The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

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

Elle Meerovich, they/them, (Music Director) is very happy to be returning to VA Rep, where they’ve music directed past productions of Chasing George Washington, On Air, and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience. Favorite local music direction includes James and the Giant Peach, RENT (VCU Department of Theatre); Twelfth Night, The Bottom Show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Richmond Shakespeare); Penelope, Songs for a New World, …Great Comet of 1812 (Firehouse Theatre); Girlfriend, A Christmas Kaddish (RTCC Nomination for Best Music Director), Scrooge in Rouge (RTCC Nomination for Best Music Director; Richmond Triangle Players). Thanks to Paul, Emily, and the whole production team; to the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication; and to their incredible partner Chewie, who supports them through it all. Enjoy the show!

Emily Dandridge (Choreographer) Dandridge’s Directography (Directing and Choreographing) credits include Grace For President (VARep), Seussical (Homefront Players), The Play That Goes Wrong (Stewart Avenue Players), Once Upon A Mattress (Stewart Avenue Players). Choreography credits include Carrie (5th Wall Theater), Toxic Avenger (5th Wall Theater), Preludes (Firehouse Theater), Something Rotten (Dogwood Dell), Best of Times (Richmond Triangle Players), Firebringer (Dogwood Dell), A Christmas Story (Homefront Players), Chasing George Washington (VARep), Sondheim on Sondheim (Richmond Triangle Players), and more. Performance credits include Ensemble/Oboist/Pianist, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Firehouse Theater), The Suspects, Murder For Two  (Swift Creek Mill Theater); Cindy Lou Who, Who’s Holiday (Richmond Triangle Players), Flora Conrad, On Air (VARep); Peggy Sawyer, 42nd Street (Dogwood Dell); Velma, West Side Story (VARep); Lola, Damn Yankees (JFT); Lois/Bianca, Kiss Me Kate (Homefront Players); Judy Haynes, White Christmas (Footlight Players), White Rabbit, Alice (5th Wall Theater/Firehouse Theater) and more. Awards include: Richmond Theater Critics Circle (RTCC) Award for Best Lead Performance in a Musical for The Suspects, Murder For Two (Swift Creek Mill Theater). RTCC Award for Best Ensemble for Alice (5th Wall Theater/Firehouse Theater), Richmond Performing Arts Alliance’s THRIVE Award, for creating spaces in the Richmond Community where the arts can thrive. Nominations include: RTCC’s nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Musical for Flora Conrad, On Air (VARep). RTCC’s nomination for Best Choreography for Carrie (5th Wall Theater), Toxic Avenger (5th Wall Theater), and Preludes (Firehouse Theater).

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.

Sarah Grady (Costume Designer) has been designing costumes for Richmond audiences since 2004. Recent designs include Waitress, Dial M for Murder and Moriarty (Virginia Rep) and True West (Cadence). She worked as a Costumer on the Pharrell Williams movie “Atlantis”, Apple TV’s Swagger and AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond. She was the Assistant Costume Director for Virginia Repertory Theatre for 17 years. Favorite designs include Sister Act, West Side Story (RTCC Award for Best Costume Design), In the Heights, Dreamgirls (RTCC Award for Best Costume Design), Junie B. Jones, The Music Man, Spring Awakening, The Sound of Music (Virginia Rep); Fun Home, Violet, The Mountaintop, Caroline or Change, and Appropriate (Cadence). For three lucky summers, Sarah traveled to Roma, Italy, to work with the Operafestival di Roma, where she coordinated the costumes for The Magic Flute, Suor Angelica, The Marriage of Figaro, and Die Fledermaus. She has also worked at TheatreVirginia, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Seaside Musical Theatre.

Gretta Daughtrey, she/her, (Lighting Designer) has designed with several local theatre companies, area schools, and universities. Gretta has also been a Lighting Controls Systems Integrator for over 20 years and currently works at Barbizon Capitol to specify lighting and control systems.  In addition to theatre, she is active in the RVA Dance community and teaches Adjunct at VCU in the Dept. of Dance and Choreography.

Jonathan Pratt, he/him, (Sound and Projection Designer) – 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.

Ginnie Willard, she/her, (Production Stage Manager) is happy to return to her stage management roots at Virginia Rep, where she also serves on the staff as Production Manager. Selected stage management credits include 9 to 5, The Musical, Mary Poppins, Dreamgirls, Into The Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Seussical, the Musical, and Peter Pan for Virginia Rep; Spring Awakening, Clybourne Park, and multiple University Dancers Concerts for the University of Richmond’s Department of Theatre and Dance; Live Art (2012-2018) for SPARC. Ginnie is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Stage Managers’ Association.

Megan Wave (Assistant Stage Manager)