The Realistic Joneses

Sam Rush

Sam Rush (Director) is delighted to be directing for Live
Theatre Workshop this season. His previous LTW directing
credits include WALTER CRONKITE IS DEAD by Joe Calarco,
THE OTHER PLACE by Sharr White, David Mamet’s BOSTON
MARRIAGE, Annie Baker’s BODY AWARENESS, Tolstoy’s THE
KREUTZER SONATA adapted by Nancy Harris, and DRY
POWDER by Sarah Burgess. Sam is a director and AEA actor
who co-founded New Century Theatre in Massachusetts where
he served as Producing Director for over two decades. As director, some of his favorite productions there include: MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY, LAUGHTER ON THE
23RD FLOOR, GOOD PEOPLE, RED, NOISES OFF, ARCADIA, SPINNING INTO BUTTER, DISTRACTED, and SHILOH RULES. Past acting credits with NCT include: WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, LITTLE FOXES, CLYBOURNE PARK THE QUALITY OF LIFE, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), and THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES. Film credits include LABOR DAY – Jason Reitman, director, BEGINNER’S LUCK – Frank Mouris, director, and THE GOD QUESTION. He is an accomplished teacher of acting and throughout the pandemic he has developed a thriving side business here in Tucson as a handyman. Sam is incredibly grateful to Sabian Trout, Michael Martinez and the entire staff and team of LTW. They all work so hard to bring these amazing plays to life.

Julia Hupp

Julia Hupp (Production Stage Manager) 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 QUIRKUS CIRCUS AND THE MISSING RINGMASTER, THE BRAVE KNIGHT SIR LANCELOT, DRY POWDER, and STONES IN HIS POCKETS. 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 also been in several of the family shows at Live Theatre Workshop, including MOTHER GOOSE UNPLUCKED (Jill), 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). Currently, she is attending the University of Arizona where she is working towards 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!

Christopher Younggren

Christopher Younggren (Bob) has been in the theatre for over 40 years as an actor, director, playwright, and teacher, from California to New York and many places in-between. Locally, he has performed with The Rogue, Live Theatre Workshop, Invisible Theatre, The Scoundrel & Scamp, Arts Express, Arizona Rose, and others. Christopher was last seen as Mr. Mushnik in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Saguaro City Music Theatre. He holds a MFA in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fullerton and when not onstage, he is a middle school English Theatre teacher, professional magician, and a YouTube creator, where he shares videos on teaching tips on his channel  “Classroom Confidential”.

Avis Judd

Avis Judd, she/her (Jennifer) is thrilled to be performing again at Live Theatre Workshop! Avis earned her theatre degree from Northwestern University, but gets paid as a middle school math teacher. Favorite LTW roles include Paige (HIR), Rose (ENCHANTED APRIL), Bananas (HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES), Dr. Lorna James (THE EFFECT), and Olive (THE NORWEGIANS). Some other favorite Tucson roles are Desdemona (OTHELLO), Hermione (THE WINTER’S TALE), Kate (OLD TIMES), Karen (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY) as well as work as costume designer and director. Avis is grateful for her wonderful family – Michael, Sophia, and Jay – to whom she dedicates this performance.

Josh Parra

Josh Parra (John) is a native Tucsonan, and studied theatre at Pima Community College. Past roles include Stevie in GOOD PEOPLE (Winding Road Theater Ensemble), Douglas in SEMINAR (Live Theatre Workshop), and Father Flynn in DOUBT (Pages on Stage) along with several original works. He is grateful for the opportunity to return to the LTW stage, and thanks his son Idris for his love and support.

Hannah Turner

Hannah Turner (Pony) is thrilled to be performing at LTW again. You may have seen her here before as Alexandra in ON THE VERGE, as the titular talking-dog in SYLVIA, or as Pinocchio in THE LEGEND OF THE WOODEN BOY. Favourite past roles in Tucson include Joan in FUN HOME, Belinda in NOISES OFF, Feste in TWELFTH NIGHT, Erma in ANYTHING GOES, and Franz Liebkind in THE PRODUCERS.

Nastassja Barnes

Nastassja Barnes, she/her/ella, (Assistant Stage Manager) Nastassja has been on stage since she was 3 but has acted, danced, and worked as a technician with a variety of performing arts companies all over Tucson. Some of her shows include ballets, musicals, and plays such as CINDERELLA (Tech Crew / Stage Manager), THE NUTCRACKER (Stage Manager), THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] (Stage manager), JEKYLL AND HYDE (Lighting Engineer), and TITANIC THE MUSICAL (Assistant Stage Manager). Nastassja would like to thank her friends, family, directors, and stage managers for their wonderful support over the years.

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 for wrangling kiddos to allow her get work done and to 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. ww.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.

Shana Nunez

Shana Nunez (Costume Designer) is incredibly happy to be back at Live Theatre Workshop as part of this production. Shana was a 2009 Arizona Daily Star MAC nominee, a 2011 Tucson Weekly Best of Tucson recipient, as well as the 2021 The Taming of the Review, Best Director, and Best Show recipient for the critically acclaimed production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Other favorite productions include: SWEENEY TODD, LES MISERABLES, THE PRODUCERS, MAMMA MIA, and AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY. Shana currently serves on the board of directors of the Pima County Joint Technical Education Advisory Committee. Shana would like to dedicate her work on this production to John Shepard.

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.