Directed by Patrick Ciamacco
Music Direction by Matthew Dolan
Stage Managed by Mandalyn Stevens
Costume Design by Jenniver Sparano
Lighting & Set Design by Patrick Ciamacco
Sound Design by Richard B. Ingraham
Sound Mixing by RJ Hetman
Projection Design by T.Paul Lowry
Production Assistant Tom West
CAST/STAFF
Dayshawnda “Day” Ash is excited to spread some Christmas joy. She says, “You can’t belt in your apartment like you can a theatre.” Her credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Doo-Wop Girl), Bare: A Pop Opera (Sister Chantelle), Hairspray (Shayna), Urinetown: The Musical (Little Sally), The Colored Museum (Mama/Women), Avenue Q (Gary Coleman), Children of Eden (Snake), Sister Act (Sister Mary Patrick), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Muzzy), Side Show (Dolly Dimples), Ghost the Musical (Clara Brown), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (St. Monica), and For Colored Girls… (Lady in Orange). Dayshawnda wants you to remember to stay safe and love each other.
Patrick Ciamacco is thrilled to be working with so many talented and amazing people! Without them -- and YOU -- this place would not exist. Patrick is the Artistic Director and founder of Blank Canvas Theatre. This has been one of the roughest years… but theatre, and everyone involved in this show, help make each day a bit better.
Stephanie Harden is elated to be “singing loud for all to hear” in this Blank Canvas Theatre production! Previous BCT credits are Side Show (Violet), Urinetown: The Musical (Hope Cladwell), and Bat Boy: The Musical (Shelley Parker). Other favorites include Legally Blonde the Musical (Elle Woods) at The Brecksville Theatre, Little Women (Beth) at French Creek Theatre, and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie) at Rabbit Run Theater. Full-time, Stephanie is a music teacher and middle school choir director. Thanks to Patrick for an opportunity to sing with friends again!
Bernadette Hisey is so happy to be “on the boards” again! Her credits at Blank Canvas Theatre include Urinetown: The Musical (Penelope Pennywise) and Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider). Other favorite roles include Mother Superior in Sister Act, Kate/Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate, the title role in Hello, Dolly, Vi Moore in Footloose, Judith Bliss in Hay Fever (Judith Bliss), Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Jacqueline in Don't Dress For Dinner. She is an Equity Membership Candidate.
Frank Ivancic is honored to be spreading some holiday cheer with this incredible group. Frank has appeared in several Blank Canvas Theatre productions including Urinetown: The Musical (Tiny Tom), We Will Rock You (Ensemble), and The Who's Tommy (Ensemble), as well as appearing in several other theatres around Cleveland. Thank you to Patrick and everyone at BCT for giving the Cleveland theatre community some joy and hope this year! Happy Holidays!!!
Kevin Kelly is thrilled to be back at Black Canvas Theatre with Artistic Director Patrick Ciamacco for the holiday show. His most recent directing credit was Heathers The Musical at Western Reserve Playhouse, and his most recent stage appearance was as Mama Loush in Cleveland Public Theatre's production of The Loush Sisters Love Dick’ns: Oops!...They Did It Again…
Meg Martinez is so glad to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre for the holidays! She has previously been seen on the BCT stage as Linda in Evil Dead - The Musical, Johanna in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Show, Klaus/Tony in Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Parody, and Polly Pry in Cannibal! The Musical. Other recent credits include Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), The Music Man (Marian Paroo), A Little Night Music (Petra), The Drowsy Chaperone (Kitty), [title of show] (Susan), Doubt (Sister James), Cymbeline (Imogen), and Little Women (Meg March). She is also a member of the sketch comedy group Benihana Waitstaff. Meg holds a B.A. in Theatre from Brown University and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Musical Theatre Vocal Performance at New York University. She is an Equity Membership Candidate. www.meg-martinez.com
Shane Patrick O'Neill is so happy to have the chance to perform at Blank Canvas Theatre during these crazy times. Previously, he was seen here in Avenue Q (Princeton), High Fidelity (Rob), and Godspell! Locally, he has been seen at Beck Center for the Arts in The Spitfire Grill (Joe), The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric), and Forever Plaid (Frankie); at Lakeland Civic Theatre in The Bridges of Madison County (Robert) and The Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio); and has appeared as a soloist with The Musical Theater Project. Regional Credits include Legally Blonde the Musical (Emmett) and the orchestral premiere of Songs for a New World (Man 2) at White Plains Performing Arts Center, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip) and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Man 2) at The Palace Theatre. Shane is a proud graduate of the musical theatre programs of New York University (M.M.) and Ashland University (B.A.). Shane encourages everyone to support the arts in any way that they can this year. www.shanepatrickoneill.com
Robert Pierce is thrilled to be back LIVE at Blank Canvas Theatre after previous appearances in Chess: In Concert (Molokov), Floyd Collins, and the Cleveland premiere of Little Miss Sunshine. Robert lives a dual artistic life in the worlds of musical theater and opera. Musical theater credits include The Little Mermaid (Chef Louis), Billy Elliot (Mr. Braithwaite), and Jerry Springer: The Opera (Chucky/Adam) at Beck Center for the Arts; A Little Night Music (Mr. Lindquist) and Violet (Preacher) at Lakeland Civic Theatre; and Sunday in the Park with George (Boatman) at French Creek Theatre. Opera credits include Tosca (Angelotti) with Cleveland Opera Theater and Valley Lyric Opera, La Bohème (Benoit/Alcindoro) with Opera Western Reserve, and Street Scene (Harry Easter) with Nightingale Opera Theater. Robert also directs and performs operatic programming for young audiences for Opera Western Reserve, where he also works as the resident stage/production manager in addition to similar behind-the-scenes work for Cleveland Opera Theater and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.
Matthew Dolan (Music Director) is an active music director in northeast Ohio with over 40 productions to his credit. He has been acknowledged as one of the "Best Music Directors" of 2018 by Cleveland Scene Magazine, and also received a "Superior Achievement" acknowledgement from the Cleveland Critics Circle for his work on Avenue Q at Blank Canvas Theatre. Recent music directing credits include Urinetown: The Musical (Oberlin College Theatre Department), Evil Dead - The Musical (Blank Canvas Theatre), and the world premiere production of 33 1/3 (Dobama Theatre). Matthew earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Theory and Composition and Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Akron. He is a member of the theatre faculty at the Beck Center for the Arts. He also serves as the current Director of Music for Rocky River United Methodist Church. Matthew is an avid cook, runner, and lover of vintage keyboard instruments. He thanks his family and his community for their never-ending support, and hopes you and yours have a safe, warm, and loving holiday season.
Mandalyn Stevens (Stage Manager) is so excited to stage manage her first show at Blank Canvas Theatre! Mandi has worked recently with director Pat Ciamacco on the previous drive-in style shows, as well as on the wardrobe crew for The Toxic Avenger. Her other recent credits include Legally Blonde the Musical (The Brecksville Theatre), Rasheeda Speaking (Karamu House), Sister Act (The Brecksville Theatre), and Summerland (Clague Playhouse). She is grateful for the opportunity to spread some cheer in the holiday season and looks forward to being back in a rehearsal. Happy Holidays!
Tom West (Asst. Technical Director/Lighting) holds a B.F.A. from Ohio University (2006) and M.F.A. from Kent State University (2016) and Is very excited to be helping out at Blank Canvas Theatre. Tom has worked in technical theater for over 20 years, starting in Cleveland with Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, Beck Center for the Arts, and Great Lakes Theater. Internationally, he has installed lighting for Bodies: The Exhibition with Primer Exhibitions, and in the NYC area, worked with Bently Meeker, The Lighting Syndicate, Playwrights Horizons, Barrow Street Theatre, and New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, as well as on Fela! The Musical (Electrics/Spot). More recently, Tom has been working in Northeast Ohio with Geauga Lyric Theater Guild, Brecksville Theater on the Square, Cleveland Public Theatre, Porthouse Theater, Near West Theatre, Lake Erie College, OYES, and Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute, and has served as Technical Director at Western Reserve Academy. Tom’s day job is, per usual, filling multiple roles as Drafter/Designer/Producer at InVision Communications, an engagement solutions agency.
T. Paul Lowry (Projection Design) has served in artistic, production, and design capacities with such companies as Cleveland Play House, Long Wharf Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, New Haven Theater Company, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and Talespinner Children’s Theatre. T. Paul is the Technical Director for Performing Arts at Hathaway Brown School. Noted design work includes: Egress (Cleveland Play House); Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars, Ella Enchanted, and The Nether (Dobama Theatre); Aida and Black Nativity (Karamu House), American Dreams, Fire on the Water, and Rastus & Hattie (Cleveland Public Theatre); Uz,and Donde Seta My Home (Teatro Publico de Cleveland); The Turing Machine (Theatre Ninjas); The 39 Steps (Via Brooklyn); To the Orchard, and Things as They Are (Playwrights Local 4181), and Angels in America (Oberlin College). www.tpaullowry.com.
Jenniver Sparano (Costume Design) returns to Blank Canvas Theatre for the holiday season, having previously designed holiday favorites including Yippie Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Parody, Urinetown: The Musical, Avenue Q, and High Fidelity. Most recently, she designed the BCT’s Halloween drive-in offering, Night of the Living Theatre. In the Before Times, she worked at a variety of theatres throughout Northeast Ohio and New York’s Capital District, and co-produced the annual AIDS Taskforce/CANAPI benefit musical production. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, she also studied in Paris and is employed by KeyBank.