Much Ado About Nothing Program
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kate Thomsen Savina
Scenic Designer: Ev Kubizna*
Stage Manager: Liz Ryan*
Lighting Designer: Hannah Cowgill*
Costume Designer: Kathryn Wagner
Sound Designer: Logan Reeves*
*It is with great pride that we recognize the creative efforts of our students.
CAST
Beatrice: Arise Rock
Benedick: Carter Barnes
Leanato: Lukas Nowak
Imogen: Cece D
Don Pedro: Frankie Braker
Hero: Cedar Rock
Claudio: Ricky Wallsten
Don John: Alex Osborne
Borachio: Xavier Lipscomb
Conrade: Marshall Clifton
Messenger/Friar: Ethan Vernon
Margaret: Emma Pop
Ursual: Cassidy Monti
Balthasar / U/S Benedick & Claudio: Jackson Medina
Dogberry: Andrew Klepser
Verges: Jacob Tyler Reinstein
Seacoal: Via Novarro
Hugh Oatcake: Karsten Cooper
Torch Singer: Mark Mumford
Boy: Spencer Duguay
Girl: Lyla Savina
U/S Don John / Ursula: Reese Licavoli
U/S Hero / Margaret / Seacoal: Eden Harrison
U/S Conrade / Dogberry: Jordan Smaka
U/S Imogen: Erin Petit
Setting: Messina, Italy
Please note: There will be a 10-minute intermission.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Assistant Directors: Lilli Gray, Max Achenbach
Assistant Stage Managers: Ash Richardson, Alexa Joslyn
Scenic Paint Charge: Kate Gross
Props Master: Elijah Bates
Assistant Costume Designer: Madison Warnke
Assistant Draper: Sarah Mughazy
First Hand: Emma Wagner
Stitchers: Gizelle Khouri, Sarah Mughazy, Lauren Dinkelmann, Arise Rock, Alia Lynn, Stacey Jordan, Timsil Goodman, Elle Miller, Aeryn Doulette
Wardrobe Crew Head: Stacey Jordan
Wardrobe Crew: Lexi Strohschein, Lexi Gratton, Sam Davis, Michael Decker, Nadia Rawlins
Wig Master: Garrylee McCormick
Hair and Makeup Crew: Riley Bannister
Assistant Technical Director: Camille Markucki
Carpenters/Construction Crew: Ryan Hodges, Alex Matthews, Ellygene DeGraff, Adam Batch, Caroline Bisceglie, Evelyn McGill, Frank Cernak, Maura O'Connor, Noah Brown, Jacob Reinstein, Charlie Rozenboom, Autumn Cymbal, Tessa Wenger
Stage Crew: Aiden Dockendorf, Gavin Smith, Dane Calnicean, Natalie Edstrom, Robert Morris, Riley Grieder
Assistant Production Electrician: Nolan Ferguson
Electricians: Noah Vos, James Nixon, Elena Hewett, Gabrielle Blowers, Autumn Cymbal, Ben Franz
Light Board Operator: Courtnee Pruitt
Production Audio: Landen Yocum
Sound Engineer: Maura O'Connor
Fight Choreographer / Intimacy Director: Elizabeth Terrel
Arts Management Assistants: Julia Bolla, Chloe Eash, Luke Stephens, Maria Perez, Marryn Barney, Cece D
Graphic Designer: Anna Swank
Season Graphic Design by the Frostic School of Art Design Center
ASL SHADOW INTERPRETATION
ASL Shadow Interpretation by Stage Hands, LLC Featuring: Rashel Fredell & Kristi Hyder With Support from John Ford-Teich
Shadow Interpretation made possible with support from the Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation and Theatre Kalamazoo.
COMPANY BIOS
CARTER BARNES (he/him) — Benedick
Carter Barnes is a Senior from Highlands Ranch, CO. Previous WMU credits include Hylas in Argonautika and Henry Temple in The Great Gatsby.
FRANKIE BRAKER (they/he) — Don Pedro
Frankie Braker is a Senior from Lake Odessa, MI. Previous WMU credits include Silence in The Book of Silence, Mr. Green in Clue, Lucius in Julius Caesar, and Herbert in Utopia.
MARSHALL CLIFTON (he/him) — Conrade
Marshall Clifton is a Sophomore from Austin, TX. Previous WMU credits include Chorus/Carlson/Swing in Titanic and U/S Skimbleshanks/Mungojerrie in Cats.
HANNAH COWGILL (they/she) — Lighting Designer
Hannah Cowgill is a Junior from Portage, MI. Previous WMU credits include Production Electrician for The House That Will Not Stand at WMU Theatre, and Lighting Designer for POTUS at WMU Theatre.
CECE DAVIS (they/them) — Imogen
Cece Davis is a Sophomore from Muskegon, MI. Previous WMU credits include understudy in The House That Will Not Stand.
SPENCER DUGUAY (he/him) — Boy
Spencer is a Freshman at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo. Previous WMU credits include Theo in Pippin.
EDEN HARRISON (she/her) — U/S Hero / Margaret / Seacoal
Eden Harrison is a Freshman from Lisbon, WI. Previous WMU credits include June Jenkins in The Great Gatsby.
ANDREW KLEPSER (he/him) — Dogberry
Andrew Klepser is a Sophomore from Portage, MI. Previous WMU credits include Waiter in Utopia and Party Member in The Great Gatsby.
EV KUBIZNA (they/them) — Scenic Designer
Ev Kubizna is a Junior from Allegan, MI. Previous credits include Scenic Designer for All the Natalie Portmans, Scenic Designer for The Book of Silence, and Scenic Paint Charge for The House That Will Not Stand.
REESE LICAVOLI (they/them) — U/S Don John / Ursula
Reese Licavoli is a Freshman from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. This is their WMU Theatre debut!
XAVIER LIPSCOMB (he/him) — Borachio
Xavier Lipscomb is a Sophomore from Michigan. This is his WMU Theatre debut!
JACKSON MEDINA (he/him) — Balthasar / U/S Benedick & Claudio
Jackson Medina is a Junior from Whitmore Lake, MI. Previous WMU credits include Tom in The Great Gatsby.
CASSIDY MONTI (she/her) — Ursula
Cassidy Monti is a Junior from Brookfield, IL. Previous WMU credits include Myrtle in The Great Gatsby and Evie in Utopia.
MARK MUMFORD (he/him) — Torch Singer
Mark Mumford is a Sophomore from Seattle, WA. Previous WMU credits include Henry Etches in Titanic: In Concert.
VIA NOVARRO (they/them) — Seacoal
Via Novarro is a Junior from Traverse City, MI. Previous WMU credits include U/S Eleanor in The Haunting of Hill House and Minstrel in The Book of Silence.
ALEX OSBORNE (he/him) — Don John
Alex Osborne is a Junior from Holland, MI. Previous WMU credits include Macavity/Pouncival in Cats, Edgar Beane in Titanic, Ensemble in Legally Blonde, and Electric Skate in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.
ERIN PETIT (she/her) — U/S Imogen
Erin Petit is a Freshman from Livonia, MI. This is Erin's WMU debut!
EMMA POP (they/she) — Margaret
Emma Pop is a Senior from Macomb, MI. Previous WMU credits include Party Guest in The Great Gatsby, U/S Bernadette in POTUS, Trebonius in Julius Caesar.
LOGAN REEVES (she/her) — Sound Designer
Logan Reeves is a Senior from Portland, MI. Previous WMU credits include Sound Designer for Dreamgirls and Sound Designer/A1 for Cats.
JACOB TYLER REINSTEIN (any pronouns) — Verges
Jacob Tyler Reinstein is a Senior from Battle Creek, MI. Previous WMU credits include Bob in Utopia, Richie in Bronco Way, Young Once-ler in The Lorax, Plankton in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.
ARISE ROCK (any pronouns) — Beatrice
Arise Rock is a Senior from Detroit, MI. Previous WMU credits include Agnés in The House That Will Not Stand, Ovetta in All the Natalie Portmans.
CEDAR ROCK (she/they) — Hero
Cedar Rock is a Sophomore from Detroit, MI. Previous WMU credits include U/S Maude Lynn/Marie Josephine in The House That Will Not Stand, U/S Chantel in All the Natalie Portmans, U/S Chris in POTUS.
JORDAN SMAKA (he/him) — U/S Conrade / Dogberry
Jordan Smaka is a Sophomore from Grand Haven, MI. Previous WMU credits include Lightoller in Titanic: The Musical.
ETHAN VERNON (he/him) — Messenger/Friar
Ethan Vernon is a Sophomore from Grosse Pointe, MI. This is Ethan's WMU debut!
RICKY WALLSTEN (he/him) — Claudio
Ricky Wallsten is a Senior from Saint Joseph, MI. Previous WMU credits include Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby.
WMU THEATRE FACULTY AND STAFF
Director, School of Theatre and Dance: Joan Herrington
Projections and Virtual Technology: Kevin Abbott
Master Electrician: Sydney Becker
Professor, Music Theatre Performance: Jay Berkow
Master Faculty Specialist, Stage Management: Cheryl Bruey
Instructor, Music Theatre Voice: Kelly Carey
Assistant Professor, Lighting Design: Evan P. Carlson
Academic Advisor: Thom Cooper
Director, Arts Administration: Emily Duguay
Professor, Theatre History: Lofty Durham
Instructor, Music Theatre Voice: Kathy Gibson
Instructor, Music Theatre Voice: Brandon K. Harris
Administrative Assistant II: Shannon Huneryager
Costume Shop Supervisor: Julia Kosanovich
Audience Services Assistant: Kim Krane
Professor, Acting: Dwandra Nickole Lampkin
Associate Professor, Acting: Mark Liermann
Instructor, Music Theatre Voice: Grace Mannion
Instructor, Arts Marketing: Julie Nemitz
Technical Director: Patrick Niemi
Associate Professor, Scenic Design: Dave Nofsinger
Adjunct Professor, Sound Design: Joshua Reid
Music Director and Class Accompanist: Matt Shabala
Professor, Voice and Movement: Elizabeth Terrel
Associate Professor, Acting: Kate Thomsen Savina
Associate Professor, Costume Design: Kathryn Wagner
Instructor, Music Theatre Voice, Musicianship: Wendy Wheeler
Special thanks to our donors for their endless support!
