All About ~ The Staff

Mission Statement

Staff

Lindsey Chester - Artistic Director

A well-known local actress and director, has appeared in many productions ranging for straight drama, to musicals, and even film. Among Lindsey's past directing projects have been FAME the Musical (2010), Seussical the Musical(2010), Beauty and the Beast (2010), CATS (2009), Once Upon A Mattress (2008), Peter Pan (2008), Anything Goes (2008), Disney's Cinderella (2007), Disney's 101 Dalmatians (2007), West Side Story (2007), Urinetown (2007) and Seussical the Musical (2006). Lindsey has been acting since the age of 6, starting with a small part in Oliver Twist. Her theatre experience since then includes Damn Yankees (Lola), West Side Story (Maria) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena). Recently, she has diversified her career with roles in Into the Woods (Witch), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), Tom Foolery (Lindsey) and Hair (Sheila).

Lindsey has been working for the past 12 years with children ages 5 through 19 here in Santa Cruz County. She is also an avid performer and has recently been seen on the Cabrillo Stage in Kiss Me Kate; as a Bianca Girl, as General Mathilda Cartwright; in Guys and Dolls and as a Pick-A-Little Lady in The Music Man. She is also known in the education circuits as a tutor of science, mathematics and French. She has privately tutored children from Aptos to Boulder Creek and has taught a homeschool group in Ben Lomond. She finds time to give private voice lessons to about a dozen students and in her free time enjoys seeing her husband! (Resume (somewhat recent).)

Eleanor Hunter - Musical Director

Eleanor Hunter is a native of Santa Cruz and a recent graduate of UCSC with a Bachelors degree in Vocal Performance. During her studies at UCSC Eleanor studied voice with Brian Staufenbiel and was a member of the University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers where she was also featured as a soloist. Her roles with the UCSC Opera Department include La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro and Mrs. Gobineau in The Medium. Eleanor also played the role of Maude Dunlop in the Cabrillo Stage production of The Music Man as well as playing the role of The Wardrobe Lady / Understudy for Kate, in Kiss Me Kate, also with Cabrillo Stage. Her most recent work was musically directing All About Theatre`s Teen Production of Grease, 2009 production. She has worked with AAT since it`s inception in 2004 and has musically directed over half of all the AAT productions.

Andrew Roubal - Director/Choreographer

One of All About Theatre`s most loved members of staff, Andrew has been dancing since the age of three. He has appeared in The Music Man and Damn Yankees with the American Musical Theatre of San Jose. He has also appeared in Singing In the Rain and A Chorus Line with MCT. This summer he will play the Tin Man in Cabrillo Stage's Wizard of Oz production. He has previously been seen in Kiss Me Kate as Hortensio; Cabrillo Stage. Andrew has also received many awards and scholarships for his dancing and choreography. Most recently he won the National Highest Score for his rendition of Mr. Cellophane from Chicago. Andrew has recently graduated from California State University, Fullerton, where he received his degree in Musical Theatre. Andrew is proud to be a director and choreographer for All About Theatre, and is currently working on Guys and Dolls (2009). Previous shows with AAT include Footloose (2008), Sweet Charity (2007), A Chorus Line (2006), 42nd Street (2005), and Bye Bye Birdie (2004)

Brad Roades - Director/Instructor

Brad has a Master's Degree in Playwriting from Brandeis University with Marty Halpern and Edward Albee in addition to studying Directing with David Wheeler and Michael Murray as well as working in set design and construction with Karl Eigsti and Bob Moody. He taught theatre at the Community College of Rhode Island, Cambridge School of Weston and Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, CO. In addition he has directed shows at Soquel High School locally. His plays have been produced by Brandeis, Playwright' Platform in Boston and off off (many offs) Broadway in New York. Notable among his plays produced were "Blue Christmas" and "Papa Hoedown" at Playwrights Platform in Boston, "Blue Christmas" and "The Black Marble Keeps Rolling" at Brandeis. Notable productions as a director include "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in Rhode Island, "Merrily We Roll Along" in Weston, MA and his adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book for speaking and deaf actors at Cambridge School of Weston. Currently he is the Western Regional Sales Director for ProQuest. He is devoted to the theatre as an educational tool for development of the "whole" person. He is thrilled to be working with the young performers and staff in All About Theatre. Brad couldn't do any of this without the encouragement and support of his beautiful wife Theresa and their three kids.

Denise Reid - Musical Choreographer

Denise Reid has been teaching dance in Santa Cruz for over 35 years.  During her 15 years of being a Dance Studio owner her dancers and choreography won awards throughout the United States. Denise joined the staff at AAT to choreograph 42nd Street(2005) and has continued most recently with CATS.  She also choreographed Once Upon a Mattress, West Side Story, Wind in the Willows, Urine Town and Seussical the Musical.  One of her biggest claims to fame in theatre and dancing circles is her nephew Andrew Roubal (staff member of AAT).

Mazera Cox - Musical Director/Accompanist

Mazera has musically directing several shows and has been acompanying musical theatre productions in the Santa County area for many years now. She has played for Cabrillo as well as UCSC and a renowned player at several local churches. Her enthusiasm for working with msuical theatre shines through, along with her generous nature whilst working with children. All About Theatre is honored to have Mazera as their permanent accompanist.

Briana Michaud - Vocal Coach/Instructor

Briana is an accomplished actor/vocalist from the Santa Cruz area. Theatrical credits include Annie, West Side Story, Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Wizard of Oz. She has studied Performing Arts at Idyllwild Academy of Arts, received honors at the Fullerton and Cuesta Jazz Festivals, and is currently wrapping up her AA degree at Cabrillo College. She plans to major in Performing Arts at UCSC with the intent of becoming a Performing Arts Instructor at the Junior College level. She is very proud of the AAT casts and is happy to be on board the AAT Team!

Brance Souza - Choreographer/Dance Instructor

Coming Soon..!

Paul Hughes - Director/Instructor

Paul Hughes has been working as a performer both professionally and non-professionally since age 11. He is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree of Music in Musical Theatre at Westminster Choir College / College of the Arts in Princeton, New Jersey. Paul is studying voice with Charles Walker and is studying acting with Julie Boyd, both of whom are Broadway veterans. Locally, Paul has appeared in four Cabrillo Stage shows and over fifteen non-professional productions. He has also acted in one UCSC student film and one independent film (Television Association), and has sung on two recordings (Seraphim Six Productions). Paul has directed four AAT youth productions, as well as one highschool production of Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses."
For more information, visit his website.

Zoe Schneider-Smith - Tots Dance Instructor

Dancing since the age of 3, Zoe has been introduced to many styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and ballroom. She currently takes lessons from professional Terry Phillips and started teaching for her 3 years ago, teaching ballet and tap to younger age groups. She now continues her career in dance at Cabrillo taking ballet from Barbara England, modern from David King and took ballroom from Amy Farhood. Zoe is an avid actress, singer dancer and has performed with Christopher Wolters, The Life In Motion, and with Little People`s Rep. Theater. She has been acting since the age of 6 and started working with AAT last fall when she participated in Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has since performed in West Side Story, and Sweet Charity, also with AAT. She taught tap and ballet along side Lindsey Duran during a previous Summer`s Cinderella Kids program with AAT and is currently choreographing Alice in Wonderland Jr. She is looking forward to another season of teaching dance.

Lindsey Duran - Tots Dance Instructor

Dancing since the age of thirteen, Lindsey has competed in many different styles of dance with `Energy in Motion`. She has participated in regional and national competitions with KAR Dance, LA Dance Magic, and Stars of Tomorrow. Lindsey began teaching dance in 2005 at the Westside Academy of Dance and has been teaching with All About Theatre since June of 2007. Lindsey is experienced in many styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern and enjoys teaching dance to others.

Lindsey has been involved in musical theatre since the age of ten. She began her work in musical theatre with Newman Performing Arts and was assistant choreographer for their productions of Grease in 2005 and Scrooge in 2006. She began working with All About Theatre in June of 2006 and has since been involved in their productions of A Chorus Line, Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story, and Sweet Charity in which she acted as assistant to the choreographer. Lindsey is currently study at university pursuing a BA in Dance or Musical Theatre.

Lara Foy - Director/Instructor

An actor, singer, storyteller, dancer and educator. She studied theater for social change at the Claremont Colleges, and went on to work in Ireland with theater companies Macnas and Colours Environmental Theatre. While overseas she worked for Solas, bringing arts for social change into the classroom. She studied storytelling in California, Arizona, Nepal, Peru, Ecuador, and Ireland and is currently directing the musical "Captain Bree and Her Lady Pirates" with Pisces Moon at Valencia Elementary. She is a performer at kids` parties on the weekends, as well as an excited new addition to All About Theatre!

Heather Donahoe LaForge - Director/Instructor

Dr. Heather LaForge comes to us from San Diego where she received her Ph.D. in Theatre from UC San Diego. Not only is Heather an accomplished academic, she also brings a strong background in acting, directing, dance, choreography, and dramaturgy. She has held such roles as Lola in Damn Yankees, Helga in Cabaret, Helena in A Midsummer Night`s Dream, Jill in Butterflies Are Free, and Luciana in Comedy of Errors. In addition, Heather is a gifted director, having directed over eight productions including A Piece of My Heart, The Freedom of the City, All My Sons, Grease, and Footloose. Her background as a classically trained ballerina since age three has contributed to her experience in choreography and her research experience gives her a passion for dramaturgy. Heather enjoys working with artists of all ages and is pleased to be involved with All About Theatre.

Ponder Goddard - Instructor

Ponder Goddard is a native of the Bay Area and is an Associate Artist of San Francisco`s Cutting Ball Theater, where she recently performed the role of Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew at the Magic Theater. She has also appeared in Cutting Ball`s Avant Garde-A-Rama festival and Hidden Classics series. Ponder trained in movement, acting and speech at NYU`s Experimental Theater Wing, and studied improv with Bay Area Theatresports (BATS). Her favorite past roles include Titania (A Midsummer Night`s Dream), Rosalind (As You Like It), Shen Teh (The Good Person of Setzuan) and Scheherezade (Arabian Nights). When not acting on the stage, she performs as a belly dancer with The Rising Stars in Mill Valley and as children`s party clown.

Interested in working with All About Theatre?

Lindsey Chester : 831-345-6340