Warrior Queen Anahit the Brave

Digital Program

Cast

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

Ani Marderosian
Queen Anahit

Ani is an award-winning artist and multi-talented performer with 20+ years of experience in the entertainment industry. She has toured the country as an actor, director, and musician. www.animarderosian.com

Nathan Mohebbi*
King Vachagan

TV credits include “Bluff City Law”(NBC), “I Run Hot”(Peacock), “Chasing Life”(Freeform). He performs on stage all over LA including at Celebration Theatre, Hudson Stage, and International City Theatre.

Alistair McKenzie*
Apep

Fresh off the world premier of Trouble the Water, Alistair joins Imagine Theatre for his maiden voyage.

Sophia Vitello
Maral

Sophia Vitello (Maral, she/her) is excited to be joining Explore Theatre for the first time! She is a Chicago based performer who has been obsessed with storytelling from a young age while growing up in the cornfields of southern Indiana.

Kyle Caldwell*
Arman
Assistant Stage Manager

Kyle Caldwell is beyond stoked to bring his talents to such an amazing story. Past favorite roles include Jamie from The Last 5 Years, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer. He dedicates this show to his niece. May the first time seeing your uncle on stage and the strength of the women in this story inspire you to be all that you can be.

Christianne Holly Santiago
Nairi

Holly Santiago is so excited to be telling this empowering story with Imagine Theatre!
Holly found her passion for singing at the age of 7 when she started singing at her local church. She went on to receive her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Music from Cal State Fullerton, and a certificate in Musical Theatre from Fullerton College.

Stephanie Jeker
UNDERSTUDY
James Everts
UNDERSTUDY
Graduate of the BFA Musical Theatre Program at AMDA College and Conservatory. ​ From Salt Lake City, UT

Digital Program

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

Female Understudy

Stephanie Jekker

Stephanie will play the role of Nairi November 8th - 15th.

Male Understudy

James Everts

James will play the role of King Vachagan November 12th - 13th.

Creative Team

* Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

Armina LaManna **

Writer and Director / Imagine Theatre Artistic Director
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Shahen Hagobian

Composer
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** Associate Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Tom Buderwitz***

Scenic & Projection Designer
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Josh Epstein***

Lighting Designer
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Dianne Graebner***

Costume Designer
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Joseph "Sloe" Slawinski

Sound Designer
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Elna Kordijan*

Stage Manager
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Elizabeth Curtin

Musical Director
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Douglas Wright

Puppet Designer
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Naomi Miyahara

Technical Director
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Producing Team

Laura Hill

Co-Producer & Managing Director
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Gabrieal Griego

Co-Producer
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We wish to thank

We wish to thank The Colony Theatre for giving our mainstage productions such an amazing home. We are truly fortunate to be here.

Thank you to the remarkable Richard Soto for your Fight Choreography. The swords in this production were generously loaned to us by Spike Steingasser, Weapons Master. We thank the Glendale City Council and the Burbank Arts Commission for their support.

A very big thank you to Supervisor Kathryn Barger for sponsoring our Warrior Queen student matinees. Your support makes school field trips to the theatre possible by allowing us to keep student matinee prices so accessible. 

A commendation from Senator Portantino!

A commendation from City of Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian!

A commendation from Katryn Barger!

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Armina LaManna**

Director & Imagine Theatre Artistic Director

Armina began her stage career at the age of six in the former USSR. Since then, she has performed, directed, and taught in United States and Russia. She is currently the Artistic Director of Imagine Theatre and Adjunct Faculty at the CSU Northridge and Glendale Community College. She is a director, playwright, and a staunch advocate for fair wages for artists. Armina is a recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Women Honor from the International Armenian Chamber of Commerce and the 2007 Samuel S. Felt Fund Grant in Dramaturgy. Member of SDC, AEA, and DG. MFA in Directing from Temple University in Philadelphia.

June Caryll

Playwright

June Carryl was raised in Denver and attended Brown University, where she studied Political Science and English Literature. Her plays include N*GGA B*TCH (developed at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre and the Vagrancy), THE WRONGED PARTY (2022 IAMA Theatre’s Shonda Rhimes Unsung Voices Commission), COLOSSUS (2023 Ojai Playwright’s Conference, semi-finalist 2021 O’Neill Playwrights Conference), BLUE (2023 Scotsman First Fringe Award, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), FLORENCE & NORMANDIE (Playwrights Arena and UCLA Diversifying the Classics) and GIRL BLUE (developed at CTG L.A. Writer’s Workshop). An actor as well, her theater credits include Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Celebration Theatre), Gerty Fail in Failure: A Love Story (Coeurage Theatre), the Nurse in Romeo & Juliet (A Noise Within), A.C.T’s Insurrection: Holding History, Berkeley Repertory’s Civil Sex and Thick Description’s Venus. Film and Television credits include: “Joker 2: Folie a Deux,”  “Kemba,” “Y: the Last Man,” “Helstrom,” and “Mindhunter.”

Tom Buderwitz

Scenic & Projection Designer

This is Tom’s third production for Imagine Theatre. Tom has designed scenery for: Center Theatre Group, South Coast Repertory, Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Wallis-Annenberg Center, The Kennedy Center, The Second City, The Goodman, The Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Intiman Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Antaeus Theatre Company, Theatre @ Boston Court, A Noise Within, Laguna Playhouse, PCPA Theatrefest and Utah Shakespeare Festival among many others. 6 LASA Ovation Awards (31 Nominations), 3 LA Drama Critics Awards, 3 Emmy Award Nominations, Art Directors Guild Award nomination. Adjunct faculty at U.S.C. School of Dramatic Arts. Proud member United Scenic Artists 829.

Gavan Wyrick

Lighting Designer

Gavan Wyrick (he/him) is a Los Angeles based lighting designer for plays, musicals, and everything in between. Credits include: A Going Away Party Play (Boston Court); The Bauhaus Project, Blood at the Root, Starmites, Anatomy of Gray, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Open Fist Theatre Company); Accommodation, Remembering the Future, God of Carnage (The Odyssey); Coney Island Land, To The Bone, Let Me In, Driver’s Seat (Theatre 68); Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast, South Pacific, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Desert Theatricals); The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family: The Musical (Lewis Family Playhouse); Cinderella, Mary Poppins (Performance Riverside). Web: gavanwyrickdesign.com; Instagram: @gavanwyrickdesign

Dianne Graebner

Costume Designer

Dianne has designed costumes for over 100 productions internationally and has originated the costumes for many new works and world premieres. She loves the process of developing characters with their costumes and collaborating with the creative team to tell their stories. She is a member of United Scenic Artists Local-829. www.diannegraebner.com

Rebecca Kessin

Sound Designer

Rebecca Kessin is a Los Angeles based Sound Designer and Educator.  Theatre is her life’s great passion!

Favorite recent productions include Ride the Cyclone at Chance Theater, American Mariachi at South Coast Repertory, Die Mommie, Die! for Celebration Theatre Company and CTG’s KDT Block Party, Priscilla! Queen of the Desert at Celebration Theatre Company (Ovation Winner – Best Production, 2019), This Land for Company of Angels, Peter Pan – The Boy Who Hated Mothers at The Blank, and Niagara Falls (World Premiere) at Theatre of NOTE.

Other recent credits include designs at Fayetteville’s Theatre Squared, Santa Barbara’s Ensemble Theatre Company, Coachella Valley Rep, Celebration Theatre Company, The LA LGBT Center, The Apricity Project at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018, The Gary Marshall Theatre, Red Compass Productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016.

Elna Kordijan

Stage Manager

Elna is a LA based stage manager with over ten years of experience in live productions. This will be her second production with Imagine Theatre, where she previously stage managed The Tale of Turandot in 2019. This will be her first production post pandemic as she recently became a mom of twins. Her previous work includes various shows at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, including Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, The Chalk Garden, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo & Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and As You Like It among others. She has also stage managed various productions for LA Phil’s Toyota Symphonies for Youth since 2014. She is grateful to be back doing what she loves.

Eliza

Stage Hand

Bio coming.

Brenda Ramirez-Kalcoff

Director of Operations for The Colony Theatre

Brenda’s venture into the world of theatre was a natural progression from her extensive background in hospitality for the Hilton Corporation. Her innate ability to problem solve at the operations level and experiences, translated seamlessly into the theatre. Over the past ten years, Brenda has honed her craft at The Colony Theatre with her leadership style which is a blend of mentorship and innovation. She believes in empowering the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collective achievement. Her approach motivates the workforce that takes pride in their contribution to the arts.  As the Director of Operations, she is proud of the progress The Colony Theatre has made over these past years.

Aaron Lyons

Technical Director

Aaron Lyons does theatre. Lots of it. As an actor, director, designer, producer, stage manager, technical director, and crew member, he has over 250 credits on his National and International resumes. But mostly, he just likes doing good shows with good people. www.aaronlyons.net

Heather Provost

Co-Producer & Artistic Director of The Colony Theatre

Heather is a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award-nominated producer. Critically acclaimed hits on Broadway include Reasons To Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (three Tony nominations including Best Play) and the musical [title of show] (Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical). She produced the Under My Skin segment of ‘The Pink Campaign’ on Broadway with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She also produced/directed the California Theatre’s acclaimed productions of Driving Miss Daisy and Love Letters. Provost produced the short film “Harmony” starring Jason Alexander and the feature film “Racing Colt” which she also co-directed. She is the Producing Artistic Director at The Colony Theatre and has been recognized by the California Legislature for her service. Other producing credits include Calvin Berger, Chix 6,series “Penelope P.C.S.A.” starring Dave Foley, Associate Producer on the feature films “To The Beat!” and “To The Beat! Back to School.” She co-wrote “A Joyous Christmas” for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as well as Hallmark’s, “Season for Love,” one of Hallmark’s most popular summer movies of all time. She’s in development with Hallmark and Front Street Pictures, respectively, and had a recent rom/com feature film for MarVista Entertainment premiere on E! and can now be seen on Peacock. She recently sold a rom/com series to a popular streaming app and is attached to write the screen adaptation of the stage musical, “Calvin Berger.” Heather is a Florida State University graduate and was on the faculty at The Commercial Theater Institute in NYC.

Gabrieal Griego

co-Producer
& projection designer

Gabrieal is thrilled to be a part of bringing this magical story to life! Recent projection designs for theatre include World Premiere productions The Bauhaus Project, Power and Light, & Coney Island Land. Recent Colony projection designs include The Civility of Albert Cashier with director Richard Israel, Footloose! with director Barry Pearl, & Calvin Berger with director Richard Israel. Gabrieal is very proud to be a part of this incredible production alongside these amazing artists. Gabrieal is also a playwright, producer, and director of both theatre and film.