Into the Woods

Lee is delighted to return to SRT where he performed in Shenandoah and Man of La Mancha (2000). For five years he appeared in the First National Company of The Phantom Of The Opera (LeFeve). Favorite roles: the title role in John Muir’s Mountain Days (Shellie Award – best actor in a musical), Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, Pickering in My Fair Lady, FDR in Annie, Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, with Theatre Works, Diablo Theatre, AMT, Pocket Opera, 42nd Street Moon. Lee met his talented wife here at SRT and is delighted to be her Underling(!)

Austin is thrilled to be cast in his fourth SRT main stage production, appearing in Holiday Jukebox, The Wizard of Oz, and ELF, as Michael. A regular in SRT Jr. productions since he was seven, his favorite credits include Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast JR, Wonka in Wonka JR, and Marlin in Finding Nemo JR. Love and gratitude to Mom & Dad and all the mentors and teachers who helped him land his dream role in his favorite musical!

Laurie Strawn is delighted to be back at SRT! Recent SRT roles: Clairee in Steel Magnolias, Princess Dragomiroff in Murder on the Orient Express. Past SRT favorites include Noises Off, Picnic, and The Man of La Mancha. Regional roles include Tessie in Gypsy, Jean Louise Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Miss Shingle in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Laurie gives love and thanks to Lee Strawn, another SRT alum, and their wonderful daughter, Julia.

Jerry Lee is Sierra Rep’s Artistic Director. He’s appeared in the SRT productions of Misery, Sunday in the Park with George, Elf The Musical, Shrek The Musical, Camelot, Cabaret, Route 66, Intimate Apparel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Man of La Mancha, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair, and The Drowsy Chaperone. As an actor: I Love You…Change, Forbidden Broadway (California Musical Theatre); Life Could Be a Dream, A Christmas Carol (CenterREP); A Little Princess, The Fantasticks (Sacramento Theatre Company); West Side Story (Mountain Play); Orlando, An Iliad, A Tale of Two Cities (SacImpulse Theatre). As a soloist: Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration (Sacramento Choral Society); Billy Bigelow in Carousel in Concert (Sacramento Philharmonic). As a director: HAIR, Little Shop of Horrors, Mean Girls JR., Sh-Boom! A Christmas Miracle (World Premiere), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Twelfth Night, Jersey Boys, Clue, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh KIDS, Elvis The Musical (West Coast Premiere), Dogfight, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Steel Magnolias, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS, I Love You…Change, The Wizard of Oz, Holiday Jukebox, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Robber Bridegroom (SRT); I Love You…Change (STC). Lee began his association with Sierra Rep in 2010 when he stepped in as a replacement in Guys and Dolls.

In 2019, Lee created SRT in Schools, a touring program that brings live professional theatre to Tuolumne County schools at no cost to the schools, students, or their families. In 2023, the program branched out to include Stanislaus and Calaveras counties.

Camryn is thrilled to return to SRT this season as an Artistic Associate! Previous SRT credits include: Sunday in the Park with George (Dot/Marie), Cinderella (Ella), Jersey Boys (Mary Delgado), and Elf (Jovie). Camryn has had the pleasure to perform at several regional houses including Casa Mañana and Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. Camryn received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Arizona. She would like to thank her friends, family, and SRT for their endless love and support. Enjoy the show!

Brenda O’Brien began her theater career in San Diego, where she was seen as Judas in Godspell, Louise in Gypsy, Nicki in Sweet Charity, and Viola in Twelfth Night (to name a few). She received awards for her roles as Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation, Joan in Dames at Sea, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and Electra in Gypsy. Brenda then went on to perform as Svetlana in the 1st National tour of Chess. Soon after she began portraying Carmen San Diego on the PBS television show and video games. In addition to acting, Brenda is an accomplished make-up artist and hairdresser for TV, Film, and Theater. She received her 25 years on Broadway pin in 2019 for her work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Jekyll & Hyde, and Disney’s The Lion King. SRT Audiences might remember her as Tanya in Mamma Mia (2018), or as Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis (2021). So glad to be back!

Hana is excited to be making her Sierra Repertory Theatre debut in this beloved musical. National Tour: Annie (Star to Be, Lily St. Regis u/s). Off-Broadway: The Lieutenant (The York Theatre). Regional: She Loves Me (Amalia u/s), Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Sweeney Todd (Johanna u/s). Major Motion Picture Soundtrack Vocals: Nightmare On Elm Street, Joyful Noise. BM: Manhattan School of Music. Thank you to the team, friends, family, and About Artists!

Maya Mays is a performing artist based in NYC and is honored to be making her SRT debut!! She is a recent graduate of UNCSA. Some proud credits include: The Tempest (Santa Cruz Shakespeare), If Pretty Hurts (UNCSA), Romeo and Juliet (Maltz Jupiter). Maya is so happy to join the SRT family and could not ask for a better cast and crew. She’d like to thank her family, friends, and About Artist Agency for all their incredible support!

Jackie is thrilled to be returning to SRT once again! She has most recently been seen in SRT’s production of Cinderella as Charlotte. Jackie is a graduate of PCPA and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts. Favorite credits include: Cinderella, Sunday in the Park with George, Elf, Shrek, and The Wizard of Oz (Sierra Rep); Men on Boats (Cornish College); Freaky Friday (PCPA). Jackie would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support.

Courtney returns to Sierra Rep having recently appeared as The Witch in Into the Woods. From leading ladies, to character roles and kicking a leg up in the chorus, SRT has never failed to inspire and challenge Courtney as an artist. She was also seen in 2023 right across the county line as Cathy in The Last Five Years at Murphys Creek Theatre.  Career highlights beyond the California Foothills include the original Broadway company of The Woman in White, the Australian tour of Sweeney Todd and the Austral-Asian premiere of Ragtime with The Production Company in Melbourne, Victoria. “Dedicating this one to all my gal-pals, near and far.” 

Madeline is thrilled and grateful to have been chosen for this beautiful role after a long absence from the stage. Thank you Scott and Jerry! Former director of choirs at Sonora and Summerville High schools and a graduate of the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music, she has been a member and soloist with the Columbia College Community Chorus and Placer Pops Chorale. She was last seen on the SRT stage in the role of Agnes in “I Do! I Do!”. Performing in local theatre companies (SRT, CAR, Modesto Performing Arts, Stockton Civic Theater), some favorite roles include Maria (The Sound of Music), Cinderella (Into the Woods), Julie (Show Boat), and Eliza (My Fair Lady). Much love to her family and friends, and to her grandchildren, may there always be “music in you”!

Kevin Heath (Buster; u/s Paul Sheldon) is immensely grateful to return to the SRT stage! Previous SRT credits include Clue (Mr. Green), Elf The Musical (Santa/Greenway), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Grimsby), and Agatha Christie’s Murder on The Orient Express (Michel). His acting career started in New York and Boston before moving to California where he co-founded Limelight Actors Theater. Bay Area production credits include The Velocity of Autumn (Chris), The Outgoing Tide (Jack), and The 39 Steps (Hannay). Kevin is the Manager of Development Operations at SRT and is beyond grateful for his rock, Alan.

After some time on the east coast, Alex is ecstatic to be returning to SRT! Previous SRT credits include: The Drowsy Chaperone, Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella working backstage, The Little Mermaid (Scuttle), and Shrek The Musical (Ensemble). Alex has had a wonderful time performing with several regional theaters including; PCPA Solvang Theaterfest and TheREV Theatre. Alex is immensely grateful to his friends, family, and especially his partner for all their love and support.

James Laine is a playwright and director. On Broadway he has worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George; Into the Woods; and Passion. He also conceived and directed the musical review Sondheim on Sondheim. With William Finn he created Falsettos recently revived by Lincoln Center Theater; Little Miss Sunshine; Muscle; and directed Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other Broadway credits include his play based on Moss Hart’s memoir Act One(also LCT), Amour, The Diary of Anne Frank, Golden Child, and Dirty Blonde. He has written the plays Table Settings, Twelve Dreams, The Moment When, Fran’s Bed and Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing. Lapine has been nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning on three occasions. He has also been the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, SDC’s Mr. Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, and inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George(1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion(1994) and Road Show (2008) as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959) and Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Anthologies of his work include Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99) and Sondheim On Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores of the films “Stavisky” (1974) and “Reds” (1981) and songs for “Dick Tracy” (1990) and the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: “Finishing the Hat” (2010) and “Look, I Made A Hat” (2011). In 2010 Broadway’s Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in his honour; in 2019, London’s Queens Theatre was also renamed the Sondheim.

Scott Viets is Sierra Rep’s Executive Producer. He has directed over 60 shows for SRT since his arrival in 2002. As a director, his SRT favorites include The Wizard of Oz, Intimate Apparel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Christmas Story, All My Sons, Shipwrecked, The Robber Bridegroom, and The Glass Menagerie. Thank you for supporting live theatre and continuing (or beginning) your journey with us!

Jerry Lee is Sierra Rep’s Artistic Director. He’s appeared in the SRT productions of Misery, Sunday in the Park with George, Elf The Musical, Shrek The Musical, Camelot, Cabaret, Route 66, Intimate Apparel, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Man of La Mancha, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair, and The Drowsy Chaperone. As an actor: I Love You…Change, Forbidden Broadway (California Musical Theatre); Life Could Be a Dream, A Christmas Carol (CenterREP); A Little Princess, The Fantasticks (Sacramento Theatre Company); West Side Story (Mountain Play); Orlando, An Iliad, A Tale of Two Cities (SacImpulse Theatre). As a soloist: Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration (Sacramento Choral Society); Billy Bigelow in Carousel in Concert (Sacramento Philharmonic). As a director: HAIR, Little Shop of Horrors, Mean Girls JR., Sh-Boom! A Christmas Miracle (World Premiere), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Twelfth Night, Jersey Boys, Clue, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh KIDS, Elvis The Musical (West Coast Premiere), Dogfight, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Steel Magnolias, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS, I Love You…Change, The Wizard of Oz, Holiday Jukebox, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Robber Bridegroom (SRT); I Love You…Change (STC). Lee began his association with Sierra Rep in 2010 when he stepped in as a replacement in Guys and Dolls.

In 2019, Lee created SRT in Schools, a touring program that brings live professional theatre to Tuolumne County schools at no cost to the schools, students, or their families. In 2023, the program branched out to include Stanislaus and Calaveras counties.

Sean is a composer and pianist based in Los Angeles. Originally from Sonora, he attended USC for Jazz Performance studying with Milcho Leviev and Cedar Walton. After finishing his degree, Sean spent a year in Glasgow, Scotland, playing in hotels and working with the Lothian Gaelic Choir. Then, after working in San Francisco with jazz and pop groups, he returned to Los Angeles and a career as a composer and pianist. He has music directed dozens of productions at various theatres including Sierra Rep, Milwaukee Rep, PCPA, The Odyssey, The NoHo Arts Center, Sierra Madre Playhouse, and has played and produced music for Disney and Universal Studios. Sean recently scored the award-winning feature Refuge, SMP’s production of Deathtrap, and received ASCAP’s Harold Arlen Award for film scoring.

Michael Kramer: Theatre: Cabaret, 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Always Patsy Cline, Beehive the 60’s Musical Sensation, The Great American Trailer Park Musical at Sierra Repertory Theatre. Ragtime and Children of Eden at APAC (New York Innovative Theatre Award winners for Outstanding Scenic Design), Saturday Night Fever, North Shore Music Theatre My Fair Lady Theatre by the Sea. and The Wake of Jamey Foster – The Cherry Lane. A Christmas Story – Seacoast Repertory, Steel Magnolias – Le Petit Theatre NOLA. Television: ESPN’s SportsNation, CBS Super Bowl New Orleans, & NFL Total Access.  Dedicated to new baby Vivien and her mother.

Janetta is very pleased to be working once again in a loving and professional theatre! She received her MFA from New York University. Coming from a broad base she has managed several costume shops, worked as an assistant for Broadway and numerous regional theaters. Additionally, she was a member of Elsen Associates, the wig and makeup company. Some of her favorite work venue’s include Washington Opera, Sesame Street Live, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alice Tully Hall, The Denver Center, Philadelphia Street Theater, Jacobs’ Pillow and Central City Opera.  Favorite shows which she has been able to design are: The Comedy of Errors, The Threepenny Opera, Tartuffe, Electra, The Turn of the Screw, Blood Wedding, Noises Off and Ragtime.

Diana has been a costume Designer in Tuolumne County for many different theaters since 1976. This is her seventh year designing and stitching for SRT. She most recently designed Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play, Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS, Peter Rabbit, Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Route 66, Holiday Jukebox, Intimate Apparel, Pageant, Million Dollar Quartet, The Glass Menagerie, A Christmas Story, A Columbia Christmas Carol, and Hank Williams: Lost Highway.

Isaac’s past credits include Shadow Directing on the TV show Chicago PD, directing stage productions of An Inspector Calls, Twelfth Night, Murder on the Orient Express, and Distracted. Lighting Design credits include How to Hug a Cactus, and James and The Giant Peach at Enlightened Theatrics. Outside of his theater life, Isaac is a studio artist, exhibiting this last year at the Salem Art Association, The Fishbowl Gallery, and CoCA in Seattle WA.

Brenda O’Brien began her theater career in San Diego, where she was seen as Judas in Godspell, Louise in Gypsy, Nicki in Sweet Charity, and Viola in Twelfth Night (to name a few). She received awards for her roles as Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation, Joan in Dames at Sea, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and Electra in Gypsy. Brenda then went on to perform as Svetlana in the 1st National tour of Chess. Soon after she began portraying Carmen San Diego on the PBS television show and video games. In addition to acting, Brenda is an accomplished make-up artist and hairdresser for TV, Film, and Theater. She received her 25 years on Broadway pin in 2019 for her work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Jekyll & Hyde, and Disney’s The Lion King. SRT Audiences might remember her as Tanya in Mamma Mia (2018), or as Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis (2021). So glad to be back!

Mateo is so happy to be a part of the Sierra Rep team! It’s been such a joy with working with all this talent returning and new! They would love to express appreciation to Scott and Jerry for letting them stretch their artistic arms in this way, and Tatiana for providing the tools and moral support necessary to succeed.

Matthew Rose: a man of many talents, from riveting audiences on stage in Daylight to Booneville, Deathtrap, and Into the Woods, to behind-the-scenes wizardry at Sierra Repertory Theatre. With a knack for bringing characters to life and a touch of humor, Matthew’s journey in theater is a delightful mix of passion and creativity. Whether wielding props or pulling strings, he’s a force to be reckoned with, both on and offstage.

Maggie Braun (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at her theatre home! SRT: Steel Magnolias, Murder on the Orient Express, Route 66, The Wizard of Oz, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, and Million Dollar Quartet. With her associate degree in Theater from Modesto Junior College, she is proud to have her dream job here in Sonora. She would like to thank her family, best friends, and Connor for supporting her in her journey of chasing her dreams. “Look ma, I made it!”

Bitten by the theatre bug at the age of 13 when he saw Carol Channing in Hello Dolly!, Michael began working professionally in theatre at 19 and has never looked back. Born and raised in Hollywood, California, he is a performer, stage manager, director and producer. For the last 17 years Michael has been involved with Sacramento Theatre Company, and recently retired from his position as Executive Director. Favorite productions: The Musical of Musicals and A Little Princess (both featuring Jerry Lee), Bark – The Musical, The Pirates of Penzance, Deathtrap, and Clue: The Musical. For a kid with a love of the theatre, life is good.