"Native Gardens" Cast & Creative Team

By Karen Zacarías
Directed by Melissa Crespo

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Karen Zacarías, Playwright
Karen Zacarías was recently named by American Theatre Magazine as one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the United States. Her award-winning plays include The Copper Children, Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens, The Book Club Play, Legacy of Light, Mariela in the Desert, The Sins of Sor Juana, and the adaptations of Just Like Us, Into the Beautiful North, and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. She is the author of 10 renowned TYA (Theater for Young Audiences) musicals, including Ella Enchanted. She is a core founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons and founder of the award-winning Young Playwrights’ Theater. She is an inaugural 2019 Sine Fellow for Policy Innovation at American University and just received the 2019 Lee Reynolds Award. Karen lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and three children. karenzacarias.com 

Melissa Crespo, Director
Melissa is a New York-based director of theater, opera, and film. Upcoming: world premiere of Daughters of the Rebellion by Guadalís del Carmen (Montclair State University) and form of a girl unknown by charly evon simpson (Salt Lake Acting Company). Recent: Wickedest Woman by Jessica Bashline (Strange Sun Theatre), graveyard shift by Korde Arrington Tuttle (San Francisco Playhouse), Brother Toad by Nathan Louis Jackson (Kansas City Repertory Theatre), ¡Figaro! (90210) by Vid Guerrerio (The Duke on 42nd Street and LA Opera). Fellowships and residencies: Time Warner Fellow (WP Theatre), Usual Suspect (New York Theatre Workshop), The Director’s Project (Drama League), Van Lier Directing Fellow (Second Stage Theatre), and the Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow (Arena Stage). melissacrespo.com 

Shoko Kambara, Scenic Designer
Musicals: Little Girl Blue (world premiere, George Street Playhouse); Next to Normal (Syracuse Stage); Holiday Inn, Always … Patsy Cline, and Guys & Dolls (Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival); Chicago (Hangar Theatre); Nice Work If You Can Get It (National Tour, Worklight Productions). Plays: A Christmas Carol, Dégagé (Hangar Theatre); Animals Out of Paper (Hudson Stage Company); The Turn of the Screw, The Bombitty of Errors (Syracuse Stage); Shining City (Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Las Vegas). Opera: The Prince of Players (world premiere, Houston Grand Opera); The Little Mermaid (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); The Barber of Seville (Opera Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, St Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Set Design, Opera Omaha); Don Pasquale (Juilliard School). shokokambara.com 

Lux Haac, Costume Designer
Lux is a New York-based costume designer for theater, film, opera, and dance. Credits include: Between Two Knees (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Ajijaak on Turtle Island (New Victory Theater/Ibex Puppetry); Well Intentioned White People (Barrington Stage Company); ¡Figaro! (90210) (The Duke on 42nd Street/ Ragman Ventures); Destiny of Desire (The Garden Theatre); Nibbler (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater/The Amoralists); Crossing the Line (Amphibian Stage Productions); A Lesson from Aloes (Juilliard School); The Road to Damascus (59E59 Theaters/The Directors Company); Leave Me Green (The Gym at Judson); The Erlkings (Theatre Row); Powwow Highway (HERE/Amerinda). Education: M.F.A. in design for stage and film from Tisch/NYU. luxhaac.com 

Dawn Chiang, Lighting Designer
For Portland Center Stage at The Armory, Dawn designed the lighting for Other Desert Cities and The Old Settler. Her designs for numerous regional theaters include Arena Stage, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Arizona Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Guthrie Theater, and Syracuse Stage.  On Broadway, Dawn designed the lighting for Zoot Suit and was co-designer for Tango Pasion. Off-Broadway, she has designed for Roundabout Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club. Dawn was resident lighting designer for New York City Opera, where her designs included A Little Night Music. Awards include two Dramalogue Awards, two Syracuse Area Live Theater Awards and nominations for the American Theatre Wing/Maharam Award, Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Award, and San Francisco Bay Area Drama Critics’ Award. 

Elisheba Ittoop, Sound Designer/Original Compositions
Elisheba’s designs and original music have been heard at The Kennedy Center, The Public Theater, American Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, MCC Theater, Guthrie Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Steppenwolf Theatre, Signature Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, National Gallery of Art, Soho Rep, Huntington Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, DCPA Theatre Company, Two River Theater, Woolly Mammoth, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Arena Stage, Alliance Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and Bonnaroo Music Festival. Elisheba was a recipient of the Kenan Fellowship at the Kennedy Center and winner of the 2008 USITT Rising Star Award. She has produced podcasts and written music for NPR, CNN, Audible, WGBH, WFMT/Glimmerglass, and Spotify Bootcamp. Education: NYU, North Carolina School of the Arts. elishebaittoop.com 

Kristen Mun, Stage Manager
Kristen is originally from the island of Oahu and holds a B.F.A. from Southern Oregon University. She is excited to return for her sixth season at Portland Center Stage at The Armory. Previous credits at The Armory include stage manager for Until The Flood, Sense and Sensibility, Constellations, and Major Barbara; assistant stage manager for The Color Purple, Fun Home, and Astoria: Part Two; and production assistant on many others. Kristen is also a freelance fight choreographer and teacher. Thank you to Adam and her family for always having her back. 

Alexis Ellis-Alvarez, Production Assistant
Alexis is thrilled to be working as a stage management apprentice for Portland Center Stage at The Armory. Credits at The Armory include The Color Purple, A Christmas Memory/Winter Song, Buyer and Cellar, and Crossing Mnisose. Outside of Portland, credits include Huntington Theater Company as the production assistant for Tartuffe; ArtsEmerson as the assistant stage manager for the world premiere of Mala; and Cygnet Theatre as the production assistant for Animal Crackers. Alexis studied stage and production management at Emerson College, where she worked on Antigone Project as the stage manager and Guys and Dolls as the production assistant. Alexis would like to send love to her parents and sister, who have always been extremely supportive of her. 

Molly Shevaun Reed, Production Assistant
Molly is thrilled to join Portland Center Stage at The Armory this season as a stage management apprentice, where credits include Until The Flood, Sense and Sensibility, Twist Your Dickens, and The Color Purple. Originally from Denton, Texas, Molly has worked in stage management, props design, and has developed new work as a director in Dallas and Portland. Local credits include stage manager for Spectravagasm X, director/designer/producer for Endless Oceans, and assistant director/production assistant for The Few at CoHo Productions. Dallas credits include stage manager for Dry Land at Upstart Theater and director/designer for the world premiere of Nomad Americana at WaterTower Theatre’s Out of the Loop Fringe Festival (formerly titled Rooting at Nouveau 47 Theatre). Love and thanks to Cam, Fam, Lyss, and Bear. 

Syracuse Stage, Co-Producer
Originally constructed as the Regent Movie House in 1914, the physical space of Syracuse Stage has seen many films, musicians, actors, and artists pass through its doors over the course of the past century. The Syracuse Stage that exists today is a non-for-profit professional theater company founded in 1974 and a longstanding member of the League of Resident Theatres. Since its inception, Syracuse Stage has produced over 300 shows. It now produces six to seven shows per season, while offering educational programs, pre- and post-show events, and fundraising events each year. As Central New York’s only LORT theater company, it is one of the largest performing arts organizations in the area. Syracuse Stage has a strong commitment to giving the community access to a range of high-quality productions; it brings in actors, designers, and directors who are among the leading theater professionals locally and across the nation. syracusestage.org 

Geva Theatre Center, Co-Producer
Now in its 46^th season, Geva Theatre Center is a professional theater company dedicated to creating and producing productions, programs, and services of a national standard. As Rochester’s flagship theater, Geva is the most attended regional theater in New York State, and one of the 25 most subscribed in the country, serving up to 160,000 patrons annually, including 20,000 students. As one of the country’s leading theater companies and a member of the League of Resident Theatres, Geva produces a varied contemporary repertoire celebrating the rich tapestry of our diverse community. The theater draws upon the talents of some of the country’s top actors, directors, designers, and writers who are shaping the American theater scene. Geva offers a wide variety of educational, outreach, and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. Since 1995, the organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy. gevatheatre.org