Fiddler on the Roof Creative

Backstage

Austin Buchanan

Austin is a freshman at GMHS. He has previously worked with the Cruiser Theatre Company on A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Christmas Carol. Outside of theatre, Austin also participates in ESports and Chess Club.

Scenic Construction & Stage Hand

Mackenzie Green

Mackenzie is a junior at GMHS. She has helped build the set for this show; she also helped backstage with the Cruiser Theatre Company's production of Nooses Off! in 2019. Her experience with Fiddler on the Roof has been great - in Stagecraft, she’s built chairs and tombstones for the production. Mackenzie is glad to be working tech again for the first time in a couple years, and she is glad to be back at Groveport being backstage and putting stuff together.

Light Board Operator

Emma Kinsler

Emma is a senior at GMHS. This is her first time being involved in a Cruiser Theatre Company production. She's having a lot of fun with Fiddler on the Roof. Emma is going into broadcasting at Ohio Media Center next year. She would like to thank her mom for everything she's done for her.

Backstage

Christine Owens

Christine is a freshman at GMHS. She has previously worked with the Cruiser Theatre Company on A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Christmas Carol. She would like to thank Mrs. McLaughlin and Mr. Lively for all their work on this show.

Photography

Trulie Pleasant

Trulie is a freshman at GMHS. She has handled photography for our productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Christmas Carol, and she was also our sound board operator for Sherlock. She would like to thank the cast, the crew, and her family and friends.

Stage Manager

Sonya Showman

Sonya is a senior at GMHS. She appeared onstage in A Voice in the Dark: A Salem Story with the Cruiser Theatre Company. Regarding Fiddler on the Roof, Sonya says, "The best part of any production is getting to know that cast and crew. They are what make each show and practice so enjoyable. I love being able to interact with all of the talented people in our program. Being able to work beside Mrs.McLaughlin has allowed me to think creatively when I am normally unable to." Sonya also enjoys hanging out with her friends and reading. She is heavily involved in the Cruiser Band and Ohio Model United Nations. She would like to thank the cast and crew for putting in all of their hard work when it came to this production, and she would also like to give a big thank you to Mrs. McLaughlin for asking her to help out and allowing this production to be amazing.

Sound Board Operator

Nalani Smedley

Nalani is a junior at GMHS. She has previously done tech for Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Christmas Carol and Goodness Gracious. Nalani says that Fiddler on the Roof has been been lots of fun and a great learning experience overall. Outside of theatre, Nalani is also involved in the Cruiser Band and was one of the three drum majors/field commanders this past band season. Nalani would like to thank her family for putting up with her through all the practicing and staying after school for all of the plays she's been in, and she'd like to thank the cast members and production staff for teaching her everything she needs to know about theater.

Followspot Operator

Hayley Spry

Hayley is a freshman at GMHS. Hayley has taken Stagecraft here and has worked tech for A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Christmas Carol, and Goodness Gracious with the Cruiser Theatre Company. Outside of theatre, Hayley is an artist. "Thank you to Mrs. M, Mr. Lively, and Mrs. Lively for making this musical happen, as well as a thank you to our amazing actors."

Choreographer

Lindsey Himes

Ms. Himes has been a teacher at GMHS for 4 years and she has 14 years of dance, choreography and performance experience. Her favorite show that she has worked on is Shrek the Musical! She wants to say a special thank you to the cast because they have all worked so hard on learning and memorizing the choreography. Thank you for working together as a team to produce such a great show! Congrats and break a leg!

Auditorium Manager

Brandon Lively

Mr. Lively has been involved with the Cruiser Theatre Company for 13 years. He currently serves as the auditorium manager and as a building sub at GMHS. He has previously worked as a sound engineer for Avenue Q at the OLNEY Theatre Center and was the sound designer for After the Fall at Otterbein University. He would like to thank Erin McLaughlin for involving him in the show and his wife for her patience with him.

Box Office Manager

Judy Lively

Assistant Choreographer

Elizabeth Osborne

Scenery

Micaela Patterson

This is Mrs. Patterson's 18th year as an Art Teacher here at GMHS. She has worked on the theatrical sets for 17 years, and has created the sets for 33 different shows in her time here at GMHS. She loves the problem solving that goes into creating the different set pieces for each show and making something beautiful from nothing. Super thanks to the set construction crew who help her with the build sessions.

Costumes

Penny Riley

I have been working for the district for 8 years at the elementary level. I got started helping with the theatre program when my oldest daughter started being part of productions. I love working with the students and seeing how they transform the characters and immerse themselves in the show. I have enjoyed working on all of the shows, some a little more challenging than others, and don't really have a favorite. Thank you to all the parents who have allowed their student(s) to be a part of the theatre program and supported them during each production. All of the adults involved with the program work very hard to make sure the program continues and it is a fun opportunity for everyone. Big thank yous go out to all of the adults for the hard work you do and all the long hours you put in to make this happen each year!!

Costuming Assistant

Sarah Riley

Sarah Riley is an alumn of both GMHS as well as the Cruiser Theater Company. She has helped with most of the shows this year but has focused mainly on costumes for Fiddler on The Roof. Her favorite show that she has worked on is Noose’s off in which she was Stage Manager. She also loved performing in Shrek the Musical. Woking on Fiddler has been quite the experience for her. Trying to help with costumes with a big cast and limited clothing was an exciting challenge. Theater is one of her favorite things in the whole world and she is super happy that she gets to continue to be involved in the program as well as getting to see her sister (Ellie Riley) thrive on stage.

Music Director

Anna Winters

Producing Director

Erin McLaughlin

This is Mrs. McLaughlin's fifth year at GMHS. She teaches theatre courses and creative writing and has been running the Cruiser Theatre Company since fall 2018. Some of her favorite productions at GMHS have been Nooses Off!, Persephone Underground, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She has completely fallen in love with Fiddler on the Roof during the production process, and she's incredibly grateful that Mrs. Winters convinced her that the Cruiser Theatre Company should produce this show this year. Of course, no one could have predicted that Putin would invade Ukraine during our production process; as a result, all of us involved in this production are keenly aware of how some of the events of this show are playing out in the same place, without the religious themes, in modern times. Mrs. McLaughlin is grateful for this opportunity. It's been a ton of work and a wild ride, but she is proud of the cast and crew and her production team for everything they've done to make this production happen. She would like to thank her husband and friends for their support. Also, huge thanks to the every staff member on the production team--this show more than ever she could not have done without you, especially since she starts the show 20 feet in the air with a violin.

Original Creative Team

Book by Joseph Stein: Joseph Stein started his career in television and was one of a noted group of writers on Your Show of Shows and The Sid Caesar Show. His first work for the theatre was as co-author of Plain And Fancy, the hit musical about the adventures of a pair of sophisticated New Yorkers living among the Amish in Pennsylvania. His next show was Mr. Wonderful, starring Sammy Davis, Jr. He created the libretto for the Bock and Harnick musical The Body Beautiful. His next librettos were for Take Me Along, based on Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness.;and Juno, with score by Marc Blitzstein. He then wrote the adaptation for the hit stage comedy Enter Laughing. Fiddler on the Roof was his next show, for which he won the Tony as well as the Drama Critics' Circle Award. He was also nominated for a Tony for his next show, Zorba, with score by Kander and Ebb. His other productions include King of Hearts, Irene, Rags (for which he also was nominated for a Tony), and The Baker's Wife, which was produced in London and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award. Mr. Stein is also the author of the screenplays for Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof.

Music by Jerry Bock: Jerry Bock was born in New Haven, Connecticut on November 23rd, 1928. That was his first out-of-town tryout. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to The Body Beautiful in Philadelphia. That was his fourth out-of-town tryout. In between was Catch a Star, a fleeting revue that, according to critic Walter Kerr, posed the question; "What do you call something between a flop and a smash?" Kerr's answer? "A flash". Next, Jule Styne and Tommy Valano midwifed Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss into birthing Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. The title song and "Too Close For Comfort" are still active off springs. Bock and Harnick's celebrated collaboration yielded five scores in seven years. The Body Beautiful, Fiorello! (winner of Broadway's triple crown: The Tony Award, The New York Critics' Circle Award and The Pulitzer Prize in drama, the fourth musical to do so). Tenderloin, She Loves Me - (winner of Variety's poll of critics as best musical, citing Bock and Harnick as best composer and lyricist). Fiddler on the Roof - (nine Tonys, notably the citation for best musical of the year), The Apple Tree and The Rothschilds. In addition to the 1989 silver anniversary production of Fiddler (from which a major excerpt was featured in Jerome Robbins' Broadway), a highly esteemed revival of The Rothschlds enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway the following year. Since then, Bock and Harnick were triply honored by being inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, receiving the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Spirit of American Creativity Award from the Foundation for a Creative America. But the "award" that Bock holds near and dear is the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Wisconsin. It was there that he met his wife Patti, and it was there that he decided to be a composer. Mr. Bock is a member of a number of professional guilds and associations, among which the BMI Foundation, Inc. is a membership he relishes. As for Patti, his wife, George, their son and Portia, their daughter, Bock confesses they are his longest running hit.

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick: Sheldon Harnick’s career began in the 1950s with songs in revues (e.g., "The Boston Beguine," "The Merry Little Minuet"). With Jerry Bock he created a number of memorable musicals, including Fiorello! (Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize), Tenderloin, She Loves Me (Grammy), Fiddler on the Roof (Tony), The Apple Tree, and The Rothschilds (subsequently revised as Rothschild & Sons). Other collaborations: Rex (Richard Rodgers), A Christmas Carol (Michel Legrand), A Wonderful Life (Joe Raposo), The Phantom Tollbooth (Arnold Black, Norton Juster), and The Audition (Marvin Hamlisch). He has written three musicals himself: Dragons, A Doctor in Spite of Himself, and Malpractice Makes Perfect. He and his wife Margery currently reside in New York City.

Fiddler on the Roof Creative

Original Creative Team

Produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince

Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS