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David Colacci
Artist Director

DAVID COLACCI directs Kiss Me, Kate and plays Charlie in The Foreigner this season. In 23 seasons with HSRT (17 as Artistic Director) his productions have included Godspell, Seussical, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Oliver, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare in Hollywood, Return to the Forbidden Planet, I Hate Hamlet, Johnny Pye, Suds and Go Dog Go. Among the roles he has played are Morgan in The Drawer Boy, Mark in Art, Queeg in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Nicely in Guys and Dolls, Lenny in Rumors, Frank in Educating Rita, Billy in Billy Bishop Goes to War, Oscar in The Odd Couple, Orgon in Tartuffe, Uncle Jack in Dancing at Lughnasa, Will in Willi, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Archidald in The Secret Garden, and John Adams in 1776. During eight years as a resident artist at the Cleveland Play House, he directed World Premiers of the AT&T Award winning Bright Ideas by Eric Coble and Murphy Guyer’s The Infinite Regress of Human Vanity. Also at CPH he directed Harvey, Seascape, Sylvia, and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. David has performed at theatres nationwide for over 30 years, including The Old Globe in San Diego, The Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Chicago’s Wisdom Bridge and Northlight theatre, the Guthrie in Minneapolis, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, People’s Light and Theatre in Philadelphia, Boston’s New Rep, and most recently in True West, at New Jersey's Two River Theater Company. He has won numerous awards as a narrator of audiobooks.

Mary Schakel Van Heynigen
Producing Director

Mary Schakel Van Heynigen is now in her 35th year with HSRT. She began work in Holland as the Costume Designed for HSRT’s first season 37 years ago, and designed costumes for over 100 productions in Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago, as well as in Holland, MI. She became HSRT’s Managing Director in 1979 and Producing Director in 1984. Mary is a consultant for the Midwest Theater Auditions at Webster University and conducts audition workshops for colleges throughout the Midwest. Mary graduated from Hope College and did her graduate work at the University of Minnesota.

To e-mail Mary: mschakel(at)hope.edu

Matthew R. D'Oyly
Assistant Producing Director

Matthew is in his sixth summer with HSRT. In addition to working for HSRT, Matthew is entering his fourth year as a Residential Life Coordinator for Hope College. His background encompasses a variety of areas including student activities, residential life, greek life and theatre. Matthew serves as the InferFraternity Council Advisor, the chair of the programming committee for Residential Life and Housing and the coordinator of the alcohol education programs. This past year Matthew was invited to present his alcohol campaign initiatives at the American College Personal Association’s National Conference in Atlanta, GA. He also served as an ambassador for the NCAA Women’s Final Four and as a member of Sigma Delta Phi, he serves on the Alumni board as the Treasurer and most recently awarded “most active alumni”. He is also a graphic designer, and designs logos, posters and t-shirts for many local organizations. He was instrumental in establishing the Mona Shores Choir Fund through the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Before HSRT, he worked as a sound engineer for Cherry County Playhouse in Muskegon, MI. Matthew holds a master’s in Education with an emphasis in College Student Affairs Leadership from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor of fine arts in theatre technical design from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH.

To e-mail Matthew: hsrt(at)hope.edu

Directors

 Director of Doubt, A Parable, A ParableJAMES DANIELS has acted at such theatres as Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, the Cleveland Play House, Missouri Repertory Theatre, the Houston Shakespeare Festival, the Asolo Theatre of Florida, Shakespeare on the Green/Chicago, Pennsylvania Centre Stage, as well as at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, Indiana. He has played such roles as Vershinin in Three Sisters, Hal Carter in Picnic, Iago in Othello, the Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie, the Samurai Warrior in Rashomon, and Prospero in The Tempest. He received his MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory in Sarasota FL. Jim is the Director of Performance in the Department of Theatre at Western Michigan University where he directs and teaches all levels of acting. His production of Othello at WMU won the American College Theatre Festival competition and was produced at the American College Theatre National Festival in 2005 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

DAINA ROBINS returns to HSRT for her fifteenth (!) season as Director of Sarah, Plain and Tall.  Past HSRT productions include The Hypochondriac, The Drawer Boy, Rounding Third, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, The Game of Love and Chance, Footloose, Orphans, Three Viewings, Twelve Angry Men, Cinderella, The Turn of the Screw, and Dancing at Lughnasa.  As chair of the Theatre Department at Hope College, Daina teaches acting, directing, and theatre history.  Recent productions for the academic program include The Nina Variations, The School for Scandal, Wonderful Town, Perfect Pie, and The Good Person of Setzuan. This coming season she looks forward to directing Charles Mee's Big Love.

JAMES SABA is happy to return to HSRT to direct Forever Plaid and Petite Rouge. Last year he directed Lost In Yonkers and Junie B. Jones. Past HSRT shows (as a director) include The Shakespeare Revue, Scapin, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Sylvia, and over 25 productions for the Children’s Performance Troupe. Regionally he directed All in the Timing and 7 Stories (Old Globe Theatre), Blithe Spirit, Lucky Stiff and ThePhiladelphia Story (Webster University), Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (North Coast Repertory Theatre),The Mystery of Irma Vep (Diversionary Theatre), The Game of Love and Chance (Moonlight Stage) and Girl Scouts of America (FringeNYC). As an actor James has worked at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, San Jose Rep, San Diego Repertory the Apple Tree and several productions at HSRT including Young Rube, The Nerd, The Odd Couple, Compleat Wks of Wm Shakespeare Abridged, Tartuffe, Irma Vep, Rumors, Art, and Rounding Third to name a few.

FRED TESSLER returns to HSRT for his 14th summer. This season as Director and Music Director of Closer Than Ever and Music Director for Kiss Me, Kate. As a Director and Resident Music Director for the theatre Fred has worked on over 40 productions including directing last summer's Dames At Sea . Fred is a resident of New York City and has worked Off-Broadway as Music Director for Five Course Love at The Minetta Lane Theatre. Other New York credits include three seasons with the ENCORES! Series at City Center and productions with Primary Stages, Manhattan Class Company, and The Roundabout Theatre Company. Regional credits include productions with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, The Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and The Berkshire Theatre Festival. Fred has been an Artist in Residence at The Stratford Festival of Canada, is a faculty member in the Theatre Dept. of Wagner College, and on the staff of the CAP21 studio at New York University.

The Management

After taking a brief hiatus, ANNIE CASTLEBERRY is ecstatic to be back for the HSRT 2008 season - this year as the Production Stage Manager. Annie is a recent honors graduate from Webster University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Stage Management. Some favorite HSRT shows she has worked on include The Short Tree and the Bird That Could Not Sing, The Spitfire Grill, Shakespeare in Hollywood and now Forever Plaid. Inspired by her 2005 experience as an HSRT intern, Annie decided to broaden her love for children's theatre and interned in 2007 at the Tony Award winning Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More recently she has returned from Europe where she studied abroad in Vienna, Austria for a semester. She has been blessed with so many great opportunities and is glad to have the opportunity to return to the wonderful HSRT!

Artistic Staff

  ERIK ALBERG is a lighting and sound designer currently working as the Technical Director for the Performing Arts at Hope College. He received his B.A of Theatre at Hope College and his M.F.A. in technical production for the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware. His job includes duties as the principal lighting and sound designer for the Hope College dance department, and teaching sound and lighting for dance. Erik also works heavily with Aerial Dance Theater, Contemporary Motions Dance Company and IN Sync Dance Theatre. His design work has also been seen or heard at The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Hope College, University of Delaware, Boarshead Theatre Company, Heritage Theatre Company, Eisenhower Dance Company, City Theatre Company, and The Miniature Theatre of Chester. Erik is providing lighting design for Kiss Me, Kate and Forever Plaid .

KATY ATWELL is thrilled to be returning to HSRT for her third summer. She has worked her way up the electrics ladder for the last two summers to gain the Master Electrician role for this season. In the past two years at HSRT, she has light designed A Shakespeare Revue and Junie B. Jones, and now moves to the mainstage to design The Foreigner. Since her last appearance in Holland, she has designed Six Character in Search of an Author and Ruthless! at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, as well as run the university light shop and work with the nearby IATSE local #193. As a current graduate from Millikin with a BFA in Theater Technology and Design, she is now looking out into the "real world" and trying to figure out what happens next.

BRAD BERRIDGE , Sound Designer for Doubt, A Parable, A Parable is excited to be returning to HSRT. He was a sound technician in 1997 under designer Richard Ingraham. Brad was most recently the Sound Designer for Rewind: A Cantata for Voice, Tape, and Testimony, an opera giving a theatrical voice to victims of Apartheid. Other credits include: four years as Resident Sound Designer for Flamenco-Vivo: Carlota Santana, Sound Engineer for the Off-Broadway hit, Showtune, the Midwest premiere of Dirty Blonde at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, and The Present Theatre Project’s The Flu Season. Brad was Sound Supervisor at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival from 2004 to 2007. He has composed music for choreographer Terry Creach. Brad is currently the Sound and Media Supervisor at the 62 nd Center for Theatre and Dance at Williams College. He lives in the Berkshire Mountains with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Emma.

KARI BURKE, a senior at Hope College, is excited to join HSRT for a second season, this year as choreographer of Forever Plaid, and assistant choreographer of Kiss Me, Kate. Originating from St. Marys, Ohio, she started her dance training in Dayton, Ohio, at a pre-professional ballet studio and enjoyed a four-year season with their repertoire company, Gem City Ballet. Kari has performed with various troupes, including employment with Entertainment Design, Co. in their grand celebration of the 100 th Anniversary of Flight in Dayton. Kari is currently in her third season as a member of dANCEpROjECt, a resident modern dance company of Hope College.

LEAH BUSSE is thrilled to be back at HSRT for her fourth season, and third as Technical Director. She recently received her M.F.A. from Indiana University in Scenic Technology and previously attended the University of Evansville where she earned her B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology. Leah is very excited to be back in Holland working with such a bright group of young artists, and the great talents of this wonderful company. A native Kentuckian, Leah is happy to be joining the staff of the Indiana Repertory Theatre in August, and continuing her transformation into a Hoosier.

ADAM CARPENTER is once again de"light"ed to be joining the HSRT company for his third season, this time as Assistant Master Electrician.  He also has the pleasure of designing the lighting for this year’s cabaret, Closer Than Ever.  A 2007 alumni of Hope College, Adam performed in and was an electrician on several DeWitt mainstage productions over his four years.  Originally a resident of the Detroit area, Adam was the performance intern at his "home theatre," Meadow Brook Theatre, for the past year performing roles in A Christmas Carol, Biloxi Blues, and Julius Caesar.  In the fall Adam will undertake an extremely exciting major life change as he moves to Sarasota, FL and enters the MFA program at the Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.

KRISTIN ELLERT is happy to return for her fifth summer here at HSRT as the Scenic Designer for Doubt, A Parable, A Parable and Closer Than Ever. Originally from Burnsville, MN, she received her BFA from the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN in 2005. She is now entering her final year in the MFA Scenic Design program at UC, San Diego. HSRT Credits include: Lost in Yonkers, Dames at Sea, Memory House, Scapin and The Stinky Cheese Man among others. UCSD credits: The Further Adventures of Suzanne and Monica, Bureau of Missing Persons (BNPF'08) The Skin of Our Teeth, Freedom, NY (BNPF'07) among others. She would like to thank her family and friends for all the support, as well as all the cookies.

ELIZABETH FLAUTO is thrilled to me home at HSRT! Selected credits include Costume Design: Lost in Yonkers, The Hypochondriac, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre), Private Lives, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, The World Goes Round, Uncle Vanya, Ring Round the Moon, Burnt Part Boys, Importance of Being Earnest (Barrington Stage Co), The Shape of Metal, Trousers, Clocks and Whistles (Origin Theatre Co), Nelson (Partial Comfort @ The Lion), Doubt, A Parable, Woman Before a Glass (TheaterWorks Hartford), Captain Louie (York Theatre, Little Shubert), Sides: The Fear is Real (Culture Project, PS122). Assistant/Associate: Jersey Boys, Good Vibrations, Julius Caesar (Broadway). BA University of Evansville 1996, MFA UT Austin 2002, Member United Scenic Artists. Love to K.

This season marks the twenty-third season JOSEPH P. FLAUTO has been a member of the HSRT company, this year as Scenic Designer for The Foreigner .  For the 2007 season he designed the set The Hypochondriac and  She Loves Me.   In 2006 he designed the sets for one of his favorite HSRT productions,  A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other recent HSRT credits include: scenic and lighting design for The Guys, scenic design for Once Upon a Mattress, Art (another favorite),  Rumors,  and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. (his first professional collaboration with his daughter Elizabeth.)   As a member of the faculty at the University of Evansville, Joe has had numerous designs appear at regional and national Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festivals. His set design for the University of Evansville’s production of The Comedy of Errors was seen at the Kennedy Center as part of the city-wide Shakespeare in Washington Festival in April of 2007.  He is a member of the United Scenic Artists and has worked at professional regional theatres in Crew, England, Philadelphia, North Carolina, and Indianapolis. Joe retired from the University of Evansville in at the end of May but remains connected to the university and faculty as Professor Emeriti.  He doesn’t know what that means but thinks it sounds better than unemployed!  If all goes well there will be lots of time for reading and the chance to do some interesting projects.

Scenic Design Intern DOSS FREEL comes to HSRT from Western Michigan University where he is currently a double major in theatre design and production and theatre performance. He’s pleased to be working at Hope with so many talented and dedicated people. Doss would like to thank his family:  Mom, Dad, Grandmother, and Sister as well as his friends and everyone else who’s ever contributed to theatre. After college, Doss plans to continue on to graduate school, continue to do what makes him happy, and one day become a laboratory mouse with plans for world domination.

ANDY HAMMOND is very happy to be returning for his 3rd season at HSRT. He is a recent graduate from The University of Evansville and will be spending his summer as The Master of Sound. He is also very excited to be designing for The Foreigner and Closer Than Ever and mixing for Kiss Me, Kate. Andy wishes to be a technical director and will continue on down that path after this summer. He also wants to thank his parents for letting him be who he is and his friends for not letting everything be blamed entirely on himself (even if it should be).

SARAH HECK is excited that HSRT welcomed her back for her third season. Although in the past she worked as Head of Props, this summer she leads the paint team as Charge Artist. Sarah has worked as Props Journeyman for the Actors Theatre of Louisville, a Puppet Builder for Enchantment Theatre of Philadelphia, a Puppet and Toy Theatre Artist for Redmoon Theatre in Chicago, and as the Puppet and Mask Designer for the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus' tour to Beijing. In August, Sarah will be moving to Wisconsin to begin her job with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre as Props Craft Artisan. She is grateful to be near family and friends this summer, and to finally spend some time with that man she fancies.

RICHARD B. INGRAHAM is happy to be returning to Hope Summer Rep. for his 12th season as Resident Sound Designer. Some of his favorite previous designs for HSRT include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scapin, ART, Woman in Black, Having Our Say, To Kill A Mockingbird, Return to the Forbidden Planet, and Forever Plaid. Richard is a former Resident Sound Designer at The Cleveland Play House, and is currently a Freelance Sound Designer, based out of the Cleveland area. He was worked at numerous theatre companies in the Cleveland area and around the U.S., including: The Beck Center for the Arts, The Cleveland JCC, Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland State University, Dobama Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Shakespeare and Company, The University of Evansville and The Willoughby Fine Arts Association. Richard also works for Stage Research Inc. which is an award wining software company based in Cleveland OH which creates software specifically designed for the performing arts. Richard has also worked as a Show Control Programmer and installer for clients such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, The Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield IL and Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Richard would like to send a thank you to his wife and family for their constant love and support.

AMANDA JANKE, Stitcher/Costume Designer for Closer Than Ever, is very excited to be back at HSRT for her second summer! In April she graduated from Grand Valley State University where she recently designed costumes for Nickel and Dimed and Sure Thing. She will begin her graduate studies this fall at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in their costume design and technology MFA program. She would like to thank her Mom, Dad and Grandma for always supporting her in her many different endeavors.

LIZ JASPERSE is happily returning as the costume shop manager and costume designer for Forever Plaid and The Foreigner. This marks her sixth summer with HSRT beginning as an intern and finding it completely impossible to leave the creative and wonderful people who join HSRT each year. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign, where she is pursuing her MFA in Costume Design, Technology and Management. Thanks to all of you who see the shows and welcome this little summer community into their own.

BRANDON KIRKHAM is pleased to return to HSRT for his fourth season, designing the costumes for Kiss Me, Kate, and working in the costume crafts shop. Brandon recently received his MFA in Costume and Scenic Design from Ohio University. While in grad school, Brandon worked at the Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis, The Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Enchantment Theatre Company in Philadelphia, and Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City. During the summer of 2007 he attended the Prague Quadrennial International Theatre Design Exhibition where two of his designs (L'Enfant et les Sortileges and Conference of the Birds Project) were featured in the United States Student Display. In his spare time Brandon likes to build puppets and props.

MERIBETH KISNER returns to HSRT as Choreographer for Kiss Me, Kate.. From 1972 to 1993 Meribeth performed, directed, and choreographed as a concert dancer for several nationally-known dance companies. She has taught as a Master Teacher both nationally and internationally. She has owned two dance studios as well as founding and touring her own dance company for eleven years. Meribeth performed in musical theatre from 1972 to 1977, dancing for the likes of Bob Fossee and Tony Stevens. She has choreographed for musical theatre since 1980 and has been choreographing and directing here at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre since 1983. She resides in Evanston, Illinois with her husband, Bob Griffin (who, bless his heart, comes to all her HSRT openings), and their 18 year old carin terrier, Whiskey.

Scenic Designer for Kiss Me, Kate, KAREN M. KOZLOWSKI is currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre in Scene Design and Head of the Design/Tech Department at SUNY Binghamton, in Binghamton, NY where she has designed such productions as Into the Woods, Rabbit Hole, West Side Story, Proof, A Macbeth, and Pippin. In addition to working at Binghamton University Karen works nationally with many theatre companies and universities; as of late she has been working with Tri-Cities Opera, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, The Coterie Theatre and Interlochen Center for the Arts both as a Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist. Shows to her credit are: Scenic Design - Godspell, Shakespeare in Hollywood, Bedroom Farce, Seussical, G.I. Jive,Picasso at the Lapin Agile, TheMagic Flute, and Twelfth Nigh, Scenic Artist - Carmen, Merry Widow, La Boheme, Luccia Da Lammermoor, Julius Caesar, After Juliet, The Big Friendly Giant, and The Night Before Christmas. Karen received her M.F.A. in Scenic Design in 2005 from the University of Missouri, Kansas City ( Kansas City, MO) and her B.F.A. in Scenic Design and Technology in 2002 from Wayne State University ( Detroit, MI). In her own teaching and career Karen strives to continue to integrate ever changing technology in design development and for use on stage. When she is not working on production she can be found relaxing with one of four beautiful parrots (Vinci, Grendel, Icarus and Nimbus) and her partner Joe in Upstate New York.

TINA MCCARTNEY is going into her third year as a costume design major at Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Tina is thrilled to be back at HSRT for her second year. She is working as a Stitcher and is the Costume Designer for this year's production of Sarah Plain and Tall. She is also currently designing for The Misourri Thespian Society's statewide production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Tina would like to thank her family for their love and support.

KATRINA M. NIEMISTO is celebrating her second season as head of the properties department. Her last season with HSRT was 2006. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a bachelor of science in Theatre and a native of Livonia, MI. While at Grand Valley she directed the Shakespeare Festival Green Show and The American Century. She also directed Bully, a piece that was chosen for KCACTF region III's Ten Minute Play Festival. She worked as a stage manager for Nickel and Dimed and acted in Ragtime, Love's Labour's Lost and Delores. Previous property designing excursions at Grand Valley include The Servant of Two Masters, Love's Labour's Lost and Sure Thing. After HSRT is over, Katrina will be moving to the great unknown, Allentown, PA, where she will be working at the Civic Theatre of Allentown as a resident company intern. One day she will open a social impact theatre with an emphasis in community outreach. She dedicates these shows and every show to her Mother, Ellen Leigh and her Grandparents, Elden and Lenore.

This season marks the 18th season that PETER E. SARGENT has designed a production for HSRT.  Starting with The Human Comedy through last season's Lost in Yonkers, He enjoys the incredible collaboration with the artists that are the company of HSRT.  He is the Dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University in Saint Louis.  He has been the resident lighting designer for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis since the theatre opened in 1966.  He has also designed for The Great Lakes Theatre Festival, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Arrow Rock (MO) Lyceum Theatre.  He is a member of the College of Fellows of American Theatre, The National Theatre Conference, the Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame, a recipient of The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis Award for Excellence in the Arts and was recognized with the Special Citation for Excellence in Theatre Education by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. He is the founder of both the National Unified Auditions and the MidWest Theatre Auditions and serves as the coordinator for auditions for the International Thespian Festival.   He served as a panelist for the Musical Theatre/Theatre Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts.  He is on the National Board of Directors for Young Audiences, The Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Saint Louis Professional Theatre Awards, a founding member of the Board of Advisors for the American High School Theatre Festival and the Arts and Education Council.  Peter and his wife, Alice love to return to Holland each year and enjoy hosting daughter Megan and son-in-law Dennis Case and daughter Amy and son-in-law Douglas Hanneken and grandsons Connor (8) and Jack (4 1/2).  We thank the incredible support of Hope College and everyone that participates as a member of the audience.  Please enjoy the performance and continue to support the talented company that IS HSRT and all of the arts in Holland.

NATHAN SCHEUER is thrilled to be joining HSRT this summer as a Lighting Design Intern. Nathan will begin his second year at Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts this fall, where he is pursuing his BFA in lighting and scene design. This summer he is excited to have the opportunity to be the lighting designer for both Sarah, Plain & Tall and Petite Rouge. He would like to thank HSRT for allowing him to join their company and his brother, Justin, for always supporting him and giving him the inspiration to go farther.

After spending last year’s season as a sound design intern, KEITH STIDHAM is happy to be returning to HSRT this time around as a Sound Engineer. Keith currently lives in Dayton, Oh where he attends Sinclair College as a third-year technical theatre student. He also works with various theatre companies around the Dayton area including Dayton Playhouse South and Human Race Theatre Company as a guest designer and sound board operator. When not hiding behind a sound board Keith enjoys composing original music for designs. He will be running Forever Plaid, Foreigner, and Petite Rouge and will be designing Sarah Plain and Tall which will feature some of his original compositions.

KATHERINE STROHMAIER happily joins HSRT for the first time, as m\Music Director for Forever Plaid.  Credits include The Fantasticks, A Christmas Carol (musical adaptation by David Austin); It’s Not You…It’s Me, pianist for off-B'way workshop of It’s About Time, lounge pianist/singer on Queen of the West, a Columbia River sternwheeler.  Favorite acting credits are Blue Rose:  The Rosemary Clooney Story,Robin Hood:  The Legend Continues, and other shows with subtitles.  This winter, she will be marking her territory in Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner's Dogpark:  The Musical,premiering at Milwaukee Repertory Theater.  Katherine is a brand-new resident of Minneapolis.

Stage Management

BARBARA GANTT is jubilant to be returning to HSRT for her second season after serving as a stage management intern last summer. This year, she is the stage manager for The Foreigner, as well as an assistant stage manager for Kiss Me, Kate. She is currently a student at the University of Evansville, where she is entering her fourth year of study, pursuing a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Stage Management with an Associated Study in Business and Sociology. She is looking forward to another summer in beautiful Holland before returning for her last year in rainy (albeit still wonderful) Evansville, Indiana.

SHAUN HART is pumped to be joining the hard-working, talented company of HSRT for the first time. This summer he will be stage managing Doubt, A Parable, A Parable and assistant stage managing Kiss Me, Kate. He recently finished his third year at the University of Evansville pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Stage Management. This past year at Evansville, he stage managed Reckless and served as the assistant technical director for Dark of the Moon. This past January, Shaun participated in the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Stage Management competition, in which he reached the regional finals. Shaun is glad he can spend his summer in such a beautiful town with such wonderful new friends and co-workers. He is thankful for everyone that has pushed him and encouraged him working in theatre throughout his life. He wants to thank his parents, because let’s face it, without them he wouldn’t be here.

CODY RENARD RICHARD is more than delighted to be returning to HSRT for a second season. He joins the company as the Assistant Production Stage Manager after serving as a stage management intern last year. Cody will be stage managing both Kiss Me, Kate and Closer Than Ever for HSRT this season.  He just completed his 2nd year at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, where he is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Stage Management. Cody has served as Assistant Stage Manager for numerous Conservatory productions including: Angels in America Part I; the Millennium Approaches, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Bat Boy The Musical to list a few. He has also served as Stage Manager for Tied to a Stick and this fall he will be Stage Managing Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris as well as Stepping Out for the Conservatory.  Regionally Cody has worked at the Tony Award Winning Alley Theatre in Houston, TX as a Stage Management Intern where he worked on Wait Until Dark, Black Comedy and A Christmas Carol and at The Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis in St. Louis, MO as the Production Assistant for Dracula and Kiss Me, Kate as well as the Assistant Stage Manager for the WiseWrite festival of one-act plays. Mr. Richard is oh so thrilled to be spending another summer in Holla-Holla Holland, MI with such a wonderful group of people…. not to mention the marvelous Lake Michigan just miles away from the theatre. He would like to thank all of his friends and family for all their continued support. …. and remember “Life is better with a little DRAMA in it.” Thank you all for coming out and supporting HSRT-- enjoy the performance!

The Acting Company

JAHNNA BEECHAM is delighted to return to HSRT for her 7th season. The first five were as a director and playwright, directing The Nerd, Educating Rita, The Reluctant Dragon and two productions of Chaps! which she co-wrote with her husband, Malcolm Hillgartner.  In 2006, she appeared as Maggie in Memory House. Jahnna has directed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, and International Theatre of Vienna.  Besides Chaps! she and her husband, along with Michael J. Hume, wrote They Came From Way Out There which has been performed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre and The Oregon Cabaret. She is scheduled to direct their newest piece, Dogpark…The Musical at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre this Christmas. She and her husband, under the pen name, Jahnna N. Malcolm, have written 120 books for children and young adults including Love Letters, published by Simon and Schuster; Scholastic's Jewel Kingdom; and the soon to be released, Jack and the Flying Zambinis for Random House. As an actress, Jahnna has acted at numerous regional theatres including the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, Hartman Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. And last but not least, she and her husband co-produced two wonderful kids, Dash, 19 and Skye, 16.

JULIANNE C. BOUWENS is super excited to be making her HSRT debut as a member of the Acting Company. She will be playing Mrs. Muller in Doubt, A Parable, A Parable. While she holds degrees in Public Communication and Spanish, she has been pursuing her theatrical career for more than 10 years. Most recently, Julianne was seen as May N'Kame in the two-woman show Going to St. Ives (Actor's Theatre) and as Lorrell in Dreamgirls (Civic Theatre) in Grand Rapids this past season. Julianne has toured with the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY and Art Reach: A Division of the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. Favorite past credits include Gertrude in Hamlet: First Person Singular, ensemble/understudy in The Wiz (Hangar Theatre), Lady Macbeth/Lady Capulet/Tybalt in Breakin' Down the Bard: An Into to Shakespeare, Narrator in Gift of the Magi (ArtReach); Frosine in The Miser, Ouiser in Steel Magnolias (Cedarville University). Future projects include The Who's Tommy (Circle Theatre) and a remount of her one-woman show Black Mona Lisa (Actor's Theatre). Julianne would like to thank her Lord, her family for being so supportive, and her new husband for being her biggest fan.

CHIP DUFORD is celebrating 15 seasons at HSRT this summer, in the roles of General Harrison Howell in Kiss Me, Kate and Froggy in The Foreigner. Chip has played Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Touchstone in As You Like It, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Mr. Bumble (twice) in Oliver, The Scarecrow in Wizard Of Oz, The Bullfrog in HONK!, and The Pharoah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, among many other roles as a part of 50 productions during his time as an acting company member, starting with an acting internship W-A-Y back in 1989. Two favorite HSRT projects over the years are the creation of Clive Cooper in the hit musical, CHAPS!, back in 1995, and the 4 winters aiding in the creation of creatures and performing in the Hope College/HSRT joint venture, TheNutcracker/A Play. Two years ago, Chip teamed up with local Holland artist Joel Tanis and Enthusiastic Productions to take on the roles of the curmudgeonly next-door-neighbor, Mr. Flabbinjaw, and Joel’s housecat, Poo-Kitty, in the children’s TV program, Come On Over, now in it’s second season airing on WOTV4 in Grand Rapids. Over the past year, Chip has stayed in Michigan, working at the Meadow Brook Theatre Ensemble in Rochester, MI, as Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure and Howie in Rabbit Hole. Chip is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association. http://www.chipduford.com.

SUSAN ERICKSEN loves stories and uses many media to tell them. As an actress she has performed in regional theatres throughout the country including The Cleveland Play House, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Baltimore's Center Stage, Virginia Stage Company, and the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival. New York credits include A Woman Without a Name at the Signature Theatre and Peer Gynt at Theatre for a New Audience. This season marks Susan's 20th anniversary with HSRT. She began as Maria, the novice nun in The Sound of Music. Clearly seniority is alive and well, for this season finds her playing the head nun in Doubt, A Parable, A Parable. She has been fortunate to portray everyone from Rosalind in As You Like It to Prudy Cupp in Pump Boys and Dinettes. As an audiobook narrator she has recorded well over a hundred novels by authors as varied as Nadine Gordimer, Charlotte Bronte, T. Jefferson Parker, Kristin Hannah, and J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts.) She has recorded all of Robb's books in the In Death series with great delight. This series has garnered commercial as well as professional praise, and has earned Ericksen an Audie award for Origin in Death, as well as Earphone Awards for many others. Susan is a singer and a director as well, and can proudly point to an extensive resume here at HSRT to show it. She lives in New York City with her husband, David Colacci, and their two children.

MICHAEL HANSON is thrilled to be back at HSRT for his second summer. Last summer at HSRT he was seen playing Cleante in The Hypochondriac, the Head Waiter in She Loves Me, and was featured in Godspell and Go Dog Go!. This summer he's playing the roles of Rev. David in The Foreigner, Sparky in Forever Plaid, and Paul in Kiss Me, Kate. Michael just recently earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at the University of Connecticut and will return home to New York in the fall. Previous credits include: Connecticut Repertory Theatre: Threepenny Opera (Macheath), Cabaret (Cliff), Shakespeare In Hollywood (Dick Powell), and Into The Woods (Rapunzel's Prince). Mike would like to thank his family for all of their love, guidance, and support. Enjoy the show!

MICHAEL HALLING is thrilled to be here at HSRT as Equity Guest Artist playing Fred in Kiss Me, Kate.  Michael’s credits include the Broadway 2006 Tony award-winning production of The Pajama Game (Cyrus, U/S Harry Connick Jr.), The Boy From Oz (standby for Hugh Jackman), In My Life (Nick), and The Scarlet Pimpernel/  Also in New York, Candide (Maximillian standby), New York City Opera.  National tours:  Les Miserables (Enjolras), The Full Monty (Teddy Slaughter):  Off-Broadway:  The Streets of New York (Mark Livingstone): The Irish Rep. Regional:  The Full Monty (Jerry Lukowski – Kevin Kline nominee), Stages St. Louis:  The Full Monty (Jerry), Ogunquit Playhouse:  Beauty and the Beast (Beast), Atlanta Theatre of the Stars:  Edwin Drood (Jasper); Rep. Theatre of St. Louis:  Les Miserables (Enjolras), Pioneer Theatre Company;  Company (Peter);  Carnival (Paul), Pittsburgh CLO, Connecticut Rep:  Carousel (Mr. Snow); North Shore Music Theatre:  Forum (Hero); St. Louis MUNY:  The Robber Bridegroom and A Few Good Men (River Rep).  Upcoming:  A Tale of Two Cities on Broadway and B.A. University of Minnesota. “For Grandma Millie”

JONATHAN SPIVEY is delighted to return to HSRT for his third season, appearing in Kiss Me, Kate (Gangster #1), Forever Plaid (Smudge), and The Foreigner (Owen Musser). Previous HSRT credits include She Loves Me, Godspell, The Hypochondriac, Oliver, Shakespeare inHollywood, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Credits in NYC, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, and Michigan include Gypsy (with Lorna Luft), Beauty and the Beast, Merchant of Venice, Anything Goes, The Glass Menagerie, The Tempest, Much Ado…, The Altruists, and Goodnight, Desdemona...(dir. Rosemary Ingham). A resident of NYC, Jonathan is a former member of Epione, a Manhattan based ensemble performing improvised tragedy. A pianist of eighteen years, Jonathan is the coauthor of the original musical comedy, Murphy's Law. Jonathan has trained with The Second City, Reduced Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare scholar Mary Maher, and at the University of Richmond. 

JON SPRIK is delighted to make his debut with HSRT as part of the Acting Company this summer in Kiss Me, Kate, Petite Rouge, and Sarah Plain and Tall.  He is a recent graduate of Hope where some of his favorite performances include: Two Rooms, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Good Woman of Setzuan, and Candide.  Jon spent a summer in idyllic Door County, WI performing in As You Like It and The Importance of Being Ernest with Door Shakespeare. Next year he will be attending The University of Houston, in connection with the Alley Theatre, in pursuit of an M.F.A. in theatre performance.

ROBERT THOMPSON JR. is very happy to be joining the HSRT family for his first season. He is a member of the Acting Company and will be seen as Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate and Ensemble in Closer Than Ever. Robert is a graduate in Musical Theatre from Western Illinois University. He will be heading to the University of Connecticut this fall where he will be working on his Masters in Performance Studies. Robert's past roles include; The Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater. Oberon in A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Hainline Theatre. Jamie in the Last Five Years at the Starlight on the Lake Dinner Theatre, of which he was also the founder and Executive Producer. Robert would like to thank his family as always, for their unending support and love. Robert would also like to thank Gary and Whitney; his best friend and his best girl.

JESSICA DI SALVO is thrilled to return to HSRT as Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate and Catherine in The Foreigner. Audiences may recognize her from last season when she played Ilona Ritter in She Loves Me, Angelique in The Hypochondriac, and ensemble in Godspell. Other credits include Yelena in Uncle Vanya (Moscow Art Theatre School), Dreamette in AMidsummer Night's Dream: The Musical (Shakespeare Dallas), Betty in All in the Timing (Salem Repertory Theatre), Jane in Stop the World- I Wanna Get Off (Renton Civic Theatre), Bella in Lost in Yonkers (Village Theatre), Widow in Don Juan Comes Back from the War (British American Drama Academy), and Petal in the world premiere of Hook the Holy Hollow (The Experimental Theatre Project, Seattle). Jessica recently completed her M.F.A. in acting from Southern Methodist University.

MEGHAN O’LEARY is overjoyed to be returning for her second summer at HSRT. Last summer Meghan worked as an Acting Intern performing in Godspell, She Loves Me,and The Children's Performance Troupe production of Junie B. Jones. This summer Meghan will be performing in Kiss Me, Kate (Hattie), CPT's Sarah Plain and Tall (Sarah) and Petite Rouge. She is a 4th year BFA Acting candidate at The University of Connecticut. Connecticut Repertory Theatre credits include, Three Penny Opera (Betty), Loves Labour's Lost (Jaquenetta), Pentecost (Toni Newsome),The Arabian Nights (Butcher/Girl in the Garden), North Shore Fish(Catherine Shimma), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girl), and Prudence (Helen Benson).Other Favorite Credits include, Taming of the Shrew (Kate), The Secret Garden (Lily) and Northern Stage's production's of The Man Who Came to Dinner (June), and A Christmas Carol (Martha). All my love and thanks to my wonderful family, and the HSRT Company.

LAURETTA POPE is thrilled to be making her HSRT debut as a member of the Acting Company playing Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate and Ensemble in Closer Than Ever. As a graduate student at the University of Connecticut under the tutelage of Dale AJ Rose (where she recently received her MFA in Acting), Lauretta appeared in Connecticut Repertory Theatre productions of Cabaret (Sally Bowles), The Threepenny Opera (Mrs. Peachum), Love's Labour's Lost (Rosaline), Pentecost (Yasmin), Macbeth (First Witch), Mary Zimmerman's The Arabian Nights (Scheherazade), As You Like It (Celia), and Amy Freed's Restoration Comedy (Narcissa/Hoyden). With the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, she participated in three World Premier Theatre for Young Audiences musicals, including Flaherty and Ahrens' Seussical (Gertrude), directed by Jeff Church. While in Kansas City, she also worked for Ron McGee's Late Night Theatre, the Kansas City Rep, was a jazz chanteuse for The American Restaurant in Crown Center, and a cabaret artist at Bar Natasha. She has trained in clown with Joan Shirle and Ronlin Foreman at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre in Aasen, Denmark. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the UMKC Conservatory of Music.

TEDDY YUDAIN is thrilled to be back at HSRT this summer, and this time with his sister! He can be seen as Hortensio in Kiss Me, Kate, Jinx in Forever Plaid, and Ellard in The Foreigner. Last summer he played Judas in Godspell, Monsieur Bonfaux in The Hypochondriac, and the clumsy busboy in She Loves Me. He graduated in 2007 with his BFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut. Favorite CT Repertory Theatre credits include Into the Woods (Jack), Shakespeare in Hollywood (Will Hays), Macbeth (Witch), As You Like It ( Amiens), and the world premiere of William Gibson's Jonah's Dream (featured singer). Thanks to his parents for letting him live at home while he pursues his dream!

Acting Interns

MATT BAN joins HSRT as an Acting Intern. He is about to begin his senior year as a B.A. Theatre Performance Major at Wagner College in New York. Recently, Matt was seen on the Wagner Mainstage in the starring roles of Tevye in Fiddler On the Roof and Reverend Shaw in Footloose. He also participated in the world premier of two new works that were recently produced at Wagner: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Father) and Hello! The Musical (Matt). A native of New Jersey, Matt has performed at NJPAC in Ragtime (JP Morgan, u/s Father) and the original workshop company of Midnight Madness, a new musical based on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has also worked and performed at the prestigious Paper Mill Playhouse of New Jersey, appearing in two NEW VOICES concerts, and working as an intern in the education department.

Acting Intern MADELEINE CLEMENS is currently a Theatre Performance Major at Wagner College in New York going into her junior year. She is from Orange County, California. At Wagner this year she was in The Furies and How I Learned to Drive. Last summer she performed in The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland as Yonah in Children of Eden. Other favorite roles include Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Little Red in Into the Woods. This last year she trained in Italy in commedia del'arte with Teatro Punto. Love to her family.

Acting Intern PATRICK DAVID is ever so excited to be making his HSRT debut this summer. You can see him in productions of Kiss Me, Kate, Sarah Plain and Tall, and Petite Rouge. Next year, Patrick is going to be a senior Theatre Performance Major with a Dance Minor at Wagner College. His regional credits include 42nd Street, Beauty and the Beast, and Sugar Babies. College credits include Fiddler on the Roof, 42nd Street, Footloose, and two dance concerts.

MICHAEL HALLER is excited to make his HSRT debut as an Acting Intern. Originally from Rochester, New York, Michael will be entering his third year as a BFA Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College this fall. His Ithaca College mainstage credits include The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Joe Farkas), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Egeus), and Urinetown (Billy Boy Bill). Thank you Mom, Dad, Lizzie and Alison for your love and constant support.

Acting Intern NAOMI HUMMEL is here for the first time at HSRT, appearing in Closer Than Ever, Petit Rouge, and in the Kiss Me, Kate Ensemble.  She is will be entering her fourth year at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in the fall, where she studies musical theatre.  Naomi has most recently appeared in the Wild Party at CCPA, and as Sarah in the world premier of Butt Nekkid at the Side Project Theatre Company in Chicago.  In addition to musical theatre, Naomi has also studied clown with Avner “the Eccentric” Eisenberg and Julie Goell.  In her spare time, Naomi can be found at the Aloft Loft in Chicago, hanging from the ceiling on a trapeze.

MIRIAM REUTER is thrilled to be spending her first season with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre as an Acting Intern, playing in Kiss Me, Kate, Sarah Plain and Tall, and Petite Rouge She is a senior acting major in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.  Her favorite roles include Eve/Mama Noah in Children of Eden, Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, and Mammy McDougal in The Cripple of Inishmaan.  Thanks and love to her family, friends, and Geoff.

Rachel Rosado Acting Intern RACHEL LEIGH ROSADO is going to be a junior at the University of Connecticut, working towards receiving her BFA in acting. Past credits include The Threepenny Opera (Lucy Brown) and Thin Air: Tales From a Revolution (Carmen) at the Connecticut Repertory Theater, Antigone at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Out of Control at the Stamford Center for the Arts, as well as Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical, The Actor's Nightmare, The Long Goodbye, Laramie Project, and many others. She is a recipient of the All Connecticut Cast Award for Achievement in Acting from the Connecticut Drama Association. Rachel is absolutely thrilled and grateful to be at HSRT for the first time, and sends a big "Thank you" to all of the staff and creative minds involved in this company! For Uncle Ricky.

NOAH WEINTRAUB is thrilled to be with the Hope Summer Repertory Theater as an Acting Intern, where he is working on Kiss Me, Kate, Closer Than Ever, and Sarah Plain and Tall. Noah is working towards his B.F.A. in acting at the University of Connecticut where he will be entering his third year. Previous credits include Threepenny Opera( ensemble, Understudy Filch), Pentecost(Derek, First Soldier), The Rocky Horror Show(Frank n’ Furter). He would like to thank his family, friends, and teachers for their love, support, and guidance.