Renee
Alper – Dramaturg
Renee (Dramaturg), founded The American Hobbit Association
in 1977, which she ran until 1989. She is also an accomplished
singer/songwriter, producing two albums of her original
songs, Wheelchair In High Gear and Thoracic Park (available
at Border’s Books in Tri-County). She performs
around town with her partner, Ray Phoenix, in their
singer/songwriter duo, A Little R&R. She has appeared
on stage with many local groups, and is also a director
and a playwright. She recently starred in and directed
her original play, Roll Model, about
a disability support group (she is disabled herself
and uses a motorized wheelchair). Other projects include
a one-act play entitled Trust, an autobiographical
play and a book of quotes from job applicants for her
personal care position. With her canine sidekick, Star,
she has been seen at over 300 theatrical performances
in the last three years! Keep up if you can!
John Baca – Assistant Director,
Assistant Fight Director
Jonn is a recent graduate from Miami University, and
is excited to put his BFA in Theatre Performance to
work. His recent credits include MU’s production
of Inspecting Carol as Sidney,
the 2002 production of The Two Towers
as Wormtongue, and numerous appearances in
his Comedy/Swordplay Act, The Blade Brothers, which
tours various Renaissance Festivals in the region. He
would like to thank his Mommy & Daddy, his sweetie,
his friends, and most of all Gina, for giving him a
chance to prove himself.
Eric Bardes – Light Consultant
Eric Bardes has contributed to all three The
Lord of the Rings installments including the
2001 The Fellowship of the Ring and
2002 The Two Towers. Eric sends his
love to his family.
Aretta Baumgartner – Puppet/Mask
Movement Director
Aretta is thrilled to join the world of The
Lord of the Rings for a third time -- and will never
forget this amazing 5-year journey. Recent theatre involvements
include the world prepiere of the "popera"
Blues Alley Cat, puppeteering Audrey
II for Rising Phoenix Theatre's Little
Shop of Horrors (directed by none other than
Gimli, Elizabeth Harris), and singing and dancing
in Schoolhouse Rock Live! for Covedale
Center for the Performing Arts (finally able to play
the role of Interplanet Janet, a life-long
dream). She's proud to be incoming Great Lakes Regional
Director for the Puppeteers of America and is a member
of UNIMA-USA. She is the recipient of the Puppeteers
of America/Great Lakes Applause, Applause Award
and teaches puppetry mask and acting for Northern Kentucky
University Theatre and Dance (NKU). Just so everyone
knows: next to Eric, Dad, and John-- Carus and Blake
are the best guys in the whole wide world.
Troy Bausch – Artistic Director,
Clear Stage
Troy is a proud graduate of Thomas More College having
earned his BA in theatre in 2000, and has been active
in Cincinnati theatre since age 15. His first role was
at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati playing Roger
in Everything in The Garden, written
and directed by Edward Albee. Now he is very proud to
be the Artistic Director of Clear Stage Cincinnati.
Troy has worked with several theatres in the area both
on and off the stage including ETC, Showboat Majestic,
Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI), Madcap, and
most recently as Production Manager for Stage First.
Select roles include the title role in the one-man show,
The Story Wizard (Madcap),
Cain in Creation of The World and Other
Business (ETC), Marat in Marat/Sade,
The Mayor in The Visit, and
Will Kemp in A Cry of Players
(Thomas More). Off stage Troy has designed sound for
many shows including Three Days of Rain
at ETC and received a Cincinnati Enquirer Jackie Award
for his design in The Tempest at Stage
First. He can also be seen in the local independent
film People Like Us as Philip Vanover.
This year has been a very important year for Troy, not
only founding Clear Stage but marrying his wife Andrea
in July. They are pleased to announce they are expecting
their first child in April. He would like to thank all
who made this company and this production possible including
the Clear Stage staff, his parents and family, Jesus
Christ, and most of all his wife for helping him to
never lose faith in his dream.
Casey Bell – Properties
Designer
Casey just finished his eighth year at the epic outdoor
drama, Blue Jacket. Casey has been
involved in many productions in Dayton and the surrounding
area, including the regional premiere of the stage version
of Shane with Bruce Campbell (Casey
played gun-fighter, Stark Wilson). Other regional
credits include Craig/Hiram in The
Normal Heart and his award-winning portrayal
of Geoffrey in The Lion in Winter.
Thanks to his fiancée, Melissa Depenbrock, with
whom he is excited to be working again! The Lord of
the Rings trilogy is one of Casey’s favorite works
of fantasy-fiction. He thanks you, the audience, and
hopes you enjoy the show!
Melissa Bennett – Scenic
Artist
Melissa is a recent graduate of Bowling Green State
University where she earned a degree in theatre. There
she studied both acting and technical theatre, serving
also as Resident Scenic Artist. She has been involved
in theatre since the age of eight when she developed
her love of the stage with the newly formed community
theatre organization, Showbiz Players, here in Cincinnati.
In the future, she hopes to continue her passion as
an actor/technician in whatever capacity her path takes
her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she found herself
sharing her love and talents as a teacher within the
next ten years. Her true aspiration is to just be able
to do whatever makes her happy, as she has learned her
life’s plans can rarely exist more than a day
in advance. For now, she’s more than happy getting
to be a part of the Clear Stage family and thanks Gina
and Baca for telling her about the production. The
Return of the King has been her idea of a dream
job: not only does she get to be an actor and scenic
artist, but the show also incorporates puppetry &
plenty of combat, two of her favorite areas of performance.
She is grateful to Clear Stage Cincinnati for giving
her this opportunity.
Blake Bowden – Exec. Producer
and Playwright
Blake is pleased to return on the Jarson-Kaplan stage
and ecstatic to be working with Clear Stage Cincinnati
to complete this amazing journey —it all, finally,
feels like home! He has appeared around town at Music
Hall with The Cincinnati Ballet (The Nutcracker),
The Taft with The Children’s Theatre (Androcles
& The Lion, The Crucible,
Annie, Jr,), and the Fifth-Third Bank
Theatre of the Aronoff with Cincinnati Public Theatre
(The Kentucky Cycle) and numerous Ovation
Theatre Company productions (including Who’s
Afraid of Virginia Woolf). Blake has been a
part of several award-winning regional productions including
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm. Shkspr (abridged)
(1999 Cincinnati Entertainment Award (CEA) nominee);
Old Wicked Songs (2000 CEA winner);
and The Scarlet Letter (2000 Jackie
Award for his portrayal of Arthur Dimmesdale).
He also serves as the administrator and occasional performer
for Clear Stage Cincinnati ’s Books in Action
Program — bringing drama into Headstart preschool
classrooms within Cincinnati Public Schools. Blake was
cited by Cincinnati Magazine as a member of the “Creative
Class” - one of 70 young professionals that brings
creativity and vibrancy to the tri-state region. Blake
thanks his patient and loving wife, Wendy, for tolerating
his Hobbit hair (“last time, dear, I promise!”)
and his one-year old son, Samuel, for bringing unparalleled
joy (and The Wiggles) into our lives.
David Budke – Digital Mastery/Mic
Mix
David hails from Kansas and is in his fifth year as
a Sound Designer for various theatres in the greater
Cincinnati area. In that time he has worked on almost
fifty shows, for which he has won multiple awards for
sound design and execution. A computer tech by day,
he has found that sound design is a perfect outlet for
his creative side. In his spare time, David has helped
design and run sound for Ovation Theatre Company, Clear
Stage Cincinnati, and many other regional companies.
Gina Cerimele-Mechley – Director,
Fight Choreographer
Gina has been a professional Fight Director for over
ten years, and she returns to Tolkien for a second time
as Director after her professional debut in last years’
The Two Towers. She is one of nine
female Certified Teachers in the country with the Society
of American Fight Directors. Gina created the fights
for 2001's production of The Fellowship of the
Ring. Her fight direction has also been seen
at The Human Race, Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati
Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati
Children's Theatre, and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
Gina has directed a number of educational programs in
the tri-state region including Godspell,
the female version of The Odd Couple,
Closer than Ever, and Romeo
& Juliet. Gina has performed in a number
of venues - most recently in MacBeth
for The Human Race (for which she won a Jackie Award
as a witch). As a teacher, Gina leads stage combat programs
at NKU and Miami University. She also teaches Movement
for the Actor and Shakespeare for various educational
programs including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival,
Miami University, UC College-Conservatory of Music (CCM),
the CCM Preparatory Dept., and the Cincinnati Arts Association
(CAA). Gina would like to thank her dear friend, Blake,
for this opportunity; and her husband, E.J. & their
new baby, MacKenzie for all of their patience during
this intense project. She looks forward to her next
project – choreographing the fights and playing
the Nurse for the Cincinnati Ballet’s
production of Romeo & Juliet.
Miyoko Conley – Puppetry
Performance Intern
Miyoko is thrilled to be working with Clear Stage Cincinnati!
She is a graduate of the CCM High School Certificate
Acting Program and she recently came back from studying
theatre in Paris with NYU. Miyoko is returning from
2002’s The Two Towers and would
like to thank the cast and crew for giving her such
a wonderful experience.
Rick Couch
– Puppet Mechanical Designer
Rick brings his training as a Mechanical Engineer (BS,
University of Cincinnati) to his productions of puppetry,
monsters, and special effects. Rick is cofounder of
Yellow 5 FX, a puppet and mask making company that got
its start with 2001’s The Fellowship of
the Ring. He has collaborated on numerous regional
and national projects including the independent film,
Avenging Disco Vampires, several productions
for Cincinnati Ballet, industrial film work with NASA,
and recently built The Great Pumpkin for Cedar Point
Live Entertainment. He and Mr. Waggoner received a Jackie
Award for the puppets of The Fellowship of the
Ring.
Steve Goers – Composer -
Original Music
Steve is thrilled to return to Middle Earth, having
developed and performed the score for the 2002 production
of The Two Towers. Steve stays busy
in Chicago as a composer, musical director, keyboardist,
and producer and has toured the U.S. and Africa with
productions of Barnum and Bubbling
Brown Sugar. He has scored Chicago stage productions
of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
and Hamlet, has composed the music
for seven musicals for children with the Emerald City
Theater Company, and has written music for film, radio,
and corporate internet. He was recently featured
as pianist and session producer on the album, Ella
Jenkins and a Union of Friends Pulling Together,
which received a 1999 Grammy Nomination for Best Children's
Album. His original rock band Into the Green has been
featured in recent issues of JazzIz and
Music.com magazines, and is currently finishing its
second album with Grammy-winning producer Steve Rodby.
Thyra Hartshorn – Scenic
Designer/Artistic Consultant
Thyra has an MFA in production and design from the University
of California, Irvine. She has worked with the San Francisco
Ballet (ASM); Ballet Beyond Borders (PSM/TD) which toured
to Russia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Ukraine with Yuri
Possokhov, and a farewell performance tour to Bogotá,
Colombia, with Ricardo Bustamante; American Ballet Theatre;
Lawrence Pech Dance Company; and South Coast Repertory,
among others. Currently, she is the Production Stage
Manager with the Cincinnati Ballet. Thyra, along with
lighting designer Kevin Connaughton, was awarded the
San Francisco Bay Area Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding
Visual Design for Magrittomania for
the 1999-2000 San Francisco Ballet Season. Thyra also
designed the sets and costumes for Yuri Possokhov's
most recent production, Damned, based
on Euripides' Medea, also for San Francisco
Ballet.
Charlie Hirsh – Puppetry
Performance Intern
Charlie is very happy to be joining the fellowship of
this production and Clear Stage Cincinnati. Charlie
is a veteran of the musical theatre stage (Pirate
King in The Pirates of Penzance,
Tommy Djilas in The Music Man,
and Noah in Children of Eden).
Charlie has also been a part of several Playhouse in
the Park productions, such as Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory, where he played “himself.”
Charlie owes the majority of his training to Interlochen
Center for the Arts and to Cincinnati Music Academy
for four and a half years of vocal study under Paul
McCready. Charlie is currently Vice President of the
Indian Hill High School’s Thespian Troupe and
excited about auditioning for college in the spring
for musical theatre. Charlie would like to thank his
parents and voice teacher for all their guidance and
support.
Willie Meybohm – Fight Co-Captain,
Clear Stage Cincinnati website and ROTK-trailer designer
Wilfried received his degrees in Literature and Theatre
from Barry University in Miami, Florida, where he studied
Shakespeare and Directing. He has performed in such
plays as A Streetcar Named Desire,
The Merry Wives of Windsor, The
Zoo Story, Waiting for Godot,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
and Macbeth. He is a recognized Actor/Combatant
with the Society of American Fight Directors and resident
Fight Choreographer for the Hollywood Shakespeare Festival.
Wilfried performs at Renaissance Festivals throughout
the country with his love and partner, Elizabeth Ritchie,
in the Gypsy stage show, 9 Fingers/6 Toes. When not
performing, he is an avid reader, teacher, choreographer
and composer, having composed music for outdoor drama
and the stage for over twenty productions. Wilfried
would like to thank Blake Bowden, the Cast and Gina
for opening their arms and welcoming this born-and-raised
Floridian to Cincinnati. He is currently bracing for
his first real winter.
Rachel Mock – Administrative
Apprentice
Rachel served as Properties/Costume Coordinator for
2001's The Fellowship of the Ring,
and as the Directing Intern for 2002's The Two
Towers. She is absolutely ecstatic to be serving
this production from her dorm room at the University
of Evansville, where she is now a freshman theatre student.
Rachel would like to thank her family for their constant
love and support, and the cast and crew for letting
her be a part of the show, even from a distance. "May
the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with
you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"
Josh Newmeyer – Production
Stage Manager
Josh (Production Stage Manager) is happy to
be working on his second The Lord of the Rings production,
having stage managed The Two Towers
last fall. A 2000 grad of Xavier University, Josh is
currently the Operations Manager of the Gallagher Student
Center Theater at XU. Credits at Xavier include Godspell,
Sylvia and Tony 'N Tina's Wedding.
He has also worked with Theatre IV, Cincinnati Playhouse
in the Park, New Edgecliff Theatre, the Showboat Majestic,
and as part of the 2001-2002 Intern Company at Ensemble
Theatre of Cincinnati. Josh also spent an amazing summer
in Belfast, Maine working as a Resident/Faculty Assistant,
Technical Designer and Stage Manager at the National
Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped. Thanks to Gina,
Blake and the exceptionally talented cast & crew
for making this a great show and a fun experience!
Jay Nungesser
– Graphic Designer
Jay returns to Middle Earth for a third year, and is
thrilled to be creating posters, lighting elements,
flag designs, and this very website. An award-winning
graphic designer, Jay's work has been seen everywhere
from packaging for Nintendo games, to Saturday morning
toy commercials, to websites for Folgers and Crisco.
He's currently a Creative Director of Cincinnati ad
agency Bridge Worldwide and does freelance design and
photography through Big Blur Design. Other projects
include the annual Harvest Moon Music Festival and marketing
& design work for the debut season of Clear Stage
Cincinnati.
Becky Reeder – Technical Assistant
Elizabeth Ritchie – Fight
Co-Captain, PR consultant
Elizabeth is a recognized Actor/Combatant with the Society
of American Fight Directors and has choreographed for
the Hollywood Shakespeare Festival, Barry University
and the Royal Chessmen. She holds a degree in Theatre
from Florida Atlantic University and has worked extensively
with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre, Inside
Out Theatre and co-produced the Hollywood Shakespeare
Festival before moving to Cincinnati. She tours regularly
with Wilfried Meybohm as 9 Fingers/6 Toes,
a Gypsy sword-fighting stage show that bows on Renaissance
Festival stages across the country.
Dave Schmidt — Lighting Designer
David has an MFA in Lighting Design and Technical Direction
from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. David
has been the LD at the ATD in Daytona Beach Theatre
in Florida and has taught courses and designed shows
at a number of colleges and universities including NKU,
SIUC, Northwestern State University (Louisiana), and
Texas A&M. Some favorite design projects include
The Grapes of Wrath, Twelfth
Night, Romeo & Juliet,
Dancing at Lughnasa, and 2002’s
The Two Towers. David hopes you, the
audience, enjoy this production as much as he’s
enjoyed working with this wonderful, talented group
of people.
Katie Trauth – Directing
Intern
Having performed in The Two Towers
last year, Katie (Directing Intern/Various Orcs)
could not wait to join the company once again for the
end of the trilogy. She wants to thank her loving teacher,
director, advisor, and friend Gina for this amazing
opportunity to follow her example of directing. Katie
would also like to thank Mr. Bob, her family, fellow
cast members, Blake, her loving friends, and of course,
God’s unbelievable love.
Mike Venturini – Master Carpenter,
Technical Director
Now in his third year in Middle Earth, Mike displays
his creative skills in providing a 'ring of distinction,'
clubs and maces only an Orc could love, and a staff
suitable for any good wizard. By day, he's an independent
contractor and automotive repair specialist. As a father
of six and grandfather to eight, Mike still finds time
to contribute to this extraordinary group of talented
actors and technicians.
Carus Waggoner
— Puppetry Concepts & Designer
Carus received his degree in Industrial Design and Special
Effects from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He currently
designs sets and puppets for MadCap Puppet Theatre in
Cincinnati. Carus was recently commissioned as a Lead
Artist/Puppeteer to attend the Carnivale (in Barbados),
a benefit for citizens of that country who suffer from
HIV-AIDS. Carus also received a Puppeteers of America
Scholarship to attend the National Conference in 2003
and was recently invited to attend the Eugene O’Neill
Conference in Puppetry Arts in Connecticut. He has has
featured his design work with the San Francisco Ballet
(Damned),and Cincinnati Ballet (The
Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream). Carus received a 2002 Jackie Award
for his Puppetry Design work on The Fellowship
of the Ring, and a 2003 Jackie Award and 2003
Best of Cincinnati (CityBeat) award for The
Two Towers. The Cincinnati Enquirer also lauded
Carus’ recent Bat’s Incredible HAL-I-BAT
design for MadCap (currently on-view at the main branch
of the Hamilton County Library in downtown Cincinnati).
