Karen Zacarías I am the playwright and that’s the person who writes the story, creates the characters and everything that they say. I was born in Mexico but moved to the United States when I was ten years old and that memory of trying to fit-in, get better at English, and learn so many new things has influenced my story-telling my entire life. I wrote this play with one of my best friends, the composer Debbie Wicks La Puma (whose Mom is from Mexico). We both met at Stanford University when we were teenagers and we have been friends and co-workers ever since. In fact, we have written ten projects together and you might have seen our musicals Ella Enchanted or Jane of the Jungle in this very theater. Your parents might have seen my more grown-up plays like Destiny of Desire, Native Gardens, or Just Like Us. I have three kids myself and I encourage them everyday to use their imagination, and their words, and to be kind and work hard. I also started a theatre that shows kids how to write plays, because I think kids are terrific storytellers. I hope to see one of your plays in this theatre one day.

Deborah Wicks La Puma I am delighted to be back at South Coast Repertory, where my favorite thing to do is write and direct music for family shows, including Ella Enchanted, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Jane of the Jungle. Growing up, I lived in many places around the world thanks to my Dad being in the Navy and my Mom being from Mexico City. I started playing the piano when I was 9, and when I was a teenager I even got the chance to record two albums in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! I studied at Stanford University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to become the best composer I could be, then started writing musicals with my best friend Karen Zacarías, including the one you are seeing today. We hope you have as much fun watching it as we had making it! crunchynotes.com 

Sophia Barajas* (Rosa Perez) Growing up in Southern California, I vividly remember being made fun of for having an accent in middle school, and for “saying words in a weird way.” The “Rosa”s of my school caused me to become so insecure about how much I didn’t fit in with all the kids around me. So I stopped speaking Spanish, and I began to push away everything from my culture out of fear that it would be something that people would use to make fun of me. Playing a role like Rosa allows me to offer compassion and understanding to a bully; I have the opportunity to offer an apology I know I deserved but never received. I now see that there was nothing wrong with me or my culture to begin with, and that I am perfect the way I am... accent and all!

Joslynn Cortes* (Cinderella/Cenicienta) ¡Hola! I’m Joslynn, and I am a Los Angeles-based actor, singer, and Vocal Teacher! I've been singing in front of people since I was 4 years old. After going on a field trip to see Tarzan on Broadway, I made the decision that I was going to perform for a living. In high school, I studied at the Apple Farms Theatre Academy in New Jersey, then at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy Conservatory in NYC, and earned my BFA at AMDA LA. Some favorite roles include Junie B. Jones (Junie B. Jones, the Musical), Arlene (Garfield, the Musical with Cattitude), Fiber (Nick Nutrition and His Wonder Dog Fiber), Mom/Ms. Penny and The Artist (The Incredible Book Eating Boy). I absolutely love what I do, and I know that my success would not exist if it weren't for the constant support, love, wisdom, and constructive criticism gifted to me by my family and my teachers all throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years. My advice to you would be: Pursue your dreams wholeheartedly. It’s not going to be easy, and sometimes you will want to quit, but if you are really passionate about it, pray first and move boldly second. Don't let anybody make you feel like your dreams are impossible. That passion and spark were put inside your heart for a reason.

Oscar Fabela* (Fairy Godfather/Padrino) I am thrilled to be making my SCR debut! I am a Mexican-American artist from South Texas, graduated from UCLA’s School of Theater, and was awarded the Golden Globe's Acting Fellowship. After being a performer for Disney and Nickelodeon, I’ve worked for theater companies like Guthrie Theater, SITI Company, PCPA, La Jolla Playhouse and Latino Theater Company. My original play, Don Carlos: Prince of Asturias, had its world premiere at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row as part of the United Solo Festival in NYC, garnering me the Best Emerging Actor Award. You can also hear my voiceover work on platforms like Netflix and Audible, including the award-winning audiobook and picture memoir Mexikid. Currently, I serve as a company member of Ammunition Theatre Company in Los Angeles, and I love traveling! I’ve traveled to 48 countries so far, and can’t wait for more! Follow the journey on oscarfabela.com @oefabela

Jessenia Michei Ingram* (Narrator/Ensemble) Hi! I’m Jessenia Michei Ingram (she/her), and I’ve loved expressing myself creatively for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always singing, pretending I was a character on my favorite TV shows, and putting on performances with my brother and friends. I graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where I studied theatre and learned how acting, listening, and imagination help us connect and understand one another. I still love to dress up and play as different characters. Some of my favorite roles have been Hamlet, Donna Summer, and Elphaba! It warms my heart to use my actor tools, improv skills, and creative spirit to make people laugh, be curious, and feel empowered. Remember always to keep playing and shine your light — there is only one YOU! JesseniaMichei.com.

Adam Leiva* (Narrator/Ensemble) Hi everyone! My name is Adam Leiva, and I’m so happy to be back at SCR for my second show! You might have seen me eating books on stage here last year, where I played Henry in The Incredible Book Eating Boy! I’m very excited to share this story with you all. Soon you will meet Cenicienta from Puerto Rico, a beautiful island in the Caribbean that means a lot to me because I am also Puerto Rican. I love telling stories, especially about mi gente! Thank you to all my friends I’ve made here at SCR for being the kindest and most hard-working people. Thank you to all my friends from the Chance Theater who’ve made me feel so safe and seen for four years now. Thank you to my friends and family for supporting me at every show. I love you all. Enjoy the show!!!

Ryan Nebreja* (Joey) I’m a Los Angeles–based actor from San Diego. Before becoming an actor, I was a professional b-boy, competing and performing across the U.S. while earning my BFA in Advertising and Psychology from Cal State Fullerton. As I started performing in more theatrical spaces as a dancer, I became more interested in theatre as an actor, which led me to pursue my MFA in Acting from CalArts. Since then, I’ve toured as the Nutcracker in The Hip Hop Nutcracker and flipped off walls as a Durmstrang student during the Triwizard Rally at Universal Studios. When I’m not performing on stage or screen, I perform daily for my cat, whom I have yet to impress.

SARA GUERRERO (Director) When I was in fifth grade, my teacher asked me to write and direct a play for my whole class. I had no idea what I was doing—but I loved it. That was the moment I discovered how powerful imagination can be. I grew up here in Orange County, surrounded by educators who encouraged my curiosity and my love of play. My mom was a teacher too, and she built my very first stage. My dad had brought home a giant wooden spool from his construction company, and my mom transformed it into a coffee table—and a stage. Every Friday night, I performed on it, sharing stories I worked on all week. I grew up to study acting and theatre and found my way into Theatre for Young Audiences—plays made especially for kids. I became a performer, a writer, a director and a teacher, working with students from third grade through college. Today, I make theatre and help others tell their stories. I love what I do—and I hope you find what you love too.

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT MURILLO (Scenic Designer) (he/him/his) I am a scenic designer, artist, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. I grew up here in Orange County! In high school, I was fascinated with all the magic created at Disneyland that I decided I wanted to be set designer. I went to UCLA where I studied theatre and learned how to design props and scenery. I also received my MFA in Set Design from UC San Diego. Now that I am a set designer, I use my imagination to create and design fun worlds for the stage. My work as a set designer has also led me to the world of television. In 2016, I was honored to receive the Princess Grace Foundation Theater Fellowship—I got to meet a real-life prince and princess! I currently teach in the Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production at UC Riverside helping others learn about design.

ELENA FLORES (Costume Designer) I’m a Los Angeles-based Costume Designer and Maker for theatre, TV and film. I fell in love with sewing and crafting at a young age, making cloth dolls with my family in Honduras to sell at market, and later became obsessed with the spectacle of films like Moulin Rouge and the sequins of my school show choir. I trained as a couture stitcher while working at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. I hold a master’s degree in Costume Design from CSU Long Beach, where I began working with filmmakers across L.A. County and learned to design and build for film and television. My work includes Amazon’s Christmas feature Red One starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as well as series like “1883” and “On My Block.” I’m also a company member of Rogue Artists Ensemble, where I create outlandish, puppet-forward costumes that push imagination and craft. Being a costume designer fulfills my love of photography, fashion history, storytelling, travel and colorful fabrics!

NITA MENDOZA (Lighting Designer) I am a proud Chicana lighting designer based out of Southern California. I graduated from the University of California, Irvine where I studied how to use light as a form of storytelling. I grew up in El Paso, which is a border town in west Texas with Mexico and New Mexico as neighbors! I am grateful to be able to bring influences of my culture (such as the use of vibrant colors!) into the work that I do. As a freelance lighting designer, I get to travel a lot to different theatres across the country and I get to meet all sorts of amazing people! To me, the most exciting moment of creating in the theatre is being able to see the final result of what you and your team completed: it’s magical!!

MELANIE FALCON (Sound Designer) I’m Melanie Falcón (she/her), a sound designer from Southern California who loves telling stories through sound. I studied Theatre Arts at Cal Poly Pomona, where I discovered my love for sound design, puppetry and acting. With the support of mentors and collaborators, I followed my curiosity about sound, turned my passion into a career, and earned my MFA in Sound Design from UC Irvine. As a kid, I loved music and was always the one picking songs on family road trips and during basketball practices. At concerts and outdoor events, I was just as fascinated by the sound console and the engineers as the performers onstage. I was first thrown into designing for my high school production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and discovered I loved the technical and creative side of storytelling. I grew up playing basketball, telling stories, and making people laugh with spontaneous dance parties. When I’m not designing, I still enjoy being silly, cheering on women’s sports, baking and practicing puppetry.

MARISSA HERRERA (Choreographer) I am a choreographer born and raised in Azusa, CA. I was just 3 years old when I did my first dance performance and I LOVED it...and I haven’t left the stage since. Dance and music have always been special to my family. We love to dance and my Mom was my first, and favorite, dance partner. Thank you to my mentors and teachers who believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams as a dancer and choreographer. I am grateful I have a career that I love and that I get to share different styles of dance to tell stories. Some of my favorite shows and projects I have brought my dance to have been In the Heights, Quixote Nuevo and the dance movie You Got Served. I hope you are inspired to put on your favorite song and dance! Enjoy the show!

TALIA KRISPEL* (Stage Manager) I grew up in Southern California and started seeing theatre at the age of five and was in my first production at age nine. One of my favorite roles was playing Milky White (a cow!) in a production of Into the Woods. Shortly after I graduated college, found my calling as a stage manager on a Theatre for Young Audiences production of Sarah, Plain and Tall in New York City! I went back to school and got my Master’s degree in Educational Theatre at New York University. My last young audiences production was SCR’s Alice’s Wonderland! Working backstage is so much fun—we’re like ninjas! Can you try and spot us?? I have been stage managing professionally for more than 20 years. When I’m not stage managing, I like to play video games, travel, and spend time with my friends. For Mychal, Mom, and Dad. Instagram: teekrisp. taliakrispel.com

ANDREA FELIX-CERVANTES* (Assistant Stage Manager) I grew up mostly in Salinas, California, the salad bowl of the world. I transferred to California State University, Long Beach in 2019 and have stayed in sunny Southern California ever since. When I am not at South Coast Repertory, I am stage managing a variety of shows and events at Universal Studios Hollywood Parks and Attractions section: Grinches, Whoville Citizens, Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students at Hogwarts Castle.