Beau Jest Players and Staff
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Jason Bertoia (Director) Jason is joining the Playhouse for his 10th summer. Having directed Escanaba in Love, Mind the Gap, Old Love, and Fox on the Fairway, as well as Props and Set Dressings Designer for many summer festival seasons. Jason is the Managing Director for our sister organization to the south, Muskegon Civic Theatre, and recently ended his 15-year tenure as the Director of Musical Theatre at Western Michigan Christian, a program he built starting with Seussical and ending with The Wizard of Oz. Jason would like to thank his family and partner, Nathan, for their support. |
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Leslye Witt (ADSM) Leslye has been part of theatre productions in West Michigan for nearly a decade. She loves assistant directing and the challenge of prop and set building, but most of all, appreciates the collaboration of so many skilled people to create a show that’s enjoyed. |
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Jeffrey Holmes (Abe) Jeff is currently pursuing a post-retirement acting career. Beau Jest is his first theater role. His previous acting experience includes being cast as an extra in a feature film and a speaking role in a Wayne State University student comedy drama film project. |
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Kaija Luusua (Sarah) Kaija is a Ludington native who got her first taste of the stage playing Sarah Good in The Crucible at Ludington High School, and she has been involved in high school, collegiate, and community theatre ever since. She studied Theatre and Interpretation at Central Michigan University, where she lent her hand to the roles of Sandy in The Crackwalker, Bawd in Shakespeare’s Pericles, and Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, among others. She has appeared on the West Shore Community College stage in productions such as Grease; Little Shop of Horrors; Frankenstein; Mamma Mia!; Clue; Almost, Maine; Peter and the Starcatcher; and, most recently, as Ethel McCormack in Footloose. |
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Riley Van Ess (Chris) Riley is glad to be back up at The Playhouse for the second year in a row. He would like to thank his family and friends for their love and support. |
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Aaron Ponce Aaron started out his acting journey primarily at Muskegon Community College as The Steward in Into the Woods, with his last performance as Moritz in Spring Awakening. His first appearance at the Playhouse was the role of Dave in the 2022 production of The Outsider. When he’s not acting he’s working on his novel, raising his son with his beautiful wife Katie, and filling in holes his 2 dogs keep digging in the backyard. |
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Diane Van Wesep Diane is thrilled to be appearing in Beau Jest as part of this wonderful Playhouse Summer Theatre Festival. She was privileged to work in the Playhouse’s previous iteration—dear Howmet Playhouse—and she has been honored to be part of the Summer Festivals since this beautifully renovated theater opened. She has also been privileged to work with Muskegon Civic Theatre, Central Park Players, and Muskegon Community College performing roles in dramas such as The Lion in Winter, Deathtrap, and Night, Mother; comedies such as Inspecting Carol, Moon Over Buffalo, and Sylvia, and musicals such as The King and I and A, My Name Is Alice. She is grateful for each performing opportunity she has had, and she wishes to thank the City of Whitehall, the staff of the Playhouse, and her supportive husband Ed De Jong for making this summer’s experience possible. |
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Jonathan Tyler Bergquist Tyler’s been on stage since forever. Recently in Miss Holmes with MCT, he’s a huge improv nerd with a heart of gold. |
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