Seussical
SPONSORED BY THE CORTOPASSI FAMILY FOUNDATION
COSTUMES SPONSORED BY MAYKO & MISA HORITA
CAST
Isaiah Baer (Who, Cadet, Max the Dog, Hunter)
Isaiah Baer’s most recent role at SCT was Grasshopper in “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” He has also been in SCT’s productions of “Oliver!” and “Finding Nemo Jr.” Isaiah has appeared in “MTI’s Broadway Junior Revue: Pure Imagination” and “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” at Musical Mayhem Productions, as well as “We Will Rock You Jr.” at KUDOS. Isaiah has performed with Delta Vocal Jazz, Delta Singers and Delta’s Concert Choir. He enjoys playing piano, drums and composing.
Abbey Bell (Mrs. Mayor)
Theatre nerd, coffee addict, and occasional existential crisis haver. Somehow managed to survive Oliver and Beauty and the Beast at Stockton Civic Theatre along side her extra talented niece, Brooklyn. Her greatest achievement? Not breaking character during a wardrobe malfunction. Enjoy this wonderfully wacky tale and always remember: a person’s a person no matter how small.
Leona Bottorff-Kuster (Jungle Citizen, Circus Performer, Fish)
Leona Bottorff-Kuster is a 10th grader at Lincoln High School. She is a member of the Sac Civic Ballet company in Sacramento, dancing the role of Marie in their production of the Nutcracker this December. She was the bird in Sac Civic’s Spring 2024 production of Peter and the Wolf. Leona has been a part of the Music Theater Showcase at Interlochen Arts Camp for the past two summers and was in the ensemble of Grease at Lincoln High in summer of 2024. She is super excited to be a part of Seussical!
Rick Brewer (General Schmitz)
If he seems a bit sad, it’s ‘cause he just lost his dad.
He promotes transportation across the state.
Jess & Josh are his kids; Kathy’s his mate.
It’s been ages and ages since he was on stages.
Back when Sweeney Todd & 1776 were the rages.
He claims the Father, Spirit, and Son.
That’s his Thing Number One.
Aiden Brown (Who, Cadet, Hunter, Circus Performer)
Aiden has been involved with theater for as long as he can remember and has had the opportunity to work in all of the different areas. From welcoming audience members and making sure things work well backstage to using his talent to entertain others on stage or watching others perform their craft. He enjoys it all!
Sierra Fraser (Gertrude McFuzz)
Sierra is thrilled to be back on the SCT Main Stage! She could have been previously seen in SCT’s production of The Doyle and Debbie Show as Debbie, 9 to 5 as Doralee Rhodes, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as Jolene, Something Rotten as Portia, The Last Five Years as Cathy, and Sister Act as Sister Mary Robert. Other productions outside of SCT include Gypsy as Dainty June, Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale, 1776 as Martha Jefferson, Seussical as Gertrude McFuzz, and Mamma Mia as Sophie. She is thankful for all of her love and support and hopes you enjoy the show!
Jesse Garcia (The Cat in the Hat)
Jesse is thrilled to be making his debut at SCT! Previous credits include Delta Drama’s Urinetown (Bobby Strong), You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown), California’s Great America—Music Goes ‘Round and Around (Host), Playhouse Merced—Elf the Musical (Buddy the Elf), Pippin (Leading Player), and many more. In the words of the Cat in the Hat, “It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how,” and Jesse certainly knows how to bring fun, energy, and passion to the stage!
Vanessa Gates (Bird Girl #1)
Vanessa Gates is excited to be back on the SCT stage. Her prior Stockton Civic shows are Beauty and the Beast and Legally Blonde. You may have also seen her as Sally Brown in Delta Drama’s You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Other notable roles Vanessa has portrayed are Violet Beauregard in Willy Wonka, Tiger Lily in Peter Pan: A British Musical, and Lioness in The Adventures of Doctor DoLittle. She hopes you have a fantastic visit to our vivacious jungle.
Thomas James (Who, Cadet, Hunter)
Thomas James is excited to participate in his third mainstage show! He was last seen in SCT Jr.’s production of “James and the Giant Peach”. He has also been in SCT’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Oliver!” Thomas would like to thank his parents and his brother Sam for being so supportive, and his grandmother for sponsoring his voice lessons.
Gavin Latta (Wickersham #1, Fish)
Gavin has done many SCT Junior and Main Stage productions here at Stockton Civic Theatre. His favorites include Matilda (Tommy), A Christmas Story the Musical (Ralphie), Oliver! (Charley Bates), and Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble). He was in Gallo Center Repertory Company‘s production of To Kill A Mockingbird (Dill Harris) and most recently an ensemble member of Delta College’s summer production of Urinetown. He is in the 8th grade at Sierra Middle School.
Sergio Lopez (Horton the Elephant)
Sergio Lopez is grateful to be back where he began his theatrical journey in Hairspray in 2011! Podcast producer, social media content creator, elder millennial. @showtimechamaco on Instagram and TikTok. Favorite credits: Into the Woods (Jack), Mark (RENT), 25th…Spelling Bee (William Barfée). I dedicate this performance to my chosen family and all the Hortons out there who have ever felt different. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Seuss.
Isela Martinez (Mayzie La Bird)
Isela is excited to do their first main stage show at sct! Isela did many shows at Kudos children’s theater where they played many roles such as Sherrie in Rock Of Ages Youth edition, Sandy/Sardine 3 in The SpongeBob Musical Youth edition, and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. They also were in the ensemble of Urinetown at San Joaquin Delta College and Dory/seagull in Finding Nemo Youth Edition here at civic. They hope to give you an Amayzing performance with the rest of the Seussical cast!
Simon Mize (Wickersham #3, Fish)
Simon Mize is extremely grateful and excited to be making his debut with Stockton Civic Theater. His recent roles include Mischa Bachinski with Stanislaus State University, and Dodgy Dawkins with Homecoming Troupe.
Antonio Munoz (The Grinch, Vlad Vladikoff, Jungle Citizen, Circus Performer, Fish)
This is Antonio’s Ninth show here at SCT. He is very excited to put on a very fun and nostalgic show with this amazing cast! He wants to thank his family and friends for all their support! As always, enjoy the show!
Daphne Natividad (Jungle Citizen, Circus Performer, Fish)
Daphne Natividad is thrilled to be in the cast of Seussical the Musical. She was recently in SCT Jr.´s production of James and the Giant Peach Jr. and Kudos’ original musicals Pinocchio and Peter Pan. Daphne has been dancing at Elevate Dance off and on since she was around 5. She wants to thank all the amazing people at Kudos for supporting her as well as the SCT jr staff, especially Mrs. Karen and Mrs. Amy.
Amanda Nelson (Who, Cadet, Hunter, Circus Performer)
Amanda is very excited to be back on the SCT stage after 2 years away, Her first show at Stockton Civic Theatre was A Christmas Story and her most recent was Oliver. She hopes you enjoy the show.
Sophia Olivares (Bird Girl #3)
Sophia Olivares is thrilled to be back on stage at the Stockton civic theatre in the world of Seuss! Previously, credited productions, Stockton Civic Theater’s Oliver (ensemble) ! (Paulette Bonafonte) Legally Blonde and (Alice Beineke) The Addams Family at Lincoln High School, and delta dramas Urinetown (ensemble) . She can’t wait to bring the jungle folk to life with her fellow cast members and hopes you enjoy the whimsical world of Seussical as much as she does!
Nathan Origer (Wickersham #2, Fish)
Nathan has been in theatre for 11 years now. You may have previously seen him in Little Shop of Horrors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Showbiz Theatre, Or here at SCT recently in Blind Date as Felix, or previously in Beautiful, The Doyle and Debbie Show, Beauty and the Beast, 9 to 5, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Gypsy, The Skin of Our Teeth, A Christmas Story, Something Rotten, Matilda, A Christmas Carol, Fiddler on the Roof, or The Addams Family. Nathan Got his start in theatre with the SCT Jr. program performing in The Wizard of Oz Jr. and was in the program for about 7 years. He also likes to do crew for shows here at SCT in multiple technical areas. He is currently attending Delta College as an Electron Microscopy Major.
Griffin Parker (Thing 1)
Sat during show, not seen on stage
To the theatre he’s come from a very young age.
With all the shows mixed in a continuous blur He’d watched and heard his mother, and mother to her.
Now it’s their turn to sit in the audience chair And watch him perform with his own unique flair.
So please come and enjoy his very first show That’s all that he wished for you to know.
Mary Peterson (Who)
Mary is thrilled to be back on stage with her SCT family.
Mary’s first performance was in Sister Act as Sister Mary Patrick, has performed and worked on and off stage with SCT for several years. Her favorite roles include, Sister Amnesia in “Nunsense,” Louisa in “Fantasticks”, Gueneviere in “Camelot” and M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias” in which she was awarded a SARTA Elly. Mary lives in Lodi and is a Court Clerk for the Superior Court.
Brooklyn Richards (Jojo)
Brooklyn Richards is very excited to be in another Stockton Civic Theatre production. She enjoys bringing characters to life through her hobby of theatre along side her aunt. Brooklyn has gone from Oliver to literally shaking things up as a salt shaker in Beauty and the Beast. She has also been a participant in SCT Jr. for the last three summers. Brooklyn’s here to remind you that life’s a big musical, so try not to forget the choreography!
Ron Smith (Who)
Ron is very excited to be performing in Seussical. Some of his favorite roles have been Oliver Warbucks in “Annie”, Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls” and The Narrator in “A Christmas Story the Musical“, Herr Shultz in “Cabaret”.
Joseph M. Toon (Mr. Mayor)
Joseph M. Toon is celebrating his 21st year at Stockton Civic Theatre. He is happy to finally be back in a musical as his last musical was Mary Poppins in 2016. He has worn many hats here at the theatre from actor, director, stage hand to even being an Ellie Nominated choreographer. He would like to thank his family especially his husband Brian Wick for their love and support of this fantastic hobby.
Makenzie Valencia (Bird Girl #2)
Makenzie is thrilled to make her SCT debut with Seussical, alongside her husband, Ramon (who she still can’t believe she managed to drag into this). Some of her previous credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), and Mean Girls (Janice).
Here’s to a musical adventure that will have you laughing down on the floor
chaos, music & rhyming galore!
Ramon Valencia (Thing 2)
Ramon is ecstatic to be a part of his first show with SCT- and is very grateful his wife, Makenzie, dragged him into this. He would like to clarify that just because he is Thing 2 does not imply in any way that he’s inferior to Thing 1. You may feel free to call him Thing A if you like. He will also accept Super Thing, Thing King, Kid Dynamite, Chocolate Thun-da or Ben. – The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Bill Yee (Judge Yertle, Jungle Citizen)
Bill Yee is an Oncology Pharmacist for Kaiser Permanente. He has performed throughout San Joaquin County and was last seen on the SCT stage in “Lionel Bart’s Oliver!” Recent SCT credits include “Something Rotten!”, “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Company,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” and “Calendar Girls.” Other credits include “Baby” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Showbiz Theatre Company. He is a three-time Willie Award recipient: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (“Monty Python’s Spamalot”), Best Supporting Actor in a Play (“Are You Being Served”), and Best Actor in a Play (“Caught in the Net”). Bill also served as Director for “The DMV One” earlier this year for SCT’s Evening of One Act Plays.
Madeline Yee (Sour Kangaroo)
Madeline (aka Maddy) is excited to be returning to the SCT stage! Most recently, you might have seen her in Stage Kiss as a wild teen with a foul mouth. Other recent roles she’s taken on were in SCT’s productions of Gypsy (Agnes) and Something Rotten! (Tapping Egg). Maddy is no stranger to the SCT stage, appearing in her first show, Here’s Love, at 5 years old! When not in the stage lights, Maddy supports as a “theatre ninja” working on the tech crew doing anything from shift crew to laundry mistress. To add sprinkles and a cherry on top, Maddy is also an SCT JR alumni and now helps in the crew program during the summer. By day, Madeline is a teacher for Stockton Unified School District. Madeline is happy to be part of the Stockton theater community again and can’t wait to do more shows in the future!
Production Staff and Crew
Dennis Beasley (Director, Props)
Dennis is a theatre artist, educator, and administrator and has been the Artistic Director here at SCT since 2016. He has worked in various capacities at theatres across the country including South Coast Repertory, The Utah Shakespearean Festival, Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, Odyssey Theatre Company, and The Western Stage. He has also been an Adjunct Theatre Instructor at Gavilan College, Hartnell College, and Delta College. He has directed many productions at SCT in his tenure including The Addams Family, Rock of Ages, August: Osage County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Dog Laughed, 9 to 5, The Doyle and Debbie Show, and The Play That Goes Wrong.
Jonathan Latta (Music Director & Conductor)
Jonathan is a percussionist, educator, and lover of musical theatre. Seussical is Jonathan’s sixth show with SCT. Previous shows for Jonathan at SCT include: Something Rotten, A Christmas Story: The Musical, Rent, 9 to 5: The Musical, where he had the pleasure of serving as Music Director, and Cabaret. Jonathan also has served as Music Director/Conductor for Into the Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Avenue Q while on faculty at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. In spring of 2023, Jonathan was seen on stage in the role of Narrator/Mysterious Man in the University of the Pacific Opera Theatre Production of Into the Woods. Jonathan currently teaches at the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music where he serves as Associate Professor of Practice in Percussion and Ensembles Administration.
Kurt Nielsen (Choreographer)
Kurt is honored to be involved in his third production at SCT. Kurt comes from 35 years with the Walt Disney Company/Marvel Productions & 12 years at Universal Studios as a Performer, Director and Casting Associate, performing numerous times at The Hollywood Bowl and abroad in Japan, France, Canada, Qatar & Malaysia. Kurt is a theatrical director & award-winning Show Choir Choreographer, taking many groups to National Championships and training the next generation of Performers.
Chelsea Hill (Choreographer)
Chelsea Hill is a local of Stockton with over 19 years of experience in choreography and dance education. Recently retiring as a dance studio owner, she is happy to participate with SCT for the first time as a choreographer. Her credits and education include creating and facilitating multiple showcases and original ballet productions, earning a B.A. in Liberal Studies focused on elementary education, A.A. in Liberal Arts & Sciences, certification by Dance Educators of America, certification by Dance Teacher University by UNLV, and Acrobatic Arts certified.
Jenny Key (Costume Designer)
Jenny has been involved with SCT since 2015. She is a marketing manager at University of the Pacific. She would like to thank her two favorite guys, James and Benton, for all of their love and support.
R. Israel Roderiguez (Sound Designer)
Israel has formal training in technical theatre, and has had a wide range of responsibilities on production teams. His recent sound design credits at SCT include The Play That Goes Wrong, The Doyle & Debbie Show, 9 to 5, The Fox and The Fairway, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, and Oliver!
Tim Graffham (Set Designer, Props, Projections)
Tim has been an artist and maker since he could hold a pencil. In addition to building whatever his wife’s imagination can dream up, for over 10 years, he has been designing and building sets and props for many community theater productions in Tracy and Stockton. Seussical was a special project for Tim as in 2016 he appeared as the Cat In The Hat in a production of Seussical in Tracy; a production where he also designed and built the set and props. While he was happy to hand his striped hat off to the younger generation, he was overjoyed to have the opportunity to once again envision the world of Dr. Seuss and bring it to life on stage.
Ethan Albala (Lighting Designer)
Ethan Albala is an award-winning Lighting Designer, Director, and Actor with a diverse background in theatrical productions. Lighting Design credits at SCT include RENT, A Little Night Music, Young Frankenstein, The Sound of Music, and Chicago. Currently serving as the Performing Arts Department Chair and Theatre Director at Weston Ranch High School, Ethan continues to inspire and mentor young artists, fostering their passion for the Performing Arts.
Val Cichocki (Props)
Val has been a part of the SCT community for many years. She has worn many hats at SCT, set designer, props designer, scenic designer, shop manager, and much more.
Martin Lehman (Projections)
Set design credits include: Stockton Civic Theatre – Rent, Oliver, Game Show. Community Theatre of Linden – The World Goes ‘Round, Gypsy. Showbiz Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show (2015)
Directing credits include: Stockton Civic Theatre – Oliver, Game Show. Community Theatre of Linden – The World Goes ‘Round, Gypsy. Showbiz Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show. (2015).
Acting roles at SCT: John D’Agata in The Lifespan of a Fact, Doyle in The Doyle and Debbie Show, Nick Bottom in Something Rotten, Gordon in Dead Man’s Cellphone, Kolenkhov in You Can’t Take it With You, Gomez in The Addams Family, Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde, Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Brian in Avenue Q, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd.
Favorite roles at other theatres: Missouri Street Theatre – Neville Craven in The Secret Garden, William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Davis Shakespeare Festival – Owen O’Malley in On The 20th Century, Paulet in Mary Stewart, Solinus in Comedy of Errors. Pacific Opera Theatre – Baron Gondremark in La Vie Parisienne, Colonel Frank in Die Fledermaus. Davis Musical Theatre Company – Georges in La Cage aux Folles, Max Bialystock in The Producers, Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate. Rocklin Community Theatre – Sister Mary Hubert in Nunsense: A-Men, Doctor Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein.
Martin has a BA in Theatre Arts and a Masters Degree in Communication from University of the Pacific. He lives in Carmichael with his wife and 4 adorable furry babies.
Katie Berlin (Scenic Artist)
Katie Berlin has done scenic art for many shows at SCT. Some of her scenic art design includes 9 to 5, Beauty and the Beast, and Cabaret.
Elizabeth Smith (Stage Manager)
Elizabeth has been very invloved at SCT over the last couple of years. She has been involved in footlighters and SCTs volenteers. She also has stage managed quite a bit including 9 to 5 and Cabaret.
Howard Chi (Assistant Stage Manager)
Howard is the Assistant Stage Manager and Deck Manager (Stage Right) for Seussical. He was recently the Stage Manager for SCT’s Pam Kitto Black Box production of Lifespan of a Fact. This will be Howard’s 42nd production with SCT. He is on the SCT Board and Willie Committee. He would like to thank his two children and family for their continued support in his theatre career.