Sleeping Beauty Cast and Creative Team

Rotimi Agbabiaka is thrilled to return to the panto after playing Aladdin in The Magic Lamp. Recent acting credits include playing Oberon and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Folger Theatre, Washington DC), and originating the roles of Salima in House of Joy (California Shakespeare Theatre) and Cellphone/Narrator in If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka (Playwrights Horizons, NYC). Rotimi has also performed at Yale Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Shotgun Players, Brava Theater, Magic Theatre, among others, and is a company member at Word for Word, BACCE, and the Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe. Rotimi penned the solo shows Homeless, Type/Caste (TBA award), and MANIFESTO; co-wrote the musical, Seeing Red; dazzles nightlife stages (as alter ego Miss Cleo Patois); and teaches acting and solo performance at Stanford University. www.rotimionline.com | Photo credit: Cody Williams

Andre Amarotico received his BA in Theater at Stanford University. He has performed all across California, and was most recently featured in SF Mime Troupe's Back to the Way Things Were, and the world premiere of Remains to Be Seen (Jewel Theatre Co.). Andre also starred in Neighborhood Stories Mill Valley, in a short untitled play by Pulizer nominated playwright Amy Freed. Favorite roles include Anthony in Sweeny Todd, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, and the titular characters in Hamlet and Macbeth. Andre was nominated for a TBA for Best Actor in a Featured Role for Ross Valley Players’ The 39 Steps. He has also performed with The Mountain Play, Marin Onstage, The Cutting Ball Theater, New Conservatory Theater Center, Word for Word Performing Arts Company, 6th Street Playhouse, and Stanford Repertory Theater. Up next, you can catch him as John Wilkes Booth in Assassins at Hillbarn Theatre.

Daniel "Dany" Benitez (they/them) is a Bay Area-based actor, dancer, choreographer, educator, and Drag artist. During the day, they can be found teaching performing arts workshops to underserved youth in San Francisco and in the evenings, they can be found performing on stages all over the Bay Area as a dancer and Drag queen (Richie Richport) in the local nightlife scene. Dany is thrilled and honored to be returning to the panto again this year.

Phaedra Tillery Boughton is a Bay Area based actor, director, playwright, casting associate and arts advocate. Her past theater productions include Clybourne Park (Director), Aint Misbehavin’ as Armelia McQueen, 1940s Radio Hour as Geneva, Newsies, The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird (Hillbarn), Caroline or Change, Little Shop of Horrors (Ray Of Light Theatre), Newsies (Woodminster), Tarzan (PAP), Avenue Q (NCTC). She consistently challenges the concept of traditional theatre and finds new ways to push the boundaries of creativity and inclusion in the theatre community. Phaedra dedicates this show to all of her nieces, nephews! TT Phae loves you! IG @phaedratboughton | Photo Credit @tracymartinphotography

Curt Branom performed as a principal cast member in Beach Blanket Babylon for 25 years. During that time, he inhabited countless roles, from the flamboyant King Louis XIV to Bernie Sanders. Locally, he has performed with the SF Symphony, SF Gay Men’s Chorus, Festival Opera, and Peninsula Civic Light Opera, where he was nominated as Best Actor by the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle for Sweet Charity. New York credits include Hurlyburly, A Lie of the Mind, and Our Life and Times. Curt teaches at the SF Conservatory of Music and is a co-founder of Pacific Singers & Actors Workshop (pacificsingers.com), a nonprofit that serves Bay Area students and received a 2019 Jefferson Award for Public Service. He lives in San Francisco with his husband, Jake Heggie. His greatest role to date is being Grayson’s dad. www.curtbranom.com | Photo credit: Tanya Constantine

Jen Brooks is ecstatic to be returning to the chicken coop in this clucking Panto after she flapped her way into yours hearts last year in The Magic Lamp. She was most recently seen, this past summer, in Something Rotten! (Bea) at Woodminster Summer Musicals and in The Mountain Play’s Hello Dolly! (Irene Malloy). She has had the honor to perform on stages across the globe from New York City to Munich and Guam. Credits include: A Chorus Line - European Touring Company and US Productions (Cassie/Val/Maggie), Mamma Mia! - Marianas Islands Premier (Donna), Into The Woods (The Witch), The Drowsy Chaperone (title role), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Billie) and Singin’ In The Rain (Lina Lamont).
www.JenBrooksOnstage.com | IG:@JenBrooksOnStage | Photo credit: Nina Pelfini

Maggie Connard is a teaching artist and performer who graduated with a BA in Dance from Point Park University. She teaches Rhythm & Motion and barre fitness at ODC, and has taught ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre dance to children and adults. Maggie has performed with EmDance, Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir, Deborah Slater Dance Theatre, and Printz Dance Project, among others. She also loves musical theatre and has performed in local productions of A Chorus Line, Singing in the Rain, Chicago, Cabaret, and White Christmas. Maggie is thrilled to be back for her second year of Panto fun at the beautiful Presidio Theatre!

Ruby Day is thrilled to be back to the Presidio Theatre. You may have last seen her playing Snow White, as part of the final cast of San Francisco’s iconic Beach Blanket Babylon. During the pandemic, Ruby sharpened her Voice Acting Skills, booked a few commercials, and taught many virtual classes to young and eager actors. She couldn’t be more honored to step back on stage and make people laugh along side some wonderful new friends, and so many of her Beach Blanket Babylon Alumni. Enjoy the Panto!

Merrill is thrilled to be back this season for a second panto with this amazing group! Bay Area credits include performances with Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Broadway by the Bay, and The Mountain Play. She began dancing at age two and then added classical singing to the mix at age fourteen. In New York she performed in concerts at Avery Fisher Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 54 Below, and the Metropolitan Room. She toured multiple productions with the NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and also performed leading roles in musicals regionally and in readings of new musicals. Her one woman show My Shirley Years toured to the Edinburgh Festival after the New York run. Her second show How I got to San Francisco, Plenty of Heart and Plenty of Hope can be viewed at www.merrillgrant.com

M.Javi Harnly is thrilled to be making his Presidio Theatre debut. He was last seen over the summer as a featured dancer in Follies with SF Playhouse. His work can also be seen as a Scenic Artistic and Designer at various theaters throughout the Bay Area. CA Regional: The Fantasticks (Mortimer/ Fight Cap) - Tri-Valley Rep; Big (u/sPaul), James...Peach (u/s Grasshopper), Sister Act, Annie (u/s Rooster) - Berkeley Playhouse; Joseph... (Dance Cap.), Saturday Night Fever, Aida, Beauty & The Beast - BroadwayByTheBay; West Side Story (Bernardo/ Dance Cap.) - The Western Stage; Triassic Parq (Mimeasaurus) - Ray of Light; My Beautiful Launderette (Omar) - New Conservatory Theatre Center. / Edu. Tour (Aus): The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Man 1) - Cut Glass Theatre. "Infinite Thank You’s and Gratitude!" to Charley, Mom & Dad for your unwavering love and support.

Matthew Kropschot is grateful to return to the Presidio Theatre after performing in last year’s Panto, The Magic Lamp. Most recently Matthew could have been seen playing Little Charles in the San Jose Stage Company’s production of August: Osage County. Past credits include The Rocky Horror Show (San Jose Stage Co), Chicago (San Jose Stage Co), and Breaking the Code (Jewel Theatre Co). Matthew has a passion for both the stage and the screen, recently appearing in the HBO short film (available for streaming) 1, 2, 3 All Eyes on Me. Matthew considers himself a student of life, always trying to observe, learn, and grow from the world around him. He is honored to be surrounded by the wide array of inspiring performers and creatives that occupy the Bay Area. @cream0fthkrop | Photo Credit: kiayamariephotography.com

Renée Lubin is noted by the San Francisco Chronicle as a city treasure for her 34-year run with Beach Blanket Babylon. Being a San Francisco native, she has performed with numerous theatrical companies. Favorite shows include Dreamgirls, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and For Colored Girls. She has performed with TheatreWorks, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49er’s, Oakland A’s, and the San Jose Sharks. Renée is the former Vocal Jazz Coach at San Francisco State University and continues to perform at various jazz venues throughout the Bay Area. She is a proud recipient of the San Francisco Mayor’s Community Stalwart Award by the Human Rights Commission. Blessings!
www.reneelubin.com | Photo credit: Anna Ty Bergman

Dian Sitip Meechai (she/her) has performed in various productions from operetta and musical theater, to panto, concert halls, and an international cruise line. Favorite productions include The Empire Strips Back! — original US cast (Princess Leia/Twi'lek), A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Lady Eugenia), The Merry Widow (Lulu), The Gondoliers (Giulia), and The Roar of the Greasepaint (The Girl). Other favorites include singing onboard the Silver Spirit, and choreographing for Broadway Bares SF. Dian is a songwriter, recording artist, NASM-CPT and former contortionist. Born in the “Boogie Down" Bronx, Dian aspired to perform as a child. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. In 2007, Dian moved to San Francisco for circus school and fell in love with the city. www.dianmeechai.com | IG: @dmeechai

Kaylee Miltersen is thrilled to make her debut performance with the Presidio Theatre! Originally from Chugiak, Alaska, Kaylee recently moved to the Bay Area to earn her masters in voice at SFCM. Equally at home in both opera and musical theater, recent roles include the title character in Violet with FMT, Francois Poulenc's one-woman opera La Voix Humaine, Luisa in The Fantasticks, and Claire in the new musical Living Large. She has performed with both Anchorage Opera and Opera Fairbanks, studied abroad in France and Germany, and has been a part of a variety of chamber ensembles in California and Alaska. When not singing or acting, she is likely found outdoors backpacking, trail running, or rock climbing.

Scott Reardon was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has performed with Beach Blanket Babylon, TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley (Big River), Utah Shakespeare Festival (Lend Me A Tenor: The Musical – World Premiere), Musical Theatre West (Thoroughly Modern Millie), and 5-Star Theatricals (Kiss Me, Kate; Once Upon A Mattress), to name a few, as well as commercial work for Visa, Samsung, Philips, Dell, Verizon, LinkedIn, Logitech, LG, Dolby, Google, Cisco Systems, Symantec and more. He attended UC Irvine receiving honors in both Musical Theatre and Acting, and received his M.A. in Education from Alliant International University. He is an Actor’s Equity Association’s Roger Sturtevant Awardee.
www.ScottReardon.net | Photo credit: Aly Blue Headshots

Stacy lives and works in the Bay Area, has done lots of plays, also frames pictures and likes to swim occasionally in the Bay despite an unreasonable fear of sharks. She credits her happiness and stability to the piano-playing Randy Craig. Most recent credits include Clue (SF Playhouse), Fefu and Her Friends (A.C.T. Strand), Communion (A.C.T. Stream), They Promised Her the Moon (Theatreworks, opening, 3 performances and a very abrupt closing). She has also appeared at California Shakespeare Theatre, SF Shakespeare, Berkeley Rep, the late San Jose Rep, Baltimore Center Stage and Manhattan’s 52East52.

Sharon Shao (she/her) is a Bay Area native actor and teaching artist. She holds a double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. Recent credits include The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (SF Playhouse), The Winter’s Tale, Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes), Man of God, Iron Shoes (Shotgun Players), and UTOPIA (CuttingBall Theater). She is thrilled to be returning to Presidio Theater after appearing as Princess Jazz last year in The Magic Lamp! Aside from acting, Sharon is passionate about teaching voice and drama to young students, and collaborating on various interdisciplinary art projects with her collectives, SoulTalk and The Forum. Sharon dedicates this show, and all things, to her guiding spirit, her beloved mama. www.sharonshao.biz | Photo credit: Gabrielle Battista

Gary Stanford Jr. is a Bay Area native who has been involved with singing, dancing, and acting since a young child. He has appeared in over 80 musicals with various theater companies and recent productions include Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr (2021) (director, choreographer, music director), Once on This Island (2020) (director, choreographer), and Into The Woods (2019) (Rapunzel’s Prince). Since 2019, he has been running his own theater company, North California Arts Collective and is on the Board of Directors for Z-Space theater (San Francisco), Woodside Community Theater, and Hillbarn Theater (Foster City). He retired from a 20-year tech career in 2019 and became deeply involved in education/mentoring and contracting in regards to social justice awareness (such as racism, colorism and emotional intelligence). He has his own radio podcast show, Planet Bay Area that is also dedicated to social justice, decolonization principles, self-care and empowerment. Photo credit: Steve Fogel

Mercury is thrilled to be joining the cast of this years Panto in the Presidio. Van Sciver received his college training at The Juilliard School and earned his BFA from Dominican University. While in school, he danced with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera’s production of Moby Dick, and received awards and scholarships from the Dizzy Feet Foundation, the Chris Helman Award, and Princess Grace Awards. Upon graduating, Van Sciver joined Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, touring internationally for over six years. In 2018, he joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus as well as Sister Magic Productions. The following year, he joined the chorus’ a capella group, HomoPhonics, in which he’s been able to sing, dance, and choreograph. Van Sciver would like to thank everyone near, far and wide for being a part of his journey and appreciates the opportunity to show himself and his love of life.

Ryan Patrick (RP) Welsh (he/she/they), The 8th Best Legs in San Francisco, is simply delighted to be returning to the Presidio Theatre this year for another Panto! RP has performed extensively in the Bay Area for the last 7 years most notably with The San Francisco Neo-Futurists, Peaches Christ Productions, & Baloney – San Francisco’s Gay All-Male Revue, which she also helps to produce behind the scenes. RP can often be found tearing up dance floors around the Bay or dazzling audiences at his cabarets. Much love & thanks to their sister, Sarah Catherine, their friends and family. Photo credit: Jason Hanasik

Eiko Yamamoto (she/they) hails from Japan, Korea, Hawaii, and settled in the Bay Area after Y2K. Recent credits include Emily Whitman in Follies (San Francisco Playhouse), M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (SierraRep) and Sarom in the world premiere of Downtown Crossing (Company One), as well as working at Playground SF, Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep (YWoCC), ZSpace, Marin Shakespeare Company, African American Shakespeare Company, FaultLine Theater, Hillbarn Theatre, Palo Alto Players, and Dragon Productions. Eiko is an alumna of University of California, Los Angeles and California College of the Arts, San Francisco. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. www.eikoyamamoto.com | @eikoyh I Photo credit: Lisa Keating