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When she was quite small, Angela Kabasan’s mother decided to enroll her in Pioneer Theatre, a youth theatre program that taught technical aspects of theatre as well as performing. She credits this program for kickstarting her love of all things theatrical. Following her involvement in that program, Angela took part in several productions with professional companies around Ohio. She still fondly remembers becoming Young Evita (Evita), General Cartwright (Guys and Dolls), and Sheila (A Chorus Line) to name a few.

She has taken a few interesting hiatuses from theatre (fronting a blues band in Ohio, moving to Arizona, and completing college) but she could never stay away for long. After she received her degrees in English Literature and Psychology from Barrett Honors College at ASU, she returned to the stage. Her favorite roles performed in the valley were: Golde (Fiddler on the Roof), Ilona Ritter (She Loves Me), Truvy Jones (Steel Magnolias), Josephine Strong (Urinetown), and Karen Nash (Plaza Suite).

As a makeup artist, Angela first became fascinated with the art of transformation during her time at Pioneer Theatre. She still remembers applying her first stage makeup (Madam Thénardier’s Act II finale makeup in Les Misérables). Angela eventually was asked to teach the class and also became the Assistant Technical Director for the company. She continued her love of makeup by studying at Kreider’s School of Makeup and Special F/X in Ohio. It was there she was introduced to John and Mary Walsh, who ran the Legion of Terror, a special F/X group that did makeup and performed at the award-winning Bloodview Haunted House. There, she learned to further her skills in lifecasting, molding, and various other makeup techniques. From there she answered an ad to become an assistant makeup director for M.O.B. Inc, a traveling murder mystery company. She eventually took over as their makeup director.

She picked her makeup brushes back up in Arizona for the first time in 2016 for Mesa Encore Theatre’s production of Footloose; that show began her foray into hair design as well. In 2017, she won an AriZoni award for her work in Urinetown. Since 2016 she has consistently worked, either with theatres or freelance/commission, on makeup and hair design. The designs gave her much joy were: Footloose, Urinetown, Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of Penzance, and Mary Poppins (MET); Plaza Suite (DST); She Loves Me (DBFRT); and Scar, Lion King Jr. commission (Center Stage Academy).

In 2019, she was recruited to join Southwest Shakespeare Company (SWSC) as a costume designer for As You Like It (having previously assisted in shows such as La Cage, She Loves Me, and Mary Poppins), but also as makeup and hair designer for that and their subsequent shows. Her designs for that show were featured in the 2019 Fall/Winter edition of Shakespeare Theatre Association’s magazine Quarto. Since joining SWSC, she has worked on Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, MacBeth, Irma Vep, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Richard II. She also maintains costume/makeup/props as the company’s Shop Manager.

Last year, Angela made her debut into film, where she played Sarah Burch in the movie NRI. She is currently working on another film set to be released either the end of this year or the beginning of next. Also in the works are a few different writing projects in addition to developing a podcast. When she is not doing anything else, she enjoys cooking, entertaining, karaoke, and drawing. She currently studies theatre at MCC. 

Herb Paine ~ Herb has served as Senior Contributing Editor and lead theatre critic for BWW's Phoenix Metro Region since 2014. He was acclaimed as BEST THEATRE CRITIC by PHOENIX magazine (2022 BEST OF THE VALLEY).

He is President of Paine Consulting Services, now in its thirty-sixth year of operation, specializing in organizational development, strategic planning, turnaround management, mergers, and governance. In addition to his work with corporations and government, he is a nationally recognized expert on all aspects of nonprofit organization management and has consulted extensively with arts and cultural organizations on strategic positioning, branding, and audience development. 

His provocative social and political commentaries were a regular feature on KJZZ/91.5 FM, NPR’s Phoenix affiliate. These days, Herb offers his perspectives on a variety of issues at IN THE CENTER LANE WITH HERB PAINE | Substack ~ https://herbpaine.substack.com. .

Herb is an avid fan of theatre, both on and off stage. His most recent acting credits include roles as Sgt. Jeff Pugliese in the National Geographic Channel’s April 2014 docudrama "Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers;" the King of France/Chaudron the forger/Ser Piero, DaVinci's father in Theater Works' "Finding Mona Lisa;" Inspector LeStrade in Fountain Hills Theater’s "Sherlock’s Last Case;" and Berry Bernard in the short film "Living Will." 

Jeanmarie Simpson has been a working theatre artist since 1972 and has directed dozens of plays and musicals. She wrote and performed hundreds of times (including Off-Broadway) A Single Woman about Jeannette Rankin, the first US Congresswoman. She performed the piece at CalArts as Surdna Distinguished Guest Artist in 2005 and starred in the film version with Judd Nelson, the voices of Martin Sheen and Patricia Arquette, and Joni Mitchell's music. After winning the Sacramento News and Review's Best Theatrical Surprise award, A Single Woman toured 53 countries on five continents. Tony Award winner Zakes Mokae directed her as Elsa in his 2003 staging of The Road to Mecca, and in 2007, Leonard Nimoy directed her in the US premiere of Vern Thiessen's solo-tour-de force, Shakespeare's Will. She again toured the world with Coming In Hot, playing 19 military women. From 2011-19, she toured globally with her original solo performance HERETIC - the Mary Dyer story. In 2021, her play Pineapple and Other Options was featured in the Pandora New Works Festival and was staged and filmed in Phoenix, and her play The Jewish Question won Honorable Mention by the New York-based Jewish Plays Project. In 2022, she won a Living History Foundation grant for Bambino Mio - Bright Little Flame about Maria Montessori. She is the recipient of six Sierra Arts Foundation, twelve Nevada Arts Council grants to artists, and multiple National Endowment for the Arts Theatre project grants. Founding Artistic Director of Universal Access Productions/Arizona Theatre Matters, she served on the panel for the 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants for Arts Projects. Jeanmarie is a retired member of the Stage Directors and Choreographer's Society, the Dramatists Guild of America, Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA

Born and raised in the Philippines, Robert Encila-Celdran resides in Tucson, Arizona where he works as a full-time theatre educator. A Fine Arts scholar from the University of Arizona, he founded Studio Connections, a non-profit theater company and arts organization for children and youth. As a director, Robert helmed over a hundred productions, including some of his favorites: Chicago, Noises Off, Man of La Mancha, JB, A Man of No Importance, Pippin, America Hurrah, and Sunday in the Park with George. As a member of Actors’ Equity, Robert appeared locally as an actor with Borderlands Theater, Arizona Theatre Company, and Invisible Theatre, and across the country as a musician in New York City’s BB King’s, The Players’ Club, and Birdland -- the Jazz Corner of the World. Robert is a freelance writer, a touring musician, and a proud family man.

Tim Shawver has appeared in or directed over 125 productions in the Phoenix area including work with Arizona Broadway Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre Company, Childsplay, Southwest Shakespeare Company, Stray Cat Theatre, Actors Theatre, Nearly Naked Theatre, Mesa Encore Theatre, A/C Theatre Co, and Space 55.