2010 Company – Actors
Lakisha Anne Bowen* ~ Ensemble in Godspell
Lakisha is thrilled to be a part of Godspell! Off Broadway: Wanda’s World, Classic M: The Music of Motown. Selected Regional: RENT, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Aida, Once on This Island, Colored People’s Time, The Yellow Wallpaper and about 50 Readings and Workshops of new plays and musicals throughout New York City. Tours: 101 Dalmatians, first national, directed by Jerry Zaks, and Walt Disney Cruise Lines. TV/film: As The World Turns (Guest Star), One Life to Live, Chicken Pox, By The Numbers and commercials. Lakisha is currently a singer for Hank Lane Music and Productions ( www.hanklane.com) and has sung with legends such as Patti Labelle, Eric Benet, Slash, Mickey Dolenz, Nile Rogers and CHIC, and Tom Jones. Thanks Steve and Love to Jeff! www.LakishaAnneBowen.com |
Jeff Scot Carey* ~ Jesus in Godspell
Nebraska Debut! Just off the 1st National Tour of the new musical 101 Dalmatians directed by Jerry Zaks, Jeff is excited to join this brilliant cast and finally explore the famed Cornhusker State. Other National Tours: South Pacific, Cinderella, Grease, and Rent. World Tour: Rent. Off-Broadway: Tails, Dorian Gray, and Back Home. Favorite Regional/New York: The Last Five Years, John & Jen, Hair, Footloose, The Order Of Things, Two Rooms, and The Complete Wrks Of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged.) TV/Film: One Life to Live, All My Children, The Reformation, Big Brothers, Intrinsic, Biff: An Introduction, and The Happy Hour Guys. Thanks to Steve, Love to Lakisha, and Go-Huskers!!! www.jeffscotcarey.com |
Michael Fariss ~ Snoopy in Charlie Brown and Judas in Godspell
Michael is currently a candidate for a BFA in Acting from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. He was born and raised in Austin, Texas and has been acting ever since he can remember. Some of his favorite credits include The Cat in the Hat in Seussical, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Orin Scivello in Little Shop of Horrors and Ron in Bat Boy. Michael would like to thank his parents for everything they have done to make his dreams come true and he would like to dedicate his performance to his two guardian angels Devyn Kimbell and Aubrey Fariss. |
Hope Grandon ~ Sally in Charlie Brown and Ensemble in Godspell
Hope is a senior Theater Performance-Public Relations double major at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Favorite roles include Little Red in Into The Woods, Rusty in Footloose!, Natalie/Ed in All Shook Up and Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. “Know what? With the state of the world being what it is- 2 ½ hours of music and joy is maybe the best we can do.”- Norbert Leo Butz |
Kami Graves ~ Violet in Charlie Brown and Ensemble in Godspell
Kami Graves is excited to return to her hometown to spend the summer with the new Crane River Theater Company. After graduating from UNK, she spent season with the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater in Grand Lake, Colorado before moving to New York City where she now lives. She was recently seen in Who Am I? A Tribute to Petula Clark and often sings with the folk/rock group Kathy Zimmer and the Sugar Bowls. A huge thank you to her family and friends for always being there, every step of the way. |
Shade Ingraham ~ Ensemble in Godspell
Shade is ecstatic to have the chance to work with the Crane River Theater Company. He has previously been seen on the stages of both Kearney High and Kearney Community Theater. Shade has played a wide array of characters, from the Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical to escaped convict Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, and is excited to play yet another fun role. After this crazy summer Shade plans to attend the Johnny Carson School of Theater and Film at UNL and major in Theater Performance. |
Joe Knispel ~ Schroeder in Charlie Brown
Joe is a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelors Degree in Musical Theatre. He was most recently seen last summer in a workshop of a new musical titled Hunger at the Theatre Building Chicago in Chicago where he played the role of Whitney Galliard. Kearney community might remember Joe from UNK in such roles as Vershinin in Three Sisters, Curly in Oklahoma!, Jesus in Godspell, Henrik in A Little Night Music, and the roles of Romeo/ Iago/ Ghost/Chorus in Goodnight Desdamona (Good Morning Juliet). Joe is excited to be working with so many new faces and thrilled to be creating great theatre with such a talented cast for the community of Kearney. |
Jessica Morgan ~ Lucy in Charlie Brown & Ensemble in Godspell
Jessica is thrilled to be joining Crane River Theater for it’s inaugural season! She is a Spring 2010 graduate of Missouri State University where she received her BFA in Musical Theatre. There she was seen in roles such as Tricia in the new work Evangeline Drowning, Diana in I Love You Because, and Alice in A…My Name is Alice. She has also spent her last two summers working for Tent Theatre in Springfield, Missouri as Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Carnelle in The Miss Firecracker Contest. |
Nate Rocke ~ Linus in Charlie Brown and Ensemble in Godspell
Nate just finished his Freshmen year as a Musical Theater major at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Some recent roles include Billy in Dear Edwina, Calidorus in Pseudolus, and The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He was an Irene Ryan Nominee and Semifinalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region V Competition. Nate is extremely excited to be a part of Crane River Theater’s first season! |
Laura Rozema ~ Ensemble in Godspell
Laura has been acting on the stage since fourth grade. Since then, she has participated on the stages at Kearney Community Theatre and Kearney High School, and a few shots behind the camera. After graduating high school, Laura plans on attending college in North Carolina, Illinois, or Colorado with a major in theatre with an emphasis on musical theatre. She hopes to eventually move to New York after college. |
Liza Thalken ~ Ensemble in Godspell
Liza will be a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in the fall, with a double major in Theater and Psychology. She has been dancing and singing since she was very young, and is extremely excited to perform in Crane River Theater’s first season. Favorite roles include the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Eponine in Les Miserables. She would like to thank her parents for introducing her to the world of musical theater at a very young age. |
Micah Urbanek ~ Ensemble in Godspell
Micah is extremely excited to be involved with Crane River Theatre this summer! She will be a senior this fall and has enjoyed performing at Kearney Community Theatre and Kearney High School. She played Fantine in last fall’s production of Les Miserables. She intends to major in Musical Theatre or Vocal Performance upon graduation next year. |
Alex Van Handel ~ Charlie Brown in Charlie Brown and Ensemble in Godspell
Alex is from Hartford, Wisconsin and is currently attending the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point where he will be a senior in the BFA Musical Theatre department. Some of his previous roles have been Claude in Hair, Kenneth Talley, Jr. in Fifth of July, and Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. When he is not on stage he enjoys spending time with his friends and watching the Packers with his fellow cheeseheads. He would like to thank his family for their continuous love and support. |
* Appears Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
2010 Company – Production Team
Steve Barth ~ Director for Charlie Brown and Godspell
Steve Barth was born and raised in Kearney. He discovered his passion for music and theater performing on stages across the community, until he eventually took his love for arts to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he received his BA and MFA in Acting. During that time, Steve had the opportunity to perform with many theaters throughout the Midwest, including the Nebraska Repertory Theater, Minnesota Repertory Theater and Illinois Music Theater. He served as artistic director of Theatrix for two years overseeing many productions in multiple apacities: producer, director and designer. Once the years of studying came to an end, Steve set his sights on New York City, where he has resided for the last 6 years acting and directing. The most memorable productions include Two Rooms, Boy Gets Girl and Of Mice and Men.
Brian Botsford ~ Musical Director for Charlie Brown and Godspell
Brian Botsford is a 1995 graduate of Kearney High School and a 2000 graduate of University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. He now lives in Wahoo, Nebraska where he has served as the vocal music instructor, assistant instrumental instructor and drama director at Bishop Neumann High School for nearly ten years. Brian is an active performer in the Lincoln and Omaha area participating in groups such as the Omaha Symphonic Chorus, Lincoln Community Concert Band, Lincoln Civic Orchestra, First Presbyterian Church of Wahoo as well as solo music performances. Currently he is pursuing a Master of Music degree at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Brooke Bradford ~ Educational Director for the Explore Theater Classes
Brooke Bradford grew up in Kearney and graduated from Kearney High School in 1995. She attended Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she received her degree in Theater Performance. She met her husband, Steve Bradford, while doing repertory-theater at the Playmill Theater in West Yellowstone, Idaho, just outside Yellowstone National Park. She has appeared in a variety of local and regional productions as well as commercial, industrial and short films. Brooke and her husband own and operate Blue Media, a video production company based in Kearney since 2003. They reside in Kearney with their five children.
Kyle Garrelts ~ Scene Designer/Technical Director for Charlie Brown and Godspell
Kyle started his theater career at Kearney High School, where he graduated in 2008. Since then he has worked on shows at the University of Wyoming, Tibbits Opera House in Michigan, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and the Kearney Community Theater. A few of the shows he has worked on include Hair, Fiddler on the Roof, Almost, Maine, Rabbit Hole, Zombie Prom, and Room Service. Kyle has been an actor, designer, technical director, props master, master carpenter and much more, however out of all the shows he has been apart of, he is most excited about designing this summer for Crane River Theater. Kyle wants to extend an invite to everyone to come and enjoy an amazing season at Crane River Theater.
Danielle Kimball ~ Stage Manager for Charlie Brown and Godspell
Danielle is excited to be part of the first season of Crane River Theatre Company, stage managing You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Godspell. She just completed her first year in the Stage Management Program at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster in St. Louis, Missouri. While at Webster, she stage managed a production of the Vagina Monologues and the BFA Dance Concert. A native of Houston, Texas, Danielle enjoyed the successful opportunity to stage manage Hello Dolly. She has been involved in theater since grade school and would like to thank her family for all their love and support.
Matthew Baye ~ Props Master for Charlie Brown and Lighting Designer for Godspell
Matthew is originally from Kearney where he started his love for theatre at a very young age. Throughout high school he acted, directed, and did technical work backstage whenever he had the chance. After graduating from Kearney High, he continued his passion for theatre in college. Matt will be a senior in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film this fall at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he is on track to get a BFA in Technical Theatre. Some of his most recent credits include lighting designer for Shipwrecked, assistant lighting designer and carpenter for King Lear, master electrician for Tartuffe, and actor and properties master for the New Artists Festival. Matthew is excited to be working with Crane River Theatre on their two shows this summer.
Gay Longfellow ~ Costume Designer for Godspell
Take a girl from the farm, teach her how to sew, encourage her artistic side and you’ve got a costumer. After doing many, many shows, Gay still loves to put her creative touch on productions. She is thrilled to be a part of Crane River Theater this summer
Bob Heiden ~ Scenic Artist for Charlie Brown and Godspell
Bob is excited to be part of the Crane River Theater’s production team this summer. A Kearney native, Bob graduated from Kearney High School in 2002. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Technical Theater from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Bob has designed and painted sets for many local organizations including KHS, UNK and KCT. When he’s not painting, Bob channels his creativity as Art Director and Graphic Designer for Buckle’s Marketing team.
