Download Who`s Who in the Company - Beck Center for the Arts

Who’s Who in the Company
Scott Spence (Artistic
Director) This marks
Scott’s 24th season at
Beck Center! Since
1990, he has produced
over 200 productions,
directing over 75 himself.
The list of favorites
grows every season, and
includes Parade, A Man
of No Importance, Sweeney Todd, Hair, Picasso
at the Lapin Agile, The Farnsworth Invention,
Reefer Madness, The Fix, Zombie Prom, Bloody
Bloody Andrew Jackson, Evil Dead The Musical,
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,
and the box office smash hits The Producers
and Altar Boyz. Last season Scott added to
those favorites with productions of She Loves
Me and The New Mel Brooks Musical Young
Frankenstein. He is very proud of the awards and
acclamations Beck Center has received over
the past decade, and is especially grateful for
having won the Northern Ohio Live Award for
Achievement in Theatre in 2006. Outside of
these walls, Scott’s directorial assignments have
included a remounting of Beck Center’s hit
production of Altar Boyz at PlayhouseSquare’s
beautiful Hanna Theatre, Das Barbecü at
Opera Cleveland, The Last Night of Ballyhoo
at Case Western Reserve University’s Eldred
Theatre, Oh Dad Poor Dad....at Cleveland State
University Summer Stages and Noises Off at
both Weathervane Playhouse in Akron and
Berea Summer Theatre. An adjunct faculty
member at Cleveland State University, Scott has
also had the privilege to direct Satre’s No Exit
and Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Occasionally on the
other side of the footlights, Scott has appeared
in Dick Deadeye (Berea Summer Theatre), Man
of La Mancha (Jewish Community Center), The
Secret Rapture (Dobama) and closer to home at
Beck Center in Big River, The Boys Next Door
and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. He also had the
privilege of joining the cast of Passion, directed
by Victoria Bussert, in his only onstage stint
in the Studio Theater. Scott holds an MFA in
Directing from Western Illinois University and
is a trained stage fight choreographer, having
studied extensively with the SAFD. As always,
he dedicates all the work he does to his two
extraordinarily talented leading ladies, Rachel
and Carleigh. You both amaze me every day.
Scott Plate (Director)
is happy to return to
the Beck Center. He
recently appeared in
the Studio Theater
and on the Mackey
Main Stage in Seminar,
Next to Normal, and
Spring Awakening. He
has directed ‘night,
Mother, Mrs. Warren’s Profession and The Little
Dog Laughed in the Studio Theater. Selected
recent directing work includes Carousel, Love
Story, Titanic, Parade, The Crucible, and Blood
Wedding for Baldwin Wallace University,
Exact Change, The Rocky Horror Show and
Pulp for Cleveland Public Theatre, Speech
and Debate, Blue Door and The New Century
for Dobama Theatre, and Smokey Joe’s Café
at Cain Park. An award-winning actor and
director, Scott’s work in a wide variety of
classical, contemporary and music theatre
productions has been featured regionally on
the stages of Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, Seven
Stages, and the Neighborhood Playhouse; on
North Carolina’s Outer Banks in The Lost
Colony; in Idaho at the Idaho Shakespeare
Festival; and in major venues throughout
Northeast Ohio, including Severance Hall,
Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Play House,
and Porthouse Theatre. He is an active voiceover artist with over 300 recording credits, and
currently serves as Associate Professor of Music
Theatre, and Music Theatre Department
Chair at Baldwin-Wallace University. AMDG
Larry Goodpaster (Music
Director) first performed
Mary Poppins in his
neighbor’s basement in
1965. During that
production, Larry played
piano as the neighbor
kids sang from an
improvised stage (actually
an oversized ottoman).
Nearly fifty years later, Larry has come full circle.
Obtaining multiple degrees and following a
circuitous career path, it seems that fate won
out. By day, Larry is the Director of Finance
and Administration for Beck Center and by
night, the resident music director. And now,
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he is back playing the piano for Mary Poppins!
Thanks to Scott Plate for deftly weaving this
tale of rediscovery of what is important. And
thanks to you, our patrons and donors, for
recognizing the lifelong impact of the arts on
who we are and what we become. I wish you all
the joy and innocence of childhood!
Martín Céspedes**
(Choreographer) recently
directed Forever Plaid at
Beck Center. He also
recently choreographed the
Cleveland Foundation 100th
Anniversary Gala (Colin
Powell keynote speaker),
and As You like It for Great
Lakes Theater, Idaho
Shakespeare, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare
Festival. Performance credits include Broadway
National Tours of Man of La Mancha with
Jack Jones and Ron Holgate; The King and I
with Hayley Mills, Marie Osmond, Maureen
McGovern and Faith Prince; South Pacific
with Robert Goulet; West Side Story with Bebe
Neuwirth; the lavish PBS production of Le Cid
with Placido Domingo and the Washington
National Opera broadcast live from Kennedy
Center, and NBC’s Dance Fever. He is an
alumnus of the Jacque d’Amboise National
Dance Institute while attending PS 161.
Martín is honored to have worked alongside
the late legendary producer John Kenley
on his final theatrical season. He has won
numerous awards as well as being nominated
for the prestigious Zelda Fichandler Award,
which recognizes an outstanding director or
choreographer who is making a unique and
exceptional contribution through his or her
work in regional theatre. Upcoming shows
include: Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s
Mary Poppins at Beck Center and Street Scene at
Oberlin Opera Conservatory. For Marion and
mi familia. Support the Arts, Any Arts.
Libby White (Stage
Manager) is excited to
be a part of yet another
fantastic Beck Center
production. She has been
a part of Beck Center’s
professional theater program
for over 15 years. When
she’s not corralling actors
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and keeping things under control, she’s spending
her time helping preschoolers learn to
communicate as a speech/language pathologist
for North Ridgeville City Schools. As always,
a big thanks to the amazing cast, crew, and
production staff that makes each show a unique
and fabulous experience. She would also like to
thank her family, friends, and especially Chris
for all the support, love, and patience.
Becky Adams (Assistant
Stage Manager) is back
at Beck Center for the
Arts after having most
recently stage managed
[title of show} and Seminar
in the Studio and
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT
on the Main Stage. She
previously stage managed
33 Variations, The House of Blue Leaves and The
Little Dog Laughed and assistant stage managed
Annie here as well. Becky earned a BA in
Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University.
Since graduation, she has worked on God of
Carnage and The Mighty Scarabs at Dobama
Theatre. Special thanks to all her friends for
their unending love and support.
Hayley Baran (Assistant Stage Manager) is
thrilled to once again be spending her holiday
season here at the Beck Center with this
production of Mary Poppins. Although she spends
the majority of her time backstage, she last made
a cameo appearance in Forever Plaid (Nice Box
Lady). Some of her other favorite shows she’s
been a part of include Young Frankenstein, Monty
Python’s SPAMALOT, She Loves Me, and Altar
Boyz. Thank you to the the rest of the cast and
crew of Mary Poppins for making this such an
enjoyable show to be a part of.
(Cast in alphabetical order)
Curt Arnold (George
Banks) has been a
freelance actor, director
and stage manager for
over 35 years in the
Cleveland and central
Ohio areas. He returns
to Beck Center, where
he has directed The
Lisbon Traviata, Fully
Committed and half of Talking Heads 2, has stage
managed several times, and has performed
in fifteen or so plays and musicals. Since 2003,
Curt has directed and co-produced an annual
musical production to benefit AIDS service
organizations in Cleveland and Akron, raising
over $100,000 for these charities. “This is for
Mom, who took me to my very first film in
1966, Disney’s Mary Poppins!”
Anna Barrett (Jane Banks)
is very happy to return
to Beck Center for her
second winter season
show after two runs of
Annie (Annie), for which
she won a Broadway
World Cleveland Award
for Best Actress in
a Musical. Over the
summer, Anna was pleased to perform with
other young stars from Broadway and television
in Tiffany Schleigh’s Cabaret for a Cause,
after attending New York City’s Broadway
Artist’s Alliance Summer Intensive. Another
favorite credit includes The Children’s Hour
(Mary Tilford) with Beck Center Teen Theater.
When not onstage or training, Anna is playing
with her puppies, strumming her ukulele,
and taking photographs of practically anything
that catches her eye. Many thanks and much
love to both Scotts for this opportunity, Mrs.
Brenda Cuffari for her unwavering support and
continual teaching, the entire production team
and fellow performers for working so hard, and
her parents for everything they do. God bless!
Lucy Bowers (Fannie
/Ensemble) is thrilled to
be a part of Mary Poppins
at Beck Center. She most
recently appeared in Beck
Center Teen Theater’s The
Children’s Hour (Amelia
Tilford), as well as Bye
Bye Birdie (Mrs. MacAfee)
and Our Town (Myrtle
Webb). Lucy participates in Rocky River High
School’s drama department, having performed
in Anything Goes (Ensemble) and Blithe Spirit
(Elvira). She is also a member of Rocky River
High School’s show choir River’s Edge. When
not on stage, Lucy takes voice and acting
lessons and is a classroom assistant at Beck
Center. She thanks her friends and family for
being so supportive, and hopes that you enjoy
the show!
Katherine Butcher (Miss
Lark / Ensemble / Mrs.
Banks U/S) is absolutely
thrilled to be making
her Beck Center debut
in Mary Poppins! She just
graduated from Baldwin
Wallace University with a
BA in Theatre and a BM
in Vocal Performance.
While at Baldwin Wallace, she appeared in
Crimes of the Heart (Lenny), Some Girl(s) (Bobbi),
Hansel & Gretel (Gertrude), and most recently
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Miss Jean Brodie).
Katherine also had the pleasure of performing
in Taming of the Shrew at Great Lakes Theater.
Originally from Pittsburgh, she loves living
in Cleveland, and looks forward to what the
future has in store! She would like to thank the
cast and crew for a splendid experience, and
her family for being so supportive. Much love!
Patrick Carroll (Northbrook
/Park Keeper) is ecstatic
to spend another holiday
season at Beck Center
in Mary Poppins. He has
previously appeared at Beck
Center in Young Frankenstein,
Annie, Wings, The Producers,
A Man of No Importance,
Seussical the Musical, 1776,
Urinetown, Parade, The Full Monty, You Can’t Take it
With You and The Pitmen Painters. Patrick has appeared
at Carousel Dinner Theater, Great Lakes Theater,
PlayhouseSquare and in productions throughout
Northeast Ohio over the past 35 years. He is a
graduate of the American Musical & Dramatic
Academy in New York City. In real life, his
latest leading role is that of “Licensed Massage
Therapist” at Tomorrows Salon, hair, massage and
wellness! Thanks to Scott, Larry, Martín, Libby,
Becky, and Hayley, and Mark Heffernan!
Amiee Collier (Mrs. Corry
/ Miss Andrew) is ecstatic
to return to the Mackey
Main Stage for her 20th
Beck Center show! Some
Beck Center credits include
[title of show] (Susan),
Young Frankenstein (Frau
Blucher), She Loves Me.
(Ilona), Evil Dead: The
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Musical (Cheryl), Xanadu (Melpomene), The
The Marvelous Wonderettes (Betty Jean), and Jekyll
and Hyde (Lucy). Favorite roles include Next
to Normal (Diana) at Lakeland Civic Theatre,
Sweeney Todd (The Beggar Woman) at Cain
Park, Into the Woods (The Baker’s Wife) at Tri-C
West, and The Last Five Years (Cathy) at Straw
Hat Theater. By day, Amiee is Office Manager at
the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland.
“Anything can happen if you let it. Life is out
there waiting, so go and get it.”
Joey Corradi (Ensemble)
is thrilled to make his
Beck Center debut in
Marry Poppins. He is a
junior Theatre and
Dance Major at Baldwin
Wallace University. Some
of his favorite credits
include Romeo and Juliet
(Nurse) and Henry IV Part
One (Bardolf) at Baldwin Wallace University,
and A Year With Frog and Toad (Toad) at the
Youngstown Playhouse.
Joseph Daso (Michael
Banks) is super excited to
be in Mary Poppins, his first
professional theater show!
Recent Beck Center Youth
Theater productions include
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
(Hans), Going Medieval
(King Arthur), Law and
Order: Fairy Tale Unit
(Captain Hook), and The Wizard of Oz (Barrister
Munchkin). He is 10 years old, lives in
Lakewood, and attends Lincoln Elementary
School. Joey would like to thank his mom and
dad for their support, Rachel Spence for her
inspiration, and his friends and family who are
seeing the show. He’d also like to thank this
cast for being so nice to him during rehearsals.
Mostly, he would like to thank Scott Plate for
this EPIC opportunity!
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Katherine DeBoer*
(Winifred Banks) is pleased
to return to Beck Center
where she most recently
appeared in CARRIE the
musical (Margaret White)
and Next to Normal (Diana).
Her career has taken her
to New York, touring
across the country, and to numerous venues
right here at home in Northeast Ohio, including
PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland Play House, Cain
Park, Porthouse Theatre, Carousel Dinner Theatre
and many more. THEATRE HIGHLIGHTS: The
Will Rogers Follies (Betty Blake); Caroline Or Change
(Rose Stopnick); A Little Night Music (Charlotte
Malcolm); Light Up The Sky (Frances Black); The
Cradle Will Rock (Mrs. Mister); A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Helena); Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife).
FILM: Love Finds You In Sugarcreek. TRAINING:
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts,
BA from Baldwin Wallace University, JD from
Cleveland Marshall College of Law.
Erin Donovan (Miss
Smythe / Ensemble) is
excited to make her Beck
Center debut in Mary
Poppins. Recent credits:
Legally Blonde The Musical
(Elle) at Escola de
Dança Sociais e Artes de
Espectáculos in Portugal,
Sweeney Todd (Ensemble/
Johanna U/S), and Annie (Ensemble) both at
Toby’s Dinner Theater in Baltimore. When not
on stage, Erin is a private math tutor, and yoga
instructor. She would like to thank her friends
and family for all of the support they offer her,
and Beck Center for the chance to perform in
Cleveland for the first time since high school.
Richie Gagen (Valentine
/Ensemble) is absolutely
thrilled to be returning
to Beck Center in Mary
Poppins! He was last seen
on the Mackey Main
Stage in She Loves Me
(Busboy / Ensemble). Other
recent theatre credits
include Night of the
Living Dead (Zombie) at Blank Canvas Theatre,
The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run (Bob/Butler/
Harvey) at Cleveland’s Ingenuity Fest, and
The Tale of the Name of the Tree (Meerkat) and
The Floating Dolls (Fisherman/Ensemble) at
Talespinner Children’s Theatre. Richie is
a graduate of Cleveland State University’s
Department of Theatre and Dance, where he
appeared in productions of Lysistrata (Men’s
Chorus) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Flute/Thisby). Richie would like to thank
the cast and crew for all their talent and hard
work, Scott for giving him this wonderful
opportunity, and his family for all their love
and support.
Peggy Gibbons (Queen
Victoria / Bird Woman
/Ensemble) is delighted
to return to Beck Center
for the Arts for Mary
Poppins. Prior Beck Center
performances include
Chess (Florence) and
Chicago (Roxie). Other
favorite credits include
I Do, I Do (Agnes) at TrueNorth Cultural
Arts, The Will Rogers Follies (Betty Blake) at
Lorain Community Music Theater and High
Society (Tracy Lord) at The Cassidy Theatre.
Peggy, a retired high school English teacher,
is a longtime resident of Lakewood with her
wonderful husband Joe. For the past eight years
she had the pleasure of singing with Swing City
Big Band. However, her most enjoyable role
to date is Grandma to Frannie. Love to Joe,
Maggie, Patrick & Sam.
Kathryn Griffin (Ensemble)
is a Junior Theatre Major
at Baldwin Wallace
University. Hailing from
Pittsburgh, this is her
first production with
Beck Center. She is
thrilled to be spending
her winter break here
with the amazing cast
and crew of Mary Poppins! Some of her favorite
credits include The Stronger (Mrs.X) at Baldwin
Wallace University, Devised Henry IV Part One
(Hal) at Baldwin Wallace University and Oliver!
(Bet) at Old Schoolhouse Players. Shout out
to her amazing family and friends for their
continued support and love.
Lissy Gulick (Mrs. Brill)
delightedly returns to
Beck Center, where she
got her “re-start” on the
Cleveland professional
stage in 1993, appearing
first in Nunsense (Mother
Superior), then Sweeney
Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Auntie
Mame (Mame), Something’s
Afoot (Miss Tweed), Is He Dead? (Mme.
Bathilde), and most recently, Jerry Springer:
the Opera (Irene). Lissy has appeared in most
of this area’s best-known venues, including
PlayhouseSquare: We Gotta Bingo (Helga) and
Shear Madness (Mrs. Shubert); Dobama: The
Receptionist (title role); Cain Park: Music Man
(Mrs. Shinn) and Violet (Old Lady); Porthouse
Theatre: Oklahoma! (Aunt Eller), Bye Bye Birdie
(Mae Petersen), The Sound of Music (Sister
Margarethe), Fiddler on the Roof (Yente), and
Oliver! (Widow Corney). She played pivotal
five-line roles in three films: Welcome to
Collinwood (mean nun), Antwone Fisher (nice
social-worker), and Jack Reacher (sassy waitress)
with Tom Cruise.
Jacqueline Leach (Katie
Nanna / Ensemble) is
excited to be back at
Beck Center for this
magical production of
Mary Poppins! It has been
an incredible experience
working with such a
talented team. Jacqueline
was last seen on Beck Center’s stage as Lou
Ann in Hairspray. Her most recent performance
was in Mercury Summer Stock’s production
of Sunset Boulevard (Betty Schaefer). Before
moving back to Cleveland, Jackie toured with
the Columbus Children’s Theatre where she
enjoyed bringing the magic of theatre to
children all over Ohio. Jacqueline dedicates
this performance to her incredible husband
of three months for always reminding her that
“anything can happen if you let it.”
Robert Pierce (Von
Hussler/Policeman/
Ensemble) is thrilled
to be spending the
holidays at Beck Center
for the Arts after past
appearances here in
Jerry Springer: The Opera
(Chucky/Adam)
and
the ensembles of Monty
Python’s SPAMALOT, She Loves Me, and Young
Frankenstein. Trained in opera but with a
love for musical theater, Robert continues
to perform in both genres. Musical theater
credits include Sunday in the Park with George
(Boatman/Redmond) at TrueNorth Cultural
Arts, Kiss Me, Kate (Gremio/Ralph) at Solon
Center for the Arts, and Camelot (Mordred) 29
at
Straw Hat Theatre. Opera credits include La
Bohème (Benoit/Alcindoro) and The Barber of
Seville (Fiorello) with Opera Western Reserve,
La Rondine (Crebillon) and The Pirates of
Penzance (Police) with Opera Per Tutti, Street
Scene (Harry Easter) with Nightingale Opera
Theatre, and The Apothecary (title role) and
Ariadne auf Naxos (Major Domo/Truffaldin)
at Cleveland Institute of Music. Robert is
an alumnus of Otterbein University and
Cleveland Institute of Music.
Jesse Phillips (Teddy Bear
/Ensemble) is making
his Beck Center for the
Arts debut in Mary Poppins.
He recently performed
in A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Lysander) at
Shakespeare at the Castle.
A graduate of the
University of Mount
Union, he appeared in the song cycle Edges,
Company (Harry), and a student written musical
entitled Life’s Journeys. He studied writing and
religion and loves reading good novels, creative
nonfiction, and poetry. Lots of love to his
beautiful and strong mother who taught him to
be the best he can be. h
e can be.
Rebecca Pitcher* (Mary
Poppins) is thrilled to
return home to Ohio
and to Beck Center for
this amazing production
of Mary Poppins after
appearing in last season’s
She Loves Me (Amalia).
She is best known for
her portrayal of Christine
Daaé in the Lloyd-Webber production of The
Phantom of the Opera were she performed over
3,000 performances including Broadway, the US
National Tour, and Singapore. Rebecca recently
performed and recorded the roles of Lydia in
Mardis Gras and Dusty in The Last Word at the
York Theatre in New York. Other favorite roles
include Grace Farrell in Annie, Christine Daaé
in the Yeston-Kopit version of Phantom, Johanna
in Sweeney Todd, Rose in Street Scene, Louella
Parsons in Saving Aimee, Rapunzel in Into the
Woods, and The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s
The Magic Flute. Rebecca has also performed
with the Pittsburgh Opera, Cleveland Opera, the
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Towson University Orchestra, and was a winner
of the Columbus Opera competition. She is also
a Bikram Yoga certified instructor. Rebecca wishes
to thank her friends and family for their support
and love. namaste
John J. Polk (Admiral
Boom / The Chairman)
is thrilled to be playing
with all his friends once
again in this special
production. An occasional
member of Beck Center’s
acting company for the
past 16 seasons, he’s
brought an array of
authority figures, blowhards, villains and foils
to life on stage in shows such as Annie (Lt. Ward
/Cordell Hull), Legally Blonde The Musical (Elle’s
Dad/Winthrop), My Favorite Year (King Kaiser),
Urinetown: The Musical (Senator Fipp), A Raisin
In The Sun (Karl Lindner), Spinning Into Butter
(Dean Strauss), You Can’t Take It With You
(Mr. Kirby), and The Crucible (Danforth). He’s
also been seen in productions such as Of Mice
And Men (The Boss), Twelve Angry Men (Juror
#12), and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
(Dale Harding) at Blank Canvas Theatre, and
in Spirits To Enforce (The Snow-Heavy Branch)
and Fever/Dream (Fred Clotaldo) at Cleveland
Public Theater. Hope this terrific show adds to
your portion of holiday fun. Our performance
is our gift to you. Your enjoyment is your gift
to us. Thanks to the production team for this
great opportunity, and to Laura, J.W., Brian,
and Emily, who keep MY life Practically Perfect.
Will Sanborn (Robertson
Ay) returns to Beck Center
after recently appearing
in [title of show] (Hunter).
He spent the last two
years in New York City
training with Upright
Citizens Brigade and HB
Studio before returning
home to Northeast Ohio
this past summer to appear in The Wedding Singer
(Robbie Hart) and Sunset Boulevard (Sheldrake)
with Mercury Summer Stock. Will holds a BFA
in Acting from Elon University and spent two
summers on the Outer Banks performing in The
Lost Colony, The Rocky Horror Show and Psycho
Beach Party. He thanks the entire Beck Center team
for this opportunity and his family, friends and
teachers for their never ending love and support.
David Steven Rapchak
(Neleus/Ensemble/Bert
U/S) is thrilled to be
back at Beck Center in
Mary Poppins. David was
last seen on the Mackey
Main Stage in Peter Pan
(Tootles). He has trained
in summer intensives with
PlayhouseSquare, having
the honor of working with the touring casts of
The Phantom of the Opera and Jersey Boys. This past
summer, David traveled to NYC and was selected
to work with Tony Award Winner Sutton Foster
and Broadway Music Director Michael Rafter.
Some favorite credits include Into the Woods
(Rapunzel’s Prince/Wolf), Oklahoma! (Curly),
and Bye Bye Birdie (Conrad Birdie). David would
like to thank Scott Plate, Martín Cépedes and
Larry Goodpaster for this wonderful experience
before he travels to Orlando, Florida where he will
perform with Walt Disney World Entertainment
through the college internship program.
Carleigh Spence (Glamorous
Doll/Ensemble/Mar y
Poppins U/S) is grateful to
be back at Beck for the
holidays! She was seen
in both productions of
Annie (Annette/Star-to-Be/
Bonnie Boylan) and Young
Frankenstein. Other favorite
credits include Annie
Get Your Gun (Winnie), Avenue Q (Kate Monster),
The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Swingin’ on a Star
(Dorothy Lamour), and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
Cinderella in the title role. When offstage, Carleigh
is a teaching artist here at Beck Center. She sends
her love to her family, friends, teachers, and to
Mark Heffernan for his work with the show!
Thank you all for supporting the arts! Find her
@carleighspence if you like tweets about elephants.
Matthew Ryan Thompson
(Bert) is excited to be
back on Beck Center’s
Mackey Main Stage for
Mary Poppins. Previous
Beck Center credits
include Forever Plaid (Jinx),
Annie (Rooster), Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat (Joseph), Hairspray
(Corny Collins), and Monty Python’s SPAMALOT
(Sir Robin). He also joined Beck Center’s re-vamp
of Altar Boyz (Mark) in the historic Hannah Theater
at PlayhouseSquare. He started performing on
stage competing and performing nationally as a
tap dancer and transitioned into musical theatre
in high school. He continues to study and perform
all over the east coast and Ohio. A big thanks to
Beck Center staff. www.facebook.com/thisismrt
David Turner (Doorman
/Ensemble) is excited to
be a part of this great cast!
He recently performed at
Blank Canvas Theatre in
Hair (Tribe) and Bathroom
Humor (Sandy). Favorite
credits include Guys and
Dolls (Rusty Charlie) and
Anything Goes (Quartet) at
The Cassidy Theatre, A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum (Hero) at Huntington Playhouse,
and Jesus Christ Superstar (Apostle) at Brecksville
Theatre on the Square. When not on stage, David
works in development at PlayhouseSquare and is
also a Licensed Massage Therapist at The Studio
Cleveland. He would like to thank Scott, Larry,
and Martín for this opportunity, and Jason for his
love and support.
Jill Zeszut (Ensemble)
is thrilled to make her
first appearance at Beck
Center for the Arts in
Mary Poppins. Her most
recent credits include
Happy Days: A New Musical
(Marion Cunningham) at
TrueNorth Cultural Arts,
and a cameo in Monty
Python’s SPAMALOT (Laker Girl) at Chanel Theater
Company. She also spent time as director and
choreographer for multiple theatrical productions
at St. Ann’s Catholic School in Belcourt, ND. Jill
would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors
for their continued support.
Frankie Zevnik (Mr.
Punch/Ensemble/Dance
Captain) is so excited
to return back to Beck
Center for the Arts after
last appearing in Legally
Blonde
The
Musical
(Nikos). He is a certified
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professional dance instructor
and choreographer at the Willoughby Fred Astaire
Dance studio, where he also competes nationally
all over the US. Frankie was recently a Dancing
with the Stars at Sea Finalist and an opening
performer for both The Cleveland Foundations
100th Anniversary Gala at PlayhouseSuare (with
Mary Poppins choreographer Martín Céspedes)
and The Gay Games 9 at the Quicken Loans
Arena. Other credits include Hairspray (Fender) at
Beck Center, High School Musical (Ryan Evans) at
Fine Arts Association, High School Musical 2: On
Stage (Troy Bolton) at Heights Youth Theatre, and
Bye Bye Birdie (Conrad Birdie) at Shore Cultural
Centre. Special thanks to his family and friends for
all of their love and support. To those seeing the
show, always remember, “Life is out there waiting,
so go and get it.”
*Actor appears courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association
(AEA), the union of actors and stage managers.
** Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
Joseph Carmola (Technical Director) is in
his eighth year as Technical Director at Beck
Center for the Arts. In the past Joe has served
as Technical Director for the Canton Players
Guild, Magical Theatre Company and Paul
Green’s Trumpet in the Land. His freelance
credits include lighting design and scenic artist,
as well as a set design for Les Misérables: School
Edition, which has been seen in many student
programs throughout Northeast Ohio. He is
the proud father of Clayton.
Dennis Dugan (Lighting Designer) has worked
with GroundWorks DanceTheater, Ballet Met,
Ballet Theater of Ohio, Canton Ballet, Cuyahoga
Valley Youth Ballet, Verb Ballet, Ingenuity Festival,
the Heinz Poll Dance Festival and The University
of Akron. His fascination with light began in the
70’s at Ohio University. It has led him to work in
all forms of live performance. Dennis is a Board
Member of Ohio Dance, a membership and
service organization serving the dance community
of Ohio. He was a recipient of the Ohio Dance
Award for outstanding contributions to dance in
Ohio in 1997 .
Carlton Guc (Sound Designer) is pleased to
be part of another exciting production at Beck
Center. His 2014 sound designs have been heard
at Beck Center (Young Frankenstein; Forever Plaid)
32 Hathaway Brown (Sweeney Todd; A Chorus
and
Line). When not designing sound for theatre,
Carlton works on theatrical related software which
is used on Broadway, the West End, schools and
theatres all over the world. You can also find him
playing guitar or teaching skiing on the slopes.
Jeff Herrmann (Scenic Designer) recently
designed Beck Center’s sets and lighting
for Spring Awakening and Next To Normal.
Professional scenic design credits include Les
Misérables, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Bat Boy: The
Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and
Into the Woods, all joint productions between
Great Lakes Theater and Idaho Shakespeare
Festival. Other designs include The Spitfire
Grill, Little Shop of Horrors and Noises Off at
Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Tintypes, Bye Bye
Birdie, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music, West
Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, Songs for a
New World, Hair, Dreamgirls and tick...tick...Boom!
at Cain Park, Closer, Wit, Refuge, The Tale of the
Allergist’s Wife, Take Me Out, The Last Five Years,
The Blue Door and Blackbird at Dobama Theatre,
and Exact Change at Cleveland Public Theatre.
Jeff is a professor of Theatre at Baldwin Wallace
University. Jeff is a 10 year resident of Lakewood,
where he lives with his partner, Bob.
Aimee Kluiber (Costume Designer) is a costume
designer from Lakewood. She studied theatre
and music at Wittenberg University and The
Cleveland Institute of Music and fashion and
millinery design at The Virginia Marti College
of Art and Design. Her theatrical associations
include Lyric Opera Cleveland, Cleveland Play
House, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cain
Park, Case Western Reserve University, Cesear’s
Forum, Red Hen Productions, Dobama Theatre,
Ensemble Theatre, Beck Center, Willoughby
Fine Arts Association, and the Cleveland Jewish
Community Center.
Mike Tutaj (Video Designer) is a freelance
designer of projections and sound for theatre.
He has designed for TimeLine Theatre, The
Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre,
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Victory Gardens
Theatre, The Court Theatre, American Theater
Company, Teatro Vista, The Hypocrites, Silk
Road Theatre Project, and many more. OffBroadway and Regional credits include The
York Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre
Company, and Theatre Squared. He is a
member of United Scenic Artists local 829.