MEET THE CAST AND CREW:
TYLER JC WHIDDEN (Playwright) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the youngest, least-talented son of a hockey-first family. After earning his BFA in Playwriting from Ohio University, Tyler embarked on a 37-state, 10-year odyssey as a stand-up comedian where he was labeled by critics as, “brilliant,” “tragic,” and “probably stoned.” He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College and his thesis play, Dancing With NED, has received productions in New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington. His play, The Almost True Campfire Tales of Put-in-Bay, was commissioned as part of the Bicentennial Celebration of the Battle of Lake Erie in 2013 and his wife is way out of his league. You may learn more at TylerJCWhidden.com.
STEPHEN VASSE-HANSELL (Sweeny) is happy to appear again at Ensemble. Recent Ensemble acting credits include Larry in
Anna Christie and Captain Scott in Beyond the Horizon. Stephen has been engaged in the theatrical arts for over 40 years as an actor, director, designer, technical director and writer and has had residencies in Chicago, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio. He also has three Jefferson nominations to his credit. As a director he has staged Ionesco's The Chairs and Oakley Hall's adaptation of Frankenstein here at Ensemble. All my love to Nancy and Hunter for all their support.
ALLEN BRANSTEIN (Wells) is very excited to be back on Ensemble's stage again! He last apperared at Ensemble in Frankenstein (twice), Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, Waiting for Lefty, The Man Who Came to Dinner and Burial at Thebes, the last being directed by Lucia Colombi. He has performed at the Beck Center, Great Lakes, Karamu, Dobama, Red Hen, Working Theater, Bad Epitaph as well as any other place that would have him. Favorite roles have been Richard III, Titus, Agrippa, Rosencrantz, Bottom, and Harry in Harry's Christmas. He is a co-founder of the Mike and Al Show (a vaudeville comedy act), has been in a few films and commercials, and he would like to thank Paula because he can.
CHRIS BIZUB (Lemory) is honored to be acting in yet another Ensemble production. You may remember him as the Gmork in The Neverending Story. A Brooklyn resident, Chris currently works at Caruso’s Coffee as a delivery driver and Dobama Theatre as an Assistant House Manager. He is also currently working to complete his Masters degree in Arts Administration at the University of Akron. His recent acting credits include John Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest at Rubber City Shakespeare Company, Tito Merelli in Lend me a Tenor at Strongsville Community Theater, and Uncle Louie in Lost in Yonkers at Clague Playhouse. When he’s not acting, Chris’ also directs, some of his recent productions include: Play On! at Strongsville Community Theater, Wait Until Dark at Broadview Heights Spotlights Community Theatre, and No Sex Please, We’re British at Huntington Playhouse. Chris’ future plans include finishing his thesis, and working for a prominent non-profit theatre.
IAN WOLFGANG HINZ (Musil/Director) is a graduate of the Ohio University School of Theatre holding a B.A. with an emphasis in playwriting. He has studied under Charles Smith, David McClendon, Robert Winters and Vince Cardinal. Ian’s most recent directing credits for Ensemble include The Neverending Story, Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, The Colorado Catechism, Waiting for Lefty, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, & Miracle and Wonder. He has designed projections for 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, Voodoo Macbeth and The Great Gatsby at Ensemble as well as Pitmen Painters, 33 Variations,Carrie, and Young Frankenstein at Beck Center. He would like to thank his family and friends for their love. He is the newest 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. For his family.
REBECCA MOSELEY (Assistant Director)Becca is excited to be back for another show at Ensemble, her 5th one for this season! She has been lucky enough to serve in several different capacities at Ensemble including rehearsal stage managing The Iceman Cometh, stage managing Animals out of Paper, Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, The Chairs, and Thurgood, as well as serving as an assistant stage manager for Knock Me a Kiss. She will also serve as SM for the upcoming production of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. She has been onstage as well at Ensemble, most recently as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby and the Childlike Empress/Artax/ Ensemble in The Never Ending Story. Last season, she was part of the ensemble of Frankenstein, and Effie Jenkins in Zebediah. Some of her favorite past roles include Rosalind (As You Like It), Cunningham (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot), Becca (Rabbit Hole), and Dorine (Tartuffe). Becca is excited to work on another new script for Ensemble. She sends a huge THANK YOU to Ian and Celeste for the countless opportunities to stay involved in the Ensemble family, hugs to her family, and a lot of love to her one and only, Kyle.
HANNAH MONTGOMERY (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be a part of her first production at Ensemble. Hailing from Detroit, MI she graduated from Oberlin College in January with a BA in Comparative Literature. Selected credits include Dessa Rose (Oberlin College), A Christmas Carol (Lorain Palace Theater), the 2013 and 2014 seasons of the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival, and Unexpected Journeys Or: Why I Had to Dance (Cleveland Playhouse and Oberlin College).
