Dragon Mama

Sara Porkalob (she/they) is a theater maker, cultural worker, and creator of The Dragon Cycle, a trilogy of matrilineal musicals about her Filipino-American, badass family. Awards and nominations include: 2021 Princess Grace Award Winner for Theater, 2020 nominee Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award, Seattle Times 11 Movers and Shakers to Watch this Decade, 2019 nominee for Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities, and Seattle Magazine’s 2018's Most Influential People. She recently made her Broadway debut playing Edward Rutledge in the official revival of 1776. She’s a consultant with the City of Seattle and their Creative Strategies Initiative (CSI), a new City effort that uses arts-and culture-based approaches to build racial equity in non-arts policy areas like the environment, housing, workforce and community development. She'll have her LA debut performing Dragon Lady at the Geffen Playhouse this Fall. @sporkalob, www.saraporkalob.com.

Andrew Russell (he/him) is a theatre maker whose work is often inspired by real-life events, including Stu For Silverton (Intiman Theatre), John Baxter is a Switch Hitter (Intiman Theatre), Full Gallop (The Old Globe), and Sara Porkalob’s The Dragon Cycle, featuring Dragon Lady (Intiman Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theatre), Dragon Mama (American Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre) and Dragon Baby. As Producing Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Intiman Theatre in Seattle from 2011-2017, Andrew played a critical role in reorganizing and reopening the theater after its closure in 2011. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. @heyheyandyk, andrew-russell.com.

Erin Bednarz (she/her) works in sound, music, production, and performance. Awards: LA Drama Critics Circle, Bay Area Critics Circle, Gregory (Seattle, WA), Broadway World (Regional). Press mentions: Wall Street Journal, New York Times. Off-Broadway: MAC BETH (Red Bull, Hunter Theater Project, Seattle Rep), The Convent (Rattlestick). Regional: Sara Porkalob's The Dragon Cycle (Geffen Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public, American Rep, Marin Theatre Company, Center Rep, Diversionary, Intiman); A Few Good Men (Pittsburgh Public); Teenage Dick, Public Works'The Tempest, Lydia and the Troll (Seattle Rep); The Year of Magical Thinking, The Thin Place, STEW (ACT); Choir Boy (ACT/5th Avenue); Wonder Boy, Spring Awakening (5th Avenue); The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Seattle Childrens); Wild Horses, Two Mile Hollow (Intiman). Teaching: Pomona College, Cal Poly, NYU, Atlantic Acting School, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Washington. @play__pranks.

Yu’seph Cornish (Costume Designer/WTF '24 Costumes Assistant) is a theatre artisan based in the southern New Jersey area. He is thrilled to not only be doing live theatre again after a much needed hiatus, but to be playing a key part in the Williamstown Theatre Festival 2024 Season!Recent regional & collegiate design: Our Town (The Strasberg Institute at NYU), Circle Mirror Transformation (Eagle Theater), The Wiz (Ritz Theatre Co.), the world premiere of Bashirah and the Amazing Bean Pie (The Playhouse at Please Touch Museum), Mischief Night (New Jersey Fringe Festival, Set & Costume Design), Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (TYA, Ocean City Theatre Co.), Pericles (Elm Shakespeare Co.), Romeo & Juliet (Ice the Beef/Elm Shakespeare Co.). Off-Broadway design: Jabari Dreams of Freedom (NYC Premiere, The New Victory Theater), and Cleopatra: The New Pop Experience (Theatre for the New City). For more info and costume designer antics, follow @CreatedbyCornish on Instagram. #costumesbycornish #nakedwithoutus

Indigo Garcia is a freelance lighting designer currently based in New York City. She is delighted to be making her Williamstown Theatre Festival debut! Indigo’s previous lighting design credits include Rent (Scottsdale School of Film and Theatre); Sister Act and Violet (Ithaca College Theatre Arts). She has most recently worked at Arena Stage as the Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Lighting Fellow for the 2023-2024 season, where she was Assistant Lighting Designer on POTUS, Swept Away, Mindplay, Tempestuous Elements, and Unknown Soldier. Indigo holds a B.F.A in Theatre Production Arts with a concentration in Lighting Design from Ithaca College. indigogarcia.com

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Ningning Yang is a scenic designer for theatre and screens, and an exploring artist currently interested in the audiovisual experience. Born and raised in China, she pursued fine arts until she fell in love with theatre through bootlegs and occasional touring shows, until deciding to come to the US to pursue scenic design. She is grateful and excited to design for Dragon Mama and WTF Cabaret at Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. Recent works include A Doll’s House adapted by Jasmine Roth at Carnegie Mellon University, a site-specific production of The Chinese Lady with SouthernPlains Productions, Silent Sky collaborating with the Oklahoma City Planetarium, and Ariodante at the Pittsburgh Opera. @ningning39y.

Angela Park is thrilled to be working at Williamstown Theatre Festival for the first time. She recently graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in theatre. San Diego credits: Dragon Mama (PSM, Diversionary Theatre), Come Fall in Love (The Old Globe, SM Intern). UC San Diego credits: I Found a Zipper (ASM), Fifty Boxes of Earth (ASM), Machinal (PA), Everybody (PA), End Days (Script PA). Other credits: The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up Endless Summer Productions, (PSM), Heathers: The Musical (Zorina Productions, ASM), Hope (PSM).

Yari Cervas is a director/dramaturg and teaching and breaking intergenerational curses through the healing ritual of theatre. They are thrilled to be at Williamstown supporting the team of Dragon Mama. Previously they’ve collaborated with organizations such as South Coast REP, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, San Diego REP, Berkeley REP, A.C.T., and Magic Theatre. As MaArte Theatre Collective’s founding Artistic Director, Yari produces, devises, develops, and directs award-winning new work by Pilipinx playwrights such as Luz Lorezana Twigg and Molly Olis Krost. Other notable credits include Desert Rock Garden (New Village Arts; Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Direction) and Tar and Feather (Westmont Festival Theatre, Santa Barbara Indy Award for Directing.) As a dramaturg Yari uplifts narratives that imagine a more compassionate future through the alchemy of hyphenated identity. Outside of the theatre they can be found in their garden tending to native plants for local pollinators. yaricervas.com.