Our Border Town: a new play by Amy Almquist COMPANY

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PLAYWRIGHT
AMY ALMQUIST
Amy Almquist studied acting at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago and received her MFA in Directing. She's worked as an actor and director for over 30 years on stage, film and commercials and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA. Amy served on the teaching faculty of the University of Montana and PCC and teaches trial attorneys worldwide with the Air Force and US Army. Locally, her favorite acting productions include: A Delicate Balance and The Dead at The Rogue Theatre, Threepenny Opera at The Arizona Opera, Criminal Hearts at Beowulf Alley and Letters to Sala, Spinning into Butter, Lost in Yonkers, Labor Pains and Kindertransport at The Invisible Theatre. Her favorite Tucson directing projects include: My Name is Asher Lev, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Heidi Chronicles, The Dining Room, and Come Back to the 5 and Dime…at LTW and the acclaimed Tucson premiere of Doubt. She's worked with Redford Films, Missoula Children’s Theatre, Montana Rep. andSeattle’s Annex Theatre
CO-DIRECTOR
JULIAN MARTINEZ
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CO-DIRECTOR
ART ALMQUIST
Art Almquist holds an MFA in Acting and MA in Performance Theory & Criticism from the University of Montana. He is in his 23rd year teaching & directing theatre at Tucson High Magnet School. Art is the winner of numerous awards, including: PEOPLE Magazine’s Teacher of the Year; LUMIE Award for Arts Teacher of the Year; and most recently, the Reba R. Robertson Award for Outstanding Teacher of Drama. He is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, and has worked in professionally as an actor and director for over 30 years. His local acting roles include: My Name is Asher Lev, Dining Room, Relatively Speaking and Late Arrival of the Incoming Aircraft at Live Theatre Workshop, Noises Off at UA, Blackbird at Beowulf, Little Footsteps at IT, and the acclaimed Tucson premiere of Doubt.

Our Border Town Cast and Crew

CREW:

Stage Manager: Jules Aguilar               Assistant Stage Managers: Sara Cadena, Holland Sterling

Costume Design: Kathy Hurst

Set and Light Design: Frank Calsbeek

Scenic Painting: Jessica Gonzales

Light & Sound Board: Max Johnson

Running Crew: Tony Moreno (Crew Chief), Riley Perry, Lijah Pace, Britton Summers, Rainyr Smith, Raven Strange, Panina Rast, Dayanarra Dixon

Sound Operator: Erika Piel                Mics: 


CAST:

Character names are in parentheses and in order of appearance. All characters with first and last names are based upon actual people taken from the interviews with members of the Tucson sector border communities.  These are their words and their points of view.  All other characters have either chosen to remain anonymous for their own safety and renamed, or are based upon the stories, extensive research and histories of this region.

Alex Kaplan (Alex)                                                    Mikey Lujan (Mikey) (Also serves as Dance Captain)

Riley McKinney (Riley)                                             Maliyah Guthrie (Maliyah)

Esmerelda Ramirez (Coyote & Caravan Leader)  Israel Verdugo (Domingo & Santiago) .                  

Camilla Portillo (Sayda)                                            Sharlyn Zavala (Laura & Rocio Calderon) .             

Jackie Talavera (Ella)                                                Jazmin DeHuelbes (Yasneli) .                        

Estevan Silvas (Murphy)                                           Preston Campbell (Pedro Perez) .               

Gabbie Sena (Alvaro Enciso)                                    Kyndall Viapiano (Cal Glover-Wessel) .       

Ella Bracale (Rev. John Fife)                                     Aslan Hicks (Rowland VanEs) .                     

Eva Schmidt (Judy VanEs)                                        Rosie Nuccio (Laurel Grinde)                       

Jascha Gaarder (Paul Nixon)                                   Mikey Lujan (Maynor)                                   

Rebecca Nieblas (Julissa)                                        Zuleika Barnett (Luz Demay)                       

Blue Stevens (Bash Padilla)                                     Alex Kaplan (Woman)                                   

Blaise Yeater (Man)                                                  Zax Felix Asteroid (Activist)                          

Miguel Pena (Humanitarian)                                    Matthew Diochea (Edwin)                            

Laysha Pon-Marquez (Magdalena Valdez)             Tutuli Ruiz                                                       

Jeremy Levine (Commandant)                                Blaise Yeater (Cody)