Artist Bios

The Pigeon Gets A Bigtime Holiday Extravaganza

Carly Arguelles (Swing) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”; Playhouse 1960: Hello, Dolly!, Bright Star; Inspiration Stage: 9 to 5: The Musical. Education: B.F.A., Drake University, Musical Theatre Performance.

Efren Calderon (Flappy Squirrel, Catch Song Squirrel, Shake-It Squirrel, Dream Ballet Squirrel) Main Street Theater: Debut; Houston Grand Opera: Madame Butterfly, Salome; Tapestry Players: Sister Act; The Callback Theatre: The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals; Moore Vision Entertainment: Next to Normal; The Octarine Accord: The Honeycomb Trilogy: Sovereign; The Garden Theatre: Cruel Intentions. Education: San Jacinto Community College.

Michael Chiavone (The Pigeon) Main Street Theater: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, Charlotte’s Web, Shrek The Musical, How I Became a Pirate, Goodnight Moon, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Busytown, James and the Giant Peach, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, Hank the Cowdog; A.D. Players: Forever Plaid; Houston Grand Opera: Tristan and Isolde, The Italian Girl in Algiers; Standing Room Only Productions: The Who’s Tommy, Next to Normal; Night Cap Theater: The Cabin; Island ETC: Hair.

Lizzy Cooper (Piggie, In-Between Squirrel) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Sleeping Beauty The Musical; Alley Theatre: The Brainstormers & Their Cosmic Mission; A.D. Players: Esther; Classical Theatre Company: Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare In the House); Sam Houston Theater: The Prom, Uncle Vanya, Memphis. Education: B.F.A., Sam Houston State University, Musical Theatre.

Jake Cummings (Swing / Dance Captain) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Sleeping Beauty The Musical; Unity Theater: Godspell; A.D. Players: The Wizard of Oz, (staged readings) Brother Andrew, How to Die: The Life of Dietrich Bonhoffer, The Burn Vote; The Garden Theater: Assassins; Strange Bird Immersive: The Man from Beyond; Stageworks Theater: Matilda: The Musical. Education: B.F.A., Sam Houston State University, Musical Theater.

Miles Estes (Elephant Gerald, Exit Stage Right Squirrel) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Sleeping Beauty The Musical; A.D. Players Theater: (Metzler New Works Festival) How To Die: The Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Sam Houston State University Theater: The Prom, Uncle Vanya, 365 Days/365 Plays, Airness, Almost Maine, What the Constitution Means to Me. Education: Sam Houston State University.

Mac Hardy (Zoopy Squirrel, Defining Squirrel, Catchy Song Squirrel 2, Shake-It Squirrel, Dream Ballet Squirrel) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type; Unity Theatre: Jack and the Bean Stalk, The Mousetrap; Sam Houston State University Theatre: Hands on a Hard Body, Richard III, Creature, Memphis; Ohio Outdoor Theatre: Grease, Winnie the Pooh. Education: B.F.A., Sam Houston State University, Musical Theatre.

Matt Hurt (Zoomy Squirrel, Catchy Song Squirrel 1, Shake-It Squirrel, Dream Ballet Squirrel) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder, Miss Nelson Is Missing! The Musical, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Cinderella, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Pete the Cat; Lamar University: So You Can Look Ahead, Twelfth Night, Luna Gale, The Comedy of Errors, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Education: B.S., Lamar University, Theatre and Dance.

Jordan Umphries (Zappy Squirrel, Announcer Squirrel, Shake-It Squirrel, Dream Ballet Squirrel, Snow-Shoe Squirrel) Main Street Theater: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Fancy Nancy The Musical; Stages: Panto: Pinnochio, The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/ Latinx/Latine Vote; The Garden Theatre: Reefer Madness, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Books Alive!: Chicken Big; Octarine Accord: The Honeycomb Trilogy: Advance Man; Texas Renaissance Festival: Performance Company; Whirligig Stage (NC): Boeing Boeing; ULL Performing Arts: Les Misérables. Education: B.A., University of Louisiana – Lafayette, English/Folklore Studies.

Robin Robinson (Director) Main Street Theater: The Wind in the Willows, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Miss Nelson Is Missing; Charlotte’s Web, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Stages: Merrily We Roll Along; The World Of Beauty (World Premiere); Theatre Lab Houston: Avenue X; Search And Destroy; Hyde Park Theatre In Austin: Colonel Mustard (World Premiere); Capitol City Playhouse: Stud Silo (World Premiere); South Pacific; Grayson College: Over 80 Productions including Working, Treasure Island, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Othello, Godspell, Pippin, Grapes Of Wrath, Charlotte’s Web. Film: The Prodigy (Actor); Who’s Who for Outstanding Educators; 2014 Texas Educational Theatre Association Educator of the Year for Community Colleges. Education: M.A., Texas Woman’s University, Directing; B.S., University of Texas, Austin, Education. Member, TTAO (Texas Theatre Adjudicators & Officials).

Kerri Elrod (Music Director) Main Street Theater: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical; Generations: A Theatre Company: Ruthless; Island ETC: The Full Monty; College of the Mainland Theatre: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Peter and the Starcatcher; Memorial High School Theater: The Addams Family, Mamma Mia, Once upon a Mattress, Into the Woods; Seven Lakes High School Studio 7 Theater: Peter and the Starcatcher; St. Pius X High School Theater: Legally Blonde. Education: M.M. and B.M., Kent State University.

Afsaneh Aayani (Puppet Design) Main Street Theater: Kim’s Convenience, The Wind in the Willows, Charlotte’s Web, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, Dog Act, The Oldest Boy, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe plus numerous puppetry credits; Regional Credits: Cincinnati  Playhouse: English; The Old Globe: English; Alliance Theatre: English; Alley Theatre: Alley All New Festival, A Christmas Carol; Chautauqua Theater: Birthday Candles; American Stage: Disgraced; Two River Theater: Romeo and Juliet; Theatre Under the Stars: The Ugly Christmas Sweater, Frozen; Trinity Rep: Alabaster; Other Credits: Meow Wolf Houston; Heartbeat Opera: Extinctionist; Catastrophic Theatre: Turn of the Screw, Innominate, Cleansed, Waiting for Godot, A Maroon’s Guide to Time and Space; Stages: Roe, Black Superhero Magic Mama, Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B; El Paso Opera: Frida, Sunday in the Park With George; Houston Grand Opera: Big Swim; Houston Shakespeare Festival: King Lear; Theatre of the Republic: Finding Nemo the Musical; PBS Arkansas: Blueberry’s Clubhouse; Moores School of Music: Little Shop of Horrors. Education:  B.F.A., Tehran University of Art, Puppetry; M.F.A., University of Houston, Scenic Design.

Hudson Davis (Lighting Design) Main Street Theater: Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Taking Steps, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel, Carmela Full of Wishes, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Curious George: The Golden Meatball.

Lauren Davis (Properties Design/Scenic Charge) Main Street Theater: (Props Design) Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical, The Wind in the Willows, Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School, The Diary of Anne Frank, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Jackie & Me, (Scenic Charge) The Wind in the Willows, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Sherlock Holmes, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Don’t let the Pigeon drive the bus, Dog Act, A Year with Frog & Toad; Catastrophic Theater: (Properties Design and Charge Scenic Artist) Miss Laraj, Love Bomb, Spirits to Enforce, Tamarie’s TX Toast, Rhinoceros, (Properties Design) Cleansed, Curse of the Starving Class, Snow White, Trevor, Buried Child; Open Dance Project: (Properties Design) OZ, Red Landscape, 1968, Bonnie & Clyde, Galapagos; Stages: (Charge Scenic Artist) Alma en Venta, Panto Wonderful Wizard, Panto Unfrozen, Mack and Mabel, Xanadu, Panto Goldilocks, Road Show, Panto Mother Goose, Panto Red Riding Hood. Ms. Davis also works locally as a decorative painter and mural artist.

Sarah Sneesby (Choreographer) Main Street Theater: Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel, A Little House Christmas; Creative Movement Practices (Director/Movement Director/Choreographer): Macbeth, Gideon and the Blundersnorp, Secret in the Wings, Treasure Island (Original Stage adaptation World Premiere), Synapse (Movement Director, World Premiere); HITS Theatre: (Director) She Loves Me; Obsidian Theatre: (Movement Director): Antony and Cleopatra; Morningstar Theatrical Productions: (Director/ Choreographer) Liberators, an American Musical (World Premiere Workshop Production); Brighton Fringe: (Movement Director/Choreographer) LEGS; Theatre Southwest: (Movement Director) Wisdom of Eve, The Little Hut; Royal Central School of Speech and Drama: (Movement Director/ Asst. Choreographer) Plaza; Cone Man Running: (Director) Spontaneous Scattering; LoneStar CyFair: (Choreographer) The Fantasticks, Musical of Musicals. Education: M.F.A., The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD), Movement: Directing & Teaching. Sarah is also a Resident Teaching artist at Alley Theatre, the Founding Executive Artistic Director of Creative Movement Practices, and the Co-Director of Education at Creative Space Katy, opening in January of 2026 with theatre and dance education in old Katy!  www.sarahsneesby.com

Shawn W. St. John (Sound Design) Shawn is an award-winning sound designer, composer, producer, audio engineer and voice artist. He has worked with Tony Award winning sound designer Tony Meola, as well as notable actors, playwrights and directors, including Eli Wallach, Sandy Duncan, Christopher Fitzgerald, Joanne Woodward, Calista Flockhart, Arthur Storch, Joe DiPietro, Beth Henley, John Rando, Jason Nodler and Mickle Maher. Sound designs include Main Street Theater: The 39 Steps, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Men on Boats, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Wolf Hall; A.D. Players: Miss Maude, Dear Jack, Dear Louise; The Catastrophic Theatre: Baby Screams Miracle, Speeding Motorcycle, Booty Candy; Unity Theatre: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Becky’s New Car; Berkshire Theatre Festival: Quills, Wilder Wilder; Additionally, Mr. St. John designs/mixes musicals for several educational theaters, and is a voice over artist and voice actor. Education: B.A., Rollins College, Theatre. www.fiver.com/stjohnstudios

Katherine Stepanek (Scenic Design) Main Street Theater: Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Clarence Brown Theatre: Million Dollar Quartet; Lexington Children’s Theatre: The Reluctant Dragon: Dallas Children’s Theatre: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!; Robinson Theatre: Dracula; Crane River Theatre: Spongebob The Musical; Des Moines Playhouse: Elephant and Piggie; Shawnee Theatre: Frankenstein. Film/TV: (Art Department) Marvel Infinity War, Endgame. Education: B.F.A., Webster University, Lighting and Scenic Design; M.F.A., University of Tennessee, Scenic Design.

Amber Stepanik (Costume Design) Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Sleeping Beauty The Musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Present Laughter, Cinderella, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, A Year with Frog and Toad, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Holes; Lone Star College Montgomery: Gruesome Playground Injuries, Little Shop of Horrors, The 39 Steps, Mamma Mia!, The Normal Heart, Spring Awakening, @ Macbeth a Social Media Tragedy, The Student Body, The Rocky Horror Show, 1984, Twelve Angry Jurors, The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket, The Shape of Things, Miss Firecracker Contest, Green Day’s American Idiot, The Birds, 96 Minutes; Queensbury Theatre: Unlock’d, Also Hunchback of Notre Dame, Illyria, Footloose, Antigone, Book of Will. Education: M.F.A., University of Houston, Costume Design & Technology; B.S., Trinity University. www.amberstepanikportfolio.com

Curmira A. Bill (November Weekend Stage Manager) Main Street Theater: (Stage Manager) Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!, Cinderella, Last Stop on Market Street, Dragons Love Tacos, The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, A Little House Christmas, (Assistant Stage Manager) The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, (Actor) Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook; Ensemble Theatre/Alley Theatre: (Stage Manager) Radio Golf (Staged Reading); Ensemble Theatre: (Stage Manager) Pullman Porter Blues, Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou (Houston Rolling World Premiere); Lionwoman Productions TX: (Stage Manager) Playhouse Creatures; New Era Theatre: (Actor) The Sweet Sky, Small Kings; Exalted Arts: (Actor) Mary’s Song, The Great Exchange; Houston Revels: (Actor) Christmas Revels (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022); Express Children’s Theater: (Actor) Santa’s Little Helper. Education: B.A., Oral Roberts University, Theatre Arts.

Danielle Docwra (Production Stage Manager) Main Street Theater: The Diary of Anne Frank, A Year with Frog & Toad, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2019), Jackie & Me, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Pinkalicious the Musical, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Holes, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2017), Bunnicula, Ramona Quimby, Mockingbird, Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, Duck for President (2016 & 2012), Shrek, the Musical, Harriet the Spy, Junie B. Jones: The Musical, Bridge to Terabithia, Lyle the Crocodile, Goodnight Moon (2015), Fancy Nancy: The Musical, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Stargirl, Madeline’s Christmas (2014), Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Pippi Longstocking, James and the Giant Peach, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Giver, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2013), Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, (Assistant Stage Manager) Jackie and Me, Duck for President; Texas Repertory Theatre: (Stage Manager & Properties Designer) Nunsense, Tribute, Company, Lion in Winter, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play (2011 & 2012), When You Coming Back Red Ryder?, Leading Ladies, Beehive, ART, Crimes of the Heart, Shadowlands, Wait Until Dark, Sylvia; Nova Arts Project: (Stage Manager) Gate of Heaven, (Production Manager) The Bacchae; Town Centre Theatre: (Assistant Stage Manager) Julius Caesar. Education: San Jacinto College. MST Theater for Youth Production Manager.

Vivienne M. St. John (Theater for Youth Artistic Director) Main Street Theater: (Director) The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, A Little House Christmas, The Diary of Anne Frank, Jackie & Me, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Goodnight Moon, (Costume Design) Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, Superfudge, Henry and Ramona, The Great Gilly Hopkins, If You Take a Mouse to School, Sideways Stories from Wayside School; Berkshire Theatre Festival: Assistant Production Manager, Visiting Mr. Green with Eli Wallach, Hay Fever with Joanne Woodward and Calista Flockhart, Jitta’s Atonement with Dianne Wiest, Free Fall with Sandy Duncan, Bill Graham Presents with Ron Silver; Company Manager: Four of a Kind, Good Company, Woman in Mind with Marlo Thomas and Elizabeth Franz, Over the River and Through the Woods; Production Manager: The Ray Davies Show. Worked at several Houston theaters including TheatreLab, Express Children’s Theater, and The Houston Grand Opera. Main Street Theater’s Theater for Youth Artistic Director since 2000.

Rebecca Greene Udden (Executive Artistic Director) Main Street Theater: (Director) The Year of Magical Thinking, Mother of the Maid, Darwin in Malibu, Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue, The Hard Problem, The Book of Will, Hecuba and The Trojan Women, Troilus and Cressida, An Iliad and Twelfth Night with Prague Shakespeare Company (MST collaborations), Holes, Enemies, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (First American Productions), Silent Sky, Peace in Our Time, Heartbreak House, The Real Thing (1986 & 2013), The Coast of Utopia, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Heidi Chronicles (2010 & 1992), Arcadia (2010 & 1996), The House of the Spirits (English-language premiere), Caroline, or Change, An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf, The Rice (World Premiere), and many more; (Actor) Private Lives (2019), Memory House, Richard III (with Prague Shakespeare Company), The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Third, The Busy World Is Hushed, Somebody’s Sons, The Sisters Rosensweig, Hapgood, Hamlet, and more; (Costume Design) numerous productions; Prague Shakespeare Company: (Director) Twelfth Night. Catastrophic Theatre: Advisory Board. Wordsmyth Theater Company: Advisory Board. Member, American Leadership Forum Class XVI.

Front of House Staff

Kacie Adams, Lindsay Ehrhardt, Faheemah Karim, Dominico Leone, Helen Rios, Mark B. Robbins, Zack Varela