Julia Hinson is a freelance theatre director and acting teacher and serves as Artistic Director for LoneTree Live in Memphis, Tennessee. She has an MA in Theatre from the University of Nebraska Omaha and an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School in Loughton, UK. A Nebraska native, she is thrilled to return to the Red Cloud Opera House for the second time. Her Red Cloud Opera House premiere was directing A.P. Andrews’ OH/Pioneers in 2017. A Little Pleasure is not her first time adapting Cather for the stage. In 2011 she adapted and directed Eric Hermannson’s Soul which premiered at the Kansas City Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe festival in Scotland. She also co-directed a short film inspired by O Pioneers! called Fortunate Country which will be released in 2020. Other favorite directing credits include Neighborhood 3, Philip K. Dick’s The Skull, Cloud Tectonics, Asleep and Awake and the upcoming Pants.

"I’ve chosen to adapt Willa Cather in a narrative style, meaning that as much as I can, I have preserved Cather’s writing and put it directly on the stage. This has provided a unique challenge as her richly descriptive writing is not always inherently dramatic. I chose "A Wagner Matinee" because I think it is a perfect example of Cather's ongoing internal struggle between city life and her deep love of Nebraska. The story also epitomizes her adoration of art, especially the theatrical. By making Cather a character in the adaptation, my goal was to implement her own theatrical history and discovered the best way to do this was to have her deliver her own words. I pored over numerous reviews from her time at the University, pulled pertinent stories from her childhood, and funneled them all through a caricature of her that I hope captures both her charm and unflappable wit."

Kell Christie is a free-lance actor and director, and a teacher. Some favorite directing credits include Lizzie, Our Town, Amadeus, and Bat Boy: the Musical. Favorite roles include Emelia (Othello), Petra (A Little Night Music), and Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress). She holds an MFA and M Ed. She lives with her family in Memphis, Tennessee.

Franklin Koch is a reading instructor and actor living in Memphis, Tennessee. He has performed in many local productions, most recently in Dracula and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He is especially excited to be a part of a new work, and is looking forward to exploring Willa Cather’s world in Nebraska. 

Aliza Moran has a BFA in Performance from the University of Memphis and an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. Aliza is an actor, producer, and director in Memphis, Tennessee. While at NYU,  she studied educational theatre in Dublin, Belfast, and London.  Aliza’s numerous acting credits include Virginia in The Clean House, Liz Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story, Sylvia in Sylvia, Sally Tally in Talley’s Folly, and Constanze Weber in Amadeus. Aliza seeks to collaborate, create, and devise new work with local students, artists, and community members.