Gender Bender 4 Cast

Miss Emmer has directed MCP's annual Gender Bender since its inception 4 years ago! Bonnie is an accomplished performer, hair and makeup artist and costumer. She most recently performed as Louise in Gypsy with Loveland Stage Company and Sophie in Mamma Mia with MCP. Other favorite roles include; Peter Pan in Peter Pan, Gertrude in Seussical the Musical and Sally Bowles in Cabaret. She is excited to bring Gender Bender to an even larger audience using this new platform. She would like to thank the production team for their time and creativity. She would also like to thank her loved ones for their support, no matter the endeavor.

Peyton is so excited to be back and producing the fourth annual Gender Bender Revue! In addition to being a founding member of the GB production team, Peyton currently serves as the President of Mason Community Players. Enjoy the show!

Jon Scheiding has been performing, music directing, and sound designing productions around Cincinnati for over ten years, and can honestly say that this one has been the most ineffable. Huge props to the cast for stepping out of their comfort zones and turning in amazing performances in this unfamiliar territory. Jon would like to thank his amazing wife for her support and patience, and the production staff for their partnership in learning how to navigate the strange world of film and audio production. Enjoy the show!

Kaleigh-Brooke Scheiding holds a degree in Directing and Performance from Miami University of Oxford. Kaleigh-Brooke has previously worked with many theatres in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas as both a director and a performer. She has experience with children’s theatre, community theatre, new work development, and professional theatre that spans classic and contemporary plays and musicals. Most recently, she directed Center Stage Players production of Rabbit Hole. Prior to that she portrayed the ultimate mean girl, Reagan, in The Playground’s production of Bachelorette. Other favorite credits include: Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre’s The Addams Family (Wednesday Addams), Town Hall Theatre’s Peter Pan (Director), The Playground’s Really Really (Leigh), Middletown Lyric Theatre’s Keely & Du (Keely), and Beavercreek Community Theatre’s production of Legally Blonde (Elle Woods).

Jacqlyn is so grateful to return to MCP (and Gender Bender) as a co-director this year! Currently in graduate school, Jacqlyn is working towards a master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education with a concentration in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Arts; and she endeavors to marry her passion for the transformative power of theatre with her drive to create safe, brave inclusive spaces to any project she is a part of—including her roles on the boards of both INNOVAtheatre and Cincinnati Music Theatre. Directorial credits: INNOVAtheatre’s Ordinary Days and Loveland Stage Company’s radio production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Acting credits include: Hunchback of Notre Dame (Florika); Enchanted April (Caroline Bramble); James and the Giant Peach (Spider); and Children of Eden (Yonah). Special thanks to her loved ones for their never-ending support. She hopes you enjoy the show and the talents of this resilient community of artists!

Chris is excited to be joining MCP for the second time this year, appearing in his first Gender Bender Cabaret! Most recent credits include: Lysander/Oberon/Flute/Peaseblossom, A Midsummer Night's Dream, (Loveland Stage Company); Algernon Moncrieff, The Importance of Being Earnest, (MCP); Sky, Mamma Mia!, (Footlighters); Leo Frank, Parade, (CenterStage Players) and others.Hope you enjoy the show!

David Bice is a 24 year old Licensed Insurance Agent. He is currently in school for Business Leadership and loves Community Theatre. He was most recently seen as Uncle Fester in Queen City Production’s performance of Addams Family.

Issiah is in the eighth grade and has been performing since he was 8 years old, when he was cast in his first role as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins. He was most recently seen as Pugsley in Cincinnati Landmark's production of Addams Family. Past favorite roles include the Narrator in Into The Woods, Oliver in Oliver, and Connie the con man in The Emperor's New Clothes. In his spare time, Issiah enjoys slaying zombies in virtual reality, watching copious amounts of horror movies, listening to music, and even cozying up with a good book every once in a while. Issiah misses live theater, and hopes everyone stays safe so we can get it up and running again!

Kevin is so excited to be back for his 4th Gender Bender Revue. He has been in it since its inception and is so glad the production staff found a way to keep it going this year! He could most recently be seen as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family with Queen City Productions and with MCP as Harry in Mamma Mia. He would like to thank the cast and crew for keeping art, theater and music alive during these trying times and the patrons for supporting local performers and community theaters. "Thank you for music."

Alisha Flaherty is a jack of all trades enjoying running two businesses from home, ice skating, clogging dancing, and doing musical theatre with her boys! Her favorite roles include Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan, Marian Thayer in Titanic, & participating in last year's Gender Bender!

Landon Flaherty is 12, and a 6th grader at Columbia Intermediate. He loves to sing, play basketball, and is an 80's and basketball trivia fanatic! His favorite roles include Charlie in Willie Wonka Jr, Michael in Peter Pan, and most recently, Pugsley in The Addams Family Musical.

Tosha is excited to be doing her first show with MCP! Tosha is a wife and a mom but still loves to perform! Past credits include Beauty and the Beast, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Last summer, Tosha played her first lead role as Spider in James and the Giant Peach with Barts Bards! In this weird time, she is happy that we can come together and put on an amazing show! Enjoy!!

Lara is excited to be back performing with MCP. She is even more pumped than usual to be part of Gender Bender 2020 since this virtual format is a rare opportunity to perform with her Cincinnati theater family while still working in Kansas City. Thanks for the opportunity to share the joy of "live" theater during one of the craziest years of all!!

John's very happy to have some form of Gender Bender this year. Although he misses being with crowd of crazy, wonderful people at rehearsals and the final show, he's happy to see the talented individuals coming together in some way. He was fortunate to finish a turn as everyone's favorite zombie butler Lurch in Queen City Production's The Addams Family musical. Previous roles include two (non-zombie) butlers in Sentimental Journey and The Importance of Being Earnest, both Mason Community Players productions. His Gender Bender debut came last year with him showcasing some of the voices in his head with a rendition of Dolly Parton's Jolene. He wants to give a special shout out to his family for the continuious emotional support. He especially wants to give praise to the Gender Bender crew for coordinating this less-than-traditional version of the show.

Justin Hanks is a web developer, graphic artist, and self-proclaimed Pokémon master. He is returning to the “virtual” stage after a five-year hiatus from acting. His past credits include Seussical the Musical (Horton), Beauty and the Beast (Beast), The Wizard of Oz (Cowardly Lion), Rumors (Ken Gorman), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Gaston), A New Brain (Richard), Children of Eden (Father), Angels in America (Louis), Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), and The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Norbert). He is honored to have a “comeback” with such a talented group of performers. This is his first – and hopefully not last – production with the amazing Mason Community Players. He almost couldn’t participate, but fortunately, the pandemic freed up his schedule. As they say, “everything, everything happens for a reason.”

Louisa is very excited to be making her debut at Mason Community Players. This summer, she played Teeny in Footlighter's production of Fibber McGee and Molly: Making Fudge. Louisa has participated in many productions at The Wyoming Fine Arts center, some highlights being her role as Buddy in Elf and her role as Queen Aggravain in Once Upon a Mattress. She has been singing for seven years, and she plays the guitar, piano, and flute. Louisa adores musicals and devotes most of her free time to enthusing over Broadway shows. She is ecstatic to be working with such an amazing cast in crew in this production, and she is overjoyed to continue to make art through this time.

Zach is super excited to finally be a part of something theater based, even though it may be virtual. Some of his most recent acting credits include: Grasshopper, James and the Giant Peach (Beechmont Players), Johnny, American Idiot (Sunset Players), and Ensemble in a bunch others. Enjoy!

Carrie Knauer is delighted to be making her debut with MCP. Gender Bender 2020 marks Carrie’s exit from theatrical retirement; as her last credit was member of the Lollipop Guild in Highlands Middle School production of The Wizard of Oz. Carrie is a 2013 graduate of Hanover College and is using her talents and biology degree as an employee of Gravity Diagnostics.

Holly is excited to join MCP again for the annual Gender Bender! There are a lot of male roles she'd LOVE to play (like Judas and Beetlejuice!) and she has a blast getting to do that here. She loves community theater more than words can express, and has really been missing her theater family. Past favorite roles include Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Miss Hannigan in Annie, and Ursula in The Little Mermaid. Holly works as a Senior Communications Specialist for the fundraising department at Cincinnati Children's. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Jennifer Lisa has been part of MCP since 2005. Her most recent stage appearance was as Donna in Mamma Mia and she was excited to reunite with her Dynamos. This is her first appearance in the Gender Bender and doing this whole thing “virtually“ has been a completely mind blowing experience!

Matt Lovell was cast in several things this year that were completely cancelled, including Sherlock Holmes in Baskerville. Instead he turned to doing things online like Doc Gamble in Footlighters' Fibber MacGee and Molly: Making Fudge and Professor Higgins in Pygmalion. He has gleefully genderbent elsewhere in the past, playing most of the female Shakepearean character over 2 productions of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and Hysterium in Loveland Stage Company's A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum. He hopes to someday do it again in The Mystery of Irma Vep. Toodles!

Terry Neack Recently Terry was in Queen Cities The Addams Family in the role of Grandma , Sweeny Todd (in the octect), and Peter Pan as a pirate. She played the role of Housekeeper in Mason’s Man of LaMancha. She was in Loveland Stage Companys’ The Drowsy Chaparone, Memphis, 9 to 5 the Musical as Margaret the drunk, Cabaret and White Christmas. She played the part of Widow Corney in Oliver! and also did The Little Mermaid and Joseph Technicolor Coat with Eastside Players. In the play 6 Room Re Vue her lead role won her a Cincinnati Orchid Award. She is busy with her dog rescue organization, Luvfurmutts, or officiating swim meets. She does have a job-teaching. She is thrilled to be a part of her second Gender Bender with Mason Community Players.

Solomon is almost 4. We’re not sure he knows he’s in a show. He likes PJ masks, “Paw Catrol”, picking out his outfits, and trucks. He would like to thank no one.

Mike is excited to be returning for his second Bend, alongside his amazing wife Lora. He had such an incredible time last year as The Lady in "The Song That Goes Like This" with Lora as Lancelot, and was so grapeful to be asked back. Previous roles include Chaz/Drools in Lumos Players' "Drop Dead", Lt. Brannigan in "Guys n' Dolls" and David/Ronald Reagan in "The Wedding Singer" with The Nativity Players, and as a sketch writer and performer with The Company. He'd like to thank his wife and star Lora for all of her support and encouragement, the directors and producer for the opportunity and their creativity (this is so much fun!), and his demure muse, Jon Scheiding, for teaching him how to sing.

Lora “Lolo” Pateras is thrilled to be a part of “Gender Bender 4.” In these challenging times, it’s so exciting that MCP has been able to bring “Gender Bender” to life in a way that keeps everyone safe and allows creativity, hope, laughter, and joy to spread. Lora has been blessed to work with several local community theatre groups over the years and to call MCP home. Her favorite roles are “The Woman in the Chair” in The Drowsy Chaperone (with The Nativity Players), “Jolene” in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (with MCP), and anytime she gets to share the stage with her husband. Lora wants to thank Peyton, Jon, Kaleigh “KB,” Bonnie and Jacqlyn for working so hard to make this theatrical experience a reality, and her partner in humor Mike Pateras, for being her everything.

Dear, Gender Bender....After three years of photographing the Gender Bender, Julie finally decided to join in on the fun. It's been a year and a half since she last appeared on stage as Tanya in Mamma Mia and she's grateful to be performing again, even if it is only via video. This experience has provided a much needed relief from the craziness of the "new normal" of teaching in an elementary school where she is also the Assistant Principal and Technology Coordinator. She is very grateful for Peyton, Jaclyn, Bonnie and KB for her to be a part of the show and to Jon for putting together all the hours of audio and video. What a job they have done! Sincerely ME!

Ella is 12 years old and loves to act, sing and hang out with friends. She has been in many musicals such as Suessical, Shrek, Matilda and Peter Pan just to name a few. This is Ella’s first musical with gender bender and hopes it will not be her last! Ella is very exited and hopes you enjoy the show.

This is Lacey’s second Gender Bender. Some of her favorite credits include Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein with Big Blue Alumni Theater and Sour Kangaroo in Suessical with Bart’s Bards. Lacey studied music at Cincinnati Christian University, and is now studying Medical Assisting with CET. With the world turned upside down, Gender Bender 2020 has been a piece of joy, hope, and normalcy. She is delighted to share the “stage” with her fiancé, Carrie Knauer, and their son, Solomon.

Mary Puetz is thrilled to be a part of this Virtual Gender Bender performance and her first production with Mason Community Players. Locally she has appeared in recent productions of A Catered Affair, Silent Sky, Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as being a member of the improv troupe ComedySportz Cincinnati. Mary has performed throughout the Midwest in musicals, plays, operas, and professional choirs, and has always enjoyed being involved in arts organizations wherever life has taken her.

Alex Ross is a performer, musician, and scenic carpenter in Cincinnati. While the theaters are closed, he spends his time writing music with his band mates, working on home projects, and binging horror movies. He can't wait for the full return of theater everywhere, when performers, crew members, and audiences can be completely safe. Thank you for supporting performance theater during this pandemic. Remember to stay socially distant and wear your masks!

Molly Sexton is so thrilled to be singing a gender-bent dream role for Mason Community Players Gender Bender Revue! What a great first show experience with MCP! She is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of NKU's Theatre Department. When she isn't performing, she works as an Instructional Aide in a special education classroom and as the Dance Instructor for NKUs Mainstage Musical Theatre Company, and as a private dance teacher. Recent credits: Kid Clever (The Costume Council, Kings Island's Fall Fest), Soloist (Precipice, The Footlighter's Inc.), Singer/Dancer Swing (Tinker's Toy Factory, Kings Island's Winterfest), Ensemble and Dance Captain (Mamma Mia, The Footlighter's Inc.) Ladybug (James and the Giant Peach, Bart's Bards), Ensemble (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cincinnati Music Theatre). Instagram: @mollyksexton

Erin Speno is a stage manager and technician by trade, but loves performing whenever she can. Some of her favorite past roles have been in The Wild Party (Dolores), Cry-Baby: The Musical (Ensemble), American Idiot (“Too Much Too Soon”) and Barnum (Jenny Lind). Off stage, she spent the last year working as a stage management intern at Playhouse in the Park, and she was recently hired as the technical director of lighting and sound at Anderson High School.

Brandon is so excited to be back performing after such a crazy year. His favorite past roles include David in “If/Then”, Francis Church in “Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus” and ensemble in “American Idiot” (where he met his future fiancé Erin in their first duet together) When he can find free time, Brandon can be found playing Dungeons and Dragons and planning a wedding for next year! Special thanks to KB, John, Jacqlyn, Bonnie and Peyton for all of their effort in putting this together, and Erin (and their kitties Astrid and Hiccup) for pushing him out of his comfort zone and auditioning for this. He is incredibly grateful for all the work that MCP put into making this gender bender happen, and hopes that you enjoy all of the performances!

Samantha Toberman spent much of 2019 doing shows with Breckenridge Backstage Theatre (Colorado) - Almost, Maine; Totally Red!; and Little Shop of Horrors. Recent Cincinnati credits include My Favorite Year (Aunt Sadie), Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew, aka “The Holy Terror”), Young Frankenstein (Frau Blucher – yes, with horse whinny!), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Domina), Lend Me a Tenor (Julia), and Suite Surrender (Mrs. Osgood). Samantha loves her Yorkie Duchess and traveling the world, (when permitted) with husband Chuck Strain.

This is Mary’s first show with Mason Community Players! No stranger to the community theater stage, some of her favorite past credits include Sugar Plum Fairy/ Gingy in Shrek the Musical, Fraülein Kost in Cabaret, and Angie/ others, many others in The Wedding Singer. In her new abundance of free time Mary is going back to school for Medical Assisting and still singing show tunes. Mary would like to thank the whole production team for the opportunity to perform and be creative in these trying times. She would also like to thank her favorite scene partner, Megan, for always being up for her crazy ideas. No matter how unconventional it may be, thank you for still supporting theatre! Enjoy!