FREDERICK KNOTT (Playwright) 1916–2002, was born in China to an English missionary family. Mr. Knott earned a law degree from University of Cambridge after attending Oundle School, and he served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, achieving the rank of major. Mr. Knott only wrote three plays during his lifetime, yet his spine-tingling thrillers ran successfully on Broadway in the 1950s and ‘60s and have been standards in regional theatre and touring companies throughout the world. His most famous script, Dial M for Murder, was rejected several times before playing successfully on British television in the early ‘50s. It then hit the London stage to rave reviews. In 1952 the play opened on Broadway, and in 1954 was adapted by Mr. Knott into a film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. His second-most-popular play, Wait Until Dark, ran for 374 performances on Broadway in 1966 and earned actress Lee Remick a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of a blind woman terrorized by thugs. In 1967 the play was made into a popular film of the same name starring Alan Arkin and Audrey Hepburn. It was revived on Broadway in 1998 in a production starring Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. Mr. Knott’s third play, Write Me a Murder, opened on Broadway in 1961 and ran for 25 weeks.

JEFFREY HATCHER (Adaptor) Broadway: Never Gonna Dance (Book). Off-Broadway: Three Viewings and A Picasso at Manhattan Theatre Club; Scotland Road and The Turn of the Screw at Primary Stages; Tuesdays with Morrie (with Mitch Albom) at The Minetta Lane; Murder By Poe, The Turn of the Screw and The Spy at The Acting Company; Neddy at American Place; and Fellow Travelers at Manhattan Punchline. Other Plays/Theaters: Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers, Mercy of a Storm, Smash, Armadale, Korczak’s Children, To Fool the Eye, The Falls, A Piece of the Rope, All the Way with LBJ, The Government Inspector, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and others at The Guthrie, Old Globe, Yale Rep, The Geffen, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Arizona Theater Company, San Jose Rep, The Empty Space, Indiana Rep, Children’s Theater Company, History Theater, Madison Rep, Intiman, Illusion, Denver Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Actors Theater of Louisville, Philadelphia Theater Company, Asolo, City Theater, Studio Arena and dozens more in the U.S. and abroad. Film/ TV: Stage Beauty, Casanova, The Duchess, and episodes of Columbo. Grants/Awards: NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation and Barrymore Award Best New Play. He is a member and/or alumnus of The Playwrights Center, the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild and New Dramatists.

MICHAEL JOHN GARCÉS (Director) Credits include For the People by Ty Defoe and Larissa FastHorse (Guthrie Theatre), Seize the King by Will Power (Alliance Theatre), the just and the blind by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Daniel Bernard Roumain (Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center), The Play You Want by Bernardo Cubrias (Road Theatre Company), and What Happens Next by Naomi Iizuka (La Jolla Playhouse). He is the former artistic director of Cornerstone Theater Company, where directing credits include Highland Park is Here by Mark Valdez, California: The Tempest by Alison Carey, and Café Vida by Lisa Loomer.  Upcoming: Fake It Until You Make It by Larissa FastHorse (Mark Taper Forum and Arena Stage).  Plays he has written include TOWN (Theatre Horizon), south (Great Plains Theatre Commons) and 36 Yesses (Cornerstone). Garcés is a professor of practice at Arizona State University. He is the recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award and the Princess Grace Statue Award.

JAMES NOONE (Scenic Designer) has designed for Broadway productions including Sunset Boulevard, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, A Time to Kill, Match, A Bronx Tale (play), A Class Act, Jekyll and Hyde, The Rainmaker, The Sunshine Boys, The Gin Game, Inherit the Wind, and many others. Off-Broadway productions designed include The Boys In The Band, In Masks Outrageous and Austere, White Chocolate, Frankie and Johnny in The Clair de Lune, Ruthless!, Full Gallop, Fully Committed, and Three Tall Women at theatres including Manhattan Theatre Club, Irish Rep, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theatre, The Women’s Project and Productions, and others. Opera Companies he has designed for are The English National Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Washington National Opera. Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and others. For TV and Film, his work has appeared on Live from Lincoln Center, Great Performances, and HBO. HBO.Awards include the American Theatre Wing Design, Drama Desk, Helen Hayes, and LA Ovation awards.

PATRICK HOLT (Costume Designer) Patrick’s costume design work has been seen on stages across the country including The Guthrie Theater, The Milwaukee Rep, The Kansas City Rep, Playmakers Rep, Pioneer Theater Company, The Arizona Repertory Theater, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Moscow State Theater, The Old Globe Theater, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and The American Dance Festival. He has also worked both on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions for the Public Theater and The John Houseman Theater in NYC. Film and Television works includes projects with HBO, CBS, The A&E Network, World of Wonder, and CBS. Holt is also a professor at the University of Arizona, where he heads the costume design program.

TOM ONTIVEROS (Lighting Designer) consistently contributes to productions affecting themes of social justice, diversity, and equity for underrepresented communities. He has received numerous awards and nominations for his work including The Exonerated (Lucille Lortel Award), My Barking Dog (L.A. Drama Critics), The House in Scarsdale (nominated Best Projection Design, LA Drama Critics), Shiv (nominated, Best Projection Design, StageRaw), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Ovation! nomination), and Completeness (Ovation! nomination). Ontiveros is an Associate Professor of Design and Chair of the Theatre Arts Department at the University of La Verne. Credits include design at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Center Theatre Group, American Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Cornerstone, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Perseverance Theatre, Native Voices, East West Players, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hungarian National Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, and L.A. Opera. cargocollective.com/tomontiveros

DANIEL PERELSTEIN JAQUETTE (Sound Designer) is a freelance sound designer, composer, and musical director. He has been the professor of sound design for theatre at Arizona State University since 2019. Pioneer Theatre Company debut! Other recent designs and original music at Arizona Theatre Company, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Geva Theatre, Phoenix Theater, Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, People’s Light, and others. Jaquette has received two Barrymore Awards and 16 Barrymore Award nominations in three categories, including recognition as a finalist for the F. Otto Haas award. He received an Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts in 2013 to explore the relationship between sound design and the visual arts. He is a proud member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, and United Scenic Artists local 829.

BRENT GIBBS (Fight Director) is a professional fight director based in Tucson, Arizona. His work has appeared in regional theatres around the country, including the Arizona Theatre Company, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the San Jose Repertory Theatre, and The Guthrie Theatre. Through the Society of American Fight Directors, he holds the rank of certified teacher and certified fight director. He has gained recognition as an Advanced Actor/Combatant with the Society of British Fight Directors and Fight Directors Canada. Brent has taught combat workshops around the country and internationally at the International Theatre School Festival in Amsterdam, the Istropoliana Project International Theatre Festival in Slovakia and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Brent is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona and in 2020 he was named an Arizona Arts Hero for his work as a director, fight director and educator.

LILA RACHEL BECKER (Assistant Director) is a Brooklyn-based director of new work. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she has directed and developed work with theaters all over the country including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Luna Stage, Woolly Mammoth, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Portland Stage Company, Folger Theatre, the First National Tour of The Bridges of Madison County, and the Source Festival. Recent productions include Westphalia (Luna Stage); Three Sisters and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (University of Iowa); and come apart (Portmanteau/The Tank); bad things happen here (Edinburgh Festival Fringe); Clarabelle, 86 (Cloud City); and Golden (Actors Theatre of Louisville).  Becker is a member of the LCT Directors Lab and Directors Lab North and Associate Member of SDC. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. lilarachelbecker.com

HAROLD DIXON (Dialect Coach) has acted and directed Off-Broadway, at the Kennedy Center, and at over 20 regional theatres across the USA, including the Guthrie, Arena Stage, Long Wharf, Pittsburgh Public, Cincinnati Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Theatre Company, Gloucester Stage, Chamber Music Northwest, and Invisible Theatre, Tucson, among others. He played Norman Granz in the national tour of Ella. He was head of acting/musical theatre at the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film, and Television for many years and is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He was founding artistic director of the Arizona Repertory Theatre. The Harold Dixon Directing Studio is named for him. Last year, he served as the dialect coach for Scrooge! at ATC.

JUDY BOWMAN, CSA (Casting Director) is excited to work with Pioneer for the first time!  Recent regional credits include Little Women (Geva), Native Gardens (Dorset Theatre Festival), The Humans (Palm Beach Drama Works), The Case for the Existence of God (Luna Stage), A Christmas Carol (McCarter), Sanctuary City (Kitchen Theatre), The Great Leap (Cleveland Play House), and Incendiary (Woolly Mammoth).  NYC:  Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library (59e59 & WP). She has numerous film and television credits as well as musicals. judybowmancasting.com  

EMILY ROTH* (Production Stage Manager) is very excited to be joining Pioneer Theatre Company this season! Recent credits include: The Woman in Black US Tour (Pemberley Productions), Miss Saigon (White Plains Performing Arts Center), Dial M for Murder and Sea Monsters of the Deep (White Heron Theatre Company), Lesley Nicol’s How The Hell Did I Get Here? (Pemberley Productions), and Ajijaak on Turtle Island (IBEX Puppetry). She is the co-author of Stage Management Basics: A Primer for Performing Arts Stage Managers (Focal Press © 2017, 2nd ed © 2022).

JAMES O. HANSEN* (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be in his second season here at Pioneer Theatre Company! Previous PTC credits include: Prayer for the French Republic, Jersey Boys, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Other credits include: Joseph…Dreamcoat (starring David Archuleta), Mary Poppins, and Wonderland at Tuacahn Amphitheatre. Clue (starring Sally Struthers), The Wedding Singer, A Christmas Carol, and Flashdance (starring Julia Macchio) at The Gateway Playhouse. James earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management from Dean College. Special thanks to his Mom, Family, and Ostie for their love and support! DHH.

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY (ATC) Celebrating its 57th Season and recognized as the Official State Theatre of Arizona with a legacy started in 1966, Arizona Theatre Company has an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional theatrical experiences to the communities of Tucson and Tempe/Phoenix. As the sole LORT (League of Resident Theatres) professional nonprofit regional theatre in Arizona, ATC proudly sets the gold standard for artistic excellence and innovation. Led by Executive Director Geri Wright and Kasser Family Artistic Director Matt August, ATC’s impact extends far beyond the stage, with a steadfast commitment to outreach, education, and community engagement. Annually, ATC reaches more than 300,000 patrons through mainstage productions, student matinees, and community events and initiatives. ATC believes in the transformative power of art! For more information, visit atc.org.

PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC) Now celebrating its 63rd season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s premiere professional theatre company and leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Adrian Budhu, PTC presents world-class productions that celebrate diversity in culture and society and serve as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah. 

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) Founded in 1933, AEA represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers nationwide. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actor’s Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #equityworks

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United State