By 2006, Greasepaint had become the driving organization of SCP/Greasepaint, changing its focus from an ordinary community theater company to one of the country’s premier youth theaters. Known For: Greasepaint trains, teaches and mentors kids from five all the way through their college years. “We have students studying for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in performing arts in schools throughout Europe and in all of the best schools in the U.S. And all of these kids call Greasepaint their first theater home,” said Maureen Dias-Watson, Greasepaint’s executive and artistic director. This fall alone, Greasepaint boasts three alumni taking lead roles on Broadway stages, four releasing major motion pictures, and six who will appear in upcoming Netflix and Apple TV+ projects. “Many of our alums have gone on to work professionally in the arts,” Dias-Watson said. “Many more are doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers and moms and dads themselves now.” An integral part of Scottsdale’s Old Town and Arts District, Greasepaint frequently welcomes the children of alumni to the same stage that their own parents played and grew up on. Most Surprising Thing About the Organization: While most theater companies employ between six and 20 full-time staff, Greasepaint has always operated with just one or two full-time employees. Instead of a large team, Greasepaint relies on the dedicated volunteers on its board, in its parent community and among the kids and alumni themselves. “We also hire more than 50 local professionals each year as artistic staff on contract basis — directors, choreographers, musical directors, musicians and costume, set, sound and lighting designers. Our kids perform working with the best the Valley has to offer!” Dias-Watson said. Greasepaint became my the- atre home and gave me a safe place to make mistakes, ex- periment, and truly grow as a performer. When I was a sophomore in high school, Greasepaint was casting Hairspray . I was terrified, but wanted to prove that my past failures did not define me. That show changed everything for me! I joined the Bare Bones Acting Company and then was referred to the Herberger Young Artists Competition that helped pay for my college education. Today I’m a rising senior at NYU, studying Drama with a minor in Producing, just finished my first union Off-Broadway production and am looking forward to what the future holds for my career. But it all starts somewhere! ~Arianna Williams Lead role of Robin in the Off-Broadway production of ‘Eco Village,’ supporting role in the Lifetime feature, ‘Desperate Measures’ starring Denise Richards, and Mattie Campbell in the BAI + Billie Holiday production of Joe Turner’s ‘Come and Gone’ by August Wilson. Greasepaint played a HUGE role in my life and helped shape my success in the arts. I spent a short amount of time there, but feel I was born there. It all started with a few small Greasepaint workshops, when I was prompted to audition for Cinderella and then BOOM! I came back to bend and snap for Legally Blonde . Now thanks to Greasepaint, I hope to touch hearts with the gift of performing and making people laugh for years to come! ~Rachel Redleaf Appearing in the Netflix series, ‘Atypical,’ and Quentin Tarantino’s movie, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ My time at Greasepaint is some of the fondest mem- ories of theatre I have as a teenager. I learned so much, not only about theatre and becoming a better performer, but about camaraderie and working as a team. I made life-long friends and truly wouldn’t trade that time for the world. I also got to teach for the first time at summer camps as an older teenager, which taught me leadership skills I still carry with me today. I felt supported there and guided by the creative team and staff, and experienced playing a leading role for the first time (Gabriella in HSM ), which was a huge moment that propelled me to choose doing theatre for a living. ~Krystina Alabado Gretchen in ‘Mean Girls’ on Broadway Most of my on stage experience has taken place at Greasepaint. I started at Greasepaint when I was 9 years old as Gavroche in Les Misérables . I loved my experience of being in that show so much that I returned to do multiple camps, and five more shows there before I turned 18. I have learned so much, and made so many lifelong friends and memories inside the Stagebrush doors. Getting to play so many different roles in a wide variety of shows, directed by industry professionals, at such a young age was so special. I now have several stage, film and TV projects in the works. ~Casey Likes Starred as William in the Broadway musical, ‘Almost Famous’ and can be seen this summer as the lead in the major motion picture, ‘Dark Harvest’ and as Gene Simmons in the indepdendent film, ‘Spinning Gold’ Greasepaint provided the foundation from which I jumped when I entered the world of professional acting. I was given the opportunity to work on chal- lenging material like RENT and T he Laramie Project that other theatres weren’t allowing teens to explore. I went on to pursue a BFA in Acting & a BA in Africana Studies from UofA. After graduating, I moved to Chicago, where I am currently working as a professional actor, playwright and artistic director of my own theatre company, The Story Theatre. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned at Greasepaint! ~Paul Michael Thomson Actor/Playwright/Artistic Director, The Story Theatre Performing in ‘The Wiz’ at Greasepaint in 2010 was my first time doing a musical. Growing up as a dancer, but loving acting, I had a sense that musicals might be up my alley, but I wasn’t able to exercise that theory until Greasepaint. It was such a safe environ- ment to learn and grow, as well as foster a love for musicals. I now live in New York City and am building a sustainable career as a dancer in musical theatre (national tours, a co-star on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , currently performing at the Joyce Theatre), and still maintaining friendships and connec- tions I made at Greasepaint all those years ago. It’s a core belief of mine that the arts are a vital part of development in adolescence, and I owe part of mine to this theatre. ~Betty Weinberger Broadway National Tours, Co-Star on ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ WE BUILD CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER CHARACTER & CAREERS! CAREERS! Just a few of our notable alumni ... will you be next? The first step onstage I ever had was at Greasepaint before I was even 4 years old. In the following years, I performed too many times to count—summer camps, main stage, workshops—and grew from every experience. Greasepaint cultivated my drive and love for the arts, and I cherish my time there even now (yes, even those 12-hour tech week days)! Not to mention, I worked with incredible professionals and made some of the best friends of my life there. Their support got me to where I am today: graduated from the best drama school in the U.K. and working on a dream project! ~Johnna Watson Featured in the Netflix series, ‘Wednesday,’ directed by Tim Burton, premiering Fall 2022, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jenna Ortega and Gwendolyn Christie Greasepaint gave me some of my best memories and the confidence to purse acting professionally. Throughout high school, I was fortunate enough to perform in multiple Greasepaint productions, including Newsies, Urinetown, and Footloose. Working on these shows at Greasepaint, I became fully immersed in the creative process, collaborating with directors and learning how to work with actors to create magic on stage. Today I have movie and tele- vision credits, starring in the movies Scare Us, Krampus Origins, and most recently, Camp Hideout where I star alongside Corbin Bleu and Christopher Lloyd. With over 10 commer- cials and a guest star on the hit Nickelodeon show Danger Force, I have to give a tremen- dous thank you to everything Greasepaint has done for me as both a performer and a person. ~Ethan Drew Just wrapped leading role in the film, ‘Camp Hideout’ with Corbin Bleu and Christopher Lloyd CHARITY SPOTLIGHT 70 | FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE

Fun Fact: Greasepaint’s board president is Lance Ross of Ross Property Advisors. His mother was the B-movie actress known as Aquanetta, or “The Venezuelan Volcano.” She was one of the Scottsdale leaders instrumental in forming the Scottsdale Community Players and building the Stagebrush Theatre. Organization Highlight: According to Dias-Watson, Arizona is a wonderful place to be a theater kid, but it’s a tough place to earn a living as an artist. To help, Greasepaint commits to hiring alumni when and if they return home to Arizona. The Future: The Stagebrush Theatre, which was designed by architect Joe Wong, has hosted more than 1,000 plays since its construction. It will soon be renovated as part of Scottsdale’s Museum Square Project. “We expect the opportunity for growth to be remarkable, and we are ready and poised for that renewal,” Dias-Watson said. “It’s a dream come true for those of us who work and play here and the thousands of Valley residents who come to be entertained.” To learn more, visit greasepaint.org . 6300 North Central Avenue | Phoenix, AZ 85021 602.274.4866 www.allsaints.org | All Faiths Welcome Pre-K through Eighth Grade | Indexed Tuition Available Designed for their future At All Saints’ we cultivate leaders and thinkers of the future in an atmosphere where proven teaching methods are honored and innovation is encouraged. Our 15-acre campus provides an experience uniquely All Saints’, with ample opportunities for our students to grow, experiment with their passions, and cultivate their character as they develop independence and confidence. Built on our history