photo
by Jerri-Jo Idarius |
Mana
Young
Executive
Director of WYAT / The Performing Arts
As the executive director and president of Willits Young Actors Theatre, Mana
was only four years old when she began her dance and theatre career. At ten
she studied at Indiana University, South Bend and with the music faculty at
Goshen College. Among her instructors were members of international members
of string quartets. This experience launched her career as a cellist, playing
for many
private
venues throughout the midwest.
At fifteen Mana embarked upon her first major touring production where she
played Emily in Our Town.
Since
that time Mana’s work as an actress, dancer and
musician includes such venues as The Berkeley Vedic
Theater Project, The Braja Bumi Vedic Thespians,
The Bristol Opera House, two years with Health and Harmony Goddess Stage, and
Masks of the Goddess (touring the Southwest United States, the Bay Area and
Willits).
Mana
is currently a member of Willits Community Theater where
she works as a costume designer. She has had major
roles in local productions including The Constant
Wife,
Bell Book and Candle, Blythe Spirit and Love
Letters.
Mana’s experience with teaching children is extensive,
beginning in 1979 with the Children’s Psychology Department
of Western Michigan University. She also taught at The Albion
Children's House, Dancing Sow Productions’ Children’s
Garden Theater, Elkhart Park and Recreation Center and the YMCA in Klamath
Falls Oregon.
Mana was the original co-creator
of Trinity Temple for the Arts as well as Willits Center for
Artful Living.
Mana and Ileya Stewart
have opened three new rooms for the performing arts at the Willits Center
for Artful Living. Mana's central interest is to
use
theater as a means to celebrate our community. In her spare time she enjoys
dancing on stage with Druid Sisters Tea Party,
The Land of the Blind and writing stage plays.
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Ileya
Stewart
Ileya
Stewart began painting at age eight and received her
first rewards from the milkman, who would leave her
ice cream
bars, while admiring her early
depictions of horses. Now 42 years later, with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts
and years of experience, she is well-versed in many mediums and materials.
Ileya graduated from Mills College with a Masters in
painting. In 1990 she performed and created the set
design and
lighting for Terri Sendgraff in “Night
Flight” , which won an award and was performed at the Herbst Theatre
in San Francisco. In 1997 she bought a bottling plant in downtown Willits with
a partner and produced ceramics there for three years before moving into her
own ceramic business in 2000. She now creates custom murals and specialty vases
for clients, locally and nationwide. The Willits Young Actors Theatre will
be located in her renovated building complex of 10,000 sq. ft., which houses
many talented artists, healers and designers. You can’t miss the beautiful
colors and gardens that are a trademark of this artistic community.
She
wants to share her knowledge with her community and especially
create a positive experience for children in
all aspects of theatrical production. Theatre provides
an avenue for so many creative
outlets, allowing each child to find a skill
in which they are comfortable and can excel. Children
will
explore
fantasy, poetry, instrument
making, interactive props and stage forms, music and
movement. She and other gifted artists, writers and teachers
will lead Willits Young Actors through extraordinary
experiences of skill and great fun. Come and join us!
Visit Ileya's ceramics website at www.ileyatropics.com
photo
by Jerri-Jo Idarius |
Bill
Ray - Tai Chi
Bill Ray was born and raised in Washington D.C. and moved
with his family to Southern California in 1955. After spending
his
teen-age years in San Bernardino, he attended UC Berkeley,
where he met his future wife Judith Ann Heegler.
Together, they moved to Willits in 1971 to rear their four
children, who continue
to be sources of pride and happiness, and to homestead
their land in the Eastern foothills. Bill began Tai Chi
Chuan (Great Strong Power) with Joe Deisher, whose lineage
includes
Mr. Chang and Chen Pan Ling. After thirty years of practicing
the Form, he is convinced that Tai Chi's cultivation
of the body's electrical energy contributes to health,
healing,
and reversing
the supposedly inevitable aging decline. The course means
to show specific movements towards these objectives. A
gifted and generous poet, you can read and hear Bill read
his own poetry at: wjray.net
photo
by Jerri-Jo Idarius |
Ian Stigliani
Ian
Stigliani grew up in New York City. There he had the
opportunity to work with Richard Pinter of the
Neighborhood
Playhouse, studying acting privately for 2 ½ years,
in which he was introduced to the work of Sanford Meisner.
Moving to California in 1999, Ian began taking theater
classes at Mendocino College with Reid Edelman, soon
appearing in its main stage plays. At the college he
spent numerous semesters tutoring Edelman’s acting
classes, and has taught the Beginning Acting class
as well. He
has participated as an actor, director, and writer in
the annual Mendocino College
Festival of One-Act plays.
For the Ukiah
Players Theater Ian has directed plays and led personal
monologue
workshops for community members which culminated in
public performances. He has also brought theater and
acting classes
to The Redwood Health Club, The Mendocino County Office
of Education, Tapestry Family Services, and the Trinity
School. Currently Ian is working at the Willits Community
Theatre under the title of House Director, in which
he has directed the bulk of its plays over the past
three
years, oftentimes both directing and acting in
the same show. He teaches private acting/production
classes,
and has immensely enjoyed working with a small core
group of students from the La Vida Charter School.
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Damian Sebouhian
Born and raised in western New York, Damian received his
Master’s Degree in English Literature at Fredonia
State University. He has lived and worked a variety of
places and jobs, including a one-year ESL expedition
in Cambodia, and a two-year stint at a school for “troubled” youth
in Beaver Island, Michigan.
Since
coming to Willits in 2001, Damian has joined with the
Willits Community Theatre to act in several plays (as
well as producing one of his originals, “Superheroes
Anonymous”), and The Willits Shakespeare Company
to help youth in theatre projects. He worked as a part-time
instructor for three years at Mendocino Community College
and is currently a full-time English Instructor for La
Vida Charter School.
photo
provided |
Zachary
Eichert
Originally
from Santa Barbara, Zachary has been teaching at Willits
Charter School for the last three years. Long an amateur
musician, he began experimenting with building instruments
during his undergraduate studies at UCLA, where he
majored in ethnomusicology. Since that time he has completed
twelve instruments, most resembling small banjos in
their shape and sound, and being fabricated mainly
from
found materials.
In
his workshop for the Willits Young Actor's
Studio, students will encounter a basic knowledge of
music and
will be
introduced
to
the process of building
musical instruments. The students will be working together
to build both string and percussion instruments and will
use them to add music to the performance developed in concurrent
workshops. When the workshop is finished, students will
get to keep their instruments. Musicians of all ability
levels are welcome— no experience required!
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Maxx
Jennings
Maxx is a 15 year old filmmaker, claymation
animator, and creator of puppetry fantastique.
He has worked
at the Willits Community Theatre as an assistant
stage manager, lighting designer, prop master, and
actor. Having just graduated from high school with
honors Maxx is now at Mendocino Community College
where he intends to pursue his interests in performance
arts.
Maxx has been teaching "experimental
puppetry" to the kids of the Willits Young Actors
Theatre, encouraging them to look beyond a literal
interpretation of the script in creating and performing
their puppet characters. The kids are learning
about the huge variety of puppet arts around the
world
and
throughout history. For "A Crow, a Hunter, Some
Doves and a Mouse" they used a myriad collection
of styles ranging from Japanese "Bunraku" to
European rod puppets.
photo
by Jerri-Jo Idarius |
Sara
Freeman
Artist Intuitive Sara Freeman comes to Willits
with wisdom of the woods, the sea and the sky
above. Whether you put Sara a room with art supplies
or
a forest with sticks, twigs and moss. The result
is guaranteed to take your breath away.
"Stunning art that comes from the heart!" That
is one of the descriptions of this talented Indigo
Artist.
We are proud to have Sara Freeman join our art department
this year.
Many of Sara's talents come from the art of the
Appellation Mountains where she grew up playing
on the forest
floor. Her talents include master basket making,
broom making, metal work, wood working,
textile design, wild
crafting, animal husbandry, fairy art and mountain
lore. The list just goes on and on. No one can
quite put a name to the incredible art seeping
from this
young artist's heart and hands.
"I
enjoy the peace of nature and the natural balance
of things, the moment of the infinite of
it all. Challenge is just a way to stimulate
creativity and to encourage others to find their
spark in the world of art."
Sara
is a mother of a beautiful daughter Kaya Starr
and lives in Willits with her partner
and friends.
She teaches many old time traditional trades
as well as inventing new ways to create things
of beauty
while stimulating the imagination of its viewers.
Watch for her Creative Design in Nature workshops
and classes coming in the fall.
photo
by Jerri-Jo Idarius
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Alex
Dunning
Alex
teaches filmmaking and special effects for theater
arts classes. He is a teacher's aid in the after
school programs, creating props, backgrounds
and sets for the Willits Young Actors Theatre.
He
has acting experience with the Shakespeare Company,
Willits Young Actors Theatre, and Willits High
School drama department. He recently completed
shooting his first film, What Dies Shall Rise, using
local actors and special assistants. Once the editing
of his movie is completed, he
plans to attend EXPRESSION, a digital animation
and music college in Emeryville, California.
Alex
also works in multi-media and digital art—drawing,
sculpture and computer design.
Aurelie Clivaz
Aurelie Clivez was born in Switzerland, spent a majority of her life in Santa Cruz and is a recent transplant to Willits. She has been training in various martial arts and dance since a young age, including Kempo, Aikido, Bellydance, Capoeira and Fire Dance (for over eight years).
Teaching is her passion. She has a secondary teacher's certification for postmodern dance. Aurelie works well with people of all ages and levels of experience and has a keen ability to recognize the subtle adjustments learners need to make in order to improve their style.
Aurelie works as an assistant to the AIM After School Program and teaches Pre-Fire Dancing Tuesdays evenings for the Muse.
Van
Young
Hoosier Van Young has extensive experience working with grants, especially
humanities and arts grants.
A charter member of the initial Indiana Council for the Humanities Van collected
several grants, especially related to education, civic projects, and the arts.
A John Hay Humanities Scholar, he has worked closely with several schools,
towns and cities. Currently involved with music festivals in Indiana, Michigan,
and
Florida, he retired recently from teaching after working with the Elkhart Community
Schools as English chair and as an adjunct professor for Indiana University,
Ball State, Goshen College and South Florida Community College.
Jerri-Jo
Idarius
Jerri-Jo
is the web designer and photographer for the Willits
Young Actors Theatre. Her background includes a BA
in art from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and graduation
from the Portland Museum School which is affiliated with
the Portland Art Museum.
She
has taught calligraphy to children and adults through
private and public institutions
since the early 1970s. Jerri-Jo will act as a consultant
and part time calligraphy instructor as needed with
the Willits Young Actors Theatre.
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