Playwright

Mo is an author, illustrator, animator, playwright, and the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence. During his two-year term, Willems will write, produce, and collaborate in creating fun new stuff involving classical music, jazz experiences, comedy concerts, dance, painting, and digital works with the National Symphony Orchestra, Ben Folds, Jason Moran, and others. Willems is best known for his #1 New York Times bestselling picture books, which have been awarded three Caldecott Honors, two Theodor Geisel Medals, and five Geisel Honors. He began his career as a writer and animator on PBS’ Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards (writing). Other television work includes two series on Cartoon Network: Sheep in the Big City (creator and head writer) and Codename: Kids Next Door (head writer). His art has been exhibited around the world, including major solo retrospectives at the High Museum in Atlanta and the New-York Historical Society. Willems’s papers reside at Yale University’s Beinecke Library. Over the last decade, Willems has become the most produced playwright of Theater for Young Audiences in America, in large part thanks to his continued collaboration with Deborah Wicks La Puma and Megan Alrutz. Two of his previous plays, Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Musical and Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!, were commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: the Rock Experience was commissioned by the Seattle Children’s Theater. Willems is overjoyed to have written Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!) with his longtime collaborator and friend, Mr. Warburton. Banana!

Playwright

Mr. Warburton is the executive producer of Disney Jr’s hit series Muppet Babies, which has introduced Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, and a brand new Muppet named Summer Penguin to a whole new generation of kids. But Mr. Warburton is best known as the creator of the action-packed original series Codename: Kids Next Door, which ran on Cartoon Network for six seasons and inspired kids to start their own KND sectors worldwide. Over the years, Mr. Warburton has helped produce, design, and direct many other animated shows including Disney’s Fish Hooks, The 7D, and Pepper Ann, as well as Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City, Nickelodeon’s Doug, and MTV’s Beavis and Butthead. He has also worked on tons of animated commercials, episodes of Schoolhouse Rock, and Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse. Mr. Warburton also likes to make books. His first picture book, 1000 Times No, was published by HarperCollins to super nice reviews, and an animated version was made for Nick Jr. He’s currently plotting and planning many exciting new projects with his best pal, children’s book author Mo Willems, but the most exciting just might be the musical you’re about to watch right now.

Composer & Orchestrator

Deborah is delighted to be premiering another work at the Kennedy Center with the Mo Willems team! As a composer and orchestrator, she has worked with Willems to create Elephant and Piggies We Are in a Play! (The Kennedy Center), and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience (Seattle Childrens Theatre). La Puma is one of the most produced artists in Theater for Young Audiences today, and has enjoyed premiering numerous new musicals at the Kennedy Center, including OLIVERio: A Brazilian Twist and Chasing George Washington: A White House Adventure with playwright Karen Zacarias, and Nobody’s Perfect, a bilingual musical in English and American MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM Sign Language based on Marlee Matlin’s book, with playwright Doug Cooney. Her latest musical, She Persisted with playwright Adam Tobin (based on the book by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger), premiered this past spring at Bay Area Children’s Theatre. La Puma received her MFA in musical theatre Collaboration from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, her BA in music composition from Stanford University, and she studied Mexican folk music with ethnomusicologist Alfredo López Mondragón of the Universidad de Baja California. Her honors include the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, an NEA New American Works Grant, two Parents Choice Awards, and a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Adaptation. A proud Mexican-American and Navy brat who grew up in Brazil, Portugal, and California, La Puma is a member of TYA USA/ASSITEJ, ASCAP, and The Dramatists Guild. Mother to three daughters and Mimi the Cat, La Puma lives in Southern California with her PR Agent and loving husband, Chris.

Director

Jerry is a former producing artistic director/founding member at Round House Theatre and Street 70 Theatre. He has acted, directed, and taught in D.C. and New York City. Recent directing credits include Guys and Dolls (Olney), Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in A Play! (Kennedy Center), The Night Before Christmas (Adventure Theatre), Belle of Amherst (Bay Theatre), Nixon’s Nixon, Orson’s Shadow, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Round House), Speed the Plow, Lost in Yonkers (Theatre J). Favorite roles include Seagull on 16th Street (Trigorin), Blackbird (Ray), A Body of Water (Moss), Tabletop (Marcus), Wintertime (Francois), Underneath the Lintel (solo). Film, TV, and radio narration and voiceover credits include Heart and Soul—Biography of Frank Loesser, The Wire, An American Affair, My One and Only, A Woman Named Jackie (NBC), The Pelican Brief, On The Block (Yeager Films), Parade of Witnesses (PBS), All My Sons, American Appetites, and A Lesson Before Dying for VOA/LA Theatre Works. Whiddon also coaches leaders in the corporate world and teaches at University of Maryland, Catholic University, George Mason University, and Round House Theatre. Love to Jean, Amelia, and Hannah… they are the center, and the center holds.

Choreographer

Jessica is thrilled to return to the Kennedy Center after choreographing Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Associate Choreographer), The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman (Assistant Choreographer/ Dance Captain). Off-Broadway: Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (New Victory Theatre). Other credits include: A Chorus Line, Memphis, Mamma Mia! (TUTS); Seussical, Hairspray, All Shook Up, Mamma Mia!, Annie, and Footloose with Christian Borle (The MUNY); Norwegian Creative Studios (Choreographer); Disney Jr. Dance Party (Associate Show Director/Choreographer); Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Associate); How to Succeed… (Associate, TUTS); West Side Story (Associate, Signature Theatre); and Next to Normal (Choreographer, Baltimore Center Stage). Up next: The United States Air Force Band at Constitution Hall. Hartman is the artistic director of Broadway Theatre Connection and a proud member of SDC. JessHartman.com

Dramaturg and Associate Producer

Dr. Megan Alrutz is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where she heads the Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities area. She MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM works nationally and internationally as a theatre-maker, director, and dramaturg. Alrutz’s work focuses on the role of performance, storytelling (live and digital), and drama-based pedagogy in building intentional communities of practice with young people. Alrutz has worked as the dramaturg for award-winning author and playwright Mo Willems for the last ten years, and she is currently the dramaturg and associate producer for Mo Willems’s Education Artist-in-Residence projects at the Kennedy Center. Alrutz creates and directs visually surprising theater for the very young and is the author of three books: Critically Engaged Devising with Youth: The Performing Justice Project (with Lynn Hoare); Digital Storytelling, Applied Theatre & Youth: Performing Possibility; and Playing with Theory in Theatre Practice (with Julia Listengarten and Vandy Wood). Other recent works and projects include: Gimme Please! (Alliance Theatre and PaperBoats), Outside the Lines (Arts on the Horizon), Patchwork Stories (Exeter, UK), and the Performing Justice Project (Austin, TX).

Original Music Director

William returns to the Kennedy Center after serving as music director for Earthrise, as well as both the premiere production and the national tour of Me…Jane. D.C. area credits include Into the Woods (Ford’s Theater), Snow Child (Arena Stage), Floyd Collins (1st Stage), Jesus Christ Superstar and The Last Five Years [Helen Hayes nominee, Music Direction] (Signature Theatre), and Ordinary Days (Round House Theatre). Orchestrations include Man of La Mancha (Shakespeare Theatre Company) and Big River (Adventure Theatre MTC). He wrote the music and lyrics for the Off-Broadway and nationally touring production of Caps for Sale, as well as Blueberries for Sal [Helen Hayes nominee, Best Adaptation] at Adventure Theatre MTC. His composition “The Astronomer” can be heard on the Capital Hearings’ album When the Night is New. williamyanesh.squarespace.com.

Puppet Director

Scottie is an arts entrepreneur and cheerleader for sustainable arts careers. Hailing from rural Georgia, Rowell got his start in storytelling and puppetry as a means to build worlds and create multiple characters as a solo performer. As owner of Teller Productions, an Atlanta-based theater company specializing in storytelling, puppetry, and theater for the very young, Rowell produces skillfully-crafted, sustainable works made accessible to audiences through non-traditional theater installations and immersive experiences. Recent puppet-directing credits include: Peter & Friends (Teller Productions and the National Symphony Orchestra), Old MacDonald’s Symphony (the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), The Tourist Trap (Peppercorn Theatre), The Littlest Christmas Tree (IO Productions/Stone Mountain Park), and Deep Sea Discovery (Georgia Aquarium). ScottieRowell.com.

Music Director

Marika is a musician, educator, and performer in the DC area. She holds a BM in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America and serves as Vocal Instructor & Area Accompanist for Howard University's BFA Musical Theatre Program. Some of her music directing credits include: FLYING V: We’re Gonna Die (Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Music Direction); MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE: A Thrill of Hope Concert; CONSTELLATION: The Last Five Years; MONUMENTAL: Songs for a New World, Head Over Heels, Be More Chill, Daddy Long Legs, and Brooklyn; NEXTSTOP: Beehive; LEVINE MUSIC THEATRE: Matilda;  CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: 9 to 5;  MONTGOMERY COLLEGE:  Urinetown and Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play; GONZAGA COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL: SpongeBob The Musical. Upcoming: MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE: Godspell.

Assistant Choreographer

Nathan recently choreographed the PBS special Live from Lincoln Center: Stars in Concert starring Annaleigh Ashford and served as Director/Choreographer of Kinky Boots at Ogunquit Playhouse. Nathan was dance/movement consultant on the Broadway productions of You Can’t Take It With You and Sylvia with Ms. Ashford and Our Mother’s Brief Affair with Linda Lavin. Nathan is proud to have been the Dance Captain of Kinky Boots during its entire Broadway run coaching Wayne Brady, Brendon Urie, Todrick Hall & Mark Ballas, among others, to the stage. He also choreographed for BC Beat, Broadway Bares XXVIII, Joseph at Ridgefield Playhouse, CT, and served as Director of The Soul Sessions starring Kyle Taylor Parker at Greenroom 42 in NYC. As performer, Nathan appeared in the Broadway companies of Wicked, La Cage aux Folles (2004, Dance Captain), Taboo, The Boy from Oz, and Dance of the Vampires (Asst Dance Captain).

Scenic Designer

Daniel Conway Recent projects include: Penn and Teller on Broadway, directed by John Rando; The Tempest for American Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, and The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, directed by Aaron Posner and Teller; the premieres of Queens for a Year for Hartford Stage and Love in Afghanistan for Arena Stage, directed by Lucie Tiberghien; The Diary of Anne Frank for Milwaukee Rep, directed by KJ Sanchez; End of The Rainbow, directed by Mark Clements for Milwaukee Rep; The Games Afoot for the Cleveland Playhouse, directed by Aaron Posner; Sucker Punch, MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM directed by Leah C. Gardiner for the Studio Theatre; Company, Hairspray, Chess, and Sunset Boulevard for The Signature Theatre, directed by Eric Schaeffer; Sabrina Fair for The Ford’s Theatre and The Merry Wives of Windsor for The Shakespeare Theater, directed by Stephen Rayne; The Adventures of Homer P. Figg for The Kennedy Center, directed by Gregg Henry. Nominated for Washington, D.C’s Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design 15 times, he received the award in 2000, 2009, and 2014 for Stunning at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, directed by Anne Kaufmann.

Costume Designer

Jeannette is currently based in D.C. and holds a BA in design & production from Arizona State University and an MFA in design from the University of Maryland. She has previously worked with the Kennedy Center designing costumes for the world premieres of How to Catch a Star (Dir. Jared Mezzochi) and Earthrise (Dir. Dawn M. Williams). She assisted with costume designs for the premiere and tour of Me Jane…the Dreams & Adventures of a Young Jane Goodall (Dir. Aaron Posner/Des. Helen Huang), and the first stage read of The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Dir. Faye Price/Des. Trevor Bowen). Other assistant credits include Wolf Trap Opera, Folger Theatre, and Studio Theater. Regional design credits include Synetic Theater, Pointless Theater, Infinity Theater, Gala Hispanic Theater, Olney Theater Center, Theater Alliance, Adventure Theater MTC, Imagination Stage, Mosaic Theater, and The Keegan Theater. She has worked as a costume designer/mentor with the University of Maryland, Bowie State University, American University, and George Washington University. Find more of Christensen’s work on her website at jchristensendesign.com.

Lighting Designer

Sarah Tundermann Previous Kennedy Center credits include The Watsons Go to Birmingham and All the Way Live (projection designs). Recent regional lighting design credits include: The Royale, Tiger Style, Annie, and National Players tours 68–71 (Olney Theatre Center); The Little Shop of Horrors (Constellation Theatre Company); Velveteen Rabbit, Tinker Bell, Judy Moody and Stink, and Ella Enchanted (Adventure Theatre MTC); Twilight Los Angeles: 1992 and Things That Are Round (REP Stage); Sing to Me Now (Rorschach Theatre); Queens Girl in Africa (Mosaic Theatre Company); Charlotte’s Web, Smartest Girl in the World, and The Jungle Book (Imagination Stage). Tundermann has an MFA in lighting design from the University of Maryland and currently resides in Baltimore with her dog, Jinx Monsoon. sarahtundermann.com.

Sound Designer

Justin is elated to be returning to The Kennedy Center’s Theater for Young Audiences, having been the sound designer for: Darius and Twig, Me...Jane: The Adventures of Young Jane Goodall and the associate sound designer for: How To Catch a Star and Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! Other credits include: New York: Cow Play (Dixon Place Theatre) and Handbagged (59E59 Theaters). Regional: The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Round House, Olney Theatre Center, Theater J, Woolly Mammoth, Studio, Imagination Stage, Constellation, Keegan, Rorschach, WSC Avant Bard, Chautauqua Theatre Company, and Triad Stage. Additionally: The University of Maryland, Catholic University, and Gallaudet University, amongst others. Helen Hayes nominations: The Wild Party (Constellation) and I Call My Brothers (Forum). He is a proud member of IATSE USA 829, USITT, and Theatrical Sound Designers and MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM Composers Association. Fellowships: The Kennedy Center (2015) through the Kenan Institute, Chautauqua Theatre Company (2013), and The Orchard Project (2011). justinschmitztheatre.com.

Puppet Fabricator

Carole is a puppeteer and fabricator for TV, film, and stage. She is the puppet shop manager at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Her original piece The Hoarding Show was recently featured at the Puppeteers of America National Puppetry Festival 2019. Previous work: Jim Henson Creature Shop NYC, Puppet Heap, The Lyon Puppets, Alliance Theatre Atlanta, Glimmerglass Opera, Huntington Theater Boston. Selected credits: Muppets: Most Wanted, Sesame Street, Crank Yankers, Greg the Bunny, Escape Plan2, Broadway’s Avenue Q, Aladdin, and Shrek! The Musical, Drama Desk Nominated ImaginOcean Off-Broadway original cast. Willow Watson (Properties Artisan)is a D.C.–based freelance props and scenic designer and a 2019–2020 William R. Kenan Jr. Fellow at the Kennedy Center. Previous D.C. credits include Kid Prince and Pablo (Props) with Kennedy Center Theater for Young audiences, Native Son (props), Sooner/ Later (props), and Fabulation (props) with Mosaic Theater; Henry IV (props) and The Diary of Anne Frank (props) with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company; and the 2019 Fringe Curates Rep (Scenic). Upcoming projects include Theory (props) with Mosaic Theater and The Infinite Tales (Scenic) with 4615 Theater Company. More information available at willowscenic.com.

Assistant Dramaturg

Trix has long had an interest in theater, writing, and performance. He has been awarded multiple Audie Awards for his voice acting in more than ten animated adaptations of his father’s books. His short documentary, Team Mo, was released nationwide by Weston Woods Studios. As a public speaker, Trix talks to high school and college students about trans issues. He recently served as the dramaturg for the Mo-a-Palooza LIVE! Concert at the Kennedy Center. Trix attends the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University where he has just finished performing in two students written and directed plays. He is very excited to be working with and learning from Megan Alrutz and the rest of the team!

Associate Lighting Designer

Clara is a lighting and projections designer from Asheville, NC. In May of 2020 she graduated with a BFA in Lighting Design from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Clara is currently a Kennedy Center Kenan Fellow specializing in Lighting and Projection Design for the 2021-2022 season. Recent credits include Projections Designer for Because (KC Education and the NSO at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall) and Asst. Projection Designer for: The Phlebotomist (1st Stage), Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (Skylight Music Theatre), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Olney Theatre Center), and Dreamgirls (Artscentric at Baltimore Center Stage).

Assistant Sound Designer

Tosin is a sound designer and deviser. Her design credits include My Barking Dog with Edge of the Universe Players 2; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at Round House Theatre; She Sings Light, Hatpin Panic, and Shakespeare’s Worst with Capital Fringe; Antigone at Catholic University; Gloria at Woolly Mammoth; God is Dead & April is Getting Married with Three Muses; Peepshow with dog & pony dc; Abortion Road Trip and Soldier Poet with Theatre Prometheus; and Lela & Co. with Factory 449. Assistant design credits include Baggage at Gallaudet University; Anatole and Davy Copperfield at Imagination Stage; Still Life with Rocket at Theater Alliance; and Proof at Olney Theatre Center.

Production Stage Manager

Casey is thrilled to be working with the Kennedy Center once again, this time on her first tour! She has previously been involved with the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences on their productions of Earthrise and Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume, as well as the opening festival for the REACH campus. She has also worked extensively with many D.C. arts organizations, including Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Young Artists of America, Constellation Theatre Company, Prologue Theatre, and Adventure Theatre MTC. During her time as an undergraduate student at Denison University, she also interned with the Natural Theatre Company in Bath, UK. Most recently, Casey worked as an arts specialist at Butler Montessori in Darnestown, MD, where her students helped her develop her love of Elephant & Piggie and, of course, the Pigeon!