Team + Leadership

Wine Curator

In 2009 Tom was the owner of a beloved Capitol Hill wine store. He was asked to pair wines for the very first Café Nordo show, the Modern American Chicken, and that was all she wrote. Since then Tom has curated all the wine flights and wine menus for every show at Nordo. As the host of our popular Wine Tastings, he brings enthusiasm and humor with the goal of entertaining and educating audiences about wine, travel, and most importantly, being together to enjoy food and each other’s company.

Graphic Designer

Jody has spent the last 15 years exploring new ways to engage people emotionally through product and visual design. She has a passion for typography, color, research, housewares, namestorming, radio, and science fiction. She has created the Nordo look and brand, and has designed the majority of our marketing. If you read it at Nordo, or see it on a flyer or poster, chances are it is all Jody.

Writer, Performer and Director, Sara has collaborated with Nordo to showcase edible versions of her Dragon Cycle, with Madame Dragon’s Birthday Bash in 2018, and Dragon Lady and Dragon Mama in 2022 (with a menu provided by the award winning team at Archipelago). Her shows 7th and Jackson and The Angel in the House originated at Nordo. In addition to her own work, she starred in Persimmon Nights and the Kimchi Kittens and To Savor Tomorrow.

Designer

In 2010, Katrina started a bespoke outerwear company called Made in Sodo where she reveled in designing functional garments. As a long-time fan of Café Nordo, she was honored and elated to design the costumes for the Culinarium’s inaugural show “Don Nordo del Midwest”. Since then, she has created the look of Nordo for productions such as Down the Rabbit Hole, Hotel Nordo, Onērus and Lost Falls.

Musician & Multimedia Consultant

Dayton Allemann is a composer and performer who works extensively with emerging technologies. The interplay between live music and video is the main focus of his work. Getting his start as an accompanist and composer in the German theater system, he then worked in Spain as a freelance performer and is now based in Seattle.

Performer

If you joined us for 'Curiouser & Curiouser: The Feast of the Queens' or 'Down the Rabbit Hole' at Nordo post-pandemic, you're already a fan of Jackie's multi-talents. In 2021-22, she charmed as The White Queen, The March Hare, and The Mad Hatter, bringing laughter and delight to Nordo.

Actor

Ray Tagavilla has performed in multiple Nordo shows, highlights include Saul Needle in Sauced and To Savor Tomorrow (2011), The Stranger in Smoked, as well as Christmas is Burning, Hotel Nordo, Persimmon Nights and The Angel in the House.

Alyza has transmitted their art through every aspect of the process - choreographing, movement designing and assistant directing past shows such as Violet’s Attic, Jitterbug Perfume, Witching Hour, Lost Falls, and Persimmon Nights. They have also performed as Tweedle Dee in Curiouser and Curiouser, in the ensemble of Sundown at the Devil’s House, and created new work with our Slow Cooker Program with Diamonds are for Everyone.

Lighting Designer

As a master electrician, Angelo opened the Culinarium in 2015 and was an integral part of operations on our staff through our residence at 109 South Main. As Nordo grew, Angelo’s role shifted to become Production Manager and Resident Lighting Designer. His most recent design was Down the Rabbit Hole at Nordo.

Ronnie has performed in numerous shows in the Culinarium, including The Witching Hour (William), Down the Rabbit Hole (The March Hare) and Jitterbug Perfume (Bingo Pajama, Marcel LeFevre).

Photographer

Bruce has documented nearly every production at Nordo, at every stage in the process. His art is an integral part of our operations, as well as his design and processing of the photos.

Emcee & Chanteur

Devin Bannon is a performer, director and Nordo regular, having performed with Nordo in multiple productions beginning with the first show, The Modern American Chicken. Devin earned his BA in Theatre at Hampshire, was trained in Physical Theatre at l’Accademia dell’Arte, and also performs locally with the Degenerate Art Ensemble, Seattle Immersive Theatre, and Washington Ensemble Theatre.

Photographer

John is a Seattle-based photographer specializing in portraits, headshots, theatrical promotion, and performance photography. John has worked with Café Nordo, Marxiano Productions, The Habit, ACT Theater, the Moisture Festival, and more. Find him at www.cornicello.com or on Instagram at cornicellophoto.

Artistic Contributor

Maximillian Davis has appeared in seven shows for Cafe Nordo: The Modern American Chicken (Original, and Part Deux), To Savor Tomorrow, The Cabinet of Curiosities, Somethin' Burning, Smoked, and El Ingenioso Cocinero Don Nordo del Midwest. He also served as Cocktail Menu designer for Smoked and Bohemia. Particular gratitude is given for the opportunity to have curated the Culinarium's first Drinkers & Thinkers series in 2015.

Artistic Contributor & Painter

Jed Dunkerley has worked full time as a Visual Arts teacher at Franklin High School for the past 12 years. His own creative practices include satirical landscape painting (represented by the Linda Hodges Gallery), making socially-engaging installation art with PDL, writing lyrics/performing music and musical theater, and collaborating in a thousand creative ways with anyone who asks nicely enough.

Artistic Contributor

Joselynn Tokashiki Engstrom is a local producer, performer and arts administrator. She has appeared in two shows for Cafe Nordo: "Smoked" and "El Ingenioso Concinero Don Nordo del Midwest". Joselynn has been behind the scenes from nearly the start working on marketing, fundraising, website admin, menu consultation and helping to open Nordo's Culinarium.

Designer and Actor

Mr. Higgins has been working as an actor, director, fight choreographer, and producer in Seattle since 2005. He has been awarded two Gregory Awards including Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor (2012) and Outstanding Choreography (2016). He has been the artistic director of Balagan Theatre and The Collision Project, and is a founder of Table Flip, Seattle's premier movement direction company.

Properties Designer

Robin is a freelance set and props designer who has worked with over 25 different local companies in the Puget Sound area. Her first production with Nordo was the inaugural Culinarium show, "Don Nordo Del Midwest", and she has enjoyed every new challenge that has come her way since.

Musician

Dave Pascal has appeared in several Cafe Nordo productions. He plays bass with bands including The Love Markets, and Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers (whom he’s joined on several European tours). He performs regularly in the pit of Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Theatre, and in other theater and club bands, recording studios, and has many credits as an album producer and engineer, and as a sound designer for theater and multimedia projects.

Actor

Becky Poole is an actor, writer, voiceover artist, sketch comedian, and musician. She’s done voice work for, Nintendo, Poptarts, & Cartoon Network. She’s a teaching artist with the Unusual Suspects theatre program for underserved and incarcerated youth in LA.Theatre performance includes Café Nordo (Modern American Chicken 1&2), Chicago Children’s Theatre, and the Hypocrites' Gilbert & Sullivan Rep. She played “Tatted Girl” in the Netflix series “Girlboss” and writes feminist murder ballads.

Director

Eddie DeHais (they/them) was the first artist to suggest creating a program at Nordo that developed into our Pressure Cooker new works project, highlighting the debut of their script “Sundown at the Devil’s House” which Eddie wrote, directed, and co-Set Designed. Eddie is an award-winning Franco-American director, designer, choreographer, and writer. Eddie is a worlds-creator and world-traveler making wildly visceral experiences in theater, opera, and interdisciplinary events. Their 18-year background creating rigorous devised physical theater collides with their expertise with traditional dramaturgy, treating every process with infectious curiosity that inspires artists and audiences alike.