Shonita Joshi (she/her) is thrilled to be back at Ensemble Theatre! She was born in Pune, India and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She’s an actor and organizer and is passionate about the environment, recycling, and politics. She graduated from Stella Adler School of Acting and has degrees in banking, finance, journalism. Some of her recent credits include productions at Veterans Repertory Theatre and Chenango River Theatre in New York; Purple Rose Theatre in Michigan; The Human Race Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Ensemble Theatre in Ohio; Peterborough Players in New Hampshire; and more. She recently made her television debut in season 27 of Law & Order: SVU. In her free time, she works as a reader for New York Theatre Workshop.

Maggie Lou Rader (she/her) is thrilled to be back at Ensemble Theatre where she last played Amelia in I Need That and Lizzie in Maytag Virgin. She attended William Jewell College, Oxford University, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She has performed with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Human Race Theatre Company, Florida Studio Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Kitchen Theatre, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Some of her favorite memories on stage have been playing The Pilot in Grounded, Maggie “the cat” in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Marie Antoinette in The Revolutionists. She’s also a national award-winning playwright and resident artist at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She sends love to her folks, Lynn, Torie, Justin, and the fur babies.

Eric Pfeffinger is a playwright in Ohio who grew up in Indiana and likes to work in Chicago. He enjoys a robust Midwestern humility. Eric’s work has been produced by Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays, the Denver Theatre Center, the Geva Theater Center, the Phoenix Theatre, and the Bloomington Playwrights Project. His plays include Accidental Rapture, Hunting High, Some Other Kind of Person, Barrenness, Assholes and Aureoles, Malignance, and the plays for young audiences Lost and Foundling and The Day John Henry Came to School. He’s written new plays on commissions from the InterAct, Imagination Stage, and the Signature and developed scripts through workshops and readings at PlayPenn, the Lark, Page 73 Productions, the Colorado New Play Summit, the Rattlestick, the New Jersey Rep and Available Light Theatre. He collaborated on pieces with the Internationalists and the New York Neo-Futurists. His plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing and Dramatics magazine, and he has written articles for American Theatre magazine. He is the co-author of the novel The High-Impact Infidelity Diet, available on finer remainder tables everywhere.

Torie Wiggins has performed many solo shows at various venues across the country, including Your Negro Tour Guide and His Eye is on the Sparrow at Ensemble Theatre. Some of her film work includes A Christmas Melody, starring and directed by Mariah Carey, and The Old Man and the Gun with Robert Redford and Danny Glover. She has performed with and directed at many local theatres, appearing on the stages at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Human Race Theatre Company, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She has also worked with WAM Theatre in the Berkshires and The Resident Acting Company in New York City. She celebrates her fifteenth year as an artist here in Cincinnati and proudly calls Ensemble Theatre her artistic home.

Brian c. Mehring (he/him) has designed more than 100 productions at Ensemble Theatre. His favorite productions include Thom Pain (based on nothing), Next to Normal, 33 Variations, Freud’s Last Session, and I Am My Own Wife. Mr. Mehring’s regional favorites for set design include The Last 5 Years and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Henry IV, Part 1, The Georgia Shakespeare Festival; and I Am My Own Wife, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Peterborough Players, and Florida Studio Theatre.

Cat Schmeal-Swope is a costume designer, draper, and educator based in the Greater Cincinnati area. Some of her recent regional design credits include Alice in Wonderland and Hands on a Hardbody, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; A Distinct Society, The Human Race Theatre Company; Grease and Beautiful: The Carole King, The Carnegie; and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. Beyond designing, Cat has served as a cutter/draper for numerous companies, including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She is currently the visiting assistant professor of costume technology at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and holds an MFA in theatre design from The Ohio State University.

Trey Tatum (he/him) is a playwright and composer who makes silly things about serious stuff. His previous sound designs at Ensemble Theatre include The Garbologists and The Sound Inside. Some ongoing projects include the audio dramas ZOiNKS! and Have Monster, Will Travel, available wherever you get your podcasts. Trey lives in Cincinnati and makes theater and mischief with his wife, director Bridget Leak.

Shannon Rae Lutz  (she/her) earned her Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in 1996 and became Properties Master at Ensemble Theatre. Trained as a performer, she first appeared on ETC’s stage during the 1988-1989 New Works Festival. In 1991, she was granted an ETC internship. Now the Director of Apprentice Programming, she is honored to guide ETC’s essential ensemble: The Professional Acting Apprentice Company. Shannon would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers, Ruth Sawyer, and the Cincinnati theatre community and patrons for their generous, supportive, and tenacious spirit.

Jacob Dowell (he/him) is thrilled to be in his fourth season at Ensemble. He received a BA in theatre from Morehead State University. Some previous technical direction credits include The Match Game, Fiona: The Musical, Hands on a Hardbody, Kinky Boots, The Who’s Tommy, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Jacob would like to thank his family, friends, his wife, Colleen, and cats, Ronnie and Stan, for their continued support.

Lexi Muller (she/her) is thrilled to return for her seventh season with Ensemble Theatre. Some of her ETC credits include The Wolves, Fun Home, Pipeline, Sweat, Morning Sun, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Regional work includes Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, and The Full Monty at The Human Race Theatre Company. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and a Wright State University BFA graduate. Lexi lives by spike tape, snacks, and Sharpies. She is especially thankful to her family for always supporting her love of theatre.

Maddi O’Connell (they/he), ais a native of Cincinnati and a summa cum laude graduate from Baldwin Wallace University where they received a BFA in acting and minor in music. They are also a proud alumnus of Ensemble Theatre’s Professional Apprentice Program for acting and stage management. Some of their favorite ETC credits include the world premiere of The Last Will & Testament of Madison Giles as the production stage manager; Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and The Garbologists as the 2nd assistant stage manager; the world premiere of It’s Fritz! as Fiona; the world premiere of Fiona: The Musical as Cal and Bibi/Red Oxpecker u/s; and Hands on a Hardbody as the Heather u/s and assistant fight captain. As always, much love to Kim, Dan, the entire ETC staff, and the besties for the never-ending support and fun. ily!