Director

KAREN ALTREE PIEMME

… is an accomplished director, actor, dramaturg, workshop facilitator and acting instructor, specializing in social justice theatre and community access to the arts. Ms. Piemme spent 21 years with San Jose Repertory Theatre where she was the Director of Outreach and Resident Dramaturg. Prior to that, she spent five years at Arena Stage with the Living Stage Theatre Company, Arena’s groundbreaking resident outreach company. As a theatre professional, Ms. Piemme has directed productions for both youth and adults, taught classes and conducted workshops locally, nationally and internationally for over thirty years. She has conducted professional development training ant the Marion Cilker Conference on Arts and Education, Montalvo Art Center’s Arts in Your Classroom Conference, CCSESA’s Creativity at the Core Summer Institute, and the national One Theatre World conference. She has served as the Associate Director for 2nd Stages at Dragon Productions Theatre Company, and the Executive Producer of the Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2015 and 2016. She has taught in the Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre at San Jose State University where she started an improv troupe to train the next generation of teaching artists, and serves on the Theatre Services Committee (the advisory council) for Theatre Bay Area. Ms. Piemme is the recipient of the 2011 Champion of Arts Education Award, awarded by the Mayor/City of San Jose and the San Jose Arts Commission and was named one of the 35 Faces of Theatre Bay Area.

Actor/Facilitator

CARLOS AGUIRRE

…is an actor, rapper and beatboxer who has been performing in the Bay Area and beyond for over 20 years (during much of which he has been affiliated with Red Ladder).  He is part of the musical group Felonious where he doubles as emcee/beatboxer.  He is also one of the founders of the Bay Area Theatre Cypher.  He has shared the stage with Jam Master Jay, L.L. Cool J, De la Soul, Black Eyed Peas, The Roots, Eryka Badu, Mary J. Blige, Macy Gray, Shock G., Blackalicious, Jurassic Five, Latyrx, Planet Asia, Living Legends, Rahzel, Scratch, and George Clinton, among others.  He has released several albums as part of Felonious.  He was a collaborator on Frances England’s Grammy nominated album “Explorer of the World.”  He released his first solo EP “WHITEBLACKBROWN,” produced by Ken Primo, in 2019.  He shares his experience by teaching in schools and at-risk environments throughout Northern California.

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

TASI ALABASTRO

… is an actor, filmmaker and content creator on YouTube and Twitch. Mr. Alabastro is the recipient of the Silicon Valley Emerging Artist Laureate Award (2018) and the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award (2019). He has been featured in CONTENT Magazine, Silicon Valley’s Arts & Culture print publication, and is a proud alumnus of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI). His work with Red Ladder Theatre Company involves facilitating workshops with marginalized communities; this includes men and women incarcerated in California Correctional Facilities, children on the autism spectrum, and homeless and runaway youth – all of which has been featured on KQED and in Theatre Bay Area Magazine. His hobbies include photography, bookstore diving, painting and sculpting.

Actor/facilitator

GEORGIA BALL

… feels extremely lucky to be working with the Red Ladder Theatre Company. She is a Bay Area native who has been acting and directing since middle school. She is a graduate of San Jose State University with a BA in Theatre Arts. Her most recent roles at SJSU include John Lawrence in “The Living” directed by Johnny Moreno, Terry in “Alone, Together” directed by Oluchi Nwokocha, June in “Marisol” directed by Kirsten Brandt, and F in “Passage” directed by Scott Cummins. You may have also seen her in “Blithe Spirit” at City Lights Theatre Company, directed by Mark Anderson Phillips. She loves theatre and sees how much it can affect people for the better, she hopes to be a part of this powerful, positive change.

Actor/Facilitator

NORMAN GEE

…can be seen all summer in the SF Mime Troupe show BACK TO THE WAYS THINGS WERE, Mr. Gee has worked with companies including SF Playhouse, SJ Stage, Word for Word, Aurora, Lorraine Hansberry, TheatreWorks, Shotgun Players, CentralWorks, Perspective Theater & the Oakland Theater Project. He regularly directs for PlayGround-SF, and is currently developing the Baldwin Centennial Project with his own company, the Oakland Public Theater.

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

GENDELL HING-HERNANDEZ

…was born in Havana, Cuba, and has actively worked as an Actor, Director and Teaching Artist in the Bay Area since 1997. He has worked as an actor for Berkeley Rep, Word for Word, Theaterworks, Camposanto, San Jose Rep, Center Rep, New Pickle Circus and many others. Productions include Around The World In 80 Days, The Cook, Blood Wedding, Oil!, Food Stories, House on Mango Street and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot to name a few. He has been a company member of: Theater of Yugen, where he studied classical Japanese theater; Red Ladder Company, where he performed with and for at-risk youth and maximum security inmates; and The Felonious Collective, where he helped develop, direct, and perform original Hip-Hop theater pieces. As a director he has worked with Felonious, Quixotic Players, Teatro del Juglar, The NY Hip-Hop Theater Festival, Oakland Public Theatre, Berkeley Rep’s School of Theatre and the Pacific Alliance Stage Company. He has also been an Event Manager and Producer for Felonious: One Love Hip Hop, Theater Of Yugen and The Cuban-American Cultural Institute. As a Teaching Artist, Gendell has been sent into classrooms, libraries, and jails all over the Bay Area by Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, Word for Word, SF Shakes, Cal Shakes, TheaterWorks, Alphabet Rockers, and Theater of Yugen. His main focus is to use Theater as a lens for education and inspiration. He also is currently developing bilingual programs in Spanish and English for both Berkeley Rep, Word for Word, and The Alphabet Rockers. He currently  teaches Theatre in the United States, Cuba, and France. 

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

NICOLE JAVIER

…is an actor, teaching artist, and yoga instructor. She holds an MFA in Acting at University of California San Diego, and a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University. 

Regional credits: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (South Coast Repertory), Diana the Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), Forever Poppy (Provincetown Playhouse),  tokyo fish story (TheatreWorks), Rapture, Blister Burn (Aurora Theatre Company),  Flor(Cornerstone Theatre Company), Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Orange County), Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Crowded Fire Theatre), and Dis/Connected (New Conservatory Theatre).

Nicole currently resides in Los Angeles with her partner and their pup, Zorro. 

Actor/facilitator

JAMES MISA JR.

…aka “Misa James” is a singer/songwriter, live performer, actor, dancer, and musician. Having practiced writing music and learning guitar from an early age (with musical influences such as Michael Jackson, 1960s Motown, 2000s R&B, etc.) Misa has been able to find his voice and pursue his true passion. His background in singing is rooted in choral training. Beginning in middle school, his training continued as he pursued youth community theatre at Starstruck Theatre located in Fremont, CA. Misa has also been given the opportunity to perform live in a number of different shows at one of Cedar Fair’s many amusement parks; California’s Great America. All the while, writing and releasing music in his own personal time.

Actor/facilitator

ARTURO MONTES

…a South Bay Area native, is currently an actor in training at San Jose State university, pursuing a B.A. in Theater Arts. He has been acting and singing since his junior year in high school, performing in his school's choir and theater productions. Performances of his include 9 to 5: The Musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Merry Wives of WIndsor, and Alone Together at SJSU. A proud first-generation university student, he is grateful to be given the opportunity to pursue his dreams and take advantage of the sacrifices his parents have made for him.

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

DAVIED MORALES

… is an actor and rapper born and raised in the Bay Area. He is the reciepient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award (2018), and a company member with Red Ladder Theatre Company, a social justice company with whom he leads workshops for men and women experiencing incarceration. Mr. Morales received most of his training at Foothill College where he earned his AA in Theatre Arts and was featured in their productions of Angels in America and First Person Shooter. Since then he has worked for companies such as City Lights Theatre Company (The Siegel and I and You), Shotgun Players (Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray)), and has understudied at TheatreWorks (Calligraphy and Proof) and American Conservatory Theatre (Gloria). He has also appeared as Zippy Twinkles in Top Elf on the Nickelodeon Network and as Jelani in the nationwide digital presentation of A Kids Play About Racism.

ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE

ALICIA M. P. NELSON

…is an award-winning San Francisco/Bay Area based physical actor and teaching artist. Originally a ballet dancer, she has strong foundations in dance and a deep love of physical comedy. She is a graduate of Boston University where she acquired a BFA in Acting, and in the spring of 2016 she traveled to Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy where she studied physical theater and Commedia dell'Arte. As a teaching artist, she specializes in working with students in preschool and kindergarten. Ms. Nelson is passionate about all things that spark the imagination. She is an avid believer in playing pretend, making a fool of yourself, diving in head-first, and increased diversity in theatre. She hopes to make theatre accessible to its youngest audiences and, in doing so, inspire creativity in the generations to come.

community programs associate

BETTY NGUYEN

…combines art forms to create a sense of embodied belonging in spite of discomfort and displacement. She earned her B.S. in Biology at Stanford University by studying living organisms and works towards an M.A. in Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida by insisting on thriving communities. Her work has been featured in Con Safos Info.Art Collective, Stanford's Inaugural Disability Studies Conference, diaCRITICS, Project Yellow Dress, and her cherished friends' walls. Her administrative experience in community health and community art comes from leading projects including a community film festival with Cocoroom, COVID-19 contact tracing with Santa Clara County, and collaborative arts workshops for youth facing housing insecurity with DrawBridge. She plays with all available mediums and is thrilled to dive into the possibilities of theater and was previously a California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellow.

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

JED PARSARIO

…is an actor and teaching artist based in Oakland–Bay Area, CA.  Bilingual, bicultural, bicoastal by nature, he dreams about ice-creamed realities in technicolor with dramatic musical haikus, undulating Hapa Belly Dancers, and the peculiarities perpetual propriety brings between polite peers and antiquarian acquaintances. He aspires to inspire in the likes of W. Shakespeare, Hozier, Dr. José Rizal and the Brave Artists, Theatremakers, and Everyday HeartWorkers around him.

ACTOR/FACILITATOR

KEITH PINTO

…is a multi disciplinary artist from the peninsula. He is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and has been a dance instructor at San Jose State University for nearly 20 years. As an actor, choreographer, director and musician he’s worked all over the bay area as well as out of New York. He has recieved Critics Circle awards for his role as “Bill” in Me and My Girl at 42nd Street Moon and for his choreography of Colossal at San Francisco Play house, as well as TBA awards for his role as “The Emcee” in Cabaret at Hillbarn Theater and his choreography of Altar Boys at CenterRep. Keith is a proud co laborator with the Bay Area Theatre Cypher as well as co-founder of the award winning hip hop band and theater company, Felonious. Felonious theater pieces, which Pinto appeared in as well as choreographed include: Beatbox: A Raparetta at Theatre Artaud, Angry Black White Boy and Block by Block with Campo Santo and Stateless: A Hip Hop Vaudeville Experience at Jewish Theater SF.

actor/facilitator

JAMIEL ST. ROSE

…is an experienced actor and creative director from Vallejo, California. He holds a B.A. in Film and Electronic Arts from California State University, Long Beach and is a recent graduate from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting New York. He started his theatre training at Solano Community College and also trained at Studio A.C.T, Berkeley Repertory, and Academy of Art University. Jamiel has acted in independent films and plays that have won awards in the following categories: The Audience Award (Abandoned, NXT UP Fest), The Audience Award (Loose Cannons, The 48 Hour Film Project), Best Ensemble (Lemon Boots, Hollywood Fringe Festival), Unleashed Award (Star Crossed, Hollywood Fringe Festival), and The Audience Award (3rd Floor, FilmFights). His stage performances include: Our Lady of 121st Street (Balthazar, Stella Adler Studio of Acting NY), Misanthrope (Acaste, Academy of Art University Theatre), and Medea (Jason, California Repertory Company). Jamiel St. Rose is a multifarious artist that surrounds himself around culture, art, travel and sports. Jamiel is a storyteller that aims to honor the overall importance of theatre and film in our humanity, while creating stories that reflect the diversity of the world.

actor/facilitator

ALEXANDER TRONO

…is a Bay Area teaching artist and theatre maker, born and raised in San Francisco. He is immensely proud to be a part of Red Ladder Theatre Company. Alex is grateful for the opportunity to build empathy, connection, and creativity in the participants of the workshop. In addition to his work with Red Ladder, he is also the Associate Artistic Director at Gritty City Repertory, and a teaching artist with New Conservatory Theatre Company.

Actor/Facilitator/Administrative assistant

VIVIENNE TRUONG

…is ecstatic to be working with the Red Ladder Theatre Company! Born and raised in Eastside San Jose, she is a recent graduate of San Jose State University (SJSU) with a double major in Psychology and Theatre Arts with a focus in Musical Theatre. Her latest roles were as Kim in SJSU's Spring 2021 production of Alone, Together directed by Oluchi Nwokocha and as Madame Thernardier/Ensemble in NorCal Academy of Performing Arts' (NAPA) Summer 2021 production of Les Miserables, directed by David J. Chavez. She was stage manager for NAPA's productions of Elf Jr. 2018 and Into the Woods Jr. 2019, and has had performance experience with dance, voice, instruments, and theatre. Vivienne is looking forward to working with you all and hopes that everyone continues to stay safe and healthy!

actor/facilitator

WHITNEY WAKIMOTO

…is a teaching artist, actor, director, collage artist, and open to trying her hand at any and all forms of art. When not in the arts she loves to be outside gardening, hiking, or in the pool or river. She hails for Missoula, MT, pounded the payment in NYC for a few years and then switched coasts to receive her MFA in Acting at the Old Globe Theatre/USD. Post grad school Whitney met her truest love: teaching behind the walls. She has had the honor of teaching theatre in prisons, jails and juvenile halls all over Los Angeles County over the last 5 years and is absolutely thrilled to join the team at Red Ladder! She believes in the power of theatre and has been witness to its magic when it comes together with connection starved populations.

founder

JOHN McCLUGGAGE

…is a theater artist with over 30 years of experience as an actor, director, teacher, and writer. He has served in leadership roles at San Jose Rep (Associate Artistic Director), Seacoast Rep (Artistic Director), and Andy’s Summer Playhouse (Interim Artistic Director) and has directed at theaters across the country, including San Jose Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Musical Theatre San Jose, Seacoast Rep, Western Stage, Studio Arena, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Barnstormers, CenterRep and City Lights. He has taught at Webster University, Evergreen Community College, University of New Hampshire and in other venues. He is Artistic Director of Buck Hill Productions and ShakesBEERience San Jose.