Who’s Who
TICKETS: 813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG 27
and 2001–as well as the Chicago production and
all across Florida. Other directorial credits include
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at
American Stage in the Park and at Ozark Actor’s
Theatre in Rolla, Mo., Man Of La Mancha at
Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre in Conway,
Fiddler On The Roof and The Music Man at the
Des Moines Playhouse in Iowa, Mid-Life: The
Crisis Musical, Guys & Dolls, Crazy For You
and Suds: The Rocking ‘60s Musical Soap Opera
at the Show Palace in Hudson, Fla., Little Shop
Of Horrors, The Big Bang, Souvenir, Altar Boyz
and A Marvelous Party at American Stage and
fourteen other productions of Forever Plaid all
across Florida – from Jacksonville to Gainesville
to Orlando to Boca Raton to Naples. Steven has
also been a working member of Actors Equity
for over thirty years, having performed locally as
Malcolm in The Full Monty at the Golden Apple
in Sarasota, Elliot in Opus at American Stage and
Albin/Zaza in La Cage Aux Folles at the Show
Palace.
MICHAEL RAABE (Musical Director/
Piano) is thrilled be back in the Jaeb! He is the
resident Music Director at freeFall Theatre
where he did new arrangements for last season’s
“80’s intergalactic-rock” take on The Pirates
Of Penzance and composed new music for
Peter Pan. Other musical merriment includes
Disenchanted! (Off Broadway), Man of La
Mancha (Orlando Shakes), American Stage In
The Park, Theatrezone, and Busch Gardens. A true
crooner at heart (with crazy retro-tastic mashups),
Michael’s played to sold out houses swingin’ with
Sara DelBeato and the band Retrotastic! Much
love to my wonderful family and to James, my
dear husband! michaelraabe.com
IRVING GOLDBERG (Bass) Irv lives and plays
out of Clearwater and is pleased to return to The
Straz where he has performed with The Patel
Conservatory, The Tampa Bay Symphony, and
the comedy musical Disenchanted. His Broadway
tour credits include Chicago, Annie, The
Producers, Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone,
Cinderella and Sweet Charity. He has played
with such notables as Barry Manilow, Bernadette
Peters, Amy Grant, ELO, The Little River Band,
Cirque de Soleil, Alan Parsons and he was
principal bass with the Charlotte Symphony of
Punta Gorda for eight years.
JOSEPH P. OSHRY (Lighting Designer) is
glad to be returning to the Jaeb Theater to light
Forever Plaid. Since 1986, he has designed
lighting for over fi ve hundred and sixty
productions with such organizations as Asolo
Rep, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Maltz-Jupiter
Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Palm
Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, New Orleans Opera,
Sarasota International Dance Festival, Ballet
Eddy Toussaint USA and the Interlochen Dance
Ensemble in Michigan. Joseph has received two
Individual Artist Fellowships from the Florida
Division of Cultural Affairs and is a two-time
recipient of the Theatre Tampa Bay award for
outstanding lighting design. Further, he serves on
the Advisory Board of Tampa Repertory Theatre.
He is also a member of United Scenic Artists
Local 829 New York and of IATSE Local 412
Sarasota. Joseph lives in Bradenton with his wife
Dee, and he encourages you to visit his website:
josephoshry.com.
CLAREANN DESPAIN (General Manager)
Around the Straz, Clareann is known for putting
together the annual open house and Straz! Live
in the Park as well as stage managing Next
Generation Ballet’s Nutcracker. Her next directing
project, Green Day’s American Idiot, opens in the
Jaeb Theater in April. Clareann holds a PhD in
dramatic arts from the University of California,
Santa Barbara. As adjunct faculty at the Ybor City
campus of Hillsborough Community College, Dr.
Despain teaches Intro to Theatre, Stagecraft, and
Script Analysis. clareanndespain.com
CAT CARTER (Stage Manager) Cat is thankful
for this opportunity to work at the Straz Center for
the Performing Arts. Previously she’s worked at
P.C.P.A. Theatrefest, California Theatre Center,
and San Diego Repertory Theatre. Since moving
to the Tampa Bay area, she has stage managed
alternately for the St. Petersburg Opera Company
(Tales Of Hoffmann, Into The Woods) and Tampa
Repertory Theatre (Realistic Joneses, Flying).
Special thanks to Clareann.
Production Staff
General Manager .................... Clareann Despain
Stage Manager ................................... Cat Carter
Assistant Stage Manager ....................Jen Davila
Sound Technician .......................... David Cohen
Light Technician .........................Reuben Hirsch
Straz Center Production Staff
Straz Center President/
Executive Producer ............................Judith Lisi
Chief Programming and Marketing Offi cer/
Producer ...............................Georgiana Young
Director of Production Services .. Gerard Siegler
Production Manager .................. Scott Belowsky
Production Assistant ......................Jason Seguin