The Giver is adapted by Eric Coble from the Newberry Award-winning book by Lois Lowry and is directed by Brittany D. Henderson.
Show Dates are February 9-25, Evenings 7:30 pm, Sundays and Matinees 2 pm.
The Cast
Jane W. Davie – Fiona
Jane W. Davie (she/her) is a Puget Sound based performer and theatre practitioner. Her recent credits are dance ensemble in Night of Musical Theatre’s Coming Home (PLU), an Elemental in Normalcy: A Climate Fiction Musical (PLU), and Laura in The Dinner Table (PLU). She’s so excited and grateful to have a role at Lakewood before the end of her final year at Pacific Lutheran University, where she’s getting a BFA in Acting/Directing and a minor in Critical Race Studies. Jane continues to audition in Puget Sound after college and will eventually get her masters in theatre design. She would like to thank The Giver production team for this opportunity, Messiah for being there when she opened the acceptance email, and her friends in and out of school and family for all their support over the years.
Kristina Dustan – The Giver
Kristina is thrilled to be performing at the Lakewood Playhouse. Kristina would like to say thank you to her friends and family for the continued support. Kristina recently finished singing in the T.U.P.A.C. production A Hilltop Holiday. This year, Kristina was in Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope with T.U.P.A.C, STILL: A Poetic Journey of Two Women at Tacoma Arts Live and Rock of Ages at Tacoma Little Theater.
Olive Dustan – Lily
Olive is excited for her first play at Lakewood Playhouse. Olive spends her time working hard at school and the dance floor. Olive loves performing and this year, she danced in several productions. She performed with T.U.P.A.C in “Nettie” a collaboration with the Northwest Sinfonietta, A Midsummer’s Night Dream at Lakewold Gardens and A Hilltop Holiday with T.U.P.A.C. Olive wants to thank everyone for their love and support.
Nicole Lockett – Chief Elder
Nicole is incredibly excited to be returning to Lakewood Playhouse. She was last seen on this stage two years ago as Edith Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and she ALMOST appeared in The Haunting of Hill House as Mrs. Montague, which unfortunately never opened due to COVID. Prior to that, she appeared regularly in the annual Radio Gala, and directed The Asymmetrical Embrace which streamed live to Lakewood Playhouse audiences in the Spring of 2021. Some additional recent South Sound stage credits include: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (Changing Scene Theatre NW), Nunsense (Auburn Community Players), and Tartuffe (Centerstage).
Nicole is a co-producer and performer with Radio Activity and her voice can be heard in the animated series Snarc, a Lockdown Media Group & Toon Ink joint project. In her non-theatre life, she is the Chief and Staff & Managing Paralegal at an immigration law firm, and volunteers with various organizations in the region. She has two cats named Taupe and Astrid, and a passion for dance, travel, and languages.
Zoey Matthews – Jonas
Zoey is thrilled to make their debut at Lakewood Playhouse! Other favorite local roles include “Child” in Book-It Repertory Theater’s Solaris, Fan in Harlequin’s A Christmas Carol, “Small Alison” Harlequin’s Fun Home, “The Wicked Witch of the West” in PNW Theater’s The Wizard of Oz and “Young Joan” in Far Away at South Puget Sound Community College. Zoey recently won a scholarship to Interlochen Arts Camp, spent a month workshopping the lead role of “J”, then appeared in the world premiere of Imagine It, a new children’s musical by Ben Lohrberg. Zoey is an alum of Stagedoor Manor in New York and recently won a spot at The Institute at the Village Theatre in Issaquah. Zoey is excited to tread the boards with such a wonderful cast and wishes all the whole team a brave, heartfelt run. Break legs, all!
Sam Pedroni – Asher
Sam Pedroni (he/him) is a South Sound 6th Grader that fell in love with the Theatre from the first time stepped on stage for a role in Alice in Wonderland at the age of 6. His recent credits include Oliver in Oliver Jr. and playing The Trunchbull in Matilda Jr. Both productions were with Lakewood Institute of Theatre this past summer. He’s thrilled to be playing the affable Asher, it’s his 18th role, but excitingly, his first Mainstage production! He hopes to continue to learn his craft and pursue a career in Theatre. Sam wants to say a special thank you to his family, friends and mentors for all their support.
Maggie Savage – Rosemary/US/US
Maggie Savage has been performing since she was only three in Lakewood’s program of ‘Early Stars’! She is so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to work with a cast full of such talented people. Some of her favorite past roles include Little Elsa (Frozen Jr. Honor Camp, TMP), Esther-Jane Alberry (A Christmas Story, TLT), and Matilda (Matilda Jr., TMP). Maggie would like to thank her fabulous family, fantastic friends, and her two amazing dogs for always being there for her. She would also like to thank Joe and Brittany for giving her this amazing opportunity. Enjoy the show!
Whitney Shafer – Mother
Whitney is thrilled to participate in her first production at Lakewood Playhouse! Some of her recent credits include Sally Bowles in Cabaret (TMP), Bombalurina in Cats (TMP), Belle in Disenchanted (TMP), Usherette/Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show (TMP), and Cassie in A Chorus Line (TLT). She also loves to choreograph and most recently choreographed Escape to Margaritaville at TMP. She has a BFA in Music Dance Theatre. So much thanks to her dear family, Ben, Joel and Lily, Kadin, Oliver, and Pepper for their love and support.
Ben Stahl- Father
Ben returns to Lakewood Playhouse for the first time since appearing as Mr. Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes in 2021. In that time he has appeared at Centerstage Theatre in Federal Way in The Oregon Trail, The Ghost Train, and Tartuffe and with Dukesbay Productions in Tacoma in Andelana and most notably as one of the Edward Hydes in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Ben is also a newly minted audiobook narrator, with his first book appearing on Audible in December. With The Giver, we are given the opportunity to explore themes of community that apply to the world we live in today. Ben hopes you will leave the show thinking about your community and what you can do to make it a more equitable one. He would like to thank his mother and sister for their support, his community of friends and fellow artists for their support and inspiration, and you for supporting local theatre.
