Collaborators
Frequent partners in crime, allies, provocateurs, idols, and some friends. It’s a growing list. (Hover mouse over each headshot for notes.)
Kat Yen - Director
Graduating with me from YSD in 2020. Born in the Bronx, Kat is a ride-or-die director, producer, and set designer of plays tackling social politics, sexual violence, psychology, and more. She led the renegade Spookfish Theater Company before grad school and is now on the path to starting a new NYC theater cult and rising quickly in the industry. https://www.katyen.com/
Collaborations: Every class, workshop, and production in our YSD curriculum.
Emon Elboudwarej - Actor
In addition to being an epidemiologist and professional potter, Emon is the sort of actor that knows how to rally your spirit. Working currently on a new film of his own writing, he is interested in uplifting others, helping people connect, and the process of healing through art making.
Collaborations: Deep Purple Wiggle
Margaret E. Douglas - Playwright
Graduating with me from YSD in 2020. Owner of a cool truck and a good dog named Lil’ Paw. Dry, cutting, joyful, dirty-minded, heartfelt, and a disarmingly brilliant writer. Our big final project together (A lesbian orgy-farce set in a repurposed cold war bunker with robots) is presently thwarted by the reign of COVID-19…but we are not to be stopped for long.
Collaborations: The Shift, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and numerous classroom explorations at YSD.
Caitlin Macy-Beckwith - Performer
Caitlin is a Seattle-based actor and voice over artist whose spirit and determination are unstoppable. Her performances at Theatre Battery served as crucial motors for two colossal shows, and she sets a consistent standard for excellence in any rehearsal room.
Collaborations: Hooded, WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch
Kia Pierce (AKA Briq House) - Performer, Producer
An icon of Seattle, the founder of Sunday Night Shuga Shaq, and a devoted friend and mentor, Kia Pierce sets the bar for creating unforgettable events in the Pacific Northwest - burlesque, theater, parades, music, dancing, and more. I draw inspiration from her incredible presence in the community and love to be with her in a rehearsal room. https://www.msbriqhouse.com/
Collaborations: Milk Like Sugar, A Maze, and other work at Theatre Battery
Sango Tajima - Performer
We originally met as apprentices at Magic Theatre and have been working together consistently since. With credits as an actor, director, and devisor from around the globe, Sango has used Oakland, CA as a launchpad for her incredibly rich artistic life. Sango’s generous spirit is contagious to audiences and artists alike.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Year of the Rooster, The Jungle Book, Water by the Spoonful, The Firefly Project, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Magic Theatre
Brittany Bland - Projections Designer
In the class above me at YSD, I worked with Brittany on her thesis, and then she worked with me on mine. A master projections and video designer with a gentle humor and loving approach to material about family, trauma, and matters of the heart. https://www.bcbmediadesign.com/
Collaborations: ALICE, The Forest Concerts, and other work at Yale
Nic Vincent - Lighting Designer
Nic’s designs reveal him as a wizard, sculptor, storyteller, and jester. He likes fog, haze, mist, lasers, and side light. https://www.nicvincent.com/
Collaborations: Henry VI, Part 3 and other work at Yale.
Malex Reed - Composer, Music Director, Performer
We met at Burton Music Camp in the ninth grade and have been making music together ever since. Malex is a stalwart musical director, chorus leader, musician (reed instruments, guitars, piano, etc.), actor, AND director. A core artist of the Theatre Battery team.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Sleep is for the Weak, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Krystle Piamonte - Performer
Krystle and I met working in new play festivals at the famous Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco, and she has since gone on to be one of the most frequently cast young actors and models in the city. She has a terrific heart, sense of humor, and determination to support the Bay community.
https://www.krystlepiamonte.com/
Collaborations: Inay’s Wedding Dress, Nanay’s Lullaby
Amber Parker - Lighting Designer
Amber is a graduate of the MFA Design program from UW and the inventor of the electrics format that Theatre Battery uses in our converted spaces. She works consistently throughout the country, has an impeccable eye for shape and sense of timing on stage, and is a calming joy to have in rehearsal rooms and tech.
Collaborations: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Alma, WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Hooded, Sleep is for the Weak, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Anna Grigo - Scenic Designer
One of Riccardo Hernandez’s protege’s, Anna Grigo is a rising American Scenic Designer with an enterprising, boisterous voice who pushes her collaborators to do their absolute best.
Collaborations: ALICE, and other work at Yale
Yasmin Habib - Community Leader, Youth Mentor
A force in Kent, Yasmin is a Somalian refugee, singer, actor, non-profit runner, and one of my closest friends and mentors for the last twelve years. She founded and runs an organization that supports education and youth services for refugees in our region, and is quickly rising as a major civic leader in the Pacific Northwest. Together with Tom Dang, we casually form the arts collective known as The Trinity.
https://www.wmcacademy.org/our-team/
Collaborations: Sleep is for the Weak, FAME, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Ilia Isorelys Paulino - Performer
Graduating with me from YSD in 2020. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Ilia is an actor, musician, and producer of exceptional talent, strength, and compassion. As one of my closest friends and allies at YSD, she gave me encouragement when I needed it most and we concocted many artistic schemes for the future. Together we are now in LA working on a new film production company called Cusp of Rebirth.
Collaborations: Various film projects TBA, ALICE, and numerous classroom explorations
Mic Montgomery - Performer
Mic was in my first play with me in high school, but it wasn’t until years later that we reconnected through Theatre Battery and created some of our most powerful pieces together. He is an exceptional comedian, host, friend, and radiant presence. Over 14 years of shared friendship and stories.
Collaborations: Milk Like Sugar, Hooded (his performance was nominated for a Gregory Award), and other work at Theatre Battery
Adera Gandy - Performer
A Seattle actor and generally excellent human being whose philosophy of life and insights into the world elevate any project. In addition to her work as an actor in film and theater, she actively contributes to the culture of local museums.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, What’s Happening in Kent?, and other work at Theatre battery
William Hand - Performer, Producer
An anarchist, socialite, auteur, public intellectual, Peter Pan-figure with former residences in San Francisco and New York, presently working on producing a film alongside Jay Alvarez and the Russo Brothers in Los Angeles. We share wisdom and questions from time to time.
Collaborations: Dark Play or Stories for Boys and other work at Do It Live!, and projects TBA
Alex Vermillion - Dramaturg
A curious multi-disciplinarian specializing in queer theory, Shakespeare, drag, comics, and video games. Ze was by my side through two major generative works at school, and we’ll be living it up on the West Coast together for years to come.
Collaborations: Deep Purple Wiggle, Henry VI part 3, blues for miss lucille, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Yale
Erin Bednarz - Sound Designer, Performer, Producer
Dazzling the world in her mom jeans, Erin is a major artistic leader in the Seattle theater scene. A savvy designer, musician, builder of community, and champion of new plays, she has recently assumed a leadership role at WET and continues to hold down collaborations around the country.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and other work at Theatre battery
Megumi Katayama - Sound Designer
Sounds and music from around the world and throughout history comprise the portfolio of this prolific and compassionate YSD grad designer.
https://www.megumikatayama.com/
Collaborations: Henry VI, Part 3, Non-Player Character, and other work at Yale.
Beatrice Vena - Costume Designer
Beatrice is a dramaturgically-minded designer with an aesthetic bias toward badass things and the savvy craftsmanship to pull off miracles with limited resources. https://www.beatricevena.com/
Collaborations: Henry VI, Part 3 and other work at Yale.
Jessica Askew - Performer
A fellow graduate from my BA Drama class at Ithaca College, Jess is a thoughtful, wise, and hilarious stage actor and dancer who I am lucky to work with frequently in Kent.
Collaborations: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Sleep is for the Weak, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Kat Laveaux - Playwright, Costume Designer
Kat is a Lakota playwright and Costume Designer living in Montana whose work also spans to the Seattle area and New Zealand. Her work speaks passionately to her faith, heritage, and activism, and she is beginning to create works for young audiences. https://spu.edu/stories/articles/my-world-kat-laveaux-etc/
Collaborations: Hooded, Alma, Sleep is for the Weak, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Cassie Neiss - Stage Manager
Recently out of the BFA Stage Management program from Rutgers, Cassie is an intrepid and resourceful stage manager and technician whose professionalism and Pikachu onesie bring guidance to the work of Theatre Battery every year.
Collaborations: Kiki’s Delivery Service, WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, A Maze, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Michael Cercado - Performer
Delightful, heartfelt, and strange, Michael Cercado is a wonderful performer and comedian that I have known and worked with since high school.
Collaborations: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Hamlet, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Theatre Battery
Charles Hawkins - Performer, Technician
An actor of substantial depth, with the uncanny ability to listen to others with total commitment and love. Charles was the first member of the Theatre Battery family to have his own beautiful children.
Collaborations: Hooded, WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Dog Sees God, Sleep is for the Weak, Neighborhood 3, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Danilo Gambini - Director
Graduating with me from YSD in 2020. Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Danilo is on a mission to spread joy, tears, political rage, and humor to the world through his stunning operas, musicals, and plays. His facility with movement, image, and classical adaption have greatly influenced me, and he is on the road to working as a major international director. https://www.danilogambini.com/
Collaborations: Every class, workshop, and production in our YSD curriculum. Provided additional choreography on ALICE.
Donato Fatuesi - Performer and Civic Leader
Actor, advocate, non-profit mastermind, and reliable big sister Donato was not only a community rock for Kent during the pandemic, but also an inspiring artist entering a new phase of great craft and exploration. We met through the organization UTOPIA WA and made magic together through her role as the Transgender Witch: Quincy Blueburger.
Collaborations: LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, Deep Purple Wiggle, Cusp of Rebirth
Audley Puglisi - Playwright
Graduating from YSD with me in 2020. Audley writes with a gently humane curiosity about Black Queer people and their adventures throughout history. He is understated, kind, and endlessly thoughtful toward his collaborators and his audience.
Collaborations: blues for miss lucille, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Yale
Danielle Alexis Nicole Mitchell - Performer, Writer, Producer
The magnificent Danielle Alexis Nicole Mitchell has been instrumental to the artistic growth and community outreach efforts of Theatre Battery, but what stands out most from her work are her grounded and insightful performances. She is an actor that guides audiences with integrity and humor.
Collaborations: Milk Like Sugar, WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Shame (her own solo show), and numerous TB works as Associate Producer
Kait Mahoney - Stage Manager, Playwright, Producer, Performer
Presently in the MFA Stage Management program at Columbia, Kait Mahoney has been my partner in crime serving Theatre Battery in crucial producing and management roles for the last seven years. She is compassionate, outspoken, committed, highly organized, and swift in all that she does.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Alma, Hooded, A Maze, Dog Sees God, Milk Like Sugar, LEGO HP and the Transgender Witch, and other work at Theatre battery
Caleb Cabrera - Performer
This expansive soul acts in plays and films, drives petty cab, officiates weddings, cares for a kitten, and asks what sign you are. We’re brothers.
Collaborations: The Jungle Book, A Maze, Year of the Rooster, and other work at Magic Theatre
Jessy Yates - Performer
YSD 2021 MFA actor and already nationally famous for her activism surrounding accessibility and burlesque performances as her alter ego Cerebral Pussy. Since she comes from a devised theater background, I love working on scenes with Jessy because she cuts directly to the chase and approaches all work as a collaborator. In conversations both in and outside rehearsal, she makes me laugh several times per minute.
Collaborations: ALICE, The Shift, and other classroom explorations at Yale
JP Hamilton - Performer
A kind, highly skilled, and generous actor working in TV and Theater in Seattle. He has terrific taste in material, wonderful collaborative facility, and a powerful humility on stage. MFA from the University of Florida. Also an expert miner of bitcoin.
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, A Maze, and other work at Theatre Battery
Mari Salinas - Writer, Producer
Mari has been teaching everyone at Theatre Battery how to be a political activist and grassroots community promoter. A long-time Kent citizen, parent, and poet, she’s a leader in our town. Read about our relationship in the Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/theater/intiman-theatre-tries-a-radical-experiment-giving-away-every-ticket-for-free/
Collaborations: Hooded, Alma, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and other work at Theatre battery
Lex Marcos - Scenic Designer
Came up in Manilla and then studied for his MFA at the University of Washington, Lex is one of the highest regarded young designers in the Seattle area, whose work has gone to define the standard for space transformations and designs at Theatre Battery.
http://www.lexmarcosdesign.com/
Collaborations: WE ARE PUSSY RIOT, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Alma
Kathryn Stewart - Director, Producer, Casting Director
With a glowing spirit, communitarian mindset, and way with actors, Kathryn has been the casting director for the last six years of Theatre Battery projects, directed our latest mainstage production, and now serves as the artistic director of Copious Love.
Collaborations: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Sleep is for the Weak, Every mainstage production since Milk Like Sugar, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Tom Dang - Performer, Director
Tom and I have been doing plays together since High School, we founded Theatre Battery together, and he is one of my hardest working colleagues in film and TV. He lives between LA and Seattle, holding down both his own company called REBATEEnsemble and his freelance work as an actor and director in multiple media. His present goal is to become an instagram thirst trap. Together with Yasmin Habib, we casually form an arts collective known as The Trinity.
http://www.tomdangofficial.com/
Collaborations: Sleep is for the Weak, Chatroom, Neighborhood 3, Hamlet, and other work at Theatre Battery.
Meg Powers - Costume Designer
The unofficial lovechild of David Bowie and Madonna, this costume designer and puppeteer has an expansive, disturbing, and liberating visual imagination.
Collaborations: ALICE, and other work at Yale.
Jay Thornton - Educator, Playwright, Director
Mr. Thornton is the long-running theater arts teacher and director at Kent-Meridian High School, whose work has inspired thousands of Kent youth to create theater. His values of inclusion, professionalism, humor, and integrity are widely respected and emulated throughout our community.
Collaborations: Hamlet, FAME, Our Town, Bad Seed, Almost, Maine, The Adding Machine, and other work at Kent-Meridian Drama