Meet the Team
Ariella Wolfe (she/her) - Artistic / Program Director
Ariella has worked with Arts Education and Community Programs across the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Yolo and Sacramento counties and beyond. With a focus on directing, she has experience serving as a producer, stage manager, dramaturg, and arts administrator. Ariella received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon (2015) and is a founding member of Sandcastle Theater Company. When not making theatre, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family, dog, and friends.
Nicholas Maurer (he/him) - Executive Director
Nick works as a construction estimator by day and a playwright and technical theater artist by night. He has worked both in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. He has a passion for creating wacky stories that lend themselves to encourage plenty of play. He graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics and Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon. He is currently working toward a Masters of Business Administration at UC Davis.
Megan Abbanat (she/her) - Program Manager
Megan is a local teaching artist based out of her hometown of Davis, CA. She is a graduate of UC Davis and holds a BA in Theater and Dance, with an interest in applied and educational theater. She is a company member with Sandcastle Theater Company, bringing her experience in acting, stage management, technical theater, and theater education to their Education Programs. Megan is passionate about working with young artists and helping them find their own creative voice, and especially loves getting to do so with students in the community she also grew up in.
Corinne Balmain (she/her) - Production Coordinator/Lead Technician
Corinne is a local theater technician and stage manager with a background in education. After graduating with a B.A in Theater and Dance (focusing on technical theater) from the University of California, Davis (2020) she has been working at Veterans Memorial Theater as their production coordinator. She is absolutely thrilled to be joining Sandcastle Theater as a company member and sharing some theater magic with students!
Rose Curfman (they/she) - Design Coordinator/Teaching Artist/Playwright
Rose is a UC Davis graduate with degrees in English Literature and Theatre & Dance. They are a writer, performer, and designer who believes that everyone deserves a space to be creative and tell their own stories. Access to arts education is something Rose cares deeply about and she loves how many awesome ideas her Sandcastle students have; she can’t wait to see how they come to life!
Lana Richards (she/her) - Substitute Teaching Artist
Lana Richards is a director focused on new work development, site specific work, and adaptation. She likes big plays about small things, the tender awkwardness of growing up, and stories that connect people to place. She has been in residence at Montalvo Arts Center, The Dragon’s Egg, Access Theater, and The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and is an alumna of Connecticut College where she studied theater and environmental studies.
Caitlin Gurtner (she/they) - Teaching Artist/Playwright
Caitlin has been in community theatre her whole life, growing up in historical reenactment fairs all around the Bay Area and participating heavily in her high school's drama department. She attended the University of Denver (theatre, teaching artistry, and creative writing). After earning her BA, Caitlin returned home to Sonoma County, working as a coach, substitute teacher, theatre technician, and director. She's worked with Spreckels Performing Arts Center and Sonoma Arts Live as well as Music to my Ears (camp director and private instructor).
Athena Murphey (she/her) - Assistant Teaching Artist
is a student at Da Vinci Charter Academy, as well as a member of the Davis Senior High School Jazz Choir, Mock Trial, and theatre department. Some of her passions are singing, acting, public speaking, and working with kids! In her free time, she loves live music and the outdoors. She is so excited to be working at Sandcastle!
Cody Craven (he/him) - Teaching Artist
is delighted to join the Sandcastle Theater family! Raised in Northern CA, Cody has a lifelong relationship with the stage. After graduating from The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts and the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre Artistic Internship Program, he has spent the last 15 years in NYC and traveling the globe as a union actor and musician. Cody’s passion for teaching is as strong as for performing, having worked with schools around the country sharing his experience, expertise, and zeal with the next generation. Performance credits include Once (Guy), Kinky Boots (Charlie), Les Miserables (Marius), Hairspray (Link), and 5 years on the high seas with Disney, Oceania, and Norwegian Cruise Lines. When not at the theater, Cody is a singer/songwriter, Husky dad, and sci-fi aficionado.
Rain Ibarra-Pina (they/them) - Teaching Artist
*incoming Program Manager
Rain a current student at UC Davis. They have been involved with theater since high school both on stage as an actor and off stage as an Assistant Stage Manager for Acme Theatre Company. They also had experience as a camp counselor during this time and loved getting to work with kids and help their creativity flow. They are excited to be in the Theater world and can't wait to work with Sandcastle's participants!
Gray Engstrom (he/him) - Teaching Artist
is a recent UC Davis Theatre graduate with a great passion for all things creative and performing arts. While he frequently participates in musicals, dancing, and acting, he also loves doing improv as well, and lead his college long-form improv team, Birdstrike Theatre. He is very excited to pass on what he knows to his students and share the excitement he has for live performance.
EJ Agata (he/they) - Teaching Artist
EJ graduated with a Theatre and Dance/English double-major at UC Davis, originally from Los Angeles. He has mostly focused on technical theater though he has some acting experience. Recent credits include work in the Sound Department with Broadway Sacramento. Outside of work, EJ loves spending time with his friends and his cat, baking, cooking or playing life sim games like Stardew Valley or Unpacking. He is very excited to be with Sandcastle and can’t wait to work with everyone!
Aimen Malik (she/her) - Assistant Teaching Artist
Aimen Malik is currently a student at Petaluma High School. She has been involved in theater since the age of 12 and hopes to continue to pursue it in the future. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports, spending time with friends, indulging in good food, and playing video games. She is thrilled to work with students, showing them the joy of theater and the valuable lessons it offers.
Adrian Ruvalcaba (he/him) - Teaching Artist
is Bay Area comedian and teacher. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Dell’Arte International, Clown School SF, and many improv schools you probably haven’t heard of, his teaching style focuses on learning from and embracing failure, and of course, having fun! Currently he teaches at Endgames Improv, Killing My Lobster, Berkeley Improv, and Sandcastle Theater Company.
Miriam Eusebio (she/her) - Substitute Teaching Artist
is a director, actor and teacher. She honed her early theater skills with Acme Theater Company in its earliest days. Since returning to Davis she has directed with that company, as well as Big Idea Theater. She is currently a reader for Capital Stage’s Playwrights’ Revolution reading series, and a teacher with Nor Cal Arts. She has directed many plays of many genres of theater including contemporary, new works in development, classic theater, Shakespeare, musicals, and one person plays. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts from California State University at Chico, and an MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College. She is an associate member of the director’s union: Society for Directors and Choreographers, is a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, Wow Café Theater, and Artists Co-creating Real Equity. She is delighted to be part of Sandcastle!
Sara Stock (she/they) - Substitute Teaching Artist
has been performing in choral and theatrical productions since childhood. After a long break from performing, they joyfully re-entered the theatre world in 2017 and began transitioning from a career in the culinary arts to a career in the performing arts. Since then, Sara has been involved in productions as a dancer, actor, singer, stage technician, house manager, and most recently, a mentor to young artists. Their time spent as an Assistant Teaching Artist for the Junior Company of Broadway Sacramento over the last three years has deepened their love of mentoring youth in theatre and they are excited to extend that joy with Sandcastle.