Welcome to the world of…
by Angie Kalen and Lesley Shannon
Step into the enchanting world of Bookuchi, an original stage play where literature comes to life! Follow Lisa and her friends on a literary adventure that will inspire both laughter and tears.
Support the Pilot Series
Once upon a time there were two women….
Angie and Lesley. Fate brought them together at a SeriesFest event where they performed scripts written by epically creative 5th graders. They met and became fast friends. Lesley had moved to Denver from the Big Apple and was looking for fellow creatives to assist in writing female focused stories, and Angie had a brilliant idea that she knew needed to be brought to life. Together they started meeting twice a week and for four years labored over the characters and world that became Bookuchi!
Bookuchi follows Lisa and rotates between present day, past flashbacks, and the fantasy Bookuchi world of the bookclub book they are reading. It focuses on close female relationships, the perspective of how we see ourselves versus how others see us, and the funny and precarious situations that life brings our way.
Lesley and Angie wanted to bring this vision and world to a wider audience, but were so eager to share it with all of you, that they needed to perform it as a play first. The play is intended to help raise funds to film the pilot as well. So if you enjoy this performance, or simply want to see more from these characters, please scan the QR code on the last page and donate today!
We appreciate your time and support in making this beautiful vision a reality!
Love,
Angie and Lesley
Angie Kalen is a Denver-based actor and bilingual Spanish/English voice-over artist. In addition to being the co-creator and co-writer of Bookuchi , she is playing the role of Lisa and Directing. She has written, directed, and produced over twenty original stage productions and a myriad of short films, appeared in shows like The Walking Dead.
Angie and Lesley have been developing this story for years. Angie is grateful to share it with you now. Thank you to Todd Babcock and his team at Babcock Studios for giving Bookuchi a home for its inaugural debut.
Favorite books
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, 1,000 White Women by Laura Hicks, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luis Zafón
Lesley Shannon is an actor, singer, and filmmaker born
in Columbus, MS. She went to University of Southern
Mississippi for Music with a minor in Theatre and
continued her acting pursuits in New York City at Stella
Adler Studio of Acting. She can be recognized from
such projects as the singing voice of Chelsea in Barbie’s Dreamtopia. She began producing and creating films several years ago including her own mini musical, Awesome Day! and even hosted and produced a Podcast called Nothing Shines Like Dirt where she and her partner interviewed creatives about taking your career into your own hands. She and Angie have been working on Bookuchi for 4 years now, and she is proud to be a co-creator of Bookuchi. She can’t wait to see it come to life!
Favorite books
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan
The Stage Cast of Bookuchi
Angie Kalen is making her appearance in chapter two as Lisa and the Director, because she’s an overachiever in the best way possible. She is excited to be performing on stage and directing again after years of focus on voice over and on camera work. See full bio in chapter one.
(Another) Favorite Book: Little Women by Louisa May Allcott
Soo Cho (Kyle/Associate Producer) is an actor and filmmaker who recently worked on a short film called Writer’s Envy. She is a student at Babcock Studios and represented by Big Fish Talent Agency here in Colorado. She’s thrilled to be a part of the wonderful Bookuchi world and would like to express her deepest gratitude to the Babcock community for believing in her, and to Alan, for his endless love and support.
Favorite Book: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Audiences may recognize Carly Lepard (Stella) from Showtime’s Waco: The Aftermath or Grounded, a film set to premier on streaming services this fall. Carly has been in over 30 theatrical productions throughout her career and has enjoyed acting since she was a child. Carly is a professional singer who regularly performs at nonprofit events around Denver. She also has a background in improv comedy and owns her own voiceover company. Before she started acting in TV and film, Carly worked at multiple non-profit organizations. Carly is a published writer and public speaker, and is driven by a passion for assisting women walking through eating disorder recovery.
Favorite Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Kelly Stockelman (Heidi) is a Denver-based actress and is proud to be making her theater debut in the production of Bookuchi. Born and raised in Colorado, Kelly received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Xavier University and her PhD in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Kelly began her acting journey in 2022 when she joined Babcock Studios. At Babcock Studios, she found a mentor who believed in her and encouraged her to pursue her dreams. She is currently studying acting under Todd Babcock. Kelly extends her deepest gratitude to theBookuchi producers for casting her and to all of those who have come to watch the performance. She would also like to thank Todd Babcock, the Babcock Studios Community, and her family for their unwavering support.
Favorite Book: The Man Who Touched His Own Heart by Rob Dunn
Ricky Perry (Jeff/Choreographer/Assistant Director) began his journey in the world of entertainment as a hip hop dancer. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a BFA in Dance. Honing his skills through teaching and performing with rhythm and style. His dance film, Play-Doh, set the stage for his transition to filmmaking. With the small success on the festival circuit , Ricky wants to explore other forms of expression within the performing arts which led to acting. He has been fortunate enough to get casted in various small roles in independent films and local productions. His willingness to invest in himself doesn’t stop there. He also is a stunt performer. Not only does this help evolve his movement as a dancer but can expand his range in roles as an actor.
Favorite Book: Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
Naomi Kalen (Madison/Costume Design) is a LA talent. She’s appeared in on stage productions, features and short films. Naomi is excited about this project and she hopes you enjoy, Bookuchi !
Favorite Book: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Lesley Shannon is making her appearance in chapter two as the voice of Georgia, Assistant Director, and Sound Designer. This is her first time creating sound for a show, and she has had some much appreciated guidance from her husband, Brandon. This is also her debut assistant directing, and she’s really loving taking a break from being on stage and leading behind the scenes. See full bio in chapter one!
(Another) Favorite Book: Discovery of Witches by Debroah Harkness
Madison Stearman (Roman/Social Media Guru) is an actor and model located in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado. For as long as she can remember, Madison’s imagination has engulfed her mind and filled her days with writing music, dance performances for her family, and acting out imagined scenarios with her best friends. Singing in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve became a regular family tradition. As her teenage years approached she spent most of her time writing poetry, music, and taking commercial, theatrical, and fundamental acting classes. Being a part of this production is an absolute honor and she is proud to encourage the timeless art of acting. She sends many thanks to her mom for showing her that being ‘normal’ is boring and to the strong women of Bookuchi for giving their all to such an amazing performance.
Favorite Book: I Like You Just the Way I Am by Jenny Mullen
Nia Alvalaz (Benny/Stage Manager) is an actor who has worked on roles from Guilty by Vice to her most recent Sour Ground. She has studied with GMP acting and is taking scene study classes at Babcock Studios. She has a passion for learning languages, loves to hike and travel. She is very excited to be part of Bookuchi’s inaugural performances at Babcock Studios and is looking forward to its success!
Favorite Book: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Satwika Sabal (Understudy) is an actor that has been performing on camera for the last few years and is now pursing acting full- time. Before her journey into acting, she worked in sales and marketing, and earned two MBAs, the most recent from GCU London.
Favorite Book: Upon an Old Wall Dreaming by Ruckin Bond
Then there was Lily (Dresser)! Lily has been involved in acting since they were about ten years old. This is their first time being behind the scenes for a production as the dresser. Any quick costume changes you see will have been made possible by Lily.
Favorite Book: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Dalton Metz (Lighting & Sound) has acted or been a tech in over 40 shows over the past 15 years. Some of his most notable roles have been as Moritz in Spring Awakening, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, and Edna in Hairspray. He is very excited to help bring this original work to life and hopes it is the beginning of many shows to come from incredibly talent- ed minds here at Babcock Studios.
Favorite Book: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Junia Kalen (Script Editor/Costume Design) is a Denver native and theater enthusiast who has worked on several productions in various roles, from portraying the White Stag in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to designing and producing costumes for a production of White Christmas to working in the tech booth for Tarzan. She is passionate about the art of storytelling in all of its forms and has deeply enjoyed contributing to Bookuchi throughout the writing and costume designing process. She thanks everyone who has dedicated time to the story, especially Angie Kalen and Lesley Shannon. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Favorite Book: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Morgan McIntosh Tyson (Hair & Makeup Design) has been a makeup designer for 7 years. She’s also a jewelry designer, mom to 4, and married to an awesome guy (you should see his hair).
Favorite Book: You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped to make Bookuchi a possibility! Special thanks to all of the cast and crew who have made these characters dressed, lit, and supported in this magical world with all the sounds, props, and love needed to make them real.
Thank you to Babcock Studios and Todd Babcock for giving Bookuchi a home. This is not a Babcock Studios production.
Thank you to Nitya Kalidindi for your help during the rehearsal process.
Thank your to Brandon Hollely for picking up the extra slack at home, and giving Lesley the space to step back in to her creative shoes.
Thank you to Tracy Smith who helped capture Bookuchi’s essence in this beautiful playbill.
Lastly, thank you to all who have donated your time or money to make Bookuchi its best and to all who continue to support future Bookuchi productions. We appreciate you more than you can possibly know!
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Hello world!