Cast and Creative Team
Aurora Hernandez (she/her)
Missy Black/ensemble
Wowieeeee what a fun, happy piece! Aurora is thrilled to be a part of this project, and to be able to share a space with her cast and crew again. While the c-word has prevented gatherings, it has reinvigorated the need for storytelling and community; if lucky, we have realized that we need each other. That energy was felt each night, as everyone was happy, and willing to play and resolve any bump that we encountered. Aurora is grateful for the continued opportunity to produce art in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as educational touring shows during quarantine. Her costume design work can be viewed in the upcoming web series “Dearest Eva,” which will be released at the end of January 2022.
A song to which Aurora listened while working on this project, was “Sexy Villain,” by Remi Wolf. The song is Playful, Satirical, and Confident just like the captain herself :D
Favorite pirate: Zheng Yi Sao, described as history’s most successful female pirate who used her skills to rise from a prostitute to a commander of 8000 outlaws. She demanded 50/50 control with her husband over their Pirate fleet; and used her ruthless business skills to wield power over wealthy and powerful clients.
Bennett Buchholz (he/him)
Jericho Black/Ensemble
Bennett is a Theatre/English double major at the University of Portland who is so excited for you to see this wonderful show. He had a ton of fun swashbuckling with this great cast and crew.
Song your character would listen to?
Killer Queen by Queen
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Wikipedia categorizes them both as space pirates, so I’ll go with a neck and neck tie between Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly and Han Solo. (I know I’m playing fast and loose with the rules here, but hey, that’s piracy.)
Joe Flory (he/him)
Danforth Collins/ensemble
Joe graduated from University of Portland in 2019 with a BA in Theater. The only prior practical pirate experience he’s had is ripping music from the college library CD selection. He would like to thank you for taking the time to join the crew on the many misadventures of Missy Black and hopes you enjoy the show! Also please hire him to do stuff.
Piratey song?
The Coasts of High Barbaree—Wilderun
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
the Edge chronicles, in which Sky Pirates are featured constantly. They’ve got flying ships powered by floating rocks and it’s dope.
Emmy Christopherson (she/her)
Azelma/Maisie Deathdealer/ensemble
Emmy recently graduated from the University of Portland with a BA in Theater. This past summer, she completed an apprenticeship with Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, and will return next season as a Junior Associate Artist. Emmy is so excited to have been a part of this swashbuckling crew, and she hopes you enjoy the show!
Song your characters would listen to?
Azelma: What the Water Gave Me by Florence + The Machine
Maisie: Glory and Gore by Lorde
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
I have to stay true to my roots and choose Pirates of the Caribbean
Chloë Duckart (they/them)
Cornelius Sharpe/Lazarus/Sharpe/ensemble
Since they were a child, Chloë has dreamed of two things: to be a pirate, and to be an actor. They are proud to have accomplished both of their life goals at age 23! When not swashbuckling in a Gresham café, Chloë can be found performing with the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival in Portland parks during the summer, and on the OPS Fest Facebook page during the off-season. They hope you enjoy the show. Haul away!
Song your character would listen to?
There’s a whole playlist for this guy! 😈 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OXIL8lulDVz97xhQFXojU?si=px1JEPjGSd2-P5uJhK3kBg
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
It’s hard to pick one piece of pirate media but I’m such a sucker for the Pirates of the Caribbean films (ONLY the first three). It’s trash, I know it, but it’s where my love of piracy began. I was obsessed with Captain Jack Sparrow as a child but now I prefer Captain Barbossa.
Kaylie Haas (she/her)
Dominique/Temperança/ensemble
Kaylie is so excited for audiences to see this action-packed show! She graduated from the University of Portland in 2020 and is now working with youth and families in the nonprofict sector. Some of her favorite roles in previous productions include Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Kaylie would like to thank the cast and production team for all of their hard work and commitment to bringing this show to life. She hopes you enjoy the show!
A song your characters would listen to?
Dominique: If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys
Temperança: Mr. Roboto by Styx
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
“I love me a good Smee. He’s a people pleaser and I relate.”
Maddie Nguyen (she/her)
Director
Keoni/Ernesto Oliveira/Ensemble
Maddie Nguyen is an actor, director, playwright, and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from University of Portland in 2020 with a BA in Theater (the BEST time in the history of the world to do so), she founded Do It For Mead for the narcissistic purpose of getting her solo show, i defy you, stars (Grow Award, Fertile Ground 2021) produced. However, she is also a firm proponent of “make the art you want to see in the world, and even better if it’s with friends,” so who knows? This company might stay around a while longer. THEATRE: Inner City Shakespeare Ensemble: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia); Do It For Mead: i defy you stars (June); Mago Hunt: The Penelopiad (Penelope); Garden of Voices: alex getting better (Ruthie); Experience Cult: Hamletmachine. FILM: Saint, Drink. TELEVISION: Oxygen’s Real Murders of Orange County, Can You Feel This, Perimeter.
Song your character would listen to?
“Face Off (feat. the Rock)” by Tech N9ne. Keoni doesn’t go to the gym but he thinks listening to this song makes him seem like someone who does.
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Anne Bonny. She and Mary Read might have been tied for both being boss bitches, but while there is record of Mary Read dying in prison, there’s no mention of what happened to Anne. She wasn’t executed, and no one knows if she died in prison either - therefore, one could extrapolate that she just never died at all, is immortal, and is running around causing mischief, which is a very high status move if you ask me.
Shae McCarty (she/they)
Isannah Barber/Mafalda Oliveira/ensemble
Shae is a senior Music major with a German minor at the University of Portland, and is absolutely stoked to be a part of The Misadventures of Missy Black! Hailing from Corvallis, OR, they started doing theatre in high school and have continued performing into college, working both on and off stage. This spring, she will be participating in both of UP’s spring semester shows: The Moors (Emilie) and Company (Amy). Shae is also looking forward to this summer, where they will be attending Music in the Marche, an opera study program in Mondavio, Italy. In her free time, Shae enjoys hiking, playing Dungeons & Dragons, baking, and making Spotify playlists!
A song your character would listen to?
Isannah Barber playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CFd11lWVOrDotUGxqcaAf?si=tNbLU3YSTt6mtHLSDibnxg
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
My favorite pirate would have to be Westley from The Princess Bride! I love how charming and witty he is, and I can't decide if I have a crush on him, want to be him, or both.
Riley Anna (she/her)
Playwright
Young Jericho/Liesl/Mellory/ensemble
Riley is a graduate of the University of Portland theater program (where she met 80% of this company) and a Junior Associate Artist with the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival (where she met the other 20% and learned to costume from her closet). Favorite acting credits include Emilia in Othello, the Leading Player in Pippin, and Dorine in Tartuffe, and her plays have been produced by the UP Theater Club and Gresham High School, but her proudest accomplishment is somehow having a friend group this talented, giving, and passionate.
Song your characters would listen to?
Young Jericho: Ramble On by Led Zeppelin
Liesl: Margaritaville, but only because Isannah makes her
Mellory: Savior Complex by Phoebe Bridgers
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Mary Read, or Tom Hiddleston in Tinker Bell: the Pirate Fairy
_edited.jpg)
Alexa Bayliff (she/her)
Young Danforth/Pierrot/ensemble
Alexa is so excited to be a part of this project. She was finally able to fulfill her childhood dream of being a pirate just like Captain Jack Sparrow. She hopes she did him proud. She would also like to thank Riley for asking her to be a part of this project, Maddie for being such a wonderful director, and the rest of the cast and crew for making this an experience she will never forget.
Song your characters would listen to?
Pierrot: Jolly Sailor Bold from Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides and also Le Navire de Bayonne, which is a French sea shanty.
Young Danforth: He only really knows Wellerman because that's the only one Missy has shown him at this point.
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
I've been obsessed with the Pirates of the Caribbean since I was 5 years old. Captain Jack was my childhood hero
Mia Lindsay (she/her)
Young Missy/Vika Song/Noelani/ensemble
Mia Lindsay is a Junior at University of Portland (UP) majoring in Psychology and Biology where she is involved in the theatre department. She recently made her acting debut in UP’s production of You Can’t Undo This Action and can next be seen in Black Comedy, a one act being produced by the theatre club at UP. This is her first filmed production and she would like to thank Riley, Maddie, and Kat for all of their support and dedication to this project!
A song your characters would listen to?
Wild & Free - Lena
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Black Sails
Tatiana Spisz (she/they)
Ari Killiam/Thi/ensemble
Tatiana is originally from San Francisco and moved to Portland to attend the University of Portland. While they did not study theatre at UP, she was involved in the theatre department and co-ran the improv team during her college years. They are so grateful that Riley reached out to them about being in Missy Black and were excited to play a pirate scallywag and others.
Song your character would listen to?
Ari would say that he doesn't have like a favorite band or song. He'll "listen to anything." But Kacey Musgraves was his top Spotify artist of the year.
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Love me some Captain Hook and Pirates of the Caribbean, but Muppets Treasure Island will always be a masterpiece to me. Tim Curry as Long John Silver *chef's kiss*.
.jpg)
Liz Bellows (they/them)
Rudy/Grover Collins/ensemble
Liz Bellows has been acting in Portland for the last few years, most recently as an Associate Artist with The Original Practice Shakespeare Festival. As a nonbinary actor, they have portrayed characters across the gender spectrum, most recently Bottome in "A Midwinter Midsommer Night's Dreame" with OPS Fest, and, of course, Rudy. This will be Liz's second time in the Fertile Ground Festival, previously portraying Mary Shelley in "Literary Theory". In their free time, they make Shakespeare TikToks for OPS Fest and spend sunny days in the garden.
Song your characters would listen to?
The Shankill Butchers by The Decemberists. It's not a song Rudy would listen to (his tastes would lean towards heavy metal popular with incels and that is a dark rabbit hole I will not dive into), but this song totally has Rudy vibes. He is an extremely dangerous man who only finds pleasure in causing pain and death, preying on women and anyone he deems vulnerable. And then go figure that his sword is this massive cleaver-like thing!
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Cutthroat Island. It's an incredibly awful, awful movie, but as a kid, Gina Davis as this badass pirate captain who will throw hands with any misogynist who dares question her claim to her title stuck in my head and heart. It also is a perfect companion to Missy Black, explosion of the bad guys' ship and all!
Aidan Brown (he/him)
Bennett/Chareth Allerton/ensemble
Aidan Brown is a graduating senior from the University of Portland. He is a theater major and is involved in the theater program as an actor, director, and writer. He has been in previous productions done at the university such as House of Desires, Inventing Van Gogh, and Doctor Faustus. He dedicates his performance to Bennett, Lowe, and Chester.
A song your characters would listen to?
Bennett: Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes
Abraham: Blue Bossa by Kenny Dorham
Roche: Glamorous by Fergie
Chareth: Sysyphus pt. 3 by Pink Floyd
Favorite pirate/piece of pirate media?
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Cate Granskog (she/her)
Young Cornelius/Balthazar/ensemble
Hey y’all! My name is Cate and I’ve been acting since I can remember, mostly in local productions or musicals through my school. Since graduating high school, I have been involved with the drama club and greater arts department at University of Portland. I met Riley, our lovely author, my freshman year, and we’ve been both friends and colleagues ever since. This is my first experience with an actual film production, as I don’t think short films from high school count. This was an incredible opportunity to meet and work with very talented people, and it was some of the most fun I had all year. I hope you enjoy!
A song your characters would listen to?
Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
Favorite pirate or piece of pirate media?
Stardust
Kat Yo (she/they)
Director of Photography
Kat Yo is a driven and accomplished young designer, receiving her B.A. in Theater Design from the University of Portland in 2021. Originally from California, she has worked with theaters along the West Coast including Broadway Music Circus as Assistant Puppet Designer and Lead Properties Artisan, the Sacramento Ballet as lighting designer and stage manager, the California State Fair in conjunction with Stage 9’s “Discover the Dinosaurs” life-size animatronic exhibit, El Dorado Musical Theater Company in California, Lakewood Center for the Arts in Oregon, Shaking the Tree in Portland, as well as Mago Hunt and the Blair Studio at the University of Portland. She works at Michael Curry Design building giant puppets for Pixar, Disney, Vegas, and more. Kat’s curiosity in a variety of design disciplines motivates her to success, earning her awards and scholarships from the 2021 KCACTF Region 7 Design Technology and Management Expo including: First Place National Award for her Lighting Design on “The Dragon”, Regional Award in Allied Arts for a show she wrote and designed as Scenographer, titled “The Imugi Myth”, Regional Award for Innovation in Digital Theater Design for her social justice-inspired art on “Where is Home?" and a summer intensive scholarship from the Stage Craft Institute of Las Vegas. Kat is interested in the intersection of storytelling and environmentally conscious design, and is committed to making art focused on this theme. To explore Kat’s work, visit Kat-Yo.com.
Favorite pirate/piece of pirate media?
The Pirates (2014)
Creative Team
Playwright: Riley Anna
Director: Maddie Nguyen
Director of Photography: Kat Yo
Fight Choreography: Zeb Bodine
Props: Riley Anna, with help from the University of Portland props department
Severed Hand by: Kat Yo
Pizza and Tavern Snacks provided by: Jeff and Brenda Olson
Costumes by: the company
Shot on location at Cafe Delirium in Gresham, OR
Special Thanks from Riley
Thank you Cody Clark for saying yes to a bunch of ragtag theater nerds staging sword fights in your coffee shop.
Thank you to the restaurants along Main Street for sustaining us this week, but especially Sunny Han’s for the Vietnamese iced coffee and iCandy for the bubble tea, both absolute staples of our diet.
Thank you Sue Bonde for letting me use the nice sewing machine when mine was being a demon, and for teaching me about WonderUnder. The flags would not have happened without you.
Thank you Jose Velazco and the UP Digital Lab for lending us so much tech. This low-budget production would have been significantly less low-budget without your generosity.
Thank you Amanda, Pat, Sawyer, Katie, Kai, Emily, Natalie, Fabi, Ryn, Flick, Tim, and Maddie Southard for being in the original Zoom reading way back in January ‘21. Your voices shaped the show into what it is today.
Thanks and love to Pat (again), Meagan, Maddie, and Kat for being my shipmates from the very beginning.
And love to Keira Knightley, who is the blueprint and has an open invitation to all future productions of this play.