December 5–28, 2024 | Isaac Studio Theatre
Now Playing on the Jewell Mainstage
Taproot Theatre
In This Program
About The Play
Playing in the Isaac Studio Theatre
A Charlie Brown Christmas
by Charles M. Schulz
Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson
Stage Adaptation by Eric Schaeffer
By Special Arrangement with Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson
Cast
(In Order of Appearance)
Lucy
Karin Terry
Linus
Rhys Daly
Sally
Caitlin Sarwono
Schroeder
Justin Tran
Snoopy
Tessa “Cricket” James
Frieda
Chloe Michele
Pig Pen
Jeremy Steckler
Charlie Brown
Rolando Cardona
Understudies
Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, & Pig Pen
Elijah Spreier
Sally, Frieda, Lucy, & Snoopy
Juliette Jones
Production
Director
Jes Spencer
Music Director
Justin Tran
Co-Scenic Design
Richard Lorig
Co-Scenic Design and Sound Design
Mark Lund
Costume Design
Sarah Burch Gordon
Lighting Design
Tucker Goodman
Choreographer
Charlie Johnson
Stage Manager
Cassie Fitzgerald
A Charlie Brown Christmas is approximately 40 minutes, with no intermission.
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS is presented by arrangement with
Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production and distributing recordings or streams in any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author(s)’s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. For more information, please visit: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
Company
Cast
Rolando Cardona (Charlie Brown) is excited to make their return to Taproot’s Jewell mainstage. Past credits include Sister Act (Taproot Theatre), Macbeth (Seattle Shakespeare Company), Ride the Cyclone (Ballyhoo Theatre), and Peter and the Starcatcher (Reboot Theatre). Rolando gives thanks to their friends and family for their support, and the Taproot family for this opportunity. Christmas time is here!
Rhys Daly (Linus) is thrilled to be making his Taproot debut! Recent credits include Camelot (Village Theatre) and Anyone Can Whistle (Reboot Theatre Company). When not on stage, he can be found at a coffee shop furiously memorizing lines or editing his next poetry collection. @jellicletrash
Tessa “Cricket” James (Snoopy) (they/them) is enchanted to return to Taproot after touring last year with their educational tour as a core cast member. Recent credits include Men on Boats (InD Theatre), 110 in the Shade (Reboot Theatre), as well as work with The Shattered Glass Project. Thank you Momma, sweet Jace, and Merry, of course.
Chloe Michele (Frieda) is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University, where she studied theatre and business. She is delighted to reprise her role as Frieda here at Taproot, having previously appeared on the Taproot stage as Izzy in As It is in Heaven and as an understudy (Lydia/Lizzy) in The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley.
Caitlin Sarwono (Sally) is so excited to be in her first production at Taproot. You may have seen her in The 5th Avenue Theatre’s productions of Spring Awakening (Wendla) or Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Ariel Cover). This summer she was in Mamma Mia! (Sophie) at Great Lakes Center of the Arts and was most recently in Ballyhoo Theatre’s Carrie: The Musical (Sue).
Jeremy Steckler (Pig Pen) is thrilled to be returning to the Taproot stage! Last seen in Taproot’s Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley and The Hello Girls, Jeremy is a local actor, musician, and teacher with a passion for making people smile. Thank you to all who have supported his artistic endeavors!
Karin Terry (Lucy) is excited to don the sparkly heelies once again after playing Lucy in the 2023 production and to spend the holidays at Taproot Theatre. Recently they have been seen at Village Theatre, Harlequin Productions, Seattle Shakespeare Company, and Showtunes. Karin also tours with vintage trio The Memphis Belles.
Justin Tran (Schroeder, Music Director) is very excited to be back at Taproot for A Charlie Brown Christmas! Recently, Justin has worked on The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G (Pork Filled Productions), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Seattle Shakespeare), and as a teaching artist at Village Theatre KIDSTAGE and the 5th Avenue Theatre. @justinttran
Understudies
Juliette Jones (Lucy, Sally, Frieda, Snoopy u/s) is ecstatic to be returning to this delightful Christmas play! Favorite past shows include A Woman of No Importance (Taproot) and Sweeney Todd (Harlequin Productions). She also has the pleasure of singing with The Memphis Belles through NM Entertainment. Many thanks to JEMA, Scott, her family, the cast, and crew!
Elijah Spreier (Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, Pig Pen u/s) is overjoyed to return to Taproot Theatre for the holiday season! He has performed previously with Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at Taproot, Get Tappy at SecondStory Repertory, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, and Verboom Moves. He also works as a voice and ukulele teacher at 4/4 Music School.
Production Team
Tucker Goodman (Lighting Designer) is the Director of Theatre Production at Seattle Pacific University. Outside of SPU, he has recently designed lights for Taproot Theatre Company (Happy Christmas, Jeeves; A Charlie Brown Christmas) and scenery for Seattle Shakespeare Company (Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Comedy of Errors), Butler Opera Center (Carmen), and Cape Fear Regional Theatre (Welcome to Arroyo’s).
Sarah Burch Gordon (Costume Design) was Taproot Theatre Company’s resident costume designer and costume shop manager for many years. Before moving to Seattle, she taught Costume Design at Mars Hill University in North Carolina. Other regional credits include working at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Stage West Theatre, and Venture Theatre Company. She is a two-time Gregory Award nominee and received her MFA in Costume Design from Temple University. In addition to being a costume designer, Sarah is an artist, writer, editor, and fairy godmother extraordinaire.
Charlie Johnson (Choreographer) has worked with ACT, Arrow Rock Lyceum, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Barnstormers Theatre, Bay Street Theater, Flat Rock Playhouse, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Seattle Shakespeare, Seattle Rep, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and Village Theatre. He holds assisting credits with Michael Arden, Connor Gallagher, and Denis Jones, among others. BFA: Elon University.
Richard Lorig (Co-Scenic Designer) is pleased to continue a long creative partnership with Taproot Theatre. Some favorite scenic designs for Taproot include Jeeves Takes a Bow; The Spitfire Grill; and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (of course)! He is a freelance scenic designer and an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at Utah Valley University. You can see his work at richardlorigdesign.com. Much love to my family!
Karen Lund (Producing Artistic Director) has been on the Taproot staff since 1993 and became Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director in January 2021. Taproot was recently voted the Seattle Times People’s Choice Best of the Northwest for Theatre 2024. Recent directing work includes Taproot Theatre’s Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position, the award winning production of The Book of Will, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, The Hello Girls, and A Woman of No Importance. She has also directed at several theatres around the country and coast to coast. She is the past president of the board of directors for Theatre Puget Sound, a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union (SDC), a professional voice-over artist, and the recipient of numerous theatre and film directing awards. Karen thanks her amazing family, Mark, Jake, and Hannah.
Mark Lund (Co-Scenic & Sound Design) has designed many things in many places. Recent favorites include The Book of Will, The Hello Girls, A Woman of No Importance, Black Coffee, and Daddy Long Legs. Other design work includes Seattle Shakespeare, Book-It, and award-winning short films. Mark has also voiced hundreds of regional & national projects including T-Mobile, The North Face, NHL, FedEx, Amazon and many years as Falco Lombardi in Starfox and Smash Bros for Nintendo. Love to Karen, Hannah, and Jake.
Jes Spencer (Director) has worked with Village Theatre, Taproot, ArtsWest and many other local and national theatres in her twenty years in the theatre industry. She has a six-year-old daughter and a twelve-year-old Shiba Inu who like to make sure her imagination skills are sharp and who you can thank for any whimsical antics that she might come up with; her husband helps as well. She hopes the imagination and joy you see today bring warmth and joy to your family this holiday season!
Cassie Fitzgerald (Stage Manager) is a graduate of SPU and was a Taproot intern in 2016. Since then she’s been working around town at The Phoenix Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, SecondStory Repertory, and more. Most recently she was the production stage manager at Studio East for three years. She dedicates this show to all her SE students.
Production Crew
Crew
Assistant Stage Manager/Dresser
Brigid Ridge
Stage Manager/Crew Swing
Kathryn Louise
Casting
Casting Director
Bretteney Beverly
Costume Staff
Draper
Martha Mitchell
Stitcher
Scían Hayes
Scenic & Lighting Staff
Master Electrician
Aiyana Stephens
Scenic Carpenter
Tim Samland †
Sound Board Operator
Cassie Fitzgerald
Electricians
Glen Fritz, Kathryn Louise, Eric Wu
Scenic Strike/Load-In
Elisabeth Chapman †,
Theresa Oborn †
† All stage work performed by employees represented by I.A.T.S.E., Local No. 15.
Lobby Gallery
Finding Whimsy in the Unexpected: Paintings by Steffanie Lorig
November 25 – December 28
If ever there’s a time for whimsy, it’s at Christmas. We love the images of Santa and elves and flying reindeer. We relish the sparkle of tiny lights and tinsel on trees brought indoors. We celebrate life and family and cherish their faces around our tables.
The paintings Steffanie Lorig creates play on all those elements, exploring figures and fantasy, referencing dreams and surprises. Just as the unexpected — and honestly, the chaos — of Happy Christmas, Jeeves brings smiles to our faces, Steffanie’s whimsical works will do the very same.
“I have always seen faces in random things. The word for this is “pareidolia.” It sounds more like a disease than a blessing, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed all my life — I see sleeping giants in rock formations; a wink in the folds of a crumpled-up towel; a cat in spilled tea.
“In my art, I take this inclination a step further, deliberately creating textured chaos, then making correlations and coaxing out whimsical and dreamlike forms and figures. To eliminate control and increase happy accidents, I often use found objects to apply or remove the paint and then shape what appears into meaning. The resulting folkloric subjects are often ambidextrous — featuring faces within faces within figures.
“By taking generous creative liberties and playing with logic-defying juxtapositions, I explore the relationship between chance and order. In an intersection between modern expressionism, outsider art, and surrealism, the final paintings are multi-layered, embracing the unexpected and unpredictable, challenging the viewer to seek out the unexpected.”
Steffanie is based in Seattle, Washington and is a designer for an international consulting firm. She founded a social enterprise called Art with Heart that helped over 155,000 children around the world and authored eleven books aimed at improving mental health through creative expression. She has a B.A. in visual communication and design from Northern Arizona University.
All items are for sale unless marked by a red dot or NFS. Please visit steffanielorig.com to contact the artist for purchase and to view more of her work.
— Gina Cavallo, Curator & Director of Development, Taproot Theatre
Announcing the 2025 Season: Timed Exposure!
New subscriptions available now!
4-Play and 3-Play subscriptions are available for the 2025 season.
Welcome to Taproot Theatre Company’s 2025 Season: Timed Exposure! This season, the stories on Taproot’s Mainstage are all about revealing truths from the past to give us hope for the future. Timed Exposure is a collection of stories reminding us that history is never static, and everything is connected.
Up Next in the Isaac Studio Theatre
Lewis and Tolkien
By Dean Batali
Directed by Karen Lund
Regional premiere! In the cozy Eagle and Child Pub, renowned authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien joust over pints and memories. Years after the Inklings, they have grown distant, diverging in matters of theology, marriage, and literature. In this fictional encounter, they delve into their personal and professional rivalries, igniting the stage with their wit and wisdom. 14+
January 22 – February 22, 2025
Grab Your Seats!
The best seat in the house…is the one with your name on it!
Taproot Theatre is YOUR theatre — what better way to celebrate that than through this legacy opportunity!
$1000 per named seat • Fewer than 60 left!
Winter Acting Camps and Classes available now!
Register today!
Winter Acting Classes begin February 3. These 9-week classes for kids in Pre-K through 12th grade culminate in a performance for friends and family.
Midwinter Break Camps run February 17 – 21 for kids in grade K – 12.
A Holiday of Gratitude!
What a year it has been! Challenging? Yes. But hopeful? Oh yes, definitely yes, and that’s because of people like you!
As you’ve likely heard from us, theatres across the country are struggling right now, and Taproot is no different. Even with increasingly strong attendance numbers, the 2024 cost of doing business continues to outpace Taproot’s ability to keep up. Simply put, it costs more than ever to fulfill our mission and produce all the programming Taproot’s community has come to value.
To meet the needs of our new reality, we began a very special fundraising campaign in the early months of 2024. Since then, we’ve made huge strides, beating monthly goals and raising more money by August than all of last year. But Taproot’s fiscal year ends on December 31, so now is the critical time to reach our $1.95 million goal.
The extraordinary support of patrons like you has a huge impact on so many!
This holiday season, let us share with you how grateful YOUR theatre is for YOU. We work hard every day to make this theater building as welcoming, comfortable, and engaging as possible, and you come to see us and enjoy that! We also love to chat with you in the lobby, go to coffee and catch up, or take a phone call to assist with a question. We love to hear your ideas and thoughts on performances, on our concessions, on the art in our lobby, or on anything else we do.
To make sure we can provide this experience to as many people as possible, we ask you to consider a gift before the end of 2024. Will you help us reach our $500,000 End-of-Year Goal?
Thank you for your generosity and support!
In the words of the inimitable Jeeves, Happy Christmas!
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