Come From Away

In This Program

• About the Show
• Credits
• A Note from Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director
• Musical Numbers
• Who’s Who
• What the Terminal Holds: Director Timothy Douglas on Staging Come From Away From the Inside Out
• A Match Made in Scotland Yard: Stage Designer Carey Wong returns to Village Theatre for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
• Sponsor Spotlights
• Print Edition
• More About Village Theatre

About the Show

ADAM IMMERWAHR, Artistic Director

DEREK WATANABE, Managing Director

Book, Music & Lyrics by

IRENE SANKOFF and DAVID HEIN

Original Broadway Production Produced by
Junkyard Dog Productions

Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen
Arrangements by Ian Eisendrath

Francis J. Gaudette Theatre
NOV 10–DEC 27, 2026

Everett Performing Arts Center
JAN 2–31, 2027  

Scenic Designer
TONY CISEK

Costume Designer
CHRISTINE TSCHIRGI

Lighting Designer
PETER MARADUDIN

Sound Designer
LISA FINKRAL

Stage Manager
ERIN B. ZATLOKA*

Music Director
BETH G. TANKERSLEY

Choreographer
NIKKI LONG

Director
TIMOTHY DOUGLAS

Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre.

Come From Away (NAMT Festival 2013) was originally developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam, Connecticut.

The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, and The Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle, Washington, also provided development support.

Come From Away is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Setting

September 2001, Central Newfoundland.

Season Sponsors

4Culture
Artsfund
Boeing
Microsoft
Enzo's Bistro & Bar
Hook & Cleaver | Lombardi's Italian Restaurant and Bar

Producing Sponsors

City of Issaquah Arts Commission
Seattle NorthCountry, made possible in part by assistance from the Snohomish

Show Sponsor

SanMar

Media Sponsor

Warm 106.9

Credits

*The Actors and Stage Managers are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. 

Special Thanks

Rod “Red” Gibson, Christie Lites Seattle
Totem Lake Shoe Repair

Dear Patrons,

Come From Away is a sensation. Who would have thought that a small musical about a small town—Gander, Newfoundland, in the days after 9/11—would become the most open-hearted, humanity-affirming show seen in decades? When I first heard the premise years before it went to Broadway (I was producing the new works program at a theater in New Jersey at the time), I was skeptical. And then I saw it for myself. Fortunately, others believed in it sooner. Come From Away built a devoted following, including here in the Seattle region, and went on to become a global phenomenon.

I think Come From Away is so beloved because it reminds us of who we can be: generous, welcoming to strangers, and willing to sacrifice a bit of ourselves for the good of others. It is a true story of a community coming together across every divide, in the darkest of moments. Even under extraordinary strain, our impulse to reach out, to share with each other, and to give back is what makes us special. It’s a story we need right now, and always.

While Come From Away plays on our stages, Village’s rehearsal rooms and theaters are full of young people learning to act, sing, and dance. Instructed by some of our region’s top professional teaching artists, youth education programs are thriving in both Issaquah and Everett. If you’re looking for inspiration about the future of our community, I urge you to see one of their remarkable shows and celebrate the next generation of theater artists and the stories they’re going to tell us. And if you know a young person who might want to be involved, I hope you’ll introduce them to us. Learn more at VillageTheatre.org/KIDSTAGE.

Next up, we trade one island for another. The queen of crime herself, Agatha Christie, returns with And Then There Were None. Stuck in an island mansion with no way back to the mainland, ten strangers must find the murderer in their midst before there’s no one left. It’s deliciously terrifying, and we’ve assembled a cast of Seattle theater stars to bring it to life. After that, I hope you’ll join us for Dear Evan Hansen, one of the most stirring and powerful shows of our time, brought to you by the same director who helmed our hit Legally Blonde The Musical just a few seasons ago. As always, the best deal on tickets comes with a subscription; contact our ticket office to learn more.

For now: Welcome to The Rock!

I’ll see you in the lobby,
Adam Immerwahr
Artistic Director
Village Theatre

Musical Numbers

There is no intermission during this performance.

“Welcome to The Rock”
Company

“38 Planes”
Company

“Blankets and Bedding”
Company

“28 Hours/Wherever We Are”
Company

“Darkness and Trees”
Company

“Costume Party”
Diane, Hannah, Kevin T., Kevin J.

“I Am Here”
Hannah

“Prayer”
Kevin T., Hannah, Rabbi, Company

“On the Edge”
Company

“Screech In”
Claude, Company

“Me and the Sky”
Beverley

“Stop the World”
Nick, Diane, Company

“Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere”
Company

“Something’s Missing”
Company

“Finale”
Company

My Heart Will Go On Words and Music by Will Jennings and James Horner. ©IRVING MUSIC, INC. on behalf of BLUE SKY RIDER SONGS (BMI). Used by permission of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. All rights reserved.

Prayer of St. Francis dedicated to Mrs. Frances Tracy. ©1967, OCP, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved.

Who’s Who

Cast

DEE-DEE DARBY-DUFFIN, she/her (Hannah) makes art to see herself reflected, tell stories, provoke thought, spark ideas, tell the truth as she sees it and to heal. Her greatest accomplishments are not in the list of prior performances, but with you—patrons of theater. Once you hear the story, the responsibility becomes yours. Art should leave you wanting. Want is the beginning of change. Be Open. Be Present. Her first time at Village Theatre, she is honored to join this community of visionaries.

MARK EMERSON, he/him (Claude) Village Theatre: Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, Legally Blonde, The Fantasticks, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood. The 5th Avenue Theatre: Sweeney Todd. Taproot Theatre Company: Albert Einstein in My Lord, What a Night (Gregory Award nomination – Best Performance). National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera. London: Angels in America (Lyric Hammersmith). Regional: Sunday in the Park with George (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Merton in Merton of the Movies (Dorset Theatre Festival). TV: The Late Late Show with James Corden. BS, Northwestern University; MFA, UCSD. Much love to Jake & Family! markemersonactor.com

NIK HAGEN, (Kevin T./Garth, Dance Captain) Hagen returns to Village Theatre after appearing last as Mordred in Camelot. Credits include Hairspray, Disney’s Mary Poppins (Village Theatre); Sweeney Todd, Waitress, Disney’s Mary Poppins, others (The 5th Avenue Theatre); She Loves Me (Bucks County Playhouse); and more nationwide. In a time that feels so laden with division, he hopes this show is a reminder that we all contain the capacity to open our hearts and, in many ways, we all come from away. @nikhagen

MATTHEW KACERGIS, he/him (Oz) Welcome to The Rock! Previously: Joe in 9 to 5, Tony in Billy Elliot, Marius in Les Misérables (Village Theatre); Younger Brother in Ragtime, Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (Showtunes Theatre Company). Recently: Pomatter in Waitress (Skylight Music Theatre). Matthew is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, where he’s directed Come From Away, Mamma Mia!, Godspell, and Jersey Boys. Proud Equity member. Love to Katy and Daisy. matthewkacergis.com

CASSI Q KOHL, she/her (Beverley/Annette) You might recognize Cassi (despite the excellent work of hair & makeup teams!) from Legally Blonde, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, or MISS STEP here at Village Theatre. Cassi shares her life in West Seattle with her beautiful wife and her large collection of clowns. Her versatility on stage ranges from being cast as an electric eel, a villainous priest, a knife-slinging convict, or a Shakespearean fool. Love to Amanda for always keeping her fed! @ThunderDyke

BOBBI KOTULA, she/her (Diane) Bobbi’s recent roles include Roz Keith in 9 to 5, Dolly in Hello, Dolly!, Janet in MISS STEP (Village Theatre); Mrs. Brill in Disney’s Mary Poppins (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Sarah in Company and Victoria in Stu for Silverton (Intiman Theatre); Chester in Bunnicula (Seattle Children’s Theatre); the title role in Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Seattle Shakespeare Company); as well as roles in TV, films, and radio. One of her favorite roles is the one she’s playing today. bobbikotula.com

ANDEN LEO, he/him (Kevin J.) is delighted to return to Village Theatre after a debut performance in the 23rd annual Festival of New Musicals this past summer with An Optimist’s Guide to the Dark Ages. He is a Seattle-based performer and teaching artist with a BFA in musical theatre from Central Washington University. Former entertainer with RWS & Associates. Love to family, friends, and come from aways. @Anden_J_Leo

KATAKA J. MACKENZIE, she/they (Janice) is excited to be back at home with Village Theatre! Select credits: The Color Purple, Once on This Island, Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); The Hula Hoopin’ Queen (Seattle Children’s Theatre); My Lord, What a Night (Taproot Theatre Company); Afterwords, The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre).

MARK RABE, (Nick/Doug) is thrilled to be back onstage at Village Theatre after decades away. Previous Village credits: Arthur in Camelot (1989), Book of James. Others: Gunmetal Blues (Key City Public Theatre); Cabaret, Princess Ida (Gregory Award nomination), Yeomen of the Guard (Seattle G&S); Souvenir (SecondStory Repertory); title role in Hamlet (WhiteRaven Productions); Children of Eden (CLO). Also decades-long pianist/music director with many local theatres, he travels nationally with Frank Ferrante’s Evening With Groucho. Special thanks TS (iykyk).

HANNAH SCHUERMAN, she/her (Bonnie) is a former KIDSTAGE kid who is jazzed to return to Village Theatre. Favorite Village Theatre credits include The Homefront, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, and several years of their Festival of New Musicals. Other credits include Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion, Elf, The Sound of Music, The Pajama Game (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Sister Act, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Taproot Theatre Company); Signs of Life (Astrolab Productions).

JIMMY SHIELDS, (Bob) is a professional actor, director and choreographer from the Pacific Northwest. His love for the performing arts started at a very young age and it has taken him all over the U.S. Jimmy’s work can be seen all around the greater Northwest and beyond. Recent credits include work with Village Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Rep, and Tacoma Arts Live.

VICKIELEE WOHLBACH, she/her (Beulah) Village Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, The Miracle Worker, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Big River, and many Village Originals. Regional: The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT Theatre, and Showtunes Theatre Company. Lead roles in Balloonacy; Promises, Promises; Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse; The Importance of Being Earnest; Das Barbecu; Menopause the Musical; and most recently Diane in Come From Away (Seattle Rep). Performed in Japan, Canada, Europe and throughout the U.S. Heard locally rocking out with The Usual Suspects. Love to Mommy!

Understudies

JOHN ANDREW CAMARILLO, he/him (u/s Oz, Bob) is thrilled to make his professional debut at Village Theatre. Previous credits include Sundeep in Legally Blonde (Seattle Musical Theatre); Benny in In the Heights (Little Lemon); Sebastian in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Romeo in Disney’s Newsies (Theater Arts Guild). Much love to his family and drama teacher, Holly Wood, and special thanks to his dog, Rosie. @JohnnAndreww

ANNA GIBSON, (u/s Beverley/Annette, Diane) is delighted to return to performing in 2026, after 15 years away from the stage. She appeared earlier this year as Cynthia Murphy in the award-winning Pacific Northwest regional premiere of Dear Evan Hansen at Tacoma Musical Playhouse and is beyond thrilled to now be welcomed to The Rock for her first show with Village Theatre.

DYLAN ANTHONY MACABITAS, he/him (u/s Kevin T./Garth, Kevin J.) is thrilled to return to Village Theatre this season! Dylan is an actor, choreographer, and educator based in Seattle and Portland. Select credits include: Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); A Charlie Brown Christmas, Road Company Member (Taproot Theatre Company); Mamma Mia!, Footloose, Waitress, Once Upon a Mattress, Disney’s Newsies (Broadway Rose Theatre Company); Holiday Inn, A Christmas Story, Groundhog Day (Lakewood Theatre Company); and My Fair Lady (Clackamas Repertory Theatre). @dylan.macabitas dylananthonymacabitas.com

ROBERT MCPHERSON, (u/s Claude, Nick/Doug) is a Grammy Award-winning Metropolitan Opera tenor who has performed on five continents. He made his Off-Broadway debut in Trump L’Oeil and has appeared with Village Theatre as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and the Emcee in Cabaret. Most recently, he played Mr. Peachum in Theatre Battery’s production of The Threepenny Opera. McPherson is also one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable musical personalities as The Drunken Tenor, the region’s only stand-up comedian opera singer.

TRINA MILLS, (u/s Hannah, Beulah) is thrilled to be back at Village Theatre! A Seattleite, Mills’ regional acting credits include Paulette in Legally Blonde and Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); Sheila in A Chorus Line and Glinda in The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Jersey Boys and Chess (The Muny); Cabaret (The Old Globe); The Who’s Tommy (The Kennedy Center).

SAGE STEVENS, she/her (u/s Janice, Bonnie) has been performing since her first show at six years old in rural Minnesota. She has performed all over the U.S. and is thrilled to make her debut at Village Theatre. Recent credits include Lady Kate in the West Coast premiere of The Prince (Screaming Butterflies). Follow her on Instagram @sage_the_rage to see where she goes next! A very special thank you to her fiancé, the Michaelis family, and Michelle Lahey.

Creative Team

TIMOTHY DOUGLAS, (Director) Spunk, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, The Color Purple – Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical (Signature Theatre); safronia (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Champion (Boston Lyric Opera); Blue (New Orleans Opera); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Seven Guitars, Radio Golf (Yale Repertory Theatre); Frankenstein (Classic Stage Company); Nina Simone: Four Women, King Hedley II (Arena Stage); Long Way Down (The Kennedy Center); Primary Trust (McCarter Theatre); Etiquette of Vigilance (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Disgraced (Great Theatre of China); Insurrection, Three Sisters (Toi Whakaari/New Zealand); Rosmersholm (Nationaltheatret/Oslo); Sally & Tom, Nine Night, Two Trains Running (Round House Theatre); In the Blood (Guthrie Theatre); As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III (Folger Theatre); The Trip to Bountiful, Jitney, Clyde’s (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); and many others. timothydouglas.org

NIKKI LONG, (Choreographer) Choreography: The Color Purple, Guys and Dolls (Village Theatre); Elf (North Carolina Theatre); Once on This Island (Artistry Theatre, Minnesota); Jesus Christ Superstar (Cornish College of the Arts); Little Shop of Horrors (Shoreline Community College). Associate Choreography: The Wiz, Ragtime, Annie, On the Town, & Elf (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Dance Credits: Disney’s Aladdin (Broadway); Disney’s The Lion King (Broadway & 1st National); Monty Python’s Spamalot 1st National, & the Radio City Rockettes in NYC. Regional Dance Credits: Elf, Cinderella, Catch Me If You Can, On the Town, White Christmas, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, & Mame (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Appearances: Tony Awards, Good Morning America, The View, American Music Awards, Image Awards, The Today Show. BFA from Santa Clara University. Thank you to my family for their support. nikkiwomacphotography.com

BETH G. TANKERSLEY, (Music Director) is thrilled to make her Village Theatre debut! Previous credits: Music Director/Conductor for A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre and Theatre Aspen); Music Director/Conductor for Dear Evan Hansen, Music Director/Pianist for What We Leave Behind (Theatre Raleigh); Associate Music Director for Regency Girls work session (NYC); Music Director/Conductor for Bye Bye Birdie, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 2 for Waitress and Disney’s Mary Poppins,  Music Director/Conductor for Something’s Afoot, Associate Music Director/Conductor for White Christmas, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 1 for Sweeney Todd, Associate Music Director/Keyboard 1 for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Keyboard 1 for Austen’s Pride (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Tour credits: Alternate Conductor/Keyboard 1 for Mean Girls (1st National Tour). Living bicoastal between NYC and Seattle.

AIMEE HONG, (Conductor, Everett/Associate Music Director) Camelot, Little Shop of Horrors (AMD, Village Theatre). Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Disney’s Finding Nemo JR. (MD, Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE). Jesus Christ Superstar (MD, Rising Star Project at The 5th Avenue Theatre). Aimee is a music director, conductor, voice teacher, and educator about town. You can find her teaching at KIDSTAGE, Studio East, and Bellevue College. When she’s not in rehearsals, she likes to go hiking with the dog. Special thanks to Loretta, Noah, and Brian for helping her juggle this show. Boop!

TONY CISEK, (Scenic Designer) has collaborated with Timothy Douglas on over 50 productions including Sally & Tom (Round House Theatre); Joe Turner’s Come & Gone (Indiana Rep/Syracuse Stage); The Hot Wing King and The Color Purple (Denver Center Theatre Company); Primary Trust (Cincinnati Playhouse/McCarter Theatre); and productions at Alliance Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Rep, Portland Center Stage, Signature Theatre, and Folger Theatre. Tony’s work has also been seen at Roundabout Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, and New York Theatre Workshop, among others. tonycisek.com

CHRISTINE TSCHIRGI, she/they (Costume Designer) Locally: The Odd Couple, Songs for a New World (Village Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Union Arts Center); King of the Yees, Wolf Play (ACT Theatre); Journal of Ben Uchida, Snow White (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Constellations (Seattle Rep); The Pirates of Penzance, Hello, Dolly!, And So That Happened (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Richard III, Bring Down the House (upstart crow collective). Nationally and internationally: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Asolo Rep, Virginia Theater Festival and Kinoshita Circus, Japan. She holds an MFA from the University of Washington and is a member of USA 829.

PETER MARADUDIN, (Lighting Designer) Village Theatre debut. Mother Russia, Beauty of the Father, Anna in the Tropics (Seattle Rep); Threesome (ACT); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Kentucky Cycle (Broadway); Threesome, Hurrah at Last, Ballad of Yachiyo (Off-Broadway). Over 350 regional credits for: American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, among others. Over 200 architectural projects. BA in history, BA in drama, Stanford University; MFA in design, Yale School of Drama. Author of novels The Masked Avenger, The Queen of Spades and The Robber Barons under his alias, Peter Alexei.

LISA FINKRAL, (Sound Designer) has been a professional audio engineer for 20(!) years and has been sound designing for the last 14. She is excited to make her Village Theatre Mainstage sound design debut after many years designing for the Youth Education program. Favorite past designs include: Spring Awakening (Balagan Theatre); The Wild Party (Sound Theatre Company); The Fifth Wave (Macha Theatre Works); and Macbeth: A Rock Musical (Seattle Public Theatre). When Lisa’s not doing sound, she is a licensed attorney. Love to the Happy Husbean and the Little Miss!

ERIN B. ZATLOKA, she/her (Stage Manager) Erin was last the production stage manager on A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Some previous favorites at The 5th Avenue Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Mary Poppins, Waitress and Ragtime. Grateful for the journey. All my love to Greg and Zoey.

MACKENZIE BREDA, she/her (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freelance Seattle stage manager working in theater and events. She is so excited and honored to be back at Village this season. Village Theatre credits include 9 to 5 and The Color Purple. She also works with Taproot Theatre, Acrobatic Conundrum, The Workshop, Studio East, Seattle Public Theatre, Woodland Park Players, UW Department of Drama, Vashon Repertory Theatre, and The Feast. Much love to her family, friends, and fiancé Riley. mackenziebreda.com

MIRANDA MIKOLAIZIK, (Assistant Stage Manager) is so excited to be working on this show! She is also grateful to be serving as the theatre’s Resident Stage Manager. Miranda has worked on a number of shows at Village since 2014 including Dreamgirls, Matilda, Songs for a New World, Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, 9 to 5, and Grease. She also stage manages for The 14/48 Projects whenever possible and loves lifting heavy things. All the love to Chris and the kittens.

IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN, (Book, Music, and Lyrics) are the Olivier-award winning, Tony and Grammy nominated, Canadian writing team behind the worldwide award-winning hit musical Come From Away, currently playing to over 100 countries on Apple TV+, and around the world. Their first show, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, based on David’s mother’s true story, has won Best Musical awards across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in many productions. Together, they have written for Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., HBO and the CW as well as Marvel Comics and the Canadian government. They are the recipients of the FourFreedoms Good Neighbor Award and the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada which recognizes Canadians’ exceptional accomplishments.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students. Launched in May 2025, MTI’s Broadway Senior™ musicals are geared and adapted for adult performers 55 and over.

ADAM IMMERWAHR, (Artistic Director) is responsible for season selection and also oversees the artistic, education, and production departments. He recently directed Village’s productions of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Dial M for Murder, and Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot. He previously served as Artistic Director of Theater J, the Associate Artistic Director at McCarter Theatre, and the Resident Director of Passage Theatre. Adam’s producing credits include new works by Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, Danai Gurira, Fiasco Theater, Will Power, Stephen Wadsworth, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Ken Ludwig, several of which have transferred to Broadway or off-Broadway. As a director, Adam’s work has been seen from Aspen to Zimbabwe, including at some of the top theaters in the country: The Public and Theater Row (both for Summer Play Festival), Ensemble Studio Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, McCarter Theater, Cleveland Play House, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, Theater J, Passage Theater, Hangar Theater, Bristol Riverside, and many others. He serves on the Board of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and the Board of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, where he co-chairs the Annual Festival of New Musicals in NYC.

DEREK WATANABE, (Managing Director) has served as Managing Director of Village Theatre since the 2024–25 season and oversees marketing, finance, fundraising, patron services, operations, and facilities. He has been a long-term champion of Village Theatre, as subscriber (28 years), Board member (15 years), Village Originals member, KIDSTAGE parent, and donor. Originally from Honolulu, Derek moved to the west coast to pursue his degrees at Pomona College, UCLA, and USC. He and his wife, Anne, have lived in Issaquah for 29 years, where they raised their 3 children. He can be reached at derek@villagetheatre.org.

Additional Program Credits

Junkyard Dog Productions • Jerry Frankel  Latitude Link • Smith & Brant Theatricals • Steve & Paula Reynolds • David Mirvish • Michael Rubinoff • Alhadeff Productions • Michael Alden & Nancy Nagel Gibbs • Sam Levy • Rodney Rigby • Spencer Ross • Richard Winkler • Yonge Street Theatricals • Sheridan College • Michael & Ellise Coit • Ronald Frankel • Sheri & Les Biller • Richard & Sherry Belkin • Gary & Marlene Cohen • Allan Detsky & Rena Mendelson • Lauren Doll • Barbara H. Freitag • Wendy Gillespie • Laura Little Theatricals • Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg • Radio Mouse Entertainment • The Shubert Organization • Cynthia Stroum • Tulchin Bartner Productions • Gwen Arment/Molly Morris & Terry McNicholas • Maureen & Joel Benoliel/Marjorie & Ron Danz • Pamela Cooper/Corey Brunish • Demos Bizar/Square 1 Theatrics • Joshua Goodman/Lauren Stevens • Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams Productions • Bill & Linda Potter/Rosemary & Kenneth Willman and La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre

The Director is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

All stage work performed by members of IATSE Local 15.

All costume construction and hair/make-up work is performed by employees represented by IATSE TWU Local #887.

All scenic painting work is performed by employees represented by IATSE Local 488.

United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The theatre operates under an agreement with Local 76-493, American Federation of Musicians, AFL-CIO, representing the musicians.

Village Theatre proudly participates in the Theatre Puget Sound presented Gregory Awards for Excellence in Local Performing Arts.

What the Terminal Holds

Director Timothy Douglas on Staging Come From Away From the Inside Out

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

Come From Away director Timothy Douglas is what he calls, with pride, “an actor’s director.” He began his theater career as a performer before deciding that the grind of the audition process wasn’t for him. Thankfully, “a series of wonderful, universe-led events” kept pulling him back to the theater, this time as a director. He finally said yes. “And then lightning struck, and I’ve been directing ever since.”

That actor-first approach to directing has carried him from serious drama into musicals and opera. It’s also why Village Theatre’s Come From Away will look different from the original Seattle Rep production (2015) and the national tours that many audiences know.

“It’s one of those pieces where, as a director, I’m not interested in recreating what someone else did,” Douglas says. He isn’t discarding the show’s DNA. Its ensemble structure and score are “the engine that makes the story possible,” he acknowledges. What he’s exploring instead is the actors’ role as storytellers with a personal stake in the story they’re telling.

“This story is not distant history but living memory, one that continues to shape how we move through the world and how we care for each other.”

The characters in Come From Away are based on interviews with residents of Gander, Come From Away Newfoundland, Director Timothy Douglas and the “come-from-awayers” whose planes were grounded there, telling their own September 11 stories. Douglas extends that same principle to the actors, making space for their experiences, too. “This story is not distant history but living memory,” he says, “one that continues to shape how we move through the world and how we care for each other.”

The idea of grounding the production in collective memory impacts the physical world of the production. Rather than follow the Broadway design for the show, scenic designer Tony Cisek has set the show inside an airplane hangar, using the floor of the Gander airport terminal as inspiration. Additionally, two hallmarks of the original staging are scaled back: chair choreography, and the costume pieces that once signaled which character an actor had become. “I’m relying on the actor’s ability to shift,” Douglas says, “rather than giving the audience the visual of who that person is.” The band moves out of sight, too, allowing audiences to focus more completely on the actors and their stories.

Douglas brings his own memory to the table. He was in Brooklyn on 9/11 and saw the second plane hit from the street. That evening, he and his cousin walked to the Brooklyn Promenade, facing the smoke across the river. He recalls hundreds of people standing in silence and many candles lit. Then, it began to snow: confetti-sized stationery, some with legible fragments of addresses on them, drifting down from lower Manhattan.

He isn’t staging that memory, but it shaped his approach to the rehearsal process. “We’re going to honor the piece and celebrate what Gander represents. But whatever your version of that day is—that’s the source of how we’re moving through the performance.”

Douglas hopes that invitation will extend from the stage to the seats. “If this production leaves us with anything,” he says, “it is that even in moments of unimaginable loss, people possess the capacity to choose kindness. And always, that choice will save us.”

A Match Made in Scotland Yard

Stage Designer Carey Wong returns to Village Theatre for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

Stage designer Carey Wong approaches every design like a detective approaching a crime scene. “Set design is like puzzle-solving,” he has said. “Often the simplest and most elegant solution is the best.” That instinct makes him the ideal designer for Village Theatre’s upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, a play built by one of literature’s great puzzle-makers around ten strangers, one luxurious house overlooking the sea, and a mysterious string of murders.

A well-loved Village collaborator, Wong has designed 14 previous Mainstage productions, from Hairspray and Aida to La Cage aux Folles and The Secret Garden. Most recently, his 2023 set for Hello, Dolly! — built around a vintage-advertising motif, with backgrounds styled like period newspaper ads — won the Heilman and Haver Theatre Award for Best Scenic Design for a Musical.

Beyond Issaquah and Everett, Wong’s resume is extensive: more than 300 productions over a five-decade career, for companies including Seattle Rep, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and opera houses nationwide. He trained at Yale, taught design at the University of Washington, and has received numerous grants and fellowships. A career-retrospective exhibition, “Shaping the Story: The Scenic Designs of Carey Wong,” was recently on view at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. The stage directions of And Then There Were None call for an expansive set: a room in a modern mansion on an isolated English island. “Nearly the whole of the back of the stage is a window looking directly out to sea… It should give the impression of being like the deck of a liner almost overhanging the sea.” That openness is purposefully at odds with a plot built on claustrophobic tension. The vast room offers the characters nowhere to hide, and the endless sea beyond the glass reminds them there’s no way off the island. Bringing that paradox to life is precisely the puzzle Wong will solve.

Village Theatre Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr says Christie may have met her match in Wong. “Carey creates exquisite and elegant worlds. He makes you feel like there’s no other way this story could be told, but also like you never would have thought to tell it that way. I’m so excited for Village audiences to experience his vision for this production.”

ArtsFund is proud to support Village Theatre’s mission as they continue to produce dynamic programming that highlights innovative artists in the Pacific Northwest. ArtsFund’s support of local arts organizations is only possible through the contributions of donors in this community, and we are immensely grateful to the generous individuals and businesses who have supported ArtsFund as well as Village Theatre. We will continue to support arts organizations, like Village Theatre, that elevate the voices of Washington state through our leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking programs. We are excited to see what will be performed throughout this season!

Microsoft is pleased to sponsor Village Theatre’s 2026–2027 Season, and to welcome you to this production of Come From Away. Village Theatre is a favorite among our employees and their families, and we are delighted to support a vibrant community arts organization that brings high-quality entertainment to the Eastside. We encourage employee engagement and volunteerism in the community throughout the year and through support of great organizations like Village Theatre, we aim to foster a strong community culture where the arts will thrive for generations to come. Enjoy the show!

Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants & Catering is honored to be a long-time Village Theatre sponsor! Lombardi’s delights diners at their three locations: at the scenic Everett Marina, the bustling Bellingham Marina, and their newest culinary venture, Hook & Cleaver, in Mukilteo. Date night or any night, experience Lombardi’s classic and contemporary Italian cuisine from all around Italy. Sip your favorite Washington and Italian wines, savor a handcrafted cocktail, or enjoy one of the many local brews with your meal. Village Theatre and Lombardi’s, the perfect pairing!

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