A Christmas Carol 2021

ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ (he/him) a career non-profit leader, is proud to be the first Executive Director of the Hub404 Conservancy. HUB404 is an innovative 9-acre “cap park” that will soar above GA 400 and provide a direct connection to MARTA’s Buckhead rail station. HUB404 will create a dynamic, active, gathering place for the Metro-Atlanta region and transform the core of Buckhead. Prior to joining HUB404, Anthony was President and CEO of Aurora Theatre, a professional theatre he co-founded 26 years ago. He currently serves on various boards, both nationally and locally, including Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Vice President), Theatre Communications Group, the Citizens Advisory Board for Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, and the Advisory Board for Public Broadcasting Atlanta which includes the NPR station WABE and PBS station PBA30. Anthony is a past Chair of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the first Latino and first Arts Leader to hold that position. He served as Vice Chair of Arts for the Chamber and Chair of Partnership Gwinnett and serves on the National Steering Committee for the Latinx Theatre Commons. Anthony is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, Leadership Atlanta (#2classes) and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures’ Leadership Institute and Advocacy Institute. Anthony, born in New York, and raised in Atlanta, graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. He resides in Duluth with his partner in life, Ann-Carol Pence, and their dog Bella.

ANN-CAROL PENCE (Co-Founder/Producing Artistic Director) arranged the music for Aurora’s first Christmas Canteen in 1996 and was hired full-time in September of 1998 as Resident Musical Director. An education major at James Madison University, she used her background to develop Learning Library (or L2). As a musician, she created Aurora’s Musicals by Moonlight, and Aurora’s New Musical Initiative. She has performed as pianist and music director both nationally (Goodspeed Opera House, Pasadena Playhouse, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Kennedy Center) and locally (The Alliance, Theatrical Outfit, The Horizon, Georgia Ensemble Theatre,). As a proud citizen of Gwinnett, Ann-Carol is most proud of Aurora Theatre winning the first ever Pinnacle Award for Large Non-Profit, and the first ever Moxie Award (for woman-led businesses) for Aurora Theatre. These distinctions go well with her 5 Suzi Awards for Outstanding Music Direction. She was a participant in the 2016 Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute and member of the “Best Class Ever!”

As a theatre woman, Sharon enjoys different fields such as Directing, Stage Manager, Puppetry, and Set Dressing. Some Atlanta credits include: Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup (Emory), Sin Palabras (Latinas in Media ATL), Frankenstein Ball (Found Stage), The 2 Kids That Blow Shit Up (Aurora Theatre) and Animal Amigos (Center for Puppetry Arts). Estela also writes for WIPR’s LabSix, a kids’ TV show that mixes theatre and science. Sharon has a BA in Theater and a MA in Cultural Administration from the University of Puerto Rico. Grateful and thrilled to come back to Aurora Theatre. As Augusto Boal says, "Theatre is the art of looking at ourselves.”

TONY BROWN (Adapter/Director) is honored to be a part of this annual Aurora holiday tradition. A member of Aurora’s Summer Concert Series (The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Wizard of Oz), he has appeared on Aurora's mainstage as Merlin in Camelot, as well as the Interlocutor in The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Colonel Mustard in Clue: The Musical. He directed the Suzi nominated Over the River and Through the Woods. Tony is a senior company member in his 27th consecutive season with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. Directing: A Christmas Carol (in its 14th year), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, A Man for All Seasons, Our Town, Cymbeline, The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest and King Lear. Acting credits exceed 3,200 performances, and having completed Shakespeare’s canon. Favorite roles: King John of France in Edward III, Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Bellomy in The Fantasticks, Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and every role Shakespeare wrote for Sir John Falstaff (Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor). He’s also acted for Georgia Ensemble Theatre and acted and directed for Art Within. Thanks to the good people of Gwinnett for placing this theatre at the heart of its social and cultural life, and Tony Rodriguez for this glorious 12 year partnership. Love to Sharon, Bradshaw and Nola. Non nobis, non nobis, Domine, sed nomini tuo da Gloriam!

ISABEL & MORIAH CURLEY-CLAY (she/her) their theatrical work can be seen on regional stages across the U.S. Recent credits include: Phenomenal Woman (North Carolina Black Rep, Ensemble Theatre Houston) Network (Florida Studio Theatre), Kim’s Convenience(Aurora Theatre, Horizon Theatre) Hands Up (Alliance Theatre); Two Trains Running (Triad Stage); Fannie (True Colors, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Pittsburgh City Theatre), Reparations *2020 AUDELCO award best set design (Billie Holiday Theatre, NYC). The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Ruby (Alabama Shakespeare); Isabel and Moriah’s designs were featured in American Theatre Magazine’s Inaugural Roll Call, 7 Theatrical People To Watch, and are both members of USA 829. Axisstudiosdesign.com

MIKE MORIN is a lighting designer based out of Atlanta. He is excited to be returning to the Aurora after designing The Roommate in 2019 as well as the past three productions of  This Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. Off-Broadway design credits include Here I Sit Broken Hearted: A Bathroom Odyssey as well as Alcestis Ascending, which also performed in Havana, Cuba. Favorite design credits include The Phantom of The Opera, Parade, Urinetown, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. He is a graduate of The University of Alabama holding his MFA in Lighting Design and Technical Production. In 2014 he was selected to participate in USITT’s Young Designer Forum. Currently he serves as the Technical Director and Resident Designer at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. Website: www.MikeTMorin.com

ALAN YEONG** (he/him) has designed over 20 productions for Aurora. Recent Regional credits include Seattle Children's Theatre/Alliance Theatre -- The Boy Who Kissed The Sky. He's worked with theatres all over Atlanta and is a Professor of Costume Design/Head of Design at the University of West Georgia Theatre program with over 20 years of design credits. Education: MFA in Design (University of Kansas), MFA in Costume Design (Wayne State University), and BA in Theatre (Bemidji State University). Website: www.alanyeong.com

Anna Lee is thrilled as always to be back designing at Aurora. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies. Her credits include Zombie Prom (GGC), Spring Awakening (Oglethorpe), This Wonderful Life (Suzi Nominated), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Suzi Nominated), Christmas Canteen 2019, and Children of Eden (Aurora Theatre). Upcoming: Steel Magnolias (Serenbe Playhouse). Big thanks to Justin, her family, Jeffrey, CB, and all the Katies and Daniels she knows.

KATIE PELKEY (Managing Director)

DANIEL POPE (Production Manager) is proud to be joining the great team at Aurora Theatre as Production Manager. Daniel has been a sound designer and engineer in the Atlanta area for the past seven years. He’s had the pleasure of designing sound for the Aurora Theatre on many occasions on shows such as: Into the Woods, Christmas Canteen, Sweep, and most recently The Bridges of Madison County. Additionally, he’s worked on countless other productions in the Atlanta theatre community including: Evita and A Streetcar Named Desire as Sound Designer and Production Manager at Serenbe Playhouse. Daniel received a Bachelors in Marketing with a specialization in sales and a minor in Music from The University of West Georgia in 2010.