Aaron has worked in Seattle for Village Theatre, Taproot Theatre, Book-It Repertory Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Company and has worked regionally throughout the country. Aaron was awarded a Seattle Critics (Footlight) Award for his work as Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband at Taproot Theatre, the Memphis Critics (Ostrander) Award for Best Actor for his work as Jerry in The Full Monty at Playhouse on the Square, a Kennedy Center award for Best Actor for his work as Samuel Coleridge in Grasmere, and an OC Weekly Award for his work as Peck in How I Learned to Drive. Aaron holds an MFA in acting from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA from Washington State University.
Jon Lutyens is a theatre artist of many stripes around the Puget Sound region. Audiences have seen Jon onstage at ACT Theatre, Village Theatre, Taproot Theatre, Book-It Repertory, and many others in the region. Jon also teaches regularly with educational arts programs through the area, working toward a future with greater acceptance and support for all students. Jon graduated from WWU, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Jessica is a Director, Choreographer, Performer, and Teaching Artist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of Washington. Credits: The 5th Avenue, Village Theatre, ACT, Arizona Theatre Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Showtunes, ArtsWest, and The Bigfork Summer Playhouse. She won the 2014 Gregory Award for Outstanding Choreography for Sound Theatre Company’s The Wild Party and next up she will be the Associate Director for Legally Blonde at Village Theatre. jessicaannlow.com
Alyssa is a long-time collaborator with Harlequin over the past decade as both an actor and resident Fight/Intimacy Director. Alyssa has worked with numerous other companies across Puget Sound including Seattle Rep, Book-It Repertory, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Taproot Theatre, the University of Washington School of Drama, and Seattle University. Alyssa is also a freelance teaching artist, Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, and co-founder of the PNW Theatrical Intimacy collective. Huge love to Fox and her parents for all their support. www.alyssakay.net
Jeannie Beirne is the Resident Scenic Designer for Harlequin Productions. She has also enjoyed working with The Olympia Family Theatre, Saint Martin’s University, and South Puget Sound Community College. In Missouri, she has designed Urinetown and The Music Man with Missouri Western State University, and The Drowsy Chaperone, She Loves Me, and Damn Yankees for Tent Theater. In Arizona, Jeannie designed Mama and Jack Carew and the world premiere of Suocera by Hal Corley at the Theatre Artists Studio and Big Love with Kim Weild at Arizona State University.
Darren Mills is the Resident Costume Designer for Harlequin Productions. Additional regional credits: La Cage Aux Folles and Angels In America (SPSCC), Equivocation (SMU), and Murder Ballad (Sidecountry Theater). NYC hairdressing credits: Broadway: Phantom, Mamma Mia!, The Music Man. Film: The Stepford Wives, War of the Worlds, Lonesome Jim, The Notorious Bettie Page. TV: The Sopranos.
Marianna performs around Seattle, and has performed in several Harlequin shows, including as Eve in The Art of Racing in the Rain, Daphne in Present Laughter and Mrs. Linde in A Doll’s House. Before the shutdown, she was playing Julia in an adaptation of 1984 with Radial Theatre Project. She has cut her teeth voice acting with Sandbox Radio Live, Imagination Theater and on various video games. Since receiving her MFA at the University of Washington, Marianna has been coaching individuals in accent modification, public speaking and voice and speech: www.mariannadefazio.com
Adam is thrilled to be back in Olympia and performing another iconic character from the queer canon. Adam is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Originally from Sydney, Adam is now based in NYC. He was recently seen as Hedwig in the New Zealand premiere of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (The Court Theatre) as well as right here at Harlequin. Australian credits include New York Times Critics Pick, Who’s Your Baghdaddy (Curveball Creative); Melba (Hayes Theatre Co.); Love Never Dies (Really Useful Co); Prodigal (Bryant & Frank); The Producers; Crazy for You (The Production Company) Jekyll & Hyde (TML); Dr. Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Gordon Frost Organization) and Will Bloom in Big Fish (RPG); American Credits include Nick Hurley in Flashdance (NETworks); Once We Lived Here (Urban Stages); Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Ogunquit Playhouse); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Hilton Head); NYC3 & Shades of Bublé (EPIC). May we all feel respected, valued & Worthy.
Karin returns to Harlequin, having made their debut as Cordelia in Falsettos (2023). They are a Seattle-based actor, vocalist, and teaching artist. Karin has recently performed with Seattle Shakespeare (Benvolio/Paris; Romeo and Juliet, Feste; Twelfth Night Musical), Showtunes (Betty; Sunset Boulevard), and Reboot Theatre (BlackStache; Peter and the Starcatcher). They also tour throughout the year with the vintage trio, The Memphis Belles.
Christian is a Pacific Northwest based theatre artist thrilled to return to Harlequin for Cabaret. He is onstage frequently in the Olympia area, and is currently teaching acting in a youth theater program through Centralia College. Previous Harlequin musicals include Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Fun Home. Most recently in the South Sound, he’s been seen onstage as Gabe in Next to Normal and George in Sunday in the Park with George. Recent Seattle area credits: Charley in Merrily We Roll Along (SecondStory Repertory), What An Impossible Idea (Free Range Theater), Orin in Little Shop of Horrors (Auburn Community Players). Instagram/Tiktok: @christian.boldly
Teri is delighted to return to Harlequin after playing Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret andHelga ten Dorp in Deathtrap earlier this season, and The Ghost of Christmas Present/Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (2023). You may have also seen her in the role of Countess de Lage in The Women (2019). She enjoyed recent post-pandemic Taproot Theatre roles in Babette’s Feast, As It Is In Heaven, Black Coffee, and The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley. Diverse credits span four decades in Shakespeare, classics, new plays, musicals, TV and film, with Village Theatre, Seattle G&S, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare, Seattle Musical Theatre, Driftwood Players, SecondStory Rep, Woodinville Rep, Theatre Off Jackson, ACTLab, Bathhouse, Intiman, eSe Teatro, New City, Texas Shakespeare, Montana Shakespeare, Oregon Repertory, Oregon Cabaret, and Rogue Theatre Tucson.
In 3 seasons and 5 shows at Harlequin:
A Christmas Carol(Player 1 (Ghost of Christmas Present/Fezziwig/others), Player 4 (Jacob Marley/others))Cabaret(Fraulein Schneider)Deathtrap(Helga ten Dorp)The Women(Countess de Lage / Miss Fordyce)
David GassnerHerr Schultz
David Gassner
David is a Seattle-based actor, director, and producer. Roles include the Librarian in Underneath the Lintel (San Francisco premiere), The Hypnotist in An Oak Tree (Radial Theater), Ivan in Suffering, Inc. (Pony World Theater, world premiere), Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened… (Western Stage), Pilo / Porras in The Government Man (Milwaukee Rep) and other roles with Seattle Shakespeare Company, New City Theater, Capitol Hill Arts Center, and Seattle Public Theater. He sings in Yiddish with The Klein Party, a klezmerish band. This autumn he’ll direct the world premiere of Abacus by Duane Kelly at West of Lenin.
Other favorite roles include Roger in Rent, Claude in Hair and Jamie in The Last Five Years. Bruce also works behind the curtain. He has designed and built sets for over 300 productions, including some here at Harlequin. He is very proud and honored to be a part of this beautiful and significant show.
Heather is delighted to return to Harlequin Productions! Other favorite local roles include Alison in Fun Home, The Witch in Into the Woods, and Diana in Next to Normal. Heather also recently made her Musical Director debut heading up Olympia Family Theater’s production of The Lightning Thief. Heather enjoys performing with Capital City Chorus and her band SpareCrow, teaching music at McKenny Elementary, and playing piano, accordion, guitar, drums, clarinet, sax, and harp. Always up for more musical collabs! Web: www.heathermatthews.com IG: @hedderschmidt_arts
A long time performer in the Pacific Northwest, Amy holds a BA in Performance from The Evergreen State College and a Master’s Degree in Applied Drama at The University of Exeter. Favorite roles include Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web (Olympia Family Theater), Maria in Twelfth Night or What You Will (Animal Fire Theater), The Mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Olympia Family Theater and Nell Gwyn in Or, (Harlequin Productions). Amy would like to thank everyone on the production team for being such wonderful people to share this experience with. Thanks finally to her family, friends, Andy & Alex, and the Olympia community for the continued support of the arts.
Mariesa is delighted to be back in a Harlequin production! You may have recently seen her as Lulu/Dance Captain in Cabaret. They are a Seattle-based performer and teacher and hold a BFA in musical theatre from Marymount Manhattan College. Other credits include performing with Reboot, Dacha Theatre, Bainbridge Performing Arts & SecondStory Repertory. Much love to their family, friends, and sweet kitten, Hiccup!
Lola is excited to be back with Harlequin! Recent Credits: The SpongeBob Musical (SpongeBob) and Chicago (Roxie), both at Olympia High School. Local theatre: Fun Home with SPSCC (Small Allison), Seussical with Faith Acts! (JoJo). Professional credits: Annie at the 5th Avenue Theater (Swing Understudy), and Blackbird with Harlequin Productions (Girl). She would like to thank her family for being so supportive of her in her pursuit of musical theatre!
Araquin is absolutely ecstatic to step back into the Kit Kat Klub and for his first show with Harlequin! You may have seen him in a few shows around Tacoma such as Cabaret, Kinky Boots, Cats (TMP) or Rent (TLT). He would like to thank his cat (and y’know… his family) for staying by his side throughout this whole process!
Jacqueline is thrilled to make her debut at Harlequin Productions! This spring she was touring with Seattle Opera, bringing opera to elementary schools all over WA state. Other credits include Dot/Marie (Sunday in the Park with George, SecondStory Rep), Suzanne Prevo & Bertha Hunt U/S (The Hello Girls, Taproot Theatre), Jesus, Judas, & Mary U/S (Jesus Christ Superstar, Reboot) and Marcy Park (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Twelfth Night Productions). Jacqueline graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon in 2018 with a BFA in Vocal Performance.
Emma is excited to make her Harlequin debut! Emma was raised in Olympia and currently is a student at Western Washington University studying Theatre Performance and is expected to graduate in 2026. Emma has been acting since she was 5, and has been involved in many community and school productions in her career. She would like to thank her family and friends for being supportive throughout her career and the cast and crew of Cabaret!
Karsten is excited to perform the role of Victor in his first Harlequin Production. Karsten has been acting since the 4th grade when he played a Flying Monkey in The Wizard of Oz with Pacific Northwest Theater. Recently, you may have seen Karsten play Henry in Next To Normal at The Centralia College Theater, Miles in She Kills Monsters at Capital High School, and Pugsly in The Addams Family with Pacific Northwest Theater. When he is not acting on stage, you can find him taking voice lessons, singing in choir, or taking a dance or acting class.
Travis is thrilled to be back in another Harlequin production, having just played Herman/Max in Cabaret. Favorite local credits include Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tacoma Arts Live), Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Centerstage), Billy in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (ArtsWest), Launce in Two Gentlemen of Verona (Renton Civic Theatre), Corny Collins in Hairspray (Auburn Community Players), Jerry/Daphne in Sugar (Leavenworth Summer Theatre), Mr. Brooke in Little Women (Olympia Family Theatre), and Axel in The Nerd (Woodinville Repertory Theatre). Travis holds a BFA in Theatre from Pacific Lutheran University. Upcoming: Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical (Evergreen Playhouse).
David is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts, and has since been seen onstage at Taproot Theatre Company, Tacoma Arts Live, Centerstage Theatre, Reboot Theatre Company, and many others. Past credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Caiaphas), The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow), Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio), and Tartuffe (Valere). Huge thanks to his wonderful partner, friends, and family for their unrelenting support. Cheers!
Jon Lutyens is a theatre artist of many stripes around the Puget Sound region. Audiences have seen Jon onstage at ACT Theatre, Village Theatre, Taproot Theatre, Book-It Repertory, and many others in the region. Jon also teaches regularly with educational arts programs through the area, working toward a future with greater acceptance and support for all students. Jon graduated from WWU, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
A veteran of more than 160 musical theater productions in the Puget Sound area, David is pleased to be back at Harlequin for a fourth run through Cabaret, having first done it in 1982. Previously he played in the bands for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, A Rock n Roll 12th Night, Midsummer Magical Mystery Musical, and Ruthless.
Aaron Wolff received his musical training at Central Washington University studying classical clarinet and jazz improvisation. After graduating, he returned to the South Sound and joined the local music scene, performing in diverse styles that include Classical, Straight Ahead Jazz, Electronic, Funk, and World Fusion. As a saxophonist, Aaron has been a member of the bands Human Condition (progressive jazz), Hot Cabi (dance), and local favorite Erev Rav (klezmer/funk fusion), as well as performing alongside his wife Ninee Wolff in the award-winning funk band, the Brown Edition, and the South Sound’s premiere big band, the Olympia Jazz Senators. Together, they own and operate Puget Woodwind Studio, teaching many young saxophone, clarinet, and flute students from around the greater Olympia area.
David is very excited to be part of his third production at Harlequin. You may have heard him blow “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” in The 1940’s Radio Hour or heard him play French Horn in Man of La Mancha. Born and raised in Olympia, David has been a part of musical productions in this town since 2000, in shows with Capitol Playhouse, Broadway Olympia, Saint Martins, Apple Tree Productions, and the Olympia School District, to name a few. David would like to thank his beautiful wife and kid for putting up with all the late-night practicing and for encouraging him to play, even when it was hard to fit it into a busy schedule. He would also like to thank his mom and dad for their continued support, not only of him but, of all the arts in our great community. And thanks to the crew at Harlequin, for having him back for another great show.
Daniel has been playing trombone for over 27 years. He has played in a variety of musical groups. He currently plays with the Jazz Senators of Olympia, Hilltop Brass, and a local trombone quartet. He is currently a music teacher at Emerson Elementary School in Hoquiam, WA. This is Daniel’s first time performing for Harlequin Productions.
David is a self-taught axeman who excels in a wide variety of styles and has been applying his craft in the Northwest music scene for over 35 years. He has played with funk groups Bump Kitchen, Sweatband, and Mother’s Friends; the improv jazz-rock group Jam Camp; and the swing group The Hot Five. Currently, he plays in the band Pontiac Alley, a diverse Americana outfit, and the 90’s tribute band Smelly Cat.
Rick has been an active bass player in the Puget Sound area since 1978. He has performed with the Tacoma Symphony, Olympia Symphony, Olympia Chamber Orchestra, Sweatband, Mood Swing, Size 3 and The Hot Five. His Harlequin credits include Tenderly, Man of La Mancha, First Date, Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin, Assassins, A Rock N’ Roll Twelfth Night, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Dancin’ In The Streets, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sixties Chicks, Sixties Kicks! and so many Stardust shows that he has lost count! Rick currently performs with the Jazz Senators, teaches private lessons and performs as a freelance bassist. Rick wishes to thank his wife Kay, and kids Nicole and Aaron for their continued support.
Meet Anjanette Hewitt, Featured Artist for CABARET
An Artist Reception to welcome Artist Anjanette Hewitt to Harlequin will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm in the State Theater Lobby. All are welcome! Light refreshments will be served.