UNCLE VANYA

Kaycee Aldaz (they/them) (Assistant Stage Manager) is a third-year theatre design and production major with an emphasis in stage management at Arizona State University. They have had a passion for all things theatre for eight years now and are excited about this opportunity to work with Ghosteater. Previously, Kaycee served as assistant stage manager of The Sleepover Play and assistant director of Detroit '67 at ASU. Coming up, Kaycee will be stage managing Gunpowder and Moonshine and co-directing The Importance of Being Earnest over at PRISM Theatre Co. They are grateful to work alongside such kind, dedicated people and continue to be inspired by the magic of live theatre

Kate Calles (Stage Manager) is so excited to return for her second show with Ghosteater, after stage-managing the company’s Lungs in 2024. She has been a stage manager for ten years, working with amazing companies such as Childsplay, Southwest Shakespeare Company, and the Phoenix Theatre Company.  She would like to thank her family for putting up with crazy tech schedules and always supporting a love of the arts. 

Stephen Christensen (Sound Designer) is a sound designer and engineer. In addition to Ghosteater, he has designed with Childsplay, TheaterWorks, Orange Theatre, St. Bird Labs, Great Arizona Puppet Theater, ASU, and others. He served as technical director and resident sound designer for Orange Theatre from 2010 to 2018. He participated in residencies at the North American Cultural Laboratory and HERE Arts Center’s Governor’s Island facility in New York. Ever grateful for the love and support of Sam, Harvey, and Aubrey.

Dan Cocca (Armorer) is a professional stagehand and stage combat aficionado who has been working in the Phoenix arts scene for over ten years. He is a certified actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and takes great joy in the art of portraying violence in a safe and aesthetically pleasing manner on stage. He is always looking for new ways to hone and expand his craft, and Ghosteater has graciously afforded him just such an opportunity with Uncle Vanya.

Dart (she/they/all) (Fight Choreographer) is honored to work with this incredible cast, crew, and creative team. She holds a bachelors in theatre from ASU and is a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, an advanced actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, and a traditional storyteller trained by Liz Weir, MBE. Dart is passionate about safety and accessibility in classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and onstage. Previous fight choreography includes She Kills Monsters (Mesa Community College), Sweat, Fairview, Gloria, Potus (Stray Cat Theatre), Hamlet (Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival), and Othello (Southwest Shakespeare Company).

Matt Denney (Intimacy Director) is thrilled to join Ghosteater again! His work was also seen in last year‘s production of Lungs. Matt is the co-founder of Consent Creatives of Arizona, promoting safer rehearsal spaces statewide. His work has been recognized by organizations such as TheField NYC, East West Players, Ottawa School of Theatre, and the SAG-AFTRA-accredited Intimacy Coordinators & Directors, Inc. He also serves as the Director of Research and Development for the Intimacy Professionals Education Collective. He thanks his family, wife, the cast, crew, and allies of Uncle Vanya for their support. 

Melissa Dickman (Box Office Manager) is an educator, manager, and master gardener. In Arizona, her theatrical work has included serving as production manager of the development team for Beneath: A Journey Within and managing director for the bilingual theatre company Teatro d(e). Melissa is the student experience manager of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School at ASU. She is an alum of Loyola University Chicago (BA).

Katrina Donaldson (“Elena”) is a performer, writer, and co-founder of Ghosteater. She was a member of Orange Theatre from 2011 to 2018. She has appeared in productions and artistic residencies at various venues in Phoenix and New York, including HERE Arts Center, North American Cultural Laboratory, and the Cherry Lane Theatre’s PoweRgrid Festival. Recent Ghosteater performances include the role of Katherine in the live-streamed and reimagined production of An Enemy of the People (2020), the titular role in Elektra (2021), the sole performer in The Human Voice (2023), and W in Lungs (2024). She was nominated for the Phoenix Mayor’s Arts Award in 2018 and has been included in the Phoenix New Times’ annual “Best of Phoenix” lists several times.

Joanna Emmott (Lighting Designer) is a stagecraft teacher at Carl Hayden High School and adjunct lighting professor at Scottsdale Community College. She has worked with Arizona Opera, the Phoenix Theatre Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Childsplay, Arizona Broadway Theatre, TheaterWorks, and Valley Youth Theatre. Selected lighting designs include West Side Story (SCC), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (SCC), Let the Right One In (SCC), Steel Magnolias (TPTC), A Christmas Carol and El Zócalo Festival (Childsplay), Gutenberg! The Musical! (A/C Theater Company), Top Girls and Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (MCC), Curtains, Urinetown, Company, and The Pirates of Penzance (VLOG, NY). JoannaEmmott.com

Aurora Howard (she/her) (“Sonia”) is a local actress who has had the privilege of performing in multiple theaters across the Valley. Some of her favorite roles include “Portia” in The Merchant of Venice (Southwest Shakespeare Company), “Martha Cratchit” in A Christmas Carol (Hale Centre Theater), “Nora” in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Fountain Hills Theatre), and “Mollie” in The Mousetrap (Paradise Valley Community College). She wants to thank the cast and crew for such a rewarding experience. A special note of appreciation for the audience: thank you for supporting live theater at a time when the arts are of utmost importance. Instagram: @a.urora_howard

Rick Howard (“Elliot”) is a New York-trained actor who gave acting a shot back in the 80’s and is resurrecting his career in his twilight years! Rick’s love of acting is only outshined by his love of music, as he also performs in a rock cover band that plays gigs all over Arizona. Rick spends his days as a behavioral health technician at a local mental health facility and believes everyone should be treated with dignity and respect and always tries to put love and positivity out into the universe! 

Matthew Geraghty (Scenic / Props Assistant + Carpenter) is a scenic carpenter who recently graduated from ASU with bachelors in theatre design and production and history. This is his first production with Ghosteater, but he has previously worked as a carpenter on shows at ASU and was the set designer for their productions of The Gradient (2024) and Detroit ‘67 (2024). Instagram: @mj.geraghty

Lance Gharavi (“Alexander”) is a veteran actor, professor of theatre, and associate director of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative. His work focuses on points of intersection between performance, technology, science, and religion. He specializes in leading transdisciplinary teams of artists, scientists, designers, and engineers to advance research and create compelling experiences. Current projects include Sacred Space, a series of inquiries into religion and space exploration; Port of Mars, an NSF-funded, game-based platform for social science research; and Ghost Lab, a DoD-funded laboratory/art installation for robotics and AI. As a bit of a Slavophile, he’s delighted to be performing in Chekhov again with the marvelous team at Ghosteater. 

David Lorello (“Johnny”) is excited to be making his debut with Ghosteater. Most recently, he played “Shylock” in The Merchant of Venice with Southwest Shakespeare Company. Other roles include “Cominius” in Ronin Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, “Alan” in the Theatre Artists Studio's production of THIS, and “Oronte” in Southwest Shakespeare’s production of The School for Lies. He has appeared with several improv teams around the Phoenix area and regularly performed with the sketch group Scratch Comedy.

Joya Scott (she/her) (Creative Producer) is a producer, director, dramaturg, Ghosteater co-founder, and associate teaching professor at ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre. From 2012 to 2018, she served as producer and resident dramaturg at Orange Theatre. She previously worked as a freelance director/producer and artistic director of independent companies in Phoenix and New York City. Joya is an alum of the Beth Morrison Projects Producer Academy, the LaMama Directors Symposium, Middlebury College (BA), and ASU (MFA).

Jenny Strickland (she/her) (Assistant Director) is a core member of the Ghosteater ensemble and is thrilled to be a part of the Uncle Vanya artistic team. She served as assistant director for Ghosteater’s Elektra (2022), The Human Voice (2023), and Lungs (2024) and performed in Orange Theatre’s Herakles  (2015-16). She is working toward a graduate degree in creative enterprise and cultural leadership at ASU, where she also earned a BA in theatre. She’s grateful to her amazing friends and family for supporting her creative endeavors and to everyone in attendance for valuing and supporting the arts in Arizona. 

Briana Thompson (Assistant Costume Designer + Wardrobe Supervisor) is a graduate of Grand Canyon University with a major in digital film production and a minor in theater arts. She has been costuming since she learned to sew at the age of eight and has been doing it professionally for over seven years now. She currently runs Denée Designed, a costume and clothing design company she started with her best friend Ruben Renteria. Fashion and costuming, at all levels and for all peoples, is a huge passion of hers. She is very excited to be lending her skills to Ghosteater and Uncle Vanya!

Garrett Unterreiner (Sound Designer) is working on his third show with Ghosteater. He is elated to work with the many talented artists who grace this production and whom he has grown to know and respect over the last nine years. Garrett has also had the good fortune to create sound designs for Teatro Bravo, Stray Cat Theatre, Theaterworks, and Borderlands Theater.

Matthew Watkins (Director, Adapter, Production Designer) is a theater director, playwright, and designer. He is a co-founder and the artistic director of Ghosteater. Favorite projects include Lungs (2024), The Human Voice (2023), Elektra (2021), An Enemy of the People (2020), and Herakles (2015-16). He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and holds a BA in theatre from ASU. MatthewWatkins.com

Steve Wilcox (“Michael”) is an occasional theatre artist. After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre from ASU, he co-founded Space 55 Theatre Ensemble in 2006, acting as resident director of the company through its first five years. In 2017, he began working with Yes, And Productions, developing nonlinear immersive theater events presented in nontraditional spaces, including hotels, a bookstore, and parking lots. In 2021, he devised and starred in A Perfectly Pleasant Party with Parsley Periwinkle, which blended elements of cabaret, game show, and cocktail party. He has also appeared in productions by Howl Theatre Project and Ghosteater.