Cast and Staff Bios for THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL

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Prince Gomolvvilas, Playwright

Prince GomolvilasPrince Gomolvilas (Playwright) is a Thai-American writer whose work includes Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love, The Theory of Everything (PEN Center USA Literary Award for Drama), and Mysterious Skin (based on the novel by Scott Heim). His plays have been produced at The Drill Hall (London), East West Players (Los Angeles), Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (San Francisco), Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (New York), Penumbra Theatre Company (Saint Paul), and Singapore Repertory Theatre. His work has also been developed at the Alley Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Geva Theatre Center, La Jolla Playhouse, The Lark, Ma-Yi Theater Company, South Coast Repertory, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. You can view his TEDx talk, “Mind the Gap,” at www.princegomolvilas.com

Mimi Katano, Director

Mimi KatanoMimi Katano is a director, choreographer, producer, and an occasional actor in Seattle and is thrilled to be working with PFP on this exciting project. Executive Artistic Director of Youth Theatre Northwest, Mimi’s passion is to cultivate future theatre artists and creative thinkers but also enjoys playing with grown up professionals, especially when the project calls for artists of color. Aside from her work for YTN, Mimi was a member of Living Voices, and a teaching artist for Seattle Children’s Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre and has directed for Live Girls, and 14/48, and Boston’s Wheelock Family Theatre. A Japanese National, Mimi has done a variety of cultural work for organizations such as Seattle Children’s Museum and Book-It Repertory Theatre and co-wrote a play on Japanese-American internment, Justice at War, which was published in the book And Justice for Some in 2004 and is still being performed by Boston’s Theatre Espresso.

Cast

Ronnie Hill (Felix)

Ronnie Hill (Felix)
Ronnie Hill (Felix) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Ronnie Hill is proud to join this cast for the Seattle premiere production of “The Brothers Paranormal. He will be playing the part of Felix the adoring husband. You may have seen him recently as Winston in Book-It’s Behold The Dreamers, or in Café Nordo”s Jitterbug Perfume, as Bingo Pajamas. He attended U of M for performing arts under the Acting and Music department with an emphasis in vocal performance.  He attended all of Freeholds main courses up to and through The full year of Mesiner with Robin Lynn Smith. He also has taken private lessons with his acting coaches John Jackobson and Gin Hammond He recently received a nomination for Male in a supporting role for his part in Book-It’s version of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Directed by Malika Oyetimein. Ronnie enjoys the rigors of acting, collaborating, eating, sleeping, and other extreme activities like, watching movies, shows and playing video games. Fun facts: Ronnie was born in Elpaso where he spent a ginormous 7 months and can count to  1000 in Thai.

Margaret Luxamon Hotchkiss (Jai)

Margaret Luxamon Hotchkiss (Jai)
Margaret Luxamon Hotchkiss (Jai) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Born in Bangkok, Thailand and adopted while a toddler, Margaret’s love of dance began in Bainbridge Island, WA when she was two years old. Now a Seattle based performer and teaching artist, her work is informed by the eternal balance of joy and sorrow, and her discovery of identity as a transnational adoptee. She is grateful for opportunities to study dance at California State University, Long Beach; The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance; American Dance Festival, New York; and Strictly Seattle which have all enriched her experience. A graduate of Cornish College of the Arts (B.F.A. Dance, 2012), she has performed work by Wade Madsen, Alicia Mullikin, Noelle Price, Alice Gosti, and Mary Tisa. Margaret currently teaches at Bainbridge Ballet and Cornish Preparatory Dance. She recently danced in David Henry Hwang’s brilliant play, M. Butterfly at Arts West. She is thankful for her most recent collaboration with NOCCO Seattle and performance opportunities with SIS Productions and Pork Filled Productions.

Kathy Hsieh (Tasanee)

Kathy Hsieh as Tasanee
Kathy Hsieh (Tasanee) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Kathy Hsieh is an award-winning actor, writer and director, most recently seen in SIS Productions Washer/Dryer, Wooden O’s Romeo & JulietGambatte at the IFCC in Portland, ArtsWest’s M. Butterfly, ReAct’s The White Snake and Sound Theatre’s ASL Midsummer Night’s Dream. She won Footlight and Gypsy Awards for acting in Chinglish at ArtsWest, and the Gregory Award for Sustained Achievement in 2017. She has also worked with the Seattle Rep, Book-It, ACT, Intiman, Taproot, 1448, Living Voices and more.

Sean Nguyen (Max)

Sean Nguyen
Sean Nguyen (Max) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Sean is currently in his senior year at the University of Washington majoring in Political Science and Drama Performance. Recently, Sean starred in two short films, one created for the 48 Hour Film Festival (Shriff) and another that is currently in post (A Day In My Life). He aspires to represent and make a change for Asian Americans on stage and in film.

Van Lang Pham (Visarut)

Van Lang Pham
Van Lang Pham (Visarut) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Van Lang Pham is thrilled to be joining the team of Brothers Paranormal! He was last on stage in the role of Sam in Pratidhwani’s Washer/Dryer. As an actor: 7th and Jackson(James) at Café Nordo, REBATEnsemble’s Night Parade (Father/ensemble), The Two Kids That Blow S**t Up (Max), The World of Extreme Happiness (James/Li-Han). As pit musician: Kitsap Forest Theatre, Seattle Musical Theatre, Bainbridge Performing Arts, SIS Productions, and Renton Civic Theatre. An alumni of the University of Puget Sound, Van has sung with various a cappella groups, and plays saxophone for the Seattle Wind Symphony.

Selena Whitaker-Paquiet (Delia)

Selena Whitaker-Paquiet (Delia) Photo by Alabastro Photography

Selena is a singer-songwriter and self-taught bassist for the now retired band NighTraiN and is currently part of a trio group called Tukwila Moon.  She has been a staple in the Seattle theatre community since the age of 11. She worked with Unexpected Productions performing in Theatresports® and long-form improvisation shows along with actor, comedian, Joel McHale; and, also spent more than 15 years travelling the US and Canada as a stand-up comedian, opening for such comedians as Carolyn Rae.  She has many appearances in film and television; and for the last 11 years, she has produced the micro-music festival, Hoodstock.  Selena is also on the Board of Directors of Northwest Folklife and she is honored to be a part of this world premiere play and her first show with Pork Filled Productions.

Staff

Josh Valdez, Stage Manager

Josh Valdez is a sound designer, musician, stage manager, and mentor in the Greater Seattle area. “The Brothers Paranormal” will be his first production with Pork Filled Productions! Recent works include stage managing for “Anansi and the Halfling”, and “The Devil and Sarah Blackwater” (Annex Theatre), sound designing for “Sweeney Todd” (Reboot Theatre), and “The Neverborn” (Annex Theatre). Josh will also be operating sound/projections for Sound Theatre Company’s “peeling”!

Brian Dang, Assistant Stage Manager

Brian Dang is a local Seattle playwright. He also has experience in sound and light design, improv, directing, and dramaturgy. He is currently a proud resident playwright with the local playwriting group, Parley. Brian has degrees in Drama and English Lit from UW. On the side, Brian likes to watch movies, revel in hopeless romanticism, pet cats, and eat bread.

Robin Macartney, Set and Props Designer

Robin Macartney is a freelance set and props designer who has been fortunate to work with a large number  of the theatre companies in Seattle. She is the resident set designer/ front of house manager at Theatre Off Jackson as well as the scene shop supervisor for the University of Puget Sound’s Theatre Department. This will be her fourth show with PFP.

Troy Lund, Sound Designer

Troy has been voice acting, on-camera acting and producing music in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. You can hear his voice in video games: the X-box Mech Warrior series, SAW I and II, Halo Wars 2 and Kid Icarus: Uprising; as well as in radio, TV and web spots for Amazon, Expedia, T-Mobile, Washington’s Lottery, AAA and Car Toys.

Carolina Johnson, Lighting Designer

Carolina is excited to join Pork Filled Productions for her first show at Theatre Off Jackson.  She always loves the opportunity to design for new writing.  Recent highlights includeThis Show is About Progress (at the BASE performance space in Georgetown) and Silhouette and Rovers! (among many shows at Annex Theater); a recent rewarding exception to the rule was Sweeney Todd with Reboot Theatre.

Janelle Kimbrough, Costume Design

Janelle Is excited to be working with the PFP family for the first time. After Graduating from Western Washington University in 2017, she moved back home to Seattle to peruse a career in Costume design and Wardrobe. Since moving down, she has worked with various theatre company’s around Seattle including Taproot Theatre Company and Artswest. Janelle would like to thank everyone that has help/ been a mentor to her thus far in her career, and is excited to see what’s in store for the future.                           

Kim Douthit, Dramaturg

Kim grew up in the PNW and has always had a love of the spooky and weird. She works in the theatre as a performer, director and writer and as a paranormal investigator and loves being able to combine her two passions.

Troy Tsuchikawa, Graphic Designer

Bio to come

Lydia Valentine, Cultural Consultant

Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright, poet, and educator. She is the Resident Dramaturg for Tacoma’s empathos company and Toy Boat Theatre and seeks projects that amplify the voices of those who are often stifled, ignored, and marginalized in what has been the accepted narrative of the United States. She thankful for the opportunity to work with this production.

Alan Alabastro, Phtographer

Bio to come

Chanya Swartz, Cultural Consultant

Chanya was born and raised in Thailand. She moved to Washington state six years ago. She has heard of many ghost stories but has yet to see one.

Michael Yakovich, Trailer Video

Bio to come

Brian Waddle, Interview video

Bio to come

Anthea Carns, Producer

Anthea Carns is an actor/stage manager/dramaturg/playwright, who brings a sharp, organized mind and a love of all things geeky to PFP. Around town, her work has been featured as part of 14/48 (2019), the Intiman Emerging Artists Program (2015), Annex Theatre (2019), and the Heron Ensemble (2016-present). In her spare time she hosts Bard in a Bar: A Tipsy Shakespeare Event.

May Nguyen Lee, Producer

May Nguyen is a ​producer and playwright and actor who can be found on stage with the likes of sketch comedy group, Pork Filled Players, Live Girls! Theater, 14/48, SIS Productions, and ReAct​Theatre​. When not on stage, May is a board member with Infinity Box Theatre and can be found behind the scenes as a stage manager and assistant stage manager at Youth Theatre Northwest. Theater is team sport where everyone’s time is precious and everyone’s skills are valuable. Thank you for playing with us.

Mara Elissa Palma, Producer

Mara Elissa Palma is an actor, playwright,director, and producer. She comes to Seattle via Boston, Massachusetts, and was born in the Philippines and has lived in California, New Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts. Part of the 2017 class of Emerging Artists at Intiman, she has been working all over the Seattle theatre scene, from Annex Theatre and elsewhere. She has written for SIS Productions’ Represents!, a multi cultural playwrights festival and appeared in SIS’s American Hwangap.

Roger Tang, Producer

Roger Tang is a veteran theatre producer, introducing Northwest audiences to such writers as Qui Nguyen, Prince Gomolvilas, Carla Ching and Genny Lim. He sat on the boards of ReAct Theatre and Northwest Asian American Theatre (helping to build the Theatre Off Jackson). Called the “Godfather of Asian American theatre,” he is Secretary  for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA). and edits the Asian American Theatre Revue, the web’s foremost resource on Asian American theatre (www.aatrevue.com).

Maile Wong, Producer

Maile Wong is a producer, actress, and teaching artist from Seattle.  She graduated from Wellesley College with degrees in Theatre Studies and Developmental Psychology. She has taught with Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Young Actor’s Institute, Village Theatre Institute, Seattle Public Theatre, and the Seattle Repertory Theatre.  As an actress, she has performed with ArtsWest, Seattle Public Theater, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Sound Theatre Company, SIS Productions, and Pork Filled Productions, among others.  She believes passionately in the ability of theatre to cultivate compassion, creativity, and community!  

Merri Ann Osbourne, Community Consultant

Merri Ann Osborne, Executive Director of the Mahogany Project, has performed in Japan, England and the USA as an actor, singer, dancer, voice-over artist and songwriter. She is also a recently published author. Her family history and global experiences deeply influence her art, calling her to seek out stories of the African diaspora – past, present and future – both real and imagined.  www.mahoganyproject.org

The Mahogany Project

The Mahogany ProjectThe Mahogany Project (TMP) is a collaborative arts organization whose mission is to support and develop established and emerging artists by producing and showcasing their work, thereby providing a platform for artistic voices from the African diaspora. Founded in 2006, we are proud to continue our mission of sharing stories and diverse perspectives of local and global Black experiences through multi-disciplinary art forms.  TMP is excited to collaborate with Pork Filled Productions on their production of The Brothers Paranormal.

PDF Version available here. Return to Press Page.

An Asian American Theatre Company