Phil Fiorini was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in Alice in Wonderland (2019), as well as Fly By Night, Violet, Hands on a Hardbody, and Sleeping Beauty (2014). He performed in the Broadway national tours of The Lion King (Pumbaa) and Greater Tuna. Some of his Cincinnati credits include A Flea in Her Ear with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and The Realistic Joneses with Clifton Performance Theatre. Some of his Kansas City credits include La Cage Aux Folles and The Legend of Georgia McBride, Kansas Repertory Theatre; Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, New Theatre & Restaurant; Mauritius and Dirty Blonde, Unicorn Theatre; Finian’s Rainbow, Spinning Tree Theatre; Twelfth Night and King Lear, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival; and Inspecting Carol and Little Women, Kansas City Actors Theatre. Phil was seen in the film Dark Waters. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Connan Morrissey (she/her) is honored to be returning to Ensemble after playing Nora in A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Laurie in Pipeline (2020 production). Connan has worked at other theatres around the country including Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD), Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, PlayMakers Repertory, North Carolina Stage Company, and the Asolo Theatre Center. She is a professional coach who helps individuals express their ideas with authenticity and impact, as well as a registered nurse.

Sydni Charity Solomon (she/her) is so excited to join Ensemble Theatre’s family for the first time. Her Cincinnati credits include To Spite One’s Face, Cincinnati Fringe Festival; Dickless, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and A Dream Play and The Burials, Cohen Family Studio Theater. Sydni is a senior at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music where she is pursuing a BFA in acting.

Annie Fitzpatrick (she/her) last appeared at Ensemble Theatre in The Wolves, and some of her favorite credits include Luna Gale, Hands on a Hardbody, Next Fall, Rabbit Hole, and String of Pearls. She recently appeared in Steel Magnolias at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Indiana Repertory Theatre. She has worked with various regional theatres including American Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Florida Stage, and Florida Studio. Her TV and film credits include Chicago P.D., Those Who Kill, Army Wives, White Noise, Dark Waters, The Old Man and the Gun, Fun Size, and Milk Money.

KG Rucker is an artist, actor, and dancer from West Sacramento, California. They recently graduated with a BA in theatre and dance from Muhlenberg College, where they performed in many productions including The Bacchae (Bacchae Chorus), A List (Mary), Anything Goes (Angel Chastity), and Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Ensemble), as well as performing in and choreographing several dance productions. They were a member of Muhlenberg’s tap ensemble, Copacetic Rhythms, and a founding member of a choreographic collective called Threading 3. In 2021, KG studied commedia dell’arte, clowning, and other forms of physical theatre at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. The following year, they became SAFD certified with recommendation in broadsword. Lately, KG has found a love for creating children’s theatre, having most recently played the Night Watchman in the Woodland Opera House’s production of Corduroy. They are ecstatic to be a member of ETC’s Professional Apprentice Program. Going forward, their goal is to make theatre that is stimulating, ephemeral, and accessible to all.

Jordan Whittaker (he/him) is originally from Morehead, Kentucky, and moved to the Greater Cincinnati region to pursue his passion for theatre. He recently graduated with a BFA in musical theatre and a BA in public relations from Northern Kentucky University, where some of his credits include Twelfth Night (Malvolio), Jekyll and Hyde (Gabriel Utterson/Hyde), New Year’s Eve at the Stop N’ Go (Jimmy), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Ensemble), and Three Sisters (Ferapont). Other recent credits include understudying for Comedy of Errors (Antipholus of Syracuse) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and appearing in Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig’s Holiday Party (Ballroom Dancer/Party Guest) and Ersatz Express (Beryl Brown) for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s “Off the Grid” productions. He is immensely excited to be working with the fabulous people at ETC!

Heidi Schreck is a writer and performer living in Brooklyn. Her critically acclaimed, award-winning play What the Constitution Means to Me played an extended, sold-out run on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for two Tony Awards. It had subsequent sold-out runs at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., as well as at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. A filmed version of What the Constitution Means to Me, starring Schreck, premiered October 2020 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, a PGA Award, and a DGA Award. What the Constitution Means to Me was named Best of the Year by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Time Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The New Yorker, and more; NPR named it one of the “50 Great Pop Culture Moments” of 2019. Schreck’s other plays Grand Concourse, Creature, and There Are No More Big Secrets have been produced all over the country, and she has worked as a stage actor in NYC for almost 20 years. Her screenwriting credits include I Love Dick, Billions, Nurse Jackie, and shows in development with Amazon Studios, Big Beach, Imagine Television, and A24. As both an actor and writer, she is the recipient of three Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award, as well as the Horton Foote Playwriting Award and the Hull-Warriner Award from the Dramatists Guild. She was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business in 2019 and was featured on Variety’s 2019 Broadway Impact List. Schreck was awarded Smithsonian magazine’s 2019 American Ingenuity Award for her work in the Performing Arts.

Brian Robertson (he/him) came to Cincinnati from Los Angeles and has spent the past 30 years working in film and television in the areas of cinematography, fight choreography, directing, and stage management in theatre and opera. Brian is a faculty member for Norther Kentucky University’s School of the Arts for Theatre and Dance where he oversees the playwriting, directing, and stage management programs. He also works as a guest director and instructor at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He has worked for Opera Southwest, Reduced Shakespeare Company, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Sarasota Opera, Bay View Music Festival, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Pones Laboratory of Movement, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, University of Kentucky, Carnegie Arts Center, Opera Project Columbus, Opera North, and Des Moines Metro Opera, among others.

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.

Chad Phillips (he/him) is very excited to be back for his sixth show with Ensemble Theatre, where his previous credits include Detroit ’67, The Mountaintop, Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean, and The Whipping Man. He just finished his fifteenth year as the costume director for the Cincinnati Opera and has also worked at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park as the costume design assistant. An Indiana native, he moved to Cincinnati in 1997 to attend the University of Cincinnati. Chad graduated in 2003 from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music with a BFA in costume design and technology.

Matthew Tibbs (he/him) is a sound designer and current chair of Theatre Design and Production at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. His sound design credits include Sex and Education, The Mountaintop, and Around the World in 80 Days, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Shakespeare in Love, As You Like It, and Romeo and Juliet, Utah Shakespeare Festival; Three Sisters, Violet, and Of Mice and Men, Clarence Brown Theatre; In Common, Purple Rose Theatre Company; Cry It Out, Detroit Public Theatre; and six summers and fifteen productions with Great River Shakespeare Festival. Matthew is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA).

Kaitlin Barnett (she/her) is a sound designer and audio engineer currently pursuing an MFA in sound design at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Originally from the Pittsburgh, PA area, she graduated with a BS in audio engineering technology from Belmont University. Kaitlin has been designing and engineering for companies such as Studio Tenn, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Street Theatre Company, Chaffin’s Barn Theatre, and Belmont University. She is also a member of both USITT and TSDCA. Kaitlin has been nominated for a KCACTF Region IV Festival Sound Design award and two First Night Awards for Outstanding Sound Design. Kaitlin aspires to design for both musicals and dramas and bring stories to life through sound.

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.

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.