Wayside Theatre
Discover the Treasure

info@waysidetheatre.org

For tickets call the theatre box office at:
(540) 869-1776
Monday - Friday 10 AM - 5PM
7853 Main St. - PO Box 260 * Middletown, VA 22645

Melanie Collins (Ensemble) is a recent graduate of Hiram College with a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Theatre and French. Growing up in Geneseo, NY she participated in Community and High School theatre. Melanie continued to perform throughout her college career, receiving roles in such plays as Anton in Showbusiness, The Real Inspector Hound, Arms and the Man, and many others. As supervisor of the scene shop she was able to work with lights, sound, and construction. She is delighted to be able to share her talents on and off stage with the Wayside Theatre.

William Diggle(Gangster 1) is very excited to be joining the Wayside Theatre in the opening of its 40th season. As an intern in Wayside's company last season he played Cornelius Hackel in The Matchmaker and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. He also directed A.R. Gurney's Ancestral Voices and played Heinz and a Hitler Youth in And Then They Came For Me during our winter season. William holds a B.A. in Economics and Theatre from Wake Forest University. He would like to thank all the people at Wayside for giving him a start in the professional theatrical world.

Richard Follett (Gangster 2) has been seen by Wayside Theatre audiences as Jackson in Pump Boys and Dinettes, as TR in Tintypes and as Old Joe in A Christmas Carol as well as last season's All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten and this Winter Season's production of The Weir. He teaches ninth grade English at nearby Warren County Junior High School. When he is not teaching or performing, Richard is a contemporary folk singer/songwriter with recordings distributed nationally and a certified massage therapist with a growing local practice. Love and thanks to Mary Ruth, who brings meaning to the madness.

Noah Foreman (Ensemble) is happy to be returning to Wayside as an intern this summer. Previous Wayside roles include Past in A Christmas Carol and Charlie in Marvin's Room. Other favorite roles include The Baker in Into The Woods, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard Of Oz, Bottom in A MidSummer Nights Dream and Prospero in The Tempest. Noah is very pleased to have the opportunity to be interning here at Wayside Theatre.

Lucianne Hamilton (Ensemble) is making her Wayside Theatre debut. She is a rising senior at Shenandoah University and has been working with Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre for the past two years. Some of her credits include West Side Story, Peter Pan, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamocoat, The King and I, Show Boat and Smile with Maine State Theatre.

Tiffany Hickman (Ensemble) is pleased to be interning with Wayside this season. She made her debut on the Wayside stage this spring as Cinderella in LFCC's production of Cinderella. Other favorite roles include Alice in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Baker's Wife in Into The Woods. Tiffany wishes to thank her mother for all her support.

James Laster (Harry Trevor/Baptista) appeared last season in All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten and in A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge. Other Wayside appearances include Marvin in Marvin's Room and a pianist in Tintypes and as the Provost in Measure for Measure. James has appeared as the Resident in the Helen Hayes Award winning production of Indian Ink at Studio Theatre, Washington D.C. Up the road, at Shenandoah, he has been musical director for over 50 musical productions and has been seen on stage as Col. Pickering in My Fair Lady, Pellinor in Camelot, B.F. Simkins in Singing in the Rain, as Fodor in Crazy for You, and most recently as Sir Edward Ramsay in The King and I.

Christopher LoDuca (Bill Calhoun/Lucentio) arrives at the Wayside Theatre from Chicago by the kind invitation of Warner Crocker. He has previously worked with Warner in Chicago as both an actor and director. Chris more recently played Barry in the Chicago Production of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh-now running Off Broadway in New York. He worked with Stephen Sondheim as Artie in the American premier of Saturday Night-produced in part by Music Theatre International. After opening with rave reviews from Variety and The New York Times, Sondheim decided to open Saturday Night for a limited New York run in the spring of 2000. Chris is grateful to be working with Warner and Thomasin again since they've been missed back in Chicago. Chris sends his love and thanks to his best girl, Kimberly for being a trooper in his time away from home.

Jef Mueller (Paul) is pleased to be back on stage at Wayside. He last appeared as the near-silent Eddie in Pump Boys and Dinettes, and Jef is happy to be singing this time 'round. A graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory's Directing program, Jef is currently teaching here in the valley at James Wood High School where the drama program has enjoyed considerable success under his direction, putting on such productions as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Into the Woods, Li'l Abner, Arsenic and Old Lace, and his own play, 4-man, Full-Contact, Australian Rules Hamlet. As an actor Jef has enjoyed roles as Owl in Winnie the Pooh, Danforth in The Crucible, and Argon in The Imaginary Invalid. When not teaching or acting, Jef sings and plays guitar, making up one half of the acoustic duo-Jef[f].

Ken Nilsen (Ralph) has an M.A. in environmental education and a Masters of Divinity in theology and is ordained in the Lutheran Church. Kenn was last seen here at Wayside in the production of The Weir and in A Christmas Carol where he portrayed the Characters of Marley, The Grocer and Yet To Come. Other roles include Fagin in Oliver, The Hadj in Kismet, Deadeye Dick in Pinafore and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Kenn loves canoeing on the Shenandoah, Freebird by Lynard Skynyrd, and his family.

Richard Rella, Jr. (Hortensio) is proud to be making his debut at the Wayside Theatre. For the past three seasons Richard has been the production stage mananger at the Evergreen Dinner Playhouse in New Jersey. A recent graduate of Fordham University, Richard has appeared in such roles as Nicely-Nicely in Guys And Dolls and Stine in City of Angels. His other regional credits include: Will Rogers in The Will Rogers' Follies, Sancho in Man of La Mancha and Lancelot in Camelot.

Russell Rinker (Fred Graham/Petruchio), now a resident of Chicago, this Strasburg native is thrilled to come home to Wayside Theatre. This year Russell "brushed up" his Shakespeare as Feste in Twelfth Night at Cape Fear Regional Theater and as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other credits include About Face Theater, the Virginia Shakespeare Festival, and Shenandoah Summer Music Theater. Russell plays seven instruments, holds advanced certification under the Society of American Fight Directors, and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary. Mucho love to his family and the Papstar.

Courtney Ross (Ensemble) is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory with a BM in Vocal Performance. She has been in shows like Annie, Into The Woods and A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum. Operas include Marriage of Figaro, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Bartered Bride. She presently teaches private voice and is pursuing a performing career. In the future she plans to attend graduate school. Courtney is very excited to be making her debut here at Wayside Theatre!

Scott Ruble (Gremio) is excited to return to the Wayside stage after appearing as the Prince in Cinderella. Wayside audiences may remember Scott as Fred in A Christmas Carol, August in The Matchmaker or Charlie Brown in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Other roles include Lionel Toop in See How They Run, Rick Steadman in The Nerd, Danny in Grease and most recently Young Ed and Poppy in And Then They Came For Me. Along with his acting at Wayside, Scott also serves as Company Manager and has authored three of the touring Children's Tours. Scott would like to send his love and thanks to all those special people in his life (you know who you are). Enjoy the show!

Thomasin Savaiano (Lilli Vanessi/Kate) is delighted to have the opportunity to work on the Wayside Theatre stage again this season. She most recently appeared at Wayside Theatre as Sally Talley in Talley's Folly and herself in All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Annelle in Steel Magnolias and Irene Molloy in The Matchmaker. Following Talley's Folly she appeared in Theatre Virginia's holiday production of the musical A Wonderful Life as Violet Bick. Wayside Theatre audiences will also remember her from her performances in La Bete, Stonewall Jackson's House, Tintypes, Ballyhoo, Bedroom Farce and Measure for Measure. A Chicago native, who is now permanently transplanted here in the Valley, she has worked in a variety of theatres in and around Chicago, as well as in Michigan and Colorado. She also has enjoyed teaching Acting and Musical Theatre Performance to children and teens in Chicago, and is happy to continue that work here in Virginia, running Wayside Theatre's Young Performer's Workshop Program. In addition to her work at Wayside Theatre she has also been heard on the radio program Suitcases with Ian Williams.

Allen Schaefer (Harrison Howell) is excited to be back in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley for another season at the Wayside Theatre. Allen was last seen on the Wayside stage as Rudolph in The Matchmaker. Other roles here include Joe Farcas in Last Night of Ballyhoo, Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, and Nick in Bedroom Farce. He has played many diverse roles in the last 15 years, from a singing ape in a Chicago production of Jane's Jungle Love (a musical adaptation of Tarzan), to Oberon in a production of a Midsummer Night's Dream that was taken to Moscow. Allen has a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

John Stanier (Ensemble) comes to Wayside from Atlanta, GA with over seventy plays, musicals, films, and commercials under his belt. He recently completed his second national children's theatre tour and is glad to be off the road for a while. John has a degree in Mass Communication and has enjoyed previous careers in broadcasting and tourism. Favorite roles include John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, John Proctor in The Crucible, Adam in Children Of Eden, and the dumb guy in The Complete Works Of Shakespeare Abridged.

Summer Wronge (Hattie) graduated from Shenandoah University this spring of 2001 with her B.F.A. in Music Theatre. Some of the productions she has been in at Shenandoah are Pippin, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, Bloomer Girl as Augusta, Sweet Charity as Helen and Playground as the Gypsy. Last season Summer was seen as Anita in Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre's production of West Side Story. Summer can also be heard on the Shenandoah University professional CD recording of Take It Easy. She says: "Though the goal is Broadway, where ever the Lord leads I will follow."

Warner Crocker (Artistic Director) is thrilled to begin his third season as Wayside Theatre's Artistic Director. He has produced, directed and designed over 92 productions in the USA and Russia during his 24-year career. He is also the author of two adaptations of The Three Musketeers: a musical version in Russian that is still playing in the repertories of the Musical Theatres of Omsk and Yekaterinburg, and a dramatic version that had its world premiere at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival two years ago. The bulk of his career was spent in Chicago, where he was the recipient of five Joseph Jefferson awards -3 for directing and 1 each for scenery and lighting design and two After Dark awards. His productions of The Ballad of the Sad Café and The Kentucky Cycle were honored with Best Production Citations. He was the founding artistic director of The Absolute Theatre Company in 1981 and has worked for many theatres including New Tuners, Pegasus Players, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Zebra Crossing and Chicago Dramatists. He has been a guest instructor at Columbia College, Roosevelt University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and his alma mater, James Madison University. He currently sits as a board member for Virginians for the Arts and as an Advisory Board Member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival.

Betsy Blauvelt (General Manager) is originally from Hampton, Va. She is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (now Shenandoah University) majoring in Music Education with emphasis on voice and piano. She taught music in Clarke, Rappahannock, and Warren Counties, operated a music studio for voice and piano for 33 years in Front Royal, VA, founded and was Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Arts Council, Inc for 13 years, and currently is in the 29th year as Director of Music at Front Royal United Methodist Church, where she directs seven vocal and handbell choirs. She served on the Warren County School Board for fourteen years and was President of the Virginia State School Board Association. In the Theatre arena, she has been active in the Front Royal Little Theatre, having played the roles of Mother Superior in The Sound of Music, Vera Charles in Mame, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, and Kate in Kiss Me Kate. She has also been part of the technical crews on non-musical productions, serving as assistant director, stage manager and set designer. When not performing, working at the Theatre, or running in three directions at once, she enjoys reading-mysteries and historical novels-and re-decorating her home. She is married to David, a former Band Director and they have two grown children and a new grandson. This season marks her second season at Wayside Theatre as General Manager and so far "everything is coming up roses"!

Mary Willis White (Music Director) is happy to return to her hometown and to Wayside Theatre where she has been seen as on-stage pianist for Tintypes, conductor for Quilters, and Music Director and Narrator for last season's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Currently residing in Manhattan, she sang the role of Fosca in a staged concert of Sondheim's Passion for Markovmir Productions. This past year, Mary worked under Founder Tim Jerome and Guest Artistic Director Martin Charnin for the National Music Theater Network. She has served as assistant musical director and/or played piano or horn for shows including She Loves Me, Big River, Grease, Cinderella, Oliver, Wizard of Oz, Gigi, Jesus Christ Superstar, State Fair, Pippin, Camelot, Crazy for You & Damn Yankees. A graduate of Shenandoah University, she teaches at Manhattan School of Music.

David A. Vandervliet (Production Stage Manager) is glad to be back for a second tour of duty with the Wayside Theater. While he was away, Dave was the stage manager for the World Premiere of "Dream House" at the Centenary Stage Company in Hackettstown, NJ. Dave has worked Off Broadway with the NY Deaf Theatre and has toured nationally with the National Theatre of the Deaf. Other companies include The Kings Theatre Company, Pushcart Players, The Lycian Center, Bergen Festival, The Other Vic, and The Purple Rose Theatre Company. Dave is a graduate of the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!) Thank you Star!

Nick Collins (Scenic Designer and Technical Director) is thrilled to join the talented staff here at the Wayside Theatre. Past designs include The Arabian Nights, The Bartered Bride, and Solid Gold to name a few. Nick has also had the pleasure of working with Theatre in the Square in Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia, Paramount's Carowinds Theme Park, The Cobb Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts and the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte. He received his B.A. in Scenic and Lighting Design from Shenandoah Conservatory and sends many thanks to family, teachers and friends. Enjoy the show!

Sean M. Savoie (Lighting and Sound Designer) is excited to be returning to Wayside Theatre for his second season as designer and production manager. In addition to having designed lighting and sound for such shows as Talley's Folly and Woman in Black at Wayside, Sean also designs for the dance division at Shenandoah University. In the very small amounts of time left over, he also designs now in the Washington DC area. In 1999, with his alma mater, The University of Southern Mississippi, he designed the Rimers of Eldritch that graced the Kennedy Center for the American College Theatre Festival. That continued this season with Tsunami Theatre Company's production of Talc on the Millennium Stage. Sean would like to thank his family; both at home in New Orleans and here at Wayside, for the support and opportunities.

Kerith Wolf (Costume Designer) is happy to be returning to Wayside for her third season. Kerith's Wayside design credits include Bedroom Farce, The Matchmaker, Steel Magnolias, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Talley's Folly and The Woman In Black. She just completed work as an intern with Baltimore's Center Stage Theatre as a part of completing her MFA in Costume Design for the University of South Carolina where she designed Arcadia and Romeo and Juliet.

Robert Branch (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at Wayside Theatre with Warner and embarking upon his new adventure as Assistant Stage Manager. He has previously appeared at Wayside in productions of Measure for Measure, Inherit the Wind, Ancestral Voices and most recently in the role of Jim in The Weir. Last year Rob toured the USA performing with major symphony orchestras such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Landis & Company's mask and mime production of Beauty and the Beast. Rob spent a few seasons at The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival (under the Artistic Direction of Paul Barry), where his roles included Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. Other regional theatre credits include: The Riverside Shakespeare Company in NYC, the Source Theatre in DC, The Rep Stage Company and the Charlotte Repertory Theatre. After studying electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he graduated from the National Shakespeare Conservatory in NYC. He has been seen playing a really bad guy on the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street and is generally looking forward to eating bugs for his role of Renfield this fall in Wayside Theatre's production of Dracula.

Steve Przblyski (Production Intern), is thrilled to settle down at Wayside after a year's worth of touring! He has recently appeared with Bridgework and American Family Theatres, has directed for Northern Lights Playhouse and Pinewood Dinner Theatre, and his first musical premiered last summer with Stanwyck Productions Youth Theatre. Steve is a 1999 graduate of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA.

Robyn Raley (Production Intern) has been playing piano professionally for three years and is thrilled to be working with Wayside Theatre for her second time. A recent graduate of Strasburg High School, she also has performed in numerous plays and musicals thoughout the school year. She plans to attend American University in the fall to pursue a career in theatre. Robyn would like to send her heartfelt thanks to her friends and family for their love and support and would like to dedicate her performance to the memory of her dear friend, Levi Ramos.

Niki Seabaugh (Production Intern) is originally from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and attended Mississippi University for Women where she graduated with a B.A. in Theatre. A few of her favorite credits include The All Night Strut, Blithe Spirit, Collected Stories, Matrimonial Murder, Mother Hicks, and Tapestry: A Musical Revue of Carol King.

Elizabeth B. Taylor (Administrative Intern) is originally from Houston, Texas. Elizabeth is a rising senior at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In May of 2002, Elizabeth will graduate from Sweet Briar with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre, a minor in Dance, and an Arts Management Certificate. Her recent roles on the Sweet Briar stage include Mrs. Penniman in the Heiress, Whitney in A Piece of my Heart, Deliah in Creative Control and Katie in Meet Me in St. Louis.

Chanteé Thornton (Costume Intern) is a self-taught costumer, and comes to Wayside Theatre following two seasons with the Theatre of the First Amendment in Fairfax. Of the plays presented during her time there she found Mary Hall Surface's Sing Down the Moon and Perseus Bayou extremely satisfying. She has also worked for George Mason University's Dance Company. Their Gala performances have included Alwin Nikolais's Tensile, and Mark Morris's Marble Halls. For her, costumes present the delightful challenge of bringing the fanciful to life.

Actors' Equity Association was founded in 1913 to protect Actors from the severe mistreatment that permeated the industry at that time. Since its inception Equity has had only twelve Presidents. Its current President is Tony Award winner Ron Silver. The 39,000 member Association consists of distinguished stars and other professional Actors and Stage Managers who work nationwide, from New York's Broadway to Los Angeles, from Minneapolis to Miami Beach, in regional, stock and dinner theatre, and in theatres for young audiences, which build the audiences of tomorrow. These Actors and Stage Managers are committed to working in the theatre as a profession, not an avocation, and bring to you the finest professional training and experience. By presenting Equity productions, this theatre offers to you, our audience, the best entertainment by the finest quality Actors and Stage Managers that your admission dollars can buy.

Back to Kiss Me Kate