TIGERLION - Key Persons
Addison Boger SHE/HER (Guide, Ensemble) Addison had the immense pleasure of playing the role of Elly in TigerLion's first ever Concord, MA, run of Nature at The Old Manse in 2017. This was the experience of a lifetime for this Concord native, who has enjoyed being involved in Nature with each return to Massachusetts. Addison is a rising sophomore at Concord Carlisle High School.
Aimee Doherty SHE/HER (Lydian, Ensemble) is excited to join TigerLion Arts to perform in the great outdoors where she feels right at home! Aimee got her Bachelors in Environmental Science from UMASS Amherst and spent 15 years in the field (literally) before starting her acting career. Since then she has performed on stages across New England including Shakespeare & Company As You Like It (Rosalind); the Huntington Theatre Merrily We Roll Along (Gussie), A Little Night Music (Mrs. Segstrom) and Sunday in the Park with George (Yvonne); and at Symphony Hall as a soloist with the Boston Pops under the baton of Keith Lockhart. She is a two-time recipient of the Elliot Norton Award and a three-time recipient of the IRNE Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her portrayals of Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Moonbox Productions), Gussie in Merrily We Roll Along (Huntington Theatre), Luisa in Nine (SpeakEasy Stage), The Witch in Into the Woods (Lyric Stage) and Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray (Wheelock Theatre). AimeeDoherty.net
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Writing Advisor / Contributor
Andrew Schelling HE/HIM (Writing Advisor/Contributor). Andrew grew up in New England's Transcendentalist country. He moved west to Northern California in 1973. There he explored wilderness regions of the Coast Range and Sierra Nevadas and studied Sanskrit and Asian literature at U.C. Berkeley. An ecologist, naturalist, and explorer of wilderness areas, he has travelled extensively in North America, Europe, India, and the Himalayas. In 1990 he relocated to Colorado to join the faculty at Naropa University where he teaches poetry, Sanskrit, and wilderness writing. Poet, amateur naturalist, mountaineer, and translator of India's classical poetry, he lives in Boulder, along the front range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Community Chorus Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Production Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Costume Designer
- Costumer Designer
Christine Richardson (Costume Designer) Christine is very excited to have been a part of this project. As well as her current position as Costume Workroom Manager for the Guthrie Theater, her design work has been seen locally for: Guthrie Theater (Faith Healer, Happy Days, The Caretaker, The Ugly One, Pen ) Mu Performing Arts (The Romance of Magno Rubio, Cowboy vs. Samurai) Stages Theatre (Snowy Day, Twas the Night Before Christmas, How I Became a Pirate, The Giver), 59E59 (Pure Confidence), Mixed Blood ( Pure Confidence, Vestibular Sense, Messy Utopia, Dance on Widow Row) and 30 productions at other theaters/production companies in Portland, OR, Cleveland, Baltimore, Minneapolis, LA, and Seattle. TV and film projects as Set costumer and Wardrobe supervisor: multiple project for Wilshire Court, Orion, Universal Pictures/Largo Ent., Walt Disney, ABC, NBC, 20th Century/Fox.
Christine A. Richardson SHE/HER (Costumer Designer). has worked as a freelance Costume Designer for 30 years, and designed the costumes for TigerLion Arts production of The Dragons are Singing Tonight, The Flame Brigade, as well as the 2010-2019 productions of Nature. She is currently the Costume Director for Portland Opera. Christine has designed for other companies such as: Guthrie Theater (Juno and the Peacock, Uncle Vanya, Skiing on Broken Glass, An Iliad, Embers, Time Stands Still, The Edge of Our Bodies, Arsenic and Old Lace, Faith Healer, Happy Days, The Caretaker, The Ugly One, Pen), Portland Opera (La Traviata, In the Penal Colony, Hansel and Gretel, Songs of Love and War) as well as Stages Theatre Company, Mu Performing Arts, Mu Daiko, Mixed Blood Theatre, Commonweal Theatre, et al!! christinearichardson.
Corinne Brooks SHE/HER (Elly, Ensemble) has become a regular with TigerLion Arts. They can't seem to get enough of her. She is returning to the role of Elly for a second time after numerous performances in 2019. Her voice has also been featured on TigerLion Arts recordings and videos. Corinne loves reading and writing, and she also enjoys playing piano, going to the library and singing in choir. She has a love of performing and is excited to be part of this journey!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Musical Director
Dick Hensold (Composer/Musical Director) Dick is the foremost player in North America of the Northumbrian smallpipes (a quiet bagpipe from Northeast England). Hensold has played in Scotland, and has taught Northumbrian smallpipes at workshops in the United States, Canada, and Northumberland. The instruments he plays in the show include the seljefløyte (harmonic flute), recorders, low whistle, Northumbrian smallpipes, medieval greatpipes. Dick primarily performs the traditional music of Scotland, Cape Breton Island, Northumberland, and Ireland; also early music, Nordic folk music, and Cambodian traditional music. He has appeared at the Guthrie Theater (Peer Gynt, A Christmas Carol), Children's Theater (Snow Queen, Hansel and Gretel, Robin Hood, plus playing a number of recorded shows), Theatre de la Juene Lune (Hunchback of Notre Dame), and numerous independent productions, most notably Ruth MacKenzie's hit show Kalevala, Dream of the Salmon Maiden. http://www.dickhensold.com/
Elena Orsak (Musician) was constantly surrounded by music from the time she was born. Having picked up the violin at age three it acted as a springboard for many other musical instruments and experiences to come. Elena has taught String Ensemble for the past two years and is now a Kindergarten teacher at City of Lakes Waldorf School. Fulfilling her passion and love of working with young children, Elena inspires many and brings music wherever she goes. Her inspiration? Husband and daughter, Jason and Mayla.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
Eric Sharp HE/HIM (EDI/Creative Consultant) is an actor, playwright, and teaching artist based in Minneapolis. He has appeared onstage regionally and internationally at the Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things, Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, as well as the Toronto and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. Currently he is in rehearsals for Small Mouth Sounds at the Jungle Theater. Recently Eric played Mowgli in Children's Theatre Company's new adaptation of The Jungle Book, and the young Dalai Lama on multiple tours of TigerLion Arts' The Buddha Prince. A regular performer at Theater Mu, Eric wrote and starred in the 2014 world premiere of Middle Brother. He directs and teaches for Penumbra Theatre's Summer Institute and has facilitated RACE Workshops for the company since 2016.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Production Team
Jared Troilo HE/HIM (Bronson, Ensemble, Emerson understudy, Co-Music Director) is an actor and singer who has worked extensively in the New England area. He has appeared on the stages of Speakeasy Stage Company, The Lyric Stage Company, Greater Boston Stage Company, Palace Theater, Wheelock Family Theater, The Barnstormers, Shadowland Theater, Fiddlehead Theater, and Moonbox Productions. He is the recipient of an IRNE Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as "Steven Kodaly" in She Loves Me. Jared has also toured the Mediterranean and South America as a concert and cabaret singer on board several luxury cruise ships. This fall, he will appear as "Jamie" in The Last Five Years, and in the spring as "Monty Navarro" in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, both at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston. Jared's television and film appearances include Across The Pacific on PBS, Kevin can F*** Himself on AMC and the upcoming About Fate starring Emma Roberts. He is a proud member of AEA and graduate of The Boston Conservatory. Jared lives in Massachusetts with his wife, actress/writer Kira Troilo, and their son Levi. JaredTroilo.com
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
Jason Hansen HE/HIM (Composer) is a musician in the Twin Cities with a reputation for his work in the theater. Jason has held positions of music director, composer, arranger, educator, and/or performer at Theater Latté Da, the Children's Theater Company, Mixed Blood Theater, Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things, History Theater, Theater Mu, TigerLion Arts, Open Eye Figure Theater, University of Minnesota, UofM Centennial Showboat, MN Fringe Festival, the Hennepin Theater Trust, Arkansas Repertory Theater, and Northern Sky Theater. Jason co-directs Alive & Kickin, the Twin Cities premier senior rock ensemble and is heavily involved with educational and community organizations and Twin Cities area school districts. Jason is a commissioned composer and arranger developing new music for choir, cabaret and theater whose works can be found with both Hal Leonard and Alfred Music. In 2020-21 Jason engraved the entire score for Nature so that it can be shared with new companies in years to come. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife Alise and daughter Madeleine. jasonhansen.com
Jay Dunn HE/HIM (Swing, Guide) is an actor, director and choreographer based in Brooklyn, NY. He has worked Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally with companies including the LA Philharmonic and Simon McBurney, Pig Iron Theatre Company, rainpan43, Geoff Sobelle & Charlotte Ford, PTP/NYC & Project Y, U.S. theaters including Atlantic Stage 2, Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, MCA Theatre, The Barbican, Edinburgh Fringe and Paris's Maison des Metallos. As a director/choreographer, selected credits include Music at the Close at Carnegie Hall, the world premiere of Spoolie Girl Off-Broadway, Village of Vale at Lincoln Center Education, and a developmental libretto reading of Rev 23 (White Snake Projects/Beth Morrison Projects). Jay's on screen work can be seen in feature films The Harbinger and We Go On and as a motion capture performer in Red Dead Redemption 2. Jay currently teaches acting and movement at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and SUNY Purchase BFA.jaydunn.co
Job Titles:
- Member of the Production Team
- Operations Consultant
Jeremiah Zortman HE/HIM (Operations Consultant) is in his seventh year assisting the TigerLion team with tour planning, budgeting and vendor contracting. This gift from the gods has provided event production services for several local arts organizations including Northern Spark, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and the MSP International Film Festival. Jeremiah is super pumped to be back working with Markell and Tyson and the whole Nature cast. Let's do this!
Johnny Gordon HE/HIM (Parker, Ensemble, Thoreau understudy, Crew) is ecstatic to join the world of live theatre again with the company Nature! A graduate of Westfield State University with a communications major and a theatre minor, Johnny was a three-time nominee for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Irene Ryan Award (KCACTF). He was recently sharing his love for theatre as an actor and educator with Children's Stage Adventures, a US/Canadian educational musical theatre touring company. Some theatre credits include Cabaret, Significant Other, Avenue Q, Rabbit Hole, Much Ado About Nothing, and Spring Awakening. When not on stage, he enjoys acting for film, voice over work, cats, and video editing for a horror/thriller production company called JCMT Productions. Much gratitude for friends and family. Enjoy the great outdoors!
Isa Guitian SHE/HER (Fuller, Ensemble) is thrilled to be joining the cast of Nature! Most recently, she appeared in Measure for Measure and The Winter's Tale at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington, IL. Other regional credits include Pride and Prejudice, As You Like It, and Caesar at ISF, and Technicolor Life at Rep Stage in Columbia, MD. A proud native of Baltimore, Isa just graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, where she recently appeared in Heresy of Love, The Seagull, The Oresteia and the world premiere of Dear God. In 2019,she had the opportunity to study at Shakespeare's Globe in London, where she performed in Julius Caesar.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Choreographer
) is an actor, choreographer, and theatre maker with 19 years on the Twin Cities performance scene. A member of Ten Thousand Things ' Artist Core, Kimberly has appeared frequently with the company since 2008, in productions including Othello, Music Man, As You Like It, Dirt Sticks, and Scapin. Also a regular at Open Eye Figure Theatre, Kimberly performed/ co-created My Life as a Fairytale and The Clumsy Man with Michael Sommers and The Red Shoes with Joel Sass. Kimberly received a 2016-17 McKnight Theatre Artist Fellowship and a 2006 Sage Award for dance performance. Kimberly performed with the ensemble of Nature in 2017 and 2019 and has decided to take a little break from performing to raise her beautiful new baby.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- EDI Consultant
Kira Cowan Troilo SHE/HER (EDI Consultant) is a Boston-based writer, performer and Elliot Norton and IRNE award-nominated choreographer who is passionate about storytelling, social and racial justice, and doing her part to work toward a more anti-racist society. She strives to serve as a bridge in her blog (biracialmom.com), writing frequently about her experiences as a Black, biracial woman, creative professional and mother. Her articles about Black maternal health have received national attention, and her articles about diversity and theater have been published in such outlets as BroadwayWorld and StageSource. Kira has advised, consulted and mediated for many Boston arts organizations. She has received anti-racism training from Anti-Racism Collaborative, and serves as a member of Moonbox Productions' EDI advisory council. She has also served as a member of Wheelock Family Theater's EDI Task Force. Kira lives in Framingham with her husband Jared and their son Levi.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Production Team
- Education & Outreach Coordinator
Lauren Sat Rattan (Performer) has performed with the Guthrie Theater, the History Theater, the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, Emigrant Theater, 20% Theater Company, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She has a BA from St. Olaf College and is also a certified Kundalini Yoga and Meditation teacher.
Job Titles:
- Director
- TIPA Artistic Director
Lobsang Samten, TIPA Artistic Director: Born in Tsang, Tibet, Lobsang has been the artistic director, opera master, and dance teacher of TIPA for over 34 years. He has toured all over the world and been featured in countless international movies, performances, and operas. As a founding presence in TIPA for over three decades, he remains the most respected director, teacher, and performer of traditional Tibetan arts and culture. Lobsang is a world-renowned expert in traditional Tibetan choreography and instruments, with one of the widest repertoires of Tibetan arts in the world. Over the years, he has played a variety of roles and he specializes in the Drowa Sangmo (Excellent Being) Opera role of the Tibetan comedian Pala (Father), who he will play in KIPO!, along with the instrumental roles of head ensemble lead and musician.
Job Titles:
- Executive Producer
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Member of the Production Team
- Creative Producer / Director
- Director / Creator
- Executive Artistic Director, TLA
Markell Kiefer (Creative Producer/Director) is a writer, director, performer and producer with an MFA in Lecoq-based physical theatre from Naropa University and a BA in Religion and Environmental Ethics from Middlebury College. She trained for two years at Circle in the Square Theatre School, apprenticed with European Clown master Giovanni Fusetti, and has toured, performed and directed nationally. Markell's first outdoor walking productions were developed on the sacred lands of Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado, where she created Thunderstorm, a play about the life of Trungpa Rinpoche. She went on to create The Buddha Prince, a play celebrating the 14th Dalai Lama, which has been produced in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and in New York City's Central Park. Most recently, Markell created and directed KIPO!, which performed in Minneapolis in collaboration with the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. Locally, Markell has worked with Pillsbury House, Stages, Jon Ferguson, the Southern, CTC, BLB, and the Ritz. Markell is married to Tyson Forbes and together they are parents to their son Kobun. For more visit www.mnartists.org/markell_kiefer.
Markell Kiefer SHE/HER (Director, Writer, Producer) has toured, performed, and directed nationally. She is a pioneer of "outdoor walking plays" such as The Buddha Prince and Nature, with performances in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York City. In addition to producing and directing All TLA productions, she has worked with companies including Circus Juventas, Minnesota Boychoir, Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, TPT Twin Cities PBS, Guthrie Theater, Puppet Farm Arts, Stages Theatre, Pillsbury House, Children's Theatre Company, NY Theatre Workshop, Jobsite Theatre, The Actor 's Loft, and American Stage Festival. Training includes: M.F.A. in Lecoq Physical Theatre (Naropa University), B.A. in Religion and Environmental Ethics (Middlebury College), Circle in the Square Theatre School, and European Clown with Giovanni Fusetti. Markell is affiliate faculty of the UofM/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program.
Markell Kiefer, Executive Artistic Director, TLA, is a writer, director, performer and producer with an MFA in Lecoq-based physical theatre from Naropa University and a BA in Religion and Environmental Ethics from Middlebury College. She was raised a Tibetan Buddhist and her first outdoor productions were developed on the magical lands of Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado. There she created and produced Thunderstorm, a play about the life of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, for the consecration of The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya in 2001.
) has been a professional Stage Manager for 15 years, mostly in the Minnesota - Twin Cities area, but has toured along the East coast and worked summer stock in the West. She has been working on various shows with Tigerlion Arts since 2011, including a few past touring productions of Nature. Megan is excited to be back in Massachusetts with this wonderful production.
Molly Jane McCarthy SHE/HER (Elly, Ensemble) is an actor, singer, and theater enthusiast with 6 years of experience performing in many theatrical performances, commercials, movies, and short films. She is most well known for her performances in The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop, Agony, and Eight, for which she won best-supporting actress at the Fusion Film Festival. Molly Jane can be seen on local stages on the south shore of Massachusetts as well as in national commercials and print ads. She is thrilled to be a part of the cast of Nature and is happy to be back on stage after a long year of quarantine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Production Team
- Tour & Company Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Co - Music Directors
Norah Long SHE/HER (Composer, Arranger) has been developing and performing Nature since 2014 when she first came on board as Nature and violinist, and she is delighted to now see a new team of performers taking on the work! Norah is on the Fine Arts faculty at North Central University where she directs and teaches private voice and theater as well as classroom courses. She also serves on staff at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, singing and directing weekly, and is a founding member of Upstream Arts, a Minneapolis-based organization which uses arts-based curriculum to teach social and communication skills within the disability community. Norah has performed leading roles on dozens of stages across the country including the Guthrie, Ordway Center, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. Arvada Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Opera Roanoke, Florida Stage, and Riverside Theater, with awards including nods for Best Actress as Marie Lombardi in Lombardi, Eliza in My Fair Lady, and Julie in Miss Julie, and Best Supporting Actress as Mother Superior in Sister Act. As a concert soloist Norah has toured the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. To listen, watch, or learn more, visit norahlong.com.
Olivia Duvall SHE/HER (Nature) is a Boston native who recently graduated from the University of the Arts' BFA Musical Theatre program. She also studied at the National Music Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. Philadelphia credits include: Once, Treasure Island (Arden Theatre), Mother Courage (Philly Fringe), and Marie in Tomorrow Land (Polyphone Festival). Olivia is thrilled to be performing in her home state with the cast of Nature! oliviaduvall.com
Peter Schmitz (Collaborator) has been in the creative and performing arts for over 25 years as a professional modern dancer and as an actor in theater/film/video. He has taught/performed/choreographed through out the United States, Europe, New Zealand and Turkey. Peter lives in New York City where his recent shows include: "The Balcony" (Medicine Show), "No End of Blame" (P.T.P.), and "Sleuth" (Bristol Valley Theater)
Ryan Behnke HE/HIM (Piper) is a Traditional Irish musician experienced in a wide variety of instruments that span across Ireland and Scotland. Playing highland pipes with the Macalaster College pipe band for most of his young adult life competing and performing locally and across the U.S. and Canada. Ryan holds a Master 's degree in Traditional Irish Music Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland, where he honed his skills on the Uilleann pipe (Traditional Irish bagpipe) whistles, and Irish flute. Since his time at U.L., he has performed across the U.S. as a solo performer and with the bands "Three Pints and a Glass" and "Unwelcome Visitors." He brought his brilliant musicality to the Nature Company in 2019 and toured the production to 9 locations across the Midwest and East Coast. Follow Ryan at ryanbehnkeirishpiper.com.
Job Titles:
- Stage Management Consultant
) is a midwest based stage manager. Credits include Penumbra Theatre Company, New Griots Festival (Guthrie Theater), Shapeshift Theatrical, Mixed Blood, Guthrie Theater, Open Eye, Park Square, Daleko Arts, and Intermedia Arts. Recent credits: How It's Gon Be (Underdog Theatre), benevolence (Penumbra Theatre). Salima brilliantly guided the company through the 2019 Nature tour, and this year is offering her expertise in and advisory role.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Creative Producer
- Writer / Creator
Sam Elmore (Creative Producer/Thoreau) lives in Boulder, CO where he balances his pursuits as a performer, coach, consultant and visual artist. He has been involved in all aspects of theatre and is a seasoned director, producer, choreographer and performer. Sam holds a Masters Degree in Somatic Counseling Psychology from Naropa University, where he focused his studies on creating non-clinical applications for the work. Sam is also a trainer of MatrixWorks, a living systems approach to creating healthy and sustainable groups. Sam's primary passion lies in the creation of original community based dance-theatre productions. Favorite theatre projects include the Common Unity Experiment, 52-Pick- Up (currently touring), Tales from Ovid (Helen Hayes nomination for Best Choreography), Lion in the Streets, Hamlet, Street Car Named Desire, The Serpent, and Savage/Love. http://www.onthebrinc.com
Sam Elmore HE/HIM (Writer, Creator) served as creative producer on the 2010 production of Nature and originated the role of Thoreau. Sam has been working in theatre for over 20 years and has been guiding people into nature for 15 years. As a guide Sam specializes in connecting people to their own unique relationship to nature. He has acted in over 40 productions across the country. He currently tours a show titled 52 Pick Up. He is a member of Playback Theatre West, a Colorado based improvisational theatre company dedicated to leveraging the power of story. Sam heads a boutique consulting group called OrgDev which supports companies and organizations to evolve and grow through experiential learning and improvisation.
Sarah Brown (Performer) is so grateful to be part of this unique and beautiful production. She is presently a co-creator for Savage Umbrella's LEAVES this summer. She is also an actress for the Barbara Schnieder Foundation, an advocacy group for mental illness and a Teaching Artist at Upstream Arts.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
- TIPA Director
Sonam Choephel Shosur, TIPA Director: Born in Darjeeling, India, Sonam has been the Director of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) for over two years as well as the tour manager, representative, and presenter of the Institute's music and dance. He has been in service of the Central Tibetan Administration of H.H. the Dalai Lama since 1982. Sonam's incredible service to Tibet is critical to the development of KIPO! as he will serve as a cultural historian and dramaturge for the development of the script and the project as a whole. Sonam's unique roles in KIPO! as the Presenter, Manager, and the Old Man character (derived from a character in traditional Tibetan opera), require the deep understanding of Tibetan history, language, politics and culture that he holds.
Steven Paananen (Performer) loves life. He is about to start his senior year at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. He enjoys amusing people, whether it is his friends or himself. He makes electronic music for leisure and tries to make other's lives easier. Thank you for all of your support Abdul!
Sylvan Mayer SHE/HER (Elly, Ensemble). Nature made a lasting impression on Sylvan when she played the role of Elly, Ralph Waldo Emerson's daughter, in 2019. Sylvan is thrilled to return to the role of Elly in this year's production. Sylvan enjoys horseback riding, acting, singing and playing guitar. Sylvan attends the Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, MA, where she is in the fifth grade.
Job Titles:
- Co - Producer, Music & Dance Director, and Lead Performer
Tenzin Ngawang, KIPO! Co-Producer, Music & Dance Director, and Lead Performer: Tenzin is a native Tibetan and trained at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in Dharamsala, India, 1993 to 2004. After undergoing two years of vigorous training and practice at TIPA, Tenzin was promoted to the level of a Junior Artiste, and then after five more years of extensive performing throughout the world, he became a Senior Artiste at the institute. While at TIPA, Tenzin was the head of the Aa Ka Ma Band group, which produced many modern Tibetan songs and many of the their albums have become major hits.
Tsering PALDON, TIPA Music Teacher: Born in Kullu, India, Tsering is one of the lead music teachers at TIPA. She has been a member of TIPA for over 25 years and has toured all over the world performing traditional Tibetan songs and dances. She has typically portrayed the mother roles throughout Tibetan operas, and will play the Amala (Mother) in KIPO!, along with her role as a musician. She has starred in numerous films as a Tibetan mother and is known for her skilled performance and voice. She has taught over 120 traditional Tibetan music artists, and is renowned worldwide for her experience and expertise in the field.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Member of the Cast & Team
- Member of the Production Team
- Producer / Tech Director
- Writer / Creator / Set Designer
Tyson Forbes (Executive Artistic Producer/Emerson) is a great, great, great, grandson of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He is a professional actor and has performed in regional theaters throughout the United States. He has performed in numerous roles at the Guthrie Theater and was most notably seen in the roles of Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace, and Thomas Jefferson in their production of 1776. Tyson has created a number of new plays over the years and has a passion and knack for the collaborative creative process. Over the last 8 years, Tyson and his wife Markell Kiefer have developed TigerLion Arts, a production company which seeks to create positive change in the world by merging the work of the spirit, art and nature. "This piece comes from the depths of my soul, my ancestors, and my love for the natural world. It is the work of my heart."
Zoe Annie Lien (Performer) is 8 years old. She moved here from Moscow at the age of 4. Zoe loves gymnastics, piano, her friends, and Justin Bieber. She has already traveled the world over as a young child, but her favorite place is Naushon Island, off the coast of Massachusetts.
Zoe Garcia SHE/HER (Elly, Guide, Ensemble) Zoe Garcia is a rising 8th grader at Wayland Middle School. She played Elly Emerson in the Fall 2019 Nature performances at The Olde Manse in Concord, MA. Zoe is represented by Andrew Wilson Agency (AWA) in Boston, MA. She's an animal lover, creative writer and designer, and is honored to once again be part of the show.