Jared kamauu, ceo
Jared is a professional actor and producer and he is the founder of Vicariously Staged Productions. He holds a BFA in acting from Brigham Young University and his recent acting credits included Oliver in Paper Weight, Josh in The Antipodes, Juror 10 in 12 Angry Jurors. His recent producing credits include Paper Weight and Every Brilliant Thing with Vicariously Staged Productions. He can’t wait to continue to tell amazing stories with incredible artists. There are so many amazing stories to tell and he’s excited to continue to help bring those stories to our audiences through Vicariously Staged Productions. Thank you for your support!
mari joy, performance communications
Mari Joy is a Chicago-based Filipino actress and a working professional in Design & Theatre Marketing. You may know her from Vicariously Staged’s debut production Every Brilliant Thing,as the Narrator. She reprised the role twice in 2025, with CIRCA Pintig and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s Full Circle Festival. She also originated the role of Lark in MESTIZA, or MIXED, with Plan-B Theatre. In film, Mari Joy starred as Erica in Poolside Inn, which premiered at the AMPAS-qualifying Palm Springs International ShortFest. She was cast as the lead in the Utah indie horror feature Kalamasa’s Revenge and recently appeared in the Chicago feature When Cats Fly. Mari Joy an ensemble member of CIRCA Pintig, Chicago’s Filipino American community theater. Beyond her acting, she is part of the University of Chicago’s Committee on Theater and Performance Studies staff.
skyler denfeld, Aristic director
Skyler is an actor, director, and writer. Most recently (2025), he had the opportunity to direct Paper Weight, a script he originally devised, wrote, and directed in 2022 and then revised over the next three years. Skyler also directed Every Brilliant Thing, Vicariously Staged’s first production, in 2024. As an actor, Skyler’s recent credits include Brutus in Julius Caesar (BYU – 2021), Frank Churchill in Emma: The Musical (Hale Center Theater – 2021), and Vladimir in Waiting for Godot (BYU – 2020). He graduated from BYU in 2023 with a BA in Theatre Arts Education, having emphasized coursework in acting and directing. Being a part of Vicariously Staged Productions is a dream come true, and Skyler feels privileged to collaborate with his friends and artistic colleagues. Skyler is extremely grateful to his lovely partner, Evy – her creativity and ingenuity is constantly inspiring.
melanie kamauu, artistic director
Melanie graduated from BYU with a BA in Theatre Arts Studies in June of 2024. She takes pride in her versatility in the theatre as a director, sound designer, award-winning playwright and more! Her directing credits include The Monkey’s Paw at BYU and assistant directing Paper Weight with Vicariously Staged Productions. Some notable sound design credits include Every Brilliant Thing with VSP and a handful of productions with Voodoo Theatre Company. Her published plays, Open Conversation (a 10-minute play) and The Tell-Tale Heart (a one-act adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story) were previously performed at BYU and the scripts can now be purchased on her website: melaniekamauu.com She loves working with her fellow team members at Vicariously Staged Productions and hopes to see you at a show soon!