MEET THE CAST

Joel A. S. Butler (Narrator, Mad Hatter) is thrilled to be in the first first non-musical show at One Stage Theatre after being in the last non-musical show at Stage 1 It’s Only a Play back in 2010. Last seen on stage as Piney in Bad Year for Tomatoes at Santa Clara Players and Mo in Miss you like Hell at City Lights. Memorable roles include John Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet with Northside, Wizard in Once Upon a Mattress with WVLO, Eddy in Lost in Yonkers and the Creature in Frankenstein both with Broadway West, and Joseph Buquet in Phantom of the Opera and Harold Bride in Titanic The Musical with Stage 1. He can also be heard as Bram Stoker and many others on the audio comedy/drama podcast "Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals". He thanks his husband for the love and support.

Ronnie Castañeda (Alice's Sister, March Hare, Queen of Hearts) is currently a senior at Newark Memorial High School and is estatic to make her on stage debut with One Stage Theater! She has previously done sound operation for One Stage’s Into the Woods in 2023 as well as NMHS productions. You may have also seen her on stage at NMHS as Miss Scarlet in Clue (2022). She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her as she currently juggles work and school and two separate shows, one of them being Firebringer, opening on May 3rd at NMHS!

Stephanie Kara (Alice) is thrilled to be reprising her role as Alice (previously played in San Jose in 2018)! She is honored to be a part of One Stage Theatre’s debut and to be performing alongside cast and crewmates from shows going all the way back to 2012. Stephanie was a member of the company’s former entity, Stage 1 Theatre, from 2006 onwards and has since taken on numerous roles throughout the organization and administration including Resident Stage Manager and Production and Operations Manager. Recent credits include Gloria in Wait Until Dark (Tabard Theatre Company), Blue Weasel in The Great and Glorious Mr. Toad (World Premiere) with East Bay Children's Theatre (EBCT), Mamma Mia (PCRT), and Assistant Stage Manager (Swing) and Production Assistant (Swing) for American Conservatory Theatre's (A.C.T.) Vietgone 2: Poor Yella Rednecks, and Stage Manager for Madame Sherry at Lyric Theatre. Many thanks to Robert, Lorraine, and Dashi, much love to M. More information at www.stephaniekara.com. 

Rachel Ristau (White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee, Cheshire Cat) is seventeen years old and is super excited to be in her second One Stage Theatre production. You may also catch her this May as Emberly in Firebringer or in June as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast. Thank you to Stage 1 for allowing her to have this opportunity to perform alongside these talented pepper. Thank you and enjoy the show!

Kyle Smith (Doorknob, Caterpillar, Playing Card, King of Hearts) is thrilled to make his One Stage Theatre debut, and in such a fun show. Kyle most recently played Tom Lamont in A Bad Year for Tomatoes at Santa Clara Players along with our very own Mad Hatter, Joel Butler. Other favorite roles include Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (Stage 1, Northside Theatre, Silicon Valley Shakespeare), Frank Butley in Native Gardens (City Lights Theatre Company), Ed Devery in Born Yesterday (Chanticleers), Deuce Cooper in Deuce Cooper: The Bloomfield Case (The Pear Theatre), and Creon in Antigone (Broadway West). Kyle will also play several parts in Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s June production of All’s Well That Ends Well (and it’s free!). Much love to darling wife Linda and delightful daughter (and sweetie) Kristy.

Lorraine VanRod (Dinah the Cat, Tweedle Dum, Doormouse, Playing Card, Flamingo, Hedgehog) is currently Board President of One Stage Theatre as well as Development Director and one of the Executive Collective leading Cutting Ball Theater in San Francisco. Previously she was the Director of Marketing at Regional Tony Award Winner, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Lorraine directed Stage 1’s productions of The Little Mermaid JR, Into the Woods JR and will helm their upcoming production, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in June.

Robert Arturo Ramirez (Director, Sound Designer) is pleased to be designing for One Stage Theatre again. Upcoming: Cindy and the Disco Ball (GMT) Theatrical Designs include: Die Heart(Troubies/Colony Theatre); Haunted House Party (Troubies/Getty Villa); Legally Brunette (GMT) : Santa Claus is Coming to Motown (Troubadour Theatre) and Miracle on 34th Street (Hollywood Actors co-op) [Ovation nominated]. For TV, he is currently Sound Designer on DC Comics' Superman and Lois (CW/hbomax), The Winchesters; Supernatural's spin-off (CW) and Unprisoned (Hulu) at Warner Brothers Sound. Past theatrical designs: Lady Day at Emerson's (GMT) Ovation nom; Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Broads! (El Portal); Romeo and Juliet (Odyssey); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat, The Little Mermaid Jr. (Stage1). He’s received 3 Emmy/2 Ovation nominations. Other TV credits include: Manifest (NBC/Netflix), DC's Titans (HBOMAX), DC’s Arrow, Queen and Slim. etc. He operates Orpheus SoundLabs in the NoHo Arts District.