REBECCA WEAR (she/her) Select credits include: Tea (Hero Theatre/Inner City Arts, Los Angeles); Hometown Boy (Actor’s Express, World Premiere); Mongrel (Know Theatre of Cincinnati, World Premiere); The Chinese Lady (Artists At Play/Greenway Court, Los Angeles, West Coast Premiere); Obedient Steel (HERE Arts Center, New York, World Premiere), and site specific locations. Associate directing credits incl. Sweat (OSF/Arena Stage, World Premiere, Pulitzer Prize). Rebecca has developed work with Boston Court Pasadena, Cygnet Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Ojai Playwrights Conference, IAMA Theatre, East West Players, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Circle X, Echo Theater, and others. Recent awards include: 2019 National Directing Fellow, 2019 UC Critical Refugees Studies Grantee.

JAMES YI (he/him) is excited to reprise the role of Appa. He has previously played Appa in multiple productions in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Seattle. He also played Jimmy Young on Kim's Convenience, the tv show. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and two daughters. Some of his film/tv credits include: The Interview, The Last Airbender, Flash Point, Gabby Duran, Black Summer, the Tomorrow People. Theatre: Flower Drum Song, the Odd Couple, Anything Goes, Salmon Row.

YINGLING ZHU (she/her) is excited and thrilled to be in her first non-musical play at Aurora. Born and raised in Shanghai, she has been singing/training since 10 years old! She holds 12 singing competition titles in China. She started her theatre debut in 2019, with parts in South Pacific, Avenue Q, Disaster, and the Sound of Music. She started doing film and tv in 2021 and is represented by Alexander White Agency. Yingling wants to thank her beloved husband and two kids for always supporting her!

CAROLINE DONICA (she/her) is an actress and multidisciplinary artist whose work embraces innovation, collaboration, and diversity. She holds her MFA in Performing Arts and two Bachelor degrees in History and Theatre Performance. Some of Caroline's past favorite shows include Dinner with Friends, Men on Boats, Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise, Seussical, Urinetown the Musical, Eurydice, The 39 Steps, Metamorphoses, Pride and Prejudice, and Pete the Cat. www.carolinedonica.com

RYAN VO (he/him) is beyond excited to be collaborating with the incredible artistic team here at Aurora Theatre for the first time! Regional Credits: Desire Under the Elms, Hometown Boy, An Octoroon, The Crucible (Actor's Express). A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jungle Book, Alice Between, (Alliance Theatre). The Book of Will (Theatrical Outfit). Two Gentlemen of Verona, King Lear, The Three Musketeers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern); The Hobbit (Synchronicity Theatre). Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare on Draught). He received BFA Acting degree from The University of Southern Mississippi. Actor’s Express: 2016-2017 Intern Company. Ryan is represented by The People Store, TV/ Film Agency. Instagram: @TheRyanVo

LAMAR K. CHESTON (he/him) is a rising star evolving impressively in the industry. Television credits include Law and Order: Organized Crime, A League of Their Own, Godfather of Harlem, and more recently The Game now streaming on Paramount Plus. His stage resume includes Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, The Music Man, One Night in Miami, and Pipeline (w/Horizon Theatre). Also, Lamar has been a long-standing cast member of the NAACP Award-winning play Black Angels Over Tuskegee.

Lamar uses all forms of art to express his creativity and believes that no matter your purpose, always be sure to #mAxximizeyouRpoTential www.LamarKCheston.com

TORU SHIMOJI (he/him) is so overjoyed to be involved in his first Aurora Theater production. Aloha and Mahalo to Ann-Carol and Joe Yang for believing in me, and all my love to Wren, Jessica, Shige, Chiake and dear friends from Jinsendo Martial Arts.

WANYU YANG (they/them) is a recent graduate from Emory University with a great passion for visual art, theatrical design, and directing on stage. They have directed works in SheATL & Theater Emory's Earth Matters On Stage Fest & was recently an artistic apprentice with Theatrical Outfit. Long term, they would like to produce contemporary plays that investigate the complexities of Asian American identity on a national and international scale.

JAHI BOGARD (he/him) is an actor from Atlanta, GA through way of Little Rock, AR! Jahi has received his BA in Musical Theatre from Greensboro College and his MFA in Performance from the University of Louisville. Some of Jahi’s favorite roles he’s portrayed are Lank from Detroit ’67, Sam Carmichael from Mamma Mia!, and Sir Toby Belch from Twelfth Night. Jahi is dedicated to discovering and testing new ways to push the boundaries of African American and Queer theatre.

AKASHA NELSON (she/her) is thrilled to be a member of the 2022 Aurora AppCo! She was most recently seen in Christmas Canteen 2022 and in GLOW Lyric Theatre's Summer Festival Season. Select credits include: #14 in The Wolves (Warehouse Theater), Caroline in I and You (Clemson University), Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Younts Center), and Hattie in Ella Enchanted (SC Children's Theater). All glory to God. Instagram: @akashanelson

SYDNI STEPHENSON (she/her) Sydni is delighted to be back at Aurora for this amazing show! She has a degree in Production Design with a concentration in Costume Design from The Savannah College of Art and Design. Recent credits include Christmas Canteen 2023, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Play That Goes Wrong, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Kim’s Convenience, Christmas Canteen 2022 and Mary Poppins here at The Aurora Theatre.

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!”

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

ISAAC BURRIER (he/him) is excited to have joined Aurora Theatre as their Head of Lighting. Isaac has worked on numerous shows with Aurora including Christmas Canteen, Mary Poppins (2022), Swindlers, and several others as the Master Electrician. Before working with Aurora, Isaac worked in Nashville, TN as a lighting and scenic designer as well as a lighting tech in Raleigh, NC. Some of his professional credits include: Ordinary Days (Georgia Gwinnett College), Giant Squid (Woven Theatre Company), Lungs (Woven Theatre Company), The Whale (Verge Theater Company), Beneatha’s Place (Verge Theater Company) and several dance recitals with Rejoice School of Ballet. Isaac is also a graduate of Belmont University with a BFA in Production Design in Theatre.

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

ALICE NEFF (she/her) joined the resident staff at the Aurora in 2022. Previously, she was the shop manager for Cinderella, Swindlers, and Christmas Canteen 2021, and was a draper for On Your Feet, Men with Money, and Mamma Mia, and designed Mary Poppins, Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, a co-production with Horizon Theatre. She was the shop manager for the Theatre & Dance Department at Appalachian State for many years, and was a draper at Glimmerglass Opera and a stitcher for the Hallmark mini-series True Women. She has designed for Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Myers, and for Lees McRae Summer Theatre, Blowing Rock Stage Company, and Horn in the West in NC, along with numerous schools in the southeast.

Kristin Talley is currently a working dance teacher, actor, singer, dancer and props designer. In 2019, she graduated from Young Harris College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and a minor in history. After graduating, she became a member of the Aurora Theatre’s AppCo’20. A few of her recent shows with the Aurora Theatre include Sister Act (ens/dance captain), Mary Poppins (ens/asst dance captain), Cinderella (swing), On Your Feet (ens), and Christmas Canteen 2019 (featured ens). She is also a principal dancer in the 2-time Emmy award winning Netflix movie, Dolly Parton’s: Christmas on the Square. Kristin currently works as a dance teacher and the dance company director at Lilburn Dance Academy in Lilburn, GA where she teaches students 6-18 jazz, lyrical, and tap.

KATIE PELKEY (Managing Director)

KATIE ERIN CHAMBERS* (Director of Production and Resident Stage Manager) is excited to be starting her 8th season with Aurora Theatre and stepping into a new role as Director of Production. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a member of Actor’s Equity, and a proud alumna of Aurora's 2013-14 Apprentice Company. She has previously stage managed in Atlanta for Horizon Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, Synchronicity Theatre and Habima Theatre. She has also served as coordinator for the New South Young Playwrights’ Festival, production manager for the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival, and coordinator for the Atlanta Unified Auditions.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the US.

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.