NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD-LIVE CAST & Crew
ROMANN HODGE
**BEN**
Originally From Houston Texas, Romann Dennis Hodge arrived in the world August 14, 1981. Along with his mother Wanza R. Gills, father, Robert E. Gills,and three brothers(Rodney, Christopher and R.E.G.), he moved to San Jose, California in 1990 where he had done a bit of growing up. That is also a place he caught his theatre bug. He started acting in the 7th grade playing 'Banquo' in William Shakespeare's "MACBETH. The humble newly found Thesbian then went on to play the high school principle in Ronald Alexander's TIME OUT FOR GINGER at William C. Overfelt High School.
Shortly after Romann and his family moved to Sacramento where he then took off on his acting journey. After high school Romann attended Sacramento City College. His First few appearances on the main stage were as 'Donald' from" YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU", and 'Lucien P. Smith' from "THE BOYS NEXT DOOR".Romann is also a Music Producer and Artist, However, his passion is acting. The "Theatre Bug" flew him into quite a few remarkable roles such as 'Walter Lee Younger' from" A RAISIN IN THESUN” For Modesto’s Sankofa Theatre, 'Martin Luther King Jr' In Jeff Stetson's "THE MEETING", and 'Boy Willie' from August Wilson's "THE PIANO LESSON" And countless others for Sacramento’s own Celebration Arts Theatre. "These days I'm just glad to share with the world the gift God gave me. Everything else is icing on the cake."
JOSH Laquian
**HARRY**
Josh returned to theatre in October 2024 after a 12-year hiatus! They currently work for the State of California and deeply believe that without theater they would not be here today. This play means a lot to them as they played the role of Ben in Washington High School’s production of Night of the Living Dead in 2011. It was their first lead role in theater after taking drama as a way to acclimate to the United States and English as a whole after moving here from the Philippines with their parents and older sister. It was challenging adapting to an entirely new culture and language and they had to struggle to form bonds and relationships with anyone at the time. The community and overall effect of the arts is something that needs to be lauded, cared for, and passed on to new generations as it is such a vital part of humanity. “Art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favors no race, and it acknowledges no class. It speaks to our need to reveal, heal, and transform. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible.” – Richard Kamler
Their previous roles since their return have been Sylvestre / Scapin, Rob Stein / Twilight of the Golds, and Norman Bulansky / The Boys Next Door – all at the amazing Chautauqua Playhouse in Carmichael and as Robin “Puck” Goodfellow / Midsummer Night’s Dream at Sacramento Shakespeare Festival hosted in the historic Sacramento City College Theater. They will be making their directing debut this January with Neil Simon’s California Suite at Chautaqua Playhouse and hope y’all come and have a fun time as well.
HOLLIE SOKOL
**HELEN**
Hollie Sokol earned her BFA in Acting from UC Santa Barbara’s highly selective Actor Training Program, known for its rigorous classical foundation, exploration of new work, and focus on individual artistic development. She also studied at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, where she trained in Shakespeare and contemporary British theatre.
Hollie is an established voiceover and dubbing actress, best known as the English-language voice of Tokio in Netflix’s Money Heist. A lifelong horror enthusiast, she is thrilled to make her Rise Up Theatre Company debut as Helen in Night of the Living Dead.
She is deeply grateful to directors Courtney Conklin and Peter DeMarzio, and to the entire cast and crew for their talent and collaboration. Hollie extends heartfelt thanks to her loved ones, whose unwavering support fuels her every performance.
CHRISTOPHER TAN
**TOM**
Chris Tan is excited to play Tom in Night of the Living Dead-Live.
His previous acting credits include Paul Mantz, Commander Thompson, and other roles in Amelia Earhart; Laertes in Hamlet: Paranormal Activity; Officer O’Hara and Mr. Gibbs in Arsenic and Old Lace; Niko in the staged reading Degrees of Hope and Panic; and his musical theatre debut in tick, tick… BOOM!
Outside of theater, Chris works as a Strategic Operations Analyst at Solidigm in Rancho Cordova, where he also lives. He enjoys planning adventures, such as a trip to Morocco in November and a goal with friends to visit all of California’s national parks by 2026. He also spends his time volunteering with local nonprofits, reading, playing board games, and talking about movies.
He is grateful for the support of his girlfriend, Julia, and looks forward to helping bring this production to life.
KATIE HALLS
**BARBARA**
Katie is thrilled to perform in her first Rise Up Theatre production. Previous roles include Ranked: A New Musical “Jordan” (UC Davis) Peter and the Starcatcher "Molly Aster" (UC Davis and Woodland Opera House) and Legally Blonde "Elle Woods" (Woodland Opera House). After getting her BA in Theatre and English at UC Davis, she worked with Pickles Theatre Company in Brussels, Belgium as an actor and workshop facilitator where she travelled throughout France and Belgium to perform and teach in schools. Currently, she teaches full time in Fairfield.
SARITA ROLLINS
**JUDY**
Sarita is truly honored to have been cast among such a talented (and, of course, hilarious) group of actors in this production! Their journey in performing arts began early, with years of experience in cheer and dance from the time they were very young. Sarita first became an actor when they were 14 years old and had instantly fallen in love with the stage. Their high school drama teacher, Deni Scofield taught them everything they know, and they feel very lucky to have had such an amazing role model to teach and inspire them. Growing up, they lived in many states all over the country, but they are proud to say this is exactly the home they have always dreamed of. This play marks Sarita's very first theatre performance outside of high school and they couldn't be more excited to have been welcomed into such an amazing and supportive community. Looking forward, they hope to continue performing on stage as much as they can and are excited to explore more roles in the future. They would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to both of their wonderful directors Courtney and Peter for their guidance and their kindness! The rehearsal process may have felt a bit like surviving a zombie apocalypse at times, but they couldn't be more thrilled to have survived it with the rest of the cast. Sarita hopes you enjoy the show, and whatever you do, try not to get eaten by our zombies…
SEAN SAVIDGE
**CHIEF MCCLELLAND**
Sean is thrilled to be making his debut performance with Rise Up Theatre Co. This show is radically different from what he normally does, and is having a ball! His experience is in musical theatre, having recently appeared in "Huntchback of Notre Dame" (Gargoyle, St Aphrodisius), "42nd Street" (Bert Barry), "My Fair Lady" (Ensemble), "Into the Woods" (Narrator/Mysterious Man) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (Tevye), all with Davis Musical Theatre Company. Sean's other passion is singing, having sung with Utah Opera for 6 years and now in his 13th year with the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus. Thank you Courtney, Peter, and the rest of the cast and crew for taking me in and welcoming me into this crazy, zany, loving family. I've learned and am learning so much from y'all!
WAYNE KUNERT
**VINCE**
Wayne is excited to be in his first show with Rise Up and grateful to share the stage with this talented cast. Wayne performs regularly at The Ooley Theatre as a cast member of The Set, a sketch comedy troupe now in its twelfth year. A couple decades ago, he played the lead role of William Magee in the St. Michael’s Actors Guild production of Seven Keys to Baldpate, and Philip Smith in their production of Exit the Body. Wayne works as a graphic artist and digital marketer.
Jackie Cheng
**JOHNNY & ENSEMBLE**
I fell in love with acting, passion, and performance as a kid after watching The Little Mermaid — it sparked a dream that never left me. Now, I’m bringing that dream to life alongside actors who inspire the same magic I felt as a child.
Gabriella Armstrong
**ENSEMBLE**
“Gabby” is excited to join this amazing cast as an ensemble member, and take the stage for the first time after spending many years away from the arts. As it is a passion she has longed to return to, she feels honored to aid Rise Up Theatre Company with their return season. She has previously manned the stage as ensemble and secondary characters through high school, and studied under Scott Adams at Sierra College. While away from the stage she likes to forage, do tea parties with her fashion club, and photograph the Sacramento area.
Gabby would like to thank her friends and boyfriend for supporting her, and being there to encourage her to continue to do the things she loves.
Gabby hopes you enjoy the show as much as she has enjoyed being a part of it!
Arabella Monroe
**ENSEMBLE**
Arabella is so excited to perform with this cast in such an incredibly hilarious play. She was recently in the Women's Wit & Wisdom Festival 2025, and other previous credits include Catherine Parr (Six: Teen Edition), Cedric (Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic), Lawrence Tate (The Plot Like Gravy Thickens), and Judge (The Government Inspector). Special thanks to her family and their encouragement.
PRODUCTION STAFF
COURTNEY CONKLIN
**DIRECTOR**
Courtney, is the founder of Rise Up Theatre Company, has a 20-year award winning history of producing, performing, directing, and distributing, both live theatrical and film productions. Courtney is Thrilled to be directing Night of the Living Dead-Live with such an unbelievably talented group of actors. She is continuously humbled and thankful for each person joining Rise Up Theatre Company, dedicating their time, energy, and talents to the growth of this company. We collectively strive to fulfill our mission of "Bringing the community together one production at a time through quality theatre and visual performing arts, with integrity, honesty, and inclusion." without each and every volunteer we would not be possible. Thank you, and ENJOY THE SHOW!
PETER DEMARZIO
**ASSISTANT DIRECTOR**
RADFORD
**PROP MASTER**
Props, set pieces, and keeping the cast in line for Rise Up Theatre Company. Radford has been a part of theatre arts for over 20 years, enjoying producing theatrical productions (mainly with her husband, churches and friends). Radford is a whiz with her hands, and a master of details, as well a valuable, member of our team, we love you Radford!