The Historic Playhouse at White Lake—Whitehall, Michigan—The Summer Theatre Festival 2009 Company

The Summer 2009 Playhouse Players and Staff

View the 2009 Summer Festival Schedule

	Christina Inez "Kat" Bell is the Technical Assistant Intern for the summer 2009 season. She is a Senior at Grand Valley State University majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Theater. She has been involved in several plays both on and off stage since 2001 including, most recently, The Fantasticks and The Santaland Diaries at the Howmet Theater, and Antigone at GVSU. When not working backstage or doing homework, Kat enjoys slaying dragons, playing DDR, and overthrowing galactic empires, along with writing, singing, and cooking.
	Michael Bradley lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and is the father of two beautiful daughters. He is co-director of The Lawrence Youth Ensemble, a not-for-profit theatre company for low income children and their families. Michael has been seen in Howmet Playhouse productions since 2001. His past roles include John Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet, Tito Merreli in Lend Me A Tenor, and Mitchell Lavell in Murder at the Howard Johnsons. Michael currently teaches drama at The Raintree Montessori School in Lawrence, Kansas. This summer Michael will be appearing in Almost, Maine.
	Katie Briggs is theater major at Grand Valley State University. She saw one of her first plays at the Howmet Playhouse and has not stopped loving this little theater since. Katie has been involved with the Howmet Playhouse off and on for ten years now, starting with the Youth Theater then moving on to the adult shows.
	Joe Carmolli is delighted to return for his second season at the Howmet having appeared last summer as Fallout Magazine publisher, Andy Hobart, in Neil Simon’s Star Spangled Girl. Other memorable roles include Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit for Muskegon Civic, and Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret for Central Park Players in Grand Haven. His directing credits include Once Upon A Mattress, The Spitfire Grill, A … My Name is Alice and Charleston! Off-stage, Joe is a chef/educator and a married father of two daughters. This summer Joe will be appearing in Educating Rita.
	Brianna June Clark is a sophomore at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is working on a Bachelor of Arts degree for vocal and general Music education with a minor in Theatre. Brianna is no stranger to theatre in the Whitehall area. She is a graduate of 2007 from Whitehall High School where she starred in a multitude of productions ranging from The Sound of Music (Maria Rainer) to Annie (Tessie/Star to be). Brianna was also actively involved with Muskegon Civic Theatre where she could have been seen in Seussical or as a member of the MCT Repertory Touring Company. Currently, Brianna is a singer in multiple choral ensembles including Ball State’s Chamber Choir. She will also be performing in Ball State’s Opera Theatre next fall in their production of The Medium. In her spare time she loves to run with her close friends and spend time with her crazy family. This summer Brianna will be serving as the summer season Administrative Intern and will be appearing in The Woman in Black.
	Hayley Clark comes to Michigan after spending the last four years as a resident ensemble member with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in Ohio. There she performed in such shows as Amadeus, Hamlet, The Seagull, Romeo & Juliet, Titus Andronicus, The Tempest, The Cherry Orchard, No Exit, and Richard III, just to name a few. Prior to joining CSC, Hayley performed a German translation of Mamet's Oleanna in Bamberg, Germany. She has also worked with the companies Vpstart Crow and Valley Ridge Theatre. After growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, Hayley received her BFA from West Virginia University.This summer Hayley will be appearing in All in the Timing, The Underpants, and Almost, Maine. Read what Bill Iddings has to say about this young lady.
	Cindy Beth Davis is a Hart native; and she is thrilled to be back in Michigan. She took over operations as Playhouse Manager for the Howmet in October, and is honored to be serving in that capacity. After receiving a B.A. in Cultural Performing Arts from the University of Hawai’i, she traveled back and forth between Michigan, O’ahu and the Big Isle, working as a Case Manager, teacher of ELL, and instructor of cultural theatre and dance. She has instructed, directed, and choreographed for Oceana Summer Youth Theatre and Muskegon Civic Theatre. She is passionate about building educational arts at the Playhouse, her Hawaiian hound Hina, and the organic gardener in her life. Love goes to Caleb and her family for their patience as she undertakes the great challenge of managing this beautiful historic theatre. Also, to the White Lake community for making her feel at home and for their incredible support of the Playhouse, “the ticket to White Lake!” Besides her management duties, she will also be directing this summer's Youth Theatre production, The Legend of Scarface and Bluewater.
	Brad Dell is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Iowa State University, teaching classes in Directing, Acting, Musical Theatre, and Script Analysis. At Iowa State, Brad has directed numerous productions, including Gypsy, Three Sisters, My Fair Lady, and The Music Man. From 1998-2007, Brad served in a number of capacities including Assistant Producer and Artistic Director of Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont, PA. While there, he directed Evita, Cabaret, Jekyll and Hyde, and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, among others. Brad is intensely involved with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, as well as local theatres in Iowa, including StageWest, where he just directed the Iowa premiere of the Tony award winning play, The History Boys. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Western Illinois University. Some of Brad’s favorite acting credits include Roy Cohn in Angels in America, Dr. Sloper in The Heiress, Jud in Oklahoma, and Danforth in The Crucible. This summer Brad will be appearing in The Underpants.
	Nicholas B Dressel is entering his sophmore summer at the Howmet Playhouse, after debuting as Ellard in last year's production of The Foreigner. Nicholas has become well known as an actor in West Michigan by performing with many companies around Muskegon, Holland, and Grand Rapids. Most recently he appeared as Prince Dauntless in Grand Haven's Central Park Players production of Once Upon a Mattress. He has trained with AMDA in Los Angeles and with Second City in Chicago. He currently works at the front desk of Muskegon's Shoreline Inn and Suites and is planning to attend Columbia College in the fall of 2010. This summer Nicholas will be appearing in All in the Timing and The Underpants.
	Susan Giganti has been active in community theatre since she was a teenager in Massachusetts. With over 25 years of experience, her backstage credits are too numerous to mention. Suffice to say that she has props, costume crew, accent coaching, and stage managing expertise. She has a degree in Theatre Arts from Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA. She was the resident Stage Manager for The Berkshire Lyric Theatre, and nine productions with Town Players of Pittsfield. After moving to Michigan with her husband 12 years ago, she started to volunteer with Muskegon Civic Theater. Susan was the Assistant Director/Stage Manager for MCT’s Chapter Two and The Miracle Worker. She has performed in the MCT productions of Blithe Spirit, The Diary of Anne Frank, Beau Jest, Angel Street and Anne of the Thousand Days. Susan drove south in 2007 and performed with Central Park Players in A Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty In Two Tumultuous Acts and The Crucible. In 2004, she performed in Dancing At Lughnasa at Muskegon Community College. Her recent projects were the MCT productions of Side by Side by Sondheim as Props Chair, and Brigadoon as Producer. Susan is proud to be a member of Voice Activated, a reader’s theatre group based in Spring Lake, whose ministry is to bring performances to nursing homes and assisted living centers. Susan lives in North Muskegon with her wonderful husband John, who tolerates all the personalities his wife creates. This summer Susan will be appearing in Educating, Rita.
	Sara Goff teaches Acting and Directing for the department of Theatre and Film at Eastern Washington University. Before moving to the Spokane, Sara taught Acting and Directing in the BFA program at The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Sara was also a member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Her favorite roles there include Portia in Julius Caesar, The Duchess of York in Richard III, Eunice in A Streetcar Named Desire and Lady Mac (touring production). Sara has also directed productions of Greater Tuna (CSC); The Odd Couple, The Complete History of America Abridged, and Murder at the Howard Johnsons (Howmet Playhouse). Sara graduated from Western Illinois University with an MFA in acting. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with such amazing artists in her favorite part of the world, Lake Michigan. This summer Sara will be appearing in The Underpants.
	Eleanor Goudreau has been a working costumer with over 12 years of experience in the motion picture industry in California where she has costumed quite a few period films. She has a passion for clothing, especially when it is from another time and place. Eleanor currently resides in Montague, Michigan, and she was pleasantly surprised when she was asked to help with costuming for the Howmet Playhouse 2009 summer season. She plans to use her "Hollywood Experience" to orchestrate costumes for The Underpants (set in 1910) and the Woman in Black (set in the 1920s and the 1950s). Her method is to help coordinate each character as correct as possible to their correlating era. She adds that "it is an honor that I have been asked to work alongside Cindy Beth Davis and help her make the dream of the The Howmet Playhouse come alive again."
	Tom Harryman is a Muskegon native, growing up on Jefferson Street and graduating from Muskegon High School in 1971. He holds a bachelor's degree from Grand Valley State College's Thomas Jefferson College (1976), a Master of Arts degree from the McGregor School at Antioch University (2005), and currently teaches theatre courses at Muskegon Community College. Tom is a member of Actor’s Equity Association (since 1978), managed the Frauenthal Center from 1984 through 1999, and managed Whitehall’s Howmet Playhouse in 2007 to 2008. He has directed, designed, and performed in many plays and is known locally for his performances as Edgar Allan Poe and his solo A Christmas Carol. He was last seen on the playhouse stage as Charlie in The Foreigner and will reprise his production of Passion and Perversity, The Inner Chambers of Edgar Allan Poe at the Muskegon Woman’s Club in October. Tom and wife Fran live on 5th Street in Muskegon. This summer Tom will be appearing in The Woman in Black.
	Kimberly Harsch is a proud Whitehall citizen! She stage managed the Howmet Playhouse's first summer festival season and is an experienced actor. She has a diverse repertoire from theater to film. Some Muskegon Civic Theater credits include Jenny Malone in Neil Simon's Chapter Two and Kate Keller in The Miracle Worker. For Central Park Players she has appeared as Shelby in the musical The Spitfire Grill, as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire and as Alais in the Lion in Winter. She is also active in Michigan's film industry with leading roles in the independent films Hopeful Notes, Lily's Mom, and Return to Menu. Kimberly would like to thank her amazing husband for letting her dream with one foot on the ground, her two beautiful daughters for making life such an adventure, and her parents and the City of Whitehall for unending support. This summer, Kimberly will be appearing in All in the Timing and Educating Rita.
	Bill Idding's previous roles at the playhouse have been O’Neill in The Moon is Blue and Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor. His many other roles have included twice starring as George Hay in Moon Over Buffalo, Gloucester and Kent in separate productions of King Lear, Robert in Proof, Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Honeyman in A Walk in the Woods, Don Juan in Don Juan in Hell, Fitzgerald in An Interview with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Adam in Mark Twain’s The Diary of Adam and Eve, Macduff in Macbeth, Danforth in The Crucible, Jonathan in two separate productions of Arsenic and Old Lace, and E.K. Hornbeck and Rev. Jeremiah Brown in separate productions of Inherit the Wind. He played the title role in The New Adventures of Mark Time, a live-radio production directed by David Ossman, cofounder of the famous Firesign Theatre comedy troupe. Bill is a produced playwright, has been a director and producer, and since March 2007 has been an ordained minister in The Church of the Latter-Day Dude. This summer Bill will be appearing in The Underpants. Follow Bill by reading his blog.
	Brian Marino, a New York City actor, is originally from the great suburbs of Detroit. He is overjoyed to be back in Michigan and a part of the 2009 summer season at the Howmet Playhouse. New York credits include Sock in The Grecian Formula, Kevin Fischer in Paint, and the world premier roles of Brian Mancini in The Order of Things and Clifton Davis in The Frankophile. Much Thanks to Dianna and The BLP. This summer Brian will be appearing in The Underpants.
	Andrea Mathews is extremely excited to be returning to the Howmet Playhouse for another summer. She appeared as Sophie in last season’s Star Spangled Girl and Maria in Lend Me a Tenor. She just recently portrayed Millie in Muskegon Civic Theatre’s, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Other MCT credits include Gypsy/Louise, Gypsy; Tuptim, King and I; Annie Oakley, Annie Get Your Gun. Some of her other roles include Ado Annie, Oklahoma for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre; Percy, Spitfire Grill, Mary, Jesus Christ Superstar for Central Park Players; Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors for Dogwood Center. Andrea choreographs and will be graduating from Baker College with a degree in Interior Design. Andrea writes “I love you to my amazing daughter Madalynn Star and thank you to my brother, Kurtis, for teaching me every day on how to portray a monkey, love you.” This summer Andrea will be appearing in All in the Timing.
	Jeremy Meier is returning to the playhouse for his ninth summer. He has been seen in various productions at the Howmet Playhouse including Escanaba in Da Moonlight, The Mystery of Irma Vep, and The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Jeremy is a theatre instructor at Owens Community College in Toledo. He has developed original one-man shows on George Armstrong Custer and John Dillinger. This summer, Jeremy will be directing Almost, Maine; he will be appearing in All in the Timing and The Woman in Black.
	William S. Rafaill has been the webmaster for the Howmet Playhouse since the spring of 2007. He and his wife, Barbara, have a cottage in Stony Lake and have been enjoying the western shore of Michigan and all that it offers, including the Playhouse, since the mid 1980s. Bill is CEO, CFO, COO, and all those other "O's" for his own company, Rafaill & Associates, LLC. He specializes in website development, graphic design, and technology training. He is pleased to do all that he can to promote the Grand Old Lady, the Howmet Playhouse.
	Jessica Rothert is thrilled that her wandering thespian lifestyle has brought her to the Howmet Playhouse. After graduating from Indiana University with a B.A. in Theatre and Drama, Jessica spent 9-months with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company before taking on a summer of swordfighting and performing at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, and a holiday season touring the beautiful Carolinas with the Bright Star Children's Theatre. Favorite past roles include Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew, Abigail Williams in The Crucible, Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Claire in the one-woman show Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt? Jessica is now living in the warmth of Florida's Tampa Bay area where she recently won second place in the local chapter's National Society of Arts and Letters Drama competition. Love and bottomless gratitude to my steadfast family and to the ever-loving and sweet Giles and Bishop. This summer Jessica will be appearing in Almost, Maine.
	Jeff Sanders is coming all the way from the great Inland Northwest where he is a Lecturer in the theatre program at Eastern Washington University. He is estatic to be making his return to The Howmet Playhouse. He first performed at The Howmet with Central Michigan University's Summer Theatre in such plays as The Foreigner, Dearly Departed, and Don't Dress For Dinner. He returned to the Howmet as part of the playhouse's summer ensemble from 2001 - 2003 and again in 2006. Some of his favorite productions from those years were The Fourposter, The Nerd, Bullshot Crummond, and The Odd Couple. He was also a resident Actor for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for four seasons and performed in such roles as Titus in Titus Andronicus, Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard, and Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire. Jeff would like to dedicate this summer to his wife Sara Goff who inspires him daily and to his mother who was the epitome of strength and courage. This summer Jeff will be serving as the Artistic Director for the summer season; directing All in the Timing. The Woman in Black, and The Underpants; and appearing in The Underpants and Almost, Maine. Read what Bill Iddings has to say about this busy man.
	Katie Trzaska is delighted to be working on her first Howmet production! Katie recently graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, where she also studied communications and theatre. Her most recent theatre credits include directing Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden and conceiving, directing, and producing a derived show about body image and college students at St. Norbert. Thanks to Cindy Beth, her family, and co-workers at Chase Hammond Golf Club for encouraging her to take part in this great show!
	Mike Vogas has so many credits, that there is not enough room to list them all. He has performed with Muskegon Civic Theater as King Henry II in The Lion in Winter, Professor Marvel/the Wizard in the The Wizard of Oz, Lumiere in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the Kralahome in the The King and I, Owen Musser in The Foreigner, Bill Sykes in Oliver!, and R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Mike’s recent directing credits for MCT are Thoroughly Modern Millie, Brigadoon, Art, Angel Street, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Annie Get Your Gun. For Central Park Players, he appeared in The Crucible and directed both Of Mice and Men and The Fantasticks. Mike has also designed sound and lighting for many productions. Mike studied at the Yale School of Drama. He appeared in many Cherry County productions. Mike is happily married to Lorie. He owns Benchmark Productions and teaches oral communication and multimedia at Baker College. This summer Mike will be directing Educating Rita.
	Andrew Zahrt is happy to be at the Playhouse for his third summer! Past Playhouse credits include Lend Me A Tenor (Bellhop), The Fantasticks (Mortimer), and The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris (Crumpet the Elf). In addition to being onstage at the Playhouse, Andrew has worked backstage on countless shows, including Stage Managing for the 2008 summer season. This winter, Andrew was also involved in MCC's Antigone (Deck Manager), Shooting Stars (Stage Manager), starred in Scapino (Sylvestro), and designed lights for CPP's production of Once Upon A Mattress. Andrew is a Technical Theatre major with a focus in Lighting Design. This summer Andrew will be Stage Manager and Assistant Director for Almost, Maine, and appearing in All in the Timing.

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