Area Stage presents

An Original Play by Giancarlo Rodaz

Giancarlo Rodaz

Director

Set, Lighting, and Sound Design

CAST

Our teams

CAST

Greta Hicks (Alice) is a NYC based actor. Greta received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Miami. In the past year, she made her Off-Broadway debut in Swan Lake Rock Opera and performed in Area Stage’s The Little Mermaid as Aquata/Carlotta. In addition to her stage work, Greta has been featured in several commercials and films, one of which debuted at the Sundance film festival in 2023. Greta thanks her parents for all their support. IG: greta.c.hicks 

John Mazuelos (The Mad Hatter, Mock Turtle) is a local theatre actor and voice over artist. Credits include: Lord Farquaad (Shrek: The Musical), Rooster (Annie), Fagin (Oliver!), King Triton/Chef Louis (The Little Mermaid); and was nominated for a Carbonell award for his portrayal of Cogsworth and Lefou in the South Florida award winning production of Beauty and the Beast. Follow him @johnluismaz

Katie Duerr (The Queen of Hearts, Caterpillar) is an actor, Music Director, and Conservatory Manager at Area Stage. She graduated from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and holds a certification in Vocal Pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She was most recently seen in Area Stage's latest immersive production of The Little Mermaid as Alana/Scuttle. Notable credits include Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), Shrek (Fiona), Matilda (Miss Honey), Annie (Grace), Be More Chill (Chloe), She Kills Monsters (Agnes), The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch), Cabaret (Frauline Kost), Peter x Wendy (Captain Hook).

Maggie McNeil (The Dormouse, Cheshire Cat) is a New York based actor thrilled to be making her debut at Area Stage! BFA: The University of Arizona. Previous Credits: Mary’s Wedding (Mary), The Wolves (#46), Top Girls (Dull Gret/Angie). Thank you to everyone who made this possible! 

Frank Montoto (The March Hare, Dodo) is a New World School of the Arts graduate and a Best Actor Carbonell Award nominee. Previous credits include King Triton/Chef Louis (The Little Mermaid, Gaston/Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast), Orin Skrevelo (Little Shop of Horrors), Ernst Ludwig (Cabaret), Mr. Warbucks (Annie), Shrek (Shrek). He is grateful to be a part of this production.

Tico Chiriboga (White Rabbit) has a BFA from the University of Florida’s, New World School of the Arts. A Carbonell Award winner for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role for his work in The Little Mermaid, he is extremely excited to be working on another Area Stage production. Credits include: Oliver! (Mr. Brownlow), The Little Mermaid (Flotsam), Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble, Madame and Maurice U/S), Lucky Stiff (Harry), Rent (Roger), Spring Awakening (Hanschen), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania), Theory Of Relativity (Student Director & Actor), Pride and Prejudice (Bingley).

Antoinette Jane Mess (Young Alice) started taking classes at Area Stage in the summer of 2020 during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She began her Area Stage career as a cracked demitasse in Beauty & the Beast and was immediately promoted to Redheaded Icelandic princess in Frozen Jr. Annie has enjoyed four summers at Chesapeake Shakespeare Festival, where she has played Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Phoebe in As You Like it. This is her first Area Stage production with the professional team, and she is over the moon about it. 

TEAM

Gabriella Arias (Stage Manager) is an actor and Stage Manager who is excited to have been apart of her first production at Area Stage. She graduated from Florida State University with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (Performance Track) She has so much passion for the arts and has loved being a part of this production.

Maria Banda-Rodaz (Executive Director) was born and raised in Ecuador, and moved to NYC in 1980 to continue her performing arts training at Columbia University and Kean University. After a career in production in Ecuador, she returned to the U.S. in 1989 as the Managing Director of the critically acclaimed Area Stage theatre company, where she worked with and later married, John Rodaz. Maria has also been involved with the TV and film industry, first as the Associate Producer of We Shoot 'Em, later independently, working for companies such as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony, 20th Century Fox, HBO, Disney, and NBC. This award-winning director graduated Summa Cum Laude from FIU's School of Modern Languages and holds certificates in Nonprofit Management (UM) and Arts in Education (Kennedy Center). To date, Maria is the only Hispanic woman to receive the Carbonell Award in the Best Director category. Other awards include the 2017 Woman of the Year in Public Service by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce as well as the 2020 In the Company of Women Award from the Miami Dade County Parks Foundation.

Laz Hansen (Technical Director) In 2014 Laz transitioned from 27 years of working in the financial services sector to a career in theater & arts. He joined the New York Film Academy (NYFA) working on the expansion of their facilities in New York and Miami. This led to working with the respective Heads of Filmmaking, Photography and Musical Theater to lead the carpentry and scenic artistry for theater and film sets, and as Technical Director for musical and play productions. In 2019 he moved to Miami and joined Area Stage while continuing work on New York City productions several times a year.

Eliezer Migueles (Master Carpenter) was born in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, and worked as a farmer from a very young age. Upon arriving in Miami, he began his journey with Area Stage as an assistant carpenter. Over time, he mastered his craft and became the company's Master Carpenter in 2019. Eliezer is grateful for the career change opportunity that Area Stage has provided him and extends his heartfelt thanks to John and Maria Rodaz, and Laz Hanson for their mentorship and support.

Sofia Ortega (Costume Designer) is a Miami-based costume designer, theatre instructor and actor. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a BFA in Drama and minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Recently, her passion in theatre and dance education, and her strong base in the visual arts led her to costume design. Design credits include the critically acclaimed productions of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! and Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family: Young@Part, and Frozen Jr. She hopes to one day open her own musical theater school where she can do all, guiding students to reach their full potential. She thanks Maria for her guidance and support. 

Giancarlo Rodaz (Director, Artistic Director) is a Miami native and grew up in the theatre, working in all areas of theatre production. Directing credits: Alice in Wonderland, Ride, She Kills Monsters, Shrek the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Matilda the Musical, Annie, Be More Chill, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Lionel Bart's Oliver! Playwright/directing credits: Peter x Wendy, Rise of the Titans (Arsht Center), Janis Matthews & The Dodo Scouts (Area Stage), The Lone Wolf of Honeysuckle Valley, and Don’t Fear the Rain (MicroTheater). His musical The Ballad of Janis Matthews and the Dodo Scouts, performed at The Mile Square Theatre (NJ). In 2022, Giancarlo won the Silver Palm Award for Outstanding Direction for Be More Chill and Beauty and the Beast, followed by two Carbonell Awards for Best Director and Best Production of a Musical for Beauty and the Beast. In 2019, he won a Silver Palm Award for his Outstanding Direction and Highly Theatrical Vision of She Kills Monsters and The Wizard of Oz. Giancarlo was nominated for a Carbonell in Best Lighting Design for The Nether.

John Rodaz (Founder, Producing Director) has produced, directed, designed, and/or performed in over 350 productions in South Florida, becoming the first recipient of the So. Florida Critics Association, Carbonell award nomination in all four major Play categories: Production, Directing, Design, and Acting, and has received numerous awards. Regional, stock, and Off-Broadway credits include working with playwrights, directors, and actors such as Olympia Dukakis, Mac Wellman, Omar Shapli, and David Esbjornsen. John has also worked in the TV and film industries as a creative consultant. In 2011, he was honored by Major Don Slesnick and the City of Coral Gables with the designation of January 29th as "John Rodaz Day" for his cultural contributions. Training: NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Acting Conservatory; Etienne Decroux and Marcel Marceau, Paris; Desmond Jones, London. Christine Dolen, Theatre Critic for The Miami Herald wrote: “The Director who set high standards in South Florida Theatre” and most recently “Rodaz, one of South Florida’s best and most creative directors since founding Area Stage. John was the first Artistic Director of Area Stage after founding the company in 1989, and passed the torch to his son Giancarlo in 2023. 

Board of directors

Sara Poses Chairperson

Oscar Caceres Treasurer

Huga Arza Vice Chairman

Helen Gomez Mopsick Secretary

Ed Acle, Maria Banda-Rodaz, Alan David Barson, Tere Batista, Harvey Burstein, Patricia Farrell, Erin Hager, John Hager, Carolyn Mara, Brian May, Giancarlo Rodaz, John Rodaz, Lee Rubin, Jon Secada, Mari Secada

Board of Advisors

Frank Alvarez, David Caserta, Oscar Isaac, Don Van Natta, Arthur Whitelaw

DONORS

AREA STAGE ENTHUSIASTICALLY THANKS ITS GENEROUS SPONSORS AND DONORS, WITHOUT WHOSE INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT PRODUCTIONS LIKE THIS ONE WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE

Award Winning Sponsor ($400,000+)

The Children’s Trust

Critically Acclaimed Sponsors ($150,000+)

State of Florida Agency of Persons with Disabilities, Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

Nominated Sponsor ($50,000+)

Dosal Foundation | The Jorge M. Perez Foundation and The Miami Foundation

Debut Sponsors ($25,000+)

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

Box Office Hit Sponsors ($10,000+)

Acle Law Firm | The National Endowment for the Arts | Cawy Bottling Co | Acle Law Firm | Bean Automotive Group Commissioner Raquel Regalado | Jannette Milton | The Sullivan Family

Standing Ovation Sponsors ($5,000+)

The City of Coral Gables | Acle Family | Arza Family | Beatriz Bolton | Marcia Frazier | Lyrasis | TD Bank | Brian May | Sara and Todd Poses

Applause Sponsors ($1,000+)

Lorraine Bean | Harvey Burstein | Patricia Farrell | Ryan Holtzman | Gina Maser | Nathalie Manzano | James Mooney Helen Mopsick | Tami Palmeiro | Barbara and Constantino Peña | Al Rose | Carlos Segrera | David Segrera | Elaine Segrera Maritere Secada | Ernt Swietelsky | Shaefer Withers

Director Circle ($500+)

Fabian Basabe | Cesar Carvalho | Oscar Caceres | Erin Hager | Vanessa Hyden | Anjuli Kaufman | Bettina Arguelles Legorburu Dorothy Lusinski | Todd and Wendy Mangione | Lee Rubin and Daphne Mershon | Lora Miller | Thomas Mooney Ligia Del Pino | Martin Stier | Nikisha Williams | Jessie Wolfson | David Worland

Designer Circle ($250+)

Edward Acle | Michael de Armas | Tere Batista | Andrea Chavez | Clara Fleitas | Carolyn Harris | Jacqueline Kearns Giovanna Kearns-Maser | Catherina Largo | Juan Mayol | Gustavo Membiela | Philippa Milne | Suzanne Oatmeyer Francisco J. Oliva | Pablo Ortiz | Michelle Roth | Elaine Segrera | Sharingwear Inc. | Ashley Shear | Joanna Tomas Augusto Quintanilla

Actor Circle ($100+)

Maria Alcala | Frank Alvarez | Lizette Alvarez | Juan Amaya | Yaima Aviles | Elliot B.| Betty Bales | William B. Bales | Beth Bales | Sarah Bales | Charles Bales | Gilda Batlle | Irma Becker | Amy Bogardus | Ann Bogardus | Cathy Borlenghi | Carlos Borras | Jennify Papy Borrow | Elizabeth Boulenger | Ray Breslin | Diana Brooks | Cherly Dunn Bycheck | Chris Calvesbert Emily Cardenes | Sara Caso-Perez | Sabine Coates | Joanne Cohen | Joanna Cohen | Nancy Cohen | Karen Colbert Deborah Cowley | Linda/Tom Dann | Elizabeth Dartigue | Michael Davidson | Julie De Grandy | Yania De Jesus | Cameron Dezfulian | Marlene Espin | Edna Falla | Jimmy Farach | Javier Fernandez | Jaclyn Ferro | Claudia Fraga | Maria Eugenia Garces | Victoria Garcia | Martin Garcia | Beatriz & Ricardo Garcia | Gloria Garity | Margarita Gonzalez | Lisa Gory | Emily Green | Melanie Greenwald | Adriana Hernandez | Elena Herskowitz | Guillermo Horta | Maribel Hung | John Joffre | Jody Johnson | Allegra Kaufman | Richard Kaydas | Wendy Lacy | Caressa Lanier | Conrado Larrauri | Leslie Lauritano | Jonathan Lieberman | Sasha Lopez | Mona Markus | Renee Masucci | Michelle Aradnes Matthews | Sarah Santos McCluskey | Lisa Mianka | Jennifer Michon | Jim Mooney | Virginia Moskowitz | Libby Navarrete | Anamaria Nevares | Bari Newport | Francisco Oliva | Isabella Peña | Ines Pereda | Mercedes Perez | Karen Peterson | Rachel Poses | Daniel Prinzing | Gianfranco Puppio Martha & Darrin Quam | Enrique Quimper | Dominique Rao | Clemence Rasigni | Corinne Rhyner | Ivonne Ribbibs | Kristof Richmond | Richard de la Rosa | Jodie Rozencwaig | Lucy Rump | Tayana Salgado | Chantal Salnave | Tyler Sanchez | Neel Shome | Jason Shultz | Ralph Solernou | Vanessa Steinberg | Christina Surretsky | Kimberly Thompson | Mark Trowbridge J Usatorres | Teri Valcarcel | Sofia Valdivia | Valeria Van Balen | Timothy van Hemert | Johana Velasco | Vivian Vieta Lily Vildal | James Weaver | Pamela Wolfson | Adam Wolman | Nicole Zimelman | Maria & Hugh Pineda

Friends of ASC ($25+)

Stephanie Aagaard | Claudia Aguilar | Virginia Akar | Al Alshuler | Marissa Altman | Sofia Amaya | Anaily Andreu | Adriana Arnal | Victoria Asorey | Eleftherios Atzanos | Carmen Aviles | Nelson Aviles | Ana Azpurua | Clint Bales | Janice Barefoot Ross Baron | Robyn Batelman | Maria Batista | Connie Batuhan | Gisela Begert | Kent Benedict | Adelyn Blanco | Daniel Bolek | Natashe Bravo | Tanya Bravo | Larry Brooks | Todd & Rhonda Buchman | Nathan Bull | Griselle Burgos | Lori Burnstine | Jennifer Buttrick | Patricia Cahen | Vivian Calienes | Jorge Campos | Roberto Carballo | Elsa Carreno | Michelle Castro | Anthony Cazanove | Jennifer Cepeda | Elissa Chamizo | Heather Chemtov | Katherine Chirdaris | Silvia Cobos Larry Cohen | Maria Consuegra | Rossana Corniel | Sylvia Crespo | Manny Crespo | Jonathan Dann | Mary Doyle De Ponce | Caroline De Posada | Javier Dealmagro | John Del Bello | Sam Dulcio | Jeanette Edwards | Jeannette Egozi | Evan Ellman | Yamileth Espinoza | Sandy Etiel | Frederic Fenton | Ninoska Fernandez | Brenda Fernandez | Jorge Fernandez Marta Filipponi | Robin Gale | Francisco Garcia | Alexander Garcia | Henry Garcia | Gabriela Garcia | Tony Garcia | Alina Garcia | Lisette Gasca | Wendi Gittler | Blue Barry Glassman | Ryan Goepel | Jacqueline Gonzalez | Jorge Gross | Heidi Gruber | Armando Gutierrez | Nada Hennaoui | Rebecca Hernandez-Carta | Greta Hicks | Clarita Huguet | Natalia Hunt Leath Hunt | Jesus Ibarra | Coral Kaminshy | John Gilbert Kaufman | Gil Kaufman | Julio Kessel | Mary King | Susan Kong Gino & Marta L. | Elaine Lanaris | Melissa Larrazabal | Sonia Laureni | Tamara Lave | Margaret Ledford | Adrienne Leff Marisabel Leon | Darra Levy | Ana Lima | Khia Lopez | Mari Lovo | Jose Luis Pere | Michelle Maloy | Andrea & Paola Malpica | Cathy Manzoni Borlenghi | Heidi Marcelo-Calera | Natalija Marjanovic | Joe Marquez | Lidia Martin | Gabriela Martinez-Fonts | Elizabeth Mateu | Brenda Rubin Mendez | Celine Mesnage | Sickner Milfort | Alexander Milne | Chris Monge | Colton Mopsick | Richard Moraille | Mariana Morales | Anelu Moreira | Dean Morell | Tracy Moret | Lisa Morgan Andrea Mortari | Lisa Murphy | Marta Neira | Sandra Neptune | Mai Oizumi | Frank Oliva | Martha Orozco | Sofia Ortega Lourdes Palmer | Jennifer Papy Barrow | Aldine Parisot | Jessica Paz | Jose Paz | Joseph Paz | Maria Paz | Alessandra Peña | Ana Perez | Maria Pernas | Roberto Ponceleon | Salange Ponceleon | Nicole Pujula | Darrin Quam | Meghana Rajadhyksha | Jacob Ratzan | Louis Redondo | Hilda Redondo | Jose Redondo | Nicholas Richberg | Jenifer Rinaldi Mirba Rivera | Ricardo Roberts | Monica Rodriguez | Cindy Rodriguez | Jorge Rodriguez-Walling | Monica Roelandse Victor Rosado | Magda Rosales | Jennifer Rossi | Josefina Saavedra | Elisa Saladrigas | Pablo Salazar | Patricia Salnave Carrie Salnave | Bertrand Salnave | Eliana Salzhauer | Paula Samper | Daniel Sanchez | Regina Santos | Susan Silanee Pedro Silva | John Edward Smith | Mariano Soria | Allen Sousa | Betty Sparks | Cristi Stone | Melissa Sullivan | Leslie Tobin Maribel Toledo | Jacqueline Trespalacios-Mier | Carla Trinidad | Alex Valdivia | Luis Vargas | Maggie Vicente-Rodriguez Fritza Victor | Lily Vidal | Carlos Vigil | Keith Walker | Kim Werner | Maria Carolina Zalles | Luly Zimmerman

ABOUT AREA STAGE

It was 1989 when John Rodaz founded Area Stage. Maria Rodaz joined the company that same year and together became pioneers of the Miami Beach arts community on Lincoln Road. Since its inception, the critically acclaimed nonprofit has presented a mix of contemporary and classic plays, and world premieres, forever changing the standards of what South Florida’s theatres can be. In 2008, Area Stage moved into the beautiful Riviera Theatre in Coral Gables, a dream come true and an opportunity for the company to reinvent itself. With a reimagined mission and vision, the company established a professional- level conservatory program in addition to maintaining a full season of professional productions, concerts, and community events. In 2014, the Inclusion Theatre Project (ITP) was established, a life-changing program for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. In 2020, Area Stage moved to The Shops at Sunset Place. Its current headquarters, built from the ground up for its needs, hosts state-of-the-art dance and voice studios and a black box theatre.

Under the visionary leadership of newly appointed Artistic Director Giancarlo Rodaz, Area Stage has undergone a transformative phase, embracing immersive productions as a means to elevate storytelling, forcing multi-generational, multicultural audiences to rekindle new relationships with classic tales. A community partnership with the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami’s premier cultural institution was established in 2022, which has allowed the organization to produce at a much higher level reaching larger audience circles, with sold out performances. The company’s forward-thinking approach and innovative spirit have placed it at the forefront of immersive theater, garnering relationships with Disney Theatricals, GFour Productions, and the MacKintosh office. Celebrating 35 years of artistic excellence, Area Stage thanks you for your continued support and dedication to our mission. This milestone anniversary honors a legacy of creativity, talent, and innovation.