2012-2013 Season
A Christmas Carol
Nov 16th - Dec 26th, 2012
Spencer Theatre
Buy Tickets Now!Written by Charles Dickens
Directed by Kyle Hatley
Who doesn’t like a bit of Christmas cheer during the holidays? Join us, and the ghost of Christmas Present with his famed Christmas Cheer in hand, for this Kansas City family holiday tradition, a ripping good telling of the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge the curmudgeonly businessman who requires the intervention of a few spectral guides to understand the true meaning of Christmas and life. Complete with lively musical numbers, ornate costuming, and dashing stagecraft, Dickens' classic tale of hope and redemption continues to remind us what's really worth celebrating - at the holidays, or any time!
KC Star “laughs, chills, and lumps in the throat”
InfoZine.com "delights audiences each year with its message of hope, love and redemption."
Examiner.com ”an experience no family should miss.”
ADULT ENSEMBLE
|
|
ALLAN BOARDMAN*(Old Joe/Ensemble) is a veteran stage and film actor who has worked across the country and returns to the Kansas City Rep for the second time in A Christmas Carol. He appeared as Baptiste in the KC Rep's production of A Flea in Her Ear in the 2009 season. Locally he has been seen on the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre stage in productions of Mappa Mundi, The Time of Your Life, The Homecoming, Galileo, The Crucible to name a few. He has also been seen at the Unicorn Theatre in a co-production with Kansas City Actors Theatre of The Seafarer. He was also seen in Theatre Gym's production of the original play Duty. |
|
MARTIN S. BUCHANAN (Solicitor/Ghost of Christmas Future/Ensemble) KC Rep: Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, A Flea in Her Ear. Local: Our Town, Little House on the Prairie, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, The Happy Elf (Harry Connick Jr., world premiere), Children of the Damned Corn (Coterie Theatre); Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard III, Macbeth (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Hairspray (New Theatre); Aladdin (Starlight Theatre); The Fantasticks (Spinning Tree Theatre). Regional: Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Opera, Denali Princess Lodge, Stages Theatre, Houston Grand Opera; Piccolo Spoleto Festival (Charleston, SC); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Creede Repertory Theatre). International: Canadian Fringe Theatre Festival circuit; The Twilight Zone: Live on Stage (Edinburgh International Fringe Festival). Education: BA in Drama (Magna Cum Laude, University of Houston). Upcoming: Number the Stars, Slashdance, and Bud, Not Buddy (Coterie Theatre). |
|
WALTER COPPAGE* (Bob Cratchit/ Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol, To Kill A Mockingbird, Carter’s Way, The Gospel at Colonus (co-production withSt. Louis Black Repertory Theatre), Comedy of Errors, Antigone, The Misanthrope, Romeo and Juliet. Additional local credits: Our Town, James and the Giant Peach, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Valley Song, Frankenstein, My Children! My Africa!, The Giver (Coterie Theatre); The Clean House, Well, Yellowman, How I Learned to Drive, Permanent Collection, Quills, All in the Timing, Flyin’ West (Unicorn Theatre); A Lesson From Aloes (Kansas City Actors Theatre), As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, Measure For Measure (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival). Regional Credits: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Radio Golf (Studio Theatre DC). Film and TV: James Ellroy’s Stay Clean, Gone In The Night (CBS), The Only Witness (Lifetime), All Roads Lead Home (Showtime), Truman (HBO), More than Puppylove (Showtime), A Deadly Vision (ABC), The Only Good Indian (Starz), Last Ounce of Courage, Jayhawkers, Destination: Planet Negro!. Honors: Pitch Awards “Best Actor” 2009 (Our Town). Founding member of Kansas City Actors Theatre. |
MOLLY DENNINGHOFF (Giggly Sister/Marley Ghost/Ensemble) KC Rep: Saved! Local: James and the Giant Peach, Seussical, Frindle (Coterie Theatre); Carousel (Julie Jordan, Directed by Kyle Hatley), This Is How It Goes (The Living Room Theatre); The Marvelous Wonderettes (Cindy Lou, American Heartland Theatre, directed by Jerry Jay Cranford); Gypsy (Dainty June, Musical Theatre Heritage); In Trousers, Eating Raoul (Egads Theatre Company); Regional: The Buddy Holly Story (Maria Elena), The Unexpected Guest (Laura Warwick, directed by Michael Evan Haney), Boeing Boeing (Gabriella), Camelot (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre); Quilters (Avalon Theatre Company); Godspell (Joanne), Present Laughter (Joanna), Cabaret (Okoboji Summer Theatre). Awards: Kevin Kline Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, St. Louis for Quilters. Education: BFA Theatre Arts, Stephens College. Upcoming: Carousel (Julie Jordan, KC Rep, Spring 2013). |
|
GEORGIA DUBOIS (Martha) Georgia is so excited to be making her debut at the Kansas City Rep! She is a 16 year old junior at Shawnee Mission South. You may have seen her in shows at the Coterie, The Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, or the Living Room, among others. A member of NHS, Georgia keeps busy with cross country, environmental club, allegro choir, working on her school’s lit mag, clothing design, and her participation in her school’s thespian troupe. You can see her next in Boys Next Door at Shawnee Mission South, or Carousel, right here at the Rep. “I’m thrilled beyond words to be a part of such a lovely production. Thanks so much to everyone involved and Happy Holidays!” |
|
COREY EATON (Peter/Ensemble) is excited to be appearing at the Kansas City Rep for his third year. Corey is 13 years old and is an eighth grader at Maranatha Christian Academy. Local credits: Grandson of Titus in Titus Andronicus (The Living Room); Third Hand Misery (an Independent film with the Kansas City Art Institute; A Winkie in The Wizard of Oz and a lost boy in Peter Pan (Culture House); John in Code Red (Maranatha Academy); an orphan in Oliver; and, Prince Christopher in Cinderella (Trilogy Cultural Arts Centre). He has also appeared in local commercials. Besides performing on stage, he also enjoys hiking and camping as well as writing screenplays, directing movies, and art. |
|
BREE ELROD*(Fezzi Guest/Associate) KC Rep: debut. Broadway: My Name is Rachel Corrie (directed by Alan Rickman, Minetta Lane Theatre); Jump! Realism (The Kirk Theatre). Regional: Gravid Water with Jason Sudeikis (Kansas City Improv Festival); Rock‘n Roll (Huntington Theatre, Boston/A.C.T, San Francisco); Angels in America, Part I and II (Boston TheatreWorks, Eliott Norton Award Nominee, IRNE Award Nominee), Candida (Malibu Theatre), The Two Noble Kinsmen, Antony and Cleopatra(Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Theatre Critics’ Circle Award Winner for Best Actress), Our Town, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Southwest Shakespeare). The Marriage of Bette and Boo, A Lie of the Mind, Measure for Measure, Ah Wilderness! (NYU). Bree has appeared in several productions with New York City’s 52nd Street Project. Film: Shutter Island (directed by Martin Scorsese), Dark Feed. Website: www.hellobree.com. Bree has an M.F.A from N.Y.U.’s Graduate Acting Program. |
|
EBONI FONDREN (Aunt Fezzi/Ensemble/Charwoman u/s) This is Eboni Fondren's second production with KC Rep. Earlier this year she made her KC Rep debut as Ronettein Little Shop of Horrors and was a part of the KC Rep Sings Fundraiser which allowed her to showcase her jazz chops with a stirring rendition of St. Louis Woman. When not on stage, Eboni spends her time "Selling the Dream" as a Bridal Consultant. For the past eight years she has been singing professional jazz in the local scene with the Everette DeVan Quartet and most recently with her new band Eboni and the Ivories. She is really excited to be a part of this Kansas Ctiy tradition that is KC Rep's A Christmas Carol! She would like to thank her parents for their continued encouragement and support. |
|
PEGGY FRIESEN* (Mrs. Fezziwig/Ensemble/Harp Accompanist) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol—27 seasons, The Syringa Tree, Man and Superman, Indian Ink, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, WMKS, A Delicate Balance, If We are Women, M. Butterfly, Our Town, The House of Blue Leaves. Additional local credits: The Year of Magical Thinking (Spinning Tree Theatre and The Living Room); The Mousetrap, A Lesson From Aloes, The Cripple of Inishmaan (Kansas City Actors Theatre); 101 Dalmatians, Frindle (Coterie Theatre); Stories My Grandmother Told Me, Little Foxes, The Dinner Party (American Heartland Theatre); Nickel and Dimed, Spinning Into Butter, Frozen, Wit (Unicorn Theatre). Regional: The Exonerated (Contemporary American Theatre Company, Columbus, Ohio); Hay Fever, harpist in The Fantasticks (Okoboji Summer Theatre). New York: Hanky Panky (Midtown International Theatre Festival). Ms. Friesen also performs as a professional harpist. Film & TV credits include Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil, Robert Altman’s Kansas City, Stephen Soderbergh’s King of the Hill, The Big Brass Ring with William Hurt, “Monday After the Miracle,” “A Will of Their Own,” “Truman,” “My Antonia” and “Sarah, Plain and Tall II.” |
|
CHARLES FUGATE*(Charles Dickens) KC Rep: Cabaret (Ernst Ludwig), Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens, Nephew Fred). Local: Kiss of The Spiderwoman (Molina: Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Carousel (The Living Room); Next Fall (Unicorn), The Mousetrap & The Real Inspector Hound (KCAT); Music Man, Cinderella, Anything Goes (Starlight Theatre); Musical of Musicals (Quality Hill Playhouse); As Long As We Both Shall Live (American Heartland Theatre); Our Town, Geppetto & Son, Frankenstein (Coterie Theatre); Scarlet Pimpernel, Tom Sawyer (New Theatre). Regional: Man of La Mancha (Quixote), South Pacific (Great Plains Theatre). Vocal performance: Lyric Opera Chorus, Kansas City Chorale, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Up Next (February 2013): SHIPWRECKED: An Entertainment!--The Amazing Adventures Of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself) (Spinning Tree Theatre). www.charlesfugate.com Love and thanks to God and the Irishman. |
|
JIM GALL*(Solicitor/Ghost of Christmas Present/Mr. Fezziwig) Kansas City Rep: Ghost of Christmas Past, A Christmas Carol (11 seasons), Bus Stop, Man and Superman, Saint Joan, The Tempest. Local credits: Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival). Seattle credits: Black Coffee, Ramayana (A Contemporary Theatre); Of Mice and Men as Slim, Inman (Seattle Repertory Theatre); Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice (Book-It Repertory Theatre); To Kill a Mockingbird (Village Theatre); Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Pippin, Wonderful Town, 1776 (5th Avenue Theatre); Twelfth Night A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Measure for Measure (Seattle Shakespeare Company); The Diary of Anne Frank (Intiman Theatre); Requiem for a Heavyweight (Theater Schmeater, Footlight Award for best actor). Education: BA in theatre, UMKC ; MFA in acting, University of Washington’s Professional Actors’ Training Program under Jack Clay. Mr. Gall dedicates his performance to the memory of his dear friend Mark Kessel. |
|
KATIE HALL (Belinda/Young Adult Ensemble) KC Rep: August: Osage County, A Christmas Carol (4 seasons). Local Credits: The Giver, Night of the Living Dead, Little House on the Prairie (Coterie Theatre); Tommy (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar (Starlight Theatre); The Music Man (Johnson County Theatre in the Park). Ms. Hall studies voice with Melinda MacDonald, dance at the Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice, and is a sophomore at Pembroke Hill School. |
|
ALEX HERRERA (Albert Hall/2hd Young Man/Bobby/Ensemble) Alex (a Kansas City Native) is very excited to be making his KC Rep debut by being a part of the cast of A Christmas Carol. Since graduating in 2010 from Stephens College, some of his favorite credits include: Dean Hyde in The National Tour of All Shook UP, Mendel in The North American Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, Buddy in an Off Off Off Broadway production of Side Show, and Leaf Coneybear in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He would like to thank his family and friends for their constant love and support and Kyle, cast, and crew for making this production so wonderful and enjoyable to be a part of. Happy Holidays Everyone! |
|
MAYA HILL (Belinda/Young Adult Ensemble) Maya is pleased to return to the role of Belinda in this amazing production. Her local credits include Godspell (The Culture House); The Piano Lesson (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Hansel & Gretel (Kansas City Chamber Orchestra). Maya is a freshman at Pembroke Hill and a performing arts focus student. She is a member of the volleyball and dance teams, a member of the concert choir and Madrigal Singers. Maya is also a member of the Master Acting Class at the Coterie Theatre. She was honored to be selected to travel to New York City and perform at Carnegie Hall as a member of the Allegro Children's Choir. Maya takes private dance, voice and piano lessons as she pursues her passion in musical theatre. |
|
ZACKARY HOAR (Peter/Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (3 seasons, 2006, ’07, ‘08), Into the Woods. Local: Heart of America Shakespeare Festival (2010 & 2012), Unicorn Theatre, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, UMKC Student Productions. TV & Film: The Heist, Elevator Music, Fingers. Zackary is in the eighth grade at Prairie Trail Middle School. He plays the oboe, saxophone and fences competitively. |
|
GARY NEAL JOHNSON* (Ebenezer Scrooge) KC Rep: Artistic Associate who marks his 94th Rep production with this season’s A Christmas Carol. Other KC Rep productions include: Little Shop of Horrors, August: Osage County, Cabaret, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (13 seasons); Harry Truman in two extended runs of Give ’em Hell, Harry; Virgil Blessing, Bus Stop, Tom Willard, Winesburg, Ohio; Morgan, The Drawer Boy; Pizarro, The Royal Hunt of the Sun; Gallimard, M. Butterfly; the Professor, Oleanna; Caesar, Julius Caesar; George, Of Mice and Men; Gloucester, King Lear; Oberon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Squeers, Nicholas Nickleby. Additional local credits: Starlight Theatre, American Heartland Theatre, New Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and The Unicorn Theatre. Regional theatre credits: George Booth, The Voysey Inheritance (KC Rep co-production with American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, Dean Goodman Award for best supporting actor); Prince Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing and Antonio in Merchant of Venice, Utah Shakespeare Festival; Ensemble, King Lear (Goodman Theatre, Chicago and Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C., performing the title role as standby for Stacy Keach.) You will next see Gary as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman here at the Kansas City Rep. www.garynealjohnson.com |
|
KATIE KALAHURKA (Solicitor/Ghost of Christmas Past/Ensemble) KC Rep: Pippin, A Christmas Story, The Musical!, Into the Woods, A Flea In Her Ear. Local credits: Glorious! (American Heartland Theatre); 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (New Theatre); Nickel and Dimed (Unicorn Theatre); Reefer Madness!, The Rocky Horror Show (Eubank Productions); Death of a Salesman, A Man of No Importance, Love and Shrimp (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Lessons From Marlene (one-woman cabaret, Writer/Performer, Kansas City 2012 Fringe Festival). Regional: Gypsy, Oklahoma! (Prather Entertainment Tour); The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Jackson Hole Playhouse); Nunsense (Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Post Playhouse); Smoke on the Mountain (Theatre at Lime Kiln); Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. Education: BFA in Music Theatre (Illinois Wesleyan University). www.katiekalahurka.com |
|
PAOLO LASKERO (Simon/Children’s Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (3 seasons). Local: Macbeth , A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antony and Cleopatra (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Unicorn Theatre). Paolo is in the 7th grade at The Pembroke Hill School. In his free time, Paolo plays football and baseball, likes to read, write stories, and watch reruns of the Dick Van Dyke show. |
|
JUSTIN LAWRENCE (Bobby/Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his KC Rep debut in A Christmas Carol. Local credits: Spring Awakening (Coterie Theatre). Regional: Chicago, The Liar, Beau Jest, Book of Days, Wait Until Dark, Evita (Okoboji Summer Theatre). Education: BFA in Theatre Arts, Stephens College. |
|
DARIA LeGRAND (Martha) KC Rep: To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout, co-production with Arizona Theatre Company), KC Rep Sings!. Local: Spring Awakening, The Happy Elf (Harry Connick Jr., world premiere), Geppetto and Son (Coterie Theatre); Titus Andronicus (Lavinia), Carousel (Louise, The Living Room:). Regional: The Miracle Worker (Helen Keller, Denver Center Theatre Company). Awards: Denver Post Ovation Award (Best Younger Actor) for The Miracle Worker. Upcoming: Carousel (Louise, KC Rep). Daria is a senior at The Barstow School and plans to major in musical theatre. |
|
NATALIE LICCARDELLO (laundress) KC Rep: debut. Local: Master Class (Sophie DePalma, Spinning Tree Theatre); The Real inspector Hound (Cynthia Muldoon), The Mousetrap (Mollie Ralston) (Kansas City Actors Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn, American Heartland Theatre); All My Sons (Ann Deever), Awake and Sing! (Hennie), A Light in the Piazza (Franca), The Crucible (Abigail Williams), A View From the Bridge (Catherine) (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Carousel (Mrs. Mullin, The Living Room Theatre, directed by Kyle Hatley); Head (Salome), The Death of Cupid, (Athena), Watering the Grave (Electra) (Kansas City Fringe Festival, directed by Kyle Hatley); Say You Love Satan (Bernadette, Egads! Theatre, directed by Stephen Eubanks); Hamlet (Ophelia, Two Thirds Productions, directed by Kyle Hatley); And Then They Came For Me (Anne Frank, Coterie Theatre, directed by Cynthia Levin); ‘08 Starlight Theatre Gala(Singer/Dancer, Epic Entertainment); The Body Washer (Mara, Potluck Productions); Oklahoma! (Ellen/Laurie understudy), Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel) (The New Theatre). Regional: South Pacific (Liat), They’re Playing Our Song (Ego), Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel), Annie, Get Your Gun (Country Dinner Playhouse); Kiss Me, Kate (Lilli Vanessi/Kate, Okoboji Summer Theatre); You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lucy, Performance Now). TV & Film: Paint Shaker (Senoreality Pictures), The Engagement (Resonate Pictures). Education: BFA in Theatre, Stephens College, MA in Playwriting, UMKC. Upcoming: The Death of Cupid (Athena, The Living Room (Summer 2013); Carousel (Mrs. Mullin, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Spring 2013). |
|
MATTHEW McANDREWS (Dick Wilkins/1st Young Man/Bobby/ Marley Ghost/Ensemble) KC Rep: understudy in Pippin, Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret. Local: Zombie Prom (Egads Theatre); The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge (Unicorn Theatre); Carousel (Mr. Snow, The Living Room, directed by Kyle Hatley); Plaid Tidings (American Heartland Theatre); Oh, What A Lovely War (Kansas City Actors Theatre/UMKC); The Magic of Christmas (Kansas City Music Hall). Regional: Forever Plaid (Okoboji Summer Theatre). Education: BFA Stephens College, BA in theatre, UMKC. Upcoming: Carousel (KC Rep). Mr. McAndrews also works on the technical side of theatre, and operates Green Scenes, a scenic arts recycling business. www.GreenScenesKC.com |
|
DAWNNIE MERCADO* (Charwoman/Fezzi Guest/Ensemble) After spending over thirteen years in New York City and quite a few more going back and forth between her home town of LA and NY, Dawnnie is happy to call KC MO her home. She is thrilled to be making her Kansas City acting debut here at The Rep as part of this spectacular tradition of A Christmas Carol and hopes that this is just the beginning of a long lasting relationship in this thriving Kansas City Arts Community. Dawnnie lives in KC MO with her husband and her three dogs Katie, Link Too, and Rex. Ms. Mercado is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity Association. She holds a BA in Drama from U.C. Santa Barbara, and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her Television Credits include: Strong Medicine, E.R., Judging Amy, Law & Order: Criminal Intent; and Third Watch. Her favorite roles and theatre credits include: Titania in “A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” (Avery Schreiber Theater); Lucy in “DRACULA” (Sacramento Theatre Company and Pennsylvania Centre Stage); Rosamund in “ROBBER BRIDEGROOM” (The Will Geer Theatricum); Beatriz in “BURNING PATIENCE” (Sacramento Theatre Company); Malinche in “La MALINCHE”, (Arizona Theatre Company) and Juliet in “THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS” (A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle). Dawnnie is also a great lover of Shakespeare and has had the honor of playing such great ladies as: Juliet, Miranda, Lady Anne, Maria, Cleopatra and others. |
|
EMILY PETERSON (Fan/Serious Sister/Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (2 seasons), Saved, Liliom. Local: Importance of Being Earnest, The 39 Steps (The American Heartland Theatre); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antony and Cleopatra (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Pride and Prejudice (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Pies from the Porn Kitchen (Fishtank); Alice in Wonderland (Bellenwhissle Productions). Regional: Leading Ladies (Black Hills Playhouse); The Glass Menagerie (Old Creamery Theatre); Doubt, Alice in Wonderland, Nunsense II (Okoboji Summer Theatre). Education: BFA, Stephens College. |
|
MATTHEW RAPPORT* (Topper/Fezzi Guest/Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (4 seasons), The Borderland. Local: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, King Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caeser (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge, Miss Witherspoon, A House With No Walls, Fuddy Meers, Slight Defect: A Desert Holiday, Mojo, In the Next Room, Arms and Legs (Unicorn Theatre); Tack Driver (written and directed by Jerry Genochio), Head and The Death of Cupid (Kansas City Fringe Festival, written and directed by Kyle Hatley); Ben Franklin’s Apprentice, Life on the Mississippi, Jekyll and Hyde, The B.F.G. (Coterie Theatre); The Homecoming (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Translations (Kansas City Actors Theatre); Fiddler On the Roof, Funny Girl (New Theatre). TV & Film: Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Upcoming: On Golden Pond (New Theatre). *Member, Actors Equity Association |
|
MARK ROBBINS* (Ghost of Jacob Marley)KC Rep: The Mystery of Irma Vep, A Christmas Carol (20 seasons), Circle Mirror Transformation, Bus Stop, A Flea in Her Ear, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (title role), The Voysey Inheritance, Man and Superman, Liliom, The Front Page, Guys and Dolls, Saint Joan, Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright, The Winter’s Tale, Major Barbara, The Sea Gull, Inherit the Wind, Oedipus the King, The Deputy, Romeo and Juliet, Nicholas Nickleby. Local acting: title role in Titus Andronicus (The Living Room), The Sound of Music, Run for Your Wife (New Theatre); title roles in Macbeth and Richard III, Prospero in The Tempest (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Time Stands Still, Next Fall, Closer, Speed-the-Plow, The Goat (Unicorn Theatre); American Heartland Theatre; Coterie Theatre. Local directing credits: As You Like It (HASF); Next of Kin, Orson’s Shadow, Topdog/Underdog, Fully Committed, Lobby Hero, Bee-Luther Hatchee (Unicorn). Founding member of Kansas City Actors Theatre: directed The Mousetrap, The Real Inspector Hound, God of Carnage (Unicorn coproduction), Translations, Private Lives, Fifth of July, Absurd Person Singular, The Seafarer; performed in The Pinter Project, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Dinner with Friends, True West. Education: BA, Webster College Conservatory; MFA, Wayne State University. *Member, Actors Equity Association |
|
VANESSA SEVERO* (Belle, Mrs. Fred) Theatre credits include : August Osage County (Johanna), Cabaret (Frau Kost, Kit Kat Girl), A Christmas Carol (Belle, Mrs. Fred) and A Christmas Story (The Musical!) (Mrs.Schwartz) at The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Gypsy (Gypsy Rose Lee) at Musical Theatre Heritage,The Motherf***er with the Hat (Veronica), Green Whales(Joanne),The Clean House(Matilde), and Bright Ideas at The Unicorn Theatre, , Black Bird (Una) at The Living Room, Artist In Residence 2005-2006 -as well as Choreographer for The Wiz at The Coterie Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing(Margaret) at The Heart Of America Shakespeare Festival, Absurd Person Singular (Eva) , Taking Sides(Emmi), as well as Desdemona(Bianca) with The Kansas City Actors Theatre, I'll Be Back Before Midnight(Jan) at The American Heartland Theatre, Rumors(Chris) at The New Theatre Restaurant, and Hedwig and The Angry Inch(Yitzak) with Egads Theatre, The Man Of LaMancha (Aldonza) at Great Plains Theatre. She is a co-colaborator with Heidi Van of Hybrid which created The Coppelia Project and Advice from a Spider. Film Work credits: The Virgin Mattress, The Dependents, and Trivial. Vanessa was nominated 'Best Actress' of New York City's MITF Awards for 'Thank You Notes', as well as 'Best Actress' in The 2009, 2011 and 2012 Kansas City's Pitch Awards. *Member, Actors Equity Association |
|
RUSTY SNEARY* (Young Ebenezer/Fred/Ensemble) is very excited to be back at the KC Rep alongside such a wonderful cast and crew! Mr. Sneary currently serves as the artistic director of The Living Room where he is also the co-owner with his beautiful partner, Shawnna Journagan. Past Kansas City credits include August: Osage County, A Christmas Carol, Liliom (KC Rep); Carousel, Love Song, This Is How It Goes, On An Average Day (The Living Room); Sci-Fi Triple Feature-Flowers for Algernon (Coterie Theatre); The Pillowman, Frozen, Take Me Out, The Exonerated, Omnium Gatherum, Distracted, Next Fall (Unicorn Theatre); Out of Order (New Theatre). Film & TV: Canterbury’s Law, Raising Jeffrey Dahmer, Suspension, Psychic Detectives, Charlie 13. Education: BFA in Theatre Performance, Missouri State University. Mr. Sneary can next be seen right here as Biff in Death of a Salesman and then as Billy Bigelow in The Living Room's revival production of Carousel. Following that, he will star in Lanford Wilson's Burn This and David Rabe's Hurlyburly in rotating repertory at The Living Room. www.thelivingroomkc.com *Member, Actors Equity Association |
|
ANDREW STOUT (Tiny Tim/Scrooge as a boy) Andrew is thrilled to be making his Kansas City Rep debut! He is 11 years old and a fifth grader at Mize Elementary. He has appeared in several productions in the Kansas City area including Pippin (Theo Understudy, KC Rep), The King & I and Oliver (The White Theatre, Jewish Cultural Community Center), Titanic (Leawood Stage Company) as well as Alice in Wonderland (Port Elizabeth Opera House) in South Africa where he lived for a few years. Andrew is a singer with the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City (Vivo) and a student at both Lori Clark Piano & Voice Studio (piano/voice) and Keith Larson Studio (percussion). His most recent passions are archery, drawing, and engineering. |
|
DRAKE TAYLOR (Tiny Tim/Scrooge as a boy), is thrilled and honored to be part of this holiday tradition at the Rep! Drake is nine years old and an honor student in third grade. Drake first shuffled onto the stage at age three when he began training with Monica's School of Dance and is now a competitive dancer. Drake’s latest endeavor includes a feature role in the independent film, Behind Billy’s Beard. Favorite roles include JoJo in Seussical Junior and Simon in Big River, and now, of course, Tiny Tim and young Scrooge! Drake would like to thank director, Kyle Hatley, his fellow cast and crew members, G. Leayn Losh, his voice teacher and acting mentor, Stephanie Goodman, and his dance teacher, Monica Renwick. When Drake is not on stage he enjoys computers and electronics. Drake sends heartfelt thanks to his parents for nurturing his love of theatre, dance and learning. |
|
MIA VAUGHT (Martha/Ensemble) is appearing at the Kansas City Rep for the third time in A Christmas Carol. Local credits: Ensemble in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New Theater Restaurant, 2011). Weird Sister in Macbeth (2011) and Lady Anne in Richard III (2010) [Camp Shakespeare, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival], The Jester in The Princess and the Pea at Academy of Performing Arts, Grandview. Mia plays the violin and studies drama and voice at the Academy of Performing Arts and dance at the Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice. Mia would like to thank her parents, grandparents, sister, teachers and friends. |
|
CHERYL WEAVER* (Mrs. Cratchit) KC Rep: August: Osage County, Bus Stop, A Christmas Carol (3 seasons), The Voysey Inheritance, The Trip to Bountiful, Living Out. Local Credits: My First Time, 9 Parts of Desire, Nickel and Dimed, Frozen, The Mineola Twins, Memory of Water, Spinning into Butter, Closer, Sideman, As Bees in Honey Drown, Jack and Jill (Unicorn Theatre); Love’s Labor’s Lost, Measure for Measure (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Boston Marriage (Kansas City Actors Theatre); Rumors, Moon Over Buffalo, Social Security, Father of the Bride (The New Theatre); Dixie Swim Club, Murder by the Book, The Dinner Party, The Mousetrap, Play It Again, Sam (American Heartland Theatre); Little House on the Prairie (The Coterie Theatre); The Seagull (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre). Regional: The Voysey Inheritance (KC Rep co-production with American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco); More Fun than Bowling (Purple Rose Theatre Company); Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry IV (Shakespeare in the Park, Fort Worth, Texas); Macbeth (Dallas Shakespeare Festival); King Lear (Stage West). *Member, Actors Equity Association |
|
ASHLEY YVONNE WHEAT (Soprano/Ensemble) Soprano, Ashley Yvonne Wheat, is originally from Bellevue, Washington. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and is a crossover artist based out of Overland Park, Kansas. Currently performing opera, musical theatre and puppetry, Ashley has a busy performance schedule while also maintaining her private studio. This year you may have seen Ashley in her debut of the role Musetta in La Bohéme with Winter Opera St. Louis or her reprise of the same role at the Southern Illinois Music Festival. At the festival she made her debut with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra singing Susanna’s optional aria from Le Nozze di Figaro. She was also seen in the ensemble of the acclaimed Musical Theatre Heritage production Sweeney Todd, and in the chorus of Madama Butterfly at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. This summer Ashley traveled with StoneLion Puppet Theatre performing with marionettes in The Toy Box at the Dubai Summer Surprises International Puppet Festival, manipulating rod puppets around Kansas City performing Bubba and Trixie and most recently returning to the marionettes to perform It’s A Jungle Out There! and Boneyard Jamboree. Ashley is also a regular performer with the Kansas City Fine Arts Institute performing musical theater works and jazz standards. Ashley makes her debut with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre as the Soprano in A Christmas Carol and continues into her third year as an outreach performer with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City: Express, performing the role of Queen and Figaro the Dog in, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Spelling Bee. |
|
AUSTIN ZOLLARS is making his third appearance with the KC Rep’s A Christmas Carol. He will also be performing the role of Billy in this season's On Golden Pond at The New Theatre.He has performed in Bridge to Terabithia at the Coterie Theatre. Austin was an orphan in Oliver and a Lost Boy in Peter Pan at the Jewish Community Center White Theater, Zazu in The Lion King at The Barstow Theater, and Avram in Fiddler on the Roof at French Woods Performing Arts. He is also an avid soccer player (midfield) and loves the guitar. Austin is a eighth grade student at The Barstow School and lives in Leawood with his Mom, Dad, Grammy Helen and Dog, Cole. |
YOUNG ADULT ENSEMBLE
|
|
AUDREY AHLENIUS is is very excited to be making her stage debut at the Kansas City Rep. She is currently 12 years old and a 7th grader at Lincoln College Prep Academy. She used to be a competitive gymnast but has now focused her time on acting and writing. |
|
HANNAH AHLENIUS is excited to be making her debut at the Kansas City Rep. She is 15 and a sophomore at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. She has appeared in multiple productions at The Coterie Theater, The Lyric Opera, and Community School #1. Her favorite things to do are play guitar with her friends, sing, and play soccer. Her favorite shows include A Chorus Line and Wicked. |
|
SPENCER CARNEY (Young Adult Ensemble) Spencer is honored to be making his premiere here at the KC Rep! Recently, you may have seen Spencer in Wild and Willful Women with Tara Lane Productions and as The Clerk in The Miser at The Theatre Gym. Previously, Spencer could have been seen in The Who’s Tommy at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre and as Young Philo in The Farnsworth Invention at the UMKC Undergraduate Theatre Department. |
|
EMMIE McCABE (Young Adult Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol 2011. Emmeline is also involved in Theatre at Vis and the theatre department at her high school, St. Teresa's Academy. |
|
CORI MOFFETT (Young Adult Ensemble) Cori is a junior at Blue Valley Northwest and this is her second year in A Christmas Carol. In school she is involved in theater and choir. She loves dance and horseback riding. Among her favorite roles are Cinderella in Into the Woods, Liesel in The Sound of Music and of course A Christmas Carol. Cori is extremely thankful to be a part of this again because how many other people can say their job is to spread Christmas cheer? |
|
SEAN MOISE (Young Adult Ensemble) Sean is very excited to be making his Kansas City Rep debut. He is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Park Hill High School. Sean has performed at the Coterie Theatre, appearing in Bridge to Terabithia, and also in UMKC’s undergrad show Philo Farnsworth Invention. Sean’s other activities include tennis and basketball. |
|
ELENA NANNEMAN (Violin/Young Adult Ensemble) Elena is very excited to participate in A Christmas Carol this year at KC Rep! She is 14 years old and attends school at Shawnee Mission West High School. Elena has appeared in several musical performances with the Ottawa Suzuki Strings. Elena also loves to dance. She was enrolled at Beller Dance Studio at the age of 2 years old, and continues to pursue her great talent in playing music and bringing joy to the community. |
|
VERONICA REARDON (Violin/Young Adult Ensemble) Veronica is very happy to have the opportunity to participate in a show at the KC Rep. She is 18 years old and a senior at Pembroke Hill. She has participated in several theatrical productions at Pembroke, as a cast member as well as a crew member (Antigone and Oklahoma!). She has played violin for 14 years. Veronica has been a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra for 5 years, and served as concertmaster. She is also leads Pembroke Hill's chamber music ensemble. She is a student with the Northland Talent Education Association. |
|
GRACE WATSON (Young Adult Ensemble) Grace is thrilled to be making her debut at the Kansas City Rep! She is a 17 year old sophomore at Maple Woods Community College. She has appeared in numerous productions at Christian Youth Theater and Academy of Christian Theater. Her favorite shows include Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent), A Little Princess (Miss Minchin), and The Legend of Pocahontas (Elani). Grace loves to tumble and play her guitar, as well as train in dance, music, and voice at The Culture House and The Broadway Workshop in New York City. |
|
CARLY WHITT (Pound/Young Adult Ensemble/Silent Night) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (2 seasons). Local: The Sound of Music (Louisa, The New Theatre); Frindle(Janet, Coterie Theatre); Madeline’s Christmas (Juliette, Theatre for Young America); The Music Man (Gracie Shinn, Starlight Theatre); The Children of Eden (Storyteller, Piane Productions). Carley has also performed with Music Theatre for Young People (The Truth and Other Lies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Zombie Prom) and The Barn Players (Into the Woods, The Wiz, Godspell, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown). Carley is a junior at Blue Springs South High School. She is on the State Mock Trial Team and has earned multiple placings in Storytelling and Duo for Forensics. She was the featured vocalist for the Lee’s Summit Oktoberfest, Chocolate Festival, and the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Carley is a member of the Shakespeare Conservatory Class at Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and the Acting Master Class at the Coterie Theatre. |
CHILDREN'S ENSEMBLE
|
|
CAM BURNS (Children’s Ensemble & u/s Ignorance) Cam is extremely excited to be part of A Christmas Carol for the first time. He has performed as Fizzy in Coterie Theatre’s Bugsy Malone and as Jess in Lansing Elementary’s Highlight Zone. He is currently a fifth grader at Lansing Elementary. Cam studies piano with Sherri Schwanz and takes acting lessons with Michael Grayman. His favorite pastimes are playing the piano, drawing and watching really scary movies with his three brothers. He dreams of some day being a comedic actor like his favorite thespian, Will Ferrell. He would like to thank Michael Grayman, Andy Parkhurst and all of his teachers in Lansing for being so flexible during the production! |
|
JANE CARR (Want/Children’s Ensemble) Janie is thrilled to return to the Kansas City Rep! She is 10 years old and is a 5th grader at St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School. She has appeared in productions at Starlight Theater, The Theater at Vis and Kansas Young Audiences. Her favorite shows include Narnia, in which she played a sprite and served as the Understudy for Lucy, and The Wizard of OZ at the Theater at Vis in which she played a ghost, a member of the Lullaby League and a poppy. Jane also enjoys singing, playing the piano, tennis, soccer and basketball. |
|
LAUREN CHANDLER (Ignorance/Children's Ensemble) Lauren is thrilled to return for her 2nd season of A Christmas Carol!!! She is 11 years old and is a 6th grader at Ascension School. She has appeared in numerous productions at Christian Youth Theatre and the Culture House. Her favorite shows include A Christmas Carol and A Little Princess in which she played the part of Sara Crewe. Lauren also loves to dance and trains at the Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice. |
|
CONNOR CLARY (Children's Ensemble) Connor is thrilled to be in A Christmas Carol for his second season. Previously he played Tiny Tim/Scrooge as a Boy and is in the children's ensemble this year. He has also performed in The Music Man (Summit Theatre), A Yorkshire Tragedy (UMKC Theatre), Bye Bye Birdie (Leawood Stage Company), The Sound of Music (Christian Youth Theater), and Children of Eden (Culture House/Church of the Resurrection). Connor takes voice, jazz and tap at Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice. He sings in the CORis Youth Choir at the Church of the Resurrection plus is active in the church's youth group and puppet team. He is in the 7th grade at Leawood Middle School and is a member of Boy Scout Troop 10. |
|
FRANCIS COOPER (Children’s Ensemble) is appearing at Kansas City Rep for the third time in A Christmas Carol. Francis has participated in theatre summer programs with the Shawnee Mission School District and The Coterie Theatre performing as The Owl in The Pond, The Fox in The Tortoise and the Hare, and Linus in Snoopy Come Home. He is currently in the fifth grade at Mill Creek Elementary School. Francis enjoys scouts, riding his bike, swimming and playing soccer, football and guitar. Francis enjoys creating comics strips with his friends and would like to send a shout out to all his friends at Mill Creek Elementary school. |
|
DARCIE A. HINGULA (Children's Ensemble) Darcie is ecstatic to be making her debut at the Kansas City Rep! She is 9 years old and is a 4th grader at Clear Creek Elementary School. She has recently appeared in The Who's Tommy (Younger Tommy) at The White Theatre (Jewish Community Center), and Narnia at Kansas City Starlight Theatre, and has also appeared in several productions at Theatre in the Park. Darcie loves to sing and dance and takes voice from Laure Ronnebaum and gets dance training at LE Dance and from Andy Parkhurst. |
|
JOSEPHINE LENATI (Children's Ensemble) is thrilled to be performing in A Christmas Carol at Kansas City Repertory Theatre this holiday season, having spent last season as the notorious Gladys Herdman in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for Theatre for Young America at Union Station. Josie has studied acting at Theatre for Young America since she was three and currently assists with the pre-K and K class, she also played the Cook in Alice in Wonderland for TYA’s Theatre Arts Project, and was the voice for Bullybot in Bullybot the Robot & The Gang of Geeks. Josie has also studied ballet, hip-hop, and theatre at Theatre for Young America, KCYA’s Community School of the Arts and ballet at Patti Beller Studio and is a proud 4th grader at Roesland Elementary. Josie would like to give lots of love to her family, her friends, and to Mrs. Roediger! |
|
ERIN LOWE (Ignorance/Schoolboy/Children’s Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (second year). Local credits: Lee Bouvier in Grey Gardens (Unicorn Theatre), Anne in Anne of Green Gables (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The New Theatre), The Music Man (Starlight Theatre and as Amaryllis at The Pembroke Hill Upper School), Disney Double Feature: as the Red Fairyin Sleeping Beauty and as a Singing Monkey in The Jungle Book; Cinderella and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park). Erin is a seventh grader at The Pembroke Hill School where she is a part of the Cross Country Team. In addition to acting, Erin enjoys singing, dancing, preparing for National History Day and, of course, baking brownies from a secret family recipe. She is working on her Silver Award with the Girl Scouts. |
|
ANNA McCLELLAND (Children’s Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (2 seasons). Anna is in the seventh grade at Indian Hills Middle School. She studies acting, dance, and participates in competitive cheer. During the summer, she studies ballet at Blue Lake Fine Arts Academy. Anna enjoys running, photography and baking cupcakes. |
|
MAGGIE MULLIGAN (Children's Ensemble/Understudy: Want) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol -- 2nd season. Maggie loves being a part of A Christmas Carol at the Kansas City Rep! She is 12 years old and a 6th grader at Westwood View School. Maggie is a founding member of Stage Right Performing Arts and last summer performed in the Wizard of Oz and Oklahoma! She was also a cast member of Bye Bye Birdie and Fiddler on the Roof. Maggie is a member of the Stage Right’s “Vocalation” Show Choir, studies dance at Miller Marley Dance Studio and is a member of the Miller Marley Jr. Dance Team. Maggie enjoys hanging out with her friends, boating at the lake with her family, swimming, reading and listening to music. |
|
KHALIL ODUMS (Children’s Ensemble & U/S Peter) Khalil is extremely excited to be making his debut at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre! He’s an 8th grader at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. He’s the current Vice President of the Show-Me Arts Committee at Paseo. The committee partners with their local state representative to advocate arts programming on a legislative level. Khalil has performed in a variety of different productions at Starlight Stars of Tomorrow, The Gorilla Theatre, & Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. He’s passionate about performing and loves to sing, act and dance. Khalil studies dance at Alvin Ailey of Kansas City and enjoys taking as many theatre and vocal workshops as possible. |
|
ANNA SYNEK (Children’s Ensemble) Anna is super excited to be returning to Kansas City Rep for her second season with A Christmas Carol! She is 12 years old, and she attends seventh grade at Christ Prep Academy. Anna has appeared in numerous productions at Christian Youth Theater, Theatre in the Park, and Gardner Community Theatre. Her favorite shows include Scrooge the Musical, Seussical JR., and A Little Princess, where she recently played the role of Becky. Anna loves to sing and perform on the big stage, and she loves doing it at the Rep! When she is not singing, she likes to eat food, hang out with friends, and watch Full House reruns. Anna would like to thank her directors, her voice teacher, Cathy Gamble, her cast members, her mom and dad, and God for blessing her with this opportunity! |
|
MEGAN WALSTROM (Want/Children's Ensemble) Megan is excited to be back for her second year at The KC Rep. Her credits include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The New Theater), The King and I (Jewish Community Center), and two shows at Stage Right Performing Arts. She is an Entertainer and on the Junior Competition Team at Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice. Megan is a 6th grader at Briarwood Elementary School. She would love to thank Kyle and the rest of the cast and crew for making this show so amazing. It has been a blast! |
|
CATIE WOLFF (Children’s Ensemble & Understudy for Want ) Catie is so excited to be making her debut at the Kansas City Rep! She is 12 years old and is a 7th grader at Pleasant Lea Middle School. She has appeared in numerous productions at Academy of Performing Arts and the Coterie Summer Camps. Catie enjoys playing ice & roller hockey, violin, and hanging out with her sister writing and creating comical videos. |
|
HALEY WOLFF (Children’s Ensemble) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (2 seasons). Local: Bridge to Terabithia (Coterie Theatre). Haley performed as Little Cosette in the Lee’s Summit North High School production of Les Miserables. She was also seen in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Androcles and the Lion, Santa’s Memory Quilt, et. al.(Academy of Performing Arts); As You Like It (Alcott Arts Center); The Wizard of Oz (Christian Youth Theatre East). Haley is an honor roll student and is a freshman at Lee’s Summit North High School. |
CREATIVE TEAM
|
BROOKE REDLER (Production Stage Manager) KC Rep: Stage Manager: The Whipping Man, A Christmas Carol, August: Osage County, Cabaret, 30th anniversary production of A Christmas Carol,Saved, Palomino; Assistant Stage Manager: Bus Stop, A Flea in Her Ear, Winesburg, Ohio, A Christmas Carol, Radio Golf, The Drawer Boy, A Marvelous Party!, Bad Dates, The Syringa Tree, Love, Janis; Production Assistant: Clay, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Christmas Carol, Jitney. Local credits: Aladdin Jr. (1st Assistant Stage Manager, Starlight Theatre) Anything Goes, The King and I, Cinderella (2nd Assistant Stage Manager, Starlight Theatre) King Henry V, Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Regional: The Drowsy Chaperone, Is He Dead? and Harry The Great (Stage Manager, Creede Repertory Theatre); Big River and Promises, Promises (Assistant Stage Manager, Stages St. Louis). Opera: Moscow, Cherry Town, Medea (Production Stage Manager, Long Beach Opera), The Good Soldier, Schweik (Assistant Stage Manager, Long Beach Opera); Santa Fe Opera, two seasons. |
KYLE HATLEY (Director) is an actor, director and playwright. He is the Associate Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, where he has directed Little Shop of Horrors, Broke-ology, Circle Mirror Transformation, The Borderland and A Christmas Carol (2010 to Present). Also at the Rep, he was the Associate Director on August: Osage County (Eric Rosen, Director) and the Assistant Director on Radio Golf (Lou Bellamy), The Glass Menagerie (David Cromer), Into The Woods (Moises Kaufman) and Saved (Gary Griffin). As an actor, Kyle was seen as “The Gentleman Caller” in The Glass Menagerie, “Caleb” in The Whipping Man and will be seen next at the Rep as “Happy” in Death of a Salesman. Local Directing: Titus Androncius (The Living Room), Carousel (The Living Room), which will be presented later this season on the Rep stage, The Darwin Project (Friends of Chamber Music at Helzberg Hall), Ben Franklyn’s Apprentice (The Coterie) and Hamlet (Two Third’s Theatre). He will also be remounting his musical, The Death of Cupid at The Living Room this summer. Local writing & directing: Head, The Death of Cupid and Watering The Grave (Kansas City Fringe Festival). Local acting: Jerry Genochio’s Tack Driver (Kansas City Fringe Festival). TV & Film: “Prison Break” and “As The World Turns”. Awards: Best Director (2009, The Pitch); a 2011 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Artist Fellow. He is a Rhodes College graduate and the artistic director of Chatterbox Audio Theater, a non-profit, web-based theatre that produces fully soundscaped audio plays for free streaming and download at www.chatterboxtheater.org. |
JOHN EZELL (Scenic Design) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol, over 75 productions for the Missouri/KC Rep. Mr. Ezell has designed for Broadway under the legendary direction of George Abbot, the New York Shakespeare Festival, NY Public Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, Williamstown, Berkshire, Old Globe, Coconut Grove, Asolo State Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, San Jose Rep, Dallas Theatre Center, Westport Country Playhouse, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Istanbul Cultural Olympics, Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Lyric Opera, Blackstone Theatre and Second City in Chicago, Cincinnati Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Swedish Riksteater and the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm, The Cincinnati Ballet, CBS, PBS-TV, and Swedish State Television. His drawings have been exhibited in New York, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, St. Louis, Prague and Brussels. His work received the Award for Experimental Television Art in Milan, Italy, two Corporation for Public Broadcasting Awards for Excellence, and fifteen National Critics’ Circle Awards including the 2011 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his designs of the historic Westport Theatre’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Mr. Ezell is a fellow of the College of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. |
GENE EMERSON FRIEDMAN (Associate Scenic Designer) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol (developed the design drafting for the original 1980 production), Death of a Salesman, Master Class, I’m Not Rappaport. Local: Richard The Third, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival). Recent designs: Second City Does Arizona (Arizona Theatre Company); The Music Man, Carousel, La Cage aux Folles (Stages-Saint Louis); Death and the Maiden (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). Additional designs: Calderon’s Life is a Dream (New York’s Lincoln Center and GLTF); Gerald Freedman’s adaptations of A Christmas Carol and People Who Led to My Plays, as well as The Dearest Friends, The Boor, The Enemies, The World of Sholom Aleichem and What the Butler Saw. Mr. Friedman is architectural historian of the Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe [1629] at Zuni Pueblo, where he also serves as archivist and curator of the Casa de Santo Nino. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Design at UMKC. Stages Of Conversion; The Santero Shrines of Gene Emerson Friedman can currently be seen at the Mattie Rhodes Gallery. His design for theatre can be seen at www.gefriedmandesign.com. |
AARON CHVATAL (Costume Supervisor/Additional Costume Design) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol. Local design credits: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Unicorn Theatre); La Tragedie de Carmen (Opera Conservatory); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, King Stag (UMKC Theatre).Regional: Assistant Costume Designer for the Ohio Light Opera’s 2012 season. Education: Mr. Chvatal is a third year graduate student at UMKC. |
JEFFREY CADY (Lighting and Projection Design) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol 2010,2011, The Glass Menagerie (lighting and projections); Circle Mirror Transformation (lighting and projections), Harriet Jacobs, Palomino, Back Home Again: a John Denver Holiday Concert, Under Midwestern Stars, Love, Janis, Give ’em Hell, Harry (projection design); Incognito, Later Life (lighting design). Regional projection credits: The Gay Bride of Frankenstein, Rooms (Seacoast Repertory Theatre, New Hampshire); The Wiz, Always, Patsy Cline (Main State Musical Theatre); Lombardi, Cleveland Playhouse, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, [title of show], Woody Guthrie’s American Song (Arizona Theatre Company). A Perfect Wedding, Shake Rattle and Roll, and Smokey Joe’s Café, Florida Studio Theatre. National credits: Love, Janis (lighting and projections, Columbia Artists Theatricals’ tours); Fellowship! (lighting and projections, New York Musical Theatre Festival); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (lighting, Theatre League). Mr. Cady served as the Head Projections Programmer for: Green Day’s American Idiot (Broadway production) and Wintuk (Cirque du Soleil). |
ERYN BATES PRESTON (Music Director) KC Rep: Pippin (Assistant to the Music Director); Little Shop of Horrors (Assistant Music Director); A Christmas Carol 2011 (Music Director); Carousel (Music Director, The Living Room); Cabaret (Assistant Music Director); A Christmas Carol 2010 (Additional Music). Local credits: 2012 Fringe Festival; original music for Titus Andronicus (The Living Room); original music for Head (by Kyle Hatley); original score for The Human Experience and Pinocchio with Chatterbox Audio Theater. United Kingdom credits: Into the Woods (Oxford Playhouse); Iolanthe (New Theatre Oxford); accompanist for The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Oxford University (Oxford, UK); solo performer at Blenheim Palace, Oxford University, Holywell Music Room (Oxford, UK). Education: MBA from University of Missouri- Kansas City; BA in Oxbridge Music from William Jewell College. |
JOHN STORY (Sound Design) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol–nine seasons, A Flea In Her Ear, Radio Golf, The Drawer Boy, Gee’s Bend, To Kill a Mockingbird, Bad Dates, The Syringa Tree (along with Steve LeGrand), Jitney, A Raisin in the Sun, Give ‘Em Hell, Harry, Two Trains Running. Local: Crowns, Omnium Gatherum (Unicorn Theatre); Nobody Lonesome for Me (American Heartland Theatre); Tommy (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre); Just So Stories, One for the Road (KC Fringe Festival); Driving Miss Daisy (Central Standard Theatre), which was featured at the Fringe Festivals in Adelaide, Australia and Bedford, England. Mr. Story also captured the sound of a concert for 10,000 people in the Philippine jungle, which is featured in the recently released documentary Rise & Dream. He has worked extensively in recording studios, having produced CDs for various Kansas City artists including Mark Lowrey, Barclay Martin, Nathan Granner and Dave Stephens. He received his BA from Cleveland State University and an MFA in sound design from UMKC. Mr. Story serves as the Sound Supervisor for the KC Rep and the UMKC Department of Theatre. |
JENNIFER MARTIN (Movement Coach/Choreographer) A Christmas Carol–30th season, Winesburg, Ohio, Man and Superman, Liliom, Indian Ink, Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright. Her work has also been seen locally at the Unicorn Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and Coterie Theatre and nationally, at the Shakespeare Theatre and Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Chicago’s Northlight Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Dr. Martin is a James C. Olson Professor at UMKC. She earned her Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Michigan, and an MFA in dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A founding board member of the Association of Theatre Movement Educators, Dr. Martin has conducted master classes in France, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and across the United States. |
ERIKA BAILEY (Vocal Coach) KC Rep: A Christmas Carol-six seasons, Cabaret, Bus Stop, The Borderland, The Drawer Boy, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Syringa Tree. She has also coached dialects, voice and speech at the Unicorn Theatre and the Coterie Theatre. Broadway credits: Tony Award-winning Mary Stuart starring Janet McTeer and Harriet Walters. Regional credits: The Guthrie Theater, in Minneapolis, MN; McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ; Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ and at The Public Theater in New York City. Education: BA from Williams College, MA in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She is the head of voice and speech for the MFA Acting Program at UMKC. |
ERIC ROSEN (Artistic Director) is Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, was the founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s About Face Theatre (AFT) (1995-2008), and is a writer, director and producer. Original projects include Venice (KC Rep, Center Theatre Group-LA, upcoming NYC, “Best Musical of 2010”–TIME Magazine); Wedding Play (Steppenwolf /AFT, Jefferson nomination) Winesburg, Ohio (Steppenwolf, AFT-Jeff Award; Arden Theatre Company-Philadelphia, Barrymore Award; KC Rep), Clay (AFT, Lookingglass Theatre Company-Chicago, Center Theatre Group, KC Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, LCT3-Drama Desk Nomination, Jeff Award); and Undone, Whitman and Dream Boy (Jeff Award, several productions across the country). In addition to Venice, other Rep directing credits include: Pippin; Clay; Winesburg, Ohio; world premiere of A Christmas Story, The Musical!, opening on Broadway during 2012 holiday season; Cabaret; August: Osage County; The Whipping Man and the upcoming Death of a Salesman. Additional directing credits include productions at Lincoln Center Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Alliance, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Hartford Stage, 5th Avenue, Prince, Cincinnati, Melbourne (Australia) and workshops at Sundance, O’Neill, Playwrights Horizons, and the Public Theater. He has developed and produced over 40 world premieres, including Doug Wright’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winner I am My Own Wife and work by Mary Zimmerman, Frank Galati, Stephen Flaherty, Moisés Kaufman, David Cale, The Civilians, among others. He holds a doctorate in performance studies from Northwestern University, and has twice served as an NEA panelist, and serves on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization of non-profit theatres. |
Press Login Here. If you are a member of the press and would like to download high resolution images, please log in or sign up here. For more information, please contact Laura Muir at muirl@kcrep.org.