HORSE HEAD THEATRE CO. PRESENTS
WE'RE GONNA DIE BY YOUNG JEAN LEE
Generously underwritten by Dr. Robert Card & Karol Kreymer
HORSE HEAD ARTISTS
CAST
Alli Villines
MUSICIANS
Alli Villines … Ukulele
Gitiim Chakamoi … Percussion
Alan Simmons … Standup Bass
ARTISTIC TEAM
Jacey Little … Director
Alli Villines … Musical Director & Arrangements
Leah Short ... Dramaturg
Clair Hummel … Costume Design
Sydnee Davis ... Stage Manager
Alli Villines
MUSICIANS
Alli Villines … Ukulele
Gitiim Chakamoi … Percussion
Alan Simmons … Standup Bass
ARTISTIC TEAM
Jacey Little … Director
Alli Villines … Musical Director & Arrangements
Leah Short ... Dramaturg
Clair Hummel … Costume Design
Sydnee Davis ... Stage Manager
CAST & MUSICIANS
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GITIIM CHAKAMOI (Percussion) is a native New Yorker, Gitiim studied orchestral percussion and music theory at the Manhattan School of Music and the High School of Music and Art, as well as being a touring member of Dance Theatre of Harlem's professional percussion ensemble. Her dreams of playing timpani with the New York Philharmonic were put aside when she joined her high school buddy's punk rock band, Steaming Vomit-- then it became about "loud, fast rules!" After graduating high school in Dallas, she began the wild ride of playing in and recording with a number of local bands, including going on an amazing month-long tour in South Korea with the all-female outfit, Debutante. While at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School, she had the pleasure of creating and performing percussion scores for productions of “Lord of the Flies” and “Mother Courage and Her Children.” Having played with other bands in Los Angeles and continuing to freelance around Houston, she is very excited and honoured to have been invited to be a part of the “We’re Gonna Die!” team.
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ALAN SIMMONS (Standup Bass) was born and raised in Houston, Texas. In third grade he picked up his first instrument (a saxophone because he has class) and has not stopped playing music since. His love of the bass began in his high school's jazz band and continued throughout undergrad as he pursued his degree in Jazz at The University of Houston under David Klingensmith and Dennis Whitaker. He also was minoring in Mandarin Chinese, but who's counting. However, life had different plans for Alan, and he left school early to raise his two beautiful daughters. Did this stop him from pursuing his dreams? Absolutely not. Throughout his career, he has toured with Kevin Charles and Truckers Choice, has performed with Joan Rivers, Debra Duncan, Constantine Mouroulos, and Natalie Weiss and has opened for Pat Green, Sammy Watkins, and Sammy Hagar. He has played in the band for Winter Wonderettes and Honky Tonk Holiday Spectacular at Stages Theatre, Sweeney Todd, Spring Awakenings, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and Batboy at Generations Theatre and Oklahoma! and Pirates of Penzance at Sam Houston State University. Alan is also a proud member of THE CHRISTINA WELLS BAND and currently works at Lisle Violin Shop..
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ALLI VILLINES (Actor, Ukuleles, Arrangements & Musical Direction) Houston: Horse Head Theatre Co. We’re Gonna Die (Singer/Actor/Ukuleleist/Arranger), Church (Reverend Alli), Catastrophic Theatre The Tamarie Cooper Show: Field Trip! (Ensemble/Ukuleleist), Dinolion’s LionShare, Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. The Exonerated (Soundscape Designer/Music Director), Houston Grand Opera Barber of Seville (Supernumerary), Nixon in China (Supernumerary), Lone Star Lyric Theatre Viva La Mamma (Dorotea), Misnomers They Read from a Script (foley/musician), PMT The Wild Party (Ensemble), The Landing Theatre Redemption Series, Island ETC Catch Me If You Can (Ensemble), The Alley The Christians (Chorister), and Obsidian Speakeasy (Helen King). Phoenix: Phoenix Theatre One Man Two Guvnors (Christine/Ukuleleist), Mary Poppins (Ensemble). Virginia: Heritage Theatre Festival Annie Get Your Gun (Ensemble), Ash Lawn Opera Carousel (Ensemble), Die Zauberflöte (Ensemble), La Bohéme (Puppeteer), Live Arts A Chorus Line (Maggie), Adding Machine: A Musical (Soprano, Mrs. One), Busch Gardens Williamsburg Celtic Fyre (Lead Vocalist), Miracles (Soloist). West Virginia: Theatre West Virginia Grease (Ensemble), The Apple Tree (Ensemble), Cinderella (Ensemble). New Works/Workshops: Little Edelweiss: An Immigrant’s Fairy Tale (Oma), Babe: An Olympic Musical (Wanda, Bea Gottlieb), Sole Mates: A Laundry Love Story (Ensemble). Education: M.M. Voice Arizona State, B.M. Voice McNeese State. Follow on the Inter Webs: ukulalli.com @Ukulalli and The Christina and Alli Show.
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Photos by Tasha Gorel of Natasha Nivan Photography.
artistic team
SYDNEE DAVIS (Stage Manager) began with Horse Head as Stage Manager for Church by Young Jean Lee. Since then she has worked with The Landing Theatre and Ensemble Theatre. She is a graduate of Hendrix College, where she was stage manager for Mr. Marmalade and had several acting roles, including “Abby” in The Hourglass Project and supporting roles in L’estrange Mysteriux. Film/Television credits include Fleur, Nicole, a mini-series.
CLAIR HUMMEL (Costume Designer) is a Houston based freelance Costume and Puppet Designer. As well as Costume Coordinator for Houston Grand Opera. Hummel is an Indiana native that received her undergraduate degree from Indiana State University and her MFA from the University of Houston. She has designed for companies including: HGOco, HGO To GO!, Alley Theatre OSKAR, REC Room Arts, Jhon Stronks-there in the sunlight, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, The Landing Theatre Company, VauLt Houston, Musiqa Houston, Classical Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Rice University, ROCO, Mildred's Umbrella and University of Houston.
JACEY LITTLE (Artistic Director & Director) 2018 directing projects include We’re Gonna Die by Young Jean Lee and The Flick by Annie Baker with Horse Head. Her past directing projects includes Church by Young Jean Lee and co-created & directed the immersive experience preceding Church, Sensitive Guys by MJ Kaufman (staged reading) the development and direction of The Whale; or, Moby-Dick by Timothy N. Evers, Philip Hays & Herman Melville (Houston Press 2015 “Best New Play” Winner) and Spaghetti Code by Abby Koenig (BroadwayWorld Houston 2014 “Best New Play or Musical” Winner) with Horse Head Theatre Co.; Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith and Dollface by Katharine Sherman with Mildred’s Umbrella (Houston Press 2016 “Best New Play”); the first workshop performance of Dialogues on Grace by Cressandra Thibodeaux at 14 Pews; and Ten Ways on a Gun by Dylan Lamb with The Landing Theatre Company. Jacey is the former Literary Manager and Dramaturg for the Alley Theatre. Highlights of her Alley dramaturgy credits include Warrior Class by Kenneth Lin, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Arena Stage co-pro directed by Robert O'Hara) and What We’re Up Against by Theresa Rebeck. As a freelance dramaturg, Jacey has worked with The Landing Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Mildred's Umbrella, Wordsmyth Theatre Company and Obsidian Theater. Jacey received her MFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre Historiography from University of Houston and her BFA in Dramaturgy with an English Literature minor from University of Oklahoma. Jacey is also a Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Co. company member and was the Production Manager at the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) from 2015-2018.
LEAH SHORT (Dramaturg) holds a B.F.A. from University of the Ozarks in Theatre and Sociology and an M.A. in Theatre Historiography from University of Houston. Professional credits include dramaturgy at the Alley Theatre, Catastrophic Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Horse Head Theatre Company, and Black Lab Theatre, with directing and design credits at Clarksville Children's Company in Clarksville, AR, and stage management credits with Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA and Horse Head Theatre Co. Leah is Company Manager of Horse Head Theatre Co. as well as a Theatre teacher and program director in AISD.
CLAIR HUMMEL (Costume Designer) is a Houston based freelance Costume and Puppet Designer. As well as Costume Coordinator for Houston Grand Opera. Hummel is an Indiana native that received her undergraduate degree from Indiana State University and her MFA from the University of Houston. She has designed for companies including: HGOco, HGO To GO!, Alley Theatre OSKAR, REC Room Arts, Jhon Stronks-there in the sunlight, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, The Landing Theatre Company, VauLt Houston, Musiqa Houston, Classical Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Rice University, ROCO, Mildred's Umbrella and University of Houston.
JACEY LITTLE (Artistic Director & Director) 2018 directing projects include We’re Gonna Die by Young Jean Lee and The Flick by Annie Baker with Horse Head. Her past directing projects includes Church by Young Jean Lee and co-created & directed the immersive experience preceding Church, Sensitive Guys by MJ Kaufman (staged reading) the development and direction of The Whale; or, Moby-Dick by Timothy N. Evers, Philip Hays & Herman Melville (Houston Press 2015 “Best New Play” Winner) and Spaghetti Code by Abby Koenig (BroadwayWorld Houston 2014 “Best New Play or Musical” Winner) with Horse Head Theatre Co.; Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith and Dollface by Katharine Sherman with Mildred’s Umbrella (Houston Press 2016 “Best New Play”); the first workshop performance of Dialogues on Grace by Cressandra Thibodeaux at 14 Pews; and Ten Ways on a Gun by Dylan Lamb with The Landing Theatre Company. Jacey is the former Literary Manager and Dramaturg for the Alley Theatre. Highlights of her Alley dramaturgy credits include Warrior Class by Kenneth Lin, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Arena Stage co-pro directed by Robert O'Hara) and What We’re Up Against by Theresa Rebeck. As a freelance dramaturg, Jacey has worked with The Landing Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Mildred's Umbrella, Wordsmyth Theatre Company and Obsidian Theater. Jacey received her MFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre Historiography from University of Houston and her BFA in Dramaturgy with an English Literature minor from University of Oklahoma. Jacey is also a Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Co. company member and was the Production Manager at the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) from 2015-2018.
LEAH SHORT (Dramaturg) holds a B.F.A. from University of the Ozarks in Theatre and Sociology and an M.A. in Theatre Historiography from University of Houston. Professional credits include dramaturgy at the Alley Theatre, Catastrophic Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Horse Head Theatre Company, and Black Lab Theatre, with directing and design credits at Clarksville Children's Company in Clarksville, AR, and stage management credits with Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA and Horse Head Theatre Co. Leah is Company Manager of Horse Head Theatre Co. as well as a Theatre teacher and program director in AISD.
