The average Cinderella story gets turned upside down by these astonishing actors.
Alyssa Cavazos**
(Hattie)
Alyssa is so excited to join her DCT family once again with this all-star cast and crew! You may recognize her from DCT’s production of Treasure Island Reimagined! (Morgan) and as a DCT Teaching Artist. Regional credits include: Perfect Arrangement (Millie) and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Ensemble & Diva / Marion US) at Uptown Players; The Grown-Up (Rosie) at Flexible Grey Theatre Company; the reading of Our Space (Facebook) at Pegasus Theatre; the reading of Another Set of Issues (Harriet) at IMPRINT Theatreworks; The Final Battle (Taylor) at Camp Death Productions; Cymbeline (Helen/Ensemble) at Martinit Theatre NYC; Miss Saigon (Yvette) and The Music Man (Ensemble/Dance Captain) at Western Playhouse Theatre; and Dead Man’s Cellphone (Jean) and The Marvelous Wonderettes (Suzy) at Abilene Christian University. She received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Abilene Christian University. Alyssa would like to thank Dallas Children’s Theater for this wonderful experience, Drew for his undeniable support, and God for His many blessings.
Tiffany Solano DeSena*
(Lucinda)
DCT audiences may remember Tiffany from the world premiere of Yana Wana’s Legend of the Bluebonnet, a co-production with Cara Mía Theatre Co. She recently closed A Christmas Carol as the newest member of Dallas Theater Center’s resident acting company. She has performed at theaters nationwide, including The Mark Taper Forum, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, South Coast Repertory, San Jose Repertory, and Mixed Blood Theatre. Other notable credits include The Tempest (Miranda) produced by Will and Co.; Cesar and Ruben: The Musical, written and directed by Ed Begley Jr.; and flying on a magic carpet in Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular (Princess Jasmine). Though she has performed around the world and appeared in numerous commercials, television, and film productions, her proudest accomplishments are her children: Sofia and Nolan.
Clint Gilbert**
(Prince Charmont)
Clint Gilbert is thrilled to be performing at Dallas Children’s Theater for the first time! He is best known in the Metroplex for his roles in Toxic Avenger (White Dude) at Uptown Players and in Fellowship! (Frodo) at Circle Theatre and Theatre Too.
Brian Hathaway*
(Sir Peter)
Brian is thrilled to return to Dallas Children’s Theater, having last appeared in James and the Giant Peach. Past DCT credits include A Year with Frog and Toad; Goodnight Moon; Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing; and Go, Dog. Go!. Brian has also been seen locally in productions at Lyric Stage, WaterTower Theatre, Uptown Players, and Theatre Three, among others. Favorite credits include Finian’s Rainbow (Og), The Producers (Leo Bloom), The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), Honk! (The Cat), and Little Women (Professor Bhaer). Brian is a proud 14 year member of Actors’ Equity.
Erika Larsen*
(Ella)
Erika Larsen is so excited to be a part of this talented cast. Her last show with DCT was Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium. You also may have seen her at DCT in Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook, Skippyjon Jones, and Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale. Other recent credits include the national and international tour of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical with Wishing Star Productions, Trainspotting with LIP Service, Spring Awakening with Runway Theatre, and Titanic with Lyric Stage. NYC credits include: As We Lie Still with NYMF.
Gena Loe**
(Olive / Dance Captain)
Gena is excited to return to DCT. She previously appeared in Magic Tree House’s Holiday Musical: A Ghost Tale for Mr. Dickens and Seussical™ at DCT. She has also performed locally in Kiss Me, Kate and My Fair Lady at Garland Summer Musicals, and Sister Act (Sister Mary Lazarus) at MainStage Irving-Las Colinas. Earlier this year Gena toured with ArtSpot, an educational theater company that brings theater to students around the world to aid in English studies.
Jessica D. Turner*
(Ella’s Mother / Dame Olga)
DCT: Go, Dog. Go!; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales; Stuart Little; The Island of the Skog; and Honus and Me. DFW Theater: Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Three, WaterTower Theatre, Shakespeare Dallas, and Dallas Museum of Art. National: American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Cherry Lane Theater, Lyric Stage of Boston, Magic Theater, Stoneham Theater, and many Shakespeare Festivals. MFA: American Conservatory Theater (ACT). BFA: SMU.
Karl Schaeffer*
(Understudy: Sir Peter)
Karl has appeared in many DCT productions including Treasure Island Reimagined!. Additional credits include Skippyjon Jones; Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat; Night of the Living Dead; Pinkerton!!!; The Emperor’s New Clothes; Babe, the Sheep-Pig; Holes; The Mummy’s Claw; Pecos Bill; The Island of the Skog; Frankenstein; The Stinky Cheeseman…; Honus & Me; Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; The Pied Piper’s Magic; Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!; Go, Dog. Go!; Charlotte’s Web; Balloonacy; Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook; Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium; and Blue. He also performed with Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Dallas, and Theatre Three. Karl is an Artist-in-Residence at DCT and teaches video acting classes for the DCT Academy.
ELLA ENCHANTED: THE MUSICAL is onstage at DCT from Jan. 25 – Feb. 24, 2019. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Tickets available at dct.org.
ELLA ENCHANTED: THE MUSICAL
By Karen Zacarías
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
Adapted from the book by Gail Carson Levine
By special arrangement with Miramax
Jan. 25 – Feb. 24
Ages 6 and up
Ella of Frell is turning the traditional Cinderella story upside down! At birth, she was given the “gift” of obedience which forces her to do anything people command: whether that’s hopping on one foot all day or telling her best friend to just go away! As a teenager, strong-willed Ella chooses to reject this lifestyle as her fate and embarks on a quest to break the curse forever. Along the way, feisty Ella must outwit her evil stepsisters, escape hungry ogres, and save the prince before she can claim her real voice. In this fun and spirited musical extravaganza that stays true to the Newbery Honor book, children will discover the power of words while laughing, singing, and dancing out loud.
*Indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association. **Indicates Equity Membership Candidate.
There are a few moments in my childhood that I remember with more clarity than any others. When I could finally swing on my own without a starting push. Giggling while chasing my dad with a hose in our little backyard. Crouching over an ant hill, coaxing ants onto a stick to feed my (also recently caught) horny toad. These moments were simple, but I can remember them so vividly: the way my muscles felt while swinging, the warmth of the sun in that backyard, and the awe while watching the ants march in a line.
whistles to his dog, Willie; you can feel the wonder and excitement as Keats tells Peter’s story. Come to Dallas Children’s Theater and delight in the magic of childhood yourself through the eyes of Peter and all his friends at THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES BY EZRA JACK KEATS playing through January 20. For tickets, go to 
THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER
What is a special talent you’ve brought to the creation and telling of these stories?
I always love working with DCT, but this was extra special because of the impact these books made on literature. It’s an opportunity for brown people to see themselves in literature. It was one of the first books I ever had with a kid like me on the front, and it’s important for young audiences to see themselves on stage. Many people could play these roles, but in the casting I tried to be intentional because [Ezra Jack Keats] chose the shade of Peter’s face for a reason, so I looked for that in my lead actor. In the media, you get the idea that lighter skin black people are acceptable and easier to be around, and I wanted the audience to see a brown boy playing and enjoying himself. I was excited to let brown kids see themselves on stage.
The Goggles story because it has the most movement. And I love to see Archie and Peter interacting; they’re just two friends with the freedom to run and play in their neighborhood. Kids sit in the house today on their iPhone and there’s no eye contact; and this play shows these kids having eye contact and having fun in their space in their neighborhood. Maybe it will inspire some kids to get out and play. It’s so much fun to see kids dancing and being free and getting up and having a good time.
There’s so much room for imagination if you’ll put yourself in the situation. When you think, “How would I feel at the first snow and getting to go out and play in it,” you get to realize that it doesn’t take things to make you happy; you can actually imagine a world. I love that this play asks kids to look at shadow puppets and imagine them as real. It gets kids thinking about how their lives can be more imaginative.
DCT’s current production on stage, SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES BY EZRA JACK KEATS, has a particular benefit for the young and the young at heart. This collection of four stories uses lovely shadow puppetry combined with live action to celebrate the wonders of childhood. The innocence of young Peter is front and center as he tries to preserve a snowball overnight, pen a letter to his first crush Amy, learn to whistle to call his dog Willie, and to face bullies for the first time. 
All the while, Peter is surrounded by loving family and friends who are there to take this journey with him as he grapples with the newness of it all. The imagination of the young Peters of the world should both be treasured and explored thoroughly. For many, these moments lead to deep revelations that propel them for a lifetime. In theater, these moments are the sparks for creativity we always talk about.
