All-New

A Christmas Carol

Andrew May

Andrew is very happy to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where he was last seen in productions of Murder on the Orient Express and Circle Mirror Transformation. Other credits include the Broadway national tour of War Horse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pearl Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater (six seasons), Great Lakes Theatre (nine seasons), Utah Shakespeare Festival (three seasons), Idaho Shakespeare Festival (five seasons), Studio Theatre DC, Barrington Stage Company, Goodman Theatre, Cleveland Play House (six seasons), City Theater Company (four seasons); and many more. Film and television credits include Striking Distance, Big Love, 227, Duet, Babe Ruth and What She Doesn’t Know. He would like to dedicate his performance to Dr. Lezlie Cross whose love and support means everything to him. XOX!

Burgess Byrd

Burgess is delighted to be returning to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, last seen as Headmistress Francis in School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play in the 2021-2022 season. Select regional credits include Cynthia in Sweat and Faye Davison in Skeleton Crew (Ensemble Theatre); Lilli-Anne in Barbeque (Human Race Theatre); Lena Younger in Raisin in the Sun and Mrs. Prism in Importance of Being Earnest (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company); Miss Leah in Flying West (Falcon Theatre); Washing Machine in Caroline or Change (New Stage Collective); and the one-person solo performances as Charlayne Woodard in Pretty Fire and Neat (Know Theatre of Cincinnati). As a guest artist, Burgess played Shylock in Merchant of Venice (The University of Texas at Austin) and Rose in Fences (University of Wisconsin – Madison). Film Credits include Inconceivable, Bones and All and the upcoming film, Challengers.

Kevin Cristaldi

Kevin is pleased to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where he last appeared in The West End, and played the evil Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird. New York credits include (A)loft Modulation (the american vicarious), A Peregrine Falls (Loading Dock Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Masterworks Theater Company), A Dish for the Gods (Lion Theatre), Message to Michael (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater) and The Dirty Talk (Center Stage). Regional credits include When I Come to Die (Kansas City Repertory Theatre), The Exonerated (Florida Studio Theatre), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Schoolhouse Theater), An Actor’s Carol (Cape May Stage), The Dumb Waiter (Hudson Theatre Works), Eddie Legs (Lillian Theatre, Los Angeles), The Miser (Hartford Stage), The Importance of Being Earnest (Two River Theater), Hamlet (Arden Theatre Company) and The Last Station (Vermont Stage). On television, he has appeared in Succession, The Blacklist, Numbers, Medium, The Unit, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Visit www.KevinCristaldi.com.

R. Ward Duffy

Ward is overjoyed to be returning to the Playhouse for his ninth production, having previously appeared in Alias Grace, To Kill a Mockingbird, Speaking in Tongues, Othello, The Understudy, A Flea in Her Ear, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial and A Christmas Carol (1994 – Yikes!). In New York, he has appeared at Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center, New Dramatists and Cherry Lane Theatre, among others. Most recently, Ward has appeared in the world premiere of Kathryn Chetkovich’s The Formula and The Tempest (Santa Cruz Shakespeare); and TheaterSquared’s world premiere of Linda Bloodworth-Thomasons’ play Designing Women. Other regional credits include the world premieres of Love (Marin Theatre Company); When Tang Met Laika (Denver Center Theater); productions for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; Portland Center Stage; Hartford TheaterWorks; George Street Playhouse; Kansas City, Indiana, Asolo and Merrimack Repertory Theatres; and The Old Globe. On television, he plays Deputy Director John Van Leer on FBI and FBI: International. Other credits include Madame Secretary, Blindspot, Blue Bloods, Shades of Blue and Law & Order (Criminal Intent and SVU). He lives in New York city with his wife, actress Henny Russell, and their dog, Bailey.

Kenneth Early

Kenneth is honored to be a part of the cast of A Christmas Carol here at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He has been seen in Playhouse productions including Once On This Island, Misery, To Kill a Mockingbird and Jitney. Some of his other regional credits include Who All Over There, Pipeline, Red Velvet, The Whipping Man, Grey Gardens, Dancing Princesses and Alice in Wonderland (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Of Mice and Men (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company).

Annie Fitzpatrick

Annie is delighted to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after appearing in Alias Grace, A Prayer for Owen Meany, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Hank Williams: Lost Highway and seven seasons of A Christmas Carol. She was a founding member of The New Group Theater Company in New York City and toured both nationally and internationally with Murder a La Carte. Regionally, Annie has performed at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre Center, Florida Stage, Florida Studio Theatre, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Port- house Theatre and The Human Race Theatre Company. Television and film credits include Chicago P.D., Army Wives, Those Who Kill, Fun Size, Milk Money, Broken Hearts, The Old Man and The Gun, Dark Waters, White Noise and the upcoming films Mr. Manhattan and Hauntology.

Ryan Wesley Gilreath

Ryan is grateful to be returning to the Playhouse as Bob Cratchit for the excit- ing new telling of this fantastic story. His television and film credits include Bike Riders (with Austin Butler); Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Netflix); Forrest Mars in The Food That Built America; Jack Miller in TURN; Robert Op- penheimer in American Genius; Charles “Doc” Robinson in Gold Fever and the pilot Guilty (FOX). Theatre credits include Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (Maytag Virgin, Riptide, Tribes, Other Desert Cities, Next Fall, 33 Variations and Mary’s Wedding), The Human Race Theatre Company, Seven Angels Theatre and Florida Repertory Theatre. He recently completed writing the feature horror film Sourland, as well The Toys That Built America and The Food That Built America (History Channel). Big thanks to family, friends, Blake and the Playhouse family. Ryan hopes this story ignites love and caring throughout the year. Happy holidays! He can be found (sometimes) on Instagram @Wildwesleyjames.

Shonita Joshi

Zane Kramer

Zane is excited to make his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. He is currently a second grader at Terrace Park Elementary. His previous theatre credits include Sven in Frozen, Rooster in Annie and Pongo in 101 Dalmatians (Performing Arts Inc. in Anderson, Ohio). Zane is also a swimmer, soccer player and LEGO lover. He would like to dedicate his performance to his family and friends who have been supportive in helping him achieve his acting dreams. Follow him on Instagram @thezanekramer.

Taha Mandviwala

Taha is delighted to return for this new chapter of A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park! He is a BA theatre graduate from the University of Kentucky, and he was a member of the 2016-17 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company at the Playhouse. Taha recently made his Broadway debut in Life of Pi in New York City. Regional credits include Murder on the Orient Express and past seasons of A Christmas Carol (Cincinnati Playhouse); Tiny Beautiful Things (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); The Taming of the Shrew and Witness for the Prosecution (Great Lakes Theater and Idaho Shakespeare Festival); and Romeo & Juliet and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival). Taha also enjoys his time as a personal trainer for his coaching business, Koalaty Movement, and is passionate in bringing parkour into the arts community. Be sure to follow him on Instagram @manlykoala or visit tahamandviwala.com for more!

Grace Manning

Grace is thrilled to be making her Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut in A Christmas Carol. She is a seventh grader who loves singing, dancing, reading, traveling and musicals/theatre. Her previous play credits include Charlotte in Cinderella, Brigitta in Sound of Music, Shawanda in Elf the Musical Jr, the youth ensemble of The Wiz Jr and Joseph in the Technicolor Dreamcoat. She would like to thank the cast, crew and production team for this exciting and fun opportunity. Grace would also like to thank her family and friends for their love and support.

Kelly Mengelkoch

Kelly is so happy to return to share this wonderful holiday story! As a resident ensemble member at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, she has recently per- formed in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Rewards of Being Frank (which was a co-production with New York Classical Theatre, off-Broadway at the A.R.T. theatre in New York City). Recently, she has been seen in Let the Right One In (University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music) and This Is Tom Jones! (The Human Race Theatre Company). Locally, she has also worked with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, New Stage Collective and Xavier University. Her film credits include Dark Waters, Perception, Old Man and the Gun, A Kind of Murder, Healing River and C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. Visit her website at kellymengelkoch.com.

Dina Monk

Dina is thrilled to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for another festive season, after appearing as Mrs. Fezziwig in Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig’s Holiday Party last season. Chicago credits include Private Lives (Raven Theatre), Jane Austen’s Emma and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (First Folio Theatre), The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story (Oak Park Festival Theatre) and Southern Gothic (Windy City Playhouse). Regional credits include As You Like It: Books in Brooks (Montana Shakes!) and The Winter’s Tale and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). You can also see her in the IMAX film Dinosaur Discoveries: A Holographic Adventure playing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. She received her BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed the Midsummer in Oxford program with the British American Drama Academy in association with Yale School of Drama. Dina is represented by Heyman Talent Agency. She thanks her family and friends for their love and support, especially Mary, Maggie, David and Lakmal, who made this possible. You can visit dinamonk.com for updates.

Maggie Lou Rader

Jefferson A. Russell

Jefferson is pleased to be returning to Cincinnati for the holidays. Previous Playhouse credits include Jitney, Shakespeare in Love and Two Trains Running (a co-production with Milwaukee Rep). Regional credits include Everyman Theatre (Resident Company member), The Lion in Winter, Sense and Sensibility, The Skin of Our Teeth, Flyin’ West, Pipeline, Murder on the Orient Express, Gem of the Ocean and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Additional credits include Shakespeare in Love (Baltimore Center Stage); Fences and Ragtime (Ford’s Theatre); Father Comes Home from the Wars, Two Trains Running, Ironbound, Fahrenheit 451 (Round House Theatre); as well as productions at Arena Players, American Players Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Signature Theatre, Marin Theatre, Olney Theatre, Pioneer Theatre, Rep Stage, Folger Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, Goodman Theatre and Gulfshore Playhouse. Voicework includes Circle Round and Who, When, Wow Podcasts. National Tours include Harlem and Color Me Dark at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jefferson earned a BA from Hampton University in Sociology and Criminal Justice, an MFA from George Washington University Academy of Classical Acting. He is a former Baltimore police officer and a founding member of Galvanize, a network for Artists of Color.

Aaron Schilling

Aaron is thrilled to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after performing in last year’s production of Murder on the Orient Express. Originally from Northern Kentucky, he has spent the last few years performing in the Atlanta area. Regional credits include Titanic, Ragtime, The Seagull, Shenandoah and Sleepy Hollow (Serenbe Playhouse); Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Journey’s End (Atlanta Shakespeare Company); The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (Theatrical Outfit); and La Cage Aux Folles (Out Front Theatre Company). He was most recently seen in Cincinnati Landmark Production’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Incline Theater. Aaron received his BFA in Performing Arts at Western Kentucky University and spent a year touring with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. Endless love and gratitude to my incredible family, friends and my future wife, HB, and thank you to everyone out there supporting live theatre.

Seava Sierra King

Seava is thrilled to make her Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. She is currently a seventh grader at Villa Madonna Academy. Her credits include Young Don and Youth Ensemble in Singing in the Rain (The Carnegie), Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Jr. (Northern Kentucky University’s MainStage) and Melody in Musicville (The Carnegie). Seava acts, dances, sings and plays piano. She has appeared in television commercials, print ads and runway modeling. Seava would like to thank her team: Mama, Daddy, Grandma, Jonnie-Lynn, Mrs. Slater and Chelsea, for her current success.

Zach Stone

Zach is thrilled to be making his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut! He is an actor, director and teaching artist based out of Louisville, KY. Recent credits include Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (three witches shakespeare); various characters in North by Night: More Heroes of the Underground Railroad, Black History Hall of Fame and Rosa Parks & Friends (Bright Star Touring Theatre); and Yank in The Hairy Ape (Bootstraps Louisville). Zach holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Louisville. He currently works as an Administrative Associate at Commonwealth Theatre Center, where he also teaches conservatory classes and outreach programming. Zach would like to thank his family, friends, mentors, cat and most importantly, their partner Caisey for their constant support. They would also love it if you followed them on Instagram @zstoneactor. Enjoy the show!

Rory Sheridan

Rory is pleased as punch to be making his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. Local credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs (The Human Race Theatre Company), Neverwhere (Know Theatre of Cincinnati), A Few Good Men (Cincinnati Landmark Productions), Cabaret (Warsaw Federal Incline Theater), The Pillowman (Falcon Theater) and Saint Joan (Diogenes Theatre Company). Other credits include Heimwehen (FFT in Düsseldorf, Germany), Death of Nations (Performance Space 122), The Conveniences of Modern Living (New York City International Fringe Festival) and The Prince Hamlet (WhyNot Theatre in Toronto). He is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and New York Law School. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Alice, and two cats. Follow him on instagram @rorysnake, @hellisemptycomic or @machocatcomics.

Oscar Syroney

Oscar is thrilled to be making his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and profession- al debut in this new production of A Christmas Carol. He has previously enjoyed summer camps at the Playhouse and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, where he played Prospero in The Tempest, Mal in The Addams Family and Cedric in Puffs. Oscar also played Donkey in his school production of Shrek the Musical Jr. He is an eighth grader at Walnut Hills High School and, in his free time, loves gaming, listening to music and watching movies. He dedicates his performance to his sister, dad, mom and dog, Sophie.

Tess Talbot

Tess is thrilled to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where she was last seen in 2019 on the Rosenthal Shelterhouse stage in Alias Grace. Tess has over a decade of professional Cincinnati theatre experience and holds credits with Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. You can see Tess on film in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and Inconceivable (Netflix); Wildfire (Amazon Prime); Kindling (Infinite Abyss Productions); and Remington (finalist in the FilmQuest Festival). She has a BFA in Acting from Wright State University. Tess sends love to her family both biological and theatrical.

Claire VanderMolen

Claire is thrilled to be a part of A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She is currently in third grade at Hyde Park School. Her previous play credits include Daisy Armstrong (voiceover) in Murder on the Orient Express (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka Jr (Hyde Park School) and Brave Girl/Pirate in Peter Pan Jr (Performing Arts Inc.). Claire’s dream is to one day move to New York City and act on Broadway. She would like to dedicate her performance to her mom and dad.

Robert Zahniser

Robert is excited for his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. He attends sixth grade at Beechwood Elementary. His previous credits include Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man Kids, Dot in The Claw: A New Children’s Musical and Horton the Elephant in Seussical the Musical Kids – all at Moss Performing Arts Academy. Robert also competes with the dance and theatre festival teams at Moss. He thanks his mom and dad, as well as his friends and teachers at Moss.

Jared Earland

Jared is pleased to be making his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. He is a Cincinnati native and alumnus of the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Intern Company. Recently, you might have seen him in Sleeping Giant (Know Theatre of Cincinnati) or in Living Dead (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company). Jared’s other local appearances include Twelfth Night (Cincinnati Shakespeare Summer Park Tour); Dickless and Puffs (Know Theatre); Saint Joan (Diogenes Theater Company); Proof (The Carnegie); Macbeth (InBocca Performance); Red Speedo and The Lion in Winter (Falcon Theater); and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Southbank Shakespeare). In 2017, Jared had the pleasure of playing a supporting role in the Emilio Estevez film The Public. When not on-stage, he works full- time as the Lighting Supervisor and Scenic Associate at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Sean P. Mette

Sean is so joyful to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for another holiday season! He is a Cincinnati based actor, puppeteer and writer. In 2021, Sean was the understudy for 12 different roles in the previous version of the Playhouse’s production of A Christmas Carol. He started his professional performing career as a touring puppeteer for Madcap Puppets. Since then, he has performed and worked with many organizations such as the Know Theatre of Cincinnati, the Carnegie, CET Public Television and OTRimprov, where he is one of the founding members. When Sean is not writing original plays based on obscure historical events, he creates and performs original puppet shows. His show, Unintentional Significance: A Puppet Show about Everything and Nothing, won top awards at the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival and was selected as the 2022 Young-Howze Theatre Journal’s “Show of the Year.” To learn more about Sean and to view Unintentional Significance, please visit Sean’s website at seanpmette.com or follow him on Instagram @theseanmette.

Yodeet Nymberg

Yodeet is pleased to be making her Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. Her previous professional work includes Medusa in You at Cincinnati LAB Theater. She is a current junior at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, receiving her BFA in Acting. Her university credits include Lysistrata + The Trojan Woman, as well playing a Somebody in Everybody. Voice over credits include Nina in WGC’s current podcast series Small Victories available on all streaming platforms. Yodeet dedicates her contribution to this show to her wonderful father, who has taken her to see A Christmas Carol at the Playhouse every year growing up.

Lila Rogers

Lila is thrilled to be spending the Christmas season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park! She has performed the role of Gretl in The Sound of Music with multiple theatre groups including The Carnegie, Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra, Xavier University; and Gretl/Marta swing with The Marriott Theater in Chicago. Her favorite role to date was Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis with The Dayton Play- house. Lila loves singing and playing tennis and wants to be a music teacher for cats and dogs when she grows up.

Kent Sokolis

Kent is a seventh grader at St. Dominic School. Some of his most recent roles include Les in Newsies (St. Xavier High School), Nemo in Finding Nemo JR. and Scuttle in The Little Mermaid JR. over the summer, and Turkey Boy in the 2022 production of A Christmas Carol (Covedale Center for the Performing Arts). He is ecstatic to make his debut at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park! Kent is grateful for the support of his friends and family (especially his mom and dad, since it’s too far to walk!). Merry Christmas!

Blake Robison

Blake is the Osborn Family Producing Artistic Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Now in his 12th season, he was honored to inaugurate our new theatre facility last spring by directing A Chorus Line. His Playhouse directing includes the world premieres of Karen Zacarías’ Shane and her hugely popular comedy Native Gardens, Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace, Stephen King’s Mis- ery, Shakespeare in Love, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Peter and the Starcatcher, Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, The Last Wide Open, 4000 Miles, The Book Club Play, Abigail/1702 and Mad River Rising. Regional credits include productions at the Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Utah Shakespeare Festival, PlayMaker’s Repertory Company, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Round House Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, National Shakespeare Company and Vermont Stage. Internationally, he directed the Tennessee Williams classic Summer and Smoke at English Theatre Berlin and has worked several times at the renowned Avignon Festival in France. Blake served on the Board of the Theatre Communications Group for six years. He was named a finalist for the 2019 Zelda Fichandler Award from the SDC Foundation honoring extraordinary work in the regional theatre.

Wilson Chin

Wilson is excited to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after designing Sherlock Holmes, Seven Spots on the Sun and Abigail/1702. Broadway credits include Cost of Living, Pass Over (Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations) and Next Fall. Off-Broadway credits include A Bright New Boise and Sunset Baby (Signature Theatre), The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons), Jonah (Round- about Theatre Company), Space Dogs (MCC Theater, Lortel Award nomination), Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi Theatre Company and Public Theater) and This Land Was Made (Vineyard Theatre). Opera credits include Turandot (Washington National Opera), Lucia di Lammermoor (Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Eine Florentinische Tragödie/Gianni Schicchi (Canadian Opera, Dora Award winner). Film and television credits include Pass Over (directed by Spike Lee) and Game Theory with Bomani Jones (HBO). He is a member of Local USA 829 where he serves as Eastern Region Board member. Follow him on Instagram @wilsonchindesign.

Bill Black

Bill is happy to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for this production of A Christmas Carol, having previously designed costumes for The Thanksgiving Play, Summerland, Native Gardens, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, Pride and Prejudice and The Three Musketeers in previous seasons. He was the resident designer at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, for more than 40 years. Around the country, his work has been seen regularly at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, PlayMak- ers Repertory Company, Pioneer Theatre Company and Skylight Music Theatre, as well as more than 30 consecutive seasons at Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he is the senior designer. Bill is professor emeritus of theatre at the University of Tennessee and a member of USA Local 829. www.billblackcostumes.com.

Jaymi Lee Smith

Jaymi is pleased to be returning to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park where she previously designed A Chorus Line (2023), Steel Magnolias (2022), Alias Grace (2019) and Treasure Island (2018). She has been designing around the country for the last 30 years at theaters such as Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, South Coast Repertory, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Alley Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Court Theatre, The Pasadena Playhouse, Hartford Stage, Alliance Theatre, Getty Villa Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Her work also has been seen in China, Italy, Spain, Scotland and Ireland. She is currently a professor of Lighting Design and the Associate Dean for Student Success at the University of California Irvine. Her website is jaymismith.com.

Matthew M. Nielson

Matthew made his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut in 2012 with The Three Musketeers and has since returned for Abigail/1702, The Book Club Play, 4000 Miles, Sherlock Holmes, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sex with Strangers, Mad River Rising, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Summerland, Treasure Island, Misery, The Last Wide Open, Two Trains Running, Shane and Clyde’s. Off-Broadway credits include The Public Theater/NYSF, Lincoln Center Theater and 59E59 Theaters. Regional credits include Guthrie Theater, Denver Center Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Barrington Stage, Round House Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Theater Alliance, Olney Theatre and Contemporary American Theater Festival. Film and television credits include Death in Time, Elbow Grease, Blue, Epix Drive-In, From Hell to Here and Too Like the Lightning. Matthew is the creator of the audio drama series Troublesome Gap. He has won several awards for his work in the Washington, DC area, regionally and in film. He is currently enrolled in the Songwriting and Music Production pro- gram with the Berklee College of Music Online. Samples can be heard online at CuriousMusic.com.

Betsy Rosen

Betsy is delighted to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where she previously performed in A Christmas Carol, Hank Williams: Lost Highway and Brighton Beach Memoirs as a part of her 2012-2013 intern year. Since then, she has returned as Puppetry Director for Rooted and Peter and the Starcatcher. Betsy recently made her Broadway debut in Life of Pi, playing Richard Parker and serving as the show’s Puppet Captain. Other New York appearances include Argus (Lincoln Center Theatre) and 9000 Paper Balloons (HERE Arts). Betsy toured Australia with Dead Puppet Society’s Laser Beak Man, which culminated in a run at the Sydney Opera House. Regional credits include The Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company and Imagination Stage (Helen Hayes Award). Digital media credits include the children’s series The Smack Dab in the Middle of the Day Show. Betsy is a proud graduate of University of Maryland College Park and is a member of PlayGround NY.

Casey Sams

Casey is happy to be returning to Cincinnati! She serves on the faculty at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Casey regularly directs, choreographs and intimacy choreographs for the Clarence Brown Theatre, a regional theatre located on the University of Tennessee campus. She has had the great good fortune to work at such theatres as the Playhouse (Peter and the Starcatcher and Alias Grace), PlayMakers Repertory, Round House Theatre, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Virginia Stage Company, Vermont Stage, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Great River Shakespeare Festival, North Carolina Stage and Knoxville Opera. Her graduate and undergraduate degrees are from Penn State. Casey is a certified Laban Movement Analyst from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, and she is a member of the inaugural class of Education Advocates with Theatrical Intimacy Educators. This will be the 10th version of A Christmas Carol that Casey has contributed to – she loves seeing all the ways people find to tell this deeply human story.

Bridget Leak

Bridget is thrilled to be back at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park where she has previously directed Actually, two Off the Hill productions and is currently a Res- ident Artist with her theatre company, Queen City Flash. In Cincinnati, she has directed Maytag Virgin and Queen (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati) and most recently Everybody at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. She was featured in American Theatre magazine and had her work highlighted in Teaching Theatre magazine, a publication of the Educational Theatre Association. Previous honors include People’s Liberty Grant Recipient, Cincinnati Art Ambassador Fellowship, SDC Denham Fellow, Lincoln Center Directors Lab alum, Artist in Residence at Robert Wilson’s The Watermill Center, Directing Fellow at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, a Sir Gielgud Fellowship finalist and a SDCF Observer (Cleveland Play House and Round House Theatre). Queen City Flash produces two podcasts Zoinks! and Have Monster, Will Travel –available wherever you listen. Bridget has her MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and is a member of SDC. She calls East Price Hill home with her husband, playwright and composer Trey Tatum, small human Wilder, puppies “Pocket” and “Lint” and her bees. Visit bridgetleak.com #ADirectorsLife

Brooke Redler

Brooke is pleased to return for her seventh season with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her off-Broadway credits include Breathing Time, The Faire and From White Plains (production stage manager, Fault Line Theatre). Regional theatre credits include Sanctuary City, Frida...A Self Portrait, Destiny of Desire, Once on This Island, In The Heights, Million Dollar Quartet, Summerland and Native Gardens (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Hair: Retrospection, Stillwater, The Whipping Man, August: Osage County, Cabaret and five seasons of A Christmas Carol (production stage manager, Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher and Richard II (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Center Stage in Baltimore); The Drowsy Chaperone, Is He Dead? and Harry the Great (Creede Repertory Theatre). Assistant stage management credits include Our Town, A Flea in Her Ear, Clay, Jitney and Love, Janis (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); and work at Starlight Theatre, Stages St. Louis and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Brooke also has worked in opera, with summers spent at Cincinnati Opera. She also spent two seasons at The Santa Fe Opera; and has assistant stage managed and production stage managed multiple shows at Opera Long Beach.

Brandon T. Holmes

Brandon is thrilled to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for a fifth season. Playhouse credits include the world premieres of Shane and The West End as well as productions of A Christmas Carol, Clyde’s, Steel Magnolias, The Lion and The Chinese Lady. For eight seasons, he was the Production Stage Manager for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati where he managed over 40 productions. Highlights with ETC include Fun Home, The Mountaintop, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Iliad, Grounded, Violet, Pipeline, The Humans, Skeleton Crew and Hands on a Hardbody. During the summer, he is the Production Stage Manager for The Lexington Theatre Company where he has stage managed productions of Memphis, The Sound of Music, Chicago, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Legally Blonde, West Side Story and Newsies. Other regional credits include Hello, Dolly!, The Drowsy Chaperone and Side By Side by Sondheim (LOOK Musical Theatre); Red, White & Broadway, Golden: MTWichita at 50 (Music Theatre Wichita); and workshops with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Cleveland Play House. Brandon is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Thank you to his family and his husband, A.J., for their continued love and support.

Andrea L. Shell

Andrea is excited to be celebrating her 23rd season with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, having worked on more than 100 productions, including 23 world premieres. Favorite Playhouse credits include A Christmas Carol (2006-2021); A Chorus Line; Murder on the Orient Express; School Girls Or, The African Mean Girls Play; Rooted; Alias Grace; The Last Wide Open; Treasure Island; Mr. Joy; Jane Eyre; Bad Dates; The Revolutionists; I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti; Merrily We Roll Along; As You Like It; The Understudy; Blackbird; Durango; Around the World in 80 Days; Altar Boyz; Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming; Reckless; Ace; The Clean House; A Picasso; One; Abracadabra (2002-2007); The Bible … (abridged); and Dark Paradise. She has also stage managed at Dallas Theater Center, The Old Globe, Cincinnati Ballet, Alliance Theatre, The Second City and Ingenuity Festival of Cleve- land. Additionally, Andrea heads Playhouse’s stage management department as the Production Stage Manager, serves as a member of Xavier University’s Theatre Program’s adjunct faculty, and is a contributor for Dramatics.org, writing backstage articles for their online content. Andrea is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. She would like to thank her family, friends, Dylan and Scott for their unending support.

Shelby Scaffidi

Shelby is so excited to be back on the Stage Management team at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park this season. Shelby’s professional career began in 2021, when she joined the Playhouse as a Stage Management Intern and returned the following season as a Production Assistant. In between shows at the Playhouse, Shelby has worked at The Cincinnati Ballet and Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Some of her favorite Playhouse credits include Frida... A Self Portrait, Rooted and Origin Story. Shelby received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and credits much of her early career success to her professors and the connections she made while earning her degree.