The Motion
Playing Now Through October 12, 2025
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The Cast

Erin Gould


Erin is thrilled to be making his Shotgun Player debut with this amazing play. Previous shows: Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Woman In Mind and Great Expectations (Shellie Award Winner – Best Actor). His company Minimum Wage Entertainment has produced videos all around the Bay Area. He’s also a musician under the name ECHO, his new album ‘Event Horizon’ is out now.

Erin Gould

Moderator/Jack Donovan

Gabrielle MaalihanGriffin

Gabrielle Maalihan (she/they) is a Bay Area–based actor and San Francisco native. She holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Recent credits include Doomers (Mei) and Miss Hot Mess (Maya). After a two-year hiatus, Gabrielle returns to the stage, having previously worked in Chicago with appearances in A Doll’s House (Mrs. Linde, u/s) and Chicago Fire.

Gabrielle Maalihan

Prof. Lily Chan

Soren Santos


Soren is a Bay Area born-and-raised performer, last seen at Shotgun in the Glickman award winning Thirty-Six. He’s grateful to be returning to the Ashby Stage once more.

Soren Santos

Professor Neel SerranO

David SinaIko

David Sinaiko, (Dr. Alan James) returns to Shotgun after appearing in Art; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; Hamlet; The Village Bike; Antigonick; and Arcadia. Other credits: The Antipodes with ARC; The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Murder On The Orient Express at Houston’s Alley Theatre; many plays at Cutting Ball; SF Playhouse; Golden Thread; Crowded Fire among other great Bay Area theaters; was a founder of Chicago’s acclaimed New Crime Productions.

David SinaIko

Dr. Alan James

Erin Mei-Ling Stuart


Erin Mei-Ling Stuart is an actor, director, choreographer, and creator of things mostly for the stage but sometimes for film. She’s a proud company member of Shotgun Players. Erin had the immense pleasure of performing in Chris Chen’s The Headlands at ACT and couldn’t be happier to be involved in The Motion. More at erinmstuart.com.

Erin Mei-Ling Stuart

Dr. Sarah Matthis

The Creative team

APRIL BALLESTEROS

April Ballesteros is an actor, director, educator, and stage manager. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Theatre Cultura and worked in the Artistic Learning Department at the California Shakespeare Theater for 7 years. She has worked with SF Playhouse, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, SF Shakes, Berkeley Rep, and SFBATCO, to name a few. She earned a BA in Theatre Arts from California State University, East Bay, and hails from East Los Angeles.

APRIL BALLESTEROS

Stage Manager

Nina Ball

Nina is a long time company member here at Shotgun Players. In addition to Shotgun Players, her work has been seen at the OSF,  A.C.T., Cal Shakes, TheatreWorks, Marin Shakespeare Company, Aurora, Marin Theatre Company, among many others. She teaches scenic design at Stanford. Member U.S.A. Local 829.
ninaball.com

NINA BALL

Scenic Designer

JENNA FORDER

Jenna Forder is an Oakland artist and designer. Designing sets, props and occasionally mythical creatures, she enjoys being a part of the theater world she loves. Jenna has been the scenic designer/technical director for the Youth Stage Conservatory at Berkeley Playhouse Theater since 2022. Companies she works with include A.C.T., Ray of Light Theatre, Altarena Playhouse and New Conservatory Theatre Center.   jennaforder.com 

JENNA FORDER

Projection Designer

ESPEN GARNER

Espen is excited to be the MAD lighting design fellow for The Motion. He’s a Bay Area-based lighting designer and recent Stanford graduate. Recent works include Hadestown: Teen Edition (A.C.T.), Spring Rise Up: A Dance Sensorium (Stanford University), Assassins (Stanford), Omelas (Stanford), Mary Poppins (Stanford SLOCo), and Snow in Midsummer (Stanford).  Espen’s next show is San Francisco Playhouse’s Noises Off in October. espengarner.com

ESPEN GARNER

MAD Fellow: Lighting Design

NATALIE GREENE

Natalie Greene is an artist and educator working at the intersections of dance, theater, consent, and community engagement. She has worked with Aurora Theater,
Cal Shakes, Center Rep, Custom Made, Portland Center Stage, Stanford University, and more. Natalie was the Artistic Director of the award-winning devised theater ensemble Mugwumpin, and is currently the Director of Education and Community Programs at American Conservatory Theater.

NATALIE GREENE

Intimacy Choreographer

LYNDA HORNADA

Lynda earned her BFA in Costume Design and Technology from Wright State and attended the MFA program at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. While in New York City, Lynda worked as a costumer on several Broadway shows and at The New York Shakespeare Festival. In the Bay Area, Lynda has served as an Assistant Costume Designer, Stitcher, and Wardrobe Supervisor. 

LYNDA HORNADA

Costume Assistant

DAVE MAIER

Dave is a prolific fight director who has choreographed violence for over 300 productions.  He is the resident fight director at San Francisco Opera, Marin Shakespeare Company, and Oakland Theatre Project. His work has been seen throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Also, an actor, Dave has appeared in over a dozen Shotgun Players productions including Best Available, The Three Musketeers, Dog Act, Salt Plays Part 1: In The Wound, and The Death of Meyerhold.

DAVE MAIER

Fight Choreographer

CHRISTIAN V. MEJIA

Christian V. Mejia believes that light can tell stories that go beyond words. Light shifts our emotions and transports us to a particular time and place. Christian’s approach to design seeks to create environments where we can embrace our shared humanity. His practice includes theatre, architecture, and immersive entertainment. He holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and teaches Lighting Design at Stanford University.

CHRISTIAN V. MEJIA

Lighting Designer

ASHLEY RENEE

Ashley has built a textile-based practice as a costume designer, natural dyer, and material alchemist.   When she’s not in the theater or on set she’s foraging plant dyes and crafting textiles in the studio. Most recent design credits include Jesus Christ Superstar at Berkeley Playhouse, John Proctor is The Villain and The Excavation of Mary Anning at St. Mary’s College LeFevre Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shotgun Players.  

ASHLEY RENEE

Costume Designer

MIKA RUBINFELD

Mika is a local theater artist thrilled to be Assistant Stage Managing her first production with Shotgun Players. Select credits include A.C.T.’s ACT OUT tour of Measure for Measure (SM), A WhyNot Christmas Carol (PA), A Cristmas Carol ’23 & ’19 (PA), Fefu & her Friends (PA). CalShakes’s As You Like It ’24 (PA). West Edge Opera’s Katya Kabanova (ASM). Beyond stage management Mika has held staff positions at A.C.T. and CalShakes costume shops.

MIKA RUBINFELD

Assistant Stage Manager

MATT STINES

matt stines is very happy and very grateful to be back at Shotgun. shortlist of favorite memories: The Coast of Utopia; Bonnie and Clyde; Eurydice; Hamlet; Caught; Blasted. has taught theatre sound at SFSU; St Mary’s; SSU. makes music with fullgrownmin; S T A I N S; Spleens; The World Sinks Except Japan. Massive thanks to Didi, Gogo, and Lind-zo. mikestains.com

MATT STINES

– Sound Designer

CHAVA SUAREZ

Chava is excited to be involved as a Sound Fellow in this original work. They are excited to help shape the identity of show and learn a lot while doing so. Other sound work they have done includes Sound Design for The Wolves and Alice by Heart at Ohlone College, as well as some music direction credits for Spelling Bee with Milpitas Community Theater.

CHAVA SUAREZ

MAD Fellow: Scenic Design

The Production Staff

  • R. Black – Graphic Artist
  • Cal Scenic – Scenic Building
  • Gracie Brakeman – Director of Production
  • Talia “Lia” Findley – Wardrobe Assistant
  • Ashley Munday – Electrics Supervisor
  • Michael Kelly – Sound Supervisor

Season Sponsors

  • Karen Elizabeth Austin
  • Naomi Janowitz & Andrew Lazarus
  • Craig & Kathy Moody
  • Russell Nelson
  • Les & Sue Polgar
  • Ragesh Tangri & Daralyn Durie
  • Bibi Tiphane
  • Richard & Kate West

Production Sponsors

  • Chard Nelson & Jan Berman
  • Ann Shannon
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