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Chris Carnevale
has acted in many performances for Civic Theatre, most
recently as Lennie in last season's Of Mice and Men. Some of
his highlights are Guys and Dolls, Anne of Green Gables,
Peter Pan, Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Sweeney Todd, Little
Shop of Horrors, and Annie. He has also worked behind the
scenes as stage manager (Little Shop of Horrors), assistant
director (Moon Over Buffalo and Annie), and choreographer
(The Velveteen Rabbit and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown).
Chris has also appeared onstage at Circle Theatre (West Side
Story, Evita, Best Little Whore House in Texas, Fame, Nobody
Loves a Dragon), Actors Theatre (Floyd Collins), Jewish
Theatre (God of Isaac), and Heritage Theatre (Songs of a
Summer Night) and Assistant Choreographer for Fiddler on the
Roof for Heritage and Jewish Theatres. Chris also
choreographs for Forest Hills Central High School. |
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Peggy Keuning
winner of Civic's Kopka Award for Best new Actor (1999)
last appeared at Civic in last year's production of
Cinderella. Among her many credits at GRCT are Kiss Me
Kate, Sweeney Todd, Singin' in the Rain, Fiddler on the
Roof, and Return to the Forbidden Planet. She also
appeared at Circle Theatre as the Narrator in Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Full Circle and Into
the Woods. |
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Rhonda Lehan
just completed our Summer Repertory Theatre production of No One
Will Marry a Princess with a Tree Growing Out of Her Head as
Assistant Director/Stage Manager/Properties Designer, and
Properties design for The Hobbit. Rhonda has a BA in Theatre.
She has been involved locally with numerous productions both
onstage and backstage. She also acts as a drama coach for the
group Curtain Time Players. Some of her favorite past credits
include Costume Designer for Forest Hills Central High's
production of Footloose, Stage Manager for GRCT's production of
The Hardy Boys and Stage Manager for Grand Valley Opera
Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls. |
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Edward Jay Nelson
is very well acquainted with the Civic Theatre stage. He
debuted in A Flea in Her Ear and has performed in
numerous shows including Alice Through the Looking Glass,
The Boxcar Children, Cinderella, City of Angels, Kiss Me,
Kate, The Velveteen Rabbit, Winnie-the-Pooh and last
year's first adult Travelling Troupe. Edward has also
performed at the Actors' Theatre, GRCC Players, Madame
Babe's Dinner Theatre, Ladies' Literary Club, Jewish
Theatre, and Circle Theatre. He has performed in San
Francisco singing jazz at piano bars and jazz clubs.
Edward was a guest singer at 88's in New York. |
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Ken Stichman
makes his Civic Theatre debut in Cotton Patch Gospel. He
studied musical theatre at Columbia College (Chicago) and
recently re-located from the Upper Peninsula. Ken has
spent the last 17 years on various stages and considers
the Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Social Security, Dark
of the Moon, Moon Over Buffalo and Hamlet some his
favorites. |
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G.M. (Bud) Thompson
has been performing with GRCT for 14 years, most recently as
Grandfather in last year's production of Ragtime. He is a
three-time Grand Award nominee, twice for GRCT's productions of
Peter Pan (Captain Hook) and Return to the Forbidden Planet
(Prospero). He has also performed with Actors' Theater, Circle,
Heritage Theater, and GVSU. Bud is a Graphic Designer. Published
playwright, award-winning composer/performer, and
Co-owner/operator with Matt Iacopelli of Theatrical Mementos
producing most of the theatre show shirts in the Grand Rapids
area. Bud loves his family and friends, but this one is for God... |
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Shawn Randall Watkins
made his Civic debut in last season's Ragtime and his
theatrical debut in high school. Shawn has been seen in GVSU
productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, Into the Woods,
and Saturn Returns, as well as in various opera scene
workshops. He is the Middle School Drama Teacher at Saranac
and directed his play last May. |
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Michael Wilson
last appeared in our 2001
production of Dracula's Treasure. He has been the Sets and
Props instructor for GRCT's Phase II program for the past eight
years. He has been involved with Civic's Summer Stock, now
Summer Repertory Theatre for nine years. He lives in Grand
Haven, where he has worked on over 20 shows with Central Park
Players, appearing first onstage in Oklahoma. He and his wife,
Dawn work together as Properties Coordinators for Opera Grand
Rapids. His favorite show is Pump Boys and Dinettes. When not
involved in theatre he enjoys gardening, woodworking and playing
with his grandkids. |
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Coleen Downey (Vocal Coach)
has Bachelor of Music degree from Oakland University. She
has sung leading roles with Michigan Opera Theatre opposite
Kathleen Battle, Jerry Hadley and Judy Kaye. She has served
apprenticeships with The Lake George Opera Festival, and The
Spoleto Festival. She has been a soloist with the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra, the Pontiac Oakland Symphony and the
Elgin Symphony. She toured nationally with The Prince Street
Players of New York for two years as Sleeping Beauty and
Cinderella. She was the soprano soloist on the Grammy
nominated CD "Hymn to the Sun" recorded by the William Ferris
Chorale. She has performed regional theatre throughout the
United States, in feature films and on radio and television.
Coleen and Music Director Martin Zyla have collaborated twice
before; the Grand Award winning musical at the Civic Theatre
Woody and Red Rock Diner at the Barn Theatre. She and her
husband Bob Frazier reside in Kentwood, MI. with their son
Jonathan. |
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Matt Iacopelli (Stage Manager)
is a junior theatre major at GVSU. He recently finished
stage managing Of Mice & Men for Civic Theatre, where he also
stage managed Sweeney Todd, Communicating Doors, Art and
Always...Patsy Cline. He has worked backstage on many shows
including Cinderella ('03), Kiss Me Kate, Annie, and Peter
Pan. Matt has sound designed many productions for Civic
including The Children's Hour, Anne of Green Gables and
Rebecca. He has also designed for Circle Theatre, Heritage
Theatre Group and GVSU. Matt spent this past summer working
as Production Stage Manager for Mason Street Warehouse, the
new professional theatre in Saugatuck, MI. He was the
recipient of the 2002 Grand Award Scholarship and recently
received first place for the Community Theatre Association of
Michigan Scholarship. He would like to thank his parents and
Bud for all their love and support. |
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Kylie Piette (Assistant Stage Manager)
started her volunteer career with Grand Rapids Civic in 2002
when she worked the second position on sound board. She has
worked 3-4 shows every year since as deck crew, properties,
and light board operator. This year she is taking the
challenge to Assistant Stage Manager Cotton Patch Gospel and
Scrooge. Kylie has also volunteered at Circle and Heritage
Theatres. Eventually Kylie would like to become a Stage
Manager and performer. During the daytime hours you can find
her working as a Rights Representative for the Mi Dept of
Civic Rights. |
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Erin Riordan (Choreographer)
choreographed the GRCT productions of Sweeney Todd (Grand
Award Nominee), Romeo & Juliet (in collaboration with HTG),
and Annie. She also appeared on stage with GRCT in The Little
Mermaid, Peter Pan, and Guys and Dolls. With HTG Erin has
directed Private Lives, The Importance of Being Earnest, and
The Cherry Orchard, along with numerous credits as a
choreographer, stage manager, and assistant director. She has
also worked with Northview High School as the choreographer
on their productions of Big River and Fame. Erin is the
President of the Board of HTG, lives in Hastings with her
dog, Beauregard, is married to "Jim o' the Navy," and is
expecting her first child in March. |
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Bruce Tinker (Director)
is Civic Theatre's Executive and Artistic Director. He has
directed over 100 productions in community, professional, and
university theatres including Camelot, Singin' in the Rain,
Sweeney Todd, Noises Off, Rumors, The Hardy Boys, Dearly
Departed, and last year's triumphant Ragtime for Civic
Theatre. Bruce and his wife Mary have a four-year-old
daughter and two dogs. |
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Martin Zyla (Musical Director)
is a veteran free-lance actor, singer, composer, writer and
musical director who, after working in Portland, Oregon and
New York City for 15 years prior, came to reside in Grand
Rapids, MI. in 1989. Since that time he has established his
business, Martin Arts Productions, and subsequently worked
for many theater organizations in multiple capacities,
highlighted by performances or musical direction in such
works as Driving Miss Daisy, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, I
Do, I Do!, The Grapes of Wrath and an ongoing road version of
Woody Guthrie's American Song, carried on from the 1997
award-winning Civic Theatre run. Zyla also works as a regular
columnist and critic for ON-THE-TOWN Magazine. Besides
singing in clubs (opening in New York for national acts like
Taj Mahal and Billy Taylor) and private events for the past
35 years, he has been a prolific performer for many public
organizations. These days are often spent on the road with
the folk/bluegrass group, the Blue Water Ramblers, or on hand
for this Cotton Patch Gospel production. If the Civic Theatre
has taught Mr. Zyla anything it's to watch out for the Ôdead
spot' down stage left. |