Teaching Artists

Malia Abayon is an actress, choreographer, director, and educator currently residing in Sonoma County. Malia is a trained educator and works in independent schools where DEI and cultural authenticity is at the forefront of her instruction. She works as a teaching artist and as a music ambassador in preschool programs throughout Sonoma County.

Malia obtained her B.A. from UC Davis where she concentrated in acting, modern dance, and human development. She trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and Werk with Broadway in New York City. Theater credits include: In the Heights, Rent, The Who’s Tommy, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Revelations the Musical (off-Broadway).

Joe has had the pleasure of working on and offstage at many companies such as ACT, Asolo Rep, San Francisco Playhouse, Cal Shakes, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley Playhouse, 6th Street Playhouse and Center REP. He holds three BA degrees from UC Berkeley in Theater and Performance Studies, Dance and Performance Studies, and English. He is currently an MFA Acting candidate at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota, Florida.

David has been training as an actor and vocalist since he was 12, and throughout his career he has appeared in such productions asThe Producers, Grease, You Can’t Take It With You, Singin’ in the Rain, The Pajama Game, and Company. In 2020, he graduated with a B.A. in Drama from UC Irvine, moved back to Sonoma County, and began to pursue a career as a theatrical educator and administrator. He has worked as the Operations Specialist for the 6th Street Studio since 2022. When he’s not onstage, David enjoys playing chess and walking his dog, Rosalind.

As Director of the acclaimed Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Anne Clark led operations and strategic direction across 11 different cities. She developed international programming with Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre and Free Performance Programs for over 800 students in the Bay Area.
A nationally recognized, award-winning director, she directed, music directed and choreographed over 40 productions with children ranging in age from 2 years old to 18 years old all across the Bay Area.
In Los Angeles, she established and managed Rockabye Dance, a children’s dance studio focused on creative movement, ballet and tap for children.
In Pasadena, she was Company Manager and a teaching artist for Pasadena Musical Theater, and acted as Company Manager for the summer camp intensive of a new work by Ryan Scott Oliver, teaching choreography and advanced acting techniques.
She earned a BA in Musical Theatre at UCLA, and was a participant  in the prestigious Ray Bolger Musical Theatre Program in association with the School of Theatre Film and Television.
Well-known in regional theatre in the Bay Area, she was featured in the film Dream Girls.
She won acclaim as Snow White in the original company of Snow White: An Enchanting New Musical​, Disneyland,​ Original Company​, Snow White.  Her Broadway experience includes High Fidelity the Musical​,​ Original Broadway Cast​, Penny Hardwick/Back up Chick; Hairspray​, Neil Simon Theatre, National Tour and Thoroughly Modern Millie​, ​1st National Tour​.

Sierra (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, model, and maker who finds purpose in building inclusive creative spaces of play. Born and raised in Petaluma, she loves working with young actors in our community to explore emotions, nurture imagination, and build collaboration. When they’re not on stage, Sierra finds joy in painting with friends, designing and sewing historical garments, and supporting community systems of resilience.

Martin Gilbertson is a transplant to Sonoma County from the far reaches of Ontario…California. As a sculpture artist with a background in construction and a love for the theater—cultivated from a young age by his grandparents—he is very happy and honored to be part of the 6th Street Family. He has been working in scenic construction for the past 15 years and has been a member of the construction and artistic team for the Sonoma County fair’s popular Hall of Flowers. When he is not actively helping make dreams and scenes come true, he’s either making art, in the ocean surfing, or he is home hanging out with his family and his daughter Penelope, whom is his inspiration in all things, as well as the the most beautiful and incredible art he has ever helped create.

Michael is so excited to be joining 6th Street Playhouse! He has been acting since he was seven, and since then has developed a passion for technical theater. He worked as a director at the Art of Living Institute and helped stage manage The Diary of Anne Frank and Legally Blonde in Maria Carrillo High School’s Stagecraft program, further developing his skill set for both on-stage and backstage training. During these productions, he became interested in scenic design and later won the first scenic design award for MCHS at the 2021 Lenaea Theater Festival. He is currently at UC Davis double majoring in cognitive science and philosophy.

As a Teaching Artist for the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, and the leader of Santa Rosa Children’s Theater, Show Biz Kidz, 6th Street Improv, and A Theater for Children, Bridget has helped thousands of young people explore the exciting world of theater and reap the rewards of self-confidence, imagination, and personal responsibility. She loves children’s theater and she’s excited about working at 6th Street Playhouse again.

Ava Rudesill began her theatre journey with an acting class at 6th Street and she is elated to come full circle as a teaching artist! At the Playhouse, she works as an assistant director with the Youth Players. Also an actor, costume designer, and director, Ava has grown her theatrical knowledge/experience through four years in Drama Production at Montgomery High School. Some of her favorite roles have been M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias and Beatrice in A View From the Bridge. This last year, she directed The Insanity of Mary Girard, for which she won Bronze at the Lenaea Theatre Festival.

Isaiah Zekarias has been doing theatre since elementary school. He is taking theatre classes at his high school, Sonoma Academy, for the third year in a row. Over the summer he volunteered at 6th Street as the stage manager of Junie B. Jones Jr. and was employed to work as the assistant director for The Disney Music Spectacular and Frozen Jr. Isaiah will be playing the role of Ed in Sonoma Academy’s spring production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.