Amélie Bios
Creative Team
Craig Lucas
Original Book
Daniel Messe
Original Music, Lyrics
Nathan Tysen
Original Lyrics
Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Guillaume Laurant
Writers of the Original Motion Picture
Brian Weaver
He/Him
Director
Elleon Dobias*
She/Her
Co-Music Director
Originally from Colorado, Elleon’s career as an actor, musician, and writer has kept her traveling for a handful of years. She is especially fond of collaborative and developmental works, with many of her proudest projects centered in instrumental improvisation. She is always humbled by the opportunity to engage her background in music with her passion for stories and how we choose to tell them. Aside from performing, Elleon is a lover of long walks, fountain pens, backpacking, anything homemade, and everything spread on toast.
Kennedy Verrett
He/They
Co-Music Director
Kennedy is an innovative, versatile composer and researcher whose imaginative music captures beauty, bursts of melodic and rhythmic energy. Kennedy uses his experience as a film composer to create innovative work that challenges the audience to reexamine their usual mode of appreciation. In addition to his work in contemporary music, Kennedy dedicates his time to research and educating people on the field of ecoacoustics. Examples of this work can be observed in works like Soundcheck Earth (in partnership with Lou Harrison House Music, Arts, and Ecology and Joshua Tree National Park), which examines the relationship between instruments, nature, and the audience’s temporal experience.
Kemba Shannon
She/Her
Choreographer
Kemba received her BFA from Towson State University and trained at the Alvin Ailey American Theater, Martha Graham School, The Edge, Lula Washington, Peridance, and Morgan State University. She has taught dance classes at UCLA, Loyola Marymount, El Camino College, Portland State University, and others. Kemba's stage credits include The Lion King (LA cast), The Color Purple (Broadway cast), Zumanity (Cirque du Soleil), Aida, and FAME. Kemba's ambition and drive have won her world recognition with musical icons such as Madonna (Drowned World Tour), P!nk (Try This World Tour), Celine Dion (Taking Chances World Tour), Rihanna (Nike RockStar World Tour), Kanye West and Fantasia to name a few. Her television credits include American Dreams (NBC), Oscars (Chicago Performance), MTV Music Awards (P!nk performance), the Emmys (Kristin Bell performance), World Music Awards (Kanye West and R. Kelly), NAACP Awards, and the Grammys. Kemba currently teaches at Arts Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton, Oregon where she teaches dance to over 200 kids every day.
David Levine*
He/Him
Stage Manager
David Levine is a lifelong Portlander and former teacher who comes from a long line of educators-turned-actors, dating back to 1950's summer camp in the Catskills. Recent stage manager credits include: Great Wide Open at Portland Playhouse; Thurgood at Cleveland Play House; awe/struck and our orange sky at Profile Theatre; and Evolve with The Red Door Project.
Dan Meeker ~
He/Him
Scenic & Lighting Designer
Dan Meeker is Lead Set Designer at Laika; this is his 32nd show at Portland Playhouse. Dan was instrumental in the renovation of the Playhouse and is responsible for all of our fabulous lighting equipment bringing us well into the 21st Century!
Wanda Walden
She/Her
Costume Designer
Wanda is an award winning Costume Designer for over 35 years. In 1981 Wanda created a new concept “Retro-Spect Productions ” A Theatrical Modeling Company. Stepping back into the past and reminiscing yesteryear through A Potpourri of Fashion, music and Dance. In 1985 Wanda launched an exciting career in Acting and Costuming. The rest is “LA History” Portland Playhouse: Pipeline, Crowns, How I Learned What I Learned; Profile Theatre: The Oldest Profession, Mother Courage, Ruined, Fires in the Mirror, The Secretaries; ART: Skeleton Crew, We Are Proud to Present, It’s a Wonderful Life, An Octaroon; OCT: The Journal of Ben Uchida; In This Corner, Cassius Clay. Media Rites/Coho: Brothers Paranormal. Vanport Mosaic: Soul’d, Martha Bakes, Left Hook, Cottonwood in the Flood; Passin Art Theatre: Black Nativity, Two Trains Running, The Gospel of Loving Kindness.
Dayna Lucas
She/Her
Costume Designer
Dayna Lucas is a costume designer and assistant from Detroit, MI, now based in Portland, OR. Dayna received her degree in Communications/Film Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and eventually received a degree in Fashion Design FIDM in Los Angeles. She has worked in costume design for both film and theater over the past ten years. Her most recent theater work includes Matilda: The Musical (Portland Playhouse, 2023 and 2024), A Christmas Carol (Portland Playhouse, 2022 and 2023), and What the Constitution Means to Me (Portland Center Stage, 2024). For her portfolio and more information, please visit her website www.designbydayna.com.
Brandi Borchers She/Her
Sound Engineer/Crew
Alan Cline
He/Him
Projection Designer
Saibi Khalsa
She/Her
Sound Designer
Blanca Forzán
She/Her/Ella
Prop Designer
Blanca Forzán is a Lighting Designer, Set Designer, and Writer. She has a degree in Architecture from Del Valle de Mexico University, was a Banff Center Intern (Canada), and worked with the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico City for over two decades.
Notables shows include: Faust (Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY) and Hamlet (Cadiz, Spain).
Other credits: Bicycle Country (Aurora Theatre, Lawrenceville, GA); An Octaroon, A Dolls House Part 2, La Ruta, and The Hombres (Artists Repertory Theatre); In The Next Room (Portland State University); Men on Boats (Willamette University); Jump (Confrontation Theatre); Mother Courage and Ruined (Imago Theatre with Profile Theatre); How to Make an American Son by Christopher Oscar Peña (Profile Theatre); The Measure of Innocence (Bag&Baggage); A Bright New Boise (Willamette University); A Christmas Carol 2021, Bella: An American Tall Tale, and Dia de los Muertos 2022 (Portland Playhouse); In the Name of Forgotten Women (Coho Theatre); Black Nativity 2022 and Yohen (Passin' Art); Neat (Passin' Art at IFCC); Blink and Sanctuary City (Third Rail); Rancho Trinidad by Yasmin Ruvalcaba (Portland Revels); Set and Props Designer for Paradise (La Lengua Teatro en Español, San Francisco, CA); Lighting Designer for the Christopher Oscar Peña Trilogy; Diné Nishłį (i am a sacred being) Or, A Boarding School Play with the Navajo Nation at Bag&Baggage in Hillsboro.
2023 Carbonell Award Winner for Best Lighting in El Huracan by Charise Castro at Gables Stage Miami Florida.
Happy to work again in my Second Home, Portland Playhouse!
Eliza Jane Schneider
She/Her
Dialect Coach
Eliza Jane Schneider is a Voice Activist, devoted to preserving dialects and amplifying the voices of underserved communities. Her award-winning plays FREEDOM OF SPEECH (fresh off a 2024 Nordic Fringe tour), Sounds of Silence: A Documentary Puppet Musical Farce about the 2004 Elections in Ohio, and Fertile Ground’s Blue Girl (2024) and Displaced, Detained, Discovered (2019), about worldwide houselessness, detained moms, and climate change, can now be heard on Patreon/elizajaneschneider as a podcast. Join her there! She founded www.CompetitiveEdgeVoice.com to help actors discover their unique voices and break into animation. Her favorite theatrical role was Audrey in Portland’s satire Little Grow Shop of Horrors. TV, Film & Game credits include South Park, Beakman’s World, Pirates of the Caribbean, & Assassin’s Creed. She made her Portland Playhouse debut as dialect coach for Passing Strange, and is beside herself thrilled to be joining this wildly talented family of artists in Amélie!
Keela Johnson She/Her
Cultural Competency Consultant
Keela Johnson (she/her) is a cultural consultant who has dedicated over eight years to working with Portland Playhouse and impacting the community. Her work on numerous productions has created spaces of confidence, accountability, cultural understanding, and connectivity. Inspired by her work with PPH, Keela established a Capstone Course at Portland State University, where she is an instructor. The course is titled Community Healing and Theater. Keela also develops activities to foster connection and resolve conflict, facilitating TalkBacks with the audience and artists. She aims to provide spaces of connectivity and community, encouraging everyone to strive for loving-kindness and empathy. She believes that the arts are a platform for illuminating the human experience and fostering connections of the human spirit. According to Keela, we own our stories, which enable us to connect, and we have the right to share them without apology.
Thyra Hartshorn
She/Her
Director of Production
Thyra is a production manager, stage manager and technical director. Her training includes an MFA in production and design with a concentration in stage management from the University of California, Irvine, as well as almost two decades in ballet production. Thyra has toured and worked with companies around the world including San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet. Locally she’s also worked with Oregon Ballet Theatre, Profile Theatre, White Bird, Portland Taiko and Northwest Dance Project. Thyra has taught high school stagecraft as well as college-level stage management locally.
Samantha Kemp
She/Her
Assistant Lighting Designer
Ryann St Julien
They/He
Sound Engineer/Crew
Brent Hall
He/Him
Head Carpenter
Joshua Yoon
He/Him
Head Electrician
Sarah Kindler
She/Her
Scenic Painter
Ceil Pope+
She/Her
Production Apprentice
Ciel is a theater artist with a passion for performance and movement. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, Ciel moved back to the West Coast to earn her BA in theater from Willamette University. Very much a language and Shakespeare lover, some of her favorite recent roles include Malvolia in Twelfth Night (Willamette University) and Rosalind in As You Like It (Saltfire Theatre).
Ciel would like to thank her family and loved ones for their support, encouragement, and inspiration to be more musical!
Clem Schonfeld
He/Him
Production Intern
Cast
Lo Steele*
She/Her
Amélie
marimba, guitar
Lo Steele is a multidisciplinary artist from Portland, Oregon with a BFA in Theatre from Southern Methodist University. Some of her favorite roles to date include: Susan in Tick…Tick…Boom! and Jeannie in Hair at Portland Center Stage, Ann in What I Learned in Paris with Penumbra Theatre and Portland Playhouse, Desi in Passing Strange at Portland Playhouse and Letitia in Clyde’s at Syracuse Stage and Portland Center Stage. And Hey! She also makes music! Check out her music under the name Lo Steele, available on all streaming platforms.
Emmanuel Davis
He/Him
Nino
saxophone, guitar
Emmanuel Davis is an actor, singer, songwriter and musician. New to Portland, he recently performed in Third Rail Rep’s Middletown Mall, Portland Center Stage’s production of Hair, A Feminine Ending with Gather Repertory Theater, and The Henriad with Salt and Sage. Emmanuel is the lead man and vocalist of the band Napp Jones and just released his newest EP, Earth in Progress. He has worked with world-renowned rappers such as Russ and Bugus. His music can be found on all platforms and Instagram @nappjones.
Jimmy Garcia*
He/Him
Raphael/Bretodeau
trumpet, percussion
Jimmy Garcia honed his skills at Southern Oregon University and gained valuable experience at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. During this time, he had the privilege of collaborating with renowned directors including Bill Rauch, Libby Appel, and Pat Patton. Fueled by his passion for acting, Jimmy returned to his hometown of Portland, where he initially launched his career. You may have recently seen Jimmy Profile’s How To Make An American Son and Awe/Struck; in Artist Repertory Theatre’s The Hombres; and Portland Center Stage’s It’s A Wonderful Life.
Susannah Mars*
She/Her
Amandine/Philomene
percussion, ukulele
Susannah is thrilled to return to Portland Playhouse after playing Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda. A member of the community of artists for over fifty years, she is also a Resident Artist at Artists Repertory Theatre and is on the board at Portland Center Stage. She’s appeared onstage worldwide. Locally, she’s played iconic roles like Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd, Mother in Ragtime, and Mama Rose in Gypsy. She’s performed her holiday show Mars On Life and also played Diana in Next To Normal, among others. She was on NBC’s Grimm as Drew Wu’s psychiatrist, Dr. Richet. Ms. Mars is the proud recipient of six Portland Drama Critics awards. Lately, she finds herself in a lovely sound booth at home voicing audiobooks, audio-description, and commercials. She’s also a part of CADA, Committee for Audio Description in the Arts in Oregon. Find out more, including updates on concerts, shows and a short documentary film about art and grief, Symphony of Grief, by subscribing to her newsletter at susannahmars.com
Benjamin Tissell*
He/Him
Hipolito/Elton John
accordion, piano
U/S Nino
Ben is a Portland-based actor, director and musician, previously seen at the Playhouse in A Christmas Carol, Matilda, Peter and the Starcatcher and Titus Andronicus. Locally, Ben has also performed at Portland Center Stage, Third Rail Repertory, Broadway Rose, Lakewood Theatre, and others. Ben currently serves as a theatre professor and artistic director of George Fox University Theatre. Ben's original music, upcoming performances, and other info can be found at BenTissell.com – including his new album “Quick Now Here Now Always”.
Noah LaPook
He/Him
Joseph
mandolin, guitar, percussion
Noah LaPook is ecstatic to be making his Portland debut with such an amazing company! Noah is a multidisciplinary artist based in NYC. As an actor, he was recently seen in ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life. As a dancer, he will appear in Third Rail Projects’ upcoming dance-theatre production of True Love Forever. As a musician, you can listen to Noah’s debut album, Intrusive Thoughts, on all streaming platforms! As a writer, he is currently developing Horizon, a musical utilizing dance, puppetry, and live music to explore the intersections of ocean pollution and grief. He sends immense gratitude to his family for their support, and to the Portland Playhouse team for their trust. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok @lapookaracha, and at www.noahlapook.com.
Charles Leggett*
He/Him
Collignon/Dufayel
bass, percussion
Charles is a Lunt-Fontanne Fellow and Theatre Puget Sound “Gregory” Award-winning (Shylock, Merchant of Venice, Seattle Shakespeare Company, 2009) actor based in Seattle. At Portland Playhouse, he played Scrooge in their 2018 production of A Christmas Carol. He has worked extensively at Seattle Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Intiman Playhouse, as well as Portland Center Stage, and scores of smaller houses. Charles’s music bona fides reside mainly within the blues genre, on harmonica, fronting or sitting in with bands and combos since the mid-90s; he has not played bass since the 8th grade. For their generous loans of instruments to help Charles prepare for Amélie, he profusely thanks Seattle pals Frances Wolfe (double bass) and “Guitar” Gil Menendez (acoustic guitar). Charles’s voice work includes over 25 audiobooks for Seattle’s Cedar House Audio. His poetry has been published in 24 of these United States and on five continents.
Matthew Staley
He/They
Lucien/Mysterious Man
piano, guitar, percussion
Matthew J. Staley‘s previous credits include: Eamon, Guy u/s in Once (National Tour), Guy in Once (Red Mountain Theatre), Joel in Christmas at the Prime Rib Playhouse (Oregon Cabaret Theater), Joe Sutter in The Spitfire Grill, Nikki/Norman Petty, Buddy u/s in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Rev. Oglethorpe in Smoke on the Mountain (La Comedia Dinner Theater), Singer/Guitarist (Bahamas Paradise Cruiseline), Anselmo in Man of La Mancha (Princeton Festival), Carl Perkins/Elvis u/s in Million Dollar Quartet (Dutch Apple Dinner Theater), Vocalist/Guitarist in Time Step (Broward County Stage Door Theater). Nominations: Broadway World Regional Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Guy in Once – Red Mountain Theatre). BFA, Rider University. Instagram @mattjstaley Love and thanks to Dani.
Eliza Jane Schneider
She/Her
Suzanne
violin, percussion
Eliza Jane Schneider is a Voice Activist, devoted to preserving dialects and amplifying the voices of underserved communities. Her award-winning plays FREEDOM OF SPEECH (fresh off a 2024 Nordic Fringe tour), Sounds of Silence: A Documentary Puppet Musical Farce about the 2004 Elections in Ohio, and Fertile Ground’s Blue Girl (2024) and Displaced, Detained, Discovered (2019), about worldwide houselessness, detained moms, and climate change, can now be heard on Patreon/elizajaneschneider as a podcast. Join her there! She founded www.CompetitiveEdgeVoice.com to help actors discover their unique voices and break into animation. Her favorite theatrical role was Audrey in Portland’s satire Little Grow Shop of Horrors. TV, Film & Game credits include South Park, Beakman’s World, Pirates of the Caribbean, & Assassin’s Creed. She made her Portland Playhouse debut as dialect coach for Passing Strange, and is beside herself thrilled to be joining this wildly talented family of artists in Amélie!
Elleon Dobias* She/Her
Gina
violin, guitar, percussion
Originally from Colorado, Elleon’s career as an actor, musician, and writer has kept her traveling for a handful of years. She is especially fond of collaborative and developmental works, with many of her proudest projects centered in instrumental improvisation. She is always humbled by the opportunity to engage her background in music with her passion for stories and how we choose to tell them. Aside from performing, Elleon is a lover of long walks, fountain pens, backpacking, anything homemade, and everything spread on toast.
Sammy Rat Rios*
They/She
Georgette
cello, percussion, whistle
Sammy Rat Rios acts, writes, directs, and composes for theatre and film. Select stage credits: The Brother and the Bird, Blood Wedding (Shaking the Tree), Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy Really, Young Americans (Portland Center Stage), A Christmas Carol (Portland Playhouse), We're Gonna Die (AT&T Performing Arts Center), In the Next Room…or the Vibrator Play (River & Rail Theatre), Se Llama Cristina (Kitchen Dog Theater). Sometimes Rios will try to sell you a credit card or cheese in a commercial to pay for their cats' vet bills. Other times, they write, produce, and perform music for their electronic solo project ‘Rat Rios.' Education: B.F.A. in Playwriting and Directing from Southern Methodist University, Conservatory Acting graduate from British American Drama Academy in London, UK. If you would like to engage in conversation with Sammy, some handy topics are: animals, video games, big feelings, nostalgia, garlic, etc. Good luck and COWABUNGA, DUDES! www.ratrios.com
Aariyana Gould+
She/Her
Street Musician
flute, ukulele, percussion
Aari Gould is from Salem, New Jersey, and is an alumni of Wilkes University. She is so happy to be a part of the Portland Playhouse family as an acting apprentice for the next 10 months! Some of their favorite roles include Ralph in Lord of the Flies, Amy in Little Women, and Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky. You can find out more about Aari at https://aariyanagould00.wixsite.com/aariyanagould
Angela Jaymes
She/Her
U/S Amélie
U/S Amandine/Philomene
Angie Jaymes is honored to be returning to the Portland Playhouse for her second show this year as an understudy/swing! You may have caught her earlier this summer whipping children into shape in select performances of PPH's remounting of Matilda (Trunchbull, Ms. Honey, Mrs. Wormwood track) where she got to experience the thrill (and utter terror) of going on for two of three roles! On screen, Jaymes is the host of NBC's kid show, Create the Escape, currently streaming on Peacock. In life, she adores ballroom dancing and her job as a middle school librarian. Follow her latest creative endeavors on instagram: @angie.jaymes
Cassie Greer*
She/Her
U/S Suzanne
U/S Georgette
Cassie Greer received her training in the MFA Acting program at Florida Atlantic University; the BA Theatre, History, and Music programs at Goshen College; and in the 9th Certification group of Fitzmaurice Voicework® teachers. She has worked professionally around the country as an actor, director, designer, stage manager, administrator, educator, and facilitator. In the Portland area, she spent 11 years with Bag&Baggage Productions, working on more than 30 projects and serving as Artistic Director from 2019-2022. She’s been behind the scenes here at the Playhouse for the past few seasons, and is thrilled to be taking a turn on the performing side – huge thanks to the entire Amélie team for letting her play! Find details on her various interests and projects past, present, and future at cassiegreer.com. Love and thanks to the many magical people in her life for their continual love, support, and energy. @cassiegreer
Adam John Roper
He/Him
U/S Collignon/Dufayel
U/S Hipolito/Elton John
Adam John Roper, a performer hailing from the East Coast, proudly holds a BFA in theatre from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, with intensive training at both the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Experimental Theatre Wing.
Favorite roles include Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, Cocky in The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, Jasper in The Inheritance, Chiron in The Lightning Thief, and Florizel in The Winter's Tale.
Offstage, Adam dedicates his time to teaching yoga, engaging in Crossfit, and applying his skills as a Realtor at Works Real Estate. Grateful for the unwavering support of friends and family, Adam is thrilled for his first project at Portland Playhouse. Heartfelt thanks to all who have been a part of his journey. Follow on instagram: @adam.john.roper82
Alec Lugo
They/He
U/S Raphael/Bretodeau U/S Joseph
Alec Cameron Lugo is excited to be returning to Portland Playhouse, having previously played in the world premiere of Great Wide Open, and both productions of their wildly-popular Matilda: The Musical. Amélie marks their fourth production with the Playhouse. Other credits include productions with Portland Center Stage, Profile Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Anonymous Theatre, Broadway Rose Theatre Company, and Bag&Baggage Productions, among others. Television and radio credits include work with All Classical Radio, Oregon Public Broadcasting's “All Science. No Fiction” series, and IFC’s Emmy-nominated Documentary Now! episode, “Original Cast Album: Co-op”.
Alec is also rising as one of the city’s up-and-coming drag queens, Quesa D’Mondays. She performs in shows around the city, including at Curious Comedy Theatre, Mendelssohn’s, the best-selling co-produced drag brunch at Clarklewis, and their own self-produced monthly musical cabaret series, Qabaret Quesa. They were also a finalist in Portland’s Baby Qween competition, Season 2.
As always, thank you to Mary and Victor. And Riley. Follow me! IG: @gameboy_of_color @quesa_d.mondays • alecclugo.com
Ciel Pope+
She/Her
U/S Gina
U/S Lucien/Mysterious Man
U/S Street Musician
Ciel is a theater artist with a passion for performance and movement. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, Ciel moved back to the West Coast to earn her BA in theater from Willamette University. Very much a language and Shakespeare lover, some of her favorite recent roles include Malvolia in Twelfth Night (Willamette University) and Rosalind in As You Like It (Saltfire Theatre).
Ciel would like to thank her family and loved ones for their support, encouragement, and inspiration to be more musical!