Creative Team

Director: Shane Ray
Shane has been involved with theatre for the past 25 years. On-stage credits include New York performances in Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson), Grease (Doody), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Esteban) and Joseph... (Simeon); San Francisco performances include Godspell (Jeffrey), Annie (Bert Healy) and Joseph... (Pharoah). Directing credits include over forty shows. Favorites include Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Into the Woods, Tommy and Anything Goes. He has a degree in education with a concentration in theatre. By day, Shane works for Yahoo! and is most proud of his biggest production, his son Hayden. He founded Ray of Light Theatre in 2000.

Musical Director: Ben Prince
This is Ben's fifth Ray of Light production, having served as Music Director for last season's smash hit The Rocky Horror Show, as well as for Bat Boy, Songs for a New World and The Last Five Years. When he's not doing musicals, you can catch Ben performing every Friday at Martuni's piano bar in San Francisco. By day, Ben is a criminal defense attorney.

Choreographer: Ellyn Marie Marsh
Ellyn is very happy to be back in the Bay Area, where she was raised. She was last seen in the bay in Steve Silvers Beach Blanket Babylon, where she received rave reviews for her spot-on impressions of Barbara Streisand, Britney Spears, Hillary Clinton and the legendary Pineapple Princess. Other performing credits include: Lincoln Center's My Fair Lady (Mrs. Hopkins) where she shared the stage with Kelsey Grammar, Brian Denehey and Kelli O'Hara; European/National/Regional Tours/Credits for Broadway Dancin’, West Side Story (Anita), Grease (Rizzo), A Chorus Line (Diana), Sweet Charity (Nickie), Xmas Carol-Madison Square Garden Version (Xmas past), blah blah blah. Her directing and choreographing credits include Once on this Island, Grease, Annie and High School Musical. She also directed Seussical for ROLT in 2006 and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change last February. In June, she and her husband welcomed a daughter, Lola Grace. Love and thanks to Shane and the ROLT family, and to her husband, Travas, who supports all she does. www.ellynmarsh.com

Assistant Director: Noah Haydon
Noah is very pleased to be working on another ROLT show with so many talented people and great friends. Asst. Directing and Choreography credits include: Grease, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, Songs for a New World, High School Musical, A Chorus Line, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and The Secret Garden in Concert. Noah also has many theatrical, commercial, and voiceover credits including work for MTV, Jamba Juice, Long's Drug Store and Microsoft. Noah would like to thank his friends, his family and BB for all the love and laughter. Enjoy the show.

Assistant Choreographer: Jeff Matisoff
Digital ad nerd by day, Jeff is excited to be working with Ray of Light for the first time on The Who’s Tommy. Various performance, choreography and producing credits throughout the U.S. include: Singing with Linda Eder in her Holiday Special on Bravo; choreographing Brigadoon in Kentucky; and producing the world-premiere musical Stand By Your Man: The Tammy Wynette Story at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville.

Stage Manager: Laraine Gurke
Laraine is thrilled to be back at Ray of Light after working on The Rocky Horror Show last year! She has stage managed for companies throughout the Bay Area including Alameda Civic Light Opera, Altarena Playhouse, Stage 1, Hair Onstage and Broadway By The Bay. Laraine is also the stage and production manager for Musical Theatre Works, a company for young performers. As always, many thanks to Mom and Dill. For Bubba, with love.

Lighting Designer: Dustin Snyder
Dustin is currently the Lighting Director at Mezzanine in San Francisco where he lights a variety of events from Rock -n- Roll to Hip Hop to Fashion Shows and Private Events. Recently he has lit such acts as: Public Enemy, Blonde Redhead, Mos Def, MIA, The Psychedelic Furs, The English Beat, The Wu Tang Clan, The Buzzcocks, Jurrasic 5 and many, many more. Dustin also designs for Acrosports City Circus, Zaccho Dance Theatre, Cultural Odyssey, Circus Center and most recently for the Climate Theatre in SOMA. This is his second outing with Ray of Light, after acting as Lighting Designer for The Rocky Horror Show AND being nominated for a Bay Area Critics Circle Award for his work! Dustin would like to thank the “Light of his life”, Tzuen.

Costume Designer: Mark Koss
Mark immersed himself in theatre at a young age, learning under the capable hands of Marie Glotzbach. Since then, he has adopted an emphasis in costume design with the aid of Professor Todd Roehrman, Wendy Amorose and Anne Perry. A graduate from SFSU with a B.A. in Costume Design, Koss’s previous work includes Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld directed by Roy Conboy, Napoli Millionaria directed by Rob Siminoski, Urinetown (twice) directed by Joey Price, The Ibsen/Strindberg Project directed by Mohammad Kowsar, Hotshot and Third Eye: The b-Side Monologues for director John Caldon and Pericles for SF Shakespeare Festival. Mark also worked with Ray of Light in 2008, designing and creating eye-opening, original, risqué duds for the fabulous Rocky Horror Show. Thank you to friends and family, and a special thank you to Mama McIntyre for the inspiration!

Sound Design: Sound Productions
Sound Productions has provided custom sound design, DJ services, and live/studio recording for theaters, clubs, corporate and private events since 1991. They have worked with corporations such as Rhythm & Moves, Boris Goldmund Productions, Inc., See Jane Run and Genentech. Live Theater events include Ray of Light Theater’s Rocky Horror Show at The Victoria, SF (2008) Accidentally Double Booked Presents B.O.O.B.S. at the SF Community Music Center, SF (2009) Musical Theatre Works’ Guys and Dolls at the Randall Museum, SF (2009) and ACLO’s 2009 season: Ragtime, Annie and Hair at the Historic Kofman Theatre, Alameda.  For more information and booking availability, please visit www.soundproductions.biz.

Scenic Designer: Angelo Benedetto
An SFSU graduate, Angelo has been designing in the California theater scene for too long now. Previous Scenic Design credits include: Pippin and Man of La Mancha (ACLO); Urinetown: The Musical, A Taffeta Christmas, Bat Boy The Musical and Wait Until Dark (Altarena Playhouse). Angelo has also been fortunate enough to work with The African American Shakespeare Company and various others in producing/production management roles. By day, Angelo works in advertising. He would like to thank Shane, Micah, the Production Team and Crew for all of their hard work and trust. Special thanks to Caitlin and Simon Adebisi.

Technical Director: Joan Howard
Joan is happy to be working on her second show with Ray of Light Theater, debuting as TD for I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change back in February. Joan has worked as a scenic designer, carpenter and technical director all over the Bay Area in as many venues as there are Starbucks. When she's not building things, Joan is bicycling or learning how to act like a fool in clown school. Joan hopes you enjoy the show. Really, she does.

Production Assistant: Joey Arden
This is Joey's 3rd show with ROLT and he’s thrilled to be part of such an awesome production. After moving here last year to study theatre at SFSU, Joey worked backstage for ROLT’s The Rocky Horror Show and as an ASM during ILYYPNC. Other credits include Production Manager for Accidentally Double Booked's production of B.O.O.B.S., Production Assistant for this year's Best of Playground Festival and numerous onstage credits. He would like to thank his family, friends and Ray of Light for making his first year here so amazing, and, most importantly, ellynmarsh.com!

Executive Team

Executive Producer: Micah Joel
Micah is very excited to be at the helm of Tommy, his 12th show with Ray of Light Theatre. In 2008 he produced The Rocky Horror Show, and has also worked on productions of Bat Boy, Seussical, Grease, Honk! and Disney's High School Musical. In 2006, Micah co-founded Stroke of Genius Productions to bring Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical to San Francisco, and has produced several award-winning short films for the 48-Hour Film Project. He was recently named a Volunteer of the Year by the Salesforce Foundation for his work with local arts organizations. Originally from New York, he has lived in San Francisco for 9 years, and is always looking for the next great project. Micah has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Executive Producer: Justin Sadoian
Justin is thrilled to be part of the production team for Ray of Light’s biggest rock spectacle to-date, as Tommy has long been one of his favorite shows. And he’s still riding high on the success of 2008’s critically-recognized The Rocky Horror Show, which he also produced. He’s been working on stage and off with the company since its founding (8 years and 19 shows ago), and also serves as Board Chair for the organization. When not ‘moonlighting’ in the performing arts, Justin works by day in the advertising industry. He thanks the entire Tommy cast and crew for working so hard to make this show (and his dream) a reality. Love to GG, ROLT family, my family and friends for constant support and all-around good times. You make my life!

Producer: Alex Kirschner
Alex is thrilled to be back with the ROLT family after performing in the sold out run of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change last winter, but this time being on the other side of the creative process. Recent credits include: The Way of the World, Insignificant Others, In Gabriel's Kitchen, Wilde Boys (BATCC, Best Musical), The Turn of the Screw (Best of SF Fringe) and Defiance. Alex is a two-time ACTF Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominee and his portrayal of the late Federico Garcia Lorca in Nilo Cruz's Lorca in a Green Dress garnered a nomination to perform at the Kennedy Center. Special thanks to his family, friends and AR.

Producer: Alexis Wong
Alexis is proud to be returning to Ray of Light, this time behind-the-scenes, after debuting with the company as a Phantom in The Rocky Horror Show. She most recently played the villainous film critic, Stephanie Necrophorus, in CCCT's production of Nine and Elphaba in the East Bay Aria Club's Wicked in Concert. Prior to Rocky, Alexis originated the roles: Kim in Sweetie Tanya, the Demon Barista of Valencia Street, Lily Sun in The Chinese Angle at SF Playhouse and Sarah in The Clown Bible with Temescal Labs. Other parts include: 'Gigi' - {the 99-cent} Miss Saigon and Dr. Charlotte u/s in Falsettoland. A company member and previous stage manager for the East Bay experimental theater group, Temescal Labs, Alexis studies locally with SFAPA and has a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley, but only mentions it to seem smart. Stay in school kids!

Production Manager: Nick Semon
This is Nick’s third production with Ray of Light. Having started as a hot spot for Rocky Horror and staying on the light board for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, he now has the opportunity to get out from behind the lights as Production Manager for Tommy. He’s been doing theater for a while, but it’s all been on the East Coast, so you wouldn’t understand his resume. When not pitching in at Ray of Light, he can be found playing the banjo or working at a non-profit advocating for green schools.