ActingUp.com - Thoroughly Modern Millie

Thoroughly Modern Millie - Production Team

We are very fortunate to have the following talented people volunteer their efforts for our Fall 2007 production, Thoroughly Modern Millie. By clicking on one of the following names, you will be directed further down the page for more information on that individual.

Producer - Dan Sheeran
Associate Producer - Johanna Chasse
Director - Becca Johnson
Choreographers - Megan Kelley & Abbey Gauger
Supervising Choreographer - Bridget Ryan
Vocal Director - Gina Beck
Lighting Designer - Josh Branch
Sound Engineer - Scott Meyer
Stage Manager - Lainie Chrisman
Technical Director - Laura Friedmann
Costume Designer - Andrea Ledford
Production Artist - Heidi Moody
Orchestration - C. Andrew Garitson & The Ohio Metropolitan Orchestra
Acting Coach - Brahm Corstanje & Brent Peebles
Set Construction Coordinators - Brent Peebles & Dan Sheeran
Donations & Fund Raising - Becky Corstanje

Producer & Set Construction Coordinator - Dan Sheeran

This is Dan's first attempt at producing for Acting Up (AU). Having joined its Board in January '07, he had previously been Set Construction Manager for two previous AU shows. Dan also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Mason Community Players (MCP) and has served as Technical Director for several shows at MCP and also produced MCP's Cole in 2006. He has earned several Orchid nominations for set construction for both AU and MCP, and honored with an Orchid for Set Construction Manager for AU's Grease. Dan has been seen on stage in the following MCP productions: Hello Dolly, Stalig 17, The Sound of Music, 42nd Street and Fiddler on the Roof. He also originated the role of "Manfred Hutchinson" in J.B. Miller's production of The Disappearance of Elizabeth Hutchinson. Dan is very grateful to groups such as Acting Up and Mason Players for giving families the opportunity to be together doing something they enjoy. He encourages other families to join them!

Associate Producer - Johanna Chasse

Johanna began in children’s theatre at 8 years old. She has played roles as "Annie" in Annie, "Frenchie" in Grease, "Linus" in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, a storyteller in James Thurber, "Becky Thatcher" in Tom Sawyer, and various ensemble roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, Pirates of Penzance, Christmas Carole, GodSpell, Fiddler on the Roof, Rapunzel and others. Classically trained on the piano and over 10 years of voice lessons, Johanna has had the opportunity to work with children’s theatre groups in Albany, NY and through her church and local universities in Connecticut. She was also the director of the children’s choir at her church in Connecticut for 4 years. Johanna has produced many large scale events from the ground up and amongst her favorites include Breast Cancer Awareness Week, Womens Rights Week, and Holistic Care Awareness Days in upstate New York, which have included bringing in Hillary Clinton and Rue McClanahan (from telvision's Golden Girls) as speakers. Although she has only been in Ohio for just 5 years, she is very excited to have her daughter experience the love of theatre that she has loved for so many years and is thrilled to be part of Acting Up and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Director - Becca Johnson

Becca has 12 years experience directing and producing original large scale musicals for Faith Church, in Milford, Ohio. She has been a part of Acting Up since our first production, volunteering as Stage Manager for all four previous shows, and being Assistant Director for last season's Grease. She teaches drama and art at a local homeshool co-op, and has assisted with several children’s musicals at Faith church. Becca is the proud Homeschool mother of four beautiful kids, and wife to her high school sweetheart Jeff. A BA in Sociology from UC, is of no help in dealing with the typical 60 member cast of 5-18 year olds, but with the incredible kids that are a part of the Acting Up family, the job is made a joy. Becca is excited to be collaborating with such an awesome group of people on the Thoroughly Modern Millie Production Team, and knows that bringing the roaring 20’s to life will be truly “Hep”.

Choreographers -

Megan Kelley

Megan Kelley is a junior at Mason High School where she participates on the Varsity Dance Team. She has been dancing for the past 10 years in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, hip-hop, and modern. This fall will begin her 6th year as a member of the Just for Kicks Dance Academy Competition Team. Her tap/musical theater solo recently received “Grand Champion” at Dance USA Competition and qualified for a place on Team USA for the World Competition in Italy. When she’s not dancing, she teaches dance classes to children ages 3-11. Megan was the Assistant Choreographer for Acting Up's Once On This Island. She has appeared as "Cha-Cha" in Acting Up's Grease (for which she received an Orchid Award nomination), and was an Ensemble member of Acting Up's The Wizard of Oz. She was also involved in the choreography of both productions. She cannot wait to work with everyone in Thoroughly Modern Millie and hopes her love of dance will rub off on the entire cast.

Abbey Gauger

Abbey is 15 years old and is entering her junior year at The Seven Hills Upper School. She has been dancing for 13 years, and has performed in over fifteen shows and recitals with CCM Prep and Gayle McLaughlin School of Dance. This summer she will be going to New York City to attend a one week dance intensive with the Radio City Rockettes. She is thrilled to be co-choreographing Thoroughly Modern Millie, her third Acting Up production. Abbey has previously appeared in Acting Up's Once On This Island and Grease.

Supervising Choreographer - Bridget Ryan

Bridget started dancing at the age of 5, she trained in her hometown at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and Point Park College’s Conservatory Program. She moved to Cincinnati and graduated with a BFA in Ballet and a minor in French from U.C. Bridget has been teaching dance for over 17 years and has experience in ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, African and is certified to teach Pilates. She has danced with Bi-Okoto, an African Dance Company, and worked for several years with Cincinnati Ballet as their School Administrator, teacher and rehearsal coach for children in the Nutcracker as well as other productions. For the past 10 years, she taught dance and Pilates for the competitive gymnasts at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy and is currently teaching ballet, pointe and hip hop at Mason Dance Center.

Vocal Director - Gina Beck

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Lighting Designer - Josh Branch
Josh has been part of lighting design for multiple community and school productions including all of Acting Up's shows to date, as well as Theatre Xavier’s productions of Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. Josh also does sound design, costume design and set construction. Josh will be a Junior at St. Xavier High School in the '07-'08 school year, but during his free time you can normally find him out on his bike or at home designing another show.

Sound Engineer - Scott Meyer

Now in his third Acting Up production, Scott Meyer continues to try and get it right. Borrowing from his experience in radio and television production, Scott remains optimistic that the perfect sound is out there. When he’s not working on Acting Up productions, Scott is an actively performing magician in the Greater Cincinnati area and enjoys spending time with his family. In his spare time, Scott enjoys working with his Iditarod fantasy league and competitive break dancing. Unless someone more qualified comes along, Scott will continue to be an active part of Acting Up.

Stage Manager - Lainie Chrisman

Lainie Chrisman is a 17 year-old senior at Springboro. She is involved in numerous clubs including Student Council, Mock Trial, Muse Machine, and Art Club. She was a costume assistant for the Muse Machine Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie as well as a production assistant and administrative assistant for Twelfth Night and The Wiz at Springboro High School. She hopes to continue her involvement in theatre by studying theatrical production in college. Lainie hopes to attend New York University next fall.

Technical Manager - Laura Friedmann

Laura Friedmann is 17 and is thrilled to begin her senior year at Sycamore High School. She's been highly involved in both school and community theater since the age of 11. Over the past two years she was awarded two cappies in the categories of Makeup and Hair (for Secret Garden) and for Cameo Actress in a Musical for her role of Betty Blast (in Footloose). You may also have seen her in any of the past Acting Up productions where some of her favorite roles included: Glinda in The Wizard of Oz or Rizzo in Grease (for which she received Orchid nominations for both excellence in Acting and Vocals). However, this is her first time doing something really "technical" for a show and is thrilled to be involved in sound for Thoroughly Modern Millie !

Costume Designer - Andrea Ledford

[check back for bio]

Production Artist - Heidi Moody
Heidi has a BA in Graphic Design from Samford University. Heidi was responsible for transforming the artwork from Bob Fritsch's set design miniatures to a life size set, for Acting Up's productions of Once On This Island, Honk! Jr. and The Wizard of Oz. She is also the creator of the imaginative logo for Acting Up's productions of Grease, Honk! Jr. and The Wizard of Oz. Heidi recently received an Orchid Award for Excellence in Program Art for Acting Up's Grease. She has worked many years as a 2D/3D computer animation artist, and also enjoys painting large murals on any blank wall she can find.

Orchestration - Andrew Garitson & The Ohio Metropolitan Orchestra
Andy is no stranger to musical theatre. He travels all over the greater Cincinnati area to share his talent and passion for the stage, and its music, with many different theatre groups. Having worked with Cincinnati Music Theatre (Chicago, 42nd Street, Chess, La Cage aux Folles, and the upcoming Follies), Mason Community Players (42nd Street, The Sound of Music , and Fiddler on the Roof), Loveland Stage Company (The Music Man and Annie Get Your Gun), Jersey Productions (Ragtime, Cabaret, Dreamgirls, and Annie), and others, Andy has played in over 20 productions since graduating from Lemon-Monroe High School in 2003. Majoring on the trombone, he's very excited to be able to step away from behind the horn, pick up a baton, and bring the energy and excitement of the music ofThorougly Modern Millie to life. With the help of the Ohio Metropolitan Theatre Orchestra, this is Andy's 2nd shot at being Orchestra Dire.

Acting Coach - Brahm Corstanje

Brahm was avidly involved in acting during highschool. As an adult he has been involved in several local community theater productions, including acting roles in the Lebanon Theatre Company's A Thousand Clowns (for which he was nominated an Orchid Award for Excellence in Acting), The Octette Bridge Club, See How They Run, and Little Mary Sunshine (for which he won an Orchid Award for Excellence in Acting in a Musical). He has directed Grease for Acting Up and Charlotte's Web for the Children's Theatre of Mason. Brahm recently provided the magic special effects with Scott Meyer for Acting Up's Once On This Island, for which they won an Orchid Award. Brahm was also responsible for Papa Ge's nightmarish make-up in Once On This Island, for which he received an OCTAFest Award for Outstanding in Make-up. Brahm can also be seen weekdays performing as a transactions attorney at The Procter & Gamble Company

Acting Coach & Set Construction Coordinator - Brent Peebles

[check back for info]

Fund Raising - Becky Corstanje

Becky is an RN and has an MS in Administration. Becky has produced Acting Up's Grease (co-produced with Laura Peebles), Honk! Jr. and The Wizard of Oz. She was also responsible for creating (and sewing many of) the original costume designs for Acting Up's Once On This Island, for which she received an OCTAfest Regional Award and was nominated for an Orchid Award. In the past, Becky has been responsible for managing medical departments and multi-million dollar budgets. Becky has been a supporter of community theater for years. She has been a make-up technician for several Children's Theater of Mason productions. Becky has won a variety of local theater awards, including: Orchid Excellence in Make-Up and Hair for the Lebanon Theatre Company's production of The Octette Bridge Club (2005); Orchid Excellence in Producing for Acting Up's Honk! Jr. (2006), Excellence in Producting for Acting Up's Grease (2006); OCTAFest Outstanding in Make-Up and an OCTAFest Outstanding in Costuming, both for Acting Up's Once On This Island.

Last updated Wed, January 2, 2008 9:09 AM

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