Moonlight and Magnolias

Samantha Cormier

Samantha Cormier (Director/ Miss Poppenghul) holds a M.F.A in Performing Arts from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) and a B.F.A in Directing/Theatre Production from the University of Arizona. She has performed and directed in theatres from New York to Savannah to your favorite theatres in Tucson/Phoenix including Arizona Theatre Company, The Gaslight Theatre/Music Hall, Invisible Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theatre, Arizona Onstage Productions, Old Tucson and The Rogue Theatre. Favorite shows Directed/Choreographed: SHOOTING STAR, THINGS BEING WHAT THEY ARE [MAC Award Nom, Best Director] NUNSENSE! MACHINAL  (SCADIE Winner, Best Choreography) and SNOOPY!!! THE MUSICAL[MAC award nomination, Best Director] Favorite roles include Senga in DANCING LESSONS [MAC Nom, Best Actress] Vanda in VENUS IN FUR, Princess Fiona in SHREK THE MUSICAL, Winnifred in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Columbia in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW [MAC Award nom, Best Actress], and Frankie VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE [MAC Award Winner, Best Actress]. She also wrote/conceived/directs LUCY AND RICKY LIVE! A musical tribute to “I Love Lucy” where she portrays Lucy Ricardo and tours with her partner Nick who plays Ricky. With over 20 years of teaching theatre, she has had the pleasure of teaching here at LTW, Gaslight Theatre, BASIS North, Stagedoor Manor In New York and is currently the OMA(Opening Minds through the Arts) theatre specialist at Whitmore Elementary. She thanks her loving family, friends and you for supporting the Arts in Tucson, especially here at LTW!!!

Matthew Copley

Matthew C. Copley (Ben Hecht) is a native Tucsonan, a graduate of the University of Arizona, and is in his seventh year of teaching Theatre at Tanque Verde High School. Matthew is elated to be back on the stage after a five year hiatus, and to be reunited with his castmates from LTW’s 2014 production of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED]! More of Matthew’s previous work at LTW includes roles in STAGE KISS, BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, BELOW THE BELT, [SIC], OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES, LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, MOVE OVER MRS. MARKHAM, and PHOTOGRAPH 51. Other acting credits include STONES IN HIS POCKETS with Beowulf Alley; HOT L BALTIMORE with The Nathalia Stage Ensemble; MACBETH, RICHARD III, and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with Tucson Community Theater; THE SINS OF SOR JUANA with Borderlands Theater; and REAL LIVE DEATH with a.k.a. Theatre. Matthew would like to offer up a huge amount of love and gratitude to his LTW family, his TVHS family, and the Copley Clan. MUCH LOVE!

Patrick Burke

Patrick Burke (Victor Fleming) is very pleased to have yet another opportunity to work on the Live Theatre Workshop stage. He has performed a handful of times over the last several years, most notably as Owen in THE FOREIGNER, Johnny Pateen Mike in THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN,, and he relished his opportunity to work with both Matt, and Chris previously in THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED). Patrick would like to thank the staff of LTW for their professionalism and dedication. He would especially like to thank Sabian Trout for continuing to keep him in mind for roles. None of this would be possible without the generous love and support of his wife Susan and sons Noah and Nathan; allowing him to yet again “scratch theatrical itch”. He would like to dedicate this show to his mother Constance who always loved the theatre!

Christopher Moseley

Christopher Moseley (David O. Selznick) earned his B.F.A. from the University of Arizona and his M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Chris has been involved in many LTW productions. He has appeared many times on the LTW stage, most recently in BLOOMSDAY, DEATH BY DESIGN, LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Abridged). Other plays Chris has been seen in include THE COCKTAIL HOUR, BEAU JEST, CLOUD NINE AND BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE. He has also directed three productions at LTW, The NINA VARIATIONS, SHOW PEOPLE and BASKERVILLE, A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY. Chris is the Director of Outreach and Education for Arizona Theatre Company.

Nastassja Barnes

Nastassja Barnes, she/her/ella (Stage Manager) started performing in ballets when she was three. Since then, she has worked both on and off stage with multiple theatre and dance companies all over Tucson. Some of her shows include ballets, musicals, and plays such as THE NUTCRACKER (Stage Manager), THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] (Stage Manager), JEKYLL AND HYDE (Lighting Engineer), and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Assistant Stage Manager), THE REALISTIC JONESES (Assistant Stage Manager). She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Linguistics and Classical Studies. Nastassja would like to thank her friends and family for their support over the years!

Eleanor Brinckerhoff

Eleanor Brinckerhoff (Assistant Stage Manager) Eleanor Brinckerhoff is a Tucson native and long time lover of the performing arts. They started performing in musicals when they were 10 years old with THE WIZARD OF OZ, and continued throughout middle school and high school in shows such as WHITE CHRISTMAS and YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU. After a few year hiatus from the theater, she returned to work on Musical Theatre of Anthem’s production of SPONGEBOB: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS is her first show with Live Theatre Workshop. They would like to thank their family for their support and the amazing team at LTW for this opportunity. She would also like to give a special thank you to Joan Van Dyke, her grandmother, without whom she wouldn’t be a theater lover.

Taryn Wintersteen

Taryn Wintersteen she/her (Technical Director/Scenic Designer) has been enjoying her involvement with the LTW mainstage shows. She graduated with a BFA in Theater Production with an Emphasis in Scenic Design from the University of Arizona in 2013 where she was the Properties Master for NINE and Scenic Designer for BOEING BOEING. She then explored the world of museum fabrication and motherhood for a few years before jumping back into theater with LTW. You can see some of her museum work in the Witte museum in San Antonio, TX and various other museums across the country. You also may have seen some of her scenic work in recent LTW mainstage productions. She would like to thank her husband and parents for wrangling kiddos to allow her get work done as well as the amazing staff here at LTW that offer so much support and talent.

Richard Gremel

Richard Gremel (Lighting Designer) has been lighting the LTW stage for the past 15 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, and Australia. www.richardgremelplaywright.com 

Michael James Zimmerman

Michael James Zimmerman (Sound Design) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, 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-plus years as a recording artist and 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 currently teaches guitar, piano, voice, drums, percussion, bass guitar, and music theory both from his home studio and as a master teacher at Music & Arts.

Kathy Hurst

Kathy Hurst (Costume Design) got her professional costuming start with the New Jersey Classic Ballet Company. She has since worked with many local theater companies including Tucson High Magnet for the last 26 years. She always enjoys costuming and working with the wonderful people at LTW. The 1930s of MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS  is a particularly favorite era to costume.

Karin Hupp

Karin Hupp (Props Master) 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.