Directed by Celeste Cosentino | Notre Dame Performing Arts Center
October 28 - November 13th, 2022.

MEEET THE CAST:

Joe Pine (Isaac) (he/him) is so happy to return to Ensemble for the second time, last seen as John (The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail). Joe is a company member and former actor/manager with the Ohio Shakespeare Festival where recent credits include Chris (All My Sons), Prince Christopher (Cinderella), Rocky (Rocky Horror Show), Jonathan (Dracula), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Feaste (Twelfth Night), Athos (The Three Musketeers) and Prince William (King Charles III). Joe also wrote stage adaptations of The Three Musketeers, Dracula and Frankenstein (co-written with wife Sarah Pine) all of which were produced by Ohio Shakes. Joe Has performed at Dobama Theatre, and with the Seven Stages Shakespeare Company in New Hampshire and NYC. All the moods and tenses...

David Vegh* (Nikolai) (he/im) is very excited to be returning to Ensemble, where he previously performed in another Rajiv Joseph play, THE NORTH POOL, as well as Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM. Locally, he has performed in THESE MORTAL HOSTS at None Too Fragile and ON THE GRILL at Dobama. His recent film and TV work includes the Netflix film SHIRLEY (opposite Academy Award-winner Regina King), the Paramount+ series MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, and the LeBron James biopic SHOOTING STARS for Peacock. Additional film and TV credits include Steven Speilberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (opposite Tom Hanks), GREY'S ANATOMY (pilot episode), DEXTER, and MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES (Netflix). Thank you to Celeste and Rajiv for making this possible, and a very special thank you to Erica for her off-the-charts levels of continual humor, love and support! *Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Laura Perrotta* (Yevgenia) (she/her) is thrilled to return to Ensemble. Her last show before the pandemic was as Evelyn in “KINDERTRANSPORT” at Ensemble. A native New Yorker, she’s lived and performed regionally and throughout the Cleveland area. Favorite roles include Arkadina in ”The Seagull”, Kate in “The Taming of the Shrew”, Lady M in “Macbeth”, Mrs Cheveley in “An Ideal Husband”, Elizabeth Proctor in “The Crucible”, Emma in “Stupid F***ing Bird” and Amanda Prynne in “Private Lives”. During the pandemic she wrote and performed her own piece in the Cleveland Play House’s virtual series, Theater Thursday, and zoom workshopped “Lake Erie Oubliette” by Chelsea Mercantel. She’s a certified actor and teacher of the Michael Chekhov technique, and volunteers as an end of life doula at Hospice of the Western Reserve. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Aaron Elersich (Vova) (he/him) returns to Ensemble in it’s new home with joy and gratitude. Past Ensemble credits include: The Great Gatsby (Tom Buchanan) , Prelude to a Kiss (Peter), and The Iceman Cometh (Chuck Morello). Aaron sends love always to his family, friends, and collaborators, with special thanks and apologies (tech week is long) to Carrie, Lon and Cat.

Katie Wells (Urzula)- is thrilled to be back on stage at Ensemble where she was last seen as the the Rose and the Snake in The Little Prince. After attending CSU she has been acting professionally on stages and screens throughout OH and NY for the last 10 years. Favorite NEO theatres she has worked with include: Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Blank Canvas Theatre, French Creek, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, None Too Fragile, Rubber City Theatre, The Illusion Factory Children's Theatre, Magical Theatre Co., and Avenue Arts Theatre in Canton to name a few. She is a proud Actors' Equity Membership Candidate. She is also an award winning costume designer, award nominated director and devoted theatre educator. She would like to thank Celeste for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you for supporting local theatre!

Kyle Huff (Feliks) (he/him) is grateful to be back on stage after a long creative hiatus. Kyle was in the Greater Cleveland theatre scene for a hot minute - you've probably seen him in one thing or another. Kyle's wants to thank Celeste and Ensemble for the opportunity. A special thanks to Becca, his folks, Brian, Ahmed, and everyone else for helping him keep it simple.

Laura Rauh (Mariya/Mrs. Petrovna) (she/her) is very happy to be returning to the Ensemble stage after last performing with them as Maureen in Rajiv Joseph’s “All This Intimacy”. Ironically, her next role was as a real-life Mom. She has also played in many wonderful Cleveland and Chicago stage and screen productions, including King Henry VIII, The Maids, No Exit, & Miracle on 34th Street.  Studies include Second City, Cleveland Play House, and Steppenwolf Theatre, with a BFA from Ohio University. She is very grateful to Ensemble Theatre and her wonderful family for support.  

MEET THE CREW:

Celeste Cosentino (she/her) : : (Director, Executive Artistic Director) has served in some "role" for Ensemble Theatre since she could walk and has worked in one capacity or another for local Cleveland theater's her entire life, spending many formative years "in the house" while her mother, Lucia Colombi, was interim artistic director for Karamu in the early to mid 80's, the same years her mother spent founding Ensemble Theatre. She has worked with worked with The Cleveland Play House, Dobama Theatre, Clague Play House, Cain Park, Bang & Clatter, Willoughby Fine Arts and others. She is a graduate of the Ohio University School of Theatre and returned to Cleveland in 2008, after living and working in New York City. Some of her favorite acting credits are Marela in Anna in the Tropics, Alice in Closer, Desdemona in Othello, and Kayleen in Gruesome Playgound Injuries. Favorite directing credits include The Gospel According to James, Death of a Salesman, Lower Ninth, Animals out of Paper, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The North Pool and most recently both parts of Tony Kushner's epic Angels in America! Celeste also spent some time in the corporate/business management world and worked for the Cleveland Museum of Art in their groundbreaking ARTLENS technology gallery for almost a decade. She recently accepted the ‘role’ of Director of Theatre Studies for Notre Dame College, where Ensemble has new residency, and where both her and her mother started their journey’s many years ago on the Regina stage. Celeste is the daughter of Ensemble Founder, Lucia Colombi and has returned home to support her mother's mission by providing a fresh perspective as the next Artistic Director. She was raised by Ensemble Theatre and has a special dedication to its continuation for many years to come.

Becca Moseley (she/her) : : (Production Stage Manager, Set Painting, Sound, General Manager) is excited to be opening another show at Ensemble's new home, Notre Dame College! In addition to serving as Ensemble's General Manager, she has served as the Resident Production Stage Manager/Assistant stage manager for many Ensemble shows, including both parts of Angels in America, A Raisin in the Sun, The Penelopiad, Intimate Apparel, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, the Iceman Cometh, Knock Me A Kiss, Anna Christie, Thurgood, Death of a Salesman, and many more. She co-directed Run, Kingsbury, Run and Assistant Directed East of Eden. She was onstage in past seasons at Ensemble as a chorus leader/puppeteer in Around the World in 80 Days, Pea in Jerusalem, the Childlike Empress/company in The Never Ending Story, The Phantom Tollbooth (Princess Rhyme/Ensemble,) and as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Other favorite credits not at Ensemble include Rosalind (As You Like It,) Fabiana Cunningham (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,) Dorine (Tartuffe,) Maggie (A Chorus Line), and Ophelia (The Horatio Project.) She thanks Ian and Celeste for building and nurturing a theatre that provides a constant supply of great scripts and people to bring them to life, her family for their love and support, and her husband Kyle for always believing in the magic.

Julia Fisher (she/her) :: (Intimacy Director) is delighted to return to Ensemble Theatre after performing in their production of Penelopiad. Julia is an intimacy director, playwright, actor, and director, and her work has been seen in professional theatres throughout Northeast Ohio. She is a Teaching Artist with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, where she is in the final stages of certification, and she has trained with Theatrical Intimacy Education, Movement and Combat Education, Cleveland Play House, and the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium. She is the Resident Intimacy Director at Rubber City Theatre, as well as a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America. www.juliachristinefisher.com

Kelsey Tomlinson (she/her) : : (Costume Design) is thrilled to be working on this production of Describe the Night. A professional Costume Designer, she currently serves as one of two Resident Costume Designers for Ohio Shakespeare Festival, and designs on a freelance basis from Canton to Cleveland. Favorite designs for Ohio Shakes include Cinderella, Rocky Horror and The Three Musketeers, an Adventure with Music. Audiences may also recognize her work on Spring Awakening (Blank Canvas Theatre), A Little Night Music (Lakeland), and Angels in America (Ensemble). Follow her work by searching #KLuelleCreative. Much love and gratitude to family, friends, and her husband Emerson.

Ian Hinz (he/him) : : (Projection/Set/Lighting Design) is a graduate of Ohio University. Ian has worked professionally as a producer, award winning director, Light, Set, & Projection designer, director of operations and theater educator for over sixteen years in Ohio and New York. He is co-founder of the Ensemble Stage-Wrights’ workshop, two-time winner of the Cleveland Critics’ Circle Best Director award and served as Artistic Director and Operations Manager for the city of Cleveland Heights’ historic Cain Park Amphitheater. He has worked in operations for The Ohio State University Jerome Schottenstein Center and the Cleveland State University Department of Music as a stage production specialist. He has produced off-off-broadway at the Gene Frankel Theater and worked in business development in the tech startup industry in New York City. He is currently the Executive Director for Raise the Roof for the Arts, in charge of program creation and scheduling and major capital renovations to The Historic Sidney Theatre in Sidney, OH.