Cheaper by the Dozen Cast and Crew

Phil Palmer (Father / Mr. Gilbreth) – As you will see, everything is cheaper by the dozen and I believed that so much that we have had a dozen children in an effort to maintain the most efficient household in the world.
I have the opportunity to portray Dad in this production and, as we are trying to maintain high expectations and learn to be more efficient, things don’t always go as planned.
In my real life I am a social worker in Newark, OH and am currently serving as the Vice President of the ZCT Board of Directors. I am married to the Assistant Director, who is also the Producer, and really only had a couple of children.  I know you will enjoy this show and I thank you for supporting the arts in Zanesville.

Monica Van Nort (Mother / Mrs. Gilbreth) – My family and I moved to Zanesville from Kentucky in 2006. I have been fortunate enough to participate in many fun and wonderful plays and a (my one and only!) musical since joining the ZCT group. My first role and the one dearest to my heart was Truvie in Steele Magnolias. The most fun would have been Belinda/Flavia in Noises Off and most recently I was afforded the opportunity to play the villain, Ms. Minchin, in The Little Princess; and I have to admit my inner villain emerged with a vengeance…it was quite fun! I have indeed caught the acting bug and encourage anyone to try it. Thank you Val and Angel for asking me to participate once again in a wonderful play! Break-a-leg Gilbreth clan and enjoy the show to one and all!!

Clarice Hague (Ernestine) – My name is Clarice Hague. I am an eighth grader at Maysville Middle School. This will be my first play, therefore I am extremely excited! Other than theater, I also enjoy music, volleyball, photography, art, volunteering, and playing with animals. Participating in Cheaper by the Dozen has been a great experience for me and I hope to be in many plays in the future!

Cory Burkhart (Frank) –  Cory is thirteen and attends West Muskingum Middle School. He enjoys 4H, singing, acting, being with friends, and having fun. Cory is so ecstatic to be doing a show with such a great cast and crew. You may have seen Cory at ZTP in shows such as, Willy Wonka as Mike Teevee, Charlotte’s Web as Templeton, Peter Pan as Smee, and many other productions. Cory was also in Oliver at ZCT as Artful Dodger, which means coincidentally  Cory’s twelfth show is Cheaper by the Dozen. Cory hopes you enjoy Zanesville Community Theatre’s Production of Cheaper by The Dozen.

Ethan Sandlund (Jackie) – Ethan Sandlund is 5 years old and homeschooled. This is his first theatre production. He is a great big brother of two sisters, a fast runner and a dinosaur expert. He is learning to read (mainly because he wants to hold his own script next time). He would like to thank his NieNie and his Grandma for babysitting his sisters while he + mama went to rehearsals.

Coen Cox (Dan) – I am 10 years old and in the 5th grade at Duncan Falls Elementary. I am the 2nd son of Shane and Erin Cox. I enjoy music, eating Donald’s Donuts, playing soccer, golfing, acting, drawing, camping, swimming, building Legos, watching movies, traveling with my family, super heroes and most of all….embarrassing my older brother Cole in front of his girlfriend.  This is my third play. I was a munchkin in the ‘Wizard of Oz’ at Philo High School. I was Pirate Cookson in ‘Peter Pan Jr’ with the Zane Trace Players and now I am Dan in ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’. I look forward to many more plays and musicals in my future.

Josiah Gross (Bill) – My name is Josiah Gross, I am 9 years old and homeschooled. This is my first theater performance that I have had the opportunity to be in or try out for. I am one of six children and have had the chance to watch my oldest sister Emma be in other plays along with my dad Ben and other sister Lydia. I have always enjoyed watching them and so I thought I’d go for it! It has been so much fun to be a part of a play here at ZCT. I have enjoyed being a part of this production, It is very fun!
I also play soccer and like to be outdoors; hiking with my family and other things.  I also enjoy reading and hanging out with friends.

Ethan Wigal (Fred) – Hi I’m Ethan Wigal and I’m a 7th grader at Philo Jr. High School.” Cheaper By The Dozen” is my third show with ZCT and I’m glad to be back on stage with some of my friends from “Oliver” and “Singin in the Rain”. I’ve also done “Suessical”, “Barnum”, “Wizard of Oz”, and “Cinderella” at Philo High. In my spare time I play soccer for my Jr. High team, play guitar and am very active in my youth group at church The God Squad.
Hoffnung genießen Sie die Show!!(Hope you enjoy the show!!)

Reanna Gahagan (Anne) – Reanna is 18 years old and a homeschool graduate. She is currently enrolled in a Master Makeup Artistry class and working at Wade’s Clothing. She has enjoyed the part of Anne as she can relate to the big family, being the third of seven children. She has enjoyed working with this cast and hopes you enjoy the show!

Reagan Whittaker (Lillian) – My name is Reagan Whittaker. I am eleven years old and I go to Nashport Elementary School.This is my third play; I was in Go Dogs Go and Alice in Wonderland. I enjoy sports, horseback riding, organizing and decorating. I am also in 4-H where I take a horse and a cake decorating project. I like to try new things and that is why I am so excited to play the part of Lillian!

Mia McCarthy (Martha) – Mia McCarthy, who plays the role of Martha, is very excited to join Cheaper by the Dozen. Currently Mia is attending Bishop Fenwick Middle School entering the seventh grade. Her favorite subjects are language arts and social studies. Mia’s last performance she was in was ZCT’s production, A Little Princess. She was castas Sara’s best friend, Ermengarde. She was also in Annie, Oliver, The Crucible, 12 Angel Tree benefits and many more shows. Outside of rehearsals, Mia dances at CenterStage Dance Arts on the competition team. She would like to thank her family members for all their love and support. She would also like to thank her directors, Val and Angel for giving her the opportunity to play this part.

Michelle Robison (Mrs. Fitzgerald) – Michelle has quickly become a fixture at ZCT and The Renner. Appearing in 9-5 The Musical, A Little Night Music, Young Frankenstein The Musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and many more.
I hope everyone has the opportunity to experience a ‘theater family’ as wonderful as mine. I hope you enjoy the show and, to the cast and crew of Cheaper by the Dozen: “Break a Leg!”.

Kevin McCarthy (Dr. Burton) – I was never on stage performing until coming to Zanesville. For more than 20 years, I have taken opportunities to become involved in community theater. Beginning with “Oliver” and most recently “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” favorites include Godspell, Forbidden Broadway, and annual Angel Tree productions (because those are “about the children” for whom the Christmas shows benefit). It became a family hobby, and in this play my daughter Mia and I will once again enjoy trying to  entertain. I encourage everyone to give it a try, and maybe you will surprise yourself, too. Thanks for supporting our theater & enjoy the show

Carter Musgrave (Joe Scales) – Carter Musgrave, 13, is an 8th grade student at Maysville Middle School. He plays on the 8th grade football team and plays the trumpet in the middle school band. Carter is active with his churche’s youth group and is a Boy Scout with Troop 122 out of Adamsville. This is Carter’s third role in a ZCT production. He has had parts in Oliver and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. He has had several leading roles in his school’s theater productions of High School Musical Jr and The Little Mermaid. Carter enjoys all his time and work he puts into all his ZCT productions and hopes he will get the opportunity to participate in many more!

Lisa Burkhart (Miss Brill) – Lisa has appeared in several local productions.  She has played Mrs. Beauregarde in Willy Wonka, The Wicked Witch in Fairy Tale courtroom, Liza Minelli and Chita Rivera in Forbidden Broadway, and currently Miss Brill in Cheaper by the Dozen.
When not on a theatrical stage, she spends much of her time teaching 7th grade Science at West Muskingum Middle School.  She also spends time as a wife to Dave Burkhart and mom to Cory and Ryan Burkhart, who both appear in Cheaper by the Dozen.

Ryan Burkhart (Larry) – Ryan Burkhart is a senior this year at West Muskingum. He is very excited to play the role of Larry in this production. Although this is his debut at ZCT, Ryan is no stranger to the stage. He has also played several roles at the Renner theatre in downtown Zanesville including a soldier in Jesus Christ Superstar, Plato in Nobody Knows I’m a Dog, a cat from Cats in Forbidden Broadway, and Tommy Djilas in Music Man. At his high school, Ryan was Motel in Fiddler on the Roof in 2013 and recently enjoyed his first lead role as Albert in “Bye Bye Birdie.” Outside of theatre, Ryan enjoys playing the piano, performing in both the Jazz and Concert Bands as well as the Concert Choir, running Cross Country, and working at Wendy’s. He would like to thank everyone for coming to see today’s performance and he hopes you enjoy it as much as he.

Princess Leia (Gilbreth Family Pet) – I first appeared on the stage during ZCT’s Tom Sawyer when I was three months old…I have loved the theater since then. Unfortunately, there are not many roles for someone as short as myself, so when this part came up, I was very excited. It has been great acting on the same stage as my dad, and I have loved making so many new friends. They are all very nice and give me the best treats.
Please enjoy the show, and if you hear me making noise backstage, I am just helping my cast mates with their lines 🙂

Val Gahagan (Director) – Val Gahagan is a wife and mom who discovered a love of theater a little over 10 years ago when her oldest was a pickpocket in “Oliver!” Since then she has been in numerous shows herself as well as having had the privilege of working with each of her 7 children both on stage and behind the scenes. This is her 3rd show to direct at ZCT and she has loved working with this cast and crew. A special thanks to Pam Smith for helping us cast–you did a great job–and to Angel Palmer, one of her dearest friends without whom this show would not have happened! She hopes you enjoy watching the show as much as she has enjoyed working on it.

Director’s Notes:

“When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family
happinesses.” ~Joyce Brothers

Why “Cheaper by the Dozen”?

When people hear that I am a mom of seven, I suppose many assume it’s “a
large family thing” but I think it’s just “a family thing.” Of course
“Cheaper by the Dozen” is a cute story about a large family with cute kids
and funny scenes. I love that it is story based on the real lives of actual people, who just lived ordinary lives, that we have had the privilege to glimpse into. But what really makes it a worthwhile story, in my opinion, is the way Frank and Ernestine have emphasized to us the value of family and enjoying what we have while we have it.

By the time you are sitting in your seats waiting for the lights to come up on this show, I will have three children out of high school and two of
those married. On the other hand, I have one child who has yet to start
kindergarten. Perspective! This last year, especially, has given me reason
to stop and savor the moments that are at hand and check my own priorities
regarding life and family, while at the same time having Jekyll and Hyde
moments between excitement over the things to come and sentimentality over
the things we are leaving behind. It has caused me to consider the legacy
of family and faith that we are leaving to our children and, eventually,
grandchildren. I know how thankful I am for my parents, who have
successfully instilled in my brothers and me the values that they deemed to be of greatest importance.

Thank you Jerry, Zak, Cori, Caleb, Constance, Reanna, Katie, Jonah,
Jerah-Lynn and Levi for the last 23 years of family- and for all of the
years to come. Thank you Dad and Mom for teaching me the importance of
faith and family. And thank you Brian and Scott for always being there for
each other and for your big sister.

So why “Cheaper by the Dozen”? Because I think we all see a little bit of
our own families in theirs. I think Erma Bombeck sums us all up well:

“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through
life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts,
hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms,
inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving,
laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound
us all together.”

Angel Palmer (Asst. Director/Producer) – You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.
Desmond TutuThis theater, these kids, this crew, they have become my second family…and I am so honored to have been a small part of this production.  My own children literally grew up in this space and it has so many wonderful memories for me…I am dedicated to making sure young people can come in here, express themselves and make even more wonderful memories.
It has been fantastic to watch as each of these characters have stepped out of the script and come to life on the stage…thank you for coming to encourage our youth and for supporting the arts in Zanesville!

Daniel Warne (Tom, Stage Manager) – Daniel Warne has been active with ZCT for the past three years. He has worked backstage for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, was Assistant Stage Manager for “Young Frankenstein”, and is Stage Manager for “Cheaper by the Dozen”.  He also appeared onstage as Ram Dass in “A Little Princess”.  His talents are also evidenced in the show photos and some of the head shots.  The directors are appreciative of his willingness to always go above and beyond.

Jack McClendon (Assistant Stage Manager) – Jack is a 9th grade student at Tri-Valley High School. He enjoys doing theater very much. Some of his favorite productions are Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Little Women and Tom Sawyer. He also has been in Oliver.