Nicolas Aliaga

George Arana

Broderick Ballantyne (Christy Mahon) This is Broderick's first show at the Cinnabar Theater and his first in California. A Colorado native, Broderick recently arrived in the North Bay after training at the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York. Past acting credits include Little Women, Little Shop of Horrors, You Can't Take It With You, Don't Drink the Water and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Thanks to Cinnabar, the entire cast/crew and Ginny for this great opportunity.

Cynthia Rose Beckley (Costumes) A costume designer for twenty-four years, Cynthia¹s design for Playboy marks her Cinnabar debut. She has designed shows for Actors Theatre, naming her favorites there as The Bachelors; Laughing River, a folk tale for peace; and Fortinbras. Among her favorite costume designs for musicals are A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Once Upon a Mattress, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Camelot and Peter Pan. Recently, Cynthia designed The Night of the Iguana and Renaissance for The Rep at Main Street Theatre in Sebastopol. Other favorite projects include 1001 Arabian Nights (Marin Shakespeare Company), The Mustard Festival Gala, Napa Valley; Salute to the Arts, Sonoma; and Merry Christmas Snoopy! (Costume Shop Manager) for Redwood Empire Ice Productions. Currently, Cynthia¹s passion for costume design flourishes in custom dressmaking for competitive figure skating, with individuals and with synchronized ice skating teams. With her personal background in dance training and performing, Cynthia enjoys working with many types of dance costuming including Flamenco and Middle Eastern.

Conrad Bishop is founder and producing director of The Independent Eye, a professional ensemble that has toured the USA since 1974. A Stanford Ph.D., he taught in universities for five years before leaving for full-time professional work, and has conducted workshops and residencies in hundreds of colleges and high schools. Bishop has been a freelance director for Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, Theater of the First Amendment and others. His 50+ plays, written in collaboration with Elizabeth Fuller, have been produced by Actors Theatre of Louisville, Circle Repertory, Denver Center Theatre and many other theatres in the USA. He and Elizabeth were twice recipients of Playwriting Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is the producer/host of a weekly public radio show, Hitchhiking Off the Map.

Christine Bloodgood (Stage Manager) began here at Cinnabar a year ago with Queer Theory and is currently having a ball with Playboy, leppin¹ and jumpin¹ in her fourth Cinnabar production. A senior at Sonoma State University, she will graduate next Fall with her degree in Technical Theater. Previous stage management credits include Amahl and the Night Visitors and Dido and Aeneas at Sonoma State University, as well as the hit The Marriage of Figaro here at Cinnabar. Christine¹s next projects include A Little Night Music at Sonoma State University, which will open in February of 2006. At this time she would like to thank her fantastic cast and Ginny, of course, for a wonderful time working on this show. She would also like to thank Miss Elly for all of her support, as well as allowing her the wondrous opportunity to work with such marvelous people.

Diana Boos (Sara Tansey) was last seen as Ma Carnes in Oklahoma! directed by Randall Stuart at Notre Dame Namur University. Other Bay Area credits include Brutus in Julius Caesar with the San Leandro Players. Regional credits include Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth all at the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival; Orpheus Descending and Sadie and Bib at The Artistic Home(Chicago); Long Days Journey into One-Act, Charlie and the Fiction Factory and Dark Shadows with the Free Associates (Chicago); The Seagull, A Christmas Carol and Playboy of the Western World at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of Cinnabar Theater¹s production of The Playboy of the Western World. Love and thanks to her family, especially her husband Michael.

Brian Glenn Bryson is currently directing the world premiere of his children’s musical-comedy adventure about global warming, Zola’s Footprint at the San Anselmo Playhouse in Marin County. Mr. Bryson is a Director, a Teacher, and an Award Winning Playwright and Actor. He taught and directed at the Marin School of the Arts, the Yes Foundation, and Actors’ Theatre. In the Alps of Switzerland he was the Theatre Director and Acting Teacher of the Leysin International Boarding School. In Tucson, Arizona he worked as a Stunt-Man, produced his award winning play Following Star, and worked on the film Traffic with Benicio Del Toro and Steven Soderbergh. In Los Angeles he was a Story Editor for the Reality TV shows The Biggest Loser (NBC), Beauty & the Geek (WB), and For Love or Money (NBC). Actors’ Theatre produced his One-Act play, American Hat, while Mr. Bryson acted in the film Adaptation with Nicholas Cage and Spike Jonze, and the television show The West Wing. He even gave stand-up comedy a try and became a finalist on Soul Search. In San Francisco he performed his solo work “Romance: A One Man Show” to standing-room-only crowds and rave reviews. At the Mill Valley Film Festival he co-wrote and co-starred in the short film, The Belly Dance. Mr. Bryson has been back in town for a year and a half and in that time he has Directed 11 plays. Seven of which he either wrote, conceived, or adapted.

Kelly Campbell (Susan Brody) was born in Irvine in sunny Southern California and moved to Rohnert Park three years ago to attend Sonoma State University. She is double majoring in Theatre and Women and Gender Studies, and plans to graduate in 2006/2007 to pursue theatre as well as human/social services (hopefully combining the two). Past productions include Top Girls (Joyce/Griselda), Dutchman (Lula), No. 11 Blue and White (Alex), The Exception and the Rule (Judge), and The Vagina Monologues at Sonoma State University; A Christmas Carol (Fan) and Bliss (Butterfly) at South Coast Repertory; and No. 11 Blue and White (Alex) at Abydos Theatre. This last year she performed in The Vagina Monologues at the Luther Burbank Center as a benefit for Playback Theatre and United Against Sexual Assault (where she has interned for the past two years).

John Connole (Set Designer) spent his first decade and a half in the uncivilized theater world of the East Coast. Of his mild accomplishments he ranks as significant: first Technical Director and Resident Designer of the Woolly Mammoth Theater Company; first Technical Director and Resident Designer of the Kennedy Center¹s Theater for Young People; owner/operator of T.C.F., a scenic house, whose clients included Fox TV, NBC Sports, the White House Communications Agency, Gannet Corp., Embassy of France, and the Daniel West Dancers. Working with Dario Fo, Franca Rame, Spaulding Gray, Richard Thomas, and David Warilow convinced Mr. Connole to seek the true people. In 1991 John met Marvin and Jan Klebe at a soprano¹s recital in Jenner, CA. The Klebes saw potential for rehabilitation. He then designed Tales of Hoffmann. After over 30 productions, John is now a card-carrying Cinnabarbarian. Other area credits include Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Lend Me a Tenor, The Subject Was Roses, Philadelphia Story (Dean Goodman Award for Design), and a dozen more designs for Rohnert Park¹s Spreckels Performing Arts Center. At SSU, where he is on staff for the Center for Performing Arts, John has designed many productions, including Antigone, Phantom, and Garden Paths. John¹s most important accomplishments, however, have been the introduction to Cinnabar of Christine Bloodgood, Amanda Ortmayer, Sharlyn Klein, Naren Larson and Bradley Nierman.

Fred Curchack has created over seventy original theatre works, twenty-five of them solos. His performances have been featured at dozens of international theatre festivals. He has received the Gold Medal at the International Festival of Solo Theatre in Belgrade, the American Theatre Wing Award, Critics’ Awards in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Austin, and his work has been in the "Top Ten" of The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times. This year, his solo, Gauguin's Shadow was cited as "Best New Play" by the Dallas Critics' Forum. He has received funding from Creative Capital, the Jim Henson Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts International, and is a Guggenheim Fellow. After receiving a drama degree from the High School of Performing Arts in N.Y. and a B.A. and M.A. in Theater from Queens College, Curchack studied Indian Kathakali, Japanese Noh, Balinese Topeng, choreography with Alwyn Nikolais, and trained with Grotowski’s Polish Theater Lab. He has taught theatre at the United Nations International School, N.Y.; Sonoma State University, California; and is currently Professor of Art and Performance at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Amalia Martin Dobbins (Camp), mezzo-soprano, has an extensive background in musical theater and opera. She holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Bucknell University and a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory. While at Bucknell she performed in modern chamber operas, theater productions and musicals. She was selected to be a member of the College Light Opera Company in 2000. This past summer Amalia performed the role of Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann with the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute. She has performed as a soloist  around the country. Amalia currently conducts the Coram Deo Childrens’ Chorus and teaches private voice.

Marv Dolowitz, Cinnabar's Volunteer of the Month for December, 2004, has been a friend of Cinnabar Theater and its founder Marvin Klebe for decades. For many years, Marv has been Cinnabar's archivist and signmaker, creating all of the distinctive red and white signs that publicized Cinnabar productions and events. Cinnabar has recently changed to vinyl banners, but never fear! We all love Marv’s "personal touch" and, as a result, Mr. Dolowitz's artistic talent is still being exploited in the hand-painted signs you see at our Gala openings! Cinnabar also tapped Mr. Dolowitz’s creativity as a decorative painter when he stepped up to the plate and decorated two of the teacups in our Christmas production, The Tailor of Gloucester. For this and so much more, thank you Marv!

Dennis Drury

Rick Eldredge was born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA. He began his theatre career at Sonoma State University, where he earned his BA in Performing Arts. He went on to receive his Masters degree in Acting at The International Actor Training Academy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He spent two years in New York City, where he acted and co-founded SPi Theatre Company. Out of a love for California, he returned to pursue his acting, and re-entered school to obtain his teaching credential in English and Drama. His recent acting credits include "Man" from the world premiere of Adam Rapp's Dreams of the Salthorse with Encore Theatre Company, and "Platonov" from Anton Chekhov's Wild Honey at Porchlight Theatre Company, for which he received a nomination for Best Male Lead Actor from the 2003 Bay Area Theatre Critics' Awards. Recent directing credits include The Crucible at Santa Rosa High School, and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail at Cinnabar's Young Repertory Theater.

Jared Emerson-Johnson (Camp) has taught music and acting with Cinnabar's education department for the past ten years. Most recently he music directed and conducted the 2005 Young Rep productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe and Ruddigore, and the 2005 Cinnabar Summer Camp. Jared has performed with various Bay Area companies, including Cinnabar Opera, Sonoma City Opera and the San Francisco Lamplighters. He is the conductor and music director of Cinnabar's Community Chamber Ensemble. Jared is also a composer/sound designer with credits on several leading video-game, advertising, handheld, and independent film titles. He holds a B.A. summa cum laude in music from Cornell University.

He has performed with various Bay Area companies including: Cinnabar Opera, Sonoma City Opera, the San Francisco Lamplighters (in productions of Daughter of the Regiment, The Gondoliers, The Breasts of Tiresias, The Barber of Seville, Amahl and the Night Visitors, La Bohème, La Traviata, Cabaret, and The Marriage of Figaro).

Jared is an alumnus of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra (concertmaster), the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra (principal second violin), the Cornell Symphony Orchestra and the College of Marin Community Orchestra. He is the conductor and music director of Cinnabar's new instrumental Community Chamber Ensemble.

Jared is also a composer/sound designer with credits on several leading video-game, advertising, handheld, and independent film titles.

He holds a B.A. summa cum laude in music from Cornell University.

Miguel Evangelista

Deborah Eubanks (Shakespeare) trained in Theater Arts at Harold Pinter Studios, England. She has worked with Stephen Hawking's company for physically challenged young adults, taught at Covent Garden Arts Center and toured England with London's Age Exchange. She has been directing, writing and teaching in the U.S. for 16 years. Deborah currently directs Berkeley Repertory Theater's Young Company where she also teaches adult Voice and Speech, Shakespeare in Performance and Creating the Play. She has taught Voice, Shakespeare and acting technique at American Conservatory Theater, served on faculty for USF's Drama and Social Justice projects and edited and directed for SF Shakespeare.

Michael Fontaine

Tara Generalovich

Barbara Heroux

Joe Hogan (Philly) Joe Hogan¹s plays and short theatre pieces have been produced at the Indian Magique Theatre, the Fiesta Dinner Theatre, the Gaslamp Theatre, the San Diego Repertory Theatre and the Crystal Palace Theatre in San Diego where he took first place their New Play Festival. As an actor, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego nominated him for the Atlas Award. He appeared in the ABC Movie of the Week, Marciano, the award winning film Angel City by Jon Jost, and many commercials. His new play, A Christmas Carol for Myra Gutflesh will premiere at the Exit Theatre in San Francisco in December.

Lee Hoiby was born in Wisconsin in 1926. He studied piano with Gunnar Johansen and Egon Petri but gave up his intentions to be a concert pianist when he received an invitation to study composition with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Menotti led Hoiby to opera, presenting Hoiby's one-act The Scarf at the first Spoleto (Italy) Festival in 1957. The New York City Opera presented Hoiby's A Month in the Country (libretto by William Ball) in 1964, and his Summer and Smoke (with a libretto by Lanford Wilson based on the Tennessee Williams play) in 1972. Hoiby's opera, The Tempest, based on Shakespeare's last play (libretto adapted by Mark Shulgasser) was premiered at the Des Moines Metro Opera in 1986, and produced by the Dallas Opera in November 1996. A new production is scheduled at Canada’s Pacific Opera Victoria in British Columbia in February 2004. Among Hoiby's shorter operas are the one-act buffa Something New for the Zoo (1980), This Is the Rill Speaking (based on Lanford Wilson's early one-act play; 1992), and the two musical monologues, The Italian Lesson (text by Ruth Draper) and Bon Appetit! (text by Julia Child), which were performed off-Broadway and on tour by Broadway/TV actress Jean Stapleton in the late 80s. He has just completed work on an operatic setting of Romeo and Juliet, with a libretto by Mark Shulgasser adapted from Shakespeare.

Hoiby's songs, many set to distinguished texts by Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, Elizabeth Bishop, and James Merrill, are widely performed, notably by soprano Leontyne Price. In 1995 his setting of the Martin Luther King, Jr. text Free at Last and five Whitman poems, I Was There, were premiered by baritone William Stone and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. In 1994 his What Is the Light, based on texts by Virginia Woolf, was performed at the 92nd Street Y by actress Claire Bloom. In August 1996 he was composer-in-residence at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, where a new work for voices, wind quintet and piano, Rain Forest, based on poems of Elizabeth Bishop, was introduced.

Hoiby has also made notable contributions to the choral repertory, including the oratorios A Hymn of the Nativity (text by Richard Crashaw, 1960), Galileo Galilei (Barrie Stavis, 1974), and For You O Democracy (Walt Whitman, 1992). Among his numerous anthems and shorter choral works should be mentioned the widely performed Hymn to the New Age which was heard on the internationally broadcast celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. A commissioned work, Measureless Love for baritone and chorus (text, again, by Walt Whitman) was heard at the centennial celebration of the American Guild of Organists in New York in July 1996.

Notable among Hoiby's instrumental music are Sonata for Cello and Piano, Sonata for Violin and Piano, Serenade for Violin and Orchestra, Sextet for Piano and Winds, First and Second Suites for Orchestra (Hearts, Meadows and Flags), the ballet suite After Eden, two piano concertos, a flute concerto and numerous works for piano solo. MMC Recordings recently released a CD of the Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Stanley Babin and the Slovak Radio Orchestra, also including solo piano works (Narrative and Schubert Variations) performed by the composer and the Violin Sonata performed by Daniel Heifetz.

Mr. Hoiby has been a recipient of Fulbright and Guggenheim fellowships, and the National Institute of Arts and Letters Award. Numerous concerts devoted exclusively to his music have taken place, most notably on the American Composer's Series at the Kennedy Center in 1990. G. Schirmer, Inc publishes many of Mr. Hoiby's works, including The Tempest.

Laura Jorgensen has appeared in many productions at the Cinnabar Theater. She was an original member of Western Union Theater Company, which was in residence at the Cinnabar for ten years. She appeared in many productions including Blue Window, Reckless, A Lie of the Mind and Mad Forest. Laura also appeared in several Actor's Theater productions and with the First Stage Company. While living in Budapest, she had the opportunity to work with The English Theater Company and direct their production of Our Country's Good. Recently, Laura has appeared in Quicksilver II productions of Three Tall Women, A Perfect Ganesh, Heartbreak House, A Delicate Balance, The Lady of Letters in Talking Heads and Miss Helen in Road to Mecca. She created the roles of Kit Jackson in the world premiere of John O'Keefe's Glamour and Anne Ingersol in the world production of Queer Theory, also by John O'Keefe. Laura is very pleased to by working again with John and Beth Craven.

Joe Kinyon

Tim Kniffin (Old Mahon) Born in San Francisco, Tim grew up in Two Rock, Chico and Santa Rosa. He¹s a graduate of Santa Rosa High, Sonoma State University (BA), and Southern Methodist University (MFA). Tim¹s first acting break came at Peppermint Palace Community Theatre as the Captain with the great Frankie Bedene in Androcles and the Lion. He then had the opportunity to work with brothers John and Jim in The Wizard of Oz where he played the Scarecrow. In Sonoma County, Tim has performed and studied under Jennifer Lehman, Beth and John Craven and Judy Navas, to name just a few. Tim started attending plays at Cinnabar in 1982, Western Union Theatre Company¹s Same Time Next Year, True West and Glengarry Glen Ross being his first three plays. He performed with Marvin Klebe. He came out of those rafters in Road and Our Country¹s Good. And he¹s thrilled to be back. Tim was last seen in Sonoma County as Mitch in Streetcar Named Desire at PASCo. Thank you Nancy, Elly, Ginny, and Actors¹ Equity for making it possible, and to my family for everything.

David Lear is currently the Artistic Director of Actors Theater in Santa Rosa, and founding member of The Loading Zone. David holds a B.A. in directing from Sonoma State University, and most recently directed Shudders and Laughs at The Loading Zone. An accomplished set designer, (he designed last year’s productions of The Tailor of Gloucester and An O. Henry Christmas), he has recently finished designing A Year With Frog and Toad at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa. He has previously taught drama in the Parks and Recreation Program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Danielle Levin (Pegeen Mike) This is Danielle's first production with Cinnabar Theater. Other recent productions include Becoming Memories with CenterREPertory Company (Rosina), Cymbeline with Valley Shakespeare Festival (Imogen), A Bright Room Called Day at Actors' Theatre of Sonoma County (Zillah), and All My Sons with TheatreWorks (Lydia). Danielle has also performed with Aurora Theatre Company, Word for Word, Woman¹s Will, Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival, and Playhouse West.

Elly Lichenstein began working with Cinnabar in 1975 when, after a short career as principal cellist with Belgium’s Antwerp Chamber Orchestra, she joined the Cinnabar Opera Theater. Studying voice with Marvin Klebe, Cinnabar’s founder, drama with Fred Curchack and Richard Blake, and movement with Ann Woodhead, she sang at least fifty roles with the company until she retired in 1999. She became General Manager of the Theater in 1979 and assumed her present role as Executive Director in 1997. In 1999, upon the death of founding Artistic Director Marvin Klebe, Elly assumed the head of Cinnabar’s opera program, for which she has directed Falstaff, Dido and Aeneas, La Boheme, The Medium, The Cunning Little Vixen, The Spanish Hour, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata (chosen Best Musical Production of 2004 by the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle) and The Marriage of Figaro. An accomplished actress, Elly was last seen as Meta Wolff in the world premiere of John O’Keefe’s Crystal Night (now known as Times Like These) and as Rebecca in the world premiere of O’Keefe’s Queer Theory. She’s pleased to return to the musical stage.

Damian Sagastume (Young kids’ classes) is a “soon to be graduated” Theatre Arts major at Sonoma State University. He has performed roles such as Martini in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors and the title role in Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. In February he surmounted many obstacles such as missing actors, a flooded venue and the birth of his daughter to produce, stage manage and direct his first play, The Twilight Zone at Sonoma State. He has stage managed four shows for Cinnabar including Beatbox: A Raparetta and Most Happy Fella

Jason Sarten Baritone Jason Sarten has shared his expressive voice and engaging stage presence with audiences throughout the Southwest. His significant operatic roles include Papageno (The Magic Flute), Figaro (The Barber of Seville), The Count (The Marriage of Figaro), Dandini (La Cenerntola), Valentin (Faust) and Marcello (La Boheme) with companies including San Francisco Opera Outreach, Opera Ft. Collins (CO), Abilene Opera Association, Bay Shore Lyric Opera and Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera. Active as a concert soloist, Mr. Sarten has performed the Requiem Masses of Mozart, Fauré, and Duru! fle, Handel's Messiah, Vaughan William's Five Mystical Songs, Orff's Carmina Burana and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Recently Jason made two Bay Area company debuts, one with Cinnabar Opera Theater creating the role of Michael in The Wedding, the other as Papageno in The Magic Flute for Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera. Upcoming engagements for Jason include singing Falke in Berkeley Opera's Die Fledermaus as well as joining the San Francisco Opera Chorus for productions of Billy Budd and The Flying Dutchman.

Jason has also been active in education, having served as Band Director for the Albany (TX) School District 1996-1998. His responsibilities there included kindergarten music and four bands: grades 5, 6, Jr. High and High School. Jason has also performed as an educational outreach artist for San Francisco Opera, Cinnabar Opera, Sonoma City Opera, Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera, Bay Shore Lyric Opera, Waco Lyric Opera and Amarillo Opera. Jason holds the BM from Abilene Christian University and the MM from Baylor University.

Alex Sell (Jimmy Farrell) has been involved with many Cinnabar productions over the years, primarily with the Teen Acting Ensemble, with whom he played such roles as Jaques in As You Like It and Prospero in The Tempest. He has also worked at ACT¹s Young Conservatory, where he originated the role of Violent in Bryony Lavery¹s Illyria. Other ACT credits include Mundo in Eddie Mundo Edmundo and Benvolio in After Juliet. He is currently attending Santa Rosa Junior College.

Lizzi Sell (Honor Blake) a Petaluma High School student, has been appearing with Cinnabar¹s Young Repertory Theater for eight years, tackling such roles as Mad Margaret in Ruddigore, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Phyllis in Iolanthe, and Rosaline in Love¹s Labour¹s Lost. She has also taken classes in vocal and acting technique. Recently she studied with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, playing Desdemona (Othello) and Olivia (Twelfth Night). An accomplished dancer, she played Helga, the Baby of the Family in Cinnabar¹s production of Cabaret. Her next stop is Berkeley Rep, where she will be performing in A Midsummer Night¹s Dream.

Alex Shafer (Michael Flaherty) returned to the stage several years ago after a short hiatus (17 years), to once again foist himself upon otherwise innocent and unsuspecting audiences. Since then he has been seen in such roles as Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mr. Paravicini in The Mousetrap, and Samuel Chase of Maryland in 1776. When not acting in plays, he sings in Gilbert and Sullivan productions with the Lamplighters in San Francisco . Alex grew up in Connecticut, began acting in plays at Union College in Schenectady NY, and upon graduating (Œ78) procured for himself several years of theatrical ³training² in Boston, from which he hopes one day to recover. By day he is a self-employed gardener, and the humble servant of Hermes, his Cairn Terrier.

Nina Shuman As Music Director and Conductor of the Cinnabar Opera Theater and the Petaluma Summer Music Festival, Ms. Shuman has conducted numerous galas, chamber orchestra concerts, children’s programs and opera productions, including Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann, Verdi’s Falstaff, Puccini’s Girl of the Golden West, Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Ullman’s The Emperor of Atlantis, Menotti’s The Consul, Bernstein’s Candide, Susa’s Transformations, and, most recently, The Marriage of Figaro. She has conducted for Opera Idaho, the Lamplighters, Sonoma City Opera, Berkeley Opera, Sonoma State University, and numerous choral organizations. More...

Elizabeth Smith

Jonathan Smucker

Tanya Lea Stum (Camp) has a diverse background. She is a musician, a California credentialed K-8 educator and a visual artist who  has received awards in all three fields. She has performed with the San Francisco Opera and Pittsburgh Opera Choruses, and has soloed with a number of choral ensembles. Tanya is an organist and has performed extensively as a standard jazz soloist/pianist. She has a B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and has been an AGMA member since 1988.  As an educator, Tanya has been a first grade teacher, an artist in residence for Opera Piccola and a K-5 music/movement teacher in the public and private sectors. Her graduate studies were completed in Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pam Swan (Nelly, Music Director) has been communicating with audiences in museums, classrooms and on the concert stage for 20 years. She's been a wildlife educator, field researcher, museum manager and media spokesperson for Marine World Africa, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Cygnus Research and Education, and the California Academy of Sciences. Meanwhile, music was her other life-long passion. A few years ago she left a position as director of an environmental education organization to pursue music full time. Since then she has toured the U.S., Canada and the U.K., performing and teaching traditional Celtic music at festivals, concerts and workshops. Pam's music features piano, percussion and vocals. She has performed in concert with Shay Black, Alasdair Fraser, Darrol Anger, Ronan Martin, Ann Heymann, Chris Caswell, and other great Celtic musicians. In addition to appearing as a guest artist on CDs with Rick Fielding, Shira Kammen, New Grass Roots, Oliver Schroyer and others, Pam released her first album of Celtic music (Wild Wood) in 2002 with the amazing fiddler Shira Kammen. Her next album (Dance To Your Shadow) features rhythmic traditional a cappella (mouth music) from cultures around the world. Traveling around the world to study, perform and teach has resulted in a book called Dance to Your Shadow: Chasing a Song Across the World, a travel narrative based on music research.

Marcy Telles has written over 100 songs, some of which have been performed and recorded by local and national artists including Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, the Occidental Community Choir, Michael Smolens, Biaja Teal, A Few Good Friends, and Blake Derby. She has won several national awards for songwriting. She wrote her first libretto in 1973 for an incipient puppet troupe named Das Puppenspiel, who went on to win international awards. Throughout the mid-seventies, she performed as a singer-songwriter, opening for Vassar Clements, Pete Seeger, Aztec Two-step, and others. In 1981, she co-wrote and toured with Morning Glory Theatre’s production of Three Golden Hairs, a musical fairy tale for elementary school children. She was, for many years, a program director for the Occidental Community Choir, helping many choir members write their first songs. In 1994, her anthem, “Long and Fine Tradition,” was recorded by Margy Adams for an internationally distributed video by the Women’s History Project. In 1995, “Don’t Despair,” a song written for Cinnabar’s The Snow Queen, was performed by a national children’s choir in Washington, D.C., and that same year Marcy wrote several songs with Jeffrey Gaeto (the original composer for Pickle Family Circus) for a Japanese show called Viva! Musical Circus, directed by Tandy Beal. She has been writing children’s operas and musicals for Cinnabar since 1992, including The Snow Queen, It’s a Wonderful Life, and now Tailor of Gloucester. Two of her children’s operas—Brementown Musicians and Jack and the Beanstalk—were performed for children throughout Marin and Sonoma counties. The Snow Queen has now been performed all over the US and in parts of Canada. She also wrote the script for American OpStar, performed at Cinnabar last Spring as a fundraiser.