Ezra Reaves (they/he)

is an actor, comedian, writer and director based in San Francisco. TV/Film: 4400 (The CW), Suckhole (FX). Theatre: Wizard of Oz (A.C.T.), Happy Pleasant Valley (TheatreWorks SF), The Daughters (SF Playhouse), a (micro) history of world economics, danced (La Mama NYC). Ezra has also been an ensemble member of the award-winning theatre company The Neo-Futurists for over 10 years, performing nationally and internationally in the shows Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and The Infinite Wrench. As a comedian, Ezra has opened for Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, John Hodgman, Paul F. Tompkins, and even shared the stage with Michael Ian Black. Next: Ezra will direct Compton's Cafeteria Riot, an immersive show based on the historic event of queer resistance. AEA/SAG-AFTRA. www.ezrareaves.com

Moscato Sky (she/they)

The Them Fatale of Drag & Burlesque, Moscato Sky is an internationally-acclaimed burlesque, drag and dance artist based in Seattle, WA. This tempting tart was the first trans femme competitor in the Miss Exotic World Category at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2022 and won the title Princess of Burlesque two years in a row. This genderqueer goddex was named the Noire Pageant Duchess of Burlesque 2020 and was voted on the 21st Century Burlesque Top 50 List of Most Influential Burlesque Figures in the World since 2020, currently ranked at #16.

Amber St. James (they/them)

@mxsstjames is the African Bearded, death dropping and dipping, cartwheeling, split queen known for her revolutionary activist work in and out of drag and her entertaining high energy performances. She is also the first ever San Diego Mx.Gay and the first ever Mx International Pride, both of which are gender neutral titles in the International Imperial Court System and the Imperial Court De San Diego. She is known for her amazing work building and sustaining the drag community at San Diego State University along with many other colleges around Southern California and with her drag production company Sisters Of St. James Productions (@sosjphaus). 

Shaun Tuazon (they/he), Understudy

Shaun's (aka Shaunie Peaks) La Jolla Playhouse credits include: Little Amal in Balboa Park, Hoopla!, #SuperShinySara. Regional: On This Side of the World, Mamma Mia! (East West Players); The Emperor's Nightingale (Lewis Family Playhouse); In the Heights (Cabrillo Music Theatre); Girlfriend, Altar Boyz (Diversionary Theatre); RENT, Joseph... Dreamcoat (San Diego Musical Theater); Zanna, Don’t! (SD Premiere); The 25th Annual... Spelling Bee (Intrepid Theatre); plus projects with The Old Globe, Lamb's Players, New Village Arts, Cygnet Theatre, Breakthrough Workshop and more. Donut enthusiast originally from the SF Bay Area. Love to Juztine, dad, mom and family/friends. @ShaunTwaz. B.A. in Theatre Arts, SDSU.

Sasha Velour (she/they), Artist/Co-Creator

is a critically-acclaimed drag queen, author, and artist. Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race and co-host of HBO’s We’re Here, Velour is one of the foremost experts on drag, known for her impeccable style, thought-provoking multimedia performances and radical genderfluid approach. Velour’s New York City drag revue NightGowns has been running for over eight years, and just completed another sold-out six-month residency at NYC's Le Poisson Rouge (raising over $30,000 for direct mutual aid). Her one-queen theater show, Smoke & Mirrors (2019 - 2022), combining drag with high-concept projection art, has entertained over 100,000 people across four continents. In 2023, she published her best-selling first book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (Harper), which explores the history and philosophy of drag through personal stories. The accompanying tour, The Big Reveal Live Show (2023 - 2024) brought readings and new iconic reveals to sold-out houses in Europe, Canada and the US. As a visual artist and cartoonist, she has drawn a Google Doodle (Marlene Dietrich, 2018) and a cover for The New Yorker (June 2023). She wants to thank her big extended family, including her drag community, and especially her partner Johnny for making this all possible.

Moisés Kaufman, Co-Creator/Director

Broadway credits include Paradise Square (10 Tony Award nominations), Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song, Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams, the revival of The Heiress starring Jessica Chastain, 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda (Tony nomination for Best Play) and Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife (Obie, Tony and Drama Desk Awards). West End: Gross Indecency, I Am My Own Wife, This Is How It Goes. Off-Broadway/Regional: Here There Are Blueberries (2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, Tectonic Theater Project/La Jolla Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop); Seven Deadly Sins (Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, Tectonic Theater Project/Madison Wells Live); The Laramie Project (co-writer/director); The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (co-writer/director); Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (writer/director; Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Joe A. Callaway Awards); Macbeth with Liev Schreiber (Delacorte Theater). Opera: El Gato Con Botas (New Victory Theater). Film/TV: The Laramie Project (HBO; Emmy noms for writing and directing, National Board of Review Award, Humanitas Prize); The L Word. Kaufman is the Artistic Director of Tectonic Theater Project, a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting and an Obie Award winner. In 2015, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.

David Rockwell, Scenic Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Side Show. Broadway: Doubt; A Beautiful Noise; Into the Woods; Kiss Me, Kate; She Loves Me (Tony, Drama Desk and OCC awards); On the Twentieth Century (Tony nom); You Can’t Take It with You (Tony nom); Kinky Boots (Tony nom); Lucky Guy (Tony nom); and Hairspray (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC noms). Off-Broadway: Into the Woods (New York City Center); Soundtrack of America (The Shed); and Shakespeare in the Park. Founder and President of Rockwell Group, the New York-based architecture firm. Honors: AIANY President’s Award, Cooper Hewitt National Design Award and the Presidential Design Award.

Diego Montoya Studio (Diego Montoya & Ricky Reynoso), Costume Designer

are New York-based costume designers. Officially founded by Diego in 2014, he now designs and runs the business with his partner, Ricky. Their work is best known from HBO's We're Here for which they have served as costume designers for four seasons and earned a collective three Emmy Awards. They have created pieces for TV, film and many live events – including Sasha Velour's highly celebrated Smoke & Mirrors tour. The studio is proud to have collaborated with so many talented drag artists over the years, but especially honored to have worked so closely with Sasha and the House of Velour. Brooklyn forever! IG: @diegomontoyastudio 

Amanda Zieve, Lighting Designer

is thrilled to be back at La Jolla Playhouse after designing The Ballad of Johnny and June, The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical and Put Your House in Order. Other recent designs include: Tommy (Broadway/Goodman); Cabaret (Goodspeed); American Jade (Bucks County Playhouse); Into the Woods, Billy Elliot, Titanic (Signature Theatre); I Hate Hamlet (Maltz Jupiter); Sweeney Todd and Roof of the World (KC Rep). Her Playhouse Associate credits include: Fly, Escape to Margaritaville, Hollywood and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other San Diego credits include: English, Crime and Punishment, A Comedy, Dial M for Murder, Hair, Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show, Tiny Beautiful Things, Barefoot in the Park, Native Gardens, The Wanderers and Rich Girl (The Old Globe); Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Evita, Cabaret, Rock of Ages (Cygnet). amandazieve.com

Palmer Hefferan, Sound Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: to the yellow house. Broadway: Alex Edelman: Just for Us (Hudson Theatre), The Skin of Our Teeth (Lincoln Center); Grand Horizons (Second Stage); The Lifespan of a Fact (Studio 54). Select Off-Broadway: The Comeuppance, The Death of the Last Black Man… (Signature Theatre); Teeth (Playwrights Horizons); Long Day’s Journey into Night (Audible Theater); Merry Wives, shadow/land, Wild Goose Dreams (The Public); Waiting for Godot, Fefu and Her Friends (TFANA); Flex, Marys Seacole (Lincoln Center). Awards: Obie Award® for Sustained Excellence in Sound Design, Tony Award® nomination for The Skin of Our Teeth. www.palmerhefferan.com

Cosette "Ettie" Pin (he/she/they), Projection Designer

is an international, multi-disciplinary designer based out of New York City, specializing in lighting, sound, projection and scenic design for theatre and live performance. La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Stranger Sings (Sound Design). Select design credits: Resident Designer (House of Velour), Third Law (Video & Sound, WWTNS?), Box 4901 (Lighting, Buddies in Bad Times), Hypothetical Baby (Sound, Howland Theatre Company), Traces (Video, WWTNS?), Lula 19/85 (Video, La Mama), The Gambler (Video & Scenic, Exponential Theatre Festival), Orestes (Video & Scenic, University of Oxford), The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom (Lighting, The Capitol Theatre), Children of Fire (Sound, Nightwood Theatre Company). cosettepin.com 

House of Velour, Video Creation

is Sasha Velour’s namesake production company, founded with her partner Johnny Velour in 2014. In the last decade, House of Velour has produced international drag tours, off-Broadway ensemble shows, short films, apparel and print media, employing over 100 queer and trans artists each year. House of Velour is committed to creating boundary-breaking work that celebrates the power and beauty of drag as an art form worthy of the world stage.

Angela Phillips, Aerial Designer

is an exceptionally talented multi-disciplinary artist with a remarkable blend of creativity and energy. Her unique point of view allows her to excel in diverse disciplines with a rare freedom of spirit. Her artistic journey began as a spirited dancer performing with renowned music groups. Next was the Off-Broadway sensation De La Guarda with Pichon Baldinu. Her creative contributions as Associate Aerial Designer for Broadway include: Disney's Tarzan, Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. International credits: Tarzan and Hombre Vertiente. Regional credits: Fly at La Jolla Playhouse with Jeffrey Seller and Andy Blankenbuehler. Angela's dedication to the arts is matched only by her deep commitment to wellness. In 2017, she founded Play in the Sunshine LLC, a company offering yoga and mindfulness classes to schools and corporations. Angela is an E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher, Certified Bikram Yoga Teacher, and Nike Well Collective Trainer. Learn more at www.playinthesunshine.org.

Stephen Oremus, Music Supervisor

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway/Worldwide: Music Supervisor/Arranger and/or Orchestrator: Frozen, Kinky Boots (Tony and Grammy Awards), The Book of Mormon (Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy Awards), Wicked, Avenue Q, All Shook Up and 9 to 5: The Musical. Off-Broadway: tick, tick…BOOM!, The Wild Party (Lippa). Vocal arranger/Conductor for the Disney films Frozen and Frozen 2; Arranger/Conductor for various artists for television, film and concert performances, including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert, Rufus Wainwright, Jake Shears, Josh Groban and many others. TV credits: Music Director of the 2015 Oscars (Emmy nomination), Annie Live! and The Wiz Live! (NBC), RENT Live! (FOX), A Very WICKED Halloween Special (NBC) and Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2 (Disney+).  

tbd casting co.; Stephanie Yankwitt, CSA, Casting

Casting for La Jolla Playhouse includes the world premieres of The Coast Starlight, to the yellow house, Here There Are Blueberries, SUMO, Babbitt, Derecho and multiple staged readings/workshops. Current/upcoming: The Fires (Soho Rep), Here There Are Blueberries (Tectonic Theater Project & New York Theatre Workshop), Sanctuary City (TheaterWorks Hartford) and Public Obscenities (Woolly Mammoth & TFANA). Film/TV includes In the Summers (Exile/Lexicon), ReEntry (PlotNaut) and Ladies First (Culture House/Netflix). Stephanie sits on the CSA's Equity in Entertainment committee.

Ann C. James, Sensitivity Specialist

made her debut as the first Black Intimacy Coordinator on Broadway for Pass Over. Broadway credits include: The Outsiders (2024 Tony Award, Best Musical), Lempicka, Hamilton, Parade (2023 Tony Award, Best Revival), Sweeney Todd, Heart of Rock and Roll, Jelly’s Last Jam. Off-Broadway/Regional: Love All, The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, Sunset Baby, Jonah, White Girl in Danger, How to Defend Yourself, The Comeuppance, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, My Broken Language, The Half-God of Rainfall, Here There Are Blueberries, Life and Trust, The Lonely Few. Tour: Hamilton (UK, Australia). James’ company, Intimacy Coordinators of Color was recently awarded a Special Citation from the OBIE Awards and The American Theatre Wing.

Jacob Russell (he/him), Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: Here There Are Blueberries, to the yellow house, Kiss My Aztec!, The Who’s Tommy benefit concert. For the past two years Jacob has been working on Here There Are Blueberries at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC and most recently at New York Theatre Workshop. He is extremely grateful to Moisés, Tectonic and LJP to return here for Velour: A Drag Spectacular! Other credits include Big Trip/Onegin (Krymov LAB NYC/La MaMa), Pilobolus’s Big FIVE-OH tour (PSM), Dave Harris’s Cat Sitter (1ST AD/OSF), Lisa D’Amour’s Mad Moon (NOLA Project), This Random World (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Education: M.F.A. from UCSD. 

Topaz Cooks, Assistant Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: to the yellow house; Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord; Love All; The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical; Redwood. Regional: Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Akeelah and the Bee (Children's Theatre Company); Romeo and Juliet, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Trouble in Mind (Clarence Brown Theater); Miracle on 34th Street, Memphis, Something Rotten! (Moonlight Stage Productions). B.F.A. from U of MN, Duluth. M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

Huai Huang^‡, Stage Management Resident

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Selected credits in Takarazuka Revue (Japan): I Am From Austria, Elisabeth, Ocean's 11, Phantom, Casanova, On the 20th Century. Taiwan: Aphrodite, Tso Bo Tao. Education: M.F.A. Stage Management Candidate from UC San Diego.

Tectonic Theater Project

Since its founding in 1991 by Moisés Kaufman & Jeffrey LaHoste, Tectonic has created some of the most influential plays in the theatrical landscape, including Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project, Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife, 33 Variations, and Seven Deadly Sins. Tectonic's newest play, Here There Are Blueberries, launched at La Jolla Playhouse and was a 2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist. The company is based in New York City and guided by Moisés Kaufman and Matt Joslyn.