Torie Wiggins has performed many solo shows at various venues across the country, including Your Negro Tour Guide and His Eye is on the Sparrow at Ensemble Theatre. Some of her film work includes A Christmas Melody, starring and directed by Mariah Carey, and The Old Man and the Gun with Robert Redford and Danny Glover. She has performed with and directed at many local theatres, appearing on the stages at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Human Race Theatre Company, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She has also worked with WAM Theatre in the Berkshires and The Resident Acting Company in New York City. She celebrates her fifteenth year as an artist here in Cincinnati and proudly calls Ensemble Theatre her artistic home.

Donnetta Lavinia Grays is the author of Kudzu Calling (World premiere: Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Where We Stand (World premiere: WP Theater/Baltimore Center Stage, Lucille Lortel, Drama League, AUDELCO, and Broadway Black Award nominee), Last Night and the Night Before (World premiere: Denver Center for the Performing Arts), Warriors Don’t Cry, Laid to Rest, and The Review or How to Eat Your Opposition. She is the recipient of The Whiting Award for Drama, Helen Merrill Playwright Award, The National Theater Conference’s Stavis Playwright Award, Lilly Award, Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award, and the Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award. For television, she has been staffed on Spectrum’s Manhunt, FX’s Y: The Last Man, served as executive story editor on Joe Vs. Carole for Peacock, and was a co-producer on Seconds for AMC. She penned the upcoming biopic film of Otis Redding starring Danielle Deadwyler and John Boyega called Otis and Zelma. Broadway acting credits include The Skin of Our Teeth, In the Next Room (Or the Vibrator Play) and Well. Off-Broadway credits include Where We Stand (WP Theater/Baltimore Center Stage), Men on Boats (Playwrights Horizons/Clubbed Thumb), Earth (The Foundry Theatre), In the Footprint (The Civilians- as an associate artist), and Shipwrecked! An Entertainment (Primary Stages). Film credits include The Life List, The Book of Henry, Wild Canaries, The English Teacher, and The Wrestler. TV credits include recurring roles on New Amsterdam, Happy, Rubicon, Mercy, and Law & Order: SVU, and guest starring roles on High Maintenance, The Night Of, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, A Gifted Man, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The Sopranos. Ms. Grays proudly hails from Columbia, South Carolina.

Candice Handy (she/her) is the associate artistic director at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She is a passionate theatre actor, director, and administrator. Candice is happy to be making her directorial debut at Ensemble Theatre! Some of her recent directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, The Amen Corner, Hamlet, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. She looks forward to directing Othello and Emma, at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company this season! Candice holds a BA from Alabama State University and an MFA in acting with certification in African American Theatre Art from the University of Louisville. She thanks God, her family, and friends for their unrelenting love and support.

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.

Dr. Daryl L. Harris is a professor emeritus of theatre and dance in the School of the Arts, Theatre, and Dance Program at Northern Kentucky University. He is a 60-year veteran of traditional, experimental, educational, and applied theatre. He has studied and worked throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. He has received multiple awards for outstanding costume designs throughout the country. Canada’s Royal British Columbia Museum has exhibited his costumes. This is his second costume design project with Ensemble Theatre. He experiences all creative collaborations as sustained communion with the Master Creator.

Robert Carlton Stimmel (he/him) is a Cincinnati native who received his BA in theatre from Miami University. Currently working as the production manager at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, he also works as an actor, director, and designer of various forms. Some of his Cincinnati credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Mrs. Dalloway, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Frankenstein, Julius Caesar, The Amen Corner, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, as well as To Kill a Mockingbird and A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Regional and international credits include A Room in the Castle, Folger Theatre; Gaslight and Frankenstein, Merrimack Repertory Theatre; The Fantasticks and The Normal Heart, Short North Stage; and Twelfth Night, Prague Shakespeare Company.

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.

Lexi Muller (she/her) is thrilled to return for her seventh season with Ensemble Theatre. Some of her ETC credits include The Wolves, Fun Home, Pipeline, Sweat, Morning Sun, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Regional work includes Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, and The Full Monty at The Human Race Theatre Company. A proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and a Wright State University BFA graduate. Lexi lives by spike tape, snacks, and Sharpies. She is especially thankful to her family for always supporting her love of theatre.

Maddi O’Connell (they/he), a Cincinnati native, is 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. Some of their favorite ETC credits include the world premiere of The Last Will & Testament of Madison Giles as the production stage manager; Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and The Garbologists as the 2^nd assistant stage manager; Hands on a Hardbody as the Heather u/s and assistant fight captain; the world premiere of Fiona: The Musical as Cal and Bibi/Red Oxpecker u/s; and the world premiere of It’s Fritz! as Fiona. As always, much love to Kim, Dan, the entire ETC staff, and the besties for the never-ending support and fun. ily!