Airness, by Chelsea Marcantel

Sunny Hill is a 4th year student at Cal State LA and is studying to get her Bachelor’s degree in Theater. She aspires to be a television actress and has participated in multiple plays and films at this school. She is excited to be working on Airness and can’t wait for endeavors outside of Cal State LA. 

Christian Manzo (Facebender) is a Junior at Cal State LA, majoring in Theatre - Performance. This is Christian’s first production with Cal State LA, having recently moved here from Tijuana. He performed in Annie as Daddy Warbucks in 8th grade, learned on set as principal background for major Hollywood films (Milk, Red Tails), and studied Acting in New York at Stella Adler and William Esper Studios while performing in small Village theatre. His last performance in LA was the lead in a non-speaking, all movement play set to Pink Floyd’s entire "Dark Side of the Moon" album. Christian would like to thank his family for always keeping it interesting.

Teshan Teachey (Golden Thunder) is excited to be a part of Airness! He looks to truly bring his originality onto the stage. In his first year at Cal State Los Angeles, he performed in the productions of Celebramos!, and Who-Dun-it. This marks an exciting new chapter in his performing career. During his time at West Valley, Teshan portrayed Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Wadsworth in Clue, Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, and both the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come and Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol. He cherished every moment on that stage and is eager to continue his journey in theater. Beyond theater, Teshan enjoys a variety of hobbies including drawing, dancing, singing, skateboarding, and playing musical instruments. He also spent two rewarding years in the school band, delighting in the experience of playing at football games. 

Jamie Lee Hudson (Announcer, Sprite Executive, Dark Horse) is thrilled to perform in her first production at Cal State LA. She is a Theatre Major with a Performance option. Favorite roles she has played include Tatiana and Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Candy Starr in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Orange Princess/Zanni in The Love of Three Oranges. She is deeply grateful for the love and support of her sisters and brother, and for the gift of talent she inherited from her mother and father.

Curos Hazarika (D. Vicious), a sophomore here in Cal State LA pursuing music as his major, is excited to take on the role of D. Vicious in Cal State LA’s production of Airness. Curos started his journey as a music artist which gained him over 10 million streams, 170k followers on Instagram and a Youtube silver play button. His trending song Divine hit the top 50 Spotify choice in Asia where he did a one week tour performing with his band. He’s now focusing on acting as his goal and Airness has given him the chance to channel the spirit of performance and connect with audiences through the power of theatre. He would like to thank his friend Steven, his family, and director Randee Trabitz for their continued support and encouragement.

DeAundre Smith (Shreddy Eddie) is a first year student at Cal State LA, majoring in Theater. This is DeAundre’s debut in the theater program and his sixth play. He was last seen as Kenickie in Grease at Adelanto High School. He’d like to give a special thanks to those who helped him get to where he is today, and he cannot wait for everyone to see his hard work in the future.

Crystal Leal (Cannibal Queen) is a junior here at Cal State LA, majoring in theatre with an option in performance. This is Crystal's first production at Cal State LA, and she is very excited to work with such a talented cast and crew. Some of her past favorite roles include Sandrine from Almost, Maine, as well as Emily Webb in Our Town. Crystal is thrilled to be back on stage once again and would like to thank her friends and family for their encouragement to continue doing what she loves. 

Randee Trabitz (Director) recently staged The Good Person of Setzuan at Cal State LA, No Place Like Gandersheim by Elizabeth Dement and Loop Group by Bernardo Cubría as well as award-winning productions of The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne for Deaf West Theatre and Friends With Guns by Stephanie Walker at The Road Theatre and a NY Time’s Critic’s Choice production of Blacktop Highway with her long-time collaborator John Fleck. She directed a run of new works at Berlin’s English Theater in Germany, took her own version of Sophocles’ Electra to an international festival Delphi, Greece and staged a pirate musical on a Disney Cruise Ship. She’s directed and helped devise many works with Obie-winning satiric-puppeteer Paul Zaloom, of Beekman’s World fame. Her work has been seen at regional theaters, (The Mystery of Irma Vep and Hedwig and the Angry Inch) at Actor’s Express, Atlanta and in Santa Fe, and many intimate theaters specializing on new plays with writers like: Doug Cooney, Julie Hebért, Bridget Carpenter, Jessica Goldberg, and Jennie Webb. She worked in some big places too, like MOCA’S Geffen Contemporary (Brecht/Weill’s Happy End), California Adventure Themepark (Chance to Shine), Cal Plaza, The Getty (Fleck’s Dirt), The Los Angeles Opera (Jack and the Magic Songbird) and the Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita (Lysistrata, Hair) and Redcat in Disney Hall (Blacktop Highway and Zaloom’s Mother of All Enemies & ABCdarium).  Her work and productions have garnered some prizes, (LA Valley Award, Robbie, LA Weekly Award, Garland and Ovation Awards, Finalist Short and Sweet Festival) and been awarded grants (CAD, Durfee and Flintridge). Randee is the Director of the MFA Program in TV, Film and Theatre at Cal State LA. She has worked as a critic for the L.A. Weekly and analyzes screenplays for Disney Animation. 

Melissa Schade (choreographer) is an L.A. based choreographer spanning the worlds of stage & screen. Her movement storytelling captivates audiences, bringing music to life with an electrifying energy! Her portfolio boasts collaborations with artists such as The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Benjamin Booker, and Haute and Freddy. She has also lent her creative vision to campaigns for leading brands: Nike, Apple Music, Covergirl, and Vivienne Westwood. Melissa's expertise extends to movement direction for media platforms, including: The New York Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. Melissa’s true passion lies in choreographing live performances! Hair and Cabaret for the Altadena Music Theatre and Westside Story and Shrek for the Nocturne Theatre. Melissa was on faculty at Harvard Westlake Middle School for 5 years and choreographed 4 of the school's musicals.

Keith Mitchell (Scenic Designer) is happy to be back at Cal State LA with his 3rd show here. He designs in the sphere of online social media content, TV commercials, live theatre and events, and museum installations. He also makes weird puppets. Recent projects include promotional social media content for Netflix's Wednesday S2, Ginny and Georgia, Nobody Wants This, Hello Kitty, and Monsters S3,. Events: Disney Jr., NBC’s Milan Winter Olympics ’25, WEHO’s Halloween Carnivals. Theatre: Pascal and Julien with 24th Street Theatre. His music video Vitebsk, for Mostly Kosher, won an LA Music Video Award for Best Art Director.

Ashley Marshall (Lighting Designer) is currently in her final semester at Cal State LA. She is a transfer student from Hartnell College in Salinas, CA where she worked at The Western Stage's costume shop and backstage as hair/makeup/wardrobe crew. While there, she was able to work on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tuck Everlasting, A Comedy of Tenors, Noises Off, and more. In 2023, she was the costume designer for The Western Stage's 2x4 Bash production of Squirrel Girl Goes to College. The same year, she acted in and wrote In Loving Memory for a class at Hartnell. While designing for Airness, she has also been working as a stitcher at A Noise Within. This is her first time doing lighting design and she is excited to add it onto to her growing list of new experiences!

Kleev Guessford (Costume Designer) is so happy to be making his Theatrical costume debut here at Cal State Los Angeles. Kleev has several decades of experience as a Costume Designer and Wardrobe Stylist.  Costume professional credits include: Disney Theatrical’s Lion King, LA Company, HBO’s In Treatment, Abbott Elementary and most recently, Disney channel's, Electric, Bloom, and Vampirina. Special thanks to thank Bruce Zwinge for his valued help!  Enjoy the show!

Cindy Campos is currently a senior at Cal State LA, working towards her B.A. in Theatre with an option in Design and Production. She is a student worker for the department doing carpentry and scenic painting and serves as the current Props Coordinator. Her past jobs include working as Prop Designer for Boston Court Pasadena: Measure, Still For Measure, The Body's Mission Night, and A Going Away Party. Cindy is a proud alum and graduate of East Los Angeles College Theater Arts program, having won a Meritorious Award for Heart of the Art from KCACTF for her Prop Master work on The Skin of Our Teeth. 

Madison Barton (Assistant Director) is a second year in Cal State LA’s MFA program for Television, Film, and Theatre, writing option. She is a writer and aspiring director in film and television with a background in medieval history. Airness is the third theatre production in which she has participated. She is exceptionally grateful to Randee, the director, for this incredible opportunity. She’d also like to thank her family, her girlfriend, her friends, and her cohort! 

Bethany Tasi (Assistant Choreographer) is a junior at Cal State LA majoring in Theatre with an option in Performance. She serves as Assistant Choreographer for Airness and has recently choreographed The Good Person of Szechwan, as well as contributed choreography to Something Rotten. Bethany enjoys combining storytelling and movement, with a special love for hip-hop dance. She is excited to collaborate on this production and thanks her friends, family, and faculty for their support.

Maddy Wong (Assistant Stage Manager) is a fourth year student earning her B.A. degree in Theatre with an option in Performance. Maddy is so excited to be making her stage management debut in Airness! This will be her third production at Cal State LA. Previous roles you could spot her in are Grace in Crumble from the 2025 John Lion New Plays Festival and White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Maddy would like to thank her professors for all the opportunities she’s been given to explore this craft she loves. Maddy is incredibly grateful for her family, friends, and dear Intervarsity community for their encouragement to continue chasing her dreams. Rock on and embrace the airness! 

Grey Arias (Stage Manager) is a Senior at Cal State LA pursuing a BA in Theater: Performance. She is happy to be part of Cal State LA's production of Airness by Chelsea Marcantel. Grey is making her stage management debut at Cal State LA and her previous stage management credits include Saturdays At 10AM, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Urinetown, and Pipeline. She also loves to be on stage and she has been in musicals including Hello Dolly, The Addams Family, and Something Rotten. She would love to thank her amazing ASM Maddy Wong for being there every step of the way. Here's to more productions!