Sage VOICES Theater Project
Precious & Endless | an intergenerational collaboration
Spring 2023, at The THUNDER RIVER THEATre
VOICES successfully presented the original theater production, “Precious and Endless,” a Sage VOICES Theater Project, created in collaboration between Sage storytellers and Youth Performers. This performance invited audiences to enter a timeless playscape where they can let their imagination wander. The intergenerational ensemble skipped in and out of stories of childhood, growing up, letting go, facing our fears, and finding the moments that make up our lives. Inspired by kids young and old, “Precious and Endless” showcased personal stories, original songwriting and music, poetry, and even a little swing dance.
THE INTERGENERATIONAL ENSEMBLE
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | ADELAIDE FAHN MOORE has been a world traveler since she was 6 months old. She is fluent in English and Mandarin-Chinese, enjoys reading and painting, and has had several of her pieces in various art shows, including the Valley Visual Art Show in Carbondale. She has been a part of the crew for many BenFeng and SOL Theatre productions.
SAGE ENSEMBLE | ART W. ACKERMAN was born in 1925 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. After high school, he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet and later received G.I. Bill at University of Michigan, graduating with degrees in Engineering & Business. He married Carolyn Gordon and together they shared 69 years! He has 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren, and has been the host of Swing Swing Swing on KDNK since 1987.
SAGE ENSEMBLE | BEVERLY FOX After sixty years on the other side of the mountain raising my 2 exceptional children and stamping out ignorance in Jefferson County Elementary Schools, I am so happy to be back on the Western Slope. My first 17 years were spent in Collbran, CO on a ranch. Having a brother I never really learned how to ride a horse, but I do know what cowboys like to eat.
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | CAMILLE WRAY MOORE is passionate for soccer, music, and acting. She was born in Colorado, and spent 5 years living and connecting with her roots in Taiwan. She has participated in Cloudgate Dance Studio, BenFeng productions, Bonedale Flashmob, Cirque de Sopris, and SOL Theatre. She enjoys reading, drawing, and parts of homeschooling, and is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
SAGE ENSEMBLE | EDDIE VANDERHOOF is a Glenwood native and has raised her 3 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren here! She was one of the co-founders of the Defiance Community Players, with whom she wrote original plays with much success! Being a part of this project has been so much fun and rewarding for Eddi, giving her the gift of new friends, including the wonderful youth!
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | EVALYNN A. EVANS was born in 2009 in Las Vegas, NV but has lived in Carbondale since she was 4 years old, attending Ross Montessori School for kindergarten and onward! She has courageously faced many highs and lows, including feeling loneliness, finding confidence and newness, gaining more freedom, and is looking forward to high school!
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | GENEVIEVE VICKERS was born and raised in Carbondale, CO. She enjoys theater, playing music, singing, reading, running cross country, sewing, practicing aerial silks, and loves taking care of her pets. When at school, she enjoys projects, writing, art, and reading. At the age of 12, Genevieve is already a world traveler, having visited everywhere from Iceland to Vietnam!
SAGE ENSEMBLE | JOAN K LAMONT was born in 1933 and spent her childhood Chicago. A week after graduating college, she married her high school sweetheart, Bill Lamont, to whom she was happily married for 65 years! She directed plays at Rantoul High School and also was a docent at Denver Art Museum. Bill and Joan moved to Carbondale 24 years ago and participated in the lives of all 3 adult kids and 7 grandkids.
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | LUCAS MUNN likes theater, gaming, reading, animals and has been in about 15 theater productions. He moved to Carbondale in 2017 from Bethesda, MD, is 14 years old and has quite a sense of humor!
SAGE ENSEMBLE | MARIA ALICIA PASTRANA was born in Salinas, CA in 1946. Her family moved to Chihuahua, MX where she spent her childhood and youth. She later moved back to the U.S. with her mother and 3 children, of whom she is very proud as they have managed to get ahead in this country. Alicia worked at The Crestwood Condominiums in Snowmass Village as a housekeeping supervisor, retiring in 2013.
SAGE ENSEMBLE | SUE LAVIN has been directing theater since 1971, first in Dublin, Ireland and later at TRTC, Sopris Theatre, and Aspen Theatre in the Park. Sue was recognized by the Alliance for Colorado Theatre as “High School Educator of the Year” for her work at CRMS and Kent Denver School. In 2010 Sue was awarded “Adjunct Teacher of the Year” by CMC, where she has taught ESL for twenty years. Dr. Lavin’s books are: Women and Comedy and Trials and Errors.
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | VALENTINA BAEZ lives in Carbondale, and is a 5th grader at Ross Montessori School. She loves her school and her best friends. She also likes to play the ukulele, listen to music, read, draw, ski, snowboard, perform aerial acrobatics, and dance with the Carbondale flash mob crew. She loves to travel, especially on camping trips with her family and her dog Lucky.
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | VIANNE CLAIRE CAMARA has been working with SOL Theatre for 6 years, and previously danced with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet for 9 years. She loves being on stage and directing behind the scenes. She starred in Little Shop of Horrors and Little Women, and later turned her efforts to stage management at Sol Theatre! Vianne is grateful to be a part of this community that encourages youth in their artistic endeavors!
MUSICAL GUEST | CLAY BOLAND JR. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to the heart of New York City working as songwriter, arranger, and pianist for 15 years. His last musical, with words by Stephen Brown, was Things to Hear; Things to See, a Huckleberry Finn musical presented at The Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1969 and optioned for a TV special.
SAGE ENSEMBLE | WILLIAM D. JOCHEMS was born in Wichita Kansas in 1938. He graduated from Stanford University in 1960, Georgetown University Law School in 1964, and has worked in law all of his life, focusing on environmental causes. Currently he is on the Board of the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Fund. He built two sailboats in Redstone, which he sailed in San Francisco Bay and the Sea of Cortez. He lives now in Carbondale.
YOUTH ENSEMBLE | ZACK HANRAHAN, from Carbondale, CO, is an 8th grader at Ross Montessori School. He enjoys music, theater, and all things outdoors. Zack has performed in 14 SOL Theatre productions, including Peter Pan, Little Women, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. As an actor, Zack loves to put parts of himself and creative elements into his characters, and also enjoys the social elements and fun of community theater.
PRODUCTION TEAM
EXECUTIVE/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF VOICES | MINTZ WU Is a violinist of many passions, and a visionary with illuminating artistry. A native of Taiwan and deeply rooted in the richness of classical music, MinTze embraces the word “BenFeng” (running with free spirit) as her way of exploring the world and the music. She has been heard on stages from the pubs in Poland, opera houses in Italy, concert halls in Australia, US, Taiwan, and the remote villages in Newfoundland. MinTze founded Sounds of Lyons in 2009 and BenFeng Music Productions in 2013 and played the role as the producer and artistic director. She steps in as the Executive Director of VOICES in the fall of 2022, and continues discovering the layers of humanities within us and our community through art.
SAGE VOICES DIRECTOR, DEVISOR, WRITER | CASSIDY WILLEY is an actor, director, educator, writer, mother, and a RFV native. She is a founding member of Consensual Improv, and has performed with Thunder River Theatre Company (TRTC), Sopris Theatre Company, Defiance Community Players, and more. Her original play, “As Close As I Can”, premiered at TRTC in 2021. Cassidy has taught theater for several years and is currently the Director of Education and Community Outreach at VOICES. She believes in the power of theater to heal us, connect us, and help us lead more meaningful lives.
DRAMATURG & WRITER | KRISTIN (K.D.) CARLSON is a playwright, poet and fiction writer. In 2015, she was awarded a scholarship by the Dramatists Guild Fund. Her award-winning play “Unmarried in America” was produced at Vintage Theatre in Aurora, CO, and a film script is in development with AEC Studios. Carlson is also an actor and a member of “Consensual Improv,” where she is learning to play without a script and do all of her own stunts
STAGE MANAGER |MICHAL “MICHA” SCHOEPE studied Musical Theatre Performance in Leipzig, Germany. He played roles in a variety of theater productions before touring internationally with an award-winning A Cappella group. One of the tours led him to Snowmass Village, Colorado, where he met his husband, Paul. Micha is active with various local theater and arts organizations. He also runs an Airbnb, teaches private voice lessons and is the worship leader at Snowmass Chapel.
VISUAL ARTIST & PROP DESIGN | KEELY CONROY grew up in Minnesota and graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art. This year, Keely is an ArtistYear Americorps Resident Teaching Artist and is teaching at Roaring Fork High School. In her role, she works alongside faculty members to expand access to the arts and support creative development.
SOUND DESIGN | GABRIELLE BAILES is a Cum Laude graduate of Marietta College (2015), and member of the Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honorary! Gabrielle moved to the Roaring Fork Valley to be closer to family. After participating in Thunder River Theatre Company’s productions of The Tempest, The Memory of Water and Constellations, I am thrilled to join VOICES to support the community’s expression of self.
LIGHTING DESIGN | SEAN JEFFRIES earned his MFA in theatrical lighting design from Kent State University. He has served at the Technical Director during the national tour for the musical The Titanic (2012), as well as working in the scene shop at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Sean moved to Colorado to set up shop at the Thunder River Theatre in 2016 and has stayed ever since. He is now the Executive Director!
COSTUME DESIGN | MONIKA KISS-BAEZ born and raised in Novi Sad, Serbia. Her love for skiing brought her to this valley, and she’s been living here for 21 years. Bringing her daughter Valentina (ensemble member) into this world, made her rethink priorities and she turned her hobby, tailoring, into a source of income and a chance to spend more time with her daughter. Her love for art, kids, and creative design has given her the chance to be part of this wonderful performance. She is grateful for this opportunity and excited to share her talents with all of you.
SONGWRITER | JACKSON EMMER is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer from Carbondale, Colorado. His work blends humor with heartache, and tradition with exploration. Emmer’s writing is often compared to that of John Prine and Guy Clark. He has toured the US since 2009, collaborated with Grammy-winners, and co-written 40+ songs with folk music legend, Tom Paxton. Emmer has opened for Robert Earl Keen, Sierra Ferrell, and Tim McGraw. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, 1200+ Spotify playlists, and 200+ radio stations worldwide.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDE Regna Frank-Jones (Producer), Deborah Colley (Publicity & Communications Coordinator), Margaret Mathers (Graphic Design), Toddy Walters (Grant Writer)
