Jay was born and raised in Montana, making him one in a million (at least statistically).  His young adult plays have been produced by Montana Repertory Theatre’s Educational Outreach Tour and his radio comedies by Montana Public Radio (MTPR). Recent productions include a March 2024 staged reading of his ten-minute play God Water, Room 131 Productions, Zootown Arts Community Center, Missoula; his stage short The Meaty Gourmet, Lake Shore Center for the Arts, Westfield, NY, May 2023; and his audio short Speed Therapy was part of MT Rep’s Plays on Call in 2021; and his full-length stage play The Vorbit Incident, was produced by Montana Actors Theatre in Havre, MT, 2019, in conjunction with Montana Playwrights Network. The Nuclear Baby Boom: A Children’s Story for Adults will be part of the upcoming Season 3 of his literary podcast Words Out West (wordsoutwest.org) in partnership with MTPR. To find out what else Jay has been up to go to jaykettering.com.

Gwen McKenna is a retired book editor and occasional lyricist, having collaborated with a number of musicians over the years. She loves the theater, especially musicals, so working on The Girl with the Ivory Ankle was a particular joy. She lives in Missoula with her husband Jay Kettering (the playwright) and their two cats.

Since 2015, Fred has worked with Orphan Girl Children’s/Community Theatre as a Music Director and Vocal Coach, as well as appearing onstage in several productions as an actor. Fred is a Butte native and graduate of Butte Central High School. He received his Bachelor of Music in Composition and Technology from the University of Montana and his Master of Music in Composition from the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, UK (Scotland). Fred became one of the founding members of the Buttenik Ensemble at the Covellite Theatre in Butte, MT in 2004, where he worked as the Music Director until 2007. In 2009, Fred took part in the World Premiere of 6:01 am, a hip hop/spoken word musical, as the Composer and Conductor with members of the Reno Philharmonic and Nevada Opera Orchestras in Reno, Nevada. He is also the Musical Director for the Brewery Follies in Virginia City, MT and has held this position since he returned to Montana in 2010. He is also the director of the Copper Hill Choir of Montana Tech, the Mining City Choral Union, and the Aldersgate Chancel Choir.