“I have loved every minute of working with Kym Pappas. I have found her to be an incredibly collaborative and insightful partner. Her signature blend of intelligence and radical compassion bring a depth to her work that is truly exciting and emotionally rich. Her steady hand and heart guide each production she leads with love, confidence, and trust.”
Tiny Beautiful Things
Scripps Ranch Theatre
San Diego, CA
Cast
Sugar: Jyl Kaneshiro
Letter Writer #1: Max Macke
Letter Writer #2: Michelle Marie Trester
Letter Writer #3: Lisette Velandia
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Stage Manager: Jessamyn Foster
Assistant Stage Manager: Hayden St.Clair
Scenic Designer: Dixon Fish
Costume Designer: Cassandra Crawford
Lighting Designer: Mitchell Simkovsky
Sound Designer: Carla Nell
Props Designer: Duane McGregor
The Falling and The Rising
Bodhi Tree Concerts
San Diego, CA
Cast
Soldier: Christine Taylor Price
Toledo: Emily Weinberg
Jumper: Msg Ben Hilgert
Homecoming Soldier: Sfc Ian Bowling
Colonel: Walter DuMelle
Daughter: Priya Richard
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Music Director: Karen Keltner
Stage Manager: Diana Vassall DuMelle
Costume Designer: Diana Vassall DuMelle
Lighting Designer: Twyla Arant
Projection Designer: Tom Racine
Fun Home
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
New Village Arts
Carlsbad, CA
Cast
Alison: Rae Henderson-Gray
Medium Alison: Priya Richard
Small Alison: Lena Palke
Bruce Bechdel: Brent Roberts
Helen Bechdel: Sarah Alida LeClair
Christian Bechdel: Zayden McHardy
John Bechdel: Leo Jones
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy & Bruce U/S: Kris Bona
Joan: Lisette Velandia
Female Swing: Katheryn “Kay” McNellen
Youth Swing: Georgia Filipovitch
Male Swing: Kevin Phan
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Stage Manager: Nathan Waits
Assistant Stage Manager: Ali Flores
Musical Director: Korrie Yamaoka
Choreographer: Patrick Mayuyu
Scenic Designer: Yi-Chien Lee
Costume Designer: Carmen Amon
Lighting Designer: Curtis Mueller
Sound Designer: Ethen Eldred
Props Designer: McKenna Foote
Intimacy Coordinator: Kandace Crystal
Aftermath
Bodhi Tree Concerts
San Diego, CA
Cast
Ruth: Leslie Leytham
Evan: Lucia Leon Alvarez
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Music Director: Ines Irawati
Scenic Designer: Jerry Delane
Costume Designer: Diana Vassall DuMelle
Lighting Designer: Elvira Delgado
Cancelled just days prior to tech due to COVID-19
Cast
Theo: August Forman
Cecily: Rachael VanWormer
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Stage Manager: Edward Khris Fernandez
Scenic Designer: Yi-Chien Lee
Costume Designer: Elisa Benzoni
Lighting Designer: Curtis Mueller
Sound Designer: Lily Voon
Sonnets For An Old Century
By Jose Rivera
UCSD Theatre & Dance
San Diego, CA
“When working on ‘Sonnets for an Old Century,’ Kym was always so giving. Her vulnerability and willingness to explore human emotions was incredibly comforting. She’s a director that is willing to work with you rather than against you, allowing you as an artist to have the creative freedom to build your character. Kym always reminded us to work with open hearts, to encourage ourselves to find the purpose and the joy that is within theatre. Her ability to empathize and use such to build a story that audiences can cry/laugh to is astounding. She can instantly make anyplace feel safe, and encouraged us to embrace the beauty of catharsis through her
direction.”
Angelynne Pawaan
Photo Credit: Eugenie Juan
Photo Credit: Manuel Rotenberg
Photo Credit: Eugenie Juan
Photo Credit: Manuel Rotenberg
Photo Credit: Eugenie Juan
Photo Credit: Eugenie Juan
June 5th-8th, 2019
Cast
John Ortiz: Liberty Romanik
Anne O’Sullivan: Helena Lopez
Javi Mulero: Hannah Folk
Jessica Hecht: Juliana Scheding
Kiersten Van Horne: Kirstiana Rosas
Ana Ortiz: Vanessa Fitzpatrick
Yusef Bulos: Benjamin Mclaren
Camilia Sanes: Christina Duncanson
Vanessa Marquez:Ceres Trinh
Wendy Johnson: Angelynn Pawaan
Felicity Jones: Stephanie Russo
Antionette Abbamonte: Jolie Andersen
Maricela Ochoa: Chloris Li
Kristine Nielsen: Alana Burgess
Carlo Alban: Alejandro Carrera
Michi Barall: Sim Singh
Doris Difarnecio: Isabele De-lima-Vargas-Simoe
Gino Silva: Joshua Kim
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Assistant Director: Jenna Nimri
Stage Manager: Rosanna Wong
Assistant Stage Manager: Yu Pan (Shadow)
Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Cisneros-Mendoza
Production Assistant: Jesse Sanchez-Villegas
Scenic Designer: Eugenie Jaun
Costume Designer: Michael Romero
Lighting Designer: Hyunjung Hazel Park
Sound Designer: Charles Glaudini
Assistant Director: Jenna Nimri
Assistant Costume Designer: Kara Reynolds
Assistant Costume Designer: Zif Ye
Photo Credit: Manuel Rotenberg and Eugenie Jaun
CHURCH
By Young Jean Lee
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
“The play Church was not and is not for everyone. Theatergoers are challenged by its complex language and actors are even more challenged by the playwright’s chosen characters. Trying to convey the playwright’s intentions and goals in a natural and believable sense was the goal for Kym and I. Working with Kym as my director felt like I had the largest safety net as I floated high above my own artistic comfort zone. I’ve always been seen as a character actor and Church was my first attempt at not only a leading role but one where I would stand in front of the audience, house lights on, and just preach.
It would’ve been easy to just be told where to go and how to speak, but where’s the growth and risk in that. I always felt that Kym let me experience Church as my own and allowed me to explore the complexities of Reverend José. An amazing partner and leader, she was always there to bring me back down to earth.
Church was one of the most difficult productions for me as an actor. I was lucky to have a director who always allowed me to play, kept the cast smiling, made sure we were authentic and never lost faith in us, the text, or our choices.
I am forever grateful.”
- Salomón Maya
Photo Credit: Jonathan Hammond
September 5th - October 4th, 2008
Cast
Reverend Jose: Salomón Maya
Reverend Laura: Laura Preble
Revered Andréa: Andréa Agosto
Revered Veronica: Veronica Burgess
Church Band: James Michael McCullock & Joshua Napier
Church Choir: Geneva Mae Wallace, Tiffany Tang, Tarina Lee, Wendy Maples, Jo Dempsey, Jim Thomas, Joe Fejeran, Patrick Mayuyu,
and Carla Nell
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Carla Nell
Stage Manager: Erica Livingstone
Dramaturg: Joel Castellaw
Scenic Designer: Robert Malave
Lighting Designer: Robert Malave
Sound Designer: Kym Pappas
Photo Credit: Jonathan Hammond
Revolt. She said. Revolt again.
By Alice Birch
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
“Life is full of magic and Kym Pappas gives me breath & courage to walk through my fears to live in the moment. I have equal respect for her as an Artist, professional, leader and example of what it is to be human. “Disappearing Act” and “Revolt. She said. Revolt again.” put me in places out of my body & into the spirit work of love, loss and life recovery. It's not my dream to be an Actor, it's my career. My dream is to fully fund humanitarian causes & works like InnerMission, the little theater company that does. Kym Pappas scares me, she holds my hand through it & reveals the whole magic of life."
– Salvador Velasco
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
September 15th-29th, 2018
Cast
Carla Navarro
Kathi Copeland
Claudette Santiago
Salvador Velasco
Charly Montgomery
Kirstiana Rosas
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Carla Nell
Assistant Director: Alanna Serrano
Stage Manager: Nadine Lindseth
Choreography: Patrick Mayuyu
Scenic Design: Ashley Rauras
Lighting Design: Eric Ward
Sound Design: Carla Nell
Photography: Daren Scott
The Diary of Anne Frank
By Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett,
adapted by Wendy Kesselman
MOXIE Theatre
San Diego CA
Photo Credit: Sean Fanning
“As an actor, I want to work with the best directors; ones who can guide me and challenge me. Kym is that person. She brings out the best performances in a loving, almost nurturing way. I first saw her directorial work in an amazing play called “Seminar.” After seeing that, I had no hesitation in signing up to play Otto Frank in “Diary of Anne Frank” at Moxie. She handled the large cast and subject matter with skill and affection. With patience and attention to detail, she crafted a show of power and heart. That description suits her as well.”
– Eddie Yaroch
Photo Credit: Sean Fanning
Photo Credit: Sean Fanning
November 12th – December 17th, 2017
Cast
Anne: Katelyn Katz
Peter: Nick Lux
Margot: Amy Perkins
Mr. Kraler: Austin Wright
Mr. Dussel: Joe Paulson
Mrs. Van Daan: Holly Stephenson
Mr. Van Daan: Jonathan Sachs
Otto Frank: Eddie Yaroch
Edith Frank: Wendy Waddell
Miep: Jamie Channell Guzman
Nazi: Malcolm Wilson
Nazi: Gavin Ayers
Nazi: Andrew Sharp
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Papaas
Producer: MOXIE Theatre
Dramaturg: Eli Chung
Stage Manager: Jessamyn Foster
Assistant Stage Manager: Malcolm Wilson
Scenic Designer: Sean Fanning
Costume Designer: Jennifer Brawn Gittings
Sound Designer: Lily Voon
Lighting Designer: Christopher Renda
Prop Designer: Angelica Ynfante
Technical Director: Cynthia Bloodgood
Photo Credit: Sean Fanning
Gidion’s Knot
By Johanna Adams
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Wiliams
“Kym Pappas is a rarity, a stage director who has bridged the divide of the audience watching a performance, comfortably numb into imparting the membrane of the show and actors into their laps. Passionate about diversity and inclusivity, actually incorporating it, not just talk.
Working with her on Gideon's Knot, was sheer joy. Her version was steeped in the darkness of accusation allowing us actors a quick, emotionally imbued pace only achievable through the safe space she established. Kym is an actors director, she wants to hear and experiment and learn together. She made me feel brave when I had to be my most vulnerable.”
- Jyl Kaneshiro
May 26th - June 10th, 2017
Cast
Heather - Carla Nell
Corryn - Jyl Haruye Kaneshiro
Creative and Technical Team
Director – Kym Pappas
Producer - Wendy Savage
Dramaturg - Joel Castellaw
Assistant Director - Santiago Iacinti
Stage Manager – Jessamyn Foster
Scenic Designer – Robert Malave
Costume Designer – Alanna Serrano
Lighting Designer – Nate Cargill
Sound Designer – Alex Guzman
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
Well
By Lisa Kron
Diversionary Theatre
San Diego, CA
“I loved working with Kym on “Well”. She brought ideas and a vision of what she wanted to do, all the while nurturing a sense of creative freedom among all of us. Kym inspired me with her excitement as we discovered the piece. It was like swinging on this delicate pendulum between her vision and our own exploration – hence the many lovely moments she created. I would jump at the chance to work with her again.”
- Annie Hinton
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
“Working with Kym Pappas on ‘Well’ was a treat!! She created a welcoming environment for creative exploration and vulnerability. Kym is kind, with a big heart so the process was loving and supportive. She makes you want to do your best work. Truly wonderful!”
- Cashae Monya
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
February 10th – March 19th, 2017
Cast
Lisa: Samantha Ginn
Ann: Annie Hinton
A: Tiffany Tang
B: Cashaé Monya
C: Durwood Murray
D: Adam Cuppy
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Diversionary Theatre
Stage Manager: Sebastian Perfetto
Assistant Stage Manager: Abigail Viton
Scenic Designer: Sean Fanning
Costume Designer: Kate Bishop
Lighting Designer: Curtis Mueller
Sound Designer: Melanie Chen
Prop Design: Bonnie Durben
Master Carpenter: Scott Amiotte
Photo Credit: Daren Scott
The Kid Thing
By Sarah Gubbins
MOXIE Theatre
San Diego, CA
“I truly loved working with Kym on "The Kid Thing". She created an environment of safety and creativity, helping me to dig into a character that was out of my comfort zone and anchoring an ensemble that worked so well together! She helped us conquer difficult material with depth, grace and lightness.
– Joanne Glover
Photo Credit: Santiago Iacinti
“I had the absolute pleasure of working with Kym on a production of “The Kid Thing” by Sarah Gubbins at Moxie Theatre. The thing that has always stood out to me about Kym is the size of her heart. Her love for people is not only inspiring, but is exemplary for anyone she comes in contact with. This is especially true in her work, not only in the love she brings when analyzing characters in a script but also in the way she communicates with actors and creative teams. Every opinion is heard and valued which magically makes the individuals working on a project into a family. She made it very clear from the first day of working together it was going to be a judgment free environment, which gave me the confidence to try and fail and try again. The freedom to play and the opportunity to grow as an artist. To me, that is the most valuable gift a director can bestow upon their actors. Her vision for the show was clear and then she allowed for complete collaboration which resulted in a show everyone was proud of.
I was lucky to be given the opportunity to work with her, and I am forever grateful for the friendship that came out of it!”
- Connor Sullivan
November 13th – December 11th, 2016
Cast
Darcy: Jo Anne Glover
Leigh: Sarah Karpicus
Margot: Anna Rebek
Nate: Katherine Harroff
Jacob: Connor Sullivan
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: MOXIE Theatre
Assistant Production Manager: Justin Lang
Assistant Director: Santiago Iacinti
Stage Manager: Jessamyn Foster
Assistant Stage Manager: Melissa Ballard
Scenic Designer: Sarah Mouyal
Costume Designer: Jennifer Brawn Gittings
Lighting Designer: Chris Renda
Sound Designer: Matt Lescault-Wood
Prop Design: Angelica Ynfante
Technical Director: TNT Scenic
Scenic Charge Artist: Ashleigh Scott
Photo Credit: Santiago Iacinti
Seminar
By Theresa Rebeck
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
“I’ve had the absolute pleasure to be directed by Kym Pappas in three productions. She is one of the most intuitive directors I’ve ever worked with. She has a gift for communicating, listening, and challenging her actors with grace. Her productions always produce outstanding and authentic performances. I hope to be directed by her over and over again.”
-Samantha Ginn
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
“Kym is one of the most kind hearted people that I know and what makes her a great director is that she really gives actors the space to create and make their own choices. She is really great at listening and discussing what is going on with the characters and how the actors can be in service to the story. When I worked with her on Seminar, the cast was nominated for Best Ensemble at the Craig Noel Awards in San Diego. I think this nomination was in large part due to Kym because she helped us craft characters with true authenticity. I love working with her because I feel like I have no fear in bringing her my ideas and choices. She will help me make the strongest choice.”
– Dana Wing Lau
March 10th – March 26th, 2016
Cast
Kate: Samantha Ginn
Martin: Alex Guzman
Leonard: Jonathan Sachs
Izzy: Dana Wing Lau
Douglas: Robert Malave
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Carla Nell
Stage Manager: Jamie Channell Guzman
Scenic Designer: Michael McKeon
Costume Designer: Alanna Serrano
Lighting Designer: Xavier Luevano
Sound Designer: Carla Nell
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
Disappearing Act
By Delia Knight
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
Photo Credit: Jim Carmody
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
“In the spring of 2015, Kym Pappas invited me over to her house for breakfast. She made lemon poppy seed pancakes with royal icing. We sat down at an impeccably set table in her backyard, we laughed, I dug in to delicious, fluffy pancakes and she let me swallow my first bite. When I opened my eyes, Kym was staring at me. “You know you have to write it. It needs to be finished. I know its hard but I also know you can do this.” The “it” Kym was referring to was one of the final scenes of the play I had written. The ‘it’ was a suicide note, drafted by one of the characters. I struggled to find the words and Kym inherently knew. Kym is deeply committed to allowing artists to engage and discover. As a playwright introducing new work into the world she assured me at every stage that I had a say in what was happening. Kym took the time to listen, to hand hold when necessary, to challenge my beliefs of what I could do and to make breakfast and have the difficult conversation. Kym has a passion for storytelling and developing new work. Her unique brand of collaboration ensures that everyone involved in the project has a voice and an opportunity to be heard. Kym is able to challenge her team in a compassionate way that time and again brings forth everyone’s best work.”
- Delia Knight
Photo Credit: Adriana Zuniga-Williams
Photo Credit: Jim Carmody
December 11th-20th, 2015 (Diversionary Black Box)
June 24th-29th, 2016 (San Diego International Fringe Festival)
Cast
Alex: Steve Froehlich
Vivian: Kaly McKenna
Monica: Jamie Channell Guzman
Emma: Rebecca Doyle Dorado (Diversionary Black Box)
Emma: Beth Gallagher (San Diego Fringe Festival)
Kick: Robert Malave
Buck: Salvador Velasco
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Carla Nell
Dramaturg: Kurt Kalbfleisch
Stage Combat: Steve Schmitz
Stage Manager: Divina Magracia
Scenic Designer: James Michael McCullock
Costume Designer: Kathi Copeland
Lighting Designer: Chad Oakley
Sound Designer: Carla Nell
Photo Credit: Jim Carmody and Adriana Zuniga-Williams
The MENding Monologues
Created by Derek Dujardin
Written by The MENders
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
“Kym was the first director to adopt The MENding Monologues process when I made it publically available nearly 15 years ago. Every year, in conjunction with V-Day in San Diego, she doesn’t just produce a stunning stage show that leaves me awed (and little bit jealous), she mounts a movement.
In her wake, she leaves behind budding activists, advocates and allies who are making the world a safer and kinder place for all genders and identities. She leaves her audience changed as well. And, if that’s the point of live theatre, then Kym definitely knows how to make it.”
- Derek Dujardin
(Creator of The MENding Monologues)
Photo Credit: Paul Savage Photography
The Diary of Anne Frank
By Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett,
adapted by Wendy Kesselman
OnStage Playhouse
Chula Vista, CA
Photo Credit: Paul Savage
November 4th – December 4th, 2011
Cast
Anne: Lucia Vecchio
Peter: Mitchell Pfitzmaier
Margot: Rachel Throesch
Mr. Kraler: Rob Conway
Mr. Dussel: Nick Young
Mrs. Van Daan: Teri Brown
Mr. Van Daan: Greg Mcafee
Otto Frank: Sven Salumaa
Edith Frank: Laura Preble
Miep: Anya Pryjmak
Nazi: Richard Caika
Nazi: Santiago Iacinti
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Papaas
Producer: Julia Sola and Susan Stratton
Assistant Director: Isabella Calabrese
Dramaturg: Gina Bernacett
Stage Manager: Dempsey Davis and Diane Fortakoff
Scenic Designer: Chad Oakley
Costume Designer: Teri Brown and Tony Rivera
Sound Designer: Carla Nell
Lighting Designer: Chad Oakley
Prop Designer: Victoria Acosta and Desiree Peters
Photo Credit: Paul Savage Photography
Dog Sees God: Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead
By Bert V. Royal
InnerMission Productions
San Diego, CA
“Working with Kym Pappas on "Dog Sees God" was an unforgettable experience. She has a wonderful innate ability to weave an environment where I not only felt safe to explore the insides of my character, but she went further and was able to pull from within me these very vulnerable risks, allowing me to truly honor her. She allowed me the freedom to explore so that we could find what worked and what didn't. This show was an amazing gift to my artistic soul and I'm forever grateful for the experience.”
Wendy Savage
Photo Credit: Paul Savage
Photo Credit: Paul Savage
June 4th - June 27th, 2010
Cast
CB: Brendan Cavalier
CB’s Sister: Wendy Savage
Van: Nick Louie
Mat: Evan Kendig
Beethoven: Jonathan Hammond
Tricia: Wendy Maples
Marcy: Samantha Ginn
Van’s Sister: Katherine Harroff
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: Carla Nell
Technical Director: Chad Oakley
Assistant Director: Christopher Burger
Stage Manager: Clifford Wright
Assistant Stage Manager: Michael Barahura
Running Crew: Deepti Kingra and Katie Umlor
Scenic Designer: Kerby Solognier
Costume Designer: Teri Brown
Lighting Designer: Christopher Renda
Sound Designer: Carla Nell
Photo Credit: Paul Savage Photography
FAT PIG
By Neil LaBute
OnStage Playhouse
Chula Vista,CA
Photo Credit: Tony Zeljeznjak
“In 2008, Kym Pappas directed me in the San Diego premiere of “Fat Pig” by Neil LaBute. It remains one of the highlights of my acting career. Kym took a very difficult text filled with uncomfortable moments and walked us all through it in a way that made it safe for us to explore themes of misogyny and body image and peer pressure. She has a gift for making her cast feel like they are collaborators and that they are contributing to the process, but the work is still very much her own. Kym also knows how to communicate concisely and directly with actors and she rarely minces words in delivering her vision. She helped me take a very scary role and make it my own and I always look forward to the opportunity to sit at the table with her.”
- Carla Nell
Photo Credit: Tony Zeljeznjak
September 5th - October 4th, 2008
Cast
Tom: Brendan Cavalier
Helen: Carla Nell
Carter: Ryan Ross
Jeannie: Jenna Dawsey
Creative and Technical Team
Director: Kym Pappas
Producer: OnStage Playhouse and InnerMission Productions
Technical Director: Chad Oakley
Assistant Director: Christopher Burger
Stage Manager: Ashley Malia Cole and Johnny Flores
Scenic Designer: Kym Pappas
Costume Designer: Teri Brown
Prop Design: Teri Brown and Holly Stephenson
Lighting Designer: Christopher Renda
Sound Designer: Kym Pappas and Eusevio Cordoba
Photo Credit: Tony Zeljeznjak