Welcome to Our 2025–2026 Season
Welcome to a brand-new season with the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation! I’m honored to step into the role of Board President as we continue TOCA’s proud tradition of celebrating the arts in all their beautiful diversity.
For over three decades, TOCA has been a cornerstone of creativity and connection in the South Bay. That legacy continues today because of the passion and dedication of our community—our artists, audiences, partners, donors, and volunteers. Together, we make it possible to bring inspiring, thought-provoking, and joy-filled performances to our stages.
At TOCA, we believe the arts are for everyone. Whether it’s your first time in the theater or you’ve been with us since the beginning, we invite you to explore this season’s lineup and find something that speaks to you. From laugh-out-loud comedy to moving musical performances and cultural celebrations, there’s truly something for every taste.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support. I hope you’ll consider deepening your connection with TOCA—subscribe to our season, become a donor, or lend your time as a volunteer. However you choose to engage, know that you are a vital part of our mission.
I look forward to seeing you at the theater—and to all the unforgettable moments we’ll share this season.
Warmly,
Camilla Seferian President, Board of Directors
Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
Welcome to the 2025/2026 season at the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation!
As we turn the page from our milestone 30th year and look ahead, I’m filled with gratitude—not only for where we’ve been, but for where we’re going. Each season is a new opportunity to bring people together, spark meaningful conversations, and celebrate the incredible power of live performance.
At TOCA, we’re not just curating a season—we’re creating space for discovery, connection, and joy. Whether it’s world-class music, laughout-loud comedy, soul-stirring theater, or family programming that ignites young imaginations, our goal remains the same: to offer something memorable for everyone who walks through our doors.
I continue to be inspired by the artists we work with, the team behind the scenes, and especially you— our audience, donors, and community partners—who make it all possible. Your enthusiasm and support are what keeps TOCA vibrant and thriving.
Please explore this brochure and find the shows that speak to you. And as always, if there’s anything we can do to make your experience better, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@TorranceArts.org.
Let’s make this season one to remember. See you at the theatre!
Chris Wolf Executive Director
Assisted listening devices available. Ask the House Manager or usher for assistance.
A dynamic solo show written and performed by Megan Dolan, is a heartfelt comedy about a mother raising a son on the spectrum, who feels she’s falling short of expectations. With humor, warmth, and brutal honesty, Megan persists through painful playdates, bewildering support groups, and crazy making meal times– taking countless wrong turns along the way. Increasingly aware of her parental shortcomings, Megan seeks professional help only to discover that she just might be the exact right mom for her remarkable son.
“…it’s hard to make motherhood in the trenches funny, hopeful, relatable, and reassuring but Megan’s show does just that.” - LA Parent Magazine
MEGAN DOLAN (Writer/Producer/Performer) is a Long Beach based writer | actor | storyteller with over 30 year’s experience. She has a BA in Theater Arts from CSULB and was a founding member of the acclaimed Elephant Theatre Company which built a reputation for championing new American plays from 19952015. For 17 years, Megan facilitated Playfair, the most popular campus attraction for new student orientation, performing for collegiate audiences around the country. She has performed at the Moth, Hollywood Fringe Festival, and Expressing Motherhood as well as many other LA based storytelling shows and her TEDx talk entitled, Messy Mommy: A Slob in the Shadows can be seen on YouTube. Megan has written and performed three solo shows, the latest of which, the award-winning, Not the Right Mom (formerly titled Lemur Mom), played at many theaters throughout Southern California and beyond and was selected as “Best of Fest” for the Whitefire Solo Fest and chosen to be part of the Amplify series for marginalized voices at the Curtis Theater in Brea, CA. Megan is a frequent guest artist at USC, Cal State Northridge, and Long Beach City College and she was recently a judge for the South Bay’s Got Talent competition at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Her written work has been published in L.A. Parent Magazine and the anthology, Becoming Brave Together heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight.
WENDY HAMMERS (original director and dramaturg) is an actor, director, writer, teacher and host of Tasty Words, a spoken word salon (now in it’s 22nd year) that features stories that are good enough to eat. Other directing credits: Fiona Goodwin’s A Very British Lesbian, John Ciccolini’s Frank Sinatra Screwed Up My Life (LA Comedy Fest Winner), Stephanie Blum’s When I Cough, I Wet Myself, and Jo Willette’s The Jo Show. As an actor, Ms. Hammers has been featured on Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Sopranos.
BETHANY PRICE (Director) is a mother/wife/director/writer/ improvisor/acting coach/ rebel/producer/Pilates Instructor. She is on a continual search for additional labels to add to the list. She received her theatrical training at California State University, Long Beach, where she was a founding member of California Repertory Company, and where she had her first opportunity to teach theatre. She has stage managed, directed and/or produced more than 50 productions, and performed on stage herself for more than 15 years in musicals, improvised narratives, and scripted plays. She has birthed, raised, and guided three humans to fully productive adult lives and they all like coming around and hanging out with her. That is truly her greatest accomplishment.
As a theatre artist, she has more than 30 years’ experience casting, coaching, directing, writing, and producing. She is currently an in-demand director, audition coach, and private instructor in the Long Beach/Orange County region. Her teaching focuses on helping actors make strong, intentional choices rooted in emotional honesty in order to create compelling, interesting, and unique characters on stage and on film.
RESOURCES
The primary mission of Able ARTS Work is to provide lifelong learning, therapeutic and vocational opportunities through the arts for people of all abilities and all ages in an environment of warmth encouragement and inclusion.
The LBC Hero Squad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by parents dedicated to fostering a city-wide culture of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion for neurodivergent youth. Since our start at Cubberley K-8 in 2016, we have expanded our mission across the Long Beach Unified School District to celebrate neurodiversity through community events and educational initiatives. We believe everyone is a hero and look forward to building an inclusive community together.
LBC Hero Squad is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. EIN 86-1697137. Please visit us @lbcherosquad • https://linktr.ee/lbcherosquad
We Are Brave Together is a non-profit organization, rooted in Southern California, that provides an international community of support for “Caregiving Moms”—moms caring for children or adult children with any diagnosis, disability or challenge: physical, medical, mental, emotional, or behavioral. Our current membership of over 4,200 moms represents all 50 states and 30 countries.
Since inception, our primary mission has been to combat the isolation, loneliness, and compassion fatigue that these mothers face, while creating opportunities for education, empowerment, support and connection. We know that our brave mothers are at great risk for burnout, depression, and anxiety, so our mission is to truly preserve and protect their mental health with all our offerings. We believe if you educate and support a mom, you educate and support a whole family. We offer a host of resources to empower mothers in their unique and difficult journeys.
Specifically, We Are Brave Together brings forward a dual-approach of traditional and virtual support through group meetings, educational workshops, low-cost retreats throughout the United States, retreat scholarships, and social activities. We also provide online support resources through our Brave Together Podcast (now featured on UK Health Radio), YouTube channel, monthly newsletters, blog posts and social media feeds. Most recently we released our first anthology, Becoming Brave Together: Heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight, to raise awareness about extreme caregiving while shouting the worth of both caregiving and parent caregivers. Our second book, Suddenly Brave Together: Letters to caregiving moms in a defining moment of their lives, is due out May 1, 2026
Thank You
SEASON PARTNER
City of Torrance
Eleanor Marie Land
Family Trust
$10,000 - $49,999 - STARS
Paul & Rita Keil
Pearlston Family Trust
Torrance Refining Company
$5,000 - $9,999 – CO-STARS
Sares-Regis Group
Supervisor Janice Hahn
Surf Management, Inc.
$2,500 - $4,999PRODUCERS
Jean Adelsman
Continental Development Corporation
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Jane and Jim Isomoto
Dale Korman (In Memory of Maestro Frank Fetta)
Lori Mizuguchi
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
$1,000 - $2,499 - DIRECTORS
Ann and Marty Gallagher
Nancy and George Mannon
Ted and Carolyn Porter
$500 – ANGELS
Tammy Khan
Rod and Crystal Macdonell
Gerald and Carol Marcil
Ellenmary Michel
William Oberholzer
Jim Olds (In Memory of A.Y. & Joyce Olds)
Athena Paquette Cormier
$250 - FRIENDS
Reuben and Sabrina Ayala
John and Louise Bye
Mary Hoffman and Bob Habel
Glen and Fumiko Isobe
Russell and Carole Lefevre
Frank and Marilyn Miles
Fred and Ann Peitzman
Andrea and Ron Perez (In Memory of John Popovich)
Nancy Richards
Laura Savitz
Winnie Seieroe
Sylvia Stadlman
Christian and Robin Wolf
$100 - FANS
Amy Blomgren
Janice Burrin
Ann and Victor Cooper
Helen Dennis
Lynn Fernandez
Judy Golden
Gary Hastings
Janet Johnson
Eleanor Jones
Pentti and Ginger Jussila
Lynda Kraemer
Kenneth and Doris Nakakura
George and Helen Nakano
Peter and Vicki Pellerito
Pamela Popovich
Maurine Swilley
Hazel Taniguchi
Paula and John Verbeck
Kurt Weideman and Sue Golden
TORRANCE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION BOARD
Katy Geissert, Founding President
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Camilla Seferian, President
Heidi Cunningham, Vice President/Secretary
Winnie Seieroe, Treasurer
David Kartsonis, Immediate Past President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jean Adelsman
Sara Baillie
Liliana Dongo
Jim Olds
Peter Pettler
Rosemarie Piccioni, Ed.D.
Laura Savitz
ADVISORY BOARD
David Benoit
Shannon Dean
Scott Douglas
Donna Duperron
Steve Fechner
Patrick Furey
Ann Gallagher
Jonah Hirata
Sherry Kramer
Gesuina Lafayette
George Nakano
Steve Napolitano
Bill Oberholzer
Ted Porter
Ritas Smith
Kurt Weideman
STAFF
Christian Wolf, Executive Director
Sharon Sapigao, Administration
Susan Lyon, Artist Hospitality
Tes Schaff, Graphic Design
Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
