CWRU Theater August 2025 Newsletter
“The arts challenge our imaginations, nourish our spirits, and help to sustain our democracy.”
— President Bill Clinton in the 1997National Endowment for the Arts Annual Report
New Year Newsletter – End-of-Summer Edition
Welcome back to another great year at Case Western Reserve University’s Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center (MPAC)! We’ve had a busy summer filled with accolades, accomplishments, retirements, new hires and more. We’ve got a lot to dive into for everyone so let’s get started!
DEPARTMENT NEWS
Fond Farewells
Last spring we bid farewell to Beth McGee, our long-serving acting, voice and speech professor. Professor McGee has been coaching voice and acting at Case Western Reserve University as well as directing productions since 1988. She has served countless artists over the years, helping them find their voice and place in the arts. She was recently honored by the university with the title of Professor Emerita. We wish her great health and happiness in retirement.
Additionally, our department is saying goodbye to our faithful department administrator, Elizabeth Rickel. Elizabeth has been with the department since 2023, handling all the behind-the-scenes tasks that kept our department running smoothly. We wish her well in her future endeavors and hope she still finds time to come and visit us soon.
New Face in Town
This year, you may see a new face around MPAC. We welcome Hayley Jannielli as our assistant professor of voice and acting. We look forward to the wonderful work and joy she’ll bring to our students and our department. Here’s a note from Professor Jannielli herself:
Hello, CWRU Theater! I’m thrilled to be joining the department as assistant professor of voice and acting. After a decade in New York City—teaching, coaching, acting and directing—I’m energized by this opportunity to build a creative community in Cleveland. I look forward to collaborating with the many gifted and dynamic artists here at Case, and hope you will let me know how I can support you and your work.
2025/2026 Season and Ticket Options
In case you missed it, we announced our 2025/2026 season! We have four amazing shows and a brand-new season ticket option so you don’t miss out on a single one.
Learn more and buy your tickets today!
CWRU Undergraduate Theater Season 2025/2026
The Harvest by Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by David Vegh and Abigail Gilman
Oct. 3–12
In this thought-provoking new play, a group of young people meet in the basement of a small evangelical church in southeastern Idaho, preparing to leave to do missionary work in the Middle East. One of them, Josh — reeling from the recent loss of his father – has bought a one-way ticket and intends to stay on after the rest of the group returns. But his plans are complicated when his estranged sister, a recovering drug addict, returns home and makes it her mission to keep him there.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Katie Booze-Mooney
November 14–23
In Oscar Wilde’s most beloved play, two Victorian gentlemen each find themselves in love with a woman who must be married to a man named Ernest. Through comic deception, false identities and a dramatic reveal, The Importance of Being Earnest is a witty satire of social conventions and manners.
Mercury by Steve Yockey
Directed by Chris Bohan and Rachel Greidinger
February 20–March 1
Revenge is a dish best served… bloody. In this savagely hilarious comedy-thriller, three stories cross outside of Portland, Oregon including an illicit affair, a couple hanging on by a thread, bears at the window, the worst curiosity shop on the west coast, and an adorable missing dog named Mr. Bundles. No one’s happy, people stop being nice, and blood spills. This mash up of myth, missing empathy, and “good neighbors” explores what happens when the mercury rises.
Pippin – Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Book by Roger O. Hirson
Directed by Joanna May Cullinan
April 10–19
Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). Pippin must decide if happiness lies in extraordinary endeavors, or rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 1973, Pippin is full of magic, wonder, and extraordinary things.
CWRU Theater Scholarship Events
Do you know any high school students who might be interested in a full tuition scholarship to study theater at CWRU?
Each year, the CWRU Department of Theater awards four full-tuition scholarships to incoming first-year students who will be majoring in theater! We will be hosting in-person events in October, November and February, as well as a virtual event in February. For more details, please see our website.
Registration for our fall 2025 events will open in early September. Please email christopher.bohan@case.edu if you would like to be added to the mailing list.
MFA Performances This Fall
As our Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Class of 2026 heads into their final year, they will be challenged with professional development classes, undertaking their Solo Flight productions, as well as continuing to support Cleveland Play House (CPH) and their own class productions. Be sure to keep an eye out for all of our grads on the CPH stages as they announce casting for their 2025/2026 season throughout the year.
Also be sure to see their final performance together as a class this fall when they present:
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Directed by Terry McMahon
November 5–15
Helen Theatre, Play House Square
Tickets and more info to be announced soon!
New MFA Class Announced
After an exhaustive search of nearly one thousand candidates, eight artists will be taking their graduate journey with the CWRU/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program starting this fall. One is our very own Tabitha Raithel, who graduated from CWRU in 2024. The rest of the class includes Julia Chambers, Alexandre de Foy, Jonathan Koppelman, Timothy Magee Jr., Ryan Marroquin, Jade Moujaes and Brynna Waters. We look forward to them sharing their talents and artistic passion with us.
MFA Program Ranks Top 10
Hollywood Reporter has ranked the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program the No. 10 overall MFA Program on its list of the “Top 25 Drama Schools in the World.”
This is the Program’s seventh appearance in eight years on this list!
The ranking cited our MFA program for our close relationship with Cleveland Play House and the opportunities given to our students in their mainstage seasons. It also focused on our extensive professional development and business orientation training to prepare students for life post-graduation.
It recognized one of our signature features – Solo Flight – where all third-year students create and perform a solo show.
Tap the link in our bio to see how the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s best drama programs.
STUDENT NEWS
Join Us For Our Welcome Back Gathering
Come one, come all to the annual All-Department Welcome Back Meeting! New and returning students are invited to come to this brief meeting where we will talk about the season, upcoming auditions, and other important news about the department. Following the meeting, pizza and drinks will be served while you can meet and talk with faculty and other students. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Jeffrey.Ullom@case.edu
When: Tuesday, August 26th at 5:30pm
Where: Roe Green Theatre at MPAC
How: Just show up! No sign-up required.
Department Auditions
General Auditions for the Fall 2025 semester productions of the CWRU Department of Theater will be held August 27th from 6pm-9pm in the Roe Green Theatre of the Maltz Performing Arts Center
What to prepare:
- Theater Majors/Minors: Please prepare EITHER a realistic contemporary monologue OR something from a British comedy with the knowledge that you will still be considered for both shows. The speech should be 1-2 minutes in length, memorized.
- Non-Majors: If you do not have a memorized monologue, you will have the option of cold reading a speech provided at the audition instead.
- Headshots are not necessary. Please bring a resume if you have one.
- Please arrive at least 10-15 minutes before your scheduled audition time to fill out an Audition Sheet. You will need to provide any and all unchangeable conflicts you have with the rehearsal and performance schedules, so please make note of any religious holidays, family events, etc. BEFORE you arrive.
Please Find Additional Pertinent Information Here: https://theater.case.edu/theater-season-and-box-office/theater-auditions/
Sign-Up for Your Audition Slot Here: https://form.jotform.com/251913703248153
Fill Out Your Audition Form in Advance: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K559sTerjPfDgieiuuF40jfjo9jo8PN8/view?usp=sharing
CURRENT STUDENT NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Acting Opportunity with Mock Trial
Undergraduate Mock Trial is looking for new team members! Mock Trial is a competitive academic activity where college students simulate courtroom trials. Participants take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses, developing case theories, delivering arguments, and practicing legal procedures based on a fictional case. The activity emphasizes critical thinking, public speaking, teamwork, acting, and knowledge of legal principles, offering students hands-on experience in trial advocacy and courtroom dynamics. Addition breakdown here: https://shorturl.at/tpeuz
Information sessions and tryouts are hosted during the start of the semester in late August and early September. To receive more information about dates as well as interest emails and tryout details, you can fill out the following form: https://tinyurl.com/ms9yt26y
For other updates or information, you can check our website, casemocktrial.com, follow us on Instagram @cwrumocktrial, and for any specific questions about recruitment you can contact the VP of Recruitment, Dhilan Vibhakar, at dnv15@case.edu
IMPROVment Announcements
Welcome Back Show: IMPROVment’s back, alright! While we may not be the backstreet boys, we are Case Western Reserve University’s premiere short form musical improv troupe and out first show of the semester is September 6th at 9PM in the Maltz Black Box. A night of goofs and gags you will not want to miss!
Auditions: Want to become a part of our team? Well, get ready world. IMPROVment needs newbies and we want YOU. We need people who 1. like to have a good time and 2. want to improvise acting or piano onstage. If that describes you, then you better be at Maltz Performing Arts Center at 6PM on either 9/8 or 9/9! All skill levels encouraged to audition!
Improv Jam: If you’ve ever wanted to jump onstage, be a fool, and have some fun? Join IMPROVment for our Fall Improv Jam! At 3PM on August 24th at Maltz Performing Arts Center, join the troupe in some of our classic improv warm ups and short form games. All skill levels welcome and encouraged!
Soft Belly Theatre Submissions
Soft Belly Theatre is accepting applications for Full Bellies: a biannual program where playwrights with work that’s still in the early stages of development can submit their piece via email to Soft Belly and if it aligns with their mission and goals, Soft Belly’s Meredith Nelson (CWRU MFA ’26) will work with them for a month as their sounding board. This means that if the playwright has any questions about their work or is open to curiosities from an outside perspective, the focus is on aiding the playwright in whatever they need to progress their piece. At the end of the month, Soft Belly hosts an event for the CLE public where all in attendance receive a home cooked meal and watch a reading of the playwright’s new work. The goal of Full Bellies is to foster fellowship and bolster confidence in the playwright’s piece.
More Information: https://www.softbellytheatre.com/full-bellies
The Costume Shop Is Hiring Undergraduate Assistants
The positions are open to all work study eligible students; you do not need to be a design student or theater major/minor. The costume shop, located in the MPAC Phase Two operates Monday – Friday, generally 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Shop assistants (student employees) do not need to have a background in costumes or sewing or plan to major in theater. Some of our most successful employees are not theater majors. We are looking for a willingness to learn new skills, an upbeat attitude, curiosity, and some discretion. There are opportunities for advancement in skills and more leadership/team oversight roles. There are also positions in the shop that are less sewing focused (crafts and wigs).
Hour allocation is based on your financial aid statement. At this time, we can only accept assistants with work study eligibility. Students don’t work more than 10-15 hours a week and coordinate with the shop manager about scheduling hours. We do ask for consistency, meaning your schedule is the same each week with some flexibility for midterms, personal appointments, etc. Since it’s difficult to work on projects for short time frames, we do suggest working in blocks of time no shorter than 90 minutes. This may mean working between classes or selecting a few mornings/afternoons for longer blocks of time. Employees may work at times when several other students are working or it might just be with the shop manager. We’ll teach you all the skills necessary to perform your duties.
Interested students are encouraged to apply through the Handshake portal here: https://cwru.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/10084614/details or by emailing the costume shop manager, Rainie Wilkes at yong.jiang2@case.edu
Journeys Near and Far
Current undergraduate students Reighan Bean, Jack Exline, Katherine Frick, and Evie Oehlers are already busy with their professional development. It’s inspiring to see them taking initiatives so early in their artistic journeys. Let’s hear about their experiences:
Reighan Bean: There are two things you should know about me: I have never been one to sit still and I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I chose CWRU because I knew it would push me to say yes to every opportunity. It already has. Since arriving, I’ve been busier than ever with professional acting work and chances to grow my craft.
My freshman year began by being cast as a day player in a SAG feature film. I told my professors, drove to set in Indiana, and found myself with a trailer, a script with lines to highlight, and a 1960s car to stunt drive. The film recently premiered at the Cannes and Sydney film festivals. I now have an IMDb page.
By the end of fall semester, I signed with a second agent. I’m from Pittsburgh and already had one covering both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I figured it couldn’t hurt to open more doors. Since then, I’ve been auditioning constantly through both agencies. Taking David Vegh’s camera techniques class and purchasing self-tape equipment was a worthy investment.
In the spring, I booked a three-day shoot in Louisville, KY. I memorized my lines for the next morning in a hotel room. I met and learned from professional actors who have been doing this for twice as long as I have. I was finally convinced to create a professional acting Instagram (@reighanbean). After the long final shoot day, I got in my car and drove five and a half hours back to Cleveland. After all, I had a morning class to attend.
This summer, I have been driving back and forth from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. I was booked for a photoshoot that is for Cleveland tourism, so keep your eye out for me on a billboard. I’m also helping my first acting teacher, who gave me my love and drive for the art, by assisting with her screen acting classes.
While all this is happening, I am still a full-time student and proud member of the theater department. I’ve declared a double major in Theater with an Acting Concentration and Finance. I performed in Everybody and The Revolutionists with the Players’ Theatre Group, crewed Mousetrap, and acted in Men on Boats with the department.
Heading into my sophomore year, I’m proud of what has been accomplished and excited for my next semester and my first semester abroad. I am glad I chose CWRU.
MEANWHILE:
Jack Exline, Katherine Frick, and Evie Oehlers will be attending LAMDA this semester. A world-leading conservatoire, LAMDA offers exceptional vocational training to actors, stage managers, technicians, directors and designers. We’ll surely miss them around the halls of MPAC this semester, but look forward to seeing their growth when they return. Safe travels!
ALUMNI AND FACULTY NEWS
Mars The Musical Gets Staged Reading in Chicago
Undergraduate alumni Lisa O’Brien and Jasmyn Zeigerson’s original musical, Mars the Musical, which they developed as part of their senior capstone project at CWRU, has been selected by the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago for a staged reading in September!
For over 35 years, The Annoyance Theatre has created some of Chicago’s finest comedy. Home of Chicago’s longest-running musical Co-ed Prison Sluts, as well as classics such as Steamworks the Musical, Shark Tank the Musical, and The Real Live Brady Bunch, The Annoyance uses improvisation to create new and original plays, musicals, sketch-comedy and more in a vibrant, creative atmosphere. Their notable alumni include Jason Sudeikis, Vanessa Bayer, Stephen Colbert, Jane Lynch and Jon Favreau, among others.
MFA Alumni News Blitz
Our MFA students and alumni continue to work hard and earn amazing opportunities. Here are just some of their most recent notable accomplishments
Shunté Lofton (MFA 2024) appears at Colorado Shakespeare Festival as the Duchess of Gloucester in Richard II and Gonzalo in The Tempest
Lavour Addison (MFA 2018) plays MacDuff in Macbeth and William and Charles in As You Like It at the Utah Shakespeare Festival
Bridget Kim (MFA 2022) plays Jane in The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh at The Virginia Theatre Festival
Mariah Burks (MFA 2018) was featured in Cleveland’s Musical Theatre Project’s production of I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road.
Alex Brightwell (MFA 2020) appeared in Dial “M” for Murder, directed by former CPH AD, Laura Kepley.
Calder Meis (MFA 2026) played Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof at Porthouse Theatre.
Madalyn Baker’s (MFA 2026) play Lunchtime had its world premiere at SoftBelly Theatre this summer, directed by Softbelly Co-AD, Meredith Nelson (MFA 2026)
Brianna Miller (MFA 2026) played Miriam in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.
Stephen Michael Spencer (MFA 2014) was awarded a special DRAMA DESK AWARD!
Stephen was awarded the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award for his work in two acclaimed shows this season: as Jason in Medea Re-Versed and as TJ in Music City!
Summer Accomplishments with Homer
This year was the 48th annual Cain Park Arts Festival in Cleveland Heights. The outdoor event hosts up to 142 national and international artists at a juried 3-day festival. Homer has worked this event as the Area “C” Supervisor during the last 33 years minus 2019.
“Working an event like this is very much like loading in a stage production. We assist the artist to their display area, help unload and set up tents and art pieces. Then, once everything’s ready with open tents displaying artists handmade crafts from pottery to textiles and glass to iron. We open to the public; hope they enjoy and purchase the art pieces and on Sunday we shut things down. Pack up, the artists move on and the park is left empty and still. Void of this activity for another year.”
Thank goodness our shows run 2 weekends here at CWRU THTR. The kilt has become a Sunday tradition depending on the weather.