Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Mercedes Schaum (Scenic Designer) is delighted to be working with the entire Virginia Rep team in the third season at Virginia Rep Center. Mercedes has been designing and painting in Richmond for 20 years. She has been quite busy designing for Waitress, Naked Mole Rat, Santa Clues, Dragons Love Tacos, Satchmo at the Waldorf, Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, She Persisted, Elephant and Piggie’s “We are in a Play!”, and GOLD: The Midas Musical & many others for Virginia Rep; Mercedes has also been designing for Swift Creek Mill theatre, VCU Opera, & SPARC. Favorite past designs include Annie, Honk!, A Christmas Story, Mame, The BFG, Song of Mulan, Into the Woods, Bunnicula, and The Magic Flute, for Virginia Rep; and Peter and The Starcatcher and Little Shop of Horrors, and many more for SPARC. She has a BFA from JMU in theatre and an MFA in set design from the University of Illinois. When she’s not working in the theatre, Mercedes is raising four kids with her husband, Jason Alley, and creating new projects & taking on new challenges with them all. Love to my supportive & patient family.

Paul Takács, he/him, (Director) is a Richmond, VA based director and most recently directed Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns for VCU’s Department of Theatre & Dance. Other local credits include the premiere of Andrew Gall’s Burial Tax for Firehouse Theatre. Previous credits for Virginia Repertory Theatre are: Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, Mo Willems and Deborah Wicks La Puma’s Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!, Roald Dahl’s Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.  He was the founding Artistic Director of The Shop in New York City, where he directed the New York premieres of David Harrower’s Knives in Hens for The Shop at 59E59 Theaters and Philip Ridley’s Dark Vanilla Jungle at HERE Arts Center. Other credits for The Shop include the U.S. premieres of Jon Fosse’s I Am The Wind translated by Simon Stephens and Philip Ridley’s Tender Napalm, both at 59E59 Theaters. Other work: The world premiere of David Pinski’s Yiddish play Professor Brenner and the premiere of a new translation of Peretz Hirshbein’s Yiddish play Carcass both for the New Worlds Theatre Project at HERE Arts Center, NYC. He holds a BA in Drama from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and an MFA in Directing from The New School for Drama. Paul is currently Head of Upper School Theatre at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA and Artistic Director of Ampersand, the joint theatre company of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s Schools. www.paultakacsdirector.com

Jason Marks (Music Director) is so happy to be working on his third Mo Willems musical! Mr. Marks has been music director for many shows in the metro Richmond area, and had the privilege of serving as the resident music director for Virginia Rep’s touring department for almost a decade.  His latest musical, Queen Bea, is hoping for a world premiere production very soon. Queen Bea was recently chosen to have a song featured in Washington, DC this May for the TYA/USA festival annual Song Slam Concert, featuring ten songs from new TYA musicals all over the United States.  The concert will be directed by Deborah Wicks La Puma, who is also the composer of THIS musical, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive on the Bus.  Enjoy the show!

Nicole Morris-Anastasi, she/her, (Choreographer) is so excited to be back at Virginia Rep after helping to rock the tunnel in Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Musical (Spring 2024)! Earlier choreography work includes Richmond Triangle Players’ Head Over Heels (Summer 2023) and Firehouse Theatre’s Ghost Quartet (Winter 2023). Nicole is also an actor, most recently performing with Homefront Players in Legally Blonde: The Musical as Serena and in Richmond Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as Margaret. Sincere thanks to Paul, Jason, the production team, and the cast. The most thanks goes to best husband, Phil. www.nicolem-a.com

Mercedes Schaum, she/her, (Scenic Designer) is delighted to be working with Paul Takács and Virginia Rep to bring some of her family’s favorite characters to the stage. Mo Willems’ books have been a constant in her house & the characters are like old friends. Mercedes has been designing and painting in Richmond for over 20 years. Recent family favorites include Grace for President, Dragons Love Tacos, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and She Persisted for Virginia Rep. Past favorite designs include Satchmo at the Waldorf, Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley, Annie, Honk!, A Christmas Story, Mame, The BFG, Song of Mulan, Into the Woods, and The Magic Flute for Virginia Rep. Peter and The Starcatcher, Little Shop of Horrors and many more for SPARC. She has a B.F.A. from JMU in theatre and an M.F.A. in set design from the University of Illinois. When she’s not working in the theatre, Mercedes is raising four kids with her husband, Jason Alley, and helping with special projects now that their coaches & teachers know she’s always ready to help make art to support young folks.

Marcia Miller Hailey (Costume Designer) has been working in Richmond theatres for over 30 years, and now currently works in the costume shop at Virginia Rep as a Cutter/Draper. Some of her favorite shows she designed for Virginia Rep include Beehive, Forever Plaid, Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, Miracle on South Division Street, Charitable Sisterhood, Charitable Sisterhood Christmas Spectacular, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and Boeing Boeing. She has also worked for the Richmond Ballet, Virginia and Utah Shakespeare Festivals, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Matthew Landwehr (Lighting Designer) is a graduate of Minnesota State University – Mankato with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Technology. After serving as the Associate Lighting Designer for Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN and the Lighting Director for the Historic Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, MI, he moved to Richmond to serve at Theatre IV/Barksdale Theatre as Production Electrician and Lighting Designer. After a multi year run as Technical Director for SPARC’s Live Art concert series he now freelances in multiple venues in the Richmond area in addition to taking care of the production management needs of Henrico County’s large events like Juneteenth and Red, White, and Lights.

Jonathan Pratt, he/him, (Sound Design) – Jonathan is thrilled to be designing again at Virginia Rep where some of his recent designs include Deathtrap, A Christmas Carol, Waitress, Dial M for Murder, Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty and Baskerville, Satchmo at the Waldorf, On Air, 9 to 5: The Musical, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the latter three winning the RTCC Award for Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical. At the Rep Family Theatre, Jonathan’s favorite shows designed include Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The Musical!, The Santa Clues, and Grace for President. Other favorite local design credits include: The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Minutes (William and Mary), Cry It Out (Yes, And!), and Sunset Baby (Blk Theatre Alliance for Youth). Jonathan has also designed over 40 productions for Camelot Theatre in Talent, Oregon. Jonathan is a proud member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.

Donna Warfield, she/her, (Stage Manager) joined Virginia Rep on staff in 2022 and currently serves as Production Associate. Past VA Rep stage management credits include Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Misery, 9 to 5, Satchmo at the Waldorf, POTUS, and Gold. Other notable past stage management credits include Jersey Boys (Norwegian Creative Studios), The Nutcracker (Atlanta Ballet – Fox Theatre/Kennedy Center), and Hair (Serenbe Playhouse). Donna would like to thank her partner Ben, her Mom and brothers, and her friends near and far for their endless support.