Jhus Custodio is a multidisciplinary artist, director, and community organizer based in Portland, Oregon. His work centers on community-driven performance, often bridging cultural history, contemporary music, and collective storytelling.

He previously created the original hip hop musical Re-Presented, which brought together a large community cast and led to ongoing workshops combining performance and cultural education.

Jhustin is also a percussion instructor, working with students at Sunset High School and Tumwater Middle School. Outside of his artistic work, he serves as a Community Programs Specialist with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he leads initiatives focused on access, equity, and community engagement.

Daye Thomas (they/them) is honored to serve as Music Director, co-composer, and pianist for the music of “Re-Rite.” In rehearsals, they’ve been delighted by the choir’s energy, a room that holds both rigor and ridiculousness, where people are deeply committed to the work and its messages, and still make space to play and laugh together. They keep thinking about the first time they saw an Asian actor onstage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and cried for weeks after, and how rare it felt to witness that kind of presence. This process has felt like a version of that, watching people show up fully, seriously, and joyfully, all at once. May we all have spaces where we do not have to question if we are Asian-enough (or anything-enough). Daye has been obsessed with the piano since age 5 (thanks Mom and Dad for the lessons) and are stoked to be playing music that they put onto paper on a stage with such talented folks. In the past year, Daye’s work has spanned sound design, devising, directing, stage management, and acting with Vi Arts Co., Roots and All, Fuse, PETE, 21Ten, Corrib, and Concerned Artists of the Philippines.

Evan Hatch

Evan was born with cerebral palsy due to complications at birth, which affected his speech but never his passion for creativity. He is currently taking classes at PHAME, where he continues to grow as an artist and learner. In his free time, Evan is an avid reader and a dedicated writer, crafting poetry and plays that reflect his unique perspective and imagination. He is also a published poet, sharing his voice and experiences through his book. Beyond writing, Evan has a deep appreciation for abstract art, and creating drawn to its expressive and limitless nature.

Interview with Lo Steele

Why should people come see At the Root?

My relationship to music is a unique one, it isn’t traditional or formal. I’m often making up chords I’m unable to transcribe, but I know how to feel- a that’s my super power, and I think that shines through in the piece. I am so grateful to have an incredible cast and chorus who are expert-feelers too, who embody the script and music with such honestly and joy and vulnerability. Come see and come feel!

What made you want to participate in this project and create this piece?

I majored in playwriting in college, but haven’t done much long-form writing since then. I was so grateful to be asked to write a piece for Revels. It felt like a timely challenge and an opportunity to rediscover my voice as a playwright.

What about the Portland Revels made it seem like a good fit for you and your work?

I believe both theatre watching and theatre making should be accessible to all. This is a healing art and shouldn’t be exclusive to only the privileged. Revels prioritizes theatre making as a tool toward community building and celebration, which I would like to make my priority too!

Oliver Evangelista

Oliver defines himself as “Dad” and “Husband” first. His passion for film and writing, however, come close, as they kept him up many nights since childhood. He has written and directed several award-winning films and has spent the last several years falling in love with the ephemeral nature of theatre.

Bruce Akpan Hostetler

Bruce’s first Revels as Stage Director was 2011’s The King and the Fool, and he’s been Artistic Director since January 2017. Bruce has directed many theatre, musical, and opera productions throughout the USA and Canada including: Gretel and Hansel – Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Cupid and Psyche – Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Copenhagen and Beauty Queen of Leenane – Oregon Stage Works, Taming of the Shrew – Powerhouse Theatre, Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, Comedy of Errors, and Much Ado About Nothing – Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival, HMS Pinafore and Light in the Piazza – Mocks Crest Productions, Another Round – Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, Amahl and the Night Visitors and Der Yasager – Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, and Hansel and Gretel – Rogue Opera. In 2012 Bruce’s play Feral (written from over 500 interviews with people living house-less in the Pacific Northwest) had a sold-out performance run in Portland. Bruce holds an MFA in Stage Directing from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.

Interview with Bobby Bermea

What excites you about this production?

The script. Lo really knows her characters and how they speak, what makes them laugh and what brings them together. I feel like it’s way too rare for Black women to be presented on stage with so much warmth and humor, and where they 100% get each other’s back all the time. We have this preconception that people taking care of each other is not dramatic. You need conflict. And I would argue that in At the Root there is conflict — with men, with unfair expectations, with cancer, with the outside world. But the focus of the piece is on how Black women overcome these obstacles together. We don’t see a lot of that in any media, let alone theatre.

What are you most looking forward to the audience experiencing?

The easy answer is everything but if I have to pick one it’s the music. I think Lo is a wonderful songwriter with a unique neo-soul style all her own And the lyrics are really personal and heartfelt. The three leads all have especially rich, evocative voices besides the tremendous skill and precision they sing with.

How is the project different than others you have worked on?

Number one thing would be it’s all women, dealing with issues that impact women differently than they would men, and finding solutions that men don’t often utilize.

What do you find most fulfilling about the project?

The work of the actors and chorus. It’s always magical watching the process of words on a page being given life by artists, especially when they’re so gifted and generous. Watching Josie, Antoinette and Marilyn inhabit these different women has been a real treat.

Samson Syharath is a Laotian-American artist, educator, and content creator based in Portland. He’s worked with Northwest Children’s Theatre, Shaking the Tree, Profile Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Coho Theatre. He is the Co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Theatre Diaspora.

Sarah DeGrave

Sarah DeGrave is happy to be joining Portland Revels for the first time. Other recent theatre credits include Kate in The Pirates of Penzance (Anonymous Theatre), Susanna in Desperate Measures (Clackamas Repertory Theatre), Jane in Clever Little Lies (triangle productions!), Lucinda in Into the Woods (Broadway Rose), as well as productions at Stumptown Stages, Milagro, and Seattle Musical Theatre, among others. She can also be seen in the short film By and Bye from Blue Envelope Productions. Learn more about Sarah’s previous and upcoming creative projects at www.sarahdegrave.com. @sing_dance_repeat

Afiq Hisham is a Malaysian-American actor based in the Portland Metro area. While growing up abroad he connected with newspapers, video games and novels for their ability to tell stories in unique ways. He later caught the acting bug after moving to North America, and hasn’t had enough of it since.

You may have seen him in past local stage productions, such as ensemble in Little Women: The Musical at Magenta Theater, Dr. Hurt in Bite Me (A Little) at Imago Theatre, and Dr. Emmet in The Curious Savage at Twilight Theater Company.

When he’s not performing, auditioning or working his communications day job, Afiq spends time with his two adorable cats Cinder and Patches, all while planning the next best time for a musical theater karaoke night.

Charlotte Zenzano is honored to bring the role of Lila to life.

In the past, they have performed with Roots And All Theatre Ensemble, Northwest Theatre Workshop, Theatre Diaspora, and Gather Repertory Theatre. They are also a company member with Gather Rep (@gatherrepertory). Outside of theater, Charlotte explores art in many forms, such as film production (@vi.arts.co), dance, poetry, and songwriting. Shout out Concerned Artists of the Philippines Portland Chapter, where they use their passions in the fight for national democracy in the Philippines (@cap.pdx)

Abby Pasion-Yang is a Filipina American actor, writer, and educator based in Portland with over a decade of experience in the performing arts. Abby’s work can be seen and heard across various mediums, including theatre, TV, film, and voice over. Notable clients include Warner Bros, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. When Abby isn’t memorizing lines or recording auditions, you can find her teaching high school social studies in the Portland area! Abby is represented for onscreen and voice over work by Harris Talent Agency and In Both Ears PDX.

Lawrence Siulagi (Avi) is a multidisciplinary stage and filmmaker. He has been involved in over 100 productions in Portland since 2013. He is a resident artist at both Milagro and Bag&Baggage Theatre, where he directs, acts, designs sound and projections, and composes music. Recently, he designed sound for Sojourner for PassinArt and directed Bernardo Cubría’s The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote at Milagro. His recent acting credits include The Rainbow Passage (as Kumar) at 21ten and Fezziwig’s Fortune (Fezziwig) at Twilight Theatre. He has also worked with Oregon Children’s Theatre, PassinArt, CoHo Theatre, and Crave Theatre. Originally from San Diego, Lawrence earned a Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts (with a directing emphasis) from San Diego State University and studied film editing and marketing at the University of Southern California.

Cassidy is a multi-disciplinary artist excited to be a part of Re-Rite, which intersects her love for art and connection to her Filipino-Japanese heritage. She previously performed in the ensemble for RePresented, an original Filipino musical, which resparked her love of theatre and opened the doors to Re-Rite. Cassidy is also an active community organizer, particularly as a member of Concerned Artists of the Philippines, an artist organization dedicated to advocating for pro-people power in the Philippines.

My name is Justine! I am a healthcare worker by day, and hobbyist digital and film photographer, Filipino community organizer, and performer when I’m not on the job! Getting up onstage to perform is a way for me to express the gifts that always felt like chicken soup swirling within my head.

I had previously performed as MC André from Jhustin Custodio’s Filipino hip hop musical Re-Presentation and Re-Presented! Overall, it’s really fun to just hop into another character’s shoes and not be myself. To adopt someone else’s life, perspective, aspirations, and overall personality is just so fascinating to me. Woah boom! Everything starts to make sense in time. Words start to form, I speak sentences, and soon enough, I begin to formulate a whole paragraph.

Kristina Carpio, based in Portland, Oregon, is a Filipina community organizer, artist, and cultural worker who believes storytelling is a tool for both resistance and healing. Her work centers on creating trauma-informed, community-rooted spaces that uplift underrepresented voices and empower youth to step into their leadership.

She previously appeared as Jac, one of the leading MCs in Re-Presented, an original Pilipino hip-hop musical directed by Jhus Custodio. The work foregrounds Filipino-American representation through a production written, directed, and performed by Filipinos, while challenging audiences to engage with complex questions around identity and visibility.

Beyond the stage, Kristina serves as a Youth Essentials Coordinator with the nonprofit REAP Inc., where she works with students at Meadow Park Middle School to build student-driven leadership programs. Her work focuses on various leadership curriculums with a focus on school success, college readiness, and community leadership.

In Re-Rite, she moves between both a choir member and the show’s lead costume designer. Whether performing or designing, she approaches her artistry with deep intention, weaving culture, identity, and story into every layer of the piece.

Shantelle has been musically involved for the majority of her life, and thoroughly enjoys being a part of many musical projects. She is a graduate from the University of Oregon who currently works in construction but thrives off of her involvement in the musical community. Being a part of her hometown’s production of The Little Mermaid sparked her love for musical theatre, and now she is so grateful to be a part of the Re-Rite’s choir ensemble this season! She has extended experience in being a part of a musical group as she is also an alumni of the University of Oregon’s gender-inclusive a cappella group, Mind the Gap. Currently she is a member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines and continues to create music and art in more ways than one for her community.

Wynee Hu (she/her/hers) is a Portland-based actor whose theatre credits include Corrib Theatre (Metaverse, Kissing the Witch, Eclipsed, Hurl); Portland Center Stage and Artists Repertory Theatre (understudy for The Great Leap); and Profile Theatre (understudy for King of the Yees.) She has also worked with Hand2Mouth Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theater, Fuse Theatre Ensemble, Bag&Baggage Productions, Boom Arts, Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE,) LineStorm Playwrights, PDX Playwrights, Theatre Diaspora, and Speculative Drama. She plays multiple characters in the Exoplanetary podcast series. (https://exoplanetary.libsyn.com/) Wynee is an associate producer for Lunchbox, an independent film. (lunchboxthefilm.com) For updates about Wynee’s artistic activities, visit https://www.wyneehu.com/.

Kate is thrilled to be returning to the stage after a brief hiatus from acting. She grew up in Olympia, Washington performing from the age of 8 in local theaters such as Capital Playhouse and Olympia Family Theater. She spent her first 2 years of college in Paris, France at the American University of Paris and then graduated from Boston University with a minor in theatre. Some of her favorite roles include Lilith (She Kills Monsters), May Amelia (Our Only May Amelia), Kate Keller (The Miracle Worker), Vivienne (Legally Blonde), Kim (Bye Bye Birdie) and Hecate (Macbeth).

Dominic is a lifelong performing arts aficionado and proud queer Filipino-American artist! He is excited to work with both Portland Revels and Theatre Diaspora for the first time, and also work on his second show written and directed by Jhus Custodio, following Re-Presented with PSU Kaibigan, in which he played Tony Luna! Recent credits include Ride the Cyclone (TTC) as Noel u/s, Into the Woods as the Narrator and Once on this Island as Armand (WST), Little Shop of Horrors as Mr. Mushnik and Hairspray as IQ (PCC), The Prom (NCP), Seussical as the Grinch, The Music Man as Marcellus, Something Rotten!, and The Addams Family (SFA). Dominic also has experience as a house manager, stage manager and assistant director. He is a PSU theatre/business alumnus who currently works FOH positions with The Reser, Portland Center Stage, and Portland’5. Follow his arts adventures on IG @domseestheatre!

Matthew Savino is thrilled to be part of the Choir/Ensemble, where he fully intends to blend in… except for the moments when he forgets and sings like he’s at karaoke. When he’s not onstage, Matthew can be found belting 90s hits, hiking Oregon’s trails, or impatiently waiting for paddleboarding weather to return. He sends love to his friends and family, who tolerate all the above

Max Seger (they/them) is thrilled to be a part of this show with this amazing cast and crew. They have previously been seen at Magenta Theater, Imago Theater, Prometheus Productions, and Mock’s Crest Opera. They are endlessly grateful to their supportive and wonderful friends and partners, and of course their fabulous cat, Sir Henry Applesauce. They hope you will see the vulnerability, love, and joy here, and that you will be brave enough to reflect it back to the world.

Mike Cino

Mike Cino (he/they) has been with the Portland Revels since 2007, starting production management in 2010, but his Revels past started in DC Revels’ 2000 teen chorus. Outside of doing production management for the Revels, he is an IATSE journey stagehand, a medical educator, a part of Fuse Theatre Ensemble’s nonprofit board, and much more. Some recent stage work includes most of Portland’s Broadway season, a smattering of opera and ballet, and many arena concerts. Elsewise, Mike spends much time with his 13-year-old, his plants, and a cat.

Viola Horton

Viola is pleased to be working with the Design Team at Portland Revels. Her most recent show was “Spear” at Corrib Theatre, working as Costume Designer. Prior Shows include ”Myra’s Story” as Costume Technician with Lead Costume Designer Gregory Pulver, also with Corrib Theatre, “American Fast” as Lead Costume Designer with Artist Repertory Theatre, Costume Technician with Passinart Theatre in “A Song For Coretta”, Portland Playhouse in “Bella! An American Tall Tale”, and Artist Repertory Theatre in “The Children” with Lead Costume Designer Wanda Walden. Other collaborations include Costume Technician work on an independent film called “Gone Two”, with Lead Costume Designer Ashley Russell, and many other theatre productions around the Portland Metro area. She is the owner of Every Body’s Beautiful, sewing, tailoring and alterations and PanAfrican Hip, an Afrocentric menswear line that was featured in the Spring 2020 catalog edition of Africa Imports – Authentic African Fashions & More. She holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education, from Lewis & Clark College, and a certificate in Apparel Design from the Portland Fashion Institute. She and her husband Steve enjoy spending time with their daughter Stephanie and granddaughter Naomi, going to live theatre, play readings, travelling, spending time on the beach, and working on various home improvement projects.

Jesi Robison

Jesi (she/her) has a BA in Theater Production Management from the University of Portland. Most notably she worked on projects like the Tiny Chef Show, In The Know, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at Shadow Machine. However, she can still be found in and around the theatre, whether it be designing, performing, managing, or directing. Her most recent credits include Stage Managing for the Children’s Revels show Little Lights. She is excited to be back with Revels to continue making magic together.

Samantha “Sam” Kemp is a Portland-based creator, artist, and lighting designer for live performance. Born and raised in the tiny town of Lindenhurst, New York before moving to Las Vegas in her adolescence, Sam has always managed to weasel her way into artful spaces despite cultural pressures to stick to the status quo. Design credits include 8-Track: Sounds of the 70s and Les Misérables at The Broadway Rose, The Other Place, Athena, and Chekhov!: 3 Farces at 21ten Theatre, Racecar Racecar Racecar at Artists Repertory Theatre, Tiger Style! with Profile Theatre,Recent Tragic Events with Third Rail Repertory Theatre, and The Glass Menagerie at Shaking the Tree.

Sophina Flores

Sophina (she/ella) is the founder of local dance theatre company Roots and All Theatre Ensemble, centering marginalized identities and breaking the boundaries of realism. You may have seen her directing there, with Liminal and The Between Spaces with Ritual Treatment coming this summer. Other directing credits include Little Women, A Slight Ache, Romeo and Juliet, and Noises Off! As a theatre maker, playwright, deviser, and choreographer, her work centers the intersectionality of identities as a bisexual Puerto Rican woman, and prominently features themes of mental illness and trauma, with surrealist or magical realist motifs. She’s delighted to share this beautiful show with you!

Kyra Sanford

Kyra Sanford is a freelance scenic designer, painter, technical director, and props designer, working for companies such as Corrib, Bag&Baggage, Broadway Rose, Northwest Classical, Coho, Milagro, and various others. She is currently the technical director and resident scenic designer at Clark College. She received her BFA in Scenic Design from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. Instagram: @sanfordscenic

Olivia Vavroch

Olivia Vavroch is a designer whose work incorporates texture, artifacts, and layers of playful details to tell stories of compassion and emotional interconnectivity across time and space. Recent credits include Profile Theatre (Samsara), Third Rail (Infinite Life), PassinArt (God’s Favorite), Fuse (Arsonist) and The Actors Conservatory/Portland Shakespeare Project (Hamlet). Other selected credits include Imago (The Seafarer), Crave Theatre (Ashland), and Speculative Drama (Titus Andronicus). Through her Vavroch Glass & Art Studio, Olivia currently teaches stained glass and prop food sculpture classes at PCC and has taught art at PHAME Academy and to kids K-12 in the Greater Portland area. Olivia is currently developing a new body of multimedia sculptures and garments that visualize the impacts of generational and complex trauma in the body.

2026 Spring Revels:

Re-Rite

When three artists work to navigate love and family expectations, they must ask whether renewal comes from preservation – or from daring to remake tradition together.

Re-Rite, a collaboration with Theatre Diaspora, is an original Asian-American musical that reimagines South and Southeast Asian traditional dance music through contemporary, beat-driven songs, and storytelling with movement, a live choir and a celebration of community.

Artistic Team

Directed by Jhus Custodio & Oliver Evangelista
Co-Written by Oliver Evangelista & Jhus Custodio
Music Director: Daye Thomas

Spring Revels ON TOUR!

A core part of our Spring Revels program is when we bring the productions on tour to community spaces, making the work accessible to a broader audience. The dates, times and locations of our Revelation Coffee touring performances are:

THANK YOU FOR COMING!

Did you already see Re-Rite? We would love to hear your feedback! Complete our short audience survey by clicking below. Thank you in advance for your input.

audience survey

May 9th, 7:30pm: APANO 082 Community Space. CLICK HERE for more information and to RSVP.

May 16th: Filipino Bayanihan Center. Contact them directly for more information!

Artistic Team

Jhus Custodio

Co-Director / Co-Writer / Co-Composer

Daye Thomas

Music Director / Composer

Oliver Envangelista

Co-Director / Co-Writer

Samson Syharath

Producer

Cast

Samson Syharath

Somchai

Afiq Hisham

Arjun

Char Zenzano

Lila

Abby Pasion-Yang

Evelyn

Lidet Viravong

Uncle Oudet

Lawrence Siulagi

Avi

Cassidy Kusumoto

Jenny

Justine Boringot

Robert

Chorus

Kristina Carpio

Shantelle Canete

Danica Gascon

Wynee Hu

Kate Hayes

Dominic Mallari

Natalis Savanh

Matt Savino

Max Seger