Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey Playbill

DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATE R

DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER 2025-26 SEASON SUPPORTED BY

O ce of Arts & Culture

THE M.R. & EVELYN HUDSON FOUNDATION

LISA K. SIMMONS

SHOWALTER FAMILY FOUNDATION FUND AT THE DALLAS FOUNDATION

MARCH FAMILY FOUNDATION MELINDA AND JIM JOHNSON

THE EUGENE MCDERMOTT FOUNDATION

GREENE FAMILY CHARITABLE GIVING FUND

FAUS FAMILY FOUNDATION LOREN AND CAROLYN GREAVES

NIELS ANDERSKOUV AND VIBEKE JARNUM

GENERAL SPONSORS INCLUDE

Laurie Sands Harrison

Kevin and Carol March

Karen and Ken Travis

Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts

Jane and Bill Travis Anonymous

The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation

Merrill Lynch

Crawley Family Foundation

Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District

Janet Spencer Shaw

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY

Tara Lewis and John Swords

Ellen and Jim Markus

Eugene Straus Charitable Trust , Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.

The Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Foundation

Holloway Family Foundation

Strake Foundation

Rachel Orr

Becky and Everett Spaeth

Lauren and Ryan Herrington

Emily Jefferson

Sarah Freedman and Chris Skoog

Kara and Todd Ranta

The Stephen M. Seay Foundation

Joan Becker

Central Market

Margot B. Perot

Harry S. Moss Foundation

Peter and Jennifer Altabef

John and Julie Parolisi

Green Mountain Energy DCT’s official renewable energy partner

SENSORY-FRIENDLY SPONSORS FICHTENBAUM CHARITABLE TRUST

Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

The Alice E. and Joseph C. Blewett Foundation

Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts

The Cast

Ensemble Ian Carney

Ensemble ....................................................... Eleanor Carney

Ensemble .................................................. Johnathon Whalen

Ensemble ........................................................... Calvin Rowe

Ensemble Tomas Moquete

Production Staff

Production Manager. CaitLyne Martin

Technical Director Josh Smith

Lead Carpenter Jesus Gonzalez

Deck Crew Head Ania Lyons

Sound Engineer Brian Christensen

A Message from our Executive Director

Welcome to Dallas Children’s Theater’s 2025-26 season! We are so excited that you have joined us for this very special year in our theater’s long history.

This is a year of many firsts for DCT. Joining us for her inaugural season as Artistic Director is Emily Ernst. Emily brings an exciting new voice and point of view from her decades of working as a director, actor, and company founder. This April she will launch another of our firsts, the penumbra, a workshop of a new musical from Ian Ferguson and Lauren LeBlanc. the penumbra is a supernatural thriller unlike anything you have seen on the DCT stage before!

Of course, we are also thrilled to premiere The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! A first not only for DCT, this is a brand new work cocommissioned by our theater to bring Mo Willems characters to life on our stage again and present a new holiday classic to our cherished DCT families.

Honoring our history, we are additionally bringing back one of our most beloved shows this January as The Very Hungry Caterpillar returns to DCT. Based on the Eric Carle classic, this larger-than-life production will warm hearts today just as it has for decades.

Finally, our friends at Lightwire Theater will return this spring for the DCT premiere of Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey. Last year our audiences fell in love with Lightwire’s electroluminescent artistry that merged stunning visuals with deeply felt stories of humanity and connection.

No matter your age, we hope you will feel a sense of wonder during your time with us. Every DCT performance opens the door to new worlds, encouraging all of us to reconsider our perspectives and see the extraordinary in the world around us. We are so glad you have come along for the ride.

Michael Meadows

Michael Meadows Executive Director

About Lightwire Theater

Lightwire Theater is a unique entertainment experience that utilizes light, technology, and music to tell captivating stories. Our shows are designed to bring audiences of all ages into a fantastical world of imagination.

Lightwire Theater has been featured as a semi-finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and winner of Tru TV’s Fake Off. The group combines theater and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness and is internationally recognized for its signature brand of electroluminescent artistry.

Lightwire co-creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp met in New York City while dancing in Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out on Broadway. An immediate connection was made between the kindred spirits as they discovered their mutual love of art, theater, and technology. After coming across a product called, “el wire,” the lights turned on and the possibilities seemed endless. Together, with their wives Eleanor and Whitney, they began to experiment with shapes and designs to develop puppetrybased neon creatures that quickly came to life.

Based in New Orleans, Lightwire Theater continues to create and deliver innovative theatrical experiences to audiences worldwide including: Hong Kong, Estonia, Canada, Belarus, China, Abu Dhabi, and as finalists on My TF1’s, The Best: Le Meilleur Artiste in Paris.

IAN CARNEY

Artistic Director / Ensemble

Ian Carney is best known for his long run in Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s musical Movin’ Out on Broadway. Born in New Hampshire and raised in New Orleans, he started dancing as a child, studying ballet in New Orleans and in New York City. He danced lead roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and many other ballets. He has been a guest dancer, teacher, and choreographer in companies across the United States. While still performing, Ian earned a degree in English Literature from Tulane University. He is the co-creator of the family shows that continue to delight audiences around the world – Dino-Light, The Ugly Duckling, Lightwire the Show, A Very Electric Christmas, and The Tortoise and Hare the Next Generation. Ian has appeared on television with Lightwire Theater on America’s Got Talent, Game of Talents, Italy’s Tú Sí Que Vales, TF1’s The Best Show in France, and as the 2014 winner of Tru TV’s Fake Off.

ELEANOR B. CARNEY Managing Director / Ensemble

Originally from New Orleans, Eleanor began her dance training with Harvey Hysell and Joseph Giaccobbe. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Anthropology. She has danced professionally with Indianapolis Ballet Theater, the Lexington, Northwest Florida, Delta Festival, and Montgomery Ballet. Career highlights include dancing in Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), The Moor’s Pavane (Desdemona), the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Giselle and Coppelia and, of course, the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Mrs. Carney is delighted to have appeared with Lightwire Theater on America’s Got Talent, Italy’s hit show Tu si Que Vales, Game of Talents, The Best on TF1 and as the 2014 winner of Tru Tv’s Fake Off. She is eternally grateful to work besides her husband, Ian, and share their art with the world.

CORBIN POPP

Co-Creator / Technical Supervisor

Corbin Popp is from Lincoln, Nebraska. He earned a degree in biochemistry at University of NebraskaLincoln, while also studying math, physics, and dance. Opting for dance, Corbin performed in The Phantom of the Opera and Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out on Broadway. He has toured throughout the United States with many shows and all over Europe with Tharp’s dance company. Corbin speaks German, studied in Germany on a Fulbright scholarship, and recently graduated from dental school, yet still continues to perform and collaborate with Lightwire Theater.

TOMAS MOQUETE Ensemble

Tomas Moquete currently resides in Dallas, Texas. He recently completed the North American tour of Jurassic World Live Tour with Feld Entertainment where he was a raptor puppeteer. Tomas first explored puppeteering in Dallas with LTDM Entertainment working with marionettes, and he has been hooked ever since! Other recent puppeteering credits include Jurassic World Exhibition, the Coca-Cola bear at Disney Springs Orlando, and Creative City Project Orlando Happy Frights/Haunted Nights. Tomas is also a Hospital Therapy Clown with Laughter League and will always be a theater kid at heart. Tomas can’t wait to share his experience and love for the art form with all who come to see.

CALVIN ROWE Ensemble

A native of Muscatine, IA, he began dancing professionally in 2007 with Of Moving Colors Productions, Baton Rouge’s premier modern dance company, working with such choreographers as Christine Chrest, Garland Goodwyn Wilson, Scott Putnam, Pavel Zostiak, Netta Yerushalmy, Irine Rampino, and Gina Bashour. Mr. Rowe has also been a guest artist with Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, as well as TALK Dance Co., a contemporary dance company based in Pueblo, Colorado, under the direction and choreography of Stephen Wynne. Mr. Rowe danced three seasons with Ballet Quad Cities, performing in such ballets as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Dracula by choreographers Courtney Lyon and Deanna Carter, and he has toured internationally with FLOCK dance, and the world renowned Lightwire Theater.

JOHNATHON WHALEN Ensemble

A New Orleans native, Johnathon has been a member of Lightwire Theater for ten years. He has also performed in New Orleans at The National World War II Museum, Le Petit Theatre, Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, and the Jefferson Performing Arts Society. He has a BS in Athletic Training from Southeastern Louisiana University and has also done set design and construction for several New Orleans theaters. Thanks to all the members of Lightwire for making the work so enjoyable!

Meet the Artistic / Production Staff

MICHAEL MEADOWS

Executive Director

For more than 38 years, Michael Meadows has dedicated his professional career and personal life to serving others through a wide array of charitable organizations. Michael has served as the Director of Development for The University of Texas at Dallas, Executive Vice President for Southwestern Medical Foundation, CEO/Executive Director of the Dallas Zoological Society, and Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor at Westwood Trust, a division of Westwood Holdings Group, a publicly-traded asset management firm. In late 2019, Michael launched Meadows Family Consulting Group LLC. Through his practice, he has served as the interim CEO of Dallas County Heritage Society, the nonprofit organization that managed Old City Park, Dallas’ oldest public park, and as interim Executive Director of Encore Park, a multi-purpose, social impact facility that was founded by First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. He currently serves on the boards of The Meadows Foundation, the Mike A. Myers Foundation, and TACA (The Arts Community Alliance), and on the advisory boards of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at The University of Texas at Austin and the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas. In September 2025, he became the Executive Director of Dallas Children’s Theater.

EMILY ERNST

Artistic Director

Emily Ernst is an actor, director, and movement coach. Prior to her role at DCT, she was the co-founder and Artistic Director of Fair Assembly and Associate Artistic Director at the River & Rail Theatre, founded by SMU Alumni, in Knoxville, TN. As an educator, Emily has taught at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Advanced Acting), the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cistercian Preparatory School, and Junior Players, among others; and led the Theatre Arts Academy at the Lincoln Playhouse. For the past two years with Junior Players, Emily has led the female cohort of Shakespeare with Henry: the first youth-focused Shakespeare in Prison program in Texas and the third in the nation. Emily has held staff positions with Teatro Dallas, Cry Havoc Theater Company, The Lincoln Community Playhouse, TACA, Flatwater Shakespeare Company, and Theatre for a New Audience in New York City. Recent directing projects include Fiddler on the Roof at UNT, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at River & Rail Theatre, Mame at The Lincoln Playhouse, The Little Prince at River & Rail Theatre, The Music Man Jr. at Cistercian Prep, and King Lear at Fair Assembly. Emily is a graduate of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, L’École internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (2017-2018), and is a fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture.

GABRIELA LEODIOU

Stage Manager

Gabriela Leodiou is beyond thrilled to be working on such an enjoyable experience as Moon Mouse! Previous SM Credits include: Andi Boi, Little Women: The Musical, and A Wrinkle in Time with Dallas Children’s Theater; Selfie-Conscious with Danny Anchondo and ATTPAC’s Elevator Project; Othello with Shakespeare Dallas; Jekyll & Hyde with Lyric Stage; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity with Circle Theatre; Anne-Tig-Uh-Knee with Second Thought Theatre; Stronger than Arms and Things Missing/ Missed with DGDG and Undermain Theatre; Echoes Scream Whispers, The Savage Seconds, The Bippy Bobby Boo Show productions, and Just Girly Things with Danielle Georgiou Dance Group. She continues to work locally throughout the DFW area. She wants to thank her family and friends for their endless support. “Inspire with Enthusiasm!”

MADDIE COLLINS

Stage Manager

Maddie is a professional stage manager in the DFW area. She has enjoyed spending a lot of her time at Dallas Children’s Theater, most recently as the Stage Manager on The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Grace for President, and Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are In A Play!” Some of Maddie’s other recent credits include Waitress and A Christmas Carol at Dallas Theater Center.

DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER THANKS YOU!

Reflects gifts received through March 10, 2026.

On behalf of the 90,000 children and families served annually, we gratefully acknowledge our donors who through their contributions made it possible for DCT to present over 500 performances of high quality, professional theater for youth and families. Although program space limits our ability to publicly recognize only donors of $500 and above, we deeply and sincerely appreciate every contribution. As ticket sales cover a small percentage our costs, your annual financial support is critical to introducing North Texas children to the magic of live theater. Should you wish to be added to this extraordinary list of donors or suggest corrections to our list, please contact the DCT Development Department at 214.978.0110 and THANK YOU!

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

$100,000 +

City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture

Greene Family Charitable Giving Fund

Melinda and Jim Johnson

March Family Foundation

The Meadows Foundation

The M.R. & Evelyn Hudson Foundation

Texas Instruments Foundation

The Theodore & Beulah Beasley Foundation

PRODUCING PARTNER

$50,000-$99,999

Niels Anderskouv and Vibeke Jarnum

The Eugene McDermott Foundation

Faus Family Foundation/Kristy and Raymond Faus

Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee

Loren and Carolyn Greaves

Harold K. Simmons Foundation

The Rosewood Corporation

Showalter Family Foundation Fund at the Dallas Foundation

The Shubert Foundation

Lisa K. Simmons

TACA, Inc.

Texas Instruments

CENTERSTAGE SPONSOR

$25,000-$49,999

Anonymous

The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation

Crawley Family Foundation

Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District

Jean Baptiste “Tad” Adoue III Fund at The Dallas Foundation

Merrill Lynch

Laurie Sands Harrison

Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts

Jane and Bill Travis

Karen and Ken Travis

SEASON BENEFACTOR

$10,000-$24,999

Peter and Jennifer Altabef

Joan Becker

Central Market/H-E-B Ernst & Young LLP

Eugene Straus Charitable Trust , Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.

Sarah Freedman and Chris Skoog

Green Mountain Energy

Harry S. Moss Foundation

Haynes and Boone, LLP

Lauren and Ryan Herrington

Holloway Family Foundation

Emily Jefferson

Tara Lewis and John Swords

Kevin and Carol March

Jim and Ellen Markus

Medical City Dallas

Rachel Orr

John and Julie Parolisi

The Patrick & Beatrice Haggerty Foundation

Margot B. Perot

Kara and Todd Ranta

Becky and Everett Spaeth

Janet Spencer Shaw

The Stephen M. Seay Foundation

Strake Foundation

Retta Van Auken

LEADING PLAYER

$5,000-$9,999

Tom Adams

The Alice E. and Joseph C. Blewett Foundation

William Altabef

Joe B. Brooks

Comerica Bank

Richard and Mary Covington

June Dales

Licia and Chris Dawe

Alencia DeAnda-Gregg and Tony

Gregg

Sarah and Michael DeLuke

DePasse Family Giving

Kelly and Gregory Fijolek

Robyn Flatt

Fred Jones Family Foundation

Jennifer Garratt

Goldman Sachs

Brooks and Angela Hall

Meagan and Daniel Hemenway

Carolyn Holloway

Houlihan Lokey

William and Carol Huckin

Stephanie and Ben Jeffery

Jones Day

Patty Kroviak

Lisa Lee

Louise W. Kahn Endowment Fund

Ray and Jacqui Mackewicz

Ken and Tanya McDonald

Nancy Miller

Leah and Adam Mora

Prosperity Bank

The Ryan Goldblatt Foundation

Francis Ryburn

Tim and Sarah Salmon

Clayton and Lacy Sands

Andrew and Jennifer Scripps

Mark and Linda Shirley

Camelia and Ted Shoemaker

Rachael and Evan Singer

Richard and Deborah Stanford

DIRECTOR

$2,500-$4,999

Anderson Family Philanthropic Fund

Rosemary and Stephen Anderson

Jean Aoki

Ayco Charitable Foundation

Martha and Arturo Barrios

David Spence/Good Space Inc.

Betsy and Richard Fijolek

James and Judy Gibbs

Nicole and Scott Hudson

Robin Ladd

Corale and Mitchell Madden

Karol and Larry Omlor

Michael and Debbie Rasa

Brooke and Aaron Shelby

Shelby Family Charitable

Valerie and Mark Skinner

Wilson Tarver

PRODUCER

$1,000-$2,499

Anne and Larry Angelilli

Billie and William Aylesworth

Ashley Campfield

Brent and Monica Christopher

Kendra Clark

Brandi Dunn

Janet and Robert Elkin

Lorelei Garratt

Don and Carol Glendenning

Jeffrey Hamilton

Johnathan Helm

Rocky Howard

Charlene Howell

Suki and Paul Jarzemsky

Sheilon King

Valerie and Lewis McMahan

Charles and Kathy Miller

Nancy Miller

Tim Mullins

Tracey Nash-Huntley

Deborah and Jim Nugent

David and Nancy Saustad

Samuel and Diana Self

Barton and Elizabeth Showalter

Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld

Bart and Cheri Thomas

Keelan Twitty

PATRON

$500-$999

Anonymous

Angela and Emerson Downes

Jason and Laura Downing

Kathleen Fones

Halff Community Initiative

Lillian Clark Fund

Morgan Stanley

Natalie R. Swan Revocable Trust

Pepsico Foundation Employee

Giving Programs

Robert and Maureen Royer

Brooke and Willow Summers

Robert and JoAnn Tobey

David and Harianne Wallenstein

D.I. Wilkinson

Claire Wilson

Rachel C. Ybarra

IN-KIND

Anonymous

AT&T Stadium & The Star

Dr. Evan Beale

Bows and Arrows

Joe B. Brooks

CiCi’s Pizza

Michael DeLuke

Golden Egg Creative

Live Nation

Miron Crosby

Nayarit Tourism Board

Ritz Carlton

The Rosewood Corporation

Rosewood Ranches

Lacy Sands

Southwest Airlines

TXU Energy

Virgin Hotels Dallas

DCT Board

Board of Trustees

Leah Mora* PRESIDENT

Jim Markus* CHAIRMAN

Evan Singer* VP EDUCATION

Everett Spaeth* VP FACILITIES

Sarah Freedman* VP FINANCE/TREASURER

Martha Barrios* VP GOVERNANCE/NOMINATING

Amanda Schnetzer* SECRETARY

William Altabef

Michael DeLuke

Bonnie DePasse

Angela Downes

Wade Gibson

Brooks Hall

Meagan Hemenway

Robin A. Ladd

Lisa Lee

Tara Lewis*

Jacqueline Mackewicz

Carol March*

Rachel Orr

Jennifer Pascal

Todd Ranta*

Lacy Sands

Camelia Lopez Shoemaker

Deborah Stanford

Shanti Shahani Venegas

JW Washington, III

Board of Advisors

Lorlee Bartos

Mickie Bragalone

Joan Becker

Nancy Carlson

Mary Covington

Yvonne Crum

Paul Daugherty

Betsy Fijolek

Jane Kennedy Greene

Rocky Howard

Sharron Hunt

Vibeke Jarnum

Josh Johnston

Emily Jefferson

Margaret Keliher

Tara Lewis*

Peter Martin

Stephanie Nelson

Christa Sanford

Teresa Parravano

Sally Schopmeyer

Elizabeth Showalter

Laurie-Jo Straty

Bill Travis

Karen Travis

Emeritus Members

Robyn Flatt FOUNDER

Melissa Deakins CHAIR EMERITUS

Laurie Sands Harrison CHAIR EMERITUS

Julie H. Kosnik CHAIR EMERITUS

Carole Jordan CHAIR EMERITUS

Carol March* CHAIR EMERITUS

Board Liaison

Judy Nordseth OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE

* Executive Committee

DCT Staff

Michael Meadows

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Emily Ernst

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Artie Olaisen

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Robyn Flatt

FOUNDER / DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS

Development

David Leggett DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Joey Hamilton FOUNDATION AND CORPORATE RELATIONS OFFICER

Devin Berg

DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER

Marketing & Public Relations

Rachel Wells

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

Douglass Burks BOX OFFICE MANAGER

April Zavala

BOX OFFICE ASSOCIATE

Joanna Coogan FIELD TRIP COORDINATOR

Facilities

Aaron Rodriguez NETWORK SYSTEMS ADMIN. / IT / FACILITIES

Production

CaitLyne Martin

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Josh Smith

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Jesus Gonzalez

LEAD CARPENTER

Lyle Huchton

RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER / COSTUME SHOP MANAGER

Brian Christensen SOUND ENGINEER

Marco Salinas

RESIDENT SOUND DESIGNER

October

Ages

March

Ages

Jan. 23 - Feb. 21, 2027 Ages 3 and up