Bryant Bentley is a native of Dayton, OH. He was last seen on the ETC stage in Detroit ’67 by Dominique Morisseau. Other theater credits include The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Indiana Repertory Theatre; Between Riverside and Crazy, Pittsburgh Public Theatre; Two Trains Running, The Piano Lesson, and Fences, American Players Theater;  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, A Soldier’s Play, and many more. Some film/TV credits include A Killing of a Sacred Deer, CBS series One Dollar, All or Nothin’, The Public, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, and Monica.

Kenneth Early is honored to return the Ensemble Theatre stage to be part of this production. He was last seen at ETC as Aldrin in The Dancing Princesses, and some of his other credits include Pipeline, Red Velvet, The Whipping Man, Grey Gardens, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, and Around the World in 80 Days. He has also been seen in productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The Human Race Theatre Company, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Sharrell D. Luckett is an award-winning artist and scholar. Off-Broadway credits include YoungGiftedandFat. Dramaturg credits include Ruined. Acting credits include Fences and Holding Up the Sky. Directing credits include Topdog/Underdog, In the Red and Brown Water, and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf. Book credits include Black Acting Methods, YoungGiftedandFat, Transweight, and African American Arts. Originally from Atlanta, Sharrell holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Missouri and is a professor of Drama for the University of Cincinnati. She is also the director of the Helen Weinberger Center for Drama and Playwriting and founding director of the Black Acting Methods Studio. 

Regina Pugh (she/her) is visiting from Arizona, where she recently performed in The Book of Will at Phoenix Theatre Company. She is thrilled to be temporarily back at her treasured theatre home, Ensemble Theatre, where her acting credits include Pipeline, The Other Place, Next Fall, My Name is Asher Lev, and After the Fall; directing credits include Earhart, Melancholy Play, and A Doll’s House, Part 2; and stage management credits include A Package Deal and Intimate Apparel. Regina has also appeared at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, and directed shows for Xavier University. She is proud to be a 20-year participant in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and a 35-year member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Angelica Santiago received her BFA in acting from Montclair State University and was a member of the 2018-2019 Professional Training Company at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Some of her previous credits include The Wolves (#7), Actors Theatre of Louisville; Hype Man (Peep One), Dracula (Vampire Bride), The Electric Harvest (Emma), A Christmas Carol (Belle u/s), and We’ve Come to Believe, 43rd Humana Festival; The Realness (Prima), The Hangar; and Macbeth: A Live Theatre Drive-In Experience (Lady Macduff), As You Like It (Phebe), Henry IV Part I (Tavern Mistress and Davy) and King Lear (Doctor), The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival.

Jay Wade (he/him) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre as Chris in Sweat and as Omari in Pipeline. He also appeared as Omari in Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s production of Pipeline. He is from St. Louis, MO, and earned his BFA in Acting from Southeast Missouri State University.

Deondra Kamau Means (he/him) was born and raised in Cincinnati and discovered his love for the arts through music at church and at Cincinnati’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts. There, he got involved with all aspects of the arts—technical theatre, piano, choir, drama, and musical theatre. After graduating from Webster University in St. Louis, he completed an internship where he served in many aspects of the work, including acting tour roles, office support, and fundraising, at the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre. Deondra has owned his own theatre company, Kuumba People of Color Theatre Ensemble, and spent over two decades as The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Resident Playwright. But Deondra has always been interested in arts integration and arts expression, helping to develop social skills and self-esteem in children and highlighting social justice issues.

Christian is a recent music and theatre graduate from Xavier University and a current member of Ensemble Theatre’s Professional Acting Apprentice Program. His favorite credits include acting in Company, directed by Pamela Myers, and Romeo and Juliet, directed by Craig Wesley Divino, and composing for ANTIGONE (born against.), directed by the late Ed Stern. In his spare time, he enjoys writing music, making his friends laugh, and learning to cook.

Breauna (she/her/hers) is a current Professional Acting Apprentice at ETC, and studied Theatre at Central Connecticut State University, where she received a BFA. Some of her previous credits include Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Mrs. Bumbrake in Peter and the Starcatcher. Keep up with Breauna on Instagram: @breavna.

Rachel was last seen as Aristotle the Crow in Cinderella at Ensemble Theatre, where she has also understudied Letter Writer #2 in Tiny Beautiful Things, Ariel in Queen, Cinderella in Cinderella, and Laurie in Pipeline as part of this season’s Professional Acting Apprentice Program. Other credits include Silent Scream (Rachel Lockwood), The Carnegie; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Maggie), The Virtual Theatre; The Days of ’98 Show with Soapy Smith (Alice/Belle) in Skagway, Alaska; and Young Frankenstein (Elizabeth Benning), The Covedale Center. A Cincinnati native, Rachel earned her BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville.

Malyssa Quinn (she/her) received a BA in Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas in Austin. A year ago, Quinn migrated to Cincinnati to join ETC’s Professional Acting Apprentice Program, where she was seen as Nina in Stupid F**king Bird. Other credits include Kayla in Letters from Camp Shrewd with Shrewd Productions and Gila in La Pastorela with Teatro Vivo. Most recently you can find Quinn at Kings Island as Kid Clever, along with the rest of the Costume Council, searching for the best dressed in the park.

Adrian (he/him/his) is originally from the Bronx, New York and moved to Cincinnati for ETC’s Professional Acting Apprenticeship. He is beyond grateful for this opportunity to shine, to grow and to collaborate with such dope artists! Some favorite credits include Laertes in Hamlet and Chino in West Side Story. Catch his professional debut this summer as Malvolio and Antonio in Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Twelfth Night, bringing the classic to a park near you! Keep up with him on Instagram @adriandevaughn.

Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). She is also the Tony-nominated book writer on the new Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). Dominique is alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference. She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series Shameless (3 seasons). Additional awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.

Ron OJ Parson hails from Buffalo, New York and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is a resident artist at Court Theatre and the former co-founder and artistic director of Onyx Theatre. Recent directing credits include Sunset Baby, Timeline Theatre; The Who & The What, Victory Gardens Theater; August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean,  August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, The Mountaintop, and Waiting For Godot, Court Theatre; Detroit 67, Northlight Theatre; and A Raisin in the Sun, TimeLine Theatre. Beside many Chicago-based theatres like Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Chicago Theatre Company , Ron OJ has worked regionally with Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage, Studio Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Mechanic Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Black Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva Theatre, Signature Theatre (New York), Alliance Theatre, South Coast Rep, and Pasadena Playhouse. 

Other Chicagoland theatres Ron has worked with include Black Ensemble Theatre, eta, Congo Square Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre (associate artist), Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista (associate artist), Chicago Dramatists, Urban Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Theatre Company, and City Lit Theatre.  

 In Canada, Ron directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Ron is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. 

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.

Dana Rebecca Woods’ design credits include Try/Step/Trip, MCA Chicago; Pipeline, Alabama Shakespeare Festival; The Color Purple (directed by Jeffrey Polk) Greenway Court Theatre; Sheldon Epps’ Blues in the Night, Post Street Theater; Shout Sister Shout!, Stop Kiss, and Above the Fold, Pasadena Playhouse; and Jitney and Fence, South Coast Repertory, among others. Film and TV design credits include Go for Sisters and Watch Over Me. Dana taught costumes at the University of Central Florida and belongs to costume unions Local 82, Local 892, and Local 705. She is a Labor Organizer and an IATSE Delegate to the LA County Federation of Labor. 

Matt Callahan (he/him) was the Resident Sound Designer for Actors Theatre of Louisville for seven seasons. Some of his most recent designs for Ensemble Theatre include Queen, Pipeline, Fortune, Fun Home, and Ripcord. He was also a co-creator/designer of Rock n’ Roll: The Reunion Tour. He spent two seasons as the Resident Sound Designer at The Eugene O’Neil Center for their National Playwrights Conference. He was formerly the sound engineer for Steppenwolf Theatre, the Assistant Engineer for Blue Man Chicago, and a member of the disbanded Defiant Theatre. He received a Jeff Citation for Red Dragon, a nomination for Fortinbras, and a Kevin Kline nomination for Sherlock Holmes.

Mike Tutaj is based in Chicago and his designs have been seen and heard on the stages of The Goodman, Steppenwolf, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Second City, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, The Court Theatre, Timeline, American Theater Company, Paramount Theatre, The Hypocrites, and many more. Mike’s off-Broadway credits include MCC Theater, p73, EnGarde Arts, and The York Theatre. He has taught Projection Design in the Theatre Department of Columbia College Chicago. He is an artistic associate with TimeLine Theatre, and a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Erin Carr is currently working as a professional actor, physical theatre creator & movement coach out of Cincinnati, OH. She has studied physical theatre at NYU-Tisch’s Experimental Theatre Wing, ArtsOasis – International Residency for Performers in Italy, Acrobatics of the Heart in MA, among other programs throughout the states.

She works as a teaching artist, director of educational theatre, and advanced physical theatre practitioner with multiple theatre companies in the tri-state area, along with working as a Body Language Consultant focusing on kinesthetics and non-verbal communication.

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.

Jack Murphy (he/him) grew up in the Cincinnati area and studied technical theatre at Hanover College. While there, he spent his summers at several different summer stock theatres including Georgia Shakespeare Company and the Brevard Music Center’s Janiec Opera Company as a carpenter. After graduation, he moved to Bellport, NY to work for The Gateway Playhouse as a carpenter and rigger, and he went on to work for Norwegian Cruise Line. After another summer at the Janiec Opera Company, he came full circle and returned home to Cincinnati. Jack is eager to continue to do the cutting edge work ETC is known for and has enjoyed working on such productions as An Iliad, Grounded, and The Humans.

Margot Whitney (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of the Ensemble Theatre family! Her previous credits include Sweat on Broadway and the first national tours of Mean Girls, Come From Away, Bright Star, The King & I, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and War Horse. She has worked with The Public Theatre, Signature Theatre Company, New York Stage and Film, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, La Jolla Playhouse, Virginia Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati during the 2012-2013 Season, and Cincinnati Ballet. Margot received her BFA from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

Lexi Muller (she/her) is delighted to be back at Ensemble Theatre, where some of her credits include include Fun Home, The Wolves, Skeleton Crew, and Fly by Night. Other regional credits include Sex with Strangers, The House, Legendale, and 26 Pebbles with the Human Race Theatre. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and a graduate of Wright State University, where she received her BFA in Stage Management.