Sept 20 – Oct 5, 2025 McColl Family Theatre
2025-26 SEASON
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TITLE PAGE
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THE 2025-26 SEASON
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SHOW SPONSORS
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FOR THIS PRODUCTION
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CAST BIOS
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DESIGNER BIOS
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STAFF & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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OUR SUPPORTERS
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NEXT UP! THE INVISIBLE BOY
Stay Connected
Photo courtesy of John Merrick Photography
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JOURNEY TO OZ Written and Directed by Christopher Parks Based on the works of L. Frank Baum and W. W. Denslow September 20 - Oct 5, 2025 I McColl Family Theatre
Photo courtesy of John Merrick Photography
JOURNEY TO OZ was commissioned by and had its first production at Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers Florida. It was directed by Jason Parrish; Robert Cacioppo, Producing Artistic Director; John Martin, Managing Director.
RUN TIME 70 MINUTES
Videotaping, photography and other recording of this production is prohibited. 3
JOURNEY WITH US
The 2025-26 Season
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Plus, enjoy free ticket exchanges if your family’s schedule Changes, and a 20% savings on any additional tickets you purchase duing the season. LEARN MORE 4
Thanks to Our Sponsors Today’s celebration is brought to you, in part, by: Mike & Katie Burgess Stephanie Couch Andrew & Stephanie Fulford Jennifer & Eric Madara Ann & Scott Manning Tanya M. Taylor
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and its generous donors, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. Additional support is provided by the Shubert Foundation.
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For This Production Sound Designer/Composer..................................................................Josh Totora Lighting Designer.........................................................................Lawrence Csernik Costume Designer......................................................................Jennifer Matthews Puppet Designer................................................................Austin Michael Costello Puppet Designer.............................................................................James Packard Run Crew..................................................................Jordan Frantz, Sage Espinosa Scenic Carpenters................................................Andrew Gibbon, John Slechta Sound Board Operator.....................................................................Michael Russo Light Board Operator.................................................................Lawrence Csernik
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Photo courtesy of John Merrick Photography
Photos courtesy of John Merrick Photography
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MEET THE CAST
Lydia Danielle a proud native of Anson County, North Carolina- was last seen wearing many hats (literally and figuratively) in TIARA’S HAT PARADE. Her next adventure? To the skies, with BESSIE COLEMAN: FEARLESS & FREE! But for now, she invites you to be swept up in a cyclone of wonder, carrying us all into the Marvelous Land of Oz!
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MEET THE CAST
Caleb Sigmon is the owner of Sigmon Theatrical, an entertainment company dedicated to creating touring productions and immersive events. As an actor, credits include PETER PAN (Captain Hook), MARY POPPINS (Bert), MATILDA THE MUSICAL (Mr. Wormwood), CYRANO DE BERGERAC (Cyrano), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Robert Ewell), JOURNEY TO OZ (Player), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (The Mad Hatter), and DR. SEUSS’ THE CAT IN THE HAT (Cat). Caleb is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors and A.R.C.H. (Artists Reaching Children in the Hospital). He has worked as a Guest Artist with UNC School of the Arts and currently tours his one-man illusion show across the Nation. www.calebsigmon.com
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MEET THE CAST
Rahsheem Shabazz is an actor, dancer, choreographer, director who has been a part of the Experiential team since 2019. Previous acting roles include Player in JOURNEY TO OZ, Jace’s Dad in LIARS, Dr. Bird in BOB MARLEY’S THREE LITTLE BIRDS, King Julian in MADAGASCAR: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, Sunjata in SUNJATA KAMALENYA, CJ in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREE, Eddie in IN THIS CORNER: CASSIUS CLAY. He has appeared on CBS’s Under The Dome, various national commercials, in numerous productions at the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and was a Charlotte Hornets hip hop dancer with the Hive Hip Hop Crew for three seasons. Rahsheem is currently developing ONCE UPON A RHYME: GRIMMZ HIP HOP FAIRY TALES II and choreographing at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
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MEET THE CAST
Christopher Parks is a theater playwright who has been writing for young audiences for 25 years. His plays have been seen on stages around the United States, in Ireland, and the United Kingdom at more than sixty performing arts centers and regional theaters. Christopher created the style of theater known as Experiential Theater in 2007, which is a style of immersive performance where the audience comes to the theater thinking they are there to see a show, but then they find out very quickly they are there to be in the show, acting, singing, and dancing alongside the professional actors, everyone together telling the story. Some of his plays include THE ODYSSEY EXPERIENCES, SUNJATA KAMALENYA (based on the West African Legend), THE INVISIBLE BOY (based on Trudy Ludwig’s award-winning picture book), GRIMMZ HIP HOP FAIRY TALES, AESOP’S FABLES, and JOURNEY TO OZ. Christopher is also a prolific Shakespearean director, lyricist, and board game designer/developer. Prior to his current tenure as the Artistic Director of the Experiential Theater Company, Christopher spent 15 years as the Director of Education at the McCarter Theater Center. 12
DESIGNERS FOR THIS PRODUCTION JOSH TOTORA (Sound Designer/Composer)
is a Northeast-based composer/actor/ musician. He has scored original music for over 20 productions in regional theaters across the country. He has enjoyed a 15year partnership collaborating with Christopher Parks on Theater for Young Audiences shows. With Experiential Theater Company, Josh’s work has been featured internationally at the Baboró International Arts Festival for Children in Galway and across Ireland. Josh is a multiple Theatre Philadelphia Barrymore Award nominee, and winner for “Outstanding Original Music” for his score to He Who Gets Slapped with Philadelphia Artists’ Collective. Endless love to his family and TTBB234. www.joshtotora.com
LAWRENCE CSERNIK (Lighting Designer)
is a lighting designer for opera, theater, and dance. Over the past decade, he has designed for academic institutions, local theatres, non-profits, and dance troupes. Of all the works he’s collaborated on, he takes particular joy in designing new works and has been fortunate to present Mud Nostalgia and The Divine Visitor at his alma mater (Northern Kentucky University), Soldier’s Christmas with the Cincinnati Remembers World War I Project, and GEORGE REMUS (The Carnegie Theatre of Covington). Lawrence worked closely with Queen City Opera, a non-profit that focuses on supporting local emerging artists and highlighting community socio-political issues, and the Contemporary Dance Theatre of Cincinnati (CDT) that later merged into Mutual Dance Co. With CDT/Mutual Dance he fully embraced its mission to provide an artistic laboratory for the regional community, first by technical directing their 13
Performance and Time Arts Series and then later production/lighting designing their annual Area Choreographer Festivals and other projects. Outside of his design work, Lawrence continues to work for the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte as their Head Electrician where he enjoys working with other passionate artists. AUSTIN MICHAEL COSTELLO (PUPPET DESIGNER) is a Puppet Artist from Long Island. Costello received his BFA in Puppet Arts from The University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program in 2015 and has continued learning his craft at The National Puppetry Conference. He has gone on to work for The Puppet Kitchen, The Jim Henson Company, and The Hudson Vagabond Puppets. He’s currently the Technical Director at Long Island Children’s Museum Theater, where he continues to work with puppets of many styles. For TV, Sesame Street, Helpsters; Off-Broadway, All Hallow’s Eve, Scurry. See his work on Instagram (@Stuck_In_El_VCR) and at www. amcpuppets.com JAMES PACKARD (PUPPET DESIGNER) BA Westmar College (Theater/Directing & Communication Arts), MFA University of Iowa (Theater/Design/Technology). Professional, Educational and Family/Children’s theater and events for last 4 decades in Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and internationally. The past 20 plus years he has programmed, presented and produced just under 200 performances annually of all the performing arts at the Long Island Children’s Museum Theater. James has enjoyed working Christopher Parks on various projects for the past 15 years.
Staff & Board of Directors CHILDREN’S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE
LEADERSHIP
Touring Performance Coordinator - Margot Parrott
Artistic Director - Adam Burke
School Group Sales & Performance Coordinator - Chris Stonnell
Managing Director - Nao Tsurumaki
Data & IT Manager - Claire Whitworth-Helm
Administration Human Resources Manager - Carolyn Lugo-Allred
Audience Service Coordinator - Louise Lawson Marketing Assistant - Aaron Bunzey
Business Manager - Alex Doxey
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Senior Accountant - Crystal Johnson
Lisa Miller - Chair
ImaginOn Partnership Coordinator - Maryann O’Keeffe
Charlitta Hatch - Chair-Elect
ImaginOn Administrative Support - Casey Kaufmann
Mike Burgess - Treasurer
Artistic & Production Director of Production - Steven Levine Costume Shop Manager - Anna Klinger Cutter-Draper - Emily Heilig Crafts Specialist - Elizabeth Swanson Technical Director - Shane Burgett Resident Stage Manager - Steven James Charge Scenic Artist - Tim Parati Master Carpenter - John Slechta Head Electrician - Lawrence Csernik AV Supervisor - Michael Russo Assistant Technical Director - Sterling Lett Assistant Electrician - Amber Bidwell Scenic Carpenter - Maddie Anthony Sound Assistant - Maddi Penn Properties Master - Bekah Achuff Seasonal Properties Assistant - Rebecca Xhajanka Production Assistant/Associate Artist - Claire Hilton
Stephanie Isham - Secretary Sallie Beason - Past Chair Matt Andress Cynthia Banks Dr. Veronica Bell Stephanie Couch Shawn Garrett Leigh Hickman Ben Hume Tim James Mitzi Lynch Jennifer Madara Scott Manning Rosemary Morgan Jonathan Ocampo Katie Ramseur Eric Ritz Christina Russ Tanya Taylor Daniel Terry, Ed.D
Education Director of Education - EG Engle
Kristin Tokić April Whitlock
Camps & Community Programs Manager - Mary Katherine Smith Education Program Manager - Morgan Southard Resident Teaching Artists - Karen Steele Administrative Assistant - Katie Kinser Honorary Lifetime Members
Advisory Board
Robin Branstrom
Robin Branstrom
Carla DuPuy
Tom Eiselt
Peter Flur
Jami Farris
Marketing and Communications
Cynthia Lank
Peter Flur
Director of Marketing & Communications - Cindy Taylor
Linda Lockman-Brooks
Gina Lawrence
Development Director of Development – Courtney Hurd Development Coordinator - Jean Edwards
Associate Director of Marketing - Rob Odum Customer Experience Manager - Ashley Hughes PR & Social Media Mananger – Alex Aguilar
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Our Supporters EXECUTIVE PRODUCING PARTNERS ($50,000 and more) City of Charlotte North Carolina Arts Council C.D. Spangler Foundation, Inc. The Shubert Foundation DIRECTING PARTNERS ($10,000 to $24,999) Clear Blue Insurance Group The Hartford Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated Cornwell Foundation Paige Johnston Thomas Giving Tree STANDING OVATION PARTNERS ($5,000 to $9,999) Carolina Panthers The Dickson Foundation, Inc. Parker Poe CENTER STAGE PARTNERS ($3,000 to $4,999) The Daniel, Edward, Cora & Strickland Foundation LEADING ROLE PARTNER ($1,000 to $2,999) Deloitte & Touche LLP
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Photo courtesy of John Merrick Photography
Our Supporters cont’d INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DONORS We recognize and thank our generous Donors who gave as of September 15, 2025. Our annual Donors are recognized at the most current giving level. LEADING PLAYERS SOCIETY ($10,000 - $24,999) Dorlisa & Peter Flur Mitchell Kelling Tammy Stringer & Richard Viola Derek & Iris Wang ($5,000 - $9,999) Omid & Julie Ahdieh Mike & Katie Burgess Stephanie Couch Dr. Daniel Donner Andrew & Stephanie Fulford Lise Hain Bruce & Anita LaRowe Ann & Scott Manning Arrington Mixon Brian & Laura Murdock Sarah Pollock Sandy & Greg Vlahos ($3,000 - $4,999) Herb & Gina Clegg Rob & Caryn Craige Ben and Christy Hume Brian Litwak Jennifer & Eric Madara Pat Burgess & Joan Martin Stephen & Stephanie Sorenson Tanya M. Taylor Nichelle & Sasha Weintraub ($1,000 - $2,999) Stephen Allred & Carolyn Lugo-Allred Matt Andress Cynthia Banks Sallie & Gary Beason Veronica Bell Robin & Bill Branstrom Julie & Stoke Caldwell Amy & Alfred Dawson
Tom & Julie Eiselt Beth & Gaston Gage Pam and Bill Giono Mr. & Mrs. Greg Gonzalez Watts & Carol Hamrick Charlitta Hatch Scott & Claire Helm David Holland Ryan & Danielle Hutcheson Stephanie Isham Timothy James Laurie Johnston Ashley & Matthew Joseph Craig & Mitzi Lynch Michael & Leslie Marsicano Valecia McDowell Ken & Lisa Miller Gary Monie Rosemary Morgan & Fielding Huseth Maddie & Brian Myers Anna & Tom Nelson Sarah Peck Katie Ramseur Linda Reynolds Eric Ritz Andrew and Christina Russ Emily and Greg Skidmore Jay Thomas Kristin Tokic Patrick & Elizabeth Vaughn Rosa Maria Vega April & Thomas Whitlock John & Carrie Woolley SUPPORTING PLAYERS SOCIETY ($500 - $999) Craig & Mary Bunzey Susan Butler-Staub Brian & Jean Edwards John & Mara Gose Brad & Karen Harris Leigh Hickman Soli Kennerly
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Our Supporters cont’d INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DONORS We recognize and thank our generous donors who gave as of September 15, 2025. Our annual donors are recognized at the most current giving level.
Caroline Knight Mrs. Catherine Lecompte Lynn Manock Saumya Mehta Amy Merino Daniel Merlin Ron & Janet Meyer John & Suzy Nurkin Eileen Manlove O’Brien Michael and Denise Shields Cindy & Rob Taylor Ina Whitley-DeRochi
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Next Up!
Oct 11 - Nov 2, 2025 I For Ages 6+ LEARN MORE 18