MEET THE CAST

YTN actor 1998-2002: Guys & Dolls (General Cartwright), Grease (Jan), Into the Woods (Little Red) 

YTN Business Manager 2012-2014 

YTN Development Director 2014-2018 

YTN highlights: When I was in high school, playing Jan & Little Red and then as a staff member producing some amazing Galas for YTN! 

Jessi loves to paddle board, coach Crossfit, bake bread, and care for Old Man Nakana dog.  

Seattle native John Gordon Hill’s career as producer, director, cinematographer, composer, and educator spans nearly five decades. He has made scores of network dramatic shows and documentaries for Fox, Discovery, PBS, CBS, A&E, and Lifetime; numerous pieces for Microsoft, Vulcan, Intel, Philips, Kenworth, Nintendo and many others; and hundreds of television commercials. He is a member of the Director’s Guild of America.  He is past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Cornish College of the Arts, lectures at the University of Washington, and has taught writing and film production at Seattle Central College.  He was president of the board of Youth Theatre Northwest and has directed twelve plays there. He is the founder and a board member of the Mercer Island Center for the Arts. He is a composer of numerous film soundtracks, and choral compositions, and has produced classical CDs for major artists. He studies harpsichord and fortepiano and is a choral singer. He and his wife Ellen have three children and five grandchildren, and nearly all of them have been involved with YTN. 

Kim's first show with YTN was The Music Man and her favorite performance was Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. She pursued a BFA in Theatre Arts and later a post grad degree in Classical Acting. She is thrilled to be back at YTN as a director and teaching artist, as well as helping out with Marketing. Of the shows she's directed, among her favorites were Little Shop of Horrors, Sideways Stories, and the various Summer of Horror Films. When she's not working in the theatre she spends her time working as a ghost hunter, podcaster, and true crime enthusiast.  

Megan is a New York based actor. She has been seen in the world premieres of: OPEN; DO YOU FEEL ANGER?; EDDIE AND DAVE; KENTUCKY; CUT; HAND TO GOD; and THE LAST CLASS: A JAZZERCIZE PLAY (which she also wrote).  She was nominated for a Drama Desk award and named one of The New York Times Best Performances of 2019 for her portrayal of David Lee Roth in the hit off-broadway show EDDIE AND DAVE. During her time at YTN she was a student, actor, student director and teacher's assistant. After graduating high school she returned to YTN as an assistant director, receptionist, and interim registrar. As an actor, her favorite roles at YTN include: Avery in Charlotte's Web, Baba Yaga in Cinderella Stories, and Toad in Wind in the Willows.  

Mike Lion first graced the stage as the Dancing Telephone in the 6th grade school play.  He didn't have any lines, but people said he stole the show. He most recently appeared in a "diced" production of Pride and Prejudice with Dacha Theatre where the actors learned every role and a roll of the dice chose who played which role every night. On closing night, Mike triumphed in the role of Jane.  

Currently in CovidWorld, Mike and his partner Emily created a Halloween installation where, over the course of October, a skeleton grew out of their yard bit by bit, and then on Halloween the skeleton was mowing the lawn.  His quarantine wear includes comfy sweaters, pjs, and magnificent bedhead. 

Sometime in the murky future, Mike will be presenting YTN’s Radio Drama he is currently directing, Emma and The West  and The New Adventure of Sherlock Holmes. He will also be busy with Dacha Theatre In December and January for various online performances (dachatheatre.com).  For the holidays, Mike has many plans including dreams of Panettone fruitcake and possibly watching It's a Wonderful Life for the first time before performing in it with YTN.  

Mimi Katano first graced the stage in Tokyo in 1973, in the titular role of the original production of The Snow Fairy. This was the first leading role Mimi played in her acting career, and her last until the 2013 production of The Realm of Whispering Ghosts. More often, Mimi is cast in supporting or featured roles that are funny and/or dance and/or are a bird.   

Currently in CovidWorld, Mimi frequently sports UniQlo jersey pants, oversized sweaters and, most importantly, warm socks. She obsessively follows her favorite Japanese idol group ARASHI, enjoys physically poking her husband when he is least expecting it, teaching her 13-year-old how to mop, and organizing every little thing. 

Sometime in the murky future she is looking forward to directing The Compleat The Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) for YTN’s teen conservatory live streaming in March. She is also slated to direct Suicide Forest  for Washington Ensemble Theatre in 2021. Mimi will be enjoying her favorite holiday treat—a Japanese New Year’s tradition—broiled mochi with soy sauce and nori. 

Nicole is a native of Germany and first started working at YTN when a Theatre Schmeatre friend said that they were "looking for help in the Box Office of a kid's theatre on Mercer Island" for their run of Wind in the Willows.  She took the "'Island Crest Way" exit as directed and never came back.  Since then, she has been a Stage Manager at YTN from 1999-2003 with some favorites being Guys and Dolls and recently Lion King.  She was the Assistant Education Director 2001-2003.  She directed on the Mainstage from 2003-2009 with Footloose being one of her favorites. All along, and for every class, camp and show she has always worked first and foremost as a Teacher.   

Ray Larsen performed in maybe a dozen YTN shows between 1998 and 2005. Some highlights include How Things Work, The Pirate Play, Treasure Island, It's A Wonderful Life, and Sleepy Hollow. YTN gave him a love of the stage, a community of friends he holds to this day, and a home away from home. He was deeply inspired by the adults-of-YTN who chose to center their lives and careers around art making, community creation, and education. He has continued his stage life as a professional trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He also teaches music students at Cornish College of the Arts and runs the 4th and 5th grade instrumental music program at the Meridian School. 

Sarah Eisenberg is a screenwriter in Los Angeles, who has been writing for the last three years on various animated shows. She was a staff writer on season 3 of Muppet Babies (coming out next year), and is currently freelancing on HBO Max’s Batwheels and Mattel’s 25th season of Thomas and Friends along with other unannounced shows. She’s also written on many other series including: Rusty Rivets, Hello Ninja, Middle School Moguls, and Unikitty!  Sarah was also a writer’s assistant for Jessica Williams & Phoebe Robinson (HBO’s 2 Dope Queens) and she’s currently working on her first feature length screenplay -- a holiday themed romantic comedy. Sarah’s also getting married this year to her partner of 5 years and has had a funny time planning during the pandemic.  

Timeline at YTN: 

1997?! (Music Man) — 2008 as a student. 

PLUS a couple shows post-student as an assistant director (Winnie The Pooh), stage manager (The Who’s Tommy)  and an assistant teacher (Various). 

Favorite YTN Show: 

Once Upon A Mattress - I loved every minute of it! And I swear I’m still SHYYYYYY!  

Tina received her degree in performance from Western Washington University. She has been an actress and taught theater to young performers in and around Seattle and is currently working as the Drama Specialist at Bertschi School. Although she currently spends most of her time teaching, she has performed at the Annex Theater, The Empty Space Theater, !4/48-The Worlds Quickest Theater Festival, Theater Schmeater, Velvet Elvis Arts Lounge, The Market Theater as a member of TheaterSports and on the local sketch comedy show Almost Live. Most recently she received her Masters Degree in Integrated Arts and Education from the University of Montana.  

I worked at YTN for 10 years, starting as a Kindergarten and Fun Friday's teacher way back in the Castle Room days through, taught many children and wrote and directed many plays until I was the Executive Director. I believe I was there 1992-2002...or somewhere in that timeline.