Lear deBessonet became artistic director of Encores! in 2020. Previously, she served as resident director of Encores! under Jack Viertel. From 2012-2020, she worked at The Public Theater, where she founded the acclaimed Public Works program and served as resident director. At The Public, she directed Disney’s Hercules, Miss You Like Hell, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and the Public Works productions of The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and The Odyssey at the Delacorte. Other directing credits include Good Person of Szechwan starring Taylor Mac and Lisa Kron (The Foundry Theater/The Public), Suzan-Lori Parks’s Venus (Signature Theatre), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Encores! Off-Center), and Big River (Encores!). Her directing work has received an Obie Award, Lortel Award, Lilly Award, and multiple Drama Desk nominations. 

Todd Almond recently appeared on Broadway in Girl from the North Country and can be seen on HBOMax’s “Gossip Girl.” He recently toured the U.S. in his original musical Kansas City Choir Boy starring alongside rock icon Courtney Love, and starred in three of his original musicals at the famed Delacorte Theater in Central Park (The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and The Odyssey). His musical Girlfriend—based on the Matthew Sweet album of the same title—is a favorite for theater companies around the country, and he is currently collaborating with producer David Foster on a new original musical. He has previously collaborated with Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical), Jenny Schwartz (Iowa), Laura Benanti (In Constant Search for the Right Kind of Attention), Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz (Twohander), Kelli O’Hara (Live at Carnegie Hall), and Andrew Rannells (Live from Lincoln Center). 

Hattie (she/her) is elated to collaborate with Public Works again, previously directing the virtual Twelfth Night adaptation and serving as the Resident Associate Director on Emerald City, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, and The Odyssey. As a freelance director, producer, and teaching artist, Hattie has worked extensively with The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, One Coast Collaboration, Cornish College, Seattle Theatre Group, Youth Theatre Northwest, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and the Playwrights’ Center. Love and gratitude to her family, Drew, and the Public Works community. 

Born and raised in Seattle, Mills is so honored to be back at Seattle Rep for her third Public Works production. Her choreographing experience includes Seattle Rep’s Public Works: The Odyssey and The Winter’s Tale; The Sound of Music at The 5th Avenue Theatre; Assassins at ACT; and Little Shop of Horrors at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Thank you to Hattie for asking me to be a part of this. And I could not have done this without my exceptionally talented and dedicated partners in all things choreography, Taylor Symons and Lexi Warden. 

Steven Tran is passionate about elevating the human experience by making super fun and good music. Off-Broadway: Music Director for Lizard Boy (Prospect Theatre Company). Additional music/music producer for Lydia and the Troll. Composer: Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show! and California Love: K-Pop Dreaming (The LAist). MD/Orchestrator: The Mortification of Fovea Munson (The Kennedy Center) and And So That Happened... (The 5th Avenue Theatre). His solo show, The Sonata Years, was a semifinalist for the 2021 National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill.  
@steven_nk_tran 

Previous Seattle Rep designs include Dry Powder, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Circle Mirror Transformation, Or, Speech & Debate, and Three Tall Women. Smucker’s work has appeared locally at The 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Opera, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Village Theatre, and nationally at Playmakers Rep, Denver Center, Portland Center Stage, and Arizona Theatre Company, among others. Smucker is a Professor at Cornish College of the Arts, received his M.F.A. from the UW School of Drama, and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists. 

An-lin Dauber (she/her) is thrilled to be back at Seattle Rep where she previously designed Metamorphoses. She is a company member of The Williams Project, a Seattle-based living wage theater company. Seattle credits include The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Intiman and The Williams Project); Amen Corner, Marisol, Blood Wedding, The Bar Plays: Small Craft Warnings and The Time of Your Life, and A Bright Room Called Day (The Williams Project). Assistant Professor of Costume Design at the University of Washington. M.F.A. Yale School of Drama. USA829. anlindauber.com 

Designs for Seattle Rep: Lydia and the Troll, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Indecent, In the Heights, MAC BETH, I Am My Own Wife, Lizard Boy, and others. Regional credits include Portland Center Stage, ACT, The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Old Globe, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Intiman Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Milwaukee Rep, and Village Theatre. Film: The Jinkx and Dela Holiday Special, Potato Dreams of America. Robert is the Lighting Director at Seattle Rep and a member of USA829. robertjaguilar.com 

Erin is an award-winning and press-mentioned artist in sound, dramaturgy, music, film, production, and performance. She has contributed to Off-Broadway, regional, institutional, and educational environments across fifteen years of collaboration. Previous work at Seattle Rep includes MAC BETH, Teenage Dick, and Lydia and the Troll.
@play__pranks

Paul (he/him) is a dramaturg originally from Seattle. Prior to joining Seattle Rep, Paul worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Asolo Repertory Theatre. As a dramaturg, Paul has worked with Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Ashland New Plays Festival, among other theaters. He was a founding producer of the UMass New Play Lab and served as a Fulbright Fellow at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Paul's writing has been published in Theatre Journal, on howlround.com, and by Penumbra Theatre Company. He holds an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 

Select stage management credits: The Winter’s Tale, The Odyssey, As You Like It (Seattle Rep’s Public Works), The Servant of Two Masters (Seattle Rep, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater, ArtsEmerson); MAC BETH, Here Lies Love, A Raisin in the Sun, All the Way, The Great Society, The Piano Lesson, Boeing Boeing, Fences, Gem of the Ocean (Seattle Rep); Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Angels in America, A Doctor In Spite of Himself (Intiman Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun (Pittsburgh Public Theater).

Bret Torbeck (he/him) is thrilled to be joining the Public Works community. Previous work at Seattle Rep includes What the Constitution Means to Me, The Time of Your Life, Restoration Comedy, Proof, and Topdog/Underdog. Most recently, he has been working at Seattle Opera on Bound and ACT on Sweat. His day job is getting to work with the inspiring students at Cornish College of the Arts as Associate Professor of Stage Management. He is also a board member of Seattle Public Theater. 

Malie (she/her) is a Yonsei Japanese American stage manager who prioritizes projects that center Global Majority artists, communities, and abundance. She pronounces her name “muh-LEE-ay foo-JEE-ee” and resides on the lands of the Coast Salish and Lenape peoples. Off-Broadway: Wolf Play (MCC Theater), peerless (Primary Stages). Seattle: And So That Happened…, Beauty and the Beast (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Lydia and the Troll, The Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Shout Sister Shout! (Seattle Rep). Love to Louis.

Shay Trusty (they/them) is excited to be working with Public Works again! Shay was last at Seattle Rep as Assistant Stage Manager for How I Learned What I Learned. Other select stage management credits include As You Like It, Tiny Beautiful Things, A Doll’s House, Part 2, and In the Heights (Seattle Rep); Sense and Sensibility, Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia!, and The Book Club Play (Village Theatre); The Dina Martina Christmas Show, A Christmas Carol, and Beware the Terror of Gaylord Manor (ACT Theatre). Much love to Benji! 

Amy (she/her) is thrilled to be back at Seattle Rep for her fifth Public Works production! Other credits include Mr. Dickens and his Carol, What the Constitution Means to Me, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Well, A Raisin in the Sun (Seattle Rep); Mrs. Doubtfire, Annie, Ragtime (The 5th Avenue Theatre); The Elixir of Love, Carmen, AIDA (Seattle Opera); The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Black Beauty, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Seattle Children’s Theatre); and others at ACT, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Village Theatre, and Youth Theatre Northwest. 

Kate (she/her) is honored to be working on her first Public Works production. She is a founding Co-Artistic Director of Seattle’s Dacha Theatre and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Directing at the University of Washington. Kate has worked locally as an intimacy choreographer and teaching artist with Pacific Northwest Theatrical Intimacy, ArtsWest, and The 5th Avenue’s Rising Star Project, among others. Select directing credits include Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea, the Dice series, and Star Play (Dacha); In the Blood (UW School of Drama).  
kate-drummond.com 

Daira Rodriguez is a director and dramaturg from the Chicagoland area with a passion for new works, devising, and working with young minds. Daira recently completed the Directing/Artistic Apprenticeship at Seattle Rep after graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in Theatre and Gender Studies. Recent projects include Elyse and Mae Play the Most Epic Game of Life Ever by Kandace Mack and the world premiere of The Bloody Bricks and Blows of American Dream High by Gabriela Coutinho Furtado. Daira is inspired most by the works of Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez. 

(she/her) Seattle Rep and Public Works debut! Teaching artist (Taproot, Village Theatre), String (Seattle Pacific University). Taylor is a regular performer in Seattle, including many shows at The 5th Avenue Theatre (A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Music Man) and Village Theatre (...Spelling Bee, Newsies). Taylor believes there is a dancer inside all of us and is honored to be a part of the choreography team for this beautiful show. Many thanks to Trina, Lexi, and Hattie. Love to Cedar, Winslow, and Tim! 

Lexi (she/her) is a theater artist, educator, and advocate from Seattle. Her choreography/movement has been featured by the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, Vermont Dance Alliance, and Dacha Theatre. Other recent credits include Laurel in The Flight Before Xmas (Macha Theatre Works), Roxy in ROE (Whidbey Island Center for the Arts), Associate Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator for Into the Woods (The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Rising Star Project), and Assistant Director for Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre). 

Orlando is a Seattle-based musician, educator, and songwriter. He is currently Assistant Artist Director for the Tacoma Refugee Choir and holds a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington. He is a Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project alum and a Jonathan Larson Grant finalist (2019, 2020, 2022). Recent music direction credits include How to Break (2018, 2016), Great Wall (2012), and Cloaked (2011, 2010). Orlando also coordinates Rondalya sa Seattle, a Filipino American folkloric music ensemble and is a member of the Shades of Praise Gospel Choir at St. Therese Parish. 

Rebecca (they/them) is a Seattle based pianist and is thrilled to be debuting at Seattle Rep as Assistant Music Director for The Tempest! They recognize that they live and work on land stolen from the Coast Salish and Duwamish peoples, and they encourage all to visit realrentduwamish.com to learn more about supporting our native neighbors.

Liz (she/her) is so pleased to be returning to Seattle Rep for a third round of Public Works after As You Like It and The Winter's Tale. She was also on the stage management team for Mr. Dickens and His Carol last season. Other local backstage and stage management credits include work with Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, 14/48 Projects, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Sound Theatre Company, and others.

Stefania Giron Zuluaga (she/her) is a freelance stage manager based in Seattle. Recent credits include Destiny of Desire (The Old Globe); Into the Woods: Rising Star Project (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia!, and The Book Club Play (Village Theatre). She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Seattle University and is grateful to her family, friends, and roommates for their ongoing support!  

Lucas Esperanza (he/him) is a Filipino American theater artist dedicated to cultivating stories and developing creative opportunities that advocate for a future that honors the voices of underrepresented communities. Lucas was a 2022/23 Directing/Artistic Apprentice here at Seattle Rep and is so excited to be joining Seattle Rep’s Public Works’ production of The Tempest! 

Anahita (she/her) is a multi-talented artist with extensive experience in dubbing, voice-over acting, and radio drama. She has worked in marketing at Macha Theatre Works, as assistant stage manager at Theatre 22 and Seattle Shakespeare Company, and production associate at Village Theatre, where she contributed to shows such as Sense and Sensibility and Hello, Dolly!. She is also stage manager for the Seda Iranian Ensemble Theatre. Anahita firmly believes that theater runs in her veins, and she is genuinely delighted to embark on her first journey with Seattle Rep’s Public Works. 

Jerik Fernandez (he/him) is excited to make his debut with Seattle Rep! His sound design credits include Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea, Much Ado About Nothing, and Dears in Headlights (Dacha Theatre); In the Time of the Butterflies (Book-It Repertory Theatre). He was also a sound design assistant on Choir Boy (ACT). He is part of the Young Hot Thespian collective. 

Justin (he/him) is an award-winning multi-hyphenate artist best known for his original musical Lizard Boy, which first premiered at Seattle Rep and recently made its Off-Broadway debut with Prospect Theater Company. Justin wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Lydia and the Troll (co-created by Ameenah Kaplan, additional music by Steven Tran). He and Tran composed original music for Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show!. Other works include The Mortification of Fovea Munson (The Kennedy Center) and We’ve Battled Monsters Before (ArtsWest, In Concert at The Green Room 42 NYC). 

Known for her pervasive style as a soul-grunge frontwoman turned piano songstress, Shaina Shepherd’s notable vocal stylings have brought her into compelling creative spaces. Shaina’s songs are steeped in American folk and redefine the Outlaw genre with an infusion of Tina Turner, Dinah Washington, and Nina Simone. When Shaina isn’t in the studio, she is a community organizer, music educator, and event producer in Seattle. Shaina is also a national trustee for the PNW chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammys), a member of the Seattle Music Commission, and a member of the board at SMASH. 

Making his debut on the Seattle Rep stage we have Buoy from the Seattle Kraken. Buoy is a Seattle sea-troll who lives in the caverns of Climate Pledge Arena. For Buoy, nothing beats a day filled with fans and Kraken hockey. Buoy’s favorite meal is Shark with a sprig of maple leaf. Buoy LOVES music. Legend has it Buoy once jammed with Mudhoney at The Crocodile.  

Morning Star Korean Cultural Center was founded in 1985 with the purpose of teaching and sharing Korean dance, music, and heritage. In 38 years, Morning Star travelled all over the U.S. and to over 30 countries as cultural ambassadors. They offer original choreography, musical arrangements, Art Montessori, Korean language, cultural experiences, and much more. Morning Star is committed to enriching lives through artistic expression, educational opportunities, and cultural appreciation. They proudly serve a global community to promote awareness and encourage positive cultural exchange. morningstarkcc.org