Go Dog. Go!
Directed by Sarah Jane Hardy & John Ellingson
Run time: 60 minutes, no intermission
Adapted by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz
Adapted from the book “Go, Dog. Go!” by P.D. Eastman
Copyright ©1961 by P.D. Eastman | Copyright renewed © 1989 by Mary L. Eastman
Music Composed by Michael Koerner
“Do You Like My Hat?” Lyrics by Michael Koerner
Produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences
Thank you to our sponsors!
Regional Arts and Culture Council
Kafoury McDougal: Lawyers for the People
Oregon Arts Commission
Oregon Cultural Trust
Pacific Office Automation
NWCT’s Donor Families
Media sponsors:
PDX Parent
The Oregonian/Oregon Live
NW Kids
ICAN Radio
Special thanks to A-WOL Dance Collective!
Cast
MC DOG: John Ellingson
HATTIE: Sophie Mackay
BLACK DOG: Taylor Dearinger
BLUE DOG: Emma Lombard
GREEN DOG: Jayna Cloud
PURPLE DOG: Gowri Ganesh, Taylor Putzek
RED DOG: Josie Overstreet
WHITE DOG: Ella Moley
YELLOW DOG: Asher Smith
Creative Team
DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER: Sarah Jane Hardy
CO-DIRECTOR & SCENIC/PROPERTIES DESIGNER: John Ellingson
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Rody Ortega
VOCAL DIRECTOR: Sophie Mackay
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Carl Faber
SOUND DESIGNER: Henry Martin
COSTUME DESIGNER: Mary Eggers
LEGO BRICK DESIGN TEAM: Tyler Clites, Jeff Sanders, Erik Mattson
STAGE MANAGER: Max O’Hare
Production & Support
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Sarah Jane Hardy
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: John Ellingson
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Steve Hambrick
MASTER CARPENTER: Paul Brown
BOARD OPERATOR: Henry Martin
BACKSTAGE CREW: Alina Klimecky, Flip Chen, Roger Monroe
COSTUME SHOP MANAGER: Nancy Christy
STITCHERS: Claudia LaRue, Michelle Wiley, Tevis Hockenbury
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Rachael Brown
PHOTOGRAPHY: David Kinder
VIDEOGRAPHY: Jillian Jackson
GRAPHIC DESIGN: SUCHa Production
Meet the Cast
John Ellingson (MC Dog) is thrilled to be back on stage in his first role since Gerald in Elephant & Piggie’s: “We Are in a Play!”
“The theatrical elements of this show take root in clowning and circus, which is where I got my start! It’s full of physical play, which is one of my favorite ways to work.”
John has delighted audiences in numerous NWCT shows. Memorable roles include Mr. Wormwood in Matilda, Bert in the 2014 production of Mary Poppins (Drammy Award for best actor), Prince Bobby in Cinderella, Cat in the Hat in Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka, Pigeon in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, MC Dog in Go Dog Go, and Pooh Bear in The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
John’s favorite dog is costume designer Mary Eggers’ dog Diego. “Diego is a blue heeler, just like my daughter’s favorite cartoon character – Bluey! He is intelligent, intense, and so much fun. It’s a joy to see how he includes my daughter into his pack.”
Sophie MacKay (Hattie) is so excited to be back on the NWCT Mainstage for the first time since 2016! She has worked with the company since age 10, appearing in the title roles for both Snow White and Cinderella.
A born-and-raised Portlander, Sophie graduated from Muhlenberg College in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Theater. Memorable college roles include The Witch (Into the Woods) and Skylar (Bring It On). You may also have seen her as Susie (Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook, Broadway Rose Theater Company), Princess Ember (The Kiss, Lakewood Theatre Company), or Emily Hobbs (Elf the Musical, also LTC).
Sophie’s eight-pound Havapoo Milo is one of her best friends on the planet! “He goes almost everywhere I go, sometimes in his sling, like a literal baby,” she says.
Up next, catch Sophie as Rose in Bridgetown Conservatory’s production of Dogfight, and stay tuned for another project this holiday!
Asher Smith (Yellow Dog) is back for her second show at The Judy! You may have seen Asher in the ensemble of Cinderella last year.
Asher’s favorite NWCT memory is all the little girls who came to Cinderella in princess dresses.
“They would get up and dance around in their chairs,” Asher recalls. “It was really cool to see a show I was in inspiring kids like the shows I saw when I was younger.”
Fun Facts: Asher’s favorite carnival activities include playing games and eating cotton candy. Her go-to sandwich order is a mini-veggie without tomatoes.
Ella Moley (White Dog) is thrilled to be performing with the cast of Go, Dog. Go! A junior at St. Mary’s Academy, Ella recently appeared as Ali in Mamma Mia and as The Stepmother in Into the Woods. You may have seen her at The Judy as The Queen in Cinderella!
Ella’s favorite NWCT memory is performing Les Misérables after just one week of rehearsals. She says that the Catalyst summer intensive was “crazy” and “so much fun to pull off in that amount of time!”
While not onstage, Ella enjoys singing, baking, traveling, and discussing Disney or Star Wars. Her go-to sandwich order is roast beef with pickles, and she adores her two westies, Phoebe and Dobby.
Ella would like to thank Sarah Jane and John for the opportunity to perform with Mainstage, as well as her family and friends for cheering her on.
Emma Lombard (Blue Dog) can’t wait for her next show with NWCT! Previously, she appeared as a Squirelle in Elephant & Piggie’s: We Are in a Play! and as Hortensia in Matilda the Musical.
So far, Emma’s favorite NWCT memory is performing in Catalyst’s summer intensive, A Chorus Line.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had at summer camp!” she shares.
Fun Fact: One dog that makes Emma happy is her black lab Bailey.
“She acts like a lap dog, even though she’s three times the size of one!” Emma says. “But she is very adorable and loves to play tug of war.”
Gowri Ganesh (Purple Dog) is ready for Go Dog. Go! A proud member of NWCT’s youth company Catalyst, Gowri is also very involved in her high school theater department and acts as co-president of her thespian troupe.
Some of Gowri’s favorite roles include a Squirelle in NWCT’s Elephant & Piggie, Mowgli in our production of The Jungle Book, and Marmee in Westview High School’s Little Women.
Gowri’s go-to sandwich order is a caprese panini. When it comes to carnivals or amusement parks, she likes roller coasters or anything that goes upside down. Gowri would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her.
Jayna Cloud (Green Dog) can’t wait for this wacky musical!
“I have never done this many different activities (roller skating, zooming around in a prop car, etc.) in one show before!” she shares. “I love learning and practicing new skills.”
Previously, Jayna appeared as Clarice in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and as Pustula in Catalyst’s Cinderella. Some of her favorite NWCT memories are from talk-backs after school shows.
“There is nothing more exciting than introducing young kids to the magic of theater. Their questions – on topic or not – never disappoint,” she says.
Jayna’s favorite part of going to the amusement park is the spinny rides, like teacups or twisters. Her childhood dog Mable will always be close to her heart.
Josie Overstreet (Red Dog) is thrilled for her NWCT Mainstage debut!
Josie’s most memorable roles include Martha in The Secret Garden (Central Catholic Drama) and Lavender in Matilda (Lakewood Theater). Her favorite NWCT memory is performing in Catalyst’s 2022 production of Shrek JR. She played Dragon!
Fun Fact: The dog that makes Josie happiest is Flora, her mini Ausidoodle.
“She turns four this year!” Josie shares. “She’s super smart, though she hasn’t learned to drive a car quite yet!”
Josie would like to thank her parents for supporting her, as well as her best friends (EEJJ!) for always making her laugh.
Taylor Dearinger (Black Dog) is so thankful to NWCT for supporting her in her musical theater journey. Now a member of Catalyst, Taylor has been dancing for eleven years and performing theater for nine.
So far, Taylor’s favorite memory with the company is being the swing for Rudolph and Hermey in last winter’s production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
“I was intimidated at first, but (director) Sarah Jane and the process of the show itself made me so much more confident,” she recalls. “Watching those kids’ faces in the audience light up will always stay with me.”
One dog close to Taylor’s heart is her golden retriever, Winnie.
“She’s always full of energy and making my family laugh,” Taylor says.
Taylor Putzek (Purple Dog) is making her Mainstage debut! Previously, Taylor appeared in The Wardrobe and as Grace Farrell in Annie JR.
Fun Fact: Taylor has a dog named Charlie! She loves to bring him to the beach and go on walks together.
“I am actually getting a new dog in two weeks as well, right before opening!” Taylor shares. “We are getting a golden retriever puppy.”
Taylor would like to thank Sarah Jane, John, and Sophie for all their support and guidance throughout the show!
Meet the Creative Team
Sarah Jane Hardy (Co-Director & Choreographer) loves creating live theater for children because of all the amazing artists she gets to collaborate with, and because children are such great audiences! As Artistic Director of NWCT, Sarah Jane has directed and choreographed many Mainstage productions including Matilda, Mary Poppins, Chitra: The Girl Prince, and many more.
Sarah Jane first directed Go Dog. Go! in 2005 and that production holds a special place in her heart. Her daughter Charlie had her 3rd birthday party at a performance and was invited to get up and dance with the cast. “Seeing my two worlds collide on stage was something I’ll never forget!”
“It’s a very physical show,” Sarah Jane says. “Just like the book, there aren’t many words, and yet we learn all about the characters and their world. We know exactly what’s going on and the fun is infectious!”
Fun Fact: Sarah Jane has been working with Go, Dog. Go! co-director John Ellingson for 20 human years, or 100 dog ones.
John Ellingson (Co-Director and Scenic & Properties Designer) is Northwest Children’s Theater’s Associate Artistic Director. After painting more than 60 sets for the company, his duties ballooned to include set design, property design, directing, puppet making, and more.
John’s been designing sets and props for NWCT for the last 8 years, receiving multiple Drammy awards including mask design for The BFG (2013), special design for James and the Giant Peach (2014), and set design for Mary Poppins (2015), which also received a PAMTA award for Outstanding Set & Prop Design.
His proudest design achievements include Matilda the Musical, The Cat in the Hat, James and the Giant Peach, Elephant and Piggie: We Are in a Play!, and The Little Mermaid.
John studied puppetry in the U.K after being the recipient of the Portland Civic Theater Guild’s Leslie O. Fulton Fellowship which led to creating NWCT’s Starling series, for which he designed and fabricated over 50 original puppets, and took home another Drammy for outstanding puppetry.
Rodolfo Ortega (Music Arranger and Orchestrator) is back at NWCT! Previously, Rodolfo composed original music for company productions of Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, and El Zorrito. One of his favorite NWCT memories is seeing the Dragon come through the audience during Snow White.
Rodolfo’s regional theater credits include Nicole Is Having a Baby and Flex (Humana Festival of New American Plays); Native Gardens (Cleveland Playhouse); Metamorphoses (Seattle Rep); Romeo and Juliet and Tenth Muse (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Monster Builder (South Coast Repertory); Three Musketeers (Denver Center); Tempest, Hamlet, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and Venus and Fur (Santa Cruz Shakespeare); 1984, La Ruta, Magellanica, and The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Artist Repertory Theater).
A musician as well as a composer, Rodolfo received his masters from the Manhattan School of Music. In 2019, his work was selected for inclusion in the Prague Quadrennial.
Fun Facts: Rodolfo’s favorite hat is his La Carreta hat from Puerto Vallarta. His favorite sandwich is peanut butter and jelly.
Sophie Mackay (Vocal Director) is an NWCT teaching artist, as well as our executive assistant. She owns and operates Sophie MacKay Studios, teaching vocal lessons in person and online.
Fun Fact: Sophie’s go-to sandwich order is caprese on a baguette with pesto! If she’s feeling fancy, she’ll swap mozzarella for burrata.
Carl Faber (Lighting Designer) is back turning lights on and off for all his friends at NWCT! Some of his favorite shows with us include Chitra: The Girl Prince, Mary Poppins, and the many versions of Elephant & Piggie’s: “We Are in a Play!”
From Portland to Poland, Broadway and back, Carl has helped design lighting for live performances all over the world. His experiences range from plays and musicals to cruise ships, found spaces, and concert halls. Find him at carlfaber.com.
Mary Eggers (Costume Designer) started her career in costume design at NWCT 18 years ago! A multi-award winning designer, Mary is passionate about youth theater and storytelling through clothes. Standout shows include Snow White, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, and Cinderella. Plus, fun fact: Mary’s favorite NWCT memory is when the company did Go, Dog. Go! for the first time in 2008.
“It marked a turning point in how Sarah Jane, John, and I approached our creative work together, and was the catalyst for a new era of my career as a designer,” Mary says.
Mary left NWCT in 2010 to pursue an MFA in Design at UC San Diego. Afterwards, she traveled the country working as a design associate to Paul Tazewell. Alongside Paul, she was part of the Helen Hayes Award-winning team for Side Show at The Kennedy Center. Mary eventually landed at the La Jolla Playhouse where she worked as the Costume Director until she and her husband returned to Portland in 2017.
What’s most important to know about Mary is that she adopted her super serious, ball-obsessed Australian Cattle Dog, Diego, in 2021. “He is certainly a dog on the go!” Mary shares.
Mary would like to shout out Nancy Christy and the Costume Shop crew for all of their incredible hard work on this show – and many others through the years!
Max O’Hare (Stage Manager) is ready for Go, Dog. Go!
Currently NWCT’s production coordinator, Max was stage manager for The Halloween Ball. Memorable NWCT performing credits include Starling in The Starlings Present: Dinosaurs! and Friar Tuck in Robin Hood.
Max’s favorite memory with the company is from one of Robin Hood’s first rehearsals.
“(Director) Sam Burns had us play a makeshift game of capture the flag– the merry band vs. the sheriff and his soldiers. It was simultaneously the strangest and most fun rehearsal I’ve ever been a part of,” Max recalls.
Max recently graduated from Wesleyan University with a double major in the College of Social Studies and Theater. While at Wesleyan, he appeared as Malvolio in Twelfth Night and as the title character in Everybody.
Max will be back at NWCT for another show this summer, The Little Prince!
Tyler Clites (LEGO Brick Design) is best known as the winner of the premier season of FOX’s LEGO Masters, and his LEGO creations have been featured in many diverse locations from LEGOLAND New York to the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark, the home of LEGO.
Tyler fell in love with the endless creative possibilities of LEGO as a child, and his ability to create highly expressive characters as well as strong technical builds soon turned a beloved hobby into a career. Tyler primarily works with corporate clients providing virtual and in-person events, designing custom kits, and creating large-scale art sculptures working with companies such as Google, Dell, DHL, Adobe, and Splunk.
Tyler has been the featured guest on numerous shows and new outlets and his artwork has been featured in various books and publications such as The Art of LEGO Design, Beautiful LEGO, and more. He currently resides in the world-renowned art community of Sarasota, Florida, with his wife and two children. Follow Tyler on IG at @tylerbuilds.
Jeff Sanders / Brick Bending (LEGO Brick Design) is a huge fan of NWCT and The Judy, and has been supporting the organization for more than 20 years. His NWCT bona fides include playwriting credits on three productions (Sleepy Hollow, Swiss Family Robinson, Sherlock) and an eerily accurate cameo as a zombie in Night of the Living Dead.
Jeff’s LEGO artwork has been seen nearly 250 million times across online platforms–from the front page of Reddit to features by YouTube, the LEGO Group, and more–as he explores the geometric patterns inherent in the ubiquitous bricks.
Jeff has exhibited LEGO artworks around the Pacific Northwest, and shipped original commissioned art pieces around the world, including the 10 square meter mega-build ‘Ten Point Geometry in Brick’ for the 2019 Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival in the United Arab Emirates. Follow Jeff on IG at @brickbending.
Erik Mattson (LEGO Brick Design) is a local Portland LEGO artist specializing in artwork that evokes wonder in moments of natural beauty.
Erik’s prolific work, year after year, has received numerous awards including an 80,000 piece LEGO lighthouse (2014) on display at Randalls Children’s Hospital, an 8’ high Multnomah Falls on display at the Multnomah County Building, a 32’ scale model of Portland’s iconic St John’s Bridge (2019) displayed at both the PDX Airport and the Portland Historical Museum, and most recently his stunning 250,000 piece rendition of a PNW reef which won the People’s Choice award at Bricks Cascade 2024.
Follow Erik on IG at @erikmattsonbricks.
Visit us in the lobby to enter to win a one-of-a-kind LEGO brick dog from the show!
