Impulse: Sweet 16! Playbill

The Young Professionals Company at OCT presents

IMPULSE: SWEET 16!

Welcome to Impulse’s Sweet 16!

We’re thrilled to be back (and in-person!) for another season of our award-winning improv performances.

Improv is such an important skill to have, both on and beyond the stage. It makes us better problemsolvers, better listeners, and strong team members.

We actively support each others’ ideas and make brave, bold choices—and learn that it’s OK if our ideas don’t work. It’s a rewarding process and we are honored to share each unique performance with you.

Improv also reminds us that there is always more to learn. Each year, the Impulse troupe challenges themselves to train in new ways. For the first time ever, we’re embarking on Musical Matinees every Sunday, where a new mini-musical will be created from audience suggestions.

And if you’re interested in learning more, check out our improv classes this summer and find your inner “Impulse” with us!

Enjoy the show, Dani Baldwin

Artistic Director, YP Co.

BECOME A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL! The Young Professionals Company is made up of dedicated theater students ages 14–18 who have been selected to participate in a year-long mentoring program, where they receive advanced training through exposure to a wide range of college-level workshops and professional development.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Cast Nirmay Anantha Mary Anderson Elijah Castillo Alli Jaffe Andy Manne Lily Russell Miyabi Saito Aiden Shafiuzzaman Riley Schreiber, Alternate

Artistic AND ProduCtiOn Team Blake Wales Co-Director Nick Condon Co-Director Eri Zinke Music Director Anthony Arnista Sound Designer Erin MacGillivray Production Stage Manager Sky Armstrong Stage Manager Emma Fonseca Halverson

Directing Assistant

Riley Schreiber

House Manager

Saibi Khalsa Board Operator Dani Baldwin Artistic Director, YP Company Production Support provided by OCT Scene Shop

CaSt NIRMAY ANANTHA 17-year-old Nirmay Anantha is a native Portlandian and has been active in community theater since he was 3. He had the opportunity to play Tall Boy in OCT’s mainstage production Judy Moody 7 years ago (when he wasn’t actually all that tall) and was both Sir Toby and Duke Orsino in OCT’s Twelfth Night (and can now sling great Shakespearean insults)! Outside of theater, Nirmay is most passionate about food, science, speech and debate, salvaging his grades, and his hair. He is excited to be a part of Young Professionals at OCT!

MARY ANDERSON Mary is a first year Young Professional and a junior at Camas High School. Mary started her acting career at the age of eight, in her break out role as Sandy the Dog. Although it is her dream to someday reprise this role, for now she is super excited to be a part of Impulse. Mary would like to thank her family, dog, dead dog (Buddy #rip), her wonderful cast mates, the entire production team, and especially the talented Dani, Nick, and Blake.

ELIJAH CASTILLO Elijah is a senior who goes to Arts and Communication Magnet Academy, and he is so excited to be a part of Impulse 16! He has been a member of the Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Young Professionals company for three years, and he’s happy that his last show with them will be with Impulse! He hopes everyone enjoys the show!

ALLI JAFFE Alli (she/her/hers) is thrilled to join the cast of Impulse with Oregon Children’s Theatre!

She is a third year YP and a senior at Lakeridge High School. Some of her credits include: Spotlight Travel Troupe’s 13: The Musical as Lucy, Stumptown Stages’ Mamma Mia as Ensemble, Oregon Children Theatre’s Pestilence: Wow! as Agnes and WROL as Maureen, and assistant directing Alex Getting Better through the YP program. She would love to thank Dani Baldwin, Blake Wales, and the rest of the cast and crew of Impulse for bringing her endless kindness and joy!

CaSt MIYABI SAITO Miyabi is a Senior at Parkrose High School and is excited for her second showing in Impulse! Aside from theater, Miyabi loves pottery, singing, swimming in lakes, and hugging her friends. She would like to thank Blake and the YP company for bringing so much joy and mentorship into her life. Since Improv is one of her favorite forms of theater she hopes Impulse can make it one of yours too!

LILY RUSSELL Lily is a third year YP and a senior at Roosevelt High School. Previously at OCT, Lily has been a part of Impulse 15, Alex Getting Better (Alex) and In the Forest She Grew Fangs (Ensemble). She’d like to thank her friends, parents, Dani, Nick, and Blake for their support.

Outside of theatre, she enjoys ceramics, singing, playwriting, and doing the New York times daily crossword. For more personal information, write to her mother.

ANDY MANNE This is Andy’s first year as a YP and member of Impulse. They are a senior at St. Mary’s Academy where they have performed in Something Rotten (Shylock), Clue (Colonel Mustard), and recently, Our Town (The Stage Manager). In the realm of improv, Andy worked as the Improv Coach for the SMA production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is currently serving as president of the Improv Club, and outside of school they have performed in two youth showcases with ComedySportz Portland. Andy is currently directing a short play for their school’s annual one act festival. They would like to thank their family for all their support and flexibility, their friends for keeping them humble, and Jordan Beck and the late Matt Russell for all their encouragement and guidance.

AIDEN SHAFIUZZAMAN Aiden is a second year Young Professional and a senior at Camas High School. He cannot wait to present to you Impulse 16! You might have seen him in YP’s Pestilence Wow!, perhaps last years Impulse 15, or maybe on a the FBI’s most wanted list. He would like to thank Mr. Blake Wales and Dani Baldwin for continually letting me into the building and my siblings for being constant inspirations.

CReaTIVE TEAM BLAKE WALES | CO-DIRECTOR This is Blake’s fifth year directing Impulse and is a former Impulse member. He is an alumni of the Young Professionals Company and the current Education Director at OCT. He received his BFA Degree from Adelphi University and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Improv is the backbone of Blake’s teaching which he has taken across the globe as a teaching artist, arts administrator and American Sign Language interpreter. Many thanks to Dani Baldwin and his family for their constant support.

NICK CONDON | CO-DIRECTOR Nick Condon has been improvising, teaching, directing and coaching for over 25 years. A Minneapolis native, he studied and performed at The Brave New Workshop, the country’s longest running satirical comedy theatre, where he first discovered long form improv. In 2006 he moved to Talkeetna, Alaska where he served as Creative Director of Denali Drama and Iditaprov.

While in Alaska he produced, directed, taught, and performed theatre and improv all over the state. He moved to Portland in June of 2016 and is thrilled to have found such a great home in the Portland improv community. It’s here where he created his solo show, Solitaire, the one man one act play, and The Nancy Boys Mysteries. When not in Portland, he can be seen performing, coaching and teaching customized improv workshops all over the world.

ERIN MACGILLIVRAY | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Erin MacGillivray is a Portland area stage manager and costume designer. Her previous work with Oregon Children’s Theatre includes production stage management for WROL and Twelfth Night, and being the Production Coordinator for DNA. She has also stage managed for Original Practice Shakespeare and Milagro, as well as been a production assistant at Artists Repertory Theatre. As a former YP, Erin is thrilled to be able to mentor young stage managers!

ERI ZINKE | MUSIC DIRECTOR Eri is delighted to be a part of Impulse 16 as Music Director after recently working on the Young Professional’s production of The Mad Ones as choreographer. She is a classically trained pianist who is “unlearning” so she can improvise music just like she used to when she was a baby! She got her theater training at Foothill Theatre Conservatory in the San Francisco Bay Area and has performed in various musical theater productions. Besides OCT, Eri teaches at Portland Japanese School and the online education platform Outschool, integrating music, movement, and drama for language learning. She would like to thank her husband Jonathan and her 2-year-old son Kaito for their love and support.

ANTHONY ARNISTA | SOUND DESIGNER Anthony Arnista is currently the technical director at Curious Comedy Theater. He graduated with an M.F.A in Ensemble Based Physical Theater from Dell’arte International in 2013. He cofounded the company White Collar Crimes Theatre, which has created two original vaudeville inspired works that have toured the Canadian Fringe Festivals. He also works as a touring technician for both fringe festivals and touring companies taking him to places like: Alaska, Australia, Canada, Scotland and South Africa.

SKY ARMSTRONG | STAGE MANAGER Sky is a current sophomore at Franklin high school and a second-year YP who is pumped to be a part of Impulse XVI! She worked behind the scenes on both The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and Dragons Love Tacos. When she isn’t flexing her theatre muscles she loves writing songs, singing, and doodling. She would like to give a big thank you to Blake, Dani, and the cast of impulse for making this a wonderful experience she will never forget.

CReaTIVE TEAM RILEY SCHREIBER | HOUSE MANAGER Riley J. Schreiber is a Senior attending West Linn High School, and an inducted member of Thespian Honor Society Troupe 1915. He is a writer, filmmaker, actor, and all-around storyteller, and after high school he plans to pursue screenwriting and film production. He has been a part of three of West Linn High School’s Musicals including Chicago, Matilda the Musical, and The Pirates of Penzance. He has been a member of the Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Young Professionals Company for three years, and he wrote, acted in, and produced the one-act play The Alcohol, which was performed as a part of Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Breaking Character: Frames of Mind in 2020. Plus in 2022 he was the Assistant Stage Manager for Oregon Children’s Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night.

EMMA FONSECA HALVERSON | DIRECTING ASSISTANT Emma is absolutely thrilled to be back as directing assistant for Impulse 16! She is a third year YP and a senior at Beaverton High School. Recently, she’s been seen as Simone in the YP production of Pestilence: Wow!, in OCT’s, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show as a puppeteer, as well as behind the scenes of Impulse 14 and 15! She’d like to give huge gratitude towards Mr. Wales, Dani Baldwin, and all the wonderful people involved in making this incredible experience happen.

DANI BALDWIN | YP CO. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dani is the Artistic Director of the Young Professionals Company at OCT. She frequently acts, directs, and designs for OCT. Most recently, Dani directed/ choreographed Jasper in Deadland (YP Co.) and directed the Drammy Award-Winning A Year With Frog and Toad (OCT mainstage). Outside of OCT, she has performed with Love Street Playhouse, Sojourn Theatre, Chianti Club Presents, Tapestry Theater, and Miracle Theatre; plus, she’s a regular improv actor with Kaiser Permanente.

Oregon Children’s Theatre is proud to acknowledge the support of the many individuals, businesses, foundations, and government agencies that make our work possible.

All names listed represent donations made thus far in our 2022-23 season.

Email corrections to nick@octc.org.

$50,000 + Business Oregon James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation Regional Arts & Culture Council $10,000+ Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation of the Oregon Community Foundation Oregon Cultural Trust Raymond Family Foundation Oregon Arts Commission Summer Lea Hillman Foundation Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund PGE Foundation $1,000 - $5,000 Angela Vineyards Hugh Mackworth & Josie Mendoza Portland Civic Theatre Guild Jessie Jonas Portland’5 Centers for the Arts Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond Ex Novo Brewing Co Dana Bach Johnson & Bo Johnson* Ann Brayfield & Joe Emerson Edward Hamilton Maria Raleigh Artistic Bliss Portraits Farm to Fit $500 - $1,000 Bruggere Family Foundation Heffernan Insurance Brokers iQ Credit Union Legacy Health McDonald Jacobs, P.C. Olivia Solomon OnPoint Community Credit Union Sonny & Diane Sonnenstein Vancouver Family Magazine William Mitchell & Rebecca Wusz Darcy White PDX Parent Dan Hammerstrom Melinda Maas Sawyer Marglous Foundation Amie Robar & Michael Chally Julie Graff

$250 - 500 Brenda Bennett Jerry & Linette Landis Nancy & Darek Villeneuve Sara & Dean Byers Stanley & Susanne Penkin Lan Su Chinese Garden Regional Arts & Culture Council Anantha Marar* Val Landrum Jason & Christine Griffiths Marcella Crowson Susan Simonton Alan & Sharon Jones Kim Drake Duncan & Cindy Campbell Wild Mountain Wax Co Bill & Margaret Antilla Christine Martinez Delores Wilson Ivy Gibson Johan Hammerstrom & Paula Sanjines Karen & Rusty Wales Rhea Anderson Sally Palena $100-250 Fiona Tait James Cox & Brenda Nuckton Marilyn C Peterson Michael Hammerstrom & Eddie May Nick & Carrie Baldwin-Sayre Sahni Denton Terry and Kate Gentry Diana Prinz Thompson April Hasson Hayley McKeen Veronica & Jesse Leclerc Lisa Reynolds Marc Byrne & Kayce Wheeler Byrne Susan Sheets Barbara Peterson Mini Ogle Green Bean Books Aaron Pearlman & Sacha Reich Beth Buffetta Linda Mehlig Chris Smolen

Kregg Arntson & Ted Fettig Karen Ehlbeck Matthew Witt Christine White Dre Slaman Alex Hausman Maddy Abulencia Ned Holbrook Oregon Children’s Theatre Susan Jean Glennellen Pace Drew Tanaka Household Joan Hamilton Katherine Reinert Adam Bagerski Brian Cole Jake Roper Jeanne Haggard Mary Finneran Melissa Yale Robert Roper Sarah & Gavin Mahaley $100 and below Amanda & David Carmichael Annetta Young Barbara Kohnen & James Adriance Frederic & Trudy Lambie Jean Edmison Joan Marquis Joshua Weiner Kate Brandy Household Kathy Carsey Keoni Watanabe Lesley & Erik Daley Marah Danielson Maralee & Fred Sautter Mark Nielsen Mary Flaschner Fagan Maureen Huntley Owen Carey Photography Pauline Kitagawa Phil & Heather McKnight Stephanie Burchfield Terri & Jon Tennis *These donors specifically support the Young Professionals Ashland Trip

Portland’5 Centers for the Arts includes the Keller Auditorium, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and Antoinette Hatfield Hall, comprising the Newmark Theatre, Dolores Winningstad Theatre, and Brunish Theatre. All are public facilities owned by the City of Portland and managed by Metro through the Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission. Each year approximately one million people attend more than 1,000 performances in these facilities.

Portland’5 Centers for the Arts Robyn Williams, CVE, Executive Director Brian Wilson, Deputy Director Stephanie Viegas Dias, Director of Ticket Services Ruby Joy White, Director of Education & Community Engagement Ed Williams, Director of Operations Heather Wilton, Director of Programming, Booking, & Marketing Dave Woodman, Levy Director of Operations

Advisory Committee Greg Brown Jim Brunberg Gus Castaneda, Chair Elisa Dozono Greg Heinze Heather Kmetz Jessica Lagunas

Metro Lynn Peterson, Metro Council President City of Portland Ted Wheeler, Mayor of Portland Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission Karis Stoudamire-Phillips, Chair Damien Hall, Vice-Chair Deidra Krys-Rusoff, Secretary-Treasurer Dañel Malán David Martinez Deanna Palm David Penilton Steve Faulstick, Visitor Venues General Manager

Antonio Lara Karl Lisle Ombrea Moore Brian Sanders Daniel A. Sullivan Richard Wattenberg Steve Wenig

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