Who's Who...

2008 Traveling Troupe: THE ADVENTURES OF NATE THE GREAT
 

Green Group
 
Abi Andrus (Kate) is an honor role, straight-A student and Student Council President at Westwood Middle School where she appeared in A Shop Girl’s Honor. Abi also appeared in the Misula Children’s Theater production of Hansel and Gretel as the character Nasty. She has completed an acting Theatre Wheel here at GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts.
 
Lisa DeBruin (Esmeralda) attends Dutton Christian School where she is in seventh grade. She has appeared in various church plays. Lisa is an active member of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre School of Theatre Arts. She’s completed an acting Theatre Wheel, and appeared in the Pirate Ship Players production of How I got That Part this past Fall. This is her first time in Traveling Troupe.
 

Devin Little (Sludge) attends Pinewood Middle School as an eighth grader. Devin is an active member of the School of Theatre Arts, completing an acting Theatre Wheel and playing the Sergeant in the Pirate Ship Player production of The Stone in the Road. He has also played Fred in Cheaper By the Dozen with Master Arts Theatre, and has performed in various school musicals.

 

Nate Ferrick (Nate) is in seventh grade at Excel Charter Academy. He has completed an acting Theatre Wheel at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s School of Theatre Arts. Nate first appeared on the GRCT stage in last year’s Traveling Troupe production of Story Theatre. Nate is reprising the lead role he also played in the GRCT Fall mainstage production of The Adventures of Nate the Great.

 
 
Annelise Hagstrom (Harry) is in the 5th grade at Walker Charter Academy. She also attends GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts after school. Annelise has completed an acting Theatre Wheel, and appeared in the performance class showcase of The Queen’s Twinkies. She will perform in the Paper Bag Player version of Percival the Performing Pig in March. Annelise also performed in the Orchard Hill Church production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
 
Alec Juarez (Finley) is reprising the role he played in the GRCT Fall mainstage production of The Adventures of Nate the Great. He is a home-schooled sixth-grader. Alec has taken classes here at GRCT and is a First Class Rank Boy Scout. Alec has appeared with Thebes players in Humpty-Dumpty is Missing, with Children’s Creations in Two Nights Before Christmas, and in Snow White and Rose Red with On With The Show! drama workshop. Alec received a Midwest Academic Talent Search Award of recognition for excellence in the EXPLORE Standardized Test.
 

Marysa Miller (Claudia) is reprising her role that she played in the mainstage production of The Adventures of Nate the Great. Marysa is a dancer, in her eighth year of Tap, Hip-hop, Ballet and Lyrical dance classes. She is a fifth grader at Bauerwood Elementary School in Jenison where she appeared in the High School production of Cinderella. Marysa also attends the Jenison HS summer drama camp program. She’s in choir at both church and school, singing solos since age 5!

 
 

Jake Mate (Fang) first appeared on the GRCT stage as Fang in the GRCT Fall mainstage version of The Adventures of Nate the Great. He is a seventh grader at Jenison Junior High School. Jake is a voice talent for radio commercials for Sunspots and Soundpost with Sheila Hart. He’s appeared in several Jenison HS productions: Doo Woop Red Riding Hood, The Frog Prince, as Jack Rabbit in Seussical the Musical, and Nag in The Jungle Book. In addition, Jake was a Cub Football champion!

 
 

Grace Perkins (Rosamond) is a ninth-grader who is home-schooled and has appeared in numerous productions in the drama class for home-schoolers. She played the Baby Doll in the Home-school Performing Arts production of The Velveteen Rabbit, and the role of Raja in Master Arts Theater’s production of I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Grace is active in the GRCT School of Theatre Arts. She has completed an Acting Theatre Wheel and performed in You Can’t Stop the Beat last Fall with the very first Broadway Bound Performance class.

 
Dan Schindler (Oliver) is also reprising the role he played in the GRCT Fall mainstage production of The Adventures of Nate the Great. He has taken classes at GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts nonstop since 2006, completing an acting Theatre Wheel. Dan appeared in the Phase II production of The Pirates of Penance this past summer. He is currently in the eighth grade at Eastern Middle School. Dan enjoys playing “World of Warcraft,” theatre Improv games, and his favorite book is Ender’s Game.
 

David Solon (Pip) first appeared on GRCT’s stage in the 2005 production of The Wizard of Oz. David is an eighth grader at Northern Hills Middle School, where he appeared as the title role in Mervin’s Many Faces. He is also an active member of the School of Theatre Arts, in classes and as a member of both the 2006 and 2007 Traveling Troupes. David has appeared in the Goodwillie Environmental School’s production of A Christmas Carol, and on the radio singing Christmas carols with his school choir this past holiday season.

 
 
Eboni White (Annie) has performed in Fences and, most recently, in The Miracle Worker with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. She is also an active member of the GRCT School of Theatre Arts. Eboni completed an acting Theatre Wheel and has taken two performance classes, appearing in The Queen’s Twinkies and Pirates of the Playground. She attends seventh grade at Northern Hills Middle School, where she played the title role in Sudako and the Cranes. Eboni has also appeared in Humpty Dumpty with Lowell Community Theatre.
 
 
 
Yellow Group
 
Ashley Dwarshuis (Annie) first appeared on GRCT’s stage in the Pirate Ship Player production of The Talent Show. An active member of the School of Theatre Arts, Ashley has completed an acting Theatre Wheel, and taken a singing class. At Master Arts Theater, Ashley played the role of Piglet in The House at Pooh Corner, and Princess Bouquet in Rapunzel. An eighth grader at Forest Hills Northern MS, Ashley is a member of the special choir group, the NHMS Singers.
 
Maddie Dix (Kate) was most recently seen on GRCT’s stage as Louisa in The Sound of Music this past holiday season. Her first show here was the 2004 production of Madeline. Maddie has been active the School of Theatre arts, appearing in many summer camp productions and played Robin this summer in Phase II’s production of Pirates of Penance. Maddie played Dorothy in the East Rockford MS’s Wizard of the Mall. She has attended Interlochen Fine Arts Camp as a theatre major!
 
Cullan Jewell (Oliver) has been an active member of the School of Theatre Arts appearing in summer camp productions, including The Restless Quest, The Moppet Show and The Pirates of Penance! Cullan also toured with Traveling Troupe 2007’s version of Story Theatre. He is in the seventh grade at East Rockford MS, where he is active in the drama program. Cullan has also been seen onstage at Rogue River Players in Scrooge’s Awakening.
 
Connor Jewell (Fang) is in the 8th grade at East Rockford MS. His first show with GRCT was The Wizard of Oz in 2005. He’s also appeared as John Darling in 2006’s Peter Pan. Connor has been active in the School of Theatre Arts, as a student and a teacher’s assistant, and with the Traveling Troupe. He’s appeared in summer camp shows, including the lead role of Nikolas in Phase II’s Crusade this past summer. With Rockford High School, Connor has performed in The Music Man, Seussical the Musical, and will appear in Oliver! this Spring.
 
Jillian Langford (Esmeralda) first appeared on GRCT’s stage in the summer camp production of A Restless Quest. Since then she’s performed as Sheila in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and as a member of the 2006 Traveling Troupe. Jillian attends East Grand Rapids Middle School, and has just started learning to play the saxophone!
 
Gabrielle E. Maniscalco (Pip) is in the seventh grade at Jenison Junior High School. She is an active member of the School of Theatre Arts! Gabrielle has completed an acting Theatre Wheel. She’s appeared onstage in three Paper Bag Player productions – Pirates of the Playground, Jungle Book and Rumplestiltskin.
 
Anthony Murphy (Claude) has completed the acting Theatre Wheel in GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts. He first appeared onstage at GRCT in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, and was a member of both the 2006 and 2007 Traveling Troupes. Anthony has also been seen around town as Oliver in Dickens’ Oliver (Rogue River Theatre) as Peter in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Northview Highlands Middle School). Anthony is in the eighth grade.
 
Patrick Nowak (Sludge) first appeared in GRCT’s 2005 production of The Wizard of Oz, and in last May’s production of Junie B. Jones. Patrick played the role of Theo in Circle Theatre’s production of Pippin, Billy in Cornerstone University’s Honk! and appeared in the children’s chorus of Opera GR in Carmen last Fall. Patrick is in sixth grade at East Grand Rapids MS. In GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts, he’s completed an acting Theatre Wheel and appeared onstage in a performance class and several Summer camp productions.
 
Alex Petkus (Rosamond) is an eighth-grader at East Grand Rapids Middle
School. She has been involved in the School of Theatre Arts, completing two Theatre Wheels, appearing in five performance classes and taking singing classes! Her first time on the Meijer Majestic stage was in the performance class production of The King’s Twinkies. Alex has also attended summer camps, appearing in number of shows, including Hound of the Haskervilles with Phase II.
 
Michael Reese (Finley) is an active member of the School of Theatre Arts, completing an acting Theatre Wheel and appearing onstage in two performance class shows – most recently, Rumplestiltskin. Michael is in the 8th grade at and has had 2 years of drama classes at Grandville Middle School. Michael also appeared in last summer’s Phase II production of If Stones Could Speak.
     
  Katherine Searcy (Harry) has been involved in GRCT’s School of Theatre Arts since the summer of 2003! She has appeared in numerous summer camp shows, most recently in The Forbidden Forest this past Summer. Katherine has completed two acting Theatre Wheels, and will appear in Percival the Performing Pig with her performance class in March. She is in the sixth grade at Rosewood Elementary School where she appeared as Barbra in Cheaper by the Dozen.  
     
L. William Vicari (Nate) first appeared onstage with GRCT in the guest role of Chicken Soup with Summer Repertory’s production of Really Rosie. He just finished playing Kurt in The Sound of Music. Will has been active the School of Theatre Arts since 2000, performing in various summer camp shows. Besides acting, he plays the piano, tap dances and sings; appearing in the children’s choruses of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and La Boheme at DeVos Hall. Will is in the seventh grade at Immaculate Heart of Mary School.