CAST

VICTORIA ALEV*

(Elaine Harper) is elated to be making her Virginia Stage Company debut. A New Jersey native, Victoria spent her childhood summers studying theatre at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Since then, she has taken her studies to New York and beyond, exploring experimental theatre and devising techniques in Berlin, Germany as well as Acting Shakespeare at RADA in London, UK. She recently graduated with her MFA from Case Western Reserve University. During her time in school, she performed regionally in The Play That Goes Wrong, Amadeus, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the world premiere of Watching Butterflies at the Cleveland Play House. She looks forward to moving back to New York this fall. Thank you to everyone involved with Arsenic and Old Lace. www.victoriaalev.com IG: @vickduff

ALVAN BOLLING II

(Officer Brophy) feels extremely blessed & excited to be making his debut on The Wells Theatre stage! Alvan graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with his B.A. in Theatre Performance, has performed various roles at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and on stages across Virginia, but most recently he worked at Disneyland Paris in The Lion King & The Rhythms of the Pridelands as Pumbaa. He is also a voice actor who has voiced a proud Papa White Tiger named Raj on the children’s animated show, Lil Wild, and has been heard on a number of Horror podcasts, including his own — The Ghost Light Theater. Lastly, he wishes to dedicate this & every performance to the memory of his late, great, loving Father - Big Al. He also wishes to thank his wonderful Mother for everything and his “County Karaoke Crew” for being the best tribe anyone could ask for. alvanthe2nd.com

JOHN CAUTHEN

(Rev. Dr. Harper) is delighted to return to VSC.  In 2024, John has appeared as Mr. Mushnik in Williamsburg Players’ Little Shop of Horrors, Borachio in Richmond Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Nostradamus in Peninsula Community Theatre’s Something Rotten.  Previous VSC appearances include: A Merry Christmas Carol (Scrooge understudy), Fiddler on the Roof, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Murder at Fernly Hall (online), The Great Christmas Carol Escape (online), Our Town, Pride and Prejudice, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, All My Sons, and a Moon for the Misbegotten.  Currently residing in Williamsburg with his lovely wife Dana, John taught high school English for 18 years in Virginia Beach.

DAN CIMO

(Officer Klein) is thrilled to be making his Virginia Stage Company debut after a four-year hiatus from performing. Previous credits include Tuck Everlasting, Spring Awakening, Seussical (Virginia Rep); Jekyll & Hyde, Seussical, La Cage aux Folles, Mary Poppins (Virginia Musical Theatre); Buyer & Cellar, The Normal Heart, Falsettos, Cabaret, Psycho Beach Party (Richmond Triangle Players); Assassins, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Richmond Shakespeare); Mr. Burns, Significant Other (TheatreLAB). Dan holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and MSW in Clinical Practice from Virginia Commonwealth University. In his clinical work, Dan specializes in LGBTQ+ mental health and relationships (queerwell.com/dan-cimo). Dan extends his heartfelt gratitude to God, his family and friends for their unending support, and Mike for his mentorship and guidance. Enjoy the show!

RYAN CLEMENS

(Teddy Brewster) is pleased to be back at the Wells Theatre.  Ryan served on the main stage and in various VSC educational tours and programs.  Patrons may remember Ryan in VSC roles including Mr. Wormwood in Matilda; Mortimer in The Fantasticks; Balin in The Hobbit; Jaxton in The Thanksgiving Play; Lt. Brannigan in Guys & Dolls; and Jacob Marley or a myriad of other Dickensian characters from nine seasons working with A Christmas Carol. Originally from Wyoming, Ryan began his career in a Wild West show named "The Cowpoke Theatrical Company."  He holds a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University and an MFA in Acting from Regent University.  He teaches at Old Dominion University and performs with Plan B Improv.  His greatest passion comes in sharing the wit and wisdom of his famous relative Samuel L. Clemens in his one man show “Meet Mark Twain.”  The best role he has ever gotten is that of Husband to his kind and supportive wife Sonja. 

ARTHUR LAZALDE*

(Jonathan Brewster) is honored to be making his Virginia Stage Company Debut. New York Credits: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (Mint Theatre Company); As You Like It (Harold Clurman Theatre Lab)  Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Adriana Lecouvreur, Cosi Fan Tutti, and Champion (Metropolitan Opera); King Lear (Secret Theatre); Creditors (Studio Tisch); Nutcracker (Ballet For Young Audiences). Regional Theatre Credits: Lombardi (The Milwaukee Rep); Guys and Dolls (TUTS); Holmes And Watson (Gulfshore Playhouse); Three Musketeers (Cape Fear Regional Theatre); Oliver (Arrow Rock Lyceum); 1776, Cards On The Table, Wait Until Dark (Cortland Repertory Theatre); Man of La Mancha (National Tour); Macbeth (Camden Shakespeare Festival); Coriolanus (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); 1776 (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Taming Of The Shrew, Measure For Measure, The Winter's Tale, and Merry Wives of Windsor (Texas Shakespeare Festival) Acting Training: MFA in Acting from NYU/Tisch Graduate Acting Program. www.arthurlazalde.com youtube.com/@ArthurLazalde

STEVEN MINOW*

(Dr. Einstein) is very pleased to be returning to Virginia Stage after last appearing as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2019 Holiday favorite A Christmas Carol. A native of Sacramento, Mr. Minow has worked regionally since the tender age of 18 where he landed his first professional contract at the California Musical Theatre (aka The Music Circus). Regional acting credits include:  Arizona Repertory (Lend Me a Tenor), Theatre Under the Stars (Camelot with Robert Goulet), The Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle (JC Superstar), Sacramento Theatre Company (Meet Your Mountain) and Cape Fear Regional Theatre (as Sweeney Todd). Among his favorite roles are Michael Novak in God of Carnage, Matt Drayton in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and  Mr. Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth.  Film credit:  Across the Universe. “Much thanks to Tom Q & Nick Minas for welcoming me back into the company here at VA Stage."

DARIUS NELSON

(Officer O’Hara) is a lifelong resident of Norfolk, Virginia. A proud alumni of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. He is a singer, songwriter, comedian, playwright, producer, and director. Also an educator for Norfolk Public Schools. This  will be his 7th production with VSC. He starred as Lion in The Wiz (2017) and Benny South Street in Guys and Dolls (2019). Always thankful for all opportunities given.

RON NEWMAN

(Mr. Gibbs) is overjoyed to return to the Virginia Stage Company! As an actor, singer, theatre/ film educator and director, this will mark his 50th year working in professional theatre. Previous VSC credits include, Henry V, Guys and Dolls, Pride and Prejudice, The Tempest, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Other credits include: Sister Act-The Musical, Seussical, The Full Monty, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music , and Show Boat (Virginia Musical Theatre); Marlo Thomas’ Free To Be, You and Me....(East Coast Tour); Oliver, Dames at Sea, and You Can’t Take it With You (Milburn Stone Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest, and King Lear (Appalachian Theatre Ensemble); No Time for Sergeants, and Pippin (Tidewater Dinner Theatre). Ron holds an MA in Theatre and Education and is currently retired and enjoying life on Broad Creak with his husband of 34 years and their dog, Chester.

TOM O’REILLY

(Mr. Witherspoon) is excited to be making his first appearance at the Virginia Stage Company. His last production was The Weir (Jack) at the Generic Theatre. He has also appeared at the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach in The Rainmaker (Sheriff Thomas), Other Desert Cities (Lyman Wyeth), An Enemy of the People (Morten Kiil), And Then There Were None (Judge Wargrave), You Can’t Take It With You (Martin Vanderhof), and Dracula (Dr. Seward). Tom is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. New York credits include off-off Broadway productions of Night of the Iguana (Reverend Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon), and The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (Tom Lewis).In addition, Tom has appeared in the San Francisco Bay Area productions of A Few Good Men (Judge Randolph) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Atticus Finch).

MICHAEL RAVER*

(Mortimer Brewster/Fight Captain) Off-Bway: Vieux Carre, The Seagull (The Pearl), The Persians (National Actor’s Theater), Death Comes for The War Poets, Fire On Babylon, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar (Aquila) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Hive). Select Regional: North Coast Rep, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Bay Street, Peterborough Players, Ivoryton Playhouse, Bridge Street, Music Theatre of Connecticut (CT Critic’s Circle Best Actor Nom for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof), Playhouse on Park, American Stage, Red House, Shadowland Stages, Telluride Theater, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Bristol Valley Theater, Saratoga Shakespeare, Sarasota Jewish Theatre. Film/TV: TURN, Murder Castle, How We Built The Bomb, Your Cookie, Star Night. As a writer, a three-time O’Neill semifinalist, with work presented at Sonnet Rep, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Playhouse on Park, TheatreLab NYC, The Martha Graham Company, Sheen Center, Bridge Street, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and The Pearl. Additional writing honors from The Austin Film Festival, Red Bull Theatre Company, ScreenCraft, All Out Arts, The Chesley/Bumbalo Foundation, and was a recipient of a grant from City Artists Corps.

SCOTT ROLLINS

(Lieutenant Rooney) Arsenic marks Scott's 11th appearance with the Virginia Stage Company since 1996. He most recently played the Constable in their all-time box office hit Fiddler on the Roof. Scott has been portraying other people for 43 years with VSC, VMT, Tidewater Stage, Colonial Theater, R.I., ODU, CNU, LTN, LTVB, WP, PIP's, etc., as well as on-camera. His character roster includes Atticus Finch, Biff Loman, Capt. John Smith, Count Dracula, Eddie Carbone, King Henry VIII, Pablo Picasso, Pontius Pilate, Richard the Lionheart, Tim the Enchanter, and William Bonney, among others. Scott, as always, would like to give a special thanks to his talented & comely wife Lynn for all her love and support. 

LINDA SLADE*

(Abby Brewster) is delighted to be working with the Virginia Stage Company having recently returned from the UK where she was filming The Beholden and touring in Private Lives (Theatre Royal Bath). Work in US: Beth Otherwise Engaged ( Asolo Theatre, Sarasota), Clarissa Triptych (Nomad Theatre Company, Los Angeles), 8 Dr. Nancy Cott, (The Borgnine Theatre, California). Miss Fischer : A Picasso (Stageworks, Tampa), Scotland Road, (Sugden Theatre Naples, Florida), The Turn of The Screw Governess – (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Centre , and New End Theatre, London,) Olivia in Twelfth Night (Sierre Madre Theatre Company, California,) Lady Macbeth Macbeth, Gertrude, Hamlet, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Met Theatre, LA), The Queen Of Austria with Placido Domingo in Nabbucco,: LA Opera: (The Dorothy Chandler Theatre) International Tours: Medea in Medea (Dublin Arts Centre, Ireland), Phaedra in Hippolytus, The Little Mermaid, Present Laughter (UK and European Tours). American television:-Call 911, I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, LA Paranormal, Judge Ross, and Heroes: The Takezo Kenzei Sword (as Professor Karen Chamberlin.) Film work includes leads in The Last One, Chapped Lips, Hollywood Confidential, and Masterless. BBC UK: Wycliffe, Casualty, A Mind to Kill, Nuts and Bolts, A Trail of Guilt, Mud, Return of The Psammead, and Fair City (Ireland). www.lindaslade.com

KATHy STROUSE

(Martha Brewster) is a local actress who has been active for over 50 years. She is thrilled and ecstatic to be making her VSC debut as Martha in this lovely classic.  Kathy was most recently seen as Lady Barbara in Little Theater of Norfolk’s But Why Bump Off Barnaby and as Ouiser in Tidewater Community College’s Steel Magnolias.  Television credits include A Haunting, New Detectives, FBI Files, and The Prosecutors, and she recently appeared as the female lead in the independent film,On/Off.  Kathy retired after a 30 year career in animal welfare, and is the author of Badd Newz-The Untold Story of the Michael Vick Dog Fighting Case. She would like to give a shout out to Bart for holding down the fort and taking care of the critters—Daisy, Lulu and Benson!

CREATIVES

NICOLAS MINAS

(Director) is a theater director based in NYC. This is his 3rd time directing Arsenic and Old Lace and he couldn’t be happier to bring the Brewsters to VSC.  He previously worked as the artistic director of Blindfaith Theatre, a multiple Jeff Award nominated Chicago-based performance company. Broadway: Driving Miss Daisy (asst. director). Off-Broadway: Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando (asst. director). Other NYC: Petunia the Musical (NY Fringe), Chance (NYMF), The Servant of Two Masters (Sonnet Rep), Bat Boy (CCNY), Came Tumbling After (World Premiere NTUP). Regional: Around The World in 80 Days, The 39 Steps (CFRT & VTF), Arsenic and Old Lace, Avenue Q, The Crucible. VSC: Guys and Dolls. NY Philharmonic and PBS: Company, Sweeney Todd.  TV: Half Life. Education: Lincoln Center Directors Lab, O’Neill Advanced Director, PCPA, MFA Film Directing Brooklyn College Feirstein School. 

KIMBERLY POWERS§

(Scenic Designer) is thrilled to be making her Virginia Stage Company debut and grateful to be working with both Tom and Nick again. Recent and upcoming credits include designs for Opera Theatre St. Louis, Brown/Trinity Rep, Syracuse Stage, Red Mountain Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Finger Lakes Opera TheatreSquared, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Florida Repertory Theatre, and Casa Mañana. Additionally, she has been a Freelance Exhibit & Event Designer since 2006; a Freelance Scenic Artist since 2001; and has taught in the theatre departments at The University of Arkansas, The University of Tulsa, and Coastal Carolina University. She is based in Fayetteville, AR and is a proud member of USA 829. IG: @kvpowersdesign

JENI SCHAEFER

(Costume Designer) is the Director of Design and Resident Costume Designer at the Virginia Stage Company in her 23rd season. Regional credits include: The 39 Steps at White Heron Theatre, A Christmas Story at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Hound of the Baskervilles at The Hangar and White Heron Theatre, Always...Patsy Cline PCPA Theatrefest, World premiere of Tom Jones for Florida Studio Theatre, Wit for Playmakers Repertory Theatre. VSC productions include; Three Musketeers, Dial M for Murder, Merry Christmas Carol, Henry V, The 39 Steps, The Hobbit, Every Brilliant Thing, Dreamgirls, Merry Little Christmas Carol, Dear Jack Dear Louise, Hold These Truths, Sense and Sensibility, Guys and Dolls, Matilda, Secret Garden, Fun Home, Always Patsy Cline, Crowns,The Hound of the Baskervilles, Pride and Prejudice, The Wiz, A Streetcar named Desire, Oliver, Peter and the Starcatcher, All my Sons,The Great Gatsby,The Fantasticks, Death of a Salesman, Red, Around the World in 80 days, Crowns, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Hank Williams Lost Highway and A Christmas Carol. Jeni Schaefer holds a MAC in Theatre/Costume Design from Wichita State University. Thank you to my family Tony, Sara and Ethan for being my inspiration and for always believing in me.

RYAN BIBLE

(Lighting Designer) is thrilled to make his Virginia Stage Company debut! Ryan is a Hampton Roads local, having moved to the area in 2020, and serves as an Assistant Professor of Lighting and Sound Design at Christopher Newport University. He also serves as the resident lighting and sound designer for TheatreCNU. Ryan holds an M.F.A. from the University of Florida and a B.F.A. from CCM at the University of Cincinnati. Recent credits include designs for CNU, Regent University, American Heritage School, Miami Dance Collective, and College of Central Florida. 

STEVEN ALLEGRETTO

(Sound Designer) is an accomplished sound designer with a passion for creating immersive experiences for live theatre. A graduate of Full Sail University’s prestigious Recording Arts program, Steven has honed his skills through years of hard work and dedication to his craft. In addition to his work as a sound designer, Steven is also a committed educator. He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Theatre Sound Design at the College of William & Mary, as well as a part-time instructor for the Governor’s School for the Arts. He also teaches privately, helping aspiring sound designers develop their skills and reach their full potential. Steven has had the honor of designing past VSC shows including Fiddler on the Roof, A Merry Christmas Carol, Every Brilliant Thing, Henry V, The Hobbit, and more. Steven is thrilled to be back at the Virginia Stage Company for their wonderful production of Arsenic and Old Lace.

EMEL ERTUGRUL

(Resident Casting Director) officially joined the Virginia Stage Company team in 2017 but worked on various projects with the company well before.  Her first casting adventure was the beautiful production Pride and Prejudice for Season 39.  Since then it has been a goal to strengthen and cultivate VSC's relationship with professional local and out of town artists.  Each season has provided new challenges and each production a new opportunity to find the perfect showcase of talent. Emel has most recently been seen performing in The Twelve Dates of Christmas on the Wells Stage and currently serves as the Operations Manager for VSC and the Producing Artistic Director for Core Theatre Ensemble.

EMMA D. EMDE*

(Production Stage Manager) is elated to be returning to Virginia Stage Company this season. Her recent credits include Regional: Cymbeline, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Tempest, Sense and Sensibility (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival) The Three Musketeers, A Merry Christmas Carol, Henry V, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, The 39 Steps, A Merry Little Christmas Carol, The Hobbit (Virginia Stage Company) Collegiate: Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, The Old Maid and the Thief, She Kills Monsters (University of Nebraska at Kearney). Emma graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a BA in Theatre. She is also a proud member of the Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honors Society, The National Honors Society of Dance Arts, and Actors’ Equity Association. For information on Emma’s upcoming projects, follow her on Tik Tok and Instagram @mrsemmademde.

TOM QUAINTANCE

(Producing Artistic Director) is in his seventh season with Virginia Stage Company. At the Wells, Tom has directed Every Brilliant Thing, A Merry Little Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, The Santaland Diaries, and Matilda The Musical. Regionally Tom directed Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theater, and as an Associate Artist at PlayMakers Repertory Company he directed An Enemy of the People, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and The Little Prince. As Artistic Director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), Tom produced over 35 plays and directed many others, including the World Premiere of Downrange: Voices from the Homefront, a play based on interviews with military spouses from Fort Bragg. As the founder of FreightTrain Shakespeare in Los Angeles, he earned a Drama-Logue Award for his direction of Pericles. Other Los Angeles credits range from King Lear to The Devil With Boobs. A member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Tom is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) with a B.A. in Theatre and Economics, and the University of California, San Diego MFA directing program, where he was the assistant director on the original production of The Who’s Tommy. Tom and his wife Wallis are the proud parents of Mireille Julia and Annika Christine.

JEFF RYDER

(Managing Director) has been Managing Director of Virginia Stage Company since March 2022. Prior to coming to VSC, Jeff served in several roles at Cleveland Play House from 2013 to 2022. Jeff holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from the Levin College at Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University. At Levin, Jeff was inducted into Nu Lambda Mu, the international honor society for the study of nonprofit management and philanthropy. Jeff also holds a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion for HR Professionals from Cornell University. He has served on the boards of the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, Theatre Forward, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. In Cleveland, Jeff was honored to be a part of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Advanced Leadership Institute and the Cleveland Foundation’s Foundations for Philanthropy Program. Jeff has also been a stage manager at several theatres including Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Berkshire Theatre Festival.