Spring Awakening Cast and Crew

Brittany Wilson (Wendla) – Brittany (Mackie) Wilson is from Caldwell, OH. She graduated from Muskingum University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music (with emphasis in Commercial Voice) and Humanities. She studied both classical and commercial voice with Carol Wilcox-Jones at Muskingum, and participated in several ensembles including Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Music Theatre Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble. She currently teaches middle school and beginning band, and also serves as the pianist/organist for a local church. She has been an active participant in community theatre, and has been fortunate enough to portray roles including: Nellie (Some Enchanted Evening) at the Living Word Outdoor Drama, Judy Haynes (White Christmas) at the Cambridge Performing Arts Center, Tuptim (King and I) at the Cambridge Performing Arts Center, Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) at the Living Word Outdoor Drama, Kate (Pirates of Penzance) at Muskingum University, and Mimi (RENT) at Zanesville Community Theatre.

Amber Winland (Martha) – Amber Maree Winland is thrilled to be a part of “Spring Awakening” (and even more so to be cast as a teenager at 33 years old!). Since moving to Zanesville in 2010, Amber played Brooke/Vicki in Noises Off!, Lily St. Regis in Annie, and Logainne in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Before moving to Zanesville, she directed and performed with Center Stage Players in Columbus for 6 yrs., most notably as Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Sarah Jane Moore in Assassins. From age 7 to 18 she performed with The Ashtabula Arts Center and D’Itri Productions. She would like to thank the talented crew, who have given her a sense of home in her new surroundings, and welcomed her with open arms.

Kaleigh Jones (Thea) – Kaleigh is very excited to be a part of one of her favorite shows, Spring Awakening! This is her second show at ZCT, her first being All Shook Up. Kaleigh studied theatre at Bowling Green State University where she took part in many theatrical productions including The Seagull and Bunnicula. She was also part of BGSU’s Humanities Troupe, which strove to bring awareness to many different social issues. One of her favorite parts of studying theatre at BGSU was being cast in their touring children’s theater troupe, Treehouse Troupe, where she performed for many different elementary schools in the Toledo area. Now back in her hometown, she is excited to be able to be involved in more community theater. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, reading, spending time with her new kitten Milo, drawing, and painting (hope you enjoy the paint job on the stage!).

Tahnee Dorsey (Anna) – Tahnee Dorsey is very excited to be playing the role of Anna in Spring Awakening. Tahnee has performed with the New Lexington High School and Community Theater. She studied theatre and Music at Hocking College and abroad with Havering College. While abroad she was cast in Oh! What A Lovely War performed at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London’s West End. Last year Tahnee joined her first ZCT production and is looking forward to join many more.

Ashley Krieger (Ilse) – Ashley is originally from Bellaire, Ohio. She settled in the Zanesville area after graduating from Muskingum University in 2008 with a BA degree in Music Education. She has been employed as a local K-7 music teacher for the past six years. Her previous ZCT credits include Johanna in Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Karen in August: Osage County, a member of the ensemble in ZCT’s 50th Anniversary Gala, Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein. She has enjoyed working with the cast and crew of Spring Awakening and discovering the symbolism behind Steven Sater’s compelling lyrics. Special thanks to family, friends and Vinny (the best puppy in the world) for all your continued love and support!

Steven Wilson (Melchior) -Steven Wilson is from Cambridge, Ohio. He graduated in 2012 from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Science in Computer and Information Science, and a Music minor. During his time at Ohio State, he enjoyed participating in Athletic Band as a trombonist. He currently works as a Software Engineer in Columbus. He has participated in the Cambridge City Band, and has also been an active cast member of the Living Word Outdoor Drama (Judas). His hobbies include entertaining his wife and cat.

Matthew Harper (Moritz) – This marks Matthew’s fifth production with Zanesville Community Theatre, but will most certainly not be his last. Recently you may have seen Matthew in Singin’ in the Rain (Don Lockwood), Sweeny Todd (Anthony), and RENT (Roger). He is looking forward to making his directorial debut with ZCT’s next production, The Diary of Anne Frank.

He would like to thank you for coming to see Spring Awakening. The cast and crew have worked tirelessly to bring “the purple summer” to life. He is very proud of this show and hopes you enjoy it.

Matthew has learned a lot portraying Moritz. Children around the world face trials and tribulations; these obstacles can either build us up and make us stronger or cause us to crumble under pressure from society. Moritz is faced with nearly impossible obstacles to overcome… Or so he feels. This is Moritz’s story inasmuch as it is the story of so many children across the globe.
Matthew would like to thank all of his friends and family for their ongoing love and support.

Sean Adam McClure (Hanschen) – Sean has been involved in a number of ZCT productions, most recently “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, August: Osage County, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Young Frankenstein.” He is very excited to be a part of this production not only because of the content, but mostly because of the cast. Sean remarked, “This cast is one of the most talented group of people I have had the pleasure working with.” Sean hopes that the audience enjoys the show.

Blake Nessleroad (Ernst) – Robert Blake Nesselroad is from Zanesville, Ohio and is currently a junior at Muskingum University where he studies English and Theatre as his majors and Music and musical theatre as his minors. Although this is his first show at Zanesville Community Theatre, he has been a part of the theatre programs at both Philo High School and Muskingum University. His very first show was the Wizard of Oz when he was a kindergartener and since then has been in love with all types of theatre. Blake was inspired by a teacher in high school to further his acting career beyond high school and college and to teach those who wish to become actors and actresses and help them reach their goals.
He has been overjoyed being able to be a part of Spring Awakening and being a part of the ZCT family and cannot wait to be a part of shows in the future years. He has also enjoyed be able to work with not just great actors, but fantastic people! Blake would like to thank his teachers, friends and family who have supported him throughout his life and hopes you enjoy the performance.

Anthony Harper (Georg) – Anthony is incredibly proud to be a part of ZCT for the first time and to be sharing the stage with his brother once again. Anthony has been in a number of shows including Grease, Diary of Anne Frank, and Les Mes, Anthony sends all of his love to his family for without their support none of this would be possible

Cory Roush (Otto) -This is Cory’s debut appearance with ZCT and his first time back on a stage since he was a student at Maysville High School, where he played roles in Annie, Into the Woods, The Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun, Big, Back to the 80s, and Beauty and the Beast. All but a few of the characters he has played have been children, fools, or foolish children. Cory is a 2012 graduate of Ohio University and currently teaches Elementary Language Arts. Singing and acting have always been side-projects, but he claims that his experience with the production of Spring Awakening has been a very positive experience and he would like to return for a future show!

Chelsey Luallen (Krysta) – This is Chelsey’s fourth production with ZCT. She is a 2012 graduate of Muskingum University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In the summer, Chelsey serves as a counselor at CASS Camp , a K-12 Performing Arts camp in Zanesville, where she will mark her seventh year as a counselor this coming summer. She has been a restaurant server for nearly six years and a merchandise manager for Ohio-based bands for the past two years.

Past theatrical endeavors include Dracula (Vixen), Anything Goes (Company), The Pajama Game (Company), and A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cractchit), pit orchestra for Bye Bye Birdie, spot lights for Arsenic and Old Lace, and Student Director for You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown while attending Zanesville High School. More recent past theatrical endeavors include being a four-year employee of the Muskingum University Theatre Department’s technical staff, ZCT’s production of Fiddler on the Roof (Fiddler), ZCT’s 2011 production of RENT (Mrs. Cohen/ Company), and reunited with RENT cast mates for ZCT’s 50th Anniversary Gala. Chelsey would like to thank all of her friends and family for their continued love and support!

Lauren Metcalf (Frau Bergman, Fraulein Knuppledick, Fraulein Grossebustenhalter, Frau Gabor, and Frau Bussell) – Lauren is from Kidron, Ohio and followed a teaching career to southeastern Ohio. This is her third production with ZCT. Just over a year ago, Ashley Krieger persuaded her to join the cast of August: Osage County as a stand-in. She returned again as a stand-in with Young Frankenstein last fall. Finally, she auditioned for this show! Lauren’s true loves are in the Hocking Hills, where her boyfriend Joe, cat Herman and favorite running trails await her on the weekends. She wishes to thank her mom for taking her to many plays, her father for his delightful gift of storytelling, and the ZCT family for taking her in.

Matt Swingle Herr Sonnenstich, Headmaster Knochenbruch, Herr Neumann, Herr Rilow, Herr Stiefel, Father Kaulbach, Doctor Von Brausepulver, Herr Gabor, and Schmidt) – Wow, it’s been a crazy year and a half for me at ZCT. Lots of different shows with lots of different people and each one of them a new experience. Spring Awakening is a show with very dark subject matter. I hope you’ll take the time to think about the performances and all the work that has gone into making this emotional show a great experience. It’s always fun to work with new young faces, and this cast has been no different.
Sit back and prepare yourself for an emotional ride. I hope you enjoy the show.I live in Philo with my partner Rob Cook, our son and two spoiled cats.

Eric Blake (Director) – Eric is currently employed as the Director of Operations for Shrivers Oxygen and Home Medical. He has had a love of the theatre for many years and he enjoys directing as well as being on stage. It was instilled in him at an early age the importance of working behind the scenes as well as acting. Eric currently serves on the Board of Directors at Zanesville Community Theatre. Eric’s directing credits include: August, Osage County, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, RENT, Doubt, J.B., Steel Magnolias, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and The Lion In Winter. On stage, Eric has recently appeared in The Crucible, Sweeney Todd, Death of A Salesman and Next Fall; just to name a few.Eric wishes to take this opportunity to thank his wife Janice for her 31 years of love and support and for helping him to make the time to be involved with theatre and the many other community activities they are involved with.

Eric hopes that you enjoy the show and thanks you for supporting Zanesville Community Theatre as they continue to strive for excellence against a backdrop of tradition.

Director’s notes

Welcome to Zanesville Community Theatre! I am so excited that you have chosen to join us for our production of Spring Awakening! Winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s 1891 expressionist play about the trials and tribulations, and the exhilaration of the teen years.

It’s Germany, 1891. The beautiful young Wendla explores her body and asks her mother where babies come from. Elsewhere, the brilliant and fearless young Melchior defends his buddy Moritz — a boy so traumatized by puberty he can’t concentrate on anything. One afternoon in the woods, Wendla and Melchior discover a desire unlike anything they’ve ever felt. Spring Awakening explores the confusion and desperation that ensue when the onrushing tide of hormones meets the ignorance of children. This show celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy, and passion that you will never forget.

As you watch this show unfold and these actors bring the characters to life, I ask that you reflect on your own teen years and the trials and tribulations that made you the person you are today. We have all made choices, some good and some not so good, but we have survived the outcomes and became stronger people. I hope that we have not offended you with this production but made you stop and reflect upon the fact that each of us were teens and young adults at one time and the trials of those years are not really so different than those of today’s young adults

It is with a sincere heart that I say “Thank You” to the cast and crew of this show along with the Board of Directors of Zanesville Community Theatre for their support in bringing this amazing show to life at ZCT. I dedicate this show to all of those who made this possible.
“…there is love in heaven, all will be forgiven.”
Eric Blake, Director

Thomas Tompkins (Music Director, Keyboards) – A native of Zanesville, Tom is an attorney who is completing his 29th year as a magistrate with the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas. He is also the organist at St. James Episcopal Church in Zanesville. Tom served as the musical director for ZCT’s 2012 production of Sweeney Todd and has played keyboard for several other ZCT productions (RENT; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Annie; 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). He is very grateful for ZCT’s decision to include this contemporary musical in its current season, not only because he loves Duncan Sheik’s musical score, but also because this production brings to ZCT so many incredibly talented young adult artists — a demographic group so important for the continued health of community theater. Bitte genießen Sie die Show!

Steve Miller (Guitar) – Steve Miller is a senior music and English major at Muskingum University where he is currently studies under Mr. Lewis Charles (Classical Guitar). He has previously taken lessons with Kenny Joseph (Jazz Guitar), Bret Pendergast (Classical Guitar), and Dr. Michael Torres (Composition). He has had Master Classes with Michelle Ramo and Robert Grucca.​ Steve Miller has played with the Simcox Big Band, the Muskingum University Wind Ensemble, The Muskingum University Jazz Band, and leads the Muskingum University Guitar Ensemble, and is a member of the Jazz/Rock group “The Mighty Morphin’ Jazz Arrangers.” Steve Miller is active in the Cambridge/ Zanesville community playing at multiple First Friday art walks, busking at the Cambridge Arts festival, and assisting with the Lions Club music and comedy show. Steve Miller is an active guitarist and is available for hire for weddings, church services, or any other playing needs. He also accepts students who are interested in becoming stronger guitarists. Whether they have been playing for years and want to learn something new, or if they are just starting out and want to try something fun. For more information email him at scmiller@muskingum.edu, or call at (330) 949-8747.

Andrea Malek (Cello) – Andrea Malek is very excited for her first production with ZCT! She is a sophomore at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio studying Exercise Physiology. She hopes to continue her education with graduate school to become a physical therapist. In addition to cello, Andrea plays the trumpet. She is a proud member of The Ohio University Marching 110 also plays in the Varsity Band. She attended Zanesville High School where she recieved both the National School Orchestra Award and the John Philip Sousa Band Award.

Alex Shinn (Bass) –

Bill Albright (Percussion) –

Jillian B. Von Gunten (Choreographer) – Jillian has participated in local theater all of her life and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Zanesville Community Theatre. Some of her favorite roles include: Maggie in “A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Alais in “The Lion in Winter,” Nancy in “OLIVER!” and Barbara Fordham in “August: Osage County,” all at Zanesville Community Theatre, and Stella Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” at The Renner. Some of her favorite shows to direct were: “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” “HONK,” “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Jillian currently serves as the Coach for Powerhouse’s SPARKS!! Improv Troupe and works in Zanesville as an attorney at Allen, Baughman, & Martin, Attorneys at Law.

Angel Palmer (Stage Manager) –

Carleton B. Underwood (Lighting Designer) –