Company Bios
Cast:
Bjorn Anders (he/him): After having a phenomenal experience this summer performing in their production of Miss Holmes, Bjorn is back with Latitude Theatre for Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender. He has been seen on many stages up and down the I-5 corridor, but is always most excited to be performing at home in Seattle. In his offstage life, Bjorn can be found training in various styles of stage combat, spending countless hours engrossed in games of Dungeons and Dragons, and taking meticulous care of what he considers the most magnificent hair in the western hemisphere. Favorite roles include Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Chad Kroeger in Nakedback, and Long John Silver in Treasure Island.
Drew Bates (they/he/she) is thrilled to be celebrating their first work with Latitude. Previous credits include Spring Awakening (Melchior U/S, 5th Avenue Theatre), Great Comet, A Bright Room Called Day (Webster University), The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors (Grandstreet Theatre). They are a recent recipient of a BFA in Musical Theatre from Webster University's Sargent Conservatory. They would really love to be known as the Bad Boy of Seattle Theatre so if you guys could spread that around that would be awesome. Much love to my parents, Kyle, and the indomitable human spirit.
Henry Behrens is an actor, editor, designer and cat dad. They recently designed the props for Dacha Theatre’s The Pomegranate Tree, and, last year, you may have seen them in Peter and the Starcatcher by Reboot Theatre or The Veil and Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea with Dacha Theatre, of which they are a company member. Their favorite part of the winter season is eggnog.
Lizzy Bennett was last seen with Latitude Theatre in Miss Holmes. Her other Seattle credits include touring schools and churches with Taproot Theatre. She toured in 2015-2016 with Montana Repertory Theatre’s U.S. tours of The Great Gatsby (including to Brooklyn Performing Arts Center in NYC) and All My Sons. In 2017 she toured in the ensemble of Montana Rep’s To Kill A Mockingbird in Beijing and Chongqing, China. Her other regional Montana credits include Bozeman Actors Theatre and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Montana.
Ruby Eister-Hargrave is the modern woman’s younger and blonder Audrey Hepburn. You have seen her in Clueless 2, Mean Girls 5, and might recall her iconic Oscars acceptance speech - none of these have happened yet but save this bio for when they do and get a free meet and greet xx
Noah Fletcher is excited to be performing again with Latitude Theatre! He was most recently seen as Anthony in Sweeney Todd at Harlequin Productions, and in Miss Holmes at Latitude Theatre, Sunset Boulevard at Showtunes Theatre, Stranger Things: The Experience in Seattle, and touring around the greater Seattle area in The Innkeepers Christmas with Taproot Theatre. Noah received his BFA in Screen Acting with a minor in Musical Theatre at Chapman University. When he isn't acting, he is usually playing ball with his dog, Rover. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Hayley James is a local Seattle native, performer and theatre artist. This is her first show with Latitude, but other recent acting credits include Pageantry with Taproot Theatre’s Christmas tour, understudying/swinging for TTC’s Road Company, a certain Ewok in Hello Earth's production of Star Wars: Wars Outdoors, and everyone’s favorite waffle lover in Stranger Things: The Experience. Other past favorite acting credits include Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, Bertha in Jane Eyre: The Musical, and anything Shakespeare. On weekends you can often find her portraying various princesses, superheroes and Jedi for kids’ birthday parties & other local events. Her favorite princess is a certain redhead and sister to a queen that has magical snow & ice powers. In her spare time, she enjoys cosplaying, writing, traveling, going on long walks & playing with her kitty, Soka.
Ken Kavin is overjoyed to be part of this festive journey—there's snow time like the present. Grateful for the opportunity to play and weave wonder with such an inspiring team of artists!
James Lyle (he/him) is a Seattle actor and playwright and is delighted to be joining Latitude Theatre for Victorian Xmas revelry this year. He was most recently seen in SecondStory Rep’s Holmes and Watson, and you might catch him this month reading a holiday-themed tale in Sound Theatre’s Illuminating the Dark. Other recent roles include On the Train (Shattered Glass Project), Calendar Girls (Phoenix Theatre) and The Flight Before Xmas (Macha). A member of the Driftwood After Dark playwright group, his sci-fi plays Red Planet Blue, Ghost Girl, and Blues for a Dead Planet have featured in Driftwood Players’ new works reading series.
Ankit Madhira trained and received his MFA in Acting at East 15 Acting School in the UK. Since than Ankit has appeared in many theatre productions in the UK including A Midsummer Night's Dream & Pericles: Prince of Tyre. Most recently in Seattle Ankit appeared as Gene in Within A Show. Ankit has appeared in the feature film Om Sweet Home and the short film ”Same Lovers”. Ankit is also a singer and a songwriter, and in his free time enjoys exploring the local music scene. Ankit is represented by Sean Devlin and The Wayne Agency in the US.
Ruby Ricisak originally hails from Miami, Florida, and is a recent graduate from Cornell University, where she acted in multiple theater and film productions. She is thrilled and very grateful to join the rest of the wonderful cast and crew in this year’s production of Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender. She hopes you enjoy the show!
BJ Smyth is happy to be playing for the first time on the Latitude stage this Holiday Season. During the last year, he has appeared at Driftwood Players as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka, Lord Lovelace in Ada and the Engine, and at The Phoenix Theatre as Alistair Spenlow in Move Over Mrs. Markham and Tartuffe in Tartuffe: Born Again. Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.
Hannah Wang is delighted to be working with Latitude Theatre for the first time! They recently appeared in Leave Only Footprints (Annex Theatre) and The Comedy of Errors (Emerald Theatre). Favorite projects include acting in the premiere productions of Unbecoming, We Were Everywhere, and the English-language adaptation of Sister Mok-rahn; devising and directing an immersive adaptation of William Faulkner’s Barn Burning; and writing the one-act play “Ribs”, which was selected for staging by ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival. Outside of theatre, Hannah is a social worker, a published poet, an amateur knitter and birdwatcher, and a huge fan of modernist literature. Find them on Instagram @_wannahang to learn more about their poetry chapbook fundraiser for families in Gaza.
Playwrights:
Alegra Batara (they/them) is a Filipino actor, director, and playwright raised in the PNW. They earned their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in 2021 and have been working around the country since, landing back in Seattle in 2023. Their play Madaling Sabihin: Easy to Say was most recently featured in the Copious Love “Plays On Tap” series.
Alexei Sebastian Cifrese wears a lot of hats. As an actor of the stage and mic, he's played everything from imperial space villains to Scottish sorcerers; socially anxious daffodils to existential pro-wrestlers; and vampire nutritionists to Polish demons. His first solo show is set to be produced at Annex Theatre in October 2025, simply titled The Phantom of the Opera but Every Character Sings a Different Language and also I Play All the Parts. As a burlesque producer, he is one-third of the newly formed Cursed Content, who had their debut show in July of this year, Nakedback: The Burlesque Tribute to Canada's Greatest Band, celebrating the genius of Nickelback. One audience member remarked to her partner that "[it] was actually kind of okay!" As the drag queen, Anya Knees, her most notable acts include a Torn Sheet of Notebook Paper, an Opera-Singing Hawaiian Pizza, and Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2. As a playwright, she and Butch Alice co-wrote the decide-your-personal-disaster plays O Succulent! (Cafe Nordo, 2019) and The Vampires of the Neverwood (Annex Theatre, 2021). She later went on to co-write with Fosse Jack the burlesque play inspired from fairy tales around the world: Sleeping Beauty and the Bear Prince (Noveltease Theatre, 2024). And now, you have witnessed the latest of his creations. You're welcome.
Montse Garza is a Latina writer, actor, and lighting designer hailing from the Texas-Mexican border. She earned both her Bachelor’s in Theater Arts and Computer Science from MIT, where she discovered her love of playwriting after a lifetime of saying she “can’t write”. Since relocating to Seattle, she has designed and performed with Latitude Theatre, eSe Teatro, Shattered Glass Project, Dacha Theatre, Yun Theatre, and others. Her short play Llorona was produced by Verbooom, a local physical theatre company, as part of their inaugural production, URGE. Montse is now working with eSe Teatro to bring more Latine theater to Seattle.
Christopher Kidder-Mostrom (he/him) is the Artistic Director of Latitude Theatre. His plays have been produced in California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington State, New York, Ohio, the District of Columbia, and internationally in Kaiserslautern, Germany. His short play “Opus 3: Variation of a Play” has won multiple awards across the country. Other popular works have included “Bottles of Red”, “The Doctor’s Lesson”, and “The Right Place”, which are all published in various short play volumes. Christopher’s most well-known work is A Klingon Christmas Carol, which was the first full-length play to ever be performed in the Klingon Language from Star Trek. Additionally, he is a translator of Spanish dramas of the 19th century: most recently his translation of Enrique Zumel’s Cajon de Sastre was given a workshop and reading this past summer as part of Latitude Theatre’s Astrolab(e) programming. Chris has a BA in Theatre Arts from Morningside University and an MFA in Playwriting from the University of New Orleans. Chris is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America, the Playwrights Center, and the American Literary Translators Association.
Monty Rozema (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Seattle, Washington. They have written for The Ugly Radio, bestcolleges.com, great weather for MEDIA, F3LL Magazine, Mag 20/20, Prismatica, and many more. In 2021, their LGBTQ+ short story “Apple” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Their ten-minute play adaptations include “The Price of Corn and Tyrannicide” (adapted from The Tragedy of Coriolanus) and “Bite Me” (adapted from the viral “Charlie bit my finger” video). They are absolutely delighted to write for the stage again for VXC2! “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Catherine Blake Smith is a Seattle-based theatre artist who has worked with Annex Theatre, Latitude Theatre, Unexpected Productions, and Infinity Box Theatre. At Annex, she has directed plays by Kelleen Conway Blanchard, Jesse Calixto, Nelle Tankus, and Wesley K. Andrews, curated play festivals and variety shows including Spin the Bottle, HOLIDAZE, Research & Development Wing, Flinch/Punch, and The Zig Zag Festival, and has helped produce more than 40 new productions as Artistic Director, production manager, and dramaturg. She was also Script Coordinator for Script Tease–now at Unexpected Productions–from 2015 to 2023. Catherine holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and History from Illinois Wesleyan University and was in the 2019 Directors Lab North cohort. She has written short plays for Annex Theatre and Infinity Box Theatre's Centrifuge and is excited to return to Victorian Christmas Cards this year as a playwright.
Directors:
Emily Fortuna is a longtime Seattle theater-maker. They have directed new work with Drunken Owl Theater, and have performed with Latitude Theater, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Harlequin Theatre, Annex Theatre, Centerstage, Jet City Improv, and others. They believe strongly in finding the fun(ny) in the work and have an extremely normal fascination with plants. Finding sillies in “The Snowtrolls” was only made possible through the immense generosity of the following individuals who carry the (Christmas?) theater spirit in their hearts: Deepest gratitude to Annex Theater for rehearsal space and for allowing me to turn their post-show trash into my costume-and-set-design treasure. Go see their shows! Enormous thanks to Yolanda Suarez for fabulous improv consulting and sharing improv joy with my cast. Thank you Lisa Minas, Laila Haque, and Buy Nothing for supplying odds-and-ends. Lastly, a heartfelt thanks to my cast for your bravery, creativity, and playfulness making this show a delight.
Rowan Gallagher is a working director, actor, dramaturg, fight director, and dialect coach in and around Seattle. They were an early founding ensemble member of Magpie Artists Ensemble, and a core ensemble member of Latitude Theatre Company. Rowan’s recent projects include their multiple acting roles in and dialect coaching for Latitude’s inaugural production of Monstrous Regiment, directing for the Victorian Christmas Cards festival last year, and most recently they played Inspector Lestrade in Miss Holmes with Latitude Theatre as well. Rowan is very happy to be back directing again this year, and they cannot wait to see what their fellow writers and directors have come up with!
Kris Hambrick is delighted to be joining Latitude for the first time! While most visibly an actor at Driftwood Players in Edmonds and Burien Actors Theatre, they are also co-founder and producer of Hello Earth Productions, for which she played Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker and co-produced Outdoor Trek, Wars Outdoors, and Doctor in the Dark: Blink. As someone who has been in three different productions of A Christmas Carol, this is the perfect antidote and way back into celebrating Christmas.
Kirky Traylor-Thorson is an award-winning comedian and jack-of-all-(theatre)-trades transplanted from Minnesota. She is a member of Fearless Comedy Productions, Vilification Tennis, and the Latitude Theatre Ensemble. You may have seen her performing in the Triangle Factory Fire Project by Rainy Day Arts Collective, or as a street performer at the Brass Screw Consortium. Recently, she's directed performances at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire, Oregon Renaissance Faire, and last year's production of Victorian Christmas Cards.
Vicki Wicks is a director, actor, audiobook narrator, VO Artist and singer. Once upon a time she was asked to teach drama in an alternative school. The school folded however the drama class wanted to continue. So, we did for 10 years, having classes and mounting 3-4 shows a year. She has directed musicals, comedies, dramas, new works, Reader’s Theatre, short plays and long plays. She has recently added voice over work and audiobooks to her toolbox and she continues to act up on stage every chance she gets.
Kendall Yoder is a local PNW actor, teaching artist, designer, and technician. In 2020 they graduated from Central Washington University, completing degrees in Film Production, Screenwriting, and Theatre Studies. Most recently they were seen as Claudio, in Last Leaf Productions' Much Ado About Nothing for the 2024 Shakespeare in the Park summer season. You may have seen Kendall's props designs in How to Write a New Book for the Bible (Taproot Theatre), The Lion Tells His Tale and Lower Depths (Intiman), and various Village KIDSTAGE and Mainstage productions. When not onstage or backstage, Kendall directs and teaches young artists at Youth Theatre Northwest. Kendall is also co-creater and co-producer of the Washington based film company Toxic Chainsaw Films, directing, designing, and producing short films, web-series', and participating in local film slams and festivals. Kendall is super stoked to be joining the Latitude scene and the return of Victorian Christmas Cards!
Production Crew:
Jaiden Clark (he/him) is a seasoned theater professional with a passion for the art of storytelling and production, currently working with Taproot Theater. A graduate of Humboldt State University with a degree in Theatre, Jaiden has dedicated his career to creating memorable theatrical experiences with nonprofit and community-based organizations. As the former Technical Director for Dell'Arte International and EXIT Theater Arcata, as well as EXIT Arcata's resident designer, he was able to hone a variety of crafts and skills. His work as a scenic and sound designer extended to the Ferndale Repertory Theatre, where he contributed to several acclaimed productions. In addition to his technical work, Jaiden has performed as an actor with the North Coast Repertory Theatre and Ferndale Repertory Theatre in Humboldt, CA, has taught children's theater workshops in performance and design, and has managed the past two years of the EXIT 10 Minute Play Festival. He has just recently moved to Washington and is thrilled to be involved in his first major production in Seattle.
David Elwyn has been a lifelong student of Theater and Martial Arts. He studied Kenjutsu and Kung Fu before attending and graduating from Cornish College in 2011, where he first formally studied Stage Combat. He is a certified Actor Combatant with the SAFD, and has been a Pro Wrestler since 2018. His most recent Fight Choreography work includes Ophelia for West Seattle High School and The Lightning Thief for Ballyhoo Theatre. He'll soon be a Live Interpretation Assistant for the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK! He's honored for VXC to be his last Choreography gig in the US....for now.
Skye Farrell (he/they) is an actor/musician from the Seattle area. He graduated with his BA (hons) acting degree from the Institute of the Arts Barcelona in 2022, and has since returned to Seattle. He is a member of Latitude theatre, and designed props for their most recent production of Miss Holmes. He is currently performing in Mr. Kringle's inventionasium at LIT Immersive.
Amber Granger is thrilled to be back working with Latitude Theatre for Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender. You may remember her sound design work on Latitude’s inaugural production Monstrous Regiment. God jul och ety nytt år! Select Sound Design Credits: The Addams Family (Trollwood Performing Arts School), Ten Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith (Centerstage Theatre), THRICE! (Pratidhwani), The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Village Theatre KIDSTAGE). Assistant Sound Design Credits: STEW (ACT Contemporary Theatre). You can connect with Amber online at ambergrangersound.weebly.com.
Ellie Hughes is a Seattle-based producer, production manager, intimacy director, administrator, and performer. She has worked with Seattle Rep, ACT, Sound Theatre, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Yun Theatre, Dacha Theatre, EnJoy Productions, Vashon Repertory Theatre, Drama Dock, and the 14/48 Projects. Ellie is a proud collective member of Pacific Northwest Theatrical Intimacy and company member of Pony World Theatre.
Ali Kidder-Mostrom (she/her) is a forensic scientist by day and theatre person by night. She is also a proud member of Latitude Theatre's Artistic Ensemble and pleased as punch to return as the Victorian Christmas Cards Postmaster (think equal parts Stage Manager, Producer and Hat)! Sometimes Ali works behind the scenes and sometimes she trods the boards. Most recently, she was see stage in as Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson in Latitude’s production of Miss Holmes. Off stage, she most recently served as the costumer for As If Theatre’s Cry It Out. When not making theatre, Favorite past roles have included Igor in Latitude’s production of Monstrous Regiment, Sheila in Hair, marja' and 'emlI' in A Klingon Christmas Carol and a wide variety of interactive theatre characters. She may have agreed to be Postmaster just so she could make the hat.
Katherine Oberg (she/they) is as giddy as a candy-cane in cocoa to join Victorian Christmas Cards for a second year! They last appeared on-stage as The Water Queen, Simone Owl, and Robin in last year's Victorian Christmas Cards, and they're delighted to join VXC: Return 2 Sender this year as the light board operator. In addition to performing and jumping in to help wherever they can off-stage, Katherine works year-round as a tour guide on a ghost tour and bar crawl.
Gwyn Skone is splitting his festive season between the Victorian and Regency periods, having also lit The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (now playing at Second Story Repertory). In the new year, he’ll be assisting on Almonds Blossom In Deir Yassin, a production of more recent and weighty history (Dunya Productions). For, ahem, light relief he’ll also be back in Kenmore for Yoga Play (As If Theatre), and there’s more to come with Latitude. When not backstage, Gwyn can also be found making software for microscopes or talking to his local ducks. Thanks for supporting live theatre, and all the best for 2025!
