Meet the Cast
Meet the Cast and Crew who are bringing the incredible production you are about to see to life!
Cast
Lauran Drackett
Aelia
Lauran Drackett (she/her) is a dancer based in Seattle, WA. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Dance program, Lauran has trained with Aerial Dance Chicago (ADC), Actors Gymnasium, Diavolo, and Paul Taylor Dance Company. From 2009 – 2011 Lauran was a dancer, choreographer, and assistant teacher with ADC and has served on the board since 2016. From 2011 – 2015, Lauran performed with Innervation Dance Cooperative, J Lindsay Brown, Night of 100 Drag Queens, among others in the Chicago area. Since moving to Seattle in 2016, she has worked with The Cabiri, a company that uses dance, aerial arts, and theatrical performance to bring the mythologies of extinct and endangered cultures to the community. Lauran also dances for Jerboa Dance and Equipoise Dance companies. Along with performing, Lauran has a passion for arts administration and has enjoyed using her knowledge and skills to help develop and support the Professional Training Program at Actors Gymnasium (Chicago), Everybody’s Circus program at SANCA, the Preparatory Dance Program at Cornish College, and Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine free clinics. When not dancing, you can find Lauran chasing around her 2 year old, hiking with her husband Nate and their 2 dogs, or attempting to not kill her plants.
Arjun Pande
Fred
Arjun (he/him) has performed new works and old, indoors and out, with words and without, for children and adults, small audiences and large. He's performed on the east coast and west, and if you'd like to know specific credits or places he's worked, ask him - he'd be happy to dive into them with you. Arjun grew up in rural Pennsylvania, is a graduate of Brown University, and his favorite animals are dragons.
Aaron Lussier
Dr. Steadman / King Maca / Roger / Creature5 / Reporter5
Aaron (he/him) is a Seattle-based improviser and actor, and is absolutely ecstatic to be making his Not Man Apart debut in Queen of the Sky: A Demon Ballet. He has performed around Seattle as both an actor and improviser. Aaron believes character is most often discovered through unique physicality. In his free time, he enjoys cooking new dishes and striving to perfect the deviled egg.
Bridget Gunning Odom
Dr. Garvey / Michael / Creature6
Bridget Gunning (she/her) is a Seattle-based physical theatre artist specializing in dance, aerial, and character work. Known for a raw, visceral movement quality, she draws on somatic practice and improvisation to find the strange inside the familiar. Over more than two decades, she has co-founded ticktock dance and performed with The Aerialistas at Friedrichsbau Varieté in Stuttgart, Manifold Motion, Moisture Festival, On the Boards' 12-Minutes Max, and The Pink Door, among many others. Her practice is rooted in Skinner Releasing Technique; she is a certified OSF facilitator and co-founded Apex Aerial Arts. Queen of the Sky: A Demon Ballet marks her return to the stage with Not Man Apart.
Andreas Fetz
Dr. Newman / Creature7
A veteran of the Seattle circus scene, Andreas (he/him) has been showcasing his multidisciplinary skills in circus, vaudeville, dance, and cabaret show both locally and internationally for the last 20 years. He enjoys a good challenge, a good story, and supporting people in the arts. Yoga teacher by day, general merrymaker by night, Andreas is always looking for a new creative outlet with inspiring people.
Evelyn Bartlett
Admiral Erenhardt / Creature8
Evelyn (she/they) started dancing when she was seven years old. Evelyn has been dancing for over twenty years in every style of dance available to her. From ballet to breakdancing, ballroom to stage combat she has absorbed and reveled in every opportunity she has gotten to dance and perform. The ability to tell powerful stories through movement and collaboration is something that will always take their breath away.
Ivanna Wei
Aerialist / Creature2 / Pilot2 / Ruth
Ivanna (she/her) started out in a career dancing with various companies in Chicago, New York city, and Los Angeles; and was introduced to aerial arts along the way. She performs on multiple apparatus and sees each one as a different dance partner to create and explore with. Locally, she has performed with many companies including Acrobatic Conundrum, Oroki Productions, Circuswerks, en-Joy Productions, The Cabiri, Chrysalis Circus, Maison De V, AOPT, and Venardos Circus. Bridget Gunning is a Seattle-based physical theatre artist specializing in dance, aerial, and character work. Known for a raw, visceral movement quality, she draws on somatic practice and improvisation to find the strange inside the familiar. Over more than two decades, she has co-founded ticktock dance and performed with The Aerialistas at Friedrichsbau Varieté in Stuttgart, Manifold Motion, Moisture Festival, On the Boards' 12-Minutes Max, and The Pink Door, among many others. Her practice is rooted in Skinner Releasing Technique; she is a certified OSF facilitator and co-founded Apex Aerial Arts. Queen of the Sky: A Demon Ballet marks her return to the stage with Not Man Apart.
Ashley Tee
Aerialist / Creature1 / Pilot1 / Bambini1
Ashley (she/her) discovered the aerial arts in her late teens and has been in love with the circus ever since. Though she mostly trains aerial, a summer circus residency in Mexico paved the way for her to begin learning dance, hand balancing, and acrobatics. When not actively training, she spends much of her free time greedily drinking in songs and tucking them into her "future performance" collection—music runs through her blood and dictates all of her movement, showing her which stories want to be told.
Vivian Tam
Aerialist / Creature3 / Pilot3 / Photographer3 / Aerial Captain
Vivian (she/her) has been performing in the world of aerial arts for over 20 years. Her international career includes Friedrichsbau Varieté, Teatro Circo Price, Alberta Circus Arts Festival, and AIDA cruise. Residing and performing locally in Seattle, Vivian has been the aerial soloist for over five seasons in Marxiano's Bohemia and Verlaine and McCann's Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker. Vivian is a seasoned aerial entertainment professional for Seattle's events industry. She is also the producer of the resident aerial arts show at Suite Restaurant and Lounge in Bellevue. In 2018, she founded Chrysalis Circus which focuses on mentorship and community building through show production. Chrysalis Circus is honored to have performed for City of Issaquah's Aire Craft Festival opening ceremony this past summer. Vivian is passionate about providing more access to circus arts, whether it be through performing or teaching. She has been a mentor for the American Circus Alliance and a return panelist for West Coast's Aerial Arts Festival. Vivian holds a bachelor's degree in Studio Arts from the University of California, Irvine. Instagram @thevivshow
Jaime Waliczek
Aerialist / Creature4 / Acro Captain
Jaime () is a choreographer, dancer, and acrobat from Chicago. After moving to Seattle as an adult, she began choreographing for the Eastside Moving Company while performing works by Deborah Wolf, Wade Madsen, among others. Founding Jerboa Dance in 2003, Jaime has continued as artistic director and choreographer. Along with Jerboa, Jaime has performed with many local companies including DASS Dance, the Seattle Opera, and Guild. While producing Back from the Brink for Jerboa Dance in NYC, she also danced with Angela Harriell’s company, The Love Show. In addition to her work with Jerboa Dance, Jaime’s choreography has been presented at festivals including the DUMBO festival, the Cool NY festival, DNA Works in Progress, Guild, Full Tilt, Coalescence, and the Ojak Festival. Her background in competitive gymnastics, yoga, and circus informs her movement and choreography. Jaime’s favorite things are her 2 adorable children and moving with the wonderful artists in Seattle. She is excited to be part of Not Man Apart for Queen of the Sky!
Crew
Jones Talmadge
Jones Talmadge (he/him) is a coach, director, and author. He has a rich performance history creating high-octane dance and acrobatics storytelling, including 5 years as Artistic Coach in Cirque du Soleil’s X Show in China, and as Associate Artistic Director of Diavolo - Architecture in Motion (season 12 finalist of America’s Got Talent). Jones has been the Artistic Director of Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble since 2016 and is excited to introduce the work to Seattle audiences. (www.jonestalmadge.com)
Director
Choreographer
Anne-Marie Talmadge
Anne-Marie (she/her) is the best Mama.
Alex Kronz
Alex (Alexandra) Kronz (they/them) directs and choreographs fights, intimacy and dances in Seattle, where they also perform as an actor, dancer and drag king and create original physical theater works. Recently they have worked on fights and/or intimacy for productions at ACT theater, University of Washington, Latitude Theater and a variety of independent projects. Alex has had a blast creating alongside the incredible team of athletes and artists on Queen of the Skies, which is their first show with Not Man Apart! You can also see their stunt and intimacy coordination in the 2026 short film Blood Brothers (dir. Rose Staffieri), or catch Alex onstage dancing and presenting work in Launch by Exit Space at the Erickson Theater Oct 23-25, and with The Guild Dance Company Nov 7. Follow them on insta for updates: @alexandrakronz
Fight Director
Lighting Designer
Evan Ritter
Evan’s (he/him) work on stage can be seen regularly at Highliner Musical Theater and occasionally elsewhere. In the before-times Evan toured extensively in the USA and beyond with Diavolo Architecture in Motion, and worked locally with groups such as Spectrum Dance Theater, KT Niehoff, Tacoma Opera, Youth Theater NW and lots of others. Evan has a bachelor's degree from CalArts, a Masters degree from UW both in design for the theater and he also has a Masters in Elementary Education from WGU. Evan lives in Seattle, is a father, a substitute elementary teacher, a vendor at local farmer’s markets, a technical theater educator and occasionally a lighting designer.
Ari Moore
All the lovely costumes are the work of Ari’s curation!
Costume Designer
Creature Designer
Tanja Richter
The incredible creatures you see on stage were designed by Tanja!