Join Us for a Theatrical Journey Through Our Valley’s Stories

Reserve Your Seat for a Unique Performance Event!

Event Details:

Our 2024 One Valley Many Stories Event has come to an end. We thank everyone for their participation and hard work bringing this valley together through these enriching stories.

Cast and Crew

Get To Know The Talent

Angelina

Bio

Angelina graduated with a BFA in Motion Pictures and Television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has appeared in numerous film and theater productions and directs the Mod-Players Improv ensemble with the Artist Lab. Angelina dedicates her performance to her parents, Jim and Celiflora Thompson.

Carlo

Bio

Carlo Martinez fell in love with theater after participating in his first production last Fall. He looks forward to continuing his performances and invites everyone to enjoy the show.

Cassandra

Bio

Cassandra Augusto has been part of the local theater and dance community for over 20 years, starting at age 9. She has showcased talents in performance, costume, hair and makeup design, and direction. Cassandra holds an AA in Dance from MJC and an acting certification from Barbizon. She enjoys outdoor adventures and community connections.

Christina

Bio

Cristina Sandoval, a poet from Modesto, California, dedicates her projects and triumphs to her family. She is a passionate poet, an auntie, and a lover of life, currently residing in Modesto.

Jaime

Bio

Jaime Calderon Alvarez, a poet born in El Timbinal, Guanajuato, México, is proud to be part of this project. He aims to involve the vast Mexican and Hispanic talent that significantly contributes to the country.

Jake

Bio

Jake Leahy, a Central Valley native, is an assistant stage manager and actor in Prospect Theater’s production of “One Valley Many Stories.” A CSU Stanislaus graduate with a degree in Creative Media, Jake is excited to continue his work with Prospect Theater and other creative endeavors in the Central Valley and beyond.

Jennifer

Bio

Jennifer Anne “Rally” Aoyama, a visual artist, has lived in Modesto for nearly two decades. A mother of four, she enjoys family activities and dedicates her piece, “Alone Together,” to those seeking connection. She thanks CA Heartland Creative Corps and Prospect Theater Project for engaging her in the community through performing arts.

Joel

Bio

Joel Johannsen, a Yurok Indian from Arcata, has lived in the valley since 1979 and has been an educational leader for 30 years. Residing in Modesto since 2002, he enjoys gardening, history, and spending time with his family, including his rescue Bully and Doberman princess.

Lorrie

Bio

Lorrie, born in Modesto, has deep roots in Stanislaus County, listening to family stories from her pioneering grandparents. She taught and studied communication skills and practiced as a Marriage Family Therapist for 30 years. Lorrie participates in storytelling through writing short stories, performing with the Funstrummers Ukulele Band, and engaging in improv to foster interpersonal connections through the arts.

Marcos

Bio

Marcos, a Central Valley native, developed a passion for alternative music at 15 and is now involved in the local music scene and concert photography. He holds a BA in Creative Media and blends photography, video, and design into music-centered art. His work captures the emotional resonance of music.

Maribel

Bio

Maribel Torres studied Performing Arts at CSU Stanislaus and The Lir Academy in Dublin, Ireland. She has been involved in acting, co-directing, teaching, house managing, stage managing, writing, and more. Currently, she teaches theater for WMCC and Westside Ministries. Maribel enjoys walks and exploring new food spots in her free time.

Nicole

Bio

Nicole, a 28-year-old Chicana artist from Turlock, CA, is a writer, director, and performer. She fell in love with art through stillness, connection, laughter, and storytelling. Nicole’s journey in “One Valley, Many Stories” has been amazing, and she looks forward to sharing their stories and connecting with the audience.

Renata

Bio

Renata Andrea Navarro De León is a singer and regional theater actress proud to have engaged with and have been enriched by the Central Valley’s performing arts community since 2016. Currently an ensemble member for the arts and advocacy organization In The Margin, she’s been taking time away from the performing to focus on her long-term goal of being a data analyst. 

Rosa

Bio

Rosa Angélica Aranda, a Chicana opera singer and actress, resides in the Central Valley of California. Originally from Watsonville, CA, she earned her BA in Music at CSU Stanislaus. Rosa performs various music styles and regularly sings as a soloist for local churches.

Stephanie

Bio

Stephanie Chiang teaches belly dancing at Alegria Performing Arts Academy in Turlock and has loved dancing and music since she started performing at five. Trained in ethnic dance, ballet, jazz, swing, salsa, and belly dancing, she has been a cabaret belly dancer since 2007, performing regularly at venues and private functions in Northern California. Notable achievements include teaching belly dancing classes since 2007, performing in Egypt (2012) and Turkey (2014), and being a staff soloist at Menara Moroccan Restaurant. She also organized and performed in gala fundraisers and International Dance Day celebrations. For more details, visit stephaniebellydance.com.

Yudelka

Bio

Yudelka Solano, originally from a town outside Santiago, Dominican Republic, is a poet and medical provider in Modesto, CA. She combines poetry with healing, published four books, and takes poetry to underserved students. Vielka also serves as a volunteer medical provider around the world.

Behind The Scenes

Experience the Heartbeat of Our Community

ONE VALLEY, MANY STORIES

Unearthing Stanislaus County’s Diverse Narratives

Overview

Welcome to One Valley, Many Stories, a project brought to you by the Prospect Theater Project in collaboration with the Artist Lab. Funded by the Heartland Grant, we aim to uplift, empower, and unite the diverse communities of Stanislaus County through storytelling and performing arts. Our project is designed to foster social, civic, and cultural growth, focusing on marginalized populations in California’s Healthy Place Index’s bottom quartile.

Video Library

Learn More

Need more information about the project? Watch these videos to get to know the vision behind the project.

Laura Dickinson-Turner

Maribel Torres
(Español)

Jack Souza

Watch Now!

What is the Project About?

The project is a mix of interactive storytelling, interviews, and performances that represent the rich cultural, social, and community-driven narratives in Stanislaus County. Our intent is not just to entertain but to create a heightened sense of awareness about social justice, community engagement, public health, and climate mitigation.

Learn!

Area of Focus

We are committed to concentrating on four significant areas:

Public Health Awareness

Stories that shed light on the community’s efforts and struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Environmental Stewardship

Narratives that focus on water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness.

Civic Engagement

Stories that encapsulate the spirit of democracy, including election participation.

Social Justice and Community Engagement

Narratives that highlight the struggles and triumphs of marginalized communities in social justice quests.

Location

Why Stanislaus County?

Our primary focus is on Stanislaus County because it’s a diverse community with unique stories that often go unheard. We are particularly interested in working with populations living in ZIP codes 95351, 95354, 95358, 95319, 95307, and 95380.

Planning

Our Approach

Advisory Board

We’re bringing together a mix of civic leaders, community heads, and cultural icons to form an advisory group that will guide this initiative. The objective is to identify the most relevant and meaningful stories that represent the essence of Stanislaus.

Interviews and Story Gathering

Through interviews and story collection, we intend to delve deep into the shared experiences of community members. We will consider narratives related to the focus areas and ask questions like:

“How did your family come to Stanislaus County?”
“What are some of your family traditions?”
“What does social justice mean to you?”

Artistic Development and Performances

Stories collected will be molded into performances. We plan to employ up to 36 artists and identify 50 community storytellers for this endeavor. These stories will be presented through workshops and ultimately turned into full-scale productions, guided by experienced artists and directors.

Who We Are

Our Program Developers

Jack Souza

Artistic Director
About

Jack Souza has a BA in Drama from CSU Stanislaus. He has also studied acting at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, at Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, and at The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland. Souza earned his Master’s Degree in Modern Drama from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin. Souza has been working steadily in theater for more than 40 years, principally as an actor, but also as a designer, technician, director, and producer. Memorable productions for Souza include the English language premiere of Karel Steigerwald’s Sorrow, Sorrow, Fear, the Rope, and the Pit in Seattle, Washington, Brian Friel’s Faith Healer for The Eugene O’Neill Foundation in Danville, California, Titus Andronicus at The Lighthouse Theater in New York, New York, and Six Characters in Search of an Author in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Souza’s extensive regional theater credits include Sierra Repertory Theater, Stage 3, Shakespeare on the Vine, Murphy’s Creek Theater, Modesto Performing Arts, Opera Modesto, and Phoenix Creative Collective. He is presently the founding Artistic Director at Prospect Theater Project.

Shannon Stevens

Artistic Coordinator
About

Shannon Stevens has been an active part of the Prospect Theater Project since 2022 when she was cast in a production of Top Girls and again appeared on stage in 2023’s production of Sight Unseen. She continues to co-host PTP’s “Page to Stage,” a community event that offers valued opportunities for audiences to engage more deeply with the texts of the plays at PTP. Outside of PTP, Dr. Stevens is an associate professor of journalism in the English department at CSU Stanislaus where she advises the student newspaper and serves as co-director of the Creative Media major. A writer and scholar with interests in media, film, and oral history, she was drawn to “One Valley, Many Stories” from the start and is thrilled to bring her varied experiences to the project as its artistic coordinator.

Laura Dickinson-Turner

Director
About

Laura Dickinson-Turner was born in California and grew up in Modesto, smack in the heart of the Central Valley. She received her BA in Theatre Arts at CSU Stanislaus, after which she lived in NYC for four years, first working on Broadway for 101 Productions, Ltd., then in the not-for-profit sector as an Executive Assistant at the Institute of International Education.  She returned to Modesto in 2009 and found her theatrical home at Prospect Theater Project, where she has acted, directed, taught, volunteered, and provided administrative support ever since. After her return to the Valley, Laura was the full-time Department Coordinator for the Theatre Department at CSU Stanislaus from 2010-2015.  She received her MA in English Literature from CSU Stanislaus in 2014 and transitioned to college teaching in 2015, as adjunct faculty for the English department at Modesto Junior College.  In 2017, Laura moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her education, receiving her MFA in Television, Film, and Theatre/Acting Option in 2020 from Cal State LA.  While in LA, she performed at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, was a member of Son of Semele Ensemble, and served as the Department Coordinator for the Theatre and Dance Department at Cal State LA from April 2021-June 2024. In the 2024-25 season, she joins Prospect as Associate Artistic Director, working alongside her beloved friend Jack Souza. In the 2025-26 season, Laura will succeed Jack as Artistic Director of Prospect Theater Project, and looks forward to many years of theatre-making at her theatrical home in California’s thriving Central Valley.  You can find her at lauradickinsonturner.com

Support

Our Advisory Board

Stephen Gerringer
Joseph Campbell Foundation

Linda Scheller
MoSt Poetry Center Vice President
KCBP Community Radio Programmer

Kirk Gonzales
Lightspeed Graphics CEO

Maribel Torres
Actor/Musician

Dr. Cueponcaxochitl D. Moreno Sandoval
Associate Professor, Native American and Mexican Indigenous Studies, Ethnic Studies Department at Stan State

Dr. S. Steve Arounsack
Professor of Anthropology; Director, Keck Visual Anthropology Lab (KVAL) at Stan State

Nicole Dunlap
Adjunct Instructor, Communications Studies

Khani Gustafson
CEO, CB Gustafson Consulting LLC and President, NAACP Modesto Chapter

Pierre Noghli
Domara Orchestra Producer and Director

Maria Gabriel
Indigenous Students in Activism representative, Stan State

Maxwell Johannsen
Indigenous Students in Activism representative, Stan State

Learn

TIMELINE

This timeline provides a chronological overview of our project’s key milestones, events, and achievements.

Pre-Production

In this phase, we’ll engage community leaders and form our advisory group. This phase will be carried out mostly at the Prospect Theater Project and the Artist Lab.

Production

We will develop stories and storytelling methods during this phase. A series of improvisational workshops will be conducted.

FREE Public Event

This is when we showcase the polished stories in a series of performances at the Prospect Theater Project, the Artist Lab, and the Modesto Silos.

Post-Production

Post performances, we’ll assess the impact of our program objectives.

Learn

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit my story for consideration?

At this time we are no longer accepting new stories! But, we would love to have you join us for this event! Visit our Box Office to RSVP

Are there any age restrictions for participants?

We’re aiming for a multigenerational audience ranging from 16 to 80+

How do I attend a workshop?

Keep an eye on our ‘Upcoming Events’ section or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

What kind of stories are you looking for?

We’re looking for authentic, compelling stories that highlight civic engagement within our community. This can range from personal acts of advocacy and volunteerism to broader community-driven initiatives. Stories that demonstrate a positive impact, showcase cultural richness, or illuminate the challenges and triumphs of civic participation are especially welcome.

Will I be compensated for my story or participation?

Yes, individuals whose stories are selected for the performance will receive compensation for sharing their narratives. Additionally, if you choose to take part in the actual performance, either behind the scenes or on stage, there will be compensation for your time and involvement.

Can I remain anonymous if my story is selected?

Absolutely. We understand the importance of privacy and the personal nature of some stories. If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will honor your request while ensuring your story is told with the respect and sensitivity it deserves.

How are selected stories adapted into a performance?

Selected stories undergo a creative adaptation process where they are transformed into scripts suitable for the stage. This process involves collaboration with writers, directors, and, most importantly, the storytellers themselves, to ensure the essence and authenticity of the narrative are preserved. We aim to capture the heart of each story, bringing it to life through a blend of dialogue, music, and performance.

Partners

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

We extend our deepest gratitude to the Heartland Creative Corps mission. This journey, filled with stories, performances, and shared dreams, would not have been possible without the generous grant and support we received.

Tickets

Want To Get Involved?

Although we've already selected our particpants and stories, we invite you to be a part of this exciting initiative by supporting us at the event. 

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