Theatre Playbill

JUNE 8 – 10, 2023

Ethan Courter

(Rusty Charlie/Ensemble)

Ethan is excited and grateful to be a part of Cowley Summer Theatre debut season. He travelled to Arkansas City from Knob Noster, Missouri, where he recently graduated from his studies in Musical Theatre at State Fair Community College. Past credits include Ram's Dad in Heathers the Musical, Old Man Jenkins in SpongeBob the Musical, and Michael in Murder Ballad, all of which were produced by State Fair Community College. He would like to give special thanks to his past director Ryan Mahannah and Cowley College for providing him with the opportunity to be a part of this program, as well as Amollie Stoermer for joining him in the process.

Chad Anderson

(Lt. Brannigan)

Chad has been the Northern Oklahoma College Director of Musical Theatre for nine years, Ponca Playhouse Board President for nearly six years, and has performed, taught, and directed regionally since 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Music from Oklahoma Christian University, a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre/Directing from the University of Oklahoma. Chad has directed shows at several Oklahoma venues, including Sooner Theatre, Oklahoma City Theatre Company, Giving Tree Theatre, Ponca Playhouse, and Oklahoma Christian University. He has directed many shows during his time at NOC, including Little Shop of Horrors, The Addams Family, Carrie, Shrek, Freaky Friday, Next to Normal, Xanadu, Legally Blonde, Little Women, and Sweeney Todd. At the Playhouse, Chad directed Bonnie & Clyde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and was seen onstage in High Society, Man of La Mancha, and Taming of the Shrew. He is a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Pops Chorale and a frequent performer with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, performing roles in such shows as Footloose, Jekyll & Hyde, Tarzan, Les Miserables, Big Fish, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Titanic. Chad lives in Tonkawa, OK with his wife, Stefanie, and their two children, Sam and Chloe. Their oldest, Nathan, is a Marine currently stationed in San Diego.

Kennedy Beck

(Drunk/Ensemble)

Kennedy is thrilled to be performing in this Summer’s performance of Guys and Dolls! She has previously appeared in regional productions of Hairspray and Annie. She began dancing at the age of three in Wichita, Kansas. She attended Baker University where she received scholarships to their choral and dance programs. Theatre provides a nice change of pace from her day job as a Kindergarten Teacher in Valley Center. She also enjoys teaching at Kelcy’s Dance Studio in the evenings. She would like to thank her family, friends, and God!

Xavier Huffman

(Benny Southstreet/Ensemble)

Xavier is a sophomore in the Theatre program at Cowley College. This is his first internship with Cowley Theatre's summer stock, appearing as Jamie Lockhart in The Robber Bridegroom and The Son in Cowley's last season’s Six Characters in Search of an Author. Some of his favorite past roles have been Wadsworth (Clue on Stage), King Arthur (Monty Python’s Spamalot), and Justin Hicks (Fox on the Fairway).

Joshua Hall

(Nicely-Nicely Johnson)

Joshua is thrilled to be playing this role and so excited to be back on stage after a little bit of a hiatus. By day Josh is the theatre teacher at Andale High School and loves sharing the art of theatre with all of his sweet babies! They continue to be the reason he loves this industry so much! Previous to his time at AHS, he worked professionally in theater in various capacities around the state. He earned his B.A in Musical Theater from McPherson College and his Master in Education from FHSU. His most recent stage credits include playing the role of Roger in RENT! as a guest artist at Hutchinson Community College, Bill in Broadway RFD's production of Mamma Mia, and Motel in Fiddler on the Roof at the Fox Theatre. Big love to all his family and friends for their continued love and support as he continues to grow and create art! Enjoy the show!

Colton Smith

(Liver Lips Louie/Ensemble)

Colton is a senior Theatre Arts major from Lawrence, Kansas who is about to finish his final semester at University of Wisconsin - Parkside. Previous acting credits include Spring Awakening (Moritz), Indecent (Lemml), and The Thanksgiving Play (Caden) at UW-Parkside. Additional credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Ed) and The Humans (Erik) at Coffeyville Community College. Recently, Colton served as assistant director for Little Shop of Horrors at the Lawrence Arts Center. Colton received the 2023 Irene Ryan Best Comedic Performance Award at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (Region 3).

Brynlea Watkins

(Angie The Ox/Hot Box Girl/Ensemble)

Some of Brynlea's performances include Legally Blonde as Elle Woods showcasing her vocal, acting and dance talents, as well as Rizzo in Grease! and Disney’s Mary Poppins. This past holiday season she was a featured performer and interacted with families as “Busy Brynlea the Elf” at Hallmark’s Enchant, in Las Vegas, NV. She is a technically trained dancer, singer, and actress whose passion in life and dance inspires any audience. After more than 15 years of growth and intensive dance training, she furthered her education at Theater Arts Preparatory School, under the direction of Don Mirault. Brynlea has a strong foundation in singing and acting, and her talents in dance include jazz, hip-hop, tap, heels, ballet, musical theatre and contemporary. Brynlea is thrilled to be a part of Cowley’s production of Guys & Dolls!

Amollie Stoermer

(Sarah Brown)

Amollie is from the bustling metropolis of Mora, MO. Some of her favorite past roles include Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (LCAA), Heather Chandler in Heathers (SFCC) and Rona in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (LCAA). She’s thrilled to add Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls at Cowley Summer Theatre to that list. She recently graduated with her AFA in music at State Fair Community College, and is on her way to study musical theatre at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA this fall. When she’s not in class or rehearsal, she enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, jogging, and playing boardgames with her family and friends---unless it’s Monopoly or Terraforming Mars—yes that’s a board game. She wants to thank her family and friends for their support, especially her boyfriend Joshua for running lines with her for hours, and her mother Kathy and her father Larry. Enjoy the show!

Claire Kennard

(Miss Adelaide)

Claire is thrilled to be making her Arkansas City debut with Cowley Summer Theatre's inaugural season. You may have seen her around Wichita as Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg in Ride the Cyclone (Roxy's Downtown), Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show (Crown Arts Collaborative), or as Fastrada in Pippin (Wichita State University). She is also a dance teacher at Andover Dance Academy and choreographs throughout Kansas. She would like to thank her friends, family, and partner, Tim, for their never ending support and encouragement. Thank you for supporting local theatre! @claire.kennard

Peyton Williams

(Assistant Stage Manager/Fly Crew)

Peyton is a student at Cowley College. Born and raised in Arkansas City, Kansas, Peyton is excited to continue their education towards their goal of being a multifaceted designer in theatre. In the past, Peyton has been a proud part of Legally Blonde (Stage Manager), Grease! (Stage Manager), and Almost, Maine (stagehand) at Arkansas City Highschool, and a part of The Addams Family (Stage Manager), It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Assistant Stage Manager), Disaster! (Assistant Stage Manager), and Flora & Ulysses (Stage Manager) at Cowley. Peyton is excited to continue learning from their instructors to become a better designer and company member for future productions.

Jason Huffman

(Technical Director, Sound Designer)

Jason just completed his second year at Cowley College as the Technical Director of Theatre. He holds a BGS and MS HHPR from Pittsburg State University and completed Certified Public Management from Kansas University. Prior to Cowley College Jason spent 2 years as theatre director at Pittsburg High in Pittsburg, Kansas directing multiple shows and teaching theatre. From 1999 to 2019 Jason was at Memorial Auditorium in Pittsburg, Kansas and served as Technical Director for the Majority of time as well as General Manager for 3 years. He has directed numerous Musicals, Plays and Jr Starz which is a children’s summer musical camp and even had his production of The Wizard of Oz reviewed by the New York Times. He has designed all areas of theatre including Lights, Sound, Scenic, and Video. His designs have received awards for Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Scenic Design. He has presented Multiple times at State Thespian Festivals in Kansas and Oklahoma, International Thespian Festivals, and for Kansas Department of Education. He is also a respondent for KCACTF Region 5 and the Music Theatre Wichita Jesters Awards. He loves spending time with wife, two sons and 3 grandchildren, grilling amazing food, and cuddling with his dog Meko!

Maya Damron

(General Matilda B. Cartwright)

Maya most recently appeared as Ensemble/Ulla Understudy in The Producers at Ponca Playhouse in Ponca City, OK and Julia in Roxy’s Downtown’s production of Two Gentleman of Verona. Some of favorite roles include Philoclea in Head Over Heels, Medium Alison in Fun Home, Banquo in Mac Beth, and Orpheus in Eurydice, all at Southwestern College, as well as Miss Honey in Matilda: The Musical at the SC Summer Theatre Festival. Maya graduated in 2022 with her BFA in Musical Theatre from Southwestern College and is beyond excited to be a part of this incredible step for Cowley College and the community! Maya would like to thank Rick and Nick for the opportunity, her mom and dad for supporting every show she has been in, her fiancé for supporting her to chase her dreams, and most importantly Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom for getting her hooked on musical theatre.

Micah Whitley

(Society Max/Ensemble)

Micah, a Fort Worth, Texas native, is extremely excited to be an intern for the first ever Cowley Summer Theatre Program. This will be his ninth show for the Cowley College Theatre Department. Micah will be playing Calvin/Society Max/Joey Biltmore in Guys and Dolls. He is a recent graduate of Cowley College. He received his Associates of Arts in Secondary Education: History and his Associates of Fine Arts in Theatre. While at Cowley he was featured in Cinderella as a member of the Ensemble, as Boy in Six Characters in Search on an Author, Live Fireman and Granpa Frank Miller in Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, Goat/Ensemble in The Robber Bridegroom, Harry “Jazzbo” Heywood in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Chef/Victim 3 in Disaster!, and Ernie/Mr. Klaus in Flora & Ulysses.

Gwyneth Abrams

(Agatha/Ensemble)

Gwyneth is thrilled to be a part of the inaugural season of Cowley Summer Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls. Gwyneth is an upcoming sophomore at Cowley College, and is majoring in Theater with an emphasis on performance. Some of her favorite past roles have been: Flora in Flora and Ulysses, Jackie in Disaster!, Morticia in The Addams Family, Marjorie Baverstock in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.

Alicia Hunter

(Martha/Ensemble)

Alicia is thrilled to be participating in Guys and Dolls with Cowley Summer Theatre. Alicia is currently a student at Cowley College, seeking an AFA in Musical Theatre. Alicia is now participating in her 5th production with Cowley and is very excited to be here for another year. Some favorite past roles are Wednesday (The Addams Family), Sister Mary Downey (Disaster! The Musical), Marcy Parks (The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee), Princess Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress), Oliver Rivers (Puffs!) Dragon (Shrek the Musical), Stepmother (Into the Woods), Young Sala (Letters to Sala).

MJ Harper

(Vida Abernathy)

MJ is newly employed at Winfield High School in the performing arts department. She holds a MM from Kent State University and a BME from Pittsburg State University as a vocal major and violin minor. Some of her performing credits include Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Pittsburg State University), Delores in Sister Act, Cecily in The Odd Couple, Rose in Gypsy (Pittsburg Community Theatre), and the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical (Fort Scott Community College). Ms. Harper was most recently seen at Southwestern College as Yvonne/Harriet in Sunday in the Park with George and Grandma Addams in The Addams Family Musical at Cowley College. MJ has also been employed as a choreographer for Ranked (Fort Scott High School), director for Xanadu, The Last 5 Years (PCT), & Little Shop of Horrors (FSHS), and music director for shows like All is Calm, 13: The Musical (PCT), CATS (Midwest Regional Ballet) and more. Ms. Harper loves coffee, cookies, ducks, bridges, and the color yellow.

Nathan Oesterle

(Harry The Horse)

Nathan moved to the area from NYC where he worked professionally as a fight director and actor from 2011-2021. Currently, he is the Technical Director of Theatre for Southwestern College. Previous work includes Roxy’s Downtown’s Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Duke), Forum Theatre’s Elf (Walter Hobbs), Southwestern College’s Spongebob (Squidward), Ponca Playhouse’s The Producers (Roger DeBris), Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio), New Bedford Festival’s Mamma Mia! (Bill), City Kid’s The Fantasticks (El Gallo), Hudson Warehouse’s Three Musketeers (Porthos), Henry V (Nym), Othello (Rodrigo), Girl Behind The Curtain’s All Aboard! (Lead Man). Love to Emily. www.nathanoesterle.com

J Branson

(Scenic Design)

J Branson has been Chicago-based for more than 30 years, working coast to coast and in Canada. National tour credits: The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Brigadoon and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Regional premieres: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Christmas Story, Hairspray, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid. Other regional work: Smokey Joe’s Café, Forever Yours, Patsy, Jekyll & Hyde, Nunsense, Sunset Boulevard, Assassins and Chess. J couldn’t be happier to be associated with this inaugural production!!

Josi (Jones) Schwartz

(Mimi/Ensemble)

Josi is ecstatic to be performing at Cowley College once again. She has performed as Madame in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Roz Keith in 9 to 5, the Musical, and Donna in Mamma Mia!. Josi also participated in theatre when she was a student at Cowley. She was in Big River, 42nd Street, Into the Woods, and Cocktails With Mimi. Josi graduated from Cowley College with an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts and graduated from Friend's University with Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Leadership. Josi is from Winfield and currently resides in Geuda Springs with her husband and their 12 year old twin boys. When she is not singing and dancing, Josi is a stay at home mom and can usually be found on some sort of adventure with her family.

Wyman Wheeler

(Sky Masterson)

Wyman is thrilled to be a part of Guys and Dolls at Cowley Summer Theatre! Wyman has been in many shows in the Wichita area, most recently as Mischa Bachinski in Ride the Cyclone (Roxy’s Downtown). Other credits include Billy Nolan in Carrie: the Musical (Roxy’s) and Ensemble/Pippin U/S in Pippin (Wichita State) Wyman is an incoming senior pursuing a BFA in musical theater at Wichita State University. Wyman would like to thank the creative team, the cast, his wife Emalee, and his family for all their support.

Ryan Brown

(Nathan Detroit)

Ryan comes from Ponca City, OK! Some of Ryan’s experience includes Max Bialystock (The Producers), Willy Loman (Death of a Salesman), Buddy Layman (The Diviners), Igor (Young Frankenstein), William Barfée (The 25th Annual…Bee), Marcellus Washburn (CLOC), Beadle Bamford (CLOC), Herr Schultz (CLOC), Uncle Fester (NOC), Toad (NOC), Amos Hart (UCO), and Sancho Panza (UCO). Ryan is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join such a fantastic group of artists for Cowley Summer Theatre’s first season! He would like to thank this incredible creative team for such an amazing opportunity, and his family for their unwavering support!

Nick Albrecht

(Producing Artistic Director and Big Jule)

Originally hailing from Omaha, NE, Nick is currently the Director of Theatre at Cowley College and Producing Artistic Director for Cowley Summer Theatre. After GUYS AND DOLLS, Nick is very excited to be returning to North Dakota Shakespeare Festival to perform as Prospero in THE TEMPEST, having previously performed with NDSF as Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT and Lord Capulet in ROMEO & JULIET. Regional performing credits include: Roxy's Downtown, North Dakota Shakespeare Festival, Triad Stage, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Great Plains Theatre, Cortland Repertory Theatre, BLUEBARN Theatre, Omaha Playhouse, Post Playhouse, and many more. Some favorite roles include: King Arthur in SPAMALOT, Jud Fry in OKLAHOMA!, and most recently, Robert in THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. Education: MFA in Acting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and BA in Vocal Music Education, Vocal Performance, and Musical Theatre from Dana College. For more of his work, please visit www.nickalbrecht.com.

Rick Bumgardner

(Director)

A member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers (the union representing directors in the United States), Rick is especially proud to have been nominated for the National Zelda Fichandler Award in 2022 for having made, and be continuing to make, a unique and exceptional contribution to theatre in the selected region of nomination. Rick is the Producing Artistic Director of Roxy’s Downtown, where he has overseen or directed 50 productions since October of 2017. Rick has also been an adjunct lecturer at Wichita State University since 2019 in the theatre and musical theatre departments. Rick is honored to have been asked to direct the inaugural production of Cowley Summer Theatre and to be working with this group of incredibly fine and gifted theatre artists.

Markie Swanson (Stage Manager), an Arkansas City native and Cowley alumni, Markie Swanson, completed the performance track here before transferring to Southwestern to finish her bachelor's degree- majoring in general theatre, with a minor in psychology. Some of her latest credits include: stage manager, hair and makeup designer, paint charge, and Mrs. Puff in Southwestern’s summer production of The SpongeBob Musical, stage manager/technical director of Love Letter at the Burford, and stage manager for Southwestern’s production of Sunday in the Park with George. Markie is beyond grateful to have the opportunity to be the stage manager for Cowley Summer Theatre’s inaugural show (something she’s been dreaming to see for five years)!

Emily Rose Parman (Costume Designer) is a New York and Kansas based director, costume designer, and performer. She is overjoyed to return to her alma mater, Cowley College, for their inaugural summer theatre production. Ms. Parman graduated from Cowley with a degree in Theatre Arts in 2003, before moving to New York where she lived and worked professionally for 18 years before returning home to Kansas with her husband Nathan. Favorite Design Credits include The Revolutionists, and Taming of the Shrew at Ponca Playhouse, The Regime is Female with Badass Lady Productions, Three Sisters with HiveMind Theatre, Marrying Mozart with Dicapo Opera, and 10 years as the resident costume designer with NYC Classics company Hudson Warehouse. Ms. Parman is a three time nominee for the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Costume Design, and took home the award for Best Set & Costume Design for Parlor Tricks at the 2019 Fresh Fruit Festival, celebrating LGBTQ+ Theatre in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Undying love and thanks to NLO. www.emilyroseparman.com

Amanda Li (Music Director) recently relocated to upstate New York to teach voice and musical theatre at SUNY Oswego, Amanda was previously an Assistant Professor of Music at Southwestern College, where she music-directed Bright Star, Little Women, and Fun Home, among others. Amanda holds a doctoral degree in vocal performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington. Amanda is absolutely thrilled to be back in the area and work with the incredibly talented cast and musicians in Cowley Summer Theatre's inaugural show!

Jamison Rhoads (Lighting Designer) is the Associate Professor of Theatrical Media at the University of Central Oklahoma. Prior to working at UCO Jamison taught at North Greenville University, Newman University, Cowley College, The University of New Orleans, and Tufts University. Jamison was the TD and resident designer here at Cowley for 11 years from 2004 to 2015. He is delighted to be back in Ark City. Jamison holds an MFA in Theatrical Design from Temple University and is an alumnus of The Julliard School. Jamison is married to the love of his life Kate and the two have a precocious toddler names Stella, named after her great grandmother. Jamison is excited to be working on Guys & Dolls with all of these talented individuals in a place that has meant so much to him for so many years.