Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk Program

Lukas Tekin (Director) is an exchange student at Cal State LA from Kaiserslautern, Germany. Currently, he is studying English, Politics and Theatre to become a teacher, but is still thinking about changing this plan and going back to the theatre to become a director. After graduating high school, Lukas volunteered at his hometown theatre, Pfalztheater, where he worked closely with the theatre educator and dramaturg. He served as a production intern for an adaptation of A Christmas Carol and worked as assistant director and stage manager for the youth club’s production of Die lächerliche Finsterniss (The Ridiculous Darkness) by Wolfram Lotz. Following his volunteer year, he joined the youth club ensemble at Pfalztheater, participating in Der Große Marsch (The Great March) by Wolfram Lotz as Hamlet/Director and in Das Licht im Kasten (The Light Box) by Elfriede Jelinek. For his Theatre minor, he recently portrayed Odysseus in an open-air staging of The Odyssey by Homer. 

Ben Barrus (Phillip) is a candidate for the Master of Fine Arts in Television, Film, and Theatre at Cal State LA, with an option in Acting. This is Ben's first production with Cal State LA, and also his first semester as an MFA student. He was most recently seen as Inspector Craddock in A Murder is Announced at BYU-I. Favorite roles on stage include Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, The Govenor in Man of La Mancha, Don Price in Big Fish, Enjolras in Les Miserables, and Ratty in Wind in the Willows.  Ben would like to thank beautiful wife for always supporting him.

Parise Zeleny (Mariah/Gardener/Composition/Parise) is a first-year student in the MFA in Television, Film and Theatre/Acting Option at Cal State LA. She graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) in May of this year, where she studied primarily theatre, politics, and dance. Recent favorite roles include Daughter in The Trail to Oregon! (SLC), Jekyll and Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde (British American Drama Academy), and Robin in Horse Girls (SLC).

Venio Kustura (Benjamin/Matador/Artist) is a versatile actor majoring in Theater Arts, Performance at California State University, Los Angeles. Born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia, Venio brings a rich multicultural perspective to his work. He began his artistic journey with the Zagreb Youth Theater (ZKM), where he trained in acting from a young age. Venio’s stage credits include an Irene Ryan-nominated portrayal of Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Schuppanzig in Black Comedy, and Krogstad in A Doll’s House. Venio is dedicated to honing his skills for both the camera and the stage, combining classical training with modern performance techniques.

Aislinn Barnes (The Mysterious Child) is a 4th (and final!) year Theatre Major at Cal State LA. She has been acting since she was eight years old and has been in over 30 productions. Her recent roles include Homonculous in Los Faustino’s and Miss Honey in Matilda. She is grateful to be a part of this cast and wants to give a big hug to everyone involved with putting on this show! She hopes that you enjoy your journey into the wild and whacky world of Lars Mattsun ;)

Lyle Rahman (Madame Shekstenlodt/Judge/General) is graduate student earning an MFA in Television, Film and Theatre/Acting Option at Cal State LA. They graduated from the University of Washington with an undergraduate degree in Physics while also studying ballet and Shakespearean theatre. Their most recent roles include Joan La Pucelle in Henry VI and Soraya in The Kite Runner. 

Alejandro Fuentes Arias (Barnaby/Puss Puss/Color) is thrilled to make his USA debut in this production! Originally from Saltillo, Mexico, he's currently an exchange student at Cal State LA. Alejandro has performed in a variety of theater productions, concerts, films, series, and commercials. His recent credits include I AM (University of Leeds, UK), Sonny in In The Heights, William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as Rent and Mamma Mia! (Tec de Monterrey, Mexico), Princeton in Avenue Q (Cuarta Pared Theatre Company, Mexico), and the film Tardes de Futbol. Alejandro has earned accolades such as Best Actor in a Musical at the 2022 Gala Borrego, Breakthrough Performance at the 2022 Gala Maldonado, and the Dinastía Award from UNESCO and the International Theatre Institute Mexico. He would like to thank his parents for teaching him to dream big, even if it means belting to show tunes in the middle of the night, and his cats Luna and Bruno—after the show, you’ll get why!

Burglars of Hamm is a writing and performing partnership that has been creating original satire since 1998. There are four writer/performer partners – Carolyn Almos, Matt Almos, Jon Beauregard and Albert Dayan. Notable works include Flee Circus, Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk, Piece of Work, Hot City, Easy Targets, Party Show, Focus Today, Land of the Tigers (available at Stage Rights), and The Behavior of Broadus (available at Concord Theatricals). Their work is much celebrated, garnering awards from The Ovations, The Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle, Stage Raw, LA Weekly, Hollywood Fringe, FringeNYC, TVolution, Better Lemons, LA Observed, Slant Magazine, ArtsinLA, Fingereview, The Garlands, Stage Scene LA, and more. Critics have called them “Arch, geeky, high-brow and hip” (LA Stage Magazine), “Maybe the closest thing LA has to the Pythons.” (Backstage), and “Los Angeles’ goofiest social satirists” (LA Times).

Albert Dayan is an adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University, Los Angeles, and is thrilled to be making his CSULA directorial debut. An actor, playwright, director, and producer, he is probably best known for his 20-plus years with Burglars of Hamm, a celebrated Los Angeles-based theatre company dedicated to the creation of original satire. During his Burglar tenure, Albert has participated in some capacity in every project they undertook, including Party Show, Focus Today, Easy Targets, Land of the Tigers, The Behavior of Broadus, a radio play (and personal favorite) entitled The Gay Man Who Did Not Seem Gay Enough, and, of course, Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk. Directing credits, with the Burglars and without, include The Belle’s Stratagem, by Hannah Cowley, at University of Southern California, Easy Targets: Frankly My Dear, by Carolyn Almos and Burglars of Hamm, at Sacred Fools in Los Angeles, The Behavior of Broadus, by Burglars of Hamm, at Capitol Stage in Sacramento, World of Tomorrow, by Cody Henderson, at the WUHO Gallery, and a 2018 Hollywood Fringe production of Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk which was named the top show of the festival. Favorite acting credits include the recent world premiere of George Bailey Dies in Egypt, by Marlane Meyer, Easy Targets: Pride and Prejudice (writer and performer) at Sacred Fools, We Are Not These Hands by Sheila Callaghan at Rogue Machine, and Blueberry Toast, by Mary Laws at The Echo Theatre. He also teaches acting at Cal State University Northridge and has offered private acting classes and coaching for 27 years. He dedicates this performance to his wife, Katharine, and his son Henry, who sacrifice so much so he can do this work. 

Blue Williger is an interdisciplinary designer based in Los Angeles. Williger’s work has been featured in exhibitions at the Rhode Island School of Design and on Architectural Digest’s ADPro. He received his formal education at the Rhode Island School of Design in the Department of Interior Architecture.  He is an active board member of the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture’s Neoclassicist committee. Additionally, he is an associate designer at Madeline Stuart Associates, collaborating on residential interiors and custom furnishings. 

Luis Cortes

Rosemary Villalpando is a senior earning her B.A. degree in Theatre (Design and Production) this upcoming spring. This is her first time working on a Cal State LA production, and is excited to be the Assistant Lighting Designer for Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk. Rosemary developed her love for Lighting during her second year at Cal State LA, after taking the Intro to Lighting course, and now deeply plans and desires of making that her lifelong profession. She would like to thank her lighting professor/mentor at Cal State LA, Karyn Lawrence for helping her discover this newfound dream occupation, as well as her family for always supporting through all her ambitions.  

Carly DW Bones is a theatre director, intimacy coordinator, sex educator, community facilitator and theatre witch. They work at the intersections of performance, ritual, sexuality, gender, community, and trauma-sensitivity. Carly created and directed at the feminist theatre ensemble, The Illyrian Players, from 2011-2019. She has also directed at: Coin & Ghost, The Echo, EST LA, Inkwell Theater, Kayenta Center for the Arts, The Road, Rogue Artists Ensemble, The Vagrancy and more. Carly is a freelance intimacy coordinator in the Los Angeles area for professional theatre companies (A Noise Within, Antaeus, Boston Court, Coeurage, Coin & Ghost, East West Players, EST LA, Ghost Road, Greenway Court, IAMA, Moving Arts, The Road, Skylight, Son of Semele, StarKid) for university theatre programs (Cal Lutheran University, CSULA, CSULB, Occidental College, UCLA, USC, Pomona College), and sometimes for film (Hypochondriac, Serpentine Pink, Next of Kin, My Life Stopped at 15). Connect with Carly: [email protected] and www.thespomancer.com 

Laurence Carter is a senior at Cal State LA in the Television Film and Media Studies major. While he isn't a Theatre major, he's been involved in the theatre for many years of his life. Starting out on the stage side in community productions as a kid (Sound of Music, Seussical, Annie, and Grease), they shifted to a crew role in middle school and quickly became engrossed in the work. In their high school, they became the props lead for the Crucible, Addams Family Musical, and Chicago performances and was the assistant stage manager for Oedipus. Aside from crew work, he has recently had one of their plays selected as a semi-finalist for the John Lions Playwriting Festival here at Cal State LA, and as the Film Productions Writers Room Director, he's hard at work writing his own scripts as well as encouraging others to do the same. Laurence wants to thank the Theatre Department and its faculty for welcoming them with open arms, despite them not being a Theatre major, and all of their professors and mentors that have encouraged them to pursue all the avenues that excite them. 

Leah Cobleigh is a Junior and is happy to be stage managing her first show at California State University Los Angeles. She transfered here from Modesto Junior College where she was the Assistant Stage Manager for A Streetcar Named Desire and Stage Manager for Legally Blonde: The Musical. She would like to thank her crew as well as the cast for making this show happen and creating a nice transition into a new enviroment. She hopes that you enjoy the show as well as her cameo!

Michael Medrano is a senior here at Cal State LA majoring in Theatre Performance with a minor in Communication. He’s a transfer student from Rio Hondo College where he received three associate degrees, one being Theatre Arts. This is Michael’s first production that he had worked on here at Cal State LA and as a House Manager. He has also performed in ten musical productions at the Whittier Community Center Theatre with the non-profit theatre organization Stagelight Family Productions. Michael has also volunteered at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and has completed two internships for Disney in Orlando, Florida.