2022 Summer Company
Directors • Performers • Musicians • Designers & Technicians • Stage Management
Artistic Support • Front of House & Hospitality • Camp
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DIRECTORS
Kit McKay (she/her) • Director, Cabaret
Kit McKay is a stage director, curator, and producer who has spent the last twelve years bringing professional artists from across the country and around the world to northern Michigan as the co-founder of Parallel 45 Theatre. At P45, she directed The Sound of Music, HAIR, Christmas Carol in Prose, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” (30 Plays in 60 Minutes), Shakespeare’s R&J, Metamorphoses, and Our Town. Kit attended Interlochen Arts Academy, Sarah Lawrence College, and Northwestern University’s Master of Fine Arts directing program. Upon her master’s graduation, she studied at the Yale School of Drama masters program in theatre management and worked as a Yale Fellow at Seattle Repertory Theatre. She spent 7 years as a curator and producer for LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts.Her two stage productions at the Rose Theatre of Omaha have been nominated for 7 OEA awards (winning one), 4 TAG awards (winning one) including Best Direction for Tarzan. She directed the Intermediate Repertory and/or Musical Productions at Interlochen Arts Camp for ten summers.
Michael Norton (he/him) • Director, The Crucible
Michael is an Enneagram teacher, coach and artist who loves to guide others on paths towards collective awareness and compassion. Norton has made theatre, dance and performance across Europe since 2011. Degrees! BA Theatre was at Emerson College and holds an MFA in performance research from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. P45 Work: Our Town, Metamorphoses, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, and Insignificant.
Daniel Lendzian (he/him) • Director, ALICE: A Rock Musical
Dan is thrilled to be returning to P45 after appearing in Stupid F*cking Bird, Hair, and directing Youthquake’s Ugly: A New Pop Musical. Dan has performed in hundreds of individual shows on international, national, and regional stages with companies like, FESTA theater in Florence, Italy, NACL, Farm Arts Collective, Zach Theater, The Seattle Children’s Theater, The Shakespeare Theater of NJ, Interlochen Shakespeare, and The Weathervane Repertory Theatre. Dan completed his MFA at UT Austin.
Rick Church (he/him) • Music Director, Cabaret
Rick has been on the faculty of NYU (Steinhardt), Elon University, Wright State University and Interlochen. Rick is currently a Musical Director, Conductor, Vocal Coach, Voice Instructor, Collaborative Pianist in Traverse City and New York City. Rick is part of Musicians Union of Greater New York, Local 802AFM, MENC, NATS, MTEA, MMEA, and MSVMA.
 
Jennifer Lott (she/her) • Choreographer, Cabaret
Jennifer is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of the Traverse City Dance Project. She danced professionally with Gibney Dance Company, Groundworks Dancetheater, Armitage Gone! Dance, Inlet Dance Theatre, Collective Body Dance Lab, Eglevsky Ballet, and others. Her choreographic works and short dance films have been performed across the US and internationally, and she has choreographed and directed work for numerous festivals, institutions, and music artists. Lott earned her BFA in Ballet Performance from Indiana University, and her MFA in Dance from the University of California. She has served on the faculty of Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, and taught master classes and workshops nationally and internationally. In 2016, she joined the USC Kaufman School of Dance as an Assistant Professor.
Asia Pyron (she/her) • Assistant Choreographer, Cabaret
Asia is a freelance choreographer and the director of PYDANCE. Asia attended Interlochen Arts Academy and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where she received her B.F.A. in Contemporary Performance and Composition. Asia has been commissioned for multiple companies such as the Boston Conservatory, Urbanity, DanceLab NY, and Mare Nostrum Elements. Asia currently resides in Nashville, TN, where she continues to create work for PYDANCE.
Hallie Snowday (she/her) • Choreographer, ALICE: A Rock Musical
Hallie is and actor, dancer, and performer raised in Traverse City. Last summer, she could be seen as Leisl in P45’s The Sound of Music, as well as choreographing/assistant directing for Youthquake, and is thrilled to be returning again this year. Hallie has just finished her junior year in the BFA acting program at The Theatre School at DePaul University where she could be seen this season as Dirty Girl in Peerless by Jihae Park, and Kamryn in Desdemona’s Child by Caridad Svich.
Marissa Davis (she/her) • Music Director, ALICE: A Rock Musical
Marissa is a New York City-based voice teacher, writer, music director and performer. She teaches 6th-8th grade at Professional Performing Arts School and has served as the music director and composer/lyricist for several devised musicals such as Secrets of Sweetfield, smARTS, Scene(s) of the Crime, and Once Upon a Pandemic. She has also served as music director, arranger, and creative consultant to several one-woman shows, and is currently working on her own personal essay collection.
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PERFORMERS
Jonathan Samuel Allsop (he/him) • Herr Shultz | Reverend Parris
Jonathan is a Chicago based actor. Jonathan received his MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and holds a BA in Music from the University of Pennsylvania. Some theatre credits include: Tanner in White (Definition Theatre), Carson in Hit The Wall (NIU), Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival), and Bus/Dryer (swing) in Caroline or Change (Firebrand Theatre). His album, Lavender Therapy, is available to stream on all platforms.
Ben Carroll (he/him) • Clifford Bradshaw | Danforth
Ben began his acting career as a young boy, and later studied in London at BADA. Select theater credits include: Far Away with Frances McDormand (NYTW), Matilda the Musical (5-Star Theatricals, LA, CA), Secret History of the Future (Kennedy Center, D.C.), Grimm’s Fairy Tales National Tour (CTC), The Hurricane (Chalk Repertory, LA, CA). Film/TV and music credits hawked elsewhere. Love and gratitude to Lauren, family, friends, P45.
JT Langlas (he/him) • Bobby/Emcee Understudy | Mercy Lewis/Giles Corey
JT is thrilled to be making his professional theatre debut! He is a recent Interlochen graduate and rising sophomore at CCM. Stage credits include: In the Heights (Benny); A Chorus Line (Al Deluca, Richie Walters); Death and a King's Horseman (Sgt. Amusa). Follow me on Insta! @jtlanglas
Daniel Lendzian (he/him) • Fraulein Schneider
Dan is thrilled to be returning to P45 after appearing in Stupid F*cking Bird, Hair, and directing Youthquake’s Ugly: A New Pop Musical. Dan has performed in hundreds of individual shows on international, national, and regional stages with companies like, FESTA theater in Florence, Italy, NACL, Farm Arts Collective, Zach Theater, The Seattle Children’s Theater, The Shakespeare Theater of NJ, Interlochen Shakespeare, and The Weathervane Repertory Theatre. Dan completed his MFA at UT Austin.
Katharine Mangold (she/her) • Sally Bowles | Betty Parris/Elizabeth Proctor
P45 has been an artistic home for Katharine since her first show with the company in 2012. Credits with P45 include The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, Medea, A Christmas Carol, Mr. Burns, Stupid F*cking Bird, and Hair. Katharine graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD).
Paris Manzanares (she/her) • Rose/Sally Bowles Understudy | Abigail Williams
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Paris is a recent graduate from Interlochen Arts Academy where she majored in musical theatre. Highlighting her time in Northern Michigan via roles including Daniela in In The Heights, Vassilissa in The Lower Depths, or more recently this Spring where she partnered with Doug Peck & Interlochen Presents to produce her own cabaret-style show: The Paris Dahling Experience. She couldn’t be happier to join this company and community of artists!
Katherine Mazer (she/her) • John Proctor
Katherine is a Registered Drama Therapist and a certificated K-12 Special Educator teaching 4th-6th graders with special needs in Santa Rosa, CA. Previous P45 credits include Our Town, Metamorphoses, The Shrew, A Christmas Carol in Prose, Cyrano, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Hair. A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Kate holds a BFA in Acting from the Hartt School and an MA in Drama Therapy from New York University. She sends love to Landon and Jon.
Michael Norton (he/him) • Emcee
Michael is an Enneagram teacher, coach and artist who loves to guide others on paths towards collective awareness and compassion. Norton has made theatre, dance and performance across Europe since 2011. Degrees! BA Theatre was at Emerson College and holds an MFA in performance research from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. P45 Work: Our Town, Metamorphoses, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, and Insignificant.
Minda Nyquist (she/her) • Frenchie | The Putnams/Cheever
Minda is thrilled to be working with P45 this summer! Minda is the Theatre Director/Choreographer and teacher at Traverse City West Senior High School and loves working with her students and creating art with all of them. Her love of theatre started at a young age and continued at Interlochen Arts Camp and at Ithaca College. She holds a Masters Degree in Theatre Education, several professional credits from a lifetime ago, and continues to be grateful that her job is also her passion!
Rocheny Princien (they/she) • Fraulein Kost | Tituba/Rebecca Nurse
Rocheny is a Drag Artist, Playwright, Director, and a Helen Hayes nominated actor for their role in (Theater Alliance) The Events. The last shows you could have seen them in were The Sound of Music (Parallel 45), You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Parallel 45), Protest in 8 (Theater Alliance) and Sleep Deprivation Chamber (Roundhouse Theatre). As a Senior at Howard University, they are obtaining a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.
Asia Pyron (she/her) • Victor/Dance Captain
Asia is a freelance choreographer and the director of PYDANCE. Asia attended Interlochen Arts Academy and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where she received her B.F.A. in Contemporary Performance and Composition. Asia has been commissioned for multiple companies such as the Boston Conservatory, Urbanity, DanceLab NY, and Mare Nostrum Elements. Asia currently resides in Nashville, TN, where she continues to create work for PYDANCE.
Sawyer Reynolds (they/them) • Ernst Ludwig | Hale
Sawyer is a Michigan raised actor currently based out of Chicago. They are thrilled to be back in their home state of Michigan with Parallel 45. Other Michigan regional credits include Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Exit Left Theatre Co., Assassins, Sweeney Todd with the Encore Musical Theatre Co., and a virtual workshop of Margaret Thatcher and the Authorititties with Mitten Lab through P45.
Grace Zucco (she/her) • Helga/Swing | Mary Warren
Grace is a recent BFA graduate from Western Michigan University, where she studied vocal music, acting, and dance! Some of my favorite roles include: Amanda in Amy Freed’s Restoration Comedy, Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Picture Show! I am a Traverse City native, a lover of scary movies & good espresso, and devote my artistic endeavors to my cat Winifred. I am truly over-the-moon to be working with P45 this summer.
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MUSICIANS
Rochelle Currier (they/them) • Bass
Rochelle is a multi-instrumentalist who has been playing in musical orchestras since 2003. This will be their 28th musical but first time playing for Parallel 45! They are playing bass for Cabaret, but have also played acoustic & electric guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, saxophone, and keyboard for musicals in the past. Rochelle is also a songwriter & music producer - check out their music on SoundCloud or reach out on their website if you need an instrumentalist or want to collaborate!
Bill Hershey (he/him) • Trumpet
Bill has played trumpet and flugelhorn professionally and semi-professionally since leading bands in high school and college. He has played lead trumpet in big bands in Wash, DC; Frankfurt, GE; Dayton, OH; Ann Arbor; Detroit; and here in Traverse City, where he also plays in the popular 8-piece Jazz North. Bill has backed up artists including Nancy Wilson and the Four Tops and has played in pit orchestras for over 100 professional and amateur musical theater productions.
Lyndsay Hunter (she/her) • Reeds II
Lyndsay is a multi-instrumentalist who began her musical journey on piano and French horn as a youngster. Though she earned a B.Mus.Ed. in trumpet, she spends most of her musical efforts these days pursuing the saxophone. (Or rather, it pursues her.) Lyndsay works as an IT professional at Interlochen Center for the Arts. She is also an avid hiker and DIY-er, loves overthinking things, and makes a mean pot of sweet potato chili. She is thrilled to be involved with Parallel 45!
Tom Myers (he/him) • Percussion
Tom has performed in countless bands in numerous genres and became involved with theatre as a musician for the first time after moving to Northern Michigan in 2017. Recent credits include The Wizard of Oz (2018), The Who’s Tommy (2019), Godspell (2021), and Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2022). Tom also performs with Mashup Rock & Roll Musical. Tom is the owner of a creative video and animation production company and works from his home in Northport, MI.
Jerry Lewallen (he/him) • Trombone
Jerry is a trombonist with broad musical interest and experience playing in all styles and settings. Education: BA Music University of North Texas 1974
Steve Carey (he/him) • Trombone
Peter Willis (he/him) • Reeds
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DESIGNERS & TECHNICIANS
Christopher Jones • Technical Director
Christopher has worked in the performing arts and museum industries for a lot of years.
Jacob Sikorski (he/they) • Set Designer
Jacob is a New England based theatre artist and designer focused primarily in scenic and lighting design. Previously, Jacob worked as the Production Electrician/Asst Lighting Designer for the 2021 and 2019 summer seasons with P45, and they are beyond excited to be back and making art in Northern Michigan! He recently completed an MFA in scenic and lighting design at the University of Connecticut. Past designs include: Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage), Little Shop of Horrors (Connecticut Rep), Blood at the Root (Connecticut Rep), The 39 Steps (Connecticut Rep), Ugly: A New Pop Musical (P45), Bell at the Back of Her Throat (UIowa), and Topdog/Underdog (QC Theatre Workshop).
Alexandra Casillas (she/her) • Lighting Designer
Alex is excited for her first summer at Parallel 45. Previously she has designed lights for Secret Things (First Stage), Peter and the Starcatcher, The Addams Family and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Festival 56). Also a professional Scenic Designer, Alex designed the scenery, lighting and puppets for Seven Spots on the Sun (University of Iowa). She wants to thank the her creative team for their support as we emerge from the pandemic.
Caroline Frias (she/her) • Costume Designer
Caroline was born and raised in Miami, but is currently living just south of Des Moines, Iowa. She is the costume faculty and costume shop manager at Simpson College and lives with her cat, Rowan. She loves to draw and play D&D, and spends her free time doing both.
Alex Kaplan (she/her) • Props Designer
Alex is excited to be a part of the Parallel 45 summer 2022 season! She is currently a production designer for ThemeWorks, Inc., a theme park and museum fabrication company in High Springs, Florida. Alex holds a BFA degree in Scenic Design from Carnegie Mellon University. Previous scenic design and props experience include Stumpy Legs Too Short, Svadba (CMU) and Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop). She has also designed escape rooms and other immersive experiences.
Jake Neighbors (he/they) • Sound Designer / A2
This is Jake's first outing at Parallel 45 Theatre and is excited for the opportunity to work with such a talented team of designers, technicians, and production team. Jake is currently a freelance sound designer who has designed for Theatre Aspen (God of Carnage), The Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Midsummer), and Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Blood at the Root). Jake hopes that if you are reading this that you take the time to consider donating and contributing to P45 to help create more art!
Daniel Landry (he/him) • Lead Audio Engineer / A1
Daniel is a graduate of the University of Connecticut (2018-2022) studying Design and Technical Production with a concentration in Sound Design. He has been involved in many productions at UCONN and Connecticut Repertory Theatre, including Sound Designing Little Shop of Horrors (2022), She Kills Monsters (2021), Men on Boats (2020), and The Wolves (2019). He has also done work at the Hangar Theatre (2021) as a Sound Fellow and the CRT Nutmeg Summer Series (2019) as a Sound Technician.
Jordan Hall (he/him) • Master Electrician / Assistant Lighting Designer
Jordan is a first year graduate student pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. From Fairview Heights, Illinois, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre & Business Administration from Illinois College. His recent lighting design credits include, The Beaux Stratagem at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, The Mountaintop at the Hoogland Center for the Fine Arts, Theory of Relativity, and The Tempest at Illinois College.
Bill Fishburn (he/him) • Lighting Assistant
Bill is excited to be working with Parallel 45 once again, especially for a summer season. He previously worked with them, as Master Electrician during the 2016-17 season. His work can also be seen at Old Town Playhouse, where he designs lights for some of their shows. Some of his favorite include: [title of show], Indecent, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, and Mamma Mia. He is also a troupe member of Mashup Rock & Roll Musical, where he has so much fun designing lights for their “unique and irreverent shows.”
Alexandra Herryman (she/her) • Props Master
Alexandra is a theater artist specializing in props, puppets and special effects. Her work has taken her through Chicago and Boston and all over her native New York State. She loves working collaboratively on news plays, and on experimental and devised pieces, where the creativity runs really high. She recently wrapped up several years as the stage services manager at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and can now be found at the Benzie Historical Society among the dusty books.
Brynna Wesley (she/her) • Deck Captain
Brynna is a third-year International Relations student at Michigan State University. She recently stage managed MSU's production of Hit the Wall and works as a stage manager for the MSU College of Music. This is Brynna's second year working for P45, and she is so excited to be back with this amazing group of people! In her free time, Brynna enjoys spending time outdoors and hanging out with her cat, Greg from Accounting.
Betsy Hammerberg (she/her) • Costume Shop Manager
Betsy is a Traverse City native who developed a love for theater early in life. She earned a BFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Michigan, and then spent 14 years teaching elementary school in Thailand, Syria, Vietnam, and Austria. She currently works as the Director of Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse. Betsy managed the costume shop for Parallel 45 in 2021 and is thrilled to be working with Parallel 45 again!
Brandon Shafer (he/him) • Makeup Artist
Brandon is a TC native, now residing in Grand Rapids, MI, has been designing wigs & makeup with local theaters for 5+ yrs. His previous design work has been seen a hand full of times at Circle theater in Grand Rapids, MI. His most recent work has been Kinky Boots at Civic Theater in Grand Rapids, and also a guest artist for the tour of Hairspray when it landed in Grand Rapids. Brandon has been performing as Dymond Denae for 19 yrs and is currently a “Brunchette” with midragbrunch.com
Bill Hershey (he/him) • Carpentry Lead
Bill has played trumpet and flugelhorn professionally and semi-professionally since leading bands in high school and college. He has played lead trumpet in big bands in Wash, DC; Frankfurt, GE; Dayton, OH; Ann Arbor; Detroit; and here in Traverse City, where he also plays in the popular 8-piece Jazz North. Bill has backed up artists including Nancy Wilson and the Four Tops and has played in pit orchestras for over 100 professional and amateur musical theater productions.
Joiya Fishburn (she/they) • Wardrobe Manager
Joiya is a recent graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Joiya will be attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for her BFA in Costume Design & Technology. She has worked with P45 on Passages, and their partnership with IAA on Sonata 1962. She has also worked with IAA on productions including The Penelopiad, Pippin, and Oklahoma. She also worked with Old Town Playhouse on projects like Fun Home. Joiya would like to extend her thanks to her family and friends who have supported her on her journey.
Kathy Verstraete (she/her) • Stitcher
Kathy has been designing costumes for Old Town Playhouse for over 30 years. Her passion for design started at age 12 when no one in her high school wanted to design the costumes for Oliver!. In addition to her volunteer service to OTP, Kathy has costumed for local schools, Brauer Productions films, and TV projects. She received her degree in Clothing and Textiles from Michigan State University and has designed and/or worked on over 200 projects since moving to Traverse City. She has also been a volunteer seamstress for P45 and is excited to continue this for summer 2022.
Ayla Grow (she/her) • Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup Intern
Ayla is working wtih P45 for the Hair Makeup and Wardrobe Internship! She is a very expressive person who likes to display how she feels on the outside through art. Ayla has fallen in love with fashion since exploring her gender identity. She is graduating high school in May and turning 18 on her first day at P45!
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STAGE MANAGEMENT
Annie Scheuermann (she/her) • Production Stage Manager
Annie is thrilled to be back for another summer with P45! She is currently based out of Las Vegas working on a new immersive experience at Particle Ink. The past few years she was touring with StarQuest Dance as their stage manager, other production credits include The Sound of Music (PSM), Hair (PSM), The Way Out West (SM), and Miracle on 34th Street (SM). She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Stage and Production Management and minor in Business Administration.
Emily Erlich (she/her) • Stage Manager
Emily graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance in 2021, where she received a Bachelor of Theatre Arts in Stage Management. Emily especially enjoys working on productions that push societal norms and illustrate classic scripts through a modern lens. Some of her favorite recent credits include Hangar Theatre (Ithaca, NY): The Realness (PA); UM Productions: Yerma (PSM), A New Brain (Interim SM), Sense and Sensibility (AD), Me and My Girl (1st ASM)
Dylan Nicole Martin (they/them) • Stage Manager, ALICE: A Rock Musical
Dylan is thrilled to be back with P45 after serving as Summer Production Manager in 2019. Dylan has worked extensively in the Twin Cities with the Guthrie Theater, Trademark Theater, E/D, Twin Cities Horror Fest, SunsetGun Productions, and many more. They work as both a stage manager and educator and are passionate about arts access and wellness in arts spaces. In the fall, Dylan will enter their third and final year as Stage Management MFA student at the University of Iowa. They wish to recognize and honor the Anishinaabe people, the original stewards of the land upon which Parallel 45 gathers and creates.
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ARTISTIC SUPPORT
Sarah Bielman (she/her) • Casting Director
Sarah has over twenty years’ experience in the entertainment industry. She has held a variety of positions over the years including Theatre Admissions at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Managing Director & Founder of The Life Through Art Foundation, Actor, Coach & Director. At age 18 she moved to New York City to study theatre at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received a BFA in drama. Bielman spent a year of college interning in the research and production departments of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. After college she continued training, writing & performing with various Improv Groups; Gotham City, Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings in Los Angeles.
Linda Osborn (she/her) • Dramaturg
Linda is a founding member of Parallel 45, where she has had the great good fortune to wear many hats - stage manager, production manager, designer, director, and dramaturg.
Krista Williams (she/her) • Intimacy Coach
Krista is a Dramaturg working in New York City. She has developed plays with over a hundred playwrights, including many with Pulitzer Prizes, Academy Award nominations, MacArthur Genius grants, Obies, and Whiting, Susan Smith Blackburn, Herb Alpert, Lucille Lortel, and Drama Desk Awards. She serves as the Resident Dramaturg and Literary Manager for the off-Broadway company Transport Group. She has previously served as Roundtable and Casting Director at The Lark Play Development Center and as the Literary Associate at Yale Repertory Theatre. Additional off-Broadway dramaturgy credits include The Catonsville Nine, I Remember Mama, The Patsy and Strange Interlude with David Greenspan, Almost Maine, Boys in the Band, See Rock City, and Hello Again. Regional credits include the world premieres of plays by José Rivera and Bruce Norris at Yale Repertory Theatre. She has also worked in New York with New Dramatists, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! series, The NY Musical Theatre Festival, New Georges, Invisible Dog, Dixon Place, Page 73, TCG, and Primary Stages, and regionally with Denver Center Theatre’s New Play Summit.
Sydney James Harcourt (he/him) • Swing Mentor
Sydney has performed on some of the world’s finest concert stages including Radio City Music Hall, Avery Fischer Hall (with the New York Philharmonic), and Carnegie Hall. He has appeared on and off Broadway starring in productions like the cultural phenomenon Hamilton (original Broadway company and 1st replacement for Aaron Burr), Disney's The Lion King (Simba), rocking hard in others like Green Day's American Idiot, and was most recently seen as Joe Scott in the critically acclaimed original American cast of Bob Dylan’s Girl From The North Country at the Public Theater.You've seen him in films and on TV series - Blue Bloods, NCIS, Elementary, Younger, The Good Wife, Law and Order, and Disney's Enchanted are a few. He's toured across North America from coast to coast, and played sold out stadiums from Australia, to Indonesia, to Puerto Rico. A Grammy award winner and sought after New York vocalist, he was the featured artist at the US Open Finals live broadcast honoring the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King's Triple Crown, rocked Carmello Anthony's star studded wedding, and has opened for Donna Summer.
Brian Martin (he/him) • Swing Mentor
Brian is making his Broadway debut in the Original Company of Mrs.Doubtfire! National tours: Bullets Over Broadway (u/s Cheech), Beauty and the Beast (u/s Lumiere), Elf, and Guys and Dolls. Regional: Chicago (Fred Casley, u/s Billy Flynn) at Fulton Playhouse, Mary Poppins at Paper Mill Playhouse, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Daniel) and Oklahoma! at Ogunquit Playhouse, A Chorus Line (Bobby) at Surflight, and Tarzan (Tarzan) at Wagon Wheel Theatre. Brian originally caught the “theatre bug” performing locally in his hometown of Grand Rapids, MI and went on to receive a BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. He also studied abroad at RADA in London obtaining a certificate in Shakespeare performance. Brian is enthusiastic about life and has a passion for connecting with young, developing artists! He has taught for the Open Jar Institute, Broadway Connection, and also worked with numerous college and high school programs.
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FRONT OF HOUSE & HOSPITALITY
Matthew Glenn (he/him) • Company Manager
Matthew is excited to be working with P45 after having the opportunity to be a part of the Reading Series this past winter. He and his husband, Ramon, are firm believers in the restorative power and catharsis of Art. They moved up here two years ago from Ohio via Chicago and live with their niece and nephew in the house their cat owns.
Kathryn McIntyre (she/her) • Assistant Company Manager
Kathryn is excited to return to Parallel 45 Theatre this summer as the Assistant Company Manger. She recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a BA in Arts and Entertainment Management. She has participated in all areas of theatre including acting, stage managing, and directing. Some of her favorite credits include Kristine (A Chorus Line), Stage Manager (Student Written Directed One Act Festival). She wants to thank you family and friends for all of the support!
Kristen Messner (she/her) • Front of House Manager
Kristen brings over a decade of event planning & production, along with seven years of theater & audience management to her second season with P45. She is super happy to be back in the magical outdoor live theatre environment, and loves being surrounded by a diverse, collaborative company of creative thinkers, creators, and performers.
Betsy Emdin (she/her) • Box Office Manager
Betsy is a Michigan native and has lived in Traverse City for 14 years. She is passionate about the arts and served on the Board of Michigan Writers, worked for a number of years at the State and Bijou Theaters, is a docent at the Music House Museum, and delighted to now be a part of the Parallel 45 Theatre community. Betsy has three adult daughters and two adorable young granddaughters.
Trenton Lee (he/him) • Marketing Manager
Trenton graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies. After graduating in 2015, Trenton spent four years studying abroad at the University of Westminster in London, England, where he earned his MA in Social Media, Culture, and Society and continued his education at the doctoral level while teaching various courses in Media and Communications studies. After returning home in January 2020, Trenton had a short stint as an Instructor of Humanities at Interlochen Arts Academy where he was re-introduced to our thriving, local theater scene. In addition to his work at Parallel 45, he works as a Media & Communications Specialist at North Country Community Mental Health.
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YOUTHQUAKE SUMMER CAMP
Sam Carter (she/her) • Camp Director
Sam is a current MFA candidate at Eastern Michigan University studying Applied Drama and Theatre for the Young. Sam’s research focuses on creating theatre for, with, and about individuals with physical and neuro differences. Additionally, Sam is a King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellow with intent to teach theatre at the collegiate level. Sam obtained her BFA in Acting from Michigan State University with minors in dance, musical theatre, and arts and cultural management.
Sydney St. Amour (she/her) • Camp Manager
Sydney is very excited to be joining Parallel 45 this summer! She is currently working towards her BFA in Acting at Michigan State University along with a secondary degree in Communications. She couldn’t be more thrilled to have the opportunity to share her love of theater with her team and incoming campers. The more she learns, the more passionate she becomes about the world of theater and is beyond grateful that she has the chance to see that spark in those that follow her!
Kendall Kotcher (she/her) • Camp Teaching Artist
Kendall started working with Parallel 45 as The Sound of Music's Child Guardian and has been working in their Education Department since! She's been working as a professional teaching artist for 6 years teaching improv and story telling throughout the midwest. When she's not working on theatre she enjoys her volunteer work with Up North Pride, hiking, and moderating for her friends on twitch.
Lily Jenkins (she/her) • Performance/Music Direction Intern, ALICE: A Rock Musical
Lily is a 2022 graduate of Central High School. She performed with P45 as Louisa in 2021 in The Sound of Music and has participated in private coaching with them as well. She recently performed as Polly Baker in Central High School’s performance of Crazy For You. This fall she will be attending Kent State University to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre. She is beyond excited to be joining P45 again this summer!
Audrey Michael (she/her) • Performance/Directing Intern, ALICE, Cabaret
Audrey just graduated from TC West Senior High School where she was a member of both the advanced choirs and Advanced Theatre class. You may have seen Audrey recently as Tanya in the WSH Musical Mamma Mia or as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Audrey is excited to be returning to Youthquake this year. She is also thrilled to be attending Northwestern University this fall as a dual degree student earning her BM in Voice/Opera and a BA in theatre.
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