The Performers
ACT I
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​KIM MARCUS
Songs of Mara
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BONNIE HAWTHORNE
I was A Roadrunner Grandmother
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LUANA LYNCH with EVA SOLTES
El Charcon
A Desert Oasis
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LADY CHILANE
From Tennessee to the Desert
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STEPHANIE KERN
And Then There Was Music
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LISA A. DIAZ
Hot Hope Found in the High Desert
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ACT III
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​​​PATRICK WALLIS
A Desert Revelation
LICIA PEREA
Las Dos Fridas/The Two Fridas
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BOB WOLD
Helen's Cabin
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ANNA OLIVIA EVE
The Desert Is Calling Me
MIKEY REYES
If It
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Lady Chilane
Lady Chilane hails from Tennessee and has become a high desert legend in drag entertainment. She began as an Elvis impersonator, but her journey soon led her to the glamorous world of drag. Known for her radiant style and magnetic stage presence, Lady Chilane hosts popular events like Drag Bingo, delighting audiences with a mix of humor and charm. Currently starring in Willa Justice: Drag Queen Private Eye, she brings her wit and energy to the title role. Lady Chilane’s dedication to her craft and vibrant personality have made her a beloved figure in the community.
Lisa Diaz
Lisa Diaz grew up in Southern California. For most of her life, she sang in choirs and acted in school theater. Her passion for music and storytelling led her to opera and avant-garde rock. Lisa received her original coaching from Bill Doherty, Central Florida Lyric Opera. In California, she continued her training under Carmen Tejada, a Vienna Opera singer, who has profoundly influenced her. Her most recent stage credits include lead Singer for Psychic Black, music, vocals, and “Feste”, Twelfth Night, directed by Charlie E. Parker, and Lead Female Vocalist, Some Enchanted Evening, directed by Karen Schmitt
Anna Olivia Eve
Anna Olivia Eve moved to the high desert of California in the spring of 2016. Originally hailing from the suburbs of NYC, she headed west in search of something greater than her Self. Rolling through the desert on a whim, she came upon a space of comfort and community—a community that encouraged her to share her voice. Through her words, Anna invites others to join her in discovering the profound beauty of connection and finding love in the echoes of our shared journeys
Bonnie Hawthorne
Bonnie Hawthorne is the most successful failure you’ll ever meet. Always a traveler on the bumpy back road not taken, she defied conventional wisdom at every turn: skipped prom and high school graduation, dropped out of NYU film school despite a prestigious scholarship, never married, freelanced for most of her career, and spent her IRA on adventures. She bounced out of the Los Angeles TV scene to make a documentary film and soon found herself living full-time in the Mojave Desert. These days, she shoots timelapse films, is writing her first book, and rides a bike with very fat tires.
Stephanie Kern
Stephanie is a singer, songwriter, writer, traveler, teacher and photographer. She is also a third generation San Franciscan. She grew up and spent most of her life in the Bay Area. Her professional work was in Information Technology. She loves to travel and has been to many places in the US and Europe and went with the Earthsteward’s Network in 1982 and 1985 to Belfast in Northern Ireland when the British were still “keeping the peace.” Stephanie cut her first album in 2004 and is working on her second. Her life is a continuing adventure. She is most grateful for all of Life, all of her friends and her incredible family
Luana Lynch
Luana Lynch is an artist, a devotee of the natural world, a story-teller, a “coyote-trickster”, and a respected elder of Joshua Tree. She made her mark as a teacher and therapist, specializing in sand tray therapy for children. Later in life, she led workshops and vision quests to help people discover their greatest potential. You can catch her hiking in the park, dancing at a yoga festival or quietly sitting in her cactus garden, visiting with family and friends
Kim Marcus
Kim Marcus is a Cahuilla and Serrano Indian and enrolled tribal member with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians and is a tribal elder and ceremonial leader. As elder and ceremonial leader Kim conducts and preserves ancient rituals, customs, and ceremonies. He is a husband, father of three children, and grandfather of four. He worked as a nutrition assistant with Indian Health Services, as a counselor with Indian Health Services, was a teacher and school counselor for 30 years as well as a credentialed language teacher. Kim continues to teach Native Language part time to elementary Native American students.
Licia Perea
Licia Perea is a native of Albuquerque, NM, lived in LA for 26 years and now lives in Joshua Tree. She’s a dancer, choreographer and loves to move! She has received grants from the NEA, City and county of LA, as well as numerous grants from CA, NM and regionally. She has a Masters from the University of New Mexico in Choreography/Performance and taught there for 8 years. She is a certified Classical Pilates instructor since 1997. Licia has choreographed, performed and taught nationally and internationally in all kinds of settings. She is Artistic Dir. of the Latina Dance Project, which produces the BlakTinx Dance Festivals in LA & Phoenix and now the !Hay Festival! In JT.
Mikey Reyes
Mikey Reyes, a proud native of the Coachella Valley, is a musician/artist whose vibrant energy is as boundless as his creativity. Known for his big heart and larger-than-life personality, Mikey is a charismatic force whose energy lights up every room he enters. His sense of humor and quick wit make him unforgettable, while his passion for music and art speaks to his deeply soulful nature. Whether he's crafting a melody, concocting a masterpiece, or simply sharing a laugh, Mikey embodies the spirit of joy and authenticity, making him a beloved figure in his community and beyond..
Patrick Wallis
Pat Wallis is the Innovation Lab Director at Esri, a mapping software company. He began as a U.S. Army engineer officer and captain, then was a civilian with the U.S. Coast Guard for 7 years. A New Orleans native, he earned a master’s in architecture from Tulane and is a certified GIS professional and city planner. For over six years, he has supported Mil-Tree, serving as its board president for the last 3.5 years. Married to Danielle for over 23 years, he has two grown children, two dogs, and enjoys brewing beer, writing, and philosophical conversations.
Bob Wold
Bob Wold spent more than 40 years doing his working-life thing in Los Angeles. It was fulfilling. It was wonderful. But now he and Judy are happily spending most of their time out in the northern stretches of Joshua Tree, three miles in, on a nasty dirt road. They sometimes go days without getting in their car. It’s also wonderful and fulfilling. Judy is a wonderful painter. Bob spends a lot of time digging in the dirt, trying to make things grow. Desert life is good.
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Cheryl Montelle

Co-Producer, Director and Host


Cheryl Montelle is thrilled to host and curate Mil-Tree’s second online spoken word fundraiser. She is a writer whose stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, and performed in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree and New York City. She created and hosted Desert Stories at the HDCC for 18 years, 14 shows. She has also produced similar shows in New York City and Los Angeles. Cheryl loves bringing community together and in 2012 she founded the veteran/ community non-profit, Mil-Tree. For more information go to mil-tree.org.
Mil-Tree is a non-profit that brings veterans, active duty and civilians together through arts and dialogue to help transform the wounds of war. Mil-Tree.org
Furstwurld is a limited-capacity nonprofit community venue in the high desert of Joshua Tree. This venue is dedicated to working in partnership with community and like-minded organizations to strengthen awareness, accessibility and deeper appreciation of art, ideas and cultures. https://www.furstwurld.org/
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