Who is rising youth theatre?

Sofía Arlea Fencken (she/her) is a Transforming Artistic Collaborator with Rising Youth Theatre and a student at ASU majoring in Latin American Studies and Photography. Sofía makes art as a form of expression, as she believes that art can be an effective way of communication and exploration of new ideas for non-traditional spaces - crafting, music, and storytelling are all part of her practice.

Kate Haas (she/her/hers) is a Phoenix-based performer, writer, teaching artist, and collaborator. She holds a BA in Theatre from Arizona State University, where she especially enjoyed working on the Student Production Board to help produce student-driven work. She has also been part of the ensemble with Childsplay since 2007, and has spent many months during the year touring theatre into schools and devising new work with her students. Kate believes in the power of art to stimulate conversation, empathy, self-expression, healing, and social change; and she is passionate about integrating the arts into educational curriculum. She also works in the Doctoring program at the UofA College of Medicine in downtown Phoenix, where medical students train to communicate efficiently and empathetically with their patients. Kate is the Financial Collaborator for Rising Youth Theatre, and has also appeared in The Light Rail Plays, which she loves due to its emphasis on creating art in unexpected places.

Trinity “Trini” Lugo (she/her/hers) is a 20 year old Latinx artist, poet, actress, and writer. She is a Transforming Artistic Collaborator with Rising Youth Theatre, where she has been working since 2016. She has worked as a director, performer, and crew member, but is most passionate about writing, and is the editor of Rising Youth Theatre’s online literary magazine, Speak Up Sound Off. Her favorite things to do are playing video games, reading books, and/or binge watching tv shows. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona but like most people, she hates the heat. She’s hardworking and a big dreamer. She hopes to leave her mark in the world.

Leah Reid (she/her) is an afro-indigenous activist, dancer, performer, poet, and visual artist. She has appeared behind the scenes in several productions as part of her studies in Fine Arts. Her attention to detail and sense of direction has led to her participation as a sound board operator for the production of La Ofrenda and a Stage Manager for Antigona followed by 14. Shes received two KCACTF Stage Manager semi-finalist nominee awards in 2019 and 2020 as well. It wasn't until her final year of her studies that she wanted to expand her presence from behind the curtain to being onstage. A native to California, Leah now resides in Arizona and aside from school she works with her local community theatre groups known as Rising Youth Theatre and Re:Frame Arts. She wishes to continue her passion for the arts in order to be a voice for those left unheard.

Sarah Sullivan (she/her/hers)  is a theatre artist, arts administrator, and writer living, working and creating in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a Producing Artistic Collaborator at Rising Youth Theatre, where she focuses on administrative and operational work, building systems that create systemic change and support radical and innovative artmaking. She holds an MFA in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University and a BS in Theatre and English from Northwestern University. Her background is in both creative and administrative work, having taught and directed all over the Phoenix area, and previously serving as the Director of Development for Childsplay in Tempe. She makes art because it’s how she makes sense of the world, how she builds connections and bridges between people, how she learns and grows.  

Xanthia Angel Walker (she/her/hers) is an ensemble-based theatre artist, director, facilitator, creative strategist, and educator. She works locally, nationally, and internationally at the intersections of multigenerational collaboration, site-specific performance, justice, dialogue, and community. She earned an MFA in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University. Xanthia is a Producing Artistic Collaborator of Rising Youth Theatre. Xanthia is also a founding member of the Las Fronterizas Ensemble, which creates original multidisciplinary work to honor, celebrate and visibilize stories of people and place that shape binational communities. Xanthia is a certified facilitator of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. She works with the Design and Arts Corps at Arizona State University, dedicated to learning that centers community wisdom in community-engaged partnerships and practices in arts and design. She is the winner of the 2015 Phoenix New Times Big Brain Award in Performing Art. Her writing is featured in the anthology Staging Social Justice: Collaborating to Create Activist Theatre. She is honored to be a part of the reproductive health ecosystem as co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Arizona.