Scripps Ranch Theatre and The Roustabouts Theatre Co. unite to present Terrence McNally’s Master Class. This Tony Award-winning triumph brings the legendary Maria Callas, often called “the most famous opera singer in the world”, back to life in a riveting evening of theatre.
Witness some of San Diego’s most celebrated artists onstage, and step into the classroom for conversations and special moments that extend far beyond the performance itself. From illuminating talkbacks to unique events designed to enrich the play’s themes, Master Class offers more than a night at the theatre.
Discover the artistry, the voices, and the stories behind Master Class, and stay tuned for exciting artist announcements coming soon.
Directed by Phil Johnson and starring Critics Circle Award winner Sandy Campbell, this powerful production reveals the brilliance and vulnerability of one of the 20th century’s most influential opera singers.
‘Master Class’ was featured on Fox 5 News!
November 21 – after the performance Talkback with David Bennett, Joann Clark
General Director and CEO of San Diego Opera
Under his leadership since 2015, the Company has embarked on a series of community-based initiatives including a citywide Listening Tour series, free public performances, and family-friendly operas to better serve the diverse San Diego region. In 2016, the Company debuted its wildly popular dētour Series, which explores the expressive nature of opera with the potency of intimate theater. Prior to San Diego Opera, David was Gotham Chamber Opera’s Managing Director and Executive Director, and prior to that was at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), Lower Manhattan’s center for dance education, creation, and performance, where he served as Managing Director. While at DNA, he led a $5.7 million capital campaign for DNA’s new home and oversaw the organization’s emergence as a significant producer of modern dance in New York City. Mr. Bennett was a Senior Consultant with Arts Resources International, where he provided a range of advisory services to non-profit arts organizations, including project feasibility studies, financial operating estimates, economic impact and market analyses, and fund-raising feasibility studies.
November 23 at 1PM – Script Master Class with the Director – Phil Johnson
If you’ve ever really wanted to understand a script that was on stage, and why decisions were made to make the story go one way or the other, then this moment is for you. Theatre scripts can be the most fascinating reading material in the world because you’re looking at behavior on all sides of every line. So come and discuss this with Phil Johnson, and try out some of your own ideas about the script as well! Join the director of Master Class, Phil Johnson in the courtyard of Scripps Ranch Theatre prior to the show.
December 12 after the performance – Talkback with Opera director, Cynthia Stokes
American stage and opera director Cynthia Stokes began her career at New York’s Circle Rep, an influential home for new plays, where she absorbed the craft of storytelling from some of the most important voices in contemporary American theater including Terrence McNally and Lanford Wilson.
Her opera directing credits also include productions for Los Angeles Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, San Diego Opera, Opera San Jose, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Carolina, Glimmerglass Opera, Michigan Opera Theater and Opera Philadelphia.
NO SHOWS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
CAST
SANDY CAMPBELL (Maria Callas)
Parade (Critics Circle Award, lead), Follies, A Little Night Music, The Norman Conquests, Noises Off (Cygnet); Master Class (Critics Circle Award, lead) and Passion (ION); Beautiful, Hairspray, Ragtime and Into the Woods (Moonlight); Zhivago (La Jolla Playhouse); Clybourne Park and Mother Road (SD REP); Macbeth (Intrepid); The Music Man, 1776, Light in the Piazza (Lambs Players); Awake and Sing (NVA). Sandy also served as assistant director for Cygnet’s award winning production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and as director for Good People at OTC. Grateful for this opportunity to step into Maria’s shoes once again.
KYLE ADAM BLAIR (Manny)
Kyle is a concert pianist, music director, répétiteur, and theatre composer who makes San Diego his home, both in the UC San Diego Department of Music and the Department of Theatre & Dance. Last season’s highlights include Milo Cramer’s, No Singing in the Navy (Playwrights Horizons, Aysan Celik), Caryl Churchill’s, Vinegar Tom (UCSD, Allie Moss), and The Civilians’, Gone Missing (UCSD, Aysan Celik). You can hear Kyle’s debut solo album “Palm Sunday” and many other releases on Apple Music and Spotify. Kyle received his DMA in Piano Performance from UC San Diego in 2018, under the mentorship of Aleck Karis.
SARA FRONDONI (Sharon)
Sara is excited to make her Scripps Ranch Theatre and The Roustabouts Theatre debut. She’s performed in musicals, operas, and choral groups across California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from USC’s Thornton School of Music, sang with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and currently sings with the San Diego Symphony Festival Chorus. Favorite roles include Claudia Nardi in Nine (Coronado Playhouse), Annina in Verdi’s La traviata (Pacific Lyric Association), Maria Rainer in Sound of Music (Temecula Performing Arts Company), and Rosie Alverez in Bye Bye Birdie (Star Theater Company). sarafrondoni.com @frondonimusic
ABIGAIL GRACE ALLWEIN (Sophie)
Abigail is thrilled to be making her Scripps Ranch Theatre and The Roustabouts Theatre Co debut of Master Class fresh off a long run of ONCE: The Musical (Ex-Girlfriend) at Lambs Players. She has been seen in the Kathleen Marshall directed Much Ado About Nothing, and The Winter’s Tale at the Old Globe Theatre. Abigail has also appeared in Sister Act (Walnut Street Theatre), Indecent (Cape Repertory Theatre + Chatauqua Theatre Co.), Company (Fine Arts Assoc.), The 70’s (Lamb’s Players), and numerous other theatrical productions. Her San Diego Opera productions include, Pagliacci, Turandot, One Amazing Night, Così fan tutte, Romeo et Juliette, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, Suor Angelica, (Suor Osmina), and Tosca (Little Shepherd Boy), Madame Butterfly, La boheme, and Making Merry. www.abigailgraceallwein.com
BEN READ (Anthony Candolino)
Ben is a San Diego based performer who loves music and theatre in all their forms. Most recently he performed in the Aix-en-Provence opera festival. Lambs theatre: The 70s!, RESPECTFULLY Christmas, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, RESPECT. Ben produced, composed, orchestrated, and musically directed a new musical (co-written with his sister): Taleggio’s Last Unveiling. Other credits: musical director for The Sound of Music (Junior Theatre), 1940’s Radio Hour (Lamplighters Theatre), and pianist for La traviata (FF collective). Ben’s directing experiences involve creating productions in backyards with talented friends, The Fantasticks, and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
TIM BENSON (Stagehand)
Tim is ecstatic to be working with the illustrious The Roustabouts Theatre. A decorated combat veteran of the Marines, he has foregone the seasons of his native New England for the sunny locale of San Diego and continued to pursue his theatrical aspirations. He’s worked all over San Diego County in theaters such as the Welk Resort, Diversionary, Scripps Ranch Theatre, and the Avo, just to name a few. He’s worked in quite a few shows such as Puffs, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Evil Dead the Musical.
DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM
PHIL JOHNSON (Director, Roustabouts Theatre Co.)
Phil is the Artistic Director and proud co-founder of The Roustabouts Theatre Co. For TRTC he’s directed: True West, Looped, Hand to God, Savoyard Murders, and readings of All My Sons, Falsettos, The Little Foxes, 12 Angry Men, Doubt, and others. He also started the new Great Jewish American Playwright Series/JPlays at the JCC. As an actor he has appeared at most San Diego theaters and in numerous original traveling solo shows including A Jewish Joke which opened Off-Broadway in NYC in 2019. He played in Les Miserables on Broadway and on tour, the Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard, and the 1st National Co. of Miss Saigon. He is a two-time winner of the San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for acting, and he is a founder of the San Diego Theatre Alliance.
JILL DREXLER (Artistic Director, Scripps Ranch Theatre)
Jill holds a B.A. from Scripps College and an M.A, from San Diego State University. Drexler has been a teaching artist in San Diego and a performer at many local theaters. She has worked as a director, actor and producer in San Diego and is the proud recipient of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle award.
TIM BOTSKO (Dramaturg)
Tim has been allowed to practice his avocation as a dramaturg on four previous Roustabouts Theater productions, most recently True West (Roustabouts at Diversionary). Much thanks to the founders of The Roustabouts for giving me this opportunity and to be part of such an inventive company.
DIXON FISH (Set Designer)
Dixon is a native Californian. He holds an MFA from Arizona State University. Dixon has taught studio art, art history and photography at the high school and college levels. Besides printmaking, much of his creative time has been spent doing theatre set design and painting for a variety of professional regional theatres including Moonlight, The Avo, Mira Costa College and San Diego Junior Theater. For SRT he has designed: Kimberly Akimbo, The Dining Room, Lettice and Lovage, She Loves Me, Fully Committed, Tiny Beautiful Things, and Mary’s Wedding. His art and design work has been recognized with awards both regionally and nationally.
DAWN FULLER-KORINEK (Costume Design)
Dawn is delighted to return to SRT after her last opportunity to costume, Mary’s Wedding. Other performances at SRT that she costumed were Lost in Yonkers, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly, She Loves Me, Fleming, For Better, and Accomplice. Dawn has procured and designed costumes for over 140 productions; consisting of a wide range of professional, academia and dance theater performances. Prior to becoming a costumer, she was a menswear designer. She is an alumna of FIT, NYC.
JOSIE E. GERK (Stage Manager)
Josie is thrilled to rejoin The Roustabouts Theatre Co and SRT for this production. Stage Management credits include: True West, Looped (The Roustabouts Theatre Co.); A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play (SRT); Finding Avi (La Jolla Playhouse WoW Festival); Dido & Aeneas (Bodhi Tree Concerts); Something Blue (Diversionary Theatre). Assistant Stage Management: The Savoyard Murders, gUnTOPIA (The Roustabouts Theatre Co.); Cabaret (Ion Theatre); Father Comes Home from the Wars, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Intrepid Theatre).
PETER HERMAN (Wig Design)
Peter is a 2025 San Diego Critics Circle winner for Great Design in the theater. You last saw his work in The Roustabouts Theatre’s, Looped. Additionally, his work has been seen at The San Diego Opera, North Coast Rep, Moonlight Stage Productions, Diversionary Theatre, as well as some design work for film, television, and various theme parks. Peter currently teaches wig and makeup design at San Diego State University.
DAVID KIEVIT (Lighting Designer)
This is David’s first production with The Roustabouts Theatre Co and SRT. He has taught theatre arts and been the resident set and light designer at NYU, Brookdale Community College in NJ, The Masters School in NY, Grossmont College in El Cajon, CA and The Taft School in CT. Representative design credits include: Pippin (NYU); Torch Song Trilogy (Brookdale); Steel Magnolias (Masters); Oleanna (Phoenix, NY); Glass Menagerie and Little Shop of Horrors (Grossmont); La Pastorela (The Old Globe); Westside Story (CCT on Mount Helix); Pinocchio (SD Jr.); Matilda and Sound of Music (J Co. La Jolla); Shrek (Taft); Alice in Wonderland and Sweeney Todd (DCT in Bridgeport, CT); and Flaming Idiots (NYC; Taft; and Lamplighter’s in La Mesa, CA).
TED LEIB (Producer, Projection and Sound Design)
Sound design: Kimberly Akimbo, White, Fully Committed, Stew, Chapatti, Lucky Stiff, The Outsider, Vanya & Sasha, Good People, The Liar, Five Course Love, Sleuth, Murder at the Howard Johnson’s and others (SRT); Man of La Mancha, Christmas Carol: A Radio Play, Picnic, Boeing, Boeing, The Boys Next Door, A Year with Frog & Toad, Lost in Yonkers, Jacob Marley’s Christmas and others (OTC); Day of Absence (Common Ground at the Old Globe). Projection design: Kimberly Akimbo, Neat (SRT); Man of La Mancha, Sweet Charity and others (OTC); Christmas Carol: A Radio Play (OTC & SRT); Tarzan (Moonlight Youth). Ted is also a producer, director (most recently: Kimberly Akimbo) and actor.
DUANE MCGREGOR (Props, Set Dressing, Scenic Painting)
Duane is delighted to return to Scripps Ranch Theatre. SRT credits: Kimberly Akimbo, Mary’s Wedding, Unnecessary Farce, Stew, Vanity Fair, Fully Committed, Tiny Beautiful Things, White. Other credits include: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Carrie, Sheepdog, A People’s Cuban Christmas, Blue Period, Lonely Planet, Mugre (OnStage Playhouse) as well as a Craig Noel nomination for f. Arriving at scenic and set production design from a background in architecture and exhibit design, her work focuses on the interaction between audience and environment. Thank you to all the creative team at SRT for their never ending enthusiasm, support, and insight.
John Owen (Set Construction Manager)
John had a great time building this complicated set before you. As a retired construction Superintendent with over 40 years in the construction industry, building a “Flintstones” type car was a new experience. John’s SRT credits include: Kimberly Akimbo, Mary’s Wedding, Tiny Beautiful Things, Chapatti, Lost in Yonkers, and The 39 Steps. He spends much of his time playing board or card games, camping in the desert, and enjoying time with friends and family. Much love to his wife Diana.
RUTH RUSSELL (Producer)
Ruth sincerely thanks you for supporting this delightful co-production! Producing credits at SRT: Unnecessary Farce, Mary’s Wedding, White, Tiny Beautiful Things, Fully Committed, Vanity Fair, Stew, Chapatti, The 39 Steps, Lost in Yonkers, Neat, Extreme Home Makeover, The Outsider, The Taming, and The Dining Room. Recent acting credits: Kimberly Akimbo (SRT); Mast/Mask (Moxie); Twelfth Night of the Living Dead (Loud Fridge); I Hate Hamlet (Broadway Vista); The Jury Experience (Fever). Up next: (No) Exit to Mars with Loud Fridge (staged reading at SRT Nov. 18 and at NVA Nov. 19). IG: @theruthrussell @citydoggossd
CRISTYN CHANDLER (Co-Producer/Box Office)
Cristyn is an award-winning actor, audition coordinator, marketing manager and patron services coordinator. One of her first stage appearances was Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace right here on the Scripps Ranch Theatre’s stage. She is thrilled to be part of the Master Class team collaborating with both The Roustabouts Theatre Co and Scripps Ranch Theatre.