The Artistic Company

Acting Company

Savannah Cooper*

Ronnette and Dance Captain Debut season with Great Lakes Theater Savannah is beyond thankful to be making her GLT debut! Previous credits include All Shook Up (Lorraine), Smokey Joe’s Café (Brenda/ Dance Captain), Into the Woods (Florinda), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Charlaine and Nell u/s), Lizzie (Bridget u/s and Dance Captain) and Kinky Boots (Factory Worker). Savannah is a senior music theater major and dance minor at Baldwin Wallace University. Many thanks to her family, friends, Vicky & BWMT! Instagram: @savvy_sc

Aled Davies*

Mr. Mushnik Twenty-two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Credits include Father Antonio (Much Ado About Nothing), Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge/Samuels (A Christmas Carol), Prospero (The Tempest), Sir Wilfrid Robarts (QC in Witness for the Prosecution), Seyton the Porter (Macbeth) The Gravedigger (Hamlet), Colonel Pickering (My Fair Lady), The Old Actor (The Fantasticks), King Lear (King Lear), John Falstaff (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Oberon/Theseus (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) Your Chairman (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Dorn (The Seagull), Deputy Governor Danforth (The Crucible) and Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Earnest). A proud and appreciative member of Actors’ Equity since 1984. GO BROWNS!

Elijah Dawson*

Audrey II Voice Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Elijah is thrilled to be returning to Great Lakes Theater. Previous credits include Olin Britt/Quartet in The Music Man (Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival), Cinna the Poet/Cato in Julius Caesar (Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival), Bobby in Memphis (Cain Park, Elisha Whitney in Anything Goes (Baldwin Wallace University), John the Baptist/Judas in Godspell (New London Barn Playhouse), Fred in Smokey Joe’s Café (Roper Theatre). Elijah is a proud 2020 graduate of Baldwin Wallace University.

Andrew Faria*

Seymour Debut season with Great Lakes Theater Andrew is so excited to bring Little Shop of Horrors to the Hanna Theatre here in downtown Cleveland! His favorite credits include The Baker in Into the Woods, Abraham in Altar Boyz, Snoopy in Charlie Brown and Charlie Price in Kinky Boots. Last year, Andrew had the opportunity to sing the national anthem at the home game finale of the Cleveland Browns in front of 60 thousand people. Andrew recently graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with his bachelor’s of music in musical theater. He would love to thank his family, friends, the entire BWMT faculty, his manager John Bautista, his agent David Krasner, and of course, his dog Jerome. andrewfaria.com

Kris Lyons*

Chiffon Debut season with Great Lakes Theater Kris Lyons is excited to make her Great Lakes Theater debut in her hometown. Kris hails from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and is a junior in Baldwin Wallace’s Music Theatre program. Previous shows include Baldwin Wallace’s production of Lizzie the Musical (Emma) and Clinton Area Showboat’s productions of Sister Act (Deloris), All Shook Up (Sylvia) and Smokey Joe’s Café (BJ). Kris would like to thank the

BWMT faculty, her family and Sailor the lizard for their continued support. Instagram: @justkrislyons

Sara Masterson*

Audrey Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Previous GLT shows include The Secret Garden (Martha) and King Lear (Ens/Cordelia u/s). Other credits include Rattlesnake Kate (Katie), The Denver Center; Next to Normal (Natalie), Syracuse Stage; Fun Home (Medium Alison), Portland Center Stage, where she received the BWW Regional Award for Best Supporting Actress; A Christmas Carol (Belle/Catherine Margret), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; and A Little Night Music (Anne), The New London Barn Playhouse. Sara is a proud graduate of the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. Endless love and gratitude to her family and to Daniel. www.saramastersonactor.com Instagram: @saraemasterson

Chad Ethan Shohet

Audrey II Puppeteer Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Chad is a professional actor and puppeteer based in Boise, where he’s been seen onstage at Boise Contemporary Theater, HomeGrown Theatre and Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Favorite roles include Lungs (HGT), R+J (Mercutio), As You Like It, (Silvius) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at ISF (Demetrius). Puppet work includes The Tempest, The 39 Steps (ISF/GLT), Clara Umbra, Oppy, Alligator (HGT) and Carnival of Animals (Boise Philharmonic). Chad was a resident company member at the National Puppetry Conference at the O’Neill (20182019), and has served as the artistic director of HomeGrown Theatre’s Horrific Puppet Affair for eight seasons. chadshohetshadows.com

Alex Syiek*

Orin Scrivello Seven seasons with Great Lakes Theater Previous shows include The Music Man, Julius Caesar, Witness for the Prosecution, Mamma Mia!, Pride and Prejudice, Wait Until Dark, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Alex has a Bachelor of Music from Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. alexsyiek.com

Sydney Alexandra Whittenburg*

Crystal Debut season with Great Lakes Theater Sydney is excited to be making her GLT debut. Her most recent credits include The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical (Sally/Playhouse Square), Into The Woods (Lucinda/Cinderella u/s Baldwin Wallace Mainstage), and BW B.A.R.S (Playhouse Square). Sydney attends Baldwin Wallace University (class of ’23) and studies musical theater under the direction of Victoria Bussert. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform this fall with GLT, and would like to thank Vicky and Matt for helping her build her skills as a performer, and her parents for always pushing her to strive higher. Instagram: @syddwhitt

Understudies

Mike Bindeman, Will Boone, Andie Peterson, Noah Wohlsen

Directors

Victoria Bussert

Director Thirty-six seasons with Great Lakes Theater Victoria returns for her 36th year at GLT, balancing the professional and academic worlds between her active life as an award-winning, freelance director while holding the position of Director of Music Theatre for Baldwin Wallace University. Her directing work has been seen at theaters 13

nationwide including Manhattan Theatre Club, New World Stages, Goodspeed Opera, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Portland Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Firebrand Theatre and Anchorage Opera. Her international credits include Friar Tuck in Russia, The Who’s Tommy in Brazil, the Danish premiere of Avenue Q, and the European premieres of Lizzie and [title of show]. Many thanks to her “theater” family here at GLT, especially Matt, Jeff, Nancy and Jackie. She happily shares her life with husband, Dale, and fur children, Ondie and Lizzie. It’s so good to be back LIVE! victoriabussert.com

Charles Fee

Producing Artistic Director Twenty-one seasons with Great Lakes Theater Directing credits at GLT: Much Ado About Nothing, Sleuth, Witness for the Prosecution, A Christmas Carol, Misery, Macbeth, Hamlet, And Then There Were None, Dial “M” for Murder, Deathtrap, Blithe Spirit, Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hay Fever, The Importance of Being Earnest, Arms and the Man and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Charles holds a unique position in the American theater as producing artistic director of three independently operated, professional theater companies: Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, Ohio (since 2002); Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise, Idaho (since 1991) and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival in Incline Village, Nevada (since 2010). His appointments have resulted in a dynamic and groundbreaking producing model for the companies, in which more than 60 plays have been shared since 2002. In 2009, Charles was honored to receive recognition for his leadership by the Cleveland Arts Prize as a recipient of the Martha Joseph Award. Other awards include The Mayor’s and Governor’s awards for Excellence in the Arts, Idaho. From 1988 to 1992, he held the position of artistic director at the Sierra Repertory Theatre in California. He has also worked with The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, the Milwaukee and Missouri repertory theaters, Actor’s Theatre of Phoenix and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. In addition to his work with the companies in Ohio, Idaho and Nevada, Charles is active within the community. He has served as a member of the strategic planning committee for the Morrison Center, as producer of the FUNDSY Award Gala (’96, ’98 and 2000), and as producer of the 1996 Idaho Governor’s Awards in the Arts. Charles has served on the board of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Downtown Rotary Club. He received his BA from the University of the Pacific and Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Along with his wife, Lidia and daughter, Alexa, Charles resides in Boise, Cleveland and Lake Tahoe — a feat that is only possible because of the incredible love and support of his family, and the generous communities he serves!

Designers

Trad A Burns

Lighting Designer Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Theater designs include Nickel and Dimed (Great Lakes Theater/Cleveland Public Theatre), Doubt and Inherit the Wind (Cleveland Play House), The Legend of Georgia McBride, Broadway Bound, Matilda, American Idiot and Altar Boyz (Beck Center for The Arts), Gloria (Texas State University), and Ragtime and Rock of Ages (Cain Park). Dance designs include You Are Here (Smunin Ballet), Soar (Sacramento Ballet), The Wizard of Oz (Kansas City Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Colorado Ballet), Romeo & Juliet (Richmond Ballet), The Nutcracker (Cincinnati Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Tulsa Ballet, Sacramento Ballet), Peter Pan, (Hong Kong Ballet) and Wünderland (Pacific Northwest Ballet). Themed entertainment designs include Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios, Disneyland) Beauty and the Beast (Hollywood Studios)

and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventures (Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea). Trad is associate professor of practice in lighting design at Texas State University.

David Gotwald

Sound Designer Eight seasons at Great Lakes Theater GLT credits include The Music Man, Mamma Mia!, My Fair Lady, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Fantasticks and The Secret Garden. He has been the sound supervisor and mixer for numerous Broadway productions, including A Chorus Line (1981), Dreamgirls, Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Crazy For You, Fosse, The Producers, Gypsy and A Gentleman’s Guide. He was a concert sound engineer for Tommy Tune, Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone, as well as for special events at The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center, NY City Center Encores and Carnegie Hall. David is a faculty adviser in sound design at Carnegie Mellon University.

Jeff Herrmann

Scenic Designer Seventeen seasons with Great Lakes Theater Selected designs for GLT include Much Ado About Nothing, The Music Man, Mamma Mia!, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cabaret, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, and My Fair Lady, all joint productions with Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Other ISF productions include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, The Spitfire Grill, and Little Shop of Horrors. Jeff is the Chair of Theatre and Dance and the resident scene designer at Baldwin Wallace University. He holds an MFA in scene and lighting design from Southern Illinois University and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Nicholas Lynch-Voris

Hair, Wig and Makeup Designer Three seasons with Great Lakes Theater Could not be more excited to make their design debut with ISF/GLT! Just wanted to say thank you to Esther, Vicky, and Danae for giving me the chance to realize their vision! This hair and makeup supervisor from the Dallas Theater Center was excited to visit these stages again.

Danae Iris McQueen

Costume Designer Two seasons with Great Lakes Theater Danae is thrilled to be back at Great Lakes Theater for the first time in 14 years after starting her career as an intern in the costume shop in 2008. Currently based in LA, she recently designed the Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors with a live performance featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Selected additional designs include Witch at Geffen Playhouse (LA Drama Critics Circle and LA Stage Ovation Awards), Annie (Hollywood Bowl), The Pride (Wallis Annenberg Center), Jonah Bokaer’s Eclipse (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and the world premieres of Gidion’s Knot and From Prague (Contemporary American Theater Festival). She also builds costumes for television and live events, including Magic Mike Live, Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360 and FOX’s The Masked Singer. Danae proudly holds an MFA in costume design from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA in theater arts from Baldwin Wallace University. danaeirismcqueen.com

Jaclyn Miller

Choreographer Five seasons with Great Lakes Theater Director credits for GLT: The 39 Steps. Choreography/Movement credit for GLT: Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, The Music Man, Julius Caesar, Mamma Mia!, The Taming of the Shrew, Pride and Prejudice and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Regional credits: Oregon Shakespeare Festival: It’s Christmas, Carol!, Hairspray, Alice in Wonderland, Book of Will, Shakespeare in Love, Twelfth Night, Yeoman of the Guard, Fingersmith (world premiere), The Cocoanuts and My Fair Lady; South Coast Rep: She Loves Me; Arizona Theatre Company: Cabaret and The Music Man; Guthrie Theatre: The Cocoanuts; Baltimore 15

Center Stage: Fun Home. Additionally, Jaclyn has worked as an associate director and/or choreographer around the country in theaters that include Arena Stage, Kirk Douglas Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, Portland Opera, Berkshire Theater Festival and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

Matthew Webb

Music Director Sixteen seasons with Great Lakes Theater Matthew is music director for music theater at Baldwin Wallace University. Credits include Into the Woods, Spring Awakening and Kinky Boots. As music director for Great Lakes Theater: Mamma Mia!, Beehive: the ’60s Musical, Forever Plaid, The Fantasticks, Sweeney Todd, Sondheim on Sondheim, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, Bat Boy: The Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Christmas Carol and Two Gentlemen of Verona. Elsewhere: LIZZIE (Playhouse Square), Once (Beck Center) and Hair (Cain Park and Kent State). Previous sound design at Great Lakes: The 39 Steps, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth and Hamlet. Many thanks to Vicky, Charlie and his incredible parents, Carol and Jerry.

Stage Management

Nicki Cathro*

Production Stage Manager Seventh Season with Great Lakes Theater Previously the production stage manager for Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol, The Tempest, Julius Caesar; the assistant stage manager for Sleuth, The Music Man, Witness for the Prosecution, Misery, Macbeth, Pride and Prejudice; production assistant for Hamlet, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other theater work: ASM for Every Brilliant Thing at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Nicki earned her BFA in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of North Texas and is a proud member of AEA. She is overjoyed to be back in the theater with her husband and friends.

celebrate the season!

Northeast Ohio’s Favorite Holiday Tradition

By Charles Dickens Adapted and Originally Directed By Gerald Freedman

NOV. 25 - DEC. 23, 2022

MIMI OHIO THEATRE, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE TICKETS START AT $35 • PATRONS 25 & UNDER PAY $30 216.241.6000 | GreatLakesTheater.org

Sarah Kelso*

Assistant Stage Manager Six Seasons with Great Lakes Theater Previous shows: The 39 Steps, Much Ado About Nothing, A Christmas Carol, Sleuth, Million Dollar Quartet, Beehive: the ’60s Musical and Romeo and Juliet. Eleven seasons with Idaho Shakespeare Festival: Sleuth, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Million Dollar Quartet, Beehive: the ’60s Musical, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Forever Plaid, The Fantasticks and Steel Magnolias. Ten seasons with Boise Contemporary Theater: The Wolves, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, With Love and a Major Organ, Good B*tch Goes Down, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and A Skull in Connemara. Sarah is a graduate of Boise State University’s Department of Theatre Arts.

Imani Sade*

Production Stage Manager Three Seasons with Great Lakes Theater Imani is so excited to be back at The Hanna for her third season! Previous GLT credits include The Music Man and The 39 Steps. Other credits are LIZZIE (The Beck Center), Into the Woods (Baldwin Wallace University), Jersey Boys Streaming (Playhouse Square), Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed (Karamu House) and If/Then (Lakeland Civic Theatre). Imani would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support.

book your group outing today!

GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE ENJOY...

• SAVINGS OF UP TO 45% OFF YOUR THEATER VISIT • RISK-FREE RESERVATIONS WITH NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED • FREE GROUP LEADER TICKET WITH 20+ PAID TICKETS • EXCLUSIVE GROUP EXPERIENCES AND AMENITIES

• FAMILY CELEBRATIONS • GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT • STUDENT TRIPS • ALUMNI REUNIONS • CLUB GATHERINGS • CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT