Mamma Mia Cast and Crew Bios
Cast
Abigale Hawkins (Sophie Sheridan) – Abigale Hawkins is a first year at UNC-CH planning to major in both Vocal Music and Business Administration. She is so grateful to UNC Pauper Players for this wonderful chance to perform in Mamma Mia! Abigale also participates in UNC Musical Empowerment and Carolina Women in Business. She would like to thank the wonderful cast and awesome production staff of Mamma Mia for working so diligently to make this show happen. She would also like to thank Liz Field, Dr. Jeanne Fischer, Judy Greenhut, Amy Wright, and her lovely family and friends.
Sofia Alba (Ali) – Sofia Alba is a first-year at UNC Chapel Hill. Her favorite credits include Cinderella in Raleigh Little Theatre’s “Into the Woods” and Young Bonnie in Pauper Player’s “Bonnie & Clyde”. This is her second production with Pauper Players, and she couldn’t be more thrilled to join such a lovely ensemble. She is grateful for her friends and family for their love and support and would like to thank all those involved in “Mamma Mia” for making this a rewarding and fun-filled show!
Sarah Cunningham (Lisa) – Sarah is a junior at UNC studying anthropology. She has performing experience in high school, but Mamma Mia is her first collegiate production. She is thrilled to make her debut with Pauper and sends love to the entire cast and production staff for making it such an amazing experience.
Molly Cummings (Donna Sheridan) – Molly is a sophomore journalism and dramatic arts double major at UNC. She was last seen as the Witch in Pauper’s “Into the Woods.” She is SO excited to be a part of this show and bring this truly iconic role to life! Molly would like to thank her family for all their support, her a cappella group for listening to her sing “Super Trouper” 24/7, her amazing cast, and the Mamma Mia prod staff! 1 Cor. 2:9
Sarah Gothard (Tanya) – Sarah Gothard is a senior at UNC who has had so much fun in her four main stage shows with Pauper Players. Some of her previous roles have included the Stepmother in Into the Woods and Cassie from A Chorus Line. Sarah wants to thank the production staff for this fantastic opportunity. She also wants to thank TJ for ALWAYS picking her up from rehearsal and her family for being so sweet and supportive.
Jackie Shor (Rosie) – Jackie Shor is a senior at UNC who is thrilled to be in her first MainStage production with UNC Pauper Players. She has previously appeared in Growing Pains and Rocky Horror Picture Show. She would like to thank her family, housemates, and the whole production staff for this wonderful opportunity.
Andrew Henriques (Sky) – Andrew is pumped for his first role with Pauper Players, and looks forward to becoming a part of the theater community here at UNC.
Grayson Hahn (Pepper, Dance Captain) – Grayson Hahn is a junior at UNC studying Public Policy and Economics, and is so excited to be playing Pepper and be a Dance Captain in his first mainstage show with Pauper, and his 6th show at UNC!! A recent BuzzFeed quiz revealed that out of all Frozen 2 characters, Grayson would be Elsa, which he wholeheartedly agrees with, because she’s the best and so is he. In his time outside of the theatre, Grayson enjoys playing Mario Kart and CatchPhrase with his friends, instead of doing anything responsible. Grayson would like to thank Cheez-its, Clif bars, and Lenoir burrito bowls for sustaining him everyday. And also his friends and family and all that.
Hunter Cates (Eddie) – Hunter is a junior majoring in Dramatic Arts and Communications. He is thrilled to be playing the role of Eddie in Pauper’s production of Mamma Mia! He has previously been seen in Pauper’s productions of Bonnie and Clyde, Chicago, In the Heights, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Company Carolina’s production of Pippin. He would love to write more but he’s got to run off to help Sky with watersports.
William Leitch (Harry Bright) – Will Leitch is a graduating senior studying political science and minoring in dramatic art. He is excited to be finishing out his undergraduate theatrical career with this incredible group, and with such a fun role and show! Previously, will has directed, acted, choreographed, and produced for the UNC Pauper Players. Overall, this is his 13th production with the group. Some of his favorite productions he’s worked on in the past were Ghost Quartet (director), Into the Woods (director), Spring Awakening (Ensemble), and Chicago (producer).
Jake Messer (Bill Austin) – Jacob Messer is a freshman at UNC who is excited to be a part of his second production with the UNC Pauper Players. His previous work with Pauper includes Bonnie and Clyde (Buck). He would like to thank the amazing Mamma Mia cast and prod staff for this amazing experience.
Jackson Campbell (Sam Carmichael) – Jackson Campbell is a senior at UNC, and is thrilled to be in his final production with Pauper Players (single tear). He has previously been in Cabaret (Cliff), Chicago (Amos), and Into the Woods (award-winning role of the back half of Milky White). He would like to thank his family, friends, and every single person involved with Pauper Players for making his college experience full of joy and wonderful art.
Tyler Cochrane (Father Alexandrios) – Tyler is a freshman at UNC, and is excited to be in his first production with Pauper Players! Tyler has previously appeared in Anything Goes (Eli Whitney) and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip), and would like to thank the production staff for the opportunity to perform in Mamma Mia.
Amanda Kessler (Ensemble) – Amanda is a senior Psychology major and Dramatic Arts and Neuroscience double minor. This is her 11th (and final) show with UNC Pauper Players . Mamma Mia is Amanda’s main stage debut but she has been an actor in Rocky Horror Picture Show for all four years of college and was stage manager for Cabaret, In the Heights, Chicago, Bridal Party of Five, and Bonnie & Clyde. Additionally, she produced Ghost Quartet earlier this semester. Amanda would like to thank UNC Pauper Players as a whole for making the past four years beyond incredible.
Emily Miller (Ensemble) – Emily Miller is a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill and is thrilled to be apart of the ensemble in her first ever college production. Previously on campus she’s been apart of the amazing Pauper Player Performance Troupe (We love the troupe!) She would like to thank her 4 rescue puppies at home for always believing in and supporting her as well as the amazing cast and crew of Mamma Mia for going on this incredible journey with her!
Eric Groves (Ensemble) – Eric Groves is a first year who is overjoyed to perform with Pauper Players a third time. He previously appeared in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Ensemble) and was part of the Pauper Player’s Performance Troupe. Currently, he is an ensemble member of the movie musical “Fix.”
Gabriela Alba (Ensemble, Dance Captain) – Gabriela Alba is a first year at UNC Chapel Hill and is ecstatic to be in her first production with Pauper Players. Her recent credits include Princess Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress and Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical at Panther Creek High School. She is beyond thrilled to perform with her dancing queens and would like to thank her family for always supporting her and her theatrical endeavors.
Hannah Strickland (Ensemble) – Hannah is a senior making her Pauper Mainstage debut. She would like to thank Mikaela Mock for existing and ABBA for creating what is arguably the most fun music in existence.
Hannah Whittington (Ensemble) – Hannah Whittington is a freshman majoring in English and Dramatic Art. She is so excited to be performing in her first Pauper Players production! She most recently appeared in LAB! Theatre’s “The Belkin Tales,” along with community theatre productions in the Charlotte area. Huge thank you to the cast and crew for making this such an amazing experience!
Jackson Seymore (Ensemble) – You might think you know Jackson from other productions such as LAB! Theatre’s The Pillowman, The Belkin Tales, or Constellations, or even Kenan Theater Company’s Hedda Gabbler or Company Carolina’s A View from the Bridge, but you thought wrong. Jackson is a chemistry B.S. major in his junior year here at UNC and currently co-authoring a publication on chemically characterizing isoprene- and monoterpene- derived marine secondary organic aerosols. He thinks he’s cool, but I’ll give you his insta handle so you can decide that for yourself: @jackson_seymore
Lucy Hill (Ensemble) – Lucy Hill is a first year at UNC who is excited to be a part of Mamma Mia this semester. Lucy is majoring in computer science and statistics. She was previously in the Pauper Players Performance Troupe and this is her first main stage production.
Mairin Monroe (Ensemble) – Mairin Monroe is a first year at UNC majoring in Dramatic Arts and Linguistics. This is her first production with Pauper Players, and she is so excited to be apart of this show! She would like to thank the production staff and cast for all of their hard work and kind hearts.
Meg Johnson (Ensemble) – Meg Johnson is a Junior at UNC double majoring in Biology and Neuroscience. She is so excited to perform in her second main stage production with the UNC Pauper Players! She has previously appeared in Into the Woods (Little Red Ridinghood) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Usherette/Ensemble). Meg would like to thank her parents for always supporting her passion for the arts and inspiring her every day. She would also like to thank her friends, as well as her outstanding cast and production staff. You have all helped make this show so special!
Olivia Vines (Ensemble) – Olivia Vines is a sophomore human development and family studies major here at UNC. Her previous involvement with Pauper includes a slew of roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and two glorious semesters in the Troupe. She would like to thank her family, both by blood and in Christ, for their never ending encouragement, and the Lord for filling her lungs with breath this morning.
Ren Lane (Ensemble) – Ren Lane is a junior who is super excited to be in their first mainstage show with Pauper. They previously performed with Pauper Performance Troupe last semester. Ren would like to thank the amazing production staff as well as their fellow cast for all their hard work and dedication as well as making this so much fun. They’d also like to give a shout-out to their amazing friends and family: thanks for all the support, love you guys!
Sanya Shah (Ensemble) – Sanya Shah is a first-year at UNC and is happy to call Mamma Mia her first show! Yippee! She loves singing 25/8 (because 24/7 just isn’t enough) and, from working with this wonderful cast, has begun to adore dancing as well. She would like to thank all the wonderful friends she’s made through the show, her voice teachers for helping her become a better musician everyday, her bomb awesome parents, and her super cool baby cousin (just ’cause).
Spencer Ellis (Ensemble) – Spencer Ellis is a freshman at UNC studying music and drama. He has most recently been seen as Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde, Toby in Sweeney Todd, and Phoebus in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Spencer would like to thank the prod staff for this wonderful opportunity, as well as Kevin, Eloise, and Maddy for keeping him sane.
Sydney Page (Ensemble) – Sydney Page is a first year at UNC who is ecstatic to become involved with pauper players! This is her first show with pauper and can’t wait to be in many more! I would love to thank the wonderful prod staff for this amazing opportunity and the whole cast for becoming such great friends and being such wonderful people.
Production Staff
Mikaela Mock (Director) – Mikaela Mock is a junior at UNC where she studies dramatic art and sociology. She is SO thrilled to have the honor of being the director of the lovely, extremely talented, and absolutely phenomenal cast and crew of Mamma Mia (the first full show she has ever directed)! She has been a member of, assistant directed, directed, and produced the Pauper Performance Troupe and has been on Pauper’s executive board for a year now. Mikaela has not been in a mainstage show at UNC yet but has been in over 20 productions and has been on 14 production staffs since finding her passion for theatre way back in the day. She would like to thank her family for always supporting her theatrical endeavors, her friends for putting up with her crazy schedule, Pauper for giving her this absolutely amazing pauper-tunity, and her INCREDIBLE cast and crew for working so hard to make this show possible!
Kelly Wygant (Assistant Director) – Kelly Wygant is a sophomore at UNC and is thrilled to be doing another production with Pauper Players! She has loved every moment of her time with the cast and crew and is so grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented people. She would like to thank her wonderful friends and family for their constant love and support.
Madeline Yara (Music Director, Conductor) – Maddy is a Freshman at UNC who is very excited to music direct her first musical with Pauper Players! She is currently on Pauper Player’s Executive Board as Apprenticeship and Recruitment Coordinator and recently played electric bass in their production of Bonnie and Clyde. She’s been in multiple musicals at her home in Charlotte NC with Matthews Playhouse and Spotlight Performing Arts Academy. Besides bass, she also plays violin, piano, ukulele, learning guitar and is taking voice lessons with the UNC Music Department. She plans to double major in Polymer Chemistry and Music with a focus in Composition. She’s thankful for this opportunity and is excited to continue working with Pauper Player in the future!
Emily Pirozzolo (Co-Choreographer) – Emily Pirozzolo is a junior from Cary, North Carolina studying Public Relations in the UNC School of Media and Journalism with a double major in Dramatic Art. Emily is so honored and thrilled to be working with the cast of Mamma Mia. Emily choreographed for the Pauper Players Performance Troupe for three semesters and has choreographed for her dance company, Modernextension. Credits at UNC include Lipschitz in Chicago (Pauper Players) and August in Rooms: A Dance Drama (KTC). She would like to thank her parents, Marino and Amy, for their constant love and support as she has pursued her love for dance and the performing arts.
Emma Henderson (Co-Choreographer) – Emma is a freshman double majoring in journalism and communications at UNC. This is Emma’s first time choreographing a show for the UNC Pauper Players. Emma has 17 years of dance experience and 4 years of teaching and choreography experience. She would like to thank her family, Linda Peeples, Kameron, and Kahia for all their support and the entire prod staff and cast for being “dancing queens” and making this experience so memorable.
Bailey Elrod (Co-Stage Manager) – Bailey is a junior majoring in Dramatic Art with a double minor in Education and Social and Economic Justice. She serves as the Executive Director of Publicity for the UNC Pauper Players and a co-founding Executive of the newly created Student Arts Movement. This is her fourth time stage managing a show at UNC and she is thrilled to have had the experience to facilitate some incredible artwork on campus and serve as a support for her amazingly talented and creative friends. She would like to thank her family for encouraging her crazy theatre dreams, her roommates for acting as her support system and for understanding her insane schedule, and all of the irreplaceable friends she has made in this community.
Hannah Drury (Co-Stage Manager) – Hannah is a first year at UNC and this is her first main stage production with Pauper Players. She previously worked on The Rocky Horror Picture Show as co stage manager as well. She has loved getting to know everyone and working with them to create this great production. She would like to thank all of the cast and production staff for this experience.
Alexis Ortiz (Co-Producer) – Alexis Ortiz is a sophomore computer science major. She is very excited to be producing her very first main stage show with Pauper. She has previously produced the 4th annual Rocky Horror Picture Show and performed in the ensemble in Chicago with Pauper. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her in all that she does and the wonderful production staff and cast of Mamma Mia for all of their hard work and dedication.
Anna Longenecker (Co-Producer) – Anna is a senior double major in Global Studies and Dramatic Art from Raleigh, North Carolina. Previous credits include Val in A Chorus Line, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and Hunyak in Chicago. Post-graduation, Anna hopes to pursue an intersectional career in the fields of cheese sculpting and otter training, and is so grateful for those at Pauper who have made her college career such a meaningful one!
Zoë Lord (Costume Designer) – Zoë is a first year at UNC and is so excited to work on her first Pauper Players Performance. She would like to thank her apprentices for all their help and her biggest fan Caitlin Duncan.
Ava Pukatch (Sound Designer) – Ava Pukatch is a first year at UNC and hype to be involved in her first Pauper show. She has previously been the stage manager for LAB! Rotating Rep, ASM for The Language Archive with KTC and is a producing director with KTC. Lots of love to the cast and crew!
Hannah Gahagan (Properties Designer) – Hannah is a sophomore Psychology and Public Policy major and is beyond excited to work on her first production with UNC Pauper Players. She previously starred in her Kindergarten play of George Washington Chops Down the Cherry Tree (Cherry Tree). She would like the thank the whole production for all of their help and guidance and her family and friends for never getting tired of her playing ABBA music.
Caroline Norton (Assistant Properties Designer) –
Anna Ballard (Lighting Designer) – Anna Ballard is a junior at UNC who is pleased as punch to continue designing lights for student organizations on campus. She’s thankful for everyone in the cast and crew!
Nicholas Bafia (Technical Director) – Nick is a Senior Media Production student. After joining the theatre community last semester, he thought it would be a good idea to try and win an Oscar for Best Original Musical Film and is working on it with Bafia-Stamey Productions. He is moving to LA in May (and if you have any job leads, let him know).
Steven Sutor (Set Designer) – This is Steven’s first time working on set design but he’s really enjoyed it and everything around Mama Mia. He got lucky working with such great people.
Pit Orchestra
Alex Baker (Keyboard 1 & 3) – Alex is a sophomore psychology major. When he isn’t crying into his homework, you can often find him listening to ABBA music in his room. He once listened to “Take a Chance” and “Mamma Mia” on loop for 3 hours with his friend, Skyler
Annie Reindl (Keyboard 2 & 4) – Junior Music Education major.
Ryan Mahabir (Bass) – Ryan Mahabir is a senior at UNC who is excited to be playing in the pit band of a Pauper Players production.
Tallulah Cloos (Guitar 1) – Tallulah hails from the mountains in Asheville, NC. This is her second production with Pauper, having previously played guitar for their fall production of Bonnie and Clyde. She would like to thank the Cast and Crew for being so great!
Erik Hanes (Guitar 2) – Erik Hanes is a Junior who is thrilled to participate in his first production with UNC Pauper Players. He has previously appeared in no other productions. He would like to thank ABBA for this opportunity.
Noah Pieper (Drums) – Noah is a senior at UNC majoring in biomedical engineering. He has previously performed in several productions by both Pauper Players and Company Carolina, including Songs for a New World, Cabaret, The Producers, Pippin, The Wild Party, Godspell, Into the Woods, Chicago, War of the Worlds, and Urinetown. He would like to thank everyone who has been unbelievably supportive and kind to him during his involvement of these productions, as they are the reason that he kept coming back and performing for as many shows as possible.
Gian Gibboney (Percussion) – Gian Gibboney is a first-year at UNC. He has played keyboard in pit orchestras before (Catch Me if You Can & Legally Blonde), but he has also acted in multiple shows! He is very excited to be a part of this production!