PRODUCTION & STAFF BIOS
PRODUCTION BIOS
Robert Michael Sanders (He/Him) Director
Robert Michael Sanders has worked in the entertainment industry for the last 30 years, including all capacities of theater and theater education. He is currently the Executive Director of the Town hall Arts Center, as well as an at large director in the community.
As a Phamaly member Robert was last seen in his Henry nominated performance as Amos in Chicago. Other Phamaly productions include Pygmalion, and The Fantastiks.
Professionally, Robert’s career has been spent as an educator, instructor, touring musician, writer, producer, actor, director and talent agent. For the past 30 years Robert Michael has worked consistently as a resident instructor and director at Town Hall Arts Center. In addition, he has taught at many area high schools, Universities, and most professional theaters here on the Colorado Front Range. Robert has directed over 70 productions, including several critically acclaimed Equity, and Non-Equity productions around the state, and has been recognized with multiple nominations and awards as an actor, director and musician. Robert has developed programs and curriculum for all ages that teach life skills through theater education and believes that theatre should be an all-inclusive safe place where students and adults can be themselves while they discover and explore. Robert is a member of the Colorado Theatre Guild, ASCAP, and The Recording Academy.
Jessica Hinsley (She/Her) – Choreographer
Pippin is Jessica's first production with Phamaly. Ms. Hindsley is an award-winning choreographer, director, and producer with a career spanning over three decades in theatre and live entertainment. In 2021 she co-wrote and directed The Bright Lights of Denver, an original theatrical concept and podcast experience for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She also serves as co-producer and choreographer for Motones & Jerseys in Concert, a high-energy production touring both Colorado and the nation. Some of her favorite choreography credits include Beauty and the Beast, A Chorus Line, Jekyll & Hyde, The Producers, Aida, The Drowsy Chaperone, Caroline or Change, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Xanadu and Hair. @jess1867
Claire Hayes (She/Her) – Assistant Choreographer
Claire is extraordinarily delighted to be back with Phamaly for Pippin! Claire enjoys sharing accessible dance and movement with those on stage and those in the audience. Her past shows with Phamaly include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Choreographer), A Chorus Line (Co-Choreographer), and Spring Awakening (Assistant Director). Claire spends her time dancing, choreographing, directing and watching musicals. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and production team for their dedication and magic! She hopes you find your purpose in this production of Pippin! @clairej.hayes on Instagram
Heather Iris Hold (She/Her) – Music Director
Pippin is Heather Iris’s fourth show as Music Director with Phamaly Theatre Company, but she is no stranger to Denver Regional Theatre. Over the last decade, Heather has music directed and performed in theatre pits for Town Hall Arts Center, Forgelight Theatreworks, Breckenridge Backstage, BDT Stage, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, Ignite Theatre, Performance Now, Vintage Theatre, Inspire Creative, StageDoor Theatre, The Aurora Fox, and Coal Creek Theatre. Some of her favorite projects include Spitfire Grill, Next to Normal, 35 MM, The Toxic Avenger, Plaid Tidings, Mama Mia, and of course Heathers. Heather loves working with her EXTRAORDINARY Phamaly!!!
T Caballero (They/Them) Assistant Director
This is T’s debut with Phamaly. This production marks their first time in a director role, serving as assistant director. With a background in creating and performing original works, they have collaborated with The Gaslight Circus and Prescott College Performance Laboratory in Arizona. They live with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Special thanks to their friends, family, and their college theatre teacher, Ruth Pongstaphone, for showing them the transformative power of theatre.
Carrie Colton (She/Her) - Fight/Intimacy Director
This is Carrie’s first show with Phamaly. Carrie is a certified fight director and full stage combat instructor with Dueling Arts International and The British Academy of Dramatic Combat and is an Intimacy Director through Theatrical Intimacy Education. Favorite fight credits include Romeo and Juliet (North Dakota Shakespeare), Cabaret (GLOW Lyric Opera) and three seasons with Candlelight Playhouse and Town Hall Arts Center. She is currently the Artistic Director at Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids and an Associate Professor of Movement and Musical Theatre at MSU Denver. Education: BFA in Acting – Southern Utah University. MFA in Directing – Florida State University. Insta: carrie_ography. Website: www.carriecolton.com.
Emma Ackerman (She/Her) Stage Manager
Emma joined Phamaly last summer as stage manager for A Chorus Line, and she is pleased as punch to be back. A recent transplant from Pennsylvania, she spent 15 years working at Touchstone Theatre, a small professional ensemble theatre in Bethlehem, PA, where her work included production management, design, performance, admin, and arts education. Local work includes performing with CSF's Shakespeare and Violence Prevention Tour; working onstage and backstage with Miners Alley TYA for Amelia's Big Idea, Nutcracker, and Aladdin; performing in The Cottage at Stagedoor Theatre and Night Terrors with Searcher Collective; and stage managing The Hours of Anne for Act One Productions.
Mary Grace Ramsden (She/Her) Assistant Stage Manager
This is Grace’s debut with Phamaly. She is new to Denver and most recent credits include Emma (Assistant Stage Manager), The Spitfire Grill (Stage Manager), Born with Teeth (Intimacy Director), Big Fish (Assistant Stage Manager), and Indecent (Intimacy Director) all performed in Austin TX. Grace is a stage manager and intimacy director passionate about fostering a theatrical environment where consent, safety, and empathy are at the forefront of every production.
Richard Sauer (He/Him) Crew Chief
This is Richard 11th season with Phamaly, he has his BFA in theatre and film from CU. Richard also is a production assistant for Colorado Ballet, and a company manager for Avid dance company. He is excited to be working with Phamaly and is proud of all the cast and crew. He wants to thank friends and (F)amily for all their support. And a special thanks to his partner Emma for all her love and support.
Cass Dunn (They/Them) Assistant Accomodations Specialist
Cass (they/them) is thrilled to be on the other side of the table for this production with Phamaly! Cass has previously been seen in A Chorus Line, and The 25th…Spelling Bee with Phamaly. They have been in Denver for two years and been in productions at Town Hall Arts Center, Miner’s Alley, and with Denver Children’s Theatre. It has been an honor to help support this room and group of people!
Madison Booth (She/Her) Costume Designer
Madison is excited to be joining Phamaly for her third production with the company. Other credits include The Rocky Horror Picture Show(2022) and A Chorus Line(2024). Select Colorado design credits include Once Upon A Mattress (Arvada Center), Vagner's The Flying Dutchman (Opera Colorado), Rent (The University of Denver), Little Women (Theatreworks, UCCS), and La Bohème (Opera Steamboat). Madison is an M.F.A graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park. She would like to thank her family for their continued support. https://madisonbooth.com
Curt Behm (he/him) Sound Designer
This is Curt's debut with Phamaly. He is a 3 time Henry Award nominee, a 2019 True West award winner and has been mixing and/or designing theatrical productions and mixing bands for 30+ years. Favorites include: Once, American Idiot, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Dracula, Sweeney Todd, and mixing blues artist Susan Tedeschi. Curt would like to thank Robert and Phamaly for this opportunity and his family for their love and never-ending support.
Rob Costigan (He/Him) Props Designer
Rob is proud to be a part of the design team for Pippin. He, along with his husband, Bob Bauer, are the creative team and owners of PROPabilities. In 2015, Rob received a True West Award where he was recognized as "one of Denver's most venerated at his craft," by John Moore. A proud member of Actor's Equity for almost 30 years, Rob has received a Denver Drama Critic Award for his work onstage. In loving memory of Bob Bauer, husband, best friend and forever, Bert to his Ernie.
Brian Watson (They/Them) – Scenic Designer
Brian is thrilled to be making their Phamaly debut! Formerly from the Bay Area, they have been residing in the Denver Metro Area for the last 3 years. Notable local credits include Lyle the Crocodile (Arvada Center for Arts & Humanities), A Case for the Existence of God (Curious Theatre Company), The Ballot of Paola Aguilar (Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company), The City Dog & The Prairie Dog (Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center), High School Musical, The Little Mermaid, and The Scarlet Pimpernel (Candlelight Dinner Theatre), Matilda and Jersey Boys (Town Hall Arts Center). They hold a B.A. in Theatre Arts from CSU Sacramento and also work as an actor with Actor’s Equity Association. Follow them on Instagram @BWatScenic and visit bwatscenic.weebly.com
Emily A. Maddox (She/Her) – Lighting Designer
This is Emily’s 6th production with Phamaly. Her previous PTC designs include The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls, Funny as a Crutch, Miss Holmes, Spring Awakening, & Vox Vergere. Her recent designs include 42nd Street (PNTC) & Follies in Concert (Vintage Theater). Emily received a 2023 Henry Award for The Royale (BETC) and a 2023 Onstage Colorado Award for Sondheim on Sondheim (Cherry Creek Theatre).
STAFF BIOS
Corinne Melon (she/her) – Managing Director
Corinne is an arts administrator, vocal coach, and opera stage director dedicated to bringing equity to the arts and advocating for performers. Prior to working at Phamaly, she served as the Executive Director for the Arapahoe Philharmonic, bringing a renewed focus on artistic excellence to the company. Corinne founded and served as the Executive Artistic Director of Denver Immersive Opera, a company dedicated to supporting female identifying and LGBTQAI+ artists while creating immersive operatic productions that resonate with modern audiences. She has also served as the Production Manager for Boulder Opera Company and Company Manager for Boulder Music Institute. Corinne holds a Performer’s Certificate in Voice from the University of Denver, a dual MM in Opera and Musical Theatre Performance from Arizona State University, and a BM in Voice Performance with a minor in Theatre from Middle Tennessee State University. Corinne lives with anxiety and depression.
Ben Raanan (he/him) – Artistic Director
Ben Raanan is a disabled theatre maker and advocate originally hailing from Chicago, Illinois. His artistic focus is centralized around creating artistically rigorous theatre with, for, and about the disabled community. Ben is the Artistic Director at Phamaly Theatre Company, the longest running disability theatre company in the United States. Ben received his BFA from Drake University with a concentration in directing/musical theatre, and his MFA in directing from DePaul. Some of his favorite directing credits include: Spring Awakening, My Name is Asher Lev, Spitfire Grill (Phamaly Theatre Company), Cost of Living (Renaissance Theatre Works + Curious Theatre Company), Macbeth (Spectrum Shakespeare), Antigone: Born Against, Eleemosynary, Bob: A Life In Five Acts, Crumble: Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati) Mockingbird (Falcon Theatre).
Erin Banthoff (she/her) – Operations Manager
Erin is a Denver-based theatrical artist always searching for the next creative opportunity. By day she navigates the creation of stigma abolishing theatre with Phamaly Theatre Company, on staff since 2019, proudly working as the Operations Manager. By night she is trying to find time for everything else: performance, podcasting, costuming, design, directing, and learning to cook better than your mama can. Every day she is thankful for her supportive circle and partner in crime, Jeremy Althoff. Erin lives with Hashimoto’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, and Anxiety.
Annie Jacobs (she/her) – Technical Production Manager
Annie joined Phamaly in December of 2019. She moved to Denver from Connecticut where she had been the Director of Production at ACT of Connecticut. Prior to that, she had spent over a decade production managing in New York theatres, including APAC, Queens Theatre, and Prospect Theatre Company. Her time in New York also included working at Showman Fabricators. While there, her projects included Broadway's Sweeney Todd, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Disney World's American Idol Experience and NBC's The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. Annie is an alumnus from the Theatre School at DePaul University and the School of Drama at Yale University.
Lauren Lynch-Eidson (she/her) – Marketing & Communications Manager
Lauren (she/her) hails from Clarksville, TN and earned an MFA in Arts Administration from Texas Tech University. She has had a passion for accessibility in the arts for many years, spending three+ years volunteering in-person and virtually for A.B.L.E. Ensemble, a Chicago-based theatre for, with, and by individuals with developmental disabilities, and volunteering at Phamaly before becoming a full-time employee.Lauren is also an Adjunct Professor in Arts and Culture Management at The University of Denver, and a newly published playwright. Previously, she had the privilege of working at Wonderbound Ballet, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center among others. When she's not at work, you can find her playing board games, singing with the Denver Women’s Chorus, or stealing cuddles from her dog, Harry Pupper, and her husband, Eric. She lives with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depressive Disorder.
AJ Watson (He/Him) – Production Accessibility Manager
AJ is very excited to be entering his first year with Phamaly. Originally from the east coast and earning his chops in the world of film and television, serendipity brought him to the company after walking down the street, newly arrived in Denver and deciding to go to a performance of Alice in Wonderland presented by Phamaly! From there he volunteered backstage for Vox Vergere and then A2’d for Spring Awakening.
Grace Tate (She/Her) – Community Engagement Manager
Grace is originally from Houston, Texas and attended college in Boston, Massachusetts earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is passionate about community building and engagement, fostering accessibility in the arts, and the importance of mutual aid. She also pursues all sorts of personal artistic endeavors! She embroiders, sews, and paints in her free time, and has a background in scholastic lighting design. She is excited to join Phamaly and create meaningful connections.
LITERARY ARTIST BIOS
Stephen Schwartz
Stephen wrote the music and lyrics for WICKED. In addition, Stephen Schwartz's scores for musical theatre include GODSPELL, PIPPIN, THE BAKER’S WIFE, and CHILDREN OF EDEN. For film, he wrote the songs for THE PRINCE OF EGYPT and collaborated with composer Alan Menken on the songs for Disney's POCAHONTAS, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and ENCHANTED.
In the classical field, he wrote lyrics in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein for Bernstein’s MASS. Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and a special Tony Award. In the United States, Mr. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For further information, he invites interested members of the audience to visit his website at www.stephenschwartz.com
Roger O. Hirson
Roger O. Hirson - Writer. Father of David Hirson Awards and nominations: 1973 Tony Award® Best Book of a Musical Pippin [nominee] 1967 Tony Award® Best Musical Walking Happy [nominee] Productions: PIPPIN Book [Original, Musical, Comedy] (Oct 23, 1972 - Jun 12, 1977). WALKING HAPPY Book [Original, Musical] (Nov 26, 1966 - Apr 22, 1967)
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
