Michael G. Bath returns for his 26^th consecutive holiday show with Ensemble Theatre, where he was last seen in The Dancing Princesses and Tiny Beautiful Things, as well as Crabble in Fly By Night, Eddie in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Ian Smithton in The Other Place, and Adam in Next Fall. He also played Duke Salinus and Dr. Pinch in The Comedy of Errors at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Michael is a graduate of Wilmington College and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Kearston Hawkins-Johnson makes their Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. Some of their previous credits include The Snowy Day and Other Stories, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; Dragon Play and Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and various films and audio dramas. Kearston is also a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes photography and filmmaking. They received a BFA in Acting from Northern Kentucky University with additional training at Howard University.

Taha Mandviwala makes his Ensemble Theatre debut with Tiny Beautiful Things. He is a 2016 graduate from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Theatre and he was a member of the 2016-2017 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His recent regional credits include The Taming of the Shrew and Witness for the Prosecution, Great Lakes Theater and Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Romeo and Juliet and Love’s Labour’s Lost, Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival; and Shakespeare in Love, Treasure Island, and multiple seasons of A Christmas Carol, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Taha enjoys his time as a parkour instructor and personal trainer at Swift Movement Studio and is actively involved in the Cincinnati movement community.

Kelly Mengelkoch has been seen at Ensemble Theatre in The Guys, Fortune, Red Velvet, This Random World, The Other Place, and Tribes. She has been a Resident Member of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for 18 years, as well as appearing at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Know Theatre of Cincinnati, The Human Race Theatre Company, Xavier University Theatre, and New Stage Collective. Her film credits include Dark Waters, The Old Man and the Gun, A Kind of Murder, Perceptions, Over-the-Rhine, and CSA: The Confederate States of America.

Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough, and the novel Torch. Wild was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as her first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. Strayed’s books have been translated into nearly forty languages around the world and have been adapted for both the screen and the stage. The Oscar-nominated movie adaptation of Wild stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl and Laura Dern as Cheryl’s mother, Bobbi. Tiny Beautiful Things was adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, who also starred in the role of Sugar/Cheryl. The play was directed by Thomas Kail and debuted at The Public Theater in New York City. Strayed is the host of the New York Times hit podcast, Sugar Calling and also Dear Sugars, which she co-hosted with Steve Almond. Her essays have been published in The Best American Essays, the New York Times, the Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, Salon, The Sun, Tin House, The New York Times Book Review, and elsewhere. Strayed holds an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and an Independent Spirit Award and People’s Choice Award. Stage credits include originating the role of Sugar in The Public Theater’s Tiny Beautiful Things, directed by Thomas Kail, Jennie in Theatre20’s Company, directed by Gary Griffin, and writer and actor of twelve The Second City’s revues (Chicago’s Jeff Award winner, Best Actress). Writing and acting film and television credits include: Helicopter Mom; My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2; Larry Crowne; Connie and Carla; I Hate Valentine’s Day; My Life in Ruins; Jane the Virgin; Law and Order: SVU; and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Vardalos is the New York Times-bestselling author of Instant Mom, the story of adopting her daughter via foster care, and all proceeds are donated to adoption groups.

Marshall Heyman has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, InStyle, W, Harper’s Bazaar, New York, and many others. He also wrote for the AMC show Dietland.

Thomas Kail directed the Broadway productions of Hamilton (Tony Award), In the Heights (Tony nomination), Lombardi, and Magic/Bird. His selected credits include the world premieres of Hamilton, Dry Powder, Tiny Beautiful Things, and Kings (The Public Theater), the world premiere of In the Heights, Broke-ology, and the world premiere of When I Come to Die (Lincoln Center Theater), and the world premiere of Daphne’s Dive (Signature Theatre Company). He is the co-creator and director of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. Mr. Kail’s television credits include Fosse/Verdon, Grease Live! (two Emmy Awards), 2 Broke Girls, and The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special.

D. Lynn Meyers is the Producing Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre, where she has directed over 80 world and regional premieres, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Hands on a Hardbody, Detroit ’67, I Am My Own Wife, Next to Normal, and 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, Ms. Meyers’s recent feature credits include Carol, The Old Man & the Gun, and The Public, in addition to serving as the Location Casting Director for The Shawshank Redemption. 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 recipient of the 2018 Rosa F. and Samuel B. Sachs Fund Prize for her regional arts impact and leadership.

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.

Kelly has been the head of the Wig and Makeup Design program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music since 2001, where her designs have been seen in several productions including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Xanadu, and The Marriage of Figaro. She has worked on several productions at Ensemble Theatre, including Violet, (all of) The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Whipping Man, Mrs. Mannerly, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and many more. Her work has been seen at Phoenix Theatre, The Wolf Trap Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Wright State University, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Denver Theatre Center, and Ford’s Theatre.

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.