Lotería: This Game Is No Juego

Renee Schmidt

Renee Schmidt (Lida/Concha Mantecada) is a Native Tucsonan and current student at the University of Arizona. She is currently studying Business Marketing with a minor in Creative Writing, and has done many shows along the way! She is particularly thrilled to be performing her first show at Live Theatre Workshop. Some of her favorite roles include Audrey in DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS, Hotbox Dancer in GUYS AND DOLLS, Bea in SOMETHING ROTTEN, and Morticia in THE ADDAMS FAMILY. She also performs with the company Stories that Soar, a program that taps into the well-being of children’s imaginations. When she’s not acting, she practices her skills in the guitar, piano, and writing music. She is incredibly grateful to be working alongside this talented cast and would like to thank her mom for teaching her Lotería as a kid and playing it for hours on end!

Xavier Campillo

Xavier Campillo (David): LOTERÍA is Xavier’s first Live Theater Workshop production and couldn’t be any more excited to work with them. He has been in many shows like INTO THE WOODS, HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION, PHANTOM OF THE SOAP OPERA, THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY, DEATH DO US PART, and many more. In his free time, Xavier likes to play on his 3DS or work on one of his several unfinished writing projects like a dystopian novel, a short play, or drafting a feature length screenplay. Overall he is excited to play David in LOTERÍA and hopes you have a good laugh while watching the show!

David Cervantes

David Cervantes (Pepe) is a senior at Tucson Magnet High School. He enjoys running, nature, a good movie and theatre of course. He has practiced theatre since his freshman year of high school, and has been in 5 shows since then. His favorite being (HADESTOWN) as a worker, and Mateo in (OUTLOUD).

Zuleyl Castro

Zuleyl Castro, she/her (Mom, La Rana) is a born and raised Tucson native whose love for theatre began in the fourth grade. Zuleyl’s recent work includes ANITA with Borderlands Theatre, LATE NIGHT RADIO HOUR with Scoundrel & Scamp, and SILENT SKY at Live Theatre Workshop. She is also a former member of the Charles Darwin Experience improv troupe at the UA and teaches improv to middle schoolers. She has also worked with Literacy Connects through their Stories That Soar! program that brings children’s original stories to life onstage. Zuleyl would like to thank her friends and family for always encouraging her creative endeavors.

Tyler Gastelum

Tyler Gastelum is beyond excited to return to LTW for this project celebrating this town’s unique culture. A Tucson native, Tyler has been lucky to work as an actor, singer, and occasional director all over the Old Pueblo, for nearly 20 years. During that time he has had the pleasure of collaborating with such companies as Live Theatre Workshop, Winding Road Theatre Ensemble, Scoundrel and Scamp, Something Something Theatre, The Community Players, Arts Express, Invisible Theatre, and more. Some recent credits include Pooh in S&S’ Pooh, Salieri in Winding Road’s Amadeus, and Felipe in S&S/Borderlands’ joint production of Alebrijes. Thank you so much for supporting local theatre!

Clarissa Rodriguez

Clarrissa Rodriguez, she/her (Abuela/Arbol) is a Latine theatre artist, from Tucson, Arizona and is so excited for her first production with LTW! She earned her BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College and has since served as an actor, theater educator and director. Some favorite acting credits include Clytemnestra in ELECTRA, Death in EVERYBODY and Julia in WESTSIDE STORIES. Most recently you will find her at Borderlands Theater as their Education Coordinator! She is passionate about sharing theater with those who have not yet been exposed to it, as she believes in the power of theater to change the world. She hopes to continue changing the world in the years to come!

Eddie Rodriguez

Thalita Andrade

Thalita De Andrade, she/her (La Araña, La Sirena) is currently a student at the University of Arizona, double majoring in Music and Theater. She has absolutely loved every minute of building this magical world with such a talented and joyful cast. Huge shout-out and endless gratitude to our amazing co-directors, Milta Ortiz and Jonathan Heras, for their guidance, creativity, and heart. Thalita hopes you laugh, dream, and have as much fun in the world of LOTERÍA as she has! @thalitapandrade

Jonathan Heras

Jonathan Heras (Playwright / Co-Director / Music Director) is a Tucson-based actor, singer, director, and educator from Yuma. Twenty years of experience in the performing arts including nearly two decades as a core ensemble member of Tucson’s Borderlands Theater; performances with Arizona Theater Company, Stories That Soar, and the Gaslight Theatre. He serves as the Educational and Development Director at Borderlands Theater, Musical Director at Salpointe Catholic High School (Monty Award for Best Musical Direction for INTO THE WOODS and HADESTOWN). Writer and co-creator of new works including ANTÍGONA 3.0 (Encuentro 2024 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center and later touring Denver); upcoming original works include BLAME OF THRONES and LOTERÍA. Through every role – performer, director, teaching artist, or writer – Jonathan remains committed to using theater as a tool for storytelling, cultural pride, and transformative community impact.

Milta Ortiz

Milta Ortiz (Co-Director) is a Salvadoran American playwright and theater maker based in Tucson. Originally from the Bay Area by way of El Salvador, she looks forward to the world premiere of Anita (April 2026), a musical with composer Quetzal Guerrero, at Borderlands Theater. Anita was developed at Borderlands Theater with the University of Arizona, Childsplay, and Phoenix College, and was part of the One Nation One Project (July 2024). She devised Antígona 3.0 with the Borderlands ensemble, which premiered in Tucson (Spring 2024) and toured to Latino Theater Company’s Encuentro (Fall 2024) and Su Teatro (Spring 2025). Milta directed The Candy Craze: A Sticky Situation (2023) and Ballet & Bagels (2021), TYA plays she facilitated her Pima Community College students in writing. She directed The Sun Serpent (2019) at Pima and wrote and directed Solving For X (2016-2017) for The Working Classroom. Her plays include Pilar and Paloma (UCSB Launch Pad, 2022), Judge Torres (Milagro Theatre national tour, 2019–2020), Sanctuary (2018), and Más (2015), which toured (2016) and was produced (2017-2018) regionally. A former Mellon Fellow at ASU, she is Associate Artistic Director at Borderlands Theater.

Monet Hernandez

Monet Hernandez (Choreographer) Hi everyone my name is Monet, I have been dancing since I was 6 years old, was on the pomline team at my high school and danced for the sugar dolls dance team in college. I am currently studying psychology at the University of Arizona and am very excited to be the choreographer for LOTERÍA for Live Theatre Workshop! I am extra grateful for LTW as this is my first theatre production! We have such a talented wonderful crew and can’t wait for everyone to see the show!

Julia Hupp

Julia Hupp, she/her, is very excited to be a part of this wonderful production! She has been stage managing since high school, and some of her past shows at LTW include DRY POWDER, STONES IN HIS POCKETS, THE WAIT, THE REALISTIC JONESES, and LUCY AND RICKY LIVE. She has also been acting for many years, and some of her past roles were Hamlet in CANNED HAMLET, Wilbur Holmes in THE ADVENTURES OF WILBUR HOLMES: SHERLOCK’S COUSIN, TWICE REMOVED, and Hunyak in CHICAGO. She has been in several of the family shows at Live Theatre Workshop, including THE GREAT ZANTINI AND THE MAGIC THIEF (Regina Renly Rabbit), GOODIES GOONS AND GOBLINS – A HALLOWEEN BASH (J. Parker Pumpkin), and TAKE A HIKE (Jamie). She just graduated from the University of Arizona where she earned her BA in Film and Television. She is thrilled that you came to see the show, and hopes you enjoy it as much as she does!

Amanda Gremel

Amanda Gremel (Set Designer / Set Construction / Projection Designer) is LTW’s Artistic Director of Education and loves bringing original, magical stories to life on the Children’s Theatre stage. She also oversees LTW’s growing Education Program and is proud of all that her students accomplish each session. When not behind the scenes directing or choreographing, Amanda enjoys performing as well. Favorite Mainstage roles include Patsy in Always… Patsy Cline, the many women in No Way to Treat a Lady (MAC nomination), Bertha in Boeing Boeing, and ensemble in the award-winning How I Learned to Drive. Some of her favorite Children’s Theatre roles are the Cowardly Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Golden Goose in Jack and the Beanstalk, Merlia in King Arthur, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood.

Stephen Frankenfield

Stephen Frankenfield is LTW’s Associate Artistic Director. He is a graduate of (AAMDA) American Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in New York City. LTW has been his second home for over 25 years, both for acting and directing. Some of his notable acting credits include: STONES IN HIS POCKET, THE GAME’S AFOOT OR, HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAY, I HATE HAMLET, and TUNA CHRISTMAS. Some of his directing credits include: MOON OVER BUFFALO and SOUVENIR. He writes and directs for LTW’s Children’s Theatre, as well as the Education Department. He has had 7 of his plays published and produced around the world, in schools and other youth organizations. He’d like to give a big thank you to his two boys who continue to inspire him everyday, on and off stage.

Richard Gremel

Richard Gremel (Lighting Designer/Technical Advisor) has been lighting the LTW stage for the past 17 years. His lighting designs have also been seen on other Tucson stages in the past. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he received a B.F.A. in Theatre Education. Richard is the acting and technical theatre teacher at Empire High School. He is the recipient of the Arizona Thespians Teacher of the year (2017-2018 & 2023-2024) and the OnMedia Tucson Arts Hero (2018-2019). Aside from teaching, Richard acts, directs, and writes plays for the LTW stage. He currently has 11 published plays which have been seen all over the United States, Canada, India, Hong Kong, England, Italy, and Australia. www.richardgremelplaywright.com

Michael Zimmerman

Michael Zimmerman is a recording artist, music director, audio engineer, and private music instructor with over 20 years of teaching experience and more than 35 years of acting and performance experience. He spent 25 years as a touring musician with Honeybeegroove and Kristen Chandler. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Technology, Michael moved to Tucson, AZ. He is the music director for Center for Spiritual Living Tucson, and teaches guitar, piano, voice, drums, percussion, and bass guitar as a master teacher at Music & Arts.

Janet Salese

Janet Salese (Costumes) got to play in the children’s theatre again! She so enjoys the fantasy of this magical place. It usually offers a challenge, making the Loteria characters come to life this time, that she delights in. Janet has been doing costumes for over a decade for Tucson Shakespeare in the Park and LTW. She thanks her partner Mike for being her model and letting her pursue her passions.

Thank you to the costume departments at Borderlands Theater, Gaslight Theater, Pima Community College, Salpointe Catholic High School and Tucson High Magnet School for lending costume pieces!

Karin Hupp

Karin Hupp has been the prop master for over eight years; she also does scenic painting and box office. Some of her favorite projects included the wedding cake for ONE SLIGHT HITCH, the hound from BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK MYSTERY, and the cookies from FROG AND TOAD. Favorite scenes she has painted include Dorothy Parker’s VICIOUS CIRCLE and the bookshelves in THE COLUMNIST. Karin enjoys working for LTW because it helps her grow as an artist.