Total Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Acts I & II: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Interactive Intermission/Dance Party 20 minutes
Acts III & IV: 45 minutes

Sung and spoken in Dari, English, Nahuatl, Spanish, and French

WARNING: This production uses strobe lighting

Accompanying Art Exhibit

In the 2nd Floor Classroom. Featuring works by:

Jesus Benavente
Rachel Dunbar
Gabriel Hernandez
Angela Hoener
Carl Austin Hyatt
Juliet Karelsen
Charles Mary Kubricht
Yorch Otte

An exhibition exploring connections across US borderlands and the transcendence of gender and genre boundaries in dialogue with Hogfish’s world premiere adaptation of CarmXn.

About

Hogfish's flagship artists-in-residence production for summer 2023, featuring artists from the Metropolitan Opera, Broadway, and beyond!

In collaboration with Mechanic’s Hall, Hogfish presents a new adaptation through the Hogfish lens of the classic opera Carmen exploring boundaries of geopolitics, gender, and genre conceived and directed by Edwin & Matt Cahill. New book, lyrics, and music devised by and with the cast. Curated and edited by Cynthia L. Dorsey & Edwin Cahill.

Devised from the original Opéra Comique version and short story by Prosper Merimée, Hogfish’s CarmXn is a modern day musical with new dialogue spoken in English and other languages of the border including Spanish, French, and Dari.  Bizet’s magical score comes to life across musical genres with re-imagined mariachi band orchestration by Felix Jarrar featuring members of the Palaver Strings and an electronic Flamenco dance party created by Lucy Dhegrae with choreography by Lindsey Bourassa and Amelia Rose Estrada.

Grab a margarita and walk through the borderlands in an art exhibition celebrating artists who inspire by creating out of bounds. Dance with the cast of CarmXn at the Club Lillas Pastia and be riveted by this enduring story of love, loss, and the power of living life across borders.

Characters

CARMXN, an undocumented Afro-Latinx immigrant | Melissa Bonetti Luna
DON JOSÉ, an ICE officer | Adrian Kramer
MICAËLA, a naturalized Venezuelan immigrant | Maria Brea
ESCAMILL(O)A, a drag performer and bullfighter | Matthew Anchel
MERCEDES, an undocumented Latinx refugee | Rachel Hurtado Dunbar
FRASQUITA, an undocumented Latinx refugee | Cynthia López-Pérez
REMENDADO, a cartel trafficker | Gabriel Hernandez
ZUNIGA, ICE director | Bryan Murray
AJ/DANCAIRO, double agent ICE officer | Aj Paramo
LILLAS PASTIA, drag club owner and dancer | Amelia Rose Estrada
LA PRESY, a famous Flamenco teacher and performer | Maria Mazorra
BEHZAD, a naturalized Afghan immigrant and Flamenco Guitarist | Behzad Habibzai
YOUNG CARMXN, CarmXn before she was separated from her mother at the border | Sherlindary Berios

TIME

Now.

PLACE

PROLOGUE - A dream state of the past
ACT I - A U.S. Border Wall
ACT II - Lillas Pastias Drag Club on the Border
INTERACTIVE INTERMISSION - A new underground drag club in the mountains
ACT III - In the mountains on a wall-less U.S. border
ACT IV - Outside an arena for an international drag competition
EPILOGUE - A dream state for the future

Synopsis

EPILOGUE
We hear an incantation in Nahuatl. La Presy circles the stage and invites young CarmXn and her mother to have their fortune told. She foresees that CarmXn will “drink much water in foreign lands”. Young CarmXn and her mother are separated at the border by the ICE officer Zuniga. Young CarmXn walks off to her fate and into those foretold foreign lands. Our CarmXn joins La Presy many years later, ready to face her past, demanding for her fortune to be read again and eager to change the narrative. The story begins…

ACT 1
Scene 1
We begin in the culturally vibrant yet politically charged environment of the US/Mexico border at El Paso and Juarez. Don José, a new ICE officer, arrives to see the tension at the border between Zuniga, the head ICE officer, and the citizens of Juarez alongside CarmXn, who are on break from working at a nearby maquiladora factory. CarmXn performs a song with her friends about the inability for love to be tamed, (“Habanera”). She is intrigued by Don José and triggers the border alarm to get his attention.

Scene 2
The alarm sounds and the group flees from the ICE agents as CarmXn and Don José are caught together in the midst of the chaos. She has done her research on the new ICE officer, and recites the opening line of his favorite poem to him, albeit in Spanish. She and her friends tease at his confusion, and head back to work. (“Habanera Postlude”).

Scene 3
After CarmXn leaves with her friends, Micaëla, Don José’s childhood sweetheart and friend, arrives to bring Don José a letter from his mother (“Parle-Moi De Me Mère''). Reading the letter aloud, they discover that Don José’s mother enclosed her engagement ring and requests that Don José use it to propose to Micaëla. Micaëla flees in embarrassment.

Scene 4
A scream is heard from the maquiladora factory. The workers run outside, trying to figure out what is going on and who is hurt. We learn that CarmXn carved an X in the cheek of a woman who insulted her race and family (“CarmXn’s Assault”). Upon interrogation, CarmXn ignores questioning, refuses to speak, and instead sings in defiance (“Tra La La La”).

Scene 5
Zuniga orders CarmXn to be tied up, and Don José to monitor her. CarmXn and Don José, now alone, finally connect. CarmXn proposes they have a night of passion and dancing at her friend Lillas Pastia’s bar (“Seguidilla”). Don José takes her up on her offer, and they create a diversion where she gets away.

Scene 6
He is then arrested by Zuniga (“Finale Act I”).

ACT 2
Pantomime
Zuniga locks up Don José in jail. A short while later, AJ sneaks in and frees Don José at CarmXn’s request, a favor in return for letting her escape earlier.

Scene 1
Two months later, Lillas Pastia, CarmXn, and friends Mercedes, Frasquita, and AJ rehearse a new song and dance number at Lillas Pastia’s bar that CarmXn is creating to surprise Don José, as he has sent word that he is finally joining her that evening. (“Chanson Boheme”). 

Scene 2
Escamillo (Tory Adore!) enters the bar and performs her drag routine (“Votre Toast”). Escamillo and CarmXn are both intrigued by the other, and their courage to defy societal norms. Police are spotted who have been cracking down on drag acts, so Escamillo departs. Lillas Pastia, AJ, CarmXn, Mercedes, Frasquita, and Remendado all plan for an upcoming drug drop using their work at the maquiladora factory as a front. CarmXn tells the others to go ahead without her, and waits for Don José.

Scene 3
Don José arrives singing a folk song. (“Dragon D’Alcala”).

Scene 4
CarmXn, happy to see Don José, performs the dance for him that she had been rehearsing earlier with her friends. In the middle of the dance, Don José hears an alarm from his fellow ICE officers in the distance and tries to go. CarmXn is not pleased. The two begin to fight (“Je Vais Danser”). After an outburst, Don José sings tries to make up to CarmXn by singing a song he wrote for her in prison (“Painted Flowers” by Adrian Kramer). CarmXn shuts him down, still angry that he would leave her so soon after arriving. He puts all his cards on the table and sings to her about how she is all he can think about, and that he has kept the flower she threw at him from the first day they met (“The Flower Song”). He ends by giving CarmXn his mother’s ring. CarmXn tells him if he really loves her, then he must leave with her and not rejoin ICE.

Scene 5
Don José refuses, but just as he is about to leave, Zuniga arrives to arrest CarmXn and Don José. CarmXn’s friends come to her rescue and restrain Zuniga, who is then killed. Don José has no choice now but to come with CarmXn to the mountains. Lillas Pastia’s bar is shut down.

INTERACTIVE INTERMISSION
A new underground pop-up drag bar in the mountains. La Presy, Lillas Pastia, Aj, and Tory Adore! all perform and invite the audience to dance along with them.

ACT 3
Entr’acte
AJ guides Micaëla through the mountains to deliver a message to Don José, trying to avoid being caught by other members of the group.

Scene 1
A fight between CarmXn and Don José comes to a head. Don José storms off.

Scene 2
CarmXn, Frasquita, and Mercedes pass the time by reading their tarot cards. CarmXn discovers that the cards predict her death (“Card Trio and Aria”).

Scene 3
Micaëla negotiates with AJ that she needs more time in order to speak with Don José.

Scene 4
Micaëla, all alone at the camp, cries out to God, asking for protection and courage to deliver her message to Don José. (“Je Dis”).

Scene 5
Micaëla flees once she hears Escamillo arriving, who has made a trip to the mountains to see CarmXn. Escamillo and Don José cross paths, and they fight after Escamillo declares his infatuation with CarmXn (“Fight”). Don José begins a psychotic break, hallucinates, and sees actual bulls attacking him.

Scene 6
CarmXn enters to stop the fighting. Escamillo leaves. Everyone catches Micaëla hiding. Micaëla then asks Don José to go with her. He refuses until she tells him that his mother is dying and has requested that he be at her bedside. He agrees to leave with Micaëla, but not before swearing to CarmXn that they will see each other again (“Finale Act III”).

ACT 4
Entr’acte
Several months later, Tory Adore! puts on her makeup for her drag bullfighting performance.

Scene 1
Escamillo (Tory Adore!) and CarmXn have begun a relationship with each other and express their affection (“Duet: Si Tu M’aimes”). As Tory leaves for her act, Mercedes and Frasquita warn CarmXn that they have spotted Don José, in the audience and they believe he will come after CarmXn. CarmXn tells them that she will not run from any one and will stay and face Don José.

Scene 2
Don José confronts CarmXn, threatening to kill her if she does not love him any more and to pursue her to the ends of the earth if she runs away. She refuses to give up her freedom to love and live as she chooses, and so accepts her death at his hands as the only way to remain free.

EPILOGUE
Frasquita and Mercedes mourn at CarmXn’s funeral procession with AJ and Lillas Pastia. The whole cast joins them on stage singing an anthem of hope for freedom and peace for all. (“Circle round for freedom” by Linda Hirschhorn)

Headshots

Cast

Creative Team

Orchestra

Bios

Cast

MELISA BONETTI LUNA (CarmXn) (she/her), Dominican-American Mezzo-Soprano, Melisa Bonetti Luna, is a versatile singer whose experience encompasses both new works and traditional operas and concert works. Melisa’s most exciting projects this season include mezzo soloist at Carnegie Hall for the Bach’s Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio with the Cecilia Chorus of NY, soloist at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and the Kimmel Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra in a concert of Ancient Tang Poems with the I Sing International Festival, the premiere of A Marvelous Order by Judd Greenstein and Tracy K. Smith, and the lead in the premiere of Paraíso, an experimental opera by Sokio, at National Sawdust. Melisa’s upcoming season includes Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette, and Maddalena in Rigoletto with Opera San Jose, a soloist in the iSING! touring festival in China, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana with the Helena Symphony. Melisa is committed to the importance of equality and diversity, which she feels begins with the youth. She has dived into work in various musical education programs with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the Brooklyn School of Music, and the Bronx School of Music. Melisa has been hailed by Opera today as “a warm, supple mezzo that struck all the right impressions” and as “commanding a wonderful presence in the lower middle voice but also easily soaring heavenward with a well-schooled top.” Previous seasons include Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Eva in An American Dream with Virginia Opera, Tyler in the premiere of Three Way with Nashville Opera and American Opera Projects at BAM, which Melisa was also in the Grammy nominated original-cast recording for, Emelda in the original workshop of Champion by Terrance Blanchard with Cincinnati Opera, Anita in West Side Story with the Brott Music Festival (Ontario), Die Knusperhexe in Hansel und Gretel with Union Avenue Opera, Mercedes in Carmen with Nashville Opera & Opera Columbus, and an arias concert tour in Bologna, Italy with the International Voice Masterclass Ebe Stignani program. Melisa has also performed with the Des Moines Metro Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera.

ADRIAN KRAMER (Don José) In the 2022/23 season Tenor Adrian Kramer joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera, covering the role of Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer, and debuted as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera San Jose, as well as singing Hoffegut in Die Vögel with Pacific Opera Victoria. Additional recent credits include Toby Higgins in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, and as Die Nase, Iaryzhkin, and a Eunuch in Die Nase, both with Komische Oper Berlin, Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette with San Diego Opera, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Cape Symphony. Other credits include Opera Philadelphia, Opera Omaha, San Diego Opera, Edmonton Opera, and Santa Fe Opera, as well as an off­ Broadway debut with Ensemble for the Romantic Century. In 2024 he will appear as Don José in Carmen with Maison symphonique de Montréal. Initially training as a baritone, Mr. Kramer's professional credits in that repertoire include performances with Chicago Opera Theater, Canadian Opera Company, the Castleton Festival, Cal Performances, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Saskatoon Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera. He has been awarded the Professional Development for Artists Grant from the Canada Council, the Chalmers Professional Development Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, The Campbell Wachter Memorial Prize from Santa Fe Opera, as well as winning the Louis Quilico Competition and the Juilliard Honors Recital Competition. Mr. Kramer has received funding from the Olga Forrai Foundation and the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation. He holds degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.

MARIA BREA (Micaëla) (she/her/hers/ella) starts her 2023-2024 season reprising one of her most performed roles, Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen at the Hogfish Festival in Maine with a star rising cast. In the fall of 2023 she will be reprising the role of Clomiri in Handel's adaptation of Imeneo with Opera Essentia with a baroque 415 ensemble. She returns to the University of Notre Dame to sing a recital with Dror Baitel. In December 2023, Maria makes her debut with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra singing Handel's Messiah, under the baton of Tito Muñoz. In January 2024 you will hear her with Vero Beach Opera in her return to the role of Donna Anna. Maria makes her Canadian debut with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. In the 2022-23 season Brea represented Venezuela in Operalia. Maria returned to the ASE for their New Orleans Opera recital where she was a soloist under the baton of Maestro Everett McCorvey. Additionally, in December 2022 to Carnegie Hall to make her debut singing Handel's Messiah with the Oratorio Society of New York under the baton of Kent Tritle. She made a reprise of Messiah and her debut with the Indianapolis Symphony OrchestrA. Maria made debut with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra singing Beethoven 9th with Jose Luis Gomez. Ms. Brea made her debut with the Amadeus Ensemble doing an All Mozart concert. She did her Mahler Symphony No. 2 debut with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as a last minute schedule addition, ten days later she made her Boston debut with Boston Philharmonic singing Mahler Symphony No. 2 at Symphony Hall with conductor Benjamin Zander. Maria made her Schubert Club's debut along with the Jasper Quartet in a premiere Venezuelan composer Reinaldo Moya; In addition, she was headlining at the Schubert Club's 140th season which also featured legendary mezzo-soprano Anne Sophie von Otter. Maria makes her debut at The Metropolitan Opera in their American Ballet production of Like Water for Chocolate in June 2023. For more information visit: MariaBreaSoprano.com

MATTHEW ANCHEL (Escamill(o)a) (he/him) is a born and raised New Yorker from the Upper West Side. He started singing at the age of 6 in the Metropolitan Opera's Children's Chorus and as an adult has been singing professionally for 15 years. He has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Glyndebourne, Oper Leipzig, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Arizona Opera to name a few. For the 23/24 season he will sing with The Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Tannhauser and The Magic Flute, Nashville Opera's production of The Magic Flute, Romeo and Juliet with Arizona Opera and Alcina with St. Petersburg Opera. Matthew has also performed in Cabarets, Drag Shows around NYC and has a TikTok with nearly 800k followers. He also has a voice studio in New York where he teaches singers at the MET, Broadway and other stages all over the world.

RACHEL HURTADO DUNBAR (Mercedes) (she/her) is a Mezzo-Soprano from El Paso, Texas who enjoys performing the music of Spain and Latin America. She most recently performed El Amor Brujo with the Indiana University Chamber Orchestra and The Morpheus Quartet with New Voices Opera. Additional performances include Indiana University’s Latin-X Artist Showcase (2021-22) and the Bolcom Cabaret Songs with the University of Hawaii Wind Ensemble (2020). As a member of the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio, Ms. Dunbar sang with the Hawaii Opera Theatre in their productions of Le Nozze di Figaro (2020), Romeo et Juliette (2018), and Eugene Onegin (2017). Winner of the Dorothy Lincoln Smith Classical Voice Award, Ms. Dunbar is an accomplished classical singer.  However, she continues to sing and play a wide range of contemporary music including pop, rock, r&b, and ranchera.  When she isn’t performing, she enjoys teaching and mariachi coaching. Ms. Dunbar graduated with a B.A. from BYU-Hawaii and an M.M. from the University of Hawaii. She is currently pursuing a D.M. in Vocal Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she is a student of Dr. Brian Gill. 

CYNTHIA LÓPEZ PÉREZ (Frasquita) (she/her) Praised for her “beautifully free and full upper register” (Voce di Meche) Compton-born Xicana soprano, Cynthia López-Pérez, is an avid performer of both standard and new repertoire, specializing in Latinx works and programming. Upcoming performances include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Boston Festival Orchestra and NEMPAC Opera Project and “Soul Echoes”, a work based on sworn declarations by child migrants by J.E. Hernandez with ConcertiaHTX and Project Amplify. Ms. López-Pérez’s recent performances include Natalia (Caravana de Mujeres), Maria (West Side Story), and Mimì (La bohème) with MassOpera; Leonore (Fidelio) with Promenade Opera Project; Despina (Così fan tutte) and Blanche (Dialogues des Carmélites) with Boston Conservatory Opera; Nannetta (Falstaff) with Martina Arroyo Prelude to Performance; and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) with The Ohio State University Lyric and Opera Theater. Ms. López-Pérez has had the pleasure of working with local Boston companies such as MassOpera, NEMPAC Opera Project, Promenade Opera Project, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Odyssey Opera, and OperaHub. Ms. López-Pérez completed her graduate studies at Boston Conservatory, where she was the recipient of the Yolanda Cerreta Pangaro Scholarship, earning her degree in Opera Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Folsom. As an arts advocate, she has had the pleasure of combining her work as a professional in the arts with her passion for advocacy through concert work, lectures, panel discussions, community outreach, and philanthropy. 

GABRIEL HERNANDEZ (Remendado) (they/them) Puerto Rican-American tenor Gabriel Hernandez was recently called “a tenor to watch” by Operawire. They have been performing since childhood and believe in the power of community and collaboration to create meaningful art. In the fall of 2021, Gabriel exhibited their debut photo series Taking Up Space: Queer Identity in Opera at the Countee Cullen Library in NYC. In the fall of ‘22, Gabriel was spotlighted by the Washington Blade, America’s oldest LGBTQ news source, for their portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. Gabriel began their 22/23 season as Torquemada in Ravel’s l’Heure Espagnole with New Camerata Opera in which they were described as a “wonderful tenor,” followed by performances with Quarry Theater in the world premiere of Yours Forever, Lincoln, where they portrayed the title character. Gabriel’s portrayal as Lincoln was described as “the highlight of the performance” by Maryland Theater Guide. Gabriel will make their house and role debut with Opera Ithaca as Pluto in Buck Ross’ English Adaption of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. Following this debut, Gabriel joined NERO Orchestra to premiere Felix Jarrar’s first symphony, Banishing Grief. Following premiering Jarrar’s first symphony, Gabriel will join Hogfish in their new production of Carmen, entitled CarmXn− Devised from the original Opéra Comique version and short story by Prosper Merimée, Hogfish’s CarmXn is a modern day musical with new dialogue spoken in English and other languages of the border including Spanish, French, and Dari. 

BRYAN MURRAY (Zuniga) (he/him/his) is a NYC based lyric baritone. His recent engagements include Jupiter in "Orpheus in the Underworld" with Opera Ithaca, the priest and fisherman in Kaija Saariaho’s "Only the Sound Remains" at The Biennale in Venice, Strasbourg festival, and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Prior to the covid shutdown, Bryan had a one year contract with Deutsche Oper Berlin as a Stipendiat, performing comprimario roles in 12 productions for the 2018/19 season including: Fiorello in "Il barbiere di Siviglia," Moralès in "Carmen," and Marullo in "Rigoletto." On the concert stage, Bryan has performed with NY Baroque Inc. and Teatro Grattacielo in Manhattan, the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra, the Yale Philharmonia, the Jacksonville symphony, the New Haven Symphony, and the Yale Camerata. Bryan obtained a Master of Musical Arts degree in opera performance from Yale University’s School of Music under the tutelage of Richard Cross and Doris Yarick-Cross. 

AJ PARAMO (Dancairo) (they/he/she) recently completed the EPR Program at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, participating in shows such as Nativity Variations, A Christmas Carol, and Much Ado About Nothing. They are a graduate from UIUC with a BFA in Theater. Illinois Theatre Credits: Sweat (Oscar), Pshitter (Bougerlas). They will also be in the upcoming fall production of Rent as Angel at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois. This is their first time in Maine and they are so grateful that the Hogfish Family was so welcoming and allowed them to experience it this way. In their free time Aj works as a freelance makeup artist, choreographer and model in Chicago. They dedicate their work and love to their two mothers and cat, Buttercup, who is definitely in the audience watching right now. 

AMELIA ROSE ESTRADA (Lillas Pastia/Co-Choreographer) (she/her) is a queer, Latina interdisciplinary artist and scholar. As a performance maker, she is interested in crafting work that speak to Dominicanidad, gender, queerness, and intergenerational ancestral relationality. Her choreography has been presented at the Spark Theater Festival NYC, Tufts University, FilmFest by Rogue Dancer: h2o Edition, the Koresh Artist Showcase and at Cuerpo Mediado Festival de Videodanza in Rosario, Argentina. In addition to her individual projects, Amelia makes lesbian dance theater with her artistic partner, Elle Jansen, under the company name MELLE. She is currently a PhD student at Tufts University in the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Department.  Her current research focuses on the intersection of dance, race, and nation in the Dominican Republic. She performs as a freelance dancer and has had the pleasure of dancing with Joy Clark, Eventual Dance Company, Catherine Stiller, Brian Sanders' JUNK, Megan Flynn Dance Company, and Leilani Chirino Dance and Drum Ensemble, among others. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Dance and Classical Studies.

MARIA MAZORRA (La Presy) Cuban born, began dancing flamenco at a young age.  Her Spanish grandmother was an avid dancer and exposed her to flamenco music and dance.  In NYC, she worked with numerous groups and studied with Mariquita Flores, Liliana Morales, Bobby Lorca at the Harkness Ballet/School of Dance. In her late twenties she pursued a different career path.  She has returned to flamenco in the past decade and has been studying with Lindsey Bourassa who is an amazing dancer and choreographer. She feels privileged to be part of a growing flamenco community in Maine.

BEHZAD HABIBZAI (Behzad) Originally a Portland-native drummer/percussionist, Behzad Habibzai has been playing flamenco guitar for over 25 years, 17 of those in Washington, DC, with renowned flamenco artists. He began playing drums and classical percussion at age ten, maintaining a busy schedule performing orchestral, jazz, and punk rock, at rock clubs and symphony halls across Southern Maine. At 14 he discovered flamenco guitar. He has performed at countless festivals and theatrical productions, and has performed with many international flamenco artists. His featured performances include: Ibero-American Guitar Festival, Mid-Atlantic Guitar Festival, American Dance Institute, Atlas Theater’s Intersections Festival, Gala Theatre’s Fuego Flamenco Festival, Sidney Harman Hall’s Velocity DC Dance Festival, Creative Alliance, The John F. Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, DC Feria, Strathmore Mansion, Constellation Theatre, In Series, WSC Avant Bard, Peabody Conservatory, George Mason University, and the United States Army Field Band. Behzad co-produced Sonsonete with his wife, vocalist Meghan Habibzai, at St. Lawrence Arts in Portland and An Die Musik in Baltimore, blending flamenco with Spanish art songs. Behzad has already lent his voice to several films and documentaries, helping filmmakers tell stories. He has released several flamenco and orchestral recordings, available on Spotify and YouTube Music. More information at behzadhabibzai.com. 

SHERLINDARY BERRIOS (Young CarmXn) She is originally from Caracas,Venezuela. She is a junior in high school and currently attend Deering High School, here in Portland. She arrived in the United States with her parents, Sugey and Luis less than a year ago. She came to this country for a better life and to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress. 

CREATIVE

EDWIN CAHILL (Director) (he/they) American director, producer, and librettist Edwin Cahill’s unique background as a concert pianist and Broadway actor “a talented pianist, a first-rate singer, and an engaging stage presence” (New York Times), and linguist with studies at the University of Paris Sorbonne-Nouvelle who served as a French/Italian Political Analyst for Medley Global advisors, informs his “joyful and passionate directing” (onmilwaukee.com) that is “light, effortless, and fits the space like a glove” (Music4awhile), leading to a body of work in theater, musicals, and operas that “will make hearts melt” (Broadway World), is “seamless…completely engrossing the patron in the idiosyncrasies of Mozart’s music” (dosavannah.com), “achieved the nearly impossible...and staged every scene with urgency, inventiveness and most importantly, a reverence for the music” (The Huffington Post), and reached the pop culture breakthrough of the “brilliant and highbrow approval matrix” (New York Magazine). His work has led critics to acclaim that “Cahill has perhaps invented a new style of opera…punk opera comique” (dosavannah.com) and that he created “by far the most enjoyable and thought-provoking Don Giovanni New York has heard in many a year.” (Opera News)

MATT CAHILL (Producer/Co-director) (he/they) Matt’s first arts activism involved impromptu recreations of Disney princess songs for his two older brothers and doctor parents who do not listen to music. Music and activism have woven their way through his life ever since. In 2003, he founded the Gay Straight Alliance at the Gilman School, an all boys preparatory academy in Baltimore, Maryland which continues its work today as the Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club. After attending the Juilliard School for vocal performance and in the middle of starring as Papageno on the international tour of Peter Brook’s Molière Award-winning adaptation of Mozart’s Magic Flute, Une Flûte Enchanté, Matt produced a concert series “You Are Not Alone” in response to a series of LGBTQ teenage suicides in New York City and beyond with Broadway and Metropolitan Opera stars which raised over $20,000 for the Trevor Project, the national suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Matt’s passion around the intersection of activism, performance, and education led him to train as an Alexander Technique teacher, a form of embodied mindfulness, which he now teaches to the young artists at the Metropolitan Opera as well as at the Circle in the Square Theatre School. He has developed new programs and curriculums for mindful performance at SongFest in Los Angeles, Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard, Brooklyn College, and now at Hogfish’s regenerative artist residency which he considers the culmination of his life work.

SARAH GOODWIN (Managing Director) (she/her) Born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Sarah received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. Upon graduation she headed to New England, working as an interior designer on large scale corporate projects; before settling in Maine to live the way life should be. Sarah took a brief intermission from design to try her hand in finance, but her artistic side screamed to be unleashed. She founded her own event planning and design company, which she directed for a decade. Feeling it was time to start writing a new chapter, Sarah joined previous clients, Edwin and Matthew Cahill at Hogfish. In addition to Hogfish, Sarah is also a certified wellness coach through Duke University’s Health & Well-Being Coaching program.  When Sarah isn’t creating, you can find her spending time with her husband Chad and their beloved pups. Sarah is happiest when she is in her garden, working in and with nature. She believes soil not only cultivates vegetation but the soul; movement should not only exercise the body but the mind; and beauty should not only be a treat for the eyes but all five senses.

CYNTHIA L. DORSEY (Asst. Director) (she/her) (noun): the moon personified as a goddess and a multi-disciplinary artist from Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago (BA) and Syracuse University (MA). Cynthia is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of SoulFLY Theatre Society. With SoulFLY Cynthia has devoted her artistry to creating content that liberates the stories of women of color from the page. Cynthia is also an arts educator who was nominated for an Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award. In addition, Cynthia is an award-winning writer, actor, director, producer and filmmaker. Cynthia is the 2022 Prince/TTLP Fellow, a member of the 2022 Theater Producers of Color cohort, and a 2022/23 Broadway League Fellow. It is Cynthia’s goal as an artist to direct and produce both theater and films that empower audiences and invoke societal change. As she forges on, Cynthia, the moon personified as a goddess will continue to fight for her rightful place in the sky.

GRACE KELLAR-LONG (Production Stage Manager) (she/her) graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Theater, where she wrote and directed an adaptation of a science fiction novella with clones, wormholes, and puppets. Stage management credits include Smoke on the Mountain at Portland Stage, The Roommate with Prime Productions in Minneapolis, and various productions at Bowdoin College. She was also the NHL Production Office Assistant for the 2022 Winter Classic at Target Field and currently works as an Administrative Assistant at Temple Beth El here in beautiful Portland, Maine. In her free time, Grace likes to read science fiction, knit, listen to podcasts, and run by the ocean. Many thanks to the cast, crew, and Hogfish team!

AUDREY LUNA (Alexander Technique/Singing Specialist) sings because it is and source of energy, creativity and beauty in her life. It has been transformative in her personal self actualization, giving her the opportunity to heal and express herself. Making music and helping musicians find their voice has been her life's work. Music is a personal language that she feels honored to continue to learn to speak. Decades performing internationally on the operatic and concert stage, teaching voice, and Alexander Technique are the roadmaps she uses to guide other musicians as they discover their own personal music language. It is an honor to witness their growth. 

MONICA CHUNG (Conductor/Music Director) is a concert pianist, producer, music director, and teacher. Her solo debut with the North Carolina Piedmont Triad Symphony Orchestra was at the young age of 10 as a result of winning 1st prize in the Concert Competition. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras in London, Hungary, New York, and St. Petersburg in Russia under the baton of the late Sviatoslav Luther. An active chamber musician and soloist, she has participated in festivals around the world including: the Banff Chamber Music Festival; International Musicians Seminar (IMS) in Prussia Cove, England; Puigcerda International Music Festival in Spain; Ecoles d’Art Americaines de Fontainebleau in France; Tel-Hai International Masterclasses in Israel; Leipzig International Music Festival; International Keyboard Institute Festival (IKIF); Beethoven Institute and Festival. Monica is founder of the series A Night of Chamber Music with Ensemble Henrietta. As music director, Monica particularly enjoyed Hawaiʻi Childrenʻs Theatre After Dark alumni production of the controversial show Spring Awakening (2021), Kauai Community Players production of Sweeney Todd (2019), and Nice Work If You Can Get It for Kauai Performing Arts Center. She is indebted to her teachers Pavlina Dokovska, Alexander Slobodyanik, Vladimir Feltsman, Olegna Fuschi, and Eric Larsen. Monica served on piano faculty at the historical NYC landmark Greenwich House Music School, and Bergen Academy of Music & Art. She is Music Lecturer at Kauai Community College, and maintains a full private studio of young pianists and composers. She is Director for the Kauai Concert Association, and is enjoying her first year as President of the Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association.

FELIX JARRAR (Orchestrator/Arranger) (he/him) With music described as “dreamlike”(Boston Globe) and “delightfully cruel” (Operawire), NYC-based Felix Jarrar is a composer/pianist whose “music flows from him in the most natural and lively way” (Tom Cipullo). His accomplishments include performances at Symphony Space, (le) poisson rouge, Feinstein's/54 below, the BAM! Fisher Hillman Studio, Roulette Intermedium, and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Jarrar’s works have been performed internationally by artists from the Metropolitan Opera, the New England Repertory Orchestra, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, the duo Unassisted Fold, and Spark Duo. His output of 230 works includes over 200 art songs, 13 operas, 2 string quartets, 2 cantatas, and a symphony. One of the most in-demand collaborative pianists in NYC, he maintains coaching studios in Manhattan and Boston. Jarrar is a vocal coach and accompanist at Mannes School of Music. He was a 2022 artist-in-residence with Midori & Friends. This season, he debuted his ensemble The Jarrar and Brea Duo with award-winning Venezuelan soprano Maria Brea and worked with Opera Ithaca, Santa Fe Opera, and Penn Square Opera. Jarrar also works in crossover repertoire, having performed with Broadway singers that starred in recent productions of Into the Woods, Six, Hadestown, and Wicked. Jarrar completed his Bachelor of Arts from Marlboro College with Highest Honors in Music Composition and Piano Performance and received his Master of Music degree from Brooklyn College on multiple scholarships. His primary teachers include Jason Eckardt, Stanley Charkey, Tania León, and Robert Merfeld. He was mentored by piano pedagogue Burton Hatheway.

TYSON DEATON (Pianist/Coach) Known for his broad range of repertoire and versatility of style, Tyson Deaton has established a reputation for leading energetic and inventive performances. With his musical roots in the standard canon, his affinity for contemporary works is also acclaimed by audiences and critics. Deaton led Cipullo's Glory Denied in his Fort Worth Opera debut, yielding the first professional recording of this work (Albany), rated “Best of 2013” (Washington Post), and one among “12 Best Full-Length Opera Recordings of 2014” (OperaNews). Other audio releases include the Offenbach rarity L'île de Tulipatan (Albany), and with Julia Kogan, In Jest, (First Hand Records) recorded at Champs Hill. Adept on the concert stage as in the orchestra pit, his recital partners have included Denyce Graves, Michael Norsworthy, Talise Trevigne, Linda Wang, Judith Kellock, Julie Landsman, Victoria Livengood, Craig Mumm, Adrienne Danrich, Sherrill Milnes, and Matthew Worth. Jacob’s Pillow, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The John F. Kennedy Center count among the venues he has been a guest. Joining San Francisco Opera for Sweeney Todd, he has also worked with New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, American Modern Ensemble, Anchorage Opera, Atlanta Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Kentucky Opera, and others. A fervent advocate for the music of our time, Deaton is a frequent consultant for new work development, and has conducted premieres of composers such as Libby Larsen, Zach Redler, Tarik O'Regan, Robert Paterson, Kennedy Verrett, and Stewart Copeland.

LUCY DHEGRAE (Electronic Music) (she/her) is a vocalist and electronic artist based in New York City. Under the moniker XNRG she produces and DJs in a genre of her own making, blending house, deep house, and techno with her love of experimental and avant-garde vocal music. She sees similar values in all-night raves and the Gesamtkunstwerk world of opera, and is excited that Hogfish wants to bring them together for this performance. For more of her tracks and DJ mixes, follow XNRG on Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/

GIZ DANIELS (Sound Designer) has been in the music business since before Woodstock. After 30 years on stage, he moved into sound production. He has mixed for the likes of Jonathan Edwards, Commander Codey, Savoy Brown, Tim O’Brian, Heather Masse and numerous others at various concerts and festivals. He also has developed an interest in theater sound. A uniquely different skill set and an enjoyable experience and a chance to work with talented people.

LINDSEY BOURASSA (Co-Choreographer) (she/her) Based in Maine, Lindsey Bourassa is a flamenco dancer, choreographer and teacher. Lindsey received her Master of Flamencology Degree from Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain) in 2019; her Certificate of Professionalization in Flamenco Arts at El Centro de Arte y Flamenco de Sevilla (Seville, Spain) in 2012; and her Bachelor of Cultural Dance Studies and Creative Writing Degree from Goddard College (Vermont, USA) in 2009, with a specialization in flamenco and salsa. She has dedicated herself to the study of flamenco since 2004, studying in Spain, France, Canada, and the United States. She has performed and taught in both Spain and the United States with nationally and internationally recognized flamenco artists and currently teaches Flamenco as part of the Bates College Dance Department. In her choreographic work, Lindsey creates flamenco performances that illustrate multifaceted storytelling, often woven together with original, creative prose. 

JORDAN CAREY (Costume Designer) ‘19 is a Bermudian designer and artist currently based in Portland, Maine, and a graduate of the Textile and Fashion Design program at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D). As a MECA&D student, Jordan's work was predominantly focused on the cultural aesthetics and influences present and changing in the African diaspora and island life. After graduating from MECA&D, Jordan continued to develop as an assistant designer for the Maine-based fashion company Jill McGowan and freelance work. In January 2020, Jordan launched Loquat, an independent fashion and accessories business focused on empowering marginalized people. The Loquat flagship store and open manufacturing space opened on May 6th, 2022, in Portland’s Old Port.

MADISON POITRAST-UPTON (Costume Designer) is a fashion and textiles artist located in Portland Maine. She recently received her BFA in Textile & Fashion Design from Maine College of Art (2020). Her undergrad thesis was primarily focused on ethically designed performance wear for women. Having been a thespian herself for many years, she understood the dangers and lack of representation surrounding this demographic. Since graduating, she has continued her path as a conscious member of the fashion industry through her design work. She currently works at Jill Mcgowan, an apparel company focused on quality and comfortable women's wear and Loquat, a fashion and Design company focused on empowering marginalized people and causes.

CHARLES MARY KUBRICHT (Projection Art Designer) is an artist and set designer in New York and Marfa. Her artwork has been featured in CULTUREVOLT, BOMB, ELLE DÉCOR Italy, Marfa: Transformation of a West Texas Town, Dazzle: Disguise and Disruption in War and Art and P61VMAG. Major institutional solo exhibitions include “Where Time Dwells”, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; “Canyon Series”, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX; “Scanning the Grand Canyon” Austin Museum of Art; “Charles Mary Kubricht, Matrix Series”, Art Museum of South Texas. Kubricht’s public art installations include “Alive-nesses:Proposal for Adaptation” High Line, New York; “paraMuseum: Environmental Exigencies” Rice University, Houston, TX; and “Landscapes Near and Far”, U. S. Port of Entry, Columbus, NM. She was awarded a GSA Art in Architecture Award; Creating a Living Legacy Grantfrom the Joan Mitchell Foundation (New York) and DiverseWorks (Houston, TX); residencies at the Core Program of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, and Yaddo, Saratoga, NY. Her work is in the collection of museums such as Museum of Fine Art, Houston; Blaffer Museum, Austin; Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi; University of Houston, Houston; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. Her opera set designs include Kurt Weill’s “Der Protagonist” and Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “L’arbre enchanté” commissioned by the Fire Island Opera Festival and Hogfish. 

OLIVIA DELUCA (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer based in New York City. CarmXn is her third production with Hogfish. Her past design credits with Hogfish are The Magic Tree and She-Wolves. Olivia has also worked with Maine State Music Theatre on productions including The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Color Purple, Kinky Boots, and Frozen Jr. Additionally, she works on live events and interactive entertainment such as The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience and The Stranger Things Experience.

SEAGHAN MCKAY (Projection Designer) Seághan McKay is a Boston-based projection designer whose work has been showcased in many of the historic city’s greatest performance venues. Among them are The Boston Opera House, The Shubert Theater, Boston Symphony Hall, The Paramount Theatre, The Boston University Theatre, and numerous others. Seághan’s designs have earned him six award nominations from the Independent Reviewers of New England in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Seághan received the 2017 IRNE Award for Best Projection Design for the Lyric Stage production of Sondheim on Sondheim and the 2018 IRNE Award for Best Projection Design for the New Repertory Theatre production of Golda’s Balcony. Prominent directors and designers that Seághan counts among his collaborators include Mikko Nissinen, Rosetta Cucchi, Crystal Manich, Maria Aitken, Michael Cavanagh, Sean Daniels, John Conklin, Allen Moyer, Robert Perdziola, Peter Nigrini, Greg Emetaz, Mark Stanley, Chris Akerlind, D.M. Wood, Joel Silver, Paul Hackenmueller, and John Gromada. Seághan has been a full-time faculty member at the Boston University School of Theater since 2014 and has given guest lectures and master classes at the Amherst College, The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Hampshire College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brandeis University, Emerson College, The University of Arkansas, United Scenic Artists IATSE Local USA 829, and the Production Managers Forum Fall 2012 Meeting.

JOHN GRIFFIN (Technical Director) is the founder and creative backbone of Griffin & Griffin. John has been designing with light for 20 years with a focus exclusively on event lighting for the past 10 years. John’s background as a Landscape Architect allows him to understand design in a way that he can visualize lighting in a multitude of settings from beginning to end. His knowledge ensures the look and flawless execution of every project he encounters.

CRISTINA TODESCO (Scenic Designer) is a Boston based stage designer working in theater, opera and film. Companies include Actors Shakespeare Project, Boston Conservatory, Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood in the Berkshires. Capital Rep, Central Square Theater, Company One, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, the Culture Project, Huntington Theatre, Lyric Stage Company, Merrimack Repertory Theater, New England Conservatory, New Repertory Theater, Olney Theater Center, Speakeasy Stage Company Shakespeare and Company, Trinity Repertory Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, and MASS MoCA in North Adams. A recipient of four Elliot Norton Awards and an IRNE Award for Outstanding Design, she teaches at Boston University and has taught and been a guest lecturer at Boston College, Northeastern University, Emerson College, Wellesley College, and Harvard University.

RILEY SATTERFIELD (Asst. Scenic Designer) recently graduated from Boston University School of Theatre with a BFA in Scene Design. She designed several productions at BU, including Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, The Chariot Reversed, and Hamlet. This is her first production with Hogfish, and she is excited to be a part of the magic in creating CarmXn.

JALANA SLOATMAN (Assistant Stage Manager/Immersive Consultant) Jalana Sloatman (she/her/hers) is a Portland-born artisan who is enraptured by the ability of an environment to become an entity in its own right. Jalana graduated from Hampshire college, having built foundations in new and experimental theater. She joined Fire Island Opera Festival as ASM and Stage Manager for two seasons, prompting a move to New York City, where she stepped fully into the realm of immersive and interactive theater. She spent five years supporting the guest experience of Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, ultimately in the role of House Manager, as well as two years as a props artisan for the performance. She has worked with Cynthia von Buhler’s Speakeasy Dollhouse in stage, production, and audience management, and has flown with Fuerza Bruta: Wayra. Now indulging her desire to create with her own two hands, Jalana is the Assistant Props Shop Manager at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities in Arvada, CO. Her most recent foray into immersive performance was with Denver-based OddKnock Productions, where she consulted on audience movement and safety for the premiere production of From On High.

JULIA JENNINGS (Assistant Stage Manager) Julia is a Maine-based theater artist with a focus on new play development and feminist and queer theory. She attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center (spring ‘22 cohort) and recently graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in theater/English and gender, sexuality, & women’s studies. This fall, Julia will begin work as a directing and dramaturgy apprentice at Portland Stage Company.

EVAN LITTLE (Directing Intern/Dramaturg) (he/him) Evan identifies as a versatile theatre/music artist, studying performance, directing/dramaturgy, and collaborative piano at App State University. He had the honor of studying under many Broadway veterans, including T. Oliver Reid, Carolann Page, and Thom Christopher Warren, to name a few! Favorite credits: Director (Favors), Mastiff (The Moors), Vocalist/Man u/s (Working), Ensemble (Something Rotten), Gabriel (As I See It [Dance Concert]), Various (Rider New Works Film Festival). Upcoming: Dramaturg (Sunrise at Campobello), Asst. Director (Passage). Within the music world, Evan accompanies singers and instrumentalists in lessons, coachings, juries, and studio classes, studying under the renowned Dr. Catherine Garner of Eastman School of Music. Additionally, Evan has extensive experience in dance pedagogy/choreography for high schools, middle schools, summer camps, and children's theatre. He is going into his senior year in the theatre honors program and plans to write his thesis on inclusive, collaborative, and contemporary directing practices with the intent of creating a safer environment in the fine arts for all future artists. Thanks to Matt and Edwin for trusting him with this position! Evan hopes his dramaturgical studies will honor this thoughtful and artistic production and is thankful to be working with so many talented artists in his professional debut. Biggest thanks to his biggest support system: Mom and Dad!

REZA JALALI (Writer/Consultant) The palm-reading of the child by the gypsy woman was inspired by Reza Jalali's Foreword to New Mainers, a book about Maine's immigrants, published by Tilbury Publishing House in 2009. Reza Jalali, a former refugee, is a writer and playwright. He's the Executive Director of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. 

Orchestra

Monica Chung (Conductor/Keyboard) Monica Chung’s debut with the North Carolina Piedmont Triad Symphony Orchestra was at the young age of 10 as a result of winning 1st prize in the Concert Competition. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras in London, Hungary, New York, and St. Petersburg in Russia under the baton of the late Sviatoslav Luther. An active chamber musician and soloist, she has participated in festivals around the world including: the Banff Chamber Music Festival; International Musicians Seminar (IMS) in Prussia Cove, England; Puigcerda International Music Festival in Spain; Ecoles d’Art Americaines de Fontainebleau in France; Tel-Hai International Masterclasses in Israel; Leipzig International Music Festival; International Keyboard Institute Festival (IKIF); Beethoven Institute and Festival. Monica is founder of the series A Night of Chamber Music with Ensemble Henrietta. As music director, Monica particularly enjoyed Hawaiʻi Childrenʻs Theatre After Dark alumni production of the controversial show Spring Awakening (2021), Kauai Community Players production of Sweeney Todd (2019), and Nice Work If You Can Get It for Kauai Performing Arts Center. She is indebted to her teachers Pavlina Dokovska, Alexander Slobodyanik, Vladimir Feltsman, Olegna Fuschi, and Eric Larsen. Monica served on piano faculty at the historical NYC landmark Greenwich House Music School, and Bergen Academy of Music & Art. She is Music Lecturer at Kauai Community College, and maintains a full private studio of young pianists and composers. She is Director for the Kauai Concert Association, and is enjoying her first year as President of the Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association.

Maya French (Violin I) Maya French has had the opportunity to study and perform at Kronberg Academy, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Orford Music Academy, Manchester Music Festival, Virginia String Quartet Seminar, and Kinhaven Music School. Maya received her BMA in Violin Performance from Boston University in 2015 under the direction of Bayla Keyes. Currently she works as a violinist, Co-Artistic Director, faculty member, and Managing Director for Palaver Strings. In addition, Maya has worked as a Teaching Artist and faculty member at Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 317 Main Rise & Shine Violin Program, and at Bridge Boston Charter School’s El Sistema-inspired strings program. She is certified in as a teacher of the Suzuki Violin method and a method of early-childhood music education, Music Learning Theory. Maya is dedicated to using classical as a motive for social change and community building.

Meagan McIntyre (Violin II) Violinist Meagan McIntyre has appeared in concert at notable venues such as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Jordan Hall in Boston, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Known for her versatility, she enjoys exploring a wide variety of musical styles. In addition to her position with Portland-based Baroque ensemble St. Mary Schola, she has performed on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show with pop singer Halsey and Indie rock musician St. Vincent. Meagan is a founding member of the innovative and genre-crossing Amarantos String Quartet who bring their collaborative chamber music to diverse audiences and venues. She served on the faculty at both the Institute of Art Education in Porto Alegre, Brazil and the Portland Conservatory of Music. She studied at New England Conservatory and Indiana University at Bloomington. Meagan plays a Pierre Louvet, 1752 violin crafted in Paris. She enjoys cooking for family and friends and spending time with her dog Ruby Lune.

Elizabeth Moore (Viola) Growing up in midcoast Maine, violist Elizabeth Moore was surrounded by music at an early age. Her violin studies started at six, but some of her earliest memories are of hanging out in guitar cases along the back of the stage as her father played and called for contra dances. Whether playing folk music, participating in ensembles through Bay Chamber Concerts, or singing every chance there was, Elizabeth developed her musical interests in a small yet supportive community. After discovering the beautiful resonance of the viola, she went on to study at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with Sheila Browne, and at Boston University College of Fine Arts with Karen Ritscher. A member of Palaver Strings viola section, Elizabeth also serves as the Programming Director for the ensemble. In addition to her work with Palaver, Elizabeth teaches privately in Portland, ME as well as at the Portland Conservatory of Music, and the Palaver Music Center. When not making music, she can be found at Portland Pottery exploring all things clay, or at home with her cats Benji and Billie, who keep her from getting too attached to anything she creates.

Ben Noyes (Cello) A multi-faceted individual, Benjamin Noyes (b. 1974) has many talents all revolving around an exceptional focus on the cello. With a particular interest, fascination and devotion to the qualities and production of sound, he channels his creativity and music into areas including, but not limited to performing, teaching, composing, recording, producing, drawing and writing. He is widely acclaimed for his performances of solo recitals, chamber ensemble concerts, and various classical and non-classical ventures. Pursuing the artist’s life has led him to collaborations and performances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, performing, teaching, coaching and motivating individuals of all ages and professions with his signature, one-of-a kind projects.

Ross Gallagher (Bass) Ross was born and raised in East Blue Hill, Maine, and grew up in a rich musical and creative environment, influenced by his father's paintings, his mother's books, and their collection of music. He began to play the double bass and compose music at age 14, attended the decorated music program of George Stevens Academy, and went on to study music at The New School in New York City with renowned bassists Reggie Workman and Mark Helias. He has gone on to work in diverse musical contexts, with artists ranging from Valerie Simpson and Nona Hendryx to Marc Ribot and Hurray for the Riff Raff. He currently tours with Paula Cole, while remaining active in improvised and electronic music communities in Maine and NYC, where he composes and presents his own work.

Hope Nicollette St-Germain (Flute) Hope Nicollette St-Germain is a Casco based flutist/multi-instrumentalist and mezzo-soprano. Beginning her music career with the flute, she has performed in masterclasses with world renowned flutists such as Louis Moyse, Emmanuel Pahud, Alexa Still, and Ransom Wilson. She has played with the Bangor Symphony, Colby Symphony, Maine State Music Theater, performed in the Maine State Ballet orchestra for the Nutcracker, and has played in numerous pit orchestras across Southern Maine. Currently, she plays flute in the Casco Bay Wind Symphony and sings in St. Mary’s Schola. In her free time, Hope composes apocalyptic folk music, and advocates for rabbit welfare. She lives with her 4 bunnies and 3 cats, and focuses on staying hydrated.

Mike Albert (Oboe) Michael Albert has performed as a soloist for many orchestras and chamber ensembles as an oboist, counter tenor and violinist throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has explored several musical styles including baroque, contemporary, celtic, and jazz. Michael has performed with Blue Hill Bach, Maine, Baroque Underground, Seattle, WA, Seraphic Fire (Grammy Award Finalist) and the Firebird Orchestra, both based out of Miami, and St. Mary's Schola in Portland, ME. Michael also plays fiddle and whistle with the Beggar Boys, a Celtic Band based in Seattle, WA. He can also be heard playing jazz oboe on several recordings with Initial Ascent, a Toronto-based band, and plays English Horn with the Bangor Symphony, ME. Michael has composed music for documentary film scores including,"The Man With The Spying Glass”, "Sweet Ambition", "The Polygamist's Daughter”, “Swift Justice”, and "Nocturnal Agony". He collaborated with Nashville star, Kathy Mattea on the NPR Christmas special, "A Carolina Christmas at the Biltmore”. Michael teaches Oboe Performance at Colby College, Waterville.

Brendon M. Wilkins (Clarinet) Brendon M. Wilkins is a multi-instrumentalist performer and educator who is involved in both classical and jazz woodwind performance. Brendon has performed in various musical mediums throughout the United States and has maintained active teaching studios in-person and online in New York, Texas, Florida, and Maine. Brendon is the Director of the Jazz Band and the Wind Ensemble at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In addition to his responsibilities as a conductor, he teaches woodwinds as an Applied Music Associate. Brendon also performs with the Colby Symphony Orchestra and the Colby Jazz Collective. In addition to his musical responsibilities at Colby College, Brendon founded the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Music Organization. The only organization of its kind on campus currently, this group provides a space for students, faculty, and staff to discuss the most pressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in music.

Linda Soares (Bassoon) The bassoon has been my constant companion for over 5 decades. I received a B.M in performance from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks following my early studies in the SF Bay Area. I have played in a wide variety of groups including the Spokane Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, and Bangor Symphony as well as the the Arctic Chamber Orchestra and the Keys Chamber Orchestra. My other life passion is scuba diving, particularly in Indonesia.

Behzad Habibzai (Flamenco Guitar) Originally a Portland-native drummer/percussionist, Behzad Habibzai has been playing flamenco guitar for over 25 years, 17 of those in Washington, DC, with renowned flamenco artists. He began playing drums and classical percussion at age ten, maintaining a busy schedule performing orchestral, jazz, and punk rock, at rock clubs and symphony halls across Southern Maine. At 14 he discovered flamenco guitar. He has performed at countless festivals and theatrical productions, and has performed with many international flamenco artists. His featured performances include: Ibero-American Guitar Festival, Mid-Atlantic Guitar Festival, American Dance Institute, Atlas Theater’s Intersections Festival, Gala Theatre’s Fuego Flamenco Festival, Sidney Harman Hall’s Velocity DC Dance Festival, Creative Alliance, The John F. Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, DC Feria, Strathmore Mansion, Constellation Theatre, In Series, WSC Avant Bard, Peabody Conservatory, George Mason University, and the United States Army Field Band. Behzad co-produced Sonsonete with his wife, vocalist Meghan Habibzai, at St. Lawrence Arts in Portland and An Die Musik in Baltimore, blending flamenco with Spanish art songs. Behzad has already lent his voice to several films and documentaries, helping filmmakers tell stories. He has released several flamenco and orchestral recordings, available on Spotify and YouTube Music. More information at behzadhabibzai.com.

WHY CARMXN IS REGENERATIVE TO THIS CAST

Thank you to our season sponsors

Thank you to our volunteers & donors

Volunteers and in-kind donations
Leslie Brown
Jon Cahill
Nananda Col
Maile Buker
Paul Drinan
Lisa Estabrooks
Stephen Estabrooks
Cindy Fallows
Cynthia Gray
Robbie Harrison
Elizabeth Horton
Carl Austin Hyatt
Juliet Karelsen
Chad Goodwin
Sarah Goodwin
Shamus Malia
Benjamin Meza
Bettina Pearson
Lynn Shafer
Will Shafer
David Sloatman
Colin Sullivan-Stevens
Hillary Webb

$250 and below
James DeGrandpre

$1000 and above
Drummond & Drummond
Margaret Angell & Nathaniel Fick
Evan Leatherwood
Audrey Luna & Dan Nelson
John Staples & Scott Raspa
Kenneth Talmage
Carol & Joe Wishcamper

$5000 and above
Rachel Lomas

$20,000 and above
Drs. Frank & Colette Morris
Paula Volent

$50,000 and above
Anonymous

$100,000 and above
Anonymous

Tickets are offered at a price that is a small fraction of what would be required to pay for the full production in an effort to make regenerative work accessible for as many people as possible. We need your help to make this possible and continue bringing regenerative productions and work to Southern Maine and beyond. Please consider donating today. Any amount would be appreciated. Even the smallest pebble makes a big ripple. If you are interested in volunteering, we have a variety of volunteering needs that match all interests. It takes a village and we welcome you to be a part of ours.