Meet Our Company of Actors and Crew:

Rosie Ayala: Actor

Rosie Ayala has been performing professionally for over thirteen years on both the east and west coasts. She is very excited to be performing on the Melodrama Stage for you tonight. She has had the pleasure of performing with the Melodrama family since her debut here in 2007 in Zorro’s Back In Town, and she has been hooked ever since. She has performed in many other shows such as The Winslow Wedding, The Girls Who Saved Rock and Roll, and Welcome Back Potter. She would like to thank Arnie, Linda, and Michael for giving her such a great opportunity to be a part of such a great group of performers. She is so honored to be sharing the stage with such talented and loving people. "Thanks for all the laughs, guys". Lastly, but most importantly, she would like to thank her husband Frank for all his love and support and her two babies, Olivia and Diego. Now come on Y’all, let's have a good time!!!!

Jill Burdick: Actor

Jill has been performing locally, in and around Bakersfield, for nearly twenty years. Some of her favorite roles include Rosalind, in As You Like It, Sheila, in Hair and Mrs.Lovett, in Sweeny Todd. Jill studied acting at Bakersfield College and vocal technique at CSUB. Jill most recently performed as Zita in the CSUB production of Gianni Schichi and as Leatrice Durange in the Gaslights production of Welcome Back Potter. Her favorite role at the Gaslight has been mean momma Molly Otis in My Big Fat Oildale Wedding.

Ken Burdick: Actor

Ken has appeared in theaters all over town in roles such as Frankie in Forever Plaid, Mordred in Camelot, Sam Byck in Assassins, Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Woods, and as Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  He has also performed with the CSUB and Long Beach Opera companies, ComedySportz, in two of Warren Dobson’s “One Night Only” shows (which ran for several nights), and is the choral director for the West High School Viking Choirs.  You might have seen Ken in several Gaslight Melodrama productions as Porthos in The Three Musketeers, Crunchbacca in Space: the Musical, Amos Fastbuck in The Girls Who Saved Rock-n-Roll, and recently as Butch Otis in My Big Fat Oildale Wedding!

Chris Cawthon: Technical Director

Chris has had the pleasure of working on or in nearly every one of the Melodrama’s thirty plus shows and has cherished every minute of it. While he is more comfortable in the booth, he has also performed onstage in Dusty Fog Bottom Rides Again, King Arthur: Knights in Tights, and The Girls Who Saved Rock and Roll and made his directorial debut with Hemlock Stone: Private Eye here at the Gaslight. He has also played the title roll in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Spotlight Theatre. When he’s not here at the Gaslight he can be found leading worship for the contemporary service at St. John’s Lutheran Church where his passion for music can be used full force. He Hopes to see you at a show in the near future and God bless. 

Warren Dobson: Artistic Director

Warren Dobson has been performing since the age of two, when the pastor of his church would pull him out of the nursery and bribe him with sticks of gum to sing in the service.  Since that time, he has performed in nearly all of the United States, Portugal, Bermuda, Austria, Hungary, with Billy Graham in Holland, and twice in McFarland.  In addition to the traveling, he has served as Music Director in several large churches on both coasts; notably, five years on the music staff of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. Theater credits include:  Red Hot & Cole, Blood Brothers, big - the musical, Bandido, HMS Pinafore, Godspell, The Pajama Game, and many others. A pianist, singer, arranger, writer/composer, Warren has been the Musical Director with the Gaslight Melodrama since its opening in 2005, and has written many of the Vaudeville Revues, as well as co-writing Welcome Back Potter with Artistic Director, Michael Prince.

Scott Hillberry: Actor

Scott has lived in Bakersfield since birth, "born and raised." Now attending Bakersfield College, he looks back on his nineteen years growing up in this town with plenty of fond memories. Perhaps the greatest memory of them all has been and will be working at Bakersfield's #1 family theater: The Gaslight Melodrama. His past roles include Ron Weaselstein in Welcome Back Potter and Quiet Harry/Flint Westwood in Rustler's Revenge. Scott has performed in over 10 shows since his first Christmas show here in 2006 and looks forward to making plenty more memories with his cast and audience members alike.

Coryn McBride: Actor

Coryn is incredibly grateful to be able to work with such a fabulous and talented group of people. Along with acting she is a full time student and pet-nanny. Her biggest passion is making people laugh and hopes that you have as much fun watching the show as she does performing for you! Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air...-Emerson 

Jennifer Prince: Choreographer/Actor

Jennifer has been performing in and around Bakersfield since a very young age. She has been dancing since she was two years old and is now a Master Instructor at Linda Larma & Daughter’s Academe of Dance. She has been acting in Bakersfield theatre since January of 1999. Some of her past productions include Six Degrees of Separation, Curious Savage, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and countless productions at The Gaslight Melodrama Theatre. Some of her most memorable characters here have been “Colleen Hurricane” in The Legend of Molly Malone, “Mustang Sally” in How The West Was Really Won and “Mabel Millstone/Scarlet Vixen” in Rustler’s Revenge.

Michael Prince: Artistic Director/Actor

Michael has been performing since the age of two. He has been writing and directing films and plays for the past thirteen years. His films have premiered in New York City and have been shown all the country and in parts of Cuba. In December of 2005 he became the Artistic Director of the Gaslight Melodrama Theatre and has never looked back. He has written, directed and performed in over twenty productions at the theatre, with many more to come. Some of his favorite shows have been SPACE: The Musical, Welcome Back Potter and My Big Fat OILDALE Wedding.

Greg Ramsdell: Actor/Scenic Artist

Greg has enjoyed working for the Gaslight Melodrama since it first opened and still enjoys every single minute he spends here. As well as being a company actor, Greg is also the Gaslight’s Resident Scenic Artist and the director of the Children’s Theatre Workshops. Greg has worked at many theatres in Bakersfield, including The Spotlight Theatre, The Candlelight Dinner Theatre and Bakersfield Community Theatre but is pleased to now call the Gaslight his home. Some of his favorite productions here have been A Christmas Carol, Sam Sleuth and The Fall of the Coffee Baron, Money In The Bank, Space: The Musical and most recently, Welcome Back Potter. He’s looking forward to the next season here and hopes you all have as much fun as we do!

Kim Slikker: Choreographer/Actor

Kimberly has been acting in the Bakersfield community for the past 6 years. Of course, her favorite shows that she has been involved in, both on stage and off, have all been at the great Gaslight Melodrama.  Although Kimberly enjoys acting on stage, her first love is dance. She has been dancing for 22 years and counting. She has been able to share her love of dance with children all over Kern County by teaching at Linda Larma and Daughters Academe of Dance.

Jay Stodder: Actor

An original Gaslighter since our opening in August 2005, Jay is the resident big guy with the big voice. He trained with New Hampshire’s Peterborough Players, San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre, and earned his B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University. He has appeared in local shows at the Spotlight and Candlelight Theatres. Jay is grateful to the entire Gaslight ensemble, particularly to Arnie Carlos, Linda Larma, and Michael Prince, who work so hard to make all this possible. He also thanks our audience, both “newbies” and loyal returnees.