Ernie Nolan, a proud graduate of both the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing), is an internationally-recognized playwright dedicated to new works and reimagining classic stories for young audiences. He was recently named the Producing Artistic Director of Emerald City Theatre in Chicago. For Emerald City he has written Snow White as Performed by TJ Barker and His Troupe of Theatricals, The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle and A Fairy Tale Life. His adaptation of Laura Numeroff’s If You Take a Mouse to School has been produced at The Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Illusion Factory in Akron, First Stage in Milwaukee and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. His Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, based on the bestselling books of Mo Willems, premiered in January 2011 in Chicago. Upcoming projects include adapting Jon Scieszka’s The Frog Prince Continued with Jonathan Larson Grant-winning composer Ryan Scott Oliver, and Five Little Monkeys at Adventure Theatre. In addition to writing and directing, Mr. Nolan currently serves as the Vice-President of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA national board of directors.

Michael Bobbit, Producing Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre-MTC, has directed, choreographed and performed at many theatres in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, including Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre Society, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Center Stage, The Kennedy Center and the Washington National Opera. His national and international credits include the NY Musical Theatre Festival, Mel Tillis 2001 and the 1996 Olympics.
He studied creative writing and music at Susquehanna University and theatre and dance at The Washington Ballet, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and NY University’s Tisch School of the Arts (Cap 21). He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Mr. Bobbitt has been co-chair of Young Non-Profit Network DC -- Executive Director Roundtable, NAACP chair for his son’s school in Montgomery County and a Commissioner for the Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth and Volunteers for the Bethesda - Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (2010). In 2010, he received the County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Emerging Leader Award. He currently serves on the Board of The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative.

Olivia Espinosa is happy to be making her La Jolla Playhouse debut. A bilingual actor, singer and dancer, Olivia’s most recent credits include developing a full-length script based on a one act play originally written for Playwrights Project’s Telling Stories: Giving a Voice to Foster Youth program. Acting credits include the bilingual role of Mari in The Jumpitz, a children’s entertainment group who performed for military families stationed in Europe; Kita y Fernanda (Mo’olelo); Tortilla Curtain and Earthquake Sun (San Diego REP); Learn to Be Latina (Diversionary Theatre) and Escanaba in Da Moonlight (Cygnet Theatre).

Jason Frank is beyond excited to be working with La Jolla Playhouse for the first time! A recent graduate of the American Conservatory Theater's MFA acting program, Jason grew up in Massachusetts where he also attended the College of the Holy Cross. Some favorite roles include: Fred in A Christmas Carol (A.C.T.); Lysander/Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream(A.C.T. MFA Program); Solomon in Speech and Debate (Aurora Theater, Berkeley CA) and Andre in The Three Sisters (A.C.T. MFA Program). Other hobbies include skiing, video games, and puns. Jason advises you to always hire marsupials, for they have the best koalafications.

Ian Littleworth earned his Bachelor of the Arts at the University of Southern California. Recent stage credits include the Los Angeles premieres of Glory Days and The Fall to Earth, and the Antaeus production of Macbeth. Ian helped create and starred in the sitcom pilot All the Wrong Reasons, which was a finalist at the 2011 New York Television Festival. Thanks to his family, Steven, Michael, Mary-Joan Negro, Jim Amberg, and David Bowie.

Victor Morris is honored to be a member of the POP Tour family. He has been seen locally at Lamb’s Players, San Diego REP (2010 Craig Noel nominee), and recently at The Old Globe for the San Diego Shakespeare Society. Film/TV credits include TNT’s Leverage, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, Gone (with Amanda Seyfried), and Irv the beaver in NBC’s Grimm. As a tenor, Victor has prepared the opera roles of Otello and the Lohengrin under the guidance of Franco Corelli and George Shirley, and is proficient in trumpet, mellophone, and Lakota flute.

Each year the Playhouse's Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour commissions and produces a bold new play conceived and created by world-class artists to the school children of San Diego. Playwrights create a 45-minute theatrically interesting and innovative piece that addresses issues in the students' lives. Introduced in 1987 by former Playhouse Artistic Director Des McAnuff, the POP Tour production travels throughout the county touring schools, libraries and community centers. The set, costumes and props are designed to fit into a van and, in just 60 minutes, can be unloaded, placed in any space and be ready for children to experience.

As a Playhouse patron, you understand the joy of making theatre a part of your life. But San Diego’s schoolchildren aren’t so lucky. In fact, most students will never have the opportunity to experience live theatre. For over 19 years, the Playhouse has been tackling this problem head on with our in-school education programs. Our annual touring production for children, the POP Tour, puts an original piece of theatre, a set and a creative team in a van that, over nine weeks, travels throughout the county and reaches over 19,000 children each year, right in their schools. As a not-for-profit theatre, we depend on the generosity of our patrons to make our education programs like the POP Tour possible. Any amount makes a difference!
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