Peter and the Starcatcher
by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson
adapted by Rick Elice
PRODUCTION SPONSORS:
Andy Watson
Max McCauslin & John Smith
Directed by Cynthia Meier
Music Direction by Russell Ronnebaum
January 9–February 1, 2026
Friday & Saturday 7:30 P.M.,
Saturday & Sunday 2:00 P.M.
A prequel to Peter Pan, told with a highly theatrical style. Charged with delivering a magical cargo to a distant shore, our heroes encounter monsters, mermaids, flying crocodiles, and a villainous pirate named Black Stache, while learning about friendship, duty, and the power of believing in oneself.
The Rogue Theatre at The Historic Y
300 East University Boulevard
Free Off-Street Parking
See Map and Parking Information
Supporting Materials
Free Open Talk
Lost and Found: J. M. Barrie and the Origins of Peter Pan
Saturday, January 3, 2:00–3:00 P.M.
Join us for a presentation by Director Cynthia Meier that will deepen your understanding of the play and hopefully enrich your experience of attending the production. As always, actors from our production will be on hand to present an exciting sneak peek at the play in action!
This open talk is supported in part by generous gifts from Ann Ellsworth.
Direction
Cynthia Meier (Director) is Co-Founder and Managing & Associate Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre and holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of Arizona. She has directed 43 of The Rogue’s 101 productions to date including The Secret in the Wings, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Galileo, Bach at Leipzig, The White Snake, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Betrayal, Naga Mandala, and The Four of Us for which she received Arizona Daily Star Mac Award nominations as Best Director, as well as Arcadia and Richard III for which she won Mac Awards for Direction. Cynthia has created stage adaptations for The Rogue of Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Virginia Woolf’s The Lady in the Looking Glass & Mrs Dalloway, James Joyce’s The Dead, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age, Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, and (along with Holly Griffith) Moby Dick. She is co-founder of Bloodhut Productions, a company performing original monologues and comedy improvisation, which toured throughout the western United States. She also directed The Seagull (featuring Ken Ruta) for Tucson Art Theatre, and she directed Talia Shire in Sister Mendelssohn and Edward Herrmann in Beloved Brahms for Chamber Music Plus Southwest. Cynthia has also been nominated for nine Mac Awards for Best Actress from the Arizona Daily Star, and in 2008, she received the Mac Award for Best Actress for her performance of Stevie in Edward Albee’s The Goat at The Rogue Theatre.
Cynthia Meier’s direction of Peter and the Starcatcher is supported in part by
generous gifts from Lewis Roscoe and Lori Levine & Gary Benna
CAST
BOY - Hunter Hnat*
A homeless and nameless orphan who is brave and resourceful. He becomes the hero of the story.
MOLLY ASTER - Chelsey Jean Smith
A young and intelligent Starcatcher apprentice, the daughter of Lord Leonard Aster.
LORD LEONARD ASTER - Joseph McGrath*
A loyal subject of the Queen and Molly's father, tasked with protecting the dangerous "starstuff".
BLACK STACHE - Matt Walley*
A fearsome and notorious pirate who is obsessed with finding a worthy adversary.
SMEE - Chelsea Bowdren*
Black Stache's first mate and a pirate.
MRS. BUMBRAKE - Christopher Johnson*
Molly's British nanny. She is a no-nonsense woman who is very protective of Molly.
CAPTAIN ROBERT FALCON SCOTT - Carley Elizabeth Preston*
Captain of the Wasp and a friend of Lord Aster.
BILL SLANK - Ryan Parker Knox*
The cruel and greedy captain of the Neverland.
ALF - Arnie Krauss
A kindly, though somewhat coarse, sailor on the Neverland.
GREMPKIN - Rafael Acuña
The sadistic schoolmaster of St. Norbert's Orphanage for Lost Boys.
PRENTISS - Christopher Pankratz*
An orphan who is logical and ambitious.
TED - Aaron Sosa
Another orphan who is obsessed with food.
*Member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble
Stand-Bys: Jim Fye, Owen Saunders & Kate Scally.
Biographies
Rafael Acuña (Grempkin & others) is an actor, amateur musician and arts educator with an AFA in Performance Arts from Pima Community College. Credits include PCC Center for the Arts: Monty Python's Spamalot (Sir Galahad), Dracula (Jonathan H.), In The Heights (Piaragua Guy), Three Sisters (Vershinin), Mamma Mia (Sam C.) Arts Express: Rent (Roger, T. Collins US), Bright Star (Jimmy Ray), Chess (Freddie T.), Ragtime (Tateh/Baron), Anastasia (Vlad P.), Catch Me If You Can (C. Hanratty), In The Heights (Usnavi), Rock of Ages (Lonny), Side Show (Terry C.), Kinky Boots (Harry, Charlie P. US), The Rocky Horror Show (Brad M.) Saguaro City Music Theatre: Wizard of Oz (Zeke/Lion). Rafael has also been an ensemble member and teaching artist with the performance community and educational institution, Stories That Soar. “I ain’t got nothing, but you can always have half.”
Rafael Acuña’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Marianne Leedy and Vicki Ettleman
Chelsea Bowdren (Smee) is excited to be in her fourth season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. She has previously performed on The Rogue stage in Tartuffe, The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, Sweat, Mrs Dalloway, Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night and Immortal Longings. For Archer, Eloise, and Felix: don’t ever grow up. And to Jeff, thank you for all you do.
Chelsea Bowdren’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Eloise Gore & Allen Hile and Shawn Burke
Hunter Hnat (Boy) is grateful to be in his eighth season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. He was most recently seen as Betty/Gerry in Cloud 9. He has performed in over 30 shows with The Rogue, some notable favorites include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Christopher Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pip in Great Expectations, Happy in Death of a Salesman, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Other credits include Salomé (Scoundrel & Scamp), U/S in Romeo and Juliet (Arizona Theatre Company), and How the House Burned Down (Live Theatre Workshop). He is a U of A alumnus with his BFA in Musical Theatre, class of 2015. Enjoy the show!
Hunter Hnat’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts from
Peggy Houghton & Paul Garner, Frank Flasch, Ed & Nancy Landes and Bob & Judy Bolt
Christopher Johnson (Mrs. Bumbrake) first came to The Rogue in 2011 to play Jewel in As I Lay Dying and now serves as Assistant Artistic Director, Play-reading Producer, and Resident Ensemble Member. Select acting credits at The Rogue include Il Maestro in If on a winter’s night a traveler, Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman, and Prior Walter in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (2016 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Drama). Notable roles elsewhere include Joshua in Corpus Christi, Peter in Bug, Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Alan in Lemon Sky, Pale in Burn This, Chicklet in Psycho Beach Party, Thom Pain in Thom Pain (based on nothing), and The Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret (2013 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Musical).
Christopher Johnson’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Denice Blake & John Blackwell and Katherine Jacobson
Ryan Parker Knox (Bill Slank ) finds himself in his 51st Rogue mainstage production having last been seen as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. He is excited to collaborate with the ensemble in this imaginative adventure much like his first production, Journey to the West in 2012. RPK has now lived in Tucson longer than anywhere else in his life with no plans to change his zip code any time soon. Originally from South Dakota, Ryan has worked professionally in Minnesota, Missouri, Florida, and Ohio in his 40+ years on stage. All the love to his partner CM for the support and to their quartet of four-legged dependents who make sure no one ever has solitude or gets a good night’s sleep.
Ryan Parker Knox’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Carol Mangold and Joan Warfield
Arnie Krauss (Alf) is thrilled to be making his first appearance with The Rogue Theatre. Recent Tucson credits include Lion in Winter (Henry II) Blithe Spirit (Charles) 39 Steps (Clown #2) and Plaza Suite (Sam, Jesse, Roy) with the Oro Valley Theatre Co. Previous roles in Tucson include Camelot (Pellinore) with Stage Foundation Theatre. The Rainmaker (Jimmy), As You Like It (Silvius), and What the Butler Saw (Nicholas Beckett) at the Arizona Theatre Company. In Los Angeles, Arnie appeared in the Victory Theatre’s production of A Chamber of Bells (Vince). Other favorite roles include American Buffalo (Teach), Rhinoceros (Berenger) and Sleuth (Milo Tindle).
Arnie Krauss’ performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Barbara Martinsons & Larry Boutis and Nan Schubel
Joseph McGrath (Lord Leonard Aster) is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and Co-Founder and Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre. He has recently appeared in Cloud 9, Romeo and Juliet, The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, Great Expectations, Mrs Dalloway, Passage, Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Crucible, The Secret in the Wings, Galileo (2018 Mac Award for Best Actor), and King Lear. He also received the Mac Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tobias in A Delicate Balance. Joe has toured with John Houseman’s Acting Company and has performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. He has been a frequent performer with Ballet Tucson appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and for seventeen years as Herr Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. He has also performed with Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, and Arizona Onstage.
Joseph McGrath’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Kathy Ortega & Larry Johnson and Brock & Chantal McCaman
Christopher Pankratz (Prentiss, Property Master, Scenic Artist) Christopher’s Rogue acting credits include Cloud 9, Tartuffe, Romeo and Juliet, The Playboy of the Western World, If on a winter’s night a traveler, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, The Awakening, As You Like It, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, The Crucible, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and The Grapes of Wrath. Christopher also directed An Enemy of the People, Constellations, and The Sun Also Rises for the John and Joyce Ambruster Play-Reading Series. Christopher formerly taught theatre at Flowing Wells High School where he wrote and produced numerous new plays including The Longest Day of April, The Story Seller’s Tale, and You Can’t Make Wine from Raisins, which are available online for licensing and performance. While attending the University of Arizona, Christopher earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, as well as a master’s degree from the College of Education.
Christopher Pankratz’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts from
Marianne Leedy and Felicia & Warren May
His work as Prop Master is supported in part by generous gifts from
Bill Krauss & Kate McMillan and Pauline Pettinato
His work as Scenic Artist is supported in part by a generous gift from
Bill & Nancy Sogn
Carley Elizabeth Preston (Captain Robert Falcon Scott) was last seen as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet on The Rogue stage. Now in her seventh season as a member of The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Acting Ensemble, Carley has also appeared in Marjorie Prime, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Under Milk Wood, Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Babette’s Feast, Sweat, Mrs. Dalloway, Passage, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Blithe Spirit, and The Crucible. Carley received her BFA from the University of Arizona, where she was a member of the Arizona Repertory Theatre. Some of her other stage credits include Time Stands Still (Mac Award for Best Actress), Molly Sweeney, Enchanted April, and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. She would like to thank the love of her life, Jerrad McMurrich, and their pups, Loki Björn Hiddleston, Freyja Laveau, and Indiana Idris Jones, for supporting her theatre habit!
Carley Elizabeth Preston’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Susan Tiss and Ann & Andrew Lettes
Chelsey Jean Smith (Molly) is thrilled to be returning to the Rogue stage, after previously appearing as Honor Blake in The Playboy of the Western World. A Jersey native, she’s appeared on east coast stages such as Walnut Street Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, and the Majorie S. Dean Little Theater in NYC. Previous credits include Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime, Amy in Company, and Catherine in The Foreigner. Recent local credits include Arizona Theatre Company: Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson: Apt 2B(u/s Ms. Sherlock Holmes), Dial M for Murder (u/s Margot Wendice); Invisible Theatre: Almost, Maine. Though her forever-favorite role is “Mama” to Jude. Smith proudly holds her BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory. Sincerest thanks to the Rogue team for their kindness and for this very special show and opportunity!
Chelsey Jean Smith’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Sylvia Pozarnsky & Tom Riley and Kristi Lewis
Aaron Sosa (Ted) is excited to be returning to the stage, and there is no place better than The Rogue. During his 15 yr hiatus he worked behind the scenes in LA and directed his short film series, The Couruscant Canteen. A Graduate of the U of A Theatre Program, Aaron has always found a home on the stage. Other Rogue performances include Cherry Orchard and Red Noses. He is very grateful to be a part of this wonderful ensemble and to be a part of the Rogue's 21st season.
Aaron Sosa’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Paul & Mary Ross and Pauline Pettinato
Matt Walley (Black Stache) is a member of The Rogue Theatre Resident Acting Ensemble and was most recently seen as Clive/Cathy in Cloud 9. Other appearances include Tartuffe in Tartuffe, Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Jon in Marjorie Prime, Jimmy Farrell in The Playboy of the Western World, Marana in If on a winter’s night a traveler, Mr. Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth, Don Armado in Love’s Labor’s Lost, Captain Cat in Under Milk Wood, Estraven in The Left Hand of Darkness, Boss Mangan in Heartbreak House, Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard in The Seafarer, Stan in Sweat, and Stubb in Moby Dick. He co-created and performed in Oaf at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre. He is also a strength coach at The Protocol gym in Tucson. Thank you to Laura for thinking ‘clown’ a decent occupation.
Matt Walley’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Barbara & Gerald Goldberg, Mona Mizell and Gay Gilbert
Music
Music Direction & Piano Russell Ronnebaum
Percussion Liz Soflin
Russell Ronnebaum (Music Director) has served as The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Composer and Director of Music since 2019. Some favorite productions include Tartuffe, Marjorie Prime, If on a winter’s night a traveler, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, Mrs. Dalloway, Death of a Salesman, The Awakening, As You Like It, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, and Much Ado About Nothing.
Russell holds a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from the University of Arizona. He is the assistant director of music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oro Valley. As a pianist, Russell often performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Russell made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, performing the music of Dan Forrest.
Russell also composes music for Rogue Radio, a radio play series produced in partnership with Arizona Public Media, NPR 89.1 FM. Recordings, videos, sheet music, and more can be found at www.RRonnebaum.com.
Russell Ronnebaum’s music direction is supported in part by generous gifts
from Denice Blake & John Blackwell and Rebecca Standifer
Elizabeth Soflin (Percussionist) is so excited to be returning to the Rogue Theatre for her second production! She is a performer whose work focuses on interdisciplinary works for solo speaking percussionist and on collaborative chamber music projects. She was a 2022 recipient of the Arizona Commission on the Arts Research and Development Grant and performed “The Impostor Poems”, the resulting work for which she composed original music and poetry, at the Fall 2022 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. She has also recently appeared as an solo artist at the Tucson Fringe Festival, the Oh My Ears Festival, and the Transplanted Roots Percussion Symposium in Guanajuato, MX, as well as performing with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Soflin earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Arizona and holds performance degrees from The University of Tennessee and Central Michigan University. She is an artist endorser for Black Swamp Percussion.
Designers and Production Staff
| Costume Design | Cynthia Meier | ||
| Scenic Design | Joseph McGrath | ||
| Lighting Design |
Josh Hemmo |
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| Stage Manager |
Hannah Al-Baiaty |
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| Assistant Stage Manager |
Maddie Thatcher |
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| Production Stage Manager |
Shannon Wallace |
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| Dance Choreographer |
Brooke Amundrud |
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| Dance choreography is supported in part by a generous gift from Kay Crofoot & Robin Oggins |
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| Property Master |
Christopher Pankratz |
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| Props are
supported in part by generous gifts from Bill Krauss
& Kate McMillan and Pauline Pettinato |
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| Scenic Artist | Christopher Pankratz |
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| Scenic
Painting is supported in part by a generous gift from
Bill & Nancy Sohn |
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| Set Construction | Joseph McGrath, Christopher Johnson & Christopher Pankratz |
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| Costume Supervisor |
Nanalee Raphael |
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| Costume Construction | Nanalee Raphael, Cynthia Meier & Christopher Pankratz |
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| Master Electrician | Peter Bleasby | ||
| Assistant
Master Electrician |
Connor J. Greene | ||
| Lighting Crew | TBD | ||
| House Managers | Kara Clauser, Megan Coy & Matt Elias |
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| Box Office Manager | Thomas Wentzel | ||
| Box Office Staff | Megan Coy, Shannon Elias & Shannon Wallace |
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| Theatre Essayist | Jerry James | ||
| Program & Poster | Thomas Wentzel | ||
| Rogue Website | Bill Sandel, Shannon Wallace & Thomas Wentzel |
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Cynthia Meier (Costume Design) worked her way through college at Eastern Michigan University by assisting in the costume shop. Most of what she knows about Costume Design, she learned from Katie Holkeboer, the costume designer and professor at EMU. After graduating with her MA in Speech & Theatre, Cynthia stayed on at EMU to teach Costume Design, Costume Construction, Stage Makeup, and Introduction to Technical Theatre while designing the university mainstage plays and supervising the costume shop. She has designed costumes for each and every one of The Rogue plays since 2005.
Cynthia Meier’s costume design is supported in part by generous gifts
from Denice Blake & John Blackwell and Chris Wozney
Joseph McGrath (Scenic Design) worked in the scene shops at West Virginia University and the Juilliard School of Drama while he was studying to become an actor. He served as Technical Director for Arizona Theatre Company from 1987–88, and opened his own scene shop, Sonora Theatre Works, in the 1990s. Joe has designed and built scenery for Ballet Tucson for most of their ballets for over 20 years, as well as various projects with UA Opera Theatre. He has designed each and every set for The Rogue since its inception in 2005.
Joseph McGrath’s scenic design is supported in part by
generous gifts from Jerry James and Meg & Peter Hovell
Josh Hemmo (Lighting Design) is a NYC based lighting designer who is thrilled to be back at The Rogue! His previous work was seen in Romeo and Juliet, Under Milk Wood, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mrs Dalloway, Twelfth Night, Middletown and Much Ado About Nothing. Other notable credits include: Revelation: The Musical (Off-Broadway, The Players Theatre), Humanity’s Child (Off-Broadway), Cleopatra: A Pop Experience (Off-Off Broadway, Theater for the New City), Route 66, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Sierra Repertory Theatre), The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, A New Brain (Florida State University), Talent is Sexy, Ladies of Glen Ross (Randomly Specific Theatre, NYC), Harvey (Out of The Box Theatre), Show Risqué (Hard Rock Casio and Hotel Biloxi), Moscow Ballet’s The Great Russian Nutcracker tour (lighting director of West Coast 2017 tour), and 2016–2017 lighting fellow at Berkeley Repertory Theater. jhemmolighting.com
Josh Hemmo’s lighting design is supported in part by
generous gifts from Vicki Ettleman and Nan Schubel
Hannah Al-Baiaty (Stage Manager) is excited to continue her work with The Rogue Theatre after previously stage-managing Romeo and Juliet, Marjorie Prime, If on a winter's night a traveler, The Skin of Our Teeth, Love's Labor's Lost, Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Seafarer, Great Expectations, Twelfth Night, and Passage. Hannah earned her BFA in Technical Theatre Production and Design from the University of Arizona. Hannah's previous credits include serving as Stage Manager for the Under Construction Series: Ralph Lemon & Friends at Park Avenue Armory, Helen Simoneau Danse's Flight Distance at Joyce SoHo, Tucson Folk Festival, Arizona Repertory Theatre's productions of Avenue Q, Assistant Stage Manager for Eugene Opera's production of Nixon in China and Assistant Production Manager for Pipeline Theatre Company's world premiere of Byuioo. Additionally she spent five seasons as a Costume Technician for The Gaslight Theatre. Hannah would like to thank her husband, beautiful baby boy, family, and friends for their endless support and love.
Hannah Al-Baiaty’s stage management is supported in part by
a generous gift from Els Duvigneau
Maddie Thatcher (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with The Rogue Theatre again after previously stage managing The Playboy of the Western World last season. Maddie was born and raised in Tucson and got her BFA in Technical Theatre Production and Design from the University of Arizona. Some of her local credits include Asst. Stage Manager for The Scoundrel and Scamp’s productions of One Twig at a Time and Pooh, as well as Production Stage Manager for Hamlet: Fine Revolution. Maddie has spent several summers in Ohio as the Production Stage Manager & Assistant Director for Scioto Society’s Tecumseh! The Outdoor Drama, as well as Production Stage Manager for their Haunted Mountain shows including Frankenstein, The Passion of Dracula, and Tales of the Dead: St. Nicolas. Maddie would like to thank her family and friends for all of their love and support!
Maddie Thatcher’s stage management is supported in part by
a generous gift from Gian & Marykay Morelli
Shannon Wallace (Production Stage Manager) first came to The Rogue in 2015 to stage manage The Picture of Dorian Gray, and now serves as their Production Stage Manager and Operations Manager. She has worked on over 30 shows with The Rogue, some favorites include: The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Grapes of Wrath, Curious Incident, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, As You Like It, and If on a winter’s night a traveler. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona, with a dual emphasis in stage management and lighting design. During her college years, she worked on over 25 productions with Arizona Repertory Theatre and dabbled in production & company management at Arizona Theatre Company and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. After graduating, she continued to expand her breadth of experience to include different arts management positions such as Operations Assistant at Mudlark Theater Company. Apart from a one-year sojourn to Chicago, The Rogue has been her home for almost 10 years, and she is grateful every day to be a part of this vibrant and loving community.
Shannon Wallace’s production stage management is supported in part by
a generous gift from Brock & Chantal McCaman
Nanalee Raphael (Costume Shop Supervisor) has known from age five that she would work in theatre. Of course, she thought it would be as an actor, not as someone who flings fabric around. She feels blessed that she has always been employed in costuming, for both professional and academic theatres, and has never had to have a “day job.” Until moving to Tucson in 1995, she was peripatetic in her work situations, desiring to work with theatres all over the country. She has worked as a costume designer, costume director and/or draper in professional theatres in Michigan, (Hope Summer Repertory, Holland), Wisconsin (American Players Theatre, Spring Green), Illinois (Goodman, Wisdom Bridge, and Steppenwolf, Chicago), New York (The Public, NYC), Arizona (ART & ATC, Tucson), at Shakespeare Festivals in Vermont and New Jersey, and California (The Old Globe, San Diego). She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Costume Design and Technology from Syracuse University. She is one of the “Pioneering Seven,” the first group of women to study full-time at Dartmouth College.
Peter Bleasby (Master Electrician) has been actively involved with lighting for theatre and other entertainments for 70 years. That is not a typo! Professionally it includes stints with BBC Television, and with UK lighting designer Richard Pilbrow for the opening of the National Theatre (Director: Laurence Olivier). Non-theatrical lighting has included Commercial/Industrial, Cathedrals, Major Sports Venues and Fashion Shows. He assisted with The Rogue’s initial lighting rig at the Historic “Y” in 2009 and has been the master electrician for every show since the 2013/14 season. His most recent contribution was the design and oversight of the $95K LED lighting installation in time for Tartuffe - the 100th production - in September 2025. From light bulbs in coffee cans to LED lights with internal software, it’s been an amazing technological journey, but always in the service of the productions.
Connor J. Greene (Assistant Master Electrician) first came to The Rogue as a volunteer electrician on Miss Julie in 2016. In 2018, he interned for Peter Bleasby on The Grapes of Wrath. Starting with The Awakening in 2020, he began drafting for Deanna Fitzgerald’s designs. In 2021, when a piece of lighting technology misbehaved during Twelfth Night, he became a special projects electrician. Now, in 2025, Connor is excited to serve as The Rogue’s Assistant Master Electrician. He is looking forward to the learning and growth that comes from making good art with the wonderful community who supported and fostered him throughout his entire career. Connor holds a BFA from the University of Arizona, with an emphasis in lighting design. He was a Journeyman Electrician for Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2019, a freelance electrician in NYC from 2019-2020, and the Lighting Programmer for Arizona Opera Company from 2021-2023. He would like to thank his families of both blood and water.
Kara Clauser (House Manager) has been involved with the Rogue for more than a decade as a box officer, volunteer usher, and now house manager. She studied ecology and geographic information systems at the University of Arizona, and has a day job as a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Megan Coy (House Manager, Box Office Staff) is excited to return to the Rogue after taking a few years away! As the resident stage manager in 2019-2020, she worked on Middletown, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Moby Dick, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. In 2020, she decided to leave the Rogue to be home with her daughter Eleanor and has now welcomed a son, Esben. Always looking for a creative outlet, Megan started her jewelry business, Coy Creative, in 2020 as well! Prior to working at the Rogue, she worked in marketing and production at The Magik Theatre in San Antonio, traveled internationally with a touring production, and graduated from the U of A in 2013 with a BFA in Theatre Production. She is so excited to be back with her friends at the Rogue!
Matt Elias (House Manager, Sound Consultant) is constantly seeking out art whether it be theatre, music, television or video games. He became enamored with live performance at The Rogue Theatre in 2014 while joining his wife, Shannon, as an usher. His experience as a touring musician, his penchant for audio production and his general obsession with how stuff works, makes him useful in all sorts of tight places throughout the production process. Nowadays you’ll see him as House Manager, trading off shows with Woods Fairchild and you might not see him sneaking a peek at each of those shows from behind the scenes. Matt has experience as a Master Bicycle Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire/EMS 911 Dispatcher, and most recently a Production Brewer at Dragoon Brewing Company.
Thomas Wentzel (Box Office Manager, Program, Website) is a Scientific Programmer for the National Solar Observatory and holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Arizona. Previously he has worked as a Data Manager for several prevention programs in the Arizona Cancer Center and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health. He has served on the Board of the Tucson Men’s Cooperative, editing its newsletter for five years, and on the Executive Committee of Sons of Orpheus—The Male Choir of Tucson. He has sung with Furry Day Singers, Sons of Orpheus, AwenRising and Arizona Repertory Singers, and has performed with Tucson Art Theatre in Viktor Slavkin’s Cerceau and Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty. Thomas has designed and built The Rogue Theatre Web site (with great assistance from Bill Sandel and Bryan Falcón in creating the 2020 Website update), and serves as Webmaster and Business Manager. He has also served on The Rogue’s Board of Directors since the founding of the theatre.
Shannon Elias (Box Office Associate, Volunteer Coordinator) got her first big break in theatre at age 11 when she was cast as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz in school. After that first applause, she was hooked. She began at The Rogue Theatre as an usher in 2008, and volunteered in various roles until she was hired to the box office in 2018. She made her debut on The Rogue stage in The Oresteia in 2020 and has since appeared in The Playboy of the Western World, The Skin of Our Teeth, Babette’s Feast, The Left Hand of Darkness, and the staged-readings of Everybody and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She also worked backstage with The Rogue as Assistant Stage Manager for The Awakening, Mrs Dalloway, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labor’s Lost. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona with a minor in Special Education and Rehabilitation Psychology.
Our Thanks
| Tim Fuller | Shawn Burke |
| Student tickets are sponsored in
part by generous donations from Jill Ballesteros, Dennis & Kathy Karsh and Brock & Chantal McCaman. |
|
Performance Schedule
| Friday, January 9, 2026, 7:30 pm | DISCOUNT PREVIEW |
| Saturday, January 10, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Saturday, January 10, 2026, 7:30 pm | OPENING NIGHT |
| Sunday, January 11, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Friday, January 16, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Saturday, January 17, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Saturday, January 17, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Sunday, January 18, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Friday, January 23, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Saturday, January 24, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Sunday, January 25, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Friday, January 30, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Saturday, January 31, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee | |
| Saturday, January 31, 2026, 7:30 pm | |
| Sunday, February 1, 2026, 2:00 pm matinee |
