FUNHOME

Amiee Collier (Alison) is proud to make her Ensemble Theatre debut! Amiee has a long list of roles, but here are some of her favorites: Merrily We Roll Along (Mary) and Next to Normal (Diana) at Lakeland Civic; Bat Boy: The Musical (Meredith Parker) and Equus (Hesther) at Blank Canvas Theatre; I'm Alive You Bastards and I Always Will Be (Dex) at Nightbloom Theatre Co.; Sweeney Todd (The Beggar Woman) at Cain Park; Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy) and Evil Dead – The Musical (Cheryl) at Beck Center. She would like to her family and friends for their love and support and to you, for supporting live, local theatre. amieecollier.com

Matthew Wright* (Bruce) is an actor, director and theatre educator whose work has taken him across the United States. As an actor he has appeared at such nationally acclaimed regional theatres as The La Jolla Playhouse (The Matchmaker, 80 Days), The McCarter Theatre (The Dawns Are Quiet Here), The Clarence Brown Company (Hamlet, As You Like It), The Studio Arena Theatre of Buffalo (The Boyfriend), Trinity Repertory Theatre (A Christmas Carol, Julius Caesar, On The Town,) The New Theater (Angels in America, Love! Valor!Compassion!, How I Learned To Drive, Around The World in Eighty Days, House of The Seven Gables) Actors' Playhouse (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Jesus Christ Super Star) and Florida Stage (Exact Center of The Universe). Since moving to the Cleveland area seventeen years ago, Matthew has appeared in: Cleveland Playhouse's Every Good Boy Deserves Favor; Great Lakes Theater Company's The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Twelfth Night; The Nether and A Civil War Christmas at Dobama Theatre; There is A Happiness That Morning Is at Cleveland Public Theater; RUTHLESS!, She Loves Me, n: The Musical, A Man of No Importance, The Fix, Reefer Madness, and The Imaginary Invalid at The Beck Center for The Arts; the Cleveland Jewish Community Center/ Tri-C collaboration of Ragtime; Das Barbecu at Cleveland Opera; King Lear at College of Wooster; and in Man of La Mancha, Romeo and Juliet , The Illusion and Assassins among many others at Oberlin College, where he is a founding member of the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival. He's former Chair and currently Professor of Theater at Oberlin College. Proud member of Actors' Equity Association since 1988.

Sandra Simon* (Helen) is proud to be a part of this compelling work. Favorite regional credits include The Last Five Years (Cathy), The Music Man (Marian), The Secret Garden (Lily), Sweeney Todd (Johanna), Side Show (Violet), Into the Woods (Cinderella), Goblin Market (Laura), Passion (Fosca). On the opera and concert stage, Sandra has appeared with Opera Atelier of Toronto, Tafelmusic Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Ojai Music Festival, Singapore International Festival of the Arts, and has recorded on the Naxos, Koch, Avie, Eclectra and New World labels. Sandra holds a M.M. in vocal performance from Cleveland Institute of Music and serves on the voice faculty at Baldwin Wallace University. Love to Reed, Lydia, Peter and all of her fabulous BW students.

Ella Stec (Small Allison) is delighted to take the stage at Ensemble Theatre and to get to share it with this amazing cast! Ella is twelve years old and has performed in many regional productions including Matilda the Musical (Matilda) at Beck Center, A Christmas Story (u/s Esther Jane, Helen) at Cleveland Play House, Gypsy (ensemble) at Beck Center, Aunt Leaf (Annabelle) at Cleveland Play House Theatre Academy, Annie (Kate) at Aurora Community Theatre, and To Kill A Mockingbird (Scout) at Weathervane Playhouse. She has also performed with the OMEA All-State Children’s Chorus. Ella thanks Joanna and the entire creative team for all of their amazing work behind the curtain. A special shout out to her very own supporting cast of family and friends who love her on stage and off! Love ya right back!

Olivia Billings (Medium Allison) is humbled to be a piece of this beautifully flawed woman's story. She is currently earning her BFA in Acting at Baldwin Wallace University, where she just finished playing Sonya in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Olivia would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their overflowing support and love in her artistic endeavors. She would also like to thank Joanna, Celeste, and the entire cast and crew, with special love to Danyel, for their honesty and inspiration every day. For Chloe. oliviabillings.org

Danyel Renee Geddie (Joan) is excited to make her Ensemble Theatre debut. Hailing from Maryland, Danyel is a senior at Baldwin Wallace University, working towards her BFA in Acting. Her previous credits include Julius Caesar at Great Lakes Theatre (Cassius u/s), King Lear at the Beck Center (Cordelia), As You Like It with Shakespeare in the Valley with Chagrin Arts (Rosalind), Marisol (Angel), Intimate Apparel (Esther), Breach (Lucy), among others. She sends love to her family, Cameron, Terrence, Mom, Dad, the cast and crew of Fun Home, and those who've supported her theatrical dreams.

Danny Simpson (Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy) is honored to make his Ensemble Theatre debut with such a wonderful cast in such a powerful show. Favorite credits include Blank Canvas Theatre’s productions of We Will Rock You (Galileo Figaro), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Riff Raff), John Carroll University’s I Hate Hamlet (John Barrymore), Lakeland Civic Theatre’s Merrily We Roll Along (Joe Josephson), Western Reserve Playhouse’s Hay Fever (Sandy Tyrell), Cain Park’s Ragtime (Father) and French Creek Theatre’s She Loves Me (Georg Nowack). Danny graduated from John Carroll University with a B.A. in Communications and Theatre Arts. Danny would like to thank his friends, family, extended family, Aunt Cathy, Jen and Tasha for their unconditional love and support. He would also like to thank Joanna and Rachel for this awesome opportunity.

Jake Spencer (Christian) is making his Ensemble Theater debut! He is twelve years old and has been acting since age six. Jake was the recipient of the 2019 Cleveland Critics Circle Rising Star Award for his performance in Ragtime (Little Boy) at Cain Park. Some of his favorite shows include A Christmas Story (Ralphie) at the Cleveland Playhouse, Newsies (Romeo) at the Brecksville Theater, Mary Poppins (Michael) at the Geauga Lyric Theater, and Peter Pan (Michael) at the Weathervane Playhouse. Jake is very excited to be working with Joanna and the rest of the cast, and he would like to give a special thanks to his mom, dad,
and his little brother.

Ian McLaughlin (John) is honored to play the role of John. Previous credits include Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka JR, Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol (Great Lakes Theater), Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man (Great Lakes Theater), Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man (Idaho Shakespeare Festival), Michael Banks in Mary Poppins Jr. (82nd Street Theater), Randy in A Christmas Story (Cleveland Play House), and Bud Ogden-Porter in Mothers and Sons (Beck Center for the Arts). Ian has studied acting with Great Lakes Theater, Cleveland Play House Academy, and Broadway Artist Alliance in New York City. Many thanks to his family, friends, and amazing directors, cast and crew of Fun Home for their love and support in helping him fulfill his dreams.

Lexi Cowan (Standby Small Alison) is in the 8th grade at Laurel School. She is thrilled to be back on the Ensemble! She performed here earlier this season in By the Bog of Cats and in Kindertransport. Lexi earned her first professional acting job at age 3 in the Lionsgate film Warrior. She has since had roles in films for Focus Features and Netflix. Some of Lexi's favorite performances around town have been with Great Lakes Theater, The Cleveland Playhouse, Cain Park, & Dobama. She has performed as a solo artist with both The Musical Theater Project and numerous times with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Lexi has spent the past 3 summers at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center where she has performed many main stage musicals in addition to a specialty performance group called Our Time Cabaret (OTC). She has also appeared in numerous commercials and print ads. You can look her up at IMDb.com. Extra thanks and hugs to Joanna, Celeste, Mom, Dad, Ben, and amazing family and friends!

:: FUN HOME :: MEET THE CREW

Joanna May Cullinan (Director)

Rachel Woods (Musical Director)

Ian Hinz (Set/Lights/Projections)