THOREAU C&C

Terry Burgler* (Ralph "Waldo" Emerson)Terry Burgler has worked as a professional actor, director, playwright and producer over the last five decades.  He has performed on the stage of the Globe in London and at numerous regional theatres across the country.  He is one of the two Founding Artistic Directors of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival, which just opened a second space in Akron (come see us!), a recipient of the Arts Alive Outstanding Theatre Artist Award and played the lead in the History Channel film Liquid Gold.  He enjoys sharing adventures in life and in theatre with wife Nancy Cates and daughter Tess and is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Celeste and all the fine people at Ensemble. (*Member of Actors' Equity Association)

Leslie Stager (Lydian) is grateful for the opportunity to perform her Cleveland debut at Ensemble Theatre. An MFA graduate of the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, she has played Portia in the Merchant of Venice,  Sylvia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the Queen in Richard II at the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival.  While living in New Zealand in another lifetime, Leslie was the recurring character of Mayor Peterson in Greenstone Pictures television series, The Amazing Extraordinary Friends Season 3.  A veteran of television commercials and industrial films, she also has the outstanding honor of playing Clark Wright in a statement film against the New Zealand government's taxing of cow’s methane gas production, entitled, Fart Tax, A Musical Comedy. Who said acting isn’t always glamorous?

Geoff Knox* (Henry) is thrilled to be a part of Ensemble Theatre once again. He was last seen here in Rajiv Joseph's Animals out of Paper in 2013. Geoff has worked at many theatres in the northeast Ohio area, including Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Dobama, Coach House Theatre, None Too Fragile, Cleveland Public Theatre, CSU Summer Stages and Great Lakes Theater. He is an adjunct professor of Acting at Cleveland State University. He received his MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory in Sarasota Florida. Thanks to Celeste for this wonderful opportunity. 
(*Member of Actors' Equity Association)

Joseph Pine (John) is thrilled to be making his Ensemble debut! Joe is an associate producer and company member with Ohio Shakespeare Festival where recent credits include Stephano (The Tempest), Feste (Twelfth Night), Hotspur (Henry IV p. I), Malcolm (Macbeth) and Bassanio (Merchant of Venice). Other recent credits include Slank (Peter and the Starcatcher, Dobama) Fersen (Marie Antionette, Dobama) and David (The Foreigner, Coach House). All performances are for my beautiful talented wife Tess. Go with gusto!

Allen Branstein (Bailey) is very happy to return to Ensemble's Mainstage for this production and to work with Celeste once again.  He last appeared here as Byron in Ages of the Moon and has been in such classics as The Iceman Cometh, Frankenstein, and Anna Christie, to name a few.  He has performed with Dobama, Cleveland Public Theater, Red Hen, Working Theater, Great Lakes, Bang and Clatter and many others. He was last seen onstage for the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, where favorite roles have been Shylock, Richard III, Titus, Bottom and Rosencranz, among others.  He has been in a few films, did a few commercials, performs in the vaudeville act The Mike and Al Show, and he would like to thank Paula, because he can.

Scott C. Hare (Deacon Ball) is an Indian-food-lovin’, bug savin’, computer programmin’, theatre usherin’, vegetarian, humanitarian, Unitarian. He enjoys outdoor activities like camping, kayaking, hiking and even yard work ! Past theatre roles include Waldo in Laura, (The UU Players), Russ/Dan in Clybourne Park (East Cleveland Theatre), Presley Burr in The Cost of Discovery (Dobama Kids Playfest), and the One Act Play Festival (Garfield Players). You may recognize Scott, minus the beard, as an usher at several local theatres, including here at Ensemble Theatre. Scott is grateful and honored to be in the company of such thoughtful actors and crew for this, his very first acting experience in a professional theatre. PBWYBP.

Lynna Metrisin (Mrs. Thoreau) is delighted to return to the Ensemble stage where she was previously seen as Alice Ann in the production of "Zebediah."  Lynna has performed in various productions at a number of local theatres including Blank Canvas (Our Town), True North Theatre (Falling), Cleveland Public Theatre (Our Town, Crumble:  Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake, Killer Joe and others), Clague Playhouse (Almost, Maine), Charenton Theatre (Spoon River Anthology), and Lorain County Community College Theatre (The Diviners and American Enterprise).  By day, Lynna is a social worker with UH Hospice.  She lives in Lakewood with her adorable husband, Jim, and their adorable cats, Nell, Scout and Jem.

Sara Bogomolny (Ellen) was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University where favorite credits include The Addams Family (Alice Beineke), The Learned Ladies (Henriette), The 25th Annual...Spelling Bee (Rona) as well as the CWRU/CPH MFA production of The Philadelphia Story (Elsie). In spring 2014, Sara studied abroad at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She is delighted to be out in the world at the start of her theater career and is thrilled to make her Ensemble Theatre debut alongside all of these wonderful artists. 

Miles Pierce (Edward Emerson) made his debut at Ensemble theatre last Spring as Markey in Jerusalem.  Other roles for Miles have included Randy in A Christmas Story at the The Cleveland Playhouse and multiple roles in the annual Marilyn Bianchi Playwright festival at  Dobama Theatre. Miles is a fourth grade student at Roxboro Elementary in Cleveland Heights.  Outside of theatre he enjoys playing soccer, basketball and the piano.  He loves working with the staff and adult actors at Ensemble and is happy to return for this role.

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Davion Brown (Williams) is a recent graduate from the University of Toledo with a BA in Theatre- focus on Acting. There he held a multitude of roles, the most noteworthy being in No Exit and The Laramie Project for which he received the Irene Ryan Nomination for "Best Male Actor". Professionally, Davion has held an assortment of iconic roles, the most noteworthy being George Murchison in A Raisin In the Sun, Macbeth in Macbeth, and Hamlet in Hamlet.  He is excited about his Ensemble debut in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.  You can also see Davion this January again at Ensemble playing Tock in Ensemble's Children's show, The Phantom Toll Booth. 

Kyle Huff (Assistant Director, Henry Understudy) is very excited to be working on The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail with such an amazing cast in such an amazing theatre. Kyle has been seen at Ensemble in several productions, including Jerusalem, The Never Ending Story, Anna Christie, and The Great Gatsby. He recently directed Farragut North in the Playground Theatre and is excited for his role as Assistant Director for this show. Other favorite credits not at Ensemble include The Laramie Project (Workshop Players,) Bad Jews (Actor's Summit,) Two Gentlemen Of Verona and The Merchant of Venice (Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, ) Young Man from Atlanta (Beck Center, ) and Macbeth (Renner Theatre.) He is excited to be part of the Thoreau adventure, and thanks Celeste and Ian for all their guidance. We are all the giants. 

Jon Heus (Ensemble, John Understudy) feels blessed to be apart of such an incredible cast. Up until now, Jon has been working almost exclusively at the Cuyahoga Community College West Campus Theatre and has had roles in: Well Beings, The Art of Dining, Actor's Nightmare, To Kill A Mockingbird, etc. He is ecstatic to work with such an ambitious and professional cast and crew here at Ensemble. Jon is currently earning his associate's degree at Tri-C, and will be transferring to Cleveland State University to earn his Bachelor's Degree in Business and Theatre. Only God knows what he will do from there. Jon wants to thank Celeste for the opportunity to be apart of this production and the cast for providing an excellent model to learn from. Roll Tribe!

Callie Sour (Ensemble/Ellen Understudy) is thankful and excited to be in her first production with Ensemble Theatre. She is a recent graduate from Ohio University where her favorite credits include As You Like It (Audrey), Klauzal Square (Eva), and Lysistrata (Calonice). Other favorites include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive), Curtains (Georgia Hendricks), and Hayfever (Clara). She is delighted to collaborate with this group of artists and would like to thank her family and friends for all their support.

Whit Lowell (Sam Staples) is excited to be back at Ensemble Theatre and to be working with this fantastic cast and crew.  He played Troy in Ensemble's Jerusalem last spring and has been fortunate to take part in numerous other Ensemble productions over the years.  A diehard Clevelander, he enjoys motorcycling and playing jazz piano.

August Scarpelli (Ensemble, Understudy Sam, Assistant Technica Director) is happy to return to Ensemble Theatre for his second season, last year he could be seen in Death of a Salesman , The Lion, the Witch , and the Wardrobe, and Jerusalem. He has also been lucky enough to work as Assistant Technical Director/Artistic associate with Ensemble, and is excited to be seen in their upcoming production of The Phantom Tollbooth.

Kayla Davis (Costume Assistant, Box Office)
Hope Wondowsky (Dramaturg)
Stephen Vasse-Hansell (Set Desinger) 
Meg Parish (Costumes)