CREATIVE TEAM BIOS

JULES BRANCHE (Assistant Stage Manager) is pleased to return to The Naples Players for The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Jules previously stage managed The Game’s Afoot, Blithe Spirit, The Savannah Sipping Society, and Escanaba in da Moonlight at The Naples Players. Previously she was Assistant Stage Manager for the shows Something Rotten!, Mary Poppins, The Wedding Singer, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Mamma Mia!, and Guys and Dolls. Jules thanks all of her friends, co-workers, and family for their continued support as she dedicates her free time to the theater.

COLE BUTCHER (Stage Manager / Fight Choreographer ) is in his tenth season with The Naples Players. Previous SM credits with TNP: Mary Poppins, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Wedding Singer, Footloose, Yours Truly, She Loves Me, Mamma Mia!, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, The Music Man, Sister Act, My Fair Lady, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, Young Frankenstein, Something’s Afoot, Legally Blonde, Oklahoma, Noises Off, Gypsy, and Moon Over Buffalo.

KATIE CROSS (Video & Projections) is the owner of Cross Align Media, a content creation company specializing in video production for small businesses, artists, and nonprofits. Cross Align Media helps expand their clients reach through affordable, high-quality media content. She produces the majority of the video content for TNP, including sponsor videos, lobby screens, archival videos, social media video posts, and fundraising videos. Her content work extends to creating the projections for shows like Mary Poppins and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Katie filmed and edited

The Belle of New Orleans - the movie within By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. Katie is also a working actor, and can be seen in commercials for Wawa, Florida Lottery, AutoNation, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe. She will appear in a feature film on BET in 2023. To learn more about Cross Align Media, visit crossalign.com or follow @crossalign on Instagram. For more information on her acting, go to katiecross.com or follow @katiecrossofficial.

CHARLES FORNARA (Music Director/Conductor) celebrates 20 years and 50 shows as MD at TNP with this production, and has music directed over 175 productions, including: at TNP, The Sound of Music, Something Rotten!, Mary Poppins, Gentleman’s Guide, The Wedding Singer, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, The Spitfire Grill, Les Misérables, All Shook Up, 42nd Street and many others, as well as over 20 teen productions for KidzAct. Also in Naples for TheatreZone, he has music directed nearly 40 shows including Rock of Ages, A Little Night Music, Bridges of Madison County, Aida, The Secret Garden, Legs Diamond, Sweet Smell of Success, Grand Hotel, Little Women and Hair. Originally from Providence, RI, Chas conducted Jim Steinman and Roman Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires in Stuttgart, and has taught and coached singers all over the US and Germany, now offering private lessons here in Naples. A proud member of Actors’ Equity, he has appeared in almost 100 musicals, operas and concerts, including several appearances here in Naples with TheatreZone, most recently as the title role in Sweeney Todd. Much love to his beautiful wife, Dawn, and a big thank you to this wonderful orchestra! He dedicates this production to Lachlan Youngberg, a great friend and member of the original world-première Berlin cast. RIP LHP.

DAWN LEBRECHT FORNARA (Director/Choreographer) celebrates 20 years at TNP with this production. She is a native of New York and has served as director and choreographer for TNP’s The Sound of Music, Something Rotten!, Mary Poppins, The Wedding Singer, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Sister Act, The Rocky Horror Show, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, The Spitfire Grill and 42nd Street, among others, and with KidzAct for many productions, including Joseph and the Techicolor Dreamcoat, Hairspray, Disney’s Camp Rock, Les Misérables and CATS. Dawn has choreographed many shows for TNP, including A Christmas Carol, A Gentleman’s Guide..., All Shook Up, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Cabaret. As a performer, she has been seen in the National Tours of 42nd Street, Seussical the Musical, Anything Goes and Grease. A proud member of Actors’ Equity, she has been seen here in Naples in TheatreZone’s Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy), Stepping Out with Donna McKechnie, Legs Diamond (Kiki) and Hair, among others. Other recent roles include Sheila (A Chorus Line), Sally Bowles, Velma Kelly, Bombalurina (Cats) and Ulla (The Producers). Love to husband Chas and her family.

SARAH GAMBLIN (Assistant Stage Manager) moved to Naples in June 2022. The Sound of Music was her first show with The Naples Players. While she has had experience performing through school and performed with a local community theater in Des Moines, Iowa, her love of theater has only grown throughout her experience with TNP. She is exhilarated by the enthusiasm of the TNP community and hopes you enjoy the show!

JOSHUA D. REID (Sound Design) is a sound and systems designer based in New York City, and has worked extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, International productions and sound system installations. Recent design selections include Rent (Stratford Festival), Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (Broadway, w/Jefferson Mays), West Side Story (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari), Ragtime (Calgary Philharmonic), Million Dollar Quartet(Theatre Calgary), A Little Night Music (Arizona Opera), Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (National Tour), The Color Purple (National Tour), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Signature Theatre), A Time Like This (Carnegie Hall). Broadway associate design selections include: Flying Over Sunset, The Ferryman, The Iceman Cometh, Falsettos, American Psycho, The Visit, and Act One. Awards: Tony Nomination, Outer Critics Circle Nomination, L.A. Ovation Award, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, Connecticut Critics Circle Award. Full credentials listed at ReidSoundDesign.com.

IAN ROSSIN (Assistant Stage Manager) recently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. During his time at Columbus State, he was the Touring Stage Manager for The Last Stop on Market Street, the Production Stage Manager for the 2022 One-Act Festival, and the Stage Manager for many other productions. He’s also worked with The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, the CSU Schwob School of Music, The Springer Opera House, and The Columbus Ballet. Last summer, he was a Stage Management intern at Hope Repertory Theatre in Holland, MI and is excited to spend his first year out of college with TNP! www.ian-rossin.weebly. com