A.J. Baldwin

A.J. is excited to play with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park! A.J. is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, but has grown very fond of Cincinnati. Recently, A.J. has been seen in Lawbreakers! (Angelina Weld Grimke/Sojourner Truth/Olivia) at StageOne, A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Past/Lucy) at Trinity Repertory Co. and Intimate Apparel (Esther) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Page) at Theater at Monmouth. Cincinnati credits include Descent: A Murder Ballad (Ruby) at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival; The Absentee (Beacon/Chance) at Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), Macbeth (Lady Macbeth), A Flea in Her Ear (Olympia) and Julius Caesar (Cassius) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. A proud Script Reader and emerging playwright, A.J. holds BAs in Communication, Theatre, and History from Auburn University at Montgomery. Dreams do come true!

Kearston Hawkins-Johnson

A Cincinnati native, Kearston is grateful to be playing with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after participating for a couple of years in their summer theatre camp as a child! Recent credits include the touring productions of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Other local credits include productions with Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Fringe Festival and The Carnegie. Kearston obtained a BFA in Acting from Northern Kentucky University and received additional training at Howard University. Kearston devotes all things to The Divine and is eternally grateful for the infinite love and support from family, friends and ancestors. For more information, visit Kearstonhawkinsjohnson.com.

Montez Jenkins-Copeland

Montez is thrilled to be a part of the Snowy Day experience. They are fresh off a tour of couch surfing and Netflix binging. Locally they have worked with Know Theatre of Cincinnati, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Pones Inc. and WalterHoope, as well as touring the high seas with Carnival Cruise Lines for 5 years as a Production Singer. Some favorite roles include Tom Collins in Rent, Will in Girlfriend the Musical, Teen Angel in Grease and Chad in High School Musical: On Stage. They send an abundance of gratitude to the Mulberry Magic Squad, Adam, and their parents for all of the unconditional support.

Ezra Jack Keats

Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983) was a pioneering American author-illustrator. In The Snowy Day and 20 other books, including Goggles!, Pet Show!, and Hi, Cat!, he opened up the world of children’s books to include racially diverse characters who share the joys and problems of childhood.

Daunielle Rasmussen

Daunielle is a passionate arts educator, community artist and director of theatre for young audiences. During her tenure as director of education with Marin Theatre Company, she revitalized and restructured the department to increase service to Marin County youth, expanding the reach from 3,000 children and families per year to more than 8,000. She oversaw the expansion of Theatre for Young Audiences programming from one production per year to five by brokering long-term partnerships with nine local schools for subsidized in-school residencies. Additionally, she has served as the community engagement manager and artistic administrator at California Shakespeare Theater; the associate artistic director and resident choreographer at Custom Made Theater Company; and a performer/educator and booking coordinator for Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Programs. As a director, Daunielle has most recently directed Around the World in 80 Days, Rapunzel and Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. for Marin Theatre Company. She won an award from the San Francisco Bay Area Critic’s Circle for Movement in Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, produced by Custom Made Theater Company. Daunielle holds a BA in theatre arts, emphasis in acting, from California State University, Stanislaus, and an MFA in creative inquiry, interdisciplinary arts, from California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.

Piper N. Davis

Piper is passionate about creating and supporting art wherever she can. She is an Emmy Award-winning actress, director, cultural consultant and singer who has performed and toured productions throughout the United States. She has had several stage and screen roles and loves doing voice-over work. Some of her directorial and performance credits include Richie and Blanche; Kill. Move. Paradise.; Family Healing; Cincinnati King; Harry and the Thief; Bare; Caroline, or Change; and Open the Sky. Piper is a Board member of Falcon Theater (Newport, KY), a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Multicultural Awareness Council (MAC), and she serves as the Sales and Events Manager at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

She's very proud to be a native resident of Cincinnati, where she can both work and play in the city's vibrant arts scene, surrounded by artists, storytellers and makers of all kinds. Piper is grateful to God for her talents, and she sends much love and joy to Lydia J. Davis (Mommie), her family, friends, and her doggy, Izzy (Grizabella). 

Kenton Brett

Kenton is a Cincinnati-based scenic artist, illustrator, designer and animator. Heavily influenced by collectibles, children’s toys and puppetry, his art embodies qualities shared by all: multi-functional, poseable, humorous and easily repurposed to create new expressions. The spirit of play is further reinforced through public venues where the audience can directly interact and experience the work; this translates particularly well in theatrical performances and art installations. Stylistically, the work emphasizes a sophistication of line quality with psychedelic motifs that echo graphic designs from the 1960s creating a distinct visual buzz through repeated lines, shapes and patterns. In some ways Kenton will never stop being a big kid and enjoys playing board games, bike riding and long walks with his wife and two dogs.

Melanie Mortimore

Melanie is the assistant professor of costume design for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Previous costume designs for the Playhouse include The Last Firefly, Bird Brain, Noonie's Masterpiece in Purple, What's Buggin’ Greg and Fires in the Mirror. She received her MFA from the University of Tennessee and has worked as a professional designer, educator and craft artisan at several different theatres and universities across the country. Favorite past designs include Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, The 39 Steps, A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker and Intimate Apparel.

Trey Tatum

Trey is a playwright/composer from Cincinnati, Ohio. Recent credits include ZOINKS!, a Nancy Drew send-up about the opioid epidemic; Alabama Monster, his solo show about mental illness, family ties and creatures that lie just out of sight; and JALZ, a remake of the blockbuster movie JAWS that examines Alzheimer's disease, end-of-life care and family legacy. For the past four seasons, Trey has been composer for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill education touring series. Current projects include Have Monster, Will Travel — a new audio-fiction podcast about road trips, monsters and the meaning of family. Trey makes theatre and mischief with his wife, director Bridget Leak. Visit treytatum.com. 

Rebecca Armstrong

Rebecca is excited to be making art during these interesting times! Originally, from Covington, Georgia, she has found her home in Northern Kentucky. Becca began her career as an intern at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. Within a few seasons, she had worked her way up to the position of Associate Production Manager where she managed over 80 concerts, 4 full-length operas, and over 60 special events over the course of 8 weeks each summer. She has also worked on New York Fashion week for several seasons with IMCD Lighting as their Logistics Manager. Her career in Cincinnati has included working as a Production Manager for the Know and CSC, working as a freelance technician for ETC and the Carnegie, and film work on several commercials and Katy Perry's World Tour videos. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog Jasper and kitten Molly Moonpie, and being active in striving for justice and equity for all. She believes the most important thing we can do as artists is to make art accessible to all, which is why she is thrilled to call Playhouse's Education and Engagement department her theatre home.

Optic Lizard Productions

What started as three friends with a love of doing great work for good people has grown into a powerhouse production team.  We’re a collaborative of creators with a passion for creating films and images that go deep below the surface to spark genuine emotion and inspire meaningful action.  We’re nimble, fun and focused.  We put our heart and soul into every project, doing whatever it takes to be a positive influence for your brand — and to leave a meaningful and lasting mark on the world thru beautiful imagery. To learn more, visit opticlizard.com.