Annie

A note from the director…

The 1999 film “Annie” (with Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, and others) was one of the few movies that made it into the elite circle of frequent rotation for movie afternoons at our household growing up, and is what I pay homage to in this production that you will see today. 

In 2017, I was in Stage 1’s production of Annie as Cecille and a Boylan Sister. It was an experience where I was able to bridge the gap between young and adult performer. Now as the director, I continue that tradition by introducing Artistic Mentors to our youth production.

In this staged version of “Annie”, I wanted to focus on the dynamics of rich and poor and what it means, in all senses of the word. Being rich, as we refer to it, often means having large sums of money or fancy materialistic things, and poor can mean the opposite- having little financial means or possessions. However, we forget that wealth does not always have to do with money or nice things. It can mean a dream you wish to follow, joy, community, health, a place of belonging, a person/people or a pet that you have a bond and seek solace in, or even just being able to count on the fact that the sun will rise in the sky again tomorrow. 

The thing that I love the most about One Stage’s Family Production is the aspect of being a bridge for our young actors to transition into the general theatre community, with the added benefit of having mentors who are active theatre makers in the Bay Area. Last year, I had about 4 of our campers who joined us in our debut with this program. This year, I have the privilege of elevating those and 11 other campers who have been with us over the last 2 years into the full production environment. 

Thank you to the mentors of this year’s program: LaTisha, Nikki, Max, and Thomas, for leading this group of young actors and for sharing your skills, knowledge, and craft with us, my crew and creative team for helping my vision come to life: Ryder Hom, Heather Radovich, Ronnie Castaneda, Robert Ramirez, Isabel Chavez, Veronica Ortiz, London Roush, Daphne Chan, Lorraine VanRod for her mentorship and continuous support and guidance, and for giving me the chance to be a director here at One Stage Theatre and the platform to be a storyteller in the theatre community.

This cast and crew have put so much effort into this show and I cannot wait for you to see all of their hard work! 

Enjoy the show!

-Stephanie Kara

PRODUCTION STAFF:

Director/Vocal Director:  Stephanie Kara

Producer/Properties Designer: Lorraine VanRod

Choreographer:  Kristen Soriano

Sound Designer/Operator: Robert A. Ramirez

Lighting Designer: Heather Radovich

Costume Designer:  Isabel Chavez

Costume Coordinator Assistants:  Cordelia Willis, Ronnie Castaneda

Set Designer:  Stephanie Kara

Stage Manager:  Ryder Hom

Audio Technician:  Ronnie Castaneda

Light Operator: Jimena Tapia

Deck Crew:  Veronica Ortiz, London Roush, Max O. Chang, Daphne Chan

Carpenters: Max O. Chang, Max Ochoa, Sherman Hom, Ryder Hom, Stephanie Kara, Cordelia Willis

Cast

Nikki Liv Basas – Grace Farrell

Riley Camantigue - Mr. Pugh/Hull/Wacky

Sonia Capitanio - Annette/Apple Seller/Kaltenborn

Max O. Chang – Franklin D. Roosevelt/Lt. Ward

Priyanka Chitlu - Boylan Sister/Star To Be/Perkins/Sophie

Renya Gummadam - Annie

Stella Hu – Kate/Eddie

Nora Jackson – Tessie/Ickes/Mrs. Greer

Sophia Jelinek - Pepper/Star To Be/Judge Brandies

Evelyn Lee – July/Howe

Charlotte Liu – Molly/Others

Thomas Nguyen - Mr. Warbucks/Asst. Dog Catcher

LaTisha Rodriguez - Miss Hannigan

Everest Roush - Drake/Healy/Bundles/Announcer

Venice Roush - Lily/Star To Be/Orphan

Ada Ryder - Cecille/Orphan/Morganthau

Ethan VanRod - Rooster

Tanvi Varanasy - Duffy/Boylan Sister

Arisa Wong - Sandy

 

Act 1

Overture

Maybe

Hard Knock Life

Tomorrow

Hooverville

Hooverville Raid

Little Girls

Little Girls Reprise

I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

N.Y.C.

Easy Street

Maybe (Playoff)

Act 2

Entre'Acte

Fully Dressed

Fully Dressed (Children)

Easy Street (Reprise)

Something Was Missing

I Don't Need Anything But You

Maybe/Tomorrow (Reprise)

A New Deal For Christmas

Bows/Tomorrow

Who's Who

CAST

Nikki Liv Basas (Grace Farrell) is excited to be back at One Stage! She was seen previously in the company’s productions of Pride & Prejudice as Elizabeth Bennet and Beauty and the Beast as Mrs. Potts. Other favorite credits include Red Rat Girl (Jekyll & Hyde), Mrs. Squires (The Music Man), Rapunzel (Into the Woods), Edith (The Pirates of Penzance), Kitty Bennet (Pride & Prejudice), and Ensemble (Sweeney Todd). She trains in voice under Henry Torres and is coached by Ashley Loren (Moulin Rouge! on Broadway). Nikki is also a performing artist with Kariktan Dance Company. She hopes you enjoy the show! IG: @nikki_liv_

Riley Camantigue (Pugh/Hull/Wacky) is 13 and full of energy, creativity, and rhythm! He loves to draw, sing, and dance - sometimes all at once. He previously brought big laughs as Pumbaa in The Lion King with One Stage Theatre and is thrilled to be back on stage in Annie!

Sonia Capitanio (Annette/Kaltenborn/Apple Seller/Boylan Sister) will begin seventh grade this coming school year. This is Sonia's first show with One Stage. In Annie she plays a Boylan Sister, Annette, and the Apple seller. Some of her favorite productions she has been in are SpongeBob the Musical (mainstage at Starstruck), Dear Edwina (Mini-Musical at Starstruck, role: Kelli), Annie Kids (Starstruck summer camp, role: Tessie). She is very excited to be in One Stage's production of Annie, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Priyanka Chitlu (Star-to-Be/Boylan Sister/Perkins/Sophie) is a rising freshman with a passion for singing. She enjoys traveling, eating at Din Tai Fung, and watching “F1” and “Gossip Girl”. Her past roles with Irvington Conservatory Theatre include: Gabrielle in Cinderella, Morticia understudy in The Addams Family, Loggaine Schwartzandgrubeniere in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Pigpen in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. She has also worked with Starstruck Theater as ensemble in The Little Mermaid. This is her first One Stage production and she is super excited for you to see the show!

Renya Gummadam (Annie) is 11 years old and heading into 6th grade in the fall. She loves performing and is thrilled to play Annie with One Stage! Past roles include Sheldon in Finding Nemo (Starstruck Theater) and Elf/Pied Piper in Shrek (One Stage Theater). Outside of theater, Renya enjoys reading, playing volleyball, piano, and singing with the Peninsula Girls Chorus. She’s excited to be part of this amazing production and hopes you enjoy the show!

Stella Hu (Kate/Eddie) is 9 years old and rising grade 4. She enjoys drawing and dancing in her free time, and performed young Anna at the One Stage camp of Frozen previously.

Sophia Jelinek (Pepper/Star-To-Be/Judge Brandeis) is a happy 9 year old going into the 4th grade. She is excited to be a part of One Stage’s production of Annie. Other main stage productions Sophia has been in are Seussical and Mary Poppins. Her passions are singing, reading, and acting. She also enjoys dancing and swimming. During her spare time, Sophia likes to play with her dog and lizard, play games, spend time with family/friends, travel to new places and of course read. When she grows up she hopes to be an author, singer, or actress

Evelyn Lee (July/Howe) At nearly 9 years old, Evelyn is ecstatic for her third stage appearance in Annie, following her roles in Shrek Jr. and Lion King Jr. Beyond acting, she loves gymnastics and just finished her first swim team season. She extends a big thank you to her directors for choosing her, her coaches for vocal and dance lessons, and her friends and family for cheering her on! She wishes everyone a successful performance!

Charlotte Liu (Molly/Others) First time performer, Charlotte, is very excited to make her debut in OST’s production of Annie. She has participated in musical camps at Starstruck Theatre and Berkeley Playhouse. Charlotte enjoys acting and eating spam musubis, ribs and red rice. Off stage, her favorite pastime is reading with her stuffed monkey. This nine year old can be found sporting all things green and blue. Charlotte wants to thank Stephanie and Kristen, for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful cast. Also, she would like to thank her parents for their love and support

Nora Jackson (Tessie/Ms. Greer/Ickes)  got their theatrical start playing young Elsa in Frozen.  Then they went on to play Charlie in Willy Wonka and then starred as one of the Three Little Pigs in Shrek.  When not acting, Nora can be found dancing, drawing, cooking, and swimming.  They love animals, reading, and making new friends.

Thomas Nguyen (Oliver Warbucks)  has appeared in several films, television, and theater productions. You may have seen him in Protection Detail as Manny (Wild Dogs Productions), Is He? as Jamie (Black Iris Productions). Some of his most recent work was in Jersey Boys at Palo Alto Players as Nick Devito and others, SF Playhouse Exotic Deadly or the MSG Show as Actor 3 Understudy and is excited to be making his debut at One Stage Theater in Annie.  Thomas would like to thank his friends, family and teachers for all their support in helping him get to where he is today. @tt_nguyen58

Max O. Chang (Franklin D. Roosevelt)  is excited to be back with One Stage Theatre! Max is a local Bay Area actor who has performed in One Stage Theatre shows like Beauty and The Beast (Beast), Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Darcy). Max also has performed in such productions as “RENT”, “Bright Star”, and “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”. He also has directing credits with the stageplay “Yellow Face” and is currently directing a Youth musical production of “Once Upon a Mattress” at Berkeley Playhouse. He’d like to thank his friends, family, and colleagues for this experience!

LaTisha Rodriguez (Miss Hannigan) is channeling her mom energy to her character and letting it all out!! She is a mommy of three, fabulous, theater-passionate kiddos with special training as a speech-language pathologist in schools for the past 18 years. She has worked with all ages of children with special needs and is enjoying her time at schools across the East Bay serving high school students of high-risk populations to improve their social skills and language development. She truly hopes her mentoring and "acting up" alongside the Annie cast will bring a smile to your face! 

Everest Roush (Drake/Bert Healy/Bundles/Announcer) is excited to bring you a fun Mr. Bundles, a dedicated Mr. Drake and a talented Mr. Healy in Annie. He enjoys playing tennis, swimming on a team, playing video games, building LEGOs, crushing his family in card/board games, and participating in Cub Scouts camps. He is nine years old, and has had parts in The Lion King, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, and Shrek with One Stage Theatre. He would like to extend sincere gratitude to the cast and directing teams of this show for their trust in and support of him for this show. Enjoy!

Venice Roush (Lily/Star-to-Be/Orphan) is very excited to perform as Lily St. Regis, Star-To-Be and an orphan in Annie. Some of her favorite things to do include watching "The Summer I Turned Pretty," swimming on the Glenmoor Stingrays team, shopping and getting manicures. Venice has had fun being Lucinda in Into the Woods, Lydia in Beetlejuice and First Mate in Pirates Past Noon. Venice hopes you enjoy the show and thanks the whole One Stage family for this opportunity.

Ada Ryder (Cecile/Morganthau/Orphan) is looking forward to playing the role of Cecile in the One Stage production of Annie. When she's not acting, she is usually painting or baking. She is nine years old and will be starting fourth grade this Fall. She has been in a few other play camps such as Frozen and Wicked. Being in Annie has been a very fun experience and she hopes to do many more plays.

Ethan VanRod (Rooster) first appeared on stage in One Stage Theatre’s production of “The Little Mermaid JR” in 2019. Since then he has played Horton in “Suessical JR” Mr.  Laurence in “Little Women”, and Winnie the Pooh in “Winnie the Pooh JR”. In his free time he likes playing video games.

Tanvi Varanasy (Duffy/Boylan Sister) is 11 years old and this is not her first rodeo. She has been in two other plays from One Stage: Lion King Jr. and Shrek Jr. , but Annie and Shrek Jr. are probably her favorite. Lion King Jr. was her first play ever and she was scared to go on stage but it was so fun that she continued acting from then on. 

Arisa Wong (Sandy) is 8.5 years old and soon to be a 3rd grader. Her favorite colors are pink, blue, and purple. She enjoys being outdoors and reading books. She also enjoys listening to music and singing along. Her first musical theater act was Frozen Jr. when she was 7 years old. She is very excited to be Sandy in Annie the Musical.

CREW

Stephanie Kara (Director/Vocal Director) is honored to be returning to One Stage Theatre and continuing the Family Production program after making her directorial debuting last year with Shrek JR. She is a proud native Bay Area female POC actor, playwright, stage manager, theatre administrator, and board member, and has been part of the theatre community for over 20 years. Many thanks to Lorraine, Ryder, LaTisha, Thomas, Max, Nikki, her crew, everyone who contributed to the show, Dashi, much love to M. www.stephaniekara.com.

Ryder Hom (Stage Manager) is excited for his first stage management position with One Stage! He has previously been involved with some of One Stage’s productions both onstage and on deck. He’d like to thank Stephanie for her continuous support and guidance, as well as give thanks to the cast and crew for another fun experience!

Heather Radovich (Lighting Designer) is a production manager and designer from the San Francisco Bay Area by way of Boston, Massachusetts. She is currently the production manager for Moreau Catholic High School’s visual & performing arts department and the former production manager for Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University. When not producing or designing, Heather is a stage manager and proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Select stage management credits include: Boys Go to Jupiter (Word for Word), Little Women (Wheelock Family Theatre), Nixon’s Nixon (New Repertory Theatre), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and Pride & Prejudice (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Heather holds an MFA in stage management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a BA in technical theater from Sonoma State University.

ROBERT ARTURO RAMIREZ (Sound Designer) is pleased to be designing for One Stage Theatre again. He recently designed Beauty and the Beast. Theatrical Designs include: Haunted House Party (Troubies/Getty Villa); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Garry Marshall Theatre) : Duran DurAntony and Cleopatra (Troubadour Theatre) and Miracle on 34th Street(Hollywood Actors co-op), (Ovation nom). For TV, he is currently Sound Designer on DC Comics' Superman and Lois (CW/hbomax), and Unprisoned (Hulu) at Warner Brothers Sound. Past theatrical designs: Lady Day at Emerson's (GMT) Ovation nom; Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Broads! (El Portal); Romeo and Juliet (Odyssey). He’s received 3 Emmy/2 Ovation nominations. Other TV credits include: Manifest (NBC/Netflix), DC's Titans (Hbomax), DC’s Arrow, Queen and Slim. etc. He operates Orpheus SoundLabs in the NoHo Arts District. Upcoming: THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER at the Colony Theatre in Burbank/LA. Thanks to Stephanie and Lorraine for the opportunity. 

Kristen Soriano (Choreographer)  is so grateful to choreograph for the first time at One Stage. She directed and choreographed for One Stage Camps including: The King Jr., Frozen kids, and Willy Wonka kids. She was last seen on stage as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Sunnyvale Community Players. Other performing credits include The Prom (Foothill Music Theatre), Legally Blonde (West Valley Light Opera), In The Heights, and The Little Mermaid (SCP). Choreography credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, In The Heights (SCP), and Chicago (Plethos Productions). Favorite roles include Maureen from Rent and Nina from In The Heights. When not on stage, Kristen teaches second grade in Hayward. Much love to her family, friends, and fiancee Justin for their love and support!! She hopes you enjoy the show!(Instagram: _kristensoriano. Kristensoriano.com)

Special Thanks

LaTisha Rodriguez, Nikki Liv Basas, Max O. Chang, Max Ochoa, Thomas Nguyen, Layla Malacara, Marwa Chopan, Liz Nelsen, Fred Rodriguez, Sofia VanRod, Lorraine VanRod, Heather Radovich, Moreau Catholic High School

Performances to be held at

Teves Theatre

27170 Mission Blvd. Hayward, CA 94544

 

July 26 @ 7pm

July 27 @ 2pm

July 28 @ 2pm

 

Performances to be held at

Teves Theatre

27170 Mission Blvd. Hayward, CA 94544

 

July 25 @ 7:30pm

July 26 @ 2pm

July 27 @ 2pm