BRETT J. OLSON (Director / Choreographer) is thrilled to join the University of Wisconsin–Parkside Theatre Arts faculty. He has been a professional theatre artist for 17 years, working nationally as an actor, director, and educator on more than 100 productions. Performance credits include work at the Kennedy Center, the NYC International Film Festival, the East Village Film Festival, Fresh Black Films, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, Gorilla Tango, and North Dakota Shakespeare. Favorite directing projects include productions at Perry-Mansfield (Steamboat Springs, CO), Okoboji Summer Theatre (Okoboji, IA), Stephens College (Columbia, MO), and Minot State Summer Theatre (Minot, ND). He was a founding member of the Conservatory for Performing Arts at Stephens College and has served as Associate Artistic Director for both Minot State Summer Theatre and North Dakota Shakespeare. Brett holds an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University and an MA in Theatre Arts (Stage Direction) from the University of North Dakota. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the Society of American Fight Directors, the Voice and Speech Trainers Association, and Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. brettjohnolson.com  

KENNEDY FRICK (Costume / Hair & Makeup Designer) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology.  Kennedy transferred here from Allen Hancock College in CA, where her credits include Costume Designer for No Exit and Calabasas Street.  Additional professional credits include Stitcher for Wolf at the Door and The Virgin Queen Entertains her Fool at American Players Theatre, Costume Designer for The Music Man and Evita at Saint Joseph High School, and Emma (Asst. Costume Design), The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Cinderella, River Bride, and Bright Star (Stitcher), and Native Gardens (Wardrobe Crew) at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.  Kennedy is a costume shop assistant and her credits at UW-Parkside include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Hair & Makeup Designer), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Costume Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Costume Designer), True West (Costume Designer), Peter and the Starcatcher (Asst. Costume Designer), The Laramie Project (Wardrobe Supervisor) and Meteor Shower (Asst. Costume Designer). 

FORGE DWYER (Props Designer) is a fourth-year Theatre Arts major.  Previous credits include Our Town (Joe Crowell / Si Crowell), Macbeth (Prop Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Prop Designer), Peter & the Starcatcher (Ensemble, U/S Alf) and The Flood (Stage Manager) at UW-Parkside, Murder on the Orient Express (Sound Technician) and Dial M for Murder (voice-overs) at the Racine Theatre Guild, Crimes of the Heart (Doc) at Wittenberg University, Snow White (Props Designer) at the Racine Children’s Theatre, and as a performer at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. 

JOYCELYN FISH (Assistant Director) is a second year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in directing, and is the Director of Marketing and Development at the Racine Theatre Guild. Prior credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Production Stage Manager / Dramaturg), First Date (Stage Manager), Seasonal Allergies (Production Stage Manager), and Native Gardens (Stage Manager) at the Racine Theatre Guild, Snow White (Director) at the Racine Children’s Theatre, and Spain (Director), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Assistant Stage Manager), Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Dramaturg), Macbeth (Spotlight Operator), and The Effect (Dr. Lorna), at UW-Parkside. 

APRIL SERSEN (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with concentrations in Design & Technology and Stage Management. Prior credits at UW-Parkside include Our Town (Head Electrician / Light Board Operator), Spain (Helen), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Charge Artist), Mr. Burns (Asst. Stage Manager), Macbeth (Co-Charge Artist), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Assistant Stage Manager), and Carrie: the Musical (Light Board Operator). 

LUMI SHALAEV (Production Electrician) is a second-year Theatre Arts and Music double-major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Prior credits include Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Asst. Lighting Designer), Macbeth (Asst. Lighting Designer), Lighting & Projections Designer for the 2024 Video Game Concert, Lighting Designer for the spring Jazz concert, and The Nutcracker (Light Board Operator) at UW-Parkside. 

JEFF BRAIN (Assistant Technical Director / Scene Shop Supervisor) is a graduate of UW-Parkside (2020) with focuses on performance, carpentry, and props design. Parkside credits include Mr. Burns – A Post-Electric Play (Scenic Designer), Romeo and Juliet (Friar Lawrence), Love's Labour's Lost (Longaville), and War of the Worlds (Announcer #2). He also designed props for Silent Sky and served as Lead Carpenter for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Jeff has also worked as a carpenter and props artisan for theatres including The Alley Theatre (Houston, TX), American Players Theatre (Spring Green, WI), and Fireside Dinner Theatre (Fort Atkinson, WI). He is an ensemble member of Redtwist Theatre in Chicago, where he continues to expand his portfolio of performance, carpentry, and props design.   

ELISEBETH SPARKS (Assistant Choreographer) is a UW Parkside graduate, and a Milwaukee based artist. Actor, dancer, teacher, and designer are a few titles she’s had the honor of holding. A few favorite recent endeavors include LeeAnn U/S in Murder Girl (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre), actor educator with The Zoological Society of Milwaukee and Kohl’s Wild Theater, and instructor with Character Kids. Thank you friends, family, and mentors for your support, she couldn’t do this without you. Come hear the music play and enjoy CABARET. 

RYAN CAPPLEMAN (Music Director/Choreographer / Conductor/Piano) is an actor, musician, teaching artist, director, semi-retired choreographer, and dog dad based in Milwaukee. He is thrilled to return to UW Parkside, having worked on Cinderella, Indecent, Burn, and Spring Awakening. Ryan teaches Dance for Musical Theater, Applied Voice for Musical Theater, and has also taught Ballet I, Dance for Musical Theater II, and Musical Theater Appreciation.  Recent credits include: Dirty Bob in Lumberjacks in Love (Milwaukee Rep), Music Director/piano for Guys On Ice (Milwaukee Rep and Northern Sky), Gabe in Dairy Heirs (Northern Sky), and Tenor 2 in All is Calm (Vanguard MKE). Other career highlights include collaborating and performing with Christopher Jackson (from Hamilton) for his Broadway Bash concert, performing Off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater in Waiting...a Song Cycle, and three Footlights Awards for Outstanding Choreography in a professional musical. He can be heard tickling the ivories on the Hell's Belgians original cast album, the upcoming cast album for Something In the Water, as well as the Irish band Tallymoore, on their debut album. Endless gratitude to the faculty and students here at UWPS, and to Brett, Elise, and the Cabaret team! 

NOELE STOLLMACK (Lighting Designer) Noele’s lighting has appeared onstage at The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Verizon Hall, The Library of Congress Theatre, as well as the opera companies of Santa Fe, Ontario, Houston, Portland, Vancouver, New Orleans, Nashville, Madison and Milwaukee. Regional design for the theatre includes Jeff Daniels Purple Rose Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Houston’s Alley Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Wisconsin’s, Peninsula Players, Milwaukee Rep, American Players Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, First Stage and Forward Theatre. As Lighting Director for Houston Grand Opera, she supervised the lighting and special effects for over 50 productions along with designing the lighting for such productions as Andrei Serban’s Elektra, Dr. Jonathan Miller’s Der Rosenkavelier, Aida, and the world premieres of Harvey Milk, Desert of Roses, and Dracula Diary. Her AIA award winning architectural and public space lighting is installed throughout the Midwest.  
Member United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.stollmack-lighting.com 

LEVI OFSANIK (Props Designer) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology.  Prior credits include Into the woods (Props Designer), Lions of Illyria (Props Designer), Complete works of William Shakespeare: abridged (Props Designer),  Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief (Props designer), and When She Had Wings (Scenic Designer) at the College of Lake County, and Chicago: high school edition (Assistant Technical director) and Antigone now (Assistant Technical Director) at Grayslake Central High School. Levi is a scene shop assistant and most recently was Scenic Charge Artist for Our Town at UW-Parkside. 

REBECCA FINKBEINER (Stage Manager) is a third-year Theatre Arts minor.  Prior credits include Our Town (Wardrobe Supervisor), Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Colleen / 1st FBI / Lisa 2), Macbeth (Stage Manager), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Fight Captain / Intimacy Follow), Hand to God (Assistant Stage Manager), Peter & the Starcatcher (Assistant Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Maja) and The Laramie Project (Ensemble) at UW-Parkside.   

VALEN UNDERHILL (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology. Prior credits include Cabaret (Spotlight Operator), Pride and Prejudice (Light Board Operator), and Bright Star (Master Electrician) at the University of Montana. 

AMY BATES (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a senior Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Directing. Prior directing credits include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and Carrie: the Musical (Assistant Director) at UW-Parkside, Twelfth Night: A New Musical Journey and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at the Malthouse Theatre in Burlington, WI (Broadway World Milwaukee Award Winner) and Double Trouble a Musical Tour de Farce, Little Women: the Musical, and The Drowsy Chaperone at Stage Productions in Orlando, FL. Previous acting credits include Always a Bridesmaid (Charlie) at the Waukesha Civic Theatre, The Roommate (Sharon) at Millbrook Playhouse, Spring Awakening (The Adult Woman) and The Cripple of Inishmaan (Aunt Kate) at Valencia Theatre, and Hand to God (Margery) at UW-Parkside. 
 

SAVANA ANDERSHOCK (Lighting Supervisor) is a UW-Parkside alumni (2025) and is the Lighting Supervisor for the Rita. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Our Town (Lighting Designer), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Lighting Designer), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Lighting Designer), Carrie: the Musical (Lighting Designer), Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Lighting Designer), The Altruists (Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Head Electrician), Meteor Shower (Lighting Designer), The Aliens (Light Board Operator), As You Like It (Assistant Stage Manager), The Wolves (Master Electrician), She Kills Monsters (Assistant Stage Manager), Indecent (Assistant Master Electrician), and The Penelopiad (Deck Crew). Recent acting credits include Macbeth (Lord / Hecate / Doctor), She Kills Monsters (Narrator) and The Thanksgiving Play (Logan). Savana will be returning to American Players Theater this summer at their Head Electrician. www.savanaandershock.com   

JODY SEKAS (Scenic Designer / Technical Director) is a production designer for theatre & film, whose recent designs include the Off-Broadway debut of Boswell, and the feature film What Happened to Dorothy Bell.  In 2021 he won the KCACTF National Scene Design award for his UW-Parkside design of Stupid F##king Bird.  He has worked for such venues as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, First Stage Children’s Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Dell’Arte International, Rochester Civic Theatre, Omaha Theatre Company for Young People, The Western Stage, and on the feature films What Happened to Dorothy Bell, The Music Inside, Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes, FLEA, and The Wine of Summer.  He taught Scenography for Theatre, Film, & Dance at Humboldt State University in northern California; Scenic/Lighting Design & Technology at UW-Eau Claire and was the resident scenic & lighting designer for the Sioux Falls Playhouse in South Dakota.  He is now in his thirteenth year at UW-Parkside as Associate Professor of Scenic Design & Technology.  See examples of his work at www.d4production.com.   

KEVIN GRAY (Sound Designer) is UW-Parkside’s Sound Manager and Instructor, working with both the Theatre Arts and Music departments to produce art and events on campus. Kevin received a BA in Sound Design with a minor in Music Composition from Michigan Technological University. UW-Parkside Design credits include When We Dead Awaken, The Laramie Project, The Aliens, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Cinderella, and Stupid F##king Bird, for which he received a KCACTF National Award for Excellence in Sound Design. 

ANNE PLUMMER (Scenic Charge Artist) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Design & Technology.  Prior credits include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Associate Scenic Designer), Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Lead Carpenter), Macbeth (Asst. Projections Designer) and Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Projections Designer) at UW-Parkside, and Guys & Dolls, The Sound of Music, Me and My Girl, The Gondoliers, The Count of Luxembourg, The Arcadians, Camelot, How to Succeed at Business Without Really Trying, No, No, Nanette, H.M.S. Pinafore, Arizona Lady, Orpheus in the Underworld (Carpenter) and The Cousin From Batavia, Bitter Sweet, Patience, Tip-Toes, Brigadoon, and Carousel (Painter) at Ohio Light Opera.   

SAM SIEPLER (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management.  Previous credits include Spain (Karl / Ivor), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Stage Manager), Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Asst. Stage Manager), Macbeth (Asst. Stage Manager), Carrie: the Musical (Deck Crew), Hand to God (Deck Crew), and Waiting for Godot (Light Board Operator) at UW-Parkside. 

TIM HILL (Assistant Sound Designer) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Acting. Prior design credits include As You Like It (Set Design), Alice By Heart (Sound Design), The Grown-Ups (Sound Design), Macbitches (Sound Design), and The Mousetrap (Sound Design) at State Fair Community College, and School of Rock the Musical (Sound Design) at Blue Springs City Theatre. 

LESLIE VAGLICA (Costume Shop Supervisor) is a costumer whose foundation in fashion and art has enriched her focus in theatrical costuming. She has worked as a costume technician for Off-Broadway productions of Trevor, The Musical and Boswell, as well as for professional companies, including American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Florentine Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Professional regional design credits include The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sugar Creek Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Florentine Opera Company, Luminous Theatre, UW-Milwaukee Dance and Musical Theatre, Peter Stathas Dance, and Renaissance Theaterworks. She has also served as Costume Shop Manager at Hope Summer Repertory Theater in Holland, MI. Leslie is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and holds a certificate in Apparel Product Design and Development from Mt. Mary University. Most recently at UW-Parkside, Leslie was the Costume Designer for Hand to God. 

TYLA MORGAN (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year Theatre Arts major. Prior credits at UW-Parkside include Spain (Stage Manager), and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Deck Crew).