Krishangi Allin is so grateful to be a part of Ensemble Theatre. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BFA in theatre performance. Some of her past credits include Blood at the Root, The Wolves, and Meghan Brown’s The Pliant Girls as Philomena. Krishangi is dedicated to using theatre as a way of creating connection and understanding and is excited to challenge traditional casting norms and expand how a woman of color can be cast. She would like to thank her parents for their unconditional love and support. She would also like to thank her partner Max for moving across the country with her in pursuit of her dreams.

Troian Butler (he/him) is an actor, singer, and writer from Western NY who graduated in May 2024 from Baldwin Wallace University. This season at ETC, he has played Fritz in the world premiere of It’s Fritz!, Matt in Be Patient, Little Grasshopper, and understudied Henry in Next to Normal and Young Patrick, Paul, Tim, Jason, and Adult 1 in The House on Watch Hill. Some favorite credits include Benvolio in in Romeo and Juliet, Ohio Shakespeare Festival; Antonio in The Tempest, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival; Leonard Irving in In the Next Room, Doc O’Connor/Moises Kauffman in The Laramie Project, George Young Bradley in Men on Boats, Baldwin Wallace University; and roles in the world premieres of Ten Minutes to Midnight and Breakout Session (or Frogorse) at Cleveland Public Theatre (ask him about the giant shrimp costume). As always, he would like to thank his wonderful family, friends, and his incredibly supportive partner, Milo. While there are far too many people to thank at ETC to fit this word limit, Troy would like to thank everyone for a season full of joy and such a brilliant and formative adventure.

Grace Caccavari is incredibly grateful to have been an apprentice this season at Ensemble Theatre, where she has had amazing opportunities to hone her theatre craft. These opportunities include understudying Natalie in Next to Normal and Jennifer in the world premiere of The House on Watch Hill, reading for Christy/Sarah in the staged reading of Be Patient, My Little Grasshopper by local playwright Dinithi Fernando, and performing as Baby Cheetah/Zoo Goer in It’s Fritz! A Sequel to Fiona: The Musical. Grace would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers, Torie Wiggins, and Shannon Rae Lutz for including her in the apprentice program, as well as the entire ETC staff for welcoming her and guiding her throughout the season. She would also like to thank her Mom, Dad, Jack, and her beloved friends and family for their constant love and support.

Allyson van Haaren is thrilled to be working with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati! She is a recent graduate of Northern Kentucky University, where she received a BFA in musical theatre performance. Allyson recently completed a tour with Missoula Children’s Theatre as a tour actor/director. Other credits include Anything Goes and Jesus Christ Superstar at Northern Kentucky University and Sister Act at The Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. She has worked as a choreographer and educator collaborating on Little Women: The Musical at Northern Kentucky University’s Student Theatre, The Little Mermaid Jr. at the Maysville Playhouse, and teaching for camps and studios across Kentucky. Offstage, Allyson is an active alumna of her sorority (Alpha Omicron Pi) and loves to cook and bake whenever she can!

Maximus Winski (he/him) graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship in 2024 from Xavier University, where his theatre credits include Lysistrata, Eurydice, Our Town, and The Moors. He was recently seen as Ted in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and Claude in Curse of the Wolf Man. He has done professional work for American Legacy Theatre and is a graduate of Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy’s Studio class. Max is thrilled to be working with Ensemble for the 2025-2026 Season and would like to thank his parents, Kathy and Tony, and his acting coach Gina Cerimele-Mechley.

D. Lynn Meyers has been with Ensemble Theatre for over thirty years, having directed more than a hundred world and regional premieres, including Hands on a Hardbody, Fun Home, Morning Sun, The Wolves, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, I Am My Own Wife, Next to Normal, Tiny Beautiful Things, and the world premiere of The Dancing Princesses. She began her career as the associate artistic director at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, has directed off-Broadway at the York Theatre, and has directed extensively throughout the US and Canada. As a member of the Casting Society of America, Lynn’s recent feature credits include The Bikeriders, Shirley, and Dark Waters, in addition to serving as the location casting director for The Shawshank Redemption. Lynn recently directed the world premiere of Fierce for the Cincinnati Opera. She was named a finalist for the Zelda Fichandler National Award in 2011, is a past recipient of the YWCA Career Woman of Achievement Award, and received the 2019 Rosa F. and Samuel B. Sachs Fund Prize for regional arts impact and leadership.

Torie Wiggins is a multi-hyphenate artist with over fifteen years of experience. Her Cincinnati theatre credits include Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Harry and the Thief, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; Mame, Crowns, and The Revolutionists, Human Race Theatre Company; To Kill a Mockingbird, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Little Women, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Fences, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and The Amen Corner, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and The Mountaintop, Violet, Alice in Wonderland (2012), Around the World in 80 Days, Cinderella, Cinderella: After Ever After, His Eye is on the Sparrow, and Your Negro Tour Guide, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. Her directing credits include Dreamgirls and Proof, The Carnegie Theater; Trouble in Mind, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Fourteen Funerals, I Shall Not Be Moved, How I Learned What I Learned, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Ensemble Theatre.

Brian c. Mehring (he/him) is incredibly thankful to have served as the resident scenic and lighting designer at Ensemble Theatre for over two decades. Some of his favorite productions include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Your Negro Tour Guide, Next to Normal, An Iliad, Sweat, and Fun Home. His 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. Brian would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers for her endless support and dedication to ETC.

Chris Lipstreu (he/him) is a concert and theatrical lighting specialist and project manager based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. He recently served as the lighting director for the national tour of Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet and served as the lighting designer for The Wild Party, Into the Woods, RENT, The Rocky Horror Show, and Spring Awakening at Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, he is the owner of Centerline Productions LLC, providing lighting services for numerous concerts, productions, festivals, and political and corporate events in the region. Chris received his BFA in lighting design from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in 2021. This is his first season as the Associate Production Manager & Master Electrician for Ensemble Theatre.

Hannah is in her third season at Ensemble Theatre as the costume shop manager. Hannah received her BFA in Costume Design & Technology at Northern Kentucky University and her MFA in Costume Technology from Ohio University. Her work has been seen on stage at Nashville Repertory Theatre, Monomoy Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, and The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, among many others. She is beyond grateful to be part of the ETC family.

Jake Tillmann is a percussionist, sound designer, audio engineer, and technician from the Cincinnati area. He has performed in and designed many productions over his twelve-year career including Godspell, The Producers, Next to Normal, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, tick, tick… BOOM!, Ride the Cyclone, and more. Jake found theater during his studies at Valparaiso University, where he obtained a degree in music industry. He has consulted and designed for many theatres, venues, studios, and other organizations across the country. He is excited to be in his first season at Ensemble Theatre as the lighting and sound supervisor. Outside of music and theater, Jake can often be found traveling with his wife, Ashley, and Goldendoodle, Charlie.

Becca Schall is excited to be part of the Ensemble Theatre team to help bring these beautiful plays to the stage! She is a freelance videographer and editor in the Cincinnati area and has called Ensemble her home base since 2013. Becca works with ETC’s marketing team as the Creative Media Producer to create video content for each season. Alongside the incomparable D. Lynn Meyers, she also has the pleasure of casting for the various movies that film in Cincinnati and surrounding regions. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, but a native Cincinnatian who is just lucky enough to live in a city where the arts are always thriving!

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.

Maddi O’Connell (they/he) is a Cincinnati local 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. At ETC, they have served as the production, assistant, and 2nd assistant stage manager in over a dozen productions as well as performed in the world premieres of It’s Fritz!  as Fiona and Fiona: The Musical as Cal and Bibi/Red Oxpecker u/s. Outside of ETC, they have worked as an actor for over 15 years both regionally and nationally. As always, much love to Kim, Dan, the entire ETC staff, and the besties for the never-ending support and fun. ily!

Sammi Devlin (she/they) is overjoyed to be returning to Ensemble Theatre for her third year as the assistant stage manager for the apprentice production! She is a graduate of ETC’s Technical Apprenticeship, which led to a full-time position at ETC as the lead carpenter and run crew. Sammi is currently the automation operator and run crew at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her past work includes One Act Double Feature at The Ghostlight Stage Company as the set designer, audio 2nd for Camelstock Recovery Arts and Music Festival, and the technical director/set designer for multiple productions at Thomas More University. She also taught students as the technical director at Fairfield High School for three years. They would like to thank Magz, Jimmy, and the fam—both found and fraternal.