Our Staff

Kyle Vasquez - Artistic Director/CEO

Kyle is the proud founder and Artistic Director of Renegade Theater Co.! Kyle has been performing theater since the age of three, directing since age 16 and has worked extensively in many theater realms including costume design, stage makeup, stage managing, prop fabrication and more. She is deeply passionate about the performing arts and is specifically dedicated to building systems that prioritize mental health within the often stressful art form that is theater.

Kyle has been working with children for over twenty years in a wide variety of formats including: Art teacher, nature educator, dance instructor and mindfulness instructor. She has an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education with specialization certificates in Anti-Bias Education, Literacy Development, Working with Children with Special Needs & Curriculum Development. Kyle is also the Owner/Director of Seven Directions Creative Learning Center which regularly partners with Renegade, offering acting classes and artistic collaboration on many levels.

Mara Frey - Choreographer

A native to Santa Cruz, Mara Frey grew up dancing and taking classes of all styles around town. At age 6 she started with tap and ballet until she found Synergy Studios at age 11 and began to train with Joy Smith in Hip Hop and Street Jazz. Mara found her love for choreography during her involvement with Harbor High's dance team, Escapades.

She began to focus more on contemporary jazz and choreographed several numbers for the team. Today she continues her involvement in dance over at Motion Pacific taking either Hip Hop or Contemporary Jazz. She currently lives in Santa Cruz with her husband Chris and their 2 year old son James.

Jorge Torrez - Music Director

Jorge Torrez grew up in Salinas where he attended Salinas High School. After graduating, he studied Choral Directing and Vocal Performance under Cheryl Anderson at Cabrillo College. He graduated from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music with a bachelor of music in Vocal Performance where he specialized in Baroque and Classical performance.

He is currently the director of choral activities at both Soquel High School and Santa Cruz High School where he directs the Jazz Singers, Mixed Chorus, Concert Choirs and Mariachi Ensemble. He has music directed Seussical and Little Shop of Horrors for Harbor/Soquel High, Mean Girls for Santa Cruz High, and Be More Chill for Renegade Theatre Co.

Izzy Pedego - Production Manager, Director, Choreographer

Izzy is an actor, director, and choreographer from Arroyo Grande, currently based in Santa Cruz. She holds a MA in Theater Arts with focuses on Directing and Theater Management from UC Santa Cruz. Directing credits include The Wolves at Renegade Theater Co. as well as Animal Farm and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at UC Santa Cruz.

Choreography credits include "Master Harold"... and the Boys, Pericles, and A Midsummer Night's Dream at Santa Cruz Shakespeare; Bandstand at The Western Stage; Alice By Heart, Pride and Prejudice, Anastasia, and White Christmas at Arroyo Grande High School; and Hadestown and Alice By Heart at Renegade Theater Company. Acting credits include As You Like It (Amiens, Hymen), Proof (Claire), and A Midsummer Night's Dream Tour (Hermia, Quince) at Santa Cruz Shakespeare; Bright Star (Florence) and Honk (Maureen) at The Western Stage; and Eurydice (Eurydice), She Kills Monsters (Agnes), and The Wolves (#11) at UC Santa Cruz. For more information and a complete resume, visit www.izzypedego.com.

Jessalynn Levine - Musical Director

Jessalynn is a vocal performer and choral music educator from Houston, TX. She received her bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Houston in 2015 where she performed roles in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Menotti's The Consul, and Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman. Jessalynn served as a choir director for five years at Spring High School in Spring, TX, where she was the music director for the school's annual musicals.

In 2022, Jessalynn received her masters degree in choral conducting from San José State University, after which she conducted the choirs and the vocal jazz ensemble at Las Positas College in Livermore. She is now serving as the choir director at Aptos High School and Aptos Junior High School. Jessalynn also co-directs the New Voices Bay Area TIGQ (Trans, Intersex, and Genderqueer) Chorus in San Francisco and sings in 21V, a treble choir of professional singers.

Miguel Reyna - Director

Miguel Reyna has been acting in and directing theater for the past 40 years and will likely never stop. His past 20 years have happened here in Santa Cruz County. Most recently, he's directed Misery for Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre. Prior, he's directed The Thin Place for Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre, The Humans for Mountain Community Theater. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Mystery Plays, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The House Of Yes - all for MCT.

He has also co-produced, directed and adapted to stage multiple episodes of The Twilight Zone for DNA Presents and MCT. Co-produced Evil Dead The Musical at MCT. He has recently played the role of Kevin Rosario in In The Heights for Cabrillo Stage. He is honored to be directing his first show for his friends at Renegade Theater.

Josephine Czarnecki - Director, Fight Choreographer, Lighting Designer

Josephine is a freelance theatre professional working locally as a director, fight director, and lighting designer. She directs with a variety of youth and teen theatre companies (Santa Cruz Parks & Rec, Santa Cruz Shakespeare Education, Pacific Elementary, Gateway School, Renegade Theatre Co.) and designs fight/light for groups like Actors Theatre, Renegade Theatre Co, and Cabrillo College.

Josephine holds an MFA from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in Advanced Theatre Practice, and has been certified in ten weapon systems from the British Association of Dramatic Combat and British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat. View her work portfolio at www.GayInnocentHeartless.com

Babe Payne - Choreographer

Woman about town, Babe Payne is a visual artist, choreographer, and burlesque performer and educator based in Santa Cruz, CA. She has performed for over a decade across the US and abroad, and is the Co Founder of the Santa Cruz School of Burlesque and Best Coast Burlesque. Choreography credits include Cabaret, Reefer Madness, Addams Family and Sister Act. As a painter and textile worker, she has shown in bay area galleries such as 1st Amendment in San Francisco and Felix Kulpa in Santa Cruz and helped found Little Giant Collective, a printmaking based educational and work space.

Kara Dorsey - Mental Health Consultant

Kara is currently a registered and practicing associate therapist, but prior to that spent nearly a decade working with/teaching children and teens in various capacities. She taught theatre for 8 years, working on all aspects from directing, stage managing, makeup/costumes, and vocal coaching. She performed in her early childhood all the way up until the collegiate level, stopping to continue pursuing her masters in Clinical Counseling. Kara is thrilled to be involved with Seven Directions' wonderful staff and the incredible community that has been created.