KIDSTAGE: Chicago

GRACE ABWAO, she/her (Announcer, Ensemble) is in her first year of theater, inspired by watching her older brother perform. Seeing him on stage, she was encouraged to join such a great community.

SARABETH AMBLE, she/her (Rehearsal, June). This is Sarabeth's first production with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE and she's so excited for you all to see the hard work the cast and crew have put in to present Chicago: Teen Edition! She'd like to thank her friends and family for always being supportive, and hopes you enjoy the show!

MORGAN BACON, she/they (Liz, u/s Roxie) is thrilled to return for her second Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE production! She recently played the Judge in Legally Blonde: The Musical last summer. Favorite roles include The Drowsy Chaperone, Meg in Little Women, and Julia Gerard in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She thanks her mom for being her biggest supporter, and the production team and cast for an unforgettable experience. Enjoy the show!

NATALIA BEMENT-VALDEZ, (Mary Sunshine, Assistant Director) is so excited to be a part of Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE Summer Independent production of Chicago: Teen Edition. She is so lucky to have worked with Village Theatre in the past in productions such as Legally Blonde: The Musical, Merrily We Roll Along, and Disney’s Descendants as an actor. Working behind the table with such an amazing team has been a wonderful opportunity. She hopes you all enjoy the show!

CLOVER CROCCO, they/them (Rehearsal, Mary Sunshine) is so excited to be acting in their second Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE production! They were previously in KIDSTAGE productions including: Ensemble for Legally Blonde: The Musical (2024), and tech for Merrily We Roll Along (2023) and Guys and Dolls (2023). They would like to thank their family for all their support!

ZOË DITTBRENNER, she/her (Officer Fogerty, Ensemble) has been a part of Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE since 2010 and is excited to be in her first Summer Independent show. She has previously been in KIDSTAGE Originals I'm Doing This.

AMELIA DOOLEY, she/her (Rehearsal, Velma Kelly) is ecstatic to return to a show she enjoys so much. Recent credits include: Alice in Alice By Heart, Regina George in Mean Girls, and A Very Die Hard Christmas (Seattle Public Theater). Huge thank you to Aqua. And all that jazz! @ameliamdooley

ELIA FISHER, she/they (Ensemble) is so excited to be a part of her first Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE show. In the past, Elia has performed in the Ensemble of Hello, Dolly! and Something Rotten, and was a Mersister in Disney’s The Little Mermaid at her high school. She hopes you enjoy the show!

JOE FITCH, he/him (Judge, Ensemble) is thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE Chicago: Teen Edition! He has been involved in theater for four years now and hopes to continue in the future. He loves the arts because he feels they have helped him find his place. He thanks the wonderful production team, his friends, his voice teacher, and, of course, his mom and dad. He hopes you enjoy the show and all that jazz!

STELLA HAIGHT, she/her (Ensemble) feels incredibly lucky to have had the pleasure of being in this production of Chicago: Teen Edition as her first show with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE! Recent credits include Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical, Factory Girl in Les Misérables, and Arista in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She wants to thank the whole cast and crew for putting in the hours to make this beautiful show what it was.

RILYN HARRYMAN, (Ensemble) has enjoyed being a part of Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE community, from Village Theatre Institute to Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert to now being in Chicago: Teen Edition! They have always had an intense love of theater, from participating in The Music Man KIDS, Aladdin KIDS, Annie KIDS, and Mary Poppins JR., and just this year, they took on a leading role in The Play That Goes Wrong.

ELLA HEINER, she/her (Roxie Hart, Vocal Captain) is absolutely thrilled to be a part of this show. Previous shows at Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE include Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar In Concert, Kate/Ensemble in Legally Blonde: The Musical, Guys and Dolls, and Disney’s Newsies. She could not be happier to play this role and work with this production team. She would like to give the biggest thank you in the world to her friends for supporting her throughout this process.

LORELAI KAPLAN, (Katalin) is enthralled to be making her debut with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE. Some of her experience includes: Karen Smith in Mean Girls (Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre) and performances with ACT Theatre, Seattle's Performers, Young Americans’ Theatre Company, Seattle Opera, and school productions. Outside theater, she is a member of Cirrus Circus Performance Troupe at the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (or SANCA). She is honored and grateful to work with a skilled group of people in putting on such an exceptional production! @lorelai.kaplan

LILY KNOTT, (Harrison, Ensemble) started theater in their freshman year, their first musical being Chicago working on props! From then on, Lily spends most of their time in theater, some recent roles being Harker in Dracula, Josie in Anne of Green Gables (The Red Curtain Foundation), u/s Donkey in Shrek the Musical, and Ponyboy in The Outsiders! Lily thanks their family, especially Sarah, for supporting them, and to Sonja for driving!

ANDI LARAMY, (Velma Kelly, Co-Choreographer) has been a part of Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE since 2017. They have always been inspired by the Summer Independent program and are so excited to achieve their dream of being a part of it. This is their first time choreographing a full production. They teach at The Dance School and were part of the choreography team for The Nutcracker. They have been dancing for 12 years and love sharing that passion with others.

ROWAN LATCH, she/her (Amos Hart) is thrilled to be in her first show with Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE. Although Chicago: Teen Edition is her first production with KIDSTAGE, she's had past roles in high school shows such as Maud Dunlop in The Music Man, Scab/Seitz in Disney’s Newsies, and Grace Fryer in Radium Girls. She's very thankful for her friends, and for her high school director who has always believed in her.

ADRIAN LEWINSOHN, he/him (Fred Casely, Ensemble) is excited to take part in his first Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE production! Some of his favorite past roles have been George in The Drowsy Chaperone, Fredrick in The Sound of Music, and Mr. Warbucks in Annie! He’d like to thank his friends and family for their continuous support and a special thanks to his grandmother and sister.

SPENCER NORMAN, he/they (u/s Liz, Co-Choreographer) is super excited to be switching behind the table for this production. This will be his first choreography credit at Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE. Other credits include Mean Girls and The SpongeBob Musical. He would like to thank his mentors all around him and the team for being so fun and encouraging to work with.

XIMENA ORBE-HINOJOSA, she/they (Ensemble) is excited to be part of Chicago: Teen Edition, their first production with Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE. Ximena would like to thank her family for their support. "Hey guys! Welcome to my channel! Make sure to like and subscribe :p"

HENRY SEVERN, he/him (Billy Flynn) is excited to be returning to Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE for his fourth show. Select credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar In Concert, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Guys and Dolls (KIDSTAGE); The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and The Drowsy Chaperone at his high school. He would like to thank his parents, friends, and dogs for making this all possible. Enjoy the show!

RAY SUTHERLAND, they/them (Matron "Mama" Morton) is thrilled to be performing in Chicago: Teen Edition! Previous favorite roles include: Fate in Hadestown, Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical, and Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong. Offstage, Ray loves singing, sewing, and diving headfirst into all things creative. Endless gratitude to Ms. Oveson for being the best theatre teacher and constant inspiration.

VIVI THOMAS, she/her (Mona) is very stoked to be included in this project! Previously, she had a strict dance-only background working with companies like Arc Dance School of Ballet and Coffee Dance Studio for a total of 5 years. Chicago: Teen Edition with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE is her very first official musical project.

SONJA WETMORE, she/her (Annie) is so excited to be in her first Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE show! She graduated from high school in June, where she performed in several shows over the years, as Van Helsing in Dracula and U/S Dragon in Shrek The Musical. In the fall, she will be starting her freshman year at the University of Hartford, pursuing a BFA in acting. She sends thanks and love to her friends and family, especially her parents for dealing with her hectic schedule, and Lily for carpooling!

LEXI WITT, she/her (Kitty, Ensemble) is excited to be back at Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE preforming. She has been here for 10 years now. Recent roles include Pearl in The SpongeBob Musical, Ms. Phelps in Matilda, and the Bubble Princess in Bellevue’s Snowflake Lane.

ADDY WYMAN, she/her (Featured Dancer, Ensemble, Dance Captain) is super excited to perform in her first musical and to get to work with the Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE team on Chicago: Teen Edition. "Thank you to all my friends and family, my singing and acting coaches! And a HUGE thank you to my dance teachers!"

AQUA FAYE GORDON, any pronouns (Director) is so excited to be making their directorial debut at Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE! The Cope Gillette Theatre is the theatre she grew up attending classes at, so to see their show come to life in the very room they found passion in is surreal and life-defining. Special thanks to Casey, Adam, Spencer, Andi, Natalia, Colin, Annie, and everyone who put life into Chicago: Teen Edition and faith into her. She hopes you enjoy the razzle and dazzle of Chicago! @aqua_was_here

COLIN ALBRECHT, (Music Director) is thrilled to be part of this year’s Summer Independent production. He has acted in several shows but is now focused on production and is grateful for the opportunity to teach the music, play piano, and conduct this show. Colin embarked as a pianist at age four and continues to be an avid player. Colin extends his heartfelt thanks to the production team, cast and his family.

TERA WINTER, she/her (Scenic Designer, Technical Director) couldn't be more thrilled for her first production as a scenic designer! She's participated in over 20 full length shows. Currently, she serves as Producing Director of Penguin Productions, a youth-led theater company. Recent notable credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE) last summer, Ophelia at her high school, and Falsettoland with Penguin Productions. When not building sets or managing shows, she enjoys swimming, guitar, and making chainmail.

TUCKER FERGUSON, he/him (Costume Designer) returns to Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE as the costume designer for Chicago: Teen Edition, following his work as Assistant Costume Designer on Fiddler on the Roof. A recipient of The 5th Avenue Theatre Award for Outstanding Student Work in Costume Design, he will attend the University of Washington this fall to pursue a double degree in anthropology and political science—because understanding the human condition pairs well with knowing how to hem a pair of pants.

CORDELIA SEIL, they/them (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer, performer, director, and teaching artist currently working to earn BFAs in theater design and musical theater performance from Pacific Lutheran University. Recent credits include Assistant Choreographer of Fiddler on the Roof (Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE), Lighting Designer of The Fairy Queen (Pacific Lutheran University Opera), and Director of Classmen Cabaret (Pacific Lutheran University). They are thrilled to be designing for this show and hope you are taken in by the razzle dazzle!

NATHAN KOLIHA, he/him (Sound Designer, Engineer) is excited to be working on his first production with Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE! He has previously worked professionally as a theater technician and sound engineer. In addition to his technical work, he has composed music for the stage play Silver Swan and other theatrical projects. You can learn more about his work in theatre, audio, and photography at nathank.page.

KRISTIN DENNY, she/her (Properties Coordinator) is a former Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE student and performer who is so thrilled to be back and work behind the scenes on this fabulous show! Some of her favorite KIDSTAGE credits include Shonelle in School of Rock and Young Eponine in Les Misérables: School Edition. Kristin is currently in college getting her BA in performance and design. Kristin would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their endless support!

SIMON SMITH, (Stage Manager) is currently pursuing a BA in theater arts and is grateful for the opportunity to work on his first Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE production. His experience in stage management comes from the past educational theater programs he's had the fortune to be a part of, particularly in his hometown of Woodinville, WA. Simon hopes to create theater that inspires and supports the communities he's proud to call his own.

JENNA DENNY, they/them (Assistant Stage Manager) is honored to be a part of the Chicago: Teen Edition team this summer! Recent Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE credits: Directing Assistant for Legally Blonde: The Musical and Co-Writer for I'm Doing This. They can't wait to explore the stage-managing realm for this production! Outside of theater, Jenna is currently receiving a BA in film studies in hopes to become a video/audio designer. Huge thanks to the team, mentors, family and the bro bros for their constant support!

CASSIDY HUTT, she/her (Assistant Stage Manager) is so excited to be a part of her first Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE show! She has previously worked on shows such as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to Anastasia the Musical. Her previous experience includes Sound Designer, to Light Board Operator, to Stage Manager. She loves creating all the different memories from her time as a part of a great theater community.