Race: Meet the Design Team

Kimberly Ridgeway (Director) has been working professionally in film and theater for over 20 years. Kimberly wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the stage plays Heavy Burdens, No More Secrets, Prospect Place, and The Gigolo Chronicles, and the short film “The Confession." She has performed in over 60 stage and film projects including Robin’s Hood, #1, Single Husbands, The Kid Thing, N, Hopes Identity, Requiem for a Heavyweight, No Good Deed, The Vagina Monologues, Oleanna, Doubt, The Piano Lesson, Savannah Sipping Society and The Mountaintop for which she won the 2016 BroadwayWorld San Francisco Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play (Local).  Kim is honored to direct this thought provoking play with this wonderful and supportive cast and crew. 

Jon Gourdine (Lighting Designer) is a former Principal Soloist with Garth Fagan Dance (The Tony Award Winning Choreographer of Lion King). Jon turned to Lighting Design and Set Design/Construction after a career ending injury. Primarily a Lighting Designer, Jon has also designed and executed set designs for theaters in the Bay Area. He has designed lights for numerous theaters and dance companies across the country and has collaborated with many of the Bay Area’s finest artists garnering numerous awards for his lighting designs.

Mercedes McLean (Stage Manager) is excited to do her first show with Dragon Theatre. She has stage managed for five years working with multiple companies in the Bay Area such as Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Altarena Playhouse,Theatre Rhinoceros, California Shakespeare Theatre, Quantum Dragon Theatre and Starchild Enterprise. She received her BA in Theatre at San Jose State University and AA in Dance at Laney College. She is also a choreographer and dancer of many genres, though her favorites are Modern and Lindy Hop.  She would like to give a special thanks to my fiancé Omar Lewis, and two sons Quincy and Rashad for being her joy and comfort throughout this production.

Lana Palmer (Sound Designer) is a Canadian-born, San Francisco-based sound designer and composer. Recent credits include Dracula (Inferno Theatre) and The Laramie Project (SFSU).  Up next, she will directing and designing sound for Red (Bread & Butter Theatre).  As a composer, her music is heard on over 100 TV shows airing nationally and internationally. Lana completed a BFA and BA at the University of Regina, Canada, and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild.