cast and crew biographies

Matthew Hougland (Co-Director/Music Director): National Tour: SPAMILTON (MD/King George). Off-Broadway: LIFE OF THE PARTY (Lawrence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin), EMERGENCY. Workshop: WICKEDEST WOMAN. Past credits include CHICAGO, SISTER ACT, AMOUR, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, A CATERED AFFAIR. Awards: Broadway World Best Actor. Current: Celebrity Cruises (vocal director), SPAMILTON (vacation MD), Carthage College (Director of Undergraduate MT Studies). Education: MM NYU Steinhardt. www.matthewhougland.com @mrhougland

Danny Dwaine Wells II (Choreographer): Danny Dwaine Wells II is a while travelled and versed dancer, performing throughout the United States and Europe. An alumnus of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and a graduate of San Diego State University’s BFA Dance program, he has 10+ plus years of training in numerous dance techniques. He has also had the pleasure of training with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Summer Intensives), Diavolo Dance Theater, and has performed works by Peter Kalivas, Michael Mizerany and Jeremy Mitchell. He continues to work as a performer and choreographer both in the U.S. and Internationally. He currently teaches master technique classes throughout country. A few of his most recent performance credits are: Film- Waiting in the Wings, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story Commercial/Industry- Disneyland (Parade of Dreams/ Block Party Bash/ Fantasmic) Regional Theatre- Cabaret (Kit Kat Boy/ Ensemble), Elf The Musical (Ensemble) Saturday Night Fever (Male Swing), La Cage Aux Folles (Mercedes/ Dance Captain), Footloose (Male Swing), Hairspray (Male Swing#2), The Addams Family (Dance Captain), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sebastian) National Tours (Non-Equity)- Hair (Hud U.S.), Sesame Street Live Tour 2014-15 (Cookie Monster/ Count Live Dancer). Danny is proud a adjudicator and pedagogist for a variety of dance academies, dance competitions and convention circuits. Danny looks forward to countless opportunities to encourage and spread dance education to young artist.

William Newcomb (Technical Director, Assistant Professor of Theatre): holds a B.F.A. in Technical Theatre from Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas, and an M.F.A. in Arts Administration from Southern Utah University. He was assistant manager of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for two years before coming to Carthage. William also served as production Manager for the Optimist Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park. William is a national member of USITT. Other credits include technical director of the Wells Fine Arts Center at Tarleton State University, assistant technical director at Oberlin College, scene shop foreman at Ohio Light Opera, and assistant to the production manager of the Utah Shakespearean Festival.

Gabbie Tifft (Lighting & Projections Designer): Gabrielle Tifft is a senior Technical-Direction Theatre Major, with two Minors in Costume Design and Dance, and is ecstatic to show her final thesis work on the Wartburg stage! Her mainstage credits at Carthage include ANTIGONE (sound designer), SOMETHING ROTTEN (stage manager), PATIENCE & FORTITUDE (sound designer), BETRAYAL (lighting designer), EURYDICE (assistant lighting designer), and ROMEO AND JULIET WALK INTO A BAR (sound designer). Upcoming works include Starlight Theatre’s productions of FOOTLOOSE, IN THE HEIGHTS, and OLIVER as the lighting designer. She would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support, her peers who aided in making this project possible, and Martin McClendon, Matthew Hougland, and William Newcomb for this opportunity.

Sierra Clark (Costume Designer): Sierra is a senior costume design student and LEGALLY BLONDE is her thesis. Her previous design credits include BETRAYAL and BIG GUNS at Carthage College and . Her professional credits include UNTITLED SPACE TRADERS PROJECT at The Williamstown Theatre Festival. Her wardrobe supervisor credits include FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE, SOMETHING ROTTEN, MOMENTO MORI, THE HANDBOOK, EURYDICE, and PUFFS amongst others. She is also the Student Box Office Manager for the Carthage Office of Performing & Visual Arts. She wants to thank the theatre faculty for all their support, especially Kim Instenes. She also wants thank her family and friends for always being there for her. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Kim Instenes (Costume Superviser): (Associate Professor of Theatre) holds an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Ohio University, and a BA in Theatre from UW-Whitewater. Kim continues to work as a freelance costume and make-up designer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Professional design credits include THE SNOW and BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, as well as the musical BIG at Milwaukee’s First Stage Children’s Theatre, the JEEVES Trilogy and INDECENT at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and numerous shows at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Renaissance Theatre Works, Utah Shakespearean Festival and the Racine Theatre Guild. Design work at Carthage includes SOMETHING ROTTEN and costumes for the world premieres of NO NAME by Jeffrey Hatcher and GHOST BIKE by Laura Jacqmin, to name a few. GHOST BIKE won her a Certificate of Merit from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for costume and makeup design and an invitation to show her work at the Festival. Kim is excited to be a part of the Theatre Department here at Carthage as it strengthens and strives to create theatre artists of the highest quality. She enjoys the thrill of watching a student understand what a costume does for their character and watching that character come to life as a result. She would also like to thank her family, husband Doug, and children, Lauren and Dalen, for their continued support of her creative endeavors.

Stephen Patterson (Associate Choreographer): Stephen Patterson holds a BFA in Dance & Choreography from California Institute of the Arts. He danced with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater and Alternative Motion Project in Minneapolis and taught all over Minnesota and around the U.S. While in Minneapolis he presented work through Art to Change to the World. Currently based in Chicago, Stephen is a company member and teaching artist for The Rooted Space.

Joshua Heinlein (Assistant Choreographer): Joshua Heinlein, originally from El Paso, Texas, is proud to call himself a Chicago actor of eight years. He received his education in Kentucky and has a BA in Theater and Music Performance and had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of Blackbird Dance Theater during his years there. While he primarily sings and dances, he is thrilled to be making his collegiate debut as a choreographer. He is a proud husband and soon to be father. Thank you, Berenice Heinlein, for all that you do!

Peyton Olesczuk (Stage Manager) she/her/hers: Peyton is a Senior Japanese major with a minor in Theatre! She is super excited to be stage managing her second Mainstage Production. Peyton’s previous Carthage works have included BETRAYAL as Stage Manager. Peyton was also in Tokyo Gakugei University’s production of KOKEODOSHI as Ensemble. She would like to thank Martin McClendon and Matthew Hougland for giving her this opportunity, her Assistant Stage Managers Liv and Ceci for being amazing assistants, and her friends for supporting her through this journey! She hopes you enjoy this fabulous show!

Ceci Parkes: (Assistant Stage Manager) they/them/theirs: Ceci is a Freshman Stage Management Major. This is their second production at Carthage as a part of the Stage Management team. They’ve had the opportunity to work on FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE as Run Crew and their first-ever Assistant Stage Management position in ANTIGONE this past fall. Ceci would like to thank their friends and family back home in Milwaukee for supporting their dreams and ambitions in theater and at Carthage. Ceci would also like to thank the Cast and Crew for making this show the best that it can be! Snaps for Legally Blonde!