Telly Leung is the special guest director of UCI Drama’s RENT, opening June 3-10, 2023 in the Claire Trevor Theatre at CTSA. Telly is a Broadway veteran with seven Broadway credits to his name, including being in the final cast of “RENT,” playing the title role of “Aladdin,” and originating the role of Sammy in “Allegiance.” He has also been in several TV shows, such as “Glee,” “Warrior” and “Law and Order.” Through his career, Telly has worked alongside a plethora of seasoned professionals such as the late Stephen Sondheim, Neil Patrick Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, and Lea Salonga, just to name a few. Telly has had a very fruitful career in acting, however he also produces, directs, and creates his own music. Overall, Telly is a man of many talents, and CTSA is excited to claim him as an honorary ARTeater.

Emily Babette Gross is a Canadian-born artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. She studied painting and drawing at CSU Long Beach and graduated with her B.F.A. in 2015. She is currently a third-year M.F.A. candidate in studio art at CTSA. For the last few years, Emily has been working and exhibiting in the greater Los Angeles area. Her multi-disciplinary work includes painting, drawing, sculpture, embroidery, assemblage, video and installation. Thematically her work explores identity and belonging, queer identity, subcultures, the performative aspects of gender, internet personas, and the concept of ‘home.’

Theodora Oldfield is currently pursuing her B.F.A. degrees in Choreography and Dance Performance at UCI. She has been dancing since she was a toddler, and has studied many styles of dance, including ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and hip-hop, under distinguished faculty and mentors. She has performed and choreographed for several independent performances, and also loves pursuing interests outside of dance such as anthropology and cooking.

Lisa Allin is an M.F.A. candidate in dance at UCI, as well as an aspiring choreographer, teacher, and retired performer from Los Angeles. Before continuing her education, she enjoyed many years as a freelance dancer in a variety of commercial and concert dance productions. Her passion brought her back to academics at Irvine Valley College, where she danced with Marie de la Palme. Through this experience, she was inspired by how dance can serve the community, and became involved in teaching, choreographing, and facilitating events designed to awaken more social inclusion with dance performances. In 2021, she received a B.A. in drama from UCI, which gave her a superb overview of theater-making, then continued her research here in the M.F.A. dance program.

Gianna Acciacca is a fourth-year student pursuing a B.F.A. in dance performance at UCI. Gianna has had the opportunity to study in various dance styles and has studied under distinguished faculty at CTSA, including Lar Lubovitch. She has been recognized with scholarships for her hard work and artistry. She is a second company member of Emergent Dance Company and has freelanced for numerous project-based works during her time in college. Through her experiences, she has learned the value of collaboration, empathy, vulnerability and storytelling through movement in a dance space. She has been involved in Bare Bones Dance Theater since her second year and now acts as co-director of the longstanding, student-run, non-profit dance organization, which hosts workshops, showcases and outreach events. The club is open to students of all majors at UCI.

Moses Carter is a 5th year music major, minoring in African American Studies. He has held the position of Peer Academic Advisor at CTSA for three years now, and is also a first year Resident Advisor for the freshman housing community at Mesa Court. Moses enjoys performing in music ensembles in the Department of Music, including the UCI Symphony Orchestra. He recently got accepted into Teach for America and, after graduating in the spring, plans on moving to Washington D.C. to teach high school English. In the future, Moses hopes to combine his love for African American history and classical music to study Ethnomusicology in grad school, specifically focusing on music within the African diaspora. Moses feels that current classical music and the way it’s taught at institutions is Eurocentric, and hopes to be part of the change to involve more Black and POC composers and performers in classical music academia.

Johnny Martinez is a jazz drummer born and raised in Los Angeles, California, with experience playing bass and piano in several jazz bands. He has played drums for jazz bands such as Jazz Angels, Crescendo Jazz All-Stars, and more. Johnny attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, he was awarded “Outstanding Soloist” at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival (2018), “Outstanding Soloist” at the Fullerton Jazz Festival (April 2018), and awarded first place in the combo division at the 2017 Reno Jazz Festival. He has studied privately with drummers such as Bernie Dresel and Clayton Cameron. He has performed at many festivals and, in the process, made personal connections with many great jazz musicians. Johnny has also attended masterclasses with Butch Miles, Vincent Gardner, Alex Acuña, and many more. He currently studies under Jason Harnell at the University of California, Irvine, and privately with Jeff Hamilton.

Annelise Hermsen is completing her fourth and final year of undergraduate study at UCI. A member of the Campuswide Honors Collegium, she will graduate this spring with a B.A. in both drama and business economics, along with honors in acting and honors in economics. Annelise recently made her professional debut at New Swan Shakespeare Festival last summer where she was cast as Marina in “Pericles, Prince of Tyre’’ and Courtesan in “The Comedy of Errrorrs.” She is a recent recipient of the 2022-2023 Kris and Linda Elftmann Scholarship at CTSA, and is currently the swing for all female roles in the upcoming CTSA Department of Drama mainstage, “Airness,” directed by Eli Simon. Hear about her experience in the show in this episode of Two+ Minutes with an Arteater.

Veronica Allen is from Omaha, Nebraska, and is pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance at UCI. While being on campus, she has had the opportunity to be a part of a variety of department shows, including both virtual and live performances. Most recently, she was in a collaborative piece choreographed by Charlotte Griffin and Ariyan Johnson, which she was able to showcase both modern and house dance. Next, she’ll be performing onstage in the show “New Slate 2022” from UCI Dance, opening December 1-3, 2022 at Claire Trevor Theatre. In 2022, she received the Donald McKayle Dance Scholarship and the Claire Trevor Society Scholarship - two awards given to distinguished students for their talent and character. 

Jax Dean is a fourth-year transfer student receiving a degree in Drama; however, they are also engaged in the dance department. Jax is a member of Bare Bones Dance Theater, a student-run Dance club established in 1987 that is still running strong on campus and is open to all majors. Jax made their professional theatrical debut this summer in the repertory productions for the New Swan Shakespeare Festival. In addition, some of Jax’s most treasured shows they’ve been a part of include “Rebecca Oaxaca Lays Down a Bunt” (UCI) and “Into the Woods” (UCI). In addition to being an avid member of Bare Bones, they are also performing in Romeo and Juliet this quarter!

Taylor Fagins is a UCI alumni who graduated in 2017 with a B.A. in Drama. He is currently attending Graduate school at Berkeley College NYC, earning his M.F.A. in Creative Technology with a specialization in Writing in Musical Theater Design. Taylor dabbles in songwriting, filmmaking, and playwriting. He is truly a jacque of all trades! Most recently, Taylor made his American Idol Debut. The judges, including Lionel Richey, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, went as far as to say that his audition performance was simply magical. Taylor sang an original song, “We Need More,” which spoke about issues of injustice revolving around black lives in America. Taylor is a bright light in the entertainment industry who hopes to pursue the arts for the rest of his life. Listen to this podcast to learn more about Taylor and his various artistic endeavors!

Jessica Spruiell is a third-year earning her B.F.A. in Music Theatre and a minor in Management. Jessica has done a plethora of musical theater and straight theater. Some of her favorite roles include The Witch in "Into the Woods," Belle in "Beauty and the Beast," and Roz in "Moon Over Buffalo." Her specialty is singing in a soprano register, which makes sense that her dream role is Christine in "Phantom of the Opera." Some of her hobbies include drinking coffee, going to the "Rocky Horror Picture Show," and binge-watching reality TV. As a talented and adventurous creative, she is embarking on her journey in the New York Satellite Program. Listen in to hear about her experience with this exciting CTSA opportunity.

Natalie Aronno is a dance major studying Modern, Ballet and Jazz. She became involved with dance at a very young age and aspires to pursue this magnetic art for the rest of her life. Some of her favorite dance performances include her Spring Concerts in high school, being cast in the Debbie Allen Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, and UCI’s most recent New Slate 2021. She claims that New Slate 2021 was a very emotional return to the stage, as it was her first in-person performance during her college career. In her spare time, some of her hobbies consist of cooking, watching movies, and spending time with loved ones. After college, Natalie plans to tour with a professional dance company. After traveling the world, she wishes to be a choreographer or be in a company that encourages its dancers to create their own works. Through this episode, Natalie speaks on her experience with the Dance Department’s upcoming show: Dance Visions!

Devin Wilson is a first-year graduate student here at UCI earning their M.F.A. in art. Devin previously earned their B.F.A. at Boston University. Devin perceives themself as an “AI for artistic content”. They are obsessed with studying creative material and then producing their own art. Something that is very important to them is researching art and attending conferences. One of their other favorite hobbies is baking bread, pretzels, and bagels! In addition, they are a DECADE representative for the upcoming Open Studios Event. Devin hinted that they will be performing in drag at this event. Don’t forget to come support CTSA’s M.F.A. Artists!

Summer Savonna Session is a graduate student here at CTSA, who is earning their M.F.A. in directing. They previously attended Fresno City College for an Associates Degree in Theater Arts and also California State University, Fresno for a Bachelor's Degree in General Theater. Summer is a true lover of the arts and hopes to pursue directing for the rest of their life. In Summer’s free time, they enjoy reading, painting, and watching anime! However, the majority of their current time is spent on perfecting the upcoming UCI mainstage production of The Seagull. Summer is thrilled to be spearheading this endeavor, which comprises an extremely talented cast and crew. Listen to this episode to learn more about Summer.

Ian Bowers is a fourth-year transfer student earning his degree in drama and is on track for a B.F.A. in music theater. Ian is drawn to comedic theater and enjoys playing into tragedy and dramatic pieces (a true jack-of-all-trades)! Some of his favorite roles include: Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Leaf Coneybear in The Putnam County Spelling Bee, Bat Boy in Bat Boy the Musical, and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliette. That being said, his dream role is Emcee in Cabaret. In his free time, Ian loves going on beach trips, adventuring with friends, and eating way too much sushi! After graduation, he plans to move to New York to kickstart a career on the East Coast. In this episode, Ian shares a little bit about his first UCI mainstage production, Rebecca Oaxaca Lays Down a Bunt, which opens in early March.

Tony Diego Garcia is an undergraduate at UCI earning his B.F.A in music theatre. Tony is a hardworking creative who loves to dance, sing, and act. He is attracted to rock-pop theater and dance-heavy shows. His favorite roles that he has had the privilege to play include: Emmett in Legally Blonde, Doody in Grease, and Charlie in Merrily We Roll Along. He hopes to eventually book musicals on Broadway and perform internationally. In his spare time, he loves to build LEGO sets and complete puzzles. Tony has a jovial and outgoing personality, which made him a perfect fit as our first interviewee. Listen to this episode to learn more about the amazingly talented Tony Diego Garcia and his upcoming performances!