MOON

MEET THE CAST

Lara Mielcarek* (Josie Hogan) is grateful to return to Ensemble Theatre this year in a role that she holds close to her heart. She was only here at Ensemble one other time, as Lisa Kron in Well, for which she won Cleveland Critics Best Actress award for 2017. Lara is a core company member of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival and has played over a dozen of the Bard's leading ladies. She's been seen on many local stages, and has been directing more often as well (Art at Blank Canvas coming in April!). She received her MFA from Penn State and has been an Equity member since 2010. Lara's first trip to the Moon was in 2012, with Dougfred Miller... to whom she wholeheartedly dedicates this production. 
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Robert Hawkes (Phil Hogan) has been associated with Ensemble Theatre since the early 1980s. Phil Hogan is his eighth O’Neill role for Ensemble. Forthcoming roles: In April/May, various roles in Middletown at CVLT's River St Playhouse; in June, King Lear in King Lear at Beck Center; and in August, the male lead in two one-acts by Harold Pinter at convergence-continuum in Tremont, where he is a member of the company.

Nate Homolka (Mike Hogan), as a Cleveland Heights native, is quite pleased to be making his debut on the Ensemble stage. This production also marks his first performance in the Cleveland area. He has performed primarily in Akron on the stages of Rubber City Shakespeare Theater, and of None Too Fragile. He is currently attending school full time, and in April will be at Dobama for a staged reading of Rocket City Alabam’ with Interplay. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Mitch Rose (James Tyrone Jr.) is honored to be joining Ensemble theater once again. His previous appearances include Tyler Whiddens Occupation Dad, as Johnny "Rooster" Byron in Jerusalem and Willie Oban in The Iceman Cometh. Later this year he can be seen on the small screen as Ranger Rick Danger in the instant cult classic Killer Racoons 2. Mitch currently lives in Columbus and is a graduate of Ohio University.

James Alexandr Rankin (T. Stedman Harder) is grateful to be back having recently played Joe Pitt in both parts of Angels in America and many others roles with Ensemble Theatre. He is glad to be working with a such a fine group of artists. James is a Northeast Ohio actor and has worked at various theaters around town, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Great Lakes Theater, The Beck Center, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, None Too Fragile, Cleveland Public Theater and many more. Next for him is 1776 at OSF and King Lear at The Beck Center. James would like to thank his family, friends, and loved ones for all their support. Please enjoy the show, and continue to support live theater.

Dana Hart* (Phi Hogan U/S) first appeared with Ensemble in Steel Bound directed by Lucia Colombi and more recently in The Iceman Cometh and Jerusalem, and East of Eden, directed by Ian Hinz and in St. Nicholas, directed by Sarah May (Voted Best of Cleveland 2012). He has performed Off-B’way and with regional theaters including Alaska Repertory Theatre, San Diego Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Baltimore’s Center Stage The Cleveland Playhouse and the Harare International Festival of the Arts. He has also perform locally with The Beck Center, Cleveland Public Theatre, Actors’ Summit, TrueNorth Cultural Arts, Convergence-Continuum, Cesear’s Forum, and in the Equity Members’ Project: Heartbreak House.

MEET THE CREW

Ian Wolfgang Hinz- Director/Lighting/Sound, is a graduate of the Ohio University School of Theatre holding a B.A. in Theatre with an emphasis in playwriting. He has studied under Charles Smith, David McClendon, Robert Winters and Vince Cardinal.  Some of Ian’s directing credits for Ensemble include East of Eden, The Hairy Ape, Anna Christie, The Great Gatsby, Oakley Hall’s Frakenstein, The Colorado Catechism, Waiting for Lefty, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Miracle and Wonder and The Iceman Cometh for which he won a Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Director.  He has designed projections for both parts of Angels in America, The Great Gatsby, Wating for Lefty, Lower Ninth, Song for Coretta, The Normal Heart, The Gospel According to James, Animals out of Paper, Prelude To A Kiss, Beyond the Hoizon, and Voodoo Macbeth at Ensemble as well as Pitmen Painters, 33 Variations,Carrie, and Young Frankenstein at Beck Center. He has served as the Artistic Director for Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, as well as Facilities Coordinator and Stage Production Specialist for the Cleveland State University School of Music. He served as Producing Director for Tantrum Theatre in Columbus. His currently the Executive Director for Raise the Roof for the Arts in Sidney, Ohio. For Celeste and his family.

Cassey Fye (Assistant Director/ U/S Josie) is thrilled to make her Ensemble debut with A Moon for the Misbegotten. Cassey holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatre from University Mount Union and a Master's degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University. She currently works at The Cleveland Playhouse as a CARE Coordinator, and is passionate about using theatre as a tool for processing trauma and building community. Some of her past credits include Ivy + Bean The Musical (Director) at The Brecksville Theatre, Little Shop of Horrors (Assistant Director) at Heights Youth Theatre, Vagina Monologues (Ensemble) at The Brecksville Theatre, You Can't Take it With You (Essie) at The Cassidy Theatre, Charlotte's Web (Director) and Sleeping Beauty (Director) at The Players Guild Theatre, The Shape of Things (Evelyn) at North Canton Playhouse, The Lover (Director) and Waiting (Director) at University of Mount Union.

Becca Mosely(Stage Manager) is excited to be back for another season at Ensemble Theatre! She has served as the Resident Production Stage Manager for many Ensemble shows, including both parts of Angels in America, Radio Golf, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Margin of Error, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Iceman Cometh, Animals out of Paper, Knock Me A Kiss, Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, Thurgood, Death of a Salesman, and Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. She co-directed Run, Kingsbury, Run and recently Assistant Directed East of Eden. She was onstage in past seasons at Ensemble as a chorus leader 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) and Maggie ( A Chorus Line). Most recently, Becca played Ophelia in Hiram College's alumni inclusive production of Hamlet, and Antonia (Man of La Mancha.) 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 Kyle for always believing in the magic.

August Scarpelli (Technical Director)
Meg Parish (Costume Design).