Savannah Boyd is excited to be making her Ensemble Theatre debut in the world premiere of The Match Game! Some of her favorite credits include playing Sandy in Grease with Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre and Ellie in Disney’s Freaky Friday, Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate, and Woman 2 in My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra with Cincinnati Landmark Productions.

Bruce Cromer (he/him) is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. He has been seen at Ensemble Theatre in An Iliad, Underneath the Lintel, St. Nicholas, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Next Fall, Time Stands Still, Wayfarer’s Rest, Blue/Orange, Next to Normal, and Freud’s Last Session. Bruce is a Professor Emeritus of acting and movement at Wright State University and a Certified Teacher of Stage Combat Emeritus with the Society of American Fight Directors. He has acted with the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, and more. He played Kim Burke in the film Dark Waters with Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway in 2019.

Deb G. Girdler began her career on the Showboat Majestic, attended UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, and has worked off-Broadway, in regional theatre, and in summer stock for over fifty years. Some of her favorite productions at Ensemble Theatre include Good People, Three Viewings, Three Tall Women, and The Last Session; her favorite roles also include playing the villainess in many ETC holiday productions. Deb is listed in the official scripts of several shows as a cast member of the premiere productions, including the stage version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Hoodwinked!  The Musical, and It Runs in the Family. She can be seen in the films Carol with Cate Blanchett and First Kill with Bruce Willis.

Henry Howland is a New York City-based actor from Cincinnati and is thrilled to be making his Ensemble Theatre debut. He has worked across the United States in regional productions including You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Rent at Scranton Shakespeare Festival; Cinderella, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre; and Cornelia Street, The Actor’s Studio NYC. This summer will be playing Lefou in Cortland Repertory’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Most recently, Henry worked with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati as Squidward in The SpongeBob Musical and Mr. Beaver in Narnia the Musical.

Jared Joplin is revved up to return to the Ensemble Theatre stage after appearing with his sister Jen Joplin in The Match Game. As a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, he has worked locally and regionally in New York and Canada. His favorite musical roles include The Sound of Music, The Carnegie; Don’t Cross the Streams, Falcon Theatre; Booty: A Pirate Musical, Cincinnati Fringe Festival; Smoke on the Mountain, The New Theatre STL; and Another Brick in the Wall, Cincinnati Opera, as well as the numerous roles he has performed in his car during his commute on I-75 from Dayton.

Jennifer Joplin is thrilled to return to the Ensemble Theatre stage. She is a graduate of Wright State University and is the director of development here at ETC. Originally from St. Louis, she has called this region her artistic home for almost thirty years. Jen is a proud member of Actor’s Equity with regional credits that include Aimee in The Humans and Rosemary in Outside Mullingar, Ensemble Theatre; Mrs. Hubbard in Murder on the Orient Express, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Jaques in As You Like It and Cleopatra in Cleopatra, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; Virginie in The Man-Beast, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and two of her one-person shows premiering at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. She is the proud mama of Max, lucky partner of Jason Jason, Sisterfer to Bruthaman, and blessed daughter of Janie and Joneal Joplin.

Allen R. Middleton (he/him) is a BroadwayWorld Award-winning actor and a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. His regional theatre credits include Sweat, Proof, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, The Lion in Winter, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Next Fall. His feature film credits include Lost & Found in Cleveland, Curvature, Alligator Alley, and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.  Allen appeared on television for five seasons on the cult SyFy Network series FTL Newsfeed.

Steven Strafford is the author of the award-winning solo show Methtacular! After many productions, the show was recorded live at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2019. His play Small Jokes About Monsters has been performed across the country and is published by Dramatists Play Service. His dystopian drama Greater Illinois had its world premiere at Playhouse on the Square this January. Other titles include The Model Congressman, Mona Quimby: Age 38, Squeakers, and Steven Strafford is Steven Strafford, as Ann Jillian in The Ann Jillian Story, Starring Ann Jillian as Ann Jillian. As an actor, he’s appeared on stage, TV, commercials, and in movies. He once played Hepatitis A for an industrial, and he still receives emails about that performance.

Jared D. Doren is a local actor, director, and alumni of the 1995-1996 Ensemble Theatre Professional Acting Intern Program. His local directing credits include Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune and Bus Stop, New Edgecliff Theatre;  Small Engine Repair and All New People, Untethered Theatre;  Assassins, And Then There Were None, and The Elephant Man, Falcon Theatre; and Pump Boys and Dinettes, Carnegie Arts Center. His acting credits include First Date, Around the World in 80 Days, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, The Frog Princess, A Question of Mercy, and Two Weeks with the Queen, Ensemble Theatre. As ETC’s programming and events manager, Jared manages the Studio Series and 1125 Bar Series content including PLAY/write! The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition.

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.

Maria Fernanda Ortiz Lopez (she/her) returns to Ensemble Theatre having designed costumes for Fiona: The Musical. A native of Mexico City, she studied fashion design in Mexico and earned her MFA in costume design and technology at the University of Cincinnati, where she designed and built garments for period and musical productions. After graduation, Maria worked as a production assistant on the second season of Apple TV’s The Afterparty and designed the costumes for On Earth as It Is in Heaven, an 1800s western short film. She previously worked as first hand for the costume shop at McCarter Theater Center and worked as a stitcher and wardrobe crew for the Texas Shakespeare Festival. She specializes in leather and crafts, having worked for several productions as a freelance in the New York and New Jersey area.

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.

Emily Egner, a Cincinnati native, is so excited to be making her choreography debut at Ensemble Theatre! After graduating from Pace University in New York City, she joined the faculty at Lachey Arts and Cincinnati Ballet. She currently teaches and choreographs multiple dance styles all over the city and is a certified fitness instructor at Body Alive. She was most recently the dance captain on the national tour of label•less, a new musical by Drew and Lea Lachey. Emily is thrilled to be back working at Ensemble Theater after assistant choreographing some of the 2022 production of The Dancing Princesses.

Hannah is in her second 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.

Melissa is a local fight director with over 20 years of experience choreographing and teaching stage combat. She has training with the Society of American Fight Directors and Dueling Arts International. Melissa is also the resident scenic charge artist and production associate for Ensemble Theatre, as well as a scenic artist for film under IATSE. When not at Ensemble, she can be found engaging in the combat of parenting her very energetic 8-year-old twins. She is thrilled to be part of bringing this beautiful show to life.

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 second season at Ensemble Theatre, this time as technical director. Jacob is a graduate of Morehead State University where he received a BA in theatre. Some previous technical direction credits include 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, and cat (Ronnie) for their continued support

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.

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.

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.