Rella: The Musical – Workshop Bios
(artists listed in alphabetical order)
Aaron Wheeler-Kaye
He/They
Co-Creator & Circus Arts Consultant
A Portland native, Aaron made his theatrical debut as Tiny Tim at New Rose Theater in 1980. A former Jefferson Dancer and member of Do Jump!, he is currently the Creative Director of Echo Theater Company (ETC) where he has been crafting multidisciplinary theater incorporating circus arts for 30 years. Aaron began writing music and raps 17 years ago following the arrival of his first child. He is a certified Master Teacher of DanceAbility, a method for including all bodies in dance classes and currently teaches youth and adults in the ETC school.
Aaron has appeared on stages from LA to Broadway in including The Geffen Playhouse, The New Victory, and The Kennedy Center. He co-directs the Tik Toks and The Zig Zags, two youth companies at ETC, as well as PopRock, a mixed-abilities adult company helping create original ensemble-devised performances. He thanks his family for supporting his life as an artist.
Bevin Victoria
She/Her
Co-Creator & Choreographer RELLA STRIDE
Bevin Victoria is an award-winning actress, dancer, vocalist, martial artist and composer. Having started acting and dancing at a young age, she has gone on to perform in over 100 theatrical productions, commercials and feature length films. Bevin has directed 18 dance films, as well as toured Europe and the US as a dancer and percussionist. She is the director of Hybrid Dance and is currently a member of Baksana Ensemble and VARIAT Dance Collective. She incorporates her past experience as a competitive gymnast and nationally ranked martial artist as a solo performer in Portland and LA.
Bevin is also the co-creator, co-writer of and star of Rella, the greatest musical ever written. She is probably a mermaid. You can study dance with her on Datura Online where she has over 100 classes available and you can follow her projects and adventures on IG and Tik Tok @BevinVictoria
Carla Michelle Coelho
She/Her
Castanets/Accordion/Frame Drum
Carla Michelle is a lifelong dancer and actor from Brazil with a performing arts degree from UFMG. Her career in dance began with ballet at the age of 5 and since then she has founded many professional dance companies in Brazil and in the US. She is an award winning dancer and has been part of many large productions as a soloist. Carla has extensive and versatile experience in many dance styles and in movement arts, including some acrobatic and circus arts such as aerial silks, unicycle, and stilts. In addition to her dance skills, Carla also plays various instruments such as piano, accordion and percussion instruments like darbuka, frame drums, finger cymbals, Turkish spoons and Castanets. Nowadays Carla is a proud member of Baksana Ensemble and a mom of two beautiful kids.
Charles Grant^
He/Him
Director
Charles is honored to step into the world of Rella as the Director for this workshop offering. As an artist who wears a number of hats (Director, Actor, Producer, Teacher, Writer), he’s worked with various theatre companies over the years including Portland Center Stage, Many Hats Collaboration, Third Rail, Fuse Theatre Ensemble, Broadway Rose, Confrontation Theatre, and of course Portland Playhouse where he is currently in the role of Producing Director. He most recently directed A Christmas Carol at Portland Playhouse.
Charles is so grateful to the whole cast, creative team, crew, and staff for giving their all to this experience. May we continue to share our stories on our terms. Thank you for being here with us and supporting live theatre and new work! Check out thecharlesgrant.com or IG: @thecharlesgrant to say hello.
Danielle Elizabeth
She/Her
Cajon/Mandolin/Finger Cymbals/Riq/Davul/Shaker
Danielle Elizabeth has been in love with Arabic, Greek, Turkish and Balkan music for over 2 decades. She her BFA in performing arts and thanks Karim Nagi and Faisal Zedan as her main teachers and inspirations for Riq and percussion in general. She is the founder and artistic director of Baksana Ensemble and toured the US and Europe multiple times performing with The Underscore Orkestra in the early 2000s. She has been a dancer since age 7, dances and choreographs professionally now, and loves embodying music of many genres.
Dillon Giles
He/Him
LEGAL/CHEF
Dillon is incredibly excited for his debut at Portland Playhouse. He is a professional actor who has performed all over the country in many productions and also does film and commercial. Some favorite roles in Quasimodo (Hunchback, Henegar Center), Roger (Grease, Broadway Rose), and Lazar Wolfe (Fiddler, Wohlfahrt Haus). He would love to thank his family and friends and his loving partner Sami for all of their support. You can find Dillon on social media at @dillpicklegiles or on Facebook.
Elise Morris
She/Her
Davul/Frame Drum/Finger Cymbals, Costume Consultant & Set Decoration
Performer, producer and purveyor of live performance and human connection.
Forever in love with music and dance from the SWANA region.
Emily Sahler
She/Her
PHILLIPA STRIDE (AKA PIP)
Emily Sahler is so happy to be working with the Portland Playhouse team on this exciting new piece. Favorite roles include Genie (Beautiful: the Carole King Musical), Miss Adelaide (Guys & Dolls), Jenny (Company), Domina (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Mrs. Meers (Thoroughly Modern Millie), and Mrs. Tottendale (The Drowsy Chaperone) at The Broadway Rose; Connie (Jack Goes Boating), Sister Lidwina (Gracie and the Atom), and Bette (The Marriage of Bette and Boo) at Artists Repertory Theatre; Rose (Gypsy), Jack’s Mother (Into the Woods), and Doreen (Tartuffe) at Lakewood Theatre Company; Bonnie (Anything Goes) and Sheila (Hair) at Portland Civic Theatre, and many more. Television credits: Trinkets, Life After First Failure, The Librarians, Grimm, Portlandia, and Leverage. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
Harper Hero
Youth Ensemble
Harper is a middle schooler with a passion for aerial arts, parter acrobatics and tumbling. She has been a member of the esteemed Echo Theater’s Youth Performance Ensemble since 2023. In her spare time, Harper loves to play volleyball, hang with her family and friends, and dance.
Jessica Ballard Thiessen
She/Her
FAIRLY G
Jessica is thrilled to rejoin the cast of Rella as Fairly G! She has worked on and off stage in original productions ranging from Monkey With a Hat On 10 Minute Play Festivals to avant garde drama with Whisper Skin Theatre and Escape Reality sketch comedy. One of her last professional appearances on stage, prior to the last workshop of Rella, was Let There Be Love by Kwame Kwei-Armah at Murphys Creek Theater. This role primed her to pursue performance opportunities that specifically reflect less recognized identities in theatre and film. Jessica’s focus has manifested into Fairly G on stage and as a food & culture show host in Food Foray, produced by Metroeast Community Media.
Jessica hopes this performance inspires more curiosity, love, and respect for the beautiful diaspora of humans sharing this one silly blue ball. Learn more about Jessica & her work at www.jesstcreate.com.
Karin Lissa Halsinger
She/Her
Music Director Piano/Guitar/Percussion
From classic to experimental, emotional expression to educational comedy; Lissa combines a wide range of artistic skills to every project she tackles. Lissa is a music director, accompanist, arranger/composer, and multi-instrumentalist with formal training in voice, piano, jazz guitar, and musicology. She is a music teaching specialist with Vesper School of Music and Michael Allen Harrison’s Play It Forward. As a performer she has notably premiered piano solos for composer Connor Wier, accompanied long-form improvisers in a standing role at the Upfront Theater, premiered international choral works at the American Choral Directors Association 2022 conference, and sung in solo settings ranging from jazz standards to art song. Direction credits include the previous performances of Rella: The Musical written by Bevin Victoria and Aaron Wheeler-Kay, The Double Threat Trio with Broadway Rose Theatre Company, educational theater programming with Broadway Rose Theatre, and The Pirates of Penzance with Light Opera of Portland.
Lillith Soumokil
She/They/He
SASHA/ STENOGRAPHER/FAKIR
Lillith is a multi-talented performer who has recently been seen as Kathryn in Cruel Intentions the Musical and soon to be seen on the big screen as Sugar in the upcoming film Bad Sugar. A dancer, singer, actress, and writer, Lillith is currently working on her own movie: Pleasers. They can be found on Instagram as Lillith Joseph.
Matthew Kropschot
He/Him
PRINCE CHARMING
Matthew Kropschot is an actor originally from California, where he spent many years working in regional and independent theatre. His work has included productions with Pacific Repertory Theatre, San Jose Stage Company, Presidio Theatre, Central Works, and the Jewel Theatre Company. He approaches theatre as a communal craft, built through shared curiosity, trust, and vulnerability. Outside of performance, Matthew is a writer, filmmaker, and dungeon master. He is proudly off social media, with the lone exception of a YouTube channel (@MatthewKropschot) where his short film Bertha can be found.
Meagan Karimi-Naser
She/Her
BOARD PRESIDENT/MERCHANT
Meagan has been acting for nearly two decades and received a BA in Drama from the University of Washington before falling into a film career. She is so happy to be back on stage, returning to the beautiful world of Rella after joining the team for last year’s concert performance of the show! She also hates talking about herself so will keep this bio nice and short. Hope to see you in the audience!
Mila Ortiz
She/Her/Ella
ENSEMBLE
Mila is a Puerto Rican born actor, mezzo-soprano and model. Currently you can catch Mila playing Catherine Smith, Defense Attorney in The Jury Experience at Alberta Abbey. Notable past recent experiences include originating (and reprising) the role of “Philipa” in the original musical Rella, Various roles in Playwrite Inc’s Fall Workshop and creating musical group Aurea Vox in the Portland Metro Area. She is represented for TV/Film by The Option Agency.
Monika Milani
She/They
TASHA/TREASURER/ARTISAN
Monika M. Milani is a first-gen Filipino-Persian Artist who specializes in Voiceover, Singing, and Musical Theatre. Originally from the SF Bay Area and now based in Portland, OR, Monika is a huge proponent of new musical works, enthusiastically contributing her talents to the workshopping of new art in the PDX area. Recent local credits include originating Sloane in unbound: a bookish musical with rockcitysea, Shelby in Scare City: Episode One with Stomping Grounds Arthouse, Alma in Is You Is with Broadway Rose and Bag&Baggage, Cathy in The Last 5 Years with Compass Productions, and Mitch Mahoney in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Gather Repertory. Monika called Portland Playhouse home for a year, serving as an Acting Apprentice during its 16th season. She is thrilled to be back, contributing to the development of Rella with this wonderful team! For more information on Monika’s artistic ventures, please visit monikammilani.com.
Morgan Fay
She/Her
Violin/Darbuka/Riq, Costume Consultant & Set Decoration
Morgan Fay is a professional dance artist, percussionist, and violin player. She stars in ongoing productions of original musicals, dances, and storytelling with Baksana Ensemble.
Ryan Pletcher
He/Him
Trombone/Frame Drum
Ryan has a decade of experience playing mid and low brass with various groups. Most recently, he became Baksana Ensemble’s trombonist in 2023 where he began studying percussion as well.
Seencha Linwood
He/Him
YOUTH ENSEMBLE
Seencha Linwood is a middle schooler at Portland Forest School and has been drawn to movement since he could walk at 8 months old. He began at 3 in ballet and gymnastics, later exploring jujitsu and capoeira, all while growing steadily in aerials and trapeze at Echo Theater. His dedication recently earned him early acceptance into Echo’s pre-professional group, the Zig Zags. This past year, Seencha blended his varied background and began tricking at Superhero Fitness, winning multiple beginner tournaments after only a few months in the sport.
His physical talent is matched by his grounded nature, kind spirit, and genuine drive to learn.
When he’s not outside with his school or training in gyms, Seencha models with the Option Agency and enjoys time with his big family, dog and exploring new things with his dad. His summers are spent on his Karuk ancestral land for ceremony and cousin fun.
Thyra Hartshorn*
She/Her
Stage Manager & Lighting Designer
Director of Production
Úna Vivienne
She/Her
YOUTH ENSEMBLE
Úna Vivienne has been acting since she was 4 years old. She has appeared in multiple commercials and loves musical theater. Her resume includes Descendants, SpongeBob The Musical, Frozen Jr. and multiple performances for NWCT’s Kids Co. Úna is a voracious reader, has a passion for drawing and loves swimming. She is thrilled to continue her professional development in the kids ensemble of Rella and looks forward to a long career of storytelling.
