THE COMPANY (2018-19)

New Muses is comprised of a seasonal company of theatre artists and tenured artistic associates
​joining together to produce intelligent, thought-provoking, and engaging theatre for a contemporary audience.

Juan Aleman II - Company Member (Hamlet)

Juan has appeared in theater productions such as:  MISTER ROBERTS, MOON OVER BUFFALO, THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN, and THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO. In recent years, he has worked in television and film, but welcomes the challenge in returning to the stage.  

Victoria Ashley - Company Member (Hamlet)

Victoria from Chicora, Mississippi and moved to the Tacoma area last summer. She graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of Southern Mississippi. Favorite roles include Marianne in CONSTELLATIONS, Lyse in THE ILLUSION and her recent TLT stage debut as Gillian Holroyd in BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE. Victoria is thrilled to be performing in her first Shakespeare production with a stellar cast.

Bethany Bevier* - Box Office Manager/ Production Stage Manager

Bethany is excited to be working with New Muses for an eighth season! Bethany previously designed sound for THE SHAPE OF THINGS; DOCTOR FAUSTUS (BWW Nomination); MISS JULIE; INTO THE WOODS; ROMEO AND JULIET (BWW Nomination), PEER GYNT, A SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS (BWW Nomination), LYSISRATA, and FRANKENSTEIN as well as many installments of the one-night-only staged reading series. She most recently stage managed New Muses’ INTO THE WOODS.  Bethany is the host of the Backstage Knitting Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and is now accepting new clients for Ashiatsu Massage at her office in historic downtown Puyallup. BA from Lesley University. www.BodyworkbyBethany.com

Kristen Blegen Bouyer - Company Member (The Seagull)

Kristen is delighted to be making her debut with New Muses Theatre Company.  Favorite roles include The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS, Lucy in DRACULA, Billie in BORN YESTERDAY, Laura in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Adelaide in GUYS AND DOLLS, Audrey in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and Elsa in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  She sang with the St. Olaf Choir and can be seen on PBS at Christmastime.

Dayna Childs - Company Member (Hamlet)

Dayna is happily revisiting Queen Gertrude, having previously played her in THE 15 MINUTE HAMLET/ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD at Lakewood Playhouse.  She also recently appeared in WAR OF THE WORLDS LIVE RADIO SHOW and THE GLASS MENAGERIE at LPH.  Other local theatres include Tacoma Little Theatre and Olympia Little Theatre.  HAMLET is her New Muses debut.

Wendy Cohen - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Wendy is excited to be part of the talented cast and crew of TARTUFFE. Previous non-musical performances have been at Tacoma Little Theater, Evermore Theater, WARP, DAMN, Eclectic theater, and Turbo Turkey. Prior musical theater productions have been with Tacoma Musical Playhouse, and Twelfth Night. She also sings with Joyful!Noise, a community choir.

Weetus Cren - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Weetus has appeared in a number of films including Telios, W.M.D. and Widescream to name a few, and in the Washington-based TV show The Scottish Play.  Stage credits include MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and BEGGAR’S OPERA, among others. He was born and raised in Washington and has a National Acting Degree from the UK.

Lara Dohner - Company Member (The Seagull)

Lara is excited to be making her PNW premiere with New Muses! Lara is a Lead Teaching Artist at Seattle Children's Theatre, and Casting Director for the Seattle-based company Theater Schmeater. She is represented by Big Fish NW Talent, and is a proud graduate of Webster's Conservatory of Theatre Arts. laradohner.com

Cassie Jo Fastabend - Company Member (Hamlet)

Cassie has been an active performer and teacher in the South Sound for over 7 years. Recent productions as an actor include MACBETH and LEAR(S) at the Slate Theater in Seattle, HAMLET and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at UPS, A FEW GOOD MEN and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at Lakewood Playhouse, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, STOPKISS, and GYPSY at Tacoma Little Theatre, THE PAJAMA GAME at Centerstage, and LYSISTRATA with New Muses.

Steve Gallion - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Steve is super excited to be performing at the Dukesbay Theater with New Muses!  He went to WWU and received his BA from TESC and is super humbled to run around on the stage with such a talented and funny cast and crew!

Jazmine Herrington - Company Member (Tartuffe, The Seagull)

Jazmine is a theatre student at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom and the director for Tacoma's Rocky Horror Shadowcast, The Bluemouseketeers. Jazmine has been involved in musical theatre for seven years, stage managing for over three years, and she has a background in opera studies.  Jazmine is a published writer and artist.

Erinne Kellogg - Company Member (Hamlet)

Erinne is so excited to be joining New Muses Theatre Company for a third season. She previously ran sound and lights for ROMEO AND JULIET, A DOLL’S HOUSE, GHOSTS, and PEER GYNT and appeared onstage in INTO THE WOODS and SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR. She regularly performs and teaches with Puyallup Children's Theater and Music Academy.

Alex Koerger - Company Member (The Seagull)

Alex is pleased to once again work with Niclas Olson and to make his debut with New Muses Theater Company. Some other regional performances include Lakewood Playhouse’s IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Clarence) and A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Marley), TLT’s OF MICE AND MEN (Carlson) and GYPSY (Jocko/Kringelein/Cigar) and Tacoma Musical Playhouse's THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Jessup) and FOOTLOOSE (Wes). Alex is grateful to the cast and crew of THE SEAGULL for their amazing work.

Xander Layden - Company Member (Hamlet)

Xander's Shakespeare (and Shakespeare adjacent) productions include AS YOU LIKE IT, HAMLET (SPSCC), ROMEO AND JULIET (Capital High School), THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ABRIDGED (Open Road Productions) and TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Harlequin Productions). Local appearances include Lakewood Playhouse's AMERICAN IDIOT, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and SPAMALOT, and most recently Harlequin Productions' 1940'S RADIO HOUR.

Deanna Martinez - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Deanna returns to New Muses after previous work in INTO THE WOODS and ROMEO AND JULIET (for which she was named Best Supporting Actress by BroadwayWorld.com). Besides her various stage and commercial credits, Deanna coaches young actors for theatre, film, and television. Follow her everywhere @ActuallyDeanna.

Ed Medina - Company Member (The Seagull)

Ed ​is honored to have been cast as Dorn in THE SEAGULL and to be working with such a wonderful cast as we take this journey thru your imagination to Russia in this comedy about a wonderfully dysfunctional family. I want to thank my lovely and wonderful wife, Pam, who has given me the time and space for my love of theater.

Niclas Olson* - Managing Artistic Director

An actor, playwright, designer, and director, Olson's work has been featured at theaters from Seattle to Olympia. As the founder and managing artistic director of New Muses Theatre Company, he has helmed productions of classic works by Shakespeare (HAMLET, ROMEO & JULIET), Aristophanes (LYSISTRATA), Ibsen (GHOSTS, A DOLL'S HOUSE, PEER GYNT), Strindberg (MISS JULIE), Marlowe (DOCTOR FAUSTUS) and Wilde (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST), along with contemporary works from Stephen Sondheim (INTO THE WOODS), Neil Labute (THE SHAPE OF THINGS, REASONS TO BE PRETTY) and Wallace Shawn (THE FEVER). His regional credits include the entirety of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA at Olympia Little Theatre and OF MICE AND MEN, MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, and THE LIBRARY for Tacoma Little Theatre. His award-winning designs are regularly featured by clients including Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Arts Live, Dukesbay Productions, the Lakewood Playhouse, UW Tacoma, Civic Rep Theatre, and Toy Boat Theatre. As an actor he is recognized for the title roles in Aaron Sorkin's THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION (LPH, NW Premiere), DOCTOR FAUSTUS, ROMEO AND JULIET, PEER GYNT, FRANKENSTEIN, two runs as HAMLET (New Muses), and THE MUSICAL ADVENTURES OF FLAT STANLEY (TMP) to recent performances as Tom in THE GLASS MENAGERIE and Seymour Krelbourn in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (LPH). His adaptations of classic plays are regularly commissioned and published by New Muses Theatre Company and his original works have been staged at Pacific Lutheran University. He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University's BFA acting and directing program, resident lighting designer at Tacoma Little Theatre, and technical director for Open Space for Arts & Community. www.NiclasOlson.com

Keith Ordonez - Company Member (The Seagull)

Keith is a local talent that has worked in local Tacoma shows such as THE DROWSY CHAPERONE and YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN. He has also appeared in Seattle shows that include THE LIBERATION, IMAGINARY INVALID and MEASURE FOR MEASURE. THE SEAGULL is his second show with New Muses.

Angela Parisotto - Company Member (Hamlet, The Seagull)

Angela has a background in clowning, comedy, and dramatic roles.  She recently returned from studying at École Philippe Gaulier in France where she played Mrs. Popov in Chekhov’s THE BEAR. She has performed in New Muses' productions of HAMLET, LYSISTRATA, AND A SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS.  Chekhov’s plays are particularly close to her heart, she says, because they represent humor and humanity in the most beautiful ways.

Austin Payne - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Austin has performed in a wide variety of roles such as Cousin Kevin in THE WHO'S TOMMY, Major Rizzoli in PASSION and The Angel in GREASE. This is Austin's first performance with New Muses and his Washington State debut.

Mason Quinn - Company Member (Hamlet)

Mason has been performing in the Tacoma area for the past seven years. Most recently you may have seen him at Tacoma Little Theatre in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE as Liberty Valance or as the Magistrate in New Muses’ LYSISTRATA. Other favorite roles include George in OF MICE AND MEN and Jimmy in THE RAINMAKER.

Kaylie Rainer - Company Member (Tartuffe)

Kaylie is a middle school teacher with her BA in Theatre (WWU, ‘11) and her MAE from PLU (‘16). She is a SOTA alumna (‘07). Kaylie was recently seen in LYSISTRATA, A SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, and DOCTOR FAUSTUS (New Muses), MACBETH and THE GREAT GATSBY (TLT), and MOBY DICK and BLUEBEARD (Assemblage Theatre). Love to her family and fur-babies.

Joel Thomas - Company Member (Tartuffe, The Seagull)

is excited to return to New Muses Theatre Company. Recent local credits include Valere in TARTUFFE, Danny Dorgan in LAURA, and Jasper Kopatch in THE ALIENS. Joel is eager to continue performing in the Tacoma area, and would like to thank his family, friends, and all theatrical patrons for their support of local arts.

Adjunct Company Members

Individuals and Businesses who have provided support through donations, artistic supporters, and company members from throughout our history.
2018-19 Season Donors:
Historic Company Members:
Business Partners:
Anonymous
Bethany Bevier
Niclas Olson
Juan Aleman II
Amina Ali
Lexi Ary
Victoria Ashley
Vivian Bettoni
​Alexander Bevier
Bethany Bevier*
Lynn Bishop
Kristen Blegen Bouyer
Ethan Bujeaud
Shannon Burch
Becky Cain-Kellogg
Jesse Cantin
Sammy Cattin
Dayna Childs
Randy Clark
Nick Clawson
​Wendy Cohen
Weetus Cren
Corey Cross
​Eric Cuestas-Thompson
Kimberly Davis
Cori DeVerse
Arwen Dewey
​Lara Dohner
Karter Duff
Kina Ericksen
Marcia Ericksen
Olivia Ericksen
​Cassie Jo Fastabend
Ron Field
Louise Fisher
Rachel Fitzgerald
Steve Gallion
​Sara Geiger
Brynne Geiszler
James A. Gilletti
Heather Goff
Brittany Griffins
​Alex Gust
Kelsey Harrison​​
Jazmine Herrington
​Robert Hinds
Katelyn Hoffman
Kaylie Hussey
Myia Johnson
​John Kelleher
​Dave Kellogg
Erinne Kellogg
Kamryn Kellogg
​Zachary Kellogg
Sarah Langham
Alex Luque
Hayley Magnuson
​​Katherine Mahoney​
​Deanna Martinez
Austin Matteson
Gabriel McClelland
​​​​Jenna McRill
​Edward Medina
Derek Mesford
Colleen Michelle
Keiralee Monta
Lisa Olson
​Niclas Olson*
Tony Onorati
Keith Ordonez
Deya Ozburn
Angela Parisotto
Mehra Park
​Austin Payne
Jefri Peters
Alexander Peterson
Kathryn Philbrook
Margret Parobek​
​Mason Quinn
​Bruce Roberts
Frank Roberts
​​Jessica Robins
Emily Robinson
​Kathryn Robinson
Loralynn Rosenberg
Miranda Rowland
Amber Sayman
​Melanie Schaffer
Carrie Schnelker
Pearl Schwind
Fred Schwindt
Chris Serface
​Tasha Smith
Paul Sobrie
Nick Spencer
Ben Stahl
​Ryan St. Martin
​Steve Tarry
Jacob Tice
​Joel Thomas
Fiona Thornton
Laverne Troxell
Dylan Twiner
​Maria Valenzuela
​Steven Walker
Nathaniel Walker
LaNita Walters
Caitlin Waltzer
Jeffrey Weaver
Andrew Yabroff
Virginia Yanoff
Blake York
Jennifer York
Lance Zielinski
Dukesbay Productions
Tacoma Little Theatre
Lakewood Playhouse
Roxy Theater
Fire Mountain Arts Council
Centralia College
The Backstage Knitting Podcast
Bodywork by Bethany
Devall Publishing
The East County Journal
Puyallup Children's Theater
CatBox Productions
*The title of artistic associate is a tenured position offered to professional artists who demonstrate a passion for their career, exceptional skill and ability, and commitment to the future of the company.