Community Celebration: An Evening Of Mixed Repertory Curator/Artistic Director Brandon Whited June 18, 2021 Center Stage Theater Director’s Note t is with great joy and pleasure that we welcome you back to the theater. It goes without saying that this has been an incredibly challenging year. While many industries have been effected by the pandemic in significant ways, the performing arts—and dance in particular—have endured devas- tating economic and structural ramifications. COVID’s impact on the arts has been widely un-addressed at the governmental level and it is due to the unshakeable support of arts advocates, donors, and community organizers that we are here today.

For so many of us, the restrictions and limitations of the pandemic have also ushered in a lengthy period of separation, division and isolation. Through screens we worked to forge new connections, and reconnect with those who had drifted away from us. We created times to meet and “zoomed” all over the globe in an attempt to recreate the vital, human need for social interaction and community support. There is great power in community—holding the power of connection, cooperation, and under- standing. After so much time apart, it is that much more meaningful to join together tonight in order to celebrate the art form that kept so many of us going this past year.

Tonight’s offerings represent many of the different aesthetics, genres and performance styles that illuminate the range and diversity with- in the field of dance. Representing many generations, cultural histories, creative points-of-view through both live and digital performances, the works featured tonight are an important step toward what will be a long process of the reemergence and rebuilding of our field. I invite you to open your mind and your heart, let the visceral impact of live performance invigorate you, and allow yourself to be moved.

Thank you so much for spending the evening with us, and for your ongoing support of the performing arts. We hope to see you again soon!

—Brandon Whited, Curator/Artistic Director Community Celebration: An Evening Of Mixed Repertory Only Hope Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Choreography: Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Lighting: Antonio Cruz Ventura Music: Mandy Moore Only Hope Performers: Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Rescue Avila Joy Edwards Choreography: Avila Joy Edwards & Katie Cleek Lighting: Sophie Lynd Music: Lauren Daigle Rescue Performers: Avila Joy Edwards, Katie Cleek & Maile Kai Merrick Bollywood Nartan School of Dance Choreography: Khushbu Dalsania Lighting Design: Antonio Cruz Ventura & Sophie Lynd Video Production: Kaede Kogo, Antonio Cruz Ventura & Brandon Whited Performers: Aadhya Bavkar, Aditi Shanbhag, Jayna Patel, Saanvi Joshi, Sahara Bajwa Ganesh Pooja Nartan Mommy Dancers Choreography: Khushbu Dalsania Lighting Design: Antonio Cruz Ventura & Sophie Lynd Video Production: Kaede Kogo, Antonio Cruz Ventura & Brandon Whited Performers: Bahvna Rahane, Deepikha Punniamoorthy, Ranjana Girish, Bhavna Rahane Harvest Moon Daisy Mohrman Choreography: Daisy Mohrman Videography/Cinematography/Photography: Cory Cullington Music: Harvest Moon Performer: Daisy Mohrman Lizard's Mouth HR Moves/Hannah Ruth Brothers Movement, Video & Editing: Hannah Ruth Brothers Sound & Editing: Simon Blondell Performer: Hannah Ruth Brothers A Dance Celebration of Rhythmic Unity in Diversity Isha Ferraz Choreography: Pauline Carey, Isha Ferraz & Cassidy Linder Music: Lindsey Sterling Mirage Performers: Pauline Carey, Isha Ferraz & Cassidy Linder Pharonic Odyssey Alexandra King Ensemble Choreography: Alexandra King Lighting: Antonio Cruz Ventura Music: Pharonic Odyssey Performers: Blanca Blanco, Faith J. Daniels, Alexandra King, Selena Evilsizor Whitney & Trudy Verbais,

Intermission The Spanish Prince Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Choreography: Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Lighting: Antonio Cruz Ventura Music: The Spanish Prince arranged by Jatila van der Veen Performers: Vasily Golovin & Jatila van der Veen Out There Victoria Finlayson Choreography & Video Editing: Victoria Finlayson Videographers: Hannah Ruth Brothers, Victoria Finlayson, Lydia Lamberth, Susan Shaberman, Mark Srednicki Original Score: Simon Blondell Performers: Hannah Ruth Brothers, Kara Le, Susan Shaberman, Eloise Uranga Nadamurali Gaana Vilola Yamini Kalluri Choreography & Performance: Yamini Kalluri Culminate Choreography Emily Stratton Videography: Nick Deraney Music: Philip Glass Etude No. 16 Performer: Emily Stratton Time to Start The Dance Network/Coverage Tap Choreography: Karyn Laver Lighting Design: Karyn Laver Music: Blue Man Group Time To Start Performers: Shae Cogswell, Caitlin Davis, Lauren Hovey, Lindsay Huddle, Karyn Laver & Marley Moody Directors-Choreographers-Filmakers

Hannah Ruth Brothers seeks to discover what can be created with the materials at hand. Creating dance films with nothing more than her iPhone, she has danced on beaches, trails, and subway platforms, and in parking lots, grocery stores, and Am- trak bathrooms, as well as on many stages. She graduated with High Honors from Marlboro College, VT, with a BA in Dance, and has trained extensively in ballet, modern dance, contact improvisation, dance improvisation, West African dance, and yoga. Her work has been presented in New England; Orlando, FL; Berkeley, CA; and her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA, where she current- ly resides. Since 2016, Hannah Ruth has managed her private practice, Hannah Ruth Massage for Wellness, serving clients in the Santa Barbara area. View her live performance work and dance films, includingLizard’s Mouth extras, at vim- eo.com/hannahruthbrothers, or find her on Instagram @hannahruthiedancequeen- machine.

Paulina Carey: This International Academy Of Middle Eastern Dance Superstar will take you on a journey embracing the cre- ative and theatrical elements of dance. Paulina began her belly dance career with the UCSB Middle East Ensemble in 1995. Her artistry and talent shine through with every performance and her skill and enthusiasm as a teacher are widely recog- nized. Paulina has taught and performed workshops nationally and internationally.

Katie Cleek started dancing at Curtis Studio of Dance when she was six years old and has since participated in Santa Barba- ra’s Teen Dance Star, trained with the Industry Dance Acad- emy in LA, dances with Geometry Dance Academy, studied at several summer intensives including State Street Ballet and Entity Contemporary Dance Company, and is now a Junior dance major and musical theater minor at Chapman University. She enjoys teaching dance and Pilates classes, crafting creative choreographic videos, and performing. She hopes to pursue a professional career in dance in the LA movie/commercial industry, company work in NYC or LA, musical theater on Broadway, or whatever else comes her way! Katie is excited and expectant for what the future holds. She is very grateful for her Santa Bar- bara community because she would not be where she is without the support and love of the arts from her hometown. Katie plans to continue living her life boldly from her heart and make a positive impact on the world.

Cory Cullington is a photographer, cinematographer, editor, and animator from Auburn, CA. From a young age, his fascination with filmmaking led him to pursue a degree in Film & Media Studies at the University of , San- ta Barbara, where he contributed to over a dozen productions. He now travels internationally for Procore Technologies, capturing video and stills that craft the company’s image. Cory is endlessly driven to learn, create, and collaborate. Cory and Daisy Mohrman live together in Santa Barbara and this is their most recent collaboration. has enhanced her inherent talent and transformed her into an accomplished danc- er by sheer grace, rhythm and fluidity. The artist in her blossomed into a dedicat- ed teacher after she attained Shiksha Visharad and Upandhya Vishaarad in dance from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharv Mahavidyalaya, Miraj-India. She is the pioneer of the branch for Arya Dance Academy in Cherryhill, NJ. She taught Classical and Bollywood dance to over 200 students at the Cherryhill location from 2003- 2008 including 15 Aarangetrams and numerous trophies under her. After a 5 year maternity break, Khushbu is all set to teach Indian classical Dance in California.

Avila Joy Edwards, 12, has been dancing since the age of two. She has performed in a number of ballets throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura County; her favorites being Thumbelina, Appalachian Spring (w/State Street Ballet) and . She has been accepted and participated in summer intensives with Master Ballet Academy and American Ballet Theater. This summer she will be attending State Street Ballet’s summer intensive along with Ballet Magnificat. In the future, Avila plans to continue studying dance and hopes to have more opportuni- ties to choreograph pieces like this to share with others.

Isha Ferraz is a passionate dancer and choreographer, 15-yr movement instructor and the founder of Hamsa Studio in Ojai, California. From a young age she discovered her love for the performing arts and has trained and performed in various dance companies from grade school through college. At the age of 20 she discovered her love of teaching and began her career as a dance instructor teaching in Nashville, Tennessee. A deep res- onance with Indian culture and arts led her to study Kuchipudi (Indian Classical Dance) under various accomplished gurus and mentors. She has had the pleasure of performing internationally and has choreographed dozens of Bollywood and semi-classical pieces with one of her choreography videos reaching over 2 mil- lion views on YouTube.

Victoria Finlayson (dancer/choreographer/actor) is new to videodance on the production/choreography side. She was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1984-1992 where she appeared in videodances by Merce Cun- ningham and Eliot Caplan, then she worked with the Lit Moon Theater Company from 1992-2020. She is currently working on independent projects and seeing where her movement and theatrical interests lead next.

Vasily Golovin was born in St. Petersburg, the Cultural Capital of Russia, where he began training with some of the top ball- room coaches in the world at the age of 9. He has competed internationally for more than 20 years, and has won the titles of Russian National Champion, European Champion, and Latin World Champion. Vasily is now an internationally recognized Professional Latin Champion representing the United States. Vasily has won the Top Teacher award in several California competitions, and is one of the most highly acclaimed ballroom coaches in California. Yamini Kalluri is a Kuchipudi dancer based in New York City. Raised in Hyderabad, India, Yamini Kalluri has been celebrated by the New York Times and BBC as being a Kuchipudi sensation. A disciple of legendary guru, Padmasri Dr. Sobha Naidu, Yamini began exhibiting signs of her extraordinary talent and dedication to dance at a very early age. At the age of 12 she not only began per- forming throughout India but also began teaching at Dr. Sobha Naidu’s School. She completed a certification course in Kuchipudi from Potti SreeramuluTelugu University, Hyderabad with distinctions in 2013 and further refined her style un- der the mentorship of the renowned Kuchipudi guru Vempati Ravi Shankar. Her passion led her to New York where she teaches, performs and trains in ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Yamini has founded Kritya Dance to empower up and coming artists to take Kuchipudi to global platforms.

Alexandra King is a nationally recognized Middle Eastern dancer, and is been one of Santa Barbara’s top belly dancers since 1981. She was the house dancer at The Plaka restaurant for twelve years, co-founded the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and has won a number of awards for her work. www.alexan- draking.com

Karyn Laver is the owner and artistic director of The Dance Network, a dance and fitness studio for students of all ages in Santa Barbara, CA. She started dancing at the age of 10, inspired the filmSingin’ in the Rain, and began by taking tap lessons at Central Coast Dance in Los Osos, CA, where she danced for 10 years. By age 15, she was teaching her own classes and choreographing for the studio’s junior tap company. Since then, Karyn has performed, taught, choreographed, and competed in multiple styles, and has been recognized at Dupree Dance Expo, Showstoppers, and I Love Dance national con- ventions and competitions for her performance aesthetic and choreography. For several years, Karyn performed with Fusion Dance Company and ArtBark International and has taught at multiple studios along the California coast. More recently, she has been training in ballroom and social dance styles and is also certified as a Rhythm Works Integrative Dance Instructor, a rhythm and dance program that focuses on teaching students with learning differences and special needs.

Cassidy Linder has been tap dancing her way through this world since the age of 3. A professional since 17, she currently owns and operates Ojai Arts Exchange, a dance studio in Ojai offering tap, jazz, ballet, and various other dance forms to mov- ers and shakers of all ages. She started the dance program at Oak Grove School in 2018, and has been a guest choreographer & performer for various schools and organizations throughout , the midwest & has even shuffled off to Europe. Cassidy is thrilled to share her love of this art form with the other performers and you, the audience!

Daisy Mohrman is a dancer, bodyworker, and aspiring performing arts physical man University in Orange, CA. She has since performed around the West Coast with Shieldwall Dance Company (LA), DVDance (San Jose), SBCC Dance Company (Santa Barba- ra), Nebula Dance Lab (SB), and selah dance collective (SB). Though she typically channels her passion for dance through live performance, she has recently found a resurgence in her creative voice during quarantine. Daisy and Cory Cullington live together in Santa Barbara and this is their most recent collaboration.

Emily Stratton is an aerialist and modern dancer who blends disciplines into contemporary Aerial Dance. As a lover of all things air-bound, Emily is a multi-disciplinary artist who cho- reographs, performs, and trains in Lyra, Trapeze, Fabrics, Corde Lisse and Sling. Her particular area of passion is momentum filled metal apparatus. She combines high flying, dynamic skill with detailed, complex movement to create emotional impact.

Jatila van der Veen grew up immersed in dance in New York City, the Dance Capital of the US. She began studying at age 8, and by age 17 was touring the US with a professional company. In addition to performing with ensembles in New York, Chica- go, and Berkeley, she has studied and performed in South India on a government scholarship, in Bulgaria and Macedonia, and was a soloist and choreographer with the UCSB Middle East Ensemble for eight years. Dance critic Robert Bernstein wrote of her in EdHat: “Jatila is one of my favorite dancers in our region. She is fluent and skilled in a wide range of dance styles from around the world. She throws herself into each dance with full energy and passion.” Jatila began studying and performing with Vasily in May of 2014, and the couple quickly became a Santa Barbara favorite, performing annually at Noches de Ronda in Fiesta, the French Festival, BASSH, and other showcases. Jatila has won multiple Gold and Silver titles as a Pro/Am competitor in a number of competitions, including the Emerald Ball and Royal Ball in , and the California Open. Performers Sahara Bajwa is a 13 year old middle schooler from Ventura County. She was one of the first students at NARTAN dance school and has been dancing since she was 5 years old and was one of the first students. She enjoys dancing as a means to creatively express herself. After 7 years, Sahara earned her certification in Bharatnatyam and has enjoyed assist-teaching the dance. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, dancing, field hockey, art, science, reading and playing with her puppy.

Aadhya Bavkar is a 14 year old high school freshman at FTHS in Ventura, CA. She has danced Russian ballet since the age of 3 and is still dancing to this day. Aadhya loves to explore new things and strives to better herself. In pursuit of this, she challenged herself to learn a traditional Indian dance called Bharat- natyam. She has continued her passion for both these classical forms of dance for the past 7 years. While ballet gives her the wings to fly; Bharatnatyam keeps her grounded to her Indian roots. Outside the studio,Aadhya loves to explore the world of math, science, and literature. Since the seventh grade, she has been part of a nonprofit student-led organization that works to spread STEM technologies to schools around Ventura county. She hopes to continue this passion and wants to become a biomedical engineer. Being a paramedic is also on her list of the many things she wants to accomplish. Aadhya is an avid environmental enthusi- ast and truly wants make this world a better place for every form of life.

Blanca Blanco has studied dance with Alexandra King and Krishana. She is a member of the Alexandra King Ensemble and has been a guest with Aurora Moon Tribe, Director Krishana. She is studying Latin dance with Me Sabor Dance, Directors, Erika Martin del Campo, Esq. and Marco Aguilar.

Shae Cogswell Born in Santa Barbara, Shae is 14 years old and has been dancing since she was 6. Currently, she trains in ballet, jazz, and tap at The Dance Net- work and is a member of three of their tap performance companies. She will be attending San Marcos High School this fall, and she plans to continue expressing herself through dance and movement at The Dance Network.

Faith J. Daniels is a multi-award-winning professional dancer who has dedicated her life to the art of entertainment. She finds her greatest purpose and passion by lighting up a room with her shimmies and smile.www.faithjaydaniels.com

Caitlin Davis Caitlin has been dancing since she was 5 years old, when she took her first ballet/tap combo class. She fell in love with it, and dance has been a constant in her life ever since. Caitlin met Karyn Laver in the fall of 2013 and joined The Dance Network’s Performance Company in the spring of 2014. She has been happily tapping with Karyn and The Dance Network’s other amazing dancers since, performing at various events around the Santa Barbara area. When not dancing, Caitlin is a Senior Director of Software Engineering at Invoca.

Ranjana Girish is a mother of 9 year old twins and works in the software indus- try. Growing up in India, thanks to her mother she was always exposed to dance and music but never had the opportunity to formally learn the Indian classical dance Bharatnatyam. After coming to the USA and enrolling her daughter in Nartan dance school; she got to meet her current GURU (teacher) Ms. Khush- bu who provided her with an opportunity to start learning. She joined the class to learn something new and soon thanks to the encouragement from her family (especially her husband) and other dance moms in her class (especially her dance buddy Bhavana), dance became like a meditation and passion to keep at it. It has now been 5 years since she started learning and very soon will be performing her Aarengetram (signifies completion of years of training in the classical dance Bharatanatyam). Ranjana is an example that age is just a number and it is never too late to try out any art form and pursue your passion.

Lauren Hovey began dancing at the age of 3, starting with flamenco before mov- ing studios to pursue a wider variety of styles. She currently takes classes and performs with The Dance Network, where she trains in tap, hip hop, and ballet. A soon-to-be UCSB graduate, Lauren hopes to continue dancing beyond her school years. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Lindsay Huddle first fell in love with dance at four years old. By the age of 14, she took over teaching her studio’s upper-level tap program. Lindsay also created a tap program at her local recreation center for both beginning and intermediate level adults. She now teaches the beginning tap, mini tap, and mini hip hop class- es at The Dance Network. Lindsay has trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and ballroom and is a member The Dance Network’s competitive tap, jazz, and ballroom companies. Additionally, she trains with Rhythmic Souls Tap Com- pany as a part of their youth company, learning choreography and performing around the country. Dancing, performing, and teaching bring Lindsay so much joy, and she loves that she can share her passion with others.

Saanvi Joshi: Hi, my name is Saanvi Joshi. I am thirteen years old, and am in 7th grade. I go to Cabrillo Middle School and like a lot of things, but I especially love to dance! It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. I have been doing Indian classical dance for over 7 years, and I dance with Nartan School of Dance.

Kara Le discovered the joy of dance initially through ballroom dancing and Argentine tango, and now passionately enjoys aerial dance, ballet, Cunningham, and any other form of dance she can find.

Maile Kai Merrick, 14, began performing on stage with the Adderley School at age 11. Her first role was the part of Eponine inLes Miser- able, she then played the part of Maria in West Side Story, performed as Vi in Footloose with Kenny Loggins, and was cast as Nancy in Oliver. Maile has had the opportunity to sing with Katy Perry, record with Alan Parsons, and sing a duet with Kristin Chenoweth. Most recently, Maile played the part of Cinderella, in Into the Woods.

Marley Moody is a 14 year old dancer at The Dance Network in the Spark and Converge tap companies. She originally started dancing at the age of 3 doing ballet and has now expanded her dance knowledge in tap, ballet, and jazz. In the fall she plans to attend Santa Barbara High School as an incoming freshman and in the future, plans to continue taking dance classes and growing as a dancer.

Jayna Patel is 12 years old and in the 6th grade. She started dancing with Nar- tan, to learn the classical Indian style of dance called Bharatnatyam, when she was 5 years old. At first it was a place for Jayna to meet friends and have fun. After 7+ years, she now enjoys it for the dance. She also enjoys dancing Indian folk dances like Garba and Bhangra. Jayna’s other activities include Tae Kwon Do in which she is a first degree black belt and have been part of the robotics team for one year at school. She also enjoys drawing, have been called a book worm and a foodie. Although she has completed all levels of Bharatnatyam, Jay- na is looking forward to my final stage performance- Aarangetram.

Deepikha Punniamoorthy is 29 year old woman, full of energy and always greeting with big smiles. She is learning dance since she was 5 years old. She had to discontinue her dance journey when she was 14 years old because of family reasons. She is so happy to have found her passion through dance and the cour- age to take up dancing again. She is also an engineer working currently at Sonos bringing cool music products to everyone. She also loves to go on hikes whenev- er she gets a chance and you will see her in the kitchen cooking and baking. She is so excited and grateful to be able to perform for all of you.

Bhavana Rahane is a 50 year old, entrepreneur and e-commerce specialist. She enjoys Bharatnatyam dance and has been practicing it for many years now, completing all levels. She feels truly herself while dancing and has performed in competitions. She’s also raised two children, both of whom attend or attended the University of California, Berkeley. Her younger son is a world class gymnast, competing in International Olympic-level competitions. In the future, she aspires to not only continue dancing, but teach and give back to the community, continu- ing social work she’s already done with the Indian community.

Aditi Shanbhag is a 14-year old incoming Freshman in high school who has done dance for 8 years. She is very passionate about music and the arts, and combines this with her sharp memory and strong work ethic to make the most of her career as a dancer. Outside of dance, Aditi maintains strong academics and pursues other sports such as tennis and martial arts, while also balancing extrcur- ricular activities like leading her robotics team and playing the oboe. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and reading books of all kind. Aditi aspires to get a degree in cognitive psychology and work to contribute to her community.

Susan Shaberman has had a life-long relationship with dance. She has danced and choreographed internationally and continues to study locally. Once asked why someone of her age was continuing an intense involvement in the study of dance, the answer was simple - Love!

Sera Shahgholian was only six years old when she began Armenian Folk danc- ing in Iran. When she moved to the United States she started taking dance classes with her childhood dance teacher. She eventually fell in love with dancing again and decided to pursue her passion as a career. Sera has received her Dance Teach- ing Degree from the Glendale Community College, where she was the president of Dance Club and part of the Glendale Community College Dance Company. She is currently studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she is planning to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Dance by Spring 2021. Her research includes combining Armenian dance with modern dance. With her hard-working skills, energetic personality, & her positive attitude, Sera is looking forward to gaining more experience in the dance world and becoming a professional dancer.

Eloise Uranga is originally from the Bay Area, where she began dance studies in college. She became a member of the Mercer Dance Ensemble in New Jersey, and taught modern dance in Geneva, Switzerland. In Santa Barbara, she performed as dancer and actor with Drama Dogs, the Gilbert & Sullivan Company, the Real Shakespeare Company, Alhecama, and many independent projects. “Deep thanks to Vicki for creating this special work--I am so grateful to be a part of it. “

Selena Evilsizor Whitney grew up dancing, performing, and competing in styles ranging from jazz to tap to modern. She has studied and performed with both Alexandra King and Cris! Basimah, and is a member of the UCSB Middle East Ensemble, Director, Cris! Basimah. She also captains a local fantasy dance crew, Calypso’s Cabaret, and an international science fiction dance ensemble, GALAX- EUM.

Trudy Verbais is a long-term member of the Alexandra King Dance Ensemble and has been dancing for over twenty years. Her passion for dance is equaled by her love for gardening, and she is a certified Master Gardener from the UCSB program. Artistic Director/Curator

Brandon Whited is an Assistant Professor of Dance with a focus on creative/choreographic research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and men’s/masculinities studies. Dancing Professionally in New York City, Mr. Whited freelanced with various companies including Steeledance (Teri and Oliver Steele), Randy James Dance Works, and Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company. In 2008 he joined Shen Wei Dance Arts, touring domestically and internationally, and origi- nating roles in four works. Taking a step back from his performance career, Brandon attended The Ohio State University to earn his Masters in Fine Arts and then accepted his current position at UC Santa Barbara. Mr. Whited’s choreographic research has been presented domestically in New York, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, Texas and California, and in Italy and Australia international- ly. Brandon has created multiple works for Santa Barbara Dance Theater as both a guest performer and choreographer and presented 95 North (2019) and Petit Pas (2017) in the 2019 Dance Gallery Festival in New York City and Texas respec- tively. He serves as the Board President of the newly re-formed Santa Barbara Dance Alliance, will begin next season as Artistic Director of Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and has been thrilled to serve as Curator/Artistic Director for the Re:Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater.

Producers

Teri Ball, Center Stage Theater Executive Director, has a background in the performing arts that includes experience as an Executive Director, Development Director, Marketing Director, non-profit management consultant and professional theatrical stage manager and production manager. In addition to her many years of professional experience Ms. Ball holds a masters degree in Non-ProfitArts Management from Carnegie Mellon University, a Bachelors degree in Theater from Cal State Northridge and was a long-time stage management member of Actors Equity the union of professional actors and stage managers.

Center Stage Theater exists to provide a professional, affordable, and accessible arts venue for the Santa Barbara community. The theater offers an environment where people of all ages, levels of expertise, and socio-economic backgrounds can participate in a hands-on experience as artists, technicians and audience members. Center Stage encourages work that celebrate new artists and the cultural diversity of our community. The offerings at Center Stage are reflective of our mission to be a venue to serve the community. One day that may be the premier of an orig- inal dance piece or play, the next might be a lecture on Buddhism and there will absolutely be numerous performances featuring young singers, dancers and actors as young as 3 or 4 years old. We are proud that each year our renters include organizations that have made Center Stage their home for years along with many first-time producers. We are also pleased to serve the full spectrum of community events including dance, music, theater, lectures, meetings and films with a breadth of types of performances from young dancers and actors appearing on stage for the first time to seasoned professionals. Initiative for New and Reimagined Work Supported by the University of California Santa Barbara, within the Department of Theater and Dance, The Initia- tive for New and Reimagined Work explores the past, the present, and the possi- ble! Our mission is to encourage and support new and reimagined works while nurturing the next generation of choreographers, playwrights, directors, designers, administrators, and performers. CREATE FORWARD!

Vickie J. Scott is a Lighting and Scenic Designer for Dance, Theatre, and Themed Entertainment, and is the Executive Producer for Dramatic Women, founded in 1993 to explore and promote the participation of women in all areas of theatre and to produce original scripts for the theater by Santa Barbara, California based writers. She is also the Resident Lighting Designer and the Production Coordina- tor for the Ojai Playwright’s Conference in beautiful Ojai, California and a faculty member in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of California Santa Barbara, where she teaches lighting design for theater and dance, designs lights and mentors students. Vickie is proud to be the founding producer for the Initiative for New and Reimagined Work. Initiative for New & Reimagined Work Founding Producer...... Vickie J. Scott UC Santa Barbara Henry T. Yang, Chancellor David Marshall, Executive Vice Chancellor Irwin Appel, Chair Department of Theater and Dance

Center Stage Theater Board of Directors

Kathy Marden, President Laurel Lyle Hallie Anderson Matt Tavianini Meredith Cabaniss Pamela Vander Heide Miriam Dance

Center Stage Theater Staff

Executive Director...... Teri Ball General Manager ...... Nathan Quinney Technical Director ...... Antonio Cruz Ventura Asst. Technical Director/Video Engineer...... Kaede Kogo Center Stage Theater is funded in part by the Organizational Development grant program of The City of Santa Barbara in partnership with The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.