Meet The Cast

ALEJANDRA DECIMA
Echo
Alejandra is excited to be in her second show with Beechmont Players and her last one before college. She has been doing community theatre for several years and is excited to end on a high note in her favorite play. She wants to thank her mom, grandma, and amazing cast and crew that brought this show to life.

ALASKA STOUGHTON
Artie
Alaska is thrilled to be playing the role of Artie. Originally from Dayton, Ohio she spent most of her post undergraduate years training as an actor and dancer in Chicago, IL. She moved to Cincinnati two years ago and is loving it so far. Selected theatrical credits include Holly, The Wedding Singer; Heather Duke, Heathers; Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes; and Rizzo, Grease. She’d like to thank her fiancé, Brady, for designing these beautiful lights for the show and for running all these lines with her, Thanks Babe!! She’d also like to thank her parents for their constant support of the arts.

ELIZABETH HICKERSON
Dorothea
Elizabeth is proud to be making her Beechmont Players debut as Dorothea in this thoughtful show! Other favorite roles include Ivy (August: Osage County), First Witch (Macbeth), Henrietta (Silent Sky), Rosemary (Outside Mullingar) and many others around Cincinnati. When not on stage, Elizabeth is the Education Director for the Linton Peanut Butter and Jam Sessions, where she gets to play with children and music. She is so grateful to be part of this powerful ensemble. Enjoy the show!
Meet The Crew

KATE BRAUER-BELL
Director
Kate is thrilled to direct her first show with Beechmont Players! Recent directing credits include Blithe Spirit, The Tempest, and And Then There Were None. Kate has worked as a professional actress and now makes her living as an acting coach, but her favorite role by far is that of wife and mother. She is grateful for the time she spends with her family in community theatre.

SHELBY CARTER-COLLINS
Producer
Shelby is not sure how Kate keeps tricking her into taking on these new roles, but here she is again, loving it. Though not a stranger to the Cincinnati community theater scene, this is her first time producing. In true Elle Woods fashion, when she was asked to take on the role of Producer, she thought “What, like it’s hard?” and that was that. Shelby is so happy to be able to present this powerful show with such a phenomenal cast. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the performance, P-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-N-C-E, performance.

KAYLA SWELBAR
Stage Manager
Kayla is thrilled to be a part of this production, making her debut as a Stage Manager after 10 years of community theatre experience in the Cincinnati area. Having worked on many projects with Director Kate and Producer Shelby over the years, Kayla values the collaboration and learning opportunities that each new project brings. She would love to thank her husband, Caleb, for always supporting her projects and endeavors.

CJ BELL
Properties Designer/Sound Execution
CJ is a junior Technical Theatre major at SCPA.This is his first show with Beechmont Players. CJ enjoys creating sets, props and specialty costumes, including the wings for this show. You also will occasionally find him at the soundboard or riding his skateboard with friends. He hopes to pursue a BFA in scenic design after high school.

JOYCE BENTLE
Cinematographer (Dorothea's Documentary)
This is Joyce’s first time working with the Beechmont Players, but she has always been interested in theatre. She’s a corporate video producer by trade, and is thrilled to be doing a little creative fun side hustle with longtime pal Kent Meloy.

REAGAN CLAYTON
Lighting Crew/Running Crew
A junior lighting design major at SCPA, this is Reagan's first show with Beechmont Players. When not doing theatre, Reagan enjoys boxing and reading.

BRADY DUNN
Lighting Design/Execution
Brady Dunn is excited and grateful to contribute to the lighting design alongside such a wonderful cast and crew for this production. Having worked in various roles both on and off the stage.Some of Brady’s recent roles include Doc (Crimes of the Heart), Caliban (The Tempest), Malcolm (Macbeth), and Karnak (Ride the Cyclone), for which he also designed the lighting. He would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to his amazing partner, Alaska, for their unwavering support and patience. See him on stage next in the Falcon’s performance of "The Shark Is Broken."

ABBY HOBEK
Young Artie (Dorothea's Documentary)
Abby Hobek is no stranger to film, having appeared as Rachel in the Sundance Film Festival featured film "The Starling Girl" in 2023. Abby is a senior drama major at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and hopes to pursue a BFA in acting when she graduates.

ANDREW LEONARD
Lighting Crew/Running Crew
This is Andrew's first show with Beechmont Players. He is a senior at SCPA, where he majors in lighting design and is also interested in costume design.

KENT MELOY
Film Director (Dorothea's Documentary)
This is Kent’s first show with Beechmont Players. He’s been directing films for 20 years and founded the popular Winterfilm Competition. By day, he works on his passion building custom guitars for his business, Tunguska Guitars, and teaches filmmaking classes at the University of Cincinnati.

DON PHILLIPS
Master Carpenter
Don has been behind the scenes building sets for the Beechmont Players and Footlighters for over 10 years. The best part is all the friends made along the way. Many thanks to the other master carpenters who have patiently taught me along the way, to my daughter, Julie, who got me started in Community Theater, and to my family who supports me each show. Last but not least, a thanks to members of the construction crew.

HARRISON SCHULTZ
Set Crew/Running Crew
Harrison loves working on sets. He has worked on shows at his school, Highland High School, and with Commonwealth Student Artists Theatre. He also participates in his school forensics team.

ATHENA UPDIKE
Load-in Crew
Athena is a sophomore drama, voice, and musical theatre student at SCPA. She has worked with many community theatres in Cincinnati and is happy to be part of this production.

REBECCA WIESMAN
House Manager
Becca is so excited to work alongside this amazing cast and crew backstage to bring this show to life! No stranger to the stage, she performed in her very first show with Beechmont Players in 2003 and has worked on or been a cast member of numerous shows since then. Most recently, Becca was seen as Vera in The Odd Couple: Female Version and had the title role of Charlotte in Charlotte's Web (RIP) in 2022. By day, Becca works at Xavier University and resides in Anderson Township with her husband of 23 years, Andy, their 20 year old daughter Sophia, and their collection of tiny dogs. Enjoy the show!

MICHAEL YARICK
Sound Design
Michael is a multidisciplinary creative based in Cincinnati. He holds an MFA in Theatre Arts with concentrations in Performance & Pedagogy, and a BA in English/Drama. Recent credits include coaching the Kennedy Center’s National winning Irene Ryan’s Acting Scholarship, and the creation of Spectral Sights & Sounds: An Evening of Music & Theatre on the Spectrum.