATION (CSUS,) BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK (Celebration Arts,) JUST A PINCH: A UTERUS PLAY (Matriarchy,) and WATER BY THE SPOONFUL (Teatro Espejo.) She is also a Theatrical Intimacy Director committed to creating consent-forward spaces for artists, and locally she has consulted and staged intimacy for Capital Stage, B Street Theatre, Teatro Espejo, Celebration Arts, Folsom Lake College, and Sacramento Theatre Company. She is founder of Matriarchy Theatre, an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and holds an MFA in Acting from UC Davis. Follow Nicole’s work @matriarchytheatre

K. Kevyne Baar, PhD

Resident Dramaturg

Kevyne is thrilled to be a member of the Capital Stage family as the Resident Dramaturg. Productions include GLORIA, HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING, PREDICTOR, ARCHDUKE, NOW CIRCA THEN and EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT. This year Kevyne is also serving in the role of Literary Manager as Capital Stage brings back its popular Playwrights' Revolution. A member of Viola Spolin’s Young Actors’ Company who became an Equity Stage Manager, and then the Field Representative for Actors’ Equity’s Western Regional Office, she returned to school in 2001 to work on a PhD. This led to her being Equity’s archivist at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University. Kevyne moved from Brooklyn, NY to Davis, CA in 2015, and in 2019 her book, BROADWAY AND THE BLACKLIST was published.

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

KIRK BLACKINTON - Development Manager

TONY GABRIELSON - Production & Company Manager

MISTY MCDOWELL - Marketing Manager

LOGAN JACOB GERMANO HELLER – Education & Box Office Manager

AVERY HERSEK - Audience Services Manager

THEODORE ALEXANDER - House Manager

CALEB JONES - Technical Director

CONOR WOODS - Lead Carpenter

SUNNY MACKEY - Carpenter, Painter

ED LEE - Resident Sound Designer & Engineer

ISAIAH LEEPER - Lighting Supervisor

SHAE MERCER - Lighting Designer & Lead Electrician

CECILIA CASTILLO JUAREZ - Concessions & Box Office Associate 

RACHEL LAU-KEE BROWNE - Assistant Stage Manager

YASMINE SALMERON - Production Associate

K. KEVYNE BAAR - Resident Dramaturg

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

ELIJAH PETERS - Infection Control Manager, Payroll & Administrative Assistant

2024/25 SEASON APPRENTICE COMPANY - Jarod Wiggins, Rachel Lau-Kee Browne, Zaara Little, Katie Halstead

Capital Stage Board Members

Lori Abbott Moreland
Arts Patron

Chastity E. Benson
California State Association of Counties

Dan Brunner, Treasurer
Arts Patron

Kathryn E. Doi, Board President
Feldesman Leifer LLP

Sherry Hartel Haus
Downey Brand

Beth Hassett
CEO, WEAVE

Stephen C. Jones
Professor and Vice Chair of the CSUS Dept of Theatre and Dance

Leili Khalessi, Board Vice President
California Dept. of Human Resources

Steve Koonce
Arts Patron

Elena Lopez-Gusman
Executive Director, California Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians

Dena Martinez
Talen Agent, Director, Actor

Kristi Quesada Mathisen, Board Secretary
Sacramento Country Day School

Clif McFarland
Attorney

Stephanie Rowe
Professor, Sacramento City College

Vince Sales
Everyday Impact Consulting

Peggy Wheeler
California Hospital Association

Board Emeritus:

Stephanie Gularte, Founding Artistic Director
Capital Stage

Peter Mohrmann, Co-founder
Capital Stage

Jonathan Williams, Co-Founder
Capital Stage

Arlen Orchard
SMUD

Julie Stark
Arts Patron

Donors

Special Thanks to our Donors

Donation Totals from 4/28/24 to 4/28/25

Please alert us to any errors or omissions by contacting Development Manager, Kirk Blackinton at kblackinton@capstage.org.

Founder's Circle: $20,000+

John Abbott & Lori Abbott Moreland
Dan Brunner
Donna Chipps
Drs. John & Lois Crowe
Kathryn Doi
Golden 1 Credit Union
Lesley & Steve Koonce
Sacramento City Office of Arts and Culture
The Shubert Foundation

Executive Producer: $10,000+

Chastity E. Benson
Rebecca Boyd
Gloriette C. Fong
James McElroy & Ann Gerhardt
Leonard Vincent Sales
Anita Scuri & James Simon
Patricia Wall & David Stavarek

Producer: $6,000+

Walter & Linda Barnes
Marcy Barnett
Susan Edling
Gail Finney
Deborah Franklin & Douglas Mitten
Linda McAtee & Steve Sphar
Art & Sue Scotland
Howard Slyter & Marge Ginsburg

Director: $3,000+

Susie & Jim Burton
Ted Cobb
Kathleen Collins
Melissa Conner & Theodore Harris
Theresa Corrigan
Ellen Covairt & Bernard Kalscheuer
Kathy Davenport & Ken Weiss
Steven Debry
Lisa Foster
James R Hargrove
Beth Hassett
Laura Jackson
Dean & Sandi Karagianes
Robert Klass & Katy Globus
Michael Koltnow
Scott & Linda Lasher
Dennis Link
Bob Mandelson
Clif McFarland
Gretchen Peralta
Rani Pettis
Stephanie Rowe
Peter Saucerman & Susan Twining
Diane Schertz
Tom & Hedda Smithson
Barbara Sommer
Marty & Janet Steiner
Shirlee Tully
Susan Wheeler
Gloria & Don Yost

Lead Actor: $1,200+

Jacob Appelsmith
Peggy Beasley
David Bell & Katherine Newman
Dr. William Bronston & Lisa Levering
Margaret L Buss
Tiffany Little Canfield
Cindy Dunning
Jeffrey Farley & Mike Tentis
Patty French
Carole Fritz
Curtis Fritz
Helen & Glenn Hakanson
Matt Hart
Sherry Haus
Jane Hing
Josh Horowitz & Patti Baggett
Lisa Horst
Stephanie & David Hunt
Barbara Jeffus
Janet Jensen
Dawn & Dave King
Brian & Dorothy Landsberg
Marion Leff
Dena Martinez & Paul Verke
Eugene Masuda
Peter Mohrmann & David Harris
Greg Ohanesian
Tracey O'Reilly
Gail Pereira
Christopher Price
Laurie Nelson Randlett & Jim Randlett
Brian Rickel
Amy & Jason Rogers
Glenn Rondeau
Ken Rothaus
Lori Saper
Chuck & Nancy Shulock
Owen Smith
Roger & Barbara Smith
Rae-Nani Stokes & Griff Field
Ed Telfeyan & Jeri Paik
Robert & Michele Van Eyken
Denise Verbeck
Megan Van Voorhis
Peggy Wheeler
Claudia Wrazel & Frank Horowitz

Designer: $600+

Chris Abare
Kathleen Anderson
Stephen & Melva Arditti
Ann Bailey
Carol Wolff Barnes
David & Marsha Baskins
Beth Carlsen
Les & Peggy Chisholm
Annabel Cooper
Gayle Dax-Conroy
Fred Deneke & Jim Eastman
Matt Donaldson & Steve Kyriakis
Carol Enns
Nancy Erman
Wiley Fowler
David Fulk & Keith Riedell
Brian Galacio
Randy Getz
Carol & Steven Goldberg
Linda Gregory
Dennis Gunvalson & Richard Bay
Ed Hall & Warren Lindeleaf
Team Hanseth
Eileen Heaser
Zheyla Henriksen
Kim Hunter
Laura Kee & Daryl Browne
Charles & Elizabeth Kuehner
Janet Lial
Elena Lopez-Gusman
Shannon Mahoney & Kirk Blackinton
Steven Meinrath & Helen Nusbaum
Ed Mills
Keetha Mills & Phil Nanni
Julie Morandi
Catherine O'Brien
Richard Pearson & Jean Hart
Ann Siprelle
Robert Thompson
Harold & Ilah Turner
Catherine Van Aken
Kim Varner
Elaine Verbarg
Chris Wagner
Buzz Wiesenfeld
Richard & Kathryn Williams
Karen Willstatter
John Wilson & Susie Monary-Wilson

Ensemble: $300+

Candace & Doug Adams
Elaine Alexander
Jean Alford
David Alois & Jacquie Embs
Susan Andrews
John Angell
Kristine Backus
Robert & Laura Jane Young
Eloise & James Barter
Barbara Black
William Blackburn
Sue Blosl
Robert & Jean Bonar
Peter Botto
Karen Broido
Margaret & Stephen Brush
Carin & Bob Bryans
Carol Buck & Dennis Beaty
Celia Buckley
Lyndsay Burch
Sharon Cammisa & Joseph Orr
Henry Chambers
Gail Dartez & Don McGillivray
Laura Dirrim
Katherine Downey
Stuart Eldridge
Richard & Barbara Falcon
Tracie & Richard Fike
Niva Flor
Muffy & Terry Francke
Cynthia Gerber
Mary Graziose
Barbara Greenwood
S. B. Hadley Wilson
Suzanne Hanrahan
Polly Hasemann
Robert Herne
Theresa Holden
Mike & Doris Horton
Patrick Hunt
Samuel Jenkins
Don Johnson & Elizabeth Miller
Leili Khalessi
Kay Michelle Khayat
Jolanta Kieturakis
Jane Kirkland
Pamela Kisor
Derry Knight
Sally Knost
Beverly & Ronald Lamb
Dr. John & Rosemary Lamb
Susie LaPointe
Dan & Stephanie Leahy
John Leonard
David & Ruth Lindgren
Spencer Lockson
John Marinko
George Meyer
Steve & Cheryl Meyer
Mr. Colin A. Miller
Ken Nather
Shirley Nelson
Karen Neuwald
Danielle & Dean Newberry
Becky & Bob Norris
Michele Noufer
Mary O'Byrne
Erin O'neil
Frank Pajerski
Steve Patwell
John Peirce
Enid Pritikin
Lowell Richardson & Paula Sugarman
Patti Roberts
Ron Robie
Myrna Rodriguez
Bob & Shirley Rosenberg
Randy Sater
Fred & Polly Schack
Michael Scheible
Gerald Sharp
Janet S Shibamoto-Smith
Elaine Silver
Susanne Sommer & George Ramsey
Patricia Sturdevant
Linda & Scott Taylor
Susan & Ken Taylor
Nina Thomson
Stephanie Tucker
Irene Velasquez
Peter & Karen Von Elten
Bryan Weare
LeRose Weikert
Martha West
Jonathan Williams
Wendy & Mark Zlotlow

Patron: $150+

Meredith Abby
John & Kathleen Agnew
Ann Arneill
Maria Balakshin
Kim Barragan
Susan Benson
Ricki Bergado
Brenda Betts
Karen Bleuel
Lydia Bourne
Todd Boyd
Daniel Braunstein
Eve Bressler
Donna Bridges
Marc Brown & Althea Cervantes
Steve Buri
Susan & Richard Carlsen
Marilyn Champa
Steven & Karin Chase
Bernice Chin
Allison Claire
Jay Cohen
Dennis & Susan Cook
Marilyn Cooper
Lyn & Jim Crouch
Marcus Crowder & Laura Compton
Anthony & Margie Deriggi
Lily Douglas
Deirdre Downes
Daniel & Diane Durawa
Valerie Durbin
Linda Esten
Rachel Falsetti
Clint Fleener
Jan Fleener
Daphna Fram
Elaine Freedman
Leah E Frey
Anne Geraghty
Jason Gieger
Sam Goby
Lisa Gonzales
Lisa Goodwill
Natalie Granchukoff
Marina Gunst
Linda Hansen
Dan Harlan
Mary Hellwig
Sharon Helmar
Beatrice Hildebrand
Suzanne Houlton
Marlys Huez
Sumiko Ichikawa & Teruo Mizutani
Linda Iseri
Chris & Sarah Janus
John Johnson
Lial Jones
Jonel Jorgensen & Dennis Lloyd
Maria Jurado
David & Kathy Kahn
Margaret Kane & Richard Frey
Cat Karell
Mimi Khan
Kellie Kilgore
Joann Kleemann
Anne Knuut
Paul & Jane Lammerding
Renee Larsen
Sandy Lee
Dennis Mangers & Michael Sestak
Geoff Maxey
Delta Mello
Briel & Alexandra Melvin
Lynne Meredith
Michele D Mickela
Connor Mickiewicz
Livia Moe
Everett and Julia Moore
Hallie Morrow
Catherine Mulhall & Steve Danielson
Julia Mullen & Charlene Jones
Suzanne Ness
Michael Paparian
Kellie Paredes
David Paul
J Paul & Judy Guyer
Barbara Payne
Roberta Peck
Ann Porten
David L. Reed
Margaret Roberts
Nancy Roberts
Randy Roberts
Ramona Robinson
Christine Rodrigues
Carol Rogers & Jon Courtway
Sally Rogers
Patrick Romano
Kurt Rosen
Ruth Rosenberg
Laura Rosenthal
Linda Roth
Deborah Seiler
Adrienne Shapiro
Adrienne Sher
Jean & David Shiomoto
Nancy Silva
Kim Silvers & Sheila Cardno
Harsev Singh
Susan & Ross Siragusa
Chris & Julia Smith
Karen Smith
Lauren Weil Solomon
Neill SooHoo
David Stolcenberg
Harry & Linda Struthers
Penelope Taylor
Carrie Thomsen
Rachel Tooker
Patty Torbert & Ken Graber
Mildred Torrance
Shirley Toy
Michael & Barbara Ullman
Devin Valdez
Rebecca Valentino
Christi van Eyken
Mary Jo Verke
Ian Wallace
Robin Wallace
Arnold Wolf & Fern Tablin
Mary Worthington
Lydia Zeidner

"The Crew" - Recurring Donors

Chris Abare
John Abbott & Lori Abbott Moreland
Candace & Doug Adams
John Angell
Merle Axelrad
Jose Barbosa
Peggy Beasley
Bill Bronston & Lisa Levering
Margaret & Stephen Brush
Celia Buckley
Margaret L Buss
Ann Byfield
Kathryn & Jim Carlson
Bernice Chin
Les & Peggy Chisholm
Kathleen Collins
Kaoru Cruz
Jennifer Cummings
Daniel DeFoe
Gail & Tom Devitt
Martha & Jim Dickson
Lily Douglas
Katherine Downey
Stuart Eldridge
Ellen Ferguson
Mary Helen Fischer
Sara Floor
Muffy & Terry Francke
Deborah Franklin & Douglas Mitten
David Fulk & Keith Riedell
Mary Graziose
Kathryn Grey
Stephanie Gularte
Suzanne Hanrahan
Courtney & Nate Hans
Dalinda Harman
Josh Horowitz & Patti Baggett
Suzanne Houlton
Stephanie & David Hunt
Kim Hunter & Sherry Reser
Linda Iseri
Eillen Jacobowitz
Anne Jennings
Iris Johnson
Maria Jurado
Dean & Sandi Karagianes
Pamela Kisor
Dr. John & Rosemary Lamb
Sandy Lee
Doron Levitan
Shannon Mahoney & Kirk Blackinton
John Marinko
Kristi & Josh Mathisen
Linda McAtee & Steve Sphar
Carol McCormick
Shelley & James McFarland
Peter Mohrmann & David Harris
Diane & Lisa Moore
Suzanne Ness
Ann OConnell
David Pitman & Rani Pettis
Laurie Nelson Randlett & Jim Randlett
Carol Rogers & Jon Courtway
Sunny Romer
Linda Roth
Donald Rubin
Leonard Vincent Sales
Peter Saucerman
Diane Schertz
Susan Scott
Chris & Julia Smith
Jennifer Sommer
Peggy Stare
Michael Stevenson
Michael Storey
Linda & Scott Taylor
Martha West
John Wilson & Susie Monary-Wilson
Claudia Wrazel & Frank Horowitz

Learn more about "The Crew": capstage.org/play-a-part/donate/