The Dacha Team
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Kate Drummond - Artistic Director, Founder
She/Her Kate Drummond is a director, producer, intimacy director, teaching artist, and actor. She is a graduate of the Seattle Children's Theatre Teaching Apprenticeship, and has a BA in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis. In Seattle, Kate works with the Pacific Northwest Theatrical Intimacy collective, and has directed for and performed with Dacha, Jet City Improv, and Unexpected Productions, among others. She is passionate about good jokes, consent-based rehearsal rooms, and pep talks – her work is born of all three. When not teaching or performing, Kate can be found in working at Jet City Improv as the Education Director. Past Dacha credits include: Creator/Director of Star Play; Director of Secret Admirer, Yarn: Unraveled, The Light Princess, Quick Bright Things, Dice: Twelfth Night; Ensemble Director of Dice: Hamlet, Dice: As You Like It, Pride & PrejuDICE; Intimacy Director for The Moors, Metamorphoses, the Dice series; Juliet in Dream Things True; Nina in The Seagull; |
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Mike Lion - Artistic Director, Founder
He/Him Mike is a director, actor, and Russian translator. He concentrated in Theatre at Hampshire College and created an immersive adaptation of Hamlet as his thesis. He frequently directs in non-traditional spaces, working to blur the line between audiences and performers. Mike is drawn to physical theatre and has trained in Commedia dell’Arte, American Melodrama, Suzuki Movement, Slapstick, and Clown. He works as an Admin Assistant and Improv Coach at Youth Theatre Northwest. Mike was thrilled to direct Dacha's production of The Moors by Jen Silverman at Theatre Off Jackson last winter. Past Dacha credits include: Creator/Director of Dears in Headlights; Streaming Director for :robot_face:, Secret Admirer; Director of The Moors, Metamorphoses, Who Killed Otter's Babies?; Ensemble in Dice: Twelfth Night, Dice: As You Like It, Pride & PrejuDICE; Ensemble Director of Dice: Hamlet; Puck in Quick Bright Things; Assistant Director of Ghost Party; Director/Translator of The Snow Queen; Director/Writer of An Awfully Big Adventure; |
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Claire Stark - Director of Production
She/Her Claire is a Production Manager and AEA Stage Manager originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. She returns to Dacha after a spending her summer at Santa Cruz Shakespeare — her fourth season with the company, this time stage managing Richard II. Since her transfer to Seattle, she has worked at the 5th Ave Theatre (Annie, Adventure Musical Theatre, Rising Star Project, Bliss, Sister Act), the Seattle Children’s Theatre (Corduroy, Black Beauty), and of course with Dacha. Previously, Claire worked as an assistant stage manager with the Indiana Repertory Theatre for three seasons. Claire loves coffee, Shakespeare, and a well organized tech schedule. |
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Emily Huntingford - Artistic Producer, she/Her
Emily received a BA in Theatre from Whitman College and has been in Seattle for three years performing throughout the city. A lover of classical theatre, she has memorized the entirety of Hamlet, As You Like It, and Pride and Prejudice and has acted with Fern Shakespeare Company, GreenStage, and Key City Public Theatre. She has also performed with the UMO Ensemble in Falling Awake at ACT Lab and Burien Actors Theatre. Most recently she performed Polka Dots with Parachute Players at Seattle Children’s Theatre. Past Dacha credits include: Assistant Director/Swing in Star Play; B.F.F.2000 in Secret Admirer; Host in :robot_face:; Moor-Hen in The Moors, Ensemble in Dice: Hamlet, Dice: As You Like It, and Pride & PrejuDICE, Lifting Ensemble in The Light Princess, Peaseblossom in Quick Bright Things |
Orianna O'Neill - Artistic Producer, she/Her
Ori is thrilled to be helping out as an Artistic Producer! From Portland, OR and an alumna of Beloit College, Ori has previously been a company member with Dacha, and has stage managed or acted in 8 productions over the last three years. Ori is frequently heard as a vocal performer with Viva Vocalists, Saint Marks Cathedral Choir, and The Esoterics, where she is a Board Member. In her daytime life, Ori is the elementary music and performing arts specialist at Giddens School, and is frequently heard bothering her coworkers by playing the recorder. Past Dacha credits include: Voyager/Andromeda in Star Play; Stage Manager for Dice: As You Like It, Pride & PrejuDICE, Ghost Party, The Light Princess, Quick Bright Things; Flopsy (Lost Boy) in An Awfully Big Adventure |
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Casey Bowen — Artistic Producer, he/him
Casey is an actor and collaborative storyteller with his BFA from California State University, Fullerton. He has studied in physical theatre, Shakespeare, Chekhov, improvisation, and script analysis. In addition to performing, Casey has also assisted in digital events as a streaming coordinator. He is excited about introducing the theatrical devising frameworks to existing entertainment structures parallel to the stage. In his spare time, Casey enjoys looking after animals, automating spreadsheets, and community gaming. Past Dacha credits include: Clowning Ensemble/Fisherman in Dears in Headlights, Pewter in :robot face:, Mastiff in The Moors, and Gus in Ghost Party: Remastered |
Olivia Kridle — Artistic Producer, she/they
Olivia is a stage and film actor, director, writer, and producer with vocal and dance training, whose joy for theatre is in tandem with her passion for diversity, equity, and new voices. A transfer from California, they hold a BFA in Acting from Cal State Fullerton, where she studied Stanislavski, Chekhov, Shakespeare, and more. She’s also acted with Burien Actors Theatre, on two short films, and PAed for several film projects in LA and for Seattle Rep. Past Dacha credits include: Clowning Ensemble/Artist in Dears in Headlights, Assistant Director for Secret Admirer |
Bailey Ellis — Artistic Producer, he/him
Bailey is an actor, collaborator and multidisciplinary performing artist born and raised in Seattle. He received his B.A. in theatre with a concentration in acting from Western Washington University where he also studied musical theatre and improvised with the Dead Parrot Society. Bailey has been based in Seattle since 2019 and was in Book-It Theatre’s production of Behold the Dreamers as Vince. Among numerous theatrical interests, Bailey loves physical theatre styles and has trained in Viewpoints, Suzuki, and Clown, to name a few. Bailey relishes the work that Dacha produces for its supportive, collaborative and exploratory nature! Past Dacha credits include Clowning Ensemble/Toaster in Dears in Headlights, Ricky in Secret Admirer, and Mikey in :robot_face: |
Haley Thomas — Artistic Producer, she/her
Haley Thomas is a Stage Manager and House Manager from Charleston, SC. During her time in Seattle Haley has House Managed for Seattle Rep and the University of Washington. She has Stage Managed Dacha’s Zoom production of Secret Admirer as well as Dacha’s summer tour of Star Play. Prior to her move to Seattle Haley was an Assistant Stage Manager for the Savannah Voice Festival (The Barber of Seville) as well as Production Intern for The Goodman Theatre’s Santaland Diaries. Haley is excited to join Dacha’s board as an Associate Artistic Producer for this upcoming Winter season! Past Dacha credits include: Stage Manager in Secret Admirer, Star Play |
