AJ Rafael

AJ Rafael is over the moon to make his Cygnet Theatre debut! From Moreno Valley, CA. 1M subscribers on YouTube. Notable collaborations: Tori Kelly, Kimiko Glenn, Simu Liu, Jesse Barrera. Favorite theatre credits: Grease (Johnny Casino) at Musical Theatre West, Mamma Mia! (Pepper) at East West Players, Burn All Night (Oz) at American Repertory Theatre. AJ also founded and produces the show “Crazy Talented Asians”, recently held at East West Players and Club M. This one’s for my dad, who like Jon, left this world too early to see his legacy fulfilled. Love and gratitude to Alyssa, my supportive family & friends, Lucky, Randi, and Katie @ajrafael

Emma Nossal

Emma is grateful to tell this story, especially as she herself turns 30 this year! She last appeared on the Cygnet stage as Regina in Rock of Ages and in Musical Monday: Funny Business.

Favorite credits: 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), MTW; Elf (Jovie), Nunsense (Sister Mary Leo), Theatre at The Welk; Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden), New Village Arts; 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit), A Chorus Lckine (Maggie), Moonlight; Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Nat’l Tour (Swing), Right Angle Entertainment; Hairspray(Penny Pingleton), SDMT. Love to family, Drew, & FSE!

For Emma’s upcoming projects, check out emmanossal.com.

Leo Ebanks

Leo Ebanks is thrilled to be returning to Cygnet Theatre. Recent Credits: Everybody in “EVERYBODY”(Georgia State University) Male Swing/Ensemble in “HAIR”(Two River Theatre) Benny/Ensemble in RENT(PinchnOuch Theatre). Brucie in SWEAT(Georgia State University). Harlem Ensemble & U/s Coalhouse Walker Jr in RAGTIME(Moonlight Amphitheater). TYRIEK in “Mud Row”(Cygnet Theatre). Adult Ensemble in “Dr Seuss: How The Grinch Stole Christmas”(Old Globe Theatre). HUD in “HAIR”(Old Globe Theatre). TonTon Julian in “Once On This Island”(Moonlight Amphitheater). Instagram: @itsjust_Leooo.

Jonathan Larson

Jonathan Larson received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for RENT. He also won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1994 Richard Rodgers Award for RENT and twice received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation’s Comendation Award. In 1989 he was granted the Stephen Sondheim Award from American Music Theatre Festival, where he contributed to the musical Sitting on the Edge of the Future. In 1988 he won the Richard Rodgers Development Grant for his rock musical Superbia, which was staged at Playwrights Horizon. He composed the score for the musical J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, which was presented by En Garde Arts in 1995. Mr. Larson performed his rock monologue tick, tick… BOOM! at Second Stage Theatre, The Village Gate and New York Theatre Workshop. In addition to scoring and song writing for “Sesame Street”, he created music for a number fo children’s book-cassettes, including Steven Spielberg’s An American Tail and Land Before Time. Other film scores include work for Rolling Stones magazine publisher Jann Wenner. He conceived, directed and wrote four original songs for “Away We Go!”, a musical video for children. RENT, his rock opera based on La Boheme, had its world premiere on February 13, 1996 at New York Theatre Workshop. Mr. Larson died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, ten days before his 36th birthday. His music (including songs cut from his shows) is archived in the Library of Congress.

Katie Banville

Banville is a Resident Artist at Cygnet Theatre, where she previously worked on Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Choreographer), Cabaret (Choreographer), Rock of Ages (Choreographer/Assoc. Director), Spamalot (Choreographer/Assoc. Director), A Christmas Carol (Choreographer), Spring Awakening (Asst. Choreographer), Gypsy (June), Company (April), My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Parade, Cabaret. Choreography and movement credits: Head Over Heels, Significant Other (Diversionary Theatre); Singin’ in the Rain (New Village Arts); Tarrytown, Gutenberg! The Musical! (Backyard Renaissance); A Doll’s House (The Old Globe); Freaky Friday (Moonlight Youth Theatre), Spamalot (Theatre at the Welk); Company (San Diego State University). Directing credits: The Lightning Thief (Moonlight Youth Theatre); Freaky Friday, James and the Giant Peach, Red Bike (Grossmont College); Beehive: The ’60s Musical (Okoboji Summer Theatre). Performance credits: The Heart of Rock and Roll, Benny and Joon (The Old Globe); Freaky Friday, Escape to Margaritaville (La Jolla Playhouse). MFA in Musical Theatre at San Diego State University; Department Chair of Theatre Arts at Grossmont College. Upcoming projects: directing Little Women at Carlsbad Playreaders and choreographing Sweeney Todd at San Diego Musical Theatre. www.katiebanville.com Thank you to Bryan, Juni, and Sulley for being the incredible humans they are.

Dr. Randi Rudolph

Randi is a conductor, music director, and collaborative pianist currently based in San Diego, California. She is so grateful to be here working on this show with Katie and the incredible cast, band, and crew. Recent MD credits include Next to Normal (OTC), Elf (The Welk) 42nd Street (Moonlight), A Chorus Line, Daddy Long Legs (The Phoenix Theatre Company); Tour: Beetlejuice (Keyboard Sub), The Prom (Associate MD). She has received the Louis J. Sudler Prize in Music for conducting, and was named a semifinalist in The American Prize competition for her work in musical theater conducting. Outside of conducting and piano, she enjoys composing and practicing on other instruments including the violin, guitar, and harpsichord. Randi recently completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting at Arizona State University, where she researched rhythmic notation in Broadway pop rock scores. She received her Masters of Music in Conducting from Ithaca College and her Bachelors of Arts in Music from Stanford University. “This must be the mission of every human of goodwill: to insist, unflaggingly, at risk of becoming a repetitive bore, but to insist on the achievement of a world in which the mind will have triumphed over violence.” – Leonard Bernstein.

Matthew Bantock

Cygnet Theatre: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Cabaret, La Cage aux Folles, Marie and Rosetta, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, A Christmas Carol; Regional Credits: Babbitt, Is It Thursday Yet?, The Outsiders, As You Like It, WOW Festival (2019-2024), Bhangin’ It, Hoopla!, Escape To Margaritaville, #SuperShinySara, Miss You Like Hell, Tiger Style! (La Jolla Playhouse); Knots (The Old Globe); Young Frankenstein, Miracle On 34th Street (‘17, ‘16), Pump Up The Volume (SDMT); An Octoroon (The Wilma); Estuary: an artist/mother story (Kimmel Center). Graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. theaterworkersforaceasefire.com.

Jaeonnie Davis-Crawford

Jaeonnie is working at Cygnet for the third time, and is so grateful to be back! Outside of this prop work, she also has over a decade of theatre experience both on and off stage under her belt, as well as a B.A in General Theatre Arts from SDSU.

Joshua Heming

Joshua is a Lighting Designer based in San Diego, CA. and is so excited to be back with Cygnet Theatre designing tick, tick… BOOM! Design Credits include In a Sunshine State, Love’s Labor’s Lost, A Raisin in the Sun (San Diego State University), Birds of North America (MOXIE Theatre), Associate and Assistant Design Credits include DMC Lighting Assistant for The Who’s TOMMY (Broadway, 2024), Associate Lighting Designer for Is It Thursday Yet? (PACNYC, 2023), Great Comet (2024), Evita (2023) (Cygnet Theatre), and Assistant Lighting Designer for The Ballad of Johnny & June (2024), Redwood (2024), Babbitt (2023) (La Jolla Playhouse), Twelfth Night, Cabaret (The Old Globe, 2023). He would like to thank his partner for all the love and support she provides. For more information please visit his website at www.joshuahemingld.com.

Peter Herman

Cygnet Theatre: Great Comet, Present Laughter, El Huracán, Water by the Spoonful, Life Sucks, La Cage aux Folles, The Great Leap, The Virgin Trial, Rock of Ages, Pride and Prejudice, Angels in America, Marie and Rosetta, HIR, Spamalot, The Last Wife, Shockheaded Peter, On the 20th Century, Bad Jews, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gypsy, Stupid F**king Bird, The Rocky Horror Show, When the Rain Stops Falling, Hay Fever, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Pageant, Fool for Love, True West, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Spring Awakening, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, A Christmas Carol and many others. Elsewhere: Peter has designed hair and wigs for over 500 productions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, San Diego Opera and Disneyland.  Peter currently teaches wig and makeup at SDSU.

Alyssa Junious

Alyssa “Ajay” Junious is an interdisciplinary storyteller, choreographer, teaching artist and community organizer. She received her BFA in Performance, Choreography, and Certificate of Arts Management from the University of California, Irvine. Professional theater credits include La Jolla Playhouse, Cygnet Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, San Diego Musical Theatre, Oceanside Theatre Company, New Village Arts, and Teatro San Diego. In 2022 she was a Broadway World SD nominee for “Best Choreography” (The Wiz, Teatro San Diego). She debuted at Cygnet in Cabaret as part of the ensemble and dance captain. Ajay is excited to be working with Cygnet and especially her mentor Katie Banville! She is the co-founder of Soultry Sisters Arts & Wellness Collective and hosts an annual Summer Soulstice Festival right here in North County San Diego. Learn more at SoultrySisters.com and @soultrysisters on Instagram. She also founded Continuum Arts & Pilates, a movement-based training and performance company. ContinuumArtsPilates.com @continuum.sd.

Yi-Chien Lee

Yi-Chien is a San Diego-based set designer working in theatre and film. Selected Credits include The Little Fellow, Sharon, El Huracán, Life Sucks, The Great Leap (Cygnet); Kairos, On This Side Of The World (East West Players); The Secret Garden (Music Theatre Heritage); Proof, How I Learned To Drive, God of Carnage (Backyard Renaissance); The Great Leap (Center REP); The Future is Female (Flint REP); King of the Yees (Sierra Madre Playhouse); The Great Khan (SD REP); TL;DR: Dyke Remix, Dragon Mama, Eighty-Sixed (Diversionary); Mother of the Maid (Moxie); Comedy of Errors – Globe for All (Old Globe). She received the Craig Noel Award 2022 for Outstanding Scenic Design for her work on the October Night of Johnny Zero in Backyard Renaissance Theatre. portfolio: yichienlee.com

Regan A. McKay

Regan is thrilled to be returning to Cygnet and working with such a wonderful team! Past Cygnet credits include: Mud Row. Other selected design credits: Notes on Killing… (MOXIE Theatre); Blues in the Night (North Coast Rep); Steel Pier, Cloud 9, Dog Sees God (San Diego State University); Summer Conservatory: Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA. MFA: San Diego State University. She is passionate about sustainable theatrical design and environmentally mindful practices are at the core of her work. For more: www.reganamckay.com @reganamckay 

Brian Salvanera

Brian is thrilled to return to Cygnet as the Assistant Stage Manager. Originally from Los Angeles, he graduated from UCSD and has continued to work regionally in San Diego. Other credits include: Abeba in the Tall Grass (La Jolla Playhouse), Sumo (La Jolla Playhouse), Comedy of Errors (The Old Globe), Sharon (Cygnet). He has also performed with the dance team Sleepless Collective.

Salvador Zamora

Salvador “Suavecito” Zamora is a sound designer, composer, and avid latin dancer born and raised in Southern California. He earned both his BA in the Interdisciplinary Computer and Arts Major and his MFA in Sound Design from the University of California, San Diego, and is a proud recipient of the 2023 Princess Grace Award. He’s passionate about his family and friends, Latinx culture, and the connection between sound and movement. Select designer credits: The Fires (Soho Rep), TaxilandiaSD (La Jolla Playhouse), Everybody (Antaeus Theatre Co.), Bunny Bunny, Machinal, Hells Canyon (UCSD). Select associate/assistant credits: Here There Are Blueberries (NYTW, Shakespeare Theatre Company DC, LJP), Derecho, Babbitt, Sumo, The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical (LJP).