Elizabeth Baker
Elizabeth is thrilled to be on stage once again  playing  the part of “Ladybug” in James and the Giant Peach…her 14th CTA performance. Originally trained as a ballet dancer, she danced in San Francisco and Denver. More recently, she has studied singing and acting including musical theater workshops at ACT and Marin Theater Company. She has appeared in local productions of Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Crazy For You and The Music Man.

Daphne Ball 
Daphne has been a member of CTA since 2007, participating in many facets of the organization. She loves working on the costumes that make the characters come alive and has enjoyed a variety of onstage roles. She would like to thank her daughters, Olivia and Ainsley, who inspire her both on and off the stage, her husband,Chris, who is her most loyal fan and all her former preschool students who gave her the courage to sing.

Sarah Barron   
Sarah started CTA singing with the Songbirds, which she continues to thoroughly enjoy.  After seeing her fellow Songbirds perform in Willy Wonka (2022), she decided that she had to make the giant leap into the fun of live theater which she had never tried before.  Last year, Sarah played John Darling in CTA’s Peter Pan.  She loved flying from London to Neverland and back, and she has returned this year as Spider in James and the Giant Peach.

Karen Becker 
Karen is excited to be on stage this year as the Centipede in James and the Giant Peach.   Karen was active in high school and college musical performances as a vocalist in  A Cappella choir and acting, singing and dancing in productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Brigadoon, L’il Abner, Oklahoma! and Don’t Drink the Water. In her free time she plays golf as much as she can,  and is perfecting her pickleball game. She lives in Sonoma with her husband, Jeff, and loves spending time with her three grown children and two grandchildren.  

Susan Cook
Susan joined CTA ten years ago and this is her seventh production. She lives in Sonoma and enjoys performing and watching the children’s participation in the shows. 

Suzy Cronholm   
Suzy returns to the CTA stage for the 24th consecutive year. Some of her previous roles include Mrs. Gloop, Auntie Em, and Rapunzel’s mother. She loves working with and gives a standing ovation to this amazing group of CTA members - actors, producers, business managers, artists, costume designers and crew. In real life, Suzy receives great coaching from her son, a musician, her daughter, an actress, and her three grandchildren, her biggest fans.

Debi Curley
Debi is thrilled to take on the role of Spiker in James and the Giant Peach.  When she’s not on stage, Debi serves as an organist at her church and loves spending time visiting her grown children and her grandchildren.   She thanks the cast, crew, and creative team for their hard work and dedication, and she sends her love to her family and friends for their unwavering support.

Germana Fabbri
Germana is thrilled to play “James” in her second performance for CTA (debut was “Tootles” in Peter Pan).   Germana is a co-producer and serves on the CTA Board. Germana has always been in love with theater, but was always on the athletic field instead of the stage. When not rehearsing, she is either selling luxury properties for Coldwell Banker, playing tennis and pickleball, or working at The U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Germana and her husband, Mason Day, have four daughters and live in Kentfield. Germana dedicates this performance to her mom, Kay, who loved storytelling and to her family who support her every move.

Peggy Haas    
Peggy made her CTA debut in 1994 as Aslan in The Magician’s Nephew. For thirty years she has performed in many CTA productions, including playing the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, Sir Pompous in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz and last year playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. Peggy is a past President of CTA and has co-produced four productions. She is a graduate of the Theatre Arts program at University of The Pacific and worked as assistant director for The American Theater in Vienna and The British Comedy Club in Brussels. She also directed at The Soho Poly in London. She currently produces “Panto in the Presidio” in December at her Presidio Theatre.

Marje Helfet 
Marje has been in CTA for 12 years and enjoys working in all aspects of a production. Her greatest love actually is spending a few minutes with the students after a performance to get their take on the various characters. However,  set work is fun as is acting which she finds most challenging. Now that she has started “acting”, watching a movie has taken on an entirely  new appreciation for character development and performance.

Derry Henderson 
It all started when Derry (by her own admission) played an awesome Friar Tuck at least 50 years ago in Chicago. The tailwinds of such a stunning success have found Derry enjoying life in the back of the house and in front of the house for all 27 years of her CTA membership. But since her mantra is “life is short, just say yes”, she decided it’s time to take a theatrical plunge once again. Her goal now is to avoid embarrassing her children and grandchildren and relish in the joy of being a part of this gifted and inspiring Children’s Theatre Association.

Joan Herron  
Joan joined CTA 15 years ago and has always had fun in her supporting roles in the productions. She sings with the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and occasionally with the SF Choral Society. She also sings with CTA’s Songbirds who entertain Bay Area seniors, and others in need, with two programs a year. Joan has served on the CTA Board, and designs the promotional materials for our plays.

Laura Hunter
Laura joins CTA as a new member from Sausalito, bringing a background of experience in children's theater that includes managing programs at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek and the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. After a long hiatus since high school, Laura is excited to make her return to the stage in this year's production of James and the Giant Peach. Laura will be playing the part of Bobby Cop  and will be one of the Oompa Loompas this season.  Professionally, Laura works as a realtor with Vanguard Properties. When not on stage or closing deals, she enjoys an active lifestyle, participating in tennis, pickleball, and bocce. Laura also cherishes time spent with friends and family

Cathy Kirkpatrick  
Cathy is a 42- year member of CTA. She was President of the organization in 1994. In 2013 she was the recipient of The Missy Saveri Award for excellence in all aspects of the theater. Cathy is the founder of The Songbirds, CTA’s 20-voice choral group serving the Bay Area for over 20 years. She also owns the “Secret Garden,” a children’s store in Greenbrae, CA.

Laura Klapper  
Laura has had many great roles with CTA, including Captain Hook, Willy Wonka, a variety of kings, Gepetto, Jammal, the White Rabbit, and Sir Pompous. Still, her goal is to play a female some day... In her past life she received a BA in English and Theater from Wesleyan and initially worked as an Assistant Producer/Director at the Arena Stage. Although she later received an MBA, worked as a Marketing Executive and Consultant, and raised her daughter and son, she stayed connected to theater by teaching acting at MTW, chairing 8th grade plays and student talent shows, and choreographing parent/faculty performances at SFDS. She also directed annual adult talent shows at the JCCSF and was Artistic Director of their community theater program.

Sandy Lane  
Sandy joined CTA in 2008, and initially confined her stage work to scurrying behind the curtain with sets while wearing traditional Crew Black. She has appeared in Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel, The Adventures of Pinocchio as the intrepid bunny, Aladdin as Alakazam, Aladdin’s monkey BFF, Willy Wonka as the blink-and-you’ll-miss her Dodo on stage left, and in Peter Pan, as both the loveable Nana and not-quite-so-loveable crocodile. She would like to thank her two wee coaches for endless hours of bootie shaking instruction as she turns the lights up as the Glowworm. 

Sheila Larsen
Sheila’s past roles in CTA productions include the Baron in Jack and the Beanstalk, Beast in Beauty and The Beast, Prince Brian in Rapunzel, The Lion and Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland and Aladdin in Aladdin. Sheila produced Charlotte’s Web for CTA. She has appeared in Hello Dolly at Hillbarn Theatre and in Bye Bye Birdie at Broadway By the Bay. She has three grown children and four grandchildren. Sheila holds degrees from Stanford, Northwestern and the Wharton School of Business. She thanks CTA for 35 wonderful years of psychic income!

Brenda MacLean  
Brenda is making her 26th appearance in a CTA production. Her past roles include the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Gertrude in Cinderella, and various trees, guards, jokers and ladies of the court. Brenda is past Board President of CTA and has held several other Board positions.  She and her husband, Don, are proud parents of two adult children and are adoring Grammie and PopPop to their grandchildren: Tyler, MacLean, Makayla, Gordon Marsten and Casey MacLean.

Lucy Maushardt  
Lucy Maushardt returns to the stage for her second time in 28 years as a member of CTA.  She loves the joy CTA brings to children of all ages. Her grandmother, Sophia Kent wrote plays in the early days and her mother, Joan Kent was a longtime member and actress. Children’s Theatre has been an important part of her family’s life,  bringing  light, laughter, longtime friendships, and joy. Luncy is thrilled to return to the stage as the Earthworm. It seemed an appropriate role as she designs gardens and loves playing in the dirt. She dedicates this performance to her two grown children and her granddaughters Eleanor and Amelia. 

Pam McKulla
Pam returns to the theater this year with the role of Oompa Loompa under her belt. She has acted in 17 CTA performances and considers the smiles of the children her greatest reward. When not involved with CTA, she is an actor in local film productions and commercials. She lives in Moraga. Her son and his family live in Orinda….Her cherubs are Bobbi and Lydia.

Ginnie Menezes   
Ginnie has always been in love with theater.  At Northwestern she performed in campus plays, musicals, and a new Chicago Second City project to bring the classics to local Chicago youth. She has performed with the Lamplighters, Piedmont Light Opera, Pacific Rep in Carmel, and many years with Woodminster Amphitheater in the Oakland hills, which sponsors a “Kids Come Free” program. Ginnie also sings with CTA’s Songbirds. She is proud to be part of CTA’s mission of bringing live theater to SF school children. She would like to thank her acting coach and toughest critic, her daughter, Amy.

Kim Wiedemann-Ortner 
Kim returns  to the theater this year as the Spider puppet  and  was  thrilled to make musical magic as Wendy in her first CTA appearance in 2024. Kim studied Vocal Performance and drama at Union college in Lincoln, NE. Throughout her career as a dental hygienist, she has performed as a soloist and choir member at numerous churches. Since her early retirement, she has continued her studies at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Kim has appeared in the West Bay Opera in Palo Alto and the Berkeley West Edge Opera and was invited to participate in an Opera Workshop at Holy Names University. She appeared in a Christmas Eve special on CBS in 2015, May Peace Prevail On Earth. Under the direction of Bret Strader, she performed in The Remembrance of the Alamo in San Antonio and a choral production in Salzburg, Austria.

D’Arcy Owens  
D’Arcy joined CTA in 2003, initially drawn to its longstanding singing group, The Songbirds. Somewhere along the way she picked up the acting bug and has enjoyed playing the Baroness in Enchanted Sleeping Beauty, the Treasurer in Rumpelstiltskin, the Captain in Beauty and The Beast, the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio, Flora in Alice in Wonderland, the Mirror in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mr Bucket and Mike Teevee in Willy Wonka and Smee in Peter Pan. This year she is looking forward to her first non-human role, the Grasshopper.

Jordan Rezai 
Jordan loves making fairy tales come alive for young children.  Her grandchildren and their friends are some of her most loyal fans and have not missed a performance! She has performed as the Good Witch Red in Sleeping Beauty, the Fairy Godmother’s Helper in Cinderella and Mrs Beauregarde in Willy Wonka. When she is not delighting children on stage, she is the CEO of Capital Access. 

Karen Saghi  
Karen is honored to serve as  CTA President this year as CTA celebrates its 90th anniversary bringing live theater to thousands of San Francisco school children.  Over her almost 20 years with CTA, she has played several unforgettable characters, some witchy, some not.  Her favorites? The wickedly Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz);  the rather spoiled Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka); the kooky ever-party-spoiling Evilina (Enchanted Sleeping Beauty/Legend of Briar Rose). Other roles? One Beast (Beauty & The Beast); Rumpelstiltskin (Rumpelstiltskin); a forgetful Giant’s assistant (Jack & The Beanstalk), a cockney Caterpillar (Alice in Wonderland) and  Sir Pompy (Sir Pompous?) (Snow White).  This year she’s looking forward to keeping those peach-embedded Insects calm and serene as the Zen Grasshopper.

Shelli Semler   
Shelli received her professional acting training in New York City where she studied at Circle in the Square Theatre and The New Actor’s Workshop. As a member of CTA since 2005, she has enjoyed every minute of bringing music, laughter and live theater to San Francisco school children. Shelli is thrilled to be on stage again with her CTA castmates for this year’s production of James and the Giant Peach and, as always, dedicates her performance to her sweet Scarlett.

Debby Smith
Debby has been a member of CTA since 2005. She has a Music degree from the University of Illinois and has performed in many choirs and musicals as an actor, singer and dancer. Since joining CTA she has been on the Board as Producer, Treasurer, Vice President, Secretary and President. She is also a member of The Songbirds singing group. Known as CTA’s “Ms. Pie”, she enjoys spending her spare time baking wonderful treats for her fellow actors, singers, friends and family.

Alice Steele  
Alice joined CTA in 2005 and has co-produced Aladdin and Jack and The Beanstalk. She is a member of the CTA outreach singing group The Songbirds, and she is a chorister at Calvary Presbyterian Church. She has loved playing the Tin Man, a good Prince, a greedy King, a brainy Giant, and a naughty boy. As President of the non-profit Miwok Stables Center,  she can be found working in “Horses As Healers” programs or riding her horse, Maxwell, on the Marin trails.

Leelee Treadwell
This is Leelee’s first year with the Children’s Theatre Association, where she will have her debut performance in San Francisco. The highlight of her career is probably her lead role in her 8th Grade Musical as the Pied Piper, “Oooeeee like man I hear you calling!” She spent more time dancing on stage than acting but has always continued to practice her craft throughout high school, college and in New York City.   

Allison Yates  
Allison has previously performed with CTA as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, The Mirror in Snow White, the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, and enjoyed being an enormous blueberry in Willy Wonka. Allison has been performing in musicals since she was a child and has a degree from Santa Clara University with a double major in Acting and Dance. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Eric. When she is not working as an administrative consultant she designs and constructs bespoke clothing.